Red Mansion Huacai

Chapter 375 Embroidered Spring Bag

Jia Huan and Xing Dequan went to the outer city to look for the third sister, and they found that the third sister You was still living in the old house of the You family. However, after leaving the capital for two years, the old house was inevitably a little dilapidated. In addition, when they returned to the capital, the old lady You fell ill and passed away, so the house had not been repaired.

Third Sister You was used to fine clothes, fine food, luxurious cars and a mansion, so how could she be willing to be confined to a run-down two-story house? Since she had plenty of money, she rented a small three-story house nearby and hired two maids and two old women to serve her.

Jia Huan and Xing Dequan followed the map and came up empty-handed on the first day. After a few days, they got accurate information and came to the door.

Chia Huan, on Aunt Zhao's orders, only wanted to know Third Sister You's residence, and refused to knock on the door. But Xing Dequan was a fool and bold, so he went to knock on the door, and after a while the door opened, revealing half of the face of a little maid.

"Who are you looking for?"

Xing Dequan urged, "Can Third Sister live here?"

The little maid asked, "Who are you?"

Xing Dequan smiled innocently and said, "Just mention that it's the silly uncle who's here, and the third sister will definitely know."

The maidservant agreed hesitantly. Looking at Xing Dequan's clothes and conversation, he really didn't look like a considerate person. So for the sake of caution, she closed the door and went in to reply to Sister You Sanjie's letter.

Third Sister You was sipping tea inside at the moment. She frowned slightly when she heard what was said, then smiled and said, "Sure enough, she followed me here because of the smell." She disliked Xing Dequan very much and wanted to use him, so she ordered the maid to bring him inside.

After a while, Xing Dequan entered the room and saw that everything was neat and tidy. There was a zither on the table by the window and famous paintings on the wall. Xing Dequan couldn't tell the authenticity, but he felt that everything in the room was elegant.

Third Sister You glanced at him and invited him to sit down. Then she asked, "Why did Uncle Xing come to see me?"

Xing Dequan said casually, "Huan Ge'er wanted to look for my third sister. He searched for several days before he found the place. I don't know why, but he refused to come in and just said he had to go back to report."

Third Sister You frowned when she heard this, and thought to herself. Apart from taking care of Old Lady You's funeral, she had not been idle during the rest of the time. She spent money to bribe the maids and servants of the Jia family, and had a rough idea of ​​what happened to Second Sister that day.

I also know that Feng Jieer has always been at odds with Lady Wang and Aunt Zhao, and Aunt Zhao hates Baoyu and Lady Wang very much, and there is also Lady Xing fanning the flames. The reason why there has been no trouble at this moment is all because of the stability of the sea, Lady Jia, who is still there.

Third Sister You was certain that once Grandmother Jia passed away, the Jia family would fall apart. How could she sit back and watch the Rong Mansion fall apart when it came to revenge? How could she resolve the hatred in her heart if she didn't set the house on fire herself?

Although Aunt Zhao has a lot of ideas, she is a fool. Why would she send her son to look for me? I'm afraid she is trying to form alliances!

After careful consideration, Third Sister You felt that Xing Dequan was of great use, so she entertained him warmly. Not only did she serve him the best melon-slicing tea, she also invited him to have lunch.

Xing Dequan was so fascinated by You Sanjie that he couldn't help himself. During the dinner, he boasted that if You Sanjie asked him for something one day, Xing Dequan would do it even if it cost him his life.

Third Sister You stood up and poured wine for him, saying with a smile, "Really? It's hard for you to think so... But I'm in mourning now, and I swore a solemn oath before that I would not marry unless I killed my enemy with my own hands."

Xing Dequan hurriedly asked You Sanjie who she had a grudge against, but You Sanjie's eyes turned red and tears fell, but she said nothing.

Seeing that he couldn't get any answers, Xing Dequan wasn't the type who could comfort others, so he drank one cup after another in a hurry, and soon he was drunk.

From then on, Xing Dequan would go to You Sanjie's place whenever he had time, either to drink tea or have a meal. Xing Dequan was very happy, thinking that he and You Sanjie would be together sooner or later.

In the blink of an eye, it's May.

Although Li Weijian didn't want to make too much of a fuss when he took in a concubine, he still decorated the house with lanterns and decorations, no less than when he took in Fu Qiufang. Daiyu and the others sympathized with Xing Xiuyan's character, so they secretly sent someone to send the dowry over early.

