dream of red mansion

Chapter 43 Entrance Exam Meeting Hou Hu

Seeing that nothing happened, Jia Qing was eager to see Liu Xianglian, so she withdrew from the seat in the name of going to the toilet.

I asked a servant in the mansion to find the backstage where the theater troupe changed their makeup.After entering, the smell of pollen came to the nostrils, and there were young women and niche students changing clothes and putting on makeup everywhere.

Since Jia Qing was a child, no one cared about him and let him walk through it.Jia Qing looked here and there, and the focus of her eyes was usually the three inches below the chin of those beautiful girls.

Suddenly, he found a tall girl sitting in front of the dressing table taking off her makeup. His eyes lit up, and he quickly approached her and said, "Hi sister, do you know where Mr. Liu Xianglian is?"

The woman in front of her was startled when she heard the words, she turned her face slowly, looked at the child in front of her, and asked, "Oh? I don't know what the young master is looking for?"

Jia Qing realized something was wrong when he turned his face sideways. Isn't this the Liu Xianglian who sang on stage earlier?Knowing that he had made a mistake, Jia Qing immediately changed his words: "It turns out that Mr. Liu is Xianggong Liu. I didn't see clearly from a distance just now. It's because my younger brother was rude."

Liu Xianglian didn't even say anything, anyway, more than one person said that he was better than a woman in dressing up as a woman, so she didn't mind, and continued to ask: "Is there something wrong with the young master?"

"It's nothing... I just heard about Brother Liu's talent and name, and it happened that Brother Liu came to the mansion again, so I wanted to come here to talk about it. Oh, by the way, my younger brother's name is Jia Qing, and he is from the Ningguo Mansion."

A narrative?He knows that those big masters are after him, but what can this kid who looks like he is only in his teens talk to him?Take a closer look, isn't this the kid I met with Sun Wu at the east end of Ningrong Street last time?However, this kid looked like a dandy that day, but today he behaved politely and decently, which is a bit interesting!
"Then I wonder what Brother Jia wants to tell me?" Liu Xianglian asked curiously.

Jia Qing didn't know how to speak, so he couldn't tell him: I have a crush on you, be my younger brother!It's no wonder that it's not regarded as a neuropathy.

After thinking about it, Jia Qing decided to make some friendship first, so he asked, "Is Brother Liu's lifelong wish to marry a peerless woman?"

Liu Xianglian was amazed: "How did Brother Jia know?"

Jia Qing smiled mysteriously, and said: "Brother Liu, don't worry about where I got it from... I know that a peerless woman can be a good match for Brother Liu!"

Liu Xianglian looked at Jia Qing dumbfounded, she never imagined that such a thing would happen to her, a child came to introduce her in a mysterious way, it was funny even thinking about it.

"Oh, I don't know who Jia Xiong is referring to? Which family's daughter is it?"

"It's not from another family, it's the girl from my sister-in-law's natal family in my younger brother's house. She looks like a shy flower in a closed moon, which is a sign of..." Jia Qing said with a matchmaker face.

He also doesn't know if the current Third Sister You has seen Liu Xianglian. In the original book, Third Sister You told her sister, Second Sister You, that she saw Liu Xianglian, who was a young student, when she was celebrating her mother's birthday five years ago. At that time, Baoyu It should be about [-] or [-] years old, but now that Jia Baoyu is less than nine years old, it's really hard to judge.

But he didn't want to match them up. Marriage is something you have to fight for on your own. Both of them are responsible for the tragedy in the original book.Now he was just trying to hook Liu Xianglian's curiosity so that he would have more chances to make friends.

Hearing what Jia Qing said, Liu Xianglian was really moved, and asked: "Really? Maybe Brother Jia will introduce you to Brother Yu?" He was a willful person, so he said it when he thought about it in his heart, and then he realized that it was wrong OK.How can the young ladies of these families meet as soon as they say they see each other!
Of course Jia Qing didn't care about these things, and said after hearing the words: "It's easy to say, but she is not in our house now, when she comes later, how about I introduce Brother Liu?"

Regardless of the embarrassment in his heart, Liu Xianglian said: "In this case, I will thank Brother Jia first..." Suddenly he asked: "Why does Brother Jia help me Liu so much?"

Jia Qing laughed and said: "The first time I saw Brother Liu, my face was very kind, and I often heard that Brother Liu is both civil and military. I really admire him, and I want to become friends with Brother Liu. I don't know what Brother Liu wants?"

This Liu Xianglian was also quite self-willed on the other side, without being coy, she said directly: "What's so difficult about this, I think Brother Jia is also a man of temperament, why don't we call each other brothers in the future?"

Jia Qing chuckled, bowed his hands and said, "Little brother has met Brother Liu!"

"My dear brother, please get up quickly."

After exchanging pleasantries, Jia Qing asked, "I don't know where I can find Big Brother Liu?" Liu Xianglian said, "I've been living in an opera troupe recently, and on weekdays I usually live in Wuzi Street, Shundefang. Brother Yu bought a small yard there in the clothing alley, Brother Xian can look for me there in the future."

……

After bidding farewell to Liu Xianglian, Jia Qing went back to the banquet table to watch a play with him for a while, and soon after the play was over and the banquet was over, Jia Qing returned to Yipin Hall.

In the fifth year of Zhengqing, the morning of the eighteenth day of the first lunar month.

"Go ahead, take the exam well, and strive to be assigned to Class C."

At the east corner gate of Ningguo Mansion, a beautiful carriage was parked on the side of the street, while Jia Jing was giving Jia Qing his final instructions.

The bustling year in Jia's mansion is almost over, and today is the day for Jia Qing to take the entrance exam for the Imperial College.

