The Overlord of the Red Mansion

Chapter 132 Miaoyu Wanyu
The after-dinner chat had not yet ended, and the maids, young ladies and grandmothers from the Zhen and Jia families were still there.

Jia Rong said, "What do you think of the arrangements for the eldest and second wives of the Zhen family? You can't wait on me in my room. I'm afraid your mother Yuanchun will feel uncomfortable seeing you."

Jia Yuanchun was stunned.

Just now everyone was saying that many people in the Zhen family and the Jia family are similar. Then the eldest wife and the wife of the Zhen family naturally correspond to Lady Xing and Jia Yuanchun’s mother, Lady Wang.

Shi Xiangyun laughed and said, "Brother, don't tell such jokes. Madam Zhen is probably the same age as our Madam. She wants to be your maid? Don't tease her!"

Shi Xiangyun thought Jia Rong was joking, but Youshi and Jia Yuanchun both knew Jia Rong well...it was hard to say.

In order to avoid further embarrassment, Jia Yuanchun quickly said, "After all, the Zhen family is the in-laws of the Rong Mansion. Why not take them to the West Mansion?"

Jia Rong frowned and thought, "Rong Mansion does have relatives, and they have also taken in the assets that the Zhen family transferred before. If they take in the women of the Zhen family now, there will probably be problems."

Jia Yuanchun also understood that Jia Rong was right, but it would be fine if it was just Miss Zhen's maid, or even if it was just an old nanny who came in normally. But just now everyone had a discussion and linked Mrs. Zhen and Mrs. Jia together.

Jia Yuanchun’s sister is not her biological sister, but Mrs. Wang is her biological mother!

Jia Rong then said, "It's okay if a few of them come over. I don't believe that a woman in her thirties or forties can be a maid again, and I don't want to find a few more old maids for myself."

"Let's ask the old ladies and wives of the Zhen family, and all those over 30 years old, to go west. You can farm, weave, raise chickens and ducks, or be wet nurses. In short, find some way to make money."

Jia Yuanchun breathed a sigh of relief, but Lin Daiyu and others didn't know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing after hearing it.

When Mrs. Zhen heard this, she quickly took two steps at a time and knelt in front of Jia Rong.

"My Lord, please let me and my son stay here! I don't know how to do farm work, and I can't do rough labor. After we leave, my parents don't want us to go back. Please, my Lord, let me stay here, even if it's just to sweep the floor and boil water!"

Jia Rong smiled and said, "You stand aside. I will not easily go back on my promise. But if any of you have a good family to go to, you can leave. My Ning Mansion will not shut the door and prevent you from returning home."

Jia Rong said seriously, "Taking you in is already a risk for me. Don't treat me the same way you treated the Zhen family in my Ningguo Mansion. The Zhen family is long gone. If you want to rebuild the Zhen family, why eat at one family's house and stay at another?"

Jia Yuanchun remained silent, not knowing whether she was too sensitive or what. Her master was clearly teaching the Zhen family a lesson, but she felt as if he was talking about her.

Jia Rong said sternly, "This is the capital! It is the best place, under the feet of the emperor! It is not your Jiangnan, and the Duke's Mansion is not your Zhen family."

"You are not here to seek refuge with relatives, nor are you here to be guests, nor are you here to form a marriage alliance."

"I may be a bit harsh in my words, but I really have no relationship with you. The one you are related to is the family in the west. Now that family can't support themselves and needs my constant care. I am risking being implicated to help your Zhen family."

"Even if someone resents me for being ruthless and mistreating you ladies, I have to tell you clearly that if anyone causes trouble in my mansion or disobeys me, I will drive you out of the palace and leave you to fend for yourself!"

"Who doesn't want to be my servant here? Just let me know now and I'll have someone escort you out of the house. This will save you from having to cook one less bowl of rice in the future!"

Jia Rong looked towards the hall. How could a group of maids who had experienced house searches and imprisonment have any pride at all?

None of these people came directly from the Zhen family to the Jia family. The shortest ones spent ten days and ten nights in prison with rats, cockroaches, snakes, etc. from the south, while the longest ones did not leave prison until Jia Rong left.

Many people have seen human traffickers buying women in prison. The worst thing about those traffickers is that they have crooked mouths and squinting eyes. Some look like they haven't taken a bath for two or three years. Some have flesh bags on their necks, and some have red pimples all over their faces. Just seeing them would scare you to scream, let alone being bought by these people and abused.

Some of the beautiful women who had been successfully reformed were released from prison early and enjoyed an upper-class life in Ningguo Mansion. When more people arrived later, they quickly became obedient and none of them escaped.

Jia Rong looked around and no one wanted to leave.

Jia Rong then looked at Lin Daiyu and said, "Sister Daiyu, do you have a better way to settle them? It would be best if I don't have to spend money and still have a good way for them to live a decent life again."

Lin Daiyu lowered her head in embarrassment, "No, Brother Rong, please don't laugh at me."

