The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 358: Xue Xiaomei gets engaged, Ku Xiangling escapes from suffering

Since Jia Huan could not stay any longer, he sat for a while and then stood up to leave. Aunt Xue felt a little guilty about this, because Jia Huan had saved her family's life. She also remembered the touching scene when Jia Huan risked his life as a hostage, so she tried to persuade him to stay, saying, "Brother Huan, have lunch before you go back."

Jia Huan declined politely, saying, "My aunt is so kind as to invite me to dinner, and I should not refuse. But the autumn examination is approaching, and I dare not slack off for a moment. I will come back to receive it after I have finished the provincial examination."

Aunt Xue nodded and said, "Oh, if that's the case, then I won't keep you here. Your studies are more important."

Just as Jia Huan was about to leave, Xue Ke came over from the mansion to pay his respects to Aunt Xue. Seeing Jia Huan, he hurriedly greeted him and said, "Master Huan is here. How late did you get to Jinling?"

Jia Huan smiled and said, "It's been about eight or nine days. I've been busy preparing for the Autumn Examination, so I only had time to come and visit you today."

Xue Ke suddenly realized, "So that's how it is. With Master Huan San's talent, this provincial examination should be a piece of cake for him."

After the two exchanged pleasantries for a while, Aunt Xue asked, "Where did Ke'er come from?"

Xue Ke replied, "Mei Hanlin came to visit, and I just sent him away."

Aunt Xue asked quickly, "What's the urgent matter?"

"It's nothing serious. We just talked about some trivial family matters. Mei Hanlin also gave guidance and studied my nephew's studies, encouraging him to study hard and not to be discouraged. He hoped to pass the provincial and academy examinations in three years and bring honor to the family."

Aunt Xue breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good. I thought you were here to break off the engagement. You really scared me."

Xue Ke shook his head and said, "How could that be? Mei Hanlin is a disciple of the saint, a modest gentleman, and he is the most trustworthy. Since the two families have made an engagement, how could they go back on their word at will? Auntie, you can rest assured."

Aunt Xue sighed and said, "Ke'er, you are still young and have not experienced much. As the saying goes: You can draw the skin of a tiger but not its bones, and you can know a person's face but not his heart. Many people in this world are snobbish. At the beginning, your father and that Hanlin Mei hit it off at first sight, and the two families hastily arranged a marriage for them. Now that your parents are gone and you have lost your support, it is hard to guarantee that others will not have any thoughts. But now it seems that your father did not make a mistake in his choice of person. Hanlin Mei is a very good person, and his family education must be good. Qin girl does not have to worry about being wronged when she marries into the Mei family."

Xue Ke nodded and said, "The Mei family is a family of poetry, literature and calligraphy. It is a blessing for my sister to marry into the family. When the mourning period is over, I will send her to Beijing to get married, and it will also fulfill one of my parents' wishes."

Aunt Xue shook her head and said, "It's not reasonable for a sister to marry off before her brother gets married. It's natural that you should get married first, and then Qin girl can get married. In the next few years, I will find a good candidate for you, and you can get married after the mourning period is over, and then I can arrange Qin girl's marriage."

Xue Ke glanced at Jia Huan who was present, and said a little embarrassedly: "It's up to you, Auntie."

Jia Huan's heart moved, he remembered that in the original novel, Xue Baoqin was indeed betrothed to a family surnamed Mei since she was a child. Later, Xue Ke sent his sister to Beijing to get married and temporarily stayed in the Jia family. Since then, Xue Xiaomei entered the perspective of the Grand View Garden and showed her amazing talent in poetry. However, the original novel did not mention the specific situation of Xue Baoqin's husband's family. It was only known that her father-in-law was a Hanlin with the surname Mei, and there was no mention of her future husband.

At this time, Aunt Xue remembered that Jia Huan was still there, and she smiled and said, "I was so busy talking that I forgot about Huan. Since you are here, Ke'er, please help me see Huan out."

Xue Ke was surprised and asked, "Master Huan San is leaving now. Why don't you come back after lunch?"

Jia Huan smiled and said, "My aunt wanted to leave some food for me, but I'm busy with my studies and don't have time. I'll get it next time."

Xue Ke led Jia Huan out of the backyard, chatting as they walked. Jia Huan asked curiously, "So sister Qin already has a husband?"

Xue Ke nodded and said, "It was a childhood marriage arranged by my father. The other party is a Hanlin, a Jinshi in the Kangping period, and a family of poets and scholars. If you think about it carefully, we are marrying up."

Jia Huan asked tentatively, "What position does this Hanlin Mei hold now?"

"He is a sixth-rank Hanlin editor. Although his rank is not high, he is noble and knowledgeable. By the way, if it were normal times, I could introduce him to you on behalf of the Third Master, but not now." Xue Ke said with a little regret.

Jia Huan asked curiously, "Why is that?"

Xue Ke lowered his voice and said, "Because Mei Hanlin just happened to appoint the co-examiner (deputy) for this year's Nanzhili Provincial Examination, and Master Huan San is a candidate for the provincial examination, it is naturally inconvenient for us to meet privately before the examination, so as not to arouse suspicion."

