The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 277 Baoyu
Li Wan was extremely anxious at Pear Fragrance Courtyard.

She knew what kind of person her husband was; he would never do something that even the eldest brother of the East Mansion couldn't tolerate.

There must be some misunderstanding here.

Li Wan paced anxiously back and forth at the entrance of Pear Fragrance Courtyard. Finally, Bi Yue, who had inquired about the situation, rushed back and said, "Madam, something terrible has happened! Rongxi Hall has summoned the royal physician."

"Is... is Uncle sick?"

Li Wan dared not think the worst.

My husband wants to take the exam!
Even if something happens, Brother Zhen from the East Mansion should be patient.

"It doesn't look like it."

Biyue's voice trembled slightly, "If it were the master who was ill, the madam should have stepped forward, but she did not."

That... is their uncle?

Li Wan swayed slightly, but once she regained her balance, she disregarded everything else and said, "Biyue, go back to Rongxi Hall and inquire. Suyun, you come with me to see the old lady."

Now only the old lady can save their uncle.

At this moment, Li Wan didn't care that it was so late to go see the old lady and might frighten her. Her only concern was Jia Zhu, fearing that something might happen to him.

The gates to Grandmother Jia's courtyard were already closed by this time, but she had only recently gone to bed.
The urgent knocking at the door made her turn over.

She's getting old, so health is her top priority.

She doesn't want to get involved in anything that isn't particularly important.

However, she couldn't help but care about her eldest granddaughter-in-law's slightly tearful voice.

Li was a worry-free woman with a steady temperament. With her and Zhu'er in the second branch, the old lady felt that they would definitely be able to recover.

Now it is like this...

The old lady was afraid that something had happened to her pearl, so she hurriedly called out, "Mrs. Li, come in and talk."

When she called for help, she got up on her own without the maid's assistance.

"Old lady~"

When Li Wan rushed in, tears were already streaming down her face. "Please save our master! A little over a quarter of an hour ago, Brother Zhen from the East Mansion suddenly stormed into Pear Fragrance Courtyard, looking like he wanted to kill our master. He said he had done something bad, but our master doesn't know anything. When we ask him, he won't say anything. He just took our master to Rongxi Hall to find our uncle. Now Rongxi Hall has called the family doctor. Old Madam, please go and see him quickly. Something must have happened to our master."

"You wretched child!"

With Yuanyang's help, Grandmother Jia quickly dressed and put on a thick fur cloak. "Go, go to Rongxi Hall."

Zhen'er is a scoundrel.

Her eldest son was no less impressive.

Those two bastards don't consider that this is a crucial time for Jewel!

Grandmother Jia was furious. "This old woman wants to see what they're up to!"

At this moment, all the maids and servants in the main courtyard were alarmed, and even the sedan chairs were brought out.

Grandmother Jia quickly sat down, and with several large lanterns shining in all directions, the group marched in a grand procession to Rongxi Hall.

At this time, Jia Zhu had already been carried to the bed.

But Jia She was also in a bad situation.

But his nephew had already fallen, and he couldn't afford to fall too.

If he collapses again, Zhen'er will be finished.

This late at night will soon alarm the eldest sister-in-law of the East Mansion.

he……

As the younger brother-in-law in the Wang family folk rhymes, even he, a grown man, couldn't stand it, let alone his sister-in-law.

"He was so angry he was on the verge of a breakdown!"

The physician took the young master's pulse for a while and said, "The young master's health has been poor lately, and he needs to take good care of himself."

He didn't know what had happened, but judging from the expressions of the master and Master Zhen of the East Mansion, he knew it was something serious.

The physician didn't dare ask any questions, picked up his pen and quickly wrote down a prescription, instructing the apprentice to immediately prepare the medicine and start brewing it.

"It's troublesome."

Jia Zhen was weak and listless.

He couldn't bring himself to sympathize with his younger brother.

Wang's rumor not only took his mother's life, but also wiped out the entire Jia family.

If I had known this would happen, I should have kept her at home and let her get sick and die.

His mother was too kind-hearted; he shouldn't have been!
Jia Zhen was filled with regret at that moment.

"Uncle She, about this matter..."

"As soon as it's light, have Lin Zhixiao tie them up and bring them into the mansion."

Jia She's face turned ashen. "Let's just kill them all together."

His mother wants to fight him to the death, so let her fight!

Although Zhu'er had to take the exam, which would delay her for another three years, what could she do when she had such parents?

If we don't kill them now, what if something else goes wrong...?

Jia She clutched his chest, actually wanting to add one more thing: don't tell your mother.

But the words were on the tip of my tongue, and I couldn't help but hold them back.

He must avoid suspicion, and he must avoid suspicion forever.

"The old lady's place..."

"Let me tell you."

