The Red Mansion Big Liar

If it was an ordinary birthday, it would be fine, but when Lady Jia came to visit during the Spring Festival, she told her that Xue Baochai had reached the age of marriage.

After all, she had stayed in the Xue family before, and she didn't know the inside story. Aunt Xue and Baochai were quite nice to her, so it was inevitable that she had some preference towards them.

Cancel the capital?

Only then did Zhang Yunyi remember that he had actually forgotten the twenty taels of silver given for Xue Baochai's birthday.

However, he did not let Xiangling take her to Li Wan. Instead, he hugged her to the edge of the bed and said meaningfully, "Doesn't she always call you sister? Since she is a sister, what's wrong with you going?"

"This... How can I..."

"Hey!" Zhang Yunyi took Xiangling under him and said, "You are my woman, so what if you are her sister? Since she calls you sister, just accept it."

Xiangling then stopped trying to argue and silently endured it.

……

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 383 Taking action after hearing the news

The twenty-first day of the first lunar month.

As soon as the sky began to pale, the lights in Hengwu Garden came on.

With Ying'er's help, Xue Baochai washed up, changed into simple and elegant clothes, and then went to the dressing table.

The hairstyles of ancient women varied in style, but they all remained essentially the same.

Married women would tie up their hair completely, while unmarried women would leave a few strands of hair hanging down in a bun.

Ying'er knew that Baochai did not like to show off, so she combed her hair into a simple bun.

Just as she finished braiding the two braids on her temples, she was surprised to find that Baochai had opened her dressing box. After a slight hesitation, she grabbed the hairpin with a pink hibiscus jade and golden pearls and inserted it into the end of her hair.

Ying Er was greatly surprised and blurted out: "Miss, what's wrong with you today..."

She noticed that Xue Baochai's hand holding the pearl hairpin hesitated for a moment, then she realized what was happening and quickly knelt down and said, "I spoke out of turn!"

Baochai pursed her lips, inserted the pearl hairpin firmly in front of the mirror, and then raised her hand and said, "Get up!"

She sighed and said calmly, "You know something about the family situation, so why do you ask such a weird question? It's okay if it's given by others, but if it's given by Brother Yi, if we just leave it there, not only will we fail Brother Yi's kindness, but he will also misunderstand that we are keeping people at a distance!"

"Yes! I know I was wrong!" Ying'er kowtowed again before she stood up and walked forward, helping Baochai up.

As soon as the two of them left the house, they saw a red figure rushing in from the gate: "Sister Bao! Bao..."

When she was halfway through her second shout, she saw the pearl hairpin on Baochai's head and her voice paused: "Bao... Sister, are you up?"

Baochai blushed and pretended to be calm, "You are already an adult, why are you still so flustered? Aren't you afraid of being laughed at by others?"

"Sister Bao is right!" Shi Xiangyun glanced at the pearl hairpin on her head and said in a low voice.

Baochai stepped forward and took her arm, saying, "You've come just in time. I was just about to go to the old lady's place!"

After she said that, Xiangyun seemed to remember something, hesitated for a moment, and then said: "It's too early now, the old lady is not in a hurry, let's go to the eldest sister first and go with her!"

Upon hearing this, Baochai hesitated for a moment and nodded slightly.

The two of them left Hengwu Garden and went around to Tuobi Villa. Just as they were about to go up from the back door of Daguan Tower, they heard loud drums and music from upstairs.

Baochai couldn't help wondering, "Why so early?"

Xiangyun bowed her head and explained, "Sister Bao, you don't know. The eldest sister-in-law said that she had watched the ordinary plays many times. The troupes outside only played the same plays. It was too boring. It would be better to watch Tang Bohu and Qiuxiang. It would be fresh. The eldest sister was worried that they were not proficient enough and might make mistakes in front of Brother Yi, so she asked them to come early and rehearse in advance."

The two of them went up to the Grand View Tower and ran into each other. Yingchun and Tanchun were walking up the stairs hand in hand.

There was nothing special about Tanchun, but when she caught a glimpse of the pearl hairpin on Yingchun's head, she was startled.

The same thing happened to Yingchun and the other person who were coming towards them.

……

"Humph! ~ Sister-in-law's words sound nice, but I think she is just trying to save those few taels of silver!"

Wang Xifeng, who was pregnant, sat in front of the table and said indignantly, "There was nothing special to buy for the dishes, and the opera troupe was also saved. The total cost was more than 100 taels of silver, and I think she embezzled more than half of it."

"Madam..." Ping'er tried to smooth things over, "Since the old lady has instructed the eldest lady, and you are not jealous of this little bit of money, and you don't care about anything else, just focus on taking care of your baby. The eldest lady has no one to rely on, so it's normal for her to want to save some money for Lan. Why do you have to worry about these trivial matters?"

"She only had to hold a birthday party, and she started to spend most of the money on herself. If she were to get involved in the family affairs, wouldn't she spend all the money in the government treasury?"

