Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

The matter of Madam Xing can be left to Sister Feng to handle; Jia Lian's mind is still on renovating the east wing.

Although Yuan Chun gave him the Grand View Garden as his residence, the main building of the Grand View Garden, which is the main hall of the temporary palace, is too far from Ningrong Street, making it inconvenient to receive guests on weekdays.

Therefore, the palace is a good place to rest and live, but his daily political and economic activities still have to be carried out in the east courtyard.

With Madam Xing moving out, the entire front and back courtyards of the east wing are now completely empty. He could easily emulate Rongxi Hall and transform it into a fully-equipped five-courtyard mansion.

Relocating and starting construction is no small matter, and some things should be discussed with the second wife, Madam Wang, in advance.

Therefore, after taking a short nap, Jia Lian went to the three side rooms on the east side of Rongxi Hall to find Lady Wang.

The side room is always filled with the scent of incense, so that everyone who enters knows that the owner is a Buddhist, a compassionate and bodhisattva-like person.

After being informed by the maid, Jia Lian found Lady Wang in the inner quiet room.

Unexpectedly, Baochai was also there.

"I came to see my aunt."

Faced with Jia Lian's scrutiny, Baochai naturally gave him a slight bow and then offered an explanation.

Jia Lian casually praised, "Yes, as expected, Bao'er is the most sensible and filial. She still comes to visit her elders on such a hot day."

Baochai didn't know what to say in response. Was this some kind of forced praise?

Above, after Jia Lian entered, Madam Wang had already put down the offerings and asked him to sit down while she inquired what he wanted to see her about.

Jia Lian then explained his purpose.

Although Baochai was a little curious, she adhered to the principle of not listening to what she shouldn't hear, so she stood up and said, "Since Brother Lian and Aunt have important matters to discuss, I won't disturb you any longer. I'll take my leave now."

After giving a graceful bow, she was about to leave when Jia Lian suddenly spoke up: "Wait for me outside, I have something to say to you."

Baochai's face flushed slightly.

Her relationship with Jia Lian had only been established for a few days, so she was naturally ashamed to show any intimate behavior with Jia Lian in public.

Madam Wang seemed quite open-minded, a rare smile appearing on her perpetually unchanging face.

"In that case, why don't you go and sit in the main room?"

"Yes……"

Baochai glanced at Jia Lian subtly before leaving the room.

Jia Lian and Lady Wang didn't have much to say to each other. After sharing some of his thoughts with Lady Wang, he prepared to take his leave.

After getting up, he saw that although the room was decorated in a very Buddhist style, the space was obviously cramped. He turned around and said, "Second Uncle and Aunt should move to the main hall as soon as possible."

The houses here are exquisite, but ultimately a bit small.

Upon hearing this, Madam Wang suddenly perked up.

Her gaze towards Jia Lian suddenly deepened, as if she wanted to discern his inner thoughts from his face.

Unfortunately, Jia Lian's expression at this moment was quite calm.

Lady Wang wasn't sure what Jia Lian meant by those words, so she simply said, "Your uncle and I are used to living here, why bother moving around?"

Besides, this is just a place for me to relax and enjoy peace and quiet; we don't usually live here.

The three small main rooms on the east corridor, though not as large as the main hall, were not small either.

Seeing that Madam Wang was pretending not to understand, Jia Lian was too lazy to argue with her and said directly, "Aunt, you don't need to doubt my intentions."

I really suggest that you and your second uncle move into the main hall.

As the only legitimate son of the old Duke, it was only natural for the second uncle to inherit the family business.

As the head of the household, how can he stay in a side room for long?

Moreover, given the current situation, if my second uncle and aunt move into the main hall, I doubt any member of the family would find it inappropriate, would they?

Madam Wang opened her mouth, but ultimately didn't know what to say, her expression thoughtful.

Seeing this, Jia Lian said no more, cupped his hands in greeting, and turned to leave.

