Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Since it was late at night, the three sisters and others did not stay in Rongqing Hall for long. Not long after Jia Lian left, they followed Li Wan out.

Perhaps because of the "big event" that happened tonight, which shocked them as well, they were all somewhat excited and had no intention of going back to their rooms to rest as soon as possible. Tan Chun suggested going to "Sister Feng's courtyard" to see "Sister Feng," which was agreed upon and echoed by the other sisters.

"You guys go ahead, I won't go."

Daiyu glanced at them, and Leng Qiuqiu left a message before preparing to turn back.

Tan Chun quickly grabbed her arm and said with a smile, "No, Sister Lin, let's go together, okay..."

It's the middle of the night, and it's inconvenient to disturb my brother and sister-in-law's courtyard. We only managed to go because there were so many of us. If Daiyu leaves, Jia Baoyu will be embarrassed and will definitely leave too. If this person leaves and that person leaves, then we won't be able to go at all.

Daiyu had no idea of ​​Tanchun's considerations, and naturally objected. It wasn't that she was afraid to go to Jia Lian's courtyard, but she didn't like going with Tanchun and the others because they always liked to tease her, which annoyed her.

In addition, Jia Baoyu's presence was also a reason.

Seeing that Daiyu insisted on not traveling with them, Jia Baoyu's expression darkened. In his eyes, Daiyu's refusal to travel with them was entirely due to his previous offense.

He wanted to take his leave so that Daiyu could stay with Tanchun and the others in peace. But when the words came out, he was very reluctant. Did he really have to keep his distance from Lin Daiyu from now on? Where he was, Daiyu couldn't be, and where Daiyu was, he couldn't be?

His expression shifted, and Jia Baoyu suddenly stepped forward, saying in a serious voice, "Does Sister Lin intend to continue avoiding me like this?"

Jia Baoyu suddenly spoke, his voice loud and his expression grave, startling everyone present, who all looked at him.

Tan Chun also subconsciously loosened her grip on Daiyu.

Daiyu, who was already being pestered by Tanchun and the others to the point of no return, suddenly frowned, looked up at Jia Baoyu, and said coldly, "Why should I avoid you? Does your presence mean that everyone else has to go there, and not going means I'm intentionally avoiding you?"

Seeing the two of them arguing and bickering again, Li Wan felt a headache coming on and was about to smile and smooth things over by separating the two.

But today, Jia Baoyu was acting out of character. Instead of getting angry at Daiyu's retort, his heavy expression softened, and he said in a serious tone, "Oh, since Sister Lin isn't avoiding me, why don't you come with us to see Sister Feng?"

"I'm tired, is it not okay if I don't want to go?"

Daiyu was originally bracing herself to argue with the unreasonable Jia Baoyu, but to her surprise, Jia Baoyu not only refrained from speaking rudely, but also spoke so calmly that she reduced the intensity of the argument by half.

Jia Baoyu looked intently at Daiyu and said gently, "I know I was wrong last time and offended you with my words. But if you are a thoughtful person, you should know that I..."

As Jia Baoyu spoke, he gave a self-deprecating laugh, and fearing that Daiyu wouldn't give him another chance to speak, he immediately continued, "Now I know that you, Miss, have already found someone you love, so naturally I won't offend you in the slightest. From now on, I will only share the same wishes as my third sister and the others, wholeheartedly blessing you and Brother Lian..."

However, no matter what, we shouldn't be so distant. My father and your mother are siblings, and we shouldn't be as close as blood relatives. If I've caused you any distress, I apologize, I kneel before you…”

When Jia Baoyu got to the point of being moved, he even lifted his robe, as if he were about to kneel down and apologize to Daiyu. This made Li Wan and the others both touched and amused, and they quickly pulled him back.

Tan Chun was very relieved, feeling that Jia Baoyu's attitude was quite rare. In the future, everyone would be living in the garden, and if Daiyu and Jia Baoyu always harbored such resentment, not only would they themselves be uncomfortable, but others would also be affected.

That's good. Once these two people talk things out, everyone will be able to get along better.

Although Jia Baoyu's attitude of admitting his mistake as his cousin showed sincerity, it made Daiyu very uncomfortable.

