The Red Mansion

Chapter 53 Scolding Aunt Xue to Her Face

Jiang Nian did not answer immediately, but slowly picked up the celadon teacup on the desk, sipping tea leisurely while looking at Aunt Xue and Xue Baochai.

Aunt Xue felt as if a thorn in her back.

Xue Baochai lowered her delicate head, her long eyelashes trembling slightly.

After a while, Aunt Xue saw Jiang Nian still sipping tea and looking at her. Her cheeks flushed and she said, "Uncle Jiang, can you please help me?"

Jiang Nian then slowly put down the celadon teacup, which made a crisp sound when it touched the desk. His eyes were like knives, piercing Aunt Xue. "How dare you ask me for something like this? Don't you think this is ridiculous?"

Aunt Xue lowered her head in a hurry, and her well-maintained cheeks soon turned red.

The wind blew in from outside the window, stirring the curtains, but it could not blow away the shame of Aunt Xue and Xue Baochai.

Aunt Xue couldn't help sobbing. She raised her tearful eyes and looked at Jiang Nian: "I know it's ridiculous to ask you this, but...but my Xue family can't lose the reputation of being an imperial merchant. If this reputation is lost, the future of our Xue family is really worrying. How can my husband... Bao girl's father rest in peace in his grave? I am really ashamed of him, and ashamed of the ancestors of the Xue family! If you help my Xue family keep the position of imperial merchant, I will definitely reward you handsomely. Silver...even if it's thirty thousand taels, I'll give you more if you think it's not enough!"

Jiang Nian looked indifferent and said calmly, "I'm not short of money."

Aunt Xue glanced at Xue Baochai, who was standing beside her with her brows lowered and eyes lowered, and said silently, gritted her teeth, "Then... please help me for Bao's sake, okay?"

Jiang Nian raised the corners of his lips slightly. "Ms. Xue has promised to be my concubine, but you broke the promise and invited Wang Ziteng to come and cause a big commotion. Now you still have the nerve to say this? Even if you don't feel ashamed, Miss Xue standing next to you must be ashamed!"

Aunt Xue turned to look at Xue Baochai and saw that her eyes were wet.

Jiang Nian stared at Aunt Xue and asked in a deliberately gentle voice, "You only want to keep the Xue family's position as imperial merchants, don't you also want to keep Wang Ziteng's position as the governor of the Beijing camp?"

Aunt Xue paused, then said sheepishly, "If you could help preserve my Xue family's position as imperial merchants, I would already be incredibly grateful. I wouldn't dare even dream of helping preserve my brother's position as governor of the Beijing camp. If...if you could also help preserve his position, I would naturally be even more grateful, and my brother would surely repay you generously."

Jiang Nian couldn't help but sneer and said, "I didn't expect you to be so shameless!"

Aunt Xue felt her face burning with anger after hearing Jiang Nian's blunt sarcasm, and she lowered her head again.

At this moment, a sudden burst of mourning came from the Qin family next door. Because the study window and door were open, the mournful sound was clearly audible, and Aunt Xue and Xue Baochai could hear it clearly.

Aunt Xue's face suddenly changed, and a feeling of guilt welled up in her heart. She knew that she was to blame for Qin Ye's death, and the sound of mourning sent a chill down her spine.

Jiang Nian deliberately said to Aunt Xue, "Someone next door is mourning for Master Qin, who was killed by you."

Aunt Xue's fear grew stronger upon hearing this. She found the wailing even more eerie, as if the wronged spirits were whispering in her ears. She trembled in defense, "I... I was wrong, but it's not my fault..."

Jiang Nian's expression suddenly became serious. He stared at Aunt Xue and scolded her, "You were born into the Wang family and married into the Xue family, both of which are wealthy and prestigious families. Why are you so stupid?"

The word "stupid" pierced Aunt Xue's ears like a sharp knife, cutting into her heart. She vaguely recalled how her husband had scolded her like that many years ago, when he was still alive. But that was a long time ago. Since her husband's death, no one had ever called her "stupid" to her face again. Not even her brother, Wang Ziteng, had ever done so.