It wasn't until Jia Lian had been gone for a while that Lady Wang came to her senses.

Her thoughts were in turmoil.

Doesn't she want to move into the main hall?

No, she thought, she had wanted to move into the main house of Rongxi Hall a long time ago to assume the position of the matriarch.

But she, or rather Jia Zheng, had a sense of shame.

As the second wife, she occupied the main house, which, regardless of the reason, was ultimately unreasonable in the eyes of outsiders.

To maintain her composure and avoid suspicion, she and Jia Zheng have not openly moved into the main hall for so many years.

Even though Jia Zheng usually received distinguished guests, or she received other noble ladies from other households, they always stayed in the main house, but they never moved there.

The root cause is that I feel unworthy of it!

Now things have changed. It turns out that old Jia She wasn't the old Duke's son after all, although he has become the heir of the retired emperor, a position with an even more illustrious status.

But he's not a member of the Jia family after all!

Therefore, it is perfectly legitimate for Jia Zheng to inherit the family business and take over Rongxi Hall.

And the title should also belong to her husband, Jia Zheng.

However, she dared not think about it for the time being. Grandmother Jia had warned her, and she herself knew that this was not something she could control.

Even more regrettably, even though they know they are now officially the rightful owners, and that they and their spouses are the true masters, the situation in the Rongguo Mansion remains largely unchanged because of Jia Lian's existence and his immense power.

Even because Jia Lian expressed his desire to move out of the Rongguo Mansion, the whole family, including her, had to eagerly come up with a practical solution for him, even if it meant sacrificing some of their interests.

Feeling frustrated?

A little.

But reason told her that this was the right choice.

Let alone the powerful Jia Lian now, even when Jia Lian was relatively weak back then, he would suffer setbacks at every turn when he opposed him.

For now, all we can do is wait and see. We hope that what Grandmother Jia said is true, and that in the future, the pond of Rongguo Mansion will not be able to contain Jia Lian, this dragon. He will take off completely and leave the territory to them.

It was just a hope, but I didn't expect that things would start to turn out so quickly.

Jia Lian actually took the initiative to suggest that they move into the main hall?

If this is genuine, wouldn't it mean that Jia Lian acknowledges Jia Zheng's status as the head of the family?

Madam Wang smiled, thinking that Jia Lian had no reason to tease her about this. Indeed, given the current situation, it wouldn't be too difficult for Jia Lian to seize control of the Rongguo Mansion or even drive them out.

……

Jia Lian, who had just left the room, never expected that his casual suggestion would cause such a stir in Madam Wang's emotions.

As far as he was concerned, since he had already given up competing with Jia Zheng for the Rongguo Mansion, he might as well let Jia Zheng confirm his status as the new owner as soon as possible, as a return gift from them for giving him the Grand View Garden.

After all, it cost hundreds of thousands of taels of silver to build the Grand View Garden!

Most of this silver came from the Rongguo Mansion's reserves, and now it's a bargain for him.

After leaving the house, just as he was about to ask a maid for Baochai's whereabouts, he saw Baochai and her maid Ying'er standing there gracefully on the east corridor opposite.

He walked over quickly and asked with a smile, "What are you doing standing here on such a hot day instead of waiting inside?"

Baochai gazed intently at the confident and powerful man before her, shook her head, and asked, "Didn't you say you had something to say to me? What is it?"

"It's nothing, I just haven't seen you in a long time, and I wanted to see you and talk to you." Jia Lian's eyes were burning, as if he really hadn't seen his beloved for a long time and missed her dearly.

Baochai almost couldn't help but spit.

What do you mean it's been a long time? We clearly saw each other just last night!

Seeing Jia Lian staring intently at her, she felt shy and said, "If you have nothing else, I'll be going."

After saying that, he tried to make his way away.

Jia Lian was admiring the shy look of the icy beauty when he saw this, so he naturally wouldn't allow it.

