Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 424 Don’t have anything to do with the Jia family!

Xue Baochai had already informed them, and she had cleaned up a space in the small attic where she used to work, and put an eight-immortal table on it and provided some tea and candied fruits to entertain her sisters.

When she heard the bustling footsteps, Xue Baochai put down what she was doing and went to greet them happily.

"Sisters, watch your step."

Xue Baochai supported them one by one and said with a smile, "In fact, there are not many things to appreciate here, but as for places outside, I am afraid there is no place where you sisters can settle down with peace of mind."

"My humble abode is humble, please feel free to sit anywhere, sisters."

The girls looked around like curious babies, and all they saw were rows of bookcases filled with all kinds of books, and the empty spaces were filled with antiques, mostly bottles and jars, whose value was unknown.

Despite this, a world of their own that is not within the family is something that girls long for.

What's more, in this small room, the business output may be hundreds of thousands or even millions of taels, all of which are controlled by Xue Baochai, which makes the girls envious.

Especially Tanchun, who is strong-willed.

After looking around, he took the tea handed to him by Ying'er and asked Xue Baochai, "Sister Bao, what kind of business is Fengzihao doing now?"

The ways of governing the world are rarely discussed in the casual conversations among sisters in the boudoir.

Generally speaking, a girl who is not tainted by the smell of money is an innocent girl. However, after experiencing some right and wrong, the concepts of Lin Daiyu, Xue Baochai, and the sisters of the Jia family have gradually changed.

Speaking of this, Xue Baochai no longer kept to herself and confessed, "At first, the Xue family only operated a pawnshop and a silver shop. Later, with the guidance of the Marquis in Cangzhou, we started the business of salt and grain merchants."

"Today, along the canal, there are businesses with the word Feng in most towns and cities. Salt shops, grain shops and restaurants are the most common."

"Until now, the Marquis has planned another business, and Fengzihao is planning to start the cloth business again."

Tanchun nodded in astonishment, "Doesn't that mean that Sister Jing Bao may have hundreds of shops under her care?"

Xue Baochai thought about it for a moment, then replied with a smile, "We have recently opened up a lot of new stores, so we should have some."

Shi Xiangyun blinked and said, "The recent business is the bellyband business that the Marquis is doing? Can such a small item really make that much money?"

Xue Baochai's cheeks flushed slightly. She glanced at Lin Daiyu secretly, but saw that she was also as rosy as herself, so she didn't feel comfortable telling her sisters in detail.

"Yes, the Marquis does have some vision. Or maybe it's because men and women have different preferences, so he still made some money..."

Shi Xiangyun picked up an old account book from the bookshelf, flipped through it casually, and sighed, "The Shi family has always been poor and dared not do business. If it weren't for the fact that Third Uncle could go to the border to lead troops and get an extra salary, I don't know what life would be like for the family."

"Watching Sister Bao earn money is as easy as drawing water from a well, ah..."

Lin Daiyu took Shi Xiangyun's arm and smiled to comfort her: "You only saw the results of Baojie's work today, but how could you know how much effort Baojie put in behind the scenes?"

Tanchun added, "That's right. I've heard that the Xue family became better because of Bao-jie's management. When Bao-jie and her brothers were there, the family was also in a mess. Today, it's all Bao-jie's hard work. I really admire Bao-jie's ability."

Speaking of her good-for-nothing brother, Xue Baochai could only smile awkwardly.

If there is one thing that she is least proud of now, it is her life experience.

"My brother is indeed a bit useless. If we want the family to prosper, we must not have any burdens. Now that he has been training in the military camp for a few days, he has achieved some results. Although he can't accomplish anything big, he can avoid making mistakes, which is enough."

A group of girls sat together, discussing the heavy topic of family revival, which made Xue Baochai feel that the atmosphere was a little more depressing. She stood up with a smile and sat between the sisters. Xue Baochai comforted them, "Forget it, you are all here to have fun today, so let's not talk about these bad things."

"Earlier, the Marquis invented a kind of food that is most suitable for sisters to eat when they get together. You can enjoy the fun of cooking while enjoying delicious food. It is called hot pot. I have asked someone to prepare the ingredients a long time ago. Shall we go together?"

