Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 104: Madam Wang's Plot

After the plan was finalized, everyone left Rong Xi Tang and went home.

Sister Feng pulled Jia Lian along and left. They exited through the small door at the back of Rongxi Hall, where they were greeted by a large painted screen wall. Seeing no one around, Sister Feng frowned and said angrily, "What the hell are you doing? Sister Lin's marriage is handled by the old lady and the eldest master. Why are you getting involved in this?"

Jia Lian was extremely depressed, but he couldn't tell the truth, so he just lost his temper, shook his hand and broke free from Feng Jieer, saying, "You don't understand."

Feng Jieer said, "Oh, I don't understand. How about Master Guo's uncle teach me the truth? I've seen everything since I came back from the south. I'm afraid you look down on me now."

Jia Lian was stunned for a moment, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, "Why are you involved again? I... I just feel that Chen Siyuan is not right."

"What's wrong?" Sister Feng said, "Brother Yuan has suffered a lot since he was young, but his character and heart are both excellent. Last time, when the East Palace held a funeral, he helped a lot—" Suddenly, she lowered her voice and said, "—If he hadn't tipped off, not to mention making 200 taels, I'm afraid we would have lost 1,000 taels of silver."

"What silver?" Jia Lian asked.

Feng Jieer thought about it and decided that two hundred taels was nothing, so she whispered the whole story.

Finally, he said, "I said before that when Second Master comes back, we'll prepare a feast and treat Brother Yuan to a drink. But Second Master, as soon as we met, he lost his temper and got involved without distinguishing between good and bad people. Not only has he offended Brother Yuan, but now I'm afraid he's offended the eldest master as well."

Jia Lian felt like crying, but he had no tears. If he had known this would happen, he should have told the truth that day. Fortunately, even though the marriage certificate was recognized as authentic, the man still had to pass the provincial examination before anything could be done.

Oh, the Shuntian Prefecture provincial examination was easy, but that was compared to the Jiangnan region. In reality, only one or two out of a hundred could pass. With two or three thousand scholars and students vying for thirty-six spots, how could Chen have stood out?

It was okay to offend the Chen family, but they were just relatives of his stepmother, so what could be the problem? The only thing that made Jia Lian scratch his head was the eldest master... The Jia family had a strong tradition of beating their sons without any regard for their behavior. If the eldest master really got angry... Tsk, this hurdle would be difficult to overcome.

The two of them entered Sister Feng'er's courtyard. Jia Lian simply leaned on the kang, frowning and thinking. Sister Feng was about to say something when Nanny Zhao came over.

It was difficult to talk about the situation in Rongxi Hall any further, so they turned to other matters. After a while, Ping'er lied, saying that Aunt Xue had sent Liu Yan'er to tell the story.

After Jia Lian went out for something, Ping'er said that it was Wang'er's wife who came to give him the interest money.

When Jia Lian came back, he agreed to what Zhao Ma asked, and then Jia Rong brought Jia Chang to buy women and musical instruments.

Without mentioning the complicated life in Fengjie's courtyard, let's talk about the eldest master Jia She and Mrs. Xing returning to the east wing.

When the two entered the main room, Jia She frowned. He took the teacup brought by the maid and slammed it down. He said, "Lian'er is getting worse and worse. You can't even tell the difference between her eyebrows and eyes. Come, call Lian'er and tell her I have something to ask her!"

Mrs. Xing was a second wife who came in later. She was not much older than Jia Lian and Feng Jieer. How could she be treated well by them on a daily basis?

She couldn't help but add fuel to the fire and said, "Master is right. If it weren't for Lian'er's meddling, Yuan'er and Daiyu's affair would have been a success. At that time, the second wife was convinced it was true, but he created complications and insisted on calling Daiyu here."

Marriage is a matter of parents' decisions and matchmakers' words. How can a girl be allowed to make her own decision? "

"That's right!" Jia She became more and more angry as he thought about it. He ordered, "Go quickly and bring Lian'er here!"

