Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 271: Knowing an old friend

The master and the disciple chatted for a long time before stopping.

Liu Jing'an smiled and said, "Your master's wife misses you very much and often nags you for not visiting her often. Go to the backyard and pay her a visit."

Jia Cong looked ashamed: "Master's wife loves Jia Cong the most. Recently, I have been busy with my own affairs and have not been filial to my parents. I am really ashamed."

Jia Cong recalled that when his biological mother's spirit tablet had difficulty entering the ancestral temple, his teacher's wife Cui specially asked her grandson to deliver sacrifices to the Jia Mansion to speak up for him and express her love for him.

In Jia Cong's heart, Jia She and Mrs. Xing were not his relatives at all. Only the old couple in front of him treated him sincerely, and he had already regarded them as his closest relatives.

Liu Jing'an smiled and said, "You are also busy with official duties. Your master's wife will understand. Go and have a look."

Liu Jing'an looked at Jia Cong's leaving back and sighed softly.

He gave Jia Cong the courtesy name Yuzhang, hoping that he would become a well-educated man and live a peaceful life.

But with his intelligence and strategy, it is clear that he is a person who wants to do great things and stir up the world. He cannot be contained in a few books.

……

Liu family's inner residence, Cui's room.

A tall and graceful beauty, with her hair tied in a high bun, without any hairpins, wearing a snow-white Taoist robe, with an extraordinary demeanor and radiant brilliance.

The last string of the pipa was plucked, and the lingering sound continued.

Behind her stood a young woman, tall and graceful, with a beautiful face, a pair of bright eyes as clear as lacquer, and a clear look.

She wore a green plum satin front-opening jacket, a white cross-collared coat, and a beige long skirt. She was graceful and elegant, with a hint of coolness.

It’s just that the old copper hairpin in her hair is a little eye-catching, and doesn’t match the whole outfit...

Cui praised: "You are truly a disciple who surpasses your master. You are even better than your master was in his prime."

Xiuqing is blessed to have a disciple like you. You must inherit her legacy."

Cui choked up a little when she finished speaking.

The beautiful lady comforted him, "Aunt Cui, don't be sad. Back then, I also needed the introduction of a noble person to become a disciple of the master...

When the master passed away, he was already over 60 years old and bedridden. All the medicines and treatments were ineffective. "

When she said this, the beautiful lady also shed tears.

Cui Shi realized that she had aroused her sadness, so she stopped talking and asked, "This poem was written by Cong'er when he was in Jinling. How can you play it so skillfully?"

The beautiful lady smiled and said, "I am acquainted with Aunt Cui's favorite disciple, but we are not really acquainted."

Cui looked puzzled: "You have confused me. So do we know each other or not?"

The beautiful lady smiled and said, “When Miss Qu from Qingyin Pavilion brought this poem back, I loved it so much that I composed the music myself and sang it together. After that, this song quickly became popular in Jiangnan.

Speaking of which, I have made great contributions to Aunt Cui's disciples. How can Aunt Cui thank me?"

Cui smiled and said, "So there is such a reason behind this. This is even better. We can be more harmonious when we meet today."

The beauty asked curiously, "Meeting today? Aunt Cui's disciple also arrived today."

Cui smiled and said, "Cong'er will soon go to the north to carry out the emperor's mission. This trip will take a long time, so I came here today to say goodbye to his master."

The young woman standing beside him had a flash of light in her eyes when she heard this...

……

When Jia Cong entered the backyard of Liu's house, all the family members and servants knew that he was the master's most beloved disciple, and the old lady even treated him as her own son.

Naturally, no one would stop him from entering the inner house. The so-called "in-house disciple" means someone who has entered the family's inner chambers, and the relationship between them is as close as that between blood relatives and nephews.

Jia Cong was led by a maid into Cui's room. He was a little surprised to see that his master's wife was not alone in the room.

The first thing you see is a woman with her hair tied up in a high bun, without any hairpins, and wearing a snow-white Taoist robe. She has a beautiful appearance and an extraordinary demeanor. Beside her is a pipa with jade strings.

He recalled the clear sound of the pipa he heard when he first entered Liu's house, and roughly guessed who this woman was.

Cui saw the joy on Jia Cong's face, and then scolded him: "You are so busy every day that you don't even remember to come and visit. You have to travel far to come and see my master's wife."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "It's all my fault. I will definitely change it in the future. I will definitely visit Master's wife every now and then. It's OK as long as Master's wife doesn't get annoyed with me."

Jia Cong's words pleased Cui, and she said, "Today a new guest has arrived. I'd like to introduce him to you."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Master's Wife, I heard the heavenly sound of the pipa just as I entered the house. I heard it once in the Zhujiang Tower in Jinling and I still remember it. If I am not mistaken, this girl must be the Jade Pipa Heavenly Sound, the owner of the Jinling Qingyin Pavilion, Madam Qing. It's just that I was listening to the sound in front of the curtain at that time and couldn't see her true appearance."

