The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 91 First Mention of Separation
Even if the two daily meals of "bitter memories and sweet presents" don't taste good, they've started to be cherished.

Jia Zheng and his wife, along with Jia Zhu, who were completely unprepared, were able to drink the strange-tasting wild vegetable porridge, which was a bit sour and a bit bitter, without showing any expression.

I really can't not eat this; if I eat it now, I won't have another meal until tonight.

You can take a nap at night, relax your knees, and sleep for a while, but during the day... that's not so good.

In other words, they need to rely on this bowl of wild vegetable porridge and wild vegetable pancakes to maintain their strength and get through until the evening meal.

"Zhen'er!"

Finally, Madam Wang spoke, "Zhu'er still has a lot of studies to do, he..."

"Mother, your son can do it."

Jia Zhu was afraid his mother would speak, so he quickly interrupted, "If I'm wrong, I should be here."

Jia Zheng: "..."

Wang: "..."

Both of their facial expressions twisted for a moment.

They certainly knew they were wrong.

But they've already admitted their mistake!

They all went into the ancestral hall.

If I bring it today, that makes it three days.

What else do you want?

Are we really going to lock them up for life?
“I didn’t say… you shouldn’t be here.”

Wang slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, trying hard not to explode. "I meant your studies are very demanding. Why don't you bring your books in to read?"

Although she is a mother with a heart full of love, she can't stop her son from always siding with outsiders.

"And the master too." Since her son was useless, she could only blame her husband. "It's not good to keep taking leave like this."

"……well!"

Jia Zheng sighed at the opportune moment.

He deeply regretted that he had always been inconsistent in his work, to the point that it was inconvenient for him to use political affairs as an excuse to leave the ancestral hall.

But he really couldn't kneel anymore; his knees hurt so much.

Now, when I go to the toilet, it takes me quite a while to get up.

It's infuriating that his older brother, such a scoundrel, actually behaved the same way as them this time. He didn't even bother to leave, and he even had to call out if he took too long in the toilet.

Jia Zheng had calculated the time it would take for his brother to go to the toilet, but this older brother was quite capable; before Jia Zheng could call him, he would make some noise and slowly walk over.

"nothing!"

Jia Zhen took a sip of hot water. "Recently, our family has had many happy events. The officials in the Ministry of Works will understand Uncle Zheng's situation."

Jia Zheng: "..."

He turned and looked deeply at his nephew, finally unable to resist asking, "Zhen'er, how many more days... will we have to stay in the ancestral hall?"

Jia Zheng wanted to say that the family had already admitted their mistakes and that Rongxi Hall could be given up at any time. He continued, "You are the clan head; punish them as appropriate. Why keep kneeling in the ancestral hall without saying a word? What are you trying to achieve?"
But the words just wouldn't come out.

He vaguely sensed that his elder brother and Zhen'er were using the ancestral hall to teach them a lesson.

Although the two of them were also in the ancestral hall, Jia Zhen lived a much better life.
Aside from kneeling during the day, they can sleep soundly at night.

As for the eldest brother... he's experienced kneeling in the ancestral hall, so three to five days is nothing to him.

But they really can't do it.

"As you know, the Emperor Emeritus has already issued the decree for the marriage, and Yuan Chun's dowry should still be prepared."

Having exhausted all other options, Jia Zheng had no choice but to bring out his daughter.

“When we came in, Mother said that we didn’t need to worry about my younger sister’s dowry.”

Jia Zhen sighed sadly, "There's the old lady and her two sisters-in-law. Both of my younger siblings-in-law only married into the family last year, so they have experience."

Moreover, her younger sister has been in the palace for two years, and she's probably become unfamiliar with household affairs. In the Marquis of Xinping's household, she'll be the mistress of the house after marriage, and she can't be incompetent in managing things. So, this is a good opportunity for her to learn how to prepare the remaining dowry and gain experience, so that she won't be caught off guard when she gets married.

"..."

"..."

All the roads are blocked!
Jia Zheng and Wang felt hopeless.

Jia Zhu remained kneeling without moving an inch.

He sincerely repented before his ancestors.

But if parents can't be truly sincere...

Then this family will continue to be in turmoil.

Meanwhile, Auntie and Brother Zhen were becoming increasingly impatient with their parents.

next time……

What if they hit his father with a stick, or lock his mother in the Buddhist hall...?
As their son, Jia Zhu couldn't bear to see his parents in such a state, so he was willing to teach them a lesson they would be afraid of.

He didn't offer a single word of advice; he just suffered along with them.

"That……"

Jia Zheng gritted his teeth and asked again, "How many days will we be staying in the ancestral hall?"

What does Uncle Zheng think?

Jia Zhen retorted, "In front of our ancestors, how many days do you think my grandfather and uncle would punish you if they knew what you've done?"

Jia Zheng: "..."

His heart trembled.

The father knew that he wouldn't punish her, but he would beat her.

If his father were alive, he would never have dared to be so bold.

Even my mother wouldn't do something like that.

"If my father were here, he would probably beat me half to death, throw me into the ancestral hall for half a month, and then see if I was still alive."

