Alternative Telling of Dream of Red Mansions: Cherishing Spring

Chapter 3
The next morning, the sky was very bright.The entire Rongning Street is still quiet, like a frozen river.

At this time, even the people who get up early to do small business have not yet woken up, not to mention these men from the noble family.

The beast head gate of Ning Mansion was closed, only two stone lions stared vigilantly at the street.With a slight sound, the east corner door opened.There was a sound of corsets beating thousands, and several concierges fell to their knees.

"Master, where are you going to get up this early, do you want a little waiter?"

Jia Zhen didn't say a word, she stepped on the servant's back and rode the horse towards the intersection of Rongning Street.

"Don't let the inside know about your grandfather's going out, just say one more word, and carefully expose your skin!"

The little housekeeper, Yu Lu, told him to get on his horse.A few servants followed closely behind.There was a clattering sound, and several horses left Rongning Street back and forth.

Jia Zhen's feet were fast, and everyone fell behind, urging their horses in a muffled voice.Among them was a young servant who was always favored by Jia Zhen. He was young and couldn't bear his temper. He hurriedly asked, "Uncle Yu, where are you going?"

Yu Lu's face sank, and he shouted: "Is it right for us to ask questions about my master? Just go, children use their ears more and less their mouths."

The boy stuck out his tongue and didn't dare to say more.

Jia Zhen was very preoccupied on the horse, and rushed towards the Xuanzhen Temple outside the city.

Outside the bleak ancient city of Jinling, bleak fallen leaves fluttered everywhere.The sky is gloomy, just like Jia Zhen's gloomy mood for a long time.I don't know when it started to rain. The cold autumn rain fell silently on the cold stone road and on the withered and yellow leaves everywhere.The rain was very dense, and Jia Zhen's face was completely wet after a while.

He couldn't close his eyes, and couldn't see Ke Qing's figure hanging on the sorghum. The three words "Tianxiang Tower" dangled in his mind, sometimes far away and now near.There was a dagger in front of him, and he couldn't close his eyes every night.

Buried deep in my heart, it originally belonged to the pain of two people.But Qing died, and he was the only one left to carry it.Thinking of Keqing's death, he once again felt the bloody pain in his body, which cannot be ignored!The tough man broke down and wanted to cry again.

Xuanzhen looked outside, Jia Zhen got off her horse, told the servants to wait, then swept off her robe and went into the inner courtyard.

"The Taoist priest is in Qingxiu, please don't disturb me." At the door of the quiet room in the inner courtyard, the head of the chief's little boy Jishou saluted.

"Thank you, I'll wait." Jia Zhen was humble and polite.He has not forgotten his identity.You like to carry birds in cages, and it is your business to spread eagles and fight dogs.All you have to do at home is make a fuss, and everyone's sons and daughters can't go wrong with their etiquette outside.Those who are sloppy and messy are either shabby and incompetent dudes.He is the backbone of the dignified Ning Mansion, a hereditary general of the third rank, he doesn't want to be like Xue Pan and leave his words for irrelevant people to chew on his tongue.

After waiting for a while, Xiao Daotong invited him in.Jia Zhen entered the quiet room and saw his father, Jia Jing, holding a Taoist book and muttering to himself.The quiet room is very grand and spacious, and it was specially set up by the temple for Mr. Jia. There is one for Qi training and the other for alchemy.

Jia Zhen stepped forward to invite Ann, and stood aside with her hands down, not daring to speak out.

Jia Jing read the book for a while, then put down the book and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Jia Zhen's face changed, and she still said quietly: "Returning to my father, my son and daughter-in-law died last night."

Jia Jing hummed, then lowered his head to read the book again, and said: "Understood, the deceased is dead, you have to mourn yourself. Go back. Wait for me to save her at night." He closed his eyes and muttered for a while, and opened his eyes. Seeing that Jia Zhen was still standing in front of her, "Is there anything else you need? Go back, I want to clean up." After finishing speaking, he closed his eyes again and announced, "Buddha of Infinite Life."

