Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

The small boat pushed through the waves and slowly moved forward.

Inside the cabin, Baochai and Daiyu sat side by side, holding hands and talking, their feelings for each other growing stronger at a visible pace.

Jia Lian leaned against the boat railing, quietly admiring the two women before him.

These two women, one with bright eyes and white teeth and skin as white as snow, the other a delicate and graceful young lady, together, their beauty and charm were beyond description, even by the phrase "the most beautiful woman in the world."

But now it all belongs to him.

He was fortunate that Emperor Shun, if reborn, would also sigh that he was like Buddha.

Although Jia Lian was very quiet, the faint smile on his face never faded, and his smile was easily noticed by Daiyu and Baochai.

The two girls felt a little shy, but also very happy.

This joy stemmed from both the recognition of her beauty by her lover and the realization that the man she had chosen was not a shallow person; he genuinely appreciated them and was not merely seeking fleeting desire.

At this moment, they could even feel a spiritual connection with Jia Lian.

This feeling is wonderful, hard to describe, but it is enough to be engraved in their hearts, making them feel that all the difficulties and grievances they had suffered before were worthwhile because of this moment.

For a moment, the small cabin was filled with a beautiful atmosphere of mutual affection.

Jia Lian could clearly receive the emotional feedback from Daiyu and Baochai. He felt a little lightheaded and a little drunk, but he was not confused.

He knew that even the most positive atmosphere, once it reaches its peak, will rapidly decline and even dissipate.

Before the atmosphere dissipates, there's a need to do something to strengthen the relationship between the two women.

But before he could figure out how to proceed, he heard calls coming from behind:

Hey~~

What are you doing?

"Bring the boat over here..."

Jia Lian and the other two peered out and saw seven or eight brightly dressed young maids greeting them from the white stone fence of Zilingzhou in the distance.

Zijuan called out with a smile from outside, "It's Third Miss and Miss Yun. Shall we move the boat closer?"

Despite feeling that these people had come at an inopportune time, Jia Lian still nodded in agreement.

Before long, a group of about ten people, including the sisters Yingchun and Tanchun, Xiuyan, Xiangyun, Baoqin, and their respective maids, boarded the boat together.

They were completely unaware that they were uninvited guests, and started chattering as soon as they boarded the ship.

They even complained, "This boat is too small; it's already a bit too small to fit just the dozen or so of us."

At the bow, because there were too many girls gathered, the boatwoman who had to come up to steer and ensure safety said with a smile: "Girls, you all know that apart from the painted boat that was specially built for the Empress to visit the garden, all the other boats in our family are small boats."

If the girls find it too crowded, we can just row another boat over.

After the boatwoman said that, everyone fell silent.

Since moving into the garden, boating has become a common activity.

The main reason everyone was so excited to come and play was because they saw Jia Lian there.

If another boat were to be rowed over, it would mean that half the people would have to be transferred to another boat, which would be quite boring.

So the clever Xiangyun suggested, "Why don't we go ride on one of those painted boats? We've only ever seen them in the docks before, and we've never actually ridden one. I bet it'll be spacious and fun!"

As soon as Xiangyun said this, many people looked at Jia Lian.

There was nothing they could do. Ever since Yuan-chun had used that pleasure boat once, Jia Zheng had ordered it locked in the dock, clearly to prevent the children from going aboard and causing trouble.

Of all these people right now, probably only Jia Lian has the courage and power to bring out that pleasure boat.

However, before Jia Lian could express his opinion, Baochai said to Xiangyun, "Don't talk nonsense. That is, after all, the Empress's boat. How can we move it without permission?"

As she spoke, fearing that people might not give up, she added, "Besides, that boat is too big and can only travel on the main road, unlike our boat, which can go anywhere in the garden."

With Li Wan absent, Baochai was everyone's elder sister, and her words carried considerable prestige among the sisters.

The others also realized that Xiangyun's suggestion was indeed inappropriate.

Tan Chun chimed in, "Sister Bao is absolutely right. It's much better to ride in these little boats. I noticed before that the flowers in all the ponds in the garden are in full bloom, especially near Yi Hong Courtyard. There are not only lotus flowers and water lilies, but also irises and other beautiful flowers."

The weather's so nice today, I'm going to explore the whole place!

After Tan Chun finished speaking, everyone not only had no more doubts, but also became very interested.

Seeing this, Jia Lian, who didn't feel crowded at all, naturally wouldn't cause any trouble.

As the only man on the ship, he was surrounded by beautiful and graceful young women, including his sisters Tan Chun and the maids.

