Chapter 359: Fragrant Feelings Self-Promised

Rongqing Hall back courtyard, Yuanyang's room.

She watched her brother Jin Wenxiang leave in high spirits, not knowing if he was going to report to her sister-in-law or go to the Eastern Courtyard to report the happy news to that old lecher.

Being saddled with such spineless brother and sister-in-law, she could only blame her own bitter fate. Her parents were both shrewd and honest people, but they were far away in Jin Ling and couldn't help her.

The singing of the small troupe in the great flower hall drifted over, sometimes lingering and sorrowful, sometimes generous and impassioned, as if cutting straight to the heart and lungs, making Yuanyang's heart ache and surge.

She looked at the unfinished pair of autumn boots, somewhat dazed, and her gaze turned to the sewing basket beside her, in which there was a pair of sharp fabric-cutting scissors...

……

On the stage of the great flower hall, the play "The Full Tablet" had finished. Jia Mu and the others returned to Rongqing Hall to rest and talk, letting the small troupe change clothes and prepare for the next play, "The Legend of the White Snake."

Yuanyang entered the outer hall of Rongqing Hall and poured hot tea for Jia Mu at the small round table, intending to carry it inside.

Jin Wenxiang's wife saw the opportunity and crowded up. She had just received the message from her husband that Yuanyang had agreed to the matter and was waiting for her to report to the Old Lady.

Among so many good-looking maids in the mansion, why did her absurd son take a fancy to Yuanyang, who was by her side, and even let the eldest daughter-in-law come forward to act as a matchmaker? What kind of heart was he harboring?

Only seeing that Yuanyang still had a cold face, she felt somewhat insecure in her heart, so she tentatively asked: "Miss, let's go and report to the Old Lady. What a massive happy event, let the Old Lady be happy too."

Yuanyang said to Jia Mu: "Old Lady, a few days ago, the Eldest Lady let my sister-in-law come over to act as a matchmaker, saying the Old Master had taken a fancy to me and wanted to marry me as a concubine. I did not agree."

Nowadays, people pay attention to the body, hair, and skin being received from parents. At home, women rarely trim their hair in their lifetime, let alone cut off such a large bunch. This is almost the meaning of abandoning the secular world.

Yuanyang said this, suddenly took out the scissors from her sleeve, grabbed a large bunch of black hair, and cut it off with all her might.

Hearing Yuanyang say something about taking a fancy to a gentleman in the mansion, could it be that Yuanyang had secretly taken a fancy to himself? Baoyu felt a burst of intoxication in his heart...

If one has good fortune and can walk in front of the Old Lady, naturally everything will be fine.

Yuanyang sneered: "It's disgusting. You call this a happy event? It's full of happy events. Let's go see the Old Lady right now."

At this moment, she saw a figure flash on the left side, quickly stepping forward to grab Yuanyang's arm holding the scissors. However, it was still a bit late; the hair on Yuanyang's head had already been cut off, drifting to the ground.

"The Old Master even said I was relying on the Old Lady's pity, wanting to be married outside in the future, and also said I had taken a fancy to... a gentleman in the mansion, which is why I didn't agree to this matter, and even let my brother and sister-in-law come to force me..."

Baoyu, who was on the side, heard this and his eyes lit up. Today he saw such a noble daughter again, and he didn't expect Sister Yuanyang to be so unyielding. His heart suddenly became dull and foolish, looking at Yuanyang with burning eyes.

Jia Mu was chatting and laughing with Xue Yima, but seeing Yuanyang pulling her sister-in-law and suddenly kneeling in front of her, with an unyielding expression on her face, Jia Mu and everyone in the hall were taken aback.

……

After finishing speaking, she pulled her sister-in-law into Rongqing Hall. Jin Wenxiang's wife saw Yuanyang's face full of anger and knew the matter was not good, but she couldn't twist Yuanyang's pulling, so the two of them pulled and tugged until they reached Jia Mu.

