Chapter 72

It was only the next day that Jia Cong learned Daiyu had been angered to the point of spitting blood by Baoyu.

Hearing that Baoyu had smashed the jade again, he felt it was ridiculous; he had heard that this jade had been smashed countless times, yet it hadn't broken in the slightest; no matter how you looked at it, it was an irony.

Although Baoyu's heart wasn't bad, this kind of "the world is filthy, only I am awake" attitude, being sad about autumn and spring, and posturing, could sometimes really make people feel disgusted.

Hearing rumors that this matter actually had something to do with him—it seemed Daiyu had spoken up for him, which was why Baoyu lost his temper, smashed the jade, and caused such a big scene.

This made him feel somewhat uneasy, and that very day, he left the mansion through the back door next to the Pure Wisdom Study.

That evening, Wuer took a scroll and a soup box to Daiyu's residence.

"Miss Lin, this was brought by our Cong Sanye; this calligraphy was mounted by the Cong Sanye himself."

"The Cong Sanye heard this morning that you were coughing blood and specially went out for a trip, buying many things; he said he saw a miraculous prescription in an ancient book and specially brewed a bowl of medicinal diet."

Zi Juan hurriedly stepped forward to thank him: "Your Cong Sanye is truly thoughtful; what is this medicinal diet made of? It has a very pleasant sweet fragrance."

Wuer smiled: "It's made with two qian of fresh white thatch flowers, one qian of Bletilla striata, two qian of lily bulbs, half a qian of astragalus, and then high-quality snow lotus root cut into shreds."

Cong Sanye Cong was about the same age as Second Brother Baoyu, but he looked much more steady, and his thoughts were also delicate and thorough.

After she served Daiyu to sleep, she went to the desk to look; the paper was filled with elegant and beautiful calligraphy, copied neatly, with ink dripping, not yet dry.

"The Cong Sanye said that although this medicinal diet is not a precious thing, its nature is mild, moistening the lungs and nourishing the yin, regulating the qi and harmonizing the body; it has a miraculous effect on coughing blood, and the young lady will see results after eating it a few times."

Second Brother Baoyu usually cared about the young lady and loved to stick to her, but his words and actions were ultimately like a child's.

After Wuer left, Daiyu had Zi Juan hang the scroll on the wall, and while eating the medicinal diet Wuer had sent, she looked at the calligraphy on the wall with its extraordinary style.

But Zi Juan couldn't understand what was written.

So, according to Zi Juan's own estimation, Cong Sanye Cong seemed more understanding.

Zi Juan persuaded: "Young Lady, you are still ill; don't tire yourself out; rest quickly."

Daiyu said: "Go back and thank your Cong Sanye for me; tell him to take care."

It's just that he's a good person, but he's stuck with such a background; however, these are all things that haven't happened yet, so there's no need to think about them.

"The Third Young Master told me to stew it in the Pure Wisdom Study every day; it's just right to get it in the evening and send it to Miss Lin, so she can eat it and rest; it's quiet and won't disturb others."

Then she unfolded the rice paper and began to copy it, writing for nearly half an hour before yawning.

But today, Cong Sanye Cong didn't come, but sent the calligraphy the young lady liked, put thought into making the medicinal diet, and had the maid send it quietly.

Afterward, sisters like Seeing Tan Chun and Yingchun naturally came to Daiyu's room from time to time to visit and keep her company, and Jia Mu also came to visit often, or sent Sister Yuanyang to ask about her condition.

At this juncture, he didn't come, only having the maid send things quietly, which was considering the young lady's situation.

Zi Juan saw her young lady looking at the calligraphy for a long time, as if sighing, and then she put on her clothes and went to the desk, finding a thick, slightly yellowed book from the shelf.

They are all masters of the mansion; why is there such a difference in the ways of these two people?

Zi Juan remembered Second Brother Baoyu's argument yesterday, and how he smashed the jade, angering the young lady to the point of spitting blood.

... and soaked in water for half an hour, then stewed over a slow fire for three hours.

The medicinal diet prepared by Cong Sanye Cong was quite tasty, sweet, as if it could moisten the heart.

Baoyu also came with the sisters several times; Daiyu didn't get angry when she saw him, but her expression was somewhat indifferent.

