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

Jia Cong sat in the chair, picked up the tea that the maid had just brewed, took a sip, and a barely perceptible sneer flashed in his eyes.

But Wang Xifeng was incredibly composed. After Jia Rong left, she sat down as well, putting on a smiling face.

"Brother Cong, you've come at the right time. These days, the perfume workshop's harvest is even better than we expected. The portion that the old ancestor instructed us to leave for you was carefully calculated by Ping'er this morning, and there wasn't a single mistake."

As she spoke, she raised her hand and called out, "Someone come here," then added, "Bring that envelope of silver quickly."

The maidservant responded, turned around, fetched a gilded lacquer box, and handed it to Wang Xifeng.

Wang Xifeng lifted the lid of the box, inside which were several silver ingots neatly stacked, gleaming with a bright white light.

"Brother, take a look. This is your share, exactly one hundred taels." She pushed the lacquer box over, her tone crisp and clear. "The jasmine incense and osmanthus dew from the workshop have been very popular among the ladies and young women in the capital lately. The profits will only increase in the future, and you will definitely get a share of the profits."

Seeing this, Jia Cong quickly put down his teacup, stood up, bowed, and put on a fake smile:

"Thank you so much for your trouble, sister-in-law! It is because you think highly of me that you are willing to share this profit with me. I dare not ask for more."

Wang Xifeng waved her hand and said reproachfully, "Why are you being so polite with me? Rules are rules. Since you've put in the effort, you're entitled to your due reward. Hurry up and accept it, or the people below will laugh at us for not being fair in our dealings."

Jia Cong no longer refused. After thanking her, he put the silver away and casually mentioned a few trivial matters about looking after the workshop. Seeing that Wang Xifeng's expression was normal, he knew that she did not want to mention Jia Rong's matter again, so he wisely took his leave.

Seeing him leave, Wang Xifeng finally breathed a sigh of relief, gently rubbing her chest. The composure she had been forcing herself to maintain instantly crumbled. The blush on her ears hadn't faded, and her fingertips traced the creases of her clothes, still feeling lingering fear.

She spat lightly at the empty room, but a hint of lingering panic remained in her eyes. "I almost tripped up."

Jia Cong, clutching the heavy 100 taels of silver, had almost forgotten the muscle soreness he had suffered from practicing martial arts for the past few days.

That's a full one hundred taels, equivalent to four years of his monthly allowance!

Moreover, this is just the beginning. Although there will soon be counterfeit products on the market, we will have some income every month and will no longer be penniless!

Upon returning to his small courtyard, Jia Cong hurriedly summoned Chu Lan.

"Go and fetch the steelyard and clippers!"

Chu Lan hurriedly fetched a steelyard and scissors, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Third Master, where...where did this come from?"

Jia Cong was in a great mood at the moment, so he said a few more words.

"It's just a share of the profits from the perfume workshop. And that's not all; there will be more in the future."

As he spoke, he first weighed the silver ingots to confirm they were correct before using pliers to cut them open and handing them to Chu Lan, who was standing nearby.

"Here you go, you and Li Rong have worked hard, this is a reward for you!"

Wang Xifeng prepared for him ten taels of silver per package, and half a tael of silver was a full five taels, which was equivalent to several months' worth of Chu Lan's monthly allowance.

The maidservant, delighted, repeatedly curtsied.

"Thank you for the reward, Third Master! Thank you for the reward, Third Master!"

Jia Cong secretly admired Wang Xifeng's shrewdness. He was given a bonus of one hundred taels of silver, but who knew how much she earned from it? Not to mention the cost of labor, machinery, and raw materials, a portion of it was taken from public expenses alone.

People easily become arrogant when they suddenly become rich. Jia Cong immediately summoned Li Rong again, rewarded him with half a tael of silver, and then waved his hand dismissively, seemingly unsatisfied.

"Go tell the kitchen to add a few more dishes tonight. The three of us, master and servant, will have a good drink!"

Previously, it was said that the dishes in the Rong Mansion were fixed. Even after Jia Cong learned martial arts, he would only have one or two more meat dishes every day. Li Rong and Chu Lan could only watch them with envy.

