The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 204 Signature and Deposit
Yuan Chun was eager to return to her parents' home.

The 'knife' hanging over my parents' heads has finally fallen.

Fortunately, my cousin Lanzhi spared my parents' lives out of respect for my deceased grandfather.

other……

Yuan Chun dared not think of anything else.

She has no right to think about anything else.

My cousin is half a month younger than her.

If it were her... she probably wouldn't be in this world anymore.

But Lanzhi has gotten to where she is today step by step on her own.

She killed Tatars on the battlefield, avenging her uncle and two cousins, and at the same time, she made great contributions to the Great Zhao Dynasty, just like her great-grandfather and grandfather. How rare is that!
When Yuan Chun was organizing records of secrets that were rarely seen by outsiders in the palace, she knew how difficult it was for a woman to secure her credit among a group of men.

The achievements of the women recorded in history books are far greater than people imagine.

But they were all weakened.

Or rather, a large portion of their credit is transferred to men with powerful connections.

The reputation they left behind among the people will gradually fade away with time, turning into unverifiable legends.

There were even unscrupulous writers who used their writings to vilify their reputations during their lifetimes and distort everything they had done, ultimately turning their good names into infamy.

Yuan Chun felt powerless about this, but she cherished her cousin Lan Zhi, with whom she shared a blood relationship, even more.

If my cousin hadn't returned in time, my aunt and brother-in-law would probably be gone forever, just like my uncle.

Yuan Chun was deeply grateful to her for saving her life.

She couldn't imagine the consequences of her maternal family losing her aunt.

She was afraid that her family would revert to their old ways.

It's not impossible.

My grandmother was in poor health and doted on her children and grandchildren.

If my uncle has no one to restrain him, he might soon start to let himself go.

Even if there are clan rules... probably no one would dare to interfere with him.

Not to mention the father.

He should cry more in front of his grandmother, and over time...

Yuan Chun could not forget what her elder brother told her that day. He said that when her aunt was pregnant with her younger cousin, everyone said that she would not survive the childbirth. At that time, her mother began to have designs on the East Mansion.

As the saying goes, without an internal traitor, there will be no external thief.

The other side knew exactly when my aunt and uncle returned to the city that day, and how many people they had deployed...

The older brother was scared and told her.

But Yuan Chun was also afraid.

Rong-ge'er is still young. If something happens to his aunt and brother-in-law, given how much his grandmother favors his father, and considering that his uncle wants to get rid of his father, they might actually succeed. After all, his sister-in-law You has no children, so at most she'll be given a courtyard to live in.

This is the best-case scenario. If things go wrong, my sister-in-law might die from an illness, or Rong-ge'er might never grow up. These are all possibilities.

Yuan Chun spent several years in the palace and witnessed countless silent killings.

Now, Lanzhi is willing to spare her parents' lives for her grandfather's sake, only that they must rely on themselves from now on...

Yuan Chun thought it was pretty good.

Everyone must take responsibility for their past actions.

It's tough to rely on yourself, but at least you can survive.

When Yuan Chun entered Shen Ning's courtyard, Bao Yu, Dai Yu, and others had been there for quite a while.

The group of children never expected that they would be allowed to participate in this matter.

According to Jia Zheng and Wang Shi, they had absolutely no intention of doing so.

Unfortunately, these children are also their relatives.

Especially Baoyu and Huan'er, if their father can't survive, it's perfectly normal for their son to secretly help them out!
but now……

Jia Zheng and Wang Shi both knew that they had no way out.

The children were chattering away, saying that for their own lives, everyone had to sign some kind of mutual responsibility agreement.

Anyone who dares to secretly provide financial assistance in the future will have to give all their future wedding money to Cousin Lan as compensation, and regardless of gender, they will also be beaten with forty strokes of the cane.

As for the possible financial assistance from the Wang family... although it's not our business, since the Second Master and Second Madam chose the second option, we should abide by it.

Every stitch and thread, if anyone dares to accept it, the entire clan will step in to help Lanzhi if she can't return for a while.

Yuan Chun was speechless when she saw the list of items compiled by her younger siblings.

Lanzhi was quite happy.

She had no idea these little guys were so cute.

Especially my cousin Minmei, whom I call Sister Mei.

No wonder he forced his eldest uncle to beat up all the men in the Min family.

That's why my third aunt is alright.

If anything happens to Third Aunt, she'll probably kill all the men in the Min family.

Lanzhi also liked Daiyu very much. This child was small but quick-witted. She summarized everyone's opinions and wrote them into a mutual supervision responsibility agreement.

Everyone must sign and affix their fingerprint to this mutual supervision agreement.

Lanzhi watched as her younger siblings diligently wrote and copied their notes.

They need to make sure everyone has one of these.