Her face flushed instantly, partly because of Jia Baoyu's words, but more importantly, because she felt embarrassed in front of Li Wan and the others. Seeing that Jia Baoyu was about to kneel before her, which was clearly mockery and intimidation, she stepped back, glaring at him and saying, "Who's being distant with you? Who wants you? Who asked you to apologize to me? You clearly think I'm too peaceful, and in a few days you'll find something to make Grandmother and Aunt dislike me..."

Thinking of the grievances she had suffered over the years because of Jia Baoyu, Daiyu's face immediately fell, and she was on the verge of tears.

Jia Baoyu quickly said, "If you don't want to be distant with me, then come with us to Sister Feng's courtyard. Only in this way can you prove your true feelings."

"Fine, I'll go."

Daiyu didn't want to make a scene with Jia Baoyu in front of everyone anymore. If she turned back now, she would fall into Jia Baoyu's trap and appear guilty. So she lifted her leg and took small steps directly towards Fengjie's courtyard.

Seeing that Daiyu was truly moved by Jia Baoyu's words and went over on her own initiative, Tanchun and Xichun quickly stepped forward, supporting Jia Baoyu's arms, looking very approving and delighted.

Even Li Wan came over, looked Jia Baoyu up and down, and said with a smile, "Baoyu has finally grown up. He's more sensible than before and knows how to give way to his younger sister."

In terms of age, Jia Baoyu was not much older than Jia Lan. Therefore, Li Wan, who usually took care of the young children in the family, was nominally Jia Baoyu's elder sister-in-law, but in reality, she was no different from an elder.

The praise from Li Wan and others gave Jia Baoyu the courage to finally put aside his pride and explain things clearly to Daiyu. He felt it was all worthwhile, and a smile appeared on his face.

……

Jia Lian was delayed outside for a while. When he returned home, he heard the sounds of birdsong coming from inside the house. He knew that San Chun and the others had arrived, so he straightened his clothes and stepped inside.

Upon entering, Jia Lian was indeed surprised to find all three of the Spring and Autumn seasons present, including Daiyu. However, he was also somewhat taken aback to see Jia Baoyu there as well.

"Brother Lian is back..."

The sweet voices, coupled with the stunning looks of the young women, made Jia Lian feel involuntarily happy, and he greeted them with a smile.

Sister Feng also stood up: "Alright, I knew you weren't looking at me. Now that the person in charge is back, you can ask him those questions yourselves. I'm going to go see Miss Xiao."

After saying this, Sister Feng gave Jia Lian a light, seemingly praising yet affectionate look, and then drifted away.

Jia Lian guessed that Feng Jie was moved by his dashing appearance and domineering manner tonight, and therefore admired him even more. So he smiled, went straight to the head of the kang (heated brick bed), and invited Ying Chun and the others to sit down. Then he said with a smile, "Why did you all decide to come here tonight?"

Tan Chun said, "We came here with Sister Lin."

Daiyu: "??"

I knew she was a brat all along. I'll never believe her again and I'll never talk to her again.

Having glared fiercely at Tan Chun several times, Daiyu knew she couldn't explain herself now; the more she explained, the more passive she would become. Having suffered many losses in the past, Daiyu knew that pretending not to hear was the wisest choice at this moment.

As expected, Daiyu didn't respond, and Tanchun couldn't continue her performance. Yingchun, seeing the anger in Daiyu's eyes, smiled and smoothed things over, saying, "Something big happened in the manor today, and we're all very curious. We didn't dare ask too much in the old lady's room just now, so we thought we'd come and sit here with you, brother, just in case we disturb your rest."

Jia Lian, who was chuckling at Tan Chun's words, shook his head and said, "It's no trouble at all. I'm more than happy that you can come and sit here with me."

As he spoke, Jia Lian turned his head to look at Jia Baoyu beside him, "Right, Brother Bao, let's see how long it's been since you last came to visit me. You used to love coming over."

Upon hearing this, Jia Baoyu felt embarrassed, his fair face turning red. He stammered, "Well... it hasn't been long, I just knew that Brother Lian is always busy, so I didn't want to bother you..."

When Jia Baoyu was young, he really liked to run to this courtyard because Feng Jie and Ping'er were very kind and caring to him, and they were both very beautiful, so he naturally liked them.

He hadn't really liked coming here since the incident at Shuiyue Nunnery. After all, it was Jia Lian and Feng Jie who caught him, Qin Zhongneng, and his sister-in-law in the act. Even though his brother and sister-in-law protected and favored him, he still had his pride and naturally felt ashamed to face them.

