Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Chapter 538 Gun or Sword?

Inside the greenhouse, the couple, amidst their busy schedules, found a moment of tender affection.

Xiangling walked in and bumped into her mistress and her husband, who were embracing each other. She quickly lowered her head and stood at attention.

"What is it?"

Sister Feng tossed her hair aside, but instead of getting down from Jia Lian's lap, she simply raised her head and asked a question.

"Second Madam, Madam You has taken Madam Xiao Rong back with her and sent someone to let us know."

"Okay, I understand."

The two women, Madam You and her daughter-in-law, came to help her. Now that most of the preparations are complete, they should go back.

He glanced at Jia Lian and noticed him staring intently at Xiang Ling. He couldn't help but say irritably, "You've been serving me all year round, haven't you had enough? If you want her now, I'll leave and make room for you, how about that?"

Jia Lian put one arm around Feng Jie's slender waist, casually slapped her on the bottom, and then said with a sigh, "Little jealous woman, don't you think Xiang Ling is looking more and more like Qin Shi?"

Hearing Jia Lian call her "little jealous woman," Feng Jie, sitting on Jia Lian's lap, squirmed in protest. Then, she subconsciously looked at Xiang Ling, and had to admit that Jia Lian was right.

Xiangling is indeed becoming more and more like Xiao Qinshi.

When Xiangling was still young, although people thought she looked like Qin Keqing, they only noticed the resemblance in details such as her eyebrows and facial features.

Now that Xiangling has grown into a beautiful young woman, the resemblance is immediately apparent. Her face, figure, and even her eyes and temperament are practically identical to Qin Keqing when she first entered the Jia family.

If the former Xiao Xiangling only resembled Qin Keqing by six or seven points, now she resembles her by about eight points.

If we wait another two years until Xiangling is fully developed, I wonder how similar the two of them will be.

"She's increasingly broken free of her 'birth'..."

Just as Sister Feng casually remarked something, she suddenly realized something and immediately looked up at Jia Lian.

Sure enough, Jia Lian was also staring intently at her.

Then Sister Feng sneered: "So that's what you were thinking when you suddenly said they looked alike!"

"Is Rong'er's wife so fragrant that you think about her all the time?"

Upon hearing this, Xiangling lowered her head, thinking that she shouldn't have heard these words. She wanted to retreat, but was afraid that any movement would attract the attention of the two big tigers, so she could only try to minimize her presence.

Sitting on the fragrant couch, Jia Lian rolled his eyes slightly and said fearlessly, "I didn't say anything; you're the one who thought that."

Sister Feng snorted, then pinched Jia Lian's waist with exasperation and scolded, "You still won't admit it? Were you a starving ghost reincarnated in your past life? I only let you get away with it a few days ago, and you're already thinking about it again. Do you really think I have no temper? Bah, I'll strangle you."

As Sister Feng got angrier, she grabbed Jia Lian's waist and started eating him.

Ambitious Jia Lian didn't argue with her, but tightened his grip on her arm to make it difficult for her to exert force, and then argued logically, "It wasn't just a few days ago, it happened last month."

"That wasn't long ago!"

Sister Feng really didn't know what to say. Ever since Jia Lian mistakenly killed Xiao Qinshi for Ping'er, she had considered various factors and ultimately decided to use Xiao Qinshi as a trump card to win Jia Lian's heart.

However, what she was thinking was that in just a few months, she could let the two of them get married.

Who would have thought that once this door was opened, things wouldn't develop as she had envisioned! In just three months, she had already let Jia Lian succeed several times; if she counted on her fingers, it must have been at least five or six times.

"I'm so angry! I feel like so many of her things have been stolen by Xiao Qinshi!" Jia Lian found Feng Jie'er's puffed-up face rather cute, so he pinched her cheek and laughed, "If you don't want to give them to her, then forget it. Why are you angry? Anyway, Xiao Qinshi has been trained to be very obedient by you. The two mansions are close by, so even if you're not around, if I go to her, she won't disobey me."

Upon understanding Jia Lian's implied meaning, Feng Jie immediately raised her eyebrows, straightened her back, and glared at Jia Lian.

"You dare! You promised me that if you dare to go to her secretly, you'd see if I'd still help you call her over!"

Jia Lian's words were meant to tease Feng Jie. As he said before, even without Feng Jie, it would have been easy for him to have his way with Qin Keqing, but stealing is never as satisfying as doing it openly and honestly, especially with Feng Jie personally helping to cover it up.

The taste of it is truly indescribable to outsiders.

Therefore, seeing that Sister Feng was anxious, Jia Lian quickly changed his tune, hugged Sister Feng, and coaxed her like a child, assuring her that he would never lose sight of the bigger picture for a small gain, and that he could still tell the difference between a full meal and a full meal every day.

