Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 355: Love is Destined

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

Yuanyang took out a half-cut bodice and put it on Lady Jia to try out the size. Lady Jia was very satisfied with the style and pattern.

He also praised Yuanyang to Lady Wang, Aunt Xue and others.

Everyone in the hall knew that Yuanyang was Grandmother Jia's most beloved maid, who was always by her side in terms of food, clothing, housing and transportation. Grandmother Jia couldn't even enjoy her meal without her.

As Lady Jia's close maid, Yuanyang's status in the mansion's servants was unmatched by many others. Even Jia Lian and Wang Xifeng would politely call her Sister Yuanyang when they saw her.

There were many maids in Jia's mother's room that she was proud of, such as Qingwen, Zijuan, Xiren, etc., who were all the best among the maids.

The people that Grandmother Jia loved the most in her life were Baoyu and Daiyu. She gave Xiren to Baoyu and Zijuan to Daiyu, which shows how much Grandmother Jia loved these two maids.

Qingwen was originally the most proud maid in Lady Jia's room, the best at needlework, and was very efficient in her work, a perfect material for a concubine. She was also very much loved by Lady Jia.

It was because of the situation that Lady Jia gave it to Jia Cong, otherwise she would have given it to Baoyu.

But in Grandmother Jia's mind, all these outstanding maids combined are not as good as one Yuanyang.

Grandmother Jia would send everyone else away and keep her alone, not because Yuanyang was born better than others, nor because she was good at her job.

But Yuanyang understands Lady Jia's feelings the best, and is considerate and loyal to her in everything.

Moreover, Yuanyang has another advantage, which makes her highly valued by Lady Jia.

Although Yuanyang had a high status among the servants in the mansion because of her relationship with Lady Jia, everyone respected her.

But she abides by her duties, never takes advantage of her favor to become spoiled, and never does things like flattering the powerful and bullying the weak, or building bridges and stirring up trouble.

Not only does he have a harmonious relationship with Jia Lian, Baoyu, Wang Xifeng and others who are favored by the old lady.

Even though Jia Cong was born in poverty, had just moved to the West Mansion, had not yet made a name for himself, and was even disliked by Grandmother Jia, Yuanyang never neglected him, just like the other gentlemen in the mansion.

Although she is only a teenage girl, she holds an important position, but she is calm and clear-headed, and has a rare fairness and experience in dealing with people and things.

Grandmother Jia has been in the inner court for half her life and has seen a lot of dirty things like hypocrisy and double-dealing. When she saw Yuanyang's behavior, she found it even more rare.

This is also the reason why Grandmother Jia has become more and more trusting of Yuanyang in recent years, and even entrusted her with the management of her lifelong belongings.

……

Grandmother Jia was chatting with Lady Wang, Aunt Xue and others. Daiyu and her sisters were also sitting nearby, gathering together to tell some girlish jokes.

At this time, the maid outside brought a nanny from the Marquis Zhongjing's mansion and said that the marquis's comrade in Yili had sent a cart of Yili melons, and the marquis asked her to send a few baskets for the aunt to taste.

Last year, Jia Cong's biological mother was posthumously conferred an imperial title. Grandmother Jia was upset and delayed allowing Du's spirit tablet to enter the ancestral temple to enjoy incense, which resulted in a big disturbance.

At that time, under pressure from the emperor's will, Marquis Zhongjing Shi Ding took the initiative to offer sacrifices to Jia Cong's biological mother, Mrs. Du, which greatly embarrassed Lady Jia and made her very angry.

Later, Lady Li, the wife of Marquis Zhongjing, came to Lady Jia's house several times to apologize and explain her mistakes. After a lot of trouble, Lady Jia finally calmed down.

In her heart, Grandmother Jia still has a fondness for this nephew who was granted the title not by relying on his ancestors' influence but on his own ability. After all, the greatest honor and foundation of the Shi family now lies with this nephew.

Moreover, his nephew is very close to Jia Cong, and both of them are now people of use to the emperor. This relationship will also bring the Shi family and the Jia family closer together.

Although Grandmother Jia was not close to Jia Cong, he was her legitimate grandson. The old lady was able to make sense of the family situation.

