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

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Grandmother Jia, along with Lady Xing, Lady Wang, and other female relatives with official titles, dressed in full regalia according to their ranks, rode in a grand sedan chair carried by eight people to the palace to pay homage and receive a banquet.

This royal ceremony did not conclude until the afternoon.

After returning to the mansion, everyone went directly to the Ningguo Mansion ancestral hall and performed the proper rites before the solemn ancestral hall. Even someone as blessed with longevity as Grandmother Jia felt somewhat tired after this entire process.

So he had no choice but to return to his main hall, where he was helped by Yuanyang and others to drink some ginseng soup and then rest on the couch in the warm pavilion.

As was customary, Jia Yun already knew that the first day of the month was the busiest and most formal day for Grandmother Jia and others to receive gifts.

As a member of a collateral branch, I am not qualified to go, and even if I were qualified to go and join in the fun, I would not be able to say anything. On the contrary, I would easily make a mistake due to the strict etiquette and be laughed at.

Therefore, Jia Yun was happy to avoid this day and simply spent the New Year at home with his mother, Bu Shi. He planned to find a leisurely time later to prepare carefully selected but not excessive gifts to pay his respects to Grandmother Jia, Sister Feng, and others, which would be the safest course of action.

As for the two letters from yesterday...

Jia Yun appreciated the reminder, but didn't take it too seriously. He had been afraid before, without the Prince of Xin's support. Now that he had a successor, things were much easier.

Since the Jia family couldn't manipulate things themselves, at most it was just saving face for them, so Jia Yun didn't care about it.

As for his scholarship? Jia Yun was naturally confident, but he shouldn't be overconfident.

The ancients were ancient, not foolish. He was determined to pass the county examination, and that confidence came from his hard work and dedication over the past six months.

As for the upcoming provincial and prefectural examinations, Jia Yun wasn't entirely confident, but he believed that things would work out in the end, and worrying too much was pointless. While Jia Yun had his plans in mind, he was unaware that a small storm was brewing within the Rongguo Mansion, targeting him.

It turned out that although Lady Wang was physically exhausted after returning from the palace, she had something on her mind.

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, taking advantage of the Jia family's sons coming to pay their respects, they came to test the children's studies.

Naturally, just as I had told the old lady before, the main purpose was to put Jia Yun on the back and, to put it more nicely, to test his talent.

Moreover, Lady Wang knew that Baoyu disliked reading, especially academic papers, and whenever relatives and friends asked about his studies, he would always stammer and find it difficult to answer.

Tomorrow is the second day of the Lunar New Year, and many old friends, relatives, and acquaintances will come to pay their respects, including many learned and noble individuals. If someone asks Baoyu about his studies or tests his knowledge, and Baoyu cannot answer, wouldn't that damage the Jia family's reputation and make her, as his mother, lose face?

She sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), slowly turning a string of nanmu (a type of sandalwood) prayer beads in her hand. After pondering for a while, she called Jin Chuan'er over: "Go to the school and invite Master Dairu over. Tell him I have something to discuss with you."

It is said that Jia Dairu and his grandson were enjoying the New Year's feast at home when they suddenly heard Lady Wang summon them. They thought that there was some reward or appointment in the mansion, so they were overjoyed and hurriedly dressed and came over.

Upon entering Madam Wang's room, one could see the fragrant sandalwood incense wafting through the air. Madam Wang's face was as round as the full moon, but her eyes were hidden beneath her half-closed eyelids, making them difficult to see clearly.

"Greetings to Madam." Jia Dairu and his grandson hurriedly bowed.

Madam Wang raised her hand, her voice calm and even: "Grandpa, you've worked hard. Schools are on holiday for the New Year, so I shouldn't disturb you. However, I suddenly remembered something. Many people will be coming to pay their respects tomorrow, and if the children just play and frolic, it would be improper for our family. I was thinking, why not give them some topics to discuss and refine their literary skills? This would not only demonstrate our family's tradition of scholarship and etiquette, but also prevent them from neglecting their studies. What do you think, Grandpa?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Dairu immediately bowed and smiled apologetically, "Madam's considerations are absolutely correct! You truly have excellent methods for managing the household and educating your children. The year-end evaluation is in line with the sage's principle of 'learning and practicing regularly.' This method is excellent!"

