Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Chapter 524 Strolling in the Garden (Part 1)

The debate in the imperial court the following day unfolded exactly as Jia Lian had predicted.

Although many ministers questioned Jia Lian in court, even more spoke up for him. Most importantly, Emperor Ningkang never showed any intention of punishing Jia Lian, so after they failed to produce any valid evidence, those who had impeached him fell silent.

So Jia Lian stood in the ranks of the military officers and listened to the morning court session.

Upon returning to Ningrong Street, Jia Lian first went to Ningguo Mansion to visit Lady You.

Lady You remained as dignified as ever, inviting Jia Lian to sit down in the inner room. She immediately had Jia Heng and Jia Wu brought in, implying that Jia Lian had only come to see the two children.

Perhaps because of Mrs. You's good health, both children looked plump and healthy.

However, upon closer inspection, it can be seen that although they were born on the same day, the older sister Jia Heng was obviously stronger than her younger brother Jia Wu. It seems that when the two siblings were fighting for territory in their mother's womb, the older sister was the winner.

After playing with the two babbling little ones for a while, Jia Lian asked the wet nurse to take them away.

As the unrelated people stepped aside, Madam You, feeling somewhat embarrassed under Jia Lian's scrutinizing gaze, looked around and said, "Ever since Second Uncle mentioned it last time, I've brought my second and third sisters to the manor. Would Second Uncle like to go and see them?"

Jia Lian was stunned for a moment, vaguely remembering that he had casually mentioned it once, but who knew that Madam You would still remember it to this day.

He shook his head, beckoned You Shi to come over, and had her sit on his lap. Then he asked, "How is your health progressing?"

"It's alright, nothing serious."

At this moment, Silver Butterfly walked in, smiling happily, and said, "Our grandma has always been in good health, but these days she keeps saying that her chest feels very bloated. We suggested calling a doctor to take a look, but grandma won't allow it."

"Silver Butterfly".

Madam You looked embarrassed and stopped the talkative Yin Die. Yin Die chuckled, put down her things, and left.

"Oh, is your chest swollen?" Jia Lian laughed inexplicably, looking down at the magnificent breasts of Madam You.

A fully mature young woman, her size is incomparable to that of young maids like Qingwen. Even Fengjie, in terms of size, cannot compare to You Shi.

"Sometimes it does go up a little, but it's nothing serious."

"I can't be bothered to call a doctor," Madam You replied softly. The problem had occurred in such a private place; besides, she wasn't feeling too bad and figured she could just bear it.

Jia Lian then asked her, "Have you never breastfed your child since birth?"

"Yes, the child has a wet nurse, so I don't need to feed him..."

Jia Lian laughed and said, "Do you believe I can cure your illness?"

Lady You looked at Jia Lian with confusion, only to see Jia Lian smile smugly and then begin to unbutton her clothes.

A little while later, Lady You learned what Jia Lian's so-called treatment method was.

"Second Uncle, that's enough, that's about it..."

Fifteen minutes later, Madam You looked at the milk that had splattered all over her body, dress, and even the floor, and called for an end to the act, feeling very embarrassed.

Jia Lian didn't press the matter. After releasing his grip, he asked, "How are you feeling? Are you more comfortable now?"

"Um."

Madam You nodded, quickly buttoned up her clothes, and then carefully felt her body. Sure enough, she felt that the swelling sensation had subsided considerably. She wondered to herself, "Could my second uncle also cure illnesses?"

Jia Lian laughed and said, "You call yourself the eldest young mistress, yet you don't even know this? You're experiencing breast milk buildup, which is why your breasts are swollen."

Lady You lowered her head in shame. After Jia Lian's actions, she guessed the cause of the illness.

Anyway, it didn't matter if she lost face in front of Jia Lian, so she blushed and said, "Then what should I do if my breasts get... engorged again next time?"

"What should I do? It's easy, just like I did just now, rub it a little more and it will be fine."

If you find it inconvenient to knead it yourself, you can have Silver Butterfly help you; it will be the same.

Upon hearing this, Madam You blushed. She felt inexplicably ashamed thinking about how she had been alone in her room massaging her own breasts, let alone having Yindie help her.

"Or, you could take care of your grandchildren yourself; that would be the best way, and it would also prevent any waste."

After Jia Lian explained it this way, You Shi fully understood the reasoning. She smiled and whispered in Jia Lian's ear, "Second Uncle, would you like me to serve you?"

She sat in Jia Lian's lap the whole time, so she was naturally aware of his every move.

Jia Lian hesitated for a moment, then put his arm around her waist and shook his head, saying, "Let's forget it. Let's wait until you've had more time to recover before talking about it."

Lady You was not surprised at all. She stood up, leaned close to Jia Lian's ear, and said, "Thank you for your understanding, Second Uncle. In that case, let me serve you here to repay your kindness in healing and saving lives."