Speaking of this, Yuanyang couldn't help but look at Jia Cong, who was in the position on the left. Behind him stood Qingwen and Zhen Ying Lian, one pretty and pleasant, the other delicate and jade-like. They were truly first-class figures.

Jia Mu, sitting at the top, widened her eyes upon hearing Yuanyang's words. She had spent half her life in the inner chambers; how could she not be clear about the shady tricks in the household?

Yuanyang felt a burst of loss in her heart, quickly withdrew her gaze, lowered her eyelids, and gritted her teeth: "Today the Old Lady and the Ladies are all here. In front of everyone, I will speak my heart."

"If I don't have the fortune to walk behind the Old Lady, serving the Old Lady until she returns to the West, I will cut my hair and become a nun. Even if the Old Lady forces me to agree to this marriage, I would rather die than agree!"

She said angrily: "Is there really such an unreasonable thing!"

"I am just a maid born in the household; I absolutely dare not look forward to any gentleman in the mansion. I will never marry in my life. I have said these words, and I will never go back on them, otherwise, I will not have a good end!"

Jia Mu and the others were shocked and hurriedly called for people to stop her, but how could they be in time in such a hurry?

Except for the female relatives of the mansion, everyone present was a pampered young master like Baoyu. Only Jia Cong had practiced martial arts since childhood, and his hands and feet were nimble, which was why he barely stopped Yuanyang.

Yuanyang looked up and saw that it was Jia Cong who had grabbed her arm.

Seeing his deep, autumn-pool-like eyes quietly looking at her, seemingly able to capture one's soul, while his other hand took away her scissors.

Yuanyang lowered her head, not daring to look at him again. She felt a burst of grievance in her heart, having many things to say but no way to say them, and couldn't help but shed tears.

……

Jia Mu said angrily: "I only have this one reliable maid left, and you still want to scheme to take her away."

Then she pointed at Lady Wang and said: "So you are all filial on the outside, but scheming against me on the inside. Knowing I am good to this maid, you can't stand it and want to get rid of her so you can manipulate me!"

Everyone in the hall changed their expressions upon hearing this.

Each of them thought in their hearts: Is the Old Lady confused? The Old Master and the Eldest Lady want to take Yuanyang as a concubine; what does it have to do with the second branch? Why is the Old Lady scolding the Second Lady?

Others present were puzzled, only Wang Xifeng and Jia Cong knew the reason for Jia Mu's abnormal words.

Jia Cong was a special outsider. Even if he hadn't experienced many things personally and no one told him, he knew some of the foundations.

Yuanyang was Jia Mu's most trusted maid. It was said that Jia Mu's private dowry and property were all entrusted to Yuanyang to manage. Jia Mu's trust in Yuanyang regarding property was even above that of her sons and daughters-in-law.

Imagine, for a person like Yuanyang, how could Jia Mu allow her absurd and dissolute eldest son to touch her?

Jia Mu must know clearly the purpose of Jia She and Lady Xing wanting to take Yuanyang as a concubine—it was nothing more than coveting her private wealth.

Jia Mu had spent her whole life in the filth of the inner chambers and must see clearly the nature of her two daughters-in-law.

Although the eldest daughter-in-law was greedy by nature, she still hung things on the outside and was easy to see through.

But this second daughter-in-law was an even more troublesome lamp. With a string of Buddhist beads, she chanted scriptures all day long. Others only felt she was filial and kind, but in fact, her heart was much deeper than the stupid eldest daughter-in-law.

The maid Xixue in Baoyu's room was originally a maid in Jia Mu's room, assigned to Baoyu along with Sister Xi Ren.

Lai Mama Li in Baoyu's room was also the wet nurse Jia Mu had arranged for Baoyu since he was a child.

