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

Grandmother Jia was not pleased to hear this. The Jia household appeared to be thriving and prosperous, and she had never looked at those tedious account books. Her old face immediately darkened.

"Look at you, I only said one sentence, and you've already retorted with three or five sentences. When has the manor ever shortchanged you? When has your salary for that job ever been reduced?"

Jia She inherited the title of First-Class Divine Might General, which, although a nominal position, still made him a prominent figure in the court, and his monthly salary was much higher than that of Jia Zheng, a junior official in the Ministry of Works.

But Jia She couldn't possibly save any money; his daily extravagance and debauchery still cost him a considerable sum. He glared fiercely at the silent Jia Cong, then feigned a pitiful expression.

"How can a son accept such words from his mother..."

"I only said one thing to you, and you think you can't handle it? Cong'er is outstanding in both his studies and martial arts. You ignore him, and you think he can handle it?"

Jia She dared not offend Grandmother Jia, but he simply refused to hand over the money, so he could only keep smiling obsequiously.

"The old lady is right. It was my fault. I will definitely make proper plans for Cong'er in a few days..."

"What do you mean 'in a few days'? I think you're just muddle-headed and only know how to waste your time. Your brother's here today, so give me a straight answer: are you going to pay up or not?"

"Your Majesty, you are wise. Although I hold this nominal position, I still have to deal with my colleagues in court every day. With all that back and forth, where would I find the extra money to hire a martial arts instructor for Cong'er?"

Although Grandmother Jia was not entirely satisfied with her eldest son, he was, after all, her own flesh and blood. She sighed for a while, then took Wang Xifeng's hand.

"Fine, you're not even as good a father as Zheng'er. Just give me some from my own savings. Feng'er, logically speaking, you and Lian'er, as the older brother and sister-in-law, should also make some suggestions for your brother..."

Wang Xifeng's pretty face almost fell. The jade phoenix she'd received was a treasure, but giving it away in real money was a painful thought. However, she wasn't Jia She; she dared not complain of poverty in front of Grandmother Jia, much less say that the Jia family was about to become an empty shell.

"How could I dare disobey the ancestor's orders? Brother Cong is also Second Master Lian's younger brother. I will tell Second Master Lian later that this is your intention..."

"That's right. If there were more promising people in the family, the ancestors would surely bless us more..."

Grandmother Jia was old and tired after the commotion. Jia She and Jia Zheng quickly paid their respects and left, while only Wang Xifeng took Jia Cong and returned to Jia Lian's residence first.

Wang Xifeng didn't say anything along the way, which was inconsistent with her usual bold and outspoken personality. Jia Cong didn't dare to ask any questions either. He went straight into the house, but Jia Lian hadn't returned yet. He wondered where he had gone to enjoy himself again.

After Ping'er served tea to the two of them, Wang Xifeng slowly picked up her teacup, took a sip, and then put on a smiling face.

"Brother Cong, did you hear what the Ancestor said just now?"

"Yes, I remember everything..." Jia Cong was also somewhat puzzled.

"Since it was ordered by the old matriarch, I cannot disobey. However, the income of the household has been rather difficult in recent years, and Second Master Lian's expenses are high. If we have to pay half of the expenses, I'm afraid it will be..." Wang Xifeng deliberately paused, her eyes darting around.

Jia Cong frowned, thinking to himself that this woman was no good person. It was obvious that she didn't dare to discuss the matter with Grandmother Jia earlier and came to him to bargain. But he had no money; his monthly allowance was only so much.

The Jia family was a large clan, and although they didn't have to take responsibility for their own meals, they had to pay extra if they wanted better food or seasonal dishes.

However, these allowances still had to be saved for rewards for the maids and servants, or for personal expenses. In addition, Jia Cong was never favored, and the monthly allowance he received from Jia She was only the most standard amount.

On the surface, whether it was Baoyu, Jia Huan, or Jia Cong, as the young masters of the Jia family, they all received two taels of silver per month. However, Jia Baoyu was much more special. Not only did Lady Wang and Grandmother Jia give him extra rewards every month, but he could also use the family's public funds for many expenses that he would otherwise have to pay out of his own pocket.

Therefore, Jia Cong could only live on a pitiful two taels of silver each month, with no possibility of any extra income. He could only manage a forced, awkward smile.

"If it weren't for my sister-in-law speaking up for me today, I wouldn't have had this opportunity. I shouldn't have spoken up in the first place. Otherwise, should we wait for my elder brother to return before discussing it further?"

But Wang Xifeng had no intention of giving Jia Cong such an opportunity. Jia Lian was someone who didn't care about anything, and even if he found out, he would most likely just wave his hand and let Wang Xifeng handle it. Immediately, she raised an eyebrow and changed her tone.

"Brother Cong, please don't blame me. I'm in charge now, and although things look grand from the outside, there are big difficulties behind the scenes. People might not believe it if I told them. But since the patriarch has spoken, I should do this for you, even if it's tough. How about this: the patriarch will pay half, and I'll pay the other half. As for the rest, Brother Cong, why don't you ask the master? What do you think?"

Jia Cong gasped. According to Wang Xifeng, Grandmother Jia contributed half, she only contributed a quarter, and she would have to find a way to raise the rest herself.

You should know that learning martial arts is not cheap; it's not something that can be done with just a few taels of silver. Martial arts instructors are much more expensive than Mr. Cheng, and with the cost of forging weapons and such, it's not something you can master in just a few months.

But since the other party had already put it that way, it would be beneath Jia Congshe to plead further. After taking a few breaths, he could only force a smile.

"Sister-in-law, you flatter me. How could I be so unreasonable? If it weren't for you speaking up for me before the Ancestor, I wouldn't have this opportunity today. So, as you said, I'll go back and try to gather the money. Please give me a definite answer..."

"Brother Cong is so generous. You don't need to take more; twenty taels will be enough..."

"Thank you very much, sister-in-law. I'll go back to my room and gather some things." Jia Cong cursed Wang Xifeng's heartlessness in his heart, but he smiled and said goodbye. He went straight back to his small courtyard, where he rummaged through his chests and cabinets, cursing as he looked for anything of value.

Twenty taels of silver was enough to make Granny Liu overjoyed and her family live comfortably for two years.

After Jia Cong searched through all the valuables in his room, he still couldn't find enough to make twenty taels of silver. Just then, Chu Lan heard the commotion and carefully came in to serve him.

"What is Third Master looking for this time?"

Jia Cong sighed and looked at the silk fabrics before him.

"Now tell me, did your wife leave anything behind?"

Chu Lan was clearly a little nervous, and she kept glancing furtively outside several times before lowering her voice and taking a step forward.

"Is Third Master referring to his former wife?"

"Naturally, it's my former wife..."

"This servant doesn't know. I haven't served Madam for long, and apart from that jade phoenix, I haven't seen anything else..."

Jia Cong felt inexplicably sad. Even among the Four Kings and Eight Dukes, the Rongguo Mansion was considered one of the most prestigious. Whether it was Grandmother Jia or Lady Wang, they were all glamorous and domineering.

But looking at myself, although I was also wearing silk and satin, most of my clothes were from a few years ago, and I didn't have any extra accessories. People like Baoyu, apart from the beautiful jade they were born with, had countless priceless treasures tied around their waists.