"it is good!"

As long as Yue Ling was involved in everything, the girls thought that their fun would not be ruined, so they stood up excitedly and followed Xue Baochai downstairs.

But before he reached the stairs, he could hear an argument coming from below.

"Brother Xue...Brother Xue, long time no see."

Xue Pan, who was about to go upstairs to drink, heard someone calling him from behind. He turned around suspiciously, and found that it was the brothers of the Jia family. He immediately put on a smiling face.

"Hey, isn't this Brother Lian? Why did you think of coming here today?"

Seeing a large group of people following Jia Lian, Xue Pan asked in surprise, "Could it be that Brother Lian is here to host a party at Fengxue Pavilion? Don't worry, my sister is here today. I will talk to her and give you a 50% discount."

Xue Pan patted his chest and put his arm around Jia Lian's shoulders complacently.

Jia Lian's face looked very ugly. Behind him were the thugs from Zuixianlou, the turtle man, and the young man who had bid with him inside, as if they were roasting him on a fire.

But no one knew that he was incurable. If he wanted to inherit the title, he had to have an heir. If the eldest branch of the Jia family died out with him, the only title that his eldest branch had obtained would also be lost.

As for the huge temptation he felt from the courtesan Wanwan, if he could spend a night with her and restore her abilities, he would redeem her and keep her by his side as a concubine, which would also be a great guarantee for his future.

Turning his head, Jia Lian first looked for the madam and asked, "Can I get the deed directly for the price I offered?"

"You want to redeem Miss Wanwan?"

The madam was a little stunned. She didn't expect that even in this situation, the second son of the Jia family was still thinking about having fun and persuading prostitutes to become good women first. It should be said that he is really a passionate man.

"According to the old rules, the maximum amount of money for redeeming a person is thirty thousand taels of silver. Since you have offered one hundred thousand taels, it may not be impossible for me to report to my boss when I return."

"Ransom? For whom?"

Xue Pan seemed to have heard the commotion, looking around to see if the brothel girl had followed him out, "Brother Lian, you made such a big scene, just to redeem a girl? Did you redeem her, or did the two young men behind you cause trouble? Well, the things in the brothel, it's okay to play with them, but who would bring them home? Aren't you afraid that the master will break your legs?"

Jia Lian grabbed Xue Pan's shoulders and whispered, "Brother Xue, I beg you just this once to lend me 100,000 taels. When I inherit the title of Jia family, I will pay you back double!"

"One hundred thousand?!"

Xue Pan was so shocked that he jumped away, saying in astonishment: "Do you think I'm the God of Wealth? Do you think I'm worth 100,000?"

Seeing this, the young masters from other families who came to join in the fun naturally became impatient and couldn't stop making sarcastic remarks.

"Brother Lian, you don't have any money, do you? You are pretending to be a big shot in Zuixianlou without any money. Who are you kidding?"

"Brother Lian, you are the prince of the Duke's Mansion. Don't let yourself be embarrassed and be called home by someone to collect debts."

"And this brother you're looking for is as yellow as a dung ball. How can he have money?"

Jia Lian angrily said, "What do you know? He is Xue Pan, the eldest son of the Xue family. Does he know his name is Feng? This is all his property. How could he not have money?"

Originally, the people in Zuixianlou were planning to take Jia Lian to Rongguo Mansion, but after hearing this, they dared not act rashly.

The people who had been making sarcastic remarks just now couldn't help but whisper to each other.

"Fengxue Pavilion? This is really a business of the Feng family. Rumor has it that the backer behind the Feng family is the Duke of Dingguo, a very powerful figure in the court. Not to mention the nobles, even the clan members have to give way to him."

"Yes, my housekeeper has estimated that the bellyband business run by the Feng brand can earn at least tens of thousands of taels a month, and this is just one business!"

"One hundred thousand is really nothing to the Xue family."

"But why is it that the person who manages the Xue family is such a fat guy?"

Xue Pan, who had been feeling complacent after hearing the discussions, became furious after hearing the man's last grumbling remark, and asked the waiters to kick him out.

