Chapter 758: White Snow Stained with Fragrance

Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong's Courtyard.

In the main room, Jia Cong had finished grooming. Because today was his day off, he didn't need to wear his official uniform, and Liu Wuer was picking out winter clothes in the wardrobe.

A figure flickered at the door, and Ping Er also entered the room, wearing a long lined jacket of dark blue silk with floral patterns, and a phoenix hairpin inlaid with blue pearls on her head.

The cuffs and collar of the long jacket were trimmed with snow sable fur, setting off her exquisite, snow-white, and smooth face, her bearing graceful and charming.

She laughed: "Cong Sanye, it snowed all night last night. It's bitterly cold outside this morning; you must dress warmly, be careful not to freeze."

She went over to rummage through the clothes with Liu Wuer, picked out a dark blue floral-patterned lined fur round-collar robe, and stepped forward to serve Jia Cong as he put it on.

This was a new garment Qing Wen had just made last month, not only using top-quality materials but also lined with precious Liaodong fur inside; it was exactly what one should wear on a snowy day.

She also helped him tie a belt of the same color inlaid with treasures and jade, put on thick-soled leather boots with black velvet cloud patterns to avoid the snow, and paired them with a pair of cotton-lined silk gloves.

After he was dressed and ready, Jia Cong took Ying Lian, Ping Er, and Liu Wuer out of the main room and onto the veranda.

He saw that the bluestone ground of the courtyard was covered with a foot of snow, and there were several clear rows of footprints on it.

The flowers and trees in the courtyard, the railings and window corners everywhere, and the gray-blue cylindrical tile eaves were all wrapped in silver, piled with glistening white snow, making one's eyes light up.

As soon as the group entered the main hall, they saw that two charcoal braziers had been added to the room, and Qing Wen was adding charcoal to them with Dou Guan.

Both were wearing brand-new cotton-padded clothes and skirts, and Dou Guan was even wearing rabbit fur earmuffs on her head, looking somewhat comical.

Just as they sat around the table, they heard the sound of crunching snow in the courtyard, and Ling Guan walked into the courtyard wrapped in a fur-lined cloak, her small face flushed red.

Her black-bottomed embroidered cotton shoes were covered in snowflakes, and she was followed by two little maids and an elderly woman carrying several food boxes.

Just as she reached the door of the main hall, she gently stomped her feet to shake off the snow from her cotton shoes and called for the maids and the elderly woman to set out breakfast.

Qing Wen laughed at Ling Guan: "Your skin is too thin; you went out wrapped in a big fur cloak."

"And you still managed to get as cold as a frozen cat; your little face is all red."

Ling Guan said: "I spent the winter in the Divine Capital last year, but it wasn't this cold. It's truly strange; won't it be even colder next year?"

Jia Cong laughed: "The weather has been like this for the past few years, getting worse year by year. Hurry over and warm yourself by the fire; don't get frostbite."

Ling Guan ran to sit in front of the charcoal brazier, took off her fur-lined cloak, and spread it over the bamboo cage of the brazier to dry the moisture from the snowflakes on the cloak.

……

Soon the table was filled with all kinds of breakfast items: steaming bi-geng rice porridge, freshly fried cream-flavored small flour cakes, and freshly made jujube paste yam cakes.

There were also two plates of freshly steamed tofu skin buns, filled with enoki mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, chicken, and other ingredients—food that everyone at the table loved.

In addition, there were honey-brewed quail eggs, sliced seafood and southern goods, and salted dried fruit bits as side dishes for the porridge.

Just as everyone sat down to eat breakfast, Dou Guan ran over to open the door, and the cold wind blew into the room.

Qing Wen scolded with a smile: "What kind of weird thing are you doing again? Are we eating breakfast or the northwest wind?"

Dou Guan giggled and said: "This snow scene is so rare; when we were in the south, we didn't see snow for several years in winter."

"Eating breakfast while looking at the snow scene is such a pleasant thing."

"The room has two extra charcoal braziers, and it's hot everywhere; where would I get cold?"

Ping Er laughed: "A little girl like Dou Guan actually loves this style; she's quite good at finding fun for herself, which is truly rare."

Dou Guan didn't care at all about Ping Er's teasing; she picked up her porridge bowl and drank it with a slurping sound, grabbed a tofu skin bun with her right hand, and stuffed it into her small mouth.

