Chapter 826: Sentiments Often Cast Aside

Rongguo Prefecture, Rongxi Hall.

Outside the window, the sunlight was bright and dazzling, shining through the glazed lattice into the room, reflecting the dust floating in the air, revealing a warm and tranquil meaning.

Xiaohong's hair was black and shiny, her clothes were a pretty red, her figure was slim and graceful, her eyebrows and eyes were as clear as a painting, and her eyes were clever and bright.

Her hands were light and nimble, helping Jia Cong tie his hair into a bun. In a moment, it was done, and she secured the bun with a dragon-hook jade hairpin. She looked in the mirror for a moment, and only when it was proper did she stop.

Reflected in the mirror, the two were sitting and standing, each leisurely and graceful, quite complementing each other.

Hearing what Jia Cong said was interesting, Xiaohong couldn't help but smile, saying, "Third Brother is teasing people again. How can there be so many maids to save?

Everyone says that the maids by Third Brother's side are all literate, but I am the only one who is illiterate. Wouldn't that be a disgrace to Third Brother? I want to ask Third Brother to teach me to read..."

Jia Cong smiled, "Wanting to learn to read is a good thing. Living in this world, if one cannot read and write, one truly misses out on a lot of joy.

I can't control other people's maids, but my maids naturally must be literate.

It just so happens that during the New Year, I am often at Rongxi Hall, and I have nearly a month of leave. I will teach you for half an hour every day and have you memorize ten characters.

If you put in more effort yourself, you will be able to recognize several hundred characters after the New Year, which will be enough for recording books and keeping accounts.

I won't have much free time after I go to the office after the New Year, so I will let Zhen Ying Lian continue to teach you, and I will test you every five days. If you study hard for a year, you will be able to read storybooks and miscellaneous notes."

Hearing this, Xiaohong was overjoyed, her eyes shining, her words crisp, full of joy, and her mouth as sweet as if it had been poured with honey.

"Third Brother, you are truly good. It is truly a blessing to be your maid. There is no master in the world as good as you."

"Whatever you say is what it is. If you tell me to go east, I won't go west. I will definitely put in enough effort and won't disgrace you!"

"Third Brother, you've had wine and hot water. Are you tired? I'll knead your shoulders for you. It's very effective..."

Seeing Xiaohong's nimble tongue, clever words, and basketfuls of flattery,

as if she had made up her mind to talk him into a daze, Jia Cong couldn't help but find it funny and couldn't help but tease her a few times.

The two were laughing and talking when a voice came from outside: "Xiaohong, is Third Brother in the room? The Old Ancestor invites him to Rongqing Hall to talk."

Recognizing Yuanyang's voice, Jia Cong hurriedly walked out of the room and asked, "Sister Yuanyang, does the Old Ancestor have something for me?"

Yuanyang said, "Cong Sanye of the Shi family is visiting the Old Ancestor. The Old Ancestor originally wanted to invite Third Brother to accompany the guest, but it just happened that Third Brother was entertaining guests in the side hall."

Seeing Jia Cong follow Yuanyang out the door, walking and talking, the words drifted over from afar.

"Later, Second Master discussed with the Old Ancestor again, because Third Brother's room has a vacancy for a maid, they want to add a maid for Third Brother..."

Hearing this, Xiaohong felt a bit discouraged and muttered to herself, "These people are so idle. Third Brother doesn't lack maids; why do they keep thinking about it?"

On the covered walkway, Yuanyang followed by Jia Cong's side and continued, "When I just came out, the Second Lady was talking, and she sounded very unwilling."

Jia Cong paused his steps and asked, "Adding a maid for me at home, why is the Second Lady unwilling? Could it be that this person is from the Second Lady's room?"

Yuanyang said, "Third Brother is smart, you guessed it right."

Jia Cong knew who Yuanyang was talking about. Thinking of Yu Chuan, although it was a surprise, he wasn't too shocked.

He was now the head of two prefectures, and adding a personal maid to his room required a first-class one.

In the prefecture, first-class maids only existed in the rooms of Jia Mu, Lady Wang, and Lady Xing.

Although Lady Xing had fallen on hard times, she held the empty title of the Big Branch's legitimate wife and was now a widow, so others wouldn't have designs on her maids to avoid gossip.

Lady Wang had become a concubine-level lady, and all the expenses of the Second Branch were allocated from the West Prefecture's public funds, so according to family rules, she couldn't use first-class maids.

Therefore, Jia Cong wasn't too surprised by this result. This matter had some origins, and it was mostly related to the reduction of the Second Branch's expenses...

Yuanyang followed by Jia Cong's side, walking together on the walkway. Outside the walkway, the sky was clear, and the sunlight in the garden was warm.

Her heart was filled with uncontrollable emotions, thinking of that summer, the two of them walking across the clear water stone bridge, and that folding fan that shielded her from the scorching sun.

In Rongqing Hall, she was forced by the Big Master to use scissors to cut her hair, and that hand that held hers tightly was so warm and powerful.

Yuanyang looked at Jia Cong's back as he walked forward, feeling that he was very close to her, yet seemed somewhat distant, and her bright eyes became moist...

Rongguo Prefecture, Rongqing Hall.

Lady Wang spoke out against the matter of Yu Chuan, and Jia Mu, Seeing Tan Chun, and others felt unhappy in their hearts, though they were unwilling to show it, while Jia Zheng already had anger on his face.

