Dream of the Red Chamber: A Refined and Elegant Young Man in a Turbid World

Jia Cong didn't care about any of that. How much was Baoyu's painting worth? This self-ringing clock was a rare item. Having this thing meant that Qingyan Hall's concept of time had also entered modern society.

Baochai arrived early and handed over a box with tender affection. Inside was a fan pouch she had embroidered herself. The stitches were meticulous, the body of the pouch was embroidered with a cong-shaped pattern, and the edges were outlined with silver thread in a meander pattern. It was not made of gold or jade, but it was a close-fitting gift that concealed affection. Every stitch was full of deep meaning.

Jia Cong knew exactly what was going on. As he took the item, he deliberately ran his little finger across the other person's palm, a sly smile playing on his lips.

"Sister Bao, you've gone to great lengths; this is the perfect item for me."

Baochai trembled slightly at his touch, gave him a flirtatious wink, and then flicked her handkerchief away.

"It's just a small needlework piece I made in my spare time to express my feelings. I hope you won't find it too crude, Brother Cong." After saying that, he gracefully entered the house with Ying'er's help.

A short while later, Daiyu arrived, slightly later than the others. She wore a sky-blue soft gauze dress and an autumn-colored cloak. A jade hairpin adorned her temples, and her eyes were as calm as autumn water. However, because Baoyu was by her side, she had to suppress her feelings and pretend to be indifferent.

Zijuan followed behind, carrying a small bamboo box. Daiyu stepped forward indifferently, saying, "On Third Brother's birthday, I've prepared a humble inkstone as a token of my appreciation."

Jia Cong took it and examined it. It was a small Duan inkstone, its texture fine and smooth. Two lines of delicate characters were engraved on the side of the inkstone, the strokes elegant and refined, clearly written by Daiyu herself.

"May the courtyard be peaceful and serene, and may the jade pendant be tranquil and serene."

Seeing him intently studying the words on the inkstone, Daiyu had already turned her gaze away. Her pretty face, wrapped in a cloak, flushed slightly as she tried to remain calm, refusing to reveal any of her romantic feelings in front of Baoyu.

Baoyu, his eyes wide, saw everything clearly, but he only felt that Baochai's manners were thoughtful and Daiyu's demeanor was aloof. He was completely unaware of the undercurrent of emotions at the banquet. Only then did he feel relieved, put his arm around Jia Cong's shoulder, and smiled.

"Brother, it's your birthday today, you should have a few more drinks."

Since it was both a birthday celebration and an invitation to guests, Jia Cong went so far as to invite Jia Rong, Jia Qiang, and others to meet Qin Keqing, so that she could arrange for the twelve young actresses from the Pear Fragrance Courtyard to come.

Before he finished speaking, a commotion broke out outside the courtyard. Jia Rong, along with Qin Keqing, Jia Qiang, and others, had already arrived for the banquet.

As soon as Jia Rong entered, his face lit up with joy, and he rushed forward to greet Jia Cong.

"It is my nephew's birthday and I am late. Please forgive me."

Qin Keqing, standing behind him, was dressed in a light green silk skirt with a moon-white gauze overlay. Her hair was adorned with a red-gold and kingfisher-feather hairpin, which made her appear even more graceful and charming, truly like a fairy princess.

She lowered her eyes shyly, only stealing a glance at Jia Cong before hurriedly lowering her head, afraid that someone would see through her thoughts. In her heart, she had already called out "husband" a thousand times, but since everyone present was her close relative, she dared not be presumptuous in the slightest.

Jia Rong was completely unaware of the secret affair between his wife and his third uncle, who never pressed for debts. He simply assumed that Jia Cong's invitation to the banquet showed him respect, and he was overjoyed and flustered. He hurriedly turned to Jia Qiang and instructed him...

"Quickly bring up those twelve girls from Pear Fragrance Courtyard, and have them perform a few good plays to celebrate Uncle's birthday."

Before long, Li Wan, Wang Xifeng, Yingchun, Tanchun, Xichun, Jia Huan and others arrived one after another, and the Qingyan Hall was filled with laughter and noise, and was very lively.

Wang Xifeng, dressed in a bright red crepe de chine skirt adorned with silver fur and sparkling with jewels, entered the room with a loud laugh.

