Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 392: Wisdom and Hard Writing

Jinling, Xinglongfang, the west corner gate of the Jia family’s old residence.

When Jin Cai saw Jia Cong bringing two girls back home, it seemed as if a familiar scene appeared before her again.

Two years ago, when Mr. Cong Sanye returned to Jinling for the first time, he often brought home girls with unfamiliar faces.

First, they bought a pretty maid from somewhere. The girl had a rouge mole on her forehead, and she was delicate, pretty, and had a rare perfect appearance, which really opened the eyes of Jin Cai and his wife.

That was not the end. Later, when Third Master Cong went to Gusu, he brought back another extremely beautiful nun and brought her into the mansion hand in hand.

But he didn't expect that when he came to Jinling again this time, the Third Master still couldn't change his strange hobby and brought another beautiful girl back home.

That girl, who was about eight or nine years old, had pretty features and a chubby face, but that was all.

The other girl, about twelve or thirteen years old, was the most stunning girl on earth. Although she was a little thin and immature, she had a slender figure, fair skin, picturesque eyes and eyebrows, and was extremely beautiful.

A pair of beautiful eyes were clear and translucent, deep and dark, like an autumn pond, and the eyes moved gracefully as if they could speak.

Jin Cai and his wife saw that she followed closely behind Jia Cong, and her every move was graceful, clever, charming and radiant.

Even in a big city like Jinling with abundant resources and population, it is rare to see girls with such standard looks.

Jin Cai just took a glance and didn't dare to look any further.

Although Jin Caijia was a woman, she was dazed by Lingguan's extraordinary beauty.

She just felt that this Third Master Cong was too popular with women, and she didn't know where he found such a person from. The girl was still young now, and if she grew up a few years more, her appearance would bring harm to many people.

Jia Cong ordered, "Housekeeper Jin, clean up the east wing of my courtyard and prepare new bed curtains and bedding. The two girls will stay in the mansion for a while, and then I will take them back to the capital."

Jin Cai quickly agreed, but Jin Cai's family was stunned. This incredibly pretty girl was indeed the Third Master's new daughter, who would be brought back to the Shenjing Palace in the future.

It's really wrong to say that you are the head of the family. Let me stop daydreaming. The Third Master has seen many women like this. How can he have the time to care about his own daughter?

……

Jin Cai continued, "The Third Master asked me to inquire about the news of the Second Master Xue. Yesterday I sent a servant to the Xue family's old house to ask, and his Second Master went to Nanyue to do business in May.

I don’t expect to be back until early September.”

Jia Cong asked again, "Are the young masters and young ladies of Master Xue's family at home?"

The reason he asked this was that before leaving the capital, Baochai asked him to take some personal gifts to his cousins.

Jin Cai said: "The second master of the Xue family likes to do business and travel. The young masters and young ladies of his family are influenced by their father and also like to travel around. Now they all follow the second master to Nanyue.

His wife went to Huizhou a few days ago because of some matters at her parents' home. Now there is no master in the mansion, only the housekeeper is guarding the gate. "

Jia Cong originally wanted to fulfill Baochai's entrustment as soon as possible, but since there was no one at Master Xue's house, he had to put it off for the time being.

……

Jin Cai took out a letter, handed it to Jia Cong and said, "Yesterday, the second master of Shenjing sent a letter to the third master."

Jia Cong opened the letter and took a general look at the contents. Although the letter was written by Jia Zheng, it was actually written on behalf of Jia Mu.

The letter said that the last time the eldest wife of the Zhen family and the third Miss Zhen went to the capital to pay homage to the old empress dowager, they went to Rongguo Mansion to pay a visit to Lady Jia and were very polite.

August 28th of this month is the 68th birthday of the old lady of the Zhen family in Jinling. Now that Jia Cong is in Jinling, asking him to represent the Jia family to pay birthday wishes can be regarded as repaying the courtesy between old relatives.

Jia Cong thought that before leaving the capital, Grandmother Jia did not mention this matter to him, but after he came to Jinling, she thought of asking Jia Zheng to send a letter to explain.

After thinking about it for a while, I figured out the reason.

Ever since he was granted the title and established his own mansion, although he had Yingchun and his sisters as a bond, he and the Rongguo Mansion had become much more distant.

This situation was intentional on his part, and was also caused by the intention of the supreme ruler in the palace to divide and split...

Perhaps it was because of her different status now and her strong momentum in the past few years that Grandmother Jia no longer acted like a grandmother in front of her like she did before.

But whether it was agreeing to Yingchun's naturalization in the Earl's Mansion, or treating Zhishao and Yinglian well in daily life, it was all because Grandmother Jia didn't want her grandson to become a kite with a broken string from then on.

She also knew that she had never been very keen on interacting with her elderly relatives.

At that time in Jinling, two sons of the Shi family were involved in a major case at the Water Supervision Bureau. They came to him for help, but were turned away, which caused quite a stir.

I guess he was afraid that if this matter were made public, he would refuse to take responsibility in person and lose face for his grandmother, so he didn't say it clearly before leaving Beijing.

