The Red Mansion

Chapter 25: Signing a contract to become a concubine

Seeing Aunt Xue's distress and anxiety, Xue Pan said to Jiang Nian, "Brother Jiang, my family truly deserves to repay your kindness. Even if you ask me to give you 20,000 taels of silver, I would be happy to do so. However, it is inappropriate to make my sister a maid. It is really unfair to my sister."

Aunt Xue quickly echoed, "Master Jiang, although our Xue family may not hold any official title or rank, we are still imperial merchants, and our ancestors were officials. If Bao-ya-tou becomes your maid, wouldn't she be a slave? How can we do that? If that happens, how can we have the face to pay homage to our ancestors? I won't be able to see anyone either."

After hearing this, Jiang Nian pretended to ponder before slowly speaking to Aunt Xue, "Since the Xue family is so embarrassed, I will give in and not let Miss Xue be a maid. When I get married in the future, I will make Miss Xue my concubine. How about that? If you agree to this, I will escort you all the way to the capital. If those pirates come back again, or if you encounter other pirates again, I will definitely protect you. I will also report the robbery to the water post ahead. My steward is a fifth-rank Dragon Guard, and the water post ahead should not dare to make things difficult for him. The bodies on the boat can also be taken to the water post ahead for disposal."

As he spoke, he glanced at the three bodies still lying on the deck.

In fact, he already had a plan in mind.

The Xue family would definitely not agree to let Xue Baochai be a maid.

If we directly propose to make Xue Baochai a concubine, the Xue family will most likely refuse.

He deliberately proposed to be a maid first, and when Aunt Xue and Xue Pan were both in a dilemma, he deliberately gave in and proposed to be only a concubine and not a maid. In this way, he could increase the chances of success by retreating to advance.

However, Aunt Xue still looked embarrassed.

Jiang Nian's tone became more serious: "I have already made such concessions. If you still don't agree, it means that the Xue family is ungrateful."

Aunt Xue and Xue Pan looked at Xue Baochai at the same time...

Aunt Xue was worried that they would encounter bandits again. She had been frightened by the previous bandits. There were only four men left on the Xue family's ship. She wanted Jiang Nian to escort the Xue family to Beijing. She also wanted Jiang Nian to deal with the robbery and the corpses on the ship.

Xue Pan believed that the Xue family should repay Jiang Nian well, otherwise they would be ungrateful. He always valued friendship and loyalty.

But both mother and son were unwilling to give Xue Baochai to Jiang Nian as a concubine, so they subconsciously looked at Xue Baochai, as if asking for her opinion.

Seeing her mother and brother looking at her bewilderedly at such a critical moment, Xue Baochai felt even more ashamed and annoyed, having lost her usual composure. Her eyes reddened slightly, and she bit her lower lip. In a trembling voice, she said to Aunt Xue, "Mother, this is my fate! You...you have promised this Mr. Jiang!"

She uttered the three words "Uncle Jiang" word by word, as if they were squeezed out from between her teeth, filled with resentment and indignation.

Aunt Xue was shocked when she heard this. She didn't expect that Xue Baochai would agree to this.

Jiang Nian decisively said to Aunt Xue, "Miss Xue is willing, what about you? Are you unwilling to agree?"

Aunt Xue became increasingly troubled, secretly complaining, "Why did Bao-ya-tou agree to this? Now that she's agreed, it's even harder for me to refuse. What should I do now? ... I've got it! Why not just verbally agree first? Once we're safely in Beijing, we can ask Bao-ya-tou's uncle to come forward and negotiate with this Mr. Jiang. He should be able to make him give up the idea of ​​taking Bao-ya-tou as a concubine. Then we can offer him a generous reward instead."

Thinking of this, Aunt Xue reluctantly nodded and said, "Okay, I'll agree to your request. When you get married in the future, I'll let Bao-ya-tou be your concubine."

Aunt Xue thought that after she said this, the matter would be over, but Jiang Nian said again: "Okay, the Xue family knows how to repay a favor. In this case, let's sign a contract."

