The head of the Red Mansion

Shen Ning discovered that her chance encounters with Xue Baochai seemed to have become commonplace.

Although the girl was very emotionally intelligent and never made her feel uncomfortable, she was originally very happy. In the backyard of Ningguo Mansion, she could go wherever she wanted. When she was in the mood, she could stop anywhere to have a cup of tea or play with ants for a while!
But what about now?
She needs to act like a proper wife.

Hey~
Holding it is too tiring.

Shen Ning didn't want to put on airs, so for several days in a row, she just practiced boxing with Wen Peilan in her own yard.

"Madam, someone from Luzhou has arrived."

The maid's urgent report made Shen Ning stop immediately.

The original owner's hometown was Luzhou.

After two months in office, the emperor reinstated some of the old ministers who had been demoted by the retired emperor.

The Shen family was also among them, but Grand Secretary Shen was getting old and petitioned to retire so he could spend his remaining years in his hometown. Only his eldest brother, Shen Du, returned to the capital.

He was a Doctor of the Imperial Academy, a fifth-rank official. If he hadn't been implicated back then, he would probably be a fourth-rank Director of Studies now.

Because he returned to the capital, Shen Ning had already ordered people to renovate the old Shen family mansion that the emperor had returned to him.

People have come from Luzhou now...

"Who is coming?"

Shen Ning asked as she walked out.

She suspected that he was in charge or something at first.

Although the Shen family was implicated back then, they were only sent back to their ancestral home and were barred from holding official positions for three generations. Their other assets and so on were not greatly damaged.

At least because of her, the whole family can go back and live peacefully as landlords.

"It's my eldest uncle."

what?
Shen Ning quickened her pace involuntarily.

Since transmigrating, according to the original owner's memories, she always replies to any letter that comes from Luzhou.

Both sides reported only good news and concealed the bad.

That time, when we escorted the coffin back to our hometown, it was originally agreed that if we traveled by land, we would first detour through Luzhou before returning to Jinling.

Unfortunately, the land route was not completed.

When they decided to travel by water, they discussed in their letters the possibility of staying in Luzhou for a few months before returning to the capital.

Ultimately, this beautiful wish had to be thwarted by the Japanese assassins and the hundred elite soldiers escorting them.

Officials who have been returned to their place of origin are not allowed to move around freely.

Therefore, even though Luzhou and Jinling are very close, the Shen family cannot come to see her.

Shen Ning later learned from Shen Du's letter that the old man had fallen seriously ill because of this.

Even though it wasn't the original body, she still couldn't help feeling a little sad.

In ancient times, it was extremely difficult for a married woman to return to her parents' home.

"Brother~"

Shen Du was looking around at the back door of the flower hall.

When he saw her from afar, he almost ran out to greet her.

However, he managed to restrain himself.

Shen Ning quickened her pace, "Big brother, you've finally arrived."

"..."

Shen Du looked his younger sister over and after a long while, he finally showed a genuine smile. "I'm late. From now on... leave it to me."

That year, we received a letter from my brother-in-law apologizing to his family. My sister was 46 years old and she was pregnant. The whole family was terrified.

The old man sat in his study for three days, but ultimately did not follow his brother-in-law's advice and write a letter asking her to have an abortion.

They all knew how much the younger sister longed for a second child.

She finally got pregnant; if she were willing to have an abortion, her brother-in-law wouldn't have come begging to her family.

But at the age of forty-six, wouldn't an abortion also harm one's health?

If we follow what everyone says and she has an abortion, her heart will probably be broken beyond repair.

In that case, you'll suffer heartbreak and physical harm, and things won't be any different.

Therefore, after much deliberation, the family said nothing else but to tell her to take good care of herself and not to worry her elderly father.

Ultimately, my younger sister also suffered because of her family.

Whether it was her husband's family or her own family, most of them collapsed overnight.

So much so that she couldn't even stay in the capital and had to go to a Taoist temple with her brother-in-law.

That year, the Shen family had a rough year.

Rumors about the Jia family are flying everywhere.

What about the Jia family paying off the national treasury's debts, and the younger sister stripping her brother-in-law of everything and becoming the most shrewish woman in the Great Zhao Dynasty...?

Over the past year, my younger sister has been doing more and more.

The same dangers are encountered.

"……OK!"

Shen Ning saw heartache in Shen Du's eyes, and her heart softened instantly. "If there are any difficulties in the future, I will leave them to my brother."

As the brother and sister exchanged a smile, it seemed as if the estrangement they had felt from being separated by distance over the years was rapidly fading away.

"Why did you come alone? Where are your sister-in-law and two nephews?"

There was no one else in the flower hall.

Shen Ning became somewhat anxious upon seeing this.

"They're still on their way."

Shen Du laughed, "Your sister-in-law and nephew have been on the boat for too long, and their legs are weak when they walk on land. I was in a hurry to get here, so I left them behind."

