Chapter 668: Combing Hair, Scented with Affection

Lady Rongguo Prefecture, Jia Baoyu's Courtyard.

It was June; the divine capital had entered peak summer, and after the hour of Si, the sun blazed fiercely outside, making the air unbearably stifling.

Jia Baoyu leaned against his bed, flipping through a popular vernacular storybook to pass the time—it was one he had ordered Mingyan to collect from the marketplace, filled with tales of foolish men and resentful women entangled in amorous affairs.

If asked to recite the Four Books, he would turn pale and his head would throb as if splitting; but when reading these marketplace love tales, he gave them his full attention.

Mingyan had gathered over a dozen such books, and in just a few days, Jia Baoyu had finished half of them, revisiting the most thrilling scenes again and again, never tiring of them.

Because he often lay in bed recovering from his injuries, he had grown considerably fatter this year and could no longer endure the heat; soon he began calling for water.

Seeing Caiyun, outside the door, heard the call and hurried in with a chilled tea.

Since the day Jia Mu bestowed gifts upon him, Sister Xi Ren and Seeing Caiyun had officially become part of Jia Baoyu's inner chamber.

Sister Xi Ren's status remained unchanged, but Seeing Caiyun had formally moved from Lady Wang's quarters in the Eastern Courtyard into Jia Baoyu's own courtyard.

Seeing Caiyun was, of course, pleased—after all, for a servant girl, becoming a master's concubine was a fine outcome.

Compared to Qiutian and Bihen, who were green with envy, Seeing Caiyun had reason to feel triumphant.

But to say she was ecstatic, that she felt she had ascended to heaven by becoming Jia Baoyu's woman—that was not quite true.

Seeing Caiyun was no outsider bought from the market; she was a household-born servant of the Jia family, raised since childhood in the Western Mansion, and knew its inner workings inside and out.

Two years ago, if she had become Jia Baoyu's woman, it would have been the height of glory.

Back then, every decent maid in the household dreamed of slipping into Jia Baoyu's chamber.

But times had changed: Second Master Jia Baoyu was no longer the phoenix of the Jia family; the most powerful and outstanding young master was now Cong San, who had inherited the estates of both mansions.

Yet Seeing Caiyun was a modest girl; she knew her own worth and place.

She was well aware she lacked the sharpness and competence of Sister Yuanyang, who had won Grandmother's favor and risen to become one of the top maids.

Nor did she possess Qingwen's striking beauty, which drew admiration wherever she went—she had heard that even as Cong San's maid, Qingwen was deeply cherished by him.

Seeing Caiyun knew she fell short of them in every way; she was merely pleasant-looking and well-proportioned, nothing more.

She admitted she had no talent for climbing high; better to be humble and sincere.

Even in Lady Wang's quarters, Seeing Caiyun was not the most outstanding.

Cai Xia, more nimble than her, had long been entangled with Jia Huan San; Jin Jin Chuan, prettier than her, had been expelled from the Jia household after playing with Second Master Jia Baoyu, barely escaping with her life.

When Lady Wang finally chose a concubine for Jia Baoyu from among her personal maids, there was no one left but Seeing Caiyun.

For Seeing Caiyun, this outcome was neither good nor bad—better than some, worse than others; a maid given the fate of becoming a concubine could ask for nothing more.

…

Given Jia Baoyu's frivolous nature, once Seeing Caiyun entered his chamber, she would surely have been taken.

But recently, Jia Baoyu had injured his knee and could barely stand upright, let alone do anything else—so Seeing Caiyun had so far escaped his grasp.

When Jia Baoyu saw Seeing Caiyun bringing tea, the summer heat made her thin fabric cling to her body, revealing a graceful, alluring form.

She wore a lilac-colored embroidered cross-collar vest over a white cross-collar undergarment, a white pleated skirt, and a blue sweat-cloth tied at her waist—she looked quite alluring.

Jia Baoyu took the teacup from Seeing Caiyun's hand, suddenly parched, and drained it in one gulp.

He handed the cup back to her, and as she reached for it, he seized her wrist and yanked hard; Seeing Caiyun stumbled and toppled onto the bed.

Jia Baoyu chuckled, pulling her close, his hands wandering over her body as he said, "Good sister, I'm so bored—stay and talk with me, won't you?"

In the past, Seeing Caiyun had been Lady Wang's maid, and had learned her mistress's rigid propriety; she kept her conduct restrained and rarely joked with Jia Baoyu.