Aunt Xue was dumbfounded: "..." Jiang Nian said in a calm tone: "After all, words are not enough, it is better to sign a written agreement."

Seeing Aunt Xue's panic, Jiang Nian's tone became more serious: "Why? Are you agreeing to this just to cheat me?"

Aunt Xue's face turned red with embarrassment. Although she was unwilling in her heart, if she regretted it now, wouldn't she be breaking her promise and losing face?
Noble ladies of this era generally care a lot about their appearance.

Aunt Xue hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth and said, "Then let's sign a written contract!"

She thought to herself, "Even if we sign a written agreement, after we arrive in Beijing, I can ask Baoyatou's uncle to ask this overbearing boy to return it."

Immediately, under the protection of He Yun, Jiang Nian calmly walked into the cabin of the Xue family's ship. Although Aunt Xue was reluctant, she followed him reluctantly.

After preparing pen, ink, paper and inkstone, Jiang Nian asked Aunt Xue to write a written contract to marry Xue Baochai to him as a concubine.

Aunt Xue had a certain level of education, but she had never written a concubine's contract. In addition, she was depressed and didn't know how to start writing.

Seeing this, Jiang Nian said calmly, "I'll dictate, and you write it down."

Naturally, he had never written a written agreement to marry a concubine, but this kind of agreement does not have to follow any format, and it only needs to record the main points.

So, while Jiang Nian dictated, Aunt Xue began to write. The book said:

"As I have heard, etiquette has its limits, and affection has its place. I now have a little girl, Baochai, who is gentle and kind-hearted, and virtuous in appearance. She is willing to be Jiang Nian's concubine, to serve as a dustpan and help with household chores. Jiang Nian also admires her virtue and is willing to take her as a concubine. However, since Jiang Nian is not married yet, I will wait until after her wedding to proceed with the concubine ceremony. My little girl should strictly observe the duties of a concubine, respectfully serve her mistress, maintain harmony with the family, and refrain from overstepping her bounds. Jiang Nian should also treat her with courtesy, nurture her with kindness, and not allow her to lose her place."

"The two families have formed an alliance, and will remain friends forever. I hereby establish this agreement as proof of this."

After the contract was written, Jiang Nian and Aunt Xue both signed their names as the contracting parties. At Jiang Nian's request, Xue Pan also signed his name as a witness, and then asked He Yun to sign his name as a witness.

As Aunt Xue wrote the contract, her heart seemed to grow heavier with each word she wrote. As she signed her name as the contracting party, her face paled, her fingers trembled slightly, and she had a bad feeling: "What if Bao's uncle refuses to return this contract after we arrive in Beijing? What shall I do then?"

Because it was a matter of great importance to herself, Xue Baochai did not avoid it. She stood aside and witnessed the whole process of Jiang Nian, Aunt Xue, Xue Pan, and He Yun signing the concubine agreement.

As she listened to Jiang Nian recite the contract word by word, shame, anger and humiliation intertwined, making it almost impossible for her to control herself. She clenched her sleeves tightly with both hands, and her fingertips turned white.

And when she saw that Aunt Xue and Xue Pan had both signed their names, she felt even more desolate, as if she had been sold. She bit her lower lip, trying hard not to cry, but her tears slid down uncontrollably, each one crystal clear, dripping silently onto her clothes, leaving wet marks.

She is the daughter of the Xue family. She has been well-read since childhood. She is extremely intelligent, talented, dignified and self-respecting. How could she have expected that she would be in such a situation today?
"I, Xue Baochai, am to be made a concubine! Why has it come to this? Why has it come to this?"

The hero of this book is trying to seize the throne under extremely unfavorable circumstances. He has some heroic qualities, and his heart is full of imperial ambitions. He won't be a bootlicker, and his warmth is limited. Readers who like serious male protagonists, male protagonists who like to pretend to be serious, male protagonists who are warm and gentle, and male protagonists who are bootlickers, please bear with me.

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(End of this chapter)