Chapter 708: Soft Embrace, Stirring Emotions

Count's Mansion, Jia Cong's courtyard.

In his urgency, Jia Cong caught the person he had collided with just as they were about to fall.

A sweet, intoxicating fragrance wafted into his nose, stirring his heart and inviting wild thoughts.

The delicate, slender body in his arms was fragrant, warm, and soft, carrying a shy, tender quality; he could hear a rapid heartbeat, which couldn't help but stir pity in his heart.

Yet, she subconsciously shielded her chest with both hands, her eyes glistening like water, her pretty face flushed red as a sunset cloud, seemingly stunned for a moment.

Jia Cong felt slightly awkward inside; he naturally understood the meaning of her gesture—the place he had just touched was indeed not appropriate...

"Sister Ping'er, I am truly sorry. Did I hurt you just now?"

"It is nothing. It was my own carelessness while walking that caused me to bump into the Cong Sanye..."

Ping'er struggled slightly and straightened her body from Jia Cong's arms, feeling her chest soft and burning hot, her heels somewhat weak; she was too shy to look at Jia Cong.

Jia Cong felt the lightness in his arms, and the sudden, alluring intimacy of the hasty embrace vanished, leaving behind an unexpected sense of emptiness.

Ping'er glanced at Jia Cong and then withdrew her gaze, her heart pounding like a startled deer; could the Cong Sanye have done it on purpose? Of all places, why did he have to touch that spot?

Fortunately, it wasn't someone else; otherwise, she wouldn't be able to face anyone. In any case, she would be his in the future, so it shouldn't matter...

Ping'er, usually clever and brisk in managing household affairs, seemed like a different person at this moment, her heart muddled and her mind filled with wild thoughts.

Thinking of the return gifts scattered on the ground, she hurriedly squatted down to pick them up, and Jia Cong, seeing this, also squatted down to help.

Suddenly, both of them cried out "Ouch," as they had both squatted too hastily and bumped their foreheads together.

Jia Cong couldn't help but rub his own forehead, while his other hand instinctively reached out to rub Ping'er's forehead.

He was accustomed to being close and intimate with the maids around him, and in their daily life, they were often inseparable, which led to such subconscious actions.

When his hand touched Ping'er's smooth, soft skin, he suddenly felt something was wrong and awkwardly withdrew his hand.

After all, Ping'er was different from Zhi Shao, Ying Lian, and the others; although she had been promised to him, they had never spent time together intimately.

Seeing him reach out to her again, Ping'er felt a bit aggrieved; thinking of the shameful touch just now, she realized the Cong Sanye could also be improper.

When her forehead touched his warm palm, her whole body trembled slightly; she wanted to dodge but felt hesitant and reluctant.

Yet, seeing his palm touch and then withdraw like lightning, Ping'er understood somewhat and realized she had misunderstood, feeling a slight sense of disappointment in her heart.

Jia Cong asked, "Sister Ping'er, did I bump you and cause pain again..."

This strange word "again" instantly gave rise to romantic thoughts, making both of them feel somewhat awkward.

Their eyes met, and both tasted a certain indescribable intimacy; they couldn't help but smile at each other, giving rise to a touch of warmth, and the awkward, ambiguous feeling gradually faded away.

Jia Cong asked, "Sister Ping'er, why did you send these things over?"

Ping'er smiled and said, "These are return gifts for the Cong Sanye's full-month celebration. The gold bracelets the Cong Sanye sent for the eldest young lady are very exquisite; the Second Young Mistress liked them as soon as she saw them."

Jia Cong laughed, "Just attending to the courtesies for outsiders is enough; why send return gifts when we are all one family?"

Ping'er smiled, "The Second Young Mistress specifically instructed that even family members should observe courtesies in their dealings; it makes things livelier."

Jia Cong picked up the pair of exquisite silk hand-warmers and laughed, "The Second Sister-in-law's return gift actually includes such unique items; they are quite rare."

Ping'er's pretty face flushed, looking charming and moving, as she said, "These hand-warmers were made by me. I have seen the size of the Cong Sanye's palms, so I think they should fit."

"In two months, it will be winter. The Cong Sanye goes out to the office every day, and I hear you rarely ride in a sedan chair but ride horses more often. In the middle of winter, your hands will be cold holding the reins."

