Dream of the Red Chamber: Start by gaining Zhao Yun's martial prowess, and be ennobled in a sin

Exploring Spring Courtyard.

"Little rascal, bring it out quickly, bring it out quickly!"

Tan Chun, Daiyu, Xiangyun, and the others waited anxiously for Xiao Jiao'er to take out the letter.

After Jia Jing went to Liaodong, he would send gifts back to his residence during festivals and write a letter home every two months.

Aside from important matters to inform Jia Zheng, the letters were mostly addressed to the young ladies of the Jia family.

Tan Chun, Ying Chun, Dai Yu, Xiang Yun, and others also frequently wrote back to Jia Jing.

Through their monthly correspondence, Jia Jing and the others became increasingly familiar with each other, and a genuine sense of warmth between siblings began to develop.

This time, when Feng Ziying returned to the capital to report the victory, he also brought back a letter from Jia Jing.

Today, Feng Ziying came to visit the mansion and is talking with Jia Zheng in the front yard.

Tan Chun and the others felt uncomfortable seeing a man outside their home, but they were eager to read the letter, so they asked a young servant to fetch it from the front.

The little boy was surrounded by several people, his chubby face covered in sweat, showing that he had run all the way here.

"Here! Girls, take a look, has Third Master said when he'll be back?" The young lady took out a letter and handed it to Lin Daiyu, who was closest to her.

Before Lin Daiyu could open it, Shi Xiangyun snatched it away.

"Sister Lin, the dismantling is too slow, let me do it!"

Lin Daiyu pouted, glanced at Shi Xiangyun with unfriendly eyes, and snorted softly, saying:

"Yun girl, have you gone mad! If you don't give it back to me, you have plenty more..."

"No, no, I won't give it to you..." Shi Xiangyun laughed as she opened the letter, completely unafraid of Lin Daiyu's threat.

Seeing that the two were about to start arguing again, Tan Chun quickly intervened to smooth things over, saying:

"Let's read the letter first, and talk about the rest later."

"Third sister (elder sister) is right!" The others agreed, and finally decided that Shi Xiangyun would read the letter.

Jia Baoyu watched as his sisters cheered and jumped for joy because of a letter from Jia Jing, and felt a little disappointed.

The fact that Lin Daiyu cared so much about Jia Jing's letter made him feel a pang of pain in his heart, as if his own happiness had been taken away.

Lin Daiyu had never shown such an expression before...

Jia Jing was nothing more than a greedy official; what was so remarkable about his bravery and ruthlessness on the battlefield?

Meanwhile, Xue Baochai was also curious about what kind of person Jia Jing, who was so highly regarded by the sisters of the Jia family, was, and what his letter would say.

I'm looking for a military general, someone who's probably rather rough and uncouth!

The sisters took their seats, their almond-shaped eyes fixed on Shi Xiangyun, waiting for her to read the letter.

Shi Xiangyun stood in the middle of the room, slowly opened the envelope, and read aloud:

"Dear sister, I hope you are well."

"I am doing well at the border, so don't worry. Right now, the first battle has just ended, and we have defeated the enemy. I am writing this letter to you from my tent by the light of an oil lamp. The wind is howling outside, and the soldiers are cleaning up the battlefield."

After Shi Xiangyun finished reading this passage, a scene seemed to appear in the minds of the sisters:

Jia Jing, dressed in blood-stained military uniform, sat in his tent, wielding his brush and ink.

Outside the camp, the setting sun was like blood, broken spears and shattered swords were stuck in the scorched earth, crows circled above the pile of corpses, and warhorses lay dead beside their masters.

Those relics buried by the wind, whether they were clothes sewn by a mother for her son or broken amulets prayed for by a wife for her husband, became silent witnesses to the battlefield.

"Alas! The battlefield is merciless. I hope Third Brother is well!" Tan Chun sighed.

Shi Xiangyun continued reading:

"We have received the winter clothes, shoes, knee pads, tea, and amulets that you sent last time."

"The shoes and clothes are tightly stitched and very warm."

"Sister Yun and Second Sister are making great progress in needlework, but they should not strain their eyes with needlework and should not do too much."

"Day after day, you thread needles, embroidering intricate patterns or weaving brocade, with hardly a moment's rest. The eyes are the orifices of the liver; prolonged staring damages the blood. If the blood does not nourish the liver, the eyes will lack nourishment. As your brother, I would rather wear one less garment than let you suffer even a little more mental strain."

Upon reading this, Shi Xiangyun bit her lip, feeling a warm glow in her heart.

The Shi family was not well-off, and she often had to do needlework until midnight.

Her aunt and uncle had never cared about whether it would harm her body or eyes, but Jia Jing said he didn't want her to suffer any more emotional distress.

Yingchun smiled slightly, thinking to herself: Third Brother doesn't want me to be upset, but this is the only thing I can do for him. There is only joy, no hardship!

"Having heard that my fourth sister enjoys reading Buddhist scriptures, I am sending her a rare and unique copy of the Heart Sutra, which she may read in her spare time."

"However, there is one word of caution! The Buddhist teachings of emptiness, form, compassion, and mercy, while a good way to save the world, may cause one to lose the true nature of a woman. A woman's character should be cultivated through virtue, not just through scriptures, and the key is not to harm her temperament."

"The second and third sisters should be guided well."

Jia Xichun was still young, a little girl not yet ten years old, wearing a light red jacket, with two small braids, bright eyes and white teeth, and quite cute.

She had mentioned Buddhist scriptures in her last letter to Jia Jing, and unexpectedly, Jia Jing not only sent her a rare and unique copy of the Heart Sutra this time, but also...

He also advised her that reading Buddhist scriptures should not be excessive, which made her feel somewhat touched by his concern.

She was originally the daughter of Jia Jing of the Ningguo Mansion, but her father, Jia Jing, went to become a Taoist priest and abandoned her.

Her own brother didn't care about her either. Raised by Grandmother Jia since childhood, she had no parents and no one to care for her, so it's no wonder she was somewhat withdrawn. This was also the reason why she later became a nun.

"Third brother is right. A woman's reading of scriptures should be like savoring tea; a moderate amount is invigorating, but too much will harm the stomach," Tan Chun said thoughtfully.

She usually thought Xichun was just aloof, but she never thought about the reasons behind it.

Looking back now, I realize that my fourth sister was lonely and helpless, and her heart was filled with sorrow, which is why she sought solace in Buddhist scriptures.

I, as the older sister, didn't notice it while I was by her side every day, but my third brother, who was thousands of miles away, noticed it and pointed it out. I really shouldn't have done that.

We should take better care of our fourth sister in the future.

"Fourth sister, come to my room more often to chat and relieve your boredom in your free time. I'll have Shishu and the others play with you," Tanchun said softly to Xichun.

The others also invited Xichun to come and play in their rooms more often.

Seeing everyone looking at her with concern, Xichun tilted her head, thought for a moment, and said in a clear voice:

"I see!"

Xiangyun continued reading the letter:

"This letter is short, but my feelings for you are deep. Please take care. When spring comes next year and the flowers bloom, I will surely return in triumph and reunite with you all."

"I am also sending you seven gilded hairpins and ten bolts of brocade, to be shared among all the sisters! Though they are not precious, they are quite novel. Winter is coming, so remember to wear warm clothes."

Xiangyun paused after reading this.

The little girl, whose sweat was being wiped by Siqi with a handkerchief, stamped her foot and asked:

"That's it? That's all? Didn't Third Master mention me? Doesn't Third Master miss me?"