Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

Chapter 16 Women’s Destiny
  Aunt Xue led Baochai back to Lixiangyuan, dismissed the servants, took Xue Baochai's hand and sat on the kang, saying: "My son, if you open your mouth to defend Brother Cong today, our family will not be in good shape." Live here. Do you understand?"

Baochai whispered: "I don't understand what mom said. I just saw that Brother Cong was bullied too hard, so..."

"I know Brother Cong is wronged, but he doesn't do our business. It's the old lady's family business to talk about breaking the sky. It's not convenient for outsiders like us to comment. Besides, you look at Brother Cong, does he look like an angry little wife? He It's good if he doesn't bully others, but it's someone else's turn to bully him?" Aunt Xue said with a smile.

Baochai also smiled and said: "What mom said is that Brother Cong is always unexpected. It's normal for Baoyu to be jealous of such a good poem when he comes to him at random. The most rare thing is that he is calm and calm in the face of danger. To be honest, who would dare to believe that it was not enlightened by Duke Xianrong?"

Aunt Xue looked at Baochai's expression carefully and said with suspicion: "My son, you have fallen in love with Brother Cong, right?"

"Mom, what are you talking about?" Baochai's face turned red and she hurriedly turned around, unable to hide her shy look.

Aunt Xue sighed, hugged Baochai in her arms, stroked her temples, and said: "Mom came here as a girl, how can I not understand my daughter's feelings? Tonight, I see something wrong in your eyes. To be fair, Nowadays, Brother Cong is good at everything, Baoyu is beyond his reach, and it is human nature for you to like him in your heart. But there is one bad thing about him, do you know?"

Baochai looked sad and nodded.

"Yes, he comes from a bad background, and look at the way the eldest man looks today, he really wants to do something cruel. He has hated the old lady, madam, and the eldest man, and he is a bastard with nothing. What do you think he will do in the future? So? I think it will be difficult. In a few years, it will be nothing more than finding a small yard on the back porch to kill time. If you follow him, your family will be destitute and you will have no food or clothing. What will you do in the future? And you also know what your brother is. Good stuff, what will our Xue family do when the time comes?" Aunt Xue said earnestly.

There were tears in Baochai's eyes, and her expression became even darker. She bit her red lips tightly to avoid crying, feeling heartbroken. But there is no way, she knows that this is the fate of all women, she is powerless and unable to change it.

Aunt Xue sighed again: "My sweetheart, I know I have wronged you, but Mom is also doing it for your own good. I have discussed it with your aunt and let out the news of a good match. Although Baoyu is a bit childish, but his family background Okay, the old lady is very fond of her. I heard that older girls are gradually getting favored in the palace. Besides, he has known how to love girls since he was a child. He has a good appearance, and he has not played with cocks, dogs, or spending time outside. Liu's fault makes him a good match, and it will be good for you and the Xue family."

Baochai sat up and said softly: "Mom has her own ideas, so the child must obey her orders. But, Brother Cong..." As he said this, he finally couldn't help but shed tears, as if a knife had been inserted in his heart, and he wanted to forcefully Cutting off the bud of love, it hurts to the bone.

"Good boy, if you feel sorry for yourself and still miss Brother Cong, you can just secretly give him some money in the future, and you can repay this fate, okay?"

Baochai sighed quietly and closed her eyes without saying a word.
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  Jia Cong returned to the courtyard and saw Qingwen sewing at the table by the light. He smiled slightly. Although Qingwen was illiterate, her skills in female red were outstanding and top-notch. In the original work, Yong Qingwen's illness is one of her most beautiful scenes.

Seeing Jia Cong come in, Qingwen quickly put down her work and got up to pour him tea.

"Qingwen, please don't do it at night, and don't do it during the day. You may hurt your eyes."

Qingwen smiled and said: "Third Master is joking again, what are we girls doing if we don't become nünwen? There are so many people doing nvwen, and no one has hurt their eyes."

Jia Cong smiled and said: "Do whatever you like. If you have nothing to do, you can go to the girls to play naughty. I am not Baoyu. I have to wear a bellyband, carry a purse, and use a fan cover. Who can you use it for? If you are such a beautiful girl, If my eyes are injured and become cross-eyed, I feel very distressed."

Qingwen blushed and spat: "I know how to tease people."

"What I said is true..." Jia Cong said hurriedly.

"Master doesn't let me do it at night. If I don't do it, what's the point?" Qingwen said softly.

"That's right. Well, but I do want to ask you to make me something now."

"What?" Qingwen asked hurriedly.

Jia Cong thought for a while, drew a sketch on the paper, and explained: "This is a sandbag vest. This is a sandbag to tie the hands and feet. It doesn't need to be beautiful or luxurious, as long as it is strong and durable."

