Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Chapter 712 Night Arrives at Daoxiang

That evening, all the brothers and sisters in the Grand View Garden came to celebrate Jia Lian's birthday.

Daiyu did not come.

Apart from Jia Lian, no one else knew the real reason.

The birthday party was very simple, with no drama or music.

Even so, when everyone gathers together without the constraints of elders, the laughter and banter, along with occasional games like drinking games, are enough to make them feel carefree and happy until late at night.

Although Jia Lian drank a lot of wine with his sisters, it was all weak yellow wine, which was nothing special to him.

So after taking a bath, I no longer felt too tired.

So Jia Lian changed into clean clothes, took Xiangling with him, and went to the garden to see Daiyu.

Daiyu had already gone to sleep, while Zhen Yuhuan had just finished bathing and was wearing a clean white undergarment, looking exceptionally cute and sweet.

Jia Lian sat and talked with Zhen Yuhuan for a while. He saw that Daiyu lay quietly in bed the whole time, not moving at all. He didn't know if she was really sleeping very soundly or was ashamed to see him.

However, he did not insist, and soon left Xiaoxiang Pavilion, heading north towards Hengwu Garden.

Turning the corner, I caught a glimpse of a few scattered lights in Daoxiang Village at my feet, accompanied by the chirping of insects, creating a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere.

Jia Lian suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Baochai is a cold beauty, not as easily fooled as Daiyu. Or rather, treating Baochai the same way you treat Daiyu might not be very effective.

For example, Daiyu is someone who is restless and yearns for activity, yet also yearns for stillness. Just remembering to visit her regularly will naturally strengthen your bond.

Baochai is clearly someone who can endure loneliness. She probably won't fall for the "showing concern and care" approach.

Moreover, at this time, not only Aunt Xue was in Hengwu Garden, but also Xiuyan, Xiangyun and Baoqin.

Under such circumstances, without preparation, it would be difficult to improve one's relationship with Baochai.

So Jia Lian turned his head and said to Xiangling beside him, "You don't need to come along, go back first."

Although Xiangling had doubts, she didn't ask any further questions. She nodded and was about to hand the lantern in her hand to Jia Lian.

"You can take it yourself. It's so dark, I'd be heartbroken if you fell." Jia Lian patted Xiangling's head.

Under the dim light, a blush crept across Xiangling's face.

"Then... what should we do, Second Master?"

"It's alright. Your second uncle has practiced martial arts for many years and has long since developed the ability to see at night, so it's no problem."

Xiangling was skeptical. She looked up at the night sky, thinking that Hengwu Garden wasn't far away, and that Aunt Xue and the others would arrange for someone to see Jia Lian off when he returned. So she obediently carried her lantern and went back.

Watching Xiangling transform into a ball of light and disappear into the distance, Jia Lian turned around and, as if he could truly see in the dark, swiftly descended the hillside.

However, instead of going directly to Hengwu Garden as Xiangling had imagined, he suddenly turned off the main road, went around two fences in a secluded spot, and arrived at a low wall made of yellow mud.

With his hands resting on the straw on the top of the wall, he easily climbed over into the yard with almost no effort.

The sound of its landing startled the birds and livestock perched in the nearby enclosure, causing them to make some noise.

Jia Lian stood there silently, unable to help but find it amusing.

Fortunately, Daoxiangcun has always only raised docile poultry and livestock such as chickens, ducks, and geese, and has not kept dogs.

After surveying the situation inside Daoxiang Village, it was indeed quiet and dark everywhere because it was late at night.

Without further hesitation, Jia Lian went to the largest thatched cottage under the north wall, counted the second window from the left, and gently pushed it open.

……

Aunt Li was only three or four years older than Li Wan.

Before Li Wan got married, the two had spent two years together and found that their personalities were compatible.

That's why when Aunt Li brought her two young daughters to the capital, she immediately went to the Jia family to visit Li Wan.

Of course, this also represents the Li family visiting and comforting their married daughter.

They were close relatives, and their fates were similar; both of them became widows at a young age.

Seeing each other again after so many years naturally evoked a flood of emotions and thoughts, and tears streamed down our faces as we looked at each other.

So even though Aunt Li originally had other plans, she still stayed at the Jia family mansion due to the hospitality of Grandmother Jia and others.

After spending more than a month together, the aunt and niece became even closer. With Aunt Li's business in the capital almost settled and her plans for returning south already underway, she naturally cherished the time she spent with Li Wan even more.

These past few days, the aunt and nephew have been sleeping side by side, sharing their innermost thoughts at night.

"Wen'er and Qi'er are still young, so Auntie doesn't need to worry too much about their marriages."

Marriage is a major life event for a daughter, so it should be carefully considered and not rushed.

"Don't worry, Aunt, I will keep an eye out for you from now on. If a suitable man comes along, I will inform you immediately."

Under the dim light, Li Wan lay inside the embroidered bed curtains, her eyes closed as she spoke.

"Sigh. How can I not worry?"

"Everyone says that marriage is a matter of parental arrangement. But your uncle passed away early, so this important matter is now left for me to worry about."

