Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 129: Unable to Escape Fate

Such a handsome young man in fine clothes would never appear in a roadside stall like his.

But this wealthy young man not only came in, he also found a seat in the narrow and cramped shop and sat down at random, without any look of disgust on his face, as if he was used to this kind of place.

But his pretty maid, who was dressed in shabby clothes, looked timid and a little reserved.

The young man in fancy clothes spoke softly to her and was extremely attentive, which made the boss feel unusual.

Jia Cong saw that Xiangling had been fasting for half a day, but she ate slowly and chewed her food carefully. Although she was suffering from a slight cold, her behavior was quite proper.

When she raised her hand, she revealed several scars on her wrist. She couldn't help but frown. After asking, she found out that Dong Laoer was very strict with her daily behavior and would beat and scold her if she made any mistake.

Jia Cong didn't know that Dong Lao Er was a habitual criminal. Ten years ago, he and his accomplices often kidnapped and sold beautiful girls in Yangzhou.

They were taken to other places to be educated in manners, poetry, calligraphy, and painting, and to develop into beautiful and graceful beauties, which became the so-called Yangzhou skinny horses in the south of the Yangtze River.

When the girls reach a certain age, they are sold to wealthy businessmen and officials for huge profits.

At that time, he was attracted by Xiangling's young age and beauty. He also heard that although Zhen Shiyin had a talented family, he was a powerless and idle person, so he was not afraid of backlash if something happened to him.

So he took advantage of the crowded Lantern Festival to kidnap Xiangling.

But things never went as planned. At this moment, his accomplices were found by the government and almost all of them were arrested. Only he managed to escape with Xiangling by chance.

Not long after, he heard the news that his accomplice had been beheaded, which frightened him to death. In order to hide his tracks and save his life, he never dared to do such unscrupulous kidnapping again.

He took Xiangling to Jinling to hide, and relied on an old relationship to resell foreign goods to make a living.

However, he did not give up the routine of educating the Yangzhou skinny horse, and used them all on Xiangling. He educated Xiangling in daily behavior, and if Xiangling did something wrong, he would beat and scold her.

However, he had lost the support of his accomplices and did not dare to go back to the old way of trafficking. He had limited resources and could not afford to hire a famous teacher to teach Xiangling such elegant arts as poetry, calligraphy, and painting.

Fortunately, Xiangling was pretty since she was a child. As long as she could be raised, she would be a rare commodity. He originally wanted to sell her for a fortune in the future, but he didn't expect that Jia Cong would intercept her halfway.

When Jia Cong heard Xiangling say that Dong Laoer would beat and scold her if she did the slightest thing wrong since she was a child, and that her old wounds would not heal without new ones, he hated this cripple even more.

No wonder when she bought Xiangling, she had almost no reluctance to leave Dong Laoer. She probably thought it couldn't get any worse than this.

Although Jia Cong could not think of such a thing as the skinny horse in Yangzhou, he could probably guess that after the kidnapper kidnapped the girl, he wanted to educate her decently so that she could be sold at a good price.

In his previous life, he often heard about kidnappers abducting young children, causing families to be broken up and relatives to be in agony. They were indeed more vicious than bandits who killed and robbed people.

Naturally, he would never let go of an evil ghost like Dong Laoer. After settling Xiangling down, he sent someone to Yingtian Prefecture to report the incident.

I think because of Zhen Shiyin, Jia Yucun must give him this face.

Moreover, he used seven hundred taels of silver to buy Dong Laoer's foreign goods, and did the transaction in a serious manner. He also said that he wanted to go through his connections. This had temporarily stabilized this person and he was not afraid that he would escape in a short time.

……

Jia Cong brought Xiangling back to the Jia family's old house in Xinglongfang. Standing in front of the tall and magnificent gate of the old house, Xiangling, in her shabby clothes, looked helpless and insignificant.

The majestic stone lion guarding the door of the old house had stern eyes, and seemed to be looking down at her coldly.

Xiangling has been raised in a poor family since she could remember. She was often treated harshly by the kidnapper since she was a child, and she is somewhat timid and cowardly.

The first time she stood in front of this awe-inspiring mansion, she couldn't help feeling a little scared. She pulled Jia Cong's sleeve and hid behind him involuntarily.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Don't be afraid. You will live here with me from now on. When I am free, I will take you to Gusu. Maybe you can find your family there."

Xiangling's eyes were filled with confusion. She was only two or three years old when she was abducted. Her parents had long forgotten her and over the years they even thought that Dong Laoer was her only relative.

It turned out that I had family in Gusu, but this was the first time the young master saw me, so how could he know all these things.

As soon as I entered the mansion, I saw Jin Cai and a few servants preparing to go out. Those servants were carrying gift boxes.

Jin Cai saw Jia Cong go out early in the morning and come back with a maid who looked unfamiliar and was carrying a bag on her back.

Although the girl's clothes were old and cold, she was very pretty, and the rouge mole between her eyebrows was very pleasing.

"Uncle Jin, where are you going?"

"The gifts that Third Master brought from Shenjing are all for the old relatives in Jinling. I am just about to go and deliver the gifts. Third Master, do you have any instructions?"

