Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

In terms of status and position, Sister Feng was already a first-rank marquis's wife, ranking among the top noblewomen in the world.

In terms of wealth, the family had over 100,000 taels of silver in cash, and antiques, treasures, brocades and other valuables were piled up like mountains. There were also ten chests of gold buried deep under the bed.

It could be said that she had almost achieved both fame and fortune, even exceeding her own expectations. All of this was brought to her by Jia Lian, so even setting aside their romantic feelings, she was extremely grateful to and admired Jia Lian.

Now, she cares most about two things: first, that Jia Lian's official career be successful and that he be in an invincible position; and second, that she give birth to a child for Jia Lian as soon as possible to inherit the family business.

In comparison, Jia Lian was a bit of a womanizer, enjoying the company of a few beauties outside, but these trivial matters were insignificant.

The reason why they cared more about Daiyu was that, given Daiyu's status and Jia Lian's affection for her, her position might be threatened.

Now Jia Lian says that he must make her give birth to a son within two years. Although the words are unpleasant, the meaning is very important to her.

Two years had passed, and Daiyu was still in mourning, so she certainly hadn't entered the palace yet. If she could give birth to a son during this period, he would be the eldest legitimate son, thus securing her position.

Although she knew that with Daiyu's health, it would be difficult for her to have a son in the future, and even if she did, he would have to be given to the Lin family.

However, the fact that Jia Lian could say that showed he truly had no intention of replacing her with anyone, which was more important than anything else. Therefore, she completely put aside the unpleasantness she felt today when she heard Jia Lian mention Daiyu alongside her.

"Second Madam, the Old Madam is hosting a banquet. Madam requests that you go there as soon as possible."

Upon hearing the announcement from outside, Sister Feng responded, pushed away Jia Lian's groping hands, stood up, and beckoned Ping'er to go into the inner room to help her change.

Xiangling and Qingwen came in to serve. As always, Xiangling obediently took away Jia Lian's teacup and tray, while Qingwen went to the head of the kang and asked Jia Lian with a smile, "Second Master, are you going out again? Do you need to change your clothes? If so, which outfit would you like to wear? I'll go and get it for you."

Jia Lian had too many official robes, ceremonial robes, and everyday clothes, so Feng Jie had already cleared out a large section of the east inner room and set up more than ten clothes racks specifically for displaying Jia Lian's clothes.

Jia Lian was lost in thought when Qingwen interrupted him.

Looking down at the maid, her figure was light and graceful, with slender shoulders and a slim waist, her skin was rosy and delicate, and her features were extremely beautiful. In addition, her eyebrows and eyes were similar to Daiyu's. She was a maid who was pleasing to the eye no matter how you looked at her.

At this moment, her peach-blossom face was full of fawning affection. How could Jia Lian not know that she was deliberately putting on a show, hoping to get a lighter punishment or avoid being punished altogether?

With a soft laugh, he pressed down on her shoulder and back with his left hand and laid her face down on his lap.

"Now that there's no one else around, little girl, do you accept the punishment?"

When Xiangling saw Jia Lian suddenly attack Qingwen, she was naturally confused about what had happened, but Qingwen certainly knew.

On the way back, Jia Lian had said he would deal with her when they got back, but she knew he wasn't really angry with her, so she wasn't afraid.

She had a pretty good idea of ​​how Jia Lian would deal with her.

Anyway, Second Master only had a few ways to punish them. In this position, it was probably going to be a spanking. Compared to other shameful methods, this was relatively mild.

Therefore, she was certainly not afraid. She even felt that since Sister Feng had always been spanked by Jia Lian for doing something wrong, and now she was being treated "equally," she felt inexplicably honored.

But while she thought this in her heart, she certainly couldn't act it out. The moment Jia Lian restrained her, she started moaning and groaning, trying to explain herself, using the same reasons she had given before.

"Still trying to argue!"

Jia Lian seemed to be angry. He sat up straight, which had been leaning against the kang. He continued to restrain Qingwen with his right hand to prevent her from moving, while lifting her skirt with both hands. Then he said to Xiangling, "Take off her pants. Today we'll teach her a lesson and show her how to be arrogant and conceited."

