Dream of the Red Chamber: Madam, please have some self-respect!

That was quite a sharp remark, carrying the mischievous and shrewish nature characteristic of Feng Lazi, truly like teasing someone by scratching their earlobe.

Jia Yun's face was already flushed, and now even her neck was tinged with a thin layer of red.

If he weren't so immobile, he would have wanted to disappear into the ground, while still struggling to refuse: "Second Madam! This...this is against etiquette, absolutely not..."

"Stop talking nonsense! Just lie down properly!" Wang Xifeng pressed a fragrant palm against Jia Yun's uninjured shoulder without saying a word.

Her clothes were much looser today, and when she bent over, her heavy, bulging breasts almost touched Jia Yun's arms.

With her other hand, adorned with nail polish, Sister Feng deftly untied the loose belt around his waist.

Jia Yun was injured and dared not struggle too much. Considering her status and the cooperation they had just reached, he could only stand there frozen for a moment.

His body was so tense that he felt extremely embarrassed. He felt that the delicate hand on his shoulder and the sweet fragrance so close to him were more unbearable than the pain of his injury.

Wang Xifeng was actually a little nervous, and her face flushed slightly, as if she had applied a light layer of rouge.

But she remained calm and made very gentle movements with her hands.

"It's impolite not to reciprocate," was obviously a joke. But she did have her own ulterior motives in using her beauty to flirt with Jia Yun, this newly emerging scholar.

When Wang Xifeng carefully lifted the inner garment, which was stuck together with bloodstains and ointment, and saw the gruesome sight of the torn flesh on the fair and firm skin, she couldn't help but feel a chill.

It was already horrifying to see from afar that day, but seeing it up close now is even more shocking.

Sister Feng instantly dropped her joking expression, her eyes revealing a hint of pity and hidden anger, and her movements became even gentler.

She carefully used a clean, soft cloth dipped in warm water to clean the area around the wound with utmost care, and then gently applied the cool ointment with her fingertips.

Sister Feng's fingertips were slightly cool, and occasionally touched Jia Yun's intact skin.

The young man's firm, warm touch made Wang Xifeng's heart skip a beat, and a deeper warmth quietly spread across her face.

After finally changing the dressing and re-bandaging it properly, Wang Xifeng secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

She felt that not only her palms, but even her inner garments were damp with sweat, sticking stickily to her voluptuous body.

Sister Feng straightened up, her waist a little weak. She cleared her throat, but still had a slightly hoarse voice that was barely perceptible: "Alright, be careful not to get it wet these next few days, and change the dressing on time. This white jade ointment is a good thing from the palace, it works very well and won't leave scars."

Her tone was much softer than usual, even carrying a tenderness that she herself was unaware of.

Jia Yun buried her burning cheeks in the pillow, her nose filled with the lingering warmth of her body and the bitter scent of the ointment. She could only mutter a reply: "Thank you, Second Madam."

Wang Xifeng dared not stay any longer and hurriedly said, "You take good care of yourself, I'll go and make arrangements for the business."

Having said that, Sister Feng turned around almost hastily. A fragrant breeze wafted up as her skirt swayed slightly. After calling Ping'er, she quickly left the small courtyard that had been making her uneasy.

As soon as she stepped out of the courtyard, a cool breeze blew in, and Wang Xifeng felt the heat on her face subside slightly.

She subconsciously glanced back at the tightly closed courtyard gate, but the firm, warm touch under her fingertips involuntarily surfaced in her mind... She shook her head violently, and as her hairpin swayed slightly, she secretly spat at herself.

"Wang Xifeng, you've lost your mind! That's your nephew!"

Yet, the faint, inexplicable stirring in my heart, like a pebble thrown into a still lake, created ripples that lingered for a long time.

She quickened her pace, her voluptuous figure swaying gracefully beneath her clothes, as if trying to escape something. However, the lingering blush on her fair cheeks had not faded for a long time.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Lady Wang learned that Grandmother Jia and Sister Feng had basically finalized the marriage between Tan Chun and Jia Yun.

The burning anger within her, mixed with a sense of powerlessness, seared her very core. Openly opposing the old lady was impossible, but she simply couldn't swallow this insult.

"We can't let him get this huge advantage for nothing!" Madam Wang gritted her teeth, pacing around the room. "He's a newly appointed scholar, isn't he? Well, he's learned enough! Since he's received favors from the Jia family, it's his duty to serve the family! Want to be my son-in-law? Not so easy!"

After much deliberation, a plan that could "kill two birds with one stone" or even "kill three birds with one stone" came to her mind.

That day, while paying her respects to Grandmother Jia, Lady Wang, with a gentle and respectful demeanor, brought it up softly and slowly:

"Grandma, I'm thinking that Yun-ge'er is very learned now. He started school at the age of 14, which is a great honor for our Jia family. Lan'er, Bao-yu, and Huan'er are all at the age where they should focus on their studies. There are too many people in the family school, and even Master Dai-ru may not be able to take care of everyone."

"How about... we let the three brothers study and learn to write under Yun'er's guidance, learning from him day and night? As the saying goes, 'One is influenced by one's company.' Yun'er is family; he'll surely be devoted to teaching them. Wouldn't that be more appropriate than hiring a tutor from outside? What do you think, Madam?"

