Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Chapter 537 Jia Baoyu's First Glimpse of Something

The Rongguo Mansion was far more bustling than the Ningguo Mansion.

The entire household was preparing for Grandmother Jia's birthday banquet, but Jia Lian did not intend to interfere in the matter.

Although male members are now scarce in the Jia family, the women are exceptionally assertive.

Take the matter of Grandmother Jia's birthday banquet as an example. There was Lady Wang overseeing the direction from above, Sister Feng in the middle in charge of overall command and coordination, and Lady Xing watching closely from the side, ready to find fault with these two and impeach them at any time.

Below Sister Feng, there are three beautiful female warriors—You Shi, Li Wan, and Qin Keqing—to assist her.

This kind of strict and well-established internal system is comparable to a small imperial court. Therefore, internal affairs are managed internally, and the men in the family only need to provide some assistance from the sidelines.

After going around in circles without incident, Jia Lian came to chat with the beautiful Daiyu again.

"Why are you here again?"

Daiyu looked like she had just taken a bath and was applying makeup in front of the mirror.

Now, she is no longer as shy as before, letting Jia Lian watch her put on makeup. When she sees Jia Lian come in through the mirror, she simply asks a question.

"Judging from my sister's tone, it sounds like she doesn't welcome me."

Jia Lian sat down on the stool next to Daiyu, crossed his arms in front of him, looked at the pretty girl in the mirror with displeasure, and said in a high-pitched voice, "If I had known that my sister was like this, I wouldn't have come. It would have saved me from wasting all my efforts."

Daiyu's hand holding the eyebrow pencil trembled, and her face darkened slightly. Although she couldn't immediately tell who Jia Lian was imitating in his antics, based on her understanding of Jia Lian, she guessed that he was probably learning from her!

So I got angry. What the hell? How could they make up stories about her like that? She wouldn't... she wouldn't act like that!

But Daiyu was also a very self-reflective person. Although she was angry, she couldn't help but think: Could it be that the tone of my voice when I'm angry is really like that in my second brother's eyes?

Thinking about it this way, she couldn't help but blush, so she simply ignored Jia Lian and continued drawing her eyebrows.

"Hmph, I knew my sister was angry with me. There's no need for her to ignore me. If she really doesn't want to see me, I'll just leave."

"You can go now, don't bother seeing me out."

Daiyu was very clever. When Jia Lian imitated her again, she knew how to respond. She replied with three words in a dashing manner, her tone full of arrogance and disdain.

After finishing drawing her eyebrows, she noticed Jia Lian was still there and asked, "Weren't you leaving? Why aren't you leaving yet?"

Jia Lian smiled slightly, took the paintbrush from Daiyu's hand, and asked softly, "Sister, are you really so heartless that you wouldn't even give me a cup of tea before sending me away?"

Jia Lian's sudden change in demeanor made Daiyu laugh. "Who wanted to kick you out? You're the one who made up stories about people and said all sorts of nonsense. Ugh, you annoying rascal."

Daiyu tapped Jia Lian's nose lightly, her expression full of intimacy.

Jia Lian laughed heartily, pulled the stool forward a bit, turned Daiyu's body around, first admiring her exquisite and captivating little face, then said with a smile, "Let me draw your eyebrows, little sister."

"No, no way. Your drawing is horribly ugly..."

Daiyu quickly waved her hand to refuse. This was because Jia Lian had once drawn her eyebrows, which she was not satisfied with, and she had said she would never let Jia Lian draw her eyebrows again.

"Believe me, I've really learned this time. Besides, Lin Daiyu's face is beautiful no matter how you look at it, how could she possibly be ugly?"

Daiyu was so flattered by Jia Lian's praise that she felt dizzy. In addition, Jia Lian had already steadied her head and started to repair the wound. Fearing that she would be hurt if she struggled, she could only trust Jia Lian for the time being and let him do as he pleased with her, with her eyes slightly narrowed.

Just as Jia Lian and his lover were exchanging glances and showing their affection, a joyful, crisp sound rang out from outside the door.

