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

Jiao Si looked at the furious Jia Rong, remained silent for a moment, and then 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."

Seeing that he had agreed, Jia Rong immediately perked up and urged, "Stop rambling and tell me! What's the plan?"

After a moment's thought, Jiao Si simply and directly said, "I will plead guilty with a bundle of thorns on my back."

Jia Rong was taken aback: "Huh?"

"You were speaking rudely and behaving arrogantly at the Qin residence just now, greatly disgracing Lord Qin, my future father-in-law."

"If you want to enter the Qin residence again, or even see Miss Qin, you must show a genuine attitude of repentance."

Seeing that Jia Rong still looked puzzled, Jiao Si explained.

"Tomorrow, change into simple clothes, remove those fancy accessories, and it would be best to find a vine or bramble to carry on your back, so as to look like you are sincerely repenting and accepting punishment."

"I'll lead you to knock on the door again."

Jia Rong frowned, her face full of reluctance.

"This...this is so embarrassing! When have I, Jia Rong, ever done such a thing!"

"Then there's nothing to discuss."

Jiao Si turned around, as if to leave.

"Uncle Rong, please find someone else more capable."

"Hey! Wait!" Jia Rong hurriedly grabbed him, gritting his teeth, "Fine! I'll do whatever you say! As long as I can see Qin Keqing, what does carrying a thorny branch matter!"

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

The next day, outside the Qin residence.

The old gatekeeper was so shocked when he saw the two people return, especially when he saw Jia Rong dressed in worn-out clothes and carrying a trimmed vine on his back. His jaw almost dropped.

"This... Uncle Rong, what's wrong with you...?"

Jiao Si stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Please inform him again, sir, that Jia Rong from Ningguo Mansion has come sincerely to apologize to Lord Qin."

The old servant dared not delay and hurriedly went in to report.

Not long after, the gates of the Qin residence opened again.

Qin Ye stood inside the door, his face still gloomy, but when he saw Jia Rong's unprecedented display of force, a hint of astonishment flashed in his eyes.

"What kind of show is this now?"

Qin Ye's voice was filled with deep wariness.

Following Jiao Silu's instructions, Jia Rong took a deep breath, stepped forward two paces, and bowed deeply to the ground.

"Uncle Qin! I was reckless and ignorant just now, and my words were offensive. I was truly terribly wrong!"

"When my father returned and learned of this, he was furious and gave his nephew a severe scolding!"

He straightened up, pointed to the vines behind him, and forced a look of regret on his face.

"My father said that if I cannot obtain Uncle Qin's forgiveness, then... then I should not return to the Ningguo Mansion!"

"After much deliberation, I am deeply ashamed and have come to apologize to Uncle Qin! I will accept any punishment you may give me without complaint!"

Qin Ye was somewhat bewildered by the singing, recitation, acting, and acrobatics.

Would Jia Zhen really punish Jia Rong for this?

They even said something as harsh as "You're not allowed to return home"?

Based on his understanding of the father and son in the Ningguo Mansion, it was truly hard to believe.

But Jia Rong's current appearance doesn't seem entirely fake...

Jiao Si stepped forward at the opportune moment and added in a calm tone.

"Lord Qin, Master Zhen is indeed truly angry. He said that what Master Rong did today was not only a breach of etiquette, but also a disrespect to the Qin family. If this gets out, both the Ningguo Mansion and the Qin family will lose face."

"Therefore, I strictly order Master Rong to come and apologize and beg for your forgiveness. Otherwise, the family rules will not tolerate it."

His words were simple, but the phrase "family rules cannot tolerate it" stirred something in Qin Ye's heart.

Jia Zhen might not care whether his son was polite or not, but if it concerned the "face of the Ningguo Mansion," he might really get angry.

After all, their daughter was about to get married...

Qin Ye looked at Jia Rong, who was bowing her head and remaining silent, and then at Jiao Si, who looked calm and composed. Although his doubts had not completely disappeared, his anger at being offended had indeed lessened considerably.

He sighed, his tone softening somewhat.

"That's enough. To err is human, to forgive divine. Since Rong-ge'er has admitted his mistake, I am not one to hold grudges. Let's just let this matter drop."

Jia Rong was overjoyed and was about to speak when Jiao Si gently tugged at his sleeve.

Jiao Si cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your magnanimity, Lord Qin. However, Master Rong feels uneasy with guilt in his heart."

"Master Zhen also instructed that I accompany him and spend more time in the manor listening to Lord Qin's teachings, as a sign of my sincere repentance. I wonder if this is acceptable...?"

Qin Ye frowned again.

"Listen to teachings"?

If even Jia Zhen, his own father, couldn't teach him, how can I teach him?

But the other party had just "beared the thorns to apologize" and adopted a very humble posture. If I were to refuse them outright again, it would seem a bit heartless.

After hesitating for a moment, Qin Ye finally nodded.

"In that case...please come in and have a seat."

"Thank you very much, Uncle Qin!"

Jia Rong quickly thanked him and followed Qin Ye into the mansion.

When I returned to the living room, the atmosphere was much better than before.

Qin Ye ordered tea to be served, and the three of them sat down.

For once, Jia Rong put away his frivolous demeanor and sat properly, occasionally answering Qin Ye's questions about "reading" and "understanding principles." Although his answers were reluctant, at least he did not speak rudely again.

Jiao Si mostly listened quietly, only nodding slightly when Qin Ye's gaze swept over him.

Time passed slowly, and as the sun rose higher, it was nearly noon.

Jia Rong started to get restless and kept giving Jiao Si meaningful glances.

Jiao Si shook his head.

After a while, Qin Ye's stomach rumbled several times.

Jiao Si then stood up and said to Qin Ye.

"Lord Qin, we are truly sorry to have troubled you for so long. It is already noon, so Master Rong and I will take our leave now."

Qin Ye was about to nod and say "okay" when Jia Rong suddenly spoke up, her voice sounding somewhat pitiful.

"Uncle Qin, I... I left in a hurry this morning and was scolded and beaten by my father at home. I'm really hungry right now, and my legs are a little weak..."

He touched his stomach and rubbed his knees, his acting quite convincing.

Qin Ye was taken aback.

The implication was clear: she wanted to stay for dinner. This...

Jiao Si then revealed a troubled expression.

"Lord Qin, well... Master Rong indeed didn't have breakfast today. Master Zhen is angry, and the servants dare not bring him food without permission. What do you think..."

If Qin Ye were to send them away after all this, it would be too harsh of him.

He rubbed his temples helplessly, and finally gave instructions to the butler beside him.

"Go tell the kitchen to prepare lunch. Prepare it as a meal for guests."

He paused, then added a sentence.

"Divide the dishes into small portions and send one portion to the young lady's room."

"Yes, sir."

The butler acknowledged and withdrew.

A flicker of joy crossed Jia Rong's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it, replacing it with an expression of overwhelming gratitude: "Thank you so much for your consideration, Uncle Qin!"

While waiting for the food to be served, Jia Rong seemed to have "regained" some energy and started talking.

"To be honest, I've been feeling down these past few days, and I've also been punished. I've been feeling listless. Suddenly... suddenly I've been craving some steamed, plump crab. The crab meat is so sweet and delicious; it's the best way to soothe the soul."

He smacked his lips, as if savoring the memory, and then casually added a comment.

"By the way, if there were ripe persimmons at this time of year, they would be excellent whether used to make a sweet soup or preserved in honey."

"I remember the chef in the manor used to make a dish called 'Golden Jade Abundance' with persimmons and flour. It was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, sweet but not greasy..."