Chapter 55: Longstanding Bonds from the Past

Qingwen hurried forward to greet: “Aunt Zhou, good day. What brings you here?”

This middle-aged woman was Zhou Rui’s wife, Lady Wang’s personal attendant, who managed all internal affairs for Lady Wang.

Her husband oversaw the rent and silver from Ningguo Prefecture’s estates; both were respected elders in the household.

Qingwen promptly led Zhou Rui’s wife and the maid into the room, warmly inviting them to sit.

Jia Cong understood Qingwen’s cleverness—he had always lived in the Eastern Courtyard and didn’t know Zhou Rui’s wife; she was deliberately reminding him.

He spoke clearly: “Aunt Zhou, I’m injured and cannot rise to pay proper respects; please don’t take offense.”

Zhou Rui’s wife had already heard of Jia Cong’s circumstances—how he’d grown up in hardship in the Eastern Courtyard, constantly scolded and beaten by Master Jia and Lady Jia.

She’d assumed a child raised in such misery, enduring so much injustice, would inevitably carry hidden bitterness and malice.

But seeing him in person, she found his gaze warm, his speech calm, his bearing open and generous, with not a trace of coldness or eccentricity.

A child raised in such conditions hadn’t turned out twisted at all—she was genuinely surprised.

“I’ve sent Li’s daughter Wuer to your room as a maid, along with two or three rough-handled maids; you can take them with you when you move to your new courtyard.”

“Lady Wang said your room has only Qingwen as a maid, but you’ll soon be studying and entering the academy—there’ll be plenty of household matters; I feared she’d be insufficient.”

“Wuer, don’t stand there dazed—come over and pay your respects to your Third Young Master; serve him well from now on.”

This woman was Lady Wang’s confidante; the great mansion was full of eyes—every performance must be complete, lest someone find fault.

“Then I thank you, Aunt Zhou.” Even though Jia Cong was still bedridden, he sat upright and formally bowed to Zhou Rui’s wife.

“Third Young Master, don’t be so formal—you’re in the Western Courtyard now, we’re all one family; if you ever lack food or essentials, just send a maid to find me.”

Jia Cong saw a maid step out from behind Zhou Rui’s wife—slightly older than Qingwen, slender and graceful, eyes like autumn water, face exquisitely beautiful, radiating delicate charm.

Zhou Rui’s wife, seeing his neither arrogant nor humble demeanor, his humility and propriety, secretly nodded in approval.

Though she hadn’t spoken plainly, Zhou Rui’s wife had served Lady Wang her whole life—how could she not understand?

Yet Jia Cong, nearly beaten to death in the Eastern Courtyard, had somehow turned from misfortune to fortune: not only did Jia Mu fear scandal and moved him to the Western Courtyard to recover, but outsiders had also arranged for him to attend the academy.

No wonder Second Master took such notice of him—he truly was an extraordinary child.

Probably because he’d been mistreated so long, any kindness made him deeply grateful; it was natural, so her initial scrutiny eased.

“When I’m a bit better, I’ll go kowtow to Lady Wang.”

Lady Wang’s heart stirred with interest—she wanted to see what shape he’d take after enduring hardship and finally gaining fortune, to discern his true nature and prepare accordingly.

Li Wuer—Jia Cong recognized the name; though in his original timeline, Li Wuer was merely a fleeting figure.

She bowed to Jia Cong: “Wuer, pays respects to Third Young Master.”

Zhou Rui’s wife, seasoned and worldly, saw Jia Cong’s words were sincere, truly heartfelt.

Bringing a maid over was a trivial matter—Zhou Rui’s wife needn’t have come herself; she’d been specifically sent by Lady Wang.

Jia Cong’s face softened: “Lady Wang is truly benevolent—I’m endlessly grateful and have no way to repay you; Aunt, please return and thank Lady Wang on my behalf.”

Though the book mentioned her only briefly, her portrayal was exceptional: though daughter of a kitchen servant, she was as beautiful as Ping, Xi, Yuan, and Zi.