Back then, even if Jia Baoyu wanted to flirt, he dared not go too far; he mostly retreated and sought other maids for amusement.

But the harder something was to obtain, the more it lingered in the mind.

Now that Seeing Caiyun was in his chamber, Jia Baoyu would not let her slip away; his former act of gentle tenderness and dashing charm had been cast aside—he acted without restraint.

Seeing Caiyun, caught off guard, let out a startled cry.

Though since entering Jia Baoyu's chamber he had been unable to do more due to his knee injury, she had already endured many gropings and tugs.

But now, with the sun high overhead, to be subjected to such a thing still startled her; she struggled to rise from the bed.

Though not a proper scholar, Jia Baoyu was truly a man without an ounce of strength, and with his knee still healing, he was even weaker.

After a few vigorous struggles from a maid who worked daily, he was easily freed from her grasp.

The scholar is useless in every way; Second Master Jia Baoyu, though he does not read, is even more useless than a scholar.

Seeing Caiyun stepped back, her face flushed, scolding, "What are you doing, Second Master? In broad daylight, acting like this?"

"If outsiders saw, they'd twist everything and slander me—how could I ever hold my head up again?"

Jia Baoyu had not expected Seeing Caiyun, now in his chamber, to still be so proper and unyielding; he felt deeply frustrated.

He said, "What nonsense are you speaking? You're now officially mine, my lawful concubine—what's wrong with us being intimate for a moment?"

"It's natural human conduct, ordained by heaven and earth; the ancients and sages all did so—why cling to vulgar notions? It only stains your purity as a maiden."

Seeing Caiyun didn't fully understand, but it sounded odd to her.

She said, "I don't read every day like you, Second Master, I have no broad knowledge—I just feel it's improper in daylight."

Though Jia Baoyu pretended to have the purity of moonlight and breeze, hearing her say he read daily and was well-read made him blush.

…

At that moment, Sister Xi Ren, hearing the commotion, hurried in to check—she saw Jia Baoyu looking displeased, Seeing Caiyun flushed, her clothes disheveled.

She said, "What's going on again? I'm gone for a moment and trouble arises."

Sister Xi Ren had long shared Jia Baoyu's bed; seeing Seeing Caiyun's state, she could guess what had happened.

She had once enjoyed the whole pot of broth; now someone else was sharing it. Though outwardly virtuous, she was far from generous inside.

Since Seeing Caiyun entered the chamber, Sister Xi Ren had felt a persistent irritation, but she concealed it skillfully—no one noticed.

Fortunately, Seeing Caiyun was inexperienced and shy, holding back; Sister Xi Ren had quietly softened Jia Baoyu with flattery, climbed his bed daily, and secured her position, preventing Seeing Caiyun from succeeding.

Seeing Seeing Caiyun's expression, Sister Xi Ren couldn't help smiling—another foolish girl, now in Second Master's chamber, still worrying about daylight? Who cares?

She said, "I advise you, Second Master, to tone down your playfulness. The Western Mansion is no longer what it was; the young ladies now live in the Eastern Mansion, and this place is far quieter than before."

Any noise is clearly heard outside—if word spreads that trouble came from our side, the gossip will be unpleasant."

"Cong San has sent Wu'er to manage the Western Mansion—she's his eyes."

"If you wish to live peacefully here, it's best to keep quiet—it benefits everyone."

"These past days, your diligent study has been excellent; Master will be pleased."

Jia Baoyu ignored the apparent virtue in Sister Xi Ren's words, but when he heard "the young ladies now live in the Eastern Mansion,"

he felt a surge of bitter injustice, his heart swelling with sorrow—he felt heaven was cruel.

He was still in the Western Mansion, yet his sisters showed no sympathy, only indulging in play in the Eastern Mansion—this had gone on for over a year; how could it continue?

But hearing Sister Xi Ren mention diligent study and how Master would be pleased, his face paled slightly; he quickly shoved the erotic storybook under his pillow.

He asked, "Shi Xiangyun sister came to see me the other day and said she'd come again today. Third sister visits daily—why hasn't she shown up yet?"

Sister Xi Ren replied, "The sisters only said it in passing. Today the sun is scorching; the distance from the Eastern Mansion to here is considerable."

"With such fierce heat, how could delicate young ladies endure the journey? It's only natural they didn't come."

…

At that moment, Qiutian also entered from outside; the commotion between Jia Baoyu and Seeing Caiyun had reached her ears.

She had long dreamed of climbing Jia Baoyu's bed, and these past days her thoughts had centered entirely on Seeing Caiyun—how could she not have heard?