Li Weijian had been sending out invitations these days, and his good friend Yan Fengzhen got one. But Yan Fengzhen was not very tight-lipped, and his old mentor Yan Xiyao found out about it. When Li Weijian went to visit, he was scolded by his mentor.

Li Weijian smiled and passed it over, and no matter how Yan Xiyao scolded him, he just ignored it. Everyone knows that young people should abstain from sex, but when they are old and no longer have the ability, they have to abstain even if they don't want to.

After living his life again, Li Weijian was clear-minded and only thought, "When flowers are ready to be picked, pick them immediately, don't wait until there are no flowers left to pluck."

But this day, when they came out of the government office, because the heat was rising, Li Weijian was too impatient to ride in a car, so he simply walked and led his guards to stroll home.

Seeing that the loess road ahead had been compacted and then craftsmen were piecing together cement bricks one by one, Li Weijian felt a great sense of accomplishment.

Today, Li Weijian has no shortage of power and beauty, but the only thing that makes him greedy is the sense of achievement of changing the world. Seeing that the streets of the capital have taken on some of the appearance of a small county town in later generations, Li Weijian secretly hopes that he will be able to live upstairs and downstairs, with electricity and telephones when he is old.

While I was thinking, I suddenly saw a group of people coming down from the restaurant. The leader walked with the gait of a dragon and a tiger, and the people who followed behind him were full of flattery.

Li Weijian looked carefully and saw that it was Xue Pan.

He saw Xue Pan, and Xue Pan also saw him. Xue Pan was originally dissatisfied and indignant, but he was stunned when he saw Li Weijian. Xue Pan shrank back, and it was even more difficult to pretend not to see him. He gritted his teeth and limped forward, bowed and said, "It's Master Li. It's been a long time since I last saw you. I greet Master Li."

Li Weijian smiled slightly: "Brother Wenlong, how are you?"

Xue Pan smiled and said, "What else can I do? It just so happens that I just got a chance and was going to the south to buy some goods to sell."

Li Weijian said casually: "Brother Wenlong comes from a family of scholars, and he is self-taught in the field of farming."

Xue Pan was afraid that he would make more mistakes if he said too much, so he said immediately: "This... Today is really not a good time, there is something important at home. Let's do it another day. I will treat Master Li to a drink another day."

Li Weijian agreed with a smile and said, "Okay, then I'll wait for Wenlong's dinner."

Xue Pan led his men and left quickly. Li Weijian watched for a long time before looking away. Ding Rusong, who was accompanying them, asked, "Master, do you want me to go and find out?"

Li Weijian shook his head and said, "Let him be."

However, Xue Pan led his men quickly into the alley. When he turned around, he saw that Li Weijian had disappeared early in the morning, and he immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

The companion beside him was a scheming person, and he immediately said, "Brother Wenlong, that person just now... is Li Caishen?"

Xue Pan curled his lips and said, "Brother Leng, don't you know him?"

The person who asked the question was Leng Zixing, Zhou Rui's son-in-law. He had been doing some small business outside, but he could barely make a living. After hearing that Zhou Rui and his wife were suddenly sent to the farm, Leng Zixing took his wife and son back to the capital to find out the reason.

Unexpectedly, he heard that Lady Wang was imprisoned and that Sister Feng was now in charge. So no matter how his wife made a fuss, Leng Zixing just said, "A new emperor appoints new ministers. It is a blessing that my parents-in-law have never taken the job of managing the household."

This happened two years ago. It was not easy to live in the capital. Leng Zixing was very good at speaking. By chance, he got to know Xue Pan through the children of the Jia family. Although the Xue family is not as powerful as before, a single hair on their legs is thicker than Leng Zixing. Leng Zixing immediately flattered Xue Pan and fawned on him.

Last year, he encouraged Xue Pan to go south to purchase goods. This time, he did not lose money but made a small profit. As a result, Xue Pan became more and more dependent on Leng Zixing.

Leng Zixing heard this and said, "I have always been in the south before Master Li became successful. Now that I am back, how can Master Li be seen by just anyone?"

Xue Pan snorted and did not agree.

Leng Zixing came over and whispered, "Why doesn't Wenlong interact more with Uncle Li? Uncle Li might leak some information, which would be enough for Wenlong to make a fortune."

"You think I don't want to?" Xue Pan curled his lips and said, "I offended that Li when he first arrived. He was very resourceful when he was still a sour scholar. I don't know how he did it, but my family's royal merchant foundation was gone in a short time."

