Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 182 A good show

Miaoyu was fostered in Panxiang Temple for more than ten years, living next to Xing Xiuyan. The Lin family's old house was in Suzhou City, so it was not a big deal because Miaoyu had only seen Daiyu twice when she was a child.

Baoyu did not inquire further, but simply said, "So that's how it is." After a pause, he asked, "Did Miss Lin like to bury flowers when she was little? What happened later?"

Miaoyu curled her lips and said jokingly, "It was buried for two years. In the third year, the spring flood of the stream washed away the flower mound, but it did imbue the pool at the foot of the mountain with a faint fragrance." She paused and said comfortingly, "You can't force the fragrance to stay, and flowers that are meant to fall will eventually fall."

Baoyu seemed to be thinking after hearing this.

Miaoyu took a look and led Baoyu out of the mountain gate, into the long corridor and the winding cave, and soon arrived at the octagonal pavilion in front of the Jade Emperor Temple.

The two of them stopped walking. Baoyu, even after listening to Miaoyu's words, was still troubled. He said, "Sister, do you know that Chen Siyuan and Sister Lin made an agreement last year? They said that if Chen Siyuan passed the imperial examination, Sister Lin would marry him!"

Miaoyu couldn't help but frown and said, "Why are you so anxious? You must understand that dependent origination is empty and all things are impermanent." After a pause, she continued, "When I was young, I loved plum blossoms. There was an old plum tree in Panxiang Temple. One year, there was a severe cold, and it never bloomed. I watered it with warm water. Within three or five days, the old plum tree indeed bloomed. But after another ten days, it froze to death."

Miaoyu, moving with lotus steps, arrived at the octagonal pavilion, facing Baoyu sideways, and said quietly, "One should dwell on nothing and give rise to one's mind. Master advised me this, but I was deeply saddened. Who would have thought that the next year, new branches would sprout beneath the withered plum trees? Since I left Panxiang Temple, winter plum trees have bloomed again every year."

Turning to look at Baoyu, he consoled him: "Why bother asking if you can't get it? Everything is determined by fate."

As soon as he finished speaking, the autumn wind blew up, blowing the fallen leaves into a chaotic mess. Baoyu reached out and touched the spiritual jade on his chest, his brow furrowed. How could he be willing to do this?

After a moment, he gritted his teeth and said, "The old ancestor has said that he will never let Chen Siyuan marry Sister Lin. I will go find the old ancestor now."

Miaoyu's face was calm as a well, she just shook her head and said, "Fool."

Baoyu was stunned for a moment, thinking to himself, yes, the ancestor had certainly stopped this matter, but Sister Lin had other ideas. This year, he had tried to find out several times, but was either covered up by the maids and nannies or directly confronted by Sister Lin.

At this point, we must find out what Lin Daiyu is thinking.

He immediately bowed to Miaoyu and, with a heavy heart, set off towards Rongqing Hall. But just as he reached the main gate of the garden, he saw maids and old women scrambling and running forward.

Hearing the faint sound of a gong, Baoyu's heart skipped a beat, and he felt something was wrong. He immediately stopped a little maid to listen and asked, "What happened up ahead?"

The little maid said jokingly, "What else could it be? The gong heralds the arrival of the messenger, probably with good news!"

Baoyu was in a terrible mood, and leaving his maid behind, he went to Rongqing Hall like a walking corpse. He didn't know that Fengjie had already come to Rongqing Hall with Ping'er.

In Rongqing Hall.

Sister Feng, sitting nearby, said to Lady Jia with a smile, "Brother Yuan said he was lucky to have made it onto the list of top-ranked candidates, but your wife thought he was just lying. There were two or three thousand scholars in the Shuntian Prefecture provincial examination, and only thirty-six made the list. So, isn't that just one in a thousand?"

Lady Jia looked embarrassed and extremely disgusted, but she had to put on a smile.

Sister Feng observed his expression and was afraid that if she stayed any longer, she would provoke the Demon King Bao to attack. She immediately said, "The madam just sent a maid to say that Brother Yuan's success in high school is a great joy. Since he is in our family, we must celebrate. The madam asked me to ask what the old lady thinks."

Grandmother Jia said, "I don't have any thoughts on that. Just follow your Madam's thoughts."