As they moved about, the cabin was filled with a soft, white mist and a subtle fragrance.

Being there feels like being surrounded by a sea of ​​flowers, with their fragrance filling the air and their beauty breathtaking.

Jia Lian even felt that the space was just right.

However, since it was afternoon, even with occasional breezes on the water, it would get hot after a while.

Therefore, Jia Lian got up and instructed the boatwoman to find Qingwen and ask her to prepare some fresh fruit and ice to be brought to the boat.

Qingwen was the most proactive and thoughtful in doing these things.

After giving the instructions, Jia Lian discovered that his seat had been taken by Xiangyun, so he plopped down next to Daiyu, who had deliberately kept a distance from him before Yingchun and the others boarded the boat.

Seeing this, Daiyu didn't chase him away, but instead complained in his ear, "You want fruit and ice, why don't you just ask her to bring up a pot of wine?"

Daiyu was mocking Jia Lian, but Tanchun, who happened to be nearby, overheard it.

Her eyes lit up, and she smiled, "Sister Lin, that's a great idea! Such a beautiful day and scenery would be even more delightful with some wine."

Have you not heard the wondrous tale of Li Qingzhao, who, drunk at dusk, rowed her boat and accidentally wandered into the depths of lotus blossoms?

It seems that Sister Lin not only writes poetry as well as Li Qingzhao, but also shares the same style of conduct. She truly deserves to be called the most talented woman in our Grand View Garden…”

In response to Tan Chun's teasing, Daiyu glared at her and secretly made a grudge against Tan Chun.

Jia Lian readily agreed and sent another maid to convey the order, emphasizing that fruit wine would be preferred.

After circling around for a while, and estimating that it was about time, we docked the boat back at the shore.

As expected, Qingwen had prepared everything Jia Lian had mentioned, and even had two long tables brought over that could be placed in the middle of the cabin, which was very thoughtful.

After loading everything onto the ship, Qingwen stayed on board without any further intervention.

Perhaps to show that she had value in staying, after entering the cabin, she arranged all her belongings on a small table while introducing their origins to all her masters.

In short, she talked about how high the quality and how fresh the fruit was, how she personally knocked the ice out of the ice cellar, and how the fruit wine was a treasured collection by Jia Lian.

Once the girls' attention had shifted away from her, she specially brought a cup of wine to Jia Lian. After Jia Lian politely drank it, she asked with a smile, "Second Master, when are we moving into the garden?"

Jia Lian handed the cup back to her, saying irritably, "Why are you in such a hurry? Are you afraid I'll throw you outside?"

Then he saw everyone around him looking at him with surprise.

Indeed, besides him and Qingwen, probably only Baochai knew that Yuanchun was going to give the Grand View Garden to him as a residence.

Seeing his sisters crowding around and asking all sorts of questions, Jia Lian had no choice but to explain it to them all at once.

"So, does that mean you and your wife will be moving into the garden from now on, Second Brother?"

Most of the women in the garden were very happy to hear the news.

Some hesitated.

"If this garden becomes your and Sister-in-law Lian's new home, does that mean everyone except Second Sister will have to move out?"

Jia Lian patted Tan Chun's head and laughed, "How could that be? We're just moving in. This garden is so big, with so many pavilions and houses, how could it not accommodate all of you?"

Hearing Jia Lian say this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Then everyone became happy, thinking that after Jia Lian and Feng Jie moved in, the Grand View Garden would definitely be more lively and interesting.

Moreover, it will definitely be easier to see Brother Lian Er in the future!

Although Jia Lian's current residence is not far from the garden, just to the right after exiting the main gate, not to mention that Jia Lian is often away from home, even when he is home, it is inconvenient for them to frequently visit Jia Lian's courtyard to disturb him.

Things will be better from now on.

As long as Jia Lian moves into the garden, even if they still can't go to the main building often, at least Jia Lian will appear in the garden more frequently, and the chances of seeing him will naturally increase.

Yes, it will definitely be more convenient to organize poetry clubs in the future.

The main building, both in terms of space and halls, is much more spacious and grand than other pavilions.

Given Jia Lian's generosity, he'll definitely be holding various events frequently in the main building in the future...

Just think about it and be happy.

Perhaps of all the people present, only Daiyu frowned upon hearing the news.

Although it was more convenient for Jia Lian to meet after he moved into the garden, their physical distance did not change much.

On the contrary, Jia Lian became very close to Hengwu Garden!