"Lin Daiyu~!"

……

Jia Baoyu has been quite active lately because he has discovered that there are now quite a few beautiful women in his household.

There was a woman named Miaoyu who, despite being a Buddhist nun, possessed an exceptionally beautiful appearance and an ethereal气质 (qi zhi - a kind of refined elegance).

There are four beautiful female music teachers living in the Pear Fragrance Courtyard who are proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and are all exceptionally beautiful.

Even Sister Yuan Yao, who was in charge of tidying up the study in the east courtyard of Brother Lian's second brother, was exceptionally beautiful, with a gentle yet proud and refined air.

She even brought back two of Sister-in-law You's sisters from her maternal family!

Although, apart from Sister-in-law You's two younger sisters, all the other beauties were basically not very enthusiastic about him, and some even ignored him.

However, Jia Baoyu didn't care much. To him, being able to see these stunning beauties was enough to satisfy him. If he could also exchange a few words with them, that would be the most wonderful thing in the world, making him happy for a long time.

As for other things, he didn't think too much about them.

Although she occasionally felt a pang of regret when she thought about how Daiyu's attitude towards her had become increasingly cold.

But thinking about it, it was just that Daiyu had a bad temper and was still angry with him because of two or three small things from the past.

It will be fine in a while.

Today, among the birthday gifts presented to Grandmother Jia by people from all directions, he saw a very exquisite and precious nine-linked ring, which was made of gold and jade (a nine-linked ring is usually a long and narrow square with nine rings on it).

Remembering that Daiyu had enjoyed playing with this item when she first entered the Jia family, he quickly asked Grandmother Jia for it, intending to use it to please Daiyu.

"Sister Lin, look what this is...!"

He excitedly took the nine-linked rings to Daiyu's room. He had just raised the nine-linked rings in his hand, ready to present them to Daiyu, when in the next instant he froze completely, and the nine-linked rings fell to the ground.

The jade nine-ring, upon first landing, shattered into several pieces, making a crisp sound.

"Lin...Second Brother Lian, what are you doing here?"

Jia Baoyu's expression suddenly tightened, and he stared intently at Jia Lian and Daiyu.

Although Jia Lian and Daiyu stopped drawing their eyebrows as soon as they heard Jia Baoyu's voice, and the distance between them subconsciously increased.

However, Jia Baoyu entered quickly. From the seating arrangement of Jia Lian and Daiyu, and from the simple scene of Jia Lian slowly placing the paintbrush into Daiyu's dressing case, he could easily discern...

Jia Lian was just drawing Daiyu's eyebrows!

At that moment, he felt as if his heart was about to break.

He had seen Daiyu draw her eyebrows before and had offered to help her draw them, but without exception, Daiyu had firmly refused.

But now, the person he cares about most won't let him draw her eyebrows, but instead lets his second brother Lian draw them for her. His heart aches so much...

Jia Baoyu looked dazed, while Jia Lian remained calm. He glanced at Jia Baoyu, his eyes exuding an air of authority that instantly made Jia Baoyu's expression change, and he involuntarily straightened up.

"I came to see the old lady, and while I was at it, I stopped by to see Lin Daiyu."

"But you, why are you still so reckless? What did you break this time?"

"Yes, it's a nine-linked ring that I got from the old lady's house..."

According to the tradition of the Jia family, sons are always afraid of their fathers, and brothers are naturally afraid of their elder brothers.

Although the Jia Baoyu of the past might not have been afraid of the Jia Lian of the past, the current Jia Lian must still hold some fear in Jia Baoyu's heart.

Putting aside everything else, just look at the different attitudes Jia Zheng has towards him and Jia Lian, and you'll know.

His father respected Jia Lian's words and was willing to accept them. If Jia Lian were to casually mention a bad word about him in front of his father, he would likely be in deep trouble.