Qingwen was clever and could understand it at a glance, and said, "I'll do it tomorrow."

Jia Cong nodded: "If you're not in a hurry, just make it in a few days. I'll use it for practice."

There was nothing to say all night. The next morning, Jia Cong practiced morning exercises as usual. After breakfast, he was just about to go out when he saw Feng'er, the eldest girl next to Sister Feng, coming over. "Master Cong, the yard has been tidied up for you, and all the girls, wives, mothers-in-law and other servants have been prepared. When do you want to go over and have a look? If there is anything you don't like, we will change it immediately." Feng'er I don't know if it was because of Ping'er's instructions, but he was quite polite.

Jia Cong thought for a moment and said, "Don't worry about it. I'm still worried about Sister-in-law Feng's work? Just send someone to move my things here today." He then told Qingwen, "I'll go out for a while." , just watch them move."

Qingwen nodded: "Don't worry, I will take care of it."

Jia Cong walked out of the second door casually, called the boy Wangcai, mounted his horse and went to Datong Bank to exchange 200 taels of silver, and then went to Ji'antang. Fearing that the merchant would cheat him, Jia Cong personally watched the clerk prepare the medicine according to the prescription, then ground the medicine into powder and made it into longan-sized balls.

"Master Cong, your two doses of medicine are ready." The shopkeeper personally handed a pack of pills to Jia Cong and said with a smile: "Master Cong is too careful. Our store has been open in Shenjing for nearly a hundred years. In terms of reputation, you are well-known and have a good reputation. Besides, you are a nobleman of the Rong family. Even if I have ten heads, I would not dare to swindle your money."

Jia Cong took it with a smile, "It's a joke, this is what I want to eat, be careful. After all, our money is not easy to come by." This pack of Guiyuanhu Qianwan is very valuable, and will be known to future generations. Since tiger bones, tiger tendons, tiger marrow, bear bile, etc. cannot be found, they can only be replaced with beef bones and tendons, which naturally greatly reduces the effectiveness.

"Please leave without sending me away."

Jia Cong waved his hand, mounted his horse and returned home. Seeing that the move was finished, he hurriedly followed the girl out, turned left and right, and found his own small yard in a remote corner of the east courtyard behind Sister Feng's yard.

The yard is not big, with seven or eight rooms. It seems that there is poor lighting and no one has lived in it for a long time. There is a musty smell in the yard. There are moss everywhere on the stone steps. Two or three little girls and a few mothers-in-law and daughter-in-law are busy here and there. Placement. Seeing Jia Cong come back, everyone greeted him one after another.

Qingwen was a little unhappy, so she came over and whispered: "Sir, Grandma Lian Er is too bullying. She arranged a house like this for you. Fortunately, she is still your sister-in-law. What kind of behavior can you make people feel disgusting? Bah! "

Jia Cong patted her shoulder and said with a smile: "Sister Feng, that's all I can do. Sooner or later, I will take you to live in a big house and a good house! When the time comes, I will arrange for you to have ten girls at your disposal, and you will no longer suffer from such idleness."

"I'm joking again, why do I need so many girls?" Qingwen said with a smile. She has a hot temper, and her anger comes and goes quickly.

"Of course it's because you became an aunt."

"Bah, I'm so shameless, who wants to be...that?" Qingwen spat, her almond-shaped eyes and cheeks were shy and angry, and she was so delicate and beautiful.

Jia Cong laughed and pulled her into the house.

"Master, what are you doing? Be more respectful in broad daylight." Qingwen hurriedly broke away from his hand.

Jia Cong asked curiously: "Why do you always think about weird things at such a young age? I am a serious person, please don't lead me astray."

Qingwen didn't know she was being teased by him, so she spat, turned away and sulked.

"Here, here are 160 taels of silver. Hide it for me so no one can see it. If Brother Huan comes to see me, give him 2 taels of silver." Jia Cong stopped teasing her and took it from his back. The next small package was handed to Qingwen.

"So much money? Where did it come from?" Qingwen was surprised and hurriedly took it to take a look.

"Of course I won it by writing poetry. Don't you know that I am a good poet?"

Qingwen saw his strange expression and knew that he was causing trouble again, so she rolled her eyes at him, ignored him, and went to collect it, feeling quite sweet in her heart. It seems that although Mr. Cong is a talkative person and has no integrity, he still trusts me.

Could it be that he really wants me to be his... aunt? Otherwise, why would you give me so much money? Thinking of this, Qingwen's hands trembled slightly and she almost dropped the money on the ground. She didn't know whether she was happy or worried.

(End of this chapter)