Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

After noon, Jia Zheng returned to the mansion to rest, and Grandmother Jia called him over and told him about Jia Lian's affairs that day.

Seeing Jia Zheng's surprise, Grandmother Jia and the others asked in confusion, "Didn't Lian'er tell you?"

Jia Zheng shook his head: "He came to me before noon and only talked about opening a doorway through the middle of the courtyard wall. I heard him say that the old lady had already agreed, and that it would indeed be much easier for the women to come and go in the future, so I didn't think much of it."

"What, did Lian'er really want to move out from the beginning?"

Seeing that both Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang nodded, Jia Zheng said excitedly, "Thanks to the old lady's wisdom, she stopped him from speaking. Otherwise, I'm afraid I would have no face to continue managing the household and serving you here."

Lian'er has become increasingly successful over the years, and her temperament has also hardened.

Once he became an official, his rank was even higher than his son's. In the future, he would naturally have many subordinates and colleagues among the military officers. Under such circumstances, it would certainly be inconvenient for him if he could not open his own gate and build his own residence.

So I can understand his actions. I had been thinking of finding an opportunity to have a proper talk with him, but this incident with my older brother delayed it.

The old lady's handling of the situation was extremely appropriate, and now I can finally rest easy.

Jia Zheng was actually worried that Jia Lian would make a show of force and demand a separation of the family property. Even with his "indifference to fame and fortune," he would probably have to play a game of cat and mouse with Jia Lian.

After all, even he couldn't bear to give up the wealth and luxury of the vast Rongguo Mansion and move out to live elsewhere.

Now, hearing that Jia Lian had no intention of driving him away, but instead preferred to suffer in silence and establish his own household elsewhere, Jia Zheng was deeply moved.

What a good child!

All those years of pampering him weren't for nothing.

With these thoughts in mind, Jia Zheng naturally didn't hesitate to say many kind words.

Madam Wang stood to the side, her expression indifferent. She knew that her husband probably didn't think the worst of people, and that's why he only thought the good.

When I get back tonight, I'll have to give him a little pointers... I just don't know if he'll be staying at the Zhao family's house again tonight!

Grandmother Jia gave Jia Zheng a deep look, unsure whether he was being sincere.

Then he sighed inwardly. If he really did die, that would be good. Guan Lian'er was not a heartless person. He knew that his second uncle treated him with such sincerity. Perhaps then the two of them would be able to get along harmoniously in the future.

A family's harmony cannot last if it always relies on the matriarch to maintain order.

……

Late at night, Feng Jie, who was still full of energy after a busy day, took advantage of everyone's inattention and went to Jia Lian's house. Sure enough, Jia Lian was preparing to rest.

This was an agreement between the couple: for the past month, during the day one would take care of the front and the other the inside.

They take turns at night, with one person looking after the patient until midnight.

Wanting to have a private conversation with Jia Lian, she left everyone outside and, while Ping'er was helping Jia Lian wash his feet, sat down on the edge of the kang (heated brick bed) and stared intently at him.

"What's wrong?" Jia Lian asked, frowning.

Ignoring Jia Lian's attitude, Feng Jie still stared at him with her bright phoenix eyes. "I heard from Bao Yu and the others that the old lady and the madam said that from now on, the two sides will be united as one and no one is allowed to mention the matter of dividing the family again."

Even our stipends are now being distributed from the government budget, instead of being paid separately from here?

"What are you so happy about? Although the allowance is no longer paid from here, the annual allowance here has also been taken back to the government by Madam. When you add it all up, aren't we at a loss?" Jia Lian glanced at Feng Jie and said casually.

Sister Feng became dissatisfied.

"Don't try to fool me. Do you think I'm as ignorant as the First Madam?"

Now that the two sides have joined forces, although we have a little less money, from now on we can legitimately live there.

Besides, when we really need money, would any official dare to stop us from using it?

If there's no important business, even the old lady and the madam can only get twenty taels of silver a month from the government. What difference does it make if that money is kept in the government?

My only worry is that once the two sides are closed in, what will happen to all those things in the lord's courtyard...?"

Jia She spent decades building up his wealth, squandering countless fortunes of the Duke's mansion.

However, the granary, which had been plagued by rats, was still full of chaff. All of Jia She's life's savings and wealth were in the east wing. Wang Xifeng had roughly estimated that it was far more than the wealth she had accumulated over the years.

She had long been thinking about how to bypass Madam Xing and take these things for herself. If they were also confiscated by the government, she would be heartbroken.