This kind of family alliance is also what Grandmother Jia is very happy to see, because one is her husband's family and the other is her mother's family, and to her they are all blood relatives.

Grandmother Jia looked at the baskets of golden melons and said to the old woman with a smile, "Yili is far away from the capital. It's very rare to have them delivered in this hot summer. They can't be bought with money.

Go back and thank your Lord and Madam for me."

Grandmother Jia asked Wang Xifeng to reward the old woman with silver and had someone send her out the door. She also asked the maid to wash the honeydew melon and cut it open. She gave some to Baoyu who was still recovering from his injuries, and then she enjoyed it with the other women in the hall.

At this time, Jia's mother suddenly thought of something and asked, "Why haven't we seen the second girl come over these past two days?"

Since moving to the West Mansion, Yingchun would come every day to pay her respects to Lady Jia and visit her. Although the time was not long, her presence was always visible.

She had not been seen for the past two days. Originally, Grandmother Jia did not care about it. But now that the ladies were cooling off and splitting melons, she thought of her second granddaughter who had always been quiet.

Tanchun said, "I went to see my second sister yesterday. She has not been feeling well these past few days, so she has not been out and about."

After hearing this, Grandmother Jia probably understood what was going on. Her second granddaughter was already over the age of coming of age, so naturally there were more girl's affairs to attend to.

He asked, "You are just a kid. You need to see a doctor if you are sick. It is no joke if you have a chronic disease. Have you seen a doctor?"

Tanchun smiled and said, "Don't worry, old lady. Second sister was not feeling well that day and did not come out for breakfast, so Third brother went to see her.

I have already asked the doctor from Huichuntang to check it out. She said it was nothing serious and that I should drink a few soups to regulate the qi and unblock the meridians and rest for a few days. My third brother even asked about the temperature of the decoction. He was very attentive.

Aunt Xue on the side said with a smile: "Second girl is really lucky to have such a caring and loving brother. The old lady's grandson will be able to be an official and do great things outside.

It is so rare that he can still cherish and take care of his sisters at home. I have never heard of such a good thing before. It is also because the old lady has a good family tradition. It is a rare blessing. "

Even Mrs. Wang beside her laughed and said, "Brother Cong is indeed a caring person towards the sisters..."

Baochai, who was standing by, heard this and felt that her mother sometimes always talked about the titles of legitimate and illegitimate children, which was a bit annoying, but sometimes her words were still pleasant to the ear.

Daiyu, Tanchun and other sisters were naturally in a good mood and had smiling faces.

When Grandmother Jia heard Aunt Xue praising Jia Cong, although she was not as touched as when she heard Baoyu being praised, it was still a matter of pride.

He smiled faintly and said, "Mrs. Xue, you are too kind. My grandson is very stubborn and the things he does always make people scared. I am thankful that he is usually not angry. But he is really good to my sisters.

If he doesn't even have this benefit, I won't bother with him."

Then he said to Yuanyang, "Take some honeydew melons and send them to the second girl. However, she is ill now and cannot use them. If you keep them in well water, they will not go bad in seven or eight days.

Send some to Cong as well, so he won't think I'm partial to Baoyu and don't care about him."

Everyone could tell that Lady Jia was just trying to make amends for herself. Even Mrs. Wang agreed, saying that Jia Cong had always been courteous to his elders and would never think of the old lady in this way.

The atmosphere in Rongqing Hall suddenly became very harmonious.

……

East Palace, Yingchun Courtyard.

Yuanyang asked a maid to carry two bags of melons into the yard, and then she went to Yingchun's room alone.

Yingchun was seen sitting on the edge of the bed doing needlework. She was wearing a light pink embroidered double-breasted vest, a white round-necked gauze dress underneath, and a horse-faced skirt embroidered with white chrysanthemums.

Her figure becomes more and more graceful, dignified, bright and charming.

However, illuminated by the sunlight coming in through the window, Yingchun's face seemed a little pale, and her thin cherry lips lacked some blood color, which made people feel pity for her.

Yuanyang saw that she was sewing a pair of soft boots with black soles. The silver needle was moving back and forth, and her slender fingers were lightly picking. The stitches were dense and meticulous, and she was very attentive.

Yingchun saw Yuanyang coming in and smiled, "Sister Yuanyang, how come you have time to come here today?"

