The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 433: Frustrated Again
Jia Huan walked for a while and didn't see Mandalin, so he stopped and called out, "Come out, is your butt itchy again?"

Mandarin flashed out from behind the bushes beside the road and asked in annoyance, "You found out about all this?"

Jia Huan said with a smile: "Do you think I'm a fool? This place is not big and it's not on the path, so it must be hiding."

Mandarin shrugged and said, "You're not allowed to get angry and leave?"

Jia Huan shook his head and said, "This is unlike your nosy character. Besides, even if you were angry and left, there would be no harm if I called you. Look, you came out automatically as soon as I called you."

Mandalin curled her lips and asked curiously, "Why does Rong's daughter-in-law, who is so mysterious, want to see you... Ouch!"

Before Mandarin could finish her words, she was slapped on the buttocks by someone. She said in shame and anger, "Why are you hitting me again for no reason?"

The tone and manner of this foreign maid's speech are becoming more and more local.

"Keep pretending! Don't think I don't know that you sneaked back and lay there to eavesdrop." Jia Huan said as he raised his hand to slap the foreign maid again.

Mandarin quickly hid away, and said in disbelief, "Oh my God, how did you find me? I swear, even God couldn't find me in the place where I was hiding just now."

Jia Huan said with a grudge: "You are really rebellious. You are hiding there and eavesdropping. Come here and let me spank you, otherwise you will be punished more severely tonight."

Mandalin realized that she had been fooled again. She said with a smile, "Jia, you are so cunning. Fortunately, you are a good person. If you were like Jia Zhen, it would be a disaster. That guy is so disgusting."

When Jia Huan heard this, he knew that the foreign maid had indeed eavesdropped on his conversation with Qin Keqing, and he hurriedly reminded her: "Don't mention this to anyone else."

Mandalin shrugged and said, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone else. Oh, except Sister Ping'er, you know I won't hide it from her."

"Sister Ping'er is tight-lipped, so it's okay to tell her!" Jia Huan nodded.

Mandalin said unconvincedly, "Don't you think I'm tight-lipped? Do you need to remind me of this?"

"Well, your little mouth is also very tight." Jia Huan nodded and continued to move forward. The foreign maid tasted it carefully for a moment before she understood the taste. She blushed and spat inwardly.

After walking a little further, they saw a bamboo forest in front of them. It turned out to be Xiaoxiang Pavilion. Jia Huan turned around and said, "Mandalin, you go back first. I'll go in and see Sister Lin."

"I'm so tired after walking around all day. I didn't sleep well last night. I'll go back and catch up on some sleep!" Mandalin yawned and walked straight north around Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

Jia Huan walked through the quiet bamboo path and came to the Xiaoxiang Pavilion. As soon as he stepped into the yard, he saw Qingwen, Xueyan, and a group of maids chatting there.

As soon as Jia Huan saw him, he guessed that Big-Faced Treasure must have come, and might have been staying here all day, because Grandmother Jia had instructed that he didn't have to go to school for a few days, so the kid must be very happy.

"Third Master!" When Xueyan saw Jia Huan, she bowed hurriedly, and Qingwen also bowed slightly, then turned sideways and turned her back to Jia Huan to avoid suspicion.

Jia Huan didn't care. Instead, he admired this "brave Qingwen" even more. Among all the maids in the Jia family, Qingwen was one of the more outstanding ones, and she had the highest appearance. She was infatuated with Da Lian Bao, but unfortunately Da Lian Bao was too timid and irresponsible. As a result, when Mrs. Wang was renovating the Grand View Garden, Qingwen was caught as a "foxy woman" because of her outstanding appearance and her straightforward temper. She was expelled from the mansion. She was still sick at the time, and Da Lian Bao did not protect her. He just watched Qingwen being driven away. The latter was resentful and could not get good medical treatment. Eventually, her condition worsened and she died of depression.

Afterwards, Da Lian Bao wrote an elegy for Qingwen, "Funeral Elegy for Lotus Girl". Although it was quite touching, it was meaningless in Jia Huan's view. You didn't protect her when she was alive, and you cried for her after she died. It was really too typical.

Getting back to the point, Jia Huan asked Xueyan, "Is Sister Lin here?"

Xueyan nodded and said, "Talk to Master Bao inside."

Although Jia Huan no longer took Da Lian Bao seriously, he was still a little unhappy when he heard this. He walked into the house, and the macaw hanging under the eaves immediately jumped up and down and shouted, "Master Huan is here, Xueyan, pour some tea!"

Jia Huan grabbed a handful of melon seeds from the ceramic jar that held bird food and scattered them into the cage. He said with a smile, "I keep saying this. Can you change it to something else?"

The macaw was busy pecking at the melon seeds and ignored Jia Huan.

"Foodie!" Jia Huan patted the cage lightly, lifted the curtain and stepped over the threshold. At this time, the macaw suddenly shouted, "Foodie, your whole family is a foodie, stew it, stew it!"

Jia Huan tripped and stumbled into the house, causing the maids in the yard to giggle.

"Did Brother Huan get his foot twisted?" Lin Daiyu, who was reading behind her desk, put down her book and came forward nervously. Jia Baoyu was warming his hands by the stove, and was gloating over Jia Huan's embarrassment, but when Sister Lin acted so nervous, the smile on his face slowly disappeared.

Jia Huan laughed and said, "It was just a stumble, it's not a big deal. Who taught this flat-haired beast to swear?"

Lin Daiyu said angrily, "Who told you to provoke it? This little thing is very smart. I don't know which naughty girl scolded it and it learned it. Now it can talk back. We have to train it slowly."

"If you can't change it, just stew it. I'll give you another one later." Jia Huan said with a smile.

