Chapter 725: Red Face Resolves the Wonderful

Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong's Courtyard.

The sequence is October, winter is approaching, the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer, the hour of Mao is approaching, the window is still pitch black, no dawn, as if it were late night.

Ping'er rose gently from the side couch, glanced at the lacquer-inlaid canopy bed with its curtains hanging low, curled the corners of her mouth slightly, and slipped into her slippers before quietly walking to the clothes rack.

She tied her light green pleated skirt, put on a long coat with a bias collar and autumn chrysanthemum pattern, let her hair down, and walked to the dressing table under the south window.

The green gauze lantern under the eaves outside the window swayed gently in the night wind, and the faint light leaked into the room, outlining Ping'er's slender and beautiful curves.

She took a green jade comb from the dressing table, tucked it into her hair, and took the hairpin and jewelry box, intending to dress in the outer room to avoid waking Jia Cong.

She walked two steps, then turned back to the dressing table, took a white glazed thin-necked Xuan kiln porcelain bottle, and then lifted the door curtain and went out to the inner room.

She entered the outer room of the main house, put the things in her hand on the case by the door, and lit the candle in the outer room with a fire folder by the light of the lantern on the veranda.

She turned around and pulled the door curtain of the inner room tightly, preventing the light from leaking in.

She opened her dressing box, which was elegant in style, carved with shells, and exquisitely crafted.

Opening the lid, a copper mirror was inlaid inside, bright and clear, yellowish and transparent, just right for dressing.

Wang Xifeng regarded Jia Cong as her backing, and she was a person who loved face, Ping'er as her close maid, was like her own outfit.

She sent Ping'er out, although not as a proper wife, but to set off her own face, all the daily applications were chosen to be exquisite.

Not only did she give Ping'er many top-grade jewelry to press the bottom of the box, but also daily applications for girls were chosen to be exquisite.

……

Ping'er sat down in front of the case, opened the white glazed thin-necked Xuan kiln porcelain bottle, and the bottle suddenly emitted a fragrant scent.

She picked out a jade hairpin stick from the dressing box, dipped it in the bottle, and then applied it to the green jade comb, and began to comb her long hair in the dressing mirror.

After the bun was finished, she hadn't had time to clean up, and heard a sound from the inner room, so she hurriedly lifted the door curtain and entered.

Seeing Jia Cong had lifted the bed curtain, Ping'er smiled: "Did I wake Cong Sanye when I got up just now?"

Jia Cong smiled: "No, it's just past the hour of Mao, I wake up at this time every day, and I'm already used to it.

It's Ping'er sister who was originally at Second Sister-in-law's place, and must not have gotten up so early, now she has to follow me early and late."

Ping'er smiled: "This doesn't count, it's just more than half an hour earlier, in Second Grandmother's courtyard, when it's busy at the end of the year, it's also before dawn."

Jia Cong took the robe from the clothes rack, Ping'er hurriedly stepped forward to help him put on the clothes, and helped him tie the buttons one by one.

The two were close, and Jia Cong smelled a fragrant scent, which was refreshing.

He couldn't help but lean against Ping'er's black hair, although he sniffed lightly without leaving a trace, he was still noticed by Ping'er.

Jia Cong smiled: "Ping'er sister used hair oil today, it really smells good, it's jasmine scent."

Ping'er smiled, her pretty face flushed, but she didn't mind Jia Cong's intimacy, and there was a trace of sweet joy.

She said: "Now winter is approaching, the weather is getting drier, girls have too much hair, and it's not easy to manage if it's too dry, so I used some hair oil.

This is the new jasmine hair oil from Moyun Workshop in the city, baked with fresh jasmine flowers this summer, Second Grandmother gave a bottle the day before yesterday.

This is the first time I used it today, Cong Sanye likes this taste, then I will use it in the future, okay?"

Jia Cong smiled: "I will ask someone to buy more for you tomorrow."

……

Ping'er entered the room for two months, she often stayed in Jia Cong's room at night, the two sat and slept, rubbed their ears and temples, and became familiar and intimate day by day.

