Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Jia Lian didn't know why Ping'er covered her face and ran away. He and Xiang Ling exchanged a glance and suddenly laughed.

He reached into the water and patted Qingwen's face, telling her to get up.

"Splash~~"

Qingwen lifted her head from Jia Lian's stomach, surfaced, quickly wiped the water from her face, opened her eyes and looked around. Seeing that Ping'er was indeed gone, she breathed a sigh of relief, then asked Xiangling, "How was it? Did Sister Ping'er see me?"

Xiangling looked distressed, wanting to tell Qingwen the truth, but seeing the hopeful look in her eyes, she couldn't bear to.

Jia Lian just smiled and looked at her, then suddenly said, "Your breath-holding skills are quite good. Can you swim?"

Qingwen was taken aback. She had never been in the water before, so how could she know how to swim?

As she shook her head, water droplets streamed down her face, and she exclaimed in surprise, "Oh no, my hair is completely wet..."

Qingwen was thinking that if she got her hair wet while helping Jia Lian take a bath, others would definitely become suspicious.

Jia Lian was captivated by her beauty the moment she emerged from the water. Now, as she looked around, twirling her hair and carrying water, her delicate face and slender neck were fully displayed, adorned with water droplets, making one truly understand what it means to be naturally beautiful.

Jia Lian couldn't help but reach out and brush the hair from her forehead, simply brushing away the water droplets. Then, looking at her face, he praised, "Little Qingwen, do you know what 'a lotus emerging from clear water, naturally beautiful without adornment' means? It's like you right now..."

Raising a beautiful woman is like raising a pet. Not only do you need to provide her with a comfortable life, but you also need to praise her so that she feels valued and happy. Only then can you receive the ultimate reward and enjoyment.

Qingwen immediately blushed. Although she was illiterate, she understood that the hibiscus flower was used to describe a beautiful woman.

As Jia Lian's hand caressed her face, she felt both comfortable and shy, and involuntarily tilted her head back, responding to Jia Lian with a gaze full of infatuation and adoration.

Xiangling stared blankly at the two lovers in the bathtub, her wide eyes revealing a jealousy she felt for the first time in her life…

"Alright, dry me off and get me dressed."

At Jia Lian's command, he stood up from the tub, and except for his calves which were completely submerged in the water, his imposing physique was once again fully displayed to the two maids.

Xiangling blushed, quickly turned her head away, took out a soft, dry handkerchief, and stepped forward to wipe the water droplets from Jia Lian's shoulders and back...

Qingwen was about to get up, but she was a step slower than Jia Lian. She was so stunned by the huge object in front of her that she knelt in the water and forgot to get up.

Suddenly, she chuckled inwardly. It must be because her body was so beautiful that the Second Master couldn't lose weight, hehe…

Jia Lian had no idea that Qingwen could be so vain. He glanced down at her and, seeing her expression and demeanor, secretly vowed that he would find an opportunity to have her serve him like that someday.

Qingwen's ability to earn the title of the most beautiful maid was not only due to her perfect peach blossom eyes, which resembled those of Daiyu, but also to her typical cherry-like mouth.

He glanced one last time at the rumpled, red bellyband that was now wet and askew. Its not-so-great character was almost palpable, and it looked consistent with the roundness and elasticity he had secretly measured earlier.

Knowing that if he delayed any longer, Wang Xifeng would definitely come to check on him personally, Jia Lian finally stopped hesitating, turned around, stepped out of the bath tub, and stood on the openwork wooden plank outside.

After she finished dressing, she reached out and pressed down on Qingwen, who was about to get up, and gently instructed, "Since your hair is all wet, just wash it with these things on. Let Xiangling serve you this once."

Qingwen immediately nodded, shrank back into the water, looked at Xiangling, and said ingratiatingly, "Good sister, thank you for your trouble. I'll help you next time too..."

Xiangling nodded and prepared the things to help Qingwen wash her hair.

……

"Why did it take you so long to finish washing?"

As expected, when Jia Lian returned to the main room, he was stared at suspiciously by Sister Feng.

"I soaked in the water for a while longer to relieve my fatigue."

Jia Lian offered a casual explanation and then sat down at the head of the kang (heated brick bed). The food was already laid out on the kang table: four small dishes and a bowl of stewed black chicken soup.

"Where are those two little brats?" Wang Xifeng glanced at Jia Lian and saw that no one had followed him in. Seemingly understanding something, she leaned closer and asked teasingly, "Seriously? In this freezing weather, you took those two little hussies in the bathhouse?"

Just as Jia Lian picked up his chopsticks, he casually tapped her on the head.

Having been slapped, Sister Feng quickly pulled her head back, covered it, and glared at Jia Lian.

However, he already knew in his heart that he had probably just flirted with the two pretty girls, and he wouldn't actually take their bodies.

That heartless bastard! His willpower and self-control are now more than ten times stronger than before!

Moreover, she didn't forbid him from taking those two young maids, so Jia Lian had no need to be secretive.

If she were to accept it now, it would actually be a good thing for her.

Experienced elders have said that the earlier a young girl's health deteriorates, the lower her chances of giving birth to a healthy son in the future.

Seeing Jia Lian pick up his chopsticks and examine the food on the table, she smiled and said, "Don't worry, it's not poisoned. Ping'er already tasted it when we brought it back."

As the saying goes, "Once bitten by a snake, twice shy." Wang Xifeng had decided that from now on, anything that was to be eaten by her and Jia Lian would first be tasted by the maids.

Jia Lian frowned but didn't say anything. He picked up a slice of ham and tasted it.