She also looked at the snow scene in the courtyard from time to time with a very satisfied expression, which made everyone at the table unable to help but laugh.

Jia Cong laughed: "Living life should be like Dou Guan—finding fun for yourself and never worrying about anything."

……

After everyone finished breakfast, Liu Wuer and Ping Er went out into the wind and snow, walking together to the West Mansion to handle household affairs.

Liu Wuer wore a silver-red silk cloak lined with fur, and Ping Er wore a pine-green feather-satin cloak lined with gray squirrel fur. The cold wind blew, rolling up two floating clouds, and they walked away unsteadily, stepping on the jade-like snow covering the ground.

Because Jia Cong had a day off every five days, he almost never went to the West Mansion to walk around, usually borrowing the excuse of going to court or his office. Today, however, he had to go to the West Mansion with his sisters to pay his respects.

After breakfast, he put on a casual lotus-green feather-satin cloak and, with Qing Wen by his side, went to Daiyu's courtyard first.

After leaving the courtyard gate, he saw several maids and elderly women sweeping snow to clear a path; they all bowed when they saw Jia Cong coming.

Looking around, it was all glistening white; in the distance, one could see lush green pines, and further away were the blue-green outlines of pavilions and towers. Amidst the misty ice and cold, it was like a palace in heaven.

By the time he reached the vicinity of the Dengxian Pavilion, a cold fragrance floated in the wind, refreshing the heart and spirit.

He looked carefully and saw that on the land far away below the south slope, dozens of red plum trees transplanted from Mount Xuanmu were all blooming in the snow, red as rouge, reflecting the snow light, exceptionally enchanting.

Jia Cong couldn't help but stop and watch from afar for a while, his gaze shifting to the small courtyard on the south slope, thinking that Zhi Shao and Sister Miao Yu must have already gotten up.

They had both come from the Panxiang Temple in Gusu, and seeing the plum blossoms blooming in their old home, they must be very happy.

After admiring the red plum blossoms in the snow for a moment, he continued to Daiyu's courtyard. Entering the courtyard, he saw lush green bamboo everywhere, with glistening white snowflakes hanging from the branches and leaves.

The bluestone path leading to the main house of the embroidery building had been cleared of snow early in the morning, making the walk very convenient.

Jia Cong entered the outer room of the main house and saw the maids and elderly women clearing away the bowls and dishes; it seemed Daiyu had just finished breakfast.

He called out: "Lin Meimei, I'm coming in."

When he entered the inner room, he saw Xue Yan holding a rinsing basin, and Daiyu was turning around, half-covering her mouth to rinse, and then taking a towel from Zi Juan to wipe her face.

She turned back and saw Jia Cong enter, smiling: "I calculated that Third Brother has a day off today and would likely come over to walk around."

"It's also a good time, just in time for the first heavy snow of the year."

Jia Cong laughed: "When I came, I saw that the red plum blossoms below the south slope had bloomed—those transplanted from Gusu; they look quite spectacular."

Daiyu said happily: "Those are the plum blossoms from Mount Xuanmu in Gusu; I can never see enough of them every year."

Jia Cong laughed: "Let's go to the West Mansion with the sisters to pay our respects first, and then we can admire the plum blossoms carefully when we come back."

Daiyu said: "At this hour, even if Grandmother has gotten up, she likely hasn't had breakfast yet, so there's no need to rush."

"Zi Juan, go serve Third Brother some tea—use that Siamese tribute tea, and brew it as light as possible. Third Brother has already had breakfast, so drinking it after a meal won't hurt his stomach."

She added with a smile: "Third Brother, drink your tea first; I'll go inside to change clothes, and then we'll go out together."

Jia Cong took the tea served by Zi Juan and waited for less than a quarter of an hour before seeing Daiyu gracefully emerge from the inner room.

She wore a light gold embroidered floral jacket on her upper body, a pink plum blossom pleated horse-face skirt on her lower body, and was draped in a large red feather-satin cloak lined with white fox fur, with a snow hat of the same color on her head.

Zi Juan had changed into a light purple cotton-padded jacket and was following behind Daiyu, holding an oil-paper umbrella.

The group of four walked through the snow, first going to Seeing Tan Chun's courtyard, and after inviting Seeing Tan Chun, they went to Yingchun's residence.