"These hand-warmers are for the Cong Sanye to keep warm; please do not despise them."

Jia Cong saw that the hand-warmers were crafted with exquisite workmanship, with high-quality dark-patterned silk sewn on the back of the hands, looking very beautiful.

The palms were made of wear-resistant thick Songjiang cotton cloth, and the inside of the hand-warmers was lined with soft red deer skin; every detail showed meticulous care.

Jia Cong laughed, "What beautiful hand-warmers. Sister Ping'er must have spent a lot of effort on them. I cherish them too much; how could I ever despise them?"

Hearing his praise, Ping'er's pretty face turned pink, her eyes filled with smiles, and she was very happy in her heart. She gathered her courage and put the hand-warmers on Jia Cong's palms.

She said, "Cong Sanye, try them on. If they don't fit, I will go back and alter them."

Jia Cong flexed his fingers a few times and laughed, "It's as if they were made after measuring my palms; they couldn't be more perfect."

The two of them played with the pair of hand-warmers, laughing and talking softly to each other; the awkwardness of the collision and embrace transformed into a touch of intimacy they had never experienced before.

Matters in the Rongqing Hall could never be kept from people.

After Ping'er finished chatting with Jia Cong and saw him off to the office, she had just returned to the West Mansion.

A matron had already come to offer her congratulations and told her everything that had happened in the Rongqing Hall just now, point by point.

Hearing about the date of the seventeenth of the eighth month, although she had some premonition in her heart, she still couldn't express the shame and joy filling her heart.

Knowing that Baoyu had actually spoken up to block her from entering the Cong Sanye's room, and that the Second Young Mistress had also chimed in there, she felt even more baffled and filled with disgust and repulsion.

Her affairs with the Cong Sanye were none of their business; Baoyu was a man of the Second Branch, yet he had the nerve to interfere in the affairs of the First Branch.

Ping'er thought of how Wang Xifeng had said Baoyu was ridiculous, and that it seemed every pretty girl in the mansion was his business; she was truly not wrong at all.

Previously, whenever she encountered Baoyu in the mansion, she treated him with courtesy, but now that this had happened, she felt even more that people's hearts were sinister.

If she still gave Baoyu a pleasant look the next time they met, who knew what Baoyu might say.

However, for the next few days, Ping'er did not encounter Baoyu in the West Mansion; she figured he knew he had offended people and was too embarrassed to wander around.

However, Wang Xifeng did not seem to be letting the matter rest...

Rongguo Mansion, Baoyu's courtyard.

Ever since Sister Xi Ren took that kick to the chest from Baoyu that day, she had carefully recuperated for a month and finally recovered.

As for whether it left any lasting damage that would prevent her from bearing children, with Baoyu in his current state, she had no way to verify it...

When the time for Lady Jia's seventieth birthday arrived, Baoyu moved back to the West Mansion, and it seemed as if everything was as it had been yesterday, with no changes at all.

But the reality inside was already different; although Baoyu's impotence in the bedroom was kept extremely tight from the outside world.

For the few who knew the truth, the inside story of this hidden ailment gradually became unbearable to carry.

Sister Xi Ren and Caiyun both knew the inside story well; Baoyu had been treated in the East Road Courtyard for a month, recuperating his body every day and consuming many precious medicinal herbs.

Even that thirty-year-old ginseng tricked from the East Mansion had entered Baoyu's stomach without a single bit missing.

But Baoyu's hidden ailment showed no signs of improvement, and he was still useless on the bed at night.

Sister Xi Ren had already been intimate with Baoyu many times, and with Baoyu becoming like this, she could only accept her fate; it was just a matter of walking down the path to the end.

But Caiyun was a proper virgin, and having been in Baoyu's room for only two months, she couldn't help but feel some panic at the thought of living as a widow for the rest of her life.

She had originally thought she had climbed a high branch, but she didn't expect it to be just a spring dream, bearing a hollow name in vain; it would have been better to be as carefree as Sheyue and Qiuwen.

Ever since that day in the Rongqing Hall, Baoyu's private desires were hard to restrain, and he had been loose-lipped, leading to a good deal of mockery and ridicule from Wang Xifeng.

