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

The atmosphere of Lunar New Year's Eve grew stronger, and the cold wind from the north could not stop the festive atmosphere rising from the Rong and Ning mansions. Since drinking "Laba porridge" on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the two mansions have been bustling with activity, like a clockwork toy.

In the Rongguo Mansion, Wang Xifeng was sitting on the heated kang in her courtyard, listening to the reports from Lin Zhixiao's wife and several other steward wives.

She wore a bright red crepe-fur coat with silver fur trim, paired with a pomegranate-red floral skirt. Her almond-shaped eyes shone brightly, and her voluptuous body leaned softly against the prayer cushion. Beneath her delicate eyebrows and eyes lay a rounded and full-figured allure.

The faint glow of the charcoal fire only accentuated the woman's soft, fleshy appearance. Despite her busy schedule, Second Madam Lian's spirits remained remarkably strong.

"Caiming, read it to them!" Sister Feng gestured with her chin to Caiming, who was literate.

Caiming picked up the list and read it aloud one by one: "...Second Madam, all the arrangements for hiring the opera troupe, tailors and embroiderers, and court entertainers have been completed. In addition to the new clothes for the young masters and ladies of each household, 120 sets of seasonal clothes made separately from the public funds have also been delivered. 220 gold and silver ingots have been made, some in the shape of plum blossoms, some in the shape of crabapple blossoms, some in the shape of writing brushes and ruyi scepters, and some in the shape of eight treasures and spring flowers, and they have all been packed into boxes."

Lin Zhixiao's wife hurriedly added with a smile, "Grandma, the New Year's goods that Wu Jinxiao from the village sent this year are more abundant than in previous years. The list of deer, roe deer, pigs, sheep, fish, chickens, ducks, geese, and various kinds of miscellaneous fish, live chickens, ducks, and geese as well as wind-dried chickens, ducks, and geese, and various kinds of dried vegetables, japonica rice, and glutinous rice is here. Please take a look, Grandma. Please advise on how to distribute them?"

Sister Feng took the money, glanced at it briefly, and with a sharp smile on her lips, quickly ordered, "According to the usual practice, add another 20%. The remainder shall be distributed to each household according to their population and share, but naturally, the old custom will start with the ancestral tablets. You also tell the person in charge that anyone who dares to withhold or shortchange will be skinned alive before the first month of the lunar year!"

After everyone had received their orders and dispersed, Fengjie kept Ping'er behind and whispered to her, "Go to Yun'er's place in the west corridor yourself. Besides his usual allowance, send him extra high-quality silver charcoal. Make sure he has a comfortable New Year. Now that he's caught the eye of a nobleman, we can't let anyone find fault with him."

Ping'er nodded in understanding: "Grandma is very thoughtful. I'll go and do it right away."

Little did anyone know that these words were overheard by Lin Zhixiao's wife, who had not yet gone far.

Her eyes darted around, and she quickly pulled forward a pretty young girl in a light red silk jacket, saying with a smile, "Miss Ping, please wait a moment. This is my Xiao Hong, who is currently working in Master Bao's room. She is always very careful, so why don't you let her come with you, Miss Ping, so she can learn something from her?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiaohong blushed slightly but still gracefully bowed to Sister Feng and Ping'er, her bright eyes subtly lifting with a hint of anticipation.

Ping'er is such a clever girl, how could she not know what Lin Zhixiao's wife was thinking? If it were before, Jia Yun, though from a collateral branch, was still a handsome and well-mannered young man, and he and Xiao Hong would have been a good match. But now... alas, fate is cruel.

Ping'er sighed inwardly, but remained outwardly calm, and said to Feng Jie with a smile, "In that case, let Xiao Hong come with me. It's good to have more hands."

Sister Feng was incredibly shrewd; she understood immediately with just a glance. She didn't feel she was overestimating herself, but simply waved her hand dismissively, saying, "Go on, go on, come back soon."

However, in Grandmother Jia's courtyard, a completely different scene unfolded – warm and leisurely.

The heated kang (a traditional heated platform bed) was nice and cozy, and Grandmother Jia was comfortably reclining on the couch. Around her, her sisters Baoyu, Daiyu, Baochai, Xiangyun, Yingchun, Tanchun, and Xichun sat around the stove, brewing tea, chatting and laughing.

Grandmother Jia was asking Baoyu, "Your sister Feng has been so busy lately, have you gone to pay your respects to her? Don't just keep bothering your sisters."

Baoyu replied with a grin, "Don't worry, Grandmother, I just went this morning. Sister Feng is really capable; she handled so many things perfectly. I think she's even better than those high-ranking officials in the court!"

Xiangyun, who was standing nearby, chimed in quickly, "Brother Ai (Second Brother) is all talk. Why don't you go and help out Sister-in-law Feng?"

Baoyu quickly waved his hand: "I'd be a nuisance if I went. Besides, those accounts and money give me a headache just looking at them. Sister Feng is much more capable and can handle more of the work."

