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

The meeting between Lady You and Qin Keqing was originally a peaceful one, but unexpectedly, they stirred up such trouble right in front of her.

She, who was usually good-tempered, couldn't help but fly into a rage at this moment.

However, Jia Rong and You Shi were not biological mother and son, so You Shi could not take her anger out on Jia Rong. Therefore, she could only vent her anger on Lai Er, who pulled open the gauze curtain.

Madam You snorted coldly, her gaze as cold as ice, fixed on Lai Er.

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried the unquestionable authority of the matriarch and a suppressed rage.

"Lai Er".

She spoke slowly, each word like a shard of ice striking down.

"You just said..."

"Who is Jiao Si having an affair with?"

"Um?"

Lai Er trembled all over, his face turning ashen white instantly.

He fell to his knees with a thud, his forehead pressed against the cold ground, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

"Madam...Madam...I...I..."

He talked like a "petty person" for a long time, but couldn't utter a complete sentence.

Madam You took two steps forward and looked down at him.

"Speak."

"Didn't you explain it quite clearly?"

"What 'adultery,' 'illicit relations,' 'fear of being seen'...?"

She repeated Lai Er's foul language word by word, her tone icy and chilling.

"I'd like to ask you a question, Lai Er."

"You lowly servant, where do you get the audacity to gossip about your master?"

"Where did you get the audacity to throw dirty water on Miss Qin?"

"Where did you get the guts...?"

She paused, then her voice suddenly rose.

"You dare to throw dirty water on me?!"

Lai Er was so frightened that he kowtowed repeatedly.

"Please spare me, madam! Please spare me, madam!"

"I...I didn't mean that! I just...I just..."

He was rambling incoherently, his mind completely blank.

He never imagined that the person sitting inside was actually Madam You!

Didn't Jia Rong swear that Jiao Si was having a secret rendezvous with Qin Keqing?

How... how did it turn into a meeting between Madam You and her daughter-in-law Qin Keqing?

Seeing his cowardly appearance, Lady You's anger intensified.

She turned to Jiao Si, her voice cold and sharp.

"Jiao Si!"

Jiao Si quickly bowed: "Madam."

Yu pointed at Lai Er, who was kneeling on the ground.

"Slap him in the mouth!"

"Beat him until he understands what he can and cannot say!"

Jiao Si responded, "Yes."

He walked up to Lai Er and looked down at the old dog who had tried to kill him time and time again.

His tone was calm, even tinged with a hint of helplessness.

"Manager Lai, I apologize for the inconvenience."

He lowered his voice and added in a volume that only the two of them could hear.

"If you hit her too lightly, I'm afraid Grandma Zhen won't be appeased."

"Therefore... we need to hit harder."

Lai Er was taken aback, then suddenly realized.

Yup!

Madam You was in a fit of anger. If Jiao Si didn't hit her hard enough, Madam You wouldn't be satisfied and would come looking for trouble later!

Only if the beating is severe enough to appease Madam You's anger will this matter be considered over!

He quickly replied in a low voice, "Brother Jiao is right! It needs to be hit hard! The harder the better! Thank you for the advice, Brother Jiao!"

He even felt a surge of gratitude.

He had tried to murder Jiao Si multiple times, but Jiao Si, at this crucial moment, actually reminded him...

It seems this person... isn't so bad after all?

Should I be nicer to him in the future?

That's what I was thinking.

Suddenly, a tremendous force struck my face!

The force was so great that it completely exceeded Lai Er's expectations.

He didn't even see how Jiao Si raised his hand.

Suddenly everything went black, and a loud "buzzing" sound filled my ears.

Half of my face went numb instantly, followed by a burning, excruciating pain!

A salty, fishy liquid rushed into my mouth.

He instinctively opened his mouth, and several bloody teeth mixed with saliva fell to the ground.

Lai Er was dumbfounded.

He only knew that Jiao Si was going to use a heavy hand, but he didn't expect... to use such a heavy hand!