Sister Feng was much more satisfied then.

Thinking about how Jia Lian had been treating her very well lately, even sharing his affairs with her, she realized that in the past, Jia Lian had been extremely wary of her, forbidding her from interfering in anything outside her life. Even asking about it was like committing a heinous crime, which was infuriating.

Thinking this way, she was naturally pleased. Anyway, she couldn't accept any favors from him, and even if she rejected Jia Lian's request, it would only benefit Ping'er and Xiangling. She might as well grant this scoundrel's wish and make him remember her good deed.

So she punched Jia Lian in the chest and said in a coquettish voice, "I don't know what sins I committed in my past life to end up with such a lecherous and smelly man like you."

It's not going to work today. They've all gone home, and I can't very well go and call them back for you to abuse.

"Let's wait until tomorrow. It'll be lively outside then, and there won't be many people inside. I'll lure her to this courtyard then, and you'll have a good time, how about that?"

Although it was a deception, how could Sister Feng not see through it? Except for the first one or two times when Qin Keqing couldn't resist her coaxing and reluctantly agreed, she had long since become happy with this business!

Hmph, this little brat dares to put on airs in front of me.

Unexpectedly, Sister Feng was suddenly generous. Overjoyed, Jia Lian did not hold back his flattery and said with a smile, "I will always remember your kindness, Madam."

"Hmph, deadpan..."

Sister Feng laughed and scolded, then suddenly said solemnly, "Don't forget what I told you before. Don't just think about being happy for a moment and get her pregnant. If you harm her, don't blame me for not warning you."

For Sister Feng, it was fine to let Jia Lian enjoy Qin Keqing, but she absolutely could not allow Qin Keqing to get pregnant.

The differences and connections are vast, so she not only demanded that Jia Lian act with the same caution he had shown Ping'er, but she also arranged for a female doctor to come regularly to examine her, citing her own health concerns, and then, under the pretext of caring for Qin Keqing, to also examine her.

The goal, of course, is to detect and deal with the infection as early as possible if one does get it.

Although Jia Lian knew that Feng Jie had ulterior motives, he also understood that Feng Jie's considerations were correct.

Lady You was just lucky; the timing was perfect. If Qin Keqing were to get pregnant again now, it would be a troublesome situation for all three of them.

However, Jia Lian still felt that Sister Feng was petty and stingy, as she personally brought a doctor to Qin Keqing's house every time to examine her health.

Clearly, she did this because she didn't even trust her best friend, fearing that she was deliberately hiding something.

In fact, Jia Lian felt that Qin Keqing was a rather special woman. Based on his understanding of her, she seemed to have no intention of considering her own future and only wanted to gain pleasure from him.

He didn't seem to care about correcting Sister Feng's behavior. Anyway, the two women were very much in sync. Since neither of them minded, why should he interfere?

He laughed and said, "If you're worried about me, why don't you supervise the event tomorrow? Anyway, she won't dare to compete with you, and she'll definitely give you all the benefits as always. That way, you won't have to worry unnecessarily."

"go……"

Feng Jie blushed and glared at Jia Lian. She secretly thought that if she hadn't started her period, it wouldn't be a problem. After all, she was now single-mindedly focused on conceiving a boy as soon as possible, so naturally she would cherish every opportunity to conceive.

pity……

Suddenly, she caught sight of the maid pretending to be invisible in the corner. Sister Feng was startled. She had been too focused on talking and forgot to chase the maid away.

That's fine. Instead, she said to Jia Lian, "I probably won't be free tomorrow, so how about she supervises you two for me? You said they look alike, didn't you? Well then, hehehe..."

Sister Feng hooked her arms around Jia Lian's neck and smiled at him meaningfully.

After so many years of Jia Lian's tutelage, she has become much more adept at understanding romance and men's cunning, hence her playful banter.

In truth, she was indeed a little worried about Jia Lian. That arrogant man was very confident and probably wouldn't take her instructions to heart. She needed someone to keep an eye on him.

She had originally considered Ping'er, but thinking about how busy she would be tomorrow, and how Ping'er was her right-hand woman and it might be difficult for her to leave, she decided to consider Xiangling instead.

She also had a plan in mind to have an heir for Jia Lian as soon as possible, and the obedient and unassuming Xiangling was also a reluctant option for her.

It's all because Ping'er is so useless; otherwise, she wouldn't have ended up like this.

When Xiangling saw that both her mistress and grandmother were looking at her at the same time, her little face immediately turned as red as if it were about to bleed.

She deeply regretted not taking her leave sooner. Look at what her two masters were saying! Was it really something a mere maid like her could easily understand?