She was originally a clear and outstanding woman, with a lifelong entrustment, and her status was set, so she served Jia Cong very carefully.

Jia Cong liked her gentle and pure personality, and the two were naturally closer day by day.

Although they hadn't slept together, the intimate words in the room, laughing and talking, were already like usual.

Jia Cong asked: "Are the West Mansion's household chores going well recently?"

Although Jia Cong handed over the West Mansion's family business to Wang Xifeng, he rarely asked about it, he went out early and returned late every day, and only went to the West Mansion every few days.

But because Wuer and Ping'er assisted Wang Xifeng in managing the family, whenever they were on duty at night, Jia Cong often chatted about household chores, so he was not completely ignorant of the West Mansion's affairs.

Ping'er helped Jia Cong comb his hair, occasionally looking at Jia Cong in the mirror, seeing him in high spirits in the morning, becoming more and more elegant, and a smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.

While saying: "Approaching the end of the year, grain prices outside are rising, the West Mansion has purchased grain from the Duan Family Grain Shop three times, which is enough to use until February next year.

All kinds of items for the New Year, those that can be stored for a long time, Second Grandmother has set the rules, and they have been purchased in these few days, so as not to waste silver when prices rise at the end of the year.

Rongqing Hall, the back courtyard, and the three small front rooms in the east wing of Rongxi Hall have all started to be renovated, and it is estimated that they will be good by the beginning of next month.

Because craftsmen entered the inner courtyard, all places were sealed with cloth curtains, and materials and craftsmen entered and exited from the side gate of the back street, just next to the original Qingzhizhai.

Xiaohong and the maids and old women under her in Rongxi Hall, because of avoiding suspicion, temporarily moved to the courtyard of the original eldest grandmother on the right side of the west flower wall.

After these two places are renovated, the rest of the West Mansion will be whitewashed once, so that there will be more new air for the New Year.

Second Grandmother said that now Cong Sanye's official career is prosperous, this year's New Year visit to the West Mansion will definitely be more lively than in previous years.

She has already listed the guest list with Wuer, receiving visits, visiting relatives during the New Year, and classifying them, so as not to miss any, so as not to lose Cong Sanye's face."

Ping'er had managed the family with Wang Xifeng for many years, knew the West Mansion's household chores like the back of her hand, had clear logic, and spoke clearly, and Jia Cong listened intently.

……

Ping'er said again: "There is another special thing in the West Mansion recently, that is, Bao Er Ge's marriage is imminent, and the day before yesterday, the Xia family's matchmaker came to the East Road Courtyard.

The two families are already discussing the betrothal gifts and the date-setting ceremony, and Grandmother Jia has also sent a trusted old woman to the East Courtyard every day to help oversee matters.

I hear that Baoyu's wedding date is estimated to be in the spring of next year, and the exact day will be decided in these next few days..."

Jia Cong heard this, and a strange feeling emerged in his heart, he had seen Xia Jingui a few times, and judging by her appearance, she was a good person, a lady of a big family.

But what about her inner self, except for him, no one in the Jia family knew the details, whether this person was like the original trajectory, even Jia Cong dared not conclude.

After all, he was in the current world, and because of many known and unknown reasons, the context of many original things had undergone huge changes.

So his attitude toward Xia Jingui had always been to watch and avoid, and it didn't matter if it was his own business.

After Baoyu got married, whether it was patriarchal etiquette or family rules, he could no longer stay in the West Mansion to muddle along, and from then on, his ears would be much cleaner.

Thinking of the allusion of Xia Jingui and Xue Pan in the original trajectory, whether this woman was really so fierce and vicious, only God knows.

……

After Qingwen brought hot water in, the two finished washing, and then entered the hall for breakfast, seeing everyone in the courtyard, only one person was missing.

Jia Cong asked: "Why don't I see Zhi Shao?"

Wuer, who was busy arranging the dishes, said: "Why did Cong Sanye forget? The courtyard on the south slope of Dengxian Pavilion was cleaned up a few days ago.

