The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 266 Willing
Upon hearing that it wasn't their parents who had sought out the bald-headed monk first, but rather the bald-headed monk who had approached them first, Jia Zhu and Jia Lian breathed a sigh of relief.

Wang Xifeng was the head housekeeper, and the old lady could call for her at any time, so she couldn't leave the mansion at will. Jia Zhu and Jia Lian, however, were not affected.

Before it got dark, the two of them drove the carriage, carrying the village chief's son, straight to Thirty Shops outside the South City.

Wang and Jia Zheng were also waiting for news.

Is your sister reliable?

Jia Zheng had been waiting since noon, and now it was almost dark. He was getting impatient. "The Xue family is now dependent on the Jia family. I don't want them to send my letter to the East Mansion and curry favor with them."

He wouldn't hesitate to suppress the Wang family if he could.

However, while he said that, he himself did not believe it.

The Xue family is now dependent on the Xi Fu Lian'er couple.

Lian'er is the Director of the Military Treasury and the actual heir of the Rongguo Mansion. The Rongguo Mansion is now no less powerful than the Ningguo Mansion.

To be precise, it far surpasses Ningguo Prefecture.

After all, Zhen'er was a person with a title but no power. The Ning family seemed to receive more favor from the Emperor than the Rong family, but that was only because the eldest sister-in-law of the East family had returned the money to the two families when the Emperor needed it most.

But this does not mean that the Emperor did not care about the Rongguo Mansion.

Lian'er's official position is proof of this, and with her brother-in-law Lin Ruhai soon to return to the capital, the Rongguo Mansion will definitely be ten times better than the Ningguo Mansion in the future.

Jia Zheng didn't even think about his second younger sister, Jia Wen, who had already been granted the title of Princess Rongguo.

He was afraid that he might have written some letters that offended her.

“My sister lives in the West Mansion, not the East Mansion.”

Wang felt uneasy, but still stubbornly insisted, "Even if a letter is to be delivered, it will definitely be given to Zhu'er."

My younger sister is very timid.

For the sake of her two children, she would most likely give the letter to Pearl.

But Wang was not afraid of her son coming over.

If it really happens, it might be more convenient for them, as parents, to have him secretly investigate the bald-headed monk and find out about how their family has been altered.

Even if they can't find the bald-headed monk, they'll have to find another expert to take back the life and fortune that were borrowed from them.

Otherwise, the East Mansion would get better and better, and the main branch of the West Mansion would also benefit, while only the second branch would suffer.

She and Jia Zheng have already suffered misfortune; next up are Zhu'er and Baoyu.

Wang was also a very loving mother; how could she bear to see her two precious sons being bullied again?
"Instead of worrying about your family, you should worry about what to say when the village chief comes looking for his son and can't find him!"

How to say?
Didn't they provide errand runners?
He took 100 coins from them as a errand boy and hasn't come back yet, and he hasn't even bothered to deal with him.

Jia Zheng had a lot to say in rebuttal, but he also knew that he couldn't say that when the village chief came.

The king of hell is easy to meet, but the devil is difficult to deal with.

They live in this village, and if they offend the village chief, the consequences could be dire.

Jia Zheng sighed inwardly.

If I had known it would turn out like this, I would have just found someone to run the errand.

“Zhu’er is an honest and kind person. If he brings Lian’er along…”

Madam Wang was deeply troubled. "It's a pity that Lian'er has been an official for so long now, and his heart... I'm afraid it has grown too big."

As she spoke, she clutched her chest, which also ached.

How wonderful Jia Lian used to be.

He dutifully managed their household.

Together with Feng'er, one took charge of external affairs and the other of internal affairs. The young couple would occasionally compete for power and profit.

All they need to do is act as peacemakers when the time is right, and scold Lian'er or Feng'er a little.

But now?

Jia Lian became an official before Zhu'er, and he became the enviable Director of the Military Treasury.

This person was someone that neither my father-in-law nor my uncle from the East Mansion wanted to offend back then.

Even if her daughter becomes an official, how many years will it take for her to be welcomed with smiles by the powerful Duke and the powerful military governor of the capital?
Wang simply couldn't bear to think about it; just thinking about it made her chest feel tight.

"What will happen to Zhu'er and Baoyu in the future?"

Is it really going to degenerate into a collateral branch of the Rongguo Mansion?

Wang was extremely dissatisfied.

In what way can Jia Lian compare to her Pearl?
It's a shame that fate is so unfair; Jia Lian, who is neither good at literature nor martial arts, is now an official.

"...You should think about what you're going to do."

Jia Zheng didn't think that much about it.

Even if the sons' lives are not good, they are definitely better than theirs.

The room here is too small; he can't even have a separate room from Wang Shi.

