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

Jia Cong looked at the receipt and couldn't help but chuckle. Miaoyu's food, clothing and daily necessities were all quite good, but the ancestral ancestral land was not even considered fertile land. Otherwise, these sixty acres would have been worth at least four or five hundred taels.

He immediately ordered Li Rong to bring the silver and personally went to the Cuilong Nunnery to knock on the door.

When Miaoyu learned that Jia Cong had come to deliver silver, she dropped her haughty and arrogant demeanor and personally came out to greet him.

"Thank you for your trouble, Third Master. Please come in and have some tea."

Jia Cong nodded casually, but upon entering the inner room, he was surprised to find Xing Xiuyan there as well. He could only force a smile.

"I had no idea my sister was here too."

Xing Xiuyan's pretty face flushed slightly, her aloofness fading somewhat. She smiled, rose, and curtsied.

"I was catching up with Master Miaoyu when I realized that my third brother was also familiar with her."

Jia Cong vaguely remembered Xing Xiuyan's past. After Miaoyu personally brought him a teacup and he sat down, they chatted for a while before he learned that the two had known each other for ten years back in the Xuanmu Panxiang Temple.

"I lived in a rented room in the temple with my family since I was a child. It was Master Miaoyu who taught me to read and write..." Xing Xiuyan looked at Miaoyu with deep gratitude.

Miaoyu then temporarily reverted to her aloof nature.

"It was just a small favor, not worth mentioning."

While the close friends were catching up, Jia Cong, not wanting to linger, drank a couple of sips of tea before getting up to leave. As he turned, he casually chuckled and said...

"Young lady, your ancestors must have fallen on hard times. This little bit of land you own is less than what an ordinary scholar could have. I was hoping you could have four or five hundred taels..."

Unexpectedly, upon hearing these words, the usually aloof Miaoyu's eyes reddened and she almost shed tears. She quickly turned around and covered half of her face with her handkerchief.

When Jia Cong saw this, he panicked. Last time, when Baoyu was present, no matter how much he mocked others, they could only say that he was just being glib and bullying a lonely nun.

If word gets out today, people will say he took advantage of his military officer status to harass nuns, and then things will get complicated in front of Daiyu and Baochai.

Jia Cong could only smile apologetically and turn to bow.

"I apologize for my bluntness, young lady."

Xing Xiuyan also gave Miaoyu a reproachful look, then got up and quickly pulled Miaoyu aside, gently comforting her.

Jia Cong was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to stay or leave, and could only stand awkwardly to the side, touching his nose. After drinking two cups of tea, Miaoyu finally managed to stop sobbing, though she still covered her face with her handkerchief. She then turned and gave Jia Cong a curtsy.

"Please, Third Master, do not make this public."

Jia Cong chuckled twice and quickly waved his hand.

"Of course, I'm not a gossipy old woman, why would I say such things?"

Miaoyu wiped away her tears again before slowly sitting down. She picked up her green jade cup and examined it for a long time before finally managing to speak, her voice choked with sobs.

"Since Third Master knows my secular name, he will not hide it from others and laugh at me. I have been a monk since I was young. When my parents were alive, they were able to help support the temple. My master also doted on me and I have never suffered any grievances."

Miaoyu paused here, as if recalling something, then sighed softly.

"Only two or three years ago, after my parents passed away, I was deemed out of step with the times and not tolerated by those in power. I had no choice but to dismiss my servants and give away all my family's wealth so that I could bring some old belongings with me to the capital and temporarily reside at the Muni Temple outside the West Gate..."

Jia Cong had heard a little about what happened next. Miaoyu was personally invited by Lady Wang to preside over the family temple, Longcui Nunnery. Lin Zhixiao's wife recommended Miaoyu to Lady Wang, saying that she was "from Suzhou, from a family of scholars and officials, practicing Buddhism with her hair still intact, extremely knowledgeable in literature, and did not need to study the scriptures anymore. She was also very beautiful and was eighteen years old this year."

