The Splendor of the Red Chamber

the other side.

Jia Lian and Shulan returned to the west wing. Seeing that the entire courtyard was managed by the Sheng family's eldest branch, Jia Lian said with satisfaction, "This is my first visit. Next time I come, I won't go to see your uncle, so as to avoid any awkwardness between us."

Upon hearing this, Shulan quickly replied, "My uncle also welcomes Second Master; otherwise, he wouldn't have gotten drunk so quickly."

"Hehe~"

Jia Lian chuckled and pinched her cheek, then shook his head and said, "He's a proud man. If he doesn't get drunk beforehand, he'll just have to watch us elope, and then it won't be appropriate for him to say anything."

"Are you saying my uncle was faking it?"

"No, he was probably really drunk, but he also pretended to be drunk."

Jia Lian saw Jia Zheng's shadow in Sheng Hong. Both of them were self-righteous and obsessed with saving face. The difference was that Sheng Hong was obviously much more tactful and could put aside his pride at crucial moments.

When we reached the entrance to the main room, Xiaodie was already standing shyly under the lamp.

Seeing how meticulously she dressed up, Jia Lian knew that tonight was the night to break the ice.

However, Jia Lian didn't pay too much attention to this matter. He was just taking in a maidservant. Besides, although Xiao Die was somewhat pretty, she couldn't compare to Ping'er's charming beauty.

Because of Xiaodie, he was reminded of the feud between Minglan and that Lin Qinshuang, so after entering the room, he asked the master and servant, "When you arrived here, did you inquire about Xiaodie, or secretly spy on her?"

"this……"

Shulan and Xiaodie looked at each other, then shook their heads in unison: "We hadn't noticed that."

Alright~

The Rongguo Mansion lacks political acumen, while this side is simply clueless.

However, what Jia Lian wanted was someone without guile.

So instead of being angry at his lack of ambition, she earnestly advised him: "In the future, listen to Minglan more. She is more familiar with the situation of the second branch of the family than you are, and she will not let you suffer a loss."

Shulan nodded as if she understood, and seeing that Jia Lian had no intention of explaining, she wisely refrained from asking any further questions.

Jia Lian pulled her to sit on the edge of the bed, placed her directly on his lap, and they spent a long time whispering sweet nothings to each other.

Shulan's breathing became erratic, but she remembered the promise she had made to Xiaodie, so she said softly, "Second Master, if you are in the mood today, why not comb Xiaodie's hair?"

Upon hearing this, Xiaodie blushed so deeply that she seemed to be burning up. She didn't know whether to put her hands in front of her or hide them behind her back, and she was completely flustered and at a loss.

Jia Lian glanced at Xiao Die and ordered, "Go and fetch a basin of water for washing your feet."

Seeing that the Second Master had not given a clear answer, Xiao Die was secretly disappointed, but she did not dare to disobey Jia Lian's orders. She hurriedly went out to fetch a basin of hot water and placed it on the footstool.

Then, he removed Jia Lian's shoes and socks, carefully wiped them with a towel dampened with water, and then gently immersed his feet in the basin of water.

Afraid of burning the Second Master, Xiao Die subconsciously looked up to observe Jia Lian's expression, only to see that Jia Lian and Shu Lan had already started kissing, and his Lu Shan-like hands were wandering around inside his clothes.

Xiaodie felt both ashamed and embarrassed, and quickly lowered her head to hide her emotions, but her mind was in turmoil, and her hand movements became distorted.

While she was washing, Jia Lian suddenly kicked out and splashed some water on her chest.

Xiao Die exclaimed in surprise, looking up at Jia Lian in confusion.

Jia Lian temporarily released the panting Shulan and looked down at her, saying, "What are you standing there for? Take your clothes off quickly if they're wet. You can come up here and warm the bed for me and your grandma."

Upon hearing this, Xiaodie felt a mix of shyness, joy, and embarrassment. She instinctively reached out to unbutton her clothes, but as it was her first time getting into a sedan chair, she trembled and hesitated, managing to remove only one layer of her coat after a long time.

Seeing this, Shulan reached out and pulled her, reminding her, "Take it off on the bed first."

She was used to accepting whatever came her way, and besides, dragging Xiaodie down was just to find someone to take the fall with, so naturally she wouldn't refuse to sleep with both master and servant in the same quilt.

In contrast, the fiery-tempered Wang Xifeng strictly adhered to her bottom line. Even when she couldn't bear it anymore, she insisted that Jia Lian and Ping'er go to the outside room to mingle, and she absolutely refused to sleep with Ping'er in the same bed.

After hearing the mistress's words of advice, Xiaodie quickly took off her shoes and socks, climbed onto the bed, went around behind Jia Lian and Shulan, and quickly stripped herself clean, then slipped into the quilt like a silver fish.

Shulan took over her job and squatted down in front of Jia Lian to wash his feet.

Then she remembered her cousin Hua Lan's request, and after a slight hesitation, she told her about it.

