Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Chapter 535 Sister You

Although the Rongguo Mansion and the subsequent Provincial Residence were the venues for welcoming the Imperial Concubine, the Ningguo Mansion was also affected by this.

Not only were the walls and beams repainted, but lanterns were also hung everywhere, mimicking those of the Rongguo Mansion, creating a festive atmosphere.

On the way to the main courtyard, they ran into Lai Sheng, and Jia Lian asked him about some arrangements at Ningguo Mansion.

For example, one could send someone to invite Jia Jing. Jia Jing is old and has been seeking immortality and enlightenment, but no matter how much he transcends the mundane world, he can't escape the "Jia" character that comes with him.

Therefore, he could skip his aunt Jia Mu's birthday celebration, but as the master of Ningguo Mansion, he had to be present to welcome the Imperial Concubine of the household.

On the day of the family visit, Lai Sheng also mentioned that Jia Zheng had already made arrangements for the servants and other family members of the two households, including where they should sit and where they should pay their respects.

Seeing that Jia Zheng had indeed made proper arrangements, Jia Lian said no more.

This incident also reveals that Jia Zheng's so-called inability to handle mundane affairs was actually just laziness.

In the past, he would try his best to pass on household matters to Lady Wang and Jia Lian and his wife. But when it came to the important matter of his own daughter, the Imperial Concubine, he acted completely differently, and his arrangements for everything were very appropriate.

After silently criticizing Jia Zheng, Jia Lian headed straight for the main courtyard.

Lai Sheng bowed respectfully to see Jia Lian off. Just as he stood up, he heard a servant whisper in his ear with a smile, "Steward Lai, why did Second Master go to the inner courtyard again? With only two young mistresses managing the household these days, shouldn't Second Master avoid suspicion?"

Although the servant didn't say it explicitly, the slight teasing in his tone fully conveyed his meaning.

Lai Sheng's expression changed slightly, and he immediately scolded, "Are you out of your mind? What nonsense are you spouting? The eldest mistress and the young mistress went to the other mansion early this morning to help arrange the old lady's birthday banquet. The second master is here at this time to see the eldest young lady and the second young master!"

As the acting patriarch of our Jia family, Second Master is entrusted by Master to have the responsibility of educating Second Young Master!

You know nothing, yet you dare to spout nonsense. One day, your master will strip you bare!

After being reprimanded by Lai Sheng, the servant quickly flattered him, saying, "Steward Lai is right. I misspoke. I hope Steward Lai will forgive me this time and please don't tell the Second Master."

"snort."

Lai Sheng snorted, then couldn't help but glance in the direction of the inner courtyard.

The so-called "raising the second young master" was just an excuse he made for Jia Lian's actions; in reality, he had similar thoughts to the servant.

After all, the second young master, who would become the future clan leader, was only a few months old. Even if he needed to be educated, there was no rush. However, Jia Lian had come to see him countless times over the past few months.

It can only be said that Jia Lian really liked or valued the young clan leader, and he would come to see him in person every ten days or half a month.

This is the way of survival for a lackey: you can have thoughts in your mind, but you must never speak them aloud.

Not only could he not speak out, but he also had to severely suppress any gossip among his subordinates. Otherwise, if any bad things were to spread, he, the steward, would be the first to be held accountable.

Since Jia Lian took control of the family's discourse, he and his elder brother had discussed it repeatedly. They both had different levels of understanding that Jia Lian seemed to have some dissatisfaction with their Lai family, but he had not yet made a move because of the old lady Jia.

He was doing alright as the steward of Ningguo Mansion, but his elder brother Lai Da, as the steward of Rongguo Mansion, had a much harder time working under Jia Lian every day.

Every now and then, I get a few words of admonishment or intimidation.

Many times when Lai Da returned home, he would complain to his mother or his brother.

He often advised Lai Da to restrain himself as much as possible. After all, his family was respectable enough and had plenty of money. Why risk offending the Second Master?

