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

After a whole day of experimentation, Jia Cong finally got a satisfactory cake. The Rong Mansion didn't have an oven, but fortunately, they had steaming pots and steam boilers that ordinary households didn't have. The cake they made was just a little more moist, but it was also softer and more delicious.

He generously gave her another reward before instructing Lin Zhixiao's wife to make a large cake for ten people at Baochai's birthday banquet, and also to prepare smaller portions for the rest of the guests. Satisfied, he returned to his own courtyard after giving the instructions.

On the 21st day of the first lunar month, Xue Baochai's birthday banquet was far less grand than Jia Cong's. The wine and drinks were served in the main room of Grandmother Jia, and only a stage was set up in the courtyard. The opera troupe that performed Kunqu Opera was still the one they had booked.

Apart from Aunt Xue, Shi Xiangyun, and Baochai, everyone else was family, so it was quite lively. According to etiquette, Baoyu, Daiyu, and the others took out their gifts to give to each other.

When Baoyu saw that Jia Cong had come empty-handed, he curiously looked him up and down.

"Brother, you are usually very polite and know how to behave properly, so why are you empty-handed on Sister Bao's birthday today?"

Jia Cong then smiled mysteriously and waved his hand.

"Brother Bao, you flatter me. My birthday gift was a bit too elaborate. It's better to wait until before the opera troupe starts performing before bringing it out."

Shi Xiangyun, who was standing nearby, quipped upon hearing this.

"What are you keeping secret, Third Brother! Could it be that you're hiding something new and interesting, waiting for everyone to see it before giving it to Sister Bao as a gift? I want to see what kind of wonderful thing it is, more precious than our clumsy gifts, and that we have to wait for the right time."

As she spoke, she moved closer to Jia Cong and reached out to lift his sleeve. "Is it tucked in your sleeve? Take it out and let us see, so we can have a look."

Lin Daiyu, standing to the side, glanced at Jia Cong with a smile, her tone turning colder as she said, "It's Third Brother who is the most polite, choosing to bring it out only when everyone in the room is watching, as if he's doing it on purpose for people to see. Baochai's birthday should be cherished and thought about in this way."

After saying that, she turned her face away, with a hint of sourness that was hard for others to detect: "Unlike us, we just prepared some ordinary things. It's not like other people's thoughts, which are hidden and complicated."

Xiangyun, being straightforward and outspoken, failed to notice the underlying sarcasm in her words and even laughed:

"Is Sister Lin envious? She'll probably praise Third Brother's gift after she sees it!"

Daiyu's eyes and brows revealed a hint of petulance that she couldn't hide. "Even the Queen Mother of the West's peaches are someone else's gift. What does it have to do with me?"

Baoyu sensed something was wrong with her tone and quickly moved closer to her, lowering his voice, "What's wrong, sister? Brother Cong was just trying to get some good luck, why take it so seriously?"

Daiyu turned her face away, saying, "Don't join in. When you see Third Brother's generous gift, you'll probably praise him for being thoughtful! It's just a pity that we prepared this gift, only to be left out. It's obvious that our little bit of goodwill was just a perfunctory gesture."

Before Baoyu could figure out why Daiyu's expression had suddenly changed, Baochai walked out of the room with a smile.

"Sister Lin, what are you saying? The sentiments of my brothers and sisters are nothing but tokens. It's just an ordinary birthday, and I am already deeply grateful for everyone's remembrance."

Daiyu was becoming increasingly temperamental, and her eyes looked like they were about to redden.

"In that case, it seems to be my fault. I appear petty and nitpicky, making me seem even less capable than others!"

Seeing this, Jia Cong had no choice but to step forward with a forced smile.

"Miss Lin, you flatter me. I was only trying to amuse everyone for the sake of the Old Ancestor and Sister Bao. How could you be biased towards others? When it's your birthday, I will definitely prepare a thoughtful birthday gift to apologize!"

Upon hearing this, Daiyu recalled the emerald and the manuscript from before, and her anger subsided considerably. However, her expression remained cold, and she tossed her handkerchief aside and headed for the room.

"If I believed what Third Brother said, I'd probably cry my heart out..."

When everyone saw Daiyu enter the room, they had no choice but to put on smiles again and coax Baochai to come in as well, inevitably leading to another round of pleasantries.

Although the dishes at the banquet were not as elaborate as those served at Jia Cong's birthday celebration, the Rong Mansion never served anything cheap. As the wine flowed freely and everyone was in high spirits, Jia Cong finally called over the servant outside the door to bring up the round, foot-long Qiongsu longevity cake!

Grandmother Jia was the first to beam with joy.

"Cong'er has come up with something new to broaden my horizons again. It smells sweet and even more exquisite than those high-end pastries!"

Baochai stood to the side, smiled and curtsied: "Thank you for your trouble, Brother Cong. This cake looks exquisite, and I feel ashamed to accept it." As she spoke, she ordered Ying'er to bring a silver knife with a jade handle, so that she could cut the cake herself.

Baoyu quickly moved closer, and after gently touching the surface of the cake, he was full of surprise. "This cake is quite soft, and it smells of milk. It must have been made with fresh milk. It's different from the steamed cakes I usually eat."

Xiangyun, being impatient, clapped her hands and exclaimed, "What exquisite cakes! Quickly, share some and try them; I've been salivating just from the smell!"

Daiyu sat to the side, sulking, but she still glanced at the cake and said, "It really took some effort to make it look like this. He's always the best at coming up with these new ideas."

Yuanyang stepped forward to help Baochai divide the cake. Where the jade knife fell, the cake was soft and non-sticky, and the small pieces were square and neat. The creamy layer was dense. One bite and you could feel the pure milk flavor wrapped in the light fragrance of osmanthus. It was sweet but not cloying, soft but not mushy.

Grandmother Jia took a sip and nodded repeatedly with delight: "Good! Good! It's sweet and smooth. Milk is the best for nourishing people. Cong'er, this child, is so thoughtful."

Aunt Xue praised it after tasting it, saying, "This cake is exceptionally well-made, not oily or greasy at all, just to the girls' liking!"

Daiyu twisted and refused to move, but Grandmother Jia coaxed her until she picked up a small piece of food with her chopsticks. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at Jia Cong beside her and saw that he was beaming and smiling. She suddenly thought that her birthday was in a month or so, and wondered what her third brother would give her.

Just then, the opera troupe began to play the opening gong, and Grandmother Jia asked Baochai to choose first. Baochai declined for a moment but then chose "Journey to the West," which pleased Grandmother Jia.

As the evening drew to a close, Grandmother Jia took a great liking to the young female impersonator and the young clown, and ordered them to be brought in. Upon closer inspection, she found the children even more pitiful. When she asked their ages, she learned that the young female impersonator was only eleven years old and the young clown was only nine. Everyone sighed with pity.

Grandmother Jia ordered someone to bring him some more meat and fruit, and also gave him two strings of cash as a reward.

Sister Feng laughed and said, "This child looks just like a real person when dressed up, you can't tell the difference."

Baochai knew this in her heart, but she just smiled and refused to say anything.

Baoyu guessed it too, but dared not say it. Shi Xiangyun then laughed and said, "She looks just like Lin Daiyu."

Upon hearing this, Baoyu quickly glanced at Xiangyun and gave her a meaningful look. Everyone else, having heard this, looked closely and laughed, saying it was indeed true. They then dispersed.

As the performance ended, only Baochai quietly moved to Jia Cong's side, gave a slight curtsy, and lowered her voice considerably.

"I must thank you so much, Brother Cong, for today. It's really not worth all this trouble..."