Only after he left the capital did he ask Jia Zheng to write a letter personally and go to Jinling to explain the matter to him, leaving him with no way to escape.

They all knew that they had always been harmonious and respectful to Jia Zheng, and since Jia Zheng was writing the letter himself, it would be even more difficult for them to refuse.

To put it bluntly, the old lady is just too concerned about her reputation. She wants her grandson, who was granted a title at a young age, to go to the Zhen Mansion to celebrate her birthday on her behalf, which also brings honor to the Rongguo Mansion.

Jia Cong handed the letter to Jin Cai, who glanced at the contents and said with a smile, "In previous years, when the old lady of the Zhen family celebrated her birthday, we would prepare birthday gifts, depending on personal preference.

Now that the Third Master is such a prominent figure, when he goes to the Zhen residence to celebrate his birthday, the old lady of the Zhen family will definitely be very happy.

I will prepare all the birthday gifts here as soon as possible, so you don't have to worry about it."

Although Jia Cong had never been very keen on socializing with old relatives, since Jia Zheng's letters had reached Jinling, he had to attend the social events, so he would just show up and that would be fine.

……

Jia Cong and Jin Cai talked a few words about the birthday celebration on August 25th, then took Lingguan and Douguan through the corner gate and went through the second gate to their own courtyard.

Lingguan and Douguan both came from poor families, otherwise they would not have been sold to opera troupes by their parents to perform and work as actors.

She practiced martial arts and singing since she was young, did laundry and cooked, and traveled around with the opera troupe. Although she could get enough food and clothing, her life was still hard.

Although the Jia family's old house is not as wealthy as the Rongguo Mansion built in the capital, it is also a majestic and grand mansion.

Lingguan and Douguan followed Jia Cong through many gates. Everywhere they passed, there were lush flowers and trees, green and beautiful pavilions and houses, magnificent and elegant.

The two little girls have been living in a theatre troupe since they were young. The most spectacular house they have ever seen is the Jinbi Garden in Suzhou.

But compared with here, Jinbi Garden is just like an inconspicuous thatched cottage. This is really an eye-opener.

Two pairs of eyes kept looking at the passing scenery.

Both Lingguan and Douguan thought that this place was as beautiful as described in operas, but they couldn't put it into words what was so beautiful about it.

As they walked along, Jia Cong would tell them about the places they passed by: there was a well here, a swing over there, and the road around the turn was the closest to the yard where they lived...

Moreover, they no longer have to cook for themselves, as the kitchen maids will deliver the food to the yard when the time comes.

But these were not a big deal for Lingguan. For her, this was Jia Cong's home, so this was the best and safest place. The hesitation and worry that Lingguan had felt when leaving the troupe, her master and her sisters soon disappeared in Jia Cong's gentle words.

……

Jin Cai's wife was selfish as a woman. In her eyes, Jia Cong's behavior was tantamount to hunting for beauties. She couldn't stand it, but she just had doubts in her heart.

She did not dare to neglect anything Jia Cong had instructed her to do. She personally went to the treasury to get new bed curtains and bedding, and instructed the maids in Jia Cong's courtyard to decorate the east wing.

While Jin Cai's family was arranging the room, Jia Cong took Lingguan and Douguan to the study to rest for a while.

The last time Jia Cong moved to Qu Hongxiu's house in Yuminfang, he asked Baozhu to come back and move his luggage and daily necessities.

The main house is a bit empty now, but the pens, ink, paper, inkstone and other things in the study are still very neatly arranged.

There were even quite a few books on the bookshelf. Jin Cai knew that he would come to Jinling again, so she moved some of them from the old master's study for Jia Cong to read in his spare time.

Lingguan looked at the furnishings in the study, her bright eyes full of curiosity and envy. She was born in humble circumstances and had to make a living at a young age, so she had never seen what a study looked like.

Jia Cong saw the longing in Lingguan's eyes and remembered that the last time she helped him grind ink, she once said that her family was poor when she was a child and had no money to let girls learn to read and study. There was a hint of regret in her words.

Jia Cong remembered these words. A girl as talented and intelligent as Lingguan was strong-willed and proud. In order to avoid being humiliated by singing brothel songs, she even threw away her flower crown and ran away.

What such people think and want in their hearts must be different from those of ordinary girls of the same age and situation, such as learning to read and write like the daughters of officials.

Jia Cong said, "Lingguan, I will stay in Jinling for a while. After I finish my business, I will take you to Shenjing with Miss Zou. There is still a long time in between.

It's quiet here and no one will disturb you. Otherwise, I will teach you how to read. As long as you know a few hundred words, you will be able to read the song book by yourself in the future."

Lingguan's eyes lit up when she heard this, and she said happily: "Great, I have always wanted to learn to read, but no one taught me. Even my master can't recognize a few words. When she was a child, she learned the music by heart bit by bit.

If I learn to read, I can read the music books by myself, and learn a lot of new songs, and then sing them to you. "

Douguan, who was standing by, was so jealous that he jumped up and said, "Teach me too, I want to learn how to read, too!"

Jia Cong recalled that in the original story, Lingguan was more or less literate, but she was already fifteen or sixteen years old at that time.