Daiyu covered her mouth with her handkerchief and whispered to Tanchun with a smile, "He's always 'busy with nothing to do.' If you really put him to work, he'll run away."

At this moment, Xichun, who had been sitting quietly to the side, suddenly raised her head and said in a childish voice, "I heard the maids say the other day that the boy Yun in the west corridor has excellent handwriting, and even His Highness Prince Xin praised it."

She turned to Grandmother Jia and asked innocently, "Indeed, Grandmother, since Yun-ge'er's handwriting is so good, could we ask him to teach us to write?"

The room fell silent for a moment after he said that.

Baoyu's smile froze instantly, and he muttered under his breath, "Why bother learning characters... Aren't we enough with a ready-made teacher...?"

He stole a glance at Daiyu and saw that she actually showed some interest, which made him feel even worse.

Baoyu naturally had a good impression of Yun-ge'er, but he was also unhappy that someone had stolen his limelight and he was now required to practice calligraphy.

Daiyu had heard about it before, but she didn't expect it to be mentioned in this way. Once it was mentioned, she was also intrigued.

She whispered to Baochai, "It would be great if we could get some pointers from him. I think among us sisters, Baochai's calligraphy is the most skillful. When the time comes, we can't let you down."

Baochai smiled modestly, her voice gentle: "Sister, you flatter me. I'm just not completely blind to talent. But since that Yun-ge'er has won the favor of Prince Xin, he must truly be talented."

As she spoke, she kept an eye on Baoyu's expression out of the corner of her eye. Seeing him sullenly tugging at his belt, she understood what was going on and felt both annoyed and amused.

Grandmother Jia was somewhat embarrassed by this unexpected question.

She didn't want to refuse her granddaughters' good intentions, felt sorry for Baoyu, and still harbored an inexplicable resentment towards Jia Yun. So she could only vaguely say, "Brother Yun is preparing for the exams now, so I'm afraid he won't have time. This matter... let's discuss it later."

Tan Chun sat to the side, taking in everyone's expressions with a clear understanding.

She knew that the matriarch didn't want anyone to overshadow Baoyu, and even less did she want a distant relative to stand out too much in the garden. She picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and concealed a knowing smile from her lips.

Seeing the somewhat tense atmosphere, Grandmother Jia quickly stroked Baoyu's hand and said to Aunt Xue and Lady Wang, "I love this lively atmosphere! All year round, we look forward to these few days when the children are all around us, reunited and happy. It's better than anything else."

In stark contrast to the festive atmosphere on this side, the Ningguo Mansion presented a completely different scene of desolation.

Although all the usual New Year decorations were in place, and large red lanterns were hung in front of the gate, there was still an inescapable sense of oppression in the mansion. Especially in Jia Zhen's courtyard, the servants all held their breath, as if they were even walking on tiptoe.

"Useless thing! All these years have passed, and you haven't improved a bit! I think you're hopeless! You can't even handle the smallest things, what use are you? You're truly an animal!"

The jarring sound of a teacup shattering came from the main room, accompanied by Jia Zhen's angry curses. Jia Rong had no choice but to retreat from the room with his head down, his face alternating between pale and flushed.

Jia Rong, with a sullen face, had just stepped out of the door when she nearly bumped into someone.

Upon closer inspection, he realized it was his wife, Qin.

Today she wore a light purple jacket embroidered with gold butterflies, the fabric clinging to her body and accentuating her figure. The trembling of the fabric inside the jacket truly reflected the saying, "Slender vines bear abundant fruit."

Qin was holding a black lacquered tray with several delicate side dishes and a pot of warm wine on it.

A nameless fire suddenly surged in Jia Rong's heart, especially when he recalled the sinister look in his father's eyes when he looked at his wife. He felt even more humiliated.

"What are you doing here?" Jia Rong's voice was cold and harsh.

Qin was startled by him, her voice hesitant yet carrying its usual softness: "It was...it was Madam who instructed me to bring some food to Master..."

"The madam gave the order? Don't you have a brain?" Jia Rong's tone grew increasingly sharp. "Such things as serving tea and water are done by the maids. Why do you need to come personally? Go back now!"

He knew perfectly well that his father harbored filthy thoughts towards his wife, and that his stepmother, Madam You, sometimes happily went along with it to please her husband.

Jia Rong hated his father, who was worse than a pig or a dog. But he dared not resist, so he could only vent his anger on the weaker ones.

Qin's eyes reddened slightly from his reprimand, but she dared not argue, only responding softly, "Yes, I'll go back now."

As she turned to leave with the tray, her slender figure appeared particularly thin and helpless in the cold wind. Jia Rong watched her go, his chest tightening with anxiety. He slammed his fist against the pillar beside him, but felt no pain whatsoever.

Meanwhile, Jia Zhen, inside the room, coldly watched this scene in the courtyard through the window, a cryptic smile playing on his lips.

His anger seemed to have subsided somewhat, and his deep gaze followed his daughter-in-law's departing figure until that lotus-colored hue disappeared behind the moon gate.