Chapter 68

Here, Jia Mu had just spoken, and in less than two hours, the news reached Aunt Zhao's ears.

These days, the young master she had nursed had moved into the West Prefecture, leaving the East Courtyard where no human could stay; she heard Young Master Cong was studying diligently behind closed doors, and the Bao Er Ye valued him even more than his own son.

The snobbish matrons and wives who had previously looked down on him had all changed their tune, starting to curry favor; many people found excuses to chat with her, and everything they said was flattering.

But today, Aunt Zhao heard a bellyful of cold words and felt uneasy, so she went to the Pure Wisdom Study to report the news to Jia Cong.

Jia Cong still respected this matron who treated him sincerely; he invited her to sit in the study and had Qingwen serve tea.

Aunt Zhao saw that after hearing her words, Jia Cong's expression remained indifferent, looking completely unconcerned.

Her face showed some anxiety: "I'm telling you, young master, don't be indifferent. You've finally left the East Courtyard and just started to see a glimmer of hope; if you are always disliked by the Old Lady, who knows what trouble you'll be given later."

Jia Cong smiled: "Aunt, you worry too much. The Old Lady is just heartbroken that Baoyu was beaten, which is why she said some angry words; it will be better in a few days. I will also be careful; thank you, Aunt, for always keeping me in mind."

Hearing him say this, Aunt Zhao relaxed slightly; she had lived half a lifetime and naturally understood the knot in the Old Lady's heart; it had grown for more than ten years, so how could it be untied just by saying so?

Jia Cong sent Aunt Zhao away and looked toward the Rongqing Hall in the east, a hint of mockery on his face; since the etiquette had been waived, it saved a lot of trouble; wasn't that even better?

At this time, Daiyu was on her way to the Rongqing Hall to pay her respects to Jia Mu, which was a daily routine for the sisters in the garden; after paying respects every day, they would accompany Jia Mu to chat and joke.

Being more distant now might actually make things easier in the future.

Jia Mu hugged the tear-stained Baoyu, calling him "heart and flesh" repeatedly, and had Sister Yuanyang find some medicine to reduce swelling and apply it to him.

Daiyu met Tan Chun halfway; just after passing the Chuihua Pavilion, a maid outside said that this morning, because Young Master Baoyu couldn't recite his books, he was beaten by the Master with a ruler, and one of his palms was red and swollen.

Rongqing Hall.

It implicated me in being tainted as well, having to study those useless things, and then being beaten and scolded by the Master; it's truly boring.

Baoyu gradually recovered from the fear of being scolded by his father, and seeing his grandmother's boundless love for him, he felt somewhat comforted in his heart.

It was all because Jia Cong dreamed of being a traitorous official and a greedy ghost every day, learning the ways of pedantic scholars, and reading those foul-smelling, rotten books.

Thinking of Jia Cong, Baoyu inexplicably thought of Liu Wuer, who was as delicate as jade and as beautiful and quiet as a maiden, by his side, and his heart couldn't help but soften.

"The young master is capable; as long as you know what you're doing, study hard. In the future, when you enter the academy and become an official, you can stand on your own feet and won't have to look at others' faces anymore."

She didn't expect the Old Lady to be particularly good to Jia Cong, only hoping that Jia Cong would be more careful and not suffer any more secret losses.

Qingwen was a maid rewarded by the Old Lady herself, so it was hard to ask for her back, but Wuer didn't have this concern; perhaps begging the Old Lady would work.

Was he really going to stay in the Jia mansion for his whole life? He would fight for his own future; he only hoped not to be held back by the Jia family in the future.

She also asked Baoyu what he wanted to eat or play; he had been constrained by his father to study these past few days and was tired, so he should relax properly for a day.

Then, either Jia Mu would keep them for a meal, or everyone would disperse to talk in one of the sisters' rooms, or they would go find their own things to do.

The Old Lady was heartbroken for Young Master Baoyu; she didn't know why she was angry at Young Master Cong, and even waived Young Master Cong's filial etiquette, saying he didn't need to pay respects or stand in attendance to her anymore.

Daiyu and Tan Chun felt helpless upon hearing this; why did Young Master Cong suffer the consequences just because Baoyu was beaten? This matter sounded bizarre.

Even if Young Master Cong was capable and motivated, it was strange that he was never liked by the Old Lady; could it be that the grandmother and grandson were incompatible?

