Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

Chapter 2 Rongqing Hall
  Jia Cong walked along the corridor and exited the third floor of the ritual gate. It was already late at night and he didn't see a single servant. After passing Jia Shewai's study and exiting Yimen, I met two boys guarding the door.

"Hey, Mr. Cong, how are you? Where are you going?" When the boy saw Jia Cong coming out, he said hello with a playful smile, without any sign of respect on his face.

Jia Cong recognized these two people as the young men Dai'er and An'er who were responsible for his execution a few days ago. He didn't bother to pay attention to them. He just said lightly: "Get the car ready and go to pay your respects to the old lady."

Dai'er and An'er looked at Jia Cong's messy outfit, looked at each other, and said, "Sir, how about we change clothes first and then go?"

"How about you guys become the masters and I'll prepare the car?" Jia Cong said coldly. People who practice martial arts have confidence in what they say.

"My father said this at the expense of my own life. Please wait a moment. I will prepare the car right now."

The two young men hurriedly agreed and ran to prepare the car, but they were wondering why Mr. Cong seemed to be a different person, and his tone of voice and expression were so different from before.

Jia Cong sneered in his heart, changing his clothes, what the heck, I just want to create an image of someone who can't wait to report strange things. If he is dressed neatly, it will inevitably make people think that it is a carefully made up story. The ancients would greet each other with their shoes turned upside down, so I would make trouble by dressing up randomly.

After a while, the carriage and horses were harnessed. Jia Cong got on the carriage, exited the black oil gate, turned right, walked less than a stone's throw away, and entered the west corner gate of Rongguo Mansion.

After getting off the car outside Yimen, Jia Cong walked to Jia Mu's upper room along the route in his memory. He passed by a side road outside Jia Baoyu's outer study room and Qixiezhai, and turned left to the Chuihua Gate outside Jia Mu's courtyard. Entering the Chuihua Gate, he passed by There are three small halls in the hallway. Girls are coming and going in a hurry along the way. There are red lanterns and colorful lights hanging everywhere, making it very festive.

Jia Cong looked around and saw the carved beams and painted buildings, cornices and brackets, majestic and majestic. It seemed that the family was at its peak, and everyone was immersed in the eternal dream of a wealthy family.

Shaking his head, he ignored the strange looks from the girls, wives and mothers-in-law around him and walked inside.

Facing the front is Jia Mu's five-room upper room, which is also her daily living place. However, at this time, the people in the house should not be here, but in the newly built large flower hall at the back, which is spacious and luxurious and more suitable for banquets and gatherings.

As expected, Jia Cong walked around the upper room and heard bursts of chatter and laughter coming from the flower hall. I saw the window panes and doors of the flower hall were all taken off, and all kinds of palace lanterns were hung with colorful spikes. The interior and exterior of the eaves and the verandah canopies on both sides are hung with lanterns of various colors including horns, glass, yarn, silk, embroidery, paintings, piles, cut outs, silk, or paper, creating a scene of prosperity.

Before they reached the door, a young girl wearing a pink silk jacket and a blue satin jacket stopped her. It was Hu Hui who was beside Jia Mu.

"Master Cong, why are you here? I heard that you are sick. Why don't you get some rest? Be careful of the cold night and heavy dew." Hu Hue looked him up and down and said with a smile.

Jia Cong cupped his hands and said, "Come and say hello to the old lady. Please ask Sister Hubo to pass the news on your behalf."

Amber covered her mouth and smiled and said: "The old lady is in high spirits today. According to me, it's better not to go in and cause trouble. It's better to go back and rest early. I'll come back tomorrow. Old lady, you are here tonight." After that, it’s also a sign of filial piety.”

Jia Cong sighed in his heart, this is the bullshit family tradition of a wealthy family. A favored girl is much more decent than a disgraced concubine. Although she is the master, she is not allowed to enter the house even if she is disheveled.

"If sister doesn't want to report, then I will go in by myself."

"Hey," Hu Bo hurriedly pulled him and said, "My Lord, just do your best. Take pity on us as servants. When you come in, not only will the old lady be disappointed, you will suffer, and we will also suffer. Come on. You'd better go back." After saying this, his voice turned cold and sounded businesslike.

Jia Cong was blocked after repeatedly turning over, and the fire was already rising. He threw her away with his hands and shouted coldly: "Who are you? If you dare to block my way, get out of here!"

