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

The next day, Jia She indeed got up very early and personally took a carriage to the bookstore in the city.

Although this man was a debauched drunkard, he was very good at putting on a show. He carefully selected books for the imperial examinations, such as the "Complete Collection of the Four Books" and "The Essence of Human Nature and Principles," which had been annotated by famous scholars.

Afterwards, he took his servant to Wenhuazhai and bought the finest Huzhou brushes, Huizhou ink, Xuan paper, and Duan inkstones, along with some exquisite tea snacks and dried cured meat, filling the carriage to the brim before ordering the driver to turn towards the Iron Threshold Temple outside the city.

When they arrived at the temple, they asked a young novice monk and learned that Jia Yun had not been practicing meditation in the meditation room that afternoon, but had instead gone to the dilapidated Sanqing Temple on the back mountain.

Jia She, far from finding it annoying, felt it was exactly what he wanted, thinking to himself, "This perfectly demonstrates my sincerity in seeking talented individuals."

So he ordered the driver to drive the carriage to the back of the mountain.

The Sanqing Temple was even more desolate than the Tiekan Temple, with weeds growing lushly among the broken walls and ruins, yet it had a different kind of rustic charm.

As soon as Jia She alighted from his carriage and before he even entered the temple gate, he heard a clear, bell-like laugh coming from inside the courtyard, accompanied by the sound of clothes rustling in the wind.

He peered through a half-walled, mottled floral pattern and saw a young girl dressed in a worn blue satin top practicing martial arts.

Although it was the twelfth lunar month, the girl's cheeks were flushed from practicing. Fine beads of sweat glistened on the tip of her delicate nose, making her look as beautiful and alluring as a crabapple blossom in the morning dew.

Her figure is slender and graceful; with each move, her supple waist and long limbs display amazing vitality and beauty.

What's even more striking is her face. Though she wears no makeup, her features are exquisitely beautiful, and her skin is as white as snow. Her eyes sparkle, carrying a hint of wildness and a touch of innocence. Who else could it be but Yingluo?

Jia She's greatest vice in life was his lust for beautiful women, especially young and fresh ones.

Upon seeing Zhou Yingluo, such a vibrant and lively woman, he felt his eyes light up, as if a hungry wolf had seen fresh meat, or a withered tree had met spring rain. The restlessness in his lower abdomen was instantly aroused.

The young girl's vibrant energy and graceful figure were unlike any of the affected and pretentious concubines in his household, instantly captivating him.

Jia She's cloudy old eyes immediately became fixed on Yingluo. From her rosy cheeks to her slender neck, and then to her budding breasts and supple waist, his gaze lingered, as if he wanted to devour her alive with his eyes.

Just then, Jia Yun walked out of the temple and was about to return to the temple when he saw Jia She standing outside the temple gate, staring intently at Yingluo.

Jia Yun's heart sank—he was all too familiar with the undisguised lewdness in that old scoundrel's eyes!

That lustful devil dares to set his sights on Yingluo!

"Master?" Jia Yun suppressed his shock and anger, stepped forward and stood between Jia She and Yingluo in the courtyard, bowing respectfully. "Why have you come to such a desolate place?"

Jia She then came to his senses, coughed twice, and forced his gaze away. However, a fake smile appeared on his deeply lined old face: "Oh, it's Yun-ge'er. I had some free time today and remembered that you were studying hard here, so I specially brought you some books and supplies."

He pointed to the carriage and servant behind him: "These are all useful for the imperial examinations, and there's also some food. Take them and study hard for the exams, so as not to disappoint your family's expectations."

Jia Yun sneered inwardly, but on the surface he respectfully thanked him: "I am deeply grateful for your concern, sir."

Jia She feigned concern for her studies for a few more minutes, but his eyes kept glancing towards the temple. When Yingluo saw a stranger, especially an old man with a filthy gaze that made her extremely uncomfortable, she immediately stopped her advances and slipped into the house.

Seeing that the beauty had vanished, Jia She felt a deep sense of loss. He exchanged a few perfunctory words with Jia Yun and then turned and left dejectedly.