In the gilded world of the Red Chamber, this was a high compliment.

Later, Bao Yu’s maid Fangguan gave her the leftover rose dew from Bao Yu’s drink; because her mother Li’s had offended Siqu and others, mother and daughter were falsely accused of theft.

Li Wuer’s noble spirit made her fall ill; after that, the book’s narrative grew chaotic—some said she died of grief, others claimed she lived; opinions varied.

Today, Jia Cong saw the real person—her figure and appearance were indeed outstanding, living up to the book’s vivid portrayal.

Qingwen, who always prided herself on her beauty, saw that Wuer was just as striking.

And Wuer’s graceful, tranquil elegance surpassed hers—she let out a faint, resentful huff.

Jia Cong, seeing Qingwen’s childish nature, smiled inwardly.

Before today, Jia Cong had never met Wuer, for she didn’t serve in the garden and couldn’t roam freely in the mansion—she only helped in her mother’s kitchen.

Yet he wasn’t unfamiliar with her; Zhi Shao had been close to Wuer since childhood; when Jia Cong was injured by Jia She and couldn’t afford food from the kitchen, Wuer had secretly helped him.

Though each gift came through Zhi Shao and they’d never met, a bond of warmth had already formed between them.

Seeing Wuer, Jia Cong thought of his Zhi Shao, and a quiet sadness settled over him.

In the following days, Jia Cong had Qingwen apply medicine daily; Qu Hongxiu’s healing ointment proved remarkably effective—by the third day, the whip wounds on his back had healed by half, and he could walk.

Qingwen was straightforward, her emotions always on her face; she’d initially resisted the new arrival Wuer, though she’d arrived only a day earlier.

Fortunately, Wuer, though independent-minded, was gentle, sincere, and humble, winning goodwill from all.

As they handled Jia Cong’s household duties together, after a day or two of minor friction, Qingwen accepted her; the two maids grew cheerful and harmonious.

In this time, Xiao Jindong, He Jizhen, and Zhou Xizhe arrived together.

They’d earlier heard Jia Cong was ambushed on the road, then learned from Liu Bi that he’d been punished with the family whip; they’d coordinated a visit to see him.

These three were more seasoned than Liu Bi; they understood family shame shouldn’t be aired, and said not a word about Jia Cong’s injuries.

Instead, they shared gossip from the marketplace and amusing daily incidents; the four chatted merrily.

Xiao Jindong said that since Jia Cong’s fame at the Nanxi Literary Gathering, the few calligraphy pieces he’d left in his shop had doubled in value—many came daily to inquire, and prices had reached two hundred taels per piece.

It seemed they’d rise further; he joked that Jia Cong should recover quickly and sell him a few more pieces so he could make another fortune.

Since that day he’d deliberately provoked Jia She, then navigated the inner household machinations of Jia Mu and others, Jia Cong now truly felt at ease.

But the two unexpected visitors who followed made him instantly wary.

They were Liu Binfang, Judicial Commissioner of Zhen’an Prefecture, and Zheng Yingquan, Director of the Judicial Bureau.

Judicial Commissioner Liu Binfang, in his thirties, dressed immaculately, demeanor gentle, face wearing a smile that pleased no one and offended none—Jia Cong saw he was merely a companion.

Director Zheng Yingquan of the Judicial Bureau was the real focus.

Jia Cong had anticipated this: after being robbed by the killer of Wu Jinrong and returning safely to the mansion, the Judicial Bureau couldn’t possibly ignore it.

He’d foreseen they’d send someone to question him—he’d rehearsed their likely questions and his answers countless times in his mind.

Zhou Junxing of the Judicial Bureau was a notorious harsh official, skilled in investigation and case-solving, and fond of fabricating accusations; with such a man, even a slip could bring great disaster.

Moreover, at that life-or-death moment, he and Qu Hongxiu had killed two of Zhou Junxing’s men—he was already entangled, and thus he must be extra cautious in every word and deed.

New book stage—thank you for following and collecting!

(End of Chapter)