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

Madam Xing was so choked by these sarcastic remarks that her face turned red, but she stammered and dared not say another word.

Grandmother Jia then turned her gaze to Lady Wang, but her tone was softer than before.

"I know what you're worried about. It's just teaching the girls to write and read. Besides, there are maids and servants to take care of them. What could possibly happen? What gossip could there be? Does it mean that a girl from the Jia family would be impure just because she sees her own hardworking and ambitious nephew? If one's mind is upright, everything will be upright. I think Yun-ge'er is a polite and sensible child. He would never do anything wrong."

At this moment, Wang Xifeng, who had been keeping her eyes down and silent, raised her head.

As her mind raced, she was also processing Grandmother Jia's words. On the surface, the old lady was indeed concerned about the girls' studies, but the deeper meaning in her heart startled her—the old lady was not just looking for a tutor, but clearly wanted to promote Jia Yun!

She wanted to reorganize the family structure, and even... an even more startling thought flashed through Fengjie's mind: Could it be that the old lady was planning to choose a suitable husband for Jia Yun among the young ladies?!

The thought startled even herself.

Although Jia Yun is currently riding high, he is still a commoner, not even having obtained the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations)! The old lady is so arrogant, how could she…

She glanced quickly at the composed Grandmother Jia, and then, thinking of the current predicament of the Jia family—a lack of promising young men and mediocre male offspring—she immediately understood.

Yes!

The old lady is placing her bets in advance, betting on Jia Yun's future!

If Li Shouzhong's half-disciple were to pass the imperial examination, their status would be entirely different. At that time, discussing marriage would be seen as a sign of the Jia family's discerning eye, a small act of kindness being far better than adding to their already illustrious fortune!

If Jia Yun really passes the imperial examination, and with his handsome face, someone might try to find a husband for him right after the results are announced! It would be best if we made our move sooner rather than later.

What if Jia Yun doesn't pass? We didn't promise him anything in the first place, did we?

What a far-sighted scheme!

Feng Jie quickly weighed the pros and cons: Jia Yun was now practically her subordinate, so promoting him wouldn't do her any harm; on the contrary, it would showcase her ability to judge people and manage affairs.

As for if he really passed the imperial examination and was favored by the ancestors and allowed to marry, as for the choice of partner... she suddenly thought of Yingchun, who was meek and obedient like a wooden doll.

Wang Xifeng sneered inwardly: It's bound to be that blockhead from the first wife's side, and her own sister-in-law.

She is timid and has no one to back her up. If she can be used to keep Jia Yun, who may rise to prominence in the future, it would be a good move to make the best use of her.

Of course, all of this depends on whether he actually passes the imperial examination and becomes a scholar! For now...

After thinking it over, Wang Xifeng immediately put on a bright and cheerful smile, stepped forward and said, "Oh my, if you ask me, Grandmother's idea is absolutely brilliant! Our girls are all so intelligent and clever. If they could find a proper scholar to guide their studies, their progress would be incredibly fast! Lin Daiyu, Second Sister, Third Sister, Fourth Sister, and even Baochai often say they want to practice calligraphy, but no one has given them a systematic lesson."

"Since Yun-ge'er has won the favor of Chief Scholar Li, his learning must be excellent. Besides, isn't being taught by family members ten times better than hiring some unknown female tutor from outside? It's both intimate and reassuring! I agree!"

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia looked at Wang Xifeng with understanding and approval in her eyes.

She immediately nodded and said, "Feng'er is indeed sensible and insightful. Since that's the case, let's settle it like this. Feng'er, go and make the arrangements, and we'll start tomorrow. Tell Yun'er to teach diligently, and the girls must also learn seriously."

"Yes, Ancestor, you can rest assured, I've got it covered!"

Wang Xifeng readily agreed, already plotting in her mind how to handle this task perfectly.

Lady Wang saw that Grandmother Jia had made up her mind, and even the usually shrewd Wang Xifeng expressed her support.

Although she still harbored resentment towards Jia Yun's background and the potential impact of his actions, she could not refute him further and could only turn the prayer beads in her hand a little faster.

What seemed like a trivial matter concerning "teaching calligraphy" was decided under the absolute authority of Grandmother Jia.

At that moment, Jia Yingchun inexplicably sneezed.

It was afternoon, but the room where Jia Yingchun lived was chilly.

The room was simply furnished. On the large kang bed by the window was a scarlet foreign-style quilt, with a large red coin-embroidered pillow in front of it. The light brown coin-embroidered quilt was luxurious, but lacked a bit of liveliness.

Yingchun sat alone at the kang table, wearing a light purple silk jacket that was neither new nor old, a blue satin vest with quilted laces, and a white silk pleated skirt tied below. Apart from a plain silver hairpin in her hair, she wore no other ornaments.