Shi Xiangyun hugged Lin Daiyu's arm and said with a smile, "Big brother! Please make arrangements quickly. These girls haven't eaten yet. I can hear their stomachs growling with hunger!"

Jia Rong was in a good mood. "Then let's go and have dinner. Those who want to stay can stay, and those who want to leave can just tell the housekeeper. Those who want to serve your former wives can also go to the west together. The place over there is big and can accommodate many people. It is also a relative of your Zhen family."

Jia Rong looked at the women of the Zhen family and said, "Aren't you going to the west?" The eldest lady, the second lady, the third lady and the fourth lady of the Zhen family all quickly shook their heads.

Jia Rong asked curiously, "Why? In terms of kinship, isn't that side more familiar?"

The second wife of the Zhen family said, "My Lord, you are wise. Although they are relatives, their relationship has long been distant. Moreover, when the emperor was in mourning, the old concubine sent a message to tell him about the Rong Mansion and said that we should not visit relatives during the New Year."

"In the following years, I heard that a lot of things happened to the old lady's family, so we stopped interacting with each other even more. We were not familiar with each other at all."

"It was not until something happened that we used our original relationship to get close to the Duke. With the Duke's repeated protection, we poor people were able to maintain our innocence."

There are some differences between the second wife of the Zhen family and Wang Xifeng. She is more coquettish.

Jia Rong laughed and said, "You are not innocent now. I just said that the two families are similar in many ways, but they are only similar on the surface. When our Baoyu's house was confiscated, he didn't cry, make a fuss, or get scared. But when your Zhen family's Baoyu's house was confiscated, he cried for his parents, and when he was thrown into prison, he peed and shit, but in the end he still lost his head."

"Besides, there is a clear difference between your grandmother and our grandmother Zhu. Our grandmother Zhu is also a widow, but she is very arrogant."

"Forget it, forget it. If I say too much, I will seem mean." Jia Rong waved his hand. "Let's all go down to eat. I often walk around the palace. Where there are many women, there are also many disputes. I don't want to get involved in trivial matters. Qingwen, you will take care of the affairs of these maids."

Qingwen said quickly, "Yes, Master!"

It is natural for women to manage other women. It is impossible for a duke who is busy with family and national affairs to manage some maids.

Qingwen did not feel that she was humiliated or belittled. Instead, she was very happy to take on the position of manager.

A large group of people from the Zhen family quickly went downstairs to eat and rest. These people would be Jia Rong's people from now on, and he could play with whoever he wanted.

As soon as these people left, Miaoyu came in, accompanied by a female monk in her thirties who looked like Miaoyu's mother or aunt.

Miaoyu came in and bowed, saying, "It's just right that the Duke has returned. I just happened to want to ask for someone from him."

Jia Rong said, "Is it this Buddhist nun Wanyu who is beside you? I didn't find her when I was at the Zhen family. Later I found out that she was kidnapped and sold to a brothel. When I went there, she was about to receive a customer. I almost became her first customer."

The Taoist nun next to her looked ashamed and lowered her head in embarrassment.

Miaoyu frowned, "I have never heard of this. I only know that Lay Buddhist Wanyu practices Zen in the Zhen family and is proficient in tea art. I felt very friendly when I met her. I heard that she was rescued by the Duke and sent here."

"How come there's another one that looks similar? And the names are almost the same..." Xichun quickly waved and shouted, "Master Miaoyu, let's sleep together today. I'm so scared that I can't sleep now!"

Shi Xiangyun also said: "I will join in too. You guys can knock on the wooden fish, or I can knock on it for you."

Jia Rong said with a smile, "Wanyu should not live with Miaoyu. You can live in my courtyard first. I will build you a peach blossom hut. It will be a good place to teach the women in the mansion to chant sutras and pray for blessings."

Wanyu is a fallen version of Miaoyu. She went from being a high-and-mighty female nun to a layman who accepted the reality of being beaten and starved, and after being beaten and starved, she stopped thinking about the boring things of not having enough food and was willing to cooperate honestly.

Great vulgar!
She can talk about tea art and tea ceremony with Miaoyu, and express Zen Buddhist teachings, but when Jia Rong asks her to serve in the yard, she can quickly switch from being aloof and elegant to being well-behaved and obedient.

Miaoyu on the side frowned, feeling that there was a big problem.

After Shi Xiangyun, Xichun, Lin Daiyu and others pulled her over to their side and talked about the whole story, Miaoyu suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.

At this time, he looked at Wanyu who was standing not far away. After their eyes met, sweat suddenly broke out on their foreheads.

Others just thought it was an accident, but Wanyu and Miaoyu, who were practicing Buddhism, saw their past and future selves in each other's eyes.

"Amitabha!"

"Amitabha!"

Wanyu and Miaoyu chanted Buddhist names at the same time, which frightened Xue Baochai, who was not afraid at first.

(End of this chapter)