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

Jia Cong chuckled inwardly, but showed no outward sign. He politely placed the wrapped packets of silver onto a wooden tray.

"Second Brother, you flatter me. We need brothers to fight tigers, don't we? Here is the one hundred and twenty taels of silver."

Jia Lian didn't stand on ceremony and pushed half of it away.

"It was agreed beforehand that since Third Brother has worked hard today, he should be rewarded with some money for wine."

Jia Cong declined again, then smiled and instructed Li Rong to accept the money. After drinking tea with the other party again, Li Rong saw Jia Lian out of the courtyard.

He only mentioned it once when he sent it out.

"Second brother, I wonder how much you left for that Yun-ge?"

Jia Lian was somewhat confused.

"He's just a nephew or cousin of the clan, why give him to him?"

"Second brother, you are mistaken. Although Yun-ge is only a nephew of the clan, he has been running around today, doing his best to check the quality of the flowers and trees and the accounts. If we don't give him a reward, it would make us seem cold-hearted."

Jia Lian was taken aback for a moment, then waved his hand, "Brother is right, it was my oversight. I'll get five taels of silver for him later."

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Jia Cong nodded quickly, "I'll leave it to you, Second Brother."

After seeing Jia Lian off, Jia Cong also gave Li Rong a piece of silver. Compared to Jia Lian, he was more willing to reward his servants. In the words of Consort Hua, "..."

"To get the people in the mansion to obey and trust you, prestige is one thing, and the favor of Grandmother Jia is another, but the most important thing is to reward them with money. Only then will they be willing to do things for you in a truly practical way!"

Even Chu Lan and Jinping were promoted to first-class maids after he entered the Grand View Garden. Not only did their monthly allowances increase, but their work became easier than usual, and they took on more of a master's demeanor while leading four little maids.

In the warm spring of March, Jia Cong, returning from the training ground, held his Dragon Gallant Silver Spear, rode his Sifeng Bachen horse, and with his Zhaowu Golden Mace hanging from his Victory Hook, he was practicing the Feathered Forest Spear Technique on the shallow riverbank.

Swift as the wind! Silent as the forest! Rushing as fire! Guarding as a mountain!

He roared, and his silver spear drew a sharp arc, the tip of which shattered the wooden target into pieces!

Jia Cong nimbly leaped up and down, his black outfit outlining his broad shoulders and narrow waist, his tall and upright figure. As the spear flashed, sometimes it was like a thunderclap breaking through the formation, the spear tip pointing straight to the sky; sometimes it was like still water flowing, the spear shaft hovering close to his knees. Every move was steady and powerful, showing his mastery of technique.

"Excellent marksmanship!" A clear shout of praise came from the peach grove on the shore. Baoyu was seen wearing a moon-white silk robe with a jade clasp around his waist. Behind him were Baochai, Daiyu, Xiangyun, and others. Maids and servants carrying food boxes and teacups walked out of the flower path.

Daiyu wore a light purple satin dress with floral patterns, and a white jade hairpin was tucked into her hair. Her eyebrows and eyes carried her usual aloofness, but when she looked up at Jia Cong, a hint of soft light flashed in her eyes.

Baochai wore a lotus-colored silk blouse with a light pink cloak over it. Her face was gentle and elegant, and she had a proper smile on her lips. Her gaze was on Jia Cong, but she secretly glanced at Daiyu's expression and clenched her handkerchief almost imperceptibly.

Upon hearing the sound, Jia Cong sheathed his spear, immediately dismounted, handed the silver spear to Li Rong who was hurrying forward, wiped the sweat from his brow, and bowed to the crowd with a smile.

"So it's Brother Bao! Why are you all dressed up so neatly today?"

Baoyu strode forward, his eyes shining as he stared at the silver spear in the man's hand, then looked him over and smiled with a hint of envy.

"Brother, your marksmanship is truly superb! Even more impressive than the martial arts actors on the stage! We were on our way to Qinfang Pavilion, and since the peach blossoms are in full bloom, we decided to form a Peach Blossom Society and invited you to join us for some fun."