After he returned, he tossed and turned, feeling even more pained by the corruption of the world, only obsessed with the talk of official careers and imperial examinations, and was heartbroken for a long time that no one recognized what was truly pure.

Because he felt he had lost face, he had been holed up in his courtyard for the past few days, relying on romantic novels brought by Mingyan to pass the long, boring time.

On this day, while feeling bored, he thought of how the sisters in the family had settled in the East Mansion, which was as far apart as the ends of the earth.

Nowadays, among the daughters in the West Prefecture who are somewhat sensible, if it isn't Xiao Hong who loves to talk about reading and studying, it is Yuanyang who admires the literary and martial official path, which has caused him to sigh and grieve several times.

There had been a beautiful and dignified Ping'er, who was polite and never spoke of official careers or economics, which made him feel she was extremely extraordinary.

He didn't expect that person to be so greedy for beauty; having Zhi Shao, Wu'er, and others, he was still not satisfied and wanted to occupy Ping'er, truly losing all conscience.

Baoyu was feeling that the day was long and his sorrow was endless, unable to control himself, when he suddenly saw Sister Xi Ren enter.

She said, "Bao Er Ye, originally, the monthly allowance was issued from the public funds on the tenth of every month. Even if the Second Young Mistress's courtyard had many affairs, it would be delayed by at most one day."

"But now it is already the thirteenth, and there is no movement at all. The monthly allowance for our courtyard has not been issued yet."

"Usually, around the tenth, Feng'er or Ping'er under the Second Young Mistress would mostly come to deliver it, but now we haven't even seen a shadow."

"Yesterday, I casually asked Hupo, and the monthly allowance for the Old Lady's courtyard was issued on the tenth; only our courtyard has not been issued yet."

"The maids in the Bao Er Ye's room don't have much wealth at home and are all counting on the monthly allowance to send back to supplement their expenses. If we are left hanging like this, I fear there will be complaints."

Hearing these economic matters, Baoyu felt impatient.

He frowned and said, "There is so much money saved in the silver cabinet; isn't it enough for you to spend? Why are you telling me this now?"

Sister Xi Ren smiled bitterly, "What is saved in the silver cabinet is all the Bao Er Ye's monthly allowance; how can we take it to spend? What would it look like if word got out?"

"My meaning is for the Bao Er Ye to go to the Second Young Mistress's place and walk around; perhaps the monthly allowance will be issued."

That day, Baoyu had wanted to stop Ping'er from entering the room in the East Mansion in the Rongqing Hall, and this matter had already spread in secret.

Sister Xi Ren and Caiyun knew the origin of the matter and were also somewhat dumbfounded; what exactly was their master thinking?

He didn't worry about how to cure his own ailment, but instead went to manage the First Branch Cong Sanye's business of taking women; wasn't this like a dog catching a mouse and asking for trouble?

Now that the monthly allowance had been issued for the whole courtyard, only theirs was being withheld; Sister Xi Ren didn't need to think much to know that the Second Young Mistress was secretly making trouble.

The Second Young Mistress wanted to give her own maid to someone else; what right did the Bao Er Ye have to stop it? If you tear someone's face, they will definitely want to get it back.

Originally, things wouldn't have been done so absolutely, to the point of the embarrassment of withholding the monthly allowance.

But now, things were different; the West Mansion was the First Branch's family property, and the Bao Er Ye was like someone borrowing a house; how could they still show any mercy?

Moreover, this matter could not be made public; if they went to the Old Lady to complain, the monthly allowance could be issued, but the Bao Er Ye and the First Branch would have torn their faces.

With the Second Young Mistress's fierce temper, sooner or later, she would squeeze the Bao Er Ye out of the West Mansion, and then the Second Branch would lose all its face.

Sister Xi Ren also truly had no way out; with the monthly allowance cut off in the courtyard, people's hearts were unstable, and who would still work with peace of mind?

If word reached the East Road Courtyard and the Mistress heard it and got angry, I fear there would be trouble again, and then it would tire the Bao Er Ye and make him even more disliked.

Sister Xi Ren wanted Baoyu to go to Fengjie's courtyard, say a few nice words, and use this to smooth over the relationship and give Wang Xifeng a way to step down.