Hu Bo ate and drank from him, and was stunned for a moment, feeling inexplicably aggrieved. As the eldest girl next to the old lady, she was second only to Yuanyang. On weekdays, neither the Second Master Lian nor the Second Master Bao would be polite to him, opening his mouth or shutting up his sister. , Unexpectedly, today I was scolded mercilessly by the bastard who was usually hated by people.

Then he gave Jia Cong a cold look and moved out of the way, "How dare you block Master Cong's way? Since I want to go in, please let me go." Jia Cong didn't even look at her, just opened the curtain and walked away. Go in. I felt that the room was as warm as spring, and the aroma of wine, vegetables and women's powder blended together. I suddenly felt hungry and couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva.

With a glance, a small stage was set up in the room, and a small group of opera troupes were performing hard. All the sons, nephews, grandsons, grandsons, and wives of Ning Rong's second house were there, and bursts of cheers and applause broke out from time to time.

Everyone in the room was stunned when they saw Jia Cong walking in. Some had mocking eyes, some shook their heads and smiled bitterly, some had angry expressions on their faces, some couldn't help laughing, or some looked on with cold eyes. They all looked at Jia She and Mrs. Xing intentionally or unintentionally.

Only Jia Huan, who looked like a little frozen cat in the corner, clenched his fists with worry on his face. Brother Cong was knocked unconscious. Why did he look like this? Wasn't he hitting the knife edge with force? Well, if you lose such an adult this time, I'm afraid I won't be able to escape a severe beating, alas.

Jia Cong ignored everyone's gaze, walked to the venue, kowtowed respectfully to the old lady with silver hair, rich figure and kind face who was leaning on the Arhat's bed, and said: "Greetings to the old lady."

Two children, a boy and a girl, stood up on either side of the old lady and stepped aside.

Mother Jia looked at the disheveled and disheveled Jia Cong in front of her. She felt very unhappy and said calmly: "Get up. I heard that you are sick. It's better to go back to rest. What are you doing here?"

Jia Cong stood up, but before he could speak, a middle-aged woman next to him couldn't help but angrily shouted: "Where are you looking for live monkeys! That nanny of yours is dead, and she doesn't take care of you. She has black eyebrows and a black mouth." Yes, it looks like everyone is studying there!"

Jia Cong turned around and saw that it was his stepmother, Mrs. Xing. How could she spoil her? He cupped his hands and said, "My wife is saying that Cong also doesn't know where all my wet nurses and girls have died."

As soon as these words came out, the whole room fell silent, tough! Did Jia Cong take the courage of a bear’s heart and a leopard’s courage? Jia Zhen, Jia Rong and other members of the Ning Guo family stopped their cups and chopsticks one after another and looked at Jia Cong as if they were watching a good show. Jia Zhen was still experienced and knew that family scandals should not be made public, so she hurriedly waved her hand and asked the actors to leave.

"You! How dare you talk to me like this!" Mrs. Xing's face turned red, she pointed at Jia Cong and cursed.

Mother Jia's face also turned cold. She hated children who were unruly, ignorant of etiquette, and disobedient to filial piety. Jia Cong took all of these.

Jia Cong ignored Mrs. The servant who was serving him could not see his clothes clearly in the dark, so he was not properly dressed. Cong thought, although being disheveled was rude, it was only a small matter, but if it abolished filial piety, it would be a major loss of integrity, so he weighed the two. , whichever is more important."

After saying this, everyone nodded secretly, wondering why Brother Cong suddenly became enlightened.

Jia Zheng also twirled his beard and nodded, intending to protect him, then he looked at Jia She and said, "Brother Cong's words are polite and polite. It shows that he didn't study in vain. Please forgive him."

Jia She glared at Jia Cong with disgust, snorted and said nothing.

Mother Jia's face softened a bit and she said, "Even so, you shouldn't contradict your wife like this. It's not like what a young man would say."

Jia Cong hurriedly bowed down to be taught, then changed the subject and said, "Cong came in a hurry regardless of his manners, just because there is another matter that needs to be reported to the old lady."

"Oh? What's the matter?" Jia Mu said. Everyone was also curious about what Brother Cong was up to.

"Cong just had a strange dream while sleeping..."

(End of this chapter)