The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 54 Birthday
As the sun set, the neighboring West Mansion became lively again because its masters had returned home.

Less than half an hour later, Shen Ning received a note from Jia's mother, saying that Wang Shi's birthday had not been celebrated today, but would be made up for tomorrow, and that she must come to the mansion to drink and watch the opera.

I can't drink alcohol, but I can listen to a play.

Why does Shen Ning, who has no cell phone, no internet, and nothing at all, want to climb Tianxiang Tower every day?
Isn't it because they stand tall and can see far?

Shen Ning, who was about to go crazy from holding it in, agreed on the spot.

Wang, who had been flattering Grandmother Jia for quite some time, breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that she was willing to come.

Her brother told her to be patient and try to repair the relationship.

It is never too late for a gentleman to take revenge.

She could endure for ten years until he had complete control of the capital's garrison, at which point he could resolve any grudges or hatred she might have.

just now……

Lady Wang suddenly realized that she and her brother had been worrying unnecessarily.

If I were truly tough, I wouldn't have sent her a birthday gift.

That so-called forgiveness... can only be lip service.

Even if the relationship between the two governments were torn apart, they would still be bound by blood ties.

"old lady!"

With a benevolent expression, Mrs. Wang said, "Lian'er has been away for quite a few days now. He's been around me since he was little, and I really can't eat or sleep well now that he's suddenly not home."

Lian Er used to handle all the household chores.

Although Feng'er is also an option, she can only manage the household and cannot go out and work.

If Lian Er were home, Zhu'er wouldn't have been so busy when her second brother got into trouble.

Wang has been missing Jia Lian terribly these past few days.

“Speaking of which, sister-in-law shouldn’t have let Lian’er go to Jiangnan,” she glanced at her silent niece, “He and Feng’er have only been married for a short time, and yet…”

"Feng'er has certainly had a tough time these past few days."

Grandmother Jia disliked this forgetful daughter-in-law. Shen Shi's presence was out of respect for her, the Jia family, and the children, and it might not have anything to do with you, Wang Shi. So she interrupted directly, saying, "However, the ancestral land for the school is also a serious matter. Fortunately, his aunt and uncle in Jiangnan are helping out. He should have already bought the land and is probably on his way back. Don't worry, Feng'er, when he returns, I will definitely have Lian'er thank you properly."

"Grandma, Madam, Second Master isn't home, this is what I should do."

Wang Xifeng missed Jia Lian very much, but she was somewhat reluctant to have him come back.

The Wang family was her maternal family. After the horse was startled, she also felt sorry for her eldest and second uncles, but they were them, and Jia Lian was Jia Lian.

Brother Zhu is my nephew, and he ran around doing all the work, but in the end, neither his uncle nor his family were satisfied.

If Jia Lian were to return, he would surely face the same thankless task.

This place in Kyoto... feels a bit dangerous.

She saw the twelve guards that the Wang family had transferred from the capital garrison from afar. Wang Xifeng recognized one of them, the one with very prominent ears. She often dressed as a boy when she was young. Once, when she went hunting with Wang Renge to a village in the countryside, she noticed that the girl with prominent ears could hear sounds from afar, which helped them catch several more prey.

She told her uncle when she got back, but less than a month later she heard that Protruding Ears had died.

But now he has appeared in the Wang family and become a member of the Beijing Garrison.

Wang Xifeng was afraid that someone might use the protruding ears to target the Wang family, so she went to see her eldest uncle. However, her eldest uncle calmly said that one should not inquire about things that should not be inquired about.

From the startled horse to the protruding ears, she always felt that something dangerous was going on.

"The ancestral field ceremony was successfully completed, which is also a contribution our Second Master made to the clan, the old lady, and the ladies."

Wang Xifeng smiled, trying to let the matter drop. "He's not home, but I'm still here. Tomorrow I'll offer a few more drinks to the old lady and the other ladies on his behalf."

