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

Jia Cong casually put down his wine cup, raised his hand and ordered the maid to present the congratulatory letter and gifts to him. He saw that the congratulatory letter was a piece of plain white paper with very elegant handwriting.

Upon unfolding it, one finds a few words, the ink clear and lustrous: "Respectfully wishing Third Master a happy birthday, a cake of tea to express my heartfelt wishes, Miaoyu, an outsider, bows respectfully."

Beside it was another small cloth bag wrapped in plain silk. When it was untied, a wisp of pure tea fragrance wafted out. It was a cake of Biluochun tea produced in Jiangnan before the rain.

The tea leaves are curled like snails, with a bright green color and tender, uniform texture. They look like a very precious and high-quality new tea that was just roasted this year, and are by no means an ordinary product.

Baoyu, who had witnessed everything clearly, first sighed to himself, then stepped forward, his eyes filled with admiration and regret.

"It's truly rare to see Master Miaoyu so magnanimous. Third Brother was too hasty last time. She is a nun by nature, aloof and reclusive in the Longcui Nunnery, detached from worldly affairs. Why did you have to humiliate her in public?"

Having said that, he gently stroked the plain paper again, sighing repeatedly.

"She has always valued her reputation. This time, she disregarded past grievances and sent such precious Biluochun tea, which shows that her heart is truly pure and sincere. She is by no means a hypocrite or pretentious person. Third Brother should restrain his temper in the future and not treat her lightly again." This guy rambled on, clearly intending to defend Miaoyu.

Jia Cong found Baoyu too verbose, and merely smiled dismissively. He then pushed the congratulatory invitation and the Biluochun tea cake together to Chulan, who was standing behind him, with an undisguised hint of sarcasm.

"What magnanimity, what sincerity? This nun is quite the mood-changer. The other day, I scolded her so badly that she cried and refused to leave her room. She didn't even dare to open the door of the Longcui Nunnery. Today, seeing that I'm celebrating my birthday and all my relatives and friends are gathered here in a lively atmosphere, she eagerly sent some gifts to join in the fun."

Having said that, he didn't glance at the congratulatory letter and tea cake again, as if the things in his hands were nothing more than worthless, mundane items, and he didn't care about them at all.

Baoyu was still somewhat infatuated, but seeing Jia Cong's cold expression and resolute tone, and considering that it was also the other party's birthday, he had no choice but to swallow his words and secretly feel sorry for Miaoyu.

Baochai gently tugged at Baoyu's sleeve, signaling him not to say anything more. Daiyu glanced at the congratulatory invitation and tea cakes, a faint, cold smile playing on her lips, a hint of appreciation flashing in her eyes, but she remained silent.

Watching this scene unfold, Wang Xifeng's eyes flashed with amusement, but she simply raised her wine cup and laughed loudly.

"It's nothing, not worth spoiling the birthday celebrant's mood! Master Miaoyu's birthday wishes are a kind gesture, just accept them. Hurry up and drink your wine, the opera is about to begin, don't waste this wonderful time!"

Jia Cong was not Bao Yu, so the birthday banquet could only be held during the day. By the time dinner was approaching, everyone had dispersed. Jia Qiang led the twelve officials of Pear Fragrance Courtyard to the banquet, but Jia Rong lingered and refused to leave. He would look at the Western clock for a while, and then try to strike up a conversation with Li Rong. He looked somewhat hesitant, but he just wouldn't budge.

Jia Cong observed this without urging anyone, only stepping forward with a smile after everyone had left.

"Why hasn't Rong-ge returned home yet? Is something the matter?"

Upon being questioned, Jia Rong immediately composed himself, his face plastered with a fawning smile. He rubbed his hands together and stepped forward, appearing utterly obsequious.