Upon hearing Jia Lian's instructions, Xiangling's face flushed red. Qingwen, who was lying on the ground, was stunned for a moment before struggling violently and shouting "No!"

The commotion was even heard by Sister Feng, who was changing clothes inside. She turned around and glanced through the gauze curtain, her lips twitching.

She was used to this kind of situation. With Qingwen's restless and mischievous nature, she would always cause trouble every now and then, only to be disciplined and punished by Jia Lian.

But that lesson... well, let's not even mention it.

But today, it seems like things are about to get serious.

Noticing Feng Jie's suspicion, Ping'er, who was tying her ribbon, whispered about what had happened that afternoon.

"So that's how it is. I was wondering why your Second Master was willing to punish her; it turns out she offended another of his darlings. This little vixen deserves it. From now on, she should know that there are people in this world she can't afford to offend."

A mocking look naturally appeared on Sister Feng's face. She looked in the mirror, and finding nothing amiss, she walked out.

Seeing Jia Lian raise his hand and strike, she wanted to make a joke, but upon closer inspection, she blushed and glared at Jia Lian with great annoyance.

No wonder the sound was different from when he hit her; it turned out he had pulled down her pants.

Seeing Qingwen's desperate but utterly ineffective resistance, Fengjie felt a sense of satisfaction, but at the same time, she couldn't help but become more vigilant.

The heartless ways he humiliates people are getting more and more numerous! If one day she falls into his hands and is treated like this... If no one sees it, that's fine, but if someone does, even Ping'er and the other maids, how can she live?!

She was determined to die rather than let him treat her like that, but deep down she knew that with Jia Lian's martial arts skills, if he really wanted to treat her like that, she really couldn't do anything about it.

Therefore, the best way is to never commit a crime and fall into his hands, never!

Feng Jie still believed that Jia Lian was a reasonable person, and that as long as she didn't make a mistake, he wouldn't punish her for no reason.

Who could have imagined that Jia Lian's impromptu little move would inadvertently create a huge deterrent effect on Sister Feng, causing her to act very cautiously for a long time afterward, not daring to give Jia Lian any leverage over her.

Although she felt fear, as the matriarch of the household, she couldn't bear to pretend she hadn't seen her husband flirting with the young maid in front of her.

Therefore, he sneered at Jia Lian, "I advise you, Lord Marquis, not to go too far. There are still many gentlemen outside. You'd better go out and help the master see the guests off, so as not to gain a reputation for being impolite in the eyes of others."

After saying that, she glanced once more at Qingwen's fair buttocks, lowered her head in embarrassment, and quietly waved to Ping'er before leaving.

As soon as Sister Feng left, Qingwen could no longer hold back. She struggled desperately, pulled up her pants, and stood three steps away, glaring at Jia Lian and his accomplice Xiangling.

Xiangling shrugged and gave Qingwen an apologetic smile, her eyes seeming to say: Sister Qingwen, please don't blame me, it was all Second Master's doing...

Jia Lian had only released Qingwen after he had had his fill of masturbation. Now, seeing her still daring to glare and sneer, he immediately frowned and said, "What, are you still not convinced? It seems you still haven't realized your mistake. I need to remind you again."

Jia Lian frowned, and Qingwen still felt uneasy.

As for her mistake, she didn't think she had made a big one, since she wasn't targeting Daiyu. She just didn't want "second masters" like Xueyan to bother her or try to curry favor with Jia Lian.

But she was still glad that Ping'er had returned in time today.

She only found out later that there had been such a commotion in Daiyu's room. She thought that if it weren't for Ping'er, the Second Master would have been unable to find out the news in time because of her, and if something else had happened to Daiyu, she would have been in big trouble.

This is why, after learning that Daiyu was already engaged to Jia Lian, she couldn't help but rush over to check on the situation.

But if Second Master is going to punish someone, he'll make them take off their pants and spank them...

Spanking is one thing, it's not unacceptable to do it in private, but why humiliate her like this in front of Xiangling and Fengjie? How will she ever be able to stay in this brothel again?

How could Qingwen know that Jia Lian was doing it on purpose? Hitting someone in private is no different from flirting, so it's hard to prevent him from doing it again.

