I'm in the Red Mansion

Chapter 24 Xue Baochai's Shock
Xue Pan took the portrait and excitedly returned to Lixiangyuan and went straight into Aunt Xue's room.

In the room, Aunt Xue was talking to Xue Baochai. Seeing Xue Pan barging in drunkenly, she frowned and asked:
"You evil creature, where did you get the horse urine from? Why are you being so reckless all day?"

Xue Pan laughed and said, "Mom, sister, come and see the portrait I just asked someone to draw today. Do you think it looks like you?"

(In the book Dream of the Red Chamber, Xue Baochai calls Aunt Xue "Mom")

Xue Pan handed over the portrait as if he was presenting a treasure.

Aunt Xue took the portrait from Xue Pan with disdain, glanced at it casually, and was immediately shocked. She couldn't help but exclaimed.

"Eh? How can this portrait be drawn so realistically?"

"Precious girl, come and take a look."

Seeing Aunt Xue was shocked by the portrait, Xue Pan couldn't help but grin and said, "Mom, how is it? I didn't lie to you, did I?"

After hearing this, Xue Baochai could not help but lean towards Aunt Xue and look at the portrait curiously.

The next moment, Xue Baochai was also shocked.

In fact, her shock was even stronger than that of Xue Pan and Aunt Xue.

Because Xue Baochai has been well-read since childhood, and is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting.

In the eyes of professionals, more details and painting techniques can be seen.

Xue Baochai couldn't help but take the portrait from Aunt Xue, carefully spread it on the table, and looked at it carefully.

After a while, she couldn't help but say, "This kind of painting technique is really amazing and has never been seen before. This kind of brushwork is so magical that it can make the portrait stand out and give people a sense of flesh and blood."

"I wonder which artist painted this picture for you? Why is there no signature? How did you get to know this artist?"

Xue Baochai knew very well what kind of person her brother was.

She really couldn't imagine how her brother got to know such a master.

Xue Pan heard his sister's doubts and couldn't help laughing: "Sister, you are wrong this time."

"How can he be called a master? He is just a small painter who paints portraits on the street. He is not very old, only about fifteen or sixteen years old."

"And he only charges one ounce of silver for painting a portrait. How can he be called a master?"

Hearing Xue Pan's words, Xue Baochai could not help but frown and said, "How is this possible? If this person is so poor that he has to sell paintings on the street to make a living, then that's fine."

"But it is absolutely impossible to say that he is only fifteen or sixteen years old. Although the painting method of this portrait is quite different from that of ordinary portraits, there are also some similarities."

"His brushwork is so sophisticated that it would be impossible to achieve this level without twenty or thirty years of practice. If he is only fifteen or sixteen years old, even if he has been learning to paint since his mother's womb, he would never be able to paint to this level."

Xue Pan laughed and said, "Sister, if you don't believe me, how about I take you to see it for yourself tomorrow?"

"I saw it with my own eyes, how could I be wrong? Oh, by the way, Mom can come with us, and I'll draw a portrait of her as well."

Aunt Xue smiled and said, "If Bao-ya-tou wants to go, just go with your brother tomorrow. I won't join in the fun."

The Xue family is a merchant family, and Xue Baochai will also help out with the family business, so it is inevitable that she has to show up in public.

Therefore, in their family, the separation between men and women is not strict.

When Xue Baochai saw this portrait, she loved it more and more, even to the point of being unable to let it go.

However, it is not a big deal to study my brother's portrait every day. If I can get a portrait, I can also get a glimpse of something from it.

Thinking of this, Xue Baochai could not help saying, "I like this new style very much. So tomorrow I'll have to trouble my brother to accompany me."

Xue Pan smiled and said, "You are my biological sister, what's the point of this? I will take you for a walk tomorrow."

…Jia Cong painted twelve portraits for people today, one more than yesterday.

In total, they received sixty-one taels of silver, of which Xue Pan alone gave fifty taels.

If there is such a sucker - a rich man - every day, he can achieve financial freedom in a few days.

Not long after returning home, Jia Huan came to visit excitedly.

After letting Jia Huan into the study, Jia Huan directly drove Hongxiu out, stealthily took out a few crumpled pieces of paper from his arms and stuffed them into Jia Cong's hands.

"No, this is what you want. I have found it for you."

It's only been a few days, and they've found it already? How efficient!

Jia Cong opened the papers and found that they were crooked and written in detail, recording Shan Daliang's reselling of supplies in the mansion.

As the saying goes, people leave their names behind, and wild geese leave their voices behind. Wherever you go, you leave traces.

There is nothing new in Rongguo Mansion.

Shan Daliang embezzled supplies, and he wanted to sell them for cash.

There are so many people in Rongguo Mansion and it is impossible for him to hide the secret from everyone.

However, they are all blood-sucking worms sucking blood from the Rongguo Mansion, and each has his own way.

As the saying goes, "When you eat noodles, I see them." No one has ever exposed it before.

Aunt Zhao was a know-it-all in the mansion. It only took her a few days to find out all the detailed information.

After reading these records, Jia Cong couldn't help but say with great joy: "Brother Huan, very good, these are very useful to me! Thank you so much this time."

Jia Huan couldn't help but say, "Third Brother Cong, it's too formal to say thank you between brothers. Have you forgotten what you said at the time, that after the matter is done, there will be..."

Jia Huan rubbed his hands and looked at Jia Cong eagerly.

Oh!
By the way, I told him at that time that there would be a reward of ten taels of silver after the task was completed.

I was so happy at the moment that I forgot about this matter.

Jia Cong burst out laughing and hurriedly took out ten silver ingots worth one tael each and gave them to Jia Huan.

Jia Huan took it into his arms with a smile on his face, patted Jia Cong on the shoulder and said:

"Third Brother Cong, if you encounter this kind of thing again, just come to me and I will make sure I can do it for you properly. Now that there is nothing else, I will go back first!"

This guy, when there is something, he calls Cong San Ge, and when there is nothing, he calls Cong Lao San.

Jia Cong sent Jia Huan out.

After Jia Huan returned, he went to Aunt Zhao's courtyard first and drove out all the maids as usual.

Then he took out five silver ingots from his bosom and threw them on the table, saying, "Mother, this is Cong'er's thank-you gift. How is it? I didn't lie to you, did I?"

Aunt Zhao also smiled happily as she quickly put away the five silver ingots. She then said, "Brother Huan, if there is such a good thing next time, just take it."

……

Let’s talk about Jia Cong. After sending Jia Huan away, he returned to the study and re-copied the evidence that Jia Huan sent.

Next, he put away the written paper and walked out.

(End of this chapter)