Now they want her to supervise them...

She wanted to refuse, but she couldn't refuse.

……

The next day was Grandmother Jia's birthday. Although invitations were not widely sent out and the celebration was not extravagant, the Jia family already had many relatives and close friends in the capital, so there were still many guests who came to offer their birthday wishes, making the entire front courtyard of the Rongguo Mansion very lively.

Most of the guests took their leave after noon.

Only a few will stay to watch the play and have dinner before leaving.

Therefore, by the afternoon, the Rongguo Mansion was not so busy.

"Second Master, Second Madam wants you to come home. She says there's something she needs to discuss."

Jia Lian was in the corridor of the main courtyard, drinking and watching a play with the remaining guests when he heard the servant announce his arrival. His expression turned serious, and he turned to Jia Zheng and said something.

"Go ahead, I'll look after things here."

Having received Jia Zheng's assurance, Jia Lian did not linger any longer and quietly left his seat.

Upon returning home, Jia Lian found neither Feng Jie nor her usual attendants to be seen. Lost in thought, he quickened his pace and entered the house, but still did not find the person he had imagined. Only Xiao Xiangling sat obediently waiting for him.

"Where is your grandmother?"

"After Grandma brought Xiao Rong and Grandma over, she took Ping'er and the others out again. I don't know where Grandma is now."

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian asked where Qin Keqing was.

"Grandma Rong is in the little garden..."

After a slight pause, Jia Lian shook his head and smiled, deeply feeling that Sister Feng was indeed reliable and experienced in handling matters.

Sister Feng's beloved little garden is located to the west of the main house. Perhaps because Sister Feng wanted to maintain its privacy, there were no doors in other directions. Only on the east side, where it connects to the main courtyard, was a moon gate for entry and exit.

In this way, the seclusion of the small garden is naturally much greater than that of the main courtyard. As long as someone is guarding the moon gate, the probability of being disturbed is virtually zero.

After silently praising Feng Jie, Jia Lian was about to lift his leg when he saw Xiang Ling with her brows furrowed, face contorted, and feet feeling like they were made of lead. He couldn't help but laugh and said in a commanding tone, "Your Excellency, let's go."

Xiangling took a deep breath, knowing that she couldn't avoid it today, after all, she still had the task that Sister Feng had given her.

So he said, "Second Master, you go ahead, I'll be right there... I need to take a bath first, the water's already drawn, it won't take long..."

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian naturally said nothing more, smiled at Xiao Xiangling, and turned to go out to the small garden.

The garden was deserted, so Jia Lian climbed the steps and entered the flower room.

He still didn't see anyone, but Jia Lian wasn't flustered at all because he noticed that some silk curtains on the side were moving without any wind.

Having already experienced this with women before, Jia Lian quickly realized that the beauty was probably playing hide-and-seek with him.

After all, it was a matter of fun, so Jia Lian was happy to cooperate, slowing his pace and heading towards a corner where it would be easy to hide.

Sure enough, after walking only a few steps, he noticed a figure moving. Using the sound to pinpoint the location, he suddenly turned around and picked up the woman, along with the silk curtain.

"Ah~~"

A familiar exclamation confirmed to Jia Lian that he had arrested the right person.

"What? This is no fun at all. Can't you just pretend you don't know where I am?"

Qin Keqing, who was only released after hitting Jia Lian a few times, complained coquettishly with some dissatisfaction.

After seeing Jia Lian go to the small garden, she hid, intending only to hide behind him and cover his eyes with her hands.

Who knew Jia Lian would react so quickly, giving her no chance at all.

Jia Lian looked at the beauty in front of him, who was completely different with and without Feng Jie. He smiled to himself and said sarcastically, "You should be glad this is my home. If you were in the military camp, with your sneaky behavior just now, I would have stabbed you to death with my sword long ago."

The beautiful Qin was stunned, her eyes wide with disbelief.

What are you doing? At such a romantic and precious time, how could Jia Lian speak like that?

He also wants to stab her to death with a sword?

Just imagining that scene made the beautiful Qin, who had never seen blood before, tremble. The fun she had built up with Jia Lian during their hide-and-seek game had almost completely dissipated.

Fortunately, she reacted quickly. Seeing Jia Lian looking at her with a smug expression, Qin Keqing suddenly laughed again, raised her arms and gracefully placed them in front of Jia Lian's chest, and said with a smile, "I have long been Uncle's woman. Even if I die at Uncle's hands, I will do it willingly."

Just when Jia Lian thought that the beautiful Qin was simply saying sweet nothings, he heard her tone change again, and she said in a coquettish voice, "I just wonder, Uncle, do you prefer to stab people with a sword or a gun?"

……