Jia Lian hurriedly stopped him and said, "My dear brother, now that you are rich, everyone in the capital knows you. Now that my brother is in trouble, how can you stand by and watch him die? This matter concerns my life and property, it is extremely urgent!"

Xue Pan said in distress, "Others don't know, not even you? I don't manage the business of Fengzihao, it's all thanks to my sister. I can only eat and drink for free, but my sister is afraid that I will get drunk and cause trouble somewhere else."

"What I say in Fengzihao is no match for my sister's fart."

After searching around, Xue Pan collected two hundred and twenty-eight taels of silver notes and small change, and stuffed them into Jia Lian's arms. "It's not that I don't want to help you, but this is all I have. Take it and use it."

Seeing this little bit of silver that was barely enough to fill his teeth, Jia Lian fell to his knees with a plop, grabbed Xue Pan's legs, and said, "Brother, we are real relatives, are you really so heartless? At worst, I can redeem the girl and send her to my room for a few days."

"Brother, you will definitely pay me back in the future, right? I'll just count it as a loan."

Xue Pan didn't hear what he said about returning the girl, but he did hear him give the girl to him to play with.

"I've never played with a stunning beauty worth 100,000 taels..."

Hearing Xue Pan's reassurance, Jia Lian seemed to have grasped a life-saving straw. Seeing the people in Zuixianlou who were already waiting impatiently, he stood up and whispered in Xue Pan's ear: "Don't worry, brother. I'll send her to your room tonight after I redeem her."

Xue Pan was overjoyed, patting Jia Lian on the chest and saying, "Well, I'll go ask my sister for you. It just so happens that she's here today, so you'll be in time. Otherwise, if this matter is reported to the Duke Dingguo's mansion, won't you get a good beating?"

"There is always a way out!" Jia Lian also laughed and helped Xue Pan upstairs. "Let's go. I've always heard that Sister Bao is a reasonable person. She won't break the relationship between our two families because of such a small amount of money."

The two of them walked forward together and reached the second floor with determination, only to see Xue Baochai already standing there, with no one around.

"younger sister……"

Xue Pan couldn't help sweating on his forehead. He saw that this person must have heard the commotion below, and he didn't know how to start the conversation for a moment.

"I am Jia Lian from Rongguo Mansion. I hope Sister Bao is well."

Jia Lian tried to be friendly and bowed with a smile.

In the past, it was definitely not right for men and women to greet each other. Jia Lian felt a little uncomfortable, but he had no choice but to act this way for the moment.

Xue Baochai didn't even look at Jia Lian, she stared at Xue Pan and said, "Come up with me!"

"This……"

Seeing that the situation was not good, Jia Lian wanted to persuade him to stay, but Xue Pan turned his head and said with a wry smile: "Brother Lian, wait a moment, I will be back soon."

Jia Lian was blocked on the second floor and had to watch Xue Pan and Xue Baochai leave. He almost missed a step and tripped on the stairs.

Xue Pan felt a little guilty, and Jia Lian was even more nervous.

"Sister, Lian-ge'er is a relative of our family. If we don't care about his difficulties, wouldn't that be too inhumane?"

"Besides, my family is originally from a merchant family, and we have a bad reputation for being profit-oriented and forgetting righteousness. If we don't care about it anymore... I'm afraid..."

Xue Baochai looked over coldly, "What are you afraid of?"

Xue Pan trembled and stammered, "I'm afraid..."

"I'm afraid you can't play Meiji?"

Xue Baochai stood in front of Xue Pan and said coldly, "How could I have explained this to you in the past? The Xue family is what it is today, not because of me, not because of the Xue family, but because of Duke Dingguo's cultivation. Today, you lent money to support Jia Lian's whoring, is it only my Xue family that has lost face?"

"How many times have I told you that the capital has been in turmoil lately, and you must not stir up trouble. Yet you are planning to lend someone 100,000 taels. Even if you lend it, can you gain a good reputation in front of the old lady and the master of the Jia family? They will only think that you instigated Lian Ge'er to do this, and you also sent a brothel girl you played with to their house as a concubine. You are insulting the Jia family's reputation!"