Upon hearing that she was the wife of Yuan Erlang from the Zhongqin Earl's Mansion, Jia Lian immediately recalled the argument he had overheard at Fanlou.

Now it all makes sense; the fifth-rank official they were talking about was Sheng Hong.

These Yuan brothers, spending Sheng Hualan's dowry, still act like minor officials in Dengzhou, they really have a lot of nerve.

Jia Lian told Shulan what he had heard at the time, saying, "Helping this is a piece of cake for me, but I don't really like these two brothers. Let's leave them out for now and wait until they come to us for help."

As she spoke, she lifted her foot, gesturing for Shulan to help her dry it.

Shulan moved the foot-washing water and towel to the corner, then turned off the lights, leaving only one lamp by the door for when she needed to get up at night.

At the same time, Jia Lian also drew back the curtains, plunging the canopy bed into complete darkness.

Seeing this, Xiaodie, who had been peeking around, quickly moved further inside, burying her flushed and burning face in the blanket, leaving only her expectant yet fearful eyes showing.

In the darkness, she vaguely saw Jia Lian and Shulan embracing each other intimately again, followed by the rustling sound of clothes being undressed.

Immediately, someone lifted the quilt and crawled in. She initially thought it was Jia Lian and froze in place, too scared to move. But upon closer inspection, she realized it was the mistress, Shulan.

[Since the recipe didn't pass the review, I can only post one version here.]

The toast pieces stand side by side, opening their arms to welcome their companion.

The ham slowly unfurls, nestled generously between the layers. Lettuce sways its crisp leaves, carefully adorning the gaps.

The sauce gently meanders and flows, intimately binding the ingredients from all sides. They embrace each other, each settling into its proper place, clinging tightly together, inseparable.

After repeated and harmonious combinations, the ingredients, each containing one another, come together to create a delicious and fragrant ham sandwich.

…………

at the same time.

Sheng Hualan also bid farewell to her elders and returned to the Zhongqin Earl's Mansion.

Hearing that Yuan Wenshao was drunk in his study, she hesitated for a moment, not daring to offend her husband, and instead told the four or five concubines her mother-in-law had given her to compete for his favor.

It is unknown where Yuan Wenshao stayed at night.

The next morning, Hua Lan guessed that her husband had sobered up, so she sent someone to invite him back to the main room and told him everything she had seen and heard at her parents' house the day before.

"What?! Second Master Lian actually took your cousin as a mistress?!"

"What?! Second Master Lian has actually become the Imperial City Guard's Commandant?!"

Yuan Wenshao was startled and stood up, pacing back and forth a few steps. He instinctively scolded, "Why didn't you say so sooner?! You missed such a good opportunity!"

Previously, Jia Lian was someone he had to curry favor with. Now that the eldest daughter of the Rongguo Mansion has been promoted to the rank of Imperial Concubine, and Jia Lian himself has become a member of the Imperial City Guard, he is someone the Yuan family needs to look up to and behold.

Now that such a great opportunity is here, I've let it slip by...

Just as he was filled with regret, he heard Shulan say softly, "It's all because Second Master looked down on my family that we missed this opportunity."

Yuan Wenshao was taken aback by what he heard. He looked up at his wife in astonishment. In his memory, his wife had always been cautious. In the five years since she married into the Earl's family, this was the first time she had openly criticized him.

Is this some kind of rebellion?!

Yuan Wenshao frowned, wanting to reprimand them, but remembering that the Sheng family had influence with Jia Lian, he quickly swallowed his unpleasant words.

He tried to adjust his expression and emotions, putting on a guilty look as he said, "My wife, I was so angry yesterday that I lost my mind. Otherwise, I would definitely have gone back to your parents' home with you."

He paused, then added, "I don't know if your cousin spoke up for you, but why don't you... no, I mean, let's both go back to visit Grandmother and ask your cousin about it."

Is this appropriate?

Shulan then deliberately said, "If I keep going back to my parents' home, my mother and sister-in-law will definitely scold me—and my husband isn't a tool for me to show off at my parents' home."

"Uh~"

Yuan Wenshao's facial muscles twitched a few times. Suddenly, he grabbed his wife's hand and said earnestly, "My dear wife, we are one as husband and wife. From now on, whatever happens, I will bear it with you."

Seeing her husband's drastic change in attitude, Sheng Hualan was both happy and disappointed.

She was happy because she finally saw her chance to succeed. If she could get this done, her husband would no longer dare to neglect her.

Disappointingly, five years of marriage were worthless in the face of wealth and a promising future—the husband respected not himself or the Sheng family, but the opportunity to curry favor with the powerful.

However, Hua Lan wasn't love-struck and quickly suppressed her disappointment.

She stopped dwelling on any romantic feelings and instead covered her mouth with a coquettish laugh, saying, "It was just a little teasing. I've already had the carriage ready, just waiting for your orders, Second Master."