Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Once everyone was seated, Grandmother Jia asked Jia Lian, "I didn't have a chance to ask you this afternoon in their garden. The New Year holidays are over, so why did the Emperor bestow so many gifts upon you?"

Grandmother Jia and the others were still unable to let go of the emperor's generous reward to Jia Lian that morning.

Although the emperor claimed to possess the wealth of the entire realm, the imperial treasury was actually limited. Moreover, the emperor had countless other expenses, so his rewards, except in special circumstances, were mostly tokens, primarily gifts, with little cash given.

Even if it's gold or silver, a hundred taels of gold would be considered a generous reward.

However, the emperor seemed to be afraid that others would not know that this was a generous reward for Jia Lian. After giving him one hundred taels of gold, he specially added one thousand taels of silver!

For a noble family like theirs, the emperor's attitude towards them was of paramount importance. Even Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang were eager to understand the emperor's attitude towards Jia Lian and their family. Unfortunately, when they asked Jia Zheng, he couldn't give them a clear answer, so they had to ask Jia Lian directly.

Jia Lian turned to face Grandmother Jia and replied with a smile, "I suppose the boys didn't deliver the message completely. His Majesty's edict said that it was a special reward for my merits on the battlefield last year."

Grandmother Jia and the others naturally knew it was because of his meritorious service on the frontier. Lady Wang hurriedly asked, "Even if you have made some contributions, didn't the Emperor promote you? Why is he rewarding you so generously? Is there some special reason behind it?"

The question of Lady Wang was also a question raised by Grandmother Jia, Aunt Xue, and others.

"Is it really that heavy? My nephew thinks it's alright..."

Jia Lian smiled at Madam Wang, seemingly not quite understanding what constituted heavy or light.

His somewhat Versailles-like demeanor immediately made many people chuckle.

Lady Wang was by nature a man of few words, and upon hearing this, she did not find it funny at all. In fact, she even wondered if Jia Lian was deliberately trying to provoke her.

Jia Lian had no intention of explaining too much to them. In his eyes, the rewards Emperor Ningkang had given him were not particularly significant compared to the value he had created.

Putting aside everything else, just the hundreds of warhorses he personally led back from the grasslands on several occasions were worth a total of 100,000 taels of silver!

Not to mention he beheaded so many enemies; in addition, the emperor also asked him to do a favor for his brother-in-law...

So, if you don't count the immeasurable benefit of promoting him, he's actually at a loss!

Therefore, Jia Lian directly changed the subject, waving to the silly women who were laughing at him with their necks raised.

"Did you call me?"

Sister Feng pointed to her own nose and stood up suspiciously.

Jia Lian said irritably, "Who else should I call? Do I have to call you 'Master' before you'll even acknowledge me?"

"go……"

Jia Lian's teasing remark about Feng Jie caused everyone in the room to burst into laughter. Grandmother Jia and Aunt Xue exchanged a glance, shook their heads with smiles, while You Shi and the others laughed with a mixture of envy and knowing smiles. Daiyu and the other sisters, covering their mouths as they laughed, were somewhat embarrassed.

Sister Feng, who was never afraid of being laughed at, still walked out generously this time.

Jia Lian then said to her, "Didn't the palace bestow over a dozen bolts of satin? I saw them earlier, and they're perfect for making spring clothes. We can't possibly use them all ourselves, and it's a waste to let them sit idle. Why don't you take them out and make two outfits for each of the Old Madam, Baochai, and Lan?"

Sister Feng was surprised that Jia Lian was being so recklessly generous again. She had already seen that the imperial gifts were of even better quality than those given in the palace; those twelve bolts of palace brocade were something she truly coveted!

Although she was reluctant, Sister Feng was a shrewd and worldly person. How could she be stingy and lose face during this joyous occasion of family reunion?

Therefore, he hurriedly said, "Hey, do you need to tell me this? I've already thought it through. After the New Year, when I have some free time, I'll make two nice clothes for each of the old lady, the madam, the eldest sister-in-law, and Baoyu."

"Hmph, you're worried it's a waste to leave them lying around? I'm only afraid you haven't brought back enough. If you can bring me some more, I'll still make sure you use them all up, leaving not a single one behind."

Jia Lian glanced at her sideways and said casually, "I didn't realize you were such a spendthrift."