Madam Wang nodded slightly, flicked a rosary bead with her fingertip, and said, "But the topic must be carefully chosen. Baoyu has only just recovered and should not be overworked. The topic should be simple and encouraging, so as not to dampen his enthusiasm."

Jia Dairu and Jia Rui exchanged a glance, understanding each other perfectly, and Jia Rui repeatedly said, "Understood, understood. Young Master Bao is naturally intelligent, so there's no need to be bound by conventional methods."

Madam Wang subtly changed the subject, as if mentioning it casually: "I vaguely heard that Yun'er in the west corridor has been studying very diligently lately? She said she'll be taking the imperial examinations in February?"

Jia Dairu's heart skipped a beat, but he dared not show it on his face, and only said, "Yes, Yun-ge'er... truly has this ambition."

Madam Wang's tone remained calm: "It's good for young people to have ambition. Since he has lofty aspirations, his knowledge must be more solid than others. When the master sets questions for him tomorrow, it might be better to... make them a little more difficult, so that he knows there are always higher levels to learn and that there is no end to knowledge. He shouldn't become arrogant because of some progress. This is for his own good."

These words sounded grand and dignified, but to Jia Dairu, they were clearly meant to make things difficult for Jia Yun.

A complex mix of emotions welled up in Jia Dairu's heart.

He himself took the imperial examinations his whole life and never even passed the lowest level, becoming a Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations). That Jia Yun boy, only fourteen or fifteen years old, relying on his intelligence and somehow getting on the good side of Prince Xin, dares to dream of taking the imperial examinations!

If he were to actually succeed by sheer luck, where would he put his old face? And then there's the thought of Prince Xin being enfeoffed in the future. Even if Jia Yun fails, if His Highness could remember their past relationship and readily help him, wouldn't Jia Yun also rise to prominence? Thinking of this, jealousy gnawed at his internal organs like a venomous snake.

Jia Rui, standing nearby, harbored a long-standing grudge against Jia Yun. In the past, Jia Yun often outperformed him in his studies at home, and the two also clashed over the punishment of Jia Qiang, Jia Qin, and others.

Now that the second wife has secretly given her instructions, it's a good opportunity to vent one's anger.

He immediately replied, "Don't worry, Madam! Since Yun-ge'er has such great ambitions, we will naturally 'encourage' him properly. The questions we'll ask will definitely be of some substance, so as not to disappoint your expectations."

Seeing that they understood, Madam Wang said no more, but closed her eyes and twirled her prayer beads, saying, "In that case, I'll trouble you, sir. Jin Chuan, here's your reward."

Grandpa Jia and his grandson accepted the reward and withdrew with profuse thanks.

Little did they know that their entire exchange had been overheard by someone outside the window.

This person was none other than Tan Chun.

It turned out that Tan Chun had been helping with the New Year's preparations these past few days and was worried about the extravagant spending everywhere. She had come to ask Lady Wang for some tactful suggestions on frugality.

As soon as she reached the window, she overheard people inside talking about testing the children and setting difficult questions for Jia Yun. Knowing how protective Lady Wang was of Bao Yu, and aware of Jia Yun's recent reputation, as well as understanding the character of Jia Dairu and his grandson, she immediately understood most of the situation.

Tan Chun was naturally sharp-minded and decisive, possessing a strong sense of masculinity, and she particularly disliked such underhanded tactics. At the same time, she was also somewhat curious about Jia Yun.

Seeing him inexplicably drawn into this undercurrent, Tan Chun's curiosity was piqued. She wanted to see how this unassuming nephew from a collateral branch would deal with this obvious challenge tomorrow.