Wang Xifeng tentatively asked, "Why don't we have a banquet this afternoon and invite a troupe of opera singers to liven things up?"

Grandmother Jia agreed vaguely. As Sister Feng was about to leave, she glanced into the green gauze cabinet and saw Daiyu sitting at the desk, writing something with her pen in hand.

"In that case, then the granddaughter-in-law——"

Before Sister Feng could finish, Baoyu entered the room, looking mournful. Grandmother Jia was startled and opened her mouth to offer comfort, but she didn't know how. She sighed, extended her hand, and forced a smile, saying, "Baoyu is back? Come sit with me and talk."

Baoyu paused in despair, trembling, and said, "He... really did win?"

Inside the green gauze cabinet, Daiyu paused when she heard this, and a drop of ink fell, staining a small area of ​​the letter she had just written.

A pair of eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and there was a faint trace of red blood in the eyes that seemed to be crying but not crying.

With the results of the Autumn Examination imminent, Daiyu had been tossing and turning, unable to sleep for the past two days. Her grandmother's repeated attempts to test her were merely attempts to pressure Daiyu into rejecting the marriage agreement and to bring her and Baoyu together.

Daiyu was troubled at night, but resolute during the day. Now without a father or mother, and without the protection of her clan, she was a mere sojourner in the Rongguo Mansion. Although doted on by her grandmother, whenever she and Baoyu came to blows, her grandmother always took Baoyu's side.

Having lost his father and mother and left his hometown, Daiyu, at the age of only eleven or twelve, has to take care of the Lin family's progeny. She is concerned about the gains and losses and naturally favors Chen Siyuan.

Unlike the favored Baoyu, Chen Siyuan also lost his parents and left his hometown. He was capable, resourceful, knowledgeable, and intelligent. He only wanted a son with a good family background to benefit his career, and he didn't care whether his child would have the surname Chen.

If it were Baoyu, not only would it be difficult for him to pass the test of his aunt Lady Wang, but he would probably also have trouble passing the test of his grandmother.

In this case, for the sake of the Lin family lineage, Daiyu had no choice. What she had just written was a letter to her teacher Jia Hua.

The appointment at Rongxitang that day was still fresh in my mind, so I had to ask the teacher to confirm this matter.

While he was thinking, he heard Baoyu cry out in sorrow: "Grandfather..." Then he ran over: "I'll go and ask Sister Lin what she thinks!"

I know that the results will be announced today, because not only Xueyan and Zijuan are there, but even Nanny Wang is guarding Daiyu.

Seeing Baoyu rustling the bamboo curtains, his hair crown askew, and stumbling in, Nanny Wang quickly stepped in front of Daiyu and asked, "What are you doing, Master Bao?"

Baoyu lost his temper and pushed Nanny Wang aside. Xueyan also stepped forward to stop him, but was hit in the face by Nanny Wang's arm. She screamed in pain and fell to the side.

Daiyu frowned and stood up, turned around and glanced at him, and whispered, "What are you going to do now?"

"Sister, I have something to say—" He had barely uttered the words when he suddenly caught sight of the letter on the table. He scanned it quickly and saw repeated references to Chen Siyuan. At the end, he saw the following words: '—If the old agreement of Rongxi Hall can be followed and the fragments of the Lin family's manuscripts be passed on to the Chen family, then perhaps in my grave I can smile to my parents.'

Baoyu was momentarily stunned, then struck by a thunderbolt, his body swaying as he struggled to stand. At this moment, the maids Yuanyang and Hubo, along with Fengjie'er and Ping'er, rushed in. Yuanyang and Fengjie'er grabbed Baoyu's arms, one on each side, fearing that this devil was about to attack again.

Yuanyang asked, "Why is this happening, Master Bao?"

Sister Feng also tried to persuade her: "Why are you making such a fuss with Miss Lin for no reason? The old lady is watching us, so don't act rashly."

At that moment, Sister Feng winked at each other and she and Yuanyang were about to drag Baoyu out of the green gauze cabinet.

Unexpectedly, Baoyu suddenly developed a strong will, struggling to lean forward, and said with a slightly ferocious look: "My dear sister, that damn marriage certificate is a fake. The engagement at Rongxi Hall was only forced by them. If you don't want to, I will shave my head and become a monk, and ask the ancestors to cancel this engagement!"

