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

Baoyu hurriedly asked Mingyan to fetch the writing materials, and Jia Cong didn't hesitate either, writing down the recipe for the lip rouge on a piece of paper. After all, it was just a small trinket, and he didn't expect to make money from it.

"Good brother! Not only is your writing beautiful, but you are also skilled in the study of things. I have been neglecting you in the past. Someone, quickly bring me those two genuine works by Tang Yin from my room!" Baoyu hurriedly picked up the paper and headed towards the workshop.

It was Li Wan and others who stopped him, saying that they should assign less work to the servants during the first month of the lunar calendar and wait until after the second day of the second month. Only then did Baoyu reluctantly put aside his idea for the time being.

After Daiyu left, Baochai and the others couldn't stay and play around any longer. They just divided up the lip rouge and happily returned to their own courtyards, probably to try it out and see what it was like.

However, during dinner, Baoyu insisted that Jia Cong stay at Jiangyun Pavilion for the meal, and even opened the bottle of Western wine.

"Good bro, let's drink until we drop tonight!"

Qingwen pouted as she served the two of them food, saying, "Second Master, be careful not to drink too much and cause trouble at night, or we'll have to clean up after you." With that, she precisely placed the tenderest bamboo shoot tip from the plate into Baoyu's bowl.

Although she was a maid, she lacked the obsequious manner of some other maids. Seeing Baoyu reach for the wine pot, she directly reached out and stopped him.

"Second Master, eat a couple of bites of food first. Drinking on an empty stomach is bad for your stomach. If the old lady and madam find out, they'll say we servants didn't serve you well."

But Baoyu was easily swayed by this. He chuckled and withdrew his hand, obediently picking up a bite of food: "I know, I know, my dear Qingwen, stop nagging me."

Jia Cong calmly accompanied Baoyu while drinking, but secretly observed this most outstanding concubine.

Unlike Xiren, who was always cautious and timid, or the other maids, she had a natural charm in her eyes and brows, and was indeed somewhat like Daiyu, truly reflecting her "ambition higher than the sky".

Both Baoyu and Jia Cong had average alcohol tolerance, and after drinking only half a bottle of wine, Jia Cong returned to the small courtyard with Li Rong's help, but he had two genuine works by Tang Yin in his hands.

"Pah, how come it's not an erotic painting?" Jia Cong, who had returned to his room, hurriedly opened the scroll, only to find a painting of spring trees and autumn frost and a piece of calligraphy. He couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

He reluctantly put away the painting, drank a bowl of tea, and was helped by two maids to wash up before going to sleep.

The next morning, after getting up, Jia Cong practiced two sets of boxing as usual, circulated his qi a few times, and then ate a few bites of snacks. Just then, he heard a servant rushing past outside the courtyard. Upon inquiring, he learned that Jia Huan had been scolded.

Jia Huan had a great fondness for food, and during the school holiday in January, he found Ying'er, Xiangling, and Baochai to play Go. He would try to cheat after losing a hundred or two coins.

According to Cao Xueqin's writing, he would inevitably be scolded by Aunt Zhao and Sister Feng, and afterwards even Jia Cong couldn't help but secretly pull him aside.

"Didn't I give you a few taels of silver before the New Year? It was only about a hundred coins. Was it worth this much?"

Jia Huan, unconvinced, wiped his face with his sleeve.

"Cong-ge'er, you make it sound so easy. You have that old lady doting on you, throwing banquets and celebrating birthdays, all because you think I'm not the lady's child!"

Jia Cong was both amused and annoyed. He had intended to give the boy a few more taels of silver, but then he saw Baochai and Baoyu walking over together.

"Brother Cong, hurry and come with us to the ancestor's place!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Huan's face darkened even more, but he dared not lash out in front of Bao Yu, and could only sullenly break free from Jia Cong's grasp.

"Fine, since I'm just a bastard child that nobody wants anyway, even if I die, nobody will know." With that, he went to find Yingchun to play.

Jia Cong couldn't control him, so he had no choice but to go with Baoyu and Baochai. Only after asking did he learn that Shi Xiangyun had arrived.

Previously, this matter would have been completely out of Jia Cong's reach, but now he has to go with Bao Yu to meet the guests.

Shi Xiangyun is Jia Mu's grandniece, whom she dotes on and often invites to live in the Rong Mansion. She is also considered a childhood friend of Baoyu and others.

(Shi Xiangyun, laughing and talking loudly, greeted the two of them as they arrived. Lin Daiyu, who was nearby, asked Baoyu, "Where are you?" Baoyu replied, "At Sister Bao's house." Daiyu sneered, "I knew it! It's a good thing I was stuck there, otherwise I would have flown here long ago." Baoyu laughed, "I'm only allowed to play with you and keep you entertained. I only went to her place once in a while, and you say such things." Lin Daiyu said, "What a meaningless thing to say! Whether you go or not is none of my business. I didn't ask you to keep me entertained. You can ignore me from now on!" With that, she stormed off to her room.)

Baoyu hurriedly followed and asked, "Why are you angry again? Even if I said something wrong, you were still sitting there, chatting and laughing with others for a while, and now you're brooding over it again." Lin Daiyu said, "What's it to you!" Baoyu laughed and said, "Of course I wouldn't dare to interfere, but I can't watch you ruin your health." Lin Daiyu said, "If I ruin my health and die, what does it have to do with you!" Baoyu said, "Why bother! In the first month of the lunar year, people are talking about dying and coming back to life." Lin Daiyu said, "You insist on talking about death! I'll die right now! You're afraid of death, but you'll live to be a hundred, what about that?" Baoyu laughed and said, "If you keep making a fuss like this, I'm afraid of death too, I'd rather die!" Daiyu hurriedly said, "Exactly, if you keep making a fuss like this, it'd be better to die." Baoyu said, "I said I'd rather die myself, don't misunderstand and blame others." Just then, Baochai came over and said, "Sister Shi is waiting for you." Saying this, she pushed Baoyu away. Here, Daiyu became even more depressed and just looked out the window and shed tears. (Cao Cao's original text)

Shi Xiangyun was a lively person. Although she rarely saw Jia Cong, she had heard some anecdotes about him. Out of curiosity, she came over and asked him all sorts of questions.

After Baoyu was pushed out by Baochai, Jia Cong took the opportunity to retreat and quickly slipped into Daiyu's room. Seeing the beauty weeping softly with reddened eyes, he immediately understood that the rift between Baoyu and the other woman had not yet been resolved.

When Daiyu saw him enter, she quickly stopped crying, merely wiping her eyes with a handkerchief, but still kept her body turned to the side, only giving a cold reply.

"Could it be that Third Brother is here to watch the spectacle too?"

Jia Cong raised an eyebrow, put on a smiling face, and without getting closer, took out three copper coins from his sleeve and slapped them on the table.

Hearing the sound of coins jingling, Daiyu also turned slightly to the side.

"What is Third Brother trying to do?"

Jia Cong took three delicate porcelain teacups, covered the large coins with them, and looked up with a slight smile.

"Since I've got nothing better to do, how about I perform a magic trick for you?"

Daiyu, being quite young, was also momentarily drawn in, though she was unwilling to hold back her words.

"My third brother doesn't study military strategy and tactics properly; instead, he's like a street performer, making himself a laughingstock."

In ancient times, magicians kept their few tricks firmly in mind. Unlike the internet of later generations, Jia Cong naturally knew a few simple magic tricks.

He rolled up his sleeves and showed Daiyu that he had not acted selfishly.

"Please take a good look, young lady." Jia Cong picked up a copper coin between his fingers and tapped it lightly on the table.

The crisp "clang" made the room even quieter.