One sentence instantly shattered all of Feng Jie's skills, making her face burn with embarrassment. In front of her elders, she couldn't very well retort to Jia Lian, so her pretty face turned red.

The ethereal beauty of Feng Lazi blushed—how novel! Everyone stared in astonishment. Even Erbao, who had been somewhat distracted, turned around and thought that Lian Ersao was incredibly beautiful!

Grandmother Jia was also greatly pleased and laughed heartily:

"No need to make them for me, no need to make them for me. I have so many clothes of my own that I can't even wear them all. It would be a waste to use up all that good material. If you really want to, make two pieces for each of your sisters. It would be a token of your appreciation as their older brother and sister-in-law."

The others, though instinctively feeling like they'd been bombarded with a mouthful of dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing public displays of affection), couldn't help but laugh.

These women, who were "unworldly," had never had the chance to witness such a scene of a husband and wife performing a duet together, and they all felt as if their eyes had been opened.

Especially Qin Shi, comparing her own experience with that of her best friend, couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions, and the envy in her eyes was almost overflowing.

He also longed for a husband who understood his heart and was willing to lower himself to joke and laugh with him...

Just then, Jia Lian glanced at You Shi's rosy cheeks and rosy lips. Qin Shi, sitting next to her mother-in-law, assumed Jia Lian was looking at her and felt a pang of shyness. However, being a woman of captivating charm, she instinctively returned Jia Lian's gaze with a seductive and alluring look, compelling him to focus his attention on her.

She lowered her head shyly, not wanting anyone to see her breathtaking beauty. Jia Lian was seated in the middle of the hall, with his back to the door as he spoke to Grandmother Jia, meaning almost all the women could see him without having to deliberately turn their heads. Since everyone did this, there was even less reason for them to be reserved.

Even Baochai, who was sitting to the side, couldn't help but stare blankly at her cousin-in-law, because Jia Lian had surprised her in just too many ways.

Jia Lian has only been back from the border for a little over half a month, so she has only seen him a handful of times, and most of those times were just like in Nanjing, brief encounters with very little serious conversation.

As a result, her impression of Jia Lian was mostly based on hearsay and her own simple observations.

Little did she know that Jia Lian, once they truly sat down to talk, would be even more different from ordinary men than she had imagined!

He seemed to exist outside of this world, beyond the limitations imposed on humanity. Even Baoyu, born with a jade in his mouth, paled in comparison to him; even the valiant and capable Fengya could only timidly display her girlish shyness before him.

Looking back now, the only thing about him that matches the rumors is that he "doesn't read books."

But what does that matter? Why shouldn't a man carry a sword? Since he had already decided to join the army, he didn't need to spend too much energy on Confucianism.

Moreover, as the ancients said, "Understanding the ways of the world is true learning, and being adept at human relationships is true literature." Everyone who is with him feels as if they are bathed in a spring breeze, which shows that his wisdom and understanding far surpasses that of others.

Baochai suddenly realized she couldn't think about it anymore.

Therefore, she suddenly realized that her childhood assumptions about great men were probably wrong. She had always thought that there might not be any men who could meet such standards... But up until now, her cousin-in-law actually seemed to meet them all!

Could there really be such a perfect man in the world?

Baochai was somewhat confused. If such a person truly existed, would she be able to meet him? Perhaps it was better if she didn't. Her name had already been submitted to the Ministry of Rites, and she might soon enter the palace.

She had no other choice.

……

After being admired by a group of beauties, both young and old, Jia Lian still came out onto the veranda.

But they saw that Jia Zhen and the others were already fully prepared to depart.

Today is the Lantern Festival, and Jia Zhen and the others have long arranged for a night of revelry. Receiving the family banquet from Grandmother Jia is merely a formality; sitting here, they dare not even speak loudly, so naturally, they are not enjoying themselves!

Therefore, Jia Zhen also invited all his sons and nephews to Gao Le at Ningguo Mansion, and later they were going to a brothel to drink and have fun...

The reason they hadn't left yet was specifically to wait for Jia Lian to come out.

Jia Lian, however, was unwilling to go with them. These people's tastes were so vulgar that they were no better than his predecessor's. They were fine for drinking and socializing, but he would rather not go out with them to enjoy themselves.