Early this morning, Zhi Shao and Xing girl went out and went to the Mouni Nunnery to pick up Master Abbess Xiushan and Sister Miao Yu to enter the mansion."

Jia Cong smiled: "I have been busy these few days, and actually forgot about this, but I have to rush to the morning court, which is really impolite."

Wuer smiled: "Cong Sanye, just be busy, we will take care of it at home, and we won't treat the guests slowly."

……

Rongguo Prefecture, Baoyu's Courtyard.

Two red lanterns were hung at the courtyard gate, indicating celebration.

In the main room, Baoyu was pacing in the room, with a face of clear sorrow and thin hatred, full of tragic sighs, his mood was tangled and complicated.

He was wearing a bright red golden lotus pattern round-collar robe, and he had loved this robe very much recently, and he didn't know why……

Wearing a bright red velvet ball inlaid with jade purple gold crown, with his heavy steps, the bright red velvet ball on the crown swayed, as if it were about to fall.

Recently, Baoyu was extremely tragic, being tortured by his master, and copied the Classic of Filial Piety for more than a month, which simply made him wish he were dead.

In the end, as long as he faced the Classic of Filial Piety, he would feel nauseous and retch, as if cursed.

Raising his brush to the Classic of Filial Piety, his arm would subconsciously stiffen, and it would take a while to relax, which was extremely painful.

He really didn't expect that his master's methods were so cruel, compared to the stick and stick in the past, it was even more vicious.

Because in the past, when his master wanted to beat him, as long as there was some movement, the old lady would come to save the field.

Now this kind of torture of the literary ink of the salary-worm, silent, without pain or itching, the old lady is also difficult to stop, Baoyu thinks of it every time, his heart and gallbladder are cold.

The scriptures copied in the last ten days finally got Jia Zheng's approval, and Baoyu was relieved and escaped the disaster.

Unexpectedly, one wave had just subsided, and another wave had risen, the matter of the pig and dog Classic of Filial Piety had just subsided, and his master went to ask Jia Cong to let him go to the Imperial Academy to study.

Jia Cong not only agreed immediately, but also sent someone to the Imperial Academy to record his name that day, letting him enter the academy to study early, he was actually so vicious.

It was enough for him to be degenerate and unclean, but he still had to pull himself into the muddy pool of filth.

He was born so handsome and outstanding, yet he didn't become a proper romantic figure, but was full of pig mud and rotten dogs in his stomach, which was really regrettable.

……

Baoyu originally thought that the situation was dangerous, the sword and axe were on his body, and the pain and indignation were like the sea and the mountains, but he didn't expect it to be far more than this.

The Imperial Academy matter had just come out, and he hadn't recovered from despair.

That meddlesome matchmaker from the Xia family has entered the mansion again, talking about the damn business of betrothal gifts and setting the date.

Although Baoyu thought of Miss Xia's outstanding beauty and moving graceful figure, compared to Sister Xi Ren and Caiyun, it made him even more envious and moved.

But how could the world's Zhong Lingyuxiu be limited to this, compared to the jade appearance and fairy posture of Lin sister and Bao sister, it was somewhat inferior.

Baoyu felt very tangled and hesitant every time he thought of these, sighing that the world's daughters were so beautiful that they were overwhelmed.

Although he was decadent in bed recently, he originally thought that God pitied him and let him be a cleaner person.

But he didn't expect the world to be difficult, the words of the matchmaker, the marriage, he was about to become a married man, and it was difficult to keep his innocence from then on.

Even if he was sad in his heart, he unloaded the burden of copying the Classic of Filial Piety, but he still didn't change his obsession, and hurried to the Rongqing Hall to get close to the sisters in the family.

Unexpectedly, he met maids and daughters-in-law in the inner courtyard, and everyone congratulated him on his marriage, which was really disgusting to death.

Entering the Rongqing Hall and meeting the sisters, he heard full of congratulations, and no one understood his heart.

For these few days, Baoyu didn't dare to leave the courtyard, for fear of hearing the sound of a hundred years of harmony and the words of early birth of a noble son, and he was terrified every day.