The second brother and his wife were both pampered by the old lady.

They spoil her so much!

If they continue to spoil them, the Jia family will be ruined by Wang Shi alone.

Jia She made up his mind to make a sacrifice.

They were talking about those two bastards' children, but how did those two bastards treat them?

His own second brother wanted to use Wang Shi's words to kill him, and kill the eldest sister-in-law of the East Mansion!

They want to come back, hoping to use the old lady to control both the Ning and Rong mansions!

"I'm going to tell you now."

Just as Jia She took a deep breath, intending to go find his mother himself, Grandmother Jia had already arrived outside.

When Xing heard the maid's urgent report in the backyard and rushed over, the old lady's cane had already struck Jia She. "You wretched child, can't you tolerate your own nephew? If you can't tolerate him, tell me, and we'll go back to our old home in the south and never bother you again."

"Old lady~~~"

Jia She staggered and knelt down, "It's not that a son can't tolerate a nephew, it's my second brother..."

The courtyard was filled with maids and servants, so he dared not shout. He could only say, "Xing Shi, take all irrelevant people and get out of here."

Xing: "..."

She dared not say anything else, hastily bowed, and quickly withdrew. As she did so, all the maids and servants obediently left as well.

But Li Wan did not leave.

Her husband looked so pitiful that she wept and sobbed softly beside him.

"What did your second brother do to you again? Why are you treating Zhu'er like this?"

When Grandmother Jia heard that it was her second son who had caused trouble again, she was also troubled. But what did her second son's mistake have to do with Zhu'er?

"Zhen'er, Zhu'er is also your brother. Are you trying to drive him to his death?"

What a wonderful child her daughter, Zhu'er, is!

Why can't we tolerate one or two of them?
"Grandma, it's not that I want to force my brother, it's that Jia Zheng and Wang Shi want my whole family dead."

When Jia Zhen knelt down, his back was straight. "They not only want the lives of my whole family, but they also want the lives of all the daughters of the Jia family. They want all of us to be too ashamed to show our faces in public."

Jia Mu: "..."

Li Wan: "..."

Is it that serious?
If it weren't for the cane she was using, Grandmother Jia would have been unsteady on her feet.

Li Wan was so frightened that she forgot to cry.

"What have those two wretches done this time?"

When she asked this question, Grandmother Jia, fearing she might fall again, carefully sat down on a chair to the side.

"Li, get out."

Jia Zhu woke up, her voice weak but her tone firm.

It's best not to listen to such offensive language.

"……Yes!"

Li Wan dared not stay there any longer and hurriedly opened the door and went out.

Of course, she quickly closed the door again.

Hearing the commotion, Wang Xifeng rushed over.

"What happened?"

Upon seeing Li Wan, she silently inquired.

Li Wan, her face pale, shook her head as she headed towards the backyard.

Her husband is still here, so she doesn't dare to go too far.

Seeing that she looked unwell, Wang Xifeng and Ping'er quickly helped her up, one on each side, and walked together. In the backyard, Xing Shi was also pacing back and forth on the veranda.

The old man doesn't look well.

What did the second brother and his family do this time?
Madam Xing really wanted to invite her eldest sister-in-law from the East Mansion as well.

Usually, when there's a difficult situation at home, the eldest sister-in-law steps in, turning big problems into small ones, and small problems into good ones.

No, no, no, sometimes even the worst things can turn into good things.

Just like the second sister, Jia Wen, who became the Princess of Rongguo after her sister-in-law stepped in, and the Jia family also turned their fortunes around.

but……

"It's cold, come inside and warm up for a while!"

Seeing Li Wan's expression, Madam Xing sighed and ultimately decided not to wander around the corridor.

"Auntie~"

Her husband had blood on the corner of his mouth.

Li Wan was filled with fear and tears fell involuntarily.

"It's okay, it's okay."

Madam Xing could only comfort her, saying, "The physician is brewing the medicine, so everything will be alright."

"Madam~"

Wang Xifeng was still completely baffled. As the head housekeeper, why couldn't she understand things today? "Has something happened?"

"I don't know, the master didn't let us hear it."

Unfortunately, Jia Lian was not home.

These past few days, Jia Lian has been staying at the Machinery and Equipment Bureau.

Xing shook her head, "It seems your second uncle and aunt have done something again."

Wang Xifeng: "..."

She dared not ask any more questions.

Her second aunt is also her aunt.

They waited for news in the backyard, while in front, Grandmother Jia finally learned what had happened.

No wonder Jia Zhen made a scene at home, but Shen didn't show her face.

“Zhen’er, your mother…”

"My mother knows nothing about this."

Jia Zhen was distressed. "She's only just recovered, and Wang Shi and Jia Zheng said those things about her. If she hears this, what if something bad happens to her..."

"Keep it a secret!"

