The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 180 Martial Arts Practice
Rongguo Mansion, Grandmother Jia's courtyard.

The old lady was very saddened to hear that Baoyu had been beaten by Er'er.

She vaguely guessed what her second son was thinking, but had no clue.

He married a wife who was not virtuous!
It's also her fault; she chose Wang, that troublemaker, for him in the first place.

If he had married someone even slightly more virtuous, even if his second son was incredibly stupid, he wouldn't have ended up in this state.

But what to do?

Wang has already given birth to three children for the Jia family.

Pearl will be taking the civil service exam next year, while Yuan Chun is already a Marquis's wife.

The two children are older now, and Er'er's mistakes are obvious and cannot be hidden from them. So when Er'er sees these two children, he is probably very flustered and short of breath.

Only Baoyu was different.

Baoyu is still young.

Because of that jade, his future prospects were largely ruined, so wouldn't Er'er vent all his anger on him?
The old lady sighed, but didn't think of stopping it.

It's an old tradition in the Jia family to beat their sons.

Zhen'er from the East Mansion was beaten from childhood to adulthood.

Even a smart child like Jia Jing was beaten.

In contrast, the Duke of the Western Mansion was relatively more lenient with his sons because he had been beaten a lot when he was young.

When it came to She'er and Zheng'er, the children were beaten even less often.

now……

Let's fight then!

Who made Baoyu Wang's son?
It's because he's still young.

Moreover, since being urged by Er'er, Baoyu has indeed made more progress in his studies.

Grandmother Jia could only keep one eye open and the other closed.

But while she was trying to comfort herself, she didn't expect that Shen Ning would come over specifically because of Bao Yu.

The old lady was quite embarrassed.

"Auntie, you actually know why I've come, don't you?"

With a wave of her hand, Shen Ning saw the maids leave and got straight to the point.

"Ah~"

The old lady sighed, "Zheng'er is indeed a bit too strict. I'll talk to him about it later."

"Auntie..."

Shen Ning knew that this old lady wasn't so easy to persuade.

In the Dream of the Red Chamber, none of the men in the Jia family were of any use.

Yuan Chun died in the palace because her family died; Ying Chun died because Jia She took five thousand taels of silver from Sun Shaozu, supposedly to buy him an official position, but the deal fell through and she died in the Sun family; and Tan Chun was sold to the Prince of Nan'an's mansion because her family was also killed...

"Whether Brother Zheng treated Baoyu that way was strict or something else, you know in your heart, and I know perfectly well."

Shen Ning sighed, "Second Brother Zheng is already like that, do you want to ruin Baoyu too?"

what?
Grandmother Jia's expression hardened. "Baoyu has indeed improved a lot in his studies recently."

"...Baoyu said today that he never wants to go to Pear Fragrance Courtyard again, and if Second Brother calls him again, he should just beat him to death."

"..."

Grandmother Jia was both shocked and heartbroken.

Her precious jade...

“Baoyu was a smart child, and he was not completely unaware of the change in his family’s attitude toward him.”

Shen Ning said, "Do you think Zheng Erdi doesn't know at all whether his treatment of him was due to a strict father or out of dislike and resentment?"

Jia Mu: "..."

She opened her mouth, but couldn't say a word.

"And do you know? Every time he disciplined Baoyu, he would make Baoyu go to his second sister-in-law's small Buddhist hall and talk to her through the door."

Shen Ning was furious. "Isn't he out of his mind? It's true that Baoyu was born to Wang Shi, but he's still her child too!"

That man is a fucking scumbag.

"Did he think that doing that would make Wang Shi sad? If Wang Shi had such intentions, she wouldn't have done those things in the first place. Yes, Wang Shi would cry to Bao Yu in the small Buddhist hall every day, but have you ever thought about what her tears meant to Bao Yu?"

The Wang family is utterly shameless.

"According to the second brother of the Zheng family, Wang Shi might also be happy that Bao Yu is being scolded and beaten every day, since Bao Yu is his son, Jia Zheng."