As the two reached the entrance of the Rongqing Hall, they heard Baoyu's voice inside, seemingly mentioning Jia Cong; they were startled and stopped in their tracks simultaneously.

"Old Ancestor, the big maid Wuer by Jia Cong's side looks good; can the Old Ancestor ask for her and put her in my room? If Jia Cong is unwilling, he can pick any maid from my room."

Baoyu wasn't stupid; in front of the Old Lady and the Lady, he didn't specifically exclude Xi Ren when picking maids, as that would likely arouse the Lady's suspicion.

Xi Ren was delicate and gentle, a few years older than the other maids in the room, and had already grown into a graceful figure; she was also exceptionally obedient to Baoyu. Although Baoyu was young and couldn't engage in adult affairs,

every time Xi Ren accompanied him to bed, they had done many intimate things like undressing, touching, and rubbing against each other, so Baoyu treated Xi Ren differently from other maids.

If Jia Cong gave him Wuer and took Xi Ren away, Baoyu probably wouldn't agree; he would always find other ways to compensate; having both Wuer and Xi Ren in his room would be most satisfying.

Tan Chun felt something was wrong upon hearing this; her brother was extremely good to his sisters, but he couldn't change this habit of loving beauty; everyone in the mansion had seen how Jia Cong treated his maids.

Daiyu, hearing Baoyu ask the Old Ancestor for Wuer outside the door, couldn't help but frown, remembering the infatuated look Baoyu had when watching Wuer at the Pure Wisdom Study that day.

Today, Young Master Cong had just been implicated because of him, and even his filial etiquette had been waived by the Old Lady, yet he turned around and used the Old Lady's hand to covet someone else's big maid.

Thinking of this, a sense of disgust Daiyu had never felt before suddenly welled up in her heart.

Daiyu also came from a noble family; her father, Lin Ruhai, had several concubines in addition to his legal wife.

In the eyes of a noble young lady like her, a man loving beauty was a common occurrence.

But everything has a limit; being insatiable in one's desires for beauty borders on debauchery.

Like Baoyu, seeing someone beautiful and wanting to pull them into his room—now that he was still young, when he grew older, wouldn't he be just like the eldest uncle in the East Courtyard!

Daiyu and Baoyu grew up together by Jia Mu's side; over time, they were naturally closer than other sisters, and Baoyu had always been attentive to her, so she naturally kept Baoyu in her heart.

A young lady of her status and age, who never stepped out of her boudoir, could see how much of the world? Besides Baoyu, she couldn't come into contact with other young men of the same age.

So she somewhat felt that all boys of this age were like Baoyu.

Until Jia Cong appeared in this mansion; the things he did shook Daiyu's heart with almost every single act. So, men in this world could be like this!

She never advised Baoyu to study or enter officialdom; it wasn't that she, like Baoyu, detested studying and the imperial examinations, but rather that having grown up with him, she knew Baoyu's character better than anyone else.

Those words were useless and would only bring Baoyu's cold looks and disgust for no reason. She was just a guest, living under someone else's roof; although she had the Old Ancestor's love, there was no need to seek such unpleasantness for herself.

In fact, her father was a top-ranking scholar who was famous in the scholarly circles, a top figure among intellectuals; she had been taught by her father since childhood and was known as a talented woman in the boudoir.

With such a background, how could she possibly detest studying and the imperial examinations? She would only feel closer to scholars who, like her father, had achieved success through diligent study.

It was just that she was intelligent and clear-minded; living under someone else's roof in the Jia mansion, she was attentive to everything and careful at every step, and would never speak these inner thoughts about studying to Baoyu, who hated studying the most.

And although Jia Cong was born into a humble background and was detested and abused by his biological father and legal mother, he was not discouraged or self-pitying; at such an age, he had practiced calligraphy comparable to a master, and was studying diligently behind closed doors, striving for progress.

If her father hadn't been a hundred times more diligent than others, how could he have achieved the position of a top scholar? Jia Cong today was just like her father in his youth.

With all these things, to say that it didn't enter the heart of a woman from such a scholarly family, and that she would instead feel that Baoyu, who was addicted to female beauty and useless in all things, was better—that would truly be a ghost story.

There are many things in this world; if there is only one choice and no other, over time, one's eyes will always be blurred, and one will eventually think it is the best and unparalleled in the world.

If a second one appears, and it is so stunning and eye-catching, then it is mostly the work of fate.

In the end, heroes will turn into cowards, and young masters will turn into scoundrels and vagrants.

(End of chapter)