Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 97 Good wind relies on strength
By the time it was getting dark that day, all the people who had come to congratulate him had left.

A small banquet was set up in Tanchun's room, and Daiyu, Yingchun, Shi Xiangyun and Xichun were all present.

Of course Baoyu couldn't be missing, although he didn't want to come.

Not only did Jia Cong study the corrupt books of the traitor Lu Gui in the academy for two years, but he actually got admitted to school. This was really frustrating for Baoyu.

Although he disliked Jia Conglu more and more, since all the sisters had gone and Lin Daiyu was also going, he had no choice but to go reluctantly.

Tanchun knew that her eldest sister-in-law liked Jia Lan and Cong's third brother to be close because of his love of reading. Now that the third brother has won the first place in the case, she was afraid that her eldest sister-in-law would be even more willing.

So he asked the secretary to ask Li Gongcai to bring Jia Lan along.

Jia Cong knew that his sisters were going to host a party to celebrate for him, so he asked Wu'er to go to the kitchen to make arrangements in advance and asked Sister Liu to prepare thirty plates of fruit dishes and a small jar of fruit wine.

When it was time to light the lamps, the maid Cui Mo and others hung up six palace lanterns and lit the candles on the candlesticks one by one. The lights were bright and the room was full of light.

Tanchun laughed and said, "I heard that there were three or four thousand students taking part in the college entrance examination, but it was Third Brother who won first place. Could it be that Wenqu really came down to earth as mentioned in the opera?"

Jia Cong laughed and said, "Third sister, you are too much. For things like exams, you need to study hard and luck is also very important. I am just luckier than others."

"Third brother is too modest. I offer this glass of wine to you and wish you success in the imperial examination soon."

Jia Cong raised his glass hastily, but Tanchun stopped him with a smile: "The Jia family has never had a first prize winner. Today, Jia is the first prize winner, so take a sip from this first cup in my hand to show your joy for winning the first prize."

The sisters applauded, and Jia Cong did not hesitate to take a sip from the wine glass in Tanchun's hand.

Next came Yingchun, who was beaming with joy. She was delighted that her younger brother was so capable as to take the first place in the examination for the first time, and she asked Jia Cong to drink half a cup of wine.

Daiyu also had a slightly dizzy face and raised her glass to let Jia Cong take two sips.

Shi Xiangyun was very generous. Not only did she take a bite of Jia Cong's tea, she also poured herself another cup to cheer herself up. No wonder the story of "Sleeping Drunk on the Begonia Tree" happened later.

Things were more interesting when it came to Xichun. She was only a few years older than Jia Lan, and was very childish. She had to stand on the kang to feed the wine to Jia Cong, which made the other sisters laugh.

This scene made Baoyu feel sad. Now all his sisters in the family were good friends with Jia Cong, and he was almost becoming a lonely widower.

Jia Cong poured wine and toasted Yingchun and Li Wan, because they were older than him. He also drank a cup with his sisters, and the atmosphere of the banquet became lively.

Li Gongcai, who was standing by, smiled and said to Jia Lan, "Lan'er, you must remember what happened today. When you grow up, you must study hard like your uncle Cong and win the first prize at a young age."

Jia Lan was still a young child at that time, and actually didn't quite understand what his mother said, but he was always obedient, so he just nodded as if he understood, not quite understanding.

Jia Cong sighed in his heart, thinking that Li Wan was too much of a preacher. Her son was not much taller than a stool, but she had such heavy expectations for him. This child would probably live a monotonous and hard life in the future.

At the banquet, he listened to the sisters talking about interesting things in the boudoir, and also asked him to talk about what he had seen and heard in Qingshan Academy.

The small banquet lasted for nearly two hours, until the wine and food were finished.

Daiyu suddenly said, "When Third Brother Cong wrote that divination song, it was well known in the capital, but I haven't seen any new works from you in the past few years. You are hiding your talent and don't show others your good works."

Jia Cong was stunned when he heard this. In the past few years, he had read the Four Books and Five Classics thoroughly and his mind was on the imperial examination. However, there was no test poetry item in the imperial examination of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

In order to concentrate on his studies and avoid attracting attention, he has not written any poetry in the past two years.

Besides, with all the beautiful things in my heart, I would not pay attention to ordinary poems. Even if I try my best to write them, it would be like imitating someone ugly.

Tanchun smiled and said, "Sister Lin is right. I haven't seen any new work from my third brother in the past two years. Today you have won the first place, so you should write a poem to express your feelings."

Seeing that Daiyu and Tanchun were in high spirits, and Yingchun, Li Wan and even Xichun seemed to be looking forward to it, Jia Cong didn't want to spoil everyone's interest.

He went to Tanchun's desk, took some paper and ink, and started writing.

