Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

"Thank you for what happened earlier, Second Uncle." As she entered the ceremonial gate, Madam You turned to Jia Lian to express her gratitude.

Jia Lian shook his head. "Sister-in-law, you're too kind. As long as you don't blame me for making decisions on my own, that's fine."

Lai Sheng was completely irrelevant to Jia Lian. Firstly, he was, after all, a servant of the Ningguo Mansion, not the Rongguo Mansion, so there was no need for Jia Lian to condemn him outright and solidify his image as a "villain." Secondly, Jia Lian also had to consider the current situation of the Ningguo Mansion, which was being managed solely by You Shi. With an old steward like Lai Sheng to assist her, You Shi could manage the household affairs more easily.

Of course, the most important reason is that Lai Sheng is much more sensible and respectful than Lai Da. Therefore, Jia Lian was willing to let him off lightly after Lai Sheng surrendered himself to the authorities.

The advantage is that yesterday's punishment of Lai Da's family established his authority, and today he can use this as an opportunity to show leniency. This combination of kindness and severity is the proper way to manage subordinates. It also prevents the other stewards and managers of the two mansions from living in constant fear. Jia Lian hopes that his servants will be dutiful and cautious, but he doesn't want them to live in constant anxiety.

This also helped Madam You by putting a tight rein on Lai Sheng, making him more diligent, cautious, and obedient in his work from now on. Otherwise, that five thousand taels of silver could be a sword of Damocles that falls at any moment.

"Grandma, Second Uncle..."

Qin Keqing remained as graceful and charming as ever. She moved lightly through the inner gate and went to Jia Lian and the other man's side.

"Why aren't you going in yet? The old lady, second aunt, and third aunt are all waiting for you. Hurry up and go."

As Qin Keqing spoke, her captivating gaze never left Jia Lian, and she even subconsciously moved to Jia Lian's side. Finally, she realized that there were other people around, so she gracefully turned around, took You Shi's arm, and urged the two of them to walk forward with a bright smile.

Because Madam You always advocated simplicity, today was no exception; only one table was set up in the main hall. Apart from Old Madam You and her servants, only two or three musicians and performers sat at the table.

"Knowing that my second uncle doesn't like watching plays, we didn't invite a troupe today."

Before stepping into the main hall, Madam You explained it this way. Jia Lian didn't know how to respond. Wasn't today Madam You's birthday? Why was he acting like the main character?

"Young master, you've finally arrived! Come in quickly..."

When Old Lady You, who was originally seated at the head of the table, saw Jia Lian enter the hall, she greeted him with a smile as bright as a chrysanthemum, just like seeing her own son.

Jia Lian also stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Greetings, Old Madam."

"Haha, no need for formalities, no need for formalities, please sit down. Second sister, third sister, why aren't you getting a chair and chopsticks for your second brother? What are you standing there for?"

Sister You was helpless. "Today is my birthday! You're all being so mean!" Despite this, she had no choice but to obediently become Jia Lian's maid along with her sister.

"Please sit down, ma'am."

Jia Lian didn't stand on ceremony and sat down directly, and You Shi and the others also took their seats in turn.

Old Lady You occupies the main seat, with Lady You and Qin Keqing on her right, and Jia Lian, Second Sister You, and Third Sister You on her left, with Qin Keqing below them.

Judging from this seating arrangement, Old Lady You and the others probably didn't know that he had taken Third Sister You as his concubine yesterday. Otherwise, Second Sister You and Third Sister You's seats would have been switched.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the maids brought out the dishes, and Old Madam You eagerly stood up, raised her cup, and said with a smile, "My daughters and I have always been fortunate to receive your care, especially my eldest daughter. It is truly not easy for her to manage such a large household all by herself. Without your help, she would not be able to cope. Therefore, I would like to offer you a toast to express my gratitude."

Jia Lian could only raise his cup in response, and then passively endure Old Lady You's flattery and repeated questioning.

"I've heard that you hold several positions in the court. What are they? What are your responsibilities? How much is your annual salary? Could you tell me so that I can broaden my horizons?"

"I've long heard that you, sir, are strict in managing your household. Yesterday, my eldest sister told me that you've dealt with another servant severely. I also heard that the servant's household alone has no less than 100,000 taels of silver, which is truly astonishing. Only someone as wise and capable as you, sir, could have rooted out and punished such a greedy and unruly servant."

"By the way, it seems my third sister went out with you yesterday afternoon. I hope she didn't cause you any trouble..."

"..."

Jia Lian understood a little; he had come today to be questioned and interrogated by his mother-in-law.

……

Just as Jia Lian was exhausted from dealing with Old Lady You's nagging, in Feng Jie's courtyard, Wang Xifeng was also eagerly awaiting news of Ping'er.

