The Good Concubine of the Qing Dynasty [Red Mansion]

Grandmother Jia seemed to ignore everything else and did not notice Old Lady Lin’s expression. She rushed over and tightly embraced Daiyu, crying louder and louder.

Wang Xifeng seized the opportunity to speak, “Old lady, please stop crying. Daiyu is almost out of breath.”

“Today is the first time so many younger sisters are coming to visit. Ancestress, please dry your tears. We haven’t properly greeted each other yet.”

After some persuasion, Grandmother Jia finally stopped crying and began the introductions.

“Daiyu, this is your eldest uncle and aunt. This is your second uncle and aunt. This is your second brother Lian and his wife. This is your eldest brother’s wife, Zhu, and Lan Ge’er. These are your sisters: Yingchun, Tanchun, Xichun, and this one.”

Grandmother Jia pulled Baoyu over, “This is your second uncle’s Baoyu, who is a year older than you.”

The introductions weren’t only for Daiyu; Yingyu and the others also had to address everyone as uncle and aunt.

Jia She and Jia Zheng were already prepared with gifts for the meeting, except for Chenyu, who had come before and already given his greetings.

The others were meeting them for the first time.

Jia She handled his gifts generously and straightforwardly.

Jia Zheng remained silent. He had been silent when Lin Ruhai came before, and he continued to be silent now that they had arrived.

He had not even looked directly at Lin Ruhai. He was aware of the current state of relations between the two families, and his demeanor made it impossible for him to be as composed as his mother.

He couldn’t bring himself to criticize his mother and had to act as if he knew nothing. The difference in his state of mind was that he felt an overwhelming desire to escape the situation, let alone be enthusiastic about it.

Next, the younger generation of the Jia family paid their respects to Old Lady Lin and the others, and Old Lady Lin reciprocated with her greetings.

Aside from what she had seen in the dream world, she had only met Jia Zhu and Jia Lian among the younger Jia family members, and Jia Zhu was no longer present.

She took a closer look at Li Wan and Wang Xifeng.

In Old Lady Lin’s view, Jia Lian was not a particularly good person. Whether it was his habit of dirtying the bed or his illicit marriage to a second wife, he was not exemplary. However, compared to the other young Jia family members, he was one of the few who could actually manage things.

Though he might not excel in studying or martial arts, he at least managed the Jia family’s internal affairs competently.

Wang Xifeng was attractive but had a fiery temperament. Unfortunately, due to the Wang family’s belief that a woman’s virtue outweighs her talent, she lacked awareness of the consequences of her actions and had no foresight.

Moreover, she was naive. Her close relative, her aunt, failed to realize that despite her disdain for her stepmother, the latter was still her legitimate mother-in-law.

The head of the Jia family was her father-in-law.

They were the ones standing together.

However, Jia Lian and his wife could be considered a natural pair; both were foolishly bold.

As for Li Wan… she was a pitiful figure.

She didn’t wish for Jia Zhu’s death either, but some people thought she brought misfortune and ill luck.

She had given birth to the eldest son and grandson of the second branch, yet she held little presence.

It was a pity for Jia Lan, who was ignored from birth and lived almost like an invisible person, especially in comparison to his second uncle.

Li Wan had to endure a lot.

Then there were the three sisters, still young, but already showing their remarkable features.

These three, like her own Daiyu, were unfortunate children.

Unfortunately, being daughters, they could only drift along with the current.

Finally, there was Jia Baoyu.

The old lady observed Jia Baoyu’s round, moon-like face without showing any emotion. Although he was still young and appeared to be an innocent child who hadn’t yet committed the later misdeeds, seeing him made her feel quite nauseated.

She felt even more disgusted seeing how Jia Baoyu’s eyes gleamed with delight as he looked back and forth among the three granddaughters.

Then, she saw him approach Daiyu and say, “This sister, I’ve seen you before.”

Upon hearing this, the old lady’s heart skipped a beat.

Yun Shuyao also perked up upon hearing these words.

This phrase was indeed familiar. Even if she hadn’t read “Dream of the Red Chamber,” she knew this line because it had become a well-known trope.

When Jia Baoyu said this, Daiyu looked at him with her tearful, misty eyes, feeling a vague and inexplicable sense of familiarity. Had she seen him before?

Logically, she shouldn’t have.

The old lady remained composed and said, “Look at what a child says. Daiyu resembles her mother, who is your real aunt. It’s only natural that you find her familiar upon seeing her.”

That reasoning made sense.

Jia Baoyu, still very interested, asked Daiyu, “Have you ever studied?”

Daiyu glanced at him and replied, “I am already in school.”

Jia Baoyu asked, “What is your full name, sister?”

Daiyu told him her name. Jia Baoyu seemed eager to ask more, but the old lady intervened, saying, “Baoyu, why is your name significant?”

Jia Baoyu was momentarily taken aback and took a piece of jade from around his neck, saying, “It’s all because of this.” He then asked Daiyu, “Do you also have jade?”

Daiyu had heard her grandmother talk about this before, so she shook her head. Before she could speak, the old lady laughed and made a double entendre: “Your jade is indeed a rare treasure. Who is born with such a large piece of jade? Throughout history, how many sages have not had such fortune?”

If it weren’t for the fact that everyone took it lightly and the Jia family had fallen into decline, they would have long been dealt with by the emperor.

Lin Ruhai listened in silence. This was also something he had never understood from the beginning.

Why must they give such an impressive background to a child?

