Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Chapter 541 The Arrogant Qingwen

As the eyes and ears of Sister Feng's household, there was very little news that Qingwen was unaware of.

Although she was initially unaware of the affair between Jia Lian, Feng Jie, and Qin Keqing, she naturally came to understand and comprehend it after Qin Keqing visited several times.

Therefore, when Qin Keqing returned with Sister Feng again today, she immediately understood the true meaning behind it.

And what's with this talk of flower viewing? You're kidding me.

She knew that Sister Feng had left, she knew that Qin Keqing hadn't gone with her, and she even knew that Jia Lian had come home on time.

However, she knew very well that Jia Lian's mind was probably entirely on Qin Keqing at this moment, so she was too lazy to go over and make a fool of herself. She pretended not to know anything and called her maid Tanyun to play dice and Go in her room.

Today was a big day, and most of her card-playing friends and other companions weren't as relaxed as she was; they all had their own tasks to complete, so she couldn't go out and wander around. She stayed indoors, essentially guarding the house.

Unfortunately, Tanyun was too young and honest, and her monthly allowance was only five hundred coins, making her a poor person. She would start to feel bad if she lost twenty or thirty coins to her, which made Qingwen feel that it wasn't very interesting. She returned the money she had won to Tanyun and told her to go play somewhere else, while she prepared to go to bed and take a nap.

Suddenly, they heard voices coming from inside the courtyard, one of whom sounded like Xueyan, Daiyu's head maid. Because her voice sounded somewhat anxious, Qingwen, who considered herself half the mistress of the courtyard, naturally wouldn't stand idly by and immediately put on her shoes and came out.

As expected, Xueyan came looking for Jia Lian, but the maids guarding the gate had no idea where Jia Lian was. Seeing Xueyan about to leave in disappointment, Qingwen stepped forward and asked, "What do you want with the Second Master?"

Upon seeing Qingwen, Xueyan was overjoyed and hurriedly said, "Sister Qingwen, do you know where Second Master is? Our young lady and Second Master Bao are arguing again, and now our young lady is almost fainting. Please, Second Master, go and see her quickly. If you know where Second Master is, please tell me quickly."

Upon hearing this, Qingwen did not reply immediately. Instead, she glanced at Xueyan's expression and then casually said, "I do know where Second Master is..."

However, Second Master is busy right now and certainly doesn't have time to visit Miss Lin.

"You should go back first. When Second Master returns, I will inform him. Given how much Second Master dotes on Miss Lin, he will surely go to see her immediately."

Hearing Qingwen say this, Xueyan became anxious and hurriedly said, "I know Second Master is busy, but as for our young lady... if you find it troublesome and are afraid of bothering Second Master and being scolded, you might as well tell me where Second Master is, and I will go to find him myself. That way, even if there is any mistake, I will bear the responsibility, and it will not have anything to do with you."

Xueyan was not a talkative person, and her words undoubtedly offended Qingwen.

For Qingwen, she basically considered herself the second Jia Lian's woman. She was most proud of two things: her beautiful appearance and Jia Lian's doting affection for her.

In her eyes, Jia Lian was the most tolerant and indulgent person, but listening to Xueyan's words, it seemed as if she was less respectable than Xueyan in front of Jia Lian.

She also knew that Xueyan's support was Daiyu's people, and that Jia Lian doted on his cousin Daiyu, which was why she dared to speak like that.

She was very unhappy. Daiyu was a proper cousin, and they could respect and honor her, but Xueyan, a mere maid, dared to take advantage of her position and ride on her head. Naturally, she couldn't be indulged.

Another point is that, although she was also unhappy, she knew how difficult it was to get Sister Feng to offer her beauty to Jia Lian. Perhaps the Second Master had also paid a price to obtain this benefit.

With Second Master working so hard and busy all the time, can't he at least relax and enjoy himself?

The Second Master treated her so well, so naturally she had to reciprocate and protect Jia Lian's interests when it mattered most. Therefore, Qingwen decided not to let anyone disturb Jia Lian's good time, and her attitude turned cold as she said, "It's not that I don't want to say anything, but the Second Master is really, really busy. If you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do."

Besides, why do you have to be in such a hurry? Isn't it commonplace for Master Bao and Miss Lin to quarrel in our mansion?

Since Miss Lin entered the manor, how many years have they not quarreled three or five times?