"What marriage certificate? Brother Bao is talking nonsense again." Sister Feng coaxed and winked at Daiyu.

But Daiyu had already made up her mind, knowing full well that such a thing would inevitably happen sooner or later. So why not just talk it out?

He then said solemnly, "Second brother, you want me to break the promise, but do you intend to bring shame upon my family?"

"I--"

"Brother Bao!" Sister Feng hurriedly stopped him.

Baoyu was agitated just a moment ago and was about to agree, but after being scolded by Fengjie, the words on the tip of his tongue were no longer uttered.

Why couldn't he speak out? Perhaps it was because Sister Feng had stopped him; perhaps it was because he knew he couldn't make the decision on such a big matter as marriage; or perhaps it was because, although he thought of Daiyu, he didn't want to alienate his sisters because of her.

Seeing that he couldn't finish his words, Daiyu frowned and said, "If you can't bear it, why do you have to stop others from carrying it?"

Baoyu was speechless and said anxiously, "That Chen man has a poor family background and is a playboy. If my sister marries him, not only will her reputation be tarnished, but she will also suffer in the future!"

After a pause, he couldn't help but plead, "My dear sister, is my heart... my heart not as good as that nonsense about official career and economy?"

Daiyu was greatly disappointed when she heard this. She had always thought that Second Brother Bao was different from the common people, not caring about the noble and the humble, and would not make false accusations. But who could have thought that he would become so vulgar now?

He spoke with a hint of sarcasm, "Am I after Brother Yuan's career and wealth? Or am I after his glory and wealth?" He glanced at the spiritual jade hanging on his chest and said, "What rare thing? I am an unworldly person, yet now you are talking about superiority and inferiority and saying such nonsense!"

Baoyu was lost in thought. Suddenly he broke free from Yuanyang and Sister Feng, twisted around, pulled the silk ribbon, and held the jade in his palm, still shouting like a madman, "Good! Good! I'll break this useless thing today!"

Grandmother Jia fell off the couch and stretched out her hand, shouting, "Stop him!"

Feng Jie'er and Yuanyang also chased out, shouting, "Brother Bao, stop it!"

The head maid Amber was the closest to them, and she rushed over shouting, but she was half a step too late.

The spiritual jade was thrown hard on the blue brick, and it made a crisp sound like tearing silk!
When everyone looked over, they saw that the magical jade had been broken into pieces!
At the first glance, Jia's mother's blood surged, and she could not help but fall backwards. Fortunately, there was a soft couch behind her, and her body collapsed on the couch.

Sister Feng stumbled after him, looked at the broken jade still spinning at her feet, stamped her foot and frowned, saying, "Brother Bao, why are you taking your anger out on this? What should we do now? Quick, go and get the Madam!"

Ping'er came over and ordered, "Hurry up and have someone look after Master Bao!"

Yuanyang saw the old lady collapsed on the ground again and cried out in surprise. The Rongqing Hall suddenly became busy.

In the green gauze cupboard, Daiyu was so angry that she burst into tears. After all, she had grown up like this. What kind of situation had Baoyu put her in by making such a fuss?

But while he was angry, he was also somewhat relieved. He thought to himself that although Big Brother Yuan was a little bit unruly, at least he wouldn't be so unreasonable and would smash the spiritual jade to pieces if he didn't get his way.

Now that the jade had been broken, her aunt, Lady Wang, had always looked down on her, and now even her grandmother might look down on her. Daiyu made up her mind, and she might write a letter later to ask her teacher for help... She could no longer stay in the Rongguo Mansion.

There was a commotion outside. Several maids and Feng Jieer were trying to calm her down and pat her back. After a long while, Lady Jia suddenly woke up.

Glancing at the shattered spiritual jade, he immediately beat his chest and stamped his feet, calling out "heart" and "treasure" indiscriminately. Then, with tears streaming down his face, he said to Baoyu, "If you're unhappy, just vent your anger. Why bother smashing that vital organ?"

Baoyu, pinned down on a chair by two stout maids, burst into tears and said, "Sister Lin has already disliked me. What's the point of me keeping this useless thing?"