Even if it were true, it would be too late to cover it up.

Baoyu, even if he has a bright future ahead, being able to live his life in luxury is already the emperor’s mercy.

The Jia family, however, seemed completely oblivious to this. They didn’t even understand the old lady’s words.

The old lady sneered coldly. It seemed she had overestimated the Jia family’s intelligence.

She looked at Shi Shi and Jia Zheng with disappointment, noting that even these two did not sense anything wrong.

However, this was a mistake on their part.

Thinking back to Baoyu’s “zhuanyao” ceremony where he chose rouge, and as he grew older, his true nature became even more evident.

The family members continued to indulge him.

What future could he possibly have?

The wives, Xian Da and Wang Er were not particularly eloquent. At the banquet, apart from making a few insipid remarks to show courtesy, they only expressed a bit of concern to Yingyu and Luoyu to assert their presence.

Since Old Lady Lin had the matriarch to handle things, it would normally be their responsibility to entertain Jia Min, but Jia Min had already passed away.

With Lin Ruhai and Chenyu handling the men, and Yingyu and Luoyu being born out of wedlock, it was not worth their excessive enthusiasm. Additionally, with Li Wan and several girls present, they simply chose to remain silent.

The banquet seemed somewhat strange, as Jia Lian and Wang Xifeng both concluded.

When they saw the Lin family bringing all three concubines over, Wang Xifeng was momentarily stunned, then quickly had an extra table set up and asked to invite Aunt Zhou and Aunt Zhao from the second uncle’s side to join the guests.

Though Aunt Zhou was a bit reserved and Aunt Zhao was somewhat sharp-tongued, these were the only concubines present who could hold their own.

The flamboyant concubines from the main house would only serve to embarrass the Jia family.

Apart from this, there was the subtlety in the words of Old Lady Lin and their matriarch.

Both were not foolish.

Some did not catch on, such as the eldest master and his wife, who remained completely unaware of any issues, smiling warmly and engaging in friendly conversation.

For those who had noticed, there was a sense of discomfort and unease.

What exactly was happening?

Moreover, Wang Xifeng’s gaze involuntarily lingered on the Lin family’s children, taking on the task of enlivening the atmosphere.

There was no need to mention Daiyu; being the matriarch’s direct granddaughter, she was almost akin to a celestial being, held tightly in the matriarch’s embrace and not easily let go. The other two younger sisters were also like heavenly beings.

Wang Xifeng did not intend to flatter them, knowing that the matriarch would dislike it, but it was hard not to praise them.

Furthermore, they were to be selected for the imperial examination, and their future prospects were unknown.

It was a pity they were of concubine birth.

Jia Mu could only rely on this granddaughter-in-law, as both of her daughters-in-law were rather dull. At times like these, their silence was actually a blessing.

Jia Lian also needed to energize the male guests at the table.

He had to expose his own shortcomings, revealing his superficial knowledge, especially when compared to his cousin Chenyu.

He noticed the Lord’s disapproving gaze at him, and his face grew bitter. After the banquet, he was sure to be scolded.

By the end of the banquet, Wang Xifeng was so exhausted she could hardly move a finger. She leaned on the couch while Ping’er gave her a massage.

Wang Xifeng was a very perceptive person.

Although the matriarch did not show it, she had sensed her displeasure.

Between her and Old Madam Lin, Old Madam Lin had the upper hand.

The banquet was meant to welcome the Lin family and strengthen the relationship between the two families. Despite putting in all her efforts, it ended up being quite dull.

Feeling a bit dispirited, Wang Xifeng sat down when Jia Lian returned, and they both rested on the couch together.

After a while, Jia Lian spoke, “After everyone from my uncle’s family left, I was called by the master and scolded.”

He was berated for his lack of learning, for wasting time, while the Lin family cousin, younger than him, was articulate and impressive.

If he had had something handy, he might have even had something thrown at him.

Wang Xifeng replied, “Our family shouldn’t have to work so hard competing with them. Having something is a bonus; not having it just means spending some money to donate a better background.”

Jia Lian sighed, “Although that’s the case, it’s still different.”

When Jia Zheng returned, he also sighed for a long time. In terms of achievements, he had only passed the Xiucai examination and got a government position thanks to his father’s recommendation.

Now, he was merely cooling his heels on the sidelines.

In contrast, his brother-in-law was a top scholar and a third-rank official.

It was like comparing heaven and earth.

The only area where he had surpassed his brother-in-law was in having sons. He had three sons, two of whom were legitimate.

Unfortunately, the promising one had passed away, and the younger one, thinking of Baoyu’s performance, became somber.

He was talented but had become rather lazy.

He needed to be more diligent in supervising him.

With this in mind, he went to find Baoyu.

He happened to see Baoyu insisting on tasting the rouge from a maid’s lips.

Jia Zheng was instantly enraged: “You little troublemaker!”

When Jia Baoyu heard his father’s voice, his legs went weak: “Father…”

As he turned around, he was met with his father’s bamboo ruler.

Grandmother Jia was in her own courtyard with a stern face. She had not lost her temper, but her silent anger was even more terrifying. The surrounding maids and servants were all silent and tense, afraid of adding fuel to the fire.

At that moment, a maid rushed in in panic: “It’s terrible, Second Master Baoyu has been beaten by the Master. Grandmother, please go and see!”

Grandmother Jia stood up suddenly, swaying a little from the abruptness: “Quickly, help me over there…”