Taking the other person's hand, before they could scold her, she smiled and said, "Where are you going? I'll go with you."

This is Lady Wang's territory, so Baochai had no right to get involved with Jia Lian.

But she knew she couldn't go against Jia Lian's wishes, so to avoid being bothered by him, she could only go along with him and whispered, "Of course I'll go back to the garden."

"Oh, that's perfect! Let's go visit Lin Daiyu together!" Jia Lian suggested earnestly.

Baochai gave Jia Lian a deep look. Did this man really have to ask her to do whatever was so embarrassing?

With her delicate hand held in his grasp, Baochai had no other choice but to nod silently.

Jia Lian was somewhat pleased, but he also knew that this was probably the limit of what Baochai could accept, so he didn't tease her any further.

He turned around, put his hands behind his back, and took the beautiful woman's hand as they walked towards the garden.

Along the way, Baochai repeatedly asked Jia Lian to loosen his grip, but her request was always denied.

Fortunately, it was a very hot day, and we didn't encounter many people on the road.

Ying'er, who was following behind them, covered her mouth and chuckled the whole way, though no one knew what she was laughing at.

……

Behind the house where Daiyu lived, under the old pear tree in Xiaoxiang Pavilion, Daiyu sat on a swing reading a book.

Behind her, a young maidservant, barely out of her teens, was fanning her.

Xueyan, standing to the side, was holding a box of chilled fresh-cut fruit. When Daiyu beckoned, she quickly fed her a piece.

This carefree and relaxed demeanor surprised not only Baochai and her servants, but even Jia Lian was taken aback.

How did this girl learn to be just like Feng Yatou?

Although no one informed her, the perceptive Daiyu quickly realized that a guest had arrived.

When she first saw Jia Lian, she was slightly pleased, but then she noticed Baochai behind him, and her face clearly fell.

After thinking for a moment, she loosened her grip on the swing ropes, sat on the swing board, and asked in a casual tone, "What brings you all here?"

"Of course I came to see how the wealthy Lin lives his daily life."

"Tsk tsk, the life of a landlord like that is certainly luxurious."

Jia Lian walked over, snatched the fruit box from Xueyan's hand, and flaunted it like a whirlwind.

Daiyu naturally understood the teasing in Jia Lian's words. She was still quite embarrassed in front of Baochai, after all, her behavior just now had indeed been a bit unrestrained and hedonistic.

The main reason is that Zhen Yuhuan used to be around, and in front of Zhen Yuhuan, she had to pretend to be an older sister!

She didn't want any more rumors circulating in the manor that she had been outshone again...

After Zhen Yuhuan finally returned to the south, she was able to return to her previous relaxed state, and even felt better.

Ignoring Jia Lian, Daiyu first asked Baochai, "Sister Bao, don't you live in the mountains? What brings you here today?"

As she spoke, Daiyu glanced at Jia Lian beside her.

Baochai felt a little annoyed upon hearing this. She only lived in Hengwu Garden, which was located halfway up the main mountain. Although the main mountain was the main ridge of the Grand View Garden, it was just an ordinary small mountain that was not much bigger than a hill.

After all, it was just a small hill within the Ning and Rong mansions.

In Daiyu's words, she was described as a village girl from a remote mountain village.

Although she was angry, she could tell that Daiyu was clearly jealous.

The other party didn't want to ask her why she had time to come, but rather why she came with Jia Lian and what they had been doing before.

Having figured this out, Baochai replied calmly, "It's just that the Dragon Boat Festival is approaching and the weather is getting hotter. Second Brother Lian was worried that you would get too hot, so he came with me to check on you."

Upon hearing this, Daiyu, who had been slightly suspicious because Jia Lian and Baochai had come together, immediately became unhappy.

What do you mean by coming to see me with her? It's as if she and Brother Lian are family, and I'm an outsider!