"Did you hear everything?"

Xue Pan looked up in surprise and became more and more panicked.

"Do I need to listen? How could I not know your weight?"

Xue Pan lowered his head in shame again, unable to speak.

"The Xue family and the Jia family are closely related, but I have told you many times not to associate with the Jia family. You clearly know the difference between right and wrong, and you also know that I live in the Duke Dingguo's mansion, so why are you being so stupid again?"

Xue Pan grumbled awkwardly, "I think what Lian said is too pitiful, and that's Zuixianlou, no one dares to go there and make trouble. If he doesn't stop, he will definitely make trouble in Rongguo Mansion in the future."

Xue Baochai narrowed her eyes again and said angrily, "Is Second Brother Lian a reliable person? Why should you take care of the trouble he caused? Take care of yourself! Otherwise, I will talk to Duke Dingguo and ask you to go to the Beijing camp to continue training!"

"No, no, I know I was wrong. Sister, please don't gossip with Duke Dingguo."

"Why don't you get out of here right now? For now, don't have any contact with the Jia family!"

Although the brother and sister were talking on the third floor, the attic was directly opposite the staircase, and the traffic was empty, so their voices naturally floated up.

When he heard that it was Jia Lian who came to Fengxue Pavilion to borrow money from Xue Pan, and that the amount he borrowed was 100,000 taels, it was even more ridiculous to redeem a brothel girl.

Yingchun, Tanchun, Xichun and Shi Xiangyun all looked unhappy.

When they were discussing just now, they had said that if the family wanted to prosper, it could not have any burdens. But when they thought about the fact that the future heir to the title of the Jia family would be this kind of person, the sisters felt that the future of the Jia family was bleak.

Compared with Jia Lian, Jia Rong, Jia Baoyu and others don't look like they can accomplish anything. They are even more absurd, which is even more distressing.

Lin Daiyu could hear it, so she could only comfort the sisters present, saying, "Sister Bao is not being hypocritical in her interactions with you sisters. She is just saying that the men in the Jia family are prone to getting into trouble... No..."

He paused, and even though Lin Daiyu was very smart, she didn't know what to say to make amends.

Tanchun bit her lip and stammered, "Sister Lin, there's no need to say more. We all know how Sister Bao treats us. Moreover, compared to Sister Bao, we are even more insignificant in the Jia family. If we talk about vested interests, it's not worth Sister Bao's care for us."

"It can't be explained if it's not sisterhood."

Lin Daiyu breathed a sigh of relief, secretly complaining about why Sister Bao spoke so loudly. She also lamented that the sisters in the Jia family all knew right from wrong, but were just dragged down by their family.

Before she could finish her words, Xue Baochai went upstairs again and saw that the atmosphere was so depressing. She realized that what had happened below had been overheard by the sisters.

Seeing Lin Daiyu's constant use of her eyes, Xue Baochai could only smile awkwardly and continued the previous topic, "Sisters, we are going out today to relax. Don't let other things disturb your interest. Come with me."

The girls looked at each other in bewilderment. After such a thing happened in their own house, they certainly had no appetite.

When he thought about the fact that he would have to return home soon and face the intrigues and intrigues in the mansion, he became even less interested.

Tanchun sighed and said, "I won't bother you today. Sister Lin, let's go back home and have a simple meal. I think the Marquis should be back home after leaving the yamen, right?"

"We are alone in Wai Gaole, leaving the Marquis alone in the mansion. This is not the way we sisters treat guests."

Lin Daiyu blinked, hesitating to speak...

……

"Eh..."

Xue Pan rolled down the stairs, Jia Lian rushed forward to support him, "Brother Xue, what did Sister Bao say?"

Xue Pan shook his head in distress, "Brother Lian, don't blame me. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for not being able to control your brother. What good can a prostitute in a brothel do? Wait for me to save up some money, and then I'll take you to find someone else. She may not be any worse than your courtesan."

Seeing that things were not going well, Jia Lian became anxious.

What he wanted was not only