After walking a circle, the sisters in the garden were all gathered. Except for Jia Cong and Daiyu, all the sisters were wearing red felt and feather-satin cloaks.

Looking from afar, the group reflected against the sky full of snow, like red clouds across the sky, and like fragrant clouds stepping on snow, stunningly beautiful. Although they were in the human world, it surpassed the human world.

……

Rongguo Mansion, Baoyu's Courtyard.

Baoyu woke up in the morning, noticed the dazzling light on the window lattice, and then discovered the heavy snow, his mood suddenly becoming somewhat relaxed.

After getting dressed, he ran to the veranda to admire the snow scene in the courtyard. Qing Wen, Bi Hen, Seeing Seeing Caiyun, and others were also in high spirits and followed him out to admire the snow.

At this time, the door of the left side room opened, and Cai Xia, wearing a cloak lined with black-gray squirrel fur, also came out to watch the snow scene.

This cloak she was wearing was no ordinary item; ordinary maids couldn't afford to wear such a decent garment. This was a reward from Jia Mu a few days ago.

It was because Cai Xia was pregnant, and this was the first offspring in Baoyu's room. Jia Mu was worried that the severe winter was approaching and that a pregnant woman would fear the cold, so she specifically rewarded her with this fur-lined cloak.

Seeing Baoyu standing on the veranda, Cai Xia subconsciously bowed to pay her respects, but she was somewhat afraid to approach them.

Seeing Cai Xia's behavior, Xi Ren felt a bit strange in her heart. Logically speaking, since Cai Xia was pregnant with the Bao Er Ye's child, she should be closer to the Bao Er Ye than they were.

Not to mention their intimate affairs, but whenever they met outside, Cai Xia was always very polite. Xi Ren vaguely felt that Cai Xia was somewhat afraid of the Bao Er Ye.

But the Bao Er Ye, although somewhat muddled, didn't seem like the kind of person who would make a young woman afraid.

Xi Ren pondered this twice in her heart but couldn't grasp the reason.

She only heard that when a woman is pregnant, her thoughts are much heavier than usual; Cai Xia was likely like this for that reason.

……

Baoyu saw Cai Xia bowing to him, which was a polite gesture, but there was no gentle approval on his face, only a faint sense of embarrassment. Originally, Cai Xia's submissive compliance in bed, and becoming pregnant within a month of entering the room, had made Baoyu feel proud and very decent in front of others.

It was just like what he had always boasted about in his heart—how outstanding and unconventional he was, and what a pure and innocent spirit he possessed. He had suggested this to himself so many times that he even believed it himself.

Therefore, when Cai Xia first received the good news, Baoyu felt joy and pity for her, which could be considered genuine.

It was just that once the good news spread in the room, the original fresh and beautiful elegance turned into a rotten and smelly fungus.

No matter if he met Xue Yima, or met Wang Xifeng, or met sisters like Yingchun, Daiyu, or Baochai.

Everyone had a face of congratulating him on becoming a father, which made Baoyu feel ashamed and heartbroken.

He realized that he would also be reduced to a dead-fish-eyed person, from then on losing the favor and love of all the young women in the world. Rather than suffering such sorrow, it would be better to die.

He was born to be an outstanding person; anything that tarnished his purity should be abandoned and discarded by him, so as not to live up to his birth with jade in his mouth...

In short, the pride Cai Xia had initially brought him gradually turned into a dirty and unbearable humiliation, which he really didn't want to bear willingly.

It was just that he never spoke of these strange thoughts to anyone, not even Xi Ren.

But because Cai Xia was pregnant, her anxiety and sensitivity were different from ordinary people, and she could clearly feel Baoyu's growing coldness. She didn't know whether her heart was happy or sad.

In the beautiful scene of snow filling the sky, her thoughts surged, her chest felt stuffy, and she leaned against the railing, retching as if searching her intestines and scraping her stomach.

……

Seeing this, Baoyu frowned tightly, and a sense of annoyance arose in his heart.

Seeing Cai Xia's movements, Xi Ren felt a wave of heartache and for a moment forgot to step forward to ask.

Seeing Cai Xia retching, Bi Hen's jealousy and resentment were naked, without the slightest concealment.

