Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Neither Grandmother Jia nor Lady Wang are fools; they will not allow Jia Lian to actually move out.

Grandmother Jia didn't want the family to fall apart and become a laughing stock.

Lady Wang, however, knew that no matter how much Jia Lian said, he never once said he would relinquish the title...

If Jia Lian were to move out of the Rongguo Mansion with his noble title, neither she nor Jia Zheng would be able to stay there any longer!

At that time, the doubts from relatives and friends, the ridicule from outsiders, and even the questioning from the imperial court will be unbearable for them.

Once Lady Wang understood this, she immediately realized that Jia Lian was trying to take the initiative and use this opportunity to drive them out.

What a wonderful Lian'er! She has truly improved!

Madam Wang felt a surge of resentment. Over the years, they hadn't remembered a single thing about how good they had been to the two of them. Now that they had just gained power, they already wanted to deal with them.

But did they think they could succeed this way? The old lady is still here!

Unfortunately, despite Grandmother Jia's earnest advice, Jia Lian replied as if his mind was made up: "Grandmother, it's not that I'm being overly sensitive, but since the two families have already separated, it's only a matter of time before I move out. Surely I can't really rely on my uncle and aunt for the rest of my life?"

Daiyu, who was grieving, heard Jia Lian mention the phrase "the family has already separated" again. Remembering what he had said earlier, she suddenly understood Jia Lian's intentions.

Seeing that Grandmother Jia and the others had no way to refute Jia Lian's words, Daiyu wanted to remind them, but then thought that she was an outsider and shouldn't interfere in their family affairs. So she turned her head and whispered a few words to Jia Baoyu.

Upon hearing this, Jia Baoyu immediately showed a look of sudden realization, and then stepped forward to say to Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang:

"Grandma, Madam, what Brother Lian said makes sense."

If the two families have already separated, it's only natural that he lives separately from us..."

"Baoyu, don't talk nonsense..."

Lady Wang was afraid that Jia Baoyu would speak recklessly out of ignorance, making this thorny matter even more difficult to resolve, so she reprimanded him in a stern voice.

Grandmother Jia knew that Jia Baoyu was quite intelligent, and she had just seen Daiyu and Jia Baoyu whispering to each other. She thought that perhaps they, like Jia Lian, were "children" and understood Jia Lian's meaning better, and knew how to persuade him. Therefore, she waved her hand to interrupt Lady Wang and signaled Jia Baoyu to finish what he was saying.

Jia Baoyu then laughed and said, "But we clearly haven't separated our households. This is Brother Lian's home, so why should Brother Lian move out?"

Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang were both taken aback. They suddenly realized that they seemed to have been blind to their own shortcomings, being led by the nose by Jia Lian's words without noticing the most fundamental problem.

Upon seeing this, Jia Baoyu knew he was on the right track. Indeed, Lin Daiyu was the smartest and most understanding.

"Brother Lian just said that he wanted to live in his own home, but isn't this Brother Lian's home?"

Even if Lian Er is separated from us by a floor, the old lady is still at home. Isn't the old lady's home Lian Er's home?

Even though my father and uncle had lived separately for many years, it was only for convenience that they lived apart temporarily.

Have you not heard that while the old lady is still alive, the father and the eldest master are arguing about dividing the family property?

So, Brother Lian just misunderstood. In reality, we have always been a close family. Brother Lian doesn't need to move out. If he insists on moving out, that would be disrespectful to the old lady.

Jia Baoyu smiled and said, with an air of profound mystery, as if he had already seen through everything.

Although Madam Wang's brows furrowed more and more as she listened, she ultimately said nothing more.

Although in her heart she was certain that the family had separated... How could a "gentleman" like her and Jia Zheng coexist with a rogue like Jia She and a shallow and stupid woman like Madam Xing!

But after hearing Jia Baoyu's words, she knew that if he said that, Jia Lian would have no reason to force them anymore.

Thus, the one in the right became their second wife. If Jia Lian dared to make another fuss about moving out, it would be considered unfilial to Grandmother Jia, and this alone would be enough to control him.

Grandmother Jia's stance differed from Lady Wang's. She almost immediately came to her senses and looked at Jia Lian, saying, "Did you hear what your brother Bao said?"

The reason your father and your second uncle lived separately was simply because their personalities didn't mesh well, so they lived in separate courtyards.