Of the Jia family members now living on the back street, how many families do not have servants?
No matter how poor they were, they could still receive assistance from their clan's resources every year, at least enough to eat rice and wheat flour.

But what about him and Wang?

The ten-odd taels of silver I had are all used up. How am I going to survive?
Relying on that one acre of land?
Just as Jia Zheng was about to sigh again, he heard the sound of a carriage. He quickly got up and opened a crack in the window. As the cold wind rushed in, he finally saw his son and nephew.

Of course, the village chief's son, who ran errands for them, was also there, but he jumped off the carriage and ran off in a flash.

Jia Zhu had already bribed the man to keep quiet, so he wasn't worried about what he might say outside. He strode to the gate, but Wang Shi flung it open. "Zhu'er..."

Tears flowed before words were spoken.

"Mother~"

Jia Zhu had mixed feelings. "It's cold outside, let's go inside and talk."

"Second Aunt, Second Uncle~"

Following closely behind, Jia Lian first bowed to Lady Wang, and then bowed to Jia Zheng, who was looking over from the inner room.

"Come in and talk!"

Jia Zheng sat upright on the kang (a heated brick bed), trying his best to maintain the demeanor of a patriarch.

Jia Zhu helped his mother up and gave Jia Lian a wink.

Jia Lian cleverly turned around and closed the door.

Wang'er, who was rushing to catch the carriage, glanced at it and shrank back into the carriage.

Inside the house, the two brothers sat on the kang (a heated brick bed). Wang wiped away her tears, poured them some boiled water in a large, rough porcelain bowl, and then sat down.

"Why are you brothers here so late?"

Jia Zheng asked them as if it were a casual conversation.

"Pearl~"

With tears welling up in her eyes, Wang held onto her son with one hand and reached for Jia Lian with the other.

Jia Lian originally wanted to keep his distance, but when he saw the look in her eyes, his heart softened, and he took the initiative to reach out to her.

In those years, he always treated his second aunt as his own mother.

"Lian'er~"

Shaking her nephew and son's hands, Wang sniffed, "You came because of that letter, didn't you?"

“Mother, that bald-headed monk…”

“The bald-headed monk said that our family shouldn’t be like this.”

Before Jia Zheng could speak further, Lady Wang spoke rapidly and urgently, "Yuan Chun should be in the palace; our whole family is destined for wealth and honor." Jia Zhu: "..."

Jia Lian: "..."

The two brothers knew what their mother (their second aunt) was about to say.

It's definitely not okay to stop her from finishing.

"Your eldest aunt from the East Mansion actually couldn't survive childbirth."

Although the bald-headed monk didn't say it explicitly, Wang guessed it was true, "She..."

"Mother~"

Jia Zhu wanted to hold back, but his mother was cursing his aunt, "Does the Dowager Consort Zhen know that she's dead?"

Consort Zhen?
Wang didn't react for a moment.

Consort Zhen is dead, so what does it have to do with their family?
"She was once the most important person in the Empress Dowager's palace."

Jia Zhu looked directly at his mother and said, "You said that Yuan Chun should be in the palace. Have you ever thought that once she is in the palace, we will only be able to see each other a handful of times in this life? Have you ever thought that the Emperor and Empress supported each other and had a deep and loving relationship when they were still in the Prince's residence?"
"Isn't it good that she's now married to the Marquis of Xinping and can live a carefree life as his wife?"

Cheng Luo also represented her at today's family dinner.

He was about to become a father, and he was smiling like a fool.

"You say she should be in the palace? Where does that leave the Marquis of Xinping? If outsiders hear these words, will my sister still live? Will our whole family still live?"

What is the relationship between the Emperor and the Marquis of Xinping?

Jia Zhu was completely convinced by his mother. When he questioned her, he lowered his voice and said, "And what about Bao Yu's jade? Haven't you suffered enough from this loss? Others give you a few words based on rumors, and you just start to speculate and spread them, trying to take them seriously? You think this is for our good, for the good of the family?"

Are you afraid that the Emperor doesn't have the sword to kill our Jia family?

When he got to the last sentence, he was heartbroken.

"Father! These are things Mother doesn't understand, and don't you understand them either?"

After speaking of Wang Shi, Jia Zhu turned to his father and asked, "Why do you let her run wild? Do you think life here is unpleasant? Do you want to go to the Ministry of Justice prison or the execution grounds at the South Gate?"

Jia Zheng: "..."

Wang: "..."

The two of them were completely stunned.

Of course, her face turned pale with fright from her own son.

Is that what they mean?

They're talking about the bald-headed monk.

Was that bald-headed monk a good person?

Jia Zhu picked up the bowl of water his mother had poured out and gulped it down.

On the way here, he had been suppressing his anger, but speaking out only fueled it. "You say our family is destined for wealth and privilege? Of course our family is destined for wealth and privilege! As for Father and Mother, why did you end up like this? Didn't you bring it on yourselves?"