Hearing the conversation grow lively, she stepped forward to join in, saying, "I think Lady Shi and Third Sister won't come today."

Jia Baoyu frowned. "How do you know whether they'll come or not?"

Qiutian smiled. "Sister Sister Xi Ren says the sun is too fierce, and young ladies can't bear it—that's one reason, but only a temporary one."

"Second Master may not know, but Cong San has now passed the imperial examination. He no longer shuts himself up daily to study."

"I've heard recently that he's much more idle now; whenever he's home, he does nothing but play chess, write characters, and stroll the garden with the young ladies."

"With such heat today, the two ladies won't go out—they're surely staying indoors to cool off, waiting for Cong San to return and chat."

"Second Master, focus on healing first. If the sisters can't come, it doesn't matter—we'll keep you company. Whatever you want to do, just say."

"They can amuse themselves—why can't we?"

Hearing this, Jia Baoyu imagined his sisters only enjoying themselves with Jia Cong, treating him as if he didn't exist—his heart filled with fresh rage and grief.

!

Sister Xi Ren saw Jia Baoyu's eyes welling with tears, his head tilted upward, his expression turning strange again, and inwardly cried out in alarm.

That fool Qiutian only flirts and flatters before Second Master, yet understands nothing of his heart.

She thinks her sweet talk pleases him, but these idle words are stabbing him in the chest.

Jia Baoyu raged, "Jia Cong claimed to have taken some so-called literary master as his teacher, daily preaching about reading the sages' books—now that he's gained a little fame, he's acting like this, indulging in frivolity!"

"What career, what morality, what literature—all just pretense, false Confucianism!"

"You always say I slander scholars, call them parasites of the state—now you see, my views were right all along…"

Qiutian, hearing Jia Baoyu's words, silently stuck out her tongue—she hadn't said anything! How had she provoked him again?

Seeing Caiyun, hearing her master's rant, felt dizzy—what was he mumbling? Had he gone mad again?

Seeing Jia Baoyu sink deeper into his tirade, oblivious to those present, muttering nonstop, Qiutian knew things were worsening.

She had been in Jia Baoyu's chamber for years—she knew the dangers. Fearing blame might fall on her, she slipped out of the room while Sister Xi Ren's attention was fixed on Jia Baoyu.

Seeing Caiyun, seeing Qiutian leave, followed her out. Sister Xi Ren stared at Jia Baoyu's strange expression and sighed alone.

…

Great Zhou, Ministry of Works.

Jia Cong had gone early to the Hanlin Academy for duty, then rushed to the firearms workshop before noon to inspect the progress of the breech-loading rifle production and inventory materials and personnel.

Just after noon, he hurriedly left the workshop to settle official business at the Ministry's Department of Land Reclamation.

Because the production of breech-loading rifles required fine iron, charcoal, saltpeter, and sulfur—all superior materials not used for civilian purposes.

Ordinary merchants lack the capacity to supply; currently, the Ministry of Public Works' Department of Land Reclamation is responsible for collecting, purchasing, and transporting them.

He had just arrived at the Ministry of Public Works when he saw a carriage parked at the gate, and a woman with graceful demeanor standing before it, handing a food box to a man.

Jia Cong recognized the man as Lin Zhao, and felt puzzled—he should not be here at the Ministry of Public Works.

The woman gave Lin Zhao a few more instructions before boarding the carriage and leaving; Lin Zhao turned around and saw Jia Cong, his face breaking into a gentle smile.

Jia Cong noticed he was carrying the food box, and though he walked normally, his steps still bore a subtle stiffness—he remembered Lin Zhao had only just recovered from his injuries.

Lin Zhao stepped before Jia Cong, set down the food box, and bowed: "Your servant Lin Zhao, assigned by the Ministry of Personnel, is here to observe governance in the Department of Waterways. Your servant greets Lord Jia."

Jia Cong was the chief official of the fifth-rank department under the Ministry of Public Works; Lin Zhao was an observing graduate with no official rank yet. By court etiquette, he must pay proper deference to Jia Cong.

Jia Cong smiled: "So that's it. I've been wondering where you'd be observing these days—never expected you'd come to the Ministry of Public Works. We're both Rank Jinshi graduates, and here we are together again."

He glanced at the food box on the ground. Lin Zhao smiled: "My family heard I was in the capital and grew anxious, so they came to look after me."

"I only fully recovered a few days ago, fortunately without delaying my observation duties. My wife worried that after my recovery, I might not be used to the official quarters' meals, so she sends food daily."

