Dream of the Red Chamber: Starting from Immortal Martial Arts

Jia Tang returned to the courtyard from the underground chamber, called two maids to wipe his face, and was about to head to the West Mansion when an unexpected guest arrived in the courtyard.

"I've met my cousin."

In the main hall, Jia Tang looked at Xue Baochai before him. She had delicate eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, and a gentle smile on her upturned lips.

She wore a long silk dress with gold embroidery, paired with a Suzhou-style embroidered moon-flower brocade shirt. Her hair was styled into three small buns typical of an unmarried woman, with a gold-inlaid jade hairpin in the middle. She carried a food basket on her arm, making her look exceptionally dignified and beautiful.

"Cousin, is something the matter?"

Xue Baochai smiled gently and said in a soft tone, "There is indeed something I would like to trouble you with, cousin. I hope you will not hesitate to help."

Jia Tang raised an eyebrow, surprised, and asked, "What is it?"

"My cousin helped me with the family's previous business dealings, preventing the job from falling into other hands. I wanted to thank him, but my fourth sister did it for me."

"A few days ago, my brother got into a conflict with someone because of my failure to be elected, and I was able to avoid jail time thanks to my cousin's help."

Xue Baochai smiled, her eyes crinkling, and said, "My cousin once said that we are old relatives, so there's no need for me to host a banquet to express my gratitude."

"I just happened to learn today that my cousin is on leave, so I guess he is at home handling military affairs."

"So, I've prepared a traditional Chinese dish today and have come here to have my cousin taste it. It's also a way of thanking him for his help in the past."

"Does my cousin have any free time?"

Jia Tang was taken aback upon hearing this. Although he smiled slightly, his eyes remained indifferent as he carefully examined the person in front of him.

Qingwen and Amber exchanged a subtle glance, their eyes conveying a cryptic meaning.

After speaking, Xue Baochai pursed her rosy lips, her slender fingers tightly gripping the handkerchief until they turned slightly white. Although her bright, watery eyes dared to meet his gaze for a moment, her long, trembling eyelashes and somewhat flustered eyes betrayed her nervousness.

For a moment, the hall fell silent.

As Xue Baochai felt the increasingly oppressive atmosphere, her heart sank little by little. She had finally mustered up the courage to come here, but she never expected that she wouldn't even have the right to flatter anyone.

Jia Tang observed for a while, and as the other person's face gradually turned pale, he chuckled twice and said, "Appreciating fine food can be considered as me helping you? My cousin is quite the smooth talker."

"That's very thoughtful."

Upon hearing this, Xue Baochai was overjoyed, a genuine smile spreading across her face. She took the food basket from her arm and placed it on the wooden table. From there, she took out a bowl of steaming hot food, and instantly the hall was filled with fragrance and energy.

Jia Tang took the small bowl, scanned it with his divine sense, and found nothing amiss. He then took a small sip with a spoon and found the taste quite good, with a hint of spiciness and a moderate saltiness, which suited his preferences.

It seems this girl has done a lot of research into his preferences.

"My cousin's cooking is pretty good, it tastes great."

Xue Baochai, her face as rosy as a peach blossom and her smile as beautiful as a flower, replied, "It's good that it suits my cousin's taste; I can't say my cooking skills are bad."

Jia Tang shook his head and chuckled, without replying. He quickly finished his meal and asked, "Are you really alright? I'll accept anything as long as it's not too outrageous, considering this meal from my cousin."

Upon hearing this, Xue Baochai instinctively blurted out a response, but she suppressed her thoughts, took the small cup from Jia Tang's hand, and said reproachfully, "In my cousin's eyes, is my sister a meddlesome person?"

Jia Tang largely agreed with her account, but said casually, "I was just asking a couple of questions."

Xue Baochai's bright eyes dimmed slightly, and she smiled, "The main course is finished, so I won't bother you any longer. Cousin, please continue with your work. I'll take my leave now."