Jia She looked at his father's memorial tablet and kowtowed. "Your son is unfilial. I have not protected what you gave me. I only know how to be blindly filial to my mother and only know how to forgive and tolerate my second brother. I have completely forgotten the word 'admonition' and even more so, I have forgotten to teach my second brother."

Father……"

His voice choked with emotion, "Your son misses you. Grandfather, grandmother, your grandson misses you."

His wife and his children are still here...

Jia She straightened up and, upon seeing the two memorial tablets at the far end, couldn't help but wipe away a tear.

He was willing to stay in this ancestral hall with his second brother's family, to keep the ancestors company, and to be with his wife and children.

"...Big brother, I was wrong."

Jia Zheng's voice was slightly lower, "When we get back, I'll vacate Rongxi Hall."

"..."

Jia She looked at the memorial tablets of his wife and children without saying a word.

"Zhen'er, I want to go back as soon as possible and vacate Rongxi Hall."

Having no other option, Jia Zheng turned to Jia Zhen and said, "Look..."

"Wait a minute!"

Jia Zhen sighed, "Rongxi Hall is right there, we can't escape it. It's our fault... We should apologize to our ancestors. Otherwise, with my grandfather's fiery temper, he might have a heart-to-heart talk with me in the middle of the night."

Although he missed his grandfather's beatings when he was with the retired emperor, he was still afraid most of the time.

"Uncle Zheng, have you ever dreamed about Uncle?"

Jia Zheng: "..."

He did not.

Not once.

His parents have always liked him.

So when he sent his dying will to the emperor, the retired emperor even bestowed upon him an official position.

He always felt that he should be his father's pride.

but now……

Jia Zheng's shoulders slumped.

Was he really wrong?

My older brother is a good-for-nothing, and my mother says the family can't count on him.

His mother wanted him to live in Rongxi Hall. He knew it was wrong, but for his mother's sake, he did not object. He and Wang Shi did not live in the main house, but only in the three side rooms on the east side of the main house.

He once thought he was doing a great job.

She took care of both her mother and her brother. Unexpectedly…

The ancestral hall fell silent again.

But while the ancestral hall was quiet, Shen Ning's courtyard could not be quiet.

Grandmother Jia came directly to her.

The old lady knew very well that although Jia Zhen was the clan head, he was extremely filial to his mother. As long as Shen Shi spoke, the ancestral hall... it was just that she, the old woman, was slightly biased between her two sons.

But the eldest brother has already inherited the title.

Isn't it only natural for her to favor the second son?
Shen didn't understand before, but now that she has Jia Yue, she should know a little bit, right?

"Auntie, what brings you here so early in the morning?"

Upon hearing the maid's report, Shen Ning went directly to the courtyard to greet her, saying, "If there's anything you need, just have the maid tell you, and I'll come over myself."

Jia Mu: "..."

She wanted to admit her mistake and question her about her wrongdoing.

But the Shen family showed such respect...

For a moment, Grandmother Jia didn't know what to say.

"cough~"

She coughed lightly. "Yesterday, after the imperial decree was read aloud, Yueyue cried quite a lot. How is she now?"

"She's just a child, crying is her problem."

Shen Ning's smile became even more genuine. "Don't worry, I'm fine. I can still eat and sleep well, and I occasionally let out a few howls."

"That's fine, that's fine."

When Shen Ning helped her over, Grandmother Jia patted her hand and said, "Yueyue is still young and has a delicate voice. It's okay if she cries a few times now and then, but we can't let her cry all the time."

"How can that be possible?"

As Shen Ning helped her walk inside, she said, "I'm not a stepmother. Wasn't it because she cried so much yesterday that I couldn't go to the West Mansion to accompany her to receive the imperial decree?"

"..."

Grandmother Jia sighed, "It's a good thing you didn't go." Her second daughter-in-law was foolish; the gossip from that day would eventually reach her. She sighed again and said, "After Eunuch Dai announced the Emperor Emeritus's decree, when the manor received the rewards and gave the palace maids red envelopes, some palace maids said it was a pity. They said that Aunt Lingyu from Consort Zhen's side said that Consort Zhen was even planning to speak to the Emperor to give the eldest daughter of the manor a better social standing."

She looked at Shen Ning and said, "Tell me, at that time, wasn't what he said just trying to sow discord?"

Although the old lady said those words, her eyes were fixed on Shen Ning, wanting to see her reaction to what she said, whether she was surprised or angry.

Amidst surprise and anger, were there feelings of regret, remorse, or even guilt?

"So, Auntie now knows how she's been so favored all this time, right?"

Shen Ning seemed unaware of Grandmother Jia's probing, and simply said sincerely, "How many concubines were around the Emperor Emeritus back then? Which one of them wasn't clever? But what was the result? Without some means, Consort Zhen and Prince Jin wouldn't have gotten to where they are today."

These fools from the Jia family actually think they can get something out of someone else?

Shen Ning sighed, "She subtly sows discord, making people kill each other. This won't be the first time she's done this, nor will it be the last."

"..."

Grandmother Jia's heart trembled.

She recalled an old story from the palace of the retired emperor.