If they always come to invite Second Master in such a hurry, he won't have time to do his own work.

"But this time it's really different. This time it's Master Bao who knows... Anyway, Sister Qingwen, please tell me quickly..." Xueyan became even more anxious when she saw that Qingwen was a little angry.

She was also naive and didn't know that the reason why Grandmother Jia and others didn't allow people to spread rumors about Jia Lian and Daiyu's marriage was simply to prevent Jia Baoyu from finding out.

Now that Jia Baoyu knows, there's no need to keep it a secret anymore. Yet, she still dares not tell anyone else about it.

Although Qingwen always loved gossip, she ultimately only stayed within the inner quarters of the household. The gag order from Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang was quite effective; even after all this time, not many idle people knew about it, and those who did dare not spread it.

Jia Lian and Feng Jie rarely discussed Daiyu in front of others, so much so that Qingwen still doesn't know that Daiyu will become her "second-in-command" in the future.

She even harbored some resentment because Daiyu and her maids had been interacting more closely with this side of the place in the past few months.

Qingwen has always been a very opinionated person. Given these preconditions, she was basically convinced that Xueyan and the others were taking advantage of Jia Lian's affection for Daiyu, bothering Jia Lian with all sorts of things, big or small. She had long wanted to teach these "unreasonable" people a lesson.

So as he walked into the house, he replied, "What could be different? It's the same thing every year. It's just that the old lady feels sorry for the two of them, which is why the whole mansion is turned upside down."

"Young Master Bao and Miss Lin are staying in the old lady's courtyard. Even if there's a problem, surely the old lady can make the decision herself, and doesn't she? Why should Young Master Bao have to do anything? You should go back now. I'll inform him when he's finished with his work."

After Qingwen finished speaking, she went straight into the house, leaving Xueyan, who had followed her, standing at the door pacing back and forth, but not daring to go in and ask her any more questions.

On one hand, he was worried about not being able to complete the task assigned by Zijuan and find Jia Lian to tell him the situation; on the other hand, he was worried about the situation in the room and about Daiyu. He was at a loss.

Fortunately, at this moment she spotted Ping'er, the head steward of Sister Feng's courtyard in the eyes of most people in the mansion, and she immediately went to greet her.

"Sister Ping'er..."

Ping'er also hurried back. Seeing Xueyan's appearance, she knew why she had come. So she suppressed her excited voice and said softly, "You've come to see Second Master, haven't you? Don't worry, I know what happened in your room. It was Second Madam who sent me back to see Second Master."

Xueyan was overjoyed, but then worried: "Sister Ping'er, do you know where Second Master is? I asked the servants outside, and they said he went home, but I didn't see him. Sister Qingwen said he was busy and wouldn't tell me..."

Ping'er smiled and said to Xueyan, who was about to cry, "I know where Second Master is. You go back and take care of your young lady first. Second Master will come to see Miss Lin in a little while."

Ping'er's words were calm and convincing, which immediately put Xueyan at ease. She quickly bowed, thanked Ping'er, and then went back.

Watching Xueyan leave, Ping'er withdrew her gaze and casually glanced at the west wing, as if she could see Qingwen eavesdropping inside through the gauze window.

She shook her head, ignoring Qingwen, and walked directly from the alley between the side room and the main room towards the small garden.

Feng had been at the Jia family mansion for several months and naturally knew that Ping'er was the person Jia Lian and his wife trusted most, so she did not stop her and let Ping'er in directly.

Ping'er went up to the greenhouse and peeked through the window. She found that a fierce battle was indeed taking place inside, and her pretty face couldn't help but blush slightly.

Normally, she wouldn't go in to disturb her, but Ping'er knew how much Jia Lian doted on Daiyu. If she didn't let him know what happened in Daiyu's room as soon as possible, she would definitely be reprimanded by the Second Master later.

Therefore, he coughed lightly as a reminder, then stood on the veranda for a moment before turning and going inside.

Although she had glimpsed the situation beforehand, Ping'er's cheeks still flushed from the alluring spring scenery that filled the room when she actually entered.

Against the backdrop of the newly decorated flower room, with its myriad flowers and the colorful robes of beautiful women scattered around the fragrant couch, the setting for lovemaking between men and women was naturally conducive to stirring up emotions. Moreover, the way Jia Lian was manipulating Qin Keqing and Xiangling at this moment was precisely the shameful posture that the Second Mistress had once least wanted to cooperate with.

