The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 113 Announcement
At the Rongguo Mansion, Baoyu had finished his studies.

"Second Master!"

Xi Ren, a maid who was assigned to his side by the old lady this year, carried his book and said as she walked, "The aunt, the young lady, and the young master entered the mansion this morning. I heard that because of Master Lin, Second Master Lian was summoned to the palace by the Emperor and has now been appointed as a senior official in the Ministry of War's Armory Department."

"Has Auntie arrived already?"

Baoyu quickened his pace, but then he remembered something and slowed down. "Are Second Sister and Third Sister also just finishing school now, like me?"

Xiren hesitated for a moment before finally saying, "...No, the old lady ordered someone to call them as soon as the aunt returned."

She didn't know how this happened.

Just last year, Bao Er Ye was still the apple of the old lady's and madam's eye.

But in the blink of an eye, it actually happened...

"The old lady didn't call you, probably because your studies are more important."

Baoyu: "..."

He was not comforted.

He had sensed the change in his family's attitude long ago.

His parents hoped he would study hard, and he really did study hard during this time.

However, even though he studied hard, his parents didn't seem to care much anymore.

They no longer cared what he studied each day, no longer cared whether his handwriting was good or not, it was just the old lady...

"Hasn't Big Sister returned from Biyun Temple yet?"

what?
Xiren was taken aback and said, "No, isn't the Cheng family of Marquis Xinping going to hold a three-day memorial service for Princess Baofeng? According to the schedule, the eldest young lady can only return to the manor tomorrow."

"..."

Baoyu fell silent.

The only person in this household who is kind to him now is his eldest sister.

But my older sister isn't home.

"Are your aunt and your wife close to each other?"

He suppressed his inner turmoil and asked another question.

"My aunt is very close to the eldest wife of the East Mansion, and also very close to the eldest wife of our mansion."

The household has already split up.

Because Xiren was with Baoyu, she was also counted on the side of the second branch of the family.

Aside from the courtyard where the masters already lived, there was actually very little left for the second branch of the Rongguo Mansion.

The aunt lived in her original courtyard, but that courtyard actually belonged to the master's side.

Xiren didn't mention Madam Wang because their mistress had returned to Pear Fragrance Courtyard midway through the journey, and it was said that when she spoke to her aunt, her tone was neither warm nor cold.

"And what about the master?"

Baoyu asked again.

"Master has left the manor on business."

Baoyu: "..."

The children already know that their aunt and their family are not close.

"By the way, Second Master, the First Madam of the East Mansion said that she wants to invite the tutors who teach the Second and Third Misses to the East Mansion, so that the girls can study there from now on."

Xi Ren sensed that he was a little sad, so she tried to change the subject, "Grandma has already agreed, and even Auntie said that Miss Biao will go to school after a few days of rest."

"...Did they mention me? Can I study at the East Mansion?"

Baoyu asked anxiously.

He had heard from his wife that he might be transferred to a school.

However, every seven days at the school, they had to eat a particularly unpalatable and insufficient meal called "bitter memories of sweetness."

Baoyu was very curious about the school and had secretly asked his older brother about it.

The older brother said I could go to school.

You can make friends there and learn many things you can't learn at home.

But his wife said that he absolutely could not go to school, because no one from the Jia family school had ever made a name for themselves.

My older brother also studied at home with his teacher first.

He went to school, and the old lady really didn't like him anymore.

He needs to stay home and behave himself.

"No... I haven't heard of it."

Xi Ren shook her head.

Baoyu's face gradually darkened.

He slowly walked towards the bustling courtyard.

Grandma's hearty laughter was so joyful.

This laughter used to only exist when he was around.

"Grandma, Master Bao has finished school."

The voice of a young maid could be heard coming from inside.

Baoyu's spirits lifted slightly. As he walked into the courtyard, he heard Grandmother Jia calling to him with a smile, "Quickly, Baoyu, come and greet your aunt and cousins."

"Ancestor!"

Baoyu first bowed to the old lady, then looked at the bright and beautiful woman whom his grandmother had been talking about for many years. When she looked at him with a smile, he felt that she looked familiar. "Baoyu greets Aunt!"

He bowed to Jia Min formally.

"Get up quickly!"

Jia Min waved to her little nephew.

Although she and her second sister-in-law didn't get along very well, her nephew was still her blood relative.

Her mother loved her dearly.

From her letters home, she guessed that her nephew, who liked to hang out with girls, was being spoiled too much by his mother and second sister-in-law, and that things might not go well for him in the future. But she never expected that the child would look somewhat like her.

"Daiyu, Chang'an, quickly greet your second cousin from your second maternal uncle's family!"