It was indeed this person. Jia Huan had actually guessed it a long time ago. He did not expect that Xue Baoqin's future father-in-law would be this man, Wang Ziteng's son-in-law - Mei Yucheng. This man looked only about thirty-six or thirty-seven years old, but the ancients generally married early, so it was estimated that his son was already in his teens. I just didn't know what his character and appearance were, and whether he could match Xue Baoqin.

According to the description of Cao Gong, the original author of Dream of Red Mansions, Xue Baoqin's appearance is even better than the Twelve Beauties of Jinling, and her talent is even more extraordinary. Since she followed her father to travel around the country for business since she was a child, she has a lively personality and broad knowledge. She once wrote ten nostalgic poems in one breath, and her performance in the Grand View Garden Poetry Club was also very good. Even Jia's mother praised her and said that she was more beautiful than the people in the paintings. She even had the idea of ​​arranging a marriage for Jia Baoyu, until she learned that Xue Baoqin had already been promised to the Mei family, and then she gave up helplessly.

Xue Baoqin, as portrayed by Cao Gong, is the embodiment of perfection to the point of being a little unreal. However, from Jia Huan's perspective, Xue Xiaomei's appearance is indeed extremely beautiful, but to say that she is better than Baochai and Daiyu is debatable. All we can say is that spring orchids and autumn chrysanthemums each have their own merits.

Soon, Xue Ke sent Jia Huan to the door of Xue Mansion, where two servants, Mu Ye and Jin Bao, were already waiting there.

Jia Huan waved his hand and said, "Master Ke, please go back now. There is no need to see me off."

Xue Ke bowed and said, "Take care, Third Master Huan. I wish you good luck in the provincial examination and hope you will pass the exam and be on the list of the best. Xue Ke is waiting for your good news."

Jia Huan smiled and said, "Thank you for your kind words, Master Ke. By the way, I heard Master Ke say before that you plan to take part in the provincial examination in three years?"

Xue Ke nodded awkwardly and said, "Ke is naturally dull and is not a good student. He has participated in the provincial examination twice, but failed both times. Now he is even more unlucky. He lost his parents within a year. He is in deep mourning and needs three years of mourning before he can take the exam again.

Now that my family is in decline and I have a heavy responsibility on my shoulders, I have already given up the extravagant idea of ​​taking the imperial examination and becoming an official. I have been concentrating on managing my family business and raising my younger sister. But after listening to Mei Hanlin's words, I feel quite encouraged. I will inevitably take another chance in three years. I dare not hope to pass the imperial examination, but passing the examination as a scholar will be a small comfort to my life."

Jia Huan said solemnly: "Brother Tad, please do not underestimate yourself. You must know that those who have the will can achieve their goals. Jia Huan encourages you."

Xue Ke was in high spirits and said with a smile: "Thank you for the appreciation of Master Huan San. I will work harder from now on."

Jia Huan nodded and mounted his horse. Xue Ke hesitated for a moment and stepped forward and asked, "Master Huan, do you know that Brother Pan is ill?"

Jia Huan was slightly surprised and shook his head, saying, "I don't know. What disease did Master Xue have? Is it serious?" Xue Ke said, "He had a stomachache, vomiting and diarrhea. It took three days for the symptoms to stop. He took a few more days to recover. Now he is fine. He just needs to eat light food."

Jia Huan couldn't help sweating secretly. It was probably because the water in the fish tank was not clean. Xue Pan drank a lot of it, so he got acute gastroenteritis. It looked very serious. He must learn his lesson this time. However, if this happened, Aunt Xue would probably be even more angry with him. No wonder she was always indifferent. Well, he would think of a way to make up for it later.

"My aunt didn't mention it to me just now. It's not a good time to go back to visit Mr. Xue now. I'd like to trouble Mr. Ke to say hello on my behalf." Jia Huan gave Xue Ke some instructions and rode away.

…………

After Aunt Xue had told Xue Ke to send Jia Huan out, a maid came in a hurry to report, "The master is in a tantrum, refusing to take his medicine, and even hitting Xiangling. Madam, go and take a look."

"Why is this troublesome evil creature going crazy again!" Aunt Xue hurried to Xue Pan's residence and heard Xiangling's crying from afar.

As soon as she entered the room, she saw Xue Pan holding a door bolt and hitting Xiangling. The latter was crying and curled up in a ball. Her hands, which were protecting her head, were bruised and blue. There was an overturned medicine bowl next to her.

There were a few maids and servants watching, but no one dared to stop them. Aunt Xue was shocked and angry, and shouted, "You evil creature, she's acting crazy in broad daylight without drinking. Why did you hit her for no reason? Stop it now, do you want to kill her?"

Seeing the lady coming, the old women who were watching dared to step forward to persuade them and snatched the door bolt from Xue Pan. Poor Xiangling could only curl up on the ground and cry.

Xue Pan pointed his finger and cursed: "I will beat you to death when I feel better next time. Bah, you dare to stop me!"

"You evil creature, how did Xiangling provoke you? You beat her to death!" Aunt Xue asked with a frown.

