Dream of the Red Chamber: Starting with a Chronicle of Tragic Love

Jiao Si was taken aback for a moment, then took the brocade pouch.

It feels soft to the touch; it's made of fine silk, embroidered with a few elegant magnolia blossoms.

The stitches are fine and lifelike.

Can......

"This isn't mine," Jiao Si said. "I never carried the brocade pouch."

Baozhu blinked.

"Is that so?"

"But the girl said she found the brocade pouch on a chair in the living room. If it's not yours, whose is it?"

She paused, then continued.

"The young lady said that since it was found, it should be returned to its rightful owner. Brother Jiao, please keep it."

He finished speaking without waiting for Jiao Si's response.

Baozhu bowed slightly, turned and ran, quickly disappearing around the street corner.

Jiao Si looked at the brocade pouch in his hand and remained silent for a moment.

He opened the brocade pouch, but there was no gold, silver, or jade pendant inside, only a neatly folded sheet of Xuan paper.

Unfold the paper, and you'll find a seven-character quatrain.

The handwriting is delicate and elegant, yet it reveals a kind of resilience, clearly the work of a woman.

Poetry:

"The shadow of the female protects her as she crosses the cold pond."

Blood-stained feathers still warm the old vows.

How could we forget the reward for chivalry?

I am willing to follow the clouds and live and die with them.

This is an adaptation of the old story of Yanqiu...

The male goose protects the female goose as she crosses the cold pond; its feathers are stained with blood, yet it still remembers the old covenant.

The female goose never forgets to repay the kindness of the male goose by bringing him a ring, and is willing to live and die with him.

Using objects as metaphors for people.

Qin Keqing was telling him that she remembered the kindness shown to her by Plum Blossom Mountain and was willing to do everything in her power to repay it.

But why don't I remember seeing Qin Keqing on Plum Blossom Mountain?

Scratching his head, Jiao Si folded the poem paper again and put it back in the brocade pouch.

Jiao Si put the brocade pouch into his pocket, turned around and continued walking towards Ningguo Mansion.

But a ripple still stirred in my heart.

Back to Ningguo Mansion.

As soon as I entered the side gate, I heard a frivolous voice.

"Come here, you servant!"

Jiao Si looked up.

There was a young man in his early twenties leaning against a pillar.

He was handsome, with a face as white as powder and lips as red as cinnabar.

His eyes were frivolous and his behavior was dissolute; he was clearly a playboy whose body had been emptied by wine and women.

It was Jia Zhen's son, Jia Rong.

Jia Rong looked Jiao Si up and down a few times, then sneered.

"I heard my father sent you to the Qin residence to deliver a visiting card?"

"Have you seen my fiancée yet?"

He took a few steps closer, lowered his voice, and spoke in a familiar tone.

"Tell me quickly, what does the Qin family's daughter look like? What is her figure like? Is she gentle and obedient?"

Jiao Si frowned slightly.

He disliked Jia Rong's behavior.

The tone was simple and direct.

"Never seen it."

"Lord Qin has not returned, so I waited in the living room. I did not see Miss Qin."

Jia Rong was taken aback, then became somewhat displeased.

"Didn't see her? How could that be! The Qin residence isn't that big. You went to deliver the visiting card; surely she would come out to see you?"

His eyes darted around, and he suddenly laughed.

"Oh—I see. You saw how beautiful she was and had impure thoughts about her, so you deliberately hid it from me, didn't you?"

Jiao Si gave him a cold look.

"Uncle Rong, you flatter me. I'm there to deliver a visiting card, not to find a girl to date."

"Besides, Miss Qin is the future Mrs. Rong, how could I dare to have any improper thoughts?"

Jia Rong was somewhat annoyed by his cold attitude.

He spat and cursed.

"What are you pretending to be so dignified for! A stripped-of-rank slave is putting on airs!"

"Let me tell you, once Qin Keqing marries into the family, she will be my woman. I can do whatever I want with her!"

He paused, then suddenly remembered something.

"By the way, aren't you going to the Qin residence tomorrow?"

"Perfect, I'll go with you!"