"Brother Cong, today is your birthday! We've finally all gathered together. Let's hurry up and set off the feast and the show, lest the birthday boy keep us waiting!"

Li Wan sat upright to the side, gentle and dignified, only smiling as she watched everyone. Yingchun was timid and sat quietly with her head down, not saying a word. Tanchun had a bright and cheerful look and whispered some opera lyrics with Daiyu and Baochai. Xichun was young and aloof, only fiddling with the handkerchief in her sleeve. Only Jia Huan sat far to the side, looking unhappy but not daring to say much. Although he and Jia Cong were good friends, the injury on his buttocks had just healed and he still held a grudge against Baoyu.

Soon, cups and plates were laid out, and delicacies were displayed. The twelve officials of Pear Fragrance Courtyard were also dressed up and filed in.

The civil officials, the fragrant officials, the lotus official, the pistil official, the young official, and the graceful official were all dressed neatly and beautifully. Although they were all young, each of them had their own unique charm.

Jia Cong's gaze swept across the room and immediately spotted Fangguan, who was only twelve or thirteen years old. She had delicate features, fair skin, and stood out from the other girls. She was charming, lively, and lovable.

Compared to Lingguan, who had secretly pledged her life to Jia Qiang, Fangguan was more to his liking.

However, since Baoyu, Baochai, and others were all present, he couldn't pay too much attention to them, but he secretly noted down his thoughts.

The opera began with a performance of "The Palace of Eternal Life" to celebrate a birthday, followed by several sweet and gentle excerpts. The melodious strings and the melodious singing captivated the audience.

Wang Xifeng clapped her hands and cheered, Tan Chun commented on the merits and demerits of the play, Li Wan nodded slightly, and even the usually aloof Daiyu raised her eyes to look at it a few times.

Fangguan sang the role of the young lady, her voice clear and melodious, her figure graceful and delicate. After she finished singing, the whole audience cheered.

Jia Cong then ordered Li Rong to bring silver, and according to the rules of the mansion, to reward each of the twelve officials with two taels of silver.

When it came time to reward Fangguan, Jia Cong ordered someone to bring out an extra ten taels of silver and hand it over.

"You sang exceptionally well today; this is an extra reward for you."

Fangguan was an innocent and carefree child, and seeing Jia Cong's dashing and handsome appearance, and his generous reward to her, she was immediately overjoyed, her eyes crinkling with delight. She curtsied and said in a clear voice, "Thank you for the reward, Third Master!"

That innocent and naive demeanor made him even more adorable. Baoyu simply assumed that his third brother was used to being generous. Baochai and Daiyu, however, had their own thoughts and didn't say anything.

At the banquet, Qin Keqing stole a glance at Jia Cong and saw his gaze linger on Fangguan for a moment. A slight ripple stirred in her heart, but it was only fleeting.

She remained seated with her head bowed, only occasionally glancing at Jia Cong out of the corner of her eye; all her tenderness was hidden in this silent gaze.

Jia Rong was busy urging Jia Cong to drink, patting his chest and laughing, "It's rare that Third Uncle also likes to listen to opera. I'll have Qiang-ge send these girls over every day to keep Third Uncle entertained."

Jia Cong took a sip of his drink and exchanged a few pleasantries with the other party, but his gaze inadvertently met Qin Keqing's. He was immediately so embarrassed that she blushed and hurriedly lowered her eyes.

Qin Keqing kept her husband in public, but her heart was with the birthday god in the hall. She called him "husband" repeatedly, but only secretly called him in her heart.

Surrounded by the beauty of spring, with the charming Fangguan, the shy Keqing, the gentle Baochai, and the graceful Daiyu before him, Jia Cong felt a surge of joy and drank a few more cups than usual.

In the midst of their revelry, a young maidservant was suddenly heard lightly approaching from the corridor and standing at her feet on the steps.

"Third Master, the abbess of Longcui Nunnery sent a congratulatory invitation and birthday gifts to wish you a happy birthday."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room was taken aback. Everyone present knew that Jia Cong had previously exposed Miaoyu's false aloofness as an "outsider" at the Longcui Nunnery, denouncing her as pretentious and hypocritical. He had even scolded the girl until she wept uncontrollably and refused to leave her room, and there had been no news of her for many days.

It's quite a strange thing that she took the initiative to send a birthday gift today, as it's Jia Cong's birthday.