Lady Wang borrowed the momentum of reducing the population in the mansion and, because of a cup of maple dew tea—such a trivial excuse—drove away Xixue and dismissed Lai Mama Li. This was cutting off Jia Mu's eyes and ears in Baoyu's room.

And recently, Jia Cong heard that for some reason, Lady Wang took two taels of silver from her monthly allowance and gave it to Sister Xi Ren in Baoyu's room, raising her monthly allowance to be equal to that of a concubine, thereby winning Sister Xi Ren's heart.

You must know that Sister Xi Ren was originally Jia Mu's maid. Because she was always honest and gentle, Jia Mu assigned her to serve Baoyu.

Lady Wang's doing this was almost digging the Old Lady's wall and slapping the Old Lady's face. Although the family couldn't say anything on the surface, how could the Old Lady not be angry in her heart?

Just now, encountering Yuanyang's matter, she deliberately pretended to be confused and scolded her out. It was just to give her second daughter-in-law a warning to let her restrain herself a bit in daily life.

……

Among these people, except for Jia Cong, Wang Xifeng's mind was the most sensitive.

She knew that for Yuanyang's matter, in fact, as long as the Old Lady said a word, the Old Master couldn't do anything to Yuanyang at all. It was just that the matter had reached the Old Lady, so it became a non-issue.

The Old Lady didn't call the Eldest Lady over to scold her at this moment, but instead scolded the Second Lady who was in charge, which was just pointing at the mulberry to scold the locust, borrowing the topic to play out.

Her aunt, as the mistress in charge of Rongguo Prefecture, had some actions in her daily life that had long made the Old Lady feel she lacked stature, and she had long been dissatisfied in her heart.

Not to mention other small things, the one that poked the Old Lady's heart the most was Baoyu's marriage.

Baoyu was the legitimate son of the second branch of Rongguo Prefecture and the apple of the Old Lady's eye. According to the status of the Duke's mansion, Baoyu marrying a noble official's daughter would be a match of equal status.

And the Lin sister whom the Old Lady doted on the most was a noble official's daughter, born of a five-generation Marquis family. Her father was the current Tanhua and served as the Salt Imperial Censor of the two Huai regions. This status and family background were a perfect match for Baoyu.

However, her aunt, out of selfishness, combined with her discord with her deceased sister-in-law, feared that if Lin sister entered the door, she would gain the Old Lady's favor again, and she would lose the power of the mistress in charge.

She insisted on marrying her niece Baochai, who was related to her by blood, as her daughter-in-law, and even made up the saying of "Gold and Jade Good Marriage" in the mansion. This had already made the Old Lady very unhappy.

Not to mention the Old Lady, even Wang Xifeng felt this matter was inappropriate.

The Xue family's ancestors only produced a virtual position of Ziwei Sheren; that was a proper merchant family. This background was too far from Lin sister's.

If the legitimate son of Rongguo Prefecture married a merchant's daughter as his wife, outsiders wouldn't know how to laugh at the Jia family. But her aunt was also from a great family, yet for her own likes and dislikes, she disregarded these.

The Old Lady was just using Yuanyang's matter to knock her aunt.

The Old Lady's words: "Filial on the outside, but scheming against me on the inside." Wasn't that talking about her aunt's actions? These words didn't leave any face at all.

……

Li Gongcai saw the Old Lady was angry and the scene was not right, not suitable for unmarried young ladies to be present. She beckoned to Yingchun, Baochai, and other sisters and took them out of the hall.

Seeing Tan Chun saw Jia Cong still sitting there, holding the scissors he had taken from Yuanyang's hand, thought for a moment, and stopped her steps.

She originally had the heart to speak a good word for Lady Wang, as this legitimate mother had been quite good to her in the past.

It was just that the day she begged Lady Wang to accommodate and keep Jin Chuan, she was flatly refused, so her heart had cooled a bit.

Just now, the Old Lady's words—although Seeing Tan Chun was young, she was clever after all—she couldn't hear the full meaning, but she felt it somewhat. The words that reached her lips were swallowed back.