"I want to see for myself what kind of celestial beauty Qin Keqing is, and whether she's worth all this effort I've put into marrying her!"

Jiao Si's heart sank upon hearing this.

Is Jia Rong going to the Qin residence with him?

This is troublesome.

Given Jia Rong's frivolous and dissolute nature, who knows what trouble he'll cause if he goes to the Qin residence.

not to mention......

If Qin Keqing saw Jia Rong in such a state, what would she think?

He paused for a moment before speaking.

"Uncle Rong, this... I'm afraid it's not appropriate?"

"With the wedding date approaching, according to custom, the groom should not meet with the bride before the wedding."

Jia Rong waved his hand dismissively.

"What rules and regulations! I, Jia Rong, have always done things as I pleased!"

"Besides, I'm just going to take a look; I'm not going to do anything to her. What's wrong with that?"

He stared at Jiao Si, his tone threatening.

"What, you don't want to take me?"

"You, a newly arrived servant, dare to disobey your master's orders?"

Jiao Si's eyes turned cold.

But things quickly returned to calm.

"Uncle Rong, you flatter me."

"I just think that we should consult Master Zhen first. If Master Zhen agrees, I will lead the way."

Jia Rong snorted.

"No need to ask my father! I say I'll go, so I'll go!"

"You wait for me here first thing tomorrow morning. We'll go to the Qin residence together!"

After saying that, he ignored Jiao Si and turned to walk away unsteadily.

He hummed a little tune as he walked.

"The young widow went to the grave, crying so sadly..."

Jiao Si stood there, watching Jia Rong's retreating figure.

His brows were furrowed.

-----------------

The next morning.

Jiao Si and Jia Rong went to the Qin residence together.

Upon arriving at the Qin residence, after the gatekeeper announced their arrival, Qin Ye personally came out to greet them.

When Qin Ye saw Jia Rong, his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, but he still cupped his hands and said, "Brother Rong has arrived."

Jia Rong gave a perfunctory bow and said, "Uncle Qin."

He then got straight to the point, "I'm here today to meet my sister, Keqing. We're getting married soon, so I need to know what my future wife looks like, right?"

Qin Ye's face darkened, and his tone was resolute: "Rong-ge'er, this is against the rules. Meeting before marriage is against etiquette and will damage the reputation of both families. This is absolutely unacceptable."

Jia Rong scoffed, "What rules and regulations! Uncle Qin, I just want to see the person, is that too much to ask?"

That's extremely rude.

Qin Ye's beard trembled with anger: "You...you mustn't talk nonsense! My Qin family has been a family of scholars for generations, known for its propriety and chastity! Ke Qing is even more dignified and virtuous! There is absolutely no possibility of them meeting before marriage!"

Jia Rong was also annoyed by Qin Ye's tough attitude.

He simply leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and said, "Now that I'm here, I'm not leaving until I see the person!"

Qin Ye was furious: "Rong-ge'er, if you continue to be so rude, then please leave!"

Having said that, he abruptly flicked his sleeve and turned his back, a clear order to leave.

Jia Rong stood up abruptly, his face turning pale and then flushed.

"My father-in-law!"

"My relationship with Keqing is already a done deal, so what's wrong with us meeting?"

"Are you trying to hide something? Are you perhaps up to something?"

These words enraged Qin Ye.

They summoned the guards and, without any mercy, threw Jia Rong and Jiao Si out of the mansion.

The two were blocked from leaving the courtyard by a group of guards, and then they heard a "bang" as the Qin family's gate was slammed shut.

Jia Rong cursed under his breath a few times, then suddenly turned his head and looked at Jiao Si.

"Servant, find a way to let me see Miss Qin."

"If you fail, you'll be in big trouble."

Jiao Si let out a muffled groan.

You just angered the head of the family, and now you're leaving me with this mess?

Just as he was about to refuse, he heard Jia Rong speak again.

"If you succeed, I'll stand by you if you ever have any conflicts with Lai Er again."

After a moment of silence, Jiao Si nodded.

"You can give it a try, but there's one thing: you have to listen to me obediently and not act like a spoiled young master."