"cousin!"

"Cousin~"

The three children bowed to each other.

When Daiyu and Baoyu saw each other, they both felt that they looked very familiar with each other.

Baoyu felt much better and said with a smile, "I've seen this younger sister before."

"But that's just nonsense."

The old lady laughed and said, "You're in the capital, she's in Yangzhou, yet you've never met."

"Although we have never met before, my face looks familiar to me, and I feel as if we are old acquaintances. Today, let's just consider it a reunion after a long separation, which is not impossible."

"Does my cousin think I look familiar?"

Lin Chang'an stepped in front of his sister and asked his little cousin in a clear, childlike voice.

"He looks familiar!"

Baoyu rarely played with people his own age. Although Lin Chang'an looked much younger than him, he still liked him standing in front of him.

"Of course!"

Lin Chang'an exclaimed, "You look like my mother, and my sister and I also look a bit like her."

"Haha, that's for sure."

Jia Min smiled and hugged her son and daughter. "Nephews and grandsons often resemble their uncles. My second brother and I are somewhat alike, and Baoyu is also similar to my second brother when he was young. Isn't it just that we look so familiar with each other?"

Is that right?

Lin Daiyu glanced at Baoyu and smiled with her lips pursed.

"Yes, you all resemble the Duke."

Grandmother Jia's eyes were warm. "Baoyu is more like you than any of you!"

The eldest son, however, resembles the old Duke.

"Tomorrow, I will take the two children to the ancestral hall to offer incense to my father and tell him that I have returned."

"Good good!"

Grandmother Jia hugged her grandson who was sitting close to her, "Tomorrow we'll go eat at your sister-in-law's house together."

While his grandmother and mother were talking, Lin Chang'an ran up to Bao Yu and asked, "Second cousin, you're only just getting back now. Were you studying?"

"Yes!"

"So, where did you study?" "University!"

"Wow, that's amazing! My sister also went to university."

As Baoyu looked at Daiyu, the little girl was also looking at him. "Then let's study together tomorrow, little sister!"

"I want to study with my second older sister and third younger sister."

Daiyu refused, "However, you can read it with Chang'an."

"Chang'an, where are you in your reading?"

Can such a young little brother recognize all the characters?

However, considering that he had learned a general understanding of all the characters by following his older sister when he was three years old, Baoyu finally changed his question to "Where are you reading now?"

"My sister went to university, and so did I."

Lin Chang'an puffed out his chest, "There are some characters I can't write yet. But I recognize them all."

"Ha~"

When Jia Min heard her youngest son boasting, she couldn't help but tap him on the head. "So, all you're trying to say is that you went to university, right?"

Grandmother Jia then remembered that her grandson had just praised Baoyu for being so amazing, and she couldn't help but laugh so hard she almost fell over.

When Madam Wang came from Pear Fragrance Courtyard to serve dinner, she heard laughter coming from inside and snorted a few times.

……

Biyun Temple!
Today is Princess Baofeng's birthday.

Although she has been gone for three years, the pain in Cheng Luo's heart has never stopped.

So when the Cheng family mentioned that Biyun Temple would hold a three-day Buddhist ceremony for her, he immediately agreed.

What he didn't expect was that the clan also invited Jia's fiancée, Yuan Chun.

Cheng Luo felt both expectant and apprehensive.

His troublesome grandmother also came.

However, that anticipation and trepidation all turned into joy upon seeing Yuan Chun and the maids and servants attending to her.

No wonder he comes from a family of military generals.

Any one of those six old women could easily take on three of them, right?
Cheng Luo was shocked and delighted, while the rest of the Cheng family... were only shocked and gossiping.

Sure enough, from yesterday until now, neither his grandmother nor the old woman beside her has dared to cause any trouble.

One more day, once his mother's religious ceremony is over, the process of his marriage with her can move forward another step, and they can proceed with Najib's marriage.

Cheng Luo was really looking forward to it.

"Master Hou!"

Fu'an, who was beside him, rushed over from outside, saying, "A letter has arrived from the capital; something has happened to the Jia family."

what?
"what happened?"

He grabbed the letter and hurriedly began to read it.

Cheng Luo didn't see the two old men beside him looking at each other.

"Luo Ge'er, what happened to the Jia family?"

Clan Chief Cheng Zhi stroked his beard and asked directly.

"...Uncle, you can see for yourself!"

After reading the letter, Cheng Luo felt more at ease and handed it directly to the old man.

Cheng Zhi read it in three lines at a glance.

He casually handed the letter to his clansman, saying, "You should inform them about this!"

The Jia family... they really are still the same Jia family.