Yuanyang smiled and said, “The old lady heard that the young lady was not feeling well, so she asked me to come and take a look.

The Ili melons sent by the Marquis of Zhongjing's residence are rare. The old lady asked me to send some to the young lady and the third master, but the young lady is ill and cannot enjoy cold food. She has to wait until she is well again before she can eat them. "Yuanyang took a look at the soft boots in Yingchun's hands and knew who she made them for without asking. She said, "What a delicate work the young lady did. She put so much effort into these boots. They must be made for the third master."

Yingchun smiled and said, "It's already past the beginning of autumn. The weather will be cooler in a month. I'll make a pair of autumn boots for Brother Cong when I have time. A man of his age is growing taller and his shoes will be worn out."

Yuanyang smiled and said, "You are a girl, you are not feeling well, you must not overwork yourself, be careful not to get sick, it won't be too late to do it after you are well."

Yingchun smiled and said, "There's not much work left. Now that you mention it, I really sat for too long and my back and waist are sore."

Yingchun put down the boots in her hands, stood up and walked a few steps.

Yuanyang picked up the pair of soft boots with a smile, looked at the stitching techniques on them, picked up the needle and helped Yingchun start sewing.

Somehow I recalled the day when we were boating in Huifang Garden, the river lanterns glowing brightly, and the silhouettes of people in the rippling waves, and Yuanyang's heart felt warm.

She has served Lady Jia for many years and has heard too many stories about Jia Cong. Although the old lady does not like this grandson, she can never overshadow this gentleman's glory.

Yuanyang had always envied Qingwen in her heart. Originally, they were all maids in the old lady's room. And on the Chinese Valentine's Day, the Third Master even washed Qingwen's hair...

Every time the old lady called the third master over to ask questions, she would ask her to pass on the message.

As they went back and forth more often, she became more familiar with this gentleman.

Not only was she so happy, but she also had the ability to do things that made people happy, so she couldn't help but have some thoughts.

But she never dared to show it in front of others. She knew that although the old lady had begun to respect the Third Master, she had a knot in her heart that had been growing for many years, and it was hard to say what the situation was.

She was the most capable maidservant to the old lady, and she didn't dare to think too deeply about some things. And when she looked at the girls and servants he kept in his room, she realized that she didn't have such a fate...

The two chatted for a few more sentences and Yuanyang was about to leave, but suddenly he looked at the half-made soft boots on the bed.

He said, "I advise you to take care of yourself first and not work too hard. If you don't mind, I'll do the remaining half for you. I'm free right now, so it will only take two days."

Yingchun naturally didn't care when she heard this. She knew Yuanyang was a kind-hearted person, and she was the one who did the old lady's needlework, so she was very skillful, so she thanked her for her help.

……

Yuanyang left Yingchun's courtyard and walked to the corridor connecting the two mansions, where she happened to meet Jia Cong walking over.

He had a handsome demeanor and an upright figure. He was wearing a moon-white soft silk robe, a jade leather belt with a crane pattern, and a jade hairpin on his head that shone with a warm light.

When Yuanyang suddenly saw Jia Cong, she felt a little nervous. She would never feel this way when she saw Jia Cong in the past, but now her heart was beating very fast. The small package containing the soft boots in her hand was also hidden behind her back.

"Sister Yuanyang, are you coming from the garden?"

"Master Cong, the old lady heard that the second young lady was not feeling well, so she asked me to come over to see her and bring some Ili cantaloupe. Master Cong, you can try them later. They are rare."

"Oh, I want to go to the West Mansion too. The master wants to talk to me. Let's go together."

The two of them walked from the East Palace through the corridor, entered the corner gate on the south side of Lixiang Garden, and walked together towards Rongxi Hall.

The July sun has been hot since it got bright in the morning. The garden is shaded by green trees, and the air is filled with the fragrance of plants under the scorching sun.

When walking across a stone bridge, there was no shade above their heads. As the girl was afraid of the sun, Yuanyang was embarrassed to use the package in her hands to block the sun because there were some... things in it.

Suddenly she felt a shadow above her head, and it turned out that Jia Cong was using his folding fan to block her head.

