Chapter 130: Jia Mu Is Not Jia Zhang

Jia Jing walked under the eaves of the Jia Mansion, accompanied by Jia Mu's personal maid YuanYang.

YuanYang wore a water-red gauze jacket, a cyan satin vest, and a white wrinkled silk sweatband—ordinary maid attire that revealed her plainness.

She had a wasp waist, narrow shoulders, an oval face, glossy black hair, a high nose, a few faint freckles on each cheek, and fair, fragrant skin.

Though her appearance was not strikingly beautiful, walking beside her brought a gentle aura.

The matter of disciplining the servants at Jingwu Yuan had been settled, and Jia Mu returned to Rong Qing Tang.

Hearing that Jia Jing would visit Lin Daiyu, Jia Mu ordered YuanYang to accompany him on her behalf, for she also worried about her granddaughter's health.

The two walked in silence, passing one flower-adorned gate after another.

YuanYang glanced at the stern youth from the corner of her eye; she saw Jia Jing's expression solemn, lips pressed, eyes deep, unknown what he thought.

YuanYang opened her mouth and whispered:

"Marquis! The old lady almost fainted from anger in her chair—it terrified me!"

Jia Jing's expression paused slightly, then he replied:

"Perhaps the lady and second sister-in-law's actions pained the old lady, making her unavoidably agitated."

YuanYang pondered, her face hesitant, yet she still spoke, her red lips parting:

"Today, it's not only the lady and Lian Second Mistress's affair!"

"I have served the old lady for years; though she never says it aloud, I understand her heart."

Upon hearing this, Jia Jing fell silent for a moment.

Besides being angered by Lady Wang and Feng Jie's mutual sabotage, everything else today concerned him.

Whether it was beating Jia Baoyu, disciplining the servants, or blaming Jia Mu for not discerning priorities.

YuanYang cautiously glanced at Jia Jing's face, showing a hint of fear, and said:

"Marquis! I, the servant, have spoken too much!"

Jia Jing smiled faintly, turned his gaze to YuanYang, and said:

"You are indeed a loyal maid!"

Jia Jing knew YuanYang spoke thus only to make him empathize more with Jia Mu, to accommodate her in words and deeds.

Truly a golden YuanYang—after Jia Mu's death, she could die for her master, a faithful and fervent maid.

Even though he had dealt harshly with many servants today, his methods cruel, they could not stop her loyal heart; though fearful, she still spoke.

Being watched by Jia Jing made YuanYang uneasy; her steps paused slightly, her red lips opening and closing, unable to suppress the urge to pour out her heart.

She thumped to her knees with a puff, her clear voice saying:

"Marquis! I am merely a servant; some words should not be spoken, yet for the old lady I must speak."

"After thinking, I can only dare to tell the Marquis a few heartfelt words—whether the Marquis wishes to hear them."

Jia Jing stopped, looked at her a while, making YuanYang feel uneasy all over, then said lightly:

"Speak! I am listening!"

YuanYang steeled herself and whispered:

"I know the Marquis was raised in the East Cross Courtyard, his childhood hard, with little affection for the old lady."

"Thus since returning to the mansion, he has remained distant from the old lady, not close."

"This household discipline reform is good; the Marquis, a man who handles great affairs outside, has a firm character and tolerates no servant insolence."

"But the old lady pities the poor and weak; she is not wicked at heart. Since I followed her, these many years, I have never seen her kill anyone."

"She is merely old, fond of old affections, fond of the lively scene of grandchildren surrounding her knees, fond of a harmonious family."

"Some servants rely on their seniority; the old lady is not unaware, she simply cannot bear to..."

"Of course, in the Marquis's eyes this is a soft heart; he cannot tolerate sand in his eyes, and considers matters more deeply and far-reaching."

"Moreover, regarding Baoyu, the old lady indeed dotes on him a bit more than usual."

"The Marquis may think such indulgence is bad, but the old lady also does so because Baoyu resembles the late Duke of Rongguo..."

"The old lady is not a bad person, nor a muddled unreasonable one; now aged, she cannot withstand turmoil."

"Since the Marquis returned, the old lady often suffers headaches at night, unable to sleep; her worries are deep, but I can sense them."

"I do not understand outside affairs; I only hope that henceforth the Marquis and the old lady speak more gently, weighing their words..."

Toward the end, YuanYang's voice grew fainter, almost inaudible, and she dared not look at Jia Jing's face,

only whispering:

"Marquis, these are my heartfelt words; seeing the old lady angered thus, I truly worry for her health."

"If I have offended or spoken wrongly, the Marquis may punish me..."

Jia Jing said expressionlessly:

"Yes! The old lady is a good person, you are a good person, a loyal maid, a kind master; only I am an iron-hearted, unfeeling, unjust villain!"

YuanYang's mouth opened slightly at the Marquis's question, her clear eyes looking surprised and doubtful at the youth before her.

On her lovely oval face, white tinged with red, she stared, at a loss.

Jia Jing sighed, then continued:

"You dare to speak frankly for your master, to remonstrate against superiors; though you overstep, your heart is good—rise!"

"What kind of person the old lady is, I know well, perhaps better than you. But what kind of person I am, you know nothing at all."

Jia Jing has always had a clear understanding of Jia Mu, not only from his past-life memories but also from these days' investigations by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Jia Mu is merely a small old lady who seeks pleasure, soft-hearted, fond of pleasant talk, fond of bustling extravagance.

To say how bad she is—there is none.

Whether in the original text or the investigation, Jia Mu has never harmed anyone, never harbored ill intent.

Compared with the other ladies of the Jia Mansion, Xing Furen is foolish and brainless, Lady Wang has a Buddhist mouth but a snake's heart, Wang Xifeng's methods are ruthless; Jia Mu, by contrast, is harmless to man and beast.

In the original novel, Jia Huan once deliberately scalded Jia Baoyu with lamp oil, and the final outcome was also not an overly harsh punishment.

Jia Baoyu, that is Jia Mu's darling...

Of course, it's not saying that Jia Mu is really that clean!

No matter what, as the eldest ancestor of the Jia Mansion and the highest-ranking existence, she bears some responsibility for the Jia Mansion's eventual dismal outcome.

Also, there is her excessive favoritism, partiality, and indulgence toward Jia Baoyu.

And her excessive leniency toward the Jia Family's servants, just like the Lai family, the biggest tumor in the Jia Mansion, which is her close-knit maidservants' family.

As for other words like ruthless and vicious, they have nothing to do with Jia Mu.

This is just a normal elderly lady.

She is old, her disposition is weak, she spoils her grandson, and she thinks that only harmony brings blessings.

Jia Mu is ultimately not the Jia-Zhang clan of the courtyard house, nor is she so shameless and disgraceful.