They captured Li Haifeng and a Japanese pirate alive, and even brought thirty corpses back to Beijing... Who are they trying to intimidate?
He didn't know if others were intimidated, but he was a little scared.

Cheng Zhi believed that the old woman inside would be afraid if she knew about this.

hiss~
For a moment, the old man didn't know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.

Princess Baofeng died so tragically in the Cheng family; it turns out he was terrified!

Unexpectedly, that old woman was quite capable, making it impossible for the royal family to investigate.

Originally, he was somewhat pleased that she was causing trouble and preventing Cheng Luo from finding a good marriage.

After all, Princess Baofeng was ruined by her actions. If any other high-ranking or wealthy family were to come along, it would be even more difficult for the Cheng family members to make a living in the future.

He couldn't use clan rules to restrain the old lady. The good days the clan had enjoyed over the years were thanks to the generosity of the Marquis of Xinping and his sister-in-law.

but now……

"nature!"

Cheng Luo calmly observed the group of old men. "Fu'an, take the letter in immediately and show it to Grandmother and Sixth Grandmother."

The Jia family is not someone they can afford to mess with.

An unremarkable letter first circulated among the men of the Cheng family, then went inside and was read by the women.

Although there are people who don't know the characters, it's even more terrifying when they are read aloud by someone who does.

Several truckloads of corpses! How dare the Jia family?

The old lady of the Cheng family couldn't help but take another look at Yuan Chun.

"Amitabha!" The old lady was very dissatisfied with her so-called granddaughter-in-law, who was calm and composed yet handled everything perfectly, leaving her unable to find fault. "This is a temple, young lady. Don't you think that your family's sins... are too heavy?"

"..."

Yuan Chun glanced at the old lady and said, “Old lady, you have also lived in Jiangnan, so you should know how hateful the Japanese pirates are! How can this be called excessive killing? This is the blessing of the Bodhisattva. Princess Baofeng’s spirit in heaven, upon hearing of this happy event in my family, would surely be happy to drink three more cups of wine.”

As she spoke, Baoqin, who was in perfect harmony with her, brought up a pot of plain wine.

Yuan Chun first offered incense to her future mother-in-law's memorial tablet before offering wine to her.

She believed that Princess Baofeng's spirit would be pleased with her daughter-in-law's powerful family background.

“Someone, tell the abbot that I want to donate another 300 catties of sesame oil to the princess’s eternal lamp, so that the princess can also share in my joy.”

"Yes!"

The maidservant went down to report the good news to the abbot, and none of the other women in the Cheng family dared to look at Old Madam Cheng's expression.

Why does this eldest daughter of the Jia family seem even more imposing than Princess Baofeng?

Princess Baofeng was always gentle and generous in front of them.

But the Jia family...

The thought of the two heads of the Jia family causing a scene at the Chen family's residence with a group of powerful servants because of a married daughter from the clan made them feel uneasy.

That Chen family, although not their Cheng family, has the same pronunciation.

Moreover, although Princess Baofeng was noble, this was only in terms of her status; she had no real connection with the military.

But the Jia family was different.

Because Cheng Luo's father rose to prominence in the military, the Cheng family had ambitious but academically unsuccessful sons who were either in the military or in various government offices.

The Jia family seems to have connections on both sides...

“The eldest daughter is right. We should indeed let the princess share in our joy. In that case, the clan will donate another 300 catties of sesame oil for the princess’s eternal lamp.”

Since we can't afford to offend them, and we can't afford to go far away, let's just befriend them!
The clan chief's wife, the sixth old lady, made the final decision.

"Yes, yes!"

"Those Japanese pirates deserve to die!"

"Just report the good news."

The ladies understood what the sixth old lady meant. They stopped ignoring the old lady of the Xinping Marquis's mansion who had previously flattered them and started to fawn over her.

As the saying goes, those who are pragmatic are the heroes.

They had no other choice.

Who can blame Cheng Luo for having such a formidable wife?

Not only is she capable herself, but her family is also powerful.

This time, the old lady of the Cheng family wanted to give Jia Yuanchun a warning by making her kneel and recite scriptures before Princess Baofeng.

After all, although she and Cheng Luo were betrothed by imperial decree, they were still some time away from actually getting married.

Unexpectedly, they arrived, accompanied by six burly old women.

It's as if he's telling them, "If you want to fight, then come on!"

Although she didn't say it out loud, they could clearly sense from her words and actions that Jia Yuanchun wished Old Madam Cheng would cause trouble for her.

Two days have passed, and the old lady hasn't made a fuss with her, nor have they found anything wrong with her. However, the old lady's maid has been punished with cleaning duties under some pretext.

They even forced me to wipe the windows three times.

So clean, oh my~