Jia Zhen stared at him and said, "Son, I have something to ask!" After speaking, she stood still.

Jia Jing showed an indisputable smile on his face: "My son! What are you talking about? Now you are in charge of the house, and you can take whatever you want, and I can't stop you. Why bother to come and ask me?"

Jia Zhen laughed, her voice was dry, hard and dry, with a bit of uncontrollable anger.This old man was playing tricks on him, but he pretended not to know, so he made it clear!
"Keqing is dead!" Jia Zhen said loudly.

He watched him steadily.Jia Jing raised his eyes and saw Jia Zhen's gaze, his heart trembled, and he bowed his head to recite the scriptures.

Jia Zhen stood there, feeling ups and downs.He said again with hatred: "A few nights ago, my father went back."

Jia Jing was noncommittal, closing his eyes and chanting.

"Son knows! Father not only turned back! He even... went to Tianxiang Tower! You..." Jia Zhen looked at Jia Jing's old and callous face, and he was angry, spitting out his resentment like a volcano.The secret in his heart was churning like magma, burning his heart hard and scorching hot, to the point that he couldn't bear it.

He said coldly, as if announcing an anecdote about another family's palace: "You looked for Keqing again, but Ruizhu broke through. Ruizhu is dead in the coffin now, but she is astute! Knowing that she is alive, no one will let her go! Keqing is also dead, hanged to death in Tianxiang Tower! You old bastard who kills thousands of knives! You promise me that you will never touch Keqing again! You come here to become a monk, and I will provide you with delicious food and drink! You repair you Dao, you became your fairy, why did you go back and destroy Keqing and me?"

Jia Jing stopped pulling the rosary. He opened his eyes and looked at Jia Zhen silently.His demeanor is not the peace brought about by cultivating Taoism, but the certainty of victory.

"Zhener's words are so clever! Keqing is a beauty. You don't know this Dongfu, or I don't? To tell you the truth, I knew that Keqing was not an ordinary girl as a father. It would be a pity to be enjoyed by you alone! It's just for my father. Old people have to give in. If it had been a few years earlier..." Jia Jing stood up, and reprimanded his son with the demeanor of the old master of Ningfu, "Furthermore, did you give Keqing to me for no reason? You and I both know that Keqing's death is only related to me, right? That night..."

When Jia Zhen remembered, he seemed to have just remembered something.Jia Jing's words were like a hand, pulling that incident out of his memory nakedly.

In that wing, Keqing was waiting for him in the red silk tent, bathed in fragrant flowers, wearing only a tube top, like a candy, lying there pure and sweet, waiting for him to taste it.

"Ke Qing, my Ke Qing!" He admired and prepared to go up to her.

The spring is full of beauty, and the gate can't be closed anymore, and the flounder is waiting for a double flight.Ke Qing suddenly pushed him with his hands: "Look, there are people outside."

When he saw it, there was a figure flashing by outside the window, a thin and short figure, Jia Zhen didn't think it was different: "It must be a maid."

He hugged Ke Qing again and begged for sex, but Ke Qing half pushed and half agreed, his face flushed, and he smiled angrily: "You are a pervert, and you don't shy away from others, how good is it to be seen?"

Jia Zhen laughed loudly: "Who dares, I gouged out his eyeballs, dear, give it to me." He couldn't wait any longer.

"You are the overlord." Ke Qing smiled and bit his shoulder, wrapping around his body like a vine.

Interest is growing.All of a sudden, the servant girl outside sent a message: "The master is calling."

Although he was displeased, he did not dare to be negligent, and rushed to serve him dressed neatly.

"Father! But are you feeling unwell? My son, please call someone from the Imperial Hospital for consultation." He stood with his hands down.The main room is dimly lit.

"Son! It's okay." Jia Jing leaned on the half-worn blue satin backrest and led the pillow with a look of old age, and said with deep emotion, "I am an old man, and today I listened to Taoism books, and I seemed to understand something, and measured it I want to go to Xuanzhen Temple outside the city to practice, but I can't let go of this idle job, after all, it's Zuyin."