Shen Ning was so angry that she took a sip of tea to calm herself down. "If she had even a little bit of consideration for Baoyu, she wouldn't be crying there every day as her second brother wishes. Her crying... is clearly encouraging her second brother to treat Baoyu the way he does."

Jia Mu: "..."

Her hands were trembling slightly.

Just thinking about that woman crying on the surface but laughing inside...

"Neither of them could do anything about Zhu'er and Yuan Chun, so they focused all their efforts on disciplining Bao Yu."

Shen Ning put down her cup. "Auntie, if you were Baoyu, and your own parents were making a fuss like this every day, do you think you could grow up safely?"

"..."

Tears fell from Grandmother Jia's eyes.

"Crying to me won't help."

Shen Ning took a handkerchief to wipe away her tears, "You can't let them make a scene like this anymore."

"Then what do you think we should do?"

“Originally, I would have thought that I would not have spared my second brother, but Baoyu was worried that his father would be beaten again.”

"..."

Grandmother Jia's tears fell even more fiercely.

“Baoyu is a good boy, but if his second brother Zheng and the others keep pushing him like this, one day they will wear away all his goodness.”

Shen Ning said, "So what I mean is that Baoyu should not go to Pear Fragrance Courtyard in the future, or rather, when Zhu'er and Yuan Chun come back, he should go with his older brother and sister."

"..."

Grandmother Jia hesitated for a moment, "Baoyu has indeed been studying lately..."

“Aunt! I asked when I came, and Baoyu was more diligent than usual while his parents were at the ancestral hall.”

Shen Ning interrupted immediately, "If you think that if Baoyu doesn't go, Second Brother will lose face, then let Baoyu learn martial arts from Jiao Da after school. He's too busy to go, so we can't blame him for going, can we?"

This?
Will this work?

It can only be this way.

"Okay, I'll listen to you."

Grandmother Jia made up her mind.

Jiao Da is not bad.

Rong-ge'er also learns martial arts from him.

He didn't neglect his studies either.

Baoyu... I don't expect him to be very successful, but as Shen said, we can't let the second son and his wife ruin him.

"I'll talk to Zheng'er about this."

There's no need for the Shen family to go.

If Zheng'er ever angers her again, there will definitely be the ancestral hall and the cane.

Grandmother Jia was also afraid.

"to make!"

Shen Ning nodded.

She has no desire to go there.

Bring Baoyu out, and as for the rest... Jia Zheng and Wang Shi can do whatever they want.

At Pear Fragrance Courtyard, Jia Zheng was tense for a long time until the maid said that the First Madam of the East Mansion had returned, at which point he suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.

Great, they didn't come looking for him.

I told you, what's wrong with him teaching his son to be ambitious?

Besides, it's only natural for a father to discipline his son; even the Emperor himself couldn't stop him.

Oh dear, that really scared him to death.

Jia Zheng felt like he had come back to life. Aunt Zhou quickly brought him a cup of tea. "Master, what do you think the eldest mistress of the East Mansion could want with the old lady at this time?"

This?
To report him?
ho~
Jia Zheng snorted, "What business is it of yours?"

As long as they're not coming to see him, it's fine.

"If you're really curious, ask Zhao when she comes over tomorrow!"

Aunt Zhao is a loudmouth.

There was nothing in this mansion that she didn't know.

When Jia Zheng had free time, he often listened to her gossip.

But recently... he doesn't want to see her.

Needless to say, everyone in the mansion was talking about his gossip.

Because of this, Jia Zheng has recently become quite distant from Aunt Zhao.

"Yes!"

Aunt Zhou laughed, "How could I have forgotten about Sister Zhao?"

Just as she was about to offer a few more flattering words, Yuanyang came over and said, "Second Master, the Old Madam requests your presence."

what?
Jia Zheng frowned slightly and straightened his posture. "What is it?"

"My slave doesn't know either."