Qingwen was genuinely angry, but she didn't dare to confront Jia Lian directly at this moment. So she spat on the ground, tossed her skirt, and went out the door, completely forgetting her duties.

Such arrogant behavior made Jia Lian narrow his eyes, feeling that the punishment was not enough.

"Second Master, don't be angry. Let me help you change your clothes."

Xiangling's face was still slightly flushed, but her voice was gentle and her demeanor obedient. Compared to Qingwen, she was worlds apart.

Recalling the few new things he had tried under Qin Da Meiren's influence, his heart stirred again. He thought to himself that if time allowed, he would definitely want to spend more time with this beautiful girl.

……

After Grandmother Jia's birthday banquet ended, all the guests left.

After helping Sister Feng and the others to tidy up and settle in, Madam You and Qin Keqing also took a carriage back to their residence.

Because the wheels of Lady You's carriage broke down temporarily, she rode with Qin Keqing.

In the carriage filled with the sweet fragrance of women, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law inevitably talked about Daiyu, exchanging the information they had gleaned that day.

"You've always been close to Feng'er. Did she really know about something this big all along, and how could she tolerate it?"

Based on You Shi's understanding of Feng Jie, she felt this was too illogical. After all, it was understood that the Jia Lian and Lin families not only demanded that Jia Lian grant Daiyu the title of a concubine, but also that he be married with the formalities of marriage.

How could someone as strong-willed as Sister Feng hold back from making a scene?

Qin Keqing looked at her mother-in-law and suddenly asked, "Mother-in-law, if you were Second Aunt, with Second Uncle's extraordinary abilities, caring nature, handsome appearance, and unwavering loyalty in the face of power, would you have argued with Second Uncle?"

Lady You was taken aback, and suddenly realized that she was still viewing Jia Lian and Feng Jie with the same old perspective.

Think back to last year, Jia Lian, for the sake of Sister Feng, not only rejected the Princess and disobeyed the Empress Dowager, but was even dismissed from his post by the Emperor...

Under those circumstances, Jia Lian withstood the pressure and did not divorce Feng Jie. In comparison, it is not surprising that Feng Jie was able to tolerate the sickly Daiyu.

As for replacing her with Sister Feng? Let alone replacing her, even as she is now, she would be willing to do anything for Jia Lian if she could occasionally receive some favors from him. She doesn't have that kind of luck or qualification to be Jia Lian's wife.

Qin Keqing's words were not enough to enlighten Madam You, so she continued, "Moreover, Mother-in-law is not unaware that Second Uncle is the best at coaxing people."

Although I don't know how he managed to appease his second aunt, I do know that not only did his second aunt not have any disagreements with his second uncle because of this incident, but their relationship is actually much better than ever before.

My second uncle doted on my second aunt, and my second aunt admired my second uncle. They were a harmonious couple, truly enviable.

As Qin Keqing spoke, a look of deep envy appeared in her eyes. This was not an act; she was genuinely envious.

Then she felt a surge of pride; she felt she was almost a part of that family…

Looking at Qin Keqing's longing expression, Madam You suddenly asked, "By the way, what were you doing this afternoon when you were away from your seat for so long?"

Qin Keqing snapped out of her reverie, glanced at Madam You, and said, "The osmanthus flowers in my second aunt's newly renovated garden are in full bloom, so she invited me over to take a look, and that's why I stayed a little longer than usual."

"Is that so?"

Madam You gave a noncommittal reply, but her suspicions only grew stronger.

It's true that Qin Keqing and Sister Feng are very close, and it's also true that Sister Feng invited Qin Keqing to come and admire the flowers.

However, she did see Sister Feng in the back kitchen halfway through, and Sister Feng also appeared quickly when Jia Baoyu caused trouble in Daiyu's room.

At that time, there was no trace of Qin Keqing.

Therefore, Qin Keqing must be hiding something from her.

She had a guess, but felt it was unlikely, since it was indeed Sister Feng who had taken Qin Keqing away.

Could Qin Keqing be so bold as to steal Feng Jie's man right under her nose?