Wang Xifeng was not jealous of the money, but she had been relieved of her duties recently. Mrs. Wang was not energetic and was impatient with those trivial matters, which gave Li Wan an opportunity and she began to interfere in some household affairs.

Therefore, I complain whenever I get the chance.

Ping'er saw that she had made her point clear, so she stopped trying to hide it and advised, "Look at what you're saying, Madam? It's only because you're pregnant that Madam has no choice but to do this. You know that Madam has always disliked Madam, so after you give birth, will this job fall on someone else?"

Although she knew the crux of the problem, Li Wan had helped cover it up after all.

In addition, unlike Wang Xifeng, she could more or less see Li Wan's feelings for Zhang Yun逸 through some details.

Although she didn't know whether the two had any private connection, based on her understanding of Zhang Yunyi, she was afraid that once they found out, they would be passionate and hit it off immediately.

Therefore, we should always leave a way out in case a flood washes away the Dragon King Temple in the future.

However, her persuasion did not work.

Ever since Li Wan moved into the Grand View Garden, she had sensed some clues, and then she peeked into Mrs. Wang's unknown side, and had some guesses about her arrangements.

I am worried that Mrs. Wang will rely on Li Wan for this.

"It's hard to say. After all, she is the second wife. Even if she breaks bones, she still has tendons!"

"I think you're worrying too much, grandma. Besides, this isn't a bad thing. You know what's going on in the mansion. It's better to just rest and take care of your baby, and let them do whatever they want. When the money in the government is gone, we'll know for sure."

Seeing that Wang Xifeng was quite hostile, Ping'er had no choice but to use a delaying tactic and planned to find an opportunity to test Zhang Yun逸's attitude.

"That won't do! Now, the government is empty and the income is not as good as in previous years. The old lady also transferred 60,000 taels. If I let them do whatever they want, won't I be left with a mess after I give birth to the child?"

"Everything will work out when the time comes. In this situation, the old lady is like a louse on a bald head. It's obvious. Will you just watch him die? Just find a job and it will be enough to support the family. Why do you worry so much?"

This is indeed the idea of ​​most people in Rongguo Mansion, including Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang.

Because of her relationship with Zhang Yun逸, Wang Xifeng felt that Zhang Yun逸 would help the Rongguo Mansion, and that she had contributed to some extent.

However, although she earned it through her own ability, this relationship is not something she can show off.

I could only angrily say, "They have taken all the benefits. Since I built that damn garden, I have thought of so many ways to save money in the past year or so. There is no one in the family who doesn't secretly hate me. I can't let others take advantage of me for nothing!"

It would be fine if it was just to maintain the life of Rongguo Mansion. After all, Mrs. Wang even invited the master to come, so there must be a fleeting romance.

But who does Li Wan think she is?

The previous generation planted trees, and the next generation enjoyed the shade, but she got the benefit for nothing. The more Wang Xifeng thought about it, the angrier she got. She felt like there was something stuck in her throat that she couldn't feel relieved until she vented.

She was thinking about how to get back at the party, so she moved to the dressing table, sat down on the stool, turned around and said, "Hurry! You have nothing to do anyway, come and help me comb my hair, I'll join in the fun today."

Ping'er secretly groaned, but it was inconvenient to persuade him any further.

She secretly made up her mind to inform Zhang Yunyi in advance later.

At the same time, he came behind Wang Xifeng and started to tidy up.

……

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 384 Empathy

Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

Lin Daiyu, who had just finished washing up, heard the sound of drums and music and couldn't help wondering, "Isn't it Sister Bao's birthday today? Why is Sister Bao rehearsing so early?"

Zijuan hesitated for a moment, then said hurriedly, "I don't know, why don't we go over and take a look."

After she finished speaking, she pulled Lin Daiyu to the dressing table and skillfully combed her hair into a bun.

She opened the dressing box, picked up the pearl hairpin given by Zhang Yunyi, and inserted it into Lin Daiyu's hair.

"Miss, let's go!"

Lin Daiyu looked at the pearl hairpin in the mirror and hesitated, "Will this one be too conspicuous?"

"Mr. Yi gave it to Miss out on his love. If she didn't wear it, it would seem strange. Although Mr. Yi is busy and hasn't come to our place recently, he still sends us those fruits every now and then."

Lin Daiyu looked up at Zijuan in the mirror and said, "What are you doing? Why are you always speaking for Brother Yi recently?"

Zijuan knelt down quickly and said, "I was blinded by greed before. People are all made of flesh and blood. I have seen how Master Yi treats Miss. Last time, Miss said something to wake me up. Other things are secondary. As for the responsibility, Master..."

She hesitated for a moment, swallowed the words "worthy of trust", and changed her words: "Master Yi is a man with a good reputation. I have never seen anyone more responsible than him."

