The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 359 The Provincial Examination Begins

Aunt Xue scolded, "What nonsense are you talking about again? Let alone the relationship between us, Huan'er saved your life. Not only do you not know how to repay your kindness, but you are also calling for his death."

Xue Pan sneered and said, "It is true that Huan Lao San saved us, but if he hadn't driven the bandit Kang Dayong to the territory of Yingtian Prefecture, we wouldn't be in danger, and there would be no need for him to come to save us."

Aunt Xue was so angry that she laughed: "You are just making up stories. Is it wrong for Huan Ge'er to suppress bandits and protect the people? How do you think those soldiers who are defending their country will feel?"

Xue Pan rolled his eyes and said, "Think whatever you want. Anyway, I don't owe him anything. If he dares to come to my house in the future, I will beat him out. In short, either he or I, Xue Pan and Huan Lao San cannot coexist."

Xue Baochai felt uncomfortable when she heard this. On one side was her elder brother, and on the other was Jia Huan. She was stuck in the middle and it was not right for her to speak for either of them. She could only feel sad and instantly disheartened. She sighed and said, "Stop arguing, everyone. Be quiet for a while." After saying that, she turned around dejectedly and walked out of the house.

Aunt Xue saw her daughter was exhausted, she felt distressed and helpless, she poked Xue Pan's forehead angrily and said: "It's all your fault, you ignored the business, spent your days in debauchery, and still caused trouble, can you see any girl like your sister, who is like that, working hard, working hard for the family all day long? As her brother, you don't feel sorry for her, and you make her sad."

Xue Pan said aggrievedly: "Mother, you only know how to blame me. Huan Lao San has treated me so badly. If I wasn't so strong, I would have died. You are still speaking for him. Am I your biological son, or is Huan Lao San your biological son?"

Aunt Xue said angrily, "You evil creature, what nonsense are you talking about? If it were anyone else, forget it, but I will sue him at the Yingtian Prefecture Yamen to seek justice. But Huan'er saved our family's lives, what do you want me to do?
Besides, if you don't provoke her, how can she deal with you? You asked for it. Xiangling is a beauty, but you didn't want the one at home, and you wanted to be Huan Ge'er's pet maid like a bitch. You have no shame, but your mother still has some shame!"

Xue Pan was scolded to death, but he still said stubbornly: "She is just a maid, what's the value of her? I didn't ask her for nothing. I exchanged Xiangling and a house. If he is not happy, he can just refuse. Why should he torture the child to death? Well, since mother and sister are protecting him, I can just avoid him in the future. If I can't afford to offend him, can I avoid him? It will also save mother and sister from being unhappy."

Aunt Xue was nearly fifty years old and had only one son, Xue Pan. She had always doted on him too much, and when she heard her son speak softly, she felt distressed even more. She told him to take good care of his health, and arranged for a smart maid to replace Xiangling to serve Xue Pan. Then she left the room and returned to her own residence.

"Oh!" Aunt Xue sighed as soon as she sat down.

The maids Tongxi and Tonggui were serving beside him, one massaging her legs and the other pouring tea. Tongxi was pouring tea while she asked, "Madam, are you still worried about the master?"

Aunt Xue sighed again and said, "Huan'er is good in every way, except that he has an overly strong personality. If he is displeased, he will show no mercy to anyone and will not know how to control his severity. Well, it is better to see him less often in the future. If he comes to visit again next time, find a reason to have the doorman send him away. I can't afford to offend him."

Tongxi and Tonggui looked at each other. It seemed that the lady was really angry this time. Master Huan San was a good person, so they had to defend him.

"Madam, I have a few words to say, but I don't know if I should say them or not." Tongxi said with a smile as she handed tea to Aunt Xue.

Aunt Xue took a sip of tea and said, "What's the point of being a good person? You have served me for more than ten years. Isn't it strange to say this?"

Tongxi said cautiously: "In my opinion, Master Huan San is a man who has led troops to suppress bandits. How can a man with blood on his hands not have some temper? For example, our uncle is also a man who has been in the military all his life. He is decisive in killing and now holds the position of Minister of War. If he just looks at you without saying anything, his momentum is enough to intimidate you. Who dares to offend him?

Master Huan San appears to be gentle and refined on the surface, but he is inviolable on the inside, and he dotes on the maidservants around him. Since Master didn't know how to behave and violated his taboo, it's normal for him to get angry and teach Master a lesson. "Tonggui smiled and agreed, "Yes, and I think Master Huan San was very measured in his actions. I'm afraid he didn't expect that Master would get seriously ill after choking on the dirty water."

Aunt Xue just remained silent.

Tongxi continued, "I dare to say that the master is already an old man, but he is still fooling around like that all day long. When will it stop? But he is not afraid of the lady. He listens to the young lady's words, but forgets them as soon as he turns around. He still does what he wants, and no one can control him. So I think it is a good thing for Master Huan San to teach him a lesson and let him suffer a loss."

Aunt Xue frowned and said, "What good news is this? It's like a deadly feud. It's Bao girl who is caught in the middle and is in a difficult situation."

Tongxi laughed and said, "Madam, don't think that Master is making a fuss and shouting for war and killing. I can see that Master must be afraid of Master Huan San. Otherwise, with Master's domineering temper, he would have come to you to seek revenge long ago. Why would Master Huan San have to come to you himself?"

Aunt Xue's heart moved, and she thought about it carefully. It was true. If Pan'er, this bully, really wanted to hit someone, how could Xiangling stop him? She would probably rush out long ago.

At this time, Tongxi said again: "So, I think it's a good thing that you are afraid of Master Huan San. There should be someone to discipline him. As the saying goes, if you keep company with vermilion, you will be red; if you keep company with ink, you will be black. If you really change and learn some of Master Huan San's skills..."

Aunt Xue clasped her hands together before she finished speaking and said, "Amitabha, don't even mention a few points. If Pan'er can learn even a little bit from Huan'er, it would be a great honor for our ancestors."

Tonggui smiled and said, "If Mr. Huan San comes to visit us in the future, will Madam see him or not?"

Aunt Xue laughed and scolded, "You are here as lobbyists. How much benefit did you get?"

Tongxi knelt down and said, "I am just speaking the truth. Madam, if you think it is right, please listen to me. If you don't like it, just treat it as nonsense."

Aunt Xue picked up the teacup, took a sip and said, "Get up, I have my own considerations." After that, she stood up and walked towards where Xue Baochai went.

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye it is the sixth day of the eighth month of the seventh year of the Qiansheng reign of the Jin Dynasty. In this golden autumn season with the sweet fragrance of osmanthus, the provincial examination in Nanzhili was held as scheduled.

The provincial examination of Nanzhili was held in the Jiangnan Imperial Examination Hall, which had a large area and could accommodate 20,000 candidates at the same time. Before dawn that day, Jia Huan got up, washed up with the help of Mandarin, and then took all the necessary items to take the exam. He successfully entered the venue and got his number plate.

There are three provincial examinations in total, each lasting three days. Eating, drinking, defecating and urinating must be done in the examination room. Therefore, it is not only a technical job, but also a physical job. If your physical fitness is not good, you may not be able to make it to the end.

In addition, the provincial examination is different from the boy's examination. The papers will not be announced after each examination. The papers will not be graded uniformly until three examinations are completed, and the final results will not be announced until early September.

(End of this chapter)