Yingchun was born with slightly plump skin and a well-proportioned figure. Her cheeks were like fresh lychees, and her nose was like goose fat; she was indeed a beautiful girl with a charming appearance. However, there was always a lingering timidity and aloofness between her brows.

A few young girls were chatting and stringing jasmine flowers, their laughter echoing through the air, but none of them went up to Yingchun to join in the fun.

Yingchun ignored him, staring blankly at a clump of bamboo outside the window, unconsciously fiddling with the corner of a book in her hand.

Siqi brought in a plate of novel snacks and placed it heavily on the kang table with a dull thud.

She was a tall, robust girl with a straightforward and outspoken personality. At this moment, her eyebrows were raised in anger as she looked at her young mistress's indifferent and unambitious demeanor.

"Miss!" Siqi's voice was tinged with anger. "You're just sitting here all alone? The Third Miss, the Fourth Miss, even Qingwen and Mushe from Master Bao's room are all chatting and playing together, having a great time. And you, you're hiding in this room chanting 'Amitabha'!"

"Taoists don't chant 'Amitabha'." Yingchun was startled by her. She raised her eyes and glanced timidly at Siqi, then lowered her head again, her voice barely audible: "Let them play. I... I went, but I didn't have much to say. I just spoiled their fun."

"My dear girl!" Siqi stamped her foot anxiously. "What are you saying? We're all family, brothers and sisters. Regular contact is essential for a close relationship. If you're always so quiet, who will even remember you? In the future… in the future, if you leave this family and go to a patriarchal household, what will you do if you suffer mistreatment and have no siblings to stand up for you?"

As she spoke, her voice choked with emotion, genuinely worried about her master's future. Her words also pinpointed Tan Chun's fate—she was indeed beaten to death by the treacherous Zhongshan wolf.

The problem is that Yingchun clearly told her family about the first instance of domestic violence she suffered! With no one from her family standing up for her, the scoundrel became even more brazen!

Seeing her like this, Yingchun was also touched, knowing that Siqi was doing it for her own good, so she put down the book in her hand—the cover of which had the five characters "Taishang Ganying Pian" written on it.

She explained softly, "Good sister, I know what you mean. It's just that I'm naturally tongue-tied and not good at joking. Besides, I'm born out of wedlock, not as clever and endearing as my third sister. If I go, I'll just sit there doing nothing and be disliked for no reason. Why bother? It's better to read a book; that would be much more peaceful."

"Born out of wedlock? So what if she's born out of wedlock?" Siqi was even more furious upon hearing this. "Isn't the Third Miss of the East Mansion born out of wedlock? Look at her, her words, her heart, her actions—the Old Madam, the Madam, Baoyu, who doesn't think highly of her? Even Second Madam Lian gives her some leeway! But you, you always use the words 'born out of wedlock' as a shield, making yourself look inferior from the start! In my opinion, your personality is even more stubborn than that Miss Lin! Although Miss Lin is sensitive, at least she has some edge and knows how to fight back. But you, you're just a clay puppet, letting people mold you!"

Yingchun lowered her head after being told that. She remained silent for a moment without refuting it, but quietly picked up the book "Taishang Ganying Pian" again and gently opened it.

"The retribution for good and evil follows like a shadow. The cause and effect of three lifetimes cycle without fail... What's the point of fighting, or not fighting? Everything is preordained, and cannot be forced."

Seeing her like this, Siqi felt like she was going to vomit blood.

She pointed at the book and angrily scolded, "These are the books! Reading these all day long has confused you, young lady! What karma and retribution, what tranquility and inaction—that's what nuns in temples chant! We live in this world, in this noble family, we have to fight, we have to grab! If you don't fight, all the good things will go to others! Look at this room, the tea rations are the worst, the fabric of the clothes sent is always a grade inferior, even the maids dare to gossip behind our backs, don't you really notice anything?"

Yingchun's gaze remained fixed on the pages of the book, as if the words there could offer her endless comfort.

Her voice grew softer, carrying a weary resignation: "So be it... I'm useless anyway. Let them do what they want. Reading this book has actually calmed me down. Don't worry about me anymore, go and rest."

Seeing that her daughter was unyielding, Siqi knew that further words were useless, so she angrily turned and walked out to the outer room.

She snapped at the laughing young girls, "Laugh! Laugh! All you do is laugh! Have you finished your work? Watch your skin!"

Seeing that she was truly angry, the girls scattered in fear.

Inside the room, Yingchun remained motionless, still engrossed in her book. However, the pages remained untouched for a long time.

The swaying bamboo shadows outside the window reflected on her quiet, slightly pale face, adding to her loneliness.