"Grandpa God..."

At this moment, the second girl Yingchun brought Siqi in. Seeing what happened, she hurried to Baoyu's side to listen to what had just happened, and then whispered to comfort Baoyu.

Then another maid came in and reported, "Madam, the mistress has arrived with Master Yuan."

Grandmother Jia was furious and slammed the table, saying, "How dare he come here? If it weren't for Chen's interference, why would we end up in this situation?"

Jia's mother spoke in anger, and her words naturally fell into the ears of Chen Siyuan and Mrs. Wang. The two looked at each other, and Mrs. Wang could not help but frown and shake her head, saying, "The old lady is getting old, and she is a little confused after all."

Chen Siyuan smiled, followed Madam Wang one step behind, and followed her around the screen to go inside.

Mrs. Wang took a quick look, exchanged a hasty greeting, then frowned and scolded him, "You evil creature, you're stirring up trouble for no reason. Today I'm going to ask the master to punish you!"

Baoyu was so disheartened at this moment that he only hoped that Jia Zheng would beat him to death, so he was not afraid at all.

Grandmother Jia asked, "Why are you trying to scare him?" As she spoke, she pointed at Chen Siyuan and said, "If it weren't for the surname Chen, how could this happen today?" Chen Siyuan's face was as gloomy as water, and he bowed slightly and said, "Old lady, the younger generation—"

When the spiritual jade was broken, not only Baoyu but also Jia's mother became angry. At this time, she said without caring about anything: "Don't be polite, I am not worthy of being an elder!"

Chen Siyuan put down his hand and said, "Today, the results of the provincial examination were announced. I was busy and finally had time to come here to report the good news... May I ask, since I have never been here before, what does today's matter have to do with me?"

Mrs. Wang also said, "The old lady was just speaking in anger. Don't take it to heart, Brother Yuan."

Grandmother Jia snorted coldly and said, "I know you don't take me seriously. Although I am old, I am not blind or deaf. Don't you know that little bit of ox gall and dog treasure in your belly is looking at me? You are just after Yu'er's family property!"

Chen Siyuan pretended to be surprised and said, "Sister Lin and I have agreed on a ceremony of joint inheritance. That's it. All the rules are in accordance with the principal wife. The Lin family property is Sister Lin's dowry, so what does it have to do with me?

Besides, the old lady probably doesn't know that I'm not short of money right now, right?"

Mrs. Wang, standing by, was hoping Chen Siyuan would beat the master to death with his fists and humiliate Lady Jia. She couldn't help but add fuel to the fire, "Old Madam, what you said is biased. Let's not even talk about the maritime trade. Just the pill business run by Brother Yuan is making a fortune every day... Why would he covet his niece's property?"

Jia's mother was so choked that she was speechless. She could only point at the broken jade on the ground and say, "It was all because of him that Baoyu got so upset and actually smashed his vital organ! Wuuwuwu..."

As tears streamed down her face, Grandmother Jia couldn't help but wonder. It was all right for her daughter-in-law to side with outsiders, but why didn't she panic when she saw the broken jade all over the floor?
Just as she was wondering, she heard Mrs. Wang say, "This...it's Baoyu who's been naughty, how can you blame Yuan-ge'er?" She paused, glanced at the broken jade on the floor, and said, "Besides, since this is a magical jade, it must have some magical properties. Old Madam, do you remember the last time the jade was taken away by a villain? Actually, it was broken at that time, and the daughter-in-law didn't want to make you anxious and angry, so she kept it a secret."

"Ah? Then... then... then the glue is not strong enough?"

Madam Wang said in a deep voice, "Later, my daughter-in-law found a Taoist priest, who said that this jade was magical. Even if it was broken, all we had to do was to put the broken pieces back together according to their shape and place them in a temple to nurture them. After some time, they would be as good as new."

"Really?" Grandmother Jia asked anxiously, no longer caring about crying.

Mrs. Wang breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to herself that it was fortunate that Brother Yuan had suggested that she make an extra piece the other time, otherwise she would be in a mess now. She then said, "How dare I fool the old lady with such a thing?"

Grandmother Jia immediately ignored Chen Siyuan and ordered, "Quick, pick up all the broken jade pieces and wrap them up carefully with a handkerchief."