Wang Shanbao, the housekeeper, quickly agreed and went to call Jia Lian, who was now frolicking with Jia Rong and Jia Chang. Jia Chang, a man of good manners, first asked Sister Feng what she wanted, and then whispered to Jia Lian what he wanted.

Jia Lian laughed and said, "Don't be so excited. You've only just learned how to do things, and you've already picked up this trick. If I'm short of something, I'll have to write to tell you, so let's not talk about it here."

He dismissed Jia Rong and Jia Chang and was about to return to his room to rest when Wang Shanbao, the housekeeper, came looking for him.

"Second Master, the eldest master is anxious to call for you, so go now."

Jia Lian suddenly felt overwhelmed. He turned to look at Sister Feng, but seeing that she simply ignored him, he had no choice but to follow Wang Shanbao's wife to the east side of the courtyard with his head down.

Sister Feng was also restless, for Lady Wang's maid came to call her. She rinsed her mouth and hurried to Lady Wang's courtyard.

Jia Zheng and Mrs. Wang were returning to Mrs. Wang's courtyard. Seeing Jia Zheng about to turn toward Aunt Zhao's courtyard, Mrs. Wang stamped her feet and said, "Master, please go inside first. I have something to say."

Jia Zheng responded and followed Lady Wang into the room.

The two of them entered the main room, sat down and were served tea. Mrs. Wang said, "Master, what did the old lady do just now...? Did you see it clearly?"

"Hmm..." Jia Zheng responded vaguely.

The two of them were also a young couple. When they first came, Mrs. Wang's personality was very similar to that of Feng Jie, but Jia Zheng was not like Jia Lian who was used to being humble and flattering.

The two of them had different personalities, and Lady Wang was very controlling of Jia Zheng, allowing only the maid Zhou, a woman of the same age, to show some favor. Jia Zheng felt suffocated and naturally disliked Lady Wang even more.

Afterwards, Lady Jia repeatedly sent people into Jia Zheng's room, but Lady Wang guarded against them fiercely, chasing them away one by one, leaving Lady Jia no chance to take advantage. The struggle between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law made things difficult for Jia Zheng.

It was during Lady Wang's birth that Aunt Zhao, the maid from the accompanying room, took the opportunity to climb into her bed. Later, with Jia Zheng and Lady Jia's care, she lived a peaceful and stable life over the years and even gave birth to two children, Tanchun and Jia Huan.

From then on, Jia Zheng seldom went to Lady Wang's room. Every day he only went to visit Aunt Zhao. The love between the couple had long since disappeared, and now they were just making do with each other's lives.

As the saying goes, if you hate someone, you hate everyone in it. Jia Zheng dislikes Lady Wang, and even Baoyu is disdainful of him. He feels Baoyu is being pampered beyond measure. If Lady Jia hadn't stopped him, how could Jia Zheng have tolerated Baoyu's continued behavior? He would have beaten him to death with a dozen sticks!
What did Lady Jia do just now? It was because of Baoyu's marriage.

Mrs. Wang then said, "I have been married for several decades. When Daiyu's mother was still alive, the old lady gave the order to make her the head of the household. As a new bride, I could not say anything. But after Daiyu's mother married, Feng Jie came into the family, and the old lady again made Feng Jie the head of the household and said that I should be the head of the household."

At this point, Mrs. Wang looked at Jia Zheng and said, "But the old lady has placed people here all around us. If Feng girl comes to me to ask questions at the old lady's request, how can I say no?

A few years passed, Baoyu grew up, and the seductresses around him were all placed by the old lady, including Xiren, Meiren, Qingwen, and Musk Moon. As his mother, I couldn't get a word in. I gave birth to a child and raised him in the old lady's room!
Now, the old lady is even interfering in Baoyu's marriage. Master, what did the old lady say before I got married? And what is she doing now? Other things are fine, but this is my only life, and I can't give up on this marriage! "

Jia Zheng frowned and sighed. Mrs. Wang hadn't lied. As long as the old lady was around, even though she was honored, she still held the reins of the household. Mrs. Wang had simply earned a flattering title, being the head of the household. In reality, only Zhou Rui's family managed the affairs of the chamberlains. Others, in their thirties, were still serving as servants to Baoyu.