Even Li Wan was making jokes from the side.

"It was Brother Bao who instigated this, saying that the peach blossoms were at their peak and we shouldn't miss the beautiful scenery. He insisted on dragging us here to join in the refined pleasure, which was tough on us uneducated folks."

As soon as she finished speaking, Daiyu, holding Zijuan's hand, frowned slightly, her expression somewhat sharp.

"Third Brother probably looks down on our poetry club, which is made up of young ladies and pedantic scholars. He might not be willing to deign to come."

Jia Cong raised an eyebrow slightly, not minding Daiyu's petty temper, and bowed to Li Wan and the others.

"Since it is my second brother's order, I will obey. Please have a seat, everyone. I will change my clothes and come right away." After saying this, he invited Baoyu and the others to Qingyan Hall to serve tea, while he quickly went into the inner room to change out of his martial arts clothes.

Baoyu then asked Li Rong for Jia Cong's Dragon Gallant Silver Spear, which he carefully stroked and praised repeatedly.

"It's even better than Zhao Zilong's silver spear in the opera! I'll ask my third brother to teach me tomorrow, and I'll try to dance like the martial arts performers in the opera!"

"Oh?" Daiyu raised an eyebrow and slowly walked forward, her gaze sweeping over the silver spear, then glancing at Baoyu.

"In a few days, don't start complaining about sore arms just from fiddling with the gun barrel, or crying and demanding that the maids rub rouge on your arms."

Xiangyun laughed so hard she almost fell over, clapping her hands and saying, "Sister Lin hit the nail on the head! That's just how Second Brother is, he forgets everything as soon as he turns his back."

Baoyu was speechless after being teased by the two, and could only stare at Daiyu with wide eyes. He couldn't get angry, and could only mutter, "Sister Lin always makes fun of me."

Baochai smiled faintly beside her, gently tugging at Daiyu's sleeve to signal her not to tease her too much. Daiyu gently pulled away, but secretly glanced towards the inner room, and the sarcasm on her lips faded a little.

Before long, Jia Cong emerged from the inner room, dressed in a moon-white brocade robe with subtle patterns, a black jade belt around his waist. His freshly dried hair was still slightly damp, and he had shed the sharpness he displayed during his martial arts training, gaining instead the gentle refinement of a noble young master.

"Thank you all for waiting. Shall we go now?"

Baoyu returned the silver spear to Li Rong, then stepped forward, took Jia Cong's arm, and walked out.

"What are you waiting for? I had the maids prepare some snacks and tea this morning, so it's perfect to go over now."

After saying this, the group came out of Qingyan Hall. Li Wan also called Yingchun and Xichun over. After they were seated in Qinfang Pavilion, the maids served tea and snacks, and Baoyu excitedly started talking about the poetry club again.

The group chatted noisily and each adopted a pseudonym. When it was Jia Cong's turn, he chuckled twice and put down his teacup.

"I have no great talent, and my poetry and prose are certainly no match for those of you brothers and sisters, so why bother with a pseudonym?"

Baochai, however, smiled and pointed outside the waterside pavilion.

"Brother Cong is quick-witted, even the Empress praises him. Why are you so modest? In my opinion, your courtyard is quite close to Luxue Hermitage. Why not name it 'Listening to Snow Guest'?"

Jia Cong thought to himself that this Lady Hengwu was indeed very shrewd. Seeing that Daiyu was about to speak, she preempted him, but he couldn't refuse on the surface, so he could only smile and cup his hands in greeting.

"Sister Bao is indeed clever. This nickname is elegant and suits the scenery of my place. So, as you wish, let's call her Listener of Snow."

Daiyu was a beat slow to react, and immediately felt somewhat displeased, but she couldn't show it. She could only take a small sip of tea and mutter, "Even talented people need others to make decisions for them. Martial arts practitioners are so indecisive!"