Leng Zixing said, "As the saying goes, it is better to resolve a feud than to create one. I don't think that Li Caishen is that jealous of Brother Wenlong. Why don't you take advantage of the situation and get close to him?"

Xue Pan said with a bitter face: "Don't say anything, I get a headache when I see people with the surname Li...Besides, even if I want to curry favor with them, I have no way to do so."

Leng Zixing smiled and said, "Isn't there an opportunity right now?"

"How to say?"

"I heard that Mr. Li will take a concubine in a few days, and the concubine will be Mrs. Xing's niece."

Xue Pan agreed hesitantly, not wanting to go. As he was in a bad mood, Xue Pan lost interest in hanging out, and went home with Leng Zixing and others. As soon as Xue Pan entered the house, he quarreled with Xia Jingui, then left in anger and went to the backyard.

At this time, Baochai finally couldn't bear Aunt Xue's entreaties, so she moved back a few days ago. It happened that Baochai had just returned from the factory outside the city that day, and was fiddling with the abacus to compare the accounts.

Xue Pan went inside and chatted with Aunt Xue for a while, then suddenly said to Baochai, "Sister, do you know that Li Weijian is going to take another concubine? Hey, I think this Li guy is also a womanizer. It hasn't been long, but he already has more than ten beautiful girls around him."

Aunt Xue said, "It's up to Jian'er to marry as many women as he wants." After a pause, she continued, "Jian'er is the only one in his branch, so shouldn't he marry a few more to expand his family?"

Baochai paused while fiddling with the abacus, raised her head and looked at Xue Pan calmly, frowned and asked, "Brother Jian wants to take a concubine? Maybe I should send him a gift to congratulate him."

Xue Pan said ostentatiously, "Sister, do you know who we are going to marry this time?"

Baochai said nothing, so Xue Pan could not help but say, "I heard that she is the niece of the first wife, Xing Xiuyan." Baochai and Aunt Xue were very surprised. Aunt Xue wanted to ease the relationship with the second wife that day, and she also wanted to match Xue Ke and Xing Xiuyan, but she didn't expect that Xue Ke would become Li Weijian's disciple and rise to prominence. It is said that he is now a seventh-rank official.

Unexpectedly, after many twists and turns, even Xing Xiuyan entered the Jingling Earl's Mansion.

After Xue Pan had shown off, he suddenly heard Xia Jingui and Baochan quarreling in the front yard again. Dai Bawang became really impatient and found an excuse to hide away.

After a while, Baochan came to cry, and Aunt Xue took her hand and comforted her. Baochai was in a daze at this moment.

In the past two years, Aunt Xue has been running around to find a match for her. Even in February this year, Baochai couldn't resist Aunt Xue's request to go to the garden and poetry party. But there were pearls and jades in front of her. When she looked at those talented people who showed off their literary talent and compared them with Li Weijian, the difference was obvious.

Not to mention Baochai, even Aunt Xue didn't look down on those so-called talented people just because of their family background.

Because Baochai's marriage has been delayed until now and has never been settled. In addition, she had received a letter from Jia Zheng and went to the residence of Jia Hua, the Grand Marshal of the Ministry of War. Baochai actually had close contact with Jiao Xing.

Although the orders from the Ministry of War have stopped, Baochai and Jiaoxing have not stopped communicating. The day before yesterday, Baochai went to visit Jiaoxing again, and unexpectedly ran into Jia Yucun who was returning home. When Jia Yucun saw Baochai, he immediately narrowed his eyes and looked at her.

Today, Jiaoxing was so upset when she saw Baochai. Baochai was very smart, so she knew that Jia Yucun had other thoughts. So she made an agreement with Jiaoxing that she would only come to Xue's house to play in the future. Only then did Jiaoxing calm down.

Thinking about her own bumpy marriage, she recalled the time when she and Li Weijian were happy with each other. They were just a thin layer of window paper away from making it clear, but unfortunately they missed each other.

She did want to go to the Bo's Mansion to see how Li Weijian accepted Xing Xiuyan, but she knew that she would only be sad if she went. She couldn't bear the throbbing in her heart, so she thought that she had some friendship with Xing Xiuyan after all, so why not take the opportunity to add some makeup and go and take a look?
Having made up her mind, Baochai returned to her room and sent her maid Ying'er to rummage through the boxes and cabinets to pick up a set of headgear. The next day, she went to the Xing family's door.