Daiyu saw Seeing Tan Chun stop, knowing she must have something on her mind, and also stopped her steps. Moreover, she had seen clearly from the side just now that the look Yuanyang gave the Third Brother seemed somewhat unusual...

In her heart, she couldn't help but feel a bit angry. This dull goose of a Third Brother, having coaxed the maids in his room to wash and comb his hair was one thing, but he actually dared to provoke the maid by the grandmother's side.

……

In Rongqing Hall, Wang Xifeng felt that at this juncture, if she didn't come out to smooth things over, it wouldn't be appropriate. Looking back, her aunt would also be suspicious of her.

So she said: "Old Lady, the Old Master wants to take a concubine; how would the Lady here know?"

Jia Mu heard this and took the opportunity to step down, saying to Lady Wang: "I was also angry and confused. This matter really cannot be blamed on you."

"It's just that now you are the mistress in charge, you must take care of everything inside and outside the house. In your daily speech, you must remind your sister-in-law not to let her old man act recklessly, otherwise, wouldn't the house be in chaos?"

Lady Wang understood the meaning in Jia Mu's words and hurriedly responded respectfully.

Jia Cong heard Jia Mu's words, having disciplined her daughter-in-law without a sound, which was truly a case of winning without fighting. Her mind could be considered formidable.

It's a pity that the Old Lady's mind was only used in inner-chamber fighting and not half a bit on outside matters. Her tricks and vision were truly worlds apart. She just grew a clever appearance in vain.

Jia Mu had vented her anger on Lady Wang and then stepped down following Wang Xifeng's words. She had Hupo help Yuanyang up to go and re-comb her hair.

Then she scolded Yuanyang's sister-in-law, who was kneeling on the ground: "You are also confused. You can force your own sister to do something she doesn't want to, and even say she has taken a fancy to a gentleman in the mansion—such nonsense."

"Ruining your own sister's reputation, what good does it do you!"

Jin Wenxiang's wife heard Jia Mu's voice was severe, and her heart was in a panic. Just now, Yuanyang had made such a scene, and she knew the situation was not good. The Old Lady was looking back to settle accounts with her.

Jin Wenxiang's wife was afraid that Jia Mu would be angry and dismiss the couple from their positions in Rongqing Hall. If they were sent to serve elsewhere, this face would be completely lost.

This woman was in a panic and actually spoke without thinking: "Old Lady, it is all my fault. I shouldn't have forced my sister to agree to this matter. It was really because I received the Eldest Lady's meaning and didn't dare to refuse."

"Even if I had more courage, I wouldn't dare to deceive the Old Lady. The matter of our young lady taking a fancy to a gentleman is also not something I said out of thin air..."

Speaking of this, Jin Wenxiang's wife's gaze involuntarily looked at Jia Cong, but she saw Jia Cong's gaze was concentrated, his eyes as sharp as a knife, scaring her into swallowing the rest of her words.

Jia Mu, Lady Wang, Xue Yima, and others present were all experienced in worldly affairs. Although Jin Wenxiang's wife didn't say the rest, her expression just now was as if she had spoken.

Everyone's eyes looked at Jia Cong at once. Even Zhen Ying Lian and Qingwen, who were standing behind Jia Cong, felt the atmosphere was not right.

Anger welled up in Jia Mu's eyes. She never expected that Jia Cong had actually provoked Yuanyang. Usually, Yuanyang followed by her side, and she had no idea at all. This evil obstacle had such deep thoughts!

She asked in a deep voice: "Brother Cong, what is going on? Does it have anything to do with you?"

Daiyu and Seeing Tan Chun in the outer hall heard Jia Mu ask this question in the inner hall and their faces changed. In their hearts, they secretly called it bad. The Old Master wanted to take Yuanyang as a concubine; how did it involve the Third Brother?

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 360 =====