Along with Consort Zhen, there was another pair of sisters who were deeply favored by the Retired Emperor.

But in the end, the two sisters went from supporting each other to fighting to the death. One was disfigured, and the other was sent to the cold palace. A few months later, they both passed away.

"Ah~"

The old lady was anxious. "Wang is stupid. After hearing those words, as soon as Eunuch Dai and the others left the mansion, she slapped Yuan Chun hard and even questioned her filial piety, saying that she didn't listen to her. She said that she was Yuan Chun's mother and would never harm her."

Shen Ning: "..."

"She resents not only Yuan Chun, but also you!"

"I know."

Shen Ning slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. "She's been resenting me for more than just a day or two. She wants to be a knife in someone else's hand, and there's nothing I can do about it. I can't just lock her up in the ancestral hall forever."

Jia Mu: "..."

Her heart skipped a beat, but she quickly suppressed it.

Wang Ziteng is no pushover.

The children born to Wang were all fine.

Moreover, Yuan Chun is about to marry the Marquis of Xinping.

Pearl also wants examiners, for their sake...

"I'm so angry!"

The old lady patted her chest and said, "Fortunately, I raised all those children."

Otherwise, they might all be taught the wrong way.

"This is good fortune for the children, good fortune for the Jia family!"

Fortunately, the Wang family women's lack of talent was not adopted by the Jia family.

Even when welcoming spring, one can still compose a few poems.

Shen Ning helped the old lady into the house. "Auntie, you must take good care of yourself. With you here, the children will be better off, and your second sister-in-law won't be able to cause any trouble."

"Zheng'er really made a mistake in marrying this woman."

The old lady regretted her actions in front of Shen Ning, saying, "It was she who brought Baoyu and cried in front of me. I thought that the children had all grown up by my side, and it would be inconvenient for her to take care of them if we were far away, so I... made a mistake in a moment of confusion."

Anyway, this factor is involved.

The old lady was convinced of this point: "Speaking of which, Baoyu's jade is strange. How could such a big piece of jade be in the mouth of such a small child? It's obvious that he had already bribed the midwife and the people around him."

Shen Ning: "..."

She didn't say anything, but accepted the tea brought by the maid, served it to the old lady herself, and let her continue weaving.

"She's too cunning. I need to send someone to find the midwife from back then."

The old lady had actually already looked for one. It was a coincidence, though; the midwife had drunk too much last year and had fallen and died.

"We need to find them."

Shen Ning echoed.

"She's unwilling to accept that the family's title doesn't go to the second wife, so she desperately tries to curry favor with the old woman. Over the years, she's managed the household, and I've been raising the children for her. The mansion... she's practically emptied it out!"

Where did Zhou Rui get his estate, shops, and money?
Wasn't it all taken from the public funds by the Wang family?

In the past, Grandmother Jia would turn a blind eye, thinking that the meat was rotting in her own pot.

Unexpectedly!

"Why did I marry Zheng'er such a troublemaker?"

"It's never too late to mend the fence after the sheep are lost."

Shen Ning said, "Now that Lian'er has also married, why don't you secretly divide the property between the two families?"

What?
Grandmother Jia immediately came to her senses.

"While parents are alive, the family should not separate," is an old saying.

She never considered separating the family property from her two sons.

“My brother She has already suffered a lot. He is magnanimous and will naturally give in to his younger brother. Even if we divide the family property, he will not let my brother Zheng’s family leave the mansion.”

Shen Ning tentatively suggested, "You should first have them divide up the money for the children's weddings and marriages. As for the other estates, shops, etc., each family should keep their own share. Of course, you should also keep a share, and you can give it to whomever you want later."

This?
The second wife has more children, so dividing up the money for marriage and children's dowries first actually benefits the second wife.

The Shen family was not bad; they did not favor the eldest son's family.

Grandmother Jia didn't care whether she divided it or not; she had enough of her own private savings, and she could give it to whomever she wanted.

It's just a division of assets...

"Many families have fallen out over the division of property, with brothers fighting to the death and never speaking to each other again."

Shen Ning reminded, "Now that the brotherhood between She and Zheng is still there, and with you around, even if the family is secretly separated, Yuan Chun is still the legitimate daughter of the Rongguo Mansion, and Zhu'er is still the legitimate eldest son of the Rongguo Mansion."

They were simply dividing the property among themselves to prevent Wang from having any designs on it. Otherwise, she was, after all, Feng'er's aunt and had raised Lian'er; whatever she wanted to do, the young couple would have no choice but to agree out of consideration for their relationship.

It's as if she dared to let Lian'er secretly embezzle the national treasury silver that her uncle had specially sealed away years ago.

She dared to move that thing, so what else wouldn't she dare to do?

Jia Mu: "..."

She was somewhat frightened by what she said.

"The Wang family wasn't exactly incredibly wealthy back then, but they weren't far off either."

Shen Ning continued, "But what about now? Internal strife is the worst thing for a family. If you don't control it from the source, the West Mansion might really be hollowed out by her. What will happen to Lian'er then? What face will Zhu'er and Baoyu have left?"