Not to mention, since ancient times, elder brothers have had the responsibility to discipline their younger brothers. Given the current attitude of everyone, including Grandmother Jia, towards Jia Lian, even if Jia Lian were to discipline him, no one would likely stand up for him. Jia Baoyu understood this point quite clearly.

Therefore, when Jia Lian put on a stern face, Jia Baoyu couldn't help but shrink back.

"Master always taught you not to act rashly. Luckily, you only broke a nine-linked ring. If you had been seriously injured, wouldn't Madam and the old lady have been heartbroken?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Baoyu simply lowered his head and remained silent, much like he had in front of Jia Zheng, completely forgetting his astonishment, shock, and anger when he first entered the room.

Jia Lian didn't mean to teach Jia Baoyu a lesson; he just knew that the boy was somewhat ill when facing Daiyu.

I didn't want him to disturb Daiyu, so I threatened him a couple of times.

Seeing his reaction, she said no more and stood up, saying, "Let's go. I need to go and greet Madam. Come with me."

Despite his reluctance, Jia Baoyu sighed inwardly at Jia Lian's unquestionable expression and Daiyu's refusal to even glance at him while facing the dressing table. He then turned and followed Jia Lian with his head down.

Jia Lian picked up the broken nine-linked rings from the ground and held them in his hand. Then he said to Zijuan and the others who came in to check the situation, "Clean this place up carefully and don't leave any debris."

"Yes." The clever Zijuan had already figured things out and regretted her carelessness in walking away. Afraid of being scolded by Jia Lian, she quickly nodded in agreement and then watched as Jia Lian, with his hands behind his back, led the dejected Jia Baoyu away.

After inquiring about the follow-up matters, Madam Wang returned to her courtyard to rest for a while.

She was puzzled when she heard that Jia Lian and Jia Baoyu had come to pay their respects, since it was rare for them to come to see her together.

After inviting the people into the house, seeing their expressions, they became even more suspicious.

Fortunately, she was thoughtful and didn't ask about it immediately. Instead, after Jia Lian greeted her, she inquired about some trivial matters concerning the household.

The aunt and nephew sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), one on the kang and the other on a stool on the ground, asking and answering questions in a very solemn and harmonious manner. This made Jia Baoyu, who was standing to the side practicing his silent meditation, feel even more uncomfortable.

Even his mother treated his second brother Lian better than she treated him…

"By the way, why did you and Baoyu come together?"

After chatting for a while, Madam Wang casually asked a question.

Jia Lian calmly picked up the tea served by the maid beside him, took a sip, then took out the nine-linked rings from his sleeve, placed them on the table beside him, and then looked at Madam Wang with a serious expression.

"It was just a chance encounter. Brother Bao got this from the old lady's room and was going to give it to Sister Lin to play with, but he accidentally broke it."

I think it's quite a treasure, and it's a shame it's broken like this, so I was thinking of asking my wife for help to see if we could find someone to repair it.

Lady Wang cared deeply for Jia Baoyu. As soon as she heard Jia Lian mention the name "Sister Lin" and saw the broken nine-linked rings, she immediately understood the situation.

No wonder Jia Lian brought Jia Baoyu to see her; the greeting was just a pretense, his real intention was to ask her to take good care of his son.

After all, others might not know, but surely she knew what the relationship was between Daiyu and Jia Lian? If Jia Baoyu kept pestering her, and something happened in the future, it wouldn't be good for either of them.

So he glared at Jia Baoyu for a moment, then smiled and said, "You're right, this is indeed a treasure."

I had seen it before, and later I had someone deliver it to the old lady, but who knew that the old lady would turn around and give it to Baoyu. Don't worry, even if it is a treasure, it should naturally have its destined owner. Since Baoyu broke it, it means that he is not lucky enough to be its true owner.

So, once I have it repaired, I'll return it to the old lady.

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian was slightly displeased. He knew that Lady Wang was a clever woman and understood that she had grasped his intentions, but he was unhappy that Lady Wang had compared Daiyu to this object!

He had no intention of arguing with her, since he had already reminded Madam Wang that if she couldn't take good care of her son, she shouldn't blame him for not considering the family ties in the future.