Upon returning to the Iron Threshold Temple, Jia She did not immediately go back to the city, but instead sought out the abbot's meditation room.

He dismissed his attendants, casually twirling his prayer beads, and asked, "Old monk, in the Sanqing Temple behind the mountain, that family... has that younger girl been betrothed?"

The abbot, being such a person, had long seen through Jia She's despicable intentions.

Hearing his question, I sighed inwardly, clasped my hands together, lowered my head and said, "Amitabha. Are you asking about the second daughter of the Zhou family, Benefactor Jia? As far as I know, she is not yet betrothed. Although the Zhou family are reclusive, they are a respectable family who make a living through their skills and martial arts."

Upon hearing that the marriage was "not yet betrothed," Jia She was so overjoyed that he scratched his head and cheeks, and had no patience to hear what followed.

He hurriedly said, "It's good that they haven't agreed to be together yet! Old monk, please keep in touch with them often and keep an eye on things for me. If...if there's any news, or if their family is having any difficulties, come and let me know immediately! You'll be rewarded!"

Having said that, Jia She left without waiting for the host's response, smugly pleased with himself. His arrogant demeanor made it seem as if the tender young woman was already his for the taking.

After Jia She left, the abbot remained silent for a long time, gazing at the bleak winter scenery outside the window before letting out a long sigh.

So he went to the desk, spread out a sheet of plain paper, picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote a line of small characters:

"Master She inquired about Zhou Yingluo, the second daughter of the Zhou family. Judging from her expression, she seems to harbor improper thoughts. The Zhou family is poor, and the girl is innocent. How can a wild flower withstand the storm?"

After writing it down, the abbot carefully folded the note and summoned a trusted novice monk, whispering, "You must personally deliver this note to Yun-ge'er's room and place it in a prominent spot on his desk. No one else must know about it."

The young novice monk accepted the order and left.

The abbot watched his departing figure and chanted a Buddhist prayer once more. That was all he could do.

The filth in the deep pool of the Jia family mansion has finally seeped into this pure Buddhist sanctuary. I fear that another storm will break out because of this young girl.

How will the young man under the west corridor deal with the covetousness from those in high positions within the family? All of this remains to be seen.

When Jia Yun returned to the east wing of the Iron Threshold Temple, he found a piece of plain paper on the table.

When unfolded, the ink marks were still fresh. Those few words, however, sent a chill down Jia Yun's spine, like ice water poured over his head.

The words "unreasonable thoughts" were particularly jarring, and Jia She's sticky, spiderweb-like gaze seemed to have returned.

A surge of pent-up anger welled up in Jia Yun's chest, rushing to the top of his head. The boy's fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white as he muttered hatefully, "That old beast, he truly harbors such a vile heart!"

In an instant, the young man's blood boiled, and he couldn't wait to go to the Sanqing Temple to propose marriage to Old Man Zhou!

But then he thought, his family has not yet achieved anything, nor has he made a name for himself. He is just a poor man who lives by relying on the Ning and Rong families. How can he ask for a wife?

Although the Zhou family are reclusive, they are still upright and respectable, so how could they easily agree to a marriage? Even if Old Man Zhou is very open-minded, he probably wouldn't easily give his daughter to a poor boy with an uncertain future.

Moreover, if we act rashly now, it would be like lighting a fire, alerting that old beast and causing him to resort to even more despicable and vile methods, which would be undesirable.

"Don't rush, don't panic..." Jia Yun took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down. His gaze darkened, and he had already made up his mind.

The most important thing right now is to quickly accumulate enough resources to establish myself. I must be doubly diligent in fulfilling the trust placed in me by this benefactor.

From then on, Jia Yun stayed indoors even more, putting aside all his worries and focusing solely on copying.

During the day he continued to read and practice martial arts, and at night he would concentrate under the lamp and write furiously.

The small characters in gold-leaf calligraphy are meticulously crafted, with no room for negligence.

Jia Yun often wrote until late at night, until his wrists ached and his eyes were too sore to keep open, before he would take a short break.

Looking at the increasingly thick scriptures, he finally felt a little more at ease.