And now, she was actually being scolded by Jiang Nian, a boy who was only fifteen years old. She couldn't help but feel angry and wanted to rush out of the door immediately, but when she thought of her position as the imperial merchant, she had to restrain herself.

Jiang Nian continued to stare at Aunt Xue, his tone cold: "Yesterday I asked Prince Zhongyi to rescue and suppress Wang Ziteng. Prince Zhongyi even reported the matter to His Majesty, and His Majesty reported it to the Supreme Emperor. Both emperors were angry and ordered punishment. Under such circumstances, you actually came to ask me to keep your Xue family's position as imperial merchant, and even delusionally hoped that I would keep Wang Ziteng's position as the governor of the Beijing camp. Isn't it stupid for you to do this? If I agree to you, wouldn't I be as stupid as you? Do you think I can accomplish such a thing? " Aunt Xue's face turned from red to white, and then from white to blue.

Jiang Nian's expression gradually eased, and his tone returned to calm: "You can't keep your family's position as the imperial merchant. But..."

Having said this, he paused deliberately, picked up the celadon teacup and sipped the tea. Seeing that Aunt Xue was really anxious, he put down the celadon teacup, turned his eyes slightly, and looked at Xue Baochai. Then he said to Aunt Xue, "However, when Miss Xue becomes my concubine in the future, I will take care of the Xue family."

Aunt Xue was disappointed at first, thinking to herself, "After all, the position of imperial merchant can't be kept." However, she changed her mind and realized that Jiang Nian was unfathomable, and it would be a good thing if the Xue family could be taken care of by him.

Jiang Nian's tone became stern again, and every word was as cold as ice: "As for what happened yesterday, you should compensate me!"

Aunt Xue's heart suddenly tightened, as if being grasped by an invisible hand, and her breathing stopped.

She had come here to ask Jiang Nian to keep the Xue family's position as the royal merchant, but her goal was not achieved. Now Jiang Nian asked for compensation. She was suddenly panicked and didn't know how to respond.

Xue Baochai's heart tightened, subconsciously fearing that Jiang Nian would make a request that would embarrass her. But then she thought, since she had already been promised to Jiang Nian as a concubine, what else could Jiang Nian ask to embarrass her?

Seeing Aunt Xue remained silent, staring at him pitifully with a look of panic and helplessness in her eyes, Jiang Nian suddenly stood up, walked calmly out of the study, and turned into the bedroom on the left side of the main hall.

Soon, Jiang Nian returned to the study with a written contract in his hand.

When Aunt Xue and Xue Baochai saw this, they knew that what Jiang Nian was holding must be the engagement letter.

Aunt Xue became increasingly uneasy, not knowing what Jiang Nian was up to.

Xue Baochai also felt a sinking feeling in her heart.

Jiang Nian held the written agreement in his hand, his eyes wandering between Xue and Xue Baochai, his expression cold and unpredictable.

After Jiang Nian sat down, he unfolded the promise of concubine in his hand and said coldly, "This is the promise of concubine written by you personally. You can't have forgotten it so quickly, right?"

Aunt Xue was so embarrassed that she didn't know how to respond. She clenched her fists and pinched her palms with her fingertips.

Jiang Nian snorted coldly and said, "If you forget, I will read it again so that you can remember it!"

Aunt Xue said hurriedly, "No need to read it. I...I remember it."

Jiang Nian remained unmoved and sneered, "Remember? I think you probably forgot."

After saying this, he began to read the agreement word for word: "It has been heard that etiquette has its limits, and affection has its destination. Now I have a little girl, Baochai, who is gentle and kind-hearted, and of virtuous appearance. She is willing to be Jiang Nian's concubine, to serve as a dustpan and help with household chores... Our two families have formed an alliance, and will remain friends forever. I hereby establish this agreement as a token of our friendship."

He deliberately raised his voice when reading the last sentence. After reading it, he pointed to the end of the contract and said to Aunt Xue, "It has your signature as the covenantor and the signature of Miss Xue's brother as a witness!"

(End of this chapter)