After all, the main building of the Grand View Garden is located at the foot of the main mountain, while Hengwu Garden is halfway up the mountain, and the two are within easy reach.

In this way, it seems that they have all gathered together, except for her Xiaoxiang Pavilion, which stands alone in the southwest corner.

……

The maids gathered at the bows of the boats, playing and admiring the flowers, while the mistresses and young ladies hid in the cabins, drinking wine and discussing poetry.

At this moment, a small boat became a vessel for romance and beauty.

All my interest was piqued.

What's most remarkable is that Jia Lian, who usually gets disturbed by outsiders after playing with them for a while, was allowed to stay peacefully until sunset.

However, he was also forced to drink a lot of alcohol by a group of younger women.

Of course, if he doesn't want to drink, no one can force him; it's just that the alcohol doesn't make him drunk, he gets drunk on his own.

Xiangyun, who was full of energy, rowed the boat for a while, but got a little tired. She handed the oars to the maid who was staying behind and went into the cabin.

She found that the benches on both sides were occupied by people sitting crookedly, and no one had left her a seat.

She didn't stand on ceremony and seized the opportunity to squeeze between Yingchun and Tanchun.

These two older sisters are usually the most tolerant of the younger ones, so they definitely won't hold it against her.

Sure enough, Yingchun, who was leaning on the railing and pretending to doze off, was startled awake. When she saw Xiangyun smiling at her, she could only smile helplessly and move aside.

On the other hand, Tan Chun was so jostled by her that she almost cried out in surprise.

Tan Chun was sitting next to Jia Lian, asking him questions about the renovation of his new house, when suddenly someone pushed her and she almost fell into Jia Lian's arms.

Feeling nervous and shy, she immediately turned around and glared fiercely at Xiangyun.

Xiangyun wasn't afraid at all. She even nudged her a little and said ingratiatingly, "Good sister, I'm so sleepy and want to rest. Please move over to Second Brother's side."

Helpless, Tan Chun glanced at Jia Lian and saw that he didn't seem to care. He even moved closer to the pillar, so she moved her bottom along with him.

The benches weren't very long, and everyone was already sitting close together. Now that Xiangyun had squeezed in, it became even more cramped.

Tan Chun, who was slightly turned to the side, could not only clearly feel the temperature emanating from Jia Lian, but also clearly sense the faint scent of wine emanating from his breath.

The breath touched her forehead, cool and tingling, a sensation she had never felt before.

She couldn't help but quietly glance around the cabin.

Daiyu's face was slightly flushed. She leaned against a pillar opposite her and had already fallen asleep.

Baochai, however, was facing outwards from the boat, intently feeding the fish in the pond, and clearly hadn't noticed this side of the boat.

Tan Chun's heart immediately began to pound.

She felt that she had some daring ideas that were about to burst forth.

She slightly twisted her body, finding a more comfortable position between Xiangyun and Jia Lian, actually fitting her entire body closer to Jia Lian.

She glanced up and saw that Jia Lian's eyes were closed, as if he were asleep. Only then did she dare to take advantage of this unprecedented closeness with Jia Lian to carefully savor the mystery within.

But to be honest, being sandwiched between two people with my body slightly turned to the side was still a bit awkward and uncomfortable.

In addition, she didn't dare to act too recklessly, fearing that Jia Lian would discover her illicit intentions, so her body gradually became stiff from holding back.

Then she remembered that back in Rongqing Hall, Zhen Yuhuan dared to openly cling to Jia Lian's arm and act coquettishly in front of everyone, and no one else reacted much.

Zhen Yuhuan was just her adopted sister, and she dared to do that. So, shouldn't it be okay for her cousin to hug her brother's arm...?

After hesitating for a long time, she couldn't resist the urge and started using her left hand.

In order not to disturb Jia Lian, she moved slowly, finally passing under Jia Lian's armpit and joining her other arm.

Sure enough, this posture saved a lot of space and felt much more comfortable.

So she immediately and comfortably hugged Jia Lian's arm, and even to appear more natural, she affectionately rested her head on Jia Lian's shoulder, closed her eyes, and pretended to be slightly drunk and asleep.

In reality, she was quietly enjoying this hard-won tenderness.

Sure enough, perhaps because her flushed face made her look too drunk, when someone passed by and saw her sleeping with Jia Lian's arm in her arms, they didn't react strangely at all. In fact, they even thought she was adorable and very cute.

Jia Lian also opened his eyes unintentionally and glanced down at her.

Feeling the arm firmly wedged in the middle, Jia Lian shook his head and smiled.

Who knew this young lady was so well-endowed?