Before Lady Wang married, Lady Jia had made a kind promise, promising to entrust all household affairs to her as soon as she arrived. However, Jia Min was the housekeeper first, and then Sister Feng arrived. Lady Wang wasted more than twenty years without any involvement in household affairs.

Marriage is a matter of parents' orders and matchmaker's words. The old lady is really going too far this time. How could she decide on her own without consulting Mrs. Wang?
Moreover, Jia Zheng always cared about his reputation. If Baoyu and Daiyu were to marry, there would always be suspicions that he was taking advantage of someone else's vulnerability and coveting the Lin family's wealth. So he thought for a while and said, "I have an old friend named Chang. He has a daughter who is no more than sixteen years old. He wrote to me recently saying that this girl has been weak since childhood. She bought many substitutes, but none of them worked. She finally entered the Buddhist monastery with her hair uncut."

She is currently practicing in Panxiang Temple... Mr. Chang said this woman has a noble character, is dignified and elegant, and if so... she would be a good match. If you are interested, Madam, I will send a letter to Suzhou. If Mr. Chang agrees, I will allow her to come home." Mrs. Wang frowned and thought, "Sixteen, wouldn't that make her four or five years older than Baoyu?"

"Her birthday is young. She says it's sixteen, but in fact she's only four years older than Baoyu."

"Do you have a maiden name?"

"I don't know, but her Buddhist name is Miaoyu."

"Miao-yu..." Mrs. Wang muttered. She then inquired carefully about the Chang family's circumstances. Hearing that they were also a family of scholars, she immediately became interested. She said, "Since they are going to build a villa for the imperial visit, they will inevitably need to build a family temple and a nunnery. It would be a good idea to invite Miao-yu home. First, to take a closer look at her, and second, to see if Bao-yu likes her."

Jia Zheng said, "Very well. I will send you a letter tomorrow, and I will be able to summon you before you come home."

Hearing this, Mrs. Wang felt a little relieved. She then continued, "Master, I think Brother Yuan is a good person. I heard he's quite talented."

Jia Zheng had certainly heard of Chen Siyuan's poetry, and he immediately commented, "Talent... hard to say, but he's quite frivolous." He paused, then wondered, "Why is Madam talking about him?"

Madam Wang said, "Although we live in different houses, we are still distant relatives. That child has had a difficult childhood, and I see he is very ambitious. Master, you have a good understanding of the words of the sages. Why not give us some guidance? That way, we can establish a good relationship in the future."

How could Jia Zheng not know what Mrs. Wang was thinking? She was clearly eager for Chen Siyuan to pass the imperial examination immediately so that she could quickly facilitate his relationship with Daiyu.

But Jia Zheng knew his own business. He was only a juren (a scholar-official) who had been granted jinshi (a jinshi) status by his father's petition to the emperor. He was good at elegant conversation, so how could he have advised Chen Siyuan on how to write an essay?

Yin's face flushed, and he pondered, "The government is busy, how can I have the time to give you advice? But I do know a few famous people, and I will send them invitations to them tomorrow. Let Yuan find his own opportunity."

Mrs. Wang smiled and said, "That's good. I'm sure Brother Yuan will be very grateful."

After the discussion was over and the two of them had nothing more to say, Jia Zheng stood up and said, "Then I will go and rest first."

Mrs. Wang stood up to see him off. She watched Jia Zheng leave the main room and then turn a corner and go into Aunt Zhao's courtyard.

Mrs. Wang turned around and sat down, then asked Jin Chuan to go look for Feng Jieer.

After a while, Sister Feng came hurriedly.

The two are aunt and niece, and appear to be very close, but in reality, Sister Feng is always listening to Lady Jia's orders.