"Please arrange new bedding and clothes in my yard for my new maid. If there is suitable fabric in the treasury, please make a few sets of clothes for her."

Jin Cai quickly agreed and asked her family to make the arrangements. It seemed that the Third Master was also a romantic man. He had been away for less than a day and no one knew where he had bought such a stunning maid.

Jia Cong brought Xiangling back to the courtyard. Wu'er and Qingwen were surprised to see him bring back a strange girl.
Qingwen pouted her lips. The Third Master has grown up and has learned bad things. He always touches Wu'er's hand, combs his hair and takes advantage of himself. Now he finds a pretty maid from somewhere and brings her into the room.

Jia Cong told Wu'er the story of Xiangling's origin, and Wu'er's eyes became red after hearing it.

Seeing that Xiangling was gentle but nervous, she must be a little uneasy in the new place and looked pitiful, so he pulled her aside to talk.

Although Qingwen was prone to being a little temperamental, she was also the easiest to be soft-hearted. After hearing about Xiangling's background, her anger faded a lot and she soon came over to talk to her.

It was Wu'er's turn to be on duty tonight, but Qingwen suddenly wanted to switch with her. Wu'er felt amused, knowing that she was being naughty again, and perhaps she was still a little angry at the Third Master's little thoughts.

Regarding these matters, Wu'er was more open-minded than Qingwen. There were only a few people in the world as proud as the Third Master. It was inevitable that there would be more troubles in the future, so she didn't care.

Besides, Xiangling had such a miserable background, and the Third Master bought her from that kidnapper in order to save her from the dire pit, which was also a kind and good deed.

It was enough for her to just stay in the house and guard him. The Third Master was a sentimental and nostalgic man and would never let them down.

After a while, Jin Cai's family brought two maids and brought beds and bedding. Wu'er helped Xiangling to put them in order. Qingwen felt a little embarrassed and also ran to help.

Wu'er also told Xiangling about the daily things to do in the Third Master's room and the things that need attention.

Then he asked, "What does Xiangling do at home on a daily basis? You can choose something familiar to do in the house."

Xiangling stretched out her fingers and counted: "Washing clothes, cooking, making tea, cleaning the house..."

Wu Er chuckled and said, "Third Master, you don't have to cook here. The little maid outside does the laundry. She can make tea, and the little maid outside also cleans the house on a daily basis.

Because the Third Master is a scholar and his study is quite exquisite, little maids are usually not allowed to enter. It is cleaned by Qingwen and I. From now on, you will be in charge of the Third Master's study. This is the old house in Jinling.

There is not much to do in the Third Master's study. When we return to Shenjing, there will be a large study for the Third Master there."

During this short half day, Wu'er and Qingwen took Xiangling around and taught her by example. After all, Xiangling had never been a maid before.

After dinner, Jia Cong went to the study and wrote a letter to report on Dong Laoer's trafficking of little girls. He would ask Jin Cai to send someone to Yingtian Prefecture tomorrow to arrest Dong Laoer as soon as possible.

As soon as he sat down, Xiangling came in, took the ink stick from the desk, dipped some water in the inkstone, straightened the ink stick, and ground it in circles on the inkstone, her movements were gentle and slow. Jia Cong saw that she had a methodical way of grinding the ink, as if she had learned it on purpose, and asked with a smile: "Xiangling, you grind the ink very well, but can you read?"

Xiangling blushed when she heard Jia Cong praise her, but her eyes were filled with joy, and she said, "There is a small private school opposite my house, and my father asked me to wash clothes and clean the school hall for Mr. Zhang, the teacher of the private school.

I could earn half a dollar a month. Seeing that I worked diligently, Mr. Zhang allowed me to sit at the door and listen. After two years of listening, I learned a lot of words. I could recite Mr. Zhang's lessons better than any other kid in the class.

I also learned how to grind ink from Mr. Zhang, but he moved away last year and I have no place to attend his classes. "

Jia Cong understood. In the original timeline, Xiangling devoted herself to learning poetry, and even Daiyu praised the poem she wrote in the end. It can be seen that she can read and write, otherwise how could she learn poetry.

After sitting at the door of a private school and listening to classes for two years, she was able to recognize words and recite texts. Even the children in the academy were not as good as her, which showed that Xiangling was quite talented in studying.

"Although I know a lot of words, I just don't have the chance to write them, and my family doesn't have the spare money to buy paper and pens for my daughter's family."

Jia Cong felt a little disappointed when he heard what Xiangling said. It seemed that she had a preference for literary matters in her nature.

He smiled and said, "I have plenty of paper and pen here. I'll teach you how to write when I have time."

Xiangling said happily: "Really, thank you, Master."

When it was time to rest at night, Qingwen talked to Jia Cong for a while on the small couch, and then fell into a deep sleep.

Jia Cong vaguely heard the sound of Xiangling tossing and turning on the small bed in the outer room. He thought that she was a little shy because it was her first time to spend the night outside.

Early the next morning, Jia Cong took the written letter and asked Jin Cai to send someone to take the visiting card and letter from the Jia family to Jia Yucun, the prefect of Yingtian.