"Didn't you disembark at the Tianjin dock?"

Shen Ning said, "I'll also have someone come over there to pick you up..."

"Then they came together in the back."

Shen Ning: "..."

Her smile deepened. "You're eager to see your niece, aren't you?"

The siblings were middle-aged, and she was too embarrassed to say that her brother wanted to see her.

He immediately shoved Jia Yue forward, "Let's go, that little rascal..."

Just as she was about to say that the mischievous monkey was at school, she saw her little girl running towards them from the distant covered walkway.

"Look, the mischievous monkey is here."

Not only did the mischievous monkey come, but so did Lady You.

The maids reported more than just what was happening on her end.

These past few days, Jia Yue has been hearing her mother talk about her uncle all the time. When she sees him from afar, she is not shy at all and calls out "Uncle" very early on.

When Shen Du met Shen Ning, he maintained proper etiquette and did not step out of the flower hall to greet her for a moment. However, when he saw his niece, who was walking with short legs, calling him "Uncle" in a clear voice, he could no longer hold back and hurriedly walked more than ten steps to greet this niece who had made the whole family worry for many days.

"Shout again."

He hugged the little girl, his smile so wide it made his eyes disappear.

Yes, my niece is good-looking too, not at all delicate or frail.

"Uncle~"

Jia Yue liked his handsome beard and couldn't help but touch it.

"Hahaha~~~"

Shen Du laughed loudly, "He really does have the air of a mischievous monkey."

They were initially worried that since their younger sister was getting older, the baby might have congenital deficiencies.

Now it's all right. My niece really is just like my sister described in her letter—playful, cute, and bold; she's a real little rascal.

"Uncle, don't listen to Mother."

Jia Yue didn't understand much else, but the nickname "mischievous monkey" was clearly not a good one. Every time the adults called her "mischievous monkey," they would laugh.

"I'm not a naughty monkey."

"Haha, no, no, Uncle misspoke."

Shen Du turned around and looked at his younger sister, "She looks almost exactly like you when you were little."

No matter what bad things were done, they all blamed him.

He climbed the mulberry tree himself and ate the fruit until his nose was covered in the color, but he blamed it on his younger brother, saying that they taught him to do it.

They taught her to be careful when eating, but she didn't listen and made a mess of it, causing him and his second brother to be beaten.

"There's nothing I can do." Shen Ning spread her hands and laughed, "Who told me that I've only ever had one daughter all these years?"

Let them be mischievous; a little mischief is good for a child's growth.

As soon as Lady You came to pay her respects, Yingchun and the others received the news and also rushed over.

On this day, the Ningguo Mansion was unusually lively. Baochai saw a young man from the Shen family who was about the same age as her from afar, and her heart couldn't help but flutter.

The Shen family had a good family tradition; from Grand Secretary Shen to Lord Shen and his two sons, none of them had concubines.

The boy was said to be the eldest son of Madam Shen's second nephew.

He has a scholarly air about him.

The Shen family used to forbid examiners from taking exams, but things are different now.

Lord Shen is a Doctor of the Imperial Academy. It shouldn't be difficult for his grandson to pass the provincial examination and become a Jinshi, right?

Baochai felt that becoming a maid in the royal family and then managing the orphanage was not as good as marrying into an official's family.

The Shen family is a family of integrity, and with the Ningguo Mansion as a marriage alliance, they are bound to have a bright future.

With the help of these two companies, her family's status as a royal merchant, if not further improved, will at least not decline.

The more Baochai knew about Madam Shen's close relationship with the royal family, the more she wanted to help her.

Although the Xue family still holds the title of imperial merchant, in reality they only manage small items such as palace flowers.

Her grandfather and father's once profitable businesses in copper, iron, tea, salt, and silk are now all gone.

If Mrs. Shen could help...

When Baochai returned home, she subtly told Aunt Xue about the Shen family's affairs.

The Shen family has no girls. Shen Du's branch of the family has no daughters, not even a granddaughter.

If I marry into their family, I won't have to worry about not being able to have a daughter.

"Forget about the Shen family, help me take a look at these accounts."

Aunt Xue's main focus was still on her accounts. "These shops in Suzhou are doing well this year, earning more money than in previous years."

Baochai: "..."

What can she do?
She could only go over and look at the accounts.

Actually, these accounts were shown to them by the shopkeepers.

Since they've already presented it, there's definitely no way to find any flaws.

“My brother and I went to school at the Jia family’s school. My uncle conquered Annam and is now going to conquer Japan. Anyone with a brain would behave themselves.”

is it?

That seems to make sense.

Aunt Xue sighed inwardly.

"Mom, Jiangnan is a prosperous region, and business is doing well everywhere this year. Why don't we donate a portion of it to the orphanages in the disaster-stricken areas?"

Baochai advised her mother, "Her Majesty the Empress has sent many female officials to orphanages in various places. Those who donate a lot will definitely be recorded there. With more of this impression, there will be opportunities in the future..."