It is said that this day was already the eleventh day of May, and the Wang family had already sent the bride to marry yesterday.

Xing Xiuyan spent the rest of her time in her boudoir. Apart from taking a short walk at home every day, she spent the rest of her time embroidering that pink wedding dress.

Suddenly someone knocked at the door. Zhuan Er went to open it and turned around to say happily, "Sister, Miss Bao is here to see you."

Xing Xiuyun had received the kindness of Baochai and Tanchun in the Grand View Garden, and she was a grateful person, so she hurried out to greet them upon hearing the news.

Xing Xiuyan and Baochai met at the second gate. Baochai smiled and held Xing Xiuyan's hand, saying, "I didn't expect that a few days would be a good day for Sister Xing. I knew it too late. I just got the news yesterday and rushed to your house today. Sister, how could you not tell me about this?"

Xing Xiuyan said shyly, "Sister Bao has misunderstood me. I went to the outer city to look for her a few days ago, and Zhuan'er told me that there was only an old servant looking after the mansion. When I asked about Sister Bao's whereabouts, she didn't know anything."

He then invited Baochai in, and Baochai said, "This is all my fault. I went to the outer city to look after the factory, and then I couldn't bear my mother's request and moved back to my brother and his wife's place. You got nothing."

Xing Xiuyan smiled and shook her head, and the two of them immediately went into the main room. Xing Zhong was not at home at this moment, and Xing Zhong's wife knew that Baochai was a girl from a wealthy family, so she smiled and did not dare to neglect her. She quickly sent the maid to serve tea and snacks, and then she retreated to the side room.

There were only two people left inside. After gossiping for a while, Baochai couldn't help saying, "It's a pity that my sister has such a character. If her family background was a little better, I'm afraid she could have been the wife of a noble family."

Xing Xiuyan smiled and shook her head, saying, "I don't expect such a thing... and I'm afraid I can't do well as the wife of a wealthy family." After a pause, she thought of Li Weijian and blushed as she said, "But Fourth Brother Jian has known me for a long time and knows me well. I won't be bullied after I marry him."

Baochai smiled and said, "Not necessarily. Sister Lin is a petty person."

Xing Xiuyan had lived in the Grand View Garden for quite some time, so how could she not know the quarrels between Baochai and Daiyu? Upon hearing this, she just smiled and said nothing, avoiding the topic and talking about something else.

Baochai couldn't help but listen to why Xing Xiuyan wanted to be Li Weijian's concubine. The past involved her parents, so Xing Xiuyan couldn't bring it up, so she thought, "It's like the saying goes, love comes from nowhere, but it's deep and lasting."

Seeing Xing Xiuyan acting like a child, Sister Bao suddenly felt jealous, and then she felt a little confused - she was just being someone's concubine, why should she feel jealous?

It was not until she left the Xing family that Baochai came to some realization: She felt sour because she wished she could stay with her lover, give up everything, not care about status or family property, and just stay by his side.

But Sister Bao is responsible for the prosperity of the Xue family and has her own ambitions to rise to the top. How can she be willing to give herself to someone else without any status or position?
In the carriage, seeing her daughter's expression change, Ying'er asked, "Why is the daughter in such a daze?"

Sister Bao came back to her senses and suddenly said something inexplicably: "Sometimes when I think about it, I envy Baoqin and Sister Xing a little."

Ying'er was confused at first, and then she grouped Baoqin and Xing Xiuyun together, as if the only thing in common between the two was that they were Li Weijian's concubines?
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After a few days, seeing that good days were approaching, everyone in Jinglingbo's mansion was filled with joy.

Master Li Weijian was delighted and rewarded each of the servants with a silver dollar. As a result, the servants worked even harder, fearing that something might go wrong and bring bad luck.

Wang Xifeng had been working on Wang Yunping's marriage for days, and now that the marriage had been settled, she came to the mansion that day to talk to Daiyu.

Together with Baoqin, Fu Qiufang and other girls, the group chatted and laughed, and Wang Xifeng talked about the Wang family's wedding.

He said, "The Baoning Marquis's Mansion is respectable. Although it is not as good as the Rong Mansion or the Wang Family, the family has been rich and powerful for generations, so Yunping will not suffer any loss if she goes there. But the second young master seems to be very shy. When he saw someone, he blushed before he could even call out his name."

Baoqin smiled and said, "I heard from my fourth brother that people like him are introverted and have a nickname: otaku."

