The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 77 Those who attain the Way receive much help.

In Yangzhou, Jia Min sent several groups of people to investigate the progress at the Li residence.

There's nothing I can do about it; my nephew has never done anything particularly outstanding since he was a child, but he's certainly been mischievous and troublesome countless times.

Although she later became more composed and able to manage the household, that was all after she got married. Jia Min was afraid that the letters from home would be praising her nephew.

Of all these years, only this one relative from her mother's side has come along, so as her aunt, she has no choice but to keep a close eye on her.

"Madam, the young master had a very pleasant conversation with the heads of the Lu, Zhang, and Gu families. They even arranged to drink and watch a play together. The two Li brothers, despite the bloodstains on their foreheads, were also there trying their best to keep him company."

"Madam, Li Haizhong's two children have been kidnapped."

"Madam, those two children are only ten years old. They were beaten so badly that their bottoms were bruised after just a few strokes of the cane. They were crying so pitifully that many people at the scene couldn't bear to see them suffer."

The servant who said this also seemed to feel a little sorry for his son. He seemed to want to wait for his wife to speak to the young master so that he could be beaten less severely.

After all, forty strokes of the cane are a heavy blow that many adults cannot endure.

Unexpectedly, Jia Min behind the gauze curtain merely frowned slightly and waved for him to continue investigating.

Why should she pity someone surnamed Li?

If they succeed, the Jia family's world will collapse, if not half of it, but at least a third of it.

They resorted to such despicable means at the critical moment when their sister-in-law was about to give birth, clearly intending to kill her and her unborn child.

It was her servants who sympathized with the man surnamed Li…

Jia Min remembered the man and decided to send him back to the farm to farm.

In this household, she doesn't need to be soft-hearted towards outsiders, only loyal to her own family.

"Mrs!"

Another servant rushed into the mansion, saying, "Second Master kicked over the flogging squad. It turns out that both of the Li family's boys had blood-soaked cotton bags tied to their buttocks."

That bag not only helps them elicit sympathy, but also protects their backside.

Jia Lian pulled out a cotton bag that was just big enough to cover their buttocks, like a diaper, and threw it directly at Li Haimu and Li Haixing's faces. "Are you two just pretending to comply with me?"

"this?"

Before Li Haimu could speak, the steward rushed over and knelt down. "Young Master Jia, it was all...it was all my doing. I was indebted to the Third Master, his grandson...how could I bear to do this?"

As he spoke, he looked up at Jia Lian, then kowtowed several times, until his head was bleeding, before saying, "Our Seventh Master has become confused, but he has received the punishment he deserves. Please, Young Master Jia, spare them for the sake of our two young masters who are still young!"

"Please, Young Master Jia, spare them!"

The Li family had no choice but to come out and watch the men and women being executed, and they all knelt down, wailing and crying.

Jia Lian was so angry he laughed. "Spare them?" He walked up to Li Haimu with his fan. "I would like to spare them, but Master Li, tell me, what grudge do my family have against yours that you would spend 100,000 taels of silver to buy someone's life when my aunt is about to give birth, thus framing my Jia family?"

"Young master, please calm down! Young master, please calm down!!"

Li Haimu originally intended to play the victim and use the situation to his advantage, but he didn't expect this person to be so shrewd. "I'll have them increase the sentence right away."

"No need."

Jia Lian suddenly made a stopping gesture, turned to the crowd of onlookers, cupped his hands and said, "Gentlemen, it's not that I, Jia, want to make things difficult for the Li family, it's just that they are bullying people too much because of their wealth!"

His voice was clear and bright. Although he had gotten quite tanned, his every move exuded the air of a noble young master. "Is forty strokes of the cane a lot? Yes, it is. I, Jia, don't deny it. It can kill a person. But everyone should know that their father, Li Haizhong, has already used 100,000 taels of silver to kill seven people."

Those seven who died also had parents, brothers, wives and children. How innocent were they?

"These forty strokes of the cane are meant to show my stance. If I had really gone too far, Mr. Jia would have stopped. But as everyone can see, the Li family is deliberately covering for them."

Jia Lian suddenly turned to look at Li Haimu, "Master Li, you are the head of the Li family. I can understand that you are reluctant to part with your descendants. But you should also try to understand me, your second master."

At this point, he stopped identifying himself as Jia and said, "Your brother harmed my brother. If you don't give me an explanation for what happened today, you're forcing my Jia family to become enemies with your Li family."

"...No, no! Second Master, please calm down!"

Li Haimu was about to cry.

This kid is not easy to deal with at all!
If the Li family were to truly accept this grudge, they would have no choice but to retreat to the sea.

At that time, the Jia family won't even need to lift a finger; there will be plenty of people who want to curry favor with them.

When a wall falls, everyone pushes it down; it happens in an instant.

"Guards!" Li Haimu said to his servants through gritted teeth, "Suppress this old bastard and beat him to death."