He has already done right by tacitly allowing Grandmother Jia and others to conceal his marriage to Daiyu for so long.

So he took his leave and went home.

Who knew that Sister Feng would also steal a moment of leisure to rest in the flower hall.

As early as the beginning of the year, Sister Feng had told him that she wanted to clear out the unused courtyard on the west side and turn it into their little garden.

Jia Zheng and Lady Wang were aware that Jia Lian's current residence was no longer befitting their status. The couple had discussed moving Jia Lian and his wife to a larger place.

However, the Rongguo Mansion is only so big, and such a large part of it is used to build the Grand View Garden. For a while, no suitable solution could be found.

Hearing that Jia Lian and his companion intended to merge the small courtyard on the west side, which was used for storing miscellaneous items, there was no reason for them to disagree. In this way, although the place where Jia Lian and his companion lived was still not as nice as Rongxi Hall, it would at least not appear as shabby as before.

The project was completed a month ago, and Sister Feng has already bought many precious flowers to grow in it.

Although it couldn't compare to Grandmother Jia's grand flower hall, it was completely renovated according to Sister Feng's own wishes, so Sister Feng loved it to bits and spent all her free time there pruning the flowers and plants.

They even placed a fragrant couch in the main flower room, where people sometimes took afternoon naps.

When Jia Lian walked in, Feng Jie was indeed leading Xiao Hong and others through the sea of ​​flowers, bending down to gently smell a pure white lily.

A cool breeze ruffled the strands of hair at her temples, and her face, tinged with a faint bliss, paired with the pure white flowers, made her look as pure and beautiful as a fairy.

Seeing Jia Lian standing there looking at Feng Jie, the maids wisely refrained from disturbing him, only casting envious glances at Feng Jie from the side.

Sister Feng also saw Jia Lian. She immediately came out from the flower bushes and greeted Jia Lian with a smile.

Jia Lian smiled slightly, took her hand, and walked towards the hall.

"Why are you back so early today?"

Sister Feng knew that Jia Lian was also taking care of several important matters outside and was very busy, so he often didn't return home until evening.

Jia Lian pulled Feng Jie to sit down on the couch, gazing at her intently for a few moments, making her quite embarrassed. At the same time, she felt a sweet warmth in her heart; only at such times could she truly feel Jia Lian's affection for her.

"Regarding the firearms issue I mentioned to you before, there has been new progress, so I've scheduled an early shift for myself."

"Oh, really? Your men actually managed to get that kind of thing done for you? Does that mean you're going to get another promotion?"

Jia Lian flicked the tip of her nose. "Getting promoted isn't that easy, and it's not just about having merit."

Upon hearing this, Sister Feng agreed.

She knew immediately that it was difficult for men to get promoted; just look at Jia Zheng to see that.

However, her husband was promoted several times in a few years, which made her mistakenly believe that promotion was easy for him.

Thinking about it, it makes sense. Last time, my husband was ordered by the emperor to go to the south of the Yangtze River. I heard that he did a pretty good job, but he was only rewarded with some money and gifts and was not promoted.

"Then can you tell me, is that gun really that powerful? What does it look like when it's actually made?"

Sister Feng wasn't actually very interested in these things; she just wanted to hear Jia Lian talk to her about them.

Jia Lian didn't mince words, briefly sharing his findings with her before attempting to seduce Feng Jie.

Sister Feng was conservative and only ever exchanged clothes with him in her room.

He had never experienced the thrill of battling Sister Feng in the outside world.

If it were anywhere else, perhaps Sister Feng would have refused, but this was a flower room she had happily built herself, so she had no reason to refuse.

To be surrounded by the fragrance of flowers, enjoying harmonious music with one's beloved wife, must surely be a wonderful thing.

To his surprise, Sister Feng pushed him away, and under his questioning gaze, her cheeks flushed as she said, "Not today... that just came..."

Jia Lian smiled and said nothing more, but hugged and kissed Feng Jie to satisfy his craving.