However, as the saying goes, those involved are often blinded by their own interests. My mother and brother had been serving in the household all along, and even the old lady gave them some face.

Although reason tells them they should avoid Jia Lian's sharp edge, they are still prone to reverting to their old ways when faced with real interests.

In particular, Jia Lian was often away from home, so he always took a chance. For example, how much money was spent on the construction of the garden over the course of more than a year? Jia Lian went to the Western Regions and then to Jiangnan. He spent very little time actually supervising the work, which allowed his brother's family to become even richer.

Lai Sheng felt that this move was tantamount to dancing on the edge of a knife, and if the Second Master found out, it would surely lead to the downfall of his family.

Unfortunately, his elder brother was always more powerful than him. Not only did his elder brother support their mother, but his brother's son was also more successful than his son. Therefore, his elder brother would not listen to his advice.

He was very worried about his brother's situation. Now that things had come to this, he had no good solution. He could only hope that if something happened to his brother in the future, he could protect himself and not be implicated.

He didn't think that just because Jia Lian was the head of the Rongguo Mansion, he couldn't control him.

Not to mention that Jia Lian is currently the acting clan head and a marquis of the Jia family, replacing him would be as easy as turning one's hand. Even one's young master, the future head of the Jia family, will grow up under Jia Lian's care.

When the time comes, it will be obvious whether the young master is closer to him, a mere servant, or to Jia Lian.

Because of these considerations, he tried his best to show loyalty to Jia Lian and You Shi, hoping it would be effective.

Lai Sheng sighed inwardly, then turned and went to get to work.

In the main courtyard, in the main room where Lady You sat, Jia Lian had just stepped onto the front porch when he heard loud laughter coming from inside.

"Sister, look at this little guy! His face is so round and chubby, and his eyes seem to sparkle. This kid will definitely grow up to be a handsome man. Hmph, I just hope he doesn't end up like his uncle, constantly ruining innocent girls!"

"What did you say...?"

Jia Lian raised his hand to stop the maid who was about to announce the news loudly, and walked into the room. He saw six or seven people in the spacious room.

In the very center are Sister You Er and Sister You San, each holding a little one and having a great time playing with them.

When Sister You looked up and saw it, her eyes lit up immediately, and she said teasingly, "Oh, speak of the devil, and he appears."

The wet nurse and others in the room also hurriedly bowed to Jia Lian.

"Where is your eldest sister?"

"Didn't my sister go over to your place to help out? Before she left, she called us over and asked us to look after her two babies."

You've come at the right time. My arms are getting tired, let me carry you."

With her carefree demeanor, You Sanjie stood up abruptly and handed Jia Wu, whom she was carrying, to Jia Lian.

But as Jia Lian took it, she deliberately moved closer to him and whispered teasingly, "Be careful, or you'll fall and get hurt, don't be upset."

She was really doing whatever she wanted, never even considering that there were other maids and servants in the room at that moment.

As expected, her seductive behavior immediately caused others to show strange expressions, feeling that this third concubine of the eldest madam's family was indeed behaving rather presumptuously.

Jia Lian glanced at her as well. From her words, he could tell that she had guessed that Jia Heng and Jia Wu were his children.

I don't know whether to call her smart or stupid.

Knowing what kind of person You Sanjie was, he didn't bother with her. He looked down at the baby in his arms, the future patriarch of the Jia family, who was also his eldest son.

Indeed, despite Feng Jie's persistent infertility, the son that You Shi gave birth to was his eldest son.

Seeing the little guy looking at him curiously with those bright little eyes, Jia Lian believed the judgment that Sister You had made earlier: this kid would probably be just like him when he grew up!

It's better not to be the same, otherwise, if Lord Jia always has a "nephew" who looks exactly like him by his side, it will attract a lot of strange and mocking looks.

Just imagining that scene gave even Jia Lian a headache.

Seeing that Jia Lian ignored her, You Sanjie pouted. She also noticed the strange looks people were giving her, and felt quite disdainful.