Jia Cong saw that Jin Cai had asked the servant to pick out gift boxes to give out today as usual, and the size of the gifts seemed to be even larger than yesterday.

So he asked casually, "Which relative did Uncle Jin go to give a gift to today?"

Jin Cai replied, "Today I am sending a gift to the wife of the eldest house of the Xue family in Jinling. The second wife of our family is the second in the Wang family, and this wife of the Xue family is the third, and is the second wife's younger sister."

Jia Cong was stunned when he heard this. Could it be that Aunt Xue?

……

Yingtian Prefecture Yamen.

Before Jia Yucun finished his breakfast, he received a letter from the Jia Mansion. He was also shocked after reading it.

The letter actually stated that Jia Cong had discovered the whereabouts of the kidnapper who had abducted Zhen Yinglian, and even the kidnapper's address was written down.

Jia Yucun was extremely poor back then. If it had not been for Zhen Shiyin's support, he would not even have been able to raise enough money to go to Beijing for the imperial examination, let alone get his name on the list of successful candidates. Zhen Shiyin was truly a great favor to him.

But Jia Yucun was a cold and cruel person by nature. After becoming a high-ranking official, he almost forgot about the idle gentleman from Suzhou in the past. Instead, his wife Jiao Xing kept thinking about him from time to time.

He could never have dreamed how Jia Cong knew about the affair between Zhen Shiyin and Yinglian, and suddenly wrote a letter to report the whereabouts of the kidnapper.

Although he no longer took the favor of the past to heart, now that someone brought it up again, especially from the Jia family, whom he regarded as his benefactor and supporter, he dared not be negligent in the slightest.

Otherwise, if some details were to be spread, it would ruin his reputation as an official and would be greatly detrimental to his career development.

So they quickly mobilized their capable constables and runners to go to Dazaimen early in the morning to arrest the suspect and bring him to justice.

If I could solve the kidnapping case in Gusu ten years ago, I might even be given the nickname Jia Qingtian, the god of solving cases, which would be a great thing.

……

Dazaimen Alley, near Dong Laoer’s yard.

Two bearers were carrying a soft sedan with red silk tied on the door, exuding a festive atmosphere.

An old servant with gray hair and beard followed the sedan chair, and walking in front was a handsome young man of about seventeen or eighteen years old.

Feng Yuan was also wearing new clothes today, his hair was combed shiny, and he looked energetic and happy.

Thinking of the girl drawing water from the well yesterday, her delicate and pretty appearance seemed to touch his heart. With such a beautiful girl by his side, he felt content for the rest of his life.

Thinking of Su Yun, Feng Yuan was so happy that he didn't know what was going on.

Arriving at the gate of Dong Laoer's house, the boy went in alone, but happened to meet Dong Laoer carrying a package out of the house.

With a look of joy on his face, he asked, "Where are you going, father-in-law? I have collected five hundred taels of silver and have come here today to take Suyun in. Where is Suyun?"

When Dong Laoer saw the young man, his face froze and he regretted not going out earlier. He was caught by Feng Yuan.

At this time, a somewhat arrogant voice came from the door: "Dong Laoer, where is your daughter? I'm going to take her away today!"

When Dong Laoer heard the voice, his face changed immediately.

……

I saw a tall young man walking in from the gate of the courtyard. He had a dignified appearance, dressed in silk and satin, and looked very wealthy. He was followed by four or five servants, and looked quite imposing.

Although it was already September, the young man was waving a folding fan in an inappropriate manner in his hand, with a look of arrogance and extravagance on his face.

He bossed Dong Lao Er around and said, "If I hadn't gone to Zhenjiang to do some work a few days ago, I would have brought people here a long time ago. Where's my Miss Suyun? I've been thinking about her even when I sleep these days.

Stop dawdling and call them out. I don't have time to waste here."

When Dong Laoer saw the young man, he became flustered.

He had gambled away all his capital in the foreign goods business, and in a hurry, he sold Su Yun to Feng Yuan for five hundred taels of silver.

But the servant of the Xue family in Jinling was looking for a concubine for the young master of the family, and he unexpectedly saw Suyun and fell in love with her.

He brought Xue Pan, the young master of the Xue family, to come and see Su Yun. When Xue Pan saw Su Yun, he couldn't take his eyes off her and insisted on buying her.

Dong Laoer had some reservations because he had sold Feng Yuan first. Xue Pan thought that Dong was waiting for a good price, so he offered one thousand taels to buy Suyun.

This made Dong Laoer tempted. He planned to take the money from the two families, wait for Su Yun to run away, make a fortune, and find a place to live in leisure. When he met the seller, he would sell Su Yun again and make another fortune.

But I didn't expect that Jia Cong's incident would happen.

Although Jia Cong saved Xiangling, some causes and effects will not change. Xue Pan and Feng Yuan still collided with each other. Perhaps this is their inescapable fate.

Dong Laoer saw that a disaster was about to happen. He had no one to hand over to him now. If he stayed here, he would die. His eyes began to look around, trying to find a chance to escape.

(End of this chapter)