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

It was the 24th of September, and the chill of autumn was penetrating to the bone. Jia Cong's birthday banquet was held in Qiufang Garden, west of Rongqing Hall. The garden was filled with yellow and white chrysanthemums covered in cold dew, and the fragrant breeze mingled with the sandalwood incense from the brazier under the corridor, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.

There were about twenty tables set up in the garden, each covered with blue cloth. Each table had a copper hot pot on it, with mutton stewing and bubbling. Most of the dishes were warm and comforting.

Grandmother Jia's seat of honor was set under the porch, with maids such as Yuanyang behind her carrying hand warmers, and candied fruit dishes on a small table to the side.

Jia Cong changed into a newly tailored pomegranate red brocade arrow-sleeved shirt with a silver fox fur trim around the collar, a pine-flower apricot-yellow handkerchief tied around his waist, and a small green jade pendant hanging from it.

The color of his outfit made his complexion look rosy, and his originally slightly thin figure appeared even more upright.

He straightened his clothes, stepped forward, and respectfully kowtowed three times to Grandmother Jia, saying loudly, "Grandson greets Grandmother and thanks her for gracing us with her presence at the banquet."

Grandmother Jia smiled broadly and quickly had Amber help him up. "What a handsome young man! You're getting more and more energetic. Today is your birthday, so just relax and don't be so formal."

As she spoke, she took off a red gold bracelet inlaid with agate and tied it on his wrist, wishing him peace and safety year after year.

Jia Cong hurriedly bowed to express his gratitude, then turned to pay his respects to the elders, including Madam Xing and Madam Wang. Even Jia She had a smile on his face.

Ultimately, Jia Cong is his son. Now that he has learned martial arts and has an income from the perfume workshop, the grand banquet he is holding today is all to save face for his father.

Most of the gifts that the elders gave to Jia Cong were gold longevity symbols and antiques, but Jia Zheng alone gave him a set of the Four Treasures of the Study, which were of high quality. The Duan inkstone was warm and smooth like jade, the Huzhou brush had a full and sharp tip, the Huizhou ink had a faint pine soot fragrance, and even the Xuan paper was made of pure bark of tribute grade. It was packaged in a sandalwood box, which looked simple and elegant, but was more solemn than those gold items.

Jia Zheng stroked his beard and said, "Now that Cong-ge'er is practicing martial arts, he should not neglect his studies. A military general also needs literary skills to achieve great things. In his spare time, he should practice calligraphy and read some military books and strategies. He should not only focus on his fists and feet."

Jia Cong hurriedly accepted the box with both hands, bowed, and replied, "I will remember your teachings, Uncle, and strive to excel in both literary and martial arts."

As for Baoyu and his peers, the gifts they received were usually not too expensive, so as not to overshadow their elders.

Baoyu was the first to squeeze forward, holding a scroll of plain silk painting in his hand, his eyes smiling: "Good brother, look at this." The painting depicted a horse riding through an autumn forest, with a touch of unrestrained freedom in the brushstrokes.

"I stayed up half the night last night, thinking that if we talk about money, food, and clothing, they are not really mine. Only when I write a word or draw a picture can they be mine. I only hope that my brother will be able to gallop freely and live up to the spirit of youth."

Jia Cong accepted the gift with a smile and expressed his gratitude, but inwardly he thought it would have been better to give him something more valuable.

Baochai then stepped forward and had Ying'er bring over a small sandalwood box containing a piece of mutton-fat white jade paperweight. The jade was warm and translucent, with a clump of vigorous bamboo lightly carved on the side. The character "节" (jie, meaning joint) was engraved next to the bamboo branches. Beside it were a pair of cloisonné enamel rulers with blue-green glaze and lotus scroll patterns, which looked quite valuable.

She smiled and said, "Brother Cong is skilled in both literature and martial arts. This paperweight is perfect for holding down military books and calligraphy copybooks. It can be used when you practice calligraphy and read in your spare time. It is a small token of my appreciation."