Of course, the main reason was that little brat Qingwen. Every time he came over, she would glare at him and show her impatience on her face. Jia Baoyu himself didn't know when he had offended this young lady so deeply.

In the end, the reason he didn't come was naturally because of Daiyu. It wasn't from the time he learned of Daiyu's engagement, but rather when he discovered that Daiyu was extremely distant and resentful towards him, while being very close to Jia Lian.

Jia Lian didn't take Jia Baoyu's excuses seriously and turned back to Yingchun, saying, "Did you plan this beforehand, or did you all come at the same time? Tell me, what are you all curious about? I think your curiosity is probably just a pretense. I'm afraid you're like the others, who heard that I found a lot of dirty silver at the Lai family's house when you were short of money. So you want me to do something behind the scenes to give you some money to buy rouge."

"Oh dear, look at Second Brother, he actually assumes such things about us, he really looks down on us."

"Exactly, we're not short of money..."

Tan Chun pretended to be angry, while Xi Chun subconsciously argued back.

Daiyu watched coldly: Hmph, as expected, he knows how to make people happy. He probably does the same thing to Sister Feng and the others, not just me.

Yingchun smiled and responded to Jia Lian's first sentence: "We came from the old lady's room and then came together. Originally, my sister-in-law was with us, but when we got to the courtyard, she said she was going back to check on Lan boy and went back first."

"Look at Lan the Kid?" Jia Lian shook his head, unsure whether he felt regret or pride, and smiled without saying a word.

He caught a glimpse of Daiyu's cold, aloof gaze, but paid it no mind. No matter how perceptive he was, he couldn't possibly realize that a simple remark he made to please his sisters could so easily trigger Daiyu's jealousy!

Tan Chun persisted, refusing to listen to Jia Lian, and pressed on, "Second Brother Lian said we're the same as everyone else. Does that mean someone already wanted you to give them money?"

Jia Lian smiled but remained silent. Indeed, on his way back from the east courtyard, when he stopped by Madam Xing's courtyard to visit her and Jia Cong, Madam Xing had repeatedly advised him not to be too naive, as there was considerable room for maneuver when recording the Lai family's assets…

She even directly hinted that if he was worried about arousing suspicion, he could store the items in her courtyard. In the end, Jia Lian merely asked her if she needed anything and promised to give her fifty taels of silver to settle the matter.

Tan Chun and the others had some guesses, but they didn't press the matter. Instead, they asked about the Lai family.

The three girls and the others were already curious. Since the Lai family had been a part of the household since their birth, they were familiar with the Lai family and Granny Lai, and naturally they were concerned about how Jia Lian would deal with these people.

Jia Lian was patient and told them almost everything. Of course, he didn't need to explain some of the deeper meanings to his naive younger sisters.

Yingchun sighed, "Brother drove the Lai family to the north to guard their estate. I heard it's extremely cold there, and winter is almost here..."

Although Yingchun didn't explain clearly, everyone knew she pitied the Lai family. After all, by worldly standards, both Lai Da and Lai Da were quite old, and each had already endured fifty or sixty strokes of the cane. Not to mention, Granny Lai, like Grandmother Jia, was over seventy years old. With her son and daughter-in-law gone, should she go with them or not?

Tan Chun, fearing that Ying Chun would say something pitiful about the Lai family and displease Jia Lian, interrupted, saying, "In my opinion, Second Brother handled it well. The Lai family has only themselves to blame. Who told them to be so greedy! They actually embezzled so much; it's shocking if word gets out."

Jia Lian knew that Yingchun couldn't bear to see others suffer, so he smiled and comforted her, saying that he had already sent someone to escort Lai Da and the others to the north, and that nothing would happen. Only then did Yingchun's worry turn into joy.

This made Tan Chun somewhat envious of Ying Chun, who had such a doting and affectionate older brother, unlike herself, who only had a troublesome younger brother who was always acting up. Judging from this, even if she didn't have to rely on him in the future, she should be fine as long as that kid didn't cause her any trouble.

Fortunately, although Jia Lian was not her biological brother, he was her cousin. So she put aside her worries and thought of a topic to continue talking to Jia Lian: "Lai Da deserved his punishment, but I heard from Brother Bao that he has a son who has already passed the county-level examination and will be taking the provincial-level examination to become a Juren. I wonder if tonight's incident will affect him."