At that moment, Feng Jieer led a group of maids and worked busily to find a place to pick up the jade fragments and carefully wrap them up with a handkerchief.

Chen Siyuan stood in the middle of the room with his hands behind his back, stealing glances at the situation inside the green gauze cabinet. He saw occasional coughing from inside, and Xueyan, Zijuan, and Nanny Wang were surrounding Daiyu, giving her pills and cordyceps tea. Although he did not see what was happening to Daiyu, he could vaguely hear her sobbing.

Chen Siyuan thought to himself that Baoyu was going crazy, and he must have had a falling out with Lin Daiyu... In that case, Lin Daiyu must have accepted the marriage certificate?

While he was secretly happy, he was also annoyed by Lady Jia's random accusations just now, so he wanted to embarrass her.

Seeing that everything was ready, Chen Siyuan said, "I came here to announce the good news, but I didn't expect the old lady to look upon me like this. Oh, I haven't been able to please the old lady. If so, it would be better for me to live in another mansion." Then he bowed to Lady Wang and Sister Feng and said, "Thank you, Madam, and Second Sister-in-law, for your care. I cannot express my gratitude enough. I will repay you one day!"

After saying this, he turned and left without even looking at Lady Jia.

Mrs. Wang was secretly delighted to see this, but she pretended to be panicked and said, "This, this...Feng'er, quickly go stop Yuan'er. If they move out, who knows what people outside will say about our family."

Feng Jieer also knew something was wrong and hurriedly chased after him.

Mrs. Wang frowned and moved to the front of the couch, sighing, "Old Madam, it's all the same. Baoyu's agitation is one thing, but how come even Old Madam is upset? Ever since Yuan'er came home, he's never refused any orders. He's helped with Feng's funeral and is always thinking of the family. Who in the family doesn't praise Yuan'er's kindness and righteousness?"
"The old lady's words were spoken in anger, and I'm afraid they will chill Yuan'er's heart. If he moves out now, what will the outside world think of our family? I'm afraid they will say that the Jia family treats distant relatives harshly!"

Hearing that the Jade could be restored to its original state, and seeing Mrs. Wang's calm demeanor, Grandmother Jia was already half convinced. Now she regretted her careless words and spilled the beans.

Although she felt embarrassed, she couldn't bring herself to express her anger. She just turned her head and said, "If he wants to leave, then let him leave. No matter what people say, it doesn't matter. They just say that I, an old lady, am intolerant!"

Mrs. Wang said, "Old Madam, these are discouraging words..."

As they were talking, the head maid Amber suddenly said, "Madam, Madam, the master is here!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Jia She walked around the screen and entered the inner room. He frowned and asked, "Mother, why did Yuan Geer want to leave the house when he was fine?"

Grandmother Jia disliked Jia She very much. Upon hearing this, she couldn't help but say angrily, "I scolded him twice, and he must have held a grudge in his heart. If he wants to leave, how can I stop him?"

Jia She was puzzled and said, "Everything has a reason. Today, Brother Yuan passed the imperial examination, which is a great joy. Why did Mother scold Brother Yuan?"

"I'm upset for no reason!"

How could Jia She give up? He glanced at the dazed Baoyu and said, "Is it because of my niece's marriage? Mother is so confused! Ru Hai has already entrusted this matter to Jia Yucun. We are just Daiyu's in-laws, how can we make the decision?"

Grandmother Jia was so angry that she fell backward, saying "good, good, good" repeatedly. She tremblingly helped Yuanyang's arm and stood up, saying: "I am confused. I should stay at home to recuperate. From now on, the eldest master should not come to Rongqing Hall. I am confused and can't remember people!"

He then huffed and puffed, supporting Yuanyang and going to the bedroom on the west side.

Jia She was stunned. He had never expected that Lady Jia would act so shamelessly. If she didn't respond, how could he say this? If he couldn't even say it, how could he get the Lin family's property into his own hands?
Jia She was confused for a moment, mumbling "this this this this" several times before he said to Mrs. Wang, "Sister-in-law, what's going on?"

Mrs. Wang was already overjoyed, but she pretended to sigh. "Uncle, please be quiet. The old lady is very angry right now. If you have anything to say, you can talk about it later."