"Reporting to Second Madam, I have inquired and found out that today is the coming-of-age ceremony for the younger sister of Madam Zhen's family, which is why Second Master was invited. I heard..."

"I knew it was like that, hmph."

Upon hearing the news Ping'er brought back, Sister Feng immediately pouted her full lips.

She didn't argue with Jia Lian about this last night, nor did she stop him from going to the banquet. It wasn't that she didn't care, nor that she was incompetent, but rather that she had already suspected it.

"What did you hear?"

"I heard that the third sister of Grandma Zhen's family is very lively and likes to pester Second Master. Yesterday, Second Master even took her to the drill ground outside the city."

Upon hearing this, Sister Feng became even angrier. "I knew it would be like this! It's exactly what I expected! That Madam You is usually the most cautious person, but yesterday she dared to invite your Second Master to the banquet alone in front of so many people. Sure enough, she had this in mind. She doesn't take me seriously at all and is clearly not afraid of me finding out!"

She comes from a poor background and has little self-respect. She has to take care of such a large family by herself, so naturally she faces difficulties everywhere. Relying on her younger sister's good looks, she wants to use her to win over your second master. By establishing this relationship, she can not only feel at ease, but also rightfully trouble your second master if she needs anything in the future.

No wonder she left her mother and sisters at the mansion and never sent them back.

As Sister Feng spoke, she grew angrier and angrier. She thought that if Madam You were in front of her now, she would scratch her face.

Ping'er asked curiously, "Since Grandma knew that Madam Zhen was planning this, why did she still send Second Master over?"

"Why not let him go? Your second master is a man, do you think I'm afraid he'll get hurt?"

Sister Feng replied in a sinister tone, her eyes deep and unfathomable. Ping'er frowned slightly, somewhat puzzled by Sister Feng's meaning.

Feng Jie glanced at Ping'er, seemingly not intending for her to understand, and then interrupted, "Do you think I don't want to stop him? Your second master's temperament is such that when he sees a beautiful woman, he's like a cat smelling fish. He won't give up until he gets what he wants. Do you need to tell me how I can stop him?"

You've seen those two vixens from the You family before. The older one is so beautiful she's almost pitiful, and the younger one is as delicate and beautiful as a peach blossom. Now that they're offering them to you, with the choice to choose, how could your second master not be tempted?

"Hmph, I've figured it out over the years. If a man has ulterior motives, the more you try to stop him, the more it itches. If you don't stop him, he'll be less audacious and he'll take your words to heart."

Ping'er fell silent. On the issue of her master's lustful nature, she shared the same view as Feng Jie. However, she disagreed that all men were like that. Some men, if left unchecked, would only become more and more outrageous. Only her second master was swayed by gentleness but not by force. When his wife softened her stance, he would dote on her.

"So, Second Madam just stood by and watched as the You family schemed against Second Master?"

"It's like Zhou Yu beating Huang Gai – both were willing to hit and were willing to be hit. What could I do?"

Sister Feng spoke angrily, but it was just talk in anger. Then her gaze turned stern: "Lin girl is one thing, but the Lin family has been nobles for four generations, a family of scholars and poets. What is the You family? Just watch, I'll let them know that it won't be so easy for them to put their daughters through my door!"

Feng Jie's eyes were full of petty glints. Although she was now more open-minded about Jia Lian's affairs with women, it was still infuriating that You Shi, who was her sister-in-law, wanted to put her sisters in her arms without even a word.

If they don't have that intention, then so be it; but if they do, we'll always find a chance to teach them a lesson in the future.

Feng Jie was already in a bad mood when she suddenly saw a figure moving outside the curtain. She immediately shouted, "Who's there?"

Then, a maidservant timidly stepped out from behind the curtain.

Sister Feng asked in surprise, "What are you doing hiding so quietly in the back?"

"No, I didn't hide. I heard that Grandma was back, so I came to see if she needed anyone to serve her. I heard Grandma and Ping'er talking, so I didn't dare to come in."

Feng Jie nodded, showing that she still respected and trusted Xiang Ling. So she put away her sternness and asked where Qing Wen was.

"She... her cousin-in-law told her she had something to do and went out..."

Sister Feng snorted. Three out of the five times she asked, it was her cousin-in-law calling her. How could she not know that the little hussy and her shameless cousin-in-law had such a good relationship?

Too lazy to care anymore, he waved his hand and chased Xiangling out.

Unbeknownst to Sister Feng, after bowing as she left the house, Xiangling surprisingly stuck out her tongue on her adorable little face.

She glanced back at the main house and thought to herself, even the wisest Second Madam can make a mistake. But she couldn't blame the Second Madam for not being shrewd enough. If she hadn't personally witnessed Madam Zhen clinging to the Second Master's leg, kneeling on the ground with tenderness and affection, she probably would have assumed that Madam Zhen had invited the Second Master over to try and matchmake her sister.