Although Baoyu felt uncomfortable in his heart, he thought it must be because Lin Meimei was still angry with him.

After a few days when Lin Meimei's anger subsided, he would apologize properly, and the sisters would surely be as harmonious as before.

They had argued often in the past two years, and hadn't it always ended like this? So he didn't take it to heart.

What he didn't expect was how much the events of the past few days had affected Daiyu's state of mind.

This time Baoyu smashed the jade in her room and said those ugly words, angering her to the point of spitting blood, which had completely chilled Daiyu's heart.

Although Baoyu was still Baoyu, in Daiyu's eyes, he was no longer the same as before; there was an inexplicable sense of strangeness and distance, as if a shadow had shattered and was lost forever.

Now, Seeing Tan Chun and Yingchun were much closer to her than Baoyu.

It is very difficult, or perhaps impossible, to warm a chilled heart in this world.

Because the human heart is the most fragile and sensitive thing in this world; the vast sea is not the sea, and spilled water cannot be gathered.

Jia Cong only came to see Daiyu once with Seeing Tan Chun and Yingchun, and then didn't come again, continuing to study behind closed doors.

Even Baoyu felt that his previous words might have been overthinking.

It was just that every evening, Wuer would send medicinal diet to Daiyu's room.

The matter of Baoyu wanting to ask Jia Mu for Wuer in the Rongqing Hall that day was heard by many maids, and it spread after just one day.

Although Jia Mu's questioning of Xi Ren in the Rongqing Hall didn't spread much.

But Jia Cong still vaguely heard that Daiyu had argued with Baoyu precisely because she tried to stop him from asking for Wuer, but he didn't know what Baoyu had said to anger Daiyu to the point of spitting blood.

He knew Baoyu and Daiyu were the most important people in Jia Mu's heart, and he also knew what Jia Mu's plans were for these two.

Since such a thing had happened, he naturally wouldn't provoke suspicion; firstly, for Daiyu's face, and secondly, he didn't want to create extra trouble at this time.

Now, the most important thing for him was the admission notice for the Qingshan Academy.

Liu Bi had brought it before, but because he was seriously injured by Jia She, the admission time needed to be postponed, so that admission notice naturally had to be taken away and replaced.

Calculating the time, the new admission notice should be arriving soon.

As long as he entered the Qingshan Academy, he could temporarily stay away from the muddy waters of the Jia family and focus on studying and entering officialdom, giving himself a more solid foundation.

Knowing that Daiyu had secretly helped him, Jia Cong still felt moved; to say he had no thoughts about this most beautiful girl in the Red Chamber would be a bit too hypocritical.

Especially after he moved to the West Prefecture, he had more contact with Daiyu than before, and this jade-like, intelligent woman had long since left a shadow in his heart.

But to say he had any further thoughts would be too premature; that's probably how it was.

And Baoyu having designs on Wuer, even wanting to ask for her through Jia Mu's hand, made the last shred of his good impression of "Big-Face Baoyu" disappear completely.

Baoyu cherished daughters on the surface, but it was nothing more than "Lord Ye loving dragons"—loving beauty without responsibility.

He claimed to be infinitely accommodating and respectful to Daiyu, but for some filthy and selfish thoughts, he would smash jade at every turn, humiliating a girl to the point of spitting blood.

In the original timeline, Qingwen and Jin Chuan both suffered because of him; he had the ability to save them, but did nothing, watching as the two girls lost their lives.

Especially after Qingwen died, he hypocritically wrote a "Lament for the Hibiscus Daughter" to express his grief.

If he had such deep affection, why couldn't he protect them with his life and cherish them well while they were alive?

This is the so-called "peerless saintly wealthy young master" of the Red Chamber.

Zhi Shao was originally taken a fancy to by Jia She and was forced to jump into the river to end her life; this matter was etched in Jia Cong's heart, and he would not let those around him suffer such filth again.

Baoyu asking for Wuer, no matter how much he covered it up with words and actions, was essentially just a miniature version of Jia She.

The Jia family produced such descendants and let them trample and poison everything; if they didn't end up in a "vast, white, clean land," there would truly be no justice in heaven.

(End of chapter)