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

Ni Er nodded repeatedly, clutching the silver tightly in his hand as if it were a great blessing. "Don't worry, Third Master! We understand. We'll go to the vegetable shop first thing tomorrow morning, and we promise there won't be any delays!"

Ni Er and his men were indeed efficient; within a day or two, they had prepared the vegetables and other necessities for the Ning Mansion. Jia Cong also took the opportunity to visit the Ning Mansion, where he dragged out Jia Rong, who was just about to leave, with a sly smile.

"The vegetable shop and manpower are all ready, and they will be delivered to your residence tomorrow. I've been thinking these past two days that we are originally one family, so consider that one hundred taels of silver as a small token of my appreciation to our ancestors, and there's no need to repay it."

Upon hearing this good news, Jia Rong's usually handsome face broke into a wide grin, and he quickly invited Jia Cong to take the seat of honor and serve tea.

"Third Uncle is capable of great things, I have always admired him greatly. As for the people from the vegetable market, we'll call them over tomorrow morning!"

Jia Cong took a sip of tea and leisurely dusted off non-existent dust from the hem of his shirt.

"Very good. We are uncle and nephew, so I will not skimp on your household expenses. The daily food allowance can withstand scrutiny, and you are welcome to come and check it with Brother Zhen as well."

Jia Rong was taken aback. He had thought that Jia Cong was taking this opportunity to make money. Although the Ning Mansion's daily expenses for fruits and vegetables were not as high as the Rong Mansion's, it would still take seven or eight taels of silver to get by. He did not expect that the other party would not even look at them.

He immediately smiled even more obsequiously.

"Uncle, you flatter me. The household's procurement has always been handled by capable people. Now that you, Uncle, are managing such a meticulous household, even if Master Zhen were here, he would only praise it. There's no reason for him to inspect it. I trust you, Uncle, so just give the orders!"

Jia Cong then took the opportunity to suggest adding two servants to the Ning Mansion's kitchen, and stuffed two clever ones from Ni Er's gang of ruffians into the job. Jia Rong naturally didn't suspect anything, since it was just an expense of one string of cash per month.

Having spent one hundred taels of silver to settle things with the Ning Mansion's kitchen, Jia Cong had another cup of tea before returning home satisfied. But that's another story.

April 26th is Baoyu's birthday. It's only a few days away. After school that day, Jia Cong returned from the training ground and was summoned by Jia Zheng. He thought to himself, "Why is this second uncle calling me for no reason?"

Upon arriving at Jia Zheng's courtyard, they found Bao Yu there as well. Jia Zheng didn't scold him much; instead, he stroked his beard, smiled, and pointed to the various rewards being carried by the servants behind him.

"Her Majesty cherishes you and has bestowed these upon you; you should study diligently in the garden!"

It turned out that Consort Yuan was thinking about her younger brother and, since his birthday was approaching, she had a eunuch deliver a gift.

After Baoyu accepted the gift, Jia Zheng turned to look at Jia Cong.

"The Emperor praised Cong-ge'er for his cleverness and thoughtfulness in making those novel items, and the Empress also appreciated the honor you brought to the household. She has specially ordered people to prepare a reward for you. Please accept it quickly."

Because Jia Zheng was engrossed in court affairs, he presented the perfume, white fungus, and glass all at once, pleasing the current emperor. As a result, the emperor praised him and even increased his salary.

Jia Cong hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Second Uncle, you flatter me. I am but a novice with strange skills. How could I possibly deserve the favor of His Majesty and the Empress? That this skill has caught His Majesty's eye and brought a small honor to our household is all thanks to the teachings of my elders and the protection of the Empress. I would never dare to take credit for it."

The gifts bestowed by Consort Yuan were naturally of high quality. Jia Cong accepted them without having time to examine them closely, and together with Baoyu, they expressed their gratitude. Only then did they ask Li Rong to take them back to Qingyan Hall first, while Jia Cong went to Yihong Courtyard with Baoyu.