……

Late at night, Li Wan dragged her weary body home.

The person in charge of hosting Grandmother Jia's birthday banquet was undoubtedly her daughter-in-law, Lady Wang.

As Lady Wang's daughter-in-law, Li Wan had to do everything she could to be considerate.

After finally finishing her work, she checked the time and immediately rushed home.

But it was too late. Just as they approached Sister Feng's courtyard, a tall and lithe figure strode in.

She paused, stunned for a moment.

Su Yun, who was standing next to her, had just the same sharp eyes and immediately asked, "Second Madam, was that Second Master Lian just now? Second Master Lian is so diligent! Even on a day like this, he's still practicing martial arts in the outer courtyard!"

As a maid in Li Wan's courtyard, Su Yun was very familiar with Jia Lian's attire when he practiced martial arts.

After all, Li Wan's courtyard was located between Feng Jie's courtyard and the east wing, so they could often see Jia Lian returning home late at night after finishing his martial arts practice.

Li Wan nodded without saying a word, and changed her hurried pace, slowly walking home.

Su Yun, however, changed the subject, saying with a smile, "Grandma, do you think Miss Lin will really marry Second Master Lian? We all used to think that the old lady wanted to marry Miss Lin to Second Master Bao, after all, the old lady doted on them both so much..."

Upon hearing this, Li Wan's mind stirred, and she slowed her pace further, asking, "What exactly happened in Miss Lin's room today?"

When Jia Baoyu caused trouble, she was taking care of the ladies of various noble families in place of Lady Wang and others, so she couldn't get away and therefore couldn't see it with her own eyes.

But afterwards, I heard quite a lot about it.

Upon hearing that Li Wan was interested, Su Yun immediately began to recount the story at length. Little did she know that she herself had not been present at the time and had only heard it from her friends.

"I heard that Master Lian was very angry at the time and almost beat Master Bao, which frightened Madam and the old lady."

Later, it was only after the master came in that Second Master Lian stopped, and then the old lady ordered that Second Master Bao was never allowed to enter Miss Lin's courtyard again, and Second Master Lian stopped pursuing Second Master Bao.

Everyone says that this is the first time in the Jia family's hundred-year history that two brothers have been vying to marry the same woman!

"That makes sense. Miss Lin is so beautiful, like a celestial being. No wonder even someone like Master Lian dotes on her so much, and even the Old Madam and Madam can't dissuade her. She won't give an inch to Master Bao."

As Su Yun spoke, her tone was filled with envy, as if she wished she were Daiyu.

Upon hearing this, Li Wan couldn't help but touch her face, but then quickly put it down, afraid that the maid would suspect her.

When Li Wan returned home, she learned that Jia Lan had finished his homework and gone to sleep, so she was relieved and went back to her room to ask the maids to fetch water for her to wash up.

While resting on the tatami mat, she suddenly noticed the dressing table in the room and couldn't help but sit down there.

Then she realized with a start that it had been a long time since she had sat here seriously. Normally, she would just glance at herself in the dressing mirror after the maids had helped her wash up. Even if something wasn't right, she only needed a quick look and a quick touch-up. She had almost forgotten the times she used to sit in front of her dressing table for half a morning when she was a young girl.

Yes, what's the point of her putting on makeup?

Not only was it useless, but in the eyes of the wives and others, it made him seem frivolous and restless.

Therefore, she gradually became resistant to being near the dressing table.

She wiped the mirror with her sleeve and looked down. It was still the same familiar self in the mirror, but she looked desolate and tired. The sight of her made her heart tremble.

Once upon a time, the person in the mirror was also a charming young girl who loved to laugh and whose eyes were full of liveliness, just like Miss Lin.

I touched my face in the mirror, and sure enough, it wasn't as smooth as it had been when I first touched it; my complexion was also worse...

Feeling panicked, Li Wan suddenly felt that the person in the mirror looked terrible no matter how she looked at him. A surge of anger welled up from the bottom of her heart, and she almost couldn't help but sweep the mirror and everything on the table to the ground.

After a while, her mind finally calmed down. She opened her dressing case, picked up her paintbrush, and, following her past memories, began to carefully draw her eyebrows.