Lanzhi decided to ask for another one for her parents and brothers, and place it under their memorial tablets later.

Life isn't so easy for ordinary people.

Many people die from poverty and illness.

Lanzhi didn't believe that these two people, who had been served by a group of maids and servants since childhood, could live a simple life like ordinary people for long.

Killing them all at once would be too easy for them.

She wanted them to experience the stark contrast of falling from the Jia family's paradise to the dust.

They were to slowly despair amidst poverty and illness.

You can get a full meal by reaching out your hand, but you'll lose your head if you do.

Out of consideration for filial piety and social norms, she gave them a chance to live, but in the end they insisted on going down the path of death. Who can she blame?

No one can blame her.

To survive, to live a wretched existence, to endure poverty and hardship... well, then so be it. For the second master and his wife, who were used to a good life, this might be a different kind of hell on earth.

Because a grain of rice or a piece of firewood will not come to your home unless you put in the effort and work hard.

Lanzhi hopes they live in hell.

Each mutual supervision responsibility agreement was written out, and everyone present signed and sealed it.

Jia Zheng and Wang signed their names especially quickly, partly because they didn't want to be seen in front of their juniors, and partly because it was cold.

No matter how warm the house was, it couldn't keep up with their light clothing and the brambles they were carrying.

But when it was time to sign their names and then put their fingerprints on the paper, Lan Zhi used a knife to sweep away the inkpads of the others who were using inkpads.

This this……

Everyone present understood what she meant.

Wang and Jia Zheng dared not say anything more, each pricking their fingers with the thorns on the brambles and pressing down their bloody fingerprints.

Although Shen Ning's writing of the name was somewhat weak and feeble due to her illness, the feeling it evoked was simply wonderful.

In the novel *Dream of the Red Chamber*, apart from Grandmother Jia, the couple who had the most influence over everyone's fate would henceforth have to rely on fate and their own two hands to make a living.

Oops~
Shen Ning first admired their bloody fingerprints before pressing her fingerprint on each of her own names.

She decided to keep the paper safe and take it to her grave when she died.

"Aunt, if you are tired, please go back to your room and rest."

When Daiyu saw that she was sweating profusely, she couldn't help but come over to check on her.

"..."

Shen Ning resisted the urge to touch her little face.

The girl's health seems better than that of the girl in "Dream of the Red Chamber," but it's better to be safe than sorry. She's sick, and what if she gets infected?

"Do my aunt a favor," she said in a hoarse voice, each word barely audible, "sign Yue'er's name as well, and have her stamp it all over later."

what?
No need!
Little Yue'er can only crawl now. But seeing her aunt's serious expression, little Daiyu blinked and said, "Oh, I'll write it down right now."

"And me, and me!"

A whole bunch of little guys rushed over.

They quickly assigned tasks to each other.

Because Shen Ning told Daiyu that she could write five copies for Jia Yue, and for the others, it would depend on their own abilities to see who could write the fastest!
Anyway, including the four extra copies that Lan Zhi needed, Shen Ning signed thirty copies with her own name.

Twenty-nine copies were given to them personally, while one copy was included in the Jia family genealogy as a warning to future generations.

Little Yue'er, who hadn't slept well, was brought over and was about to cry when she suddenly saw so many people, especially the older sisters who usually played with her, and she happily giggled.

Her little paws were pressed with ink by her older sisters, each pressing their handprints.

The little girl was overjoyed.

With her setting the precedent, Jia Cong and Jia Huan were naturally brought in as well.

However, compared to the cheerful Xiaoyue'er, they were much less daring.

Although she was still too young to understand, her aunt, maids, and servants had all told her to be honest and obedient when she arrived, and the person kneeling in the hall carrying thorns looked so familiar.

It's a miracle they weren't scared to tears.

Shen Ning was very happy that she could sign her name three more times, and Jia Zheng and Wang Shi would have to leave three bloody handprints.

Finally, this part ended, and it was their turn for the twenty strokes of the cane.

To avoid frightening the children, Daiyu and the other younger children were chased away again.

However, Minmei secretly returned. She was overjoyed to hear the 'slap slap' sound of the board hitting flesh in the side room.

Hmph, the reason her father dared to treat her and her mother that way was because her maternal uncle was the head of the household on her maternal side, and he didn't care about her mother's life or death at all.

It's okay now!
Min Mei left satisfied, and Aunt Zhou, carrying Jia Zheng and Wang Shi's clothes, was also in a very good mood.

But she couldn't let others see it.

But when the second master and second mistress left the mansion, she...

Aunt Zhou lowered her head, and as the old lady sighed and was about to get up to leave, she suddenly knelt down and cried, "Old lady, cousin," she knelt before Grandmother Jia, but her eyes were on Lanzhi, "Master and Madam are gone, what will Aunt Zhao and I do?"