As she spoke, Lady You gently kissed Jia Lian's earlobe with her fragrant lips, and then knelt down on the ground, following Jia Lian's legs.

Jia Lian glanced down at Madam You. Because there was still a lot of white milk flowing on the ground, the whole environment looked somewhat desolate.

He intended to stop the beauty, but then he thought that she had repeatedly wanted to serve him, and if he refused her outright, he feared he would hurt her feelings.

She gave birth to twins for the Jia family, which was a meritorious act and she deserved a reward.

Having figured this out, Jia Lian leaned back in his armchair and began to enjoy You Shi's service with a clear conscience.

……

After returning home and resting briefly, it was time for lunch.

Sister Feng asked Jia Lian what his plans were for the afternoon.

Jia Lian thought for a moment, "When I came back just now, I passed through the garden and found the scenery there to be quite beautiful. If my wife is interested, why don't we stroll through the garden together?"

"It's rare that you have the leisure to do this."

Sister Feng smiled and replied, "I dare not disobey Your Excellency's order. However, I am not as carefree as Your Excellency. I am afraid that someone or something might come looking for me, which would spoil Your Excellency's enjoyment of the garden."

"It's alright, one more won't make a difference. I'm also planning to take Sanchun and Daiyu with me to stroll around the garden."

Upon hearing this, Sister Feng's phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, and she said with a forced smile, "I think you want to bring Sanchun along, but that's just an extra. The main thing is to bring your fairy-like Lin sister along for a stroll in the garden. Romance and love are the real things, aren't they?"

Faced with Sister Feng's sarcastic remarks, Jia Lian didn't tolerate her anymore. He glanced at her sideways and said, "Are you itching for a beating again?"

"Hmph." Sister Feng twitched her eyelids and stopped arguing.

So, after the meal, Jia Lian sent the maids to invite Daiyu and the three sisters.

The three sisters were very accommodating and arrived together very quickly.

There was a problem only with Daiyu: "Miss Lin is taking a nap and said she doesn't want to go, so let Second Master and the young ladies enjoy their stroll."

Normally it would be fine, but now that the garden has been completely renovated and decorated, Jia Lian is preparing to take a good stroll around. How can it be complete without Daiyu?

So he smiled at Sanchun and said, "It seems she has a bit of an air about her. I'll have to go and invite her myself before she'll come."

Then Jia Lian came to Grandmother Jia's courtyard in person.

Daiyu was indeed taking a nap, lying on her small bed with a thin quilt draped over her, her little face flushed.

Seeing Jia Lian sitting by the bed watching his young mistress intently, Zijuan couldn't help but explain, "Miss isn't feeling very well today; she only ate a little bit for lunch."

Jia Lian nodded, then suddenly asked Zijuan, "Do you think she'll wake up if I kiss her now?"

Zijuan was taken aback, then blushed slightly and said, "But didn't Second Master promise our young lady that he wouldn't kiss her again...?"

"What's there to be afraid of? She's asleep now, so she won't know what I do."

As he spoke, Jia Lian pouted, leaned close to Daiyu's smiling face, and made a move to kiss her.

"flutter"

The sound of the blanket being pulled off revealed that a certain fairy who had been fast asleep had turned over and was now sitting on the bed, glaring at him with a face full of shame and indignation.

But when faced with Jia Lian's smug, triumphant expression, her confidence waned considerably.

Seeing this, Zijuan knew perfectly well that Daiyu had been pretending to be asleep. She smiled to herself, thinking that these two were truly a pair of sworn enemies.

So Zijuan shook her head and left.

"People are sleeping, what are you doing here?"

Daiyu brushed a strand of hair from her forehead and questioned Jia Lian with a mixture of reproach and annoyance.

"So you're awake now? That's perfect. Let's go for a walk in the garden. Your second sister, third sister, and fourth sister are all here."

"What's there to see? I already said I wasn't going, you guys can go by yourselves."

Daiyu was somewhat unhappy.

Jia Lian laughed and said, "If it were any other time, and Lin sister was too lazy to go, I wouldn't force you."

But today is different.

Not to mention that the garden is now completely finished and is completely different from what we saw before, just look at the various courtyards in the garden. After the Imperial Concubine visits her family in the future, you may all move in and live there.

Think about it, there are only a few good spots in that garden. If the three sisters pick them all, then Lin Daiyu will have nowhere to cry.

"Hmph, once you've chosen, you've chosen. Who cares?"

Even so, Daiyu was still greatly intrigued by Jia Lian's words.

If someone else had told her that they would be allowed to live in the villa that the Jia family had built for the Imperial Concubine to visit her family, she might not have believed it. But since Jia Lian said it, she believed it to a large extent.

I won't go into how wonderful the garden is or how beautiful the scenery is, but once you move into the garden, you can not only get rid of the constraints of your elders, but also have a large piece of land of your own!

She remembered when Anu died, she couldn't find a place to bury her, and it was only with Jia Lian's help that she was able to bury Anu.