I'm incompetent, and I used to use your younger sisters' young age as an excuse to delay things. But now that they're growing up so fast, if I don't settle their marriages soon, I'm afraid I'll ruin their future.

Furthermore, what if something were to happen to me...?

Li Wan was both moved and sighed at her aunt's words.

She was able to empathize with her aunt's situation and thoughts.

When Jia Zhu died, her status in the household plummeted. Even after she gave birth to his posthumous child, which improved her situation somewhat, it was only to a limited extent.

From that moment on, she began to devote herself to her son's future.

This includes being so frugal that she was unwilling to waste even a single penny, and also urging her son to study hard from a young age, believing that only in this way could he have a bright future.

Although these worries became less serious after a man appeared.

But looking back, I can't help but feel sad: life without a man to rely on was really too difficult.

In particular, her aunt's situation was even worse than hers.

The Li family had already fallen on hard times, and she had to raise two children all by herself!

Fortunately, Wen'er and Qi'er are both sensible.

Of course she knew that her aunt had brought her daughter to the capital this time, and that she was just a side trip.

The main reason was that the Li family had fallen on hard times and it was not easy to find a satisfactory marriage in the south, so the aunt asked her father and brothers to help her inquire.

She came to the capital this time because her father and brothers from her maternal family helped her contact several families, which is why she brought her daughter to the capital to find a match.

After comforting his aunt, the two stopped talking and began to feel sleepy.

Li Wan then tried to get up and blow out the only candle burning in the room.

"Squeak~"

The faint sound reached Li Wan's ears, and at first she thought it was just the sound of the wind blowing through the branches of the trees in the backyard.

Inside and outside Daoxiang Village, many trees are planted, especially apricot trees.

"Squeak~~"

Although faint, the continuous sound was still somewhat jarring in the quiet room.

Li Wan frowned slightly as she watched her aunt Li, who seemed to have also heard the noise, sit up.

The sound came from outside.

Could it be that the maids were careless and forgot to close the window tightly, and the sound was made by the wind?

I was tempted to ignore it, since the sound had already stopped. But then I worried that it might not be what I was guessing, so should I take a lantern and go check?

Before she could make up her mind, she saw her aunt's expression freeze as she stared blankly at the doorway, her face previously showing only some doubt.

Li Wan slowly turned around, and then her expression became exactly the same as her aunt's.

……

When the tightly sealed wooden window is pushed open, there is always a slight noise.

Therefore, Jia Lian used very little force and was certain that as long as the people inside were asleep, the noise would not wake them up.

But after he climbed into the house, he was somewhat surprised.

Although the room was dark, through the wooden screen, one could still glimpse the fluttering gauze curtains and the dim candlelight in the inner room.

Could it be that Li Wan is still awake?

Jia Lian didn't care whether Li Wan was asleep and hadn't blown out the candles or was just about to go to sleep.

She deserves a peaceful life, but we should give her another surprise!

So he walked past the wooden screen and came to the main house—a familiar place to him, an old-fashioned wooden house that had brought him both beauty and excitement.

But he was immediately stunned.

By candlelight, he could clearly see two lightly dressed women sitting opposite each other inside the incense-covered tent.

One of them is recognizable as Li Wan.

The other one was neither Suyun nor Biyue.

For a moment, their eyes met.

Jia Lian suddenly felt that this scene seemed somewhat familiar.

The silence was fleeting.

Jia Lian could clearly see that inside the hanging bed curtains, Li Wan's expression changed from shock to panic, and she subconsciously lowered her head. She didn't dare to look at the person opposite her at all.

The woman opposite her changed her expression from surprise to thoughtfulness, and then to panic.

She glanced at Li Wan, then quickly glanced at Jia Lian. As if she had thought of something, she immediately raised her hand to cover her chest and turned her head to the other side.

The two women's body language finally allowed Jia Lian to discern that the person sitting opposite Li Wan was Aunt Li.

Jia Lian only paused for a moment before regaining his senses. After all, given the relationship between Li Wan and Aunt Li, it was not surprising at all that they would sleep together.

Unfortunately, blinded by lust, he hadn't anticipated this situation at all.

At most, he only prepared a plan for how to deal with the situation if Li Wan's maid saw him on this trip.

The current situation has left even the usually composed Jia Lian somewhat at a loss as to how to handle it.

Although there was a similar situation when he was in the Xue family in Jinling, that time it was entirely the second wife's scheming against him and the first wife, Zhuang.

As for Zhuang herself, she lost her virginity in her sleep without realizing it and had no choice but to accept reality.

Jia Lian himself accomplished the feat of killing two birds with one stone without expending any words or effort.

The relationship between these two is far more complicated than that between the first and second wives of the Xue family. The key is, both of them are perfectly clear-headed!

Therefore, let alone killing two birds with one stone, even escaping seems quite difficult.

Ultimately, Jia Lian was used to being confident when facing women, so even though he was quickly thinking of the best course of action, his expression remained unchanged.

Even when Li Wan and her niece were clearly at a loss, he took two steps forward, sat on a stool, and said with a forced smile, "Auntie is here too... I came to see my sister-in-law, but I didn't expect to find you here. I'm so sorry."