These words truly resonated with Grandmother Jia.

The old lady's droopy eyelids twitched slightly, and the prayer beads she was fiddling with paused abruptly.

Although she had already agreed in her heart, Grandmother Jia did not express her opinion immediately. She only said lightly, "Hmm, you are very thoughtful. However, Yun-ge'er also has to prepare for the exam, so I'm afraid he won't be able to manage it. Besides, he is young and impetuous, and he may not be willing to agree, nor may he know how to teach his younger brother and nephew."

Seeing that things were looking promising, Madam Wang quickly said, "It's precisely because he needs to prepare for the exams that studying with Lan'er and the others is beneficial for him; it's a win-win situation. As for whether he'll agree or not... with the old lady personally asking, how could he possibly refuse?"

After a moment of contemplation, Grandmother Jia did not directly answer Lady Wang, but instead turned to Yuanyang and said, "Go and call Feng'er here."

When Wang Xifeng arrived, Grandmother Jia mentioned Lady Wang's suggestion and also her own concerns.

Wang Xifeng was incredibly clever; with a quick glance, she grasped the key point. She smiled and first dropped another bombshell: "Grandmother, speaking of Yun-ge'er, he just discussed something with me the other day, and it's a great way to increase revenue."

She then briefly explained how the "business company" was jointly established, with Jia Yun contributing ideas and holding 30% of the shares, herself contributing money and management and holding 30% of the shares, and the public funds holding 40%.

When Grandmother Jia first heard the word "commercial society," her brows furrowed. Her face darkened even more when she heard that Jia Yun wanted a 30% stake: "Nonsense! What's a grown man doing, not focusing on the proper path of the imperial examinations, but spending all his time thinking about these lowly commercial ventures? He even wants a share? He's truly insatiable!"

Wang Xifeng was prepared and quickly smiled ingratiatingly, "Grandmother, please calm down! Let me explain. Although Yun-ge'er owns shares in this business, the majority (40%) is in our public funds! He comes up with the ideas, runs the errands, and we just sit back and collect the profits. Isn't that better than us working hard ourselves? Besides, he's now studying, and while we can't be too far off from becoming a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), passing the provincial examination is almost certain. That's a way of keeping him in line. And besides..."

Wang Xifeng subtly explained the situation to the others: "Don't you want him to focus on teaching Lan-ge'er and the others? If we force him to teach, Yun-ge'er might agree outwardly but then do a half-hearted job behind Bao-yu's back, which would be a waste of Bao-yu and Lan-ge'er's time. That would be losing more than you gain! Now, by offering him some benefits, we give him something to look forward to, letting him know that the manor isn't mistreating him. He'll naturally put his heart and soul into teaching. This is called 'driving him with incentives,' which is much more effective than empty orders!"

As Grandmother Jia listened, a glint of light appeared in her cloudy old eyes.

Wang Xifeng's words truly struck a chord with her. She absolutely did not want to see Baoyu and Lan'er's studies delayed.

Weighing the pros and cons, the 40% profit of the business would go directly into the public account, while having Jia Yun wholeheartedly teach the clan's children would be beneficial to the family in the long run.

She slowly exhaled, tacitly agreeing to the business, and then said, "Since that's the case, then so be it. As for the teaching matter, go and talk to Yun-ge'er, just tell him my opinion, and ask him to teach Lan'er, Bao-yu, and Huan-er properly."

Wang Xifeng accepted the order and went to find Jia Yun.

When Jia Yun saw that Feng Jie had returned and heard about this matter, his brows furrowed slightly as his mind raced, and he immediately understood the scheme of Lady Wang and the weighing of Jia Mu's options behind it all.

He remained outwardly calm and frankly told Wang Xifeng, "Second Madam, it's not that I'm making excuses. It's just that the autumn imperial examinations are approaching, and I'm already busy with my own studies, as well as preparing for the business. My energy is really limited. It's already difficult to teach one person, let alone three. Besides, you know Bao Er Ye's temperament best."

Jia Yun was initially unwilling, feeling that this was trouble that Lady Wang had created for him and wasted his energy.

But as soon as the words left his mouth, a flash of inspiration struck Jia Yun, and he suddenly thought of a deeper meaning.

If... if we could teach Jia Lan, Jia Baoyu, and even that insignificant Jia Huan to make a name for themselves, even if they only pass the imperial examinations as children or scholars, what would that be like?

At that time, Jia Yun will no longer be just a "lucky" new scholar, but a "disciple of a great teacher," and his voice and prestige in the clan will be completely different!

This is a long-term investment, far more worthwhile than the short-term hardship.

Moreover, Jia Yun had plenty of ways to "teach." He had a deep understanding of the cramming and test-taking strategies he had experienced in his previous life, and he knew that using them to deal with the initial stages of the imperial examinations might not be inefficient.

Admittedly, Jia Yun also considered taking control of the clan school and making it flourish. However, upon thinking of the pedantic Jia Dairu and the scheming Jia Rui, he lost interest.

That godforsaken place, whatever.