Jia Lian understood what Feng Jie meant and calmly replied, "With me here, no one can take away a single copper coin from this courtyard."

Just like the accumulated wealth of the two generations of dukes in Rongxi Hall, it was all enjoyed by Jia Zheng.

Jia Lian had no intention of taking over Rongxi Hall, and naturally, no one else could take anything from the east wing.

Even someone as shrewd as Lady Wang, when she was in Grandmother Jia's Rongqing Hall, didn't dare to show any interest in this place, and could only say, "This house is still for their use."

In other words, even Madam Wang has acknowledged that this area will still belong to their main branch of the family. Just like Sister Feng's courtyard, it belongs to them and is their private property, independent of the official residence. However, this area is much, much larger than Sister Feng's courtyard, almost the same size as Rongxi Hall.

In other words, from now on, in terms of the size of the territory occupied by the Rongguo Mansion, he and Jia Zheng are now equals.

Of course, this is based on his official position and his right to speak.

Otherwise, Grandmother Jia, Jia Zheng, and others would have dared to take the things from this place and put them into the government for their own enjoyment after Jia She's death...

Moreover, the reasons can be very legitimate, leaving no room for criticism.

This is what is known as the struggle for interests within a family. Some people don't understand it, thinking that as long as a family is harmonious, what is there to fight over?

Interests, large numbers of people, the world of martial arts.

When these things get involved, it's not a question of whether you want to fight or not. Take Jia Baoyu, for example. He only thinks about enjoying wealth and has no desire to fight, but today, he has actually been drawn into the struggle, even though he hasn't realized it yet.

Although Jia Lian didn't want to spend his days scheming over trivial family matters, being part of such a large family, he had to constantly ensure that his legitimate interests weren't harmed. He needed to intimidate others so they wouldn't dare to challenge him!

Like Jia Baoyu, who didn't want to fight with others but couldn't stop others from fighting him, his fate was manipulated by others, which was truly tragic.

As for Wang Xifeng, she was full of worries, but when she heard Jia Lian's confident and domineering words, she instantly felt a surge of moisture in her stomach.

She believed that Jia Lian was not just making empty promises.

Even she could sense that Jia Lian's influence within the family was growing stronger. Whether it was the revered matriarch, Grandmother Jia, or the clan head, Jia Zhen, from the east, they were all becoming increasingly polite to them.

This is only natural; nowadays, even unscrupulous officials have secured their positions, and even the request for posthumous titles for the deceased magistrate has been submitted.

In just a few days, a second-rank general's title will be bestowed upon him.

At that time, the person without conscience would become the second-highest in the entire Jia clan, second only to Grandmother Jia, even surpassing Jia Zheng and Jia Zhen.

As for Madam Xing, although she holds the title of a first-rank noblewoman, her own background is too weak, she is a widow, and she has no capable children, so she's just so-so. Just maintain appearances and show respect when necessary.

Therefore, Jia Lian's confidence in saying such things makes him convincing and admirable.

The fact that a strong-willed woman like Sister Feng could display such an expression greatly enhances a man's sense of satisfaction.

Jia Lian couldn't help but reach out and pull Feng Jie into his arms, rubbing her gently.

Sister Feng became embarrassed and annoyed, pushed Jia Lian away, and scolded him coquettishly, "What are you doing! At a time like this, don't you care about propriety? Why don't you calm down..."

Hearing what Sister Feng said, Jia Lian gave up his idea of ​​playing games with her.

At least in Feng Jie's heart, Jia She was still her father-in-law. He wasn't a lecherous man, so why should Feng Jie bear such a stigma?

In reality, Sister Feng wasn't particularly wary of Jia She; she was just afraid that doing such a thing would leave her without energy and cause her to make mistakes, so she was able to endure it.

She was incredibly determined to prove herself in front of her family.

She could endure not sharing a room with Jia Lian for a month.

However, she was afraid that Jia Lian would not be able to resist, so she always let Jia Lian go to sleep first. By the time Jia Lian woke up, You Shi, Qin Shi, and the other people would probably have all gone back to their own homes, so Jia Lian would not have a chance to seduce her.

This is a simple manifestation of Sister Feng's cunning.

She knew all too well how alluring her nephew's wife and best friend was, and how much of a temptation she had for men.

Perhaps any man who sees her will be unable to forget her!

Those without conscience are no exception, but he's now good at hiding himself, which is why it's not so obvious to others.

However, he asked someone to deliver blood ginseng to the Qin family to nourish their bodies!