"In reply to Third Uncle, I have nothing else to say, but Master Zhen in the manor has been feeling increasingly unwell lately. The doctor I consulted said it was just a case of weakness. As his son, I am very worried and am thinking of finding some precious tonics for my father to help him recover. However, the manor is currently short of funds and I am really strapped for cash. Therefore, I would like to ask Third Uncle for some money."

After saying that, he secretly glanced at Jia Cong, and seeing that the other's expression hadn't changed, he quickly added a few more words.

"Uncle, rest assured, I only ask to borrow one hundred taels of silver. Once the household can manage its finances, I will definitely repay it with both hands. It is not that I am greedy, but those top-quality ginseng and bird's nests cost tens of taels at a time. One hundred taels is only enough to make do for a while."

Upon hearing this, Jia Cong paused slightly in his teacup. He thought to himself that Jia Rong was always good at finding high-sounding excuses. In the past, he borrowed money mostly to gamble and have fun. This time, he might not really be telling the truth about buying tonics for Jia Zhen.

But then I thought, the people who deliver the food to the Ning family's kitchen are all Ni Er and others. Liu Ergou adds poisons like white arsenic to the fruits and vegetables every day. Maybe it really works after all this time.

Considering that Qin Keqing now lives in the Rong Mansion and manages his perfume workshop, this hundred taels of silver is just a way to get rid of a dog, and also to prevent Jia Rong from coming over and disturbing his rendezvous with his beloved.

Having made up his mind, Jia Cong put down his teacup and said politely, "So that's how it is. Since you have such filial piety, how can your third uncle not help? It's just a hundred taels of silver, not worth making things so difficult for you."

After saying this, he ordered Jinping to go back to the inner room to fetch one hundred taels of silver, which he wrapped in plain cloth and handed to Jia Rong.

Jia Rong accepted the silver with a beaming smile, repeatedly bowing and scraping.

"Your nephew knows that your third uncle values ​​family ties the most! Thank you in advance!"

Jia Cong looked at his greedy appearance, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes, but he remained polite on the surface.

"Since Brother Zhen is unwell, it is your duty as his son to be filial. I will definitely visit him when I have time, and bring him some good things to help him recover."

Upon hearing this, Jia Rong was overjoyed.

"Thank you for your concern, Third Uncle! I will inform Master Zhen as soon as I return."

Fearing that Jia Cong might change his mind, he clutched the silver tightly and thanked him again and again. Then he turned around in a hurry, his steps faltering. He wished he could fly to the gambling den immediately, and he no longer cared about the excuse of buying tonics for Jia Zhen.

Jia Cong stood under the corridor, watching the other party's hurried departure. A cold smile appeared on his lips. This hundred taels of silver was both to get rid of Jia Rong and to test Jia Zhen's strength. Poisoning couldn't be rushed. If someone found out, he wouldn't be able to escape the consequences.

The next day was a day off, and Jia Cong had the maids boil water early in the morning so he could take a good bath. The advantage of being at the third level of the Martial Realm is that he is more resistant to heat and cold than ordinary people. In addition, he still retains some modern habits, so he takes baths much more frequently than others.

The workshop under Wang Xifeng's management had already sent over some of the cold-processed floral soaps she had mentioned earlier. They were far better than the scented soaps on the market, so Jia Cong simply rewarded Chu Lan and Jinping with some, so that these two maids could have a more presentable appearance.

However, when Chu Lan served him during his bath, she still wiped him down gently. Although it wasn't as long as Bi Hen's two or three hours of frolicking in Bao Yu's room, Jia Cong was getting older and it was hard to guarantee that he wouldn't be able to control himself.

Jia Cong finished washing without making a sound, but he couldn't lash out. Chu Lan, that little vixen, was getting worse and worse. After being scolded by him before, she was now acting more and more secretly, making it impossible for anyone to find fault with her, yet it still aroused a surge of lust.

After finally changing into a new set of clothes, he called Li Rong over and instructed him not to worry about the price, but to buy some ginseng, deer antler, poria cocos cream, and bird's nest.