Jia Zheng: "..."

Wang: "..."

They wanted to hit someone!

"I know you won't agree with what I'm saying."

If Jia Zhu didn't bring his parents to their senses, he feared they would cause even more trouble. "But have you considered how much better the Jia family is now than it was a year ago? Have you considered the fear the whole family felt when Second Aunt didn't die and returned with the Jurchens? Do you have the guts to fight them directly, like your eldest aunt did?"

He felt most heartbroken for his second aunt.

The Jia family actually wronged their three illegitimate aunts.

Unfortunately, his father added fuel to the fire.

"No, you will only be like Grandmother, disowning her, resolutely disowning her. You will only protect yourselves, only try every means to kill her, and then anxiously pray that the Emperor will believe in our Jia family, and that everyone in Dazhao will believe in our Jia family. Even if Wohe beats Second Aunt on the spot in Ningrong Street, you will only stay at home and pretend you didn't see it."

Jia Zhu's eyes were red. "Father, you were the one who told me the story of burying one's head in the sand."

You've clearly read books, so why do you just read them without truly understanding them?

“You think that your eldest aunt from the East Mansion stole your lives and your fortune, but if you were like her, who could steal from you? Who would dare to steal from you?”

The body is not afraid of the shadow slanting.

"You should not say anything more about how your aunt gained the Emperor's and Empress's favor by repaying the debts of the two households."

Jia Zhu understood his parents well. "The money was right there back then. Who told you not to pay it back? You could have paid it back, but you tried to move it."

It's only because my eldest uncle was a good person and didn't hold a grudge against the second branch of the family; otherwise, the division of the family would never have turned out that way.

"Now everyone is trying to find ways to pay back the money."

Now that the Emperor is truly in charge, who would dare not return the money?

The Li family was discussing with him the idea of ​​buying some back while everyone was selling their properties at low prices.

“My aunt didn’t pay back then, and now our family is in the same situation as them.”

Looking at his parents under the dim oil lamp, Jia Zhu felt both sorry for them and laughable. "You insist that Auntie borrowed life and luck. Fine, let's assume she died when she gave birth to Yue'er. If you were in control of this family, what could you do? What would you most like to do?"

Jia Zheng: "..."

Wang: "..."

Jia Zheng's face turned ashen, and Wang Shi even forgot to cry.

"Dad, Mom, please stop making a scene."

Jia Zhu knelt down on the kang (heated brick bed) and said, "If that bald-headed monk could really predict the future, why would he poison my aunt? Mediocre members of the Jia family are not worth anyone's attention, but outstanding members of the Jia family, especially those in power, will definitely be remembered."

Do you know how many people want my aunt dead?
Do you want to be the knife that kills our own people?
My aunt had a very high fever that day and almost died, but even then, she was still thinking about us.

He and his second brother Lian were older, so their aunt probably trusted them more and didn't call them by name. However, she did call Baoyu and his sisters by name.

Jia Zhu's eyes were red. "If it were possible to borrow life and fortune in this world, I would be willing to lend some to my aunt."

"My nephew is willing too!"

Jia Lian knelt down and finally said, "Second Uncle and Second Aunt, you must believe that with my eldest aunt in the Jia family, no one will dare to bully me and Brother Zhu at any time."

Jia Zheng: "..."

Wang: "..."

The two men, one pulling the son and the other pulling the nephew, were working together.

"We just want to find out what crime the bald-headed monk committed."

Having been bombarded with his son's nagging, Jia Zheng couldn't refute a single point. He could only say, "Your mother is a woman, and these past few days she's been led astray by that bald-headed monk. Plus, the village chief said there's a wanted poster for the bald-headed monk posted at the city gate, so I thought I'd inquire about him to put an end to her thoughts."

Wang: "..."

She was a woman, she was mysterious and eccentric, she...

She wanted to loudly refute Jia Zheng, and she wanted to say, "Aren't you also searching?"
But upon reflection, she realized that she had been forcing Jia Zheng to do these things all this time, and she couldn't bring herself to say it.

But Wang could swear that Jia Zheng also had the idea of ​​finding a bald-headed monk to change his fate, and this idea was very strong.

Otherwise, how could he be so stingy, never giving her a single penny on ordinary days, and suddenly give her a hundred coins for running errands?
It's just that he wasn't noticed because she was jumping in front of him.

Now everyone's dumping everything on her...

Madam Wang glared at Jia Zheng, "You...you..."

That bastard is always the same!

No matter what, he's never wrong; he doesn't know; he's always right; he's always considerate...

She made a few gurgling sounds in her throat and then collapsed.

But as it fell, its eyes were still fixed on Jia Zheng, as if it wanted to devour him.