These women are so hypocritical. If they were as beautiful as her, they would probably have thrown themselves at Jia Lian long ago.

On the other hand, although she flirted with Jia Lian openly and secretly many times, she never debaseed herself and let Jia Lian succeed. In this sense, it was as if she was the one who "slept with" Jia Lian.

Indeed, Sister You was such a rebellious woman. In her mind, why should men be able to eat what they have and covet what they don't, and occasionally go to brothels to drink and be merry? While women could only stay with one man for life, and couldn't even let another man see a single finger of theirs?

This is not fair.

Therefore, she wanted to oppose this outdated custom. If men can flirt with them, why can't they flirt with men?

God gave her this appearance so that she could stand up for women all over the world.

Who knew that Jia Lian was no pushover either. Although he had taken advantage of her quite a bit over the years, he had never acted like a beast and forced himself on her.

Not only was she not afraid of this, she was also somewhat indignant and wanted to see how Jia Lian would lose his composure in front of her.

However, I hesitated about this idea a few months ago.

After thinking for a moment, Sister You suddenly smiled and said, "Sister, didn't you say last time that you had a question you wanted to ask him? Now that he's here, why don't you ask him? I'm sure he'll be happy to answer you."

You Sanjie deliberately acted as if You Erjie had something to say to Jia Lian in private, and then gestured for the others to follow her away.

The people standing in this room were all people whom Madam You trusted. They all knew a little about Madam You's intention to marry her second sister to Jia Lian.

Therefore, faced with Sister You's arrangement, the group retreated as if they understood the situation perfectly.

The wet nurse wanted to take the child away, but seeing that Jia Lian seemed oblivious to everything around him and was only holding and playing with the young master, she wisely went outside to wait.

When only Jia Lian, You Erjie, and their two little ones remained in the room, Jia Lian looked up and glanced around.

Little did anyone know that Sister You was also secretly glancing at him. When their eyes met, Sister You quickly turned her head away, her gentle and kind face turning red.

Jia Lian felt relieved upon seeing this.

The more I look at this Second Sister You, the more I feel that she is very similar to my younger sister Yingchun.

It's not that they look alike, but rather that they share similar personalities and temperaments; the two are truly remarkably alike.

"Didn't Third Sister say you had something to say to me?" Jia Lian said.

"No, no, she made that up."

Sister You explained, embarrassed.

Jia Lian chuckled. Are all overly gentle girls so bad at expressing themselves?

If he was lying, why didn't he refute it earlier? Why was he just sitting here obediently? So he beckoned to her, "Come here."

Sister You blushed even more and was somewhat at a loss, but she did not disobey Jia Lian's wishes. She stood up with little Jia Heng in her arms, hesitated for a moment, and then walked up to Jia Lian.

"Sit down, let me see Heng'er."

Jia Lian patted his thigh as a gesture.

Sister You Er immediately felt embarrassed and quickly glanced at the door. Although everyone had left, she was still too ashamed to sit on a man's lap like her younger sister had.

Thinking about it, I couldn't help but envy my sister's carefree personality.

She dared to sit in Jia Lian's lap after only a few meetings. And she, who clearly liked Jia Lian and, with the matchmaking of her sisters, had been exchanging flirtatious glances with him for a long time, still didn't get as much benefit from Jia Lian as her sister.

Seeing her hesitate repeatedly, Jia Lian sighed inwardly. Who would have thought that such a shy and timid girl would become a representative of lewdness and debauchery in the original work?

Although it cannot be confirmed whether You Erjie first had an affair with Jia Zhen, or even Jia Rong, before becoming Jia Lian's concubine.

However, it is certain that she had improper relationships with Jia Zhen and Jia Rong.

However, things might be different from what later generations think. In this era, even a casual joke or touching hands is considered unchaste and an improper relationship.

Not to mention, accompanying someone to a brothel and drinking with them might allow you to gain some other advantage.