So this is considered a family division? Over the years, have you ever seen your father refuse to come when I invite him in for a talk? Have you ever seen your second uncle not discuss important family matters with your father?

You've clearly misunderstood us. Now you're acting like you've suffered a great injustice, trying to pressure me and your wife. Have we really mistreated you all these years?

Upon hearing Grandmother Jia's repeated questioning, Jia Lian first glanced at Daiyu standing to the side.

Indeed, bystanders see things more clearly. Neither Grandmother Jia nor Lady Wang were stupid, but because he touched upon their fundamental interests, they lost their minds and were deceived by his words.

"Does the old lady mean that my father and husband really haven't separated their households?"

"Of course not! If they dared to mention dividing the family property, I would have had their legs broken long ago!"

In Grandmother Jia's mind, even if Jia Lian were still the good-for-nothing he used to be, let alone his current official career, she would never let him move out.

As the eldest grandson of the family, Jia Lian is the only one who can move out, while everyone else can!

At this moment, Grandmother Jia believed she had seen through the knot in Jia Lian's heart, so how could she not know what to do?

She felt a mix of guilt and relief.

She felt guilty, believing she had misunderstood Jia Lian. Perhaps Jia Lian simply didn't want to live with his uncle and aunt and wanted to be self-reliant.

The good news is that Jia Lian kept his word and showed no intention of competing with Jia Zheng for the family property.

He preferred to move out himself and never showed a trace of resentment from beginning to end.

So she stood up, walked in front of Jia Lian, helped him up, and said gently, "Lian'er, I know you are a good child. You don't know the foolish things your father did back then, which is why you feel that we shouldn't have sent your father to live separately over there."

In short, in my heart, you and Baoyu are both my own grandsons. So where are you going to move to?

Over the years, ask yourself honestly, was it your father who treated you better, or your second uncle?

Jia Lian said, "My second uncle treats me better than my father."

"It's good that you know this. If you weren't family, and your second uncle didn't treat you like a close relative, how could he have done this?"

Think about it, if he heard what you just said, wouldn't he be heartbroken?

So let's not talk about moving out anymore. We're all family, and there's plenty of room in the house.

If you bring up moving out again, you're really forcing us.

Grandmother Jia's eyes turned stern as she finished speaking.

Many things don't need to be said; everyone understands them.

It's impossible for Jia Lian to move out. If he were truly determined to move, he would be forcing Jia Zheng and Lady Wang to move as well.

Grandmother Jia would not allow it!

Jia Lian pretended not to understand and simply sighed, "If it is true, as the old lady says, that my father and second uncle never separated their households, then I naturally have nothing to say."

Even if I am completely ignorant of etiquette, I would never dare to be unfilial to the old lady or disrespectful to my elders.

I know that my father has treated me better than he has treated Baoyu over the years, and I truly respect him. My father doesn't like dealing with mundane affairs, and I am willing to take on this responsibility for the family.

However, I truly don't want to ever again walk around at home and hear the servants say that I'm just staying at my uncle's house, managing the household, and helping my uncle with household affairs.

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia finally understood Jia Lian's intentions.

So he immediately said to the old women on either side, "Listen carefully, our Rongguo Mansion has only ever existed since the founding emperor ordered its construction. There has never been a distinction between the main courtyard and the east wing."

In our family, there has never been such a thing as dividing the family property.

From this day forward, anyone who dares to mention dividing the family property at home is cursing me to die! Only after I'm dead can they have their way of dividing and scattering the family!

With these words, Grandmother Jia had essentially issued an ironclad order.

No one in the Jia family dared to bear the blame for cursing Grandmother Jia to die young.

Lai and his colleagues nodded hurriedly.

Madam Wang quickly added, "Grandma, please calm down. No one has ever said such a thing before. It's just that Lian'er is overthinking things."

Grandmother Jia gave Lady Wang a deep look, staring at her until her eyes glazed over before she stopped.

Then he asked Jia Lian, "What else do you have to say?"

Jia Lian bowed with his hands clasped: "It was my fault. From now on, I will know that this is my and Feng'er's home. Therefore, no matter what we do, as long as it is for the good of this family, it is our duty."

When Lady Wang heard Jia Lian's words, she felt something was amiss.

It feels like I've fallen into Jia Lian's trap again...

But can she go back on her word? It seems not.