If a family that is not favored wants to add dishes, they have to pay extra money. Even Yingchun and Xichun are not immune to restrictions everywhere.

Things are different now, and Li Rong also bowed repeatedly.

"Alright, Third Master, I'll take care of it right away." With that, he rummaged through the public account and pulled out a string of coins, humming a little tune as he went off.

Before Li Rong could return, they heard the servant's voice coming from outside the courtyard.

"Is Third Master here? My master is looking for you..."

It turns out to be Jia Rong. This guy already gave a report to Grandmother Jia, and then came here again.

With some suspicion, Jia Cong invited Jia Rong in and then instructed Chu Lan to make tea.

"Rong-ge'er, you flatter me. My tea is not as good as the fine tea that the masters and mistresses drink. Please sit down and let's talk."

Jia Rong smiled insincerely, then casually sat down with a flick of his brocade robe.

"What kind of talk is that, Uncle? Just now, Aunt was saying that Uncle is a role model for all the young men in the family..."

Seeing Jia Rong pick up the tea offered by Chu Lan, he stroked the rim of the teacup as he did so. The awkwardness he had shown in Wang Xifeng's courtyard earlier had long since dissipated, replaced by his usual liveliness.

Jia Cong thought to himself that this guy was shameless, and simply smiled as he offered him some ordinary fruit.

"I wonder what brings Rong-ge'er to see me?"

"I just went to pay my respects to the Ancestor and was thinking that I should bring Keqing back, but the Ancestor refused to let her go and insisted on keeping her for another day. I thought it would be perfect since we are having a banquet tomorrow, so I came to invite Third Uncle."

The other party had mentioned this a few days ago, and he had agreed. It wouldn't be good to not go, so Jia Cong had no choice but to agree.

"Then I'll accept Rong-ge'er's kindness. I'll personally escort my niece-in-law back to her residence tomorrow and visit her on the way."

Seeing that he had agreed, Jia Rong didn't say anything more, just rambled on for a few minutes before getting up to take his leave.

Jia Cong feigned hospitality by inviting him to stay for a meal, but Jia Rong said he needed to go back and report to Jia Zhen before lifting the curtain and leaving.

When they were young, Li Rong excitedly presented several bowls of large dishes to Jia Cong.

"Third Master, look, today's dishes are quite special."

He leaned closer to take a look and saw steamed ham hock, shrimp ball and chicken skin soup, and a dish of goose breast in rouge sauce, all served in delicate white porcelain bowls, with a rich and fragrant aroma wafting through the rising steam.

The ham hock was stewed until tender and the skin was a glossy, dark red color. It trembled slightly when you lifted it. The shrimp ball and chicken skin soup was clear and refreshing. The shrimp balls were round and bouncy, and the chicken skin was cooked until translucent. It looked refreshing and delicious, with bright green scallions on top.

As for the Rouge Goose Breast, it is a cold dish, which is fragrant, smooth and tender. Even Baoyu often asks for it.

Jia Cong was in high spirits, and his stomach rumbled at just the right moment, so he simply ordered the courtyard gate to be closed.

"Go, bring some wine, let's have a couple of drinks together!"

Li Rong and Chu Lan were both overjoyed. Although the Rong family had strict rules, Bao Yu often ate with Qing Wen, Xi Ren, and others, so it wasn't a big deal.

Besides, his household is small and humble; he invites a few servants and maids to drink with him. It's better to share the joy than to enjoy it alone.

However, Jia Cong's courtyard didn't have any good wine; they drank ordinary yellow wine, which was still quite mellow and sweet.

The three sat around a small table under the eaves. Large slices of braised pork knuckle and half a plate of goose breast were laid out. The soup was still warm on the stove, the steam mingling with the aroma of wine, creating a sense of ease and comfort in the city.

That night, Jia Cong drank a bit too much. Sun Tai had originally told him to drink less alcohol before he mastered martial arts, but he was in a good mood and drank a few more cups. The young man couldn't hold his liquor, and he passed out before it got dark.