Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 70: Smashing Jade and Making Trouble in the Boudoir

Coincidentally, Mrs. Wang was talking to the old lady about some trivial matters in the mansion, and Daiyu took the opportunity to leave Rongqing Hall.

Tanchun and Yingchun followed behind.

"Sister Lin, Third Brother Cong has been studying behind closed doors for a while. My second sister and I haven't seen him for a long time. Let's go to Qingzhizhai today when we have time. Why don't we go together?"

Tanchun now has more and more admiration for her cousin Jia Cong, who is capable, self-respecting and ambitious.

She was a woman with lofty ambitions in her heart, and she often fantasized that if she were a successful man, she would look like Jia Cong.

Jia Cong is almost the embodiment of an ambitious man in her mind. She loves him so much that she even admires him more than her own brother Baoyu.

She saw Daiyu secretly helping Jia Cong in Rongqing Hall today. Although it was later disrupted by Sister Feng, she felt closer to Daiyu than before.

Daiyu smiled and said, "I think Tan-maid is the one who suits my taste. I need a nice calligraphy piece to hang in my room, so I'd better go and ask He Cong for one."

In Qingzhizhai, there are lush bamboos and quiet windows, with the sound of chanting and reading faintly echoing.

Outside in the yard, Si'er was trimming the flowers and plants, and Juan'er was sweeping the yard.

In the calligraphy in the east wing, Jia Cong was concentrating on reading and copying notes from time to time.

Qingwen was doing needlework beside her, while Wu'er was concentrating on brewing a pot of fragrant tea, which was the Yunwujian tea that He Qingzhu had someone send her yesterday.

It is said that it was picked by his good friend from the mountains in the south, and was named after the old tea that grows on the mountain top surrounded by smoke.

When Tanchun and others entered the room, they smelled the intoxicating fragrance of tea.

Tanchun laughed and said, "Brother Cong made such a delicious tea. Could it be that he knew we were coming and even prepared the tea in advance?"

Daiyu glanced at Wu'er who was making tea.

Smiling, he said, "Only Wu'er is so skillful and takes good care of Third Brother Cong. He can also make such a fragrant tea. No wonder Third Brother only concentrates on studying and doesn't bother to ask about what's happening outside the window."

Jia Cong was slightly stunned, as if he heard something else in Daiyu's words.

Wu Er's pretty face blushed a little, and she was as lovely as a lotus flower: "Miss Lin is making fun of you."

Yingchun understood the meaning of Daiyu's words. She felt it was not appropriate to say it in front of so many people, so she thought about turning back and coming over alone to remind brother Cong.

Since Tanchun heard Baoyu asking for Wu'er in Rongqing Hall, she became more curious and pulled her aside to talk. She saw that she had an unparalleled pretty face and spoke in a delicate and gentle manner. She was indeed a very good girl and no wonder she was loved by everyone.

Tanchun thought that her third brother Cong would definitely not be willing to part with such a person, so she went back to find Baoyu and persuade him to give up the idea, so as to avoid any rift between the brothers because of this matter.

Daiyu said, "Third Brother Cong, my room is in need of a nice calligraphy piece, so I came here today to ask for one."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "I don't know what words Sister Lin wants. I have been busy studying recently and haven't written any new poems."

Daiyu said, "Just write a large copy for me of the few lines of poetry you wrote that day."

"That poem was written casually in my spare time. The words are sharp and stiff. It would be a shame to hang it in Lin Daiyu's boudoir. When I think of a better one, I will write it for you."

"That's not necessary. I just like the novelty of the poem. I think Third Brother Cong felt a sense of injustice when he wrote it. I hope Third Brother will have good luck in the future and everything will go smoothly."

Jia Cong's heart moved. It was said that Daiyu was more intelligent than Bi Gan, and it turned out to be absolutely true.

One can actually tell the mood in which he wrote those lines of poetry, and maybe one can also see some clues about what happened in the past few days.

When I heard her say that everything would be fine after bad times, I knew that she meant well. I was usually closer to Tanchun and Yingchun, and I had only met Daiyu very rarely, but I didn't expect her to be such a close friend.