If we don't play together then, they'll think he's putting on airs after becoming an official, and that will only make them unhappy.

Therefore, he declined their invitation, citing that he had to go to the government office early the next morning.

Jia Lian's reason was perfectly valid, and although Jia Zhen felt regretful, he couldn't force him and had to let him have his way. Soon, the once bustling corridor was empty except for Jia Lian and Jia Yun. Even Jia Huan, who was too young for Jia Zhen to play with, had disappeared.

Jia Yun actually wanted to go with Jia Zhen and the others to see the high-end entertainment, but seeing that Jia Lian didn't go, he didn't dare to leave the table.

To test his composure, Jia Lian ignored him for a moment. Seeing Jia Lian watching the play quietly, Jia Yun didn't dare to disturb him either. So, although the table was full of cups and plates, the entire wide corridor was unusually quiet, with only the uncle and nephew standing two or three zhang apart, silently watching the play.

Once Qingwen noticed that all the gentlemen in the corridor had left, she walked out confidently, massaged Jia Lian's shoulders a few times, and then asked with a smile, "Second Master, why are you the only one drinking here...?"

Hearing this from not far away, Jia Yun thought to himself: I wasn't even considered human before.

However, knowing that Qingwen was Jia Lian's maid, he dared not look at her too much.

But Jia Lian called him again, so he had no choice but to stand up, walk closer, and bow his head to listen to the instructions.

"Today is a festival for family reunion. Since there are no extra people at your home, you shouldn't stay here any longer. Go back and keep your mother company, and please give her my regards."

By the way, see what your mother likes to eat at this table, feel free to bring some back for her.

"Butler, go and fetch a food box for Yun-ge'er."

Upon hearing Jia Lian's instructions, Jia Yun felt inexplicably sad, but also secretly moved.

He had only come to the Rongguo Mansion to try his luck, as instructed by his mother, but Jia Lian hadn't even waited for him to say anything before agreeing to arrange a job for him, and now he was even thinking of him so much...

Although Jia Lian was only a few years older than him, he knelt down sincerely before Jia Lian, kowtowing and thanking him with tears in his eyes. Then, following Jia Lian's instructions, he packed two dishes and ran home as fast as he could.

Once Jia Yun left, Qingwen twisted Jia Lian's neck and laughed, "It's so funny. He's such a big man, and he cried just because the Second Master gave him two dishes..."

Jia Lian flicked her delicate nose and scolded, "You have the nerve to laugh at others? Did you get born with a life of wealth and privilege, and after only a few years of enjoying good fortune, you've already forgotten your roots?"

Qingwen blushed, only then remembering the hardships she had endured as a child. Those were truly difficult times, but she hadn't thought much of it then, because she never imagined she would be living a life of wealth so soon.

Dissatisfied with Jia Lian's accusation that she had forgotten her roots, she playfully complained and almost twisted into Jia Lian's arms. However, since there were many people around, she dared not be too presumptuous. So she took a wine pot from the hot water bottle and said with a charming smile, "It's rather boring for Second Master to drink alone. Let me pour you some wine and have a couple of cups with you..."

Jia Lian smiled and drank some cold wine with her. Seeing that her face turned bright red after drinking a cup, Jia Lian didn't want to play with her anymore.

Having a pretty girl like Qingwen accompany someone for drinks is beautiful, but it can easily ruin plans.

So he got up, packed up the few rare dishes on his table that had hardly been touched, such as braised deer tendons and stir-fried ox tongue, and then asked the butler Lin Zhixiao to clear away all the tables outside.

Qingwen was wondering who Jia Lian was serving the dishes to when she heard him instruct her to take the dishes to the kitchen to steam them and then deliver them to his study.

Qingwen raised her rosy cheeks and pouted her cherry lips, "I knew it was for those two little sluts!"

He knew he was going to get hit as soon as he said it, so he immediately dodged, but still got kicked in the butt.

Seeing her turn around and glare at him, before obediently wiggling her hips and walking away, Jia Lian couldn't help but smile.

Even though it's a holiday, he doesn't want to waste his daily training schedule if he has the time.

Practicing martial arts is something that requires perseverance.

The only pity is that the courtyard behind the study is too small, so there isn't much room to work out.

When Jia She dies, I must renovate the east wing and build at least a decent training ground!

It's a waste of space for the old man to be alive.