Although she could guess, the old lady and the eldest madam of the East Mansion had both asked them to leave, so of course she didn't know.

"When the First Madam of the East Mansion went, weren't you there?"

Aunt Zhou asked on her behalf.

"The old lady told us to leave."

"...Well, let's go then!"

Jia Zheng walked very slowly because of his backside.

When he arrived, Shen Ning had already returned to her own courtyard.

At this time, Baoyu's hand had been re-bandaged.

Seeing her return filled me with both hope and fear.

"There are two pieces of news now," Shen Ning teased him. "One is good news, and the other is bad news. Baoyu, which one do you want to hear?"

She originally intended to force the child to learn martial arts and stay away from the inner quarters.

it's good now.

Jia Zheng wasn't always entirely bad.

Shen Ning was in a very good mood at that moment.

"I...I want to hear the good news first."

Baoyu was very nervous.

"Congratulations!" Shen Ning patted his little head. "Unless your older brother and sister come back and you go with them to see your master and mistress, you don't need to go to Pear Fragrance Courtyard anymore."

what?
Really?

Baoyu's eyes lit up instantly, as if they were filled with stars. "Auntie, you're so kind."

He hugged her long sleeve and jumped around.

"Waaah, Auntie, I love you so much."

Lady You and Li Wan chuckled to themselves.

This child has a particularly sweet tongue, and they've heard the same things several times.

"She's just good with words."

Shen Ning smiled and tapped his little head. "Now that I've told you the good news, I have some bad news for you." She paused for a moment, "And if you can't carry out this bad news, then the good news will be null and void."

"You say!"

Baoyu quickly stood up straight.

"The bad news is that after school ends, you have to come here immediately to learn martial arts from Jiao Da, and at the same time, you can't fall behind in your studies."

"Practice martial arts? Like Rong-ge'er?"

Last time, Baoyu saw Rong-ge'er take a running start and quickly dart up to the artificial hill.

He was so envious.

Yes! Would you like to?

"Yes, I'm willing! I'm really willing!"

Baoyu quickly cheered up again, "Auntie, Rong-ge'er is so amazing, I want to be like him in the future."

My sisters all say that Rong-ge is amazing.

Cousin Jianbai and Cousin Chang'an also said that Rong-ge'er is amazing.

He wants to be as amazing as him, so that everyone will praise him.

"Then it's settled."

Shen Ning smiled, "It's too late today, so let's skip it. You have to come tomorrow. You'll have to train hard in the coldest and hottest winter. You can't complain about being tired, and you definitely can't cry or give up halfway through."

"Will not."

Baoyu's little face was very serious.

He would rather be tired than hear his master's scolding and his wife's weeping.

"That!"

Shen Ning smiled and held up one finger. "A real man's word is his bond. Let's pinky swear, and it'll never change for a hundred years."

"Giggle~"

Baoyu smiled and stretched out his chubby little hand, "It won't change for a hundred years."

He had seen others play this game from afar, but no one had ever played it like this with him before.

Baoyu came to the East Mansion crying, but returned to the West Mansion laughing.

That evening, Xiren helped him lie down, took off the jade pendant, and placed it under his pillow. "Second Master, are you really going to learn martial arts?"

She had heard that Rong-ge'er was particularly tired.

I get up early in the morning and practice my horse stance while reciting my lessons.

To prevent him from making a mistake, the servant had to take the book and read it to him first.

"Ok!"

Baoyu answered with his eyes closed.

He cried so hard today that he's about to fall asleep in bed.

"So... are you going to get up early tomorrow?"

"You need to get up half an hour earlier."

Baoyu suddenly remembered, "If Li Gui and the others don't come to call, you should remember to call them."

"……it is good!"

Xiren agreed.

Baoyu felt relieved, turned over, and his breathing quickly became long and deep.

Xiren covered him with the quilt and couldn't help but sigh.

When the old lady first had her serve the second master, he was so favored!
How did it get like this?

Her sisters used to envy her, but now...