"Not this year!"

Aunt Xue stopped her from finishing, saying, "Your eldest uncle is still very short of money."

Although he was the general in charge of the expedition against Japan, the soldiers sent to Japan were all transferred from various places.

If you don't offer them some incentives, will those soldiers listen to you?
"Let's talk about it after your uncle finishes dealing with the Japanese affairs!"

Baochai: "..."

She had reached her breaking point.

"Mom, are you aware that Mrs. Shen has been donating to the orphanage?"

Aunt Xue: "..."

"Which is more important, our own family's affairs or my uncle's affairs?"

Baochai looked at her mother and said, "If you don't leave an impression on the Empress this year, even if you want to in the future... how are you any different from those people who are now going bankrupt to pay off the national treasury's debts?"

Will they be remembered?
They will not be remembered.

"You keep saying that Madam Shen got lucky, but you don't think about her long-term planning."

Of the two mansions, the Rongguo Mansion was originally in a better position than the Ningguo Mansion.

But what about now?
In this world, many things are beyond our control.

"My father used to say, 'If you rely on a mountain, it will crumble; if you rely on water, it will flow away...'"

"But that's your uncle!"

Even if you're not close to her, she's still a member of the Wang family in public.

Aunt Xue had no idea what was wrong with her daughter.

There are so many complaints about my maternal uncle's family.

"You can only get better if your uncle gets better, didn't I tell you that before..."

"Mother, I don't want to go to the palace."

Baochai's eyes reddened, and she didn't call her "Mom," whom she had been calling out to in Jinling. "The Wang family has daughters. Even though all the cousins ​​of my eldest and second uncles are married, there are still quite a few women of marriageable age in the Wang family."

She had no idea why her mother was so fixated on the palace.

"When my cousin Yuan Chun was in the palace, do you think I could be better than her? What good did she do for the family during those years in the palace?"

Not only did it bring no benefit, it also cost a lot of money.

This was no secret; they heard about it as soon as they arrived at the Jia family's residence.

But her mother still didn't learn her lesson.

"Why did Mrs. Shen bring my eldest cousin home? Have you thought about it?"

Baochai was furious with her mother. "The Emperor and the Empress are a couple who have been through thick and thin together. Haven't you seen how many people have been released, yet not a single court official has submitted a memorial suggesting that the harem be filled?"

Children generally won't repeat the mistakes their elders made.

Similarly, the entire court was terrified of the retired emperor and all those princes from the past.

"Mom, can we please stop just accepting whatever Uncle says?"

The lessons of the past are still fresh in our minds, so why can't her mother see through this?

"..."

Seeing her daughter like this, Aunt Xue's eyes slowly reddened. "Your father passed away early, leaving us a widow and her children. If it weren't for your uncle, we don't know how badly we would have been bullied by the clan."

They did give the Wang family some things, but without the Wang family, the clan would have been robbed of even more.

“Your eldest uncle is busy, but he's not without plans for us.”

Why can't I enter the palace?

“Your brother is useless and can only live off the family property. If you don’t marry into a better family and help your brother, our Xue family will be reduced to ordinary merchants in a few years.”

How could she face her deceased husband in that way?

"In terms of talent and appearance, in what way is my son inferior to the young ladies of this household?"

In this world, marrying anyone is the same.

How many wealthy and powerful families don't have three wives and four concubines?
The reason the master didn't have it back then was because the Wang family was powerful.

“You are not the same person you were back then.”

Baochai often brings back the official gazette; the Jia family now also enjoys reading it.

To avoid disagreements with others, Aunt Xue also read it.

"Back then, with the Emperor Emeritus and Consort Zhen, the Emperor and Empress could not make any decisions, and Yuan Chun could only waste her years in the palace."

Aunt Xue said, "You can wait until you come of age, when the Emperor will be in his prime."

Men, the older they get, the more they love younger women.

It was only because she was very strict that she didn't have any illegitimate children.

The Jia family has become like this because Madam Shen's family holds absolute power, and Jia Jing is indeed a gentleman, to the point that she doesn't even know what the men outside are like.

Haven't the men in the backstreets come up with another way after the clan rules were established?

What kind of good reputation is there in the case of homosexuality?

It would be better to keep a concubine or a maidservant.

“If your uncle fights Japan again, he will definitely be granted the title of Duke. You are his own niece. If you enter the palace, even if you don’t get the title of Zhaoyi or Jieyu, the emperor will at least give you the title of Meiren or Cairen.”

Aunt Xue thought her daughter was perfect in every way, saying, "Once the Emperor knows how good you are, our family will never have to worry again."

If they were to have another child, who knows what the future would hold... the Xue family would be the best of the four great families.

"The gold lock you wear every day, I've already had someone convey the words of a high monk: it must be matched with jade." (End of Chapter)