It is said that Xue Baochai has a "cool fragrance" on her body, and it is true. However, when he got a little closer, Jia Cong smelled a very faint fragrance, which was neither like orchid nor like musk.

Daiyu simply stood under the eaves, and only after everyone had given their gifts did she hand over a bamboo-ribbed folding fan.

The fan is decorated with ink bamboo painted by her own hand, sparse and upright, with only the words "integrity" written in the corner.

Her voice was light and her tone was detached, lacking any warmth: "Late autumn is dry, and it's easy to feel hot after practicing martial arts. You can take this fan and use it to cool yourself." After speaking, she stepped aside, lowered her eyes, looked at the autumn chrysanthemums below the steps, and said no more.

Jia Cong was not annoyed by Lin Daiyu's aloofness. He accepted the gift with a smile and thanked her again.

The most dull-witted one was Yingchun. She was pulled from behind by Madam Xing and slowly moved two steps. In her hand, she held a small sachet made of plain, fine cloth. Although the stitches were still neat, the closure was not well concealed, with a white thread sticking out. It looked as if it had been haphazardly sewn with scraps of ready-made material.

She stared at the tips of her shoes with her eyes lowered, and after a long while, she managed to squeeze out a dry sentence: "For...for you."

After saying that, she didn't know whether to hand over the sachet or take it back, so she just froze in mid-air.

She seemed not to hear a word of the laughter and cheers that filled the courtyard. She neither uttered a single auspicious birthday greeting nor knew to step aside. She simply stood there, her face blank and expressionless.

Madam Xing frowned and sighed, then reached out and pulled her behind her. She then stuffed the sachet into Jia Cong's hand, and Jia Cong stood there with her head down and hands hanging down, as if she had been granted a pardon, without even lifting her eyelids again.

Jia Cong could only chuckle awkwardly and thank him. This cheap second sister was really too inconspicuous, nicknamed "Second Wooden Head," the kind of person who "wouldn't even utter a sound if you poked her with a needle."

However, her final fate was truly tragic. She was abused to death by Sun Shaozu after marriage. "A beautiful young woman, she died within a year." Although they rarely interacted, he still had a fairly good impression of this older sister.

Tonight, a grand banquet was being held, and Jia Rong from the Ning Mansion naturally brought Qin Keqing along. Qin Keqing wore a plain silk dress, with only a silver hairpin in her hair, which accentuated her graceful figure. However, she kept her head down and followed Jia Rong to greet the elders, including Grandmother Jia and Madam Xing, speaking gently and behaving with proper decorum.

Jia Rong was a master of flattery. He immediately became warm and friendly with Jia Cong, calling him "Third Uncle" repeatedly. He praised Jia Cong for organizing a dignified banquet and for his increasingly heroic spirit as he practiced martial arts. He talked non-stop, spittle flying everywhere.

Jia Cong smiled and made a few polite remarks, but his eyes had already fallen on Qin Keqing, who was standing with her hands at her sides.

She kept her head down the whole time, her long eyelashes covering the expression in her eyes. Only her small chin was slightly tucked in, and even her breathing seemed to be light, as if she was afraid of disturbing the lively atmosphere around her.

Just then, Grandmother Jia smiled and beckoned, "My child, come quickly and sit down in front of me."

Qin Keqing hurriedly bowed and stepped forward. When she reached Grandmother Jia's side, she seemed to casually raise her head, and her gaze met Jia Cong's.

In the blink of an eye, she seemed to be burned, quickly lowering her eyelashes. A thin blush spread across her fair cheeks, even her earlobes were tinged with a light pink. She then silently sat down next to Grandmother Jia, still gently twisting her handkerchief, no longer daring to look in her direction.

After receiving gifts and greeting guests, the noisy crowd of over a hundred people finally took their seats. Jia Cong, being the birthday boy, was arranged to sit next to Grandmother Jia.