Wang Xifeng savored it, clapped her thigh and laughed, "A man who stays at home is a stay-at-home, isn't he? My cousin's husband is indeed a stay-at-home. I heard that except for going to school every day, he stays at home the rest of the time. Tsk tsk, things are changing so fast outside, even the little train has been built. I really don't know what's the point of staying at home."

Wang Xifeng has tasted the sweetness of the sweetness, and because she has been completely separated from Jia Lian in recent days, she can't help but miss the wild bull. I came here today so that I can see him before the court is over, and then we can exchange glances, and maybe we can have good luck in the next few days.

Unfortunately, it was not a coincidence that Li Weijian was held up by some chores today, and he did not return until the end of the afternoon. Wang Xifeng sat with Ping'er for more than half an hour, and seeing that it was almost evening and it was not a good idea to stay any longer, she stood up and said goodbye to Daiyu.

Daiyu sent Hongyu away, and when Fengjie and Ping'er entered the Grand View Garden from the east corner gate, they saw a maid walking towards them in a hurry from a distance.

When the maid saw Wang Xifeng, she was startled and then turned around and ran away.

Wang Xifeng was quick-witted and immediately shouted, "Stop!"

The little maid's shoulders slumped, and she had to stand still. She turned around with an awkward look on her face. Wang Xifeng led the maids and the old woman forward, looked her up and down, and asked, "You look unfamiliar. Which courtyard are you from?"

The little maid hurriedly said, "To answer the Second Madam, I am Jinyun who is by Huan'er's side." After a pause, she had already made up a lie and said, "Today, the aunt heard that Huan'er had not gone to school again. She was afraid that he would come to the garden to play again, so she sent me to look for him."

Wang Xifeng thought about it and said, "No, why did you run away when you saw me just now?"

Jinyun said with a sad face: "It's not a respectable matter. If I let it slip, I will definitely be blamed by my aunt later."

Wang Xifeng thought about it and couldn't think of any tricks that the maid could have, so she waved her hand and sent her away. After the little maid ran away, Wang Xifeng said to Ping'er, "Tell someone to keep an eye on Jinyun and see what she is up to."

Ping'er responded.

But Jinyun heaved a sigh of relief when she left the Grand View Garden. Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest when she ran into Wang Xifeng just now.

He returned all the way to the East Courtyard, but just as he passed the hall, he was pulled aside by Xing Dequan who was hiding there.

Jinyun screamed, and when she saw that it was Xing Dequan, she raised her fist and hit him: "It's all your fault. I just ran into the Second Mistress. If I were caught by the Second Mistress, I'm afraid I would be dead!"

Xing Dequan was anxious and asked, "Did you throw the object in?"

Jinyun nodded repeatedly and said, "I just threw it into the bushes. I don't know who can pick it up."

Xing Dequan was extremely dissatisfied and said, "Who will see it if it is thrown into the bushes? It is better to throw it on the road."

Seeing Jinyun looking at him pitifully, Xing Dequan relaxed and said, "Don't worry, I will definitely prepare the money for your brother's medicine."

Jinyun was about to speak when she suddenly saw Madam Xing leading people over, so she quickly pulled Xing Dequan aside.

It is said that one day, Mrs. Xing went to the garden to relax. When she reached the gate, she saw a little maid named Silly Sister from Jia Mu's room, walking towards her with a smile. She was holding something colorful and she was looking at it while walking. Unexpectedly, she bumped into Mrs. Xing. She looked up and stopped. Mrs. Xing said, "What kind of thing did this silly girl get that made her so happy? Bring it to me for a look."

The silly girl laughed and said, "Madam, you are so right. It's really like a dog doesn't know it! Please take a look, madam." After saying that, she handed it over.

Mrs. Xing took a look at it and was so frightened that she quickly grabbed it tightly and asked, "Where did you get it?"

The silly girl said, "I picked it up from the rocks while looking for crickets."

Madam Xing said, "Don't tell anyone about this. I'll beat you to death too. It's because you're a fool. Don't mention it again."

The silly girl was so frightened that her face turned pale when she heard this. She said, "I won't dare to do it again." She kowtowed and left blankly. When Mrs. Xing looked back, she saw that they were all girls and it was inconvenient to hand them over. She stuffed it into her sleeve, feeling very strange. She wondered where this thing came from, but she didn't show it and went to Yingchun's room.

He changed his mind and suddenly a plan came to his mind.

(End of this chapter)