Tan Chun quietly left Madam Wang's courtyard and returned to her own room. Sitting on the kang chair by the window, her mind was in turmoil.

Reason told her that this matter was arranged by her elders, and as an unmarried young lady, she should not interfere, much less inform Jia Yun, lest she cause gossip.

Tan Chun picked up a copy of "Chu Ci" to calm her mind, but the words that came into view transformed into phrases she had just heard, such as "a little deeper" and "to hone one's skills," which disturbed her peace of mind.

"Enough, enough!" Tan Chun gently placed the scroll on the table and muttered to herself, "If he truly has talent, what is there to fear from examinations? If he's just a show-off, some setbacks are to be expected. Why should I bother?"

Determined to stop thinking about it, she summoned her attendant and asked if the purses prepared for the reward tomorrow were ready. She also gave a few instructions on the festival's affairs, trying to bring her thoughts back on track.

However, that curiosity and a vague sense of longing quietly grew in her heart like vines.

However, once the thought arose, it was difficult to suppress.

As the sun began to set in the west, dusk gradually fell outside the window.

Tan Chun paced around the room a few times, but her determination to "not care" ultimately couldn't overcome her strong urge to "see it for herself."

She steeled her resolve, thinking to herself, "If I only glance at him from afar and don't speak to him, I won't be breaking any rules. I'll just pretend I'm... passing by the west corridor."

Having made up her mind, Tan Chun didn't bring any maids. She simply said she was going for a stroll to clear her head, and then she left the courtyard alone and wandered towards the west corridor.

When she got to that area, she slowed her pace, feeling a strange sense of unease.

Just as they were pondering how to find Jia Yun's residence discreetly, they saw a few neighbors gathered in front of an ordinary courtyard, smiling and looking into the yard.

Tan Chun gazed intently, using an old locust tree for cover.

The sunlight was just right in the courtyard, and a young man dressed in a worn blue satin robe was helping a middle-aged woman sit on a low stool in the courtyard.

The woman, with a kind face, waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "Alright, Yun-ge'er, after massaging you for half a day, your muscles and bones are all loosened up. Go and rest!"

The boy, however, did not stop.

"Mother, please enjoy this moment a little longer. The sun is warm today, so let's bask in it to replenish our calcium and ward off the chill. It's good for our health and bones."

What does "calcium supplementation" mean?

"Hmm... Mother, just think of it as absorbing the essence of the sun."

The boy bent down slightly to massage his mother, and standing in the sun, he suddenly felt incredibly radiant.

The light seemed to coat him with a faint golden glow, making even his worn clothes appear softer, and his whole being seemed to be glowing.

An old woman nearby sighed, "Yun-ge'er is so filial, Sister-in-law Bu, you're truly blessed!"

Tan Chun stood in the shadows at the corner of the wall, completely mesmerized.

She felt her cheeks burning slightly, and her heart pounding like a deer.

How could someone be so beautiful?

The girl's earlier courage to approach and strike up a conversation vanished without a trace upon seeing him in person, especially in front of so many people.

Jia Yun seemed to sense something and suddenly turned his head, his gaze falling precisely in the direction where Tan Chun was hiding. Tan Chun panicked and, without thinking, quickly shrank back behind the wall.

Only after her heart, which had been pounding like a drum, had calmed down did she dare to peek out even slightly.

Jia Yun, who was in the courtyard, had turned back and continued chatting and laughing with her mother, as if that glance just now was just an unintentional look.

In the corner, only Tan Chun remained, with her flushed cheeks, her rapid heartbeat, and... her slender shadow, stretched by the sunlight and hastily fleeing, imprinted on the bluestone slab.

Tan Chun dared not linger any longer and hurriedly returned along the same route, lifting the hem of her skirt.

The evening breeze brushed against her face, but it couldn't dispel the heat on Tan Chun's cheeks. She only knew that she absolutely had to attend the teaching exam tomorrow.