Only Seeing Seeing Caiyun, who was also a maid of Lady Wang like Cai Xia, had lived together for many years and had more affection than others.

Although Seeing Seeing Caiyun was also a bit jealous of Cai Xia, it was within the bounds of reason. She hurriedly went up to support Cai Xia and gently rubbed her back.

She said: "You are currently in the stage of morning sickness; knowing you are pregnant, you shouldn't have come out to blow in the wind. I'll help you back to rest."

Seeing Seeing Seeing Caiyun helping Cai Xia back to the room, Baoyu sighed with dissatisfaction, as if he had a belly full of idle sorrow and old hatred.

He looked at the scene of snow filling the sky and said: "Today's snow scene is not bad; Grandmother likes liveliness and must be happy in her heart."

"She will likely call the sisters over to talk, so I will also go to Rongqing Hall to pay my respects to Grandmother. Staying at home is also stifling."

……

Baoyu said this and walked out of the side door along the wind-and-rain veranda, heading straight for Rongqing Hall.

Hearing that he was going to Rongqing Hall, Xi Ren couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy. Recently, the Bao Er Ye had become increasingly muddled, often saying strange things in Rongqing Hall, causing quite a few problems.

Now that the young ladies from the East Mansion were coming to visit, the Bao Er Ye shouldn't say anything unpleasant again, making things even more indecent.

Thinking of this, Xi Ren entered the room, took a large red felt cloak, and quickly chased out of the courtyard.

She walked quickly with small steps and finally saw Baoyu's figure ahead, just a few steps away from entering Rongqing Hall.

She hurriedly called out: "Bao Er Ye, walk a few steps slower. On such a cold snowy day, Bao Er Ye isn't even wearing a cloak; if you catch a cold, it's no joke."

Baoyu stopped, and Xi Ren hurriedly stepped forward to put the cloak on him and tie the wind buttons.

She muttered: "At this hour, the young ladies from the East Mansion are likely to come. After entering the hall, Bao Er Ye must not speak nonsense."

"Say more pleasant things; the sisters will be happy when they hear them, and naturally they will be like they were before with Bao Er Ye. This is a matter of importance; Bao Er Ye must remember it well."

Baoyu knew Xi Ren meant well and mumbled a few "Hmm"s.

Xi Ren continued: "Now that the twelfth lunar month has arrived, there will be more public holidays in the government offices. Perhaps Cong Sanye will also come to pay his respects to Grandmother."

"When Bao Er Ye meets Cong Sanye, you must speak even better. Cong Sanye treats the Master like a father; you two should have been closer than other brothers."

"Now that Cong Sanye has momentum outside, even if Bao Er Ye doesn't like reading, he is older and the elder brother. It's not a shameful thing for Bao Er Ye to ask him for advice and get closer."

"Perhaps Cong Sanye can pull Bao Er Ye along in the future. Even without mentioning outside matters, if the brothers and sisters of the family are harmonious, life will be more interesting."

"Not to mention anything else, with such a beautiful snow scene today, the scenery of the East Mansion is three times better than the West Mansion."

"If Bao Er Ye usually says more pleasant things, Cong Sanye and the sisters will be closer to Bao Er Ye and will likely invite Bao Er Ye to the East Mansion to admire the snow and scenery."

"Even if it doesn't happen today, if you are closer and more easygoing in the future, you will naturally visit more often, and Bao Er Ye will be able to be close to the sisters again. Wouldn't your heart be proud?"

……

At first, Baoyu had some patience to listen to Xi Ren's nagging; he was also very willing to be soft and say nice things to the sisters.

But later, hearing Xi Ren say he should ask Jia Cong for advice and get closer to him, he felt it was unbearably vulgar and disgusting.

And saying the East Mansion's snow scene was extremely good, and that only by being close to Jia Cong could he visit the East Mansion more often and be close to the sisters—what kind of nonsense was this!

Before Xi Ren could finish her nagging, Baoyu's face suddenly sank, and he said: "I don't know where you learned this, but you're also saying these muddled words."

"Why should I ask him for advice and get close to him? In my whole life, I have looked down upon the pursuit of official careers and wealth. The East Mansion is a place of corrupt and muddled people; even if they invite me, I won't go!"

Baoyu said these words with resounding force, open and strong, and even he himself felt a bit proud.