That slap wasn't just "harder"; it was clearly meant to kill him!

He was about to beg for mercy.

"Jiao..."

The second slap followed!

He slapped him hard on the other side of his face!

The force was even greater than before!

Lai Er felt dizzy and disoriented. He was spun around halfway by the slap and staggered as he was about to fall.

Jiao Si reached out and grabbed his collar, keeping him rooted to the spot.

He was still saying, "Butler Lai, you didn't hit her hard enough, Madam Zhen isn't satisfied..."

But his hands kept moving.

A third slap!

The fourth slap!

Every palm strike landed squarely, every palm strike drew blood!

Lai Er's pleas for mercy were abruptly interrupted, leaving him only able to let out a series of incoherent, pitiful groans.

His face was covered in blood, his eyes were swollen shut, and he had only a few good teeth left in his mouth.

He was like a lump of mud, only managing to stay upright because Jiao Si was holding him up.

Jiao Si looked at his miserable state without the slightest pity in his eyes.

That old dog has tried to kill me time and time again.

If I hadn't been prepared, I would be the one lying here right now!

He showed no mercy to his men.

"Slap! Slap! Slap!"

Several more slaps followed.

Jiao Si only let go when Lai Er had completely fallen silent and passed out.

Lai Er lay limp on the ground like a dead dog, his face a bloody mess, barely breathing.

Jiao Si turned around and bowed to Madam You.

"Madam, we're done."

Madam You glanced coldly at Lai Er on the ground.

"He got off too easily."

"Guards, drag this reckless wretch back to the manor!"

"Once he wakes up, we'll interrogate him properly to find out who gave him the audacity to spout such nonsense!"

Several servants who were still standing rushed forward and hurriedly lifted the unconscious Lai Er up, then hurriedly walked down the mountain.

Only then did Madam You turn her gaze to Jia Rong.

Jia Rong was already terrified, his face pale, and he stood there, his legs trembling.

Yu looked at him, her voice returning to calm, but beneath that calmness lay a chilling coldness that was even more disheartening.

"Rong'er".

Jia Rong jolted awake: "Mother... Mother..."

Lady You asked slowly, "How did you find out that I had arranged to meet Ke Qing here to enjoy the mountain scenery?"

"And why did you accuse Jiao Si of having an affair with Ke Qing, and insult your fiancée without cause?"

Jia Rong opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

He couldn't very well say that he had set up the poisonous scheme to frame Jiao Si, could he?

He stammered, his eyes darting away.

"I...I..."

Just now.

A cacophony of voices could be heard along the mountain road.

It was also mixed with Jia Zhen's angry roar.

"Where? Where is he?!"

"Rong'er sent a message saying that Jiao Si and Qin Keqing were having an affair. How could that be false?!"

"Qin Ye! How have you raised your daughter?! She's not even married into the family yet, and she's already done such a disgraceful thing!"

Qin Ye's voice followed closely behind, filled with anxiety and fear.

"Brother Zhen... Brother Zhen, please calm down! Please calm down!"

"There must be some misunderstanding here! I know my daughter's character best! She would never do such a thing!"

Upon hearing his father's voice, Jia Rong's face instantly turned pale.

He frantically tried to rush down the mountain to stop them.

But Madam You shouted coldly, "Stop!"

Jia Rong froze, too afraid to move.

Not long after.

Jia Zhen and Qin Ye, along with a group of servants from the Ningguo Mansion and the Qin Mansion, rushed up the mountain, panting heavily.

Jia Zhen, his face contorted with rage, roared as soon as he entered, "Where are they? Where are that adulterous couple?!"

Qin Ye looked terrified and ashamed, wringing his hands and muttering, "Misunderstanding, it must be a misunderstanding."

But when he saw the scene in front of the Moon-Gazing Pavilion...

Jia Zhen's vision went black.

A sense of unease crept into my mind.