This old bastard, he was referring to the butler who had just kowtowed so hard that his head bled quite a bit.

The steward was taken aback and was about to say something when Li Haixing gave him a look, and a servant rushed over and shoved the blood-stained cloth bag on the ground into his mouth.

The servants of the Li family found it uninteresting to beat the young master, but beating him was a different story.

The board thumped repeatedly, each sound muffled. The old butler's eyes widened, and he mumbled, but he couldn't utter a single cry of pain.

After about ten strokes of the cane, blood began to seep out from his buttocks.

However, it quickly became soaked, dripping down.

At this moment, anyone could see that he wouldn't survive.

"Second Master, look..."

Li Haimu pleaded, "Is this how I'm going to handle this?"

"How to handle it is your Li family's business, isn't it?"

Jia Lian's voice was indifferent. "You said you'd give me an explanation, but your so-called explanation is a lie." He spat. "I'm too lazy to see how your nephew is dealt with, but..."

His fan was pressed against Li Haimu's forehead, which was marked with blood. "As the head of the Li family, you have failed to restrain your clansmen, which is a crime."

slap~
Jia Lian tapped him on the forehead with his fan again, "Are you convinced now?"

"Clothes!"

Li Haimu's vision went black, but he had no choice but to answer immediately, "I'm convinced!"

"Since you admit it, I won't take the forty lashes. But you brothers will each take twenty lashes for the other brothers!"

This?
Li Haimu's lips trembled.

"What? You don't want to? Or do you think it's too much?"

The smile that flashed in Jia Lian's peach blossom eyes was, to Li Haimu at this moment, a deep malice.

But he dared not say he was unwilling, nor did he dare say he thought it was too much. Just as he was about to nod in agreement, several older boys from the Li family hurriedly kowtowed and said, "Please forgive us, Second Master Lian. We brothers are willing to take the punishment for our father."

"Oh?"

A hint of reluctance seemed to flash in Jia Lian's eyes. "...It's rare that you still have such filial piety. But what can I do? I'm just naturally soft-hearted. How about this, all the little brothers in your Li family who are over eight years old will each receive ten strokes of the cane. After that... we'll consider this matter over."

"...Thank you very much, Second Master!"

Ten strokes per person may seem like a small amount, but the four brothers came out specifically to divide those ten strokes among themselves.

But the brothers who haven't come out yet will also get ten lashes.

Now that we don't acknowledge it... we have no choice but to accept it.

“Master Li,” Jia Lian looked at Li Haimu, “what’s wrong? Are you reluctant to part with him again?”

"Don't dare!"

How could Li Haimu, who has come this far, not know how to do accounting?

But for this moment, he could only suppress his heartache and order again, "Tie up the young masters... and beat them!"

With so many people watching, these ten strokes of the cane... we really can't fake it anymore.

The sounds of spanking and crying echoed throughout the room, with everyone outside counting the blows for Jia Lian.

When the servant reported to Jia Min again, she couldn't help but slap the table with joy.

He truly is a good nephew. No wonder he can manage the household for his mother.

"I told you so, but you wouldn't believe me!"

When Lin Ruhai returned, he teased Jia Min, "The children have grown up, you can't underestimate them anymore."

"How could I underestimate it?"

Jia Min's eyes sparkled. "I can't see it for myself, so you're not happy with someone telling me?"

"Haha, how dare I!"

Lin Ruhai was amused by his wife's sidelong glance. "Come on, come on, Lian'er will be back soon. Let's have a good celebration for him."

They were preparing to celebrate Jia Lian's victory, unaware that the Seventh Master of the Li family, whom everyone thought was absent, was on a nearby pleasure boat. Hearing the servants talking about the tragic situation at home, he had been grinding his teeth several times as he looked towards the Lin residence.

Normally, he would have already given the Lin family a hard time, but now, to prevent others from immediately associating it with the Li family's revenge, he swallowed his anger.

"Keep a close eye on the Lin family."

His voice was deep, “Keep a close eye on Jia Lian.”

Just because they can't act now doesn't mean that the heat has died down and they can't act now.

A gentleman's revenge is never too late.

"Didn't Master Lu want to befriend Jia Lian?" he said sinisterly. "Give him a lesson first, go set a fire. Oh, and those onlookers, pick a few easy targets and beat them all up."

……

The capital city, Ningguo Prefecture.

After being scolded by his mother again, Jia Zhen became much more obedient.

However, he always felt that his mother and Uncle Lin had some secret, otherwise why would she ask him to write that the experiment was successful and report it immediately at the end?

Unfortunately, my mother was tight-lipped, and I couldn't get anything out of her.

"Mother, many relatives and friends have already asked about my sister's one-month celebration."

Picking up her already fair-skinned younger sister, Jia Zhen asked Shen Ning for advice, "We didn't have a third-day celebration, and if we don't have one for her full moon celebration, it would be too unfair to our little Yueyue."

My younger sister's name has already been chosen: Jia Yue.