Actually, it's quite ordinary. Both You Erjie and You Sanjie were exceptionally beautiful. If it were someone with You Sanjie's personality, she could have caused a ruckus and made a scene among Jia Zhen and his ilk, leaving them humiliated.

But for someone as gentle and submissive as Sister You, she would probably have no choice but to accept her fate and be bullied by others.

Thinking of being bullied, Jia Lian couldn't help but think of Yingchun. Because she was too docile, even though she came from a noble family, she could only endure being bullied and tormented by a brute husband, which led to her untimely death!

An invisible anger rose in Jia Lian's heart. Shouldn't a woman as gentle and compliant as her be a man's treasure, someone who should be carefully cherished?

He had already made up his mind that he would send someone to inquire about the whereabouts of Sun Shaozu in a while, and he would make sure to add countless "glories" to his life, so that his life would not have been in vain.

Having quickly come up with five or six ways to torture the wolf in the mountain, Jia Lian gently put one arm around You Erjie's slender waist and pulled her to sit down.

Seeing the beauty's half-hearted resistance, only a shy expression on her face, Jia Lian felt even more pleased. Therefore, he didn't loosen his grip on her waist and said with a smile, "Your sister told me last time that she was planning to give you to me in marriage. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Sister You's heart skipped a beat, and out of a young lady's shyness, she wanted to refute it.

But meeting Jia Lian's gentle and sincere gaze, and feeling the physical contact between her waist and buttocks, her heart went numb. She stammered, "I, as the eldest sister-in-law, am like a mother to you. My life will naturally be arranged by my elder sister..."

She admired Jia Lian so much that from the first moment she saw him, she felt she had found true love. The more she learned about Jia Lian's deeds, the more she couldn't help but feel that way, it almost became an obsession.

Fortunately, her eldest sister, the matriarch of the Ningguo Mansion, was willing to help her get together with her. Her mother and younger sister also supported the matchmaking, for which she was very grateful.

Jia Lian was just too busy, spending most of the year away from the capital, which made her wait so long, and she was too embarrassed to take the initiative to confess her feelings to him.

Who knew that just by coming over to help look after my nephews today, this opportunity would come?

She must seize this opportunity!

Jia Lian smiled and said, "Since that's the case, then from now on, my second sister will be my woman."

"Once I'm out of mourning, I'll marry you. But I'm sorry, you'll have to be my concubine."

Hearing Jia Lian say this, You Erjie was overjoyed. She reached out and covered Jia Lian's mouth, saying softly, "My lord, please don't say that. Even if I were to marry you as a concubine, I would be very happy."

After speaking, she lowered her head shyly, then raised it again, staring intently at Jia Lian, her eyes overflowing with tenderness and affection.

Jia Lian was taken aback. He hadn't expected that You Erjie could be so direct. It seemed that everyone has many facets. Her shyness and timidity were just her outward appearance. Once a relationship was established, she was likely to be a passionate person.

Looking closely at Sister You's face, her skin, though not extremely white, was rosy and smooth, almost flawless. The already beautiful military officer, with her light makeup, was even more perfectly made up.

"Her face was as beautiful as a lotus, and her eyebrows as delicate as willow leaves" is the best description of You Erjie's appearance and temperament.

Suddenly, he saw You Erjie's eyes shift, and then she closed her eyes to meet his gaze. Jia Lian smiled, knowing that he had probably been looking too closely and moving too close, making You Erjie think he was going to kiss her.

Since the beauty has reacted in this way, it would be unforgivable not to grant her wish.

Therefore, Jia Lian lowered his head and gently pressed his lips to You Erjie's thin lips.

"Giggle giggle..."

Little Jia Wu, who was in Jia Lian's arms on the other side, suddenly giggled and clapped his little hands excitedly.

This startled the two adults who were gradually becoming engrossed in their conversation. Jia Lian and You Erjie parted their lips, looked down at the little one's actions, exchanged a glance, and couldn't help but laugh.

However, Jia Lian was somewhat proud, while You Erjie was more shy.