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

The next day, Sun Tai told him to take a day off. After school, he planned to go to the perfume workshop to see Qin Keqing. Just as he left the Grand View Garden, he ran into Jia Lian, who was peeking in suspiciously.

Seeing Jia Cong come out, Jia Lian quickly pulled him over and walked with a grin to a corner of the corridor.

"Good brother, thank goodness you came; I was just about to go looking for you."

Jia Cong guessed that his elder brother probably had something he needed to take care of, so he could only exchange a few perfunctory pleasantries.

"If you have any orders, Second Brother, just tell me to go."

Jia Lian glanced around and, seeing that the maids and servants were all keeping their distance, lowered his voice and the smile on his face faded slightly. "Brother, you are an honest man and are favored by the matriarch. Only by entrusting this matter to you can your second brother feel at ease."

Jia Cong understood in his heart, but pretended to be confused. "Second Brother, you're being too polite. We're brothers. I just don't know what's wrong that makes you so cautious?"

"What else could it be but a errand from the manor?"

Jia Lian sighed dramatically, "Now I'm in charge of purchasing flowers and trees for the garden. Third Brother also knows that spring is here, and new flowers and trees need to be added to every courtyard. The bamboo in Xiaoxiang Pavilion, the crabapple in Yihong Courtyard, and the plants in your Qingyan Hall all need to be replaced with fresh ones, but your sister-in-law..."

When Wang Xifeng was mentioned, Jia Lian's voice lowered further, and a hint of apprehension flashed in his eyes.

"She has a very sharp eye. She scrutinizes every single income in the household, big or small. Every penny of the money spent on purchases is meticulously calculated in her hands. It's difficult for me to find any leeway in managing the finances. And since she knows I'm in charge of this matter, she keeps a close eye on it every day, not giving me the slightest respite."

Upon hearing this, Jia Cong had a general idea in mind, but he remained calm and composed.

"Second brother means he wants me to help with the shopping? But what should I say if my sister-in-law asks?"

"You're so clever!" Jia Lian's eyes lit up, and he patted Jia Cong on the shoulder, his tone becoming warmer again.

"That's exactly what I mean! Go and make the purchase for me. Fortunately, you practice martial arts every day, so it's easy for you to leave the manor. The old lady trusts you, and your sister-in-law won't find any fault with you."

He paused, then leaned closer, his voice extremely low.

"There are two things you must remember, brother. First, you must never let your sister-in-law know the specific price of the purchase. I have already inquired and found out that if the flower farmers and timber merchants outside the city trade privately, they can get a 20% discount compared to the official price. We brothers will split the difference, and it will definitely not be less than fifty taels. We will pay you back immediately after the deal is done."

Fifty taels of silver was not a small sum for Jia Cong, who had just accumulated some wealth. He thought to himself that Jia Lian wanted to use the purchase as a pretext to line his own pocket, but was afraid that Wang Xifeng would find out, so he used him as a cover.

Seeing that Jia Cong's expression shifted slightly, Jia Lian assumed he was interested and quickly pressed his advantage.

"Secondly, I'll send you a helper, my distant nephew Jia Yun, you know him, right? This kid is clever and capable, and he knows the ways to buy flowers and trees. Let him come with you, he can lend you a hand and save you a lot of trouble. But you have to keep the price a secret from him as well."

"Jia Yun?" Jia Cong raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised. He had met Jia Yun a few times; the boy was sweet-talking and quick-witted. However, some time ago, he noticed that Jia Yun often went to Wang Xifeng's side, bringing her things like camphor and musk.

Seemingly sensing Jia Cong's confusion, Jia Lian's face showed a hint of displeasure.

"This kid is so fickle! Seeing that your second sister-in-law is in charge of the household and has power, he keeps trying to curry favor with her. He's almost forgotten who he belongs to. I let him follow you, firstly because I can really use him, and secondly as a warning to him not to focus all his attention on your sister-in-law and forget his roots."

Jia Cong instantly understood that Jia Lian wanted to use Jia Yun's connections to get things done, but he was also afraid that Jia Yun would side with Wang Xifeng and leak the procurement information. That's why he asked Jia Cong to keep an eye on Jia Yun. This cheap older brother of his was quite the schemer.

He hesitated for a moment, then feigned a troubled expression:

"Second brother, it's not that I'm unwilling to help you, but if this matter is exposed, I can't bear the consequences for my sister-in-law. Besides, Jia Yun often goes to my sister-in-law's place these days. If I have him come with me to do the shopping, what if he's not careful and tells my sister-in-law about this? Then we won't be able to explain it to the master and the old lady."

"Don't worry, brother, I've thought it all out," Jia Lian quickly reassured him.

"I'll speak to Jia Yun and let him handle things with you and the shopkeepers. As for your sister-in-law, with the matriarch as her cover, even if she gets suspicious, she won't be able to find any fault. Just go ahead and do your job. If anything goes wrong, your second brother will take responsibility!"

Having said all that, it would be unreasonable for Jia Cong to refuse again. Besides, the reward of fifty taels of silver was indeed tempting. Although Jia Lian was dissolute, he was a capable man, and there was no need for him to offend his elder brother.

Having considered this, Jia Cong had no choice but to nod.

"Since Second Brother has made all the arrangements, I dare not disobey. However, let me make this clear beforehand: if anything goes wrong along the way, Second Brother must keep his word and take responsibility for his brother."

"Brother, don't worry!" Jia Lian's face lit up with joy when he saw Jia Cong agree. He quickly took out a plain note from his sleeve and stuffed it into Jia Cong's hand.

"This is the purchase list. It lists the types and quantities of flowers and trees needed for various parts of the garden. I've also included the addresses of the flower farmers and timber shops outside the city. Take this list and go shopping with Yun-ge'er first thing tomorrow morning."

Jia Cong took the slip of paper and unfolded it. It was covered with the names of various flowers and trees, from the spotted bamboo and orchids needed for Xiaoxiang Pavilion, to the crabapple and jasmine needed for Yihong Courtyard, and the green maple and calamus needed for Qingyan Hall, etc., everything was included.

At the end of the note, several flower growers and timber shops were listed as alternatives, with their approximate base prices noted next to them.

"I'll have Jia Yun come to find you first thing tomorrow morning. After you two meet, we can discuss the purchasing details."

Jia Lian gave two more instructions: "Remember, when you're making purchases, you must lower the price as much as possible and leave as much of a profit margin as possible. As for the money, I'll give you a deposit of two hundred taels first. If it's not enough, come to me for more. Once the deal is done, I'll send you the fifty taels brokerage fee immediately."

"Okay, I understand," Jia Cong put the note away and tucked it into his pocket. "Don't worry, Second Brother, I will definitely handle this matter properly."

"Good brother, you're really reliable!" Jia Lian patted Jia Cong on the shoulder, his smile becoming even more genuine.

"Then we won't delay your studies, brother. Go and do what you need to do. I'll have Jia Yun come to see you tomorrow. It's a deal!"

After saying this, Jia Lian glanced around and, seeing that no one was paying attention, hurriedly left the corridor, pretending to be nonchalant, and headed towards his residence.

That same day, Jia Cong sent Li Rong out of the mansion to inform Sun Tai that he had something to do the next day and could not go to the drill ground. After dinner, Jia Lian sent his personal servant to deliver the deposit of two hundred taels of silver.