Without hesitation, Grandmother Jia said, "Wang... let her fall ill!"

She still wanted to protect her precious second son.

The words were spoken by Wang.

With her around, Wang was certain to die.

"Pearl, don't blame your grandmother~"

Seeing her eldest grandson's utterly dejected expression, Grandmother Jia's tears fell. "This is all your mother's own doing."

Those who should be kept silent in that village should be kept silent, and those who should be dealt with should be dealt with. We must not let such words get out.

"...Grandson...I know."

A metallic sweetness rose in Jia Zhu's throat again.

But he swallowed it down with great force.

"Mother, and my second brother too!"

Jia She reminded him, "If he had just slapped that Wang woman once..."

He was so angry he couldn't continue speaking.

“You have repeatedly indulged him, have you ever thought about our whole family? He is your son, and so am I. There are also Zhu’er, Lian’er, Baoyu, and the younger sisters in this family… If anything goes wrong, we will all be implicated!”

Jia Mu: "..."

The old lady's tears fell even harder.

She wanted to say, 'That's your own brother! He's a fool. If you forgive him, he won't do it again.'

But seeing Jia Zhen kneeling there with his back straight, staring intently at her, she really couldn't say anything.

Now, it is the Shen family that is supporting this family.

If something happens to her because of what Wang said, what will become of this family?

Grandmother Jia felt that even if she risked her reputation to save her second son's life, the entire Jia family would hate him and his family afterward.

Without the support of her family, how far can Zhu'er go in the officialdom?
Because of that jade, Grandmother Jia had long ago excluded Baoyu from officialdom.

"Mother, hesitation will only lead to chaos, and indecisiveness will surely cause future trouble!"

They were already wrong from the start, and if they continued down the wrong path...

Jia She dared not imagine how much more trouble awaited them.

"That wretched child..."

Grandmother Jia looked at this and then at that, and finally clutched her clothes to her chest and burst into tears.

……

At Ningguo Mansion, early in the morning, Shen Ning was greeted by her two dining companions, Jia Rong and Bao Yu.

"Baoyu, are you feeling unwell?"

I used to practice the horse stance, looking like a little pig, and everything tasted delicious to me.

But today, I only took a small bite of the tofu skin bun.

As Shen Ning asked the question, she also touched his forehead.

"No!" Baoyu shook his head, and when Jia Rong looked over with concern, he said, "I didn't sleep well last night, and the old lady didn't come back all night."

what?
Shen Ning frowned. "Didn't you ask what it was about?"

“I think I heard my sister-in-law crying yesterday.”

Baoyu said, "But when I asked Xiren, she only said that my sister-in-law went to see the old lady, and then they went to Rongxi Hall together. I originally wanted to wait for her, but I don't know how I fell asleep. This morning when I went to see the old lady, I found out that she hadn't come back all night."

Shen Ning: "..."

Rong-ge, who was eating noodles with gusto, also put down his chopsticks. "Sister Qingping, go and ask her."

"Yes!"

Qingping glanced at Shen Ning, gave a quick bow, and then hurried off to the West Mansion to inquire.

"Alright, the old lady is probably just resting somewhere because it's too late."

Shen Ning comforted Bao Yu, "Don't worry so much, little one. Your aunt is here. She'll be there to check on you in a bit."

"Ok!"

Baoyu and Jia Rong ate a little something quickly and went to the school. Not long after they left, Qingping also returned.

"Madam~"

Qingping hesitated, then said, "Our master is also at his residence over there; he went there last night."

"...What happened over there?"

"I don't know, I can't find out. They only said that Grandpa Zhu is sick."

Jia Zhu?

Shen Ning's heart skipped a beat.

Jia Zhu had already gone to the Red Mansion very early on.

In terms of time...

She could no longer sit still. "Prepare the sedan chair, let's go to the West Mansion."

As she gave instructions to Qingzhu, she asked Qingping, "Have they summoned the imperial physician over there?"

"No."

That's the strangest part.

The old lady didn't come home all night, which should be considered a very serious situation.

Although the family physician was very skilled, he was definitely not as good as the imperial physician.

“Madam, Master Zhu did not fall ill at Lixiang Courtyard. He fell ill after our master took him to Rongxi Hall.”

Are they still in Rongxi Hall?

Shen Ning put on the thick fur cloak that Qingping had draped over her, and took the hand warmer that Xiaodong handed her. As she walked out, she asked her questions.

“Our master and Master She left the manor early this morning, and I have not been able to find out where they went.”

Leaving home?

What kind of major event could have kept it from her?

After a slight pause, Shen Ning quickly sat down in the sedan chair that had been carried over. "Let's go take a look."

Jia Zhen would tell her everything.

She used to find him annoying because he never thought things through, and he just wanted to talk to her, but now...