Others all said Jia Cong was successful in the imperial examinations and was an official in the Hanlin Academy, thinking it was the greatest glory in the world.

Only he was the clear-headed one who could see through his face of a corrupt official. Once things in this world are seen through, they actually don't count for anything!

He felt that this warning of his should have shocked Xi Ren, so he proudly looked at her face, and sure enough, there was a somewhat pale and frightened expression.

But why was Xi Ren staring straight behind him?

……

Baoyu looked back, and his face also turned slightly pale. A group of people was walking over from the corner of the veranda.

The two in the lead were Jia Cong and Yingchun, and behind them were naturally the sisters of the family.

Jia Cong was looking toward his side, but his face was as calm as water, making one feel slightly fearful.

Second Sister Yingchun had always been the most gentle and compliant, but at this moment, her pretty eyebrows were slightly locked, and her expression was very unhappy.

That corner of the veranda was only ten steps away from here. Could it be that his clanging words just now had been heard by them...

Jia Cong just glanced at Baoyu, said nothing, turned around, and entered Rongqing Hall, and the other sisters followed him in one after another.

Except for Xiangyun, who looked at Baoyu with reproach, Daiyu and the other sisters didn't even look at him.

Baoyu had been quick-mouthed and wanton just now, and now he was embarrassed and panicked, feeling a chill from the soles of his feet straight to his crown.

He wasn't really ignorant of everything, but he had been spoiled and pampered since he was a child, and his belief that he was extraordinary was deeply rooted, and he was addicted to it, unwilling to extricate himself.

Beside him, Xi Ren was full of anxiety and said: "Bao Er Ye, why are you talking nonsense again? Your mouth is too fast. Just happened to have Cong Sanye and Second Sister come over."

Baoyu's expression was as dull as a wooden chicken. Thinking of the sisters of the family just now, almost every one of them had a cold face, and his heart was filled with panic and regret, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Seeing Baoyu's pale face, Xi Ren also felt dizzy and regretted why she had advised the Bao Er Ye with those words.

She had become the Bao Er Ye's woman and was destined to serve him for the rest of her life, so she naturally wanted him to be successful and prosperous.

But the Bao Er Ye was now increasingly unreasonable, just like a wooden fish that wouldn't ring; no matter how much she worried for him, it was useless.

It would be one thing if the Bao Er Ye's mouth was stubborn, but his luck also seemed to be particularly bad; every time he was carried away by success, he would muddledly run into a knife's edge.

Last time he was reprimanded by the Imperial Clan Court, it was like this. Now he was saying some idle words at home, and it just happened to be heard by the person involved...

Thinking of the situation just now, Baoyu felt somewhat annoyed and angry. He looked at Rongqing Hall with lingering affection, tore off the cloak on his body, and threw it on the ground.

He looked up and sighed: "Forget it, forget it, I won't see these people again in the future."

He was about to run away in a panic, preparing to return to his courtyard to hide his shame, when suddenly Sister Sister Hupo came out of Rongqing Hall.

Seeing Baoyu and Xi Ren, she hurriedly shouted: "Bao Er Ye Bao, Cong Sanye and the young ladies have come to pay their respects to Grandmother."

"Grandmother is saying to call you over as well, so that the brothers and sisters can be lively together. She just asked me to pass the message to you, and it just so happens you've come."

"Bao Er Ye Bao, please come in quickly; Grandmother is waiting for you."

Xi Ren hurriedly said: "Sister Sister Hupo, you go tell Grandmother first; we'll be in immediately. Bao Er Ye's cloak fell off, and I want to help him tidy it up."

Sister Sister Hupo looked at them, feeling their expressions were strange, but didn't want to ask more; anyway, she had already passed the message.

Seeing Sister Sister Hupo enter the hall, Xi Ren hurriedly picked up the cloak, patted it a few times, and helped Baoyu put it on again.

She said: "Bao Er Ye, Grandmother called you in; you can't hide, so as not to cause more trouble."

"Cong Sanye and Second Sister are both sensible people and won't say anything in front of Grandmother. You go in first, but please don't say strange things again; I'll wait outside the hall."

Thinking of Jia Cong's cold eyes and the displeasure on Yingchun's face, Baoyu felt that he might as well be dead... (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 759 =====