Originally, since his father wasn't home, the final naming decision should have been made by him. However, because he wrote a letter to Lian Er, his mother, in a fit of anger, took back his right to name the child. Of all the names available, she drew lots herself, and twice in a row, she drew the name Yue.

My younger sister is now called Jia Yue, and her nickname is Yueyue.

Jia Zhen was so disappointed.

"Yes, I didn't say I wouldn't do it."

Tomorrow will be May.

She felt like she was going to grow mold during her postpartum confinement.

"You and Madam You should get ready!"

Fortunately, she has a reliable wife at home, otherwise Shen Ning feels she would be exhausted.

"By the way, did you write to your father?"

Although Jia Jing isn't coming back, he still needs to be informed that his daughter has given birth.

"I've sent the letter."

I sent a servant to deliver the message long ago, but the servant came back and said that my father only replied with a faint "I know" and then said nothing more.

Jia Zhen didn't say anything because he was afraid of upsetting his mother.

"That's fine."

Shen Ning took Xiao Yueyue back and said with a smile, "When Yueyue turns one month old, you can ask the noodle shop down the mountain to send him a bowl of longevity noodles."

Jia Zhen: "..."

He understands the importance of sending longevity noodles, but plain longevity noodles...

I always felt that his mother wanted his father to be unhappy while eating.

At this time, his mother was easily angered, and Jia Zhen dared not provoke her, so he quickly nodded, "Yes!"

He didn't dare linger and quickly had someone carry him away.

Shen Ning didn't care about her eldest son's condition; Xiao Yueyue was growing up beautifully, smelling sweet and milky, and often smiling in her sleep.

She couldn't understand how such a cheerful child could have been hurt so badly that she had become so cold and heartless.

She held her youngest daughter, her eyes filled with love.

"Grandma Grandma!"

Jia Rong, who was out of school, ran over here the most often, saying, "I'm here to hug my little aunt."

His aunt, whom he had been particularly worried about, fearing she would never get married, was becoming more and more beautiful every day.

Jia Rong had reached the point where he missed her terribly if he didn't see her for even a day.

"Why are you hugging me? Have you finished writing your characters? Have you finished memorizing your book?"

"Grandma, let me hold you for a bit before I start writing!"

Jia Rong leaned closer to the bedside. "Look, Auntie heard my voice and is looking at me. Little Auntie, I'm here! You know me, right? I'm your eldest nephew."

He stretched out his fingers for his aunt to hold, "Wow, you've gotten stronger! Grandma, look, she's holding on so tightly!"

"Yes, our Yueyue is amazing!"

Shen Ning proudly tapped her daughter's little nose, "You know it's your nephew who's back? Do you want him to recite his lessons for you again? Oh~, yes!"

Jia Rong: "..."

He watched as his grandmother continued talking to herself, settling the matter of him reciting again. He could only grin and say, "Auntie, today we learned Mencius. Mencius said: 'The right time is not as important as the right place, and the right place is not as important as the right people. A city three li in circumference, an outer wall seven li in circumference, surrounded... surrounded and attacked, yet none can be conquered. For if one surrounds and attacks, there must be someone who has the right time; however..."

He hasn't remembered the rest yet.

“However, the reason why they did not win was that the timing of the day was not as good as the location,” Shen Ning continued. “It was not that the city was not high, the moat was not shallow, the weapons were not weak, and the grain was not scarce; yet they abandoned it because the location was not as good as the people.”

"Yep!"

Jia Rong looked at his grandmother with admiration, "Grandmother, you still remember?"

"...Of course!"

Shen Ning possessed the original owner's memories, and had long since memorized the Four Books and Five Classics. "You think that the right time is not as important as the right place, and the right place is not as important as the right people? Besides conquering cities and seizing land, where else can this saying be applied?"

"...used in..."

Jia Rong thought for a moment, "How about using it in all aspects of our lives?"

"for example."

"Just like the incident where Xing'er reported it to the authorities in the street."

Jia Rong not only heard Xing'er play it himself, but also heard many other people in the family play it.

He said, "At that time, the Chen and Wang families were beaten very badly. The people of Fulong Street felt that our family was domineering. But Xing'er went to the street to report to the authorities, telling them about the viciousness of the Chen and Wang families, the pitiful state of Sister Yan, and the grievances of the Jia family. Then they all felt that our family did a good job of beating them."

"That's it."

Shen Ning smiled, "We can't just memorize what's in a book; we have to understand it and apply it. Therefore, the latter half of this section says: 'Governing the people is not about defining borders; securing the country is not about relying on the dangers of mountains and rivers; dominating the world is not about the power of weapons.' Those who follow the Way receive much help; those who stray from the Way receive little help. When help is scarce, even relatives turn against you; when help is abundant, the whole world submits to you. Using the support of the world, you can attack those who have turned against you; therefore, a wise ruler may not fight, but if he does, he will surely win."

understand? "

"……understood."