"Really? He's overthinking it. I've never been afraid of the heat. But Bao-jie, Auntie said you've always been sensitive to heat. I'll have Sister Feng send more ice to Hengwu Garden. Bao-jie, feel free to use it as much as you want. Otherwise, if you get too hot, someone will be heartbroken."

When Baochai heard Daiyu deliberately emphasize the words "fear of heat," she knew that Daiyu was alluding to her being "fat"!

After all, a fuller figure is less prone to heat, a fact that most people know.

She admitted that she was somewhat plump, at least more plump than the sickly girl in front of her, but she didn't think she was fat!

For once, Baochai found herself a little angry.

Although Daiyu didn't know that Baochai was angry, she knew that her sarcasm had worked when she saw Baochai's sullen face and silence.

Hmph, serves you right for being so smug, serves you right for provoking me.

Having relieved her frustration, and with no intention of pressing her advantage, Daiyu lightly touched the ground with her toes and prepared to continue swinging on the swing.

Suddenly noticing that Jia Lian had almost finished a box of fresh fruit, she immediately scolded, "If you want to eat this, take it back and have Qingwen and the others prepare some for you. Why are you eating my food! And so much of it, like you've never eaten fruit before."

Although Daiyu didn't have the concept of "eating melons" (a Chinese idiom meaning to gossip or gossip), she still felt annoyed by Jia Lian's feigned deafness and muteness.

In addition, she secretly asked Xueyan to prepare this box of fruit for her, because Zijuan forbade her to eat anything that was too cold.

Seeing that Daiyu had indeed brought the conflict to him, Jia Lian finally stopped trying to suppress his laughter.

He generously picked out a piece of chilled melon and handed it to Baochai, saying with a smile, "You should try some too. The fruit here from Lin girl tastes better than anywhere else. I wonder where she got it from."

Baochai was initially unwilling to accept Jia Lian's offer of food and was about to refuse when she saw Daiyu's "fierce" gaze fixed upon her.

For some reason, I suddenly changed my mind.

"Oh, really? Then I'll try some too."

As they spoke, Baochai opened her mouth and let Jia Lian put the fruit in her mouth, nodding approvingly as she chewed.

In a daze, she seemed to hear the sound of someone grinding their teeth.

"Thump~"

But Daiyu jumped down from the swing.

"You've seen the person and eaten the food, so please make yourselves at home. I'm going back to my room to sleep."

After saying this with a frosty expression, Daiyu turned and left.

Looking at Daiyu's back, which seemed to be radiating fire as she walked, Baochai, having finished chewing the fruit, revealed a smile on her face.

Seeing the helplessness on Jia Lian's face as he clearly tried to stop her but failed because Daiyu was too quick, she smiled and said, "Lin is probably angry. Go and coax her."

Jia Lian gave a wry smile and said, "Lin girl just talks a big game. Don't take her words too seriously."

Baochai smiled and replied, "I know."

Jia Lian nodded, then suddenly suggested, "When we entered the garden, I saw that the lotus flowers in the pond were in full bloom. Since I'm free this afternoon, how about I accompany you for a boat ride?"

"Whether you row a boat or not is another matter. You should first appease Lin girl."

"Then wait here."

Jia Lian took two steps forward, then suddenly stopped, turned around, and said, "Don't you dare leave first. If I don't see you when we come out, I'll spank Ying'er!"

Baochai paused for a moment, glanced at Ying'er whose face was flushed red with embarrassment, then looked at Jia Lian who was looking very serious. She chuckled and said, "Okay."

After Jia Lian walked away reassured, Baochai sighed softly, turned around and walked to the swing. She held the swing rope with her delicate hand and circled it halfway before slowly sitting down.

Seeing that her young mistress had no intention of leaving, Ying'er breathed a sigh of relief, but a trace of regret arose in her heart.

This startled her.

Just thinking about how embarrassed and ashamed she would be if Jia Lian really caught her and spanked her...

But for some reason, there's a tiny bit of anticipation.

……