When Baoyu left Rongqing Hall, he did not see Daiyu. He asked the maid outside the Chuifa Gate, and she said that Miss Lin and the second and third ladies had gone to Qingzhizhai.

Baoyu's heart sank when he heard this. Could it be that Sister Lin had changed her mind and was now as close to Jia Cong as her second and third sisters? Thinking of this, he became panicked and headed straight for Qingzhizhai. On the way, he met Daiyu's maid Zijuan, who said that the girl had returned from Qingzhizhai.

In Qingzhizhai, Jia Cong took out a blank scroll and some other things and was mounting a newly written scroll. This was a family skill he had learned in his previous life.

Wu'er and Qingwen watched curiously from the side, wondering how the Third Master even understood this.

When Baoyu heard that Sister Lin had gone back, he turned around and went to Daiyu's room.

When he entered the room, he saw Daiyu looking for a book on the bookshelf, so he said, "I wanted to talk to you just now, but you went to Qingzhizhai just now."

Daiyu frowned slightly and said, "I just came back and asked Third Brother Cong for a piece of calligraphy to hang.

You are not staying in Rongqing Hall with the old lady, so why are you here? I don't have any pretty girls here for you to miss."

Baoyu was used to Daiyu's temper, but today he found it irritating: "Since my sister doesn't like me taking Jia Cong's maid, I don't want her.

There is no need to be angry with me for that irrelevant person."

When Daiyu heard him talking about unrelated people, her heart trembled involuntarily, and her tone was a little cold: "Whether you want someone else's maid or not is none of my business.

But Wu'er is the dear maid of Brother Cong San. A gentleman does not take away someone else's love. I advise you not to use those methods, lest you create rifts between your brothers. It's not worth it."

What Baoyu cares about most is Lin Daiyu's feelings. Now, when he listens to her words, he feels an indescribable sense of alienation.

His face turned pale and he said angrily, "Just now in Rongqing Hall, when you said those words, I thought I was just being suspicious, but I didn't expect you to really side with Jia Cong!"

Daiyu's pretty face flushed, and she said angrily, "Why do you have to frame me like this? I have only met Third Brother Cong a few times, why are you siding with him? I am just reasoning with you."

Seeing Daiyu's face turn pale and she became very emotional, Baoyu couldn't help coughing. He felt a little sorry for her and swallowed the rest of his words.

Suddenly I saw a small piece of rice paper on Daiyu's desk.

There were neat folds on the paper, which had been carefully pressed with two Xiangfei bamboo rulers. The edges of the paper were a little fuzzy, probably because Daiyu often rubbed it in her hands.

Baoyu recognized at a glance that it was the poem written by Jia Cong that day. Jia Cong was about to tear it up, but Daiyu asked for it back. It seems that after that day, Daiyu often took it out to read.

An uncontrollable feeling of grief and indignation rose in his heart, and he said, "You said you didn't side with Jia Cong, but what's the meaning of keeping his writings by your side?"

When Daiyu saw Baoyu pointing angrily at the words on the table, her face turned pale.

"My sister and I grew up together, eating at the same table, living in the same room, being close and friendly, and getting along well with each other, which makes us better than others.

Unexpectedly, now that my sister has grown up, she no longer takes me seriously, but instead cares about Jia Cong from the Third Route Army.

You all think he is a good person, but he is nothing more than a traitor to the country and a corrupt official. You...you even use those words to stab me, I really have no place to complain!"

Daiyu was originally coughing with a flushed face, but the more she listened to Baoyu's naughty words, the angrier she became, and her face turned a frighteningly pale color.

Zijuan, who was standing by, was frightened and worried that if Baoyu continued talking, he would really anger the girl to death.

Before Zijuan could persuade Baoyu, he became more and more immersed in the play and pulled off the jade from the golden lock on his chest.

He said angrily: "What are you talking about whether you are psychic or not? If you are psychic, why would your sister dislike you? I will smash this useless thing of yours today and be done with it!"

As he said this, he smashed it hard on the ground, but the ground was covered with thick wool carpet, and it was probably impossible to break it.

　The plot has been basically laid out, the protagonist's predicament in the Jia Mansion will end, the subsequent plot will be on the rise, there will be ups and downs, but it will not be as tragic as the previous ones..., please collect and support.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)