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

Upon hearing this, everyone marveled. Tan Chun exclaimed, "Third Brother is truly ingenious! He can make such a novel object. This bicycle is much more interesting than those Western clocks and zithers!"

Baochai nodded in agreement, "This item is both practical and novel. Brother Bao loves to stroll around the garden, and this bicycle will add a lot of fun to his life."

Daiyu pouted, her eyes filled with a hint of mischief and sourness. "When others celebrate their birthdays, he rushes around with all his heart, as if it were his own business. Yet he's not so considerate of other people's feelings."

Baoyu was circling around the bicycle, touching the handlebars and pedaling, his face full of affection.

Hearing everyone's praise, he couldn't stop smiling. "Good brother, I really love this gift! It's more precious than gold and jewels!"

In contrast, Wang Xifeng pulled Jia Cong aside and lowered her voice.

"Brother Cong is skilled in the study of things and has been able to make such exquisite objects. In my opinion, if this method can be mass-produced, it will definitely bring in a considerable amount of income."

Wang Xifeng's mind was completely focused on making money, but Jia Cong remained noncommittal.

"This item doesn't require top-quality wood; it's just a plaything for fun. Once it gets out, it'll inevitably be copied..."

Wang Xifeng was shrewd; after thinking it over carefully, she understood.

"Brother is right, it's just some carpentry work, it's amazing you even came up with that idea..."

Baoyu's birthday banquet was not large in scale. With Lady Wang and others from the mansion also present, it was far less boisterous than in the original book. After a meal and some laughter, everyone returned to their own residences.

Jia Cong stayed with him as he continued to figure out how to ride the bicycle. Although Bao Yu was not as skilled as him in horsemanship, which aristocratic disciple did not know how to ride a horse? His balance was not bad, and he could barely control it after half an hour.

Baoyu was overjoyed again, and then had Mingyan carry it, running all the way to Rongqing Hall to show it off to Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang.

For two consecutive days, Baoyu had become quite skilled at riding the bicycle and was increasingly proud of himself. Li Wan even came to say that she wanted to make one for Jia Lan as a toy.

Jia Cong knew this was a money-making project, so he decided to do Li Wan a favor and gave her the blueprints, telling her to have them made at the Rong Mansion's workshop.

Ni Er and his team successfully took over the task of purchasing fruits and vegetables for the Ning Mansion. The daily delivery of fruits and vegetables totaled five or six taels, and the price was eight taels, which was a few coins less than the previous vegetable market. This relieved Jia Rong, who said that his third uncle was not unscrupulous.

Jia Cong did not act rashly. Jia Zhen was the master of Ning Mansion, and Jia Jing had long been devoted to Taoism, so he ordered Jia Zhen to inherit the title of Third-Class General of Mighty Valor. It was not something that could be rushed to trip up someone of such status.

In early summer, May, the autumn imperial examinations were not far off. Once summer was over, Jia Cong would begin preparing for this year's military examinations.

He was less heat-resistant than Baoyu and the others when he practiced martial arts. Although it was only May, he was already unbearably hot, and it was not yet time to use ice.

On this day, Jia Cong returned from the training ground. While having two servants vigorously fan him, he also spread out his writing brush and ink, intending to make a human-powered hand-cranked or foot-operated fan.

As an engineering student, I can't handle electrical engineering, and I can't handle pure mechanical engineering either?

The foot pedal, crank connecting rod, gear set, drive shaft, and finally drive the fan blade to rotate are all based on the same transmission principle as a spinning wheel and treadmill. As long as there are blueprints, the Rong Mansion workshop can make it in just a few hours.

Just as Jia Cong was smugly examining the completed blueprints, planning to send Li Rong to the south of the city to build it, Xiren unexpectedly rushed into Qingyan Hall in a panic.

"Third...Third Master, something terrible has happened...Second Master, he..."

It was impossible for Baoyu's head maid to come to his Qingyan Hall, so Jia Cong got up with some suspicion.

"Sister Hua, please speak slowly. What happened to Second Brother this time?"

Xiren, not even bothering to drink a sip of water, tears streaming down her face, and disregarding her status as mistress and servant, reached out to tug at Jia Cong's sleeve.

"Third Master, please, Third Master, save my Second Master! He... he's going to be beaten to death by the Master..."

Jia Cong was also taken aback and hurriedly asked why. Only then did he learn that Jin Chuan had jumped into the well, and even the chief steward of the Prince Zhongshun's mansion came to ask about Jiang Yuhan.

Baoyu is currently doomed. He has a large red handkerchief tied around his waist, a gift from Jiang Yuhan, and Lady Wang's maid has also thrown herself into the well. He will most likely be beaten up just like in the original story.

Jia Cong rolled his eyes. Logically, he shouldn't and shouldn't get involved in this matter, but when he thought about how Daiyu or Baochai might feel sorry for Baoyu if he was really beaten so badly that he couldn't get out of bed, he wondered.

Baochai is one thing, but Lin Daiyu, with her sharp tongue and unparalleled beauty, is not easy to change. The affection we've built up over these days must not be interrupted.

Thinking of this, Jia Cong gritted his teeth, grabbed the blueprints for the human-powered fan he had just drawn on the table, and followed Xiren out of Qingyan Hall.

Jia Cong followed Xiren at a brisk pace, passing through the covered corridors and crossing the Qinfang Gate Bridge, barely daring to stop. Xiren walked ahead, sobbing and whimpering, her skirt wrinkled from being rubbed against the ground, constantly muttering to herself.

"Don't be too late! Second Master's health is precious; he can't withstand such torture..."

Just as they turned a corner of Rongxi Hall, they heard a thunderous roar coming from the direction of Jia Zheng's study, mixed with the servants' admonitions and Baoyu's suppressed sobs.

Jia Cong's heart sank, and he rushed over. From afar, he saw a servant holding a door bolt as thick as a bowl, Jia Zheng standing under the eaves with a livid face, and Bao Yu kneeling on the ground, trembling all over, his collar torn and his face bearing the marks of a slap.

Jia Zheng's eyes were bloodshot, and he didn't bother to ask about the boy's extramarital affairs with actors, his gifts of private items, his neglect of his studies at home, or his sexual misconduct with his mother and maids. He simply ordered, "Gag him and beat him to death!"

Several stewards and servants stood around, not daring to step forward to stop him, and kept kowtowing and begging Jia Zheng to calm down.

"You unfilial son! How dare you cry!" Jia Zheng was so angry that his beard and hair stood on end. "When Prince Zhongshun's mansion came to demand someone, you secretly met with an actress, disgracing the family! The maidservant jumped into the well because of you, and you showed no remorse whatsoever! What use is such a disloyal, unfilial, shameless scoundrel! Today I will beat you to death to uphold the family's honor!"

The servants dared not anger Jia Zheng any further. The sound of the sledgehammer whistling as it fell filled the air. Jia Cong's pupils constricted. Without a second thought, he propelled himself forward like an arrow, relying on his third-level martial arts skills. Just as the sledgehammer was about to strike Bao Yu's back, he lunged at Bao Yu, crying, "Second Uncle! Have mercy!"

With a muffled thud, the large board slammed heavily onto Jia Cong's shoulder, and excruciating pain instantly spread. He groaned, disregarding whether he had injured his bones or not, but instead tightly protected Baoyu beneath him, refusing to move an inch.