Jia Cong chuckled: "Your wife is virtuous, Lin Brother—you're a lucky man."

Lin Zhao smiled: "When I married, I was still a poor scholar. My wife was my humble companion—we supported each other through hardship."

Jia Cong asked: "The court will hold its imperial examination for Hanlin candidates next month. Have you considered taking it?"

Lin Zhao fell silent for a moment, then said: "Becoming a Hanlin scholar is the dream of every scholar—but I have prior obligations. After much thought, I've decided not to take the examination."

"I wish to remain in the Ministry of Public Works to study practical governance. If I can later be appointed to a provincial post and bring benefit to the people, then all my years of study won't have been in vain."

The two chatted casually, then entered the Ministry of Public Works together and took their leave.

Jia Cong watched Lin Zhao's retreating figure, carrying the food box—though his steps were slightly unsteady, they were firm—and felt a quiet pang of emotion.

…

The Marquis's residence, Jia Cong's courtyard.

The afternoon heat began to fade; it was just past the hour of Shen. Lingguan and Douguan carried basins of water to irrigate the flowers and plants that had baked all day.

After watering the plants, they filled more basins with well water and sprinkled it repeatedly across the courtyard, splashing each other playfully. Water sparkled, laughter rang clear.

The courtyard's stone floor, cooled by the icy well water, lost its sweltering heat; the entire yard grew noticeably cooler.

When the scorching heat vanished, doors in the side rooms beneath the eaves opened one after another, silhouettes moved, laughter echoed.

Zhi Shao, Zhen Ying Lady Lian, Qingwen, and others, their hair loose and flowing, carried basins of water and set out small stools beneath the shaded eaves.

They brought cool well water, mixed it with boiled hot water, and playfully washed their long black tresses.

The courtyard echoed with the sound of water and laughter, the warm summer breeze brushing back and forth, filling the air with the sweet scent of rouge and lip ointment, mingled with the clean fragrance of soapberry and herbs.

Lingguan loosened her hair but hadn't yet wet it; she first helped Douguan wash her hair. Douguan grumbled: "Xiao Fu, be gentler—you're hurting me."

Lingguan laughed: "You run around all day and sweat through your hair—how can I wash it clean if I'm gentle? Don't start complaining about an itchy scalp later."

Douguan tried to squirm away, but Lingguan held her by the neck, pouring warm water over her head in ladles, while Douguan kept grumbling. Everyone watching laughed.

Finally, when Lingguan finished, Douguan hastily dried her hair with a towel and dashed off.

As Lingguan washed her own hair, she called out: "Douguan, sit under the eaves where it's cool—don't run off. Your hair isn't dry yet; don't catch a chill."

Douguan mumbled a reply, her small figure darting across the corridor, then vanished out the courtyard gate in a flash.

She wandered idly through the garden, plucking several tender willow branches, planning to weave them into a flower crown.

The hour of Shen had passed; the setting sun cast a golden-orange glow everywhere. Douguan spotted Jia Cong's figure from afar.

Oh! Cong Sanye is home early today. Douguan scratched her damp, tangled hair, and suddenly felt shy and embarrassed…

Lingguan, Zhen Ying Lady Lian, and Qingwen were wiping their wet hair with cotton cloth; Zhi Shao had just finished washing hers when Douguan burst into the courtyard.

She cried: "You're all so slow—your hair isn't even dry yet! Cong Sanye's back from work and's already entered the inner courtyard. If he sees you all with your hair hanging loose, you'll look awful!"

No sooner had she spoken than Douguan, hair streaming, darted into a side room—and even remembered to shut the door.

Qingwen, hearing this, gasped, knocked over her basin, spilling water everywhere, hastily gathered her things, and rushed into her own room.

As she entered, she called out to the neighboring room: "Douguan, you're just a little girl—already trying to look pretty in front of Cong Sanye? So small, yet so cunning!"

Lingguan and Zhen Ying Lady Lian laughed as they packed up, each retreating into their rooms.

Though they served Jia Cong daily and were often close to him, a young woman's hair hanging loose was still improper—better not let him see it.

Zhi Shao had just rinsed her hair and was wiping it with cotton cloth, amused: "Why are you hiding? Haven't you all washed your hair in front of Cong Sanye before?"

She was wrapping her damp tresses in the cloth, gently rubbing them, when she felt the light dim slightly. She quickly pulled the cloth away—and saw Jia Cong smiling at her… (End of Chapter)