To warn Jia Lian, Sister Feng decided to take the initiative.

"Did you know that after you went to the border last year, some bad things happened in the Eastern Prefecture? Rong'er's wife fell ill because of this..."

Sister Feng deliberately mentioned Qin Shi while carefully observing Jia Lian's facial expression.

Jia Lian turned around and asked expressionlessly, "Oh, what is it?"

"I'm only telling you this secretly; just keep it in your heart."

It was probably that old man Zhen over there who had some kind of heartless and unscrupulous idea, but somehow Jiao Da from the mansion over there found out about it. That night, Jiao Da, who was drunk, blurted it out.

Rong'er's wife had just fallen ill with a heart condition and it took her several months to recover.

Sister Feng appeared to be having a heart-to-heart talk with Jia Lian.

"Oh, is that so? How do you know it's not just a rumor, Brother Zhen? You wouldn't dare to have such thoughts..."

"Tch, do you think I don't know what kind of scheming you men have? He wouldn't dare? Ever since Master Jing became a monk, Master Zhen hasn't been keeping an eye on him. Is there anything in this world he wouldn't dare to do?"

Fengjie paused here. As the manager of the household, she was well-informed and had heard about some of the bad things Jia Zhen had done outside. She didn't want to tell Jia Lian, lest she displease him.

"Besides, Rong'er's wife and I are lovers. With her gentle and reserved nature, how could she possibly keep a secret? If I tested her, wouldn't she have given herself away?"

"What, she gave in?" Jia Lian's voice suddenly rose a little.

All those preparations he made were probably in vain.

Or was it that Qin was born with a lewd nature, and even Jia Zhen could do that to her?

He used rumors and Jiao Da, these crude methods, which he himself knew could only be used to guard against Jia Zhen.

Jia Zhen was, after all, the head of the Jia family, and a man who cared about his reputation.

If the Qin family takes the initiative, then there is nothing he can do.

"Although she may not comply, judging from her appearance, I'm afraid she may not be innocent!"

Unfortunately, Rong'er is like a fool. Even after causing such a mess, he's still out gallivanting all day long, never home for three or five days at a time. He's truly broken Rong'er's wife's heart...

If it weren't for Sister-in-law You's foresight in keeping a close watch on Rong'er's wife, both openly and secretly, there might have truly been a scandalous affair that led to the downfall of the family.

"I think the East Mansion has produced a whole bunch of scoundrels. They're all men who have no shortage of women, yet they insist on eyeing those they can't touch."

While scolding Jia Zhen and Jia Rong, Feng Jie glanced at Jia Lian, intending to give him a wake-up call and make him realize that he shouldn't be like Jia Zhen and have thoughts of bullying Rong's wife.

What else could Jia Lian do but pretend he didn't understand?

Such words should be left unsaid; going too far would be counterproductive. So, Sister Feng quickly put it aside and asked a few more questions about what happened at Rongqing Hall that morning. Just then, Ping'er brought in the foot-washing water, and they prepared to leave with her.

After thinking for a moment, he said to Ping'er, "You stay here tonight and help your second master to rest."

Feng Jie's decision surprised not only Qiao Ping'er and made her blush, but even Jia Lian couldn't help but look over.

Sister Feng laughed and said, "What, you don't want it? Then I'll take it with me..."

Jia Lian shook his head: "It's not that I don't want it, I'm just wondering why you've suddenly become so generous?"

Feng Jie was worried that Jia Lian might have impure thoughts, given the many wives and maids in and around the house.

Rather than letting outsiders benefit, it's better to let Ping'er benefit; she'll feel more at ease that way!

So she didn't argue with Jia Lian, but gave him a haughty look and went out to the outer room, letting Qingwen follow her out to stay up all night.

Seeing Qingwen looking longingly into the room, Fengjie couldn't help but mock, "What, you want to stay too? It's your own fault for being so useless and not pleasing your master, so she's the only one who gets to stay."

"If you're so capable of getting your master to take you in, I'll let you stay next time."

Qingwen couldn't stand such words and blushed as she went out.

In fact, Qingwen also had a domineering personality. She was arrogant and haughty towards the young maids and the old women who did menial tasks. However, in Fengjie's hands, even a dragon had to coil up and a tiger had to lie down.

For example, just a simple sentence from Sister Feng made Qingwen feel jealous of Ping'er...

Sister Feng has her own set of methods for managing her subordinates; although they may not be perfect, they are certainly effective.