Jia Tang waved his hand: "No need to rush, let's go to the West Mansion together. Lin Daiyu should be having her meal soon, shall we come?"

Xue Baochai's face stiffened, and her eyes darted away: "I won't go today. I'll send an invitation to Lin Yatou to come to my place for a small gathering tomorrow."

"Fine."

Jia Tang nodded and walked out of the main hall first. He was met by Jia He, who was expressionless, and Ying'er and Xiangling, who were waiting on the side.

The two girls stood nervously outside the door, barely daring to breathe.

Seeing this, Jia Tang smirked. That old rascal Jia He must have been trying to scare the two girls.

Xue Baochai moved half a step behind Jia Tang, and together they headed towards the Rongguo Mansion.

As they walked, Jia Tang glanced at the silent Xue Baochai and casually asked, "Where is your brother?"

"Thanks to my uncle's kindness, my elder brother has been admitted to the Jia family school for further studies and has been working quite hard lately."

Jia Tang was taken aback. Xue Pan was studying diligently at the clan school?

How could he not know what a clan school was like?

It was a place where Jia Dairu could receive a salary.

Jia Tang didn't care about the clan school because there were many collateral relatives in the manor outside the city, and he planned to re-establish the civil and military academies after dividing the manor. In any case, he wouldn't accept any of the people in the clan school.

Keeping it can also fulfill the old lady's reputation for helping her relatives.

If you fall into his hands, that's a different story.

"Well, at least things have settled down."

"Yes, I will definitely tell my brother what my cousin instructed."

Jia Tang chuckled, chatted with the other person for a few more minutes, and then parted ways at the crossroads in the backyard of the Rong Mansion.

As Jia He watched Xue Baochai leave with her maid, he murmured, "My lord, I knew that girl was cunning."

"Your advice back then, even after all this time, is still being used by people to their advantage."

Jia Tang glanced at the shocked expressions on the faces of his two personal maids, smiled, and said something he had said before: "You've got quite a few ideas yourself."

That old bastard was just saying it on purpose for the two girls to hear.

He then countered, "So, do you think she, the Xue family, and even the Wang family, are enough for you to kill?"

Without thinking, Jia He blurted out, "It's not enough to satisfy me."

"That settles it then. Whether someone has many schemes or few schemes depends on their level and ability. In the face of absolute strength, no matter what she wants to do, what can she possibly do to cause trouble?"

Upon hearing this, Jia He retorted, "The key point is that I think her becoming a concubine would cause unrest in the household. After all, it's better to avoid trouble."

Jia Tang's eye twitched: "Concubine? What makes you say that?"

Jia He pursed his lips and didn't reply. Qingwen rolled her eyes at her master, who had been holding this thought all along.

Upon entering Daiyu's courtyard, Chunxian led Zijuan and Xueyan to set up a small square table, and dinner had already been retrieved.

When the maids saw Jia Tang, they quickly began to set out the meal, and Qingwen and Amber also hurriedly stepped forward to help.

After everyone was seated, Lin Daiyu, dressed in a moon-white and green flowing fairy dress with a white cloud and flower brocade over it, smiled and stretched out her slender hand, revealing her fair wrist with skin as white as snow. The jade phoenix bracelet on her wrist shimmered with a warm glow. She personally took a bowl of warm soup from the food box next to her.

As she placed the soup in front of Jia Tang, she said sweetly, "Brother, try the soup your little sister made. Which one do you prefer, the soup you made or the soup your sister Bao made?"

Jia Tang's lips twitched. Although he knew that Xue Baochai's undisguised visit would have an impact, he didn't expect it to happen so quickly.

"Sigh, it must be my sister's cooking that suits my taste better."

Lin Daiyu's eyebrows curved slightly, but her words were sharp: "Oh, brother, you're already speaking like this before you've even tasted it. Could it be... you're just saying sweet nothings to coax your little sister?"