……

Just when he was sitting in the city of sorrow in the room, he suddenly heard someone talking in the courtyard, the voice was the little maid Chunyan.

She was muttering: "I just got Sister Xi Ren sister's instructions to run errands, and I happened to pass by the Rongqing Hall.

It was really a rare thing, you didn't see it, I saw Zhi Shao girl of the East Mansion before, and felt that there was such a standard person.

I didn't expect her to have a senior sister, who is a rare person in the world, that appearance, it's like a Guanyin in a painting, it's really good."

Baoyu heard the words senior sister, rare in the world, Guanyin in a painting, and his heart suddenly became active, and the full sorrow and hatred in his heart instantly vanished.

He pushed open the door and saw the little maid Chunyan talking to Huixiang, her little face full of amazement and rarity.

Baoyu hurriedly asked: "Chunyan, what kind of person is the Guanyin in the painting you mentioned, how could you see it near the Rongqing Hall.

And she is Zhi Shao sister's senior sister, could it be a person from the world, is she really that proud?"

Chunyan was slightly startled to see that her idle chatter had actually summoned Baoyu; Baoyu's complexion had been extremely poor these past two days.

Seeing Baoyu ask a series of questions, his expression was a bit urgent.

She hurriedly said: "Bao Er Ye, I just passed by the Rongqing Hall gate and saw the Second Young Lady of the East Mansion accompanying an old nun, and they were going to the Rongqing Hall.

Thinking that they must be visiting the old lady, Zhi Shao girl of the East Mansion was also accompanying, and there was a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl, who was as beautiful as a fairy, extremely standard.

I heard the old woman running errands outside the hall say that they are Zhi Shao girl's master and senior sister, and they are honored guests invited by Cong Cong Sanye.

Bao Er Ye, I don't know what a person from the world is, but the new girl is a nun who practices with hair."

Baoyu was happy in his heart, and there was another outstanding person in the family, but hearing that she was an honored guest invited by Jia Cong, he couldn't help but feel unhappy.

Thinking that this salary-worm Jia Cong shouldn't have such good fortune, why are all the women who look good related to him, how can he deserve this?

Baoyu ran into the inner room, straightened his clothes and crown in the dressing mirror, and hurried out of the door.

Sister Xi Ren chased out of the door and asked: "Bao Er Ye, you are impetuous, where are you going?"

Baoyu replied: "I'm going to the Rongqing Hall to pay respects to the old lady."

He said this and went out of the courtyard gate without looking back, and Chunyan behind him immediately woke up and stuck out her tongue at Huixiang.

……

Rongguo Prefecture, Rongqing Hall.

The atmosphere in the hall was harmonious, the Luo Han bed in the middle hall had been removed and replaced with a high-backed pear wood circle chair, and Jia Mu sat in the chair with a full face of smiles.

Sitting below her was an old nun with an otherworldly demeanor, her eyebrows were white, her face was tired, but her eyes were clear and energetic, without any old age, and could not be looked at directly.

Beside the old nun sat a young woman, with jade appearance and fairy face, beautiful as a fairy, but looking at her attire, she was practicing with hair.

On her head was a Miaochang bun, she was wearing a moon-white plain coat, covered with a water-field green satin-edged long vest, tied with an autumn-scented silk ribbon, and a light ink white silk skirt under her waist.

It was Master Abbess Xiushan and Sister Miao Yu who were brought into the mansion by Zhi Shao today because of the renovation of the Mouni Nunnery, and were temporarily staying here.

Although Master Abbess Xiushan was a person from the world, because her disciple Jinghui was now a member of the Jia family, she also visited the Jia family according to the secular etiquette.

Because they were not only Zhi Shao's relatives, but also honored guests invited by Jia Cong, Yingchun represented her brother to receive them, and the etiquette was very thorough.

Because they visited Jia Mu, Yingchun accompanied Zhi Shao and Xing Xiuyan to introduce them.

Daiyu accompanied them because Sister Miao Yu had chanted scriptures for her to relieve her heart, and Seeing Tan Chun had also talked with Sister Miao Yu.