"But..." Lin Daiyu hesitated, "Brother Yi gave this pearl hairpin mainly to Sister Yun. If I wear it outside and it makes me look bad, wouldn't that be inappropriate?"

"Miss, I'm going to say something I shouldn't say. Master Yi didn't come to your house during that period, so he might not know about this. If that's really what he meant, you should wear it even more, Miss."

Lin Daiyu remained silent. She naturally understood Zijuan's meaning. If she deliberately did not wear it, it would embarrass Shi Xiangyun.

But she was worried that wearing it would cause misunderstanding. If she hadn't been hesitant, she wouldn't have to say so much and could have just changed it and put it on.

Seeing this, Zijuan said quickly, "You are worrying too much, young lady. Everyone can see what the old lady means. How can a man like Master Yi not see it? In the past, no matter how busy he was, he would always take time to come and tell stories. But young lady, since the eldest young lady came back, he has never set foot in the garden except for the Lantern Festival."

At this point, she looked up at Lin Daiyu, and seeing that she did not scold her, she boldly continued, "Master Yi has always acted uprightly, and the Shi family and the old lady don't care. If it was really for Miss Shi, he could have been straightforward. Even if he treated the young lady differently from others, sending fruits and food and preparing an extra portion for us is also aboveboard. Why is he being so coy now?"

"You...what do you mean?"

"Miss! Can't you see it? Master Yi has always treated all the girls equally, but he treats you differently from others. I have seen it all, can't you see it clearly?"

Lin Daiyu couldn't help but tremble when she heard this.

Zijuan quickly struck while the iron was hot and said, "Miss, you treat me with all your heart. Even if I have to fight to the death, I have to remind you that it is easy to get a priceless treasure, but it is hard to find a lover. Don't miss this opportunity!"

"What are you talking about? If someone hears..."

Seeing that although she scolded him, she was more worried about being heard, Zijuan became bolder.

"Madam's meaning couldn't be more obvious. Although the old lady loves young lady, she has never expressed her opinion. In the past, I misunderstood young lady's meaning and was anxious, which caused me trouble. Now that I understand young lady's thoughts, I must consider her."

At this point, she gritted her teeth and said, "Although Miss Shi is not a proper daughter of a marquis, she is still the granddaughter of the old lady. But because her parents are not around, she can only be manipulated by others. This is a lesson that you must be on guard against!"

As a daughter of the Rongguo Mansion, she shouldn't be such a traitor.

However, when Mrs. Wang called her over and gave her a beating, she mistakenly believed that it was Zhang Yunyi's fault.

It was a recognized secret that Mrs. Wang favored a perfect match with Daiyu, and Zijuan thought that Zhang Yunyi was interested in Daiyu.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see Lady Jia's attitude. If Zhang Yunyi behaved in an ambiguous manner after Yuanchun returned home, she would be helpless.

However, Zhang Yunyi's attitude made her more determined in her original idea.

Although doing so would inevitably lead to Lady Jia's dissatisfaction and even punishment if the news was leaked.

But between two evils, one has to choose the lesser one. The rumor spread throughout the mansion that Jia Zheng was exiled because of Zhang Yun逸.

In addition, the fact that Grandmother Jia agreed to let Shi Xiangyun be a concubine shocked all the servants in Rongguo Mansion. It also refreshed Zijuan's three views, making her have a new understanding of Zhang Yunyi and become more worried about her future.

I have already registered with Zhang Yun逸 and Mrs. Wang. The only way to survive is to make amends.

Therefore, when it comes to the last sentence, it is already a bit heartbreaking.

She was so worried about her situation that she wrote these words out of emotion, but every word she said pierced Lin Daiyu's heart.

With Zhang Yunyi's reminder, as well as a series of events such as Jin Chuan, Qingwen, and Zijuan, she no longer had the same expectations for Jia Baoyu as before.

But Grandmother Jia was only concerned with paving the way for Yingchun to become a concubine, which made Lin Daiyu feel the same way.

She sighed and said, "Get up!"

Zijuan knew that her words had worked, and she was worried that she might as well do too much, so she said no more and hurried forward to help Lin Daiyu up from the stool.

After leaving Xiaoxiang Pavilion, we went straight to Daguan Tower.

Lin Daiyu got up a little late to begin with, and was delayed for a while. By the time she arrived at the Grand View Tower, the rehearsal was already coming to an end.

Originally, it was thought that Yuanchun had arranged for the little actor to rehearse early in the morning, most likely because she saw Zhang Yun逸 passing by her house, and took the excuse of the rehearsal to intercept him halfway.

Unexpectedly, there were only a group of sisters in the Daguan Tower.

Zijuan looked at Lin Daiyu meaningfully.

Lin Daiyu pursed her lips, put aside her inner worries, and said with a forced smile: "The sisters are all here! I am late!"

While they were greeting each other, she glanced around and found that except Tanchun, everyone else was wearing the same pearl hairpin.

Although she felt relieved, she was also a little ashamed.