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

As the young master of the Rong family, he naturally had a more discerning eye than ordinary people. Seeing that the boss had not passed off inferior goods as superior ones, he was happy to relax. After giving instructions, he took Li Rong out of the shop and decided to play for half a day.

The capital city of Yuan was centered around the imperial palace. To the east were mostly the residences of officials and nobles, such as the Rong and Ning mansions, while to the west were markets and commoners' homes.

As for the south, it was a place where canal wharves, granaries and warehouses were clustered together. It lacked the orderly grandeur of the official residences in the east and the hustle and bustle of the market in the west, but it had its own kind of busy scene with smoke and dust.

The moat of the capital city runs through the south and connects to the Grand Canal. The docks are filled with cargo ships coming and going all day long, unloading rice, silk and tea from the south and loading furs and coal from the north.

Along the riverbank, warehouses and granaries lined the banks, their names densely packed together. Managers shouted as they checked accounts, while porters, shirtless, carried sacks. The scene was bustling with activity, dust flying everywhere.

Further south lies a desolate area outside the city, with a few small temples with sparse incense offerings, inns that store goods, and scattered vegetable farms.

The Jia family also had several estates in the southern suburbs of the city, and the fresh vegetables and fruits delivered every year were loaded onto carts from these estates and brought into the mansion.

Occasionally, there are also villas of officials and nobles hidden in the woods south of the city. Most of them are people who find the city too noisy and want to find a quiet place to escape the summer heat. However, they cannot compare with the mansions on Ningrong Street in the east.

Jia Cong rarely went out to town, so everything was new and exciting to him. Unlike Bao Yu and Xue Pan, he didn't have money earlier and wouldn't have been willing to wander around here.

West Street was bustling with activity, with shops lining the streets one after another, and several alleys dedicated to seeking pleasure. At this moment, the air was thick with the scent of perfume and alcohol, and the shops were open for business.

Jia Cong bought some pastries, and then simply asked Li Rong to queue up and buy two braised chickens from Dongxinglou, planning to enjoy them tonight.

Before he could even get on the donkey cart, he heard the sounds of fighting coming from the alley next door, which immediately piqued his interest.

"Third Master, you must be careful when you're out and about. This place is very chaotic, full of taverns and gambling dens. There are probably some local thugs causing trouble. Let's go back to the manor as soon as possible." Li Rong, carrying the roasted chicken he had just bought, quickly approached Jia Cong and advised him in a low voice.

After his previous encounter with Xue Pan, Jia Cong had gained some confidence. The difference in skill levels among martial artists was vast. He admitted that he might not be a match for Feng Ziying, but he could no longer harm ordinary ruffians.

"No problem, let's go and see what's going on." With that, he strolled leisurely toward the alley.

As soon as you turn into the alley, you see dust flying everywhere, and four or five men are wrestling together. One of them has his shirt open, his face is flushed, and you can smell the alcohol from dozens of steps away. It is none other than the drunken Vajra Ni Er.

He grabbed a skinny gambler with one hand, and clenched his fist with the other, cursing, "You son of a bitch! You borrowed two coins from me and now you're going to renege on the debt? I'll break your legs today, or I'm not a Ni!"

The gambler was terrified, his face drained of color. He repeatedly kowtowed and begged for mercy: "Second Master, spare my life! I'm truly desperate. My wife and children at home are waiting to cook. Please grant me a few more days, and I will definitely repay you with interest!"

Jia Cong understood clearly that this man was none other than Ni Er, the Drunken Vajra, a rogue who lent money at exorbitant interest rates in gambling dens, but who was righteous and generous, and could be considered a real man.

He immediately had an idea: if he could recruit such a straightforward person, a rarity in the Dream of the Red Chamber, he might be able to use him someday.

Seeing that Ni Er was about to continue his attack, Jia Cong stepped forward and grabbed the man's wrist, a smile on his face.

"Brother, let's talk this out. Why make things difficult for these down-on-their-luck folks?"

Ni Er felt a sudden weight on his wrist, the force seemingly vanishing into thin air. Unable to regain his footing, he nearly fell. He glared back and saw a well-dressed young man. He immediately cursed...

"Where did this brat come from, daring to meddle in my business? He's got a death wish!"

Before the cursing had even finished, Ni Er forcefully pulled his arm out and punched Jia Cong squarely in the face.

Jia Cong was prepared. As he dodged to the side, he flipped his wrist and dissipated Ni Er's force. With a twist of his wrist, he pinned Ni Er's arm to his side. This was a signature skill taught by Sun Tai, called the Flowing Cloud Bone-Breaking Capturing Hand.

Ni Er felt a sharp pain in his arm. He struggled several times but couldn't move it. It was as if his joints were locked with chains. Even the slightest movement caused him great pain. He sobered up a lot in an instant and realized that the young master in front of him was no pushover!

"You bastard! Brothers, let's get him!" Ni Er quickly called over a few hooligans to gang up on Jia Cong.

Before Li Rong could cry out in surprise, Jia Cong, seeing that his goal had been achieved, stopped making things difficult for Ni Er, and smiled as he relaxed. He then pointed to the gambler on the ground, whose face was covered in bruises, and said...

"Paying back debts is a matter of course, but you've been a bit too ruthless, brother. If you kill someone and get into legal trouble, that wouldn't be good."

Ni Er rubbed his aching arm, staring at Jia Cong for a long time. Seeing that he was dressed in expensive clothes, he was obviously the young master of some wealthy family, but he still spoke arrogantly.

"Young master, you certainly have good skills! But this is my private matter, none of your business. Please don't meddle!"

The hooligans standing nearby, seeing that he had subdued Ni Er with just one move, looked at each other and dared not step forward. This was not only because of Jia Cong's skill, but also because if he really hurt the son of an official, he would inevitably get into legal trouble.

Jia Cong didn't say much, but pointed to the gamblers on the ground.

"How much silver does this person owe you?"

Ni Er glared with his bull-like eyes, stiffened his neck, and opened his mouth wide.

"One tael of silver! With interest, you owe two taels! This bastard took the silver and went straight to the gambling den, losing it all, and now he's trying to renege!"

After saying that, he spat hard at the gambler again.

The gambler was already trembling with fear, and he prostrated himself on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly.

"Young master, spare my life! Second Master Ni, spare my life! I didn't mean to renege on my debt, but I'm truly starving, my wife and children are waiting to live!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Cong smiled and pulled a small piece of silver from his sleeve, which looked to be about an ounce, and casually handed it to Ni Er.

"Consider this money as me paying it back for him. Brother, please don't make things difficult for him anymore."

As Ni Er looked at the silver in Jia Cong's hand, the fierceness on his face gradually faded, and a hint of surprise and uncertainty appeared in his eyes. The young master in front of him was so generous, while he only had one tael of silver as capital.

Ni Er took the silver and weighed it carefully. After confirming that it was correct, he called the group of ruffians to bow to Jia Cong.

"Young master, you are truly righteous! May I ask your name?"

Before Jia Cong could speak, Li Rong, who was standing to the side, became smug and took two steps forward, shaking his head and gesturing wildly.

"Blind fool, this is my master, the son of the eldest master of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion, Third Master Cong!"