Ok?
Unlike Grandmother Jia, who had almost forgotten about her, Lanzhi narrowed her eyes. "You were also involved in that letter from back then?"

"No no no..."

Aunt Zhou was startled.

"Then it's over."

If Aunt Zhou comes along too, then Jia Zheng and Wang Shi will have someone to serve them.

"Grandma!"

Lan Zhi glanced at the clothes she was still holding while kneeling on the ground, then turned to the old lady and asked, "What do you plan to do with Aunt Zhou and Aunt Zhao?"

How to deal with it?

Grandmother Jia looked at the pitiful Aunt Zhou.

The Jia family is not short of food.

It's definitely not feasible to send her to serve Er'er, given Lanzhi's current state.

Never mind, Aunt Zhou not only gave birth to Er'er's child, but also took very good care of him when he was inconvenient.

"The way things were before will remain the same." The old lady sighed. "Zhu'er, you take care of Aunt Zhou for your father. And as for Aunt Zhao... until Huan'er grows up, you take care of her for your father too!"

"Yes!"

Jia Zhu respectfully agreed.

"heard it?"

Lanzhi looked at Aunt Zhou.

Aunt Zhou kowtowed happily, "Yes! Thank you, old lady, thank you, master, thank you, cousin."

Finally, those two were going to live a hard life.

Finally, Wang's son agreed to support her in her old age.

As a concubine, she would receive two taels of silver per month, along with a maidservant and clothes for all four seasons. As long as she behaved herself and didn't cause any trouble, given the temperaments of the master and mistress, they would certainly treat her well.

"These clothes..."

Before Aunt Zhou could reply, Lan Zhi said, "Grandmother, since the Second Master and Second Madam are going out to make a living on their own, these clothes are not suitable, are they?"

Silk and cotton were not things that ordinary people could afford to wear.
What's more, there are fur coats too.

You could pawn it at any pawnshop and it would be enough to eat and drink for several months.

“That… Madam You…”

"Grandma, what are your orders?"

Madam You hurriedly got up.

"Does the manor still have winter clothes made for the servants?"

"some."

Madam You hurriedly said, "I'll go get one set for each of my second uncle and aunt right away."

"Lanzhi, do you think this will work?"

It definitely won't work if we don't appease this side.

Grandmother Jia had already resigned herself to her fate.

"can!"

Lanzhi bowed and said, "On behalf of my mother, father and two brothers, Lanzhi thanks you, old lady."

Now she doesn't call her maternal grandmother anymore.

Grandmother Jia was also helpless, saying, "We're all family, why are you talking like that?"

Er'er and Wang Shi were unpopular.

Baoyu saw them all as if they were mice avoiding a cat.

"Now that the things you dislike are gone, and you've finally returned to the capital, why not stay at the West Mansion for a couple of days? Your mother's old courtyard is still there."

She extended an invitation to her.

Regardless of the circumstances, given the child's strength alone, she had to accept her on behalf of the Duke.

"Go stay in your mother's courtyard for a while, play with your sisters, and consider it as... going home to visit on her behalf."

"……it is good!"

Seeing the expectant looks on Jia Wen and Jia Min's faces, Lan Zhi felt a pang of sadness and tenderness in her heart. "In that case, thank you very much, Grandmother. I'll trouble you, Aunt and Second Sister-in-law."

"Hey, we're all family, what are you saying?"

Ms. Xing immediately became happy.

She and the master were indeed in charge of the Rongguo Mansion!
Lan Zhi thanked the right person.

"Feng girl, hurry back and help your sister pack up."

"Eh eh~~~"

Wang Xifeng has always admired capable women.

Unfortunately, her surname is Wang, and her uncle, Wang Ziteng, is someone else's enemy.

The Jia family sent many things to Ningxia, and although she was attentive, she never said a word to Lanzhi in any of the letters.

She feared that her involvement would make Lanzhi even more resistant to the Jia family.

now……

Wang Xifeng felt that Lan Zhi did not treat her differently just because she was a member of the Wang family.

For this reason alone, she should cherish it.

"...Then I'll have to trouble you, Second Cousin."

Lanzhi nodded to her.

My aunt is sick, and my cousin Zhen is also injured. Every time she comes over, she sees my second cousin's wife helping my eldest cousin's wife.

Moreover, I heard from my third aunt Jia Wen that my second cousin's wife is a very straightforward person and takes good care of her, her younger cousin, and her younger cousin.

The most important point is that she has a good relationship with her second cousin, and because of her family's affairs, she has cut off all contact with her maternal family.

Based on this alone, Lanzhi felt that she deserved more respect!

Thank you to reader 芙芙i吃车厘子 for the generous donation of 10,000 coins! I can't update today, but I'll add an extra chapter tomorrow!
(End of this chapter)