Miaoyu initially refused, saying, "Noble families and powerful households will surely use their status to oppress people." Lady Wang then ordered Shuqi to write a formal invitation, and the next day sent someone to prepare a carriage to bring her to the Grand View Garden, where she stayed at the Longcui Nunnery.

Therefore, although Miaoyu used all the utensils from the previous dynasty, she truly had no private wealth left. After moving into the Rong Mansion, all her expenses were covered by public funds. No wonder she felt ashamed and indignant when Jia Cong made sarcastic remarks.

The three hundred taels of silver that Jia Cong obtained by selling her ancestral property was the last inheritance for this girl. Moreover, if Jia Cong had not intervened, Miaoyu would never have asked anyone else for help, given her personality. In the end, these few dozen acres of barren land would have rotted in her ancestral home and been left unattended.

Jia Cong understood that what Miaoyu meant by "being out of step with the times and not tolerated by those in power" was probably that his father had offended the gentry and powerful families in Jiangnan when he was an official.

He immediately apologized and bowed.

"I had no idea of ​​your background, young lady. I apologize for my rudeness earlier."

Miaoyu had cried, her eyes were still red, but she had lost some of her usual aloofness, and sat up slightly with a composed demeanor.

"A monk does not lie, and what Third Master said is true. Now that I am living under someone else's roof, this is how it should be."

Seeing that the other party looked like a pear blossom in the rain, Jia Cong was too embarrassed to stay any longer. He could only smile a few more times before reluctantly leaving Cuilong Nunnery, leaving Xing Xiuyan to continue accompanying him.

Unexpectedly, Xing Xiuyan arrived at Qingyan Hall in the afternoon. As soon as she entered, she smiled and looked around at the scenery.

"It's actually quieter here than where my second sister is."

Jia Cong, also harboring ill intentions, took two steps forward.

"Sister, just come whenever you're free. I may not have much else to offer, but I'm sure you'll find plenty of ways to amuse and relieve your boredom."

Xing Xiuyan flicked her handkerchief, seemingly annoyed but not really.

"Third brother is getting more and more improper. The other day I heard second sister praise you for being diligent. I've come to report that Master Miaoyu has invited you to have a vegetarian meal tomorrow."

Jia Cong nodded. He was supposed to be treated to a meal after delivering the silver today.

"Alright then, will you go tomorrow, sister?"

Xing Xiuyan shook her head dejectedly.

"Master Miaoyu has an eccentric personality, and even in the past I was not allowed to eat with her."

Jia Cong was slightly taken aback, then remembered that Miaoyu hadn't eaten with him when they had vegetarian noodles at Cuilong Nunnery.

He didn't think much of it, just grinned and raised his hand.

"It's rare for my sister to come and sit here, so I've invited her to stay for dinner today. It just so happens that our ancestor has given us a few dishes, which I can't possibly finish by myself."

Xing Xiuyan already had some affection for him, and considering the snobbishness of the maids and servants in Yingchun's room, she had suffered some grievances, so she didn't refuse, only nodding slightly.

"Then I will trouble you, Third Brother."

She was not born into a wealthy family, and unlike Daiyu and Baochai, she did not drink alcohol. She only ate a few bites of food with Jia Cong before claiming that she was full and dared not eat any more.

Jia Cong, meanwhile, deliberately used his ebony-inlaid silver chopsticks to pick up some more exquisite food for the other person and put it in their bowl, gently enticing them to eat.

"Sister, are you perhaps dissatisfied with the food here? If so, have someone redo it immediately!"

Xing Xiuyan quickly waved her hands, lowered her head timidly, and softened her voice.

"Third brother, you're overthinking it. How could such delicacies be bad? I just dare not be greedy."

Xing Xiuyan was afraid of spoiling her taste, as her monthly allowance couldn't afford any snacks or treats, let alone instruct the kitchen to add more dishes.

Jia Cong raised an eyebrow. What a wonderful Cinderella! According to the principles of picking up girls in later generations, a poor girl like Xing Xiuyan should be taken to see the world's splendor.

Daiyu and Baochai, on the other hand, value spiritual communication more, so they should be accompanied on a carousel!