The resentment in her heart quickly disappeared, and Jia Zhen's heart beat wildly.Joy is like the ripples on the surface of water, expanding and expanding.He was about to blurt out: "It's okay, I have a son." The words stopped on his lips.The heart has desires, but the mouth does not speak.Why do you forget to cultivate your kung fu when things come to an end?

"The son wishes his father good health and a long life."

"That's not the case, my son, my father intentionally gave you this ancestral shade, are you willing?"

"Father killed my son. With my father around, I dare not think about it. I hope my father will have mercy and don't kill my son!" Jia Zhen knelt down, and at this point in the play, he suddenly said half-truly After coming here for a while, I almost moved myself.

Jia Jing was obviously satisfied with his performance, a fresh smile appeared on his thin face, like a dead branch suddenly blooming, Jia Zhen's heart trembled when he saw it.Jia Jing let out a long breath, as if he wanted to make up his mind in this breath.

He waited.

Jia Zhen also waited.He knew there was more to come.

"Zhen'er, father wants something from you. If you agree, father and I will go to practice Taoism, and I will be at peace." Jia Jing smiled, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.

Jia Zhen felt that smile was a little dark and unfathomable.He could only smile, say something that didn't make sense, and play it by ear.

"Father wants to kill his son, isn't he! The son's life is given by the father. It belongs to the son. If the father takes it away, the son will never dare to complain."

"Okay, okay! My son is really benevolent and filial!" Jia Jing smiled contentedly, and that was what he cast his net and waited for.

He came over and patted Jia Zhen on the shoulder: "I am so relieved for my father!" He looked at Jia Zhen and said, "I want a piece of clothing for my son."

Jia Zhen was stunned...

"You are not clothes!" Jia Zhen said earnestly.The past and the past made him hate deeply, and he wished to cut the old man in front of him with a knife.pain!The pain bursting like a surging sea flooded over the embankment, once again impregnated his heart riddled with holes.

He regretted why he agreed to this ugly deal because of his fame.

I hesitated, I regretted it, but in the end, I agreed to him.

Jia Zhen didn't know how she got out of the upper room, he seemed to be stepping in a swamp, every step was empty, every step was about to sink into the depths, beyond redemption.

His father has a habit of listening to the bed, that's all, and now he proposes to him that he wants to use his woman, Qin Ke Qing.

The sky gradually cleared up, and the mountain trees that were originally hazy also became clear, standing gracefully in the drizzle.The cold autumn rain was the most intrusive. Everyone got up very early with Jia Zhen. They didn't have much heat in their bodies. Seeing that Jia Zhen hadn't returned for several hours, she was too cold to stand, and she shrank her hands and stomped her feet under the porch.

Xiao Daotong, who had known about it for a long time, repeatedly invited them to rest inside.The boys were overjoyed, but they were stopped by Yu Lu, who stopped them running around like monkeys.

The servants are all half-grown boys, hozen who have no way of learning, how can they be more mature and prudent than Yu Lu.The boy who asked the question on the horse dawdled for a while, and then complained again: "Uncle Yu, let us go in and rest for a while, it's thanks to you to get rid of the cold." After saying this, he bowed again and again, lowered his head, and burrowed inside .

Yu Lu had expected that he would have such a hand, so he pulled him over with his hand, and twisted his ears after changing hands, until the boy screamed for mercy.

But Yu Lu didn't let go, he knew that if he didn't teach him a lesson, these boys wouldn't take his words seriously.He glanced at the remaining servants with a stern face, and shouted: "You are here! You are getting more and more vigorous! You who rely on the wind to do evil, I dote on you, do you think you are a big deal, don't you! Let's talk slowly today It's you, even if there are more prestigious people in the mansion, you have to wait outside! Didn't you understand what the master said?"

Lai Yi'er kept screaming for pain, and Yu Lu let go of his hand.Although the words were harsh, he was not willing to offend these boys easily.They are tired of Jia Zhen's side every day, and it's not worthwhile to see the defendant in bad shape.