"Haha, that's exactly right!"

Grandmother Jia was indeed amused by her. "But you've worked hard, so this old woman can't not reward you." She thought for a moment and said to her maid, "Go and bring over that set of jade jewelry and give it to Feng'er."

Wang watched helplessly as her niece used her silver tongue to coax the old lady into laughter, and then, looking at the large mahogany jewelry box, her chest tightened with increasing unease. This was her Baoyu's!

Wang tried her best to maintain her composure, and only after the event was over did she hurry towards Rongxi Hall.

Today is her birthday. Although we didn't get to celebrate, in previous years Jia Zheng would send her a small gift or two and then stay at her place. This year...

She was thinking about Jia Zheng, but unexpectedly, just as she saw him in the distance, he turned and headed towards Aunt Zhao's place.

This?
Wang stood there, and the maidservant beside her didn't dare to utter a sound.

After a long while, she slowly exhaled a breath of stale air and said, "Let's go!"

She knew that Jia Zheng was taking his anger out on her.

These past few days at the Wang family's house, his older brother has been giving him the cold shoulder.

But with his eldest brother injured and his second brother teetering on the brink of death, who could possibly care about his feelings?

Over the years, she has given birth to three children for him, yet he shows her no consideration whatsoever.

Lady Wang stumbled back, her steps uneven, but unexpectedly, as soon as she entered Rongxi Hall, she heard the voices of her eldest son and Baoyu.

"Mrs!"

Jia Baoyu's clear, joyful voice rang out, "My elder brother and I will eat longevity noodles with you!"

Because he was young, he didn't go to the Wang family's house, so he didn't get to eat the Wang family's longevity noodles.

"Mother!"

Jia Zhu's voice and smile were both gentle. "Baoyu hasn't had your longevity noodles yet," he said, taking out the noodles and vegetables one by one from the food box. "I was thinking that I might as well join in for a midnight snack."

"Good good!"

The disappointment on Madam Wang's face was instantly replaced by joy and affection.

On the other side, Aunt Zhao, who had finally waited for Jia Zheng, was also beaming with joy. "Master, you're finally back. You must have had a hard time these past few days. You've even lost weight."

"...How could it not be hard?"

Jia Zheng did feel back pain; he hadn't been eating or sleeping well these past few days.

Those people in the Wang family...

hum~
Does he have no eyes or ears?
Jia Zheng was also frustrated. The matter of the startled horse was clearly a problem with the Beijing garrison. Instead of reflecting on who he had offended, his brother-in-law insisted that Zhu'er investigate, which was clearly making things difficult for him and his son. "Fortunately, it's all over now."

"Please sit down, I'll get a basin of water and give you a foot massage."

Aunt Zhao diligently fetched water for him and took off his shoes, her slender hands nimbly and firmly pressing on his feet.

Jia Zheng closed his eyes slightly, slowly savoring the moment, "Has Huan'er been well-behaved these past few days?"

"Don't worry, Huan'er has always been a good girl."

Speaking of her son, Aunt Zhao's eyes were full of tenderness and love, "When you've been away for a few days, he keeps calling out 'Daddy, Daddy, Daddy'."

"...Asleep?"

Jia Zheng lowered his voice and looked into the inner room.

“Isn’t that right?” Aunt Zhao laughed. “He always dozes off when the lamp is lit.”

My son is adorable, my daughter is easy to take care of, and when my wife isn't home, I don't even have to set any rules.

Aunt Zhao has been living a very comfortable life these past few days, especially now that the master has returned. His eyes are darting around, and when he looks at Jia Zheng, he seems a little drooling.

Jia Zheng received the hint, and of course he himself was quite interested, so he immediately grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms, saying, "Huan'er misses her father, don't you miss him too?"

"Disgusting~"

Aunt Zhao sat down on his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and looked at Jia Zheng with her watery eyes. "Of course I miss you, I miss you so much."