Once you move into the garden, these concerns will definitely disappear. After all, the garden is so large, and each courtyard occupies a considerable area.

So, deep down, she also wanted to move in.

She had already set her sights on one or two places she liked, and it would be bad if the three Chun sisters took them away from her.

So he had already agreed in his heart, but he was too embarrassed to go back on his word.

Jia Lian saw right through the little maid's thoughts. He took Daiyu's soft, smooth hand and laughed, "Alright, alright, you don't care. I just wanted Lin Daiyu to come with me to stroll in the garden. Look, I've come to invite you personally, and you're unwilling to give me that favor?"

Jia Lian's mushy voice made Daiyu feel a little embarrassed. She abruptly pulled her hand back and scolded, "Alright, I'll go. Why are you pulling and tugging at me like that?"

As he spoke, he gave Jia Lian a warning glare.

While on the ship, she made a three-point agreement with Jia Lian: upon returning to the Rongguo Mansion, Jia Lian must respect and cherish her, and must not lay a hand on her again.

So Daiyu called Zijuan in to help her change her clothes. Seeing that Jia Lian still wanted to stay in the room, she didn't indulge him and directly pushed Jia Lian out of the inner room.

While Daiyu was changing her clothes, Jia Lian went into Jia Baoyu's room on the other side.

Upon discovering that Jia Baoyu was also taking a nap, Jia Lian did not disturb him. He simply told Xiren, who was guarding him in the room, about the garden visit, and told Jia Baoyu to tell him when he woke up.

After all, he was the eldest brother, and Jia Lian didn't want people to think that he was deliberately targeting Jia Baoyu.

Moreover, bringing this lively character along can liven up the atmosphere and add a lot of fun to the park visit.

Xi Ren stood up and obediently indicated that she understood.

Seeing her delicate and charming appearance, and noticing the shy yet resentful look in her eyes, Jia Lian stepped forward, cupped her round face in his hands, and after rubbing it for a while, he let go and turned away, leaving Xiren standing there with her face flushed, covering her face, dumbfounded, at a loss, and confused.

As expected of a master at catching up, Jia Baoyu chased after Jia Lian and the rest of the group as soon as they entered the gate of the Grand View Garden.

Upon entering the Grand View Garden, one is greeted by a wide, verdant screen that blocks the view of newcomers, preventing them from taking in all the scenery at once and losing interest.

Beyond the verdant barrier lies a secluded path formed by artificial mountains and rocks.

"Brother Lian, let's go for a walk from east to north."

As they walked along the winding path, Jia Baoyu suddenly made a suggestion.

"Oh, is there some explanation for this?" Sister Feng and the others asked with a smile.

Jia Baoyu chuckled. How could he possibly say that it was because if he went from the east, he could quickly reach the Green Bamboo Nunnery and meet the extremely beautiful and elegant Miaoyu, who rarely received guests?

He also knew that Miaoyu was Jia Lian's Taoist master, so naturally he dared not speak recklessly.

Since they had no particular purpose, everyone followed Jia Baoyu's advice and headed east.

Along the way, flowers bloomed and grasses grew lush and green. At the end of the road, a magnificent building, shining brightly under the blazing sun, suddenly appeared before everyone's eyes.

Everyone was intrigued by what they saw and went inside.

"The area is characterized by crabapple trees on the left and banana trees on the right, hence the name 'Red Fragrance and Green Jade'!"

As soon as he entered the courtyard, Jia Baoyu couldn't wait to point to the two lush clumps of banana trees and crabapple trees and introduce them.

Sister Feng laughed at him, "So, it seems Brother Bao also came up with this name?"

Jia Baoyu smiled sheepishly.

Everyone was captivated by the scenery where wealth and elegance coexisted. Sanchun and the others abandoned the parasols held by the maids and rushed into the house to take a look.

Then came a series of exclamations.

Jia Baoyu then said to Feng Jie, "Sister Feng, please come inside and take a look. The interior is even more wonderfully unique and elegant than the outside."

"Oh, then I'll have to take a good look."

Unconvinced, Sister Feng went into the house and wondered why so much money had been spent building the garden.

The main house is spacious and well-connected, and its decorations and furnishings are all luxurious.

For example, there are many precious glass mirrors here, far more than just one; they are found everywhere, illuminating the room as brightly as if it were outdoors.

God knows how much it cost to build this "Red Fragrance and Green Jade"!

Jia Baoyu also liked it more and more as he looked around. He smiled and said, "Although there are many different scenes in the garden, each with its own merits, I think this place suits my taste the best."

Jia Lian couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this.

Everyone says that Jia Baoyu is aloof and detached from worldly affairs, indifferent to fame and fortune. Who would have thought that when he moved into the Grand View Garden, he would excitedly choose the most magnificent place besides the Grand View Tower?

Why not choose Daguanlou? Because Daguanlou is the main hall, the imperial concubine's palace, and no one dared to choose it.