Feng Jie knew Jia Lian's habits quite well. Seeing his expression, she laughed and said, "What's wrong? Feeling sorry for Ping'er? Think I've wronged her? Ha, you're really quite the scorpion..."

If you really think about it, she's incredibly lucky; we're the ones eating her leftovers now.

"Besides, even if she was poisoned to death, she saved our lives. Can't you, a dignified commander, avenge a mere maid?"

Wang Xifeng held her phoenix-eye glasses and squinted at Jia Lian. Her sense of superiority, long forgotten, finally returned; she could hardly enjoy the pleasure of being able to judge right and wrong more accurately than Jia Lian anymore.

Jia Lian glanced at her and replied, "You misunderstood. I just felt that Ping'er alone wasn't enough. Xiangling and Qingwen should also try it to be on the safe side."

Wang Xifeng was taken aback, unsure whether Jia Lian was being serious or sarcastic.

Jia Lian then smiled, "Alright, eat up, the food's getting a little cold."

Jia Lian did not think that Wang Xifeng was wrong. Just as she said, he was now the pillar of this family and even the entire Jia clan. He could stand up for anyone else if they were in trouble, but he could not stand up for himself!

He just felt that as his status rose, the simple life he used to lead seemed to become less easy.

Speaking of which, poisoning is really a low-level yet difficult thing!

For example, this time, the poison that Yang gave him was so simple that he could detect it with a silver needle. If it weren't for that kind of deadly poison, he probably wouldn't have been able to capture the two siblings so quickly and easily, even if he hadn't drunk the ginseng soup.

As for why the Yang family didn't use sophisticated poisons...

In this era of low productivity, not to mention how rare sophisticated poisons and elixirs were, distribution was even more difficult!

All places and people storing drugs must report to the government and accept supervision.

Anyone found in possession of poisons, whether sophisticated or rudimentary, will most likely face the death penalty.

This is why arsenic became the most popular poison of the time. Because it had many uses, it was allowed to be found in some pharmacies and was a poison that was relatively loosely controlled by the government.

Therefore, poisoning someone is not something that everyone dares to do or has the ability to do.

After this incident, Jia Lian was not too worried that anyone would dare to poison him again.

However, it is understandable that Wang Xifeng was frightened today and was being cautious, and he did not find it strange.

Ping'er, who was standing nearby, had thought that Jia Lian and Wang Xifeng were going to argue about this again, and she was even ready to plead for them. But to her surprise, they didn't. She didn't know whether to be disappointed or happy.

Mostly they're happy; the relationship between Second Master and Second Madam is getting better and better.

Just now, Second Master knocked Second Madam on the head, and Second Madam didn't even get angry. It's really surprising.

As for Wang Xifeng asking her to taste the poison, she certainly didn't feel wronged... just like the little eunuchs in the palace who considered it a great honor to taste the emperor's food.

She would rather die herself than let others harm Wang Xifeng and Jia Lian.

Moreover, she understood that she might never encounter the same dishes again in her entire life, and even if she did, it would be a valuable lesson for her masters. In other words, she could likely enjoy her masters' meals for free for a very, very long time…

Feng Jie was busy all day and was quite hungry, so she stopped arguing with Jia Lian and started eating.

Seeing Ping'er serving dishes and food, and seemingly favoring Jia Lian, she became suspicious.

It seems that ever since she was given to that heartless man, she has indeed come to value him more and is no longer as loyal to him as before.

"There's too much food today, why don't you sit down and eat with us? You can come with us to the other side later."

Ping'er was somewhat surprised to hear Wang Xifeng say this.

During the time Jia Lian was away, Wang Xifeng often asked her to eat with her, saying that it tasted better when the two of them ate together.

After Jia Lian returned, there was basically nothing left.

Who knew that he would be so lenient today? I was very moved and glanced at Jia Lian again.

"Your grandmother has already made the decision, what are you still standing there for? Sit down."

"Yes……"

Ping'er took a small stool, placed it on the footstool, and sat down to eat with her masters.

Seeing her cautious demeanor, Jia Lian felt that such leniency was less desirable than letting her go down to eat by himself.

So, after Jia Lian finished eating, he took the initiative to put a piece of meat in Feng Jie's bowl, and also put the only chicken leg in her bowl, and asked Feng Jie about it.

Feng Jie had just shaken her head, and before she could finish saying "too greasy, I can't eat it," Jia Lian had already put the chicken leg into Ping'er's bowl.

Sister Feng chuckled coldly, but didn't say anything. She ate quickly, wiped her mouth, and sat down next to Jia Lian, leaning against him to talk to him.

It was nothing more than the beginning and end of today's events, and some instructions for taking up my post tomorrow...

She had a serious attitude, but before she could say two words, Jia Lian started touching her inappropriately. She grabbed Jia Lian's hand and whispered a warning, "What are you doing? We're going to see the master..."

Ping'er, who was standing to the side, put down her chopsticks and quietly tidied up the table, as if she hadn't seen her masters' little tricks at all.

"Brother Lian Er..."

Suddenly, Xiangyun's voice came from outside. It turned out that Yingchun was coming to go with Jia Lian and the others to the east courtyard. Jia Baoyu and the others came along to calm Jia Lian down and show their respect.

There wasn't much more to say. They'd already said what needed to be said at Rongqing Hall, and as for things that shouldn't be said, Jia Lian couldn't say them in front of so many people, and the others couldn't ask too many questions. So, when Jia Lian and the others finished packing and were preparing to take Yingchun to the east courtyard, they took their leave and went back.