The Red Mansion in its bustling glory

Daiyu quickly laughed and said, "How could I have bullied you? You were just blinded."

Tan Chun laughed and said, "I believe Second Brother wouldn't dare to do that."

As they spoke, Jia Jue and Daiyu ushered Tan Chun inside.

When Tan Chun went inside, she saw that the table was full of brand-new writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. Tan Chun teased and said, "Second Brother is so biased. He only gives things to Sister Lin and not to us."

Upon hearing this, Daiyu blushed and was about to speak when Jia Jue interrupted her, saying, "It's not just for Lin Daiyu! I brought one for everyone. Come and see yours."

Tan Chun smiled and said, "There's no rush, let's wait a while."

Then she said, "I came here today to discuss something with you. Sister Bao has just arrived, and Brother Jue has returned from Jinling. It's autumn now, and the weather is beautiful. Why not take this opportunity to celebrate?"

The two men listened and agreed, saying, "That's a good idea, that's exactly how it should be done!"

As she spoke, Tan Chun said, "Why don't we go find Brother Bao, Second Sister, and Fourth Sister now and discuss it together?"

The two nodded and said, "Yes, that's exactly right."

With that, the three of them walked outside.

Coincidentally.

Just as the young masters and ladies of the Jia family were discussing how to have a get-together and have some fun, Grandmother Jia began to miss Shi Xiangyun.

She kept thinking about that girl, straightforward yet polite, just like she used to be.

The old lady was always willful. In any case, even in the Shi family, no one could compare to her seniority. So she immediately sent someone to the Shi family mansion to say that they missed her and wanted to invite her to stay for two days.

The young masters and ladies of the Rongguo family had already made their arrangements, so naturally they had to inform Grandmother Jia.

Firstly, since Grandmother Jia was the highest-ranking person in the Rongguo Mansion and an elder to everyone, it wouldn't be appropriate not to tell her.

Secondly, only with Grandmother Jia's consent could they legitimately withdraw money from the manor. Although they could get it from Wang Xifeng themselves, they would ultimately lack a legitimate reason to do so.

Old Madam Shi has always been fond of music.

Hearing her grandchildren bring up the matter, she was delighted and felt a surge of playfulness.

She said, "I think this is a good idea. You don't need to look for a place; I'll give you one. Xiangyun is also coming, so why don't we all come together on that day? It'll be more lively with more people!"

Everyone was delighted to hear that Shi Xiangyun was also coming, and they all laughed and said, "That's even better! Isn't that a coincidence?"

So, after waiting for two more days, the group finally got together.

The gathering took place in a small garden.

Although there is no so-called "Grand View Garden" yet, Rongguo Mansion is, after all, a Duke's mansion, and it has the garden that is expected.

Even the scenery is beautiful.

It is autumn now, with fallen leaves and withered roots of old trees, creating a unique and charming scene.

Grandmother Jia was old, and although she enjoyed herself for a while, she couldn't hold on any longer.

After a short while, she stood up and said with a smile, "I should go now. You won't have much fun with an old woman like me here. No need to see me off, you can have fun on your own."

Upon hearing this, everyone quickly stood up, watched the old lady leave, and then sat down.

With the old lady gone, the group of people all revealed their true nature.

Baoyu, in particular.

Ever since Baochai arrived that day, he had been thinking about getting to know her, but Baochai always kept her distance from him, and they didn't seem like friends anymore.

So he approached Baochai, holding a cup of tea, and asked with a smile, "Sister, are you settling in well here?"

Baochai maintained a polite smile throughout, and when she heard Baoyu ask, she naturally nodded and said, "Of course, this place is excellent."

Baoyu then asked, "Sister, you smell wonderful! What do you usually use to scent your perfume?"

Baochai felt slightly awkward, but still smiled and said, "I don't usually use perfume. Why would I need to use perfume on a perfectly good dress?"

Baoyu sniffed and said, "Sister smells wonderful. It's not a common fragrance, but a delicate and elegant one, like a quiet, secluded valley, deep and serene."

Shi Xiangyun, standing nearby, couldn't bear to watch any longer. Ever since she came to the Rongguo Mansion and met Xue Baochai, she had seen how gentle and graceful Xue Baochai was, how considerate she was, how kind and tolerant she was, and she had long held a good impression of her.

Seeing Baoyu so fixated on the "fragrance" that he kept asking questions, Baochai felt somewhat embarrassed. So she asked, "Baoyu, I heard when I came that Master is going to test your studies. How are your preparations going?"

Upon hearing this, Baoyu stopped laughing.

He looked both angry and sad.

He returned to his seat, sat down angrily, and said, "Why talk about this during such a good time? Don't spoil the fun!"

After saying that, he stood up and left his seat.

"It's alright, don't worry about him." Seeing that Baochai seemed about to say something to ease the tension, Xiangyun said directly, "That's just how he is, he'll be fine after a while."

As he spoke, he laughed and played again.

Baochai observed the others coldly, and seeing that no one was moved, she knew that Baoyu probably did these things often, so she said no more.

Back in his room, Baoyu grew increasingly angry.

He often thought that a daughter, a clean and tidy daughter, should always remain clean and tidy.

However, this is not the case now.

Countless young women have become tainted and tainted because of those "Confucius said" and "the Book of Poetry", because of fame and fortune!

This applies to Yingchun and Tanchun, and it also applies to Shi Xiangyun!

What a waste of their innocent female lives!

What a waste of their pure hearts!

He suddenly felt resentful and sad, but these feelings remained bottled up inside him, and he didn't know how to vent them.

He saw the autumn leaves falling one by one outside, and he remembered the book "Huainanzi" that he had read a few days ago.

"When the sun and moon want to shine, floating clouds cover them; when the river wants to flow clear, sand and stones pollute it..."

And then there's the line, "Time flies, and there's no time to rest..."

He has always loved reading books like this. He utterly despises the Four Books and Five Classics, but he is completely absorbed in Laozi, Zhuangzi, and Buddha.

Therefore, at this moment, he thought—people will eventually grow old, beauty fades quickly, and spilled water cannot be recovered. People will eventually die; a hundred years of life, and all that remains is a handful of dust.

Suddenly, as if struck by a sudden realization, for the first time, he wanted to become a monk.

While Baoyu was lamenting the passing of spring and the coming of autumn, Jia Jue and the others had already finished their feast.

Everyone agreed to go to Baoyu's place again.

Baoyu was filled with grief and indignation. He had already asked Qiuwen to bring him a brush and ink, and was about to write something to express his feelings.

Suddenly, a commotion arose.

It turned out that everyone had come looking for him again.

It's strange, really. Just a moment ago I was contemplating suicide, but now seeing a group of beautiful and clean girls has put me in a good mood again.