Looking back, how much effort and scheming did the Second Master go through to get the Second Madam to willingly sit beside him on the bed?

Because of Ping'er's prior warning, Jia Lian and the other two knew that it was Ping'er who entered the room.

Fortunately, it was Ping'er. She had worked alongside Xiangling when Xiangling was still a virgin, so the timid and shy Xiangling wasn't too nervous about her arrival. After Jia Lian gently patted her bottom, she quieted down. She just lowered her body a little more than before, as if trying to hide herself by using Jia Lian's shadow.

As for the beautiful Qin, she merely glanced back at Ping'er and then paid her no attention. It seemed that in her eyes, every woman who was Jia Lian's woman was her closest sister!

She even deliberately wiggled her hips to provoke Jia Lian.

"What is it?"

Jia Lian knew that Ping'er was the most sensible person and would not bother him unless necessary. Therefore, even under such circumstances, he still asked a question the moment Ping'er entered.

Unexpectedly, Qin Keqing would act this way, so he let out a muffled groan and almost disobeyed Sister Feng's instructions on the spot!

Still shaken, Jia Lian slapped Qin Da Meiren's bottom as punishment, and then turned his affections to the obedient Xiangling.

Qin, the beautiful lady, wasn't annoyed. Knowing the game was over, she naturally rolled over and lay on the innermost side of the bed. With a casual gesture, she draped a corner of the blanket behind her, propped herself up, and playfully teased Xiangling, who was facing her, a couple of times. After Xiangling turned her head away in disgust, she looked up and met Jia Lian's gaze, her eyes seemingly encouraging and cheering him on!

Such alluring yet not overly seductive mannerisms made Ping'er feel ashamed and embarrassed. She suppressed her shyness and briefly described the situation in Daiyu's room.

She tried to make it sound light, but before she could finish speaking, she noticed that Jia Lian's expression had changed from relaxed to gloomy.

In particular, after hearing that Jia Baoyu had smashed the jade in front of Daiyu, she showed even more anger.

Thus, Ping'er dared not speak anymore, and the beautiful Qin on the bed also withdrew her alluring posture with some fear.

In the end, Jia Lian was a man who could control his emotions, so he quickly regained his composure. After calming Xiangling down in a few moments, he stepped back and said to Ping'er, "Let's change your clothes."

"Yes."

Ping'er was a proper person, and she had served Jia Lian and his wife for a long time, so she did not rush to put Jia Lian's clothes on. Instead, she took out a clean silk handkerchief and squatted down to wipe Jia Lian clean.

Seeing this, Qin Keqing disregarded her status as a guest and, despite the fact that her private parts were exposed, got up to help Jia Lian change his clothes.

With her two older sisters doing this, the most sensible Xiangling was not to be outdone. After resting for a while, she also struggled to turn over.

With the help of the three women, Jia Lian finished dressing in just over ten breaths and left.

"Xiangling, I'll leave this to you to clean up."

"Okay, Sister Ping'er, go ahead, I'll tidy everything up here..."

Ping'er glanced around the room, then took one last look at Qin Keqing and Xiangling's exquisite figures, lingering particularly on their similar faces, before turning to follow Jia Lian.

When only two naked beauties remained in the room, they exchanged a glance. Seeing Xiangling shyly avoid her gaze, the beautiful Qin laughed heartlessly.

Xiangling felt terrible hearing her laughter, so she ignored her and went to put on her own clothes.

After she finished putting on her inner clothes, she found Qin Keqing still lying on the edge of the bed, looking at her in a seductive pose, as if observing her posture as she dressed.

Xiangling's face immediately turned red.

She was remembering Qin Keqing kissing her before, and the things that happened later when he touched her inappropriately.

Although he knew he had encountered a female rogue, he hesitated for a moment because Qin Keqing was the mistress and he was the maid. He then picked up Qin Keqing's clothes, which Jia Lian had stripped from her, from the ground, placed them on the couch, and said to Qin Keqing, "Little Rong, let me help you change your clothes..."

"OK."

Qin Keqing watched Xiangling's changing expressions from beginning to end and found it very interesting.

Seeing that she was going to serve him, he was even happier. He sat up straight and stretched out his arms, meaning he was ready to cooperate.

