Chapter 44

Hongde Gate, West City, Love Shenjing.

The tall city wall stood in the morning light. When the time came, several lazy soldiers pushed open the heavy city gate together, and many small people who had been waiting outside the city poured in. Among the crowd was a handsome boy wearing coarse hemp clothes.

Qu Qu Hongxiu caught a cold after her injury, and Jia Cong spent another night in that wild temple. The next morning, he was anxious to rush back to the city.

Qu Qu Hongxiu removed the saddle and other items with identification marks from a horse, then found a farmer's house outside the city, exchanged for two sets of coarse cloth clothes, and changed the old robe that Jia Cong had stained with blood.

She led the horse, looking at Jia Cong walking toward the city gate from afar, and also saw him looking back at her repeatedly, until his figure disappeared into the city gate hole.

Jia Cong looked at the bustling crowd in the Love Shenjing, his body and mind filled with unprecedented relaxation and joy, and hurried toward the direction of Ningrong Street in the East City.

Early in the morning, Lady Jia washed and rinsed under the service of the maids and drank a bowl of hot porridge made of Bi Geng rice. Just then, Jia Zheng and Lady Wang came to pay their respects.

Just as they were talking, they heard several little maids whispering outside.

Vaguely, there were scary words like maid and jumping into the river. Lady Jia felt uncomfortable, so she let Sister Yuanyang call the person in to ask.

Before long, Sister Yuanyang brought in a little maid named Xiao Qiu, who was a third-class maid who cleaned the courtyard on Lady Jia's side, and like Xiao Chan in Seeing Tan Chun's room, she was the granddaughter of Sister-in-law Xia in the mansion.

Lady Jia was trembling with anger: "This bastard did such an ugly thing!"

"These past few days, Cong Sanye Cong had an accident, and everyone said he was already dead. The Eldest Master sent Wang Wang Shanbao's wife to force Sister Zhi Shao to serve him. Sister Zhi Shao didn't want to, and then jumped into the river."

Lady Jia asked: "What were you saying about a maid and jumping into the river outside just now? Who told you to talk nonsense here?"

Lady Jia asked sternly: "Why would she jump into the river to seek death for no reason? Speak quickly. If there is half a lie, be careful of your skin!"

"You bastard, if you want a woman, just buy one for eight hundred taels of silver. Why do you have to stare at your son's maid?"

Yesterday was the birthday of Sister-in-law Xia's son, and Sister Yuanyang let her go home to celebrate her grandmother's birthday, and she only returned early this morning.

With a "bang", the jade bowl containing the hot porridge of Bi Geng rice fell to the ground and shattered.

"Yesterday, I went home to celebrate my grandmother's birthday. At night, someone told my grandmother that Sister Zhi Shao in Cong Sanye Cong's room jumped into the Liuyang River and died last night."

Lady Jia's face was shocked, and Jia Zheng and Lady Wang on the side couldn't sit still and stood up. The maids like Sister Yuanyang on the side were scared pale because of the sympathy for the same kind.

The Jia Mansion had always been lenient to servants, and Lady Jia was a person who valued face, so such things rarely happened in the family.

It's fine to take a fancy to her, but now your son's life or death is unknown, yet you have to step on the eye of the fire to cause trouble, first forcing his maid to death. You don't want face, but I still want this old face.

Xiao Qiu shrank her neck, not daring to speak.

Sister Yuanyang on the side said: "The Old Lady is asking you a question. Speak quickly. You can't have half a concealment, otherwise, I'll ask your grandmother to pick you up and you'll never be able to enter again."

How old was Xiao Qiu? Being bluffed by Sister Yuanyang, she didn't dare to conceal anything anymore, and told everything like bamboo tubes pouring beans.

If it spreads out and people hear it, what will my Jia family become? You were also born in a big family, so how could you do such an ugly thing?

Xiao Qiu hurriedly said: "They all say that because Sister Zhi Shao looks good, the Eldest Master took a fancy to her early on and wanted to take her into his room, but it never succeeded."

In the Rongqing Hall, Lady Jia pointed at Jia She and scolded. Jia Zheng and Lady Wang on the side had awkward expressions, but it was inconvenient to leave, leaving the Old Lady alone, which was even more obvious.