Li Wan lowered her head even further.

Aunt Li turned around and glanced at Jia Lian with surprise, as if trying to confirm the truthfulness of Jia Lian's words.

She then cursed herself for being naive... How could she have heard of a respectable person climbing through a window in the middle of the night to peep at her sister-in-law?

Aunt Li felt as if something inside her had collapsed. Originally, Jia Lian was a young master in her mind who was humble, of noble status, and very capable—a very positive and even somewhat majestic figure.

Judging from Wan'er's appearance, I'm afraid they...

Having secretly gleaned some of the truth, Aunt Li was no longer so uncomfortable.

She quietly pulled the blanket up to cover herself, trying to conceal any potential exposure of her innocence, and whispered, "I came to talk to Wan'er, but I didn't expect the Marquis to come... Since the Marquis is here to see Wan'er, I'll be leaving now..."

As Aunt Li spoke, her face involuntarily flushed.

She had never encountered anything so embarrassing in her life. She could never even imagine such a scene unfolding before her eyes.

He hurriedly tightened his clothes and was about to get out of bed, put on his clothes, and leave.

Suddenly, something gripped her arm, and she felt as if she had been attacked by a snake. She immediately looked at Jia Lian.

"Auntie, I'm afraid you can't leave yet," Jia Lian said calmly, grasping Aunt Li's arm.

Aunt Li panicked, not knowing what Jia Lian meant.

"Auntie probably guessed it too. As you can see, Wan'er and I are deeply in love, and she is a woman with a tragic fate, so I absolutely will not allow anyone to threaten Wan'er's safety."

If my aunt were to go out and make a scene now, things might get complicated.

Aunt Li hurriedly said, "Don't worry, my lord, I absolutely won't say anything out of line, nor will I make a scene..."

"I naturally believe what you say, Aunt. But this matter is of great importance, so for the sake of everything, Aunt, please stay here for now."

Jia Lian's voice carried an unquestionable tone.

This made Aunt Li somewhat uneasy, and she couldn't help but think:

Yes, even in a lower-middle-class family like the Li family, the rules of etiquette are extremely strict. I am usually very cautious and dare not make a single mistake.

Let alone a noble family like the Jia family?

He must be afraid that I would reveal his affair with Wan'er!

Aunt Li suddenly shivered. She was worried; if Jia Lian didn't trust her, what might he do to her to keep the secret?

Inside the bed curtains, Li Wan felt both ashamed and touched upon hearing Jia Lian's words.

However, seeing that her aunt seemed somewhat frightened under Jia Lian's imposing presence, she couldn't help but say to Jia Lian, "Second Uncle, please don't bully my aunt. She wouldn't harm me..."

Jia Lian smiled, stood up, and took off his outer robe.

This action immediately surprised Li Wan and Aunt Li.

Especially Aunt Li, who originally thought that Jia Lian wouldn't let her leave the room because he was worried that she would go out and make a scene.

As long as she stayed obediently in the house and waited for Jia Lian to leave safely, she would be safe. Because by then, even if she made a scene, without being caught in the act, her one-sided account might not be able to harm a dignified marquis, and she would no longer be a threat.

Unexpectedly, Jia Lian didn't seem to be in a hurry to leave... Could it be that he still wanted to bully Wan'er in front of him?

Li Wan was also somewhat at a loss.

However, she knew that Jia Lian was quite methodical in his actions, and upon seeing this, she subconsciously began to ponder Jia Lian's intentions.

Could it be that Second Uncle is trying to shut Aunt up completely in this way?

Yes, now that my aunt has witnessed what happened today, my chastity and even my life are in her hands.

Second Uncle must have been thinking of her, so he wanted to get Auntie involved as well, so that Auntie would have no reason to betray her.

It's unclear whether Second Uncle simply wanted Aunt to witness it firsthand, or if he intended to ruin her health...

Li Wan was in a state of utter confusion. Already indecisive in the face of adversity, she instinctively chose to let Jia Lian make the decision, while she, like a quail, buried her head in the bed, not daring to look anyone in the eye.

"I am used to being served. There is no one else in this house to serve me. Would you do me the trouble of helping me undress?"

After taking off his outer robe, Jia Lian seemed impatient to remove his inner garment, so he spread his arms wide. His tone sounded polite at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it sounded more like an unquestionable command.

Aunt Li was completely bewildered and couldn't figure out Jia Lian's intentions at all.

After hesitating for three seconds, she stepped forward and, blushing, helped Jia Lian undress.

Anyway, she didn't know what to do. And Jia Lian was of noble status, so it didn't seem beneath her, as a widow from a humble family, to serve him.

Run? Putting aside whether she could outrun Jia Lian, even if she could, she wouldn't dare.

Despite Jia Lian's usual polite and respectful manner, she knew that if she truly offended him, given his power and influence, he would have countless ways to deal with a widowed and helpless woman like her!

Therefore, she just wanted to go along with Jia Lian for now and skip this part. In any case, she never intended to reveal this secret from the beginning.

Although this was the first time she had witnessed it, she knew that similar things were quite common in wealthy and powerful families.