She is still under 18 and has only been learning opera for a short time, so she probably hasn’t had time to learn to read.

He pulled out a stack of rice paper from the bookshelf, selected two hundred commonly used characters, and wrote them carefully in regular script.

The two little girls were very smart. By the time Jin Cai's maid had cleaned the east wing and replaced the bed curtains and bedding with new ones, Jia Cong had already taught them ten words.

After correcting their pronunciation, he gave each of them a pen and paper and asked them to learn to write the ten new words.

……

Because Lingguan and Douguan had just arrived and had no familiar people around them, for the next few days, Jia Cong went to the Firearms Bureau to handle official business during the day and returned to the old house to stay overnight.

I plan to spend a few days teaching them these commonly used characters and letting them get familiar with the environment before going back to Yuminfang.

Douguan was active by nature, which enabled her to learn to read and remember words very quickly. However, when she concentrated on writing, she became impatient and could not sit still. After writing a few strokes, she would often run to the yard to catch butterflies.

Lingguan studied very hard. She lived in Jia Cong's courtyard and no longer had to wash clothes every day as she was punished to do in the opera troupe, nor did she have to cook for herself.

Every time it was mealtime, a maid would bring food to the study. Apart from learning to read and write, Lingguan didn't have to do any other chores every day. She had never had such a comfortable life.

She felt that after meeting Jia Cong, everything around her was getting better and better. Every time she saw Jia Cong's neatly written calligraphy, she couldn't help but put all her thoughts into it.

After only a few days of Jia Cong's teaching, Lingguan had already recognized more than 200 commonly used characters and could even write them out from memory. Although her handwriting was a little childish, she made almost no mistakes. This talent was very impressive.

……

Jinling, Gongyu Street, Qingyin Pavilion.

When Jia Cong entered the private room on the third floor, Zou Min'er had already prepared a pot of tea. When he came in, she filled the teacup in front of him.

Zou Min'er wore a pine green solid-color double-breasted jacket, a thin silk cross-collared lining, a white skirt embroidered with plum blossoms, and an old copper hairpin in her shiny black bun.

She had a fair face, a beautiful face, clear eyes and eyebrows, and was dazzling. Beside her was the pipa that she rarely left.

After a period of getting used to each other, the knot between them seemed to have temporarily disappeared, at least on the surface.

Now, Miss Qu of Qingyin Pavilion and the guests who often come and go in the pavilion all know that the private room No. B on the third floor has been reserved for a long time by Jia Cong, the Director of the Firearms Bureau.

It was just to meet Madam Zhou who came from the capital. The news that they were traveling to Gusu together had already spread through various channels and circles.

Therefore, Jia Cong often went in and out of Qingyin Pavilion alone, and others were already accustomed to it.

Even if there were people in Jinling City who paid special attention to Jia Cong, they would not have unnecessary doubts about his relationship with Zou Miner.

Because, in the eyes of ordinary people, a talented man and a beautiful woman, who met too late and are inseparable, is the most convincing romantic story.

Jia Cong picked up the tea that Zou Min'er had poured, took a sip, and said, "Can the Central Vehicle Division in Jinling dispatch three or four people who are proficient in the art of investigation and espionage?"

Zou Min'er thought for a moment and said, "Jinling is the hub of Jiangnan. The CRRC Corporation has been operating here for many years. Three or four such people can still be transferred. What use do you have?"

Jia Cong said: “I will arrange fifty men and let them lead the teams. They will teach my people the methods of investigation and espionage, and then go to Changzhou, Gusu, Songjiang and other places.

Search for Zhou Zhengyang's whereabouts and all information related to him."

Zou Miner was shocked and asked, "Fifty people, where did you get so many people?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "I have been sent to Nanjing by secret order to do a mission, so I must be prepared. Do I really have to do it alone? Even if I am made of iron, I can't twist a few nails."

Zou Min'er did not ask much about the origins of Jia Cong's fifty people. She had been in the Imperial Chariot Company for quite some time and had been carefully taught by Du Qingniang.

Knowing that no matter what time it is, things should be done in secrecy, she would never ask in detail unless Jia Cong said it clearly.

She asked, "Would fifty be too many?"

Jia Cong said: "If I wasn't worried about the noise being too loud and attracting the attention of someone with ulterior motives, I could even arrange for more people.

According to Zheng Xiaohai's description, Zhou Zhengyang and his trusted men landed at Haishanzhu in Changzhou, which is only half a day's journey away from Gusu.

Have your men divide these fifty people into several groups, and have them each choose a route between Haishanzhu and Songjiang Prefecture, change their identities, and search and gather information along the way.

Once we have any results, we will receive the news in Jinling within a day."

After hearing this, Zou Miner felt a little skeptical. Even if one rode a horse for a whole day to reach Changzhou, the city closest to Jinling, one might not be able to reach the city.

Jia Cong said that it was a bit unreasonable to receive the news in Jinling within one day.

However, she knew that Jia Cong was not a man who spoke without thinking. Since he said what he said, he must have his own unique way.

(End of this chapter)