I know you usually feel that I am partial to your brother, but how many decent things have you done yourself?

A person with a white beard doesn't do his job well, just one concubine after another, and now he has caused such a heart-wrenching thing.

Lady Jia glared at her son, her face full of hatred for iron not becoming steel. Jia Zheng didn't express anything, and Lady Wang lowered her eyebrows and stuck to her prayer beads, but there was a hint of imperceptible disgust in the bottom of her eyes.

This uncle still inherits the ancestor's title, yet he does such things, bringing bad family style for no reason. If the younger generation learns from him, what will happen? My Jia Baoyu must never be so absurd in the future.

Jia She blushed and said: "Cong Ge'er can't come back, I just thought I couldn't raise a maid for nothing."

"I just wanted to send her to do some things, never expected her to jump into the river. It's all because that bastard is evil, even the maid around him is so worrying..."

Before Jia She finished his words, suddenly an old woman ran in in a hurry and shouted: "Old Lady, news from the East Road Courtyard, Cong Sanye Cong has returned to the mansion!"

Everyone in the hall was shocked.

Lady Jia was dumbfounded.

Jia Zheng was stunned for a moment, then happy.

Lady Wang also opened her mouth in shock. This Cong Ge'er had no news for so many days, and everyone said he was gone, yet he suddenly fell from the sky. How could he always do these scary things?

Jia She was choked in his throat after saying half a sentence, almost unable to catch his breath, thinking that this bastard had such a hard life, being kidnapped by thieves for so many days, yet he could still return alive.

Suddenly, he thought that Zhi Shao jumped into the river yesterday, and the bastard returned today. How should this end? Thinking of this, his face was as ashamed and angry as a ripe crab.

Lady Jia asked urgently: "They all said he was kidnapped by thieves. Is he all right?"

The old woman who reported the news said: "Reporting to the Old Lady, Cong Sanye Cong has returned intact, without any damage."

Lady Jia breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good. He was lost for a few days, but finally returned. You pass him over, I want to ask him."

The old woman's face stiffened: "I was just about to report to the Old Lady, Cong Sanye Cong heard that his maid Zhi Shao jumped into the river as soon as he returned, and ran to the Liuyang River to look for her without even drinking a mouthful of water."

Lady Wang said at this time: "That child is also stupid. His maid jumped into the river last night. How can he find her if he goes to look for her today?"

Lady Wang didn't know if it was intentional or unintentional, but this knife was added very accurately.

Lady Jia's face was ugly, glaring at Jia She and saying: "It's all the good things you did. Let me see how you end it."

Xiao Chan in Seeing Tan Chun's room was also Sister-in-law Xia's granddaughter. Yesterday, she and Xiao Qiu celebrated her grandmother's birthday and naturally knew about Zhi Shao jumping into the river.

Seeing Tan Chun was also sad and tearful when she heard it. Third Brother Cong was still missing, and even his close maid was forced to death.

Suddenly, she saw Shi Shu running in panting: "Young Lady, Cong Sanye Cong has returned to the mansion, Cong Sanye Cong has returned to the mansion."

Seeing Tan Chun was pleasantly surprised: "Did he really return? Who did you hear it from?"

"It's spreading throughout the mansion. He arrived at the East Road Courtyard early in the morning, and many people saw it. At this moment, the Old Lady's side must also know."

Seeing Tan Chun's face was full of joy and she chanted: "It's truly Amitabha, he finally returned safely. I'll go call Second Sister, and let's go see Third Brother Cong together."

Shi Shu said: "If you go over at this moment, Young Lady, I'm afraid you won't see the Cong Sanye."

"Why?"

"As soon as the Cong Sanye returned, he heard that his maid Zhi Shao jumped into the river, and immediately went to the Liuyang River to look for her."

Seeing Tan Chun felt sad in her heart. Zhi Shao must have been gone long ago, so how could she be found? Third Brother Cong cared about her so much, and his resentment toward the Eldest Master and Eldest Lady on that side would be even deeper. How would he live in the future?

(End of chapter)