"Oh!" Jia She frowned and stamped his feet, then flicked his sleeves and left with his hands behind his back.

Mrs. Wang only just now looked at Baoyu. As she approached him, she frowned and shook her head, saying, "Your father will be back this afternoon. You should figure out how to explain yourself. Everyone in the family has been pampering you every day, and now you're really becoming more and more lawless."

Then he ordered the two stout maids, "Send him to my room and examine him carefully."

Amber came over with a handkerchief and said, "Madam, this broken jade..."

"I'll just keep it."

Mrs. Wang took the handkerchief and put it in her sleeve. She saw two maids carrying Baoyu away. She was about to follow behind them, but when she passed the green gauze cabinet, she suddenly stopped, thought for a moment, and then walked inside.

Daiyu had stopped crying by then, but her eyes were still red, like pear blossoms in the rain. Seeing Mrs. Wang enter, Daiyu quickly stood up and greeted her, calling out, "Aunt."

Mrs. Wang frowned and shook her head, saying, "I've always said Baoyu was a troublemaker. He'd end up like this sooner or later. Don't worry, I've got Yuan-ge'er to persuade. I can't let him go just like that." After a pause, she added, "After what's happened, I'm afraid Yu-er won't be able to stay in the Bisha Cabinet. I think it would be better if she moved to the back building to keep Ying-chun, Tan-chun, and Xi-chun company."

Daiyu didn't want to see Baoyu lose his temper anymore, so she nodded and said, "It's all up to my aunt."

Mrs. Wang felt relieved, thinking that Daiyu would marry Chen Siyuan in the future. The resentment that she had originally held towards Jia Min and had extended to Daiyu naturally dissipated for the most part.

He showed a rare display of affection, and reaching out to embrace Daiyu, he said, "Don't worry, Yu'er. Brother Yuan has passed the imperial examination and will have a bright future. Yu'er will follow Brother Yuan and will never bring shame to you."

Daiyu's heart was in turmoil. When she looked up and saw Mrs. Wang's loving face, she couldn't help wiping away her tears and nodded in agreement while sobbing.

Mrs. Wang said a few words of comfort, and asked Xueyan, Zijuan and Nanny Wang to take good care of him, then got up and left Rongqing Hall.

She was so happy that she couldn't help but walk as fast as the wind. After she passed the east-west corridor from the back of Rongqing Hall, she ran into Feng Jieer who was coming towards her with a frown.

Mrs. Wang looked worried and asked hurriedly, "What happened?"

Sister Feng sighed, "Brother Yuan has lost his temper and insisted on moving out. I've tried to persuade him for a long time but it won't work. Madam, you should go and take a look!"

"Ah!" Mrs. Wang sighed, and continued on with Sister Feng. Unexpectedly, after passing the large painted screen wall and the west corner gate, the garden was right in front of them. Just then, Miao'er from the east wing came rushing in.

Seeing Mrs. Wang, he hurried over and said breathlessly, "Madam, madam, something's wrong!"

Mrs. Wang asked, "What's the matter?"

Miao'er said anxiously with a sad face, "Our mistress has learned that Yuan-ge'er offended the old lady, and she wants to move out now. She is determined to come and apologize to the old lady, and even the master can't stop her!"

Mrs. Xing has gone mad? That's good, that's brilliant!
Mrs. Wang was overjoyed, but looked stunned. "Ah? She's still in confinement, how can she be out in the open? Quick, don't let her out!"

After taking two quick steps, Mrs. Wang suddenly stopped and said to Sister Feng, "Go and tell Lian'er to go back and stop Yuan'er. He's making a big fuss... What's going on?"

Sister Feng was at a loss for words. Her mother-in-law was clamoring to speak up for Chen Siyuan even though she hadn't even finished her confinement. What could she do? She could only follow Lady Wang in trying to dissuade her. She immediately sent for Ping'er to fetch Jia Lian, and she hurriedly followed Lady Wang to the east wing.