Madam Qing smiled slightly and said, "Master Jia knows people by their music. He is indeed a kindred spirit."

Cui smiled with interest: "Mother Qing is right. You and Cong'er really know each other but don't know each other. This is interesting."

"Cong'er, Qingniang's surname is Du. She is a disciple of the former Pavilion Master of Qingyin Pavilion. The former Pavilion Master's surname is Li and his name is Xiuqing. He was a close friend of Master's Wife in Jinling when she was young. So they are not outsiders."

Jia Cong was slightly stunned when he heard this. He knew that his master and his mistress were both from Jinling, so it was not surprising that they had friends in Jinling.

It's just that Du Qingniang's name is only one character different from the name of his biological mother Du Jinniang, which is quite a coincidence.

Cui said, "Cong'er, your master and I rarely leave Luocang Mountain. Qingniang is now a pipa music teacher at the Jiaofang Division. If something like this happens, you have to help take care of her."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Don't worry, Master's wife. If Madam Qing has anything to say, you can send a message to Rongguo Mansion. I will do my best."

At this time, Jia Cong's eyes noticed another woman in the room. When he saw her face clearly, his eyes couldn't help but freeze slightly.

"Isn't this Miss Zou?"

Zou Min'er's heart trembled slightly, and the past memories rolled in her mind. In the noisy and magnificent Zou Mansion, her father drew his knife and stabbed him, and his blood was all over the birthday banquet.

She was locked up in a women's prison and watched her mother die of grief and anger. Finally, she was sent to the Jiaofangsi and almost became a prostitute...

Thinking of this, there seemed to be a smell of blood in the air, and my heart suddenly turned cold, and I said, "So you still remember me."

When Jia Cong saw her expression, he probably guessed what she was thinking. There was no point in saying more about this kind of thing. Although he had a clear conscience, a grudge had been created.

Then he casually replied, "Of course I remember. Back then in Ziyun Pavilion, I gave you a jade belt. Now that you are safe and sound, that's good."

When Jia Cong left Jinling, he heard that Zou Huaiyi had committed heinous crimes and his entire family had been imprisoned.

Although according to the ideas of his generation, he does not approve of bringing harm to family members, the current law is like this and he cannot make any comment.

Now seeing that she is safely following Du Qingniang, she is most likely under her protection, which is also a good thing.

At this time, Cui and Du Qingniang both felt the indifference and awkwardness between the two.

Du Qingniang just turned her bright eyes slightly, and no one knew what she was thinking.

But Cui was puzzled because her disciple was born surprisingly proud and was always popular with girls.

Every time Jia Cong came home, Cui's unmarried granddaughters would find excuses to secretly visit him, without any shame.

If it weren't for the fact that scholarly families attach the most importance to human relations and seniority, and Jia Cong is the master's disciple and of the same generation as her own son, she might have recruited him to be her grandson-in-law long ago.

Qingniang said that this girl was her new disciple. Cui saw that she was an outstanding person and she liked her.

But I didn't expect that she was so cold and indifferent when she met Jia Cong. It was strange...

……

On the mountain road of Luocang Mountain, a horse-drawn carriage was traveling through the shade of trees.

Du Qingniang closed her eyes to rest in the car, and suddenly opened her eyes and looked at Zou Miner beside her.

"I was also in Jinling at the time, and I also heard that it was Jia Cong who entered the Zou Mansion to arrest someone, and your father committed suicide in court."

"Your father committed a serious crime. Even if Jia Cong wasn't there, someone else would have taken him. In the end, he still couldn't escape the blame..."

Zou Min'er felt a pain in her heart when she heard this. After the incident, she was locked up in the women's prison in Yingtian Prefecture, and the yamen maid had already read her father's crimes to her.

This is also what the government always does for the family members of the convicted, to let them know why they were implicated and imprisoned.

The indictment stated that my father had ordered officers and soldiers from the Water Inspectorate to rob dozens of foreign merchant ships. Every time they looted the property, they killed everyone on the ship...

At that time, my mother died of grief and anger in prison. It was probably because she was frightened, ashamed and angry after hearing what my father had done, and she lost interest in life.

Madam Qing is right. Even if Jia Cong was not there, this would have happened.

But she would rather it was a stranger who broke into the house to arrest people, but it had to be Jia Cong!

"Today, I heard what Jia Cong said and realized that the jade belt you often took out to look at in your room was given to you by Jia Cong."

After hearing this, Zou Miner's face turned pale and the silk handkerchief in her hand was twisted into a ball...

(End of this chapter)