At that moment, Mrs. Wang and Sister Feng discussed the matters of the villa for the imperial visit and talked for a while about frugality. Suddenly, Mrs. Wang changed the subject and said, "I think that Yuan'er is an ambitious child with considerable talent. He may be able to pass the imperial examination in one subject."

Sister Feng was puzzled and agreed, "Madam is right. Brother Yuan looks like a good man. Who knows, he might pass the imperial examination in a few years."

Mrs. Wang nodded and smiled, "These daily expenses cannot be shortchanged. Does he still need the maids in his room?"

"Madam, Xiangling went south to look for her relatives. Some time ago, she only had two maids. Sister Liu sent Wu'er there these days. I think she will be suitable for them."

Mrs. Wang nodded and continued, "This child is good in every way, except that he looks frail. I've seen him from a distance twice before, and he always went through the back alley. The draft in that alley is biting, and I'm afraid it won't be good if he continues like this. As for what happened between Yuan'er and Daiyu... I don't think we need to be too cautious. From now on, let Yuan'er go through the inner courtyard."

Feng Jieer was so shocked that her triangular eyes widened!
Seeing Mrs. Wang looking over, she quickly apologized with a smile, "Madam, you've thought it through very carefully. But should I mention this to the old lady?"

Mrs. Wang said, "The old lady is old, how could she care about such trivial matters? Besides, can Brother Yuan still go to the East Courtyard to look for Yingchun and the others?"

Mrs. Wang was so aggressive that Sister Feng could only say, "Since Madam has given the order, I will go back and tell the maidservants about it."

Mrs. Wang then smiled and talked about something else.

Seeing that it was getting dark outside, Sister Feng got up and went back. When she reached her own courtyard, she entered the western room and saw Jia Lian lying on the kang again.

Seeing him dejected, Sister Feng couldn't help but laugh and said, "You didn't get beaten this time? You're lucky."

Jia Lian said dejectedly, "I didn't get beaten, but the master scolded me like a bastard. Tsk, what does he think he's thinking?"

Sister Feng pointed a finger at him in an angry tone, scolding him, "What do you think of the eldest master? Filial piety is above all else. Besides, Miss Lin's marriage is decided by the old lady, so it's up to them to make the final decision. Why are you so eager to come forward?"

Jia Lian felt that Chen Siyuan was unlikely to pass the imperial examination on his first try, so he stopped wondering whether the lost marriage certificate was Chen Siyuan's. He only sighed and said, "Yes, every failure is a lesson. I won't bother you next time." He paused and added, "But you."

"I?"

"The master praised you a lot just now."

Feng Jieer smiled, feeling very proud.

Jia Lian suddenly said, "Eh? Just now I came back and ran into a young wife. I saw her going to the back, but I don't know which family she is from."

At this moment, Ping'er parted the curtains and brought in a fruit tray. She couldn't help but laugh and said, "Yan'er just came to the front. Could it be that it was her that Second Master saw?"

"Yan'er?"

Sister Feng looked at Jia Lian and said, "It's a long story... Liu Yan'er was originally Brother Yuan's personal maid. Unexpectedly, upon entering the mansion, she ran headfirst into a drunk Xue Pan. I don't know how or why Xue Pan dragged her into the house. Brother Yuan was furious, and the concubine felt ashamed, so she had no choice but to give Xiangling as compensation."

Jia Lian had met Xiangling before, but that was a year ago, when her features hadn't fully grown, so he hadn't thought much about her. Liu Yan'er, on the other hand, was full of charm, and her scent was exactly what Jia Lian wanted!
Because Jia Lian couldn't help but say with longing: "So it was that big fool Xue who snatched her away... He really defiled her."

Feng Jieer said angrily, "If Second Master is so sincere, I might as well exchange her for Ping'er, okay?"

Jia Lian laughed heartily and dared not mention Liu Yan'er again, but he felt itchy in his heart.

　Jia Lian likes sexy girls, such as Miss Duo, Mrs. Bao, and You Erjie, wow... he especially likes second-hand goods.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)