Jia's way of celebrating the New Year is that today you treat me to a drink, and tomorrow I treat you to a theater, which doesn't make much sense.But yesterday was Jia Qing's birthday, Jia Baoyu brought his sisters over to celebrate his birthday, but it was a lot of fun.

With his current status, his birthday is probably just for the sisters to have fun together, and the elders don't care about it. On the other hand, Jia Zhen's birthday, although he can't have a big banquet, but he will invite the masters of the two houses to set up a table .

This also made Jia Qing firmer in his strategy of studying in the Imperial College. As long as he can succeed in his studies, his status in Jia's mansion can rise further, to the point where he can finally compete with Jia Zhen.

And what Jia Jing said about getting into Class C is not a high requirement. These days, Jia Qing has also figured out the establishment of the Guozijian.It is divided into four classes, A, B, C, and D. Class A is the highest, and each class needs to take a grade test.

The so-called Ding class is the children of the rich and powerful under the age of 12, belonging to the doll class.People over the age of 12 are admitted to the Guozijian from Class C.

At the age of eight, Jia Qing should also be admitted to Class D, but Jia Jing hoped that Jia Qing would start in Class C, because he felt that Jia Qing's foundation was already solid, and there was no need to waste time in Class D.

"Understood, the child will try his best!"

Saying goodbye to Jia Jing, Jia Qing turned around and got into the carriage, led by Lai Sheng, accompanied by Li Yan and Wang Shun, and headed for the Imperial College.

In fact, it is very easy for children of officials and powerful families like them to enter the Imperial College, and the entrance examination is just a formality.

But it is more difficult for children from other government schools and private schools to enter the Imperial College. Recommendations are a major means of restriction. How can it be so easy for poor children to get recommendations?After all, the Guozijian can only accommodate so many people, but those people are often the ones with real talents.

When I arrived at the main gate of the Imperial College, I saw that there was already a long queue at the registration place.

Jia Qing consciously walked over to line up, and Lai Sheng walked over and said, "Second Master, we can go directly to get the number, instead of queuing here..."

Jia Qing was taken aback for a moment, and immediately realized that he was a privileged class and could jump in the queue in a fair manner.But when I thought about going in early, I was still waiting, so I said to Lai Sheng: "It's okay, the spring breeze is very comfortable, I still prefer to stay outside."

Lai Sheng felt the biting cold wind on his face for a while, and he didn't know how to feel comfortable... But since the young master said so, he didn't object, and said, "Then I'll line up for the second master. You can go to the side and have a good blow..." Jia Qing thought about it, but didn't object!

"Why didn't this man go directly to report, but asked the housekeeper to line up instead?"

Jia Qing had just returned to the sedan chair, and was about to chat with Li Yan about Shuang'er, when a voice with the air of a second child came from behind him.

Jia Qing turned around and saw a young man of thirteen or fourteen years old, dressed in gorgeous clothes, followed by two servants, was looking at him curiously.

In the past few years, because Jia Qing has developed well, his physique does not look much worse than the boy in front of him, so he is called Brother Jia Qing.

Jia Qing asked back: "Isn't Xiongtai also waiting here? Why do you ask me?"

"Oh, I was taking care of the emotions of these scholars. Originally, upper-class figures like us were here to go through the motions. Wouldn't it be too high-profile to jump in line? Others would be jealous. Alas, I am such a kind person, and I am always so kind. For the sake of others... what about you?"

Jia Qing was speechless, this kid feels really good about himself!I don't know how his parents taught him...

"En~ I'm as kind as Xiongtai, right? By the way, haven't you asked Xiongtai's name yet?"

"Hey, why does everyone care about my family background and not my handsome appearance? Forget it, the world is just ordinary people, so why should I insist...

The younger brother is Hou Hu, and his father is Hou Xiaokang, who is now working in the Military Machine Pavilion.By the way, my great-grandfather’s name is Hou Ming, that’s right, he is Hou Ming, the founding father of the eight princes of the country. In fact, these are not the point. The point is that I am very handsome, didn’t you notice? "

Jia Qing already found out that this buddy is a joke, so he cheered and said: "Actually, I discovered this when I saw Xiongtai for the first time, but I haven't come to talk about this problem..."

Hou Hu was excited, he grabbed Jia Qing's shoulders and said, "Really? My God, after so many years, I finally found someone who has an incomparable aesthetic like mine. What's the name of Xiongtai? Which family's son is it?"

Jia Qing deliberately teased this Hou Hu, and said modestly: "Little brother Jia Qing, his family background is far from that of Brother Hou, so let's not talk about it..."

Hou Hu was really puzzled when he heard this, and murmured: "Jia Qing? I haven't heard that there is a family surnamed Jia in this capital, but the first of the Eight Dukes, the second Duke Ning Rong, is surnamed Jia..."

While he was wondering, he suddenly caught a glimpse of the smile in Jia Qing's eyes.Fortunately, this child is not too stupid, knowing that he might be "calculated", he asked: "But it is from Ningrong and Rongfu?"

Jia Qing smiled and nodded.

Hou Hu's face turned red immediately, but he was kind-hearted after all, he chuckled and said, "It turns out that he is the son of Jia's family, but he still said that he is far worse than my family. Isn't this a joke deliberately intended to be seen as a brother?"

Hearing that this buddy automatically upgraded his title to "Brother", Jia Qing didn't feel disgusted. Also, the descendants of four kings and eight princes are indeed considered family friends, and the children are naturally closer than other families when they meet.

Jia Qing also smiled and said: "Didn't Brother Hou also say that these are not the key points? It just so happens that my younger brother is also very confident in his appearance, and he believes that he can conquer the world without borrowing from his family background..."

Hou Hu was taken aback for a moment, he didn't expect Jia Qing to be a wonderful person, he understood his own "humor", and he got closer to him all of a sudden.

(End of this chapter)