If he really does pass the imperial examination and become a scholar, it will bring glory to our ancestors and even our family will be honored.

Tan Chun smiled and said that from the perspective of a family like the Jia family, it was naturally a great honor that someone from their servant family could pass the imperial examination.

After all, the imperial examinations in modern times were extremely difficult. Even the simple title of Xiucai required passing two levels of examinations: the county examination and the prefectural examination. Finally, one had to take the provincial examination and obtain the "student" qualification from the provincial education official, which was commonly known as Xiucai.

If even becoming a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the lowest level of the imperial examinations) is so difficult, then passing the provincial examinations is even more challenging. Just look at the Jia family, with its twenty branches and so many descendants; over a hundred years, only a handful of two or three have actually passed the provincial examinations.

Therefore, if one of the servants were to emerge from among them, it would naturally be big news and something to boast about: "Our Jia family has sent out a servant who has achieved success in the imperial examinations, which shows that we are a family of scholars!"

Tan Chun's idea was not wrong, and if Jia Lian hadn't foreseen what would happen later, he probably would have been happy to cultivate such a promising talent.

Unfortunately, he knew this was an unfaithful and unscrupulous person. Not wanting Tan Chun and the others to still have any goodwill towards him, he looked at Tan Chun and said, "For the Lai family, it's a great honor, but I'm afraid it might not be so for my Jia family."

Jia Lian's clearly subjective words surprised everyone. Tan Chun asked in surprise, "What do you mean by that, Second Brother Lian? Could it be that this person...?"

Jia Lian laughed and said, "Which scholar, especially one who has achieved success in his studies, is not proud and arrogant?"

If he remains unknown, he will need to rely on the power of my Jia family. But once he achieves fame and his influence grows, I fear that my Jia family will become nothing more than a source of humiliation for him. After all, in this world, besides sages, who else is qualified to be the master of scholars?

While Tan Chun and the others didn't understand Jia Lian's earlier words, they grasped the meaning of his last sentence and fell silent.

Jia Baoyu quickly said, "Second Brother Lian is probably overthinking it. Brother Lai isn't that kind of person; he's a very good person..."

Aside from his studies away from home, Lai Shangrong never forgot to cultivate good relationships with several important figures in the Jia family whenever he returned to the capital. He wasn't stupid; he naturally understood that even if he achieved fame and success, he would still need the Jia family's support to enter officialdom.

He couldn't easily get close to people like Jia She and Jia Zheng, but with his intelligence, it would be incredibly easy for him to win over this little brat, Jia Baoyu.

Faced with Jia Baoyu's differing opinion, Jia Lian remained unperturbed, simply observing him quietly before countering with, "Oh, if you were Lai Shangrong, how would you answer when your classmates asked you where you lived and who your parents were during your studies? And when you passed the imperial examination with flying colors and were riding high, how would you answer when your mentor, a high-ranking official, asked you the same questions? And finally, when you were an official in a region, what would you do when your colleagues continued to ask you such questions?"

Jia Baoyu pursed his lips, speechless. He was aloof, not foolish, and naturally understood Jia Lian's meaning.

It's hard to imagine how Lai Shangrong would have answered in that situation. He probably thought that even if he said his parents came from a rural background, it would be more respectable than being a servant of the powerful and wealthy Duke's mansion.

"So, it's not that Lai Shangrong is bad. It's just that our Jia family is not good to him. Not only is it bad, but it is also an indelible disgrace in his official career. Whenever he thinks about it, it may make him anxious and unable to eat."

Jia Lian's words were so calm, so devoid of emotion, yet utterly irrefutable. Even the youngest, Xi Chun, seemed to ponder, realizing how complex the adult world truly was. Before, when people talked about this Lai family member, weren't they all full of praise, saying the Lai family had produced a prodigy…

Even Daiyu, who hadn't cared about the matter at all, turned her gaze and stared blankly at Jia Lian.

Brother Lian is so rational. Can he see through people's hearts? But is this matter really unsolvable? Perhaps not! Anyone who is loyal and righteous and broad-minded can naturally accept a humble origin. He said this because he is convinced that this scholar surnamed Lai, like his parents, is disloyal.

Daiyu had her own thoughts, but she just wouldn't say them.