Sister Xi Ren relied on having been Lady Jia's maid to go to the Rongqing Hall and drop some hints.

With pressure from both sides, this matter could be covered up, and after surviving this storm, they could think of ways to ease the relationship with the Second Young Mistress.

But Sister Xi Ren did not expect that Baoyu was originally a person without responsibility, and having contracted this hidden ailment in the bedroom, he became even more jealous of Jia Cong's good fortune with women.

This was what stirred his temper, and he dared to block Ping'er from entering the East Mansion, not expecting to be viciously mocked by Wang Xifeng.

Every time Baoyu thought of Wang Xifeng's words, it was as if someone had peeled off his skin, and his grief and embarrassment were indescribable.

Now that the matter was still hot, how could Baoyu dare to step over Wang Xifeng's threshold again?

Wang Xifeng's mouth was sharper than a skinning knife; he had been humiliated once, and to ask him to face the difficulty again, he absolutely did not have that spirit or courage.

He only listened to Sister Xi Ren's words and sneered, "It's not your first time here, and you are experienced in handling things; why is this something I should manage?"

"You can handle it yourself; why ask me again? You can go ask the Second Sister-in-law yourself, or send a maid to ask; it's all up to you."

Rongguo Mansion, Fengjie's courtyard, at noon.

Ping'er held a tray with a stewed bowl of bird's nest with rock sugar and silver ear fungus, and walked into the main room with light steps.

These days, many servants in the West Mansion had come to offer her congratulations, both openly and secretly; everyone felt Ping'er had climbed a high branch, so naturally, they all came early to build good relations.

Ping'er didn't care whether people came to congratulate her with sincerity or hypocrisy; in any case, she was very happy in her heart.

Wang Xifeng often teased her, saying that her face was flushed with peach blossoms every day and she walked with the wind, fearing her heart had already flown to the East Mansion.

Ping'er entered the room and served the stewed bowl to Wang Xifeng; it was now lunchtime, and Wu'er had returned to the East Mansion to eat.

Only Wang Xifeng and Ping'er remained in the room, while outside, little maids were setting the table and serving food on the small table on the Luo Han bed, serving the two of them.

Wang Xifeng drank two mouthfuls of the stewed bowl and saw Ping'er flipping through the account book for the current month.

She said, "Second Young Mistress, the monthly allowance for Baoyu's courtyard hasn't been issued yet?"

Wang Xifeng sneered, "I blocked it in advance. You didn't see with your own eyes what happened in the Rongqing Hall last time."

"Baoyu's thoughts are filthy and delusional, and that would be fine; he is useless anyway and can't cause any trouble."

"But the Second Mistress also followed Baoyu's lead and was making irresponsible remarks there, which was a bit ignorant of priorities."

"Now that the Third Brother has inherited the title by imperial decree, the First Branch is the true master of the West Mansion."

"When did it become the Second Branch's turn to manage the First Branch's household affairs? You also know the Second Mistress's temper; when has she ever been convinced by the Third Brother?"

"If she keeps holding onto her twisted thoughts, and as time goes on, if the First Branch makes a mistake, who knows what she might stir up."

"Taking advantage of this matter, there must be a ruthless and embarrassing lesson, so they know that the First Branch's position of legitimacy is not a clay bodhisattva for display."

"If they don't suffer some embarrassment and bitterness, and remember the lesson, they will surely climb onto the table after sitting on the stool in the future; how will we manage the household and control people then?"

Ping'er said, "The Mistress's words are indeed reasonable, but I worry that the Second Mistress will make a scene at the Old Lady's place, and then it will be difficult for us to handle."

"After all, there is also the Bao Er Ye involved, and the Old Lady loves this son the most; moreover, there is the affection between the Cong Sanye and the Bao Er Ye."

Wang Xifeng smiled slightly and said, "I thought of this layer long ago. If the Second Mistress wants to make a scene, and the First and Second Branches tear their faces, it would be straightforward."

"It would save us from having to maintain appearances in everything; we can just handle things according to the clan laws and courtesies—open, honest, and smooth—wouldn't that be good?"

"When that time comes, look at whether Baoyu still has the face to stay in the West Mansion, saving him from always staring at the Third Brother's women; he doesn't even know how to be ashamed."