Let's not talk about Jia Lian's reluctance to stop Chen Siyuan from moving. Instead, let's talk about Lady Wang and Sister Feng going straight to the east wing courtyard. After passing through the three-tiered ceremonial gate, they heard Lady Xing wailing, "...I don't know the old lady is happy, but Brother Yuan has always been kind to everyone and has never wronged anyone. The marriage certificate was also written by my brother-in-law on his deathbed. Why are you blaming Brother Yuan? Master, ask yourself, has Brother Yuan ever been disrespectful? Not only that, why is he still thinking about everyone's benefits! Wuwuwu, no one should stop me. I'm going to kowtow to the old lady and get to the bottom of it!"

If the old lady dislikes me, I can just take the child and leave the house by myself. Why bother involving Brother Yuan? "

At the door of the room, the eldest master Jia She pretended to dissuade her, saying, "The old lady was just confused for a moment. You are still in confinement after childbirth. Why bother with such a big deal? Block the door quickly and don't let the lady out!"

Hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, he turned around and saw Lady Wang and Sister Feng coming. The eldest master, Jia She, with his hands behind his back and a frown on his face, said, "Sister-in-law, come and try to persuade her. I can't persuade her any more."

Mrs. Wang responded and continued talking to Mrs. Xing through the door. Sister Feng, who was standing by, would occasionally interject, feeling increasingly strange.

I thought to myself, with all this commotion going on, how come everyone seems to be a good person, and the old lady is the only bad guy?
After a while, Aunt Xue and Sister Bao also came in with strange expressions.

Mother and daughter talked for a long while, each with his own thoughts, when Ying'er suddenly arrived with the news that Baoyu had become mad again. They looked at each other in dismay. Bao-jie, feeling disgusted, realized that this was all about the marriage certificate, and so she didn't want to go.

Aunt Xue kept urging Bao-jie to take the Lengxiang Pills, which hadn't been taken for a long time, so she couldn't help but get a little mad. Aunt Xue was surprised, so mother and daughter couldn't help but delay for a while.

When they headed to Rongqing Hall, they found the show was already over, and they only caught a glimpse of the whole story from the gossiping maids and old women. They also heard that Chen Siyuan was clamoring to move out, and that Lady Xing was clamoring to come out of confinement to apologize to Lady Jia. After weighing their options, the mother and daughter decided to head to the east wing.

Aunt Xue and Baochai took turns to come forward to persuade her, but Mrs. Xing did not stop until her crying caused her fourth brother to start crying as well.

By this time, some gossipers had spread the news of the situation in the East Wing Courtyard to the whole mansion. Even Youshi of Ningguo Mansion was shocked, not to mention Lady Jia who was so angry that she had a headache.
At that moment, the head maid, Yuanyang, came to the east wing with a sullen face. After meeting the masters, Yuanyang bowed and said, "The old lady sent me to tell the eldest lady that I was angry. She said that she was upset just now and said something wrong. Please don't take it to heart. The old lady was just saying it to get back on track.

"We just learned that Grandpa Yuan had passed the high school entrance exam. The old lady was very happy and even discussed with me that we should have a big party today...but who knew it would turn out like this."

After a pause, he continued, "The old lady has given the order. A banquet will be held in Rongxi Hall this afternoon to celebrate. Madam will take care of all matters."

Yuanyang sighed inwardly, wondering if she hadn't pushed the old lady to such extremes, how could she have said such soft words? The old lady felt a pent-up anger in her heart, unable to vent it, but she knew that if she continued to make such a fuss, she would not only be a nobody, but would also lose the support of the people.

She suppressed her anger, weighed the pros and cons, and then sent her maid Yuanyang to the east wing.

Mrs. Wang agreed with satisfaction.

Yuanyang said, "I have to go to the back and say something to Uncle Yuan." Then he bowed and went to the back.

Mrs. Xing in the main room, after hearing what Yuanyang said, felt relieved and stopped making a fuss. Everyone kept saying things like "make a big deal out of a small matter," and while they were clearly trying to excuse Lady Jia, every word they said was actually blaming her.

After everyone had dispersed, Aunt Xue and Baochai returned to the northeast courtyard. Mother and daughter exchanged a glance, and Aunt Xue couldn't help but say, "Brother Yuan is so capable!"

Sister Bao smiled, feeling proud. Winning the imperial examination was one thing, but being able to force Lady Jia, who always had her way, into submission—who else but Brother Yuan could do that?

(End of this chapter)