Although Qin Keqing had a very beautiful figure, Xiangling did not covet it. After realizing that it was inconvenient, she said, "Grandma Xiaorong, can you stand up... It's not easy to put it on like this."

"Hmm, but I'm too weak to stand up. Xiangling is amazing! Even after being tormented like that by Second Uncle, she can still dress herself and has the strength to help others. She's so healthy! Come, let me feel her again..."

Xiangling felt she was suffering too much, so why should she bother with her!

Pushing away Qin Keqing's mischievous hand, Xiangling finally got angry: "If you don't need my help, I'm going to do my own thing!"

Having said that, he threw down his clothes and was about to leave.

"Good sister, I was wrong. Don't leave me. I really have no strength left. If you leave, I'll have to sleep here."

Qin Keqing pretended to shrink back onto the bed, rolled up the quilt, and went to sleep.

Xiangling dared not leave again. Even if she was slow-witted, she knew that she couldn't let the beautiful Qin stay here for too long, otherwise something bad might happen.

Well, it's best to get rid of this rascal as soon as possible. So she walked back, determined to endure whatever Qin Keqing did to her.

Seeing Xiangling's chubby cheeks, the beautiful Qin didn't say anything more, and she knew in her heart that this girl was indeed a bit naive.

But that's fine too; it complements his own abilities perfectly, and it will definitely be more fun for his second uncle...

So I stopped teasing her and instead asked her serious questions.

"I just heard Ping'er say that the old lady's granddaughter, Miss Lin, and Second Uncle...?"

Although Ping'er hadn't mentioned the engagement before, she hadn't deliberately hidden it from Qin Keqing either, since there was no need to, so Qin Keqing was naturally puzzled.

"This..." Xiangling hesitated.

"If it's inconvenient for you to tell me, then forget it. Anyway, I'm not one of your people, I'm an outsider."

"Alright, Xiangling, hurry up and help me get dressed. I need to go back now, or my mother-in-law might get suspicious."

Qin Keqing said with some sadness.

Xiangling was too kind-hearted and didn't realize that Qin Keqing was deliberately provoking her. Thinking that Qin Keqing was practically her master's woman, and possessed such alluring beauty, she couldn't let her feel disheartened and prevent her from being with the Second Master in the future.

"Well, it's not that I can't say it, it's just that... Miss Lin is actually engaged to our Second Master. After Miss Lin finishes her mourning period, she will marry our Second Master and become his second wife."

"太太" (tàitai) is a title for women of high social status, such as a woman of noble birth. However, women from ordinary, humble families, even if they were the matriarch of a clan, could not be called "太太" and could only be called "夫人" (fūrén).

For example, in the Xue family, Aunt Xue could be called "Madam" because her husband was a royal merchant with an official title in the imperial treasury, so she could also be considered an official's wife.

However, the second wife of the Xue family, Zhuang, could not be called "Madam" but only "Lady".

Daiyu herself held a fourth-rank noble title, making her of high status. Therefore, it was not wrong for Xiangling to refer to her as "second wife" rather than "second grandmother."

"I'm not entirely sure of the specifics, but in short, the marriage between Miss Lin and Second Master was arranged by Mr. and Mrs. Lin together, and they will go through the proper formalities of marriage. Moreover, Second Master really likes Miss Lin, and Miss Lin admires Second Master very much; they have a very good relationship."

Xiangling had accompanied Daiyu on her trip to Jiangnan, so she knew more and told Qin Keqing everything she knew.

Upon hearing this, Qin Keqing looked surprised and asked, "Does Second Aunt know?"

Qin Keqing felt that since even she hadn't received any news, the matter must have been kept very well hidden. She was a little worried about Sister Feng.

"Second Madam already knew, and she also likes Miss Lin very much and treats her very well."

Qin Keqing was relieved. Although she thought that with Feng Jie'er's personality, it would be difficult for her to accept this, she also thought that with Jia Lian's abilities, it seemed not impossible for him to handle Feng Jie'er, so she was at ease.

"So, this Miss Lin will be your mistress in the future? You'd better try to curry favor with her beforehand, otherwise it wouldn't be good if she kicked you and Qingwen out after she enters the family."

Xiangling scoffed at Qin Keqing's words.

Miss Lin is such a kind person, of course not. Besides, Miss Lin is our mentor, she'll be our support after she joins our family, we definitely won't bully her!