Lin Daiyu pretended to knock on the door, then said with a smile, "I'll give you a ginkgo nut."

Seeing the two of them talking and laughing, Jia Baoyu felt depressed, but he immediately comforted himself, "Huan Lao San was just the first to get the moon, and he took advantage of Sister Lin's trip to the south to win her favor. Now that Sister Lin has returned to the mansion, as long as I treat her with meticulous care and accompany her day and night, Sister Lin will definitely change her mind."

Thinking of this, Jia Baoyu immediately regained his fighting spirit. As the saying goes, "Sincerity can move mountains and stones." He could stay with Lin Daiyu day and night, but Huan Lao San couldn't. This guy was a parasite obsessed with fame and fortune, and he had to take part in the imperial examination. If he became an official in the future, he would have even less time to accompany Lin Daiyu. In this case, how could Huan Lao San compete with me?

The more Jia Baoyu thought about it, the more confident he became. He wiped away the dejection on his face and said with a smile, "I just passed by the mansion and saw that the stage has been almost set up. It will probably start tomorrow. I heard that this troupe is from outside the Great Wall. I asked Zhou Ruijia to prepare a list of plays for us to watch first. There are quite a few new plays that I have never heard of. Sister Lin, will you come with me to watch tomorrow?"

Lin Daiyu was obviously very interested when she heard this. She looked at Jia Huan and asked, "Brother Huan, are you going?"

Jia Huan smiled and said, "If Sister Lin goes, I will go too."

Lin Daiyu's pretty face was slightly dizzy, and she nodded and said, "Call Tan and Second Sister as well. Xichun has never been interested in these things, so you don't need to call her."

At this time, the door curtain was lifted, and a red cloud floated in. It was the lovely and innocent Shi Xiangyun. As soon as she came in, she pouted and complained, "You two play together every day. I finally came here for a few days, but you didn't even pay attention to me. I have to go back now."

Jia Baoyu was surprised and asked, "You're going back now? There's a play tomorrow, aren't you going to watch it?"

Shi Xiangyun said angrily, "I can't watch it anymore. My family has sent someone to pick me up."

Jia Baoyu stood up quickly and said, "I'll ask housekeeper Lai to send them away and tell them that the old lady wants you to stay a few more days."

Jia Huan couldn't help but frown. He knew that Shi Xiangyun's parents died when she was young, and she was now raised by her uncle and aunt. Her uncle and aunt's family conditions didn't seem to be very good. Shi Xiangyun had to help with needlework every day, sometimes even until late at night. If she was a little arrogant, she would cause her aunt's dissatisfaction.

Shi Xiangyun is undoubtedly a miserable person. Her only luck is that she has an aunt who loves her - Grandmother Jia. Only then can she occasionally escape from the cage, go to the Jia family to play for a few days, and spend a few days of happy and leisurely life.

Now Shi Xiangyun has lived in the Jia Mansion for seven or eight days. The Jia family must be anxious, so they sent someone to pick her up. Unfortunately, Da Lian Bao does not understand the ways of the world and wants to force Shi Xiangyun to stay. I'm afraid she will be in trouble after she returns.

Thinking of this, Jia Huan said, "Second Brother Bao, since someone has been sent to pick up Sister Yun, it must be something urgent. Let Sister Yun go back first. It won't be too late to send someone to pick her up next time!"

Jia Baoyu was originally unhappy about Jia Huan's closeness to Sister Lin. Hearing this, he felt as if his tail had been stepped on. He said coldly, "What does my sister Liuyun have to do with you? Why do you have to say so much?"

Damn, this guy, Big Face Bao, is really crazy!
Fortunately, Jia Huan's ability to cultivate his qi was not comparable to Jia Baoyu's, and in his eyes, the fifteen or sixteen-year-old Big-Faced Bao was still an immature boy who had not yet awakened. So he calmly picked up the tea and took a sip.

Shi Xiangyun was always outspoken, with the spirit of a knight-errant, and she supported the right side instead of her relatives. Seeing Jia Baoyu scolding Jia Huan, the latter did not take it seriously at all, showing his good self-restraint. She said, "Second Brother Ai, this is where you are wrong. Huan'er's words did not offend you. Why are you taking it out on him?"

Jia Baoyu's face flushed red, and he brushed his sleeves and said, "Sister Yun, which side do you stand on? Since we were young, we have played together, studied together, and our relationship is closer than anyone else's. Now that you see that Huan Lao San has passed the imperial examination, you have begun to distance yourself from me, right? Well, I didn't expect you to be so snobbish. Go away, I won't keep you, so that your kindness will not be rewarded."

Shi Xiangyun burst into tears immediately and threw herself into Lin Daiyu's arms, crying, "Listen, Sister Lin, I just said something fair, but Second Brother said a lot of hurtful things. How am I being snobbish? It was obviously he who was wrong first."

When Jia Baoyu saw Shi Xiangyun crying, he immediately regretted it, but he couldn't bring himself to apologize. Seeing Jia Huan sitting there as if nothing had happened, he immediately became furious and pointed at Jia Huan and said, "Huan Lao San, it's all your fault. Are you satisfied now?"

Jia Huan's face darkened, and he cursed inwardly, "Fuck you, do you really think that I, Third Master Huan, have no temper?"

However, before Jia Huan could say anything, Lin Daiyu was already unhappy. She frowned and said, "Master Bao is very generous, but please don't show it here. Let's go home. My place is too small to accommodate a big Buddha like you."

These words were very serious. Jia Baoyu felt like he had been hit on the head. His face turned red and white. How could he have the nerve to stay any longer? He could only walk out of Xiaoxiang Pavilion dejectedly.

(End of this chapter)