Shi Ding and his wife didn't know the ins and outs of the Jia family, nor did they know Lady Wang's calculations, only feeling that she was somewhat disregarding the overall situation.

Jia Zheng had already opened his mouth to send a maid, so even if she was unwilling in her heart, she had to consider her husband's dignity.

To cause discord between husband and wife over a maid was truly not worth the loss, and it was somewhat short-sighted.

Seeing such a scene, Li Wan sighed in her heart. Baoyu and Jia Huan had received support from Cong Brother and had each entered the Imperial Academy to study; this favor was not small.

The Master sending Yu Chuan to Cong Brother as a gift was truly an excellent idea, and it also showed intimacy and elegance for a family, with affection going back and forth.

Yu Chuan was pretty, and Cong Brother was a romantic figure; it was said that he treated maids the best.

If Yu Chuan gained favor in the room in the future, and she was from the Second Branch, the two branches would have an extra connection, and the favor left behind would be real.

The Lady didn't look far enough ahead, unwilling to part with even this bit of benefit. She really didn't know how she calculated.

Keeping such a first-class maid just to support her own face, yet inviting a pile of gossip.

The Second Branch was already a side branch and would be for a lifetime. Tossing about with such vain things was not only useless but also ruined the affection of the whole family.

Baoyu had just heard the Master and the Old Ancestor say they wanted to add a maid to Jia Cong's room, and he felt extremely uncomfortable in his heart.

Hearing that the Master actually wanted to give Yu Chuan away, his heart burned like fire, sour with jealousy, and he wished he could shout and scream.

He had always been greedy for female beauty and had always had fantasies about the sisters Jin Chuan and Yu Chuan, always wanting to provoke them; otherwise, Jin Chuan wouldn't have jumped into the well.

Although Yu Chuan wasn't as lively as her sister Jin Chuan, she was beautiful and pretty, not inferior to her sister, and her quiet nature made Baoyu have even more fantasies.

It was just that Yu Chuan had an introverted nature, didn't talk much, didn't like to tease, and had a tight mouth, like a clam that couldn't be pried open.

Baoyu wanted to provoke her but couldn't find an opening.

Last time Yu Chuan came to his room to deliver cloth, Baoyu couldn't help but tease her a few times, and Yu Chuan brought up Jia Zheng, scaring Baoyu half to death.

But even so, Baoyu viewed himself as noble, loved to label women as flesh and bone made of water, and couldn't abandon his covetousness for this pretty maid.

Now hearing that the Master was giving her away, and giving her to Jia Cong, that "moth of officialdom," he was naturally heartbroken and furious.

It was just that his father Jia Zheng was present, and he really didn't have the courage to be presumptuous. Seeing the Lady speak now, unwilling to give Yu Chuan away, gave him great hope.

A warm current flowed through his chest, and he sighed that Heaven had eyes; the world was indeed not full of muddled people.

Why hadn't he noticed before that the Lady also had such insight? As a son, he should have the virtue of filial piety and let the Lady be satisfied.

He gathered his courage and said, "The Lady is right. Yu Chuan is still young, and serving the Lady is already barely enough; how could she serve Cong Brother?

The Lady's idea is excellent. Although Bichen and Qiuwen are both excellent, I think Qiuwen is more outstanding; she is just right to be a maid for Cong Brother."

Hearing Baoyu's trembling words, which were clearly him bracing his courage, Jia Mu was both amused and annoyed.

Baoyu was truly possessed. How could he interfere with every maid that had a connection with Cong Ge'er? It was truly giving people a headache.

She was just about to say something to cover it up, but it was already too late. She only heard her son roar, "Shut up! With elders in the hall, how can you, this beast, talk too much!"

Hearing Jia Zheng's scolding, Baoyu shuddered violently, scared out of his wits.

He looked at Yu Chuan, whose pretty face was blushing, truly moving. Thinking that she would also be snatched away by Jia Cong, he truly couldn't be reconciled.

Trembling, he said, "Master, you know me..."

Jia Zheng was furious, "Beast, get out!"

Shi Ding was successful in his official career and had seen many big battles, but it was hard for even an honest official to judge family affairs, and he was an outside relative of the Jia family.

Seeing the husband and wife at odds in the hall and the father and son confronting each other, his expression was somewhat awkward, and for a moment, he didn't know what to say.

But he felt that Baoyu was too unreasonable. Jia Cong was older as a brother and was the head of the Jia family. When it involved his private affairs, how was it Baoyu's turn to talk too much?

Seeing that things were getting out of hand, Jia Mu frowned and said to Jia Zheng, "Alright, is a sesame-seed-sized matter worth such a fuss?

I think your idea is not bad. Baoyu is a child, just saying a few scattered words; is it worth your anger?"

Jia Mu was truly worried that if Baoyu said a few more foolish words, her son might be angered to madness, and if it triggered Baoyu's foolish illness, it would be hard to clean up.

Jia Zheng frowned and said, "Old Ancestor is right, but Baoyu is truly too ignorant, not understanding half a bit of propriety or priority.

The Lady's idea is also inappropriate. Cong Ge'er is the head of two prefectures. According to family rules, he should use first-class maids in his room.

Qiuwen and Bichen are both second-class. If we take them and stuff them to Cong Ge'er, it would be too ugly to look at and truly against family rules." ===== CHAPTER 827 =====