Hearing this, Ping'er's face flushed slightly, always feeling that the Mistress was teasing her again.

Wang Xifeng sighed, "But it is a pity; even if the Second Mistress wants to make a scene, she won't come to make a scene with me directly."

"Because she knows my temper; if she makes a scene with me directly, I will have no more scruples, and she won't get any benefit."

"When the Bao Er Ye finds out, he will blame her for not knowing how to act as an elder, so she will definitely go to the Old Lady to complain and use the Old Lady to suppress me."

Ping'er was worried, "I am just worried about this; if the Old Lady speaks up, the Mistress won't be able to stand against her, and then it will be the Second Mistress's turn to be proud."

Wang Xifeng smiled and said, "Although the Old Lady is getting on in years, she is not a muddled person."

"If she really comes out to suppress the matter and stand up for the Second Branch, forcing us to issue the monthly allowance, it would be equivalent to letting the First and Second Branches fall out completely."

"How will the Old Lady enjoy her blessings and happiness in the Rongguo Mansion in the future, relying on the First Branch's support?"

"With such a simple truth, the Old Lady, a dignified Duke's wife, having seen so many storms in the inner chambers, cannot fail to understand."

"You must know that the Third Brother's title was granted by imperial decree; imperial orders are greater than family etiquette, and the Old Lady must also consider the Third Brother, otherwise it would be contempt for the royal family."

"Do you think that when that time comes, once the Old Lady comes out to suppress the matter, the Third Brother won't come out to speak?"

"Don't look at how you haven't been close to the Third Brother before, but you are the woman he has named."

"He knows Baoyu is stirring up thoughts; look at whether he protects his own. His methods are deadly, much more fierce than mine."

"As long as the Third Brother speaks, even the Old Lady won't be able to say much; even if the Second Branch has the Bao Er Ye, I fear their days won't be easy in the future."

Hearing Wang Xifeng's words, Ping'er's pretty face flushed, and she couldn't help but think of the intimacy and romance between them when she went to the East Mansion to deliver gifts that day.

Her heart was intoxicated and delighted, and Wang Xifeng's words churned in her mind: I am the woman he has named, he will protect me in the future...

Wang Xifeng laughed, "Just watch; as long as the Second Mistress goes to the Old Lady to complain, the Old Lady won't blindly stick her neck out; she will only try to smooth things over."

Hearing Wang Xifeng's words, Ping'er suddenly came back to her senses from her reverie.

Thinking slightly, she said, "The monthly allowance was originally supposed to be issued on the tenth; now it is already the thirteenth, and the monthly allowance for the Old Lady's room has already been issued."

"The maids in Baoyu's room, Sister Xi Ren, came out of the Old Lady's room; she couldn't possibly not know about this."

"These people are either born in the mansion or have families to support; they are all counting on them to supplement their expenses. If they can't get the monthly allowance, they won't be able to sit still."

"But until now, they haven't alarmed the Second Mistress; I fear they are not muddled people either, and just don't want to make a big deal out of it."

Wang Xifeng laughed, "That is exactly the truth. The few maids around Baoyu are indeed not muddled people."

"Sister Xi Ren was trained by the Old Lady in her early years, and her thoughts are not shallow; she knows both methods of calculation and how to protect herself."

"And there is that Sheyue; I heard the Old Lady mention her occasionally, and it is said she is also an extremely transparent person."

"Since they don't dare to poke it open at will, that is also good; let them suffer for a few more days, so the Second Branch can learn a lesson, saving them from daring to manage everything in the future."

Here, Wang Xifeng was talking to Ping'er when voices suddenly came from outside.

One was the voice of the maid Feng'er, and the other voice was crisp and brisk, clear and articulate, just like pearls falling on a jade plate.

"Feng'er, is the Second Young Mistress at home? I have been instructed by Sister Sister Xi Ren to come and talk to the Second Young Mistress about something."

"So it is Sister Sheyue; the Second Young Mistress and Sister Ping'er are both in the room. I will go in and announce you."

Wang Xifeng laughed, "Speak of Cao Cao and Cao Cao arrives; they can't hold out on their side either. Let's see what they have to say..." (End of chapter)