……

Jia Mu was old, had respect for people from the world, and heard that Master Abbess Xiushan was a high-ranking nun who had attained the Tao, so she didn't dare to neglect her.

News came from the East Mansion early in the morning, and Jia Mu, to show solemnity, let Yuanyang remove the daily Luo Han bed and replace it with a formal pear wood circle chair.

When Master Abbess Xiushan entered the hall, Jia Mu saw that her demeanor was not vulgar, her conversation was elegant, and it contained Zen meaning, she was indeed a high-ranking person who had attained the Tao.

While receiving guests, she met Xue Yima bringing Baochai to walk around, and the hall was full of people, and the atmosphere was prosperous and harmonious.

Jia Mu also saw that Sister Miao Yu's appearance was standard, beautiful and otherworldly, not losing half a point compared to several precious granddaughters, an extremely outstanding person.

It's just that such an outstanding girl, at a young age, fled into the empty gate, which was really regrettable and sympathetic.

……

Although Sister Miao Yu was in the nunnery, she also knew that Jia Cong had won the second place and was an official of the Hanlin, which was circulating all over the city.

Although she fled into the empty gate, she was born in a noble family, and naturally knew Jia Cong's achievements today, how glorious and clear, and she was also happy for him in her heart.

Since the master used innate divine numbers to calculate that Jia Cong's life was bizarre and his life and death were unpredictable, it disturbed Sister Miao Yu's mind, and she actually chanted scriptures for him all night to pray for blessings.

On this day, she was brought into the mansion by Zhi Shao, she had been to the East Mansion once, but this was her first time stepping into the West Mansion of Rongguo.

She knew that this was also Jia Cong's home, and the place where he grew up since childhood, she had paid much attention to Jia Cong's legends since childhood and was very familiar with it.

Since entering the mansion, browsing the situation in various places, her mind was disturbed, and she felt more intimacy.

Even though she was cold by nature, now that she was in the hall, the women were full of words, and she didn't feel noisy, but the coldness on her face faded a bit.

……

Jia Mu smiled: "I have long heard from the old relatives that there is a high-ranking person who attained the Tao in the Mouni Nunnery last year, proficient in innate divine numbers, and can judge the past and the future.

I am also old, and I don't care about my own life, but I love several granddaughters in the hall very much.

Master Abbess Xiushan has magical powers, can you give me a Dharma eye, and judge whether the future life of these granddaughters of mine will be peaceful and smooth?"

Master Abbess Xiushan smiled: "The words outside are somewhat exaggerated, the old lady doesn't have to believe them all.

The poor nun has been a monk for many years, devoted to Buddhist affairs, although pious, she is just an ordinary monk and nun, where is there such strangeness as said.

It's just that I am an old person like the old lady, I have seen many things in my life, I dare not say the past and the future, just look at the complexion slightly."

Master Abbess Xiushan was talking, her eyes looked over the hall at will, Jia Mu and Xue Yima and others felt something, and their hearts felt inexplicably tight.

Yingchun, Daiyu, Seeing Tan Chun and others only felt that Master Abbess Xiushan's eyes were like light, as if seeing through people's hearts, making people feel uneasy.

Although Master Abbess Xiushan had fluctuations in her heart, her expression was as kind as usual.

She smiled and said: "I see that the young ladies in the mansion have excellent complexions and precious lives, or there may be twists and turns, but they will eventually be able to turn from bad to good.

The old lady is a person with great fortune, no need to worry too much, the young ladies have brothers to support them, and they will be well-raised and grown up, then everything will be fine."

Although Jia Mu and Xue Yima couldn't hear the true meaning, they knew it was very pleasant good words, and it was also to ask for a good omen, although they were happy, they didn't care too much.

At this time, everyone heard heavy footsteps coming from outside the hall, the door curtain was suddenly lifted, and a figure in red entered.

The voice was full of excitement and joy, saying: "Old lady, I thought of coming to pay respects to you, but I didn't expect there to be honored guests in the hall today……"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 726 =====