Lai Yi'er rubbed her ears, her eyes were red with grievance.He is a boy who is as handsome as a girl, with a pink face and red lips, and he is tactful and pitiful when he cries.Seeing him crying pitifully, Yu Lu knew that he was Jia Zhen's caring person, so he quickly slowed down his tone and lowered his status to coax him: "Lai Yier, Lai Yier...you unrepentant boy, you should wait on him." Master, why are you crying like this?"

Laiyi'er ignored him and just cried while pulling her sleeves.Yu Lu took out a handkerchief to wipe away his tears as if coaxing his own child.What he took out was a brand-new embroidered handkerchief, a top-notch Suzhou embroidery piece, which Jia Zhen gave him as a casual gift, no, before he had time to give it to his family, he kept it on his body all the time, and it will come in handy today.

Lai Yi'er is a child after all, how can she stand up to Yu Lu's soft and hard rubbing, she shed tears early.The child has shallow eyelids, staring at the embroidered handkerchief.Yu Lu smiled, and generously handed him the embroidered handkerchief: "Take it if you like it."

Lai Yi'er was startled and overjoyed, he forgot about Yu Lu twisting his ear, forgot the pain, and asked with the handkerchief, "Such a good handkerchief, for me?" Yu Lu is one of the stewards of the Ning Mansion, Jia Zhen's close confidant is powerful and powerful, and they all know it.Now that Yu Lu treats him so well, how can he not be moved.

Yu Lu smiled: "Do you think your Master Yu looks like a person who doesn't talk?"

Lai Yier was overjoyed, hurriedly knelt down to Yu Lu, and said happily, "Thank you for your reward!"

Yu Lu was kneeled by him, and hurriedly pulled him up again, and said with a smile, "It hurts to kneel carefully. Look, you little monkey is very clever. I can't blame Master Zhen for loving you."

He had already calculated that he would not take such a good embroidery home to that bad woman, wouldn't that be a waste of things?It's good for Lai Yier, Lai Yier is grateful for his kindness when he uses things, even if Jia Zhen sees it for a while, it doesn't matter, because it's for the person he likes, will the benefits be less for him in the future?
Right now, Yi'er is docile to him.

Yu Lu sighed, and seemed to speak earnestly: "You little people, you are young after all, how do you know the difficulty of serving others. I still stand and answer inside, and stand outside the courtyard for half an hour, let alone you and me? I am here to deal with business , it’s better than taking you and me around in teahouses and restaurants on weekdays. I’d rather be cold than make a mistake. You and I both know my master’s temper. Let’s vent our anger on others. Why can you be so delicate and tender? "

I was very grateful for what I said from the bottom of my heart, and said with red eyes: "I know Master Yu loves me, and I will listen to you from now on, and I don't dare to be aggressive anymore. Even in front of Master, we will listen to you."

Although the intention of coming here is small, it is also the leader of several servants. When he said this, the servants who followed him nodded repeatedly.Yu Lu subdued them, feeling relieved, and was about to speak when he saw a car coming from the other side of the road.Sitting outside the car was Lin Zhixiao's family.When Yu Lu saw it, he was quite surprised, thinking that some female family member had come out.If it's the second master Bao, there's no need for Mrs. Lin to come out with her.

He made a wink, and everyone cheered up and waited there respectfully, waiting for someone to get off the car.

The car arrives.The people in the car did not get out of the car.

Yu Lu went up to welcome Mrs. Lin to get off the car.Lin Zhixiao's family got out of the car, and without being polite, just said: "You guys go in, and those who should stay out of the way, and strangers are not allowed to come in. Fourth Miss came to see Mrs. Jing, so don't be careless."

Everyone agreed and went in to get busy.

Lin Zhixiao's family stood under the car and replied: "Miss Si, I have ordered them to prepare, and you will come down after cleaning."

The people in the car made a sound, but it was a mandarin duck's voice: "Thank you, ma'am, tell them to be more careful, the girl should not be surprised, I will talk to the fourth girl, just take it slow, it's okay."