Yuanyang looked up, but saw that Jia Cong didn't pay any attention to her. He just held up the folding fan to shade her from the sun and continued walking forward. It seemed that it was just a matter of convenience for him and not worth it.

These little, unintentional things can best reveal a person's character.

Master Bao in the mansion was a very compassionate and caring person towards the maids, but the incident with Jin Chuan was also made clear to many maids and servants.

For Master Bao, when it comes to a life-and-death situation, the master is still the master, and the maid is just a maid after all.

But this Third Master Cong was truly different. The man in the mansion didn't know how he treated his maid Zhishao. He was willing to sacrifice his life for her.
Even though Zhishao had been missing for two years, he still found her from Jiangnan. This is a truly loyal man.

The shade above their heads was a little narrow, and didn't seem to be able to block much of the heat, but in the hearts of the mandarin ducks, this small shadow was so reassuring and filled with intoxicating coolness.

……

Not far away, Madam Xing was heading towards Rongqing Hall. In the past two years, apart from daily greetings, she had rarely taken the initiative to go to Rongqing Hall, but today she had no choice but to go there.

Because both Jia She and she felt that Yuanyang was a rare treasure, she was in charge of Jia's grandmother's private treasure chest.

In addition, Jia She had such a hobby and was most greedy for this young and tender beauty, so he decided to use some means to bring Yuanyang into his room.

This is a win-win situation for the couple.

Jia She got the young woman and took control of the old lady's private property. Mrs. Xing complied with her master's wishes and also had another way to make money.

Therefore, Jia She asked Mrs. Xing to test Lady Jia's attitude. However, Mrs. Xing was not a fool. She knew that if she spoke to Lady Jia, she would only get into trouble.

She planned to find Yuanyang to lobby privately first. In her opinion, Yuanyang was a servant born in a family, and when she had the opportunity to become the concubine's master, she would be very happy to do so.

As long as Yuanyang himself is satisfied, there is nothing that can be done even if the old lady does not agree. As the saying goes, 'Once a person leaves, you cannot keep him here.'

In the end, the old lady had no choice but to admit it, saving me the trouble of having to go and embarrass myself in front of her.

Mrs. Xing had a clear plan in her mind and actually felt that she had some strategy, so she excitedly went to Rongqing Hall to do her job.

Just when I was halfway there, I saw a young couple walking across the stone bridge. The boy was handsome and the girl was pretty, which was quite an eyesore. The boy was holding up a folding fan to shade the girl from the sun, which looked even weirder.

When Mrs. Xing took a closer look, she became furious. The woman was Yuanyang, and the man was that beast Jia Cong.

I was just about to go and act as a matchmaker for the master, but this beast just happened to be so quick to steal his father's girl and even dared to mess with the people in the old lady's room!
……

Jinling, Xinchunhao Jiangnan Head Office.

Qin Keqing carefully wrote down what Baozhu said.

Said: "Sister Xiu, didn't Brother Cong just send two girls over to set up a mail station in Jinling? You can let them send this message out using Feiyu."

Qu Hongxiu asked: "Do you think this news is related to him?"

Keqing replied, "Two years ago, my brother Cong solved a major case in Nanjing, and the main culprit, Zou Huaiyi, was executed. I was also in Nanjing at that time, and he was even promoted by the emperor because of this incident."

Speaking of this, Keqing recalled the past events with Jia Cong in Anding Temple, and her face turned red.

"Now that the Water Conservancy Bureau's major case has been disrupted again, and the imperial envoy sent by the emperor has failed to catch anyone, maybe the emperor will send someone more capable..."

Qu Hongxiu's eyes lit up: "You are right. It was him who caught Zou Huaiyi in the first place. He is most familiar with this case. He also made military achievements in Liaodong. He is currently being used in an important position."

Keqing smiled and said, "This is just my guess, I can't say for sure, but it's always a good idea to let Brother Cong know about this as early as possible."

Qu Hongxiu glanced at Keqing and said, "You are thinking about these things in a roundabout way. You are eager for him to come to Jinling, right? Do you want to see him?"

Keqing blushed and asked with a smile, "You don't want to see him. A few days ago, when you were lighting river lanterns during the Ghost Festival, I saw his name written on your lantern."

Qu Hongxiu: “…….”

(End of this chapter)