Xi Ren couldn't help but sigh again.

There were originally quite a few maids in the room, but the old lady asked them to play with Baoyu.

But now, those maids are gradually leaving this place.

Only her...

Xiren carefully closed the curtain and slowly withdrew.

It's her turn to work the night shift, so she can't sleep.

Baoyu was beaten today. If he gets frightened or develops a fever tonight, he'll be doomed if she's not around.

Xiren took her hot water bottle to the tea room, but unexpectedly, the newcomer named Qingwen was also there.

"Qingwen, are you on night duty too?"

"No, I just came to get a hot water bottle to take home and warm my feet."

Her main focus is on needlework.

The old lady didn't want her to stay overnight.

Qingwen asked, "Are you on night duty?"

"Ok!"

Xi Ren nodded.

"I heard that Master Bao got beaten up today?"

"……Yes!"

Denial is futile.

Xi Ren could only nod.

That's how it is in the Duke's mansion; when the master is favored, the servants who follow him also have more face.

Her master is not favored... even if she receives a monthly allowance, she has to be ranked behind others.

"But that probably won't happen again in the future."

Xiren said, "The First Madam of the East Mansion wants our Second Master to learn martial arts from Rong-ge'er from now on."

"I also heard that the eldest wife of the East Mansion has come."

Qingwen was somewhat afraid of that first wife.

Especially since she was recommended by Granny Lai.

Countless sons in this household wanted to come to the old lady's house, but she ended up taking their spots.

People are saying behind her back that the First Madam of the East Mansion particularly dislikes the Lai family, and if she knew that she was Lai Mama's person, she wouldn't get away with it.

Therefore, Qingwen tried her best to avoid them.

"But isn't Rong-ge'er learning martial arts from Jiao Da?"

Granny Lai told her about many masters and stewards here, but she didn't tell her a single word about the East Mansion.

Qingwen couldn't resist her curiosity.

"Yes, it's with him."

What could Xiren do?
I could only nod again.

Qingwen glanced at her and said, "I heard that many people in the manor are learning skills from Jiao Xue."

It is said that the guards trained by Jiao Da can all become officials.

Qingwen had heard many people say, "Now that Master Bao has gone over there, there's nothing to worry about anymore."

Xi Ren: "..."

"I've filled my water bottle, I'm off now."

Qingwen hugged her hot water bottle, thanked the old woman in charge of the tea, and turned to go to the back room where everyone slept together.

Six people slept in one room, with their beds next to each other.

Qingwen put down the hot water bottle and lay down comfortably inside.

Now she's enjoying a life of luxury in the Duke's mansion, but what a pity about her cousin...

Thinking of her cousin's pleading eyes when they parted, Qingwen couldn't help but touch the purse she had just embroidered that day.

Granny Lai said that if you want to ask for something, you should ask when the old lady is in a good mood.

I wonder if the old lady will be happy tomorrow.

Or should she wait a little longer?
But the weather is getting colder and colder, what if my cousin gets frostbite outside...

"God bless!"

The little girl held the purse, clasped her hands together, and prayed to God in her heart, "Bless our old lady with some happy events tomorrow, bless me to be able to invite my cousin over, and even if the old lady doesn't have anything happy to do right now, please bless her so that it doesn't snow."

It's snowing, but Ya Xing doesn't have any thick blankets.

The little girl drifted off to sleep, but in her dream it was snowing.

In reality, the moon in the sky is indeed obscured by clouds.

As dawn approached, the north wind began to howl.

Snowflakes fall with the wind; though few in number, their presence signifies the official arrival of winter.

"Second Master, it's snowing heavily outside. Are you still going to the East Mansion to practice martial arts?"

Xi Ren felt she could ask for a day off, since their second master's hand was still swollen.

"want!"

If you don't practice martial arts properly, you'll end up in the Pear Fragrance Courtyard hearing the master's scolding and the mistress's weeping.

As long as he could get away from that place, Baoyu felt he would do anything.