Linjiangxian. Willow Catkins
Spring dances in front of the White Jade Hall, and the east wind blows evenly. Bees and butterflies swarm around in disorder. How many times have they followed the flowing water? Why must they be abandoned to the dust?

Ten thousand threads will never change, let them gather and separate as they please. Don't laugh at the youthful beauty that has no roots. The good wind will help me soar to the sky.

Daiyu, Tanchun and others were surprised to see that he did not think about it at all. They did not know whether Third Brother Cong was extremely talented or had a draft in mind, but he wrote without thinking. When Jia Cong finished writing, Daiyu, Tanchun and others gathered around to recite it. They felt that this Linjiangxian was written in such a detailed way that it seemed to infect their hearts.

Don’t laugh at the fact that youth has no roots. Good wind will help me soar to the sky.

It's really appropriate. Isn't it just the hardworking and thoughtful self-report of Brother Cong over the years?

Jia Cong sighed inwardly: Mr. Cao, I'm sorry.

The lines in this poem are similar to his situation in recent years and can be considered appropriate.

……

The next morning, people from the Baoling Marquisate, the Zhongjing Marquisate, and other officials and nobles who were on good terms with the Jia family came to express their congratulations.

Originally, Jia Cong wanted to stay in the Jia Mansion for a few days and then return to Luocang Mountain, but now he is the protagonist, and many of those who come to congratulate him are either rich or noble, so they always have to be received by him, the person concerned.

So the plan of going back to the mountains to study was delayed.

Of course, there was something he didn't know. The person who came to congratulate Baoling Hou was not his family, but Baoling Hou's wife, Chen.

She even mentioned Shi Xiangyun's marriage in front of Lady Jia.

Shi Xiangyun lost both her parents when she was young and was raised by the second branch of the Shi family.

Baoling Marquis Shi Nai was a mediocre person by nature. The Baoling Marquisate had been wealthy for decades, but Shi Nai was not good at running a business, so the life of the Marquisate was only superficially glorious.

Shi Xiangyun's parents had both passed away, so she might be a hindrance to marrying into a wealthy family in the future. As the eldest daughter of Marquis Shi, she could not marry down from her parents' family.

Although Shi Xiangyun is still young, Mrs. Chen, the wife of Baolinghou, has already started to worry about her. Although she is not her biological daughter, she raised her since childhood after all.

Although he asked her to do some needlework to support himself, he still felt sorry for her.

A few days ago, Chen saw Jia Cong in Rongqing Hall. His extraordinary appearance made her unforgettable. If such an outstanding young man had not come from a humble family, he would have been approached by others long ago.

I heard these days that he had ranked first in the Yongzhou Academy Examination, which is even more amazing. Looking at Jia Cong's response in Rongqing Hall that day, he is also a man who can establish himself on the throne.

Although Shi Xiangyun had been raised by her aunt since she was a child and was childhood sweethearts with Baoyu, Baoyu was the eldest grandson of the Rongguo Mansion. As Xiangyun's parents were both dead, there was no hope for her.

But it’s different when it comes to Jia Cong. Jia Cong’s background just offsets Shi Xiangyun’s shortcomings.

If it weren't for his background, someone would have probably coveted her with his talent and beauty, so he began to have some ideas.

But as soon as she revealed the hint, Grandmother Jia said that Yun'er was still young and it would not be too late in a few years, implying that she did not like Jia Cong.

Chen was also puzzled. Other families would cherish such an outstanding grandson, but her aunt did not care much about him. So she had to let the matter go for the time being.

……

Baoyu went to Tanchun's room to attend Jia Cong's celebratory banquet, and was depressed when he came back.

I feel that things in the mansion have changed now. As for when things started to change, it was after Jia Cong moved to the West Mansion.

That man was not only good-looking, but he could also write beautiful poems and please the sisters.

He went to the academy to read those corrupt books written by those corrupt officials who were greedy for money. He originally looked down on them, but he never expected that he would get the first place in the exam by relying on these corrupt materials.

Now people all over the world are congratulating him, even Lin Daiyu looks at him differently.

It is me, an innocent person who does not want to fall, who has become a lonely ghost ignored by everyone.

Mrs. Wang saw that Baoyu was absent-minded and asked him about it. She found out that it was because Jia Cong won the first place in the exam, so the sisters in the garden hosted a party to congratulate Jia Cong and invited Baoyu to go with them. As a result, Baoyu became like this after returning.

No one knows a son better than his mother. How could Mrs. Wang not know why Baoyu behaved like this? Her son was born with a jade in his mouth and was so precious, but now he had to suffer such humiliation.

He felt resentful again. If this continued, the whole world of the Jia family would be changed!
(End of this chapter)