Baoyu ordered someone to serve him tea, then smiled and looked at Jia Cong.

"Good brother, my birthday is in a few days. It's not really worth celebrating, but I've been thinking that the sisters in the garden have been feeling bored lately. Besides, it's rare for us siblings to get together, so I'm planning to set up a few tables in the garden and invite people of our generation to have some fun. You absolutely have to come."

Jia Cong took a sip of tea.

"Of course I have to come to celebrate my second brother's birthday. No matter how busy I am, I should make time to offer my congratulations. I just heard my second brother say that he only invites his peers. It seems that this will be a peaceful occasion, free from the constraints of worldly formalities."

Upon hearing this, Baoyu's eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands and laughed.

"Brothers understand me best! If we hold a big event, it will only make people feel uneasy. It's a hundred times better for us brothers and sisters to get together, play drinking games, and chat than for those empty social gatherings."

As she spoke, she counted the people on her fingers: "Sister Lin and Sister Bao must be invited, as must Third Sister, Fourth Sister, and Second Sister. Although Sister Feng is a bit older than us, she loves a lively atmosphere the most. Sister Ping'er should also be invited, along with Brother Huan and Brother Lan. Counting Xiangling and the others, that's a dozen or so people, just enough for a lively table."

Jia Cong listened quietly.

"These people get along quite well when they're together. Since Second Brother plans to hold the event in the courtyard, surely someone has made the necessary arrangements?"

"Oh, no need for special arrangements," Baoyu waved his hand.

"The other day, my sister Tan Chun said she would help me make arrangements. It's just a few tables of food and drinks, and some fruit and snacks. I can just have the kitchen prepare them."

As Jia Cong nodded in agreement, he recalled that Bao Yu had personally given him a painting on his birthday last time. He secretly pondered that Bao Yu disliked officialdom and economics, so if he gave him some vulgar things bought from outside, it would only make Bao Yu think that he was being perfunctory.

The two chatted for a while longer, mostly about trivial matters in the garden and what they had seen and heard at the drill ground. As the sun began to set, Jia Cong got up to take his leave.

Leaving the Grand View Garden, she walked towards the Qingyan Hall, her mind still preoccupied with what gift to give Baoyu. Baoyu disliked vulgar things, preferring novel and elegant objects. The perfume and glass she had made earlier, though novel, had already been presented to the Emperor. Besides, Baoyu had never been particularly fond of such things. It would be better to give him something that would entertain him and suit his temperament.

Just as I was pondering this, I saw several servants chasing and playing at the alley entrance. One of the servants was riding a small wooden cart, holding the handlebars with both hands and pedaling with his feet. Although he was not walking very steadily, it was still faster than walking.

Jia Cong raised an eyebrow. With his background in science and engineering, getting a bicycle for Baoyu was naturally no problem!

After a moment's thought, Jia Cong had an idea. Since there was no chain, he simplified the structure by mounting the pedals directly on the wheels. One pedal rotation would make the wheels roll once, and this was the earliest prototype of a bicycle.

As for the tires, Jia Cong had to think about it. If the bicycle only had wooden wheels, it would be very bumpy, and Baoyu, who was always delicate, would probably not be able to withstand it.

In Lin-yi Kingdom or Jiannan Road, there is a type of rubber tree, whose sap is raw rubber. If this sap can be extracted and processed into raw rubber according to one's own knowledge, and then wrapped around the outside of wooden wheels, it will definitely have a shock-absorbing effect, making the ride much smoother.

Upon returning to Qingyan Hall, Jia Cong immediately summoned Li Rong.

"Go and find out if anyone in the capital sells the sap of the Lin Yi Kingdom's flowering tree. If so, buy as much as you can, no matter the price, and get it done as soon as possible."

Although Li Rong didn't understand why his master wanted to buy this foreign tree sap, he didn't dare to ask and quickly bowed in agreement.

"This servant has noted it down and will go inquire about it now."