Xue Pan snorted coldly, did not answer, and just sat down on the chair angrily.

A maid said awkwardly, "Miss Xiangling brought the medicine just now. As soon as the master took a sip, he thought it was too hot, so he raised his hand and knocked over the medicine. He also grabbed the door bolt and said he was going to beat Master Huan San to death. Miss Xiangling tried to stop the master, and then he was beaten."

Aunt Xue knew what was going on when she heard this. This evil creature must have been so angry when he heard that Huan'er had come to their house that he grabbed the door bolt and was about to beat him. Xiangling failed to try to stop him and was beaten instead.

At this time, Xue Pan suddenly jumped up, grabbed a vase and rushed out. Aunt Xue was shocked and shouted, "Stop him, you bastard, what are you going to do?"

A group of maids and servants rushed to the door and finally stopped Xue Pan, who cursed, "Get out of here, Master Pan is going to beat up Third Huan today."

Aunt Xue said angrily, "You bastard, if you keep making trouble, Huan'er would have left long ago."

Unexpectedly, Xue Pan was actually a bully who only bullied the weak and feared the strong. He was badly beaten by Jia Huan last time and was scared. If Jia Huan really stood in front of him, he would not dare to do anything even if he had ten times the courage. Now that he heard that Jia Huan had left, he lost his fear and jumped even harder, cursing Jia Huan at the top of his voice and trying to break out of the door.

Aunt Xue was so angry that she grabbed his ears and slapped him twice on the back of his head. Only then did Xue Pan calm down. However, he immediately transferred his anger to Xiangling and kicked her twice, cursing, "Cry your mother's funeral! I'm not dead yet, you shameless little whore. You must have been tempted when you heard that I wanted to exchange you for that foreign maid last time. You secretly admired Huan Lao San and couldn't wait to serve him, so you always protected him. Bah, forget this idea. Even if I sell you to a brothel, I won't let you get away with Huan Lao San."

Xiangling was already full of resentment after being beaten and scolded, and she felt even colder when she heard Xue Pan scold her so resolutely and viciously. She cried, "If I have such thoughts, I will be struck by lightning!"

Aunt Xue's face turned pale and she said in a trembling voice, "Evil creature, Xiangling has been serving the master diligently and wholeheartedly since she came into our house. Since you don't like her, why did you want to take her back in the first place? And you even caused a murder case. Forget it, let a man take her away. Sell her for a few taels of silver. It's better than letting you beat her to death."

Aunt Xue had Xiangling taken away to be sold, but she cried and refused to leave. As the fight got more serious, someone shouted, "The girl is back!"

After a while, Xue Baochai came with her maids Ying'er and Wenxing. She was wearing a veil on her head and was sweating profusely from the heat.

It turned out that Xue Baochai had just returned from outside after checking the accounts. When she heard that her elder brother was making a fuss again, she hurried over to put out the fire without even having time to change her clothes.

When Xiangling saw Baochai, she felt as if she had found a savior. She knelt down and cried, "Miss, please save me. Madam wants to sell me off. I would rather die than leave this house."

When Xue Baochai saw Xiangling covered in bruises and crying uncontrollably, she was shocked. Ying'er and Wenxing, the two maids, were even more angry and sympathetic. What a beating! It was clearly a death sentence. The master was going too far.

Xue Baochai comforted Xiangling with some gentle words, and then asked Aunt Xue, "Why did you sell Xiangling for no reason?"

Aunt Xue said angrily, "It's your eldest brother who's causing all the trouble. If you don't like it, you might as well sell it off so that we can all live in peace and avoid unrest in the family."

Xue Baochai laughed and said, "Mother, you are angry again. Our family has always only known how to buy people, and we don't know how to sell people. If outsiders heard this, wouldn't it be a joke? Since elder brother doesn't want her, just keep her for me to use. It just so happens that I am short of people."

Xiangling hurriedly knelt down in front of Aunt Xue and begged, saying that she was willing to follow the girl. Aunt Xue was a kind person. She was just angry and did not really want to sell Xiangling, so she acquiesced.

Xue Baochai asked Ying'er to help Xiangling down to apply medicine, while she scolded her, "Brother, you just got sick, why don't you take care of yourself? Why are you so angry? And you beat Xiangling like that, it's outrageous. No matter what Xiangling did, she has served you for several years."

Xue Pan glared at him and said, "This slut asked for it. Who asked her to protect Huan Lao San?"

Xue Baochai was slightly startled and looked at Aunt Xue, who said sullenly, "Huan'er came to pay his respects to me today, and when this evil creature found out, he got angry and grabbed the door bolt to hit her. Xiangling tried to stop him, so he hit her and said a bunch of nonsense."

Xue Baochai's heart tightened and she blurted out, "Is he hit?" After she said this, she felt her face getting slightly hot.

Aunt Xue glanced at her daughter, sighed inwardly, and shook her head, saying, "Huan'er sat for a while and then left. He didn't get a fight."

Xue Pan rolled his eyes in surprise and said in a coquettish tone, "If you guys hadn't stopped me, I would have killed Huan Lao San."

(End of this chapter)