The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 90 No rush

Ningguo Mansion.

Hearing that Jia She and the others had entered the ancestral hall again, Jia Zhen belatedly realized what was happening and looked at his mother, "I...do I still want to go?"

"...What do you think?"

Shen Ning paused for a moment, then asked in return, "What a big son!"

"Uncle She... he probably wants to use this to take over Rongxi Hall, right?"

Helpless, Jia Zhen asked his mother for advice, "Mother, I am the clan head. Should I meet with the old lady before entering the ancestral hall and say hello?" Since the old lady and Uncle Zheng have already admitted their mistakes, Rongxi Hall should be returned.

"...The old lady isn't worried, why are you?"

Shen Ning was speechless for a moment, then asked in return, "Also, if your Uncle She is in a hurry, do you think he wouldn't send someone to deliver a message to you?"

Jia Zhen: "..."

He was completely dumbfounded!

Could it be that they entered the ancestral hall in such a muddled way just to stare at each other blankly?
No, there's also teeth grinding and farting.

Although the ancestral hall was very large, with rooms for people to use the toilet on both the east and west sides, those rooms were dark and had a strangely eerie feeling. It was okay during the day, but at night... he was a little scared!

"No, Mother, the injuries on my body haven't been long."

Jia Zhen had no choice but to fight for himself.

He can't eat well, drink well, live well, or sleep well. How pitiful he must be!

"Hmm~"

Shen Ning nodded, clapped her hands, and called out loudly, "Rong-ge'er..."

"Grandma~"

Jia Rong ran over, "You called me?"

“Okay!” Shen Ning nodded. “In a little while, you will accompany your father into the ancestral hall and ask your grandfather if he can take care of your father alone since he is still not fully recovered. If he agrees, give him a reclining bench and don’t give him the bittersweet food. Just give him a bowl of normal rice with some side dishes, no meat.”

"……Yes!"

Jia Rong glanced at his father, feeling a pang of pity. "Grandmother, how long will this take?"

His father is suffering too much; this is clearly a matter for the West Mansion.

"Your dad isn't the only one who's been spoiled."

Shen Ning handed over the purse containing candy that she had brought into the palace, saying, "Don't worry, when someone can't hold on any longer, they will take the initiative to ask for Rongxi Hall to be given up."

"Will I be able to get out then?"

Jia Zhen took the candy and then hurriedly asked another question.

"...Just bear with it a little longer!"

Shen Ning thought for a moment, "It's best to endure until she begs you with tears streaming down her face. That way you'll have less trouble, and at least Zhu'er will remember you for the rest of her life and won't dare to provoke you easily."

……

Inside the ancestral hall, Jia She, having come prepared, felt alright.

But Jia Zheng and Lady Wang felt extremely sad.

The two of them had experienced extreme emotional ups and downs because of Yuan Chun's matter, and they hadn't slept all night. Now, kneeling like this was really too uncomfortable for them.

Especially after Jia Zhen came in and asked for special privileges, the man, under the pretext that his injury had not healed, that he hadn't slept all night, and that he had come to the palace early this morning, openly lay down on the bench and soon started snoring.

Although Wang was far away from him, she was also having a very hard time.

She was extremely sleepy.

My knees hurt too.

She wanted to slack off, but Pearl wanted to take care of her, so she knelt down here.

Madam Wang wanted to preserve her image in her son's eyes, so she could only try her best to endure it.

They endured this until evening, starving. When dinner finally arrived, it was Shen's "bitter past and sweet present" meal.

Jia She ate without changing his expression, and even commented as he ate, "This food tastes much sweeter than it did last night and this morning. It seems that in another two days, we will be able to get used to it."

"..."

"..."

Jia Zheng and Wang Shi, who were starving and eating wild vegetable pancakes, choked for a moment. They quickly swallowed some wild vegetable porridge, stretching their necks to avoid making a fool of themselves.

How am I supposed to get used to this broken thing?

Jia She pretended not to see it and asked Jia Zhu, "Zhu'er, this wild vegetable cake didn't crumble, so there must be a little too little bran, right?"

"……Yes!"

During the meal, Jia Zhu kept her head down the entire time.

They didn't even see their parents' embarrassed expressions.

He was young, so he got hungry faster.

He went out to receive the imperial decree, and was so busy that he only managed to drink a couple of sips of water and didn't even get to eat a snack.

Although the wild vegetable pancakes still made my throat sore, the grains added seemed to be finer, not entirely bran anymore.

Upon closer chewing, the sour and bitter taste is accompanied by a hint of the sweetness of grains.

It's just a bit too little.

Jia Zhu was slightly disappointed, as he was not getting enough to eat.

"This wild vegetable porridge isn't so bitter anymore."

Jia She looked at his younger brother, who had learned from his experience of choking, and said, "Yes, just like that, a mouthful of porridge and a bite of bread are very delicious."