Sitting in the car, Xichun's face was as white as porcelain, but her expression was still steady. She looked at the mandarin duck and smiled slightly, her smile was as cold as a pear blossom.Yuanyang looked at her and thought: People say Miss Si is a cold person, it is true, even when she smiles, she is cold.Fourth Miss's frosty temper probably has something to do with her motherlessness since she was a child. Miss Lin is also a person who lost her mother since she was a child, and she is also cold and cold.

But Yuanyang is a decent person, she never lightly says that others are not.Slowly changing his mind, he just felt more pity for Xichun.Xichun's hands were cold, holding the mandarin duck in his hand, she didn't feel distressed, and said warmly: "Girl, you are young and weak, and you were tired all night last night, you have to love yourself more..."

Xichun still had such a cold and clear face, with a cold and clear smile, only a little warmth in his eyes.

She knows that mandarin ducks are not snobbish.Yuanyang still helped her, otherwise the old grandmother would not let her out at ease.

"Sister Yuanyang." She said calmly, "I haven't seen my father for a long time, and I don't know if my father is well." She didn't like to accept pity from others, so she turned the words slightly to Jia Jing.

Yuanyang had nothing to say, but nodded silently, looking at this young lady who was younger than herself, she was stubborn and pitiful, but she didn't like to be comforted.It's not easy for Yuanyang to say anything, the two of them were silently thinking about something in the car.

For a while, Yu Lu and the others made arrangements and ran out from the temple to answer.Lin Zhixiao's family stood under the car and replied: "Miss Si, I'm ready."

Yuanyang stood up and bent over to help Xichun get off the car.She heard Xichun whisper in her ear, "Thank you."

Yuanyang was startled.

As for Xichun, she regained that expression of indifference like a pear blossom.

Xichun got out of the car and went in accompanied by Yuanyang, while Lin Zhixiao's family was waiting in the car.

The temple seems to have been washed, empty from the inside to the outside.Those men who chanted and meditated all disappeared like faith.It was so quiet that only the sound of raindrops on the leaves and from between the leaves to the ground could be heard.

The rain is empty.

When Xichun thought of going out of Ningguo Mansion, her grandmother sent someone to pick her up. She sat in a sedan chair and looked out through the screen window. The rain rolled down yellow leaves, and the people all over the street couldn't cheer up.Xichun, locked in her boudoir and ignorant of the world, she saw bleak faces.She saw the bleak life spread out in front of her like a bleak scroll.

People are like Ping Ping in the water, rootless, and continue their wandering with confusion and helplessness.On this autumn rainy morning, 15-year-old Xichun suddenly felt much older.

Qin Keqing is dead.Xichun felt that her roots were in labor pain, and they were completely, completely broken.She can fall from the sky like a white mandala flower when the Buddha preaches, and she can have nothing to do with this world.

She suddenly wanted to see Jia Jing, to see if the person who gave her life lived in peace and comfort; she suddenly wanted to know whether Qin Keqing felt sad or guilty when he died.

This idea was like a firewood, burning more and more in her heart.

When she returned to Rongguo Mansion to report back to Mother Jia, she couldn't restrain herself from speaking out.

Jia's mother was not angry. Most of the time, she was calm and serene.If at her age, if she still has the same temper as Feng Lazi, it can only show that her life has been in turmoil, and life cannot give her peace.

She just shook her head slightly, hugged Xichun in her arms, ordered someone to soak her feet, rub her legs, and screamed heartily.

"Si girl, you are a girl's family, how can you do it in a Taoist temple? If a little Taoist priest scares you, it will be terrible."

Xichun didn't talk back, just said softly: "Old ancestor, I want to see my father." After speaking, tears fell down.

Mother Jia sighed: "It makes sense to go to see your father. I have no reason not to stop you from going. Is it just a must today? Grandma arranges another time and asks Xuanzhen Temple to arrange it properly. I will accompany you." Is it up to you?"

Xichun knelt heavily, her knee felt numb and painful, it must have been swollen, but she couldn't care less!

"Who am I? How dare I bother my ancestors. Please let me go." She wept and sobbed, her thin body trembling.

(End of this chapter)