Jia Zheng: "..."

He couldn't eat anymore.

But I was still hungry.

He has never gone hungry in his entire life.

In the past, it was always the eldest brother who went to the ancestral hall. He was obedient and smart, and even if he was unlucky, he would be released in half a day at most.

now……

Jia Zheng was very sad.

Now, apart from Yuan Chun and Bao Yu, his whole family is here.

Yuan-chun is about to get married, and Bao-yu is still the same...

Thinking of his young but already ruined son, Jia Zheng glanced at Wang Shi and slowly took another sip of porridge.

Madam Wang's heart skipped a beat.

Having been married for many years, she certainly understood Jia Zheng.

Her husband was blaming her again.

She lowered her head, stubbornly refusing to eat a bite of bread and a sip of porridge as Jia She had suggested. Instead, she ate the bread in small bites, trying her best not to choke.

Of course, in order to swallow it, Wang called out Shen's name in her heart with each bite.

Jia Zhen remained silent throughout the entire process.

His porridge was thick rice porridge, the side dishes were savory and delicious, and the steamed buns were big and fluffy.

Although he had eaten his fill before coming in, seeing that they had finished their food, he also ate every last bite of his own.

Yes, it's quite nice to enjoy the good life while others suffer.

Jia Zhen felt that he could endure this kind of life as long as Uncle Zheng and the others could.

It wasn't until Xing'er came in to clear the dishes that he asked, "Is there any water left?"

"Yes!"

Xing'er put down the pot of hot water he was carrying, and left four cups behind. "Madam instructed that the hot water here must not be interrupted. If it runs out or gets cold, just call out and someone will bring it in."

Shen Ning was worried that they would get sick, so she specially had someone bring a stove to make hot water for them.

"okay."

Jia Zhen nodded, "Go back and tell my mother that we are all fine, and tell her not to worry. Get some rest early today."

"Yes!"

Xing'er bowed to Jia She and the others, and then obediently withdrew.

That night, everyone slept in a rather disheveled manner on the prayer mats.

Having also rested overnight and feeling much better, Grandmother Jia ate her sumptuous breakfast while thinking about her family in the ancestral hall.

So, they lost their appetite as they ate. "Xing, have you sent food to the ancestral hall? How are She'er and the others eating?"

"...It was sent, but then returned."

Madam Xing knew about the situation there and said, "The master and the others discussed it the night before last. From now on, when they enter the ancestral hall, they will eat the 'bitter memories and sweet taste' meal from the school."

what?
Grandmother Jia was stunned. "You ate that meal yesterday?"

"Yes!"

"..."

Grandmother Jia couldn't help but clutch her chest.

The old lady tried the food, and sure enough, she spat it out as soon as she put it in her mouth. Surprisingly, her eldest and second eldest sons, along with Zhu'er, had been eating it all day.

Oh my goodness, she didn't even know yesterday.

"Didn't you even go and see them? She'er and the others have never suffered like this before."

The old lady didn't mention her second son, but kept harping on her eldest son, "What if he gets sick... By the way, Zhen'er hasn't recovered yet, has she? How could Shen be so heartless?"

Can't you offer a way out?

Give her a way out, and she'll take it!
That day, even the old lady cried and admitted her mistake.

As long as you give the word, Rongxi Hall will definitely make room for the eldest son.

“My wife sent someone to ask yesterday, and the master said the same thing as the old lady: Zhen’er’s health has not fully recovered, so she can sleep on the bench and eat simple porridge.”

So, it's her family who suffers the most?

Grandmother Jia looked at her foolish eldest daughter-in-law and was so angry she wanted to hit her.

"Zhu'er is so frail, how can he withstand it?"

The old lady felt sorry for him and stood up herself. "Someone, prepare the sedan chair and go to the East Mansion."

She was going to see her children and grandchildren.

"Your wife will go with you."

"No need."

The old lady was very angry. "Yuan Chun went to watch over her younger siblings' studies early this morning. Go and check on them. If they need anything, have Feng Yatou make it up to them immediately."

"……Yes!"

Ms. Xing was slightly disappointed.

She wanted to see the miserable state of the second son's family.

Yesterday, the master took a bath and ate and drank his fill before going.

Moreover, I heard that the master had hidden two small cotton pads in his sleeves so that kneeling wouldn't be so uncomfortable.

But she went to call her second son's family herself, and they weren't prepared at all.

As Xing watched the old lady being carried away by the maids, she slowly made her way to where the children were studying.

She didn't see Li Wan, who was hiding from her under the flowering tree.

Jia Zhu was in the ancestral hall, as were her parents-in-law. She knew she could never go back to this home.

Although Yuan Chun returned and was betrothed to a very good family, it was clear that her in-laws could no longer live in Rongxi Hall.

That day, she and her second brother and sister-in-law vaguely heard Rongxi Hall.

Li Wan knew that her second sister-in-law also harbored feelings for the eldest son's family and wanted to remarry into Rongxi Hall.

She couldn't help but sigh.

Judging from the way the eldest aunt of the East Mansion is acting, her parents-in-law will definitely not give up until Rongxi Hall is handed over.

Why hasn't the old man read this yet? He should try to persuade his parents-in-law.

If we had persuaded them to give up Rongxitang sooner, they would have suffered less!

As things stand, who knows how many more days we'll have to stay here.

Li Wan frowned.

She was worried about her husband's studies and his health.

The curriculum at the Imperial College is quite heavy. If you fall too far behind, it will take a lot of effort to catch up.

After thinking for a moment, she finally headed in the direction Xing had left.

Of the two branches of the family, it seems that only the eldest sister-in-law, Yuan Chun, is the most favored by the eldest aunt of the East Mansion.

Li Wan couldn't resist the urge to strike the wooden bell.

Although she and Yuan Chun had only met yesterday.

Yesterday, however, was a day of chaos and turmoil.

She was stunned when she witnessed her mother-in-law beating her daughter.

Having been married into the Jia family for more than half a year, in recent months, although her original impression of her mother-in-law's kindness has gradually shattered, she never expected that her mother-in-law would be so ignorant and presumptuous.

The retired emperor seemed very kind, and the emperor seemed very filial, but even her father was always on edge in his official post. If it weren't for his large family, he would have resigned long ago.

But the mother-in-law, on the contrary, actually wanted her sister-in-law to jump from the Emperor Emeritus's place to the Emperor's.

Li Wan was quite impressed.

I originally thought my sister-in-law was a female official in the palace.

Little did she know that her in-laws had that in mind.

No wonder my aunt was so angry.

How many retired emperors throughout history have had a good ending?

Although their sons became emperors, imperial power could only ever be held by one person.

It's good that the retired emperor is still holding onto the imperial power, but he's getting old. Can he hold onto it forever?
If even the crown prince was forced into such a state, how much more so the emperor who has already ascended the throne?

His current filial piety and forbearance are due to being frightened by the example of the Crown Prince.

But the more filial and forbearing they are, the more powerful their future counterattack will likely be.

Li Wan sighed, thinking about things in the palace, and then went to the place where her sisters-in-law were studying.

She walked slowly, and by the time she arrived, Madam Xing had already left.

"Sister-in-law!"

Yuan Chun, who was about to return home, was not surprised to see her sister-in-law; instead, a hint of joy flashed in her eyes.

"Big sister!"

When Li Wan bowed, she quickly returned the bow, asking, "Did Auntie arrive as well?"

"Yes! They just left!"

"That……"

Li Wan wanted to say something else before turning to the ancestral hall, but after a moment's hesitation, she finally asked, "Does my younger sister know that the old lady just went to the East Mansion?"

"……Know."

Yuan Chun nodded, "My aunt just said that."

"It's not good for the master and mistress to always be in the ancestral hall."

Li Wan spoke with great difficulty, "Elder sister, do you think we should ask our aunt from the East Mansion for help?"

"...What are you asking for?"

Yuan Chun walked back slowly with her, saying, "Some things cannot be solved by asking."

Her parents were wrong.

Yuan Chun sighed softly to herself, "Only those who have made mistakes can make amends and move on."

Otherwise, who knows how many more problems will arise in the future.

"I believe my older brother understands this as well."

Not only her older brother was waiting for their parents, but her uncle was too.

Even the eldest aunt and Brother Zhen from the East Mansion were waiting.

"Grandmother's past... was actually of little use."

Since my aunt has decided to take charge of things here, she can't possibly give up halfway.

"However, without going there, those who think they're wrong will continue to cling to unrealistic fantasies."

Yuan Chun heard some things from Bao Yu yesterday, and she was very sad.

Although I had already realized my parents' shortcomings while I was in the palace, at that time, I was stuck in the mud and had no way to think of anything.

Now that she has stepped outside the palace and is looking at how her eldest aunt in the East Mansion handled the situation, Yuan Chun finally realizes that her family has made a mistake.

"Once my brother comes out, all I need to do is take good care of him."

Judging from her sister-in-law's expression, she still has a lot of affection for her brother.

This is enough.

“Second Brother Lian is kind-hearted, and Second Sister-in-law often came to our house when she was young,” Yuan Chun reminded Li Wan. “Although she is a fiery person, she is also very clear about her grievances and is extremely good to her family.”

Grandmother is in good health, and eldest brother is doing well in his studies, so parents don't have to worry about the future of the second branch of the family.

“If you are worried about your brother, you can make him a few more knee pads.”

"……Um!"

Li Wan understood.

Although the husband's older sister is the husband's parents' biological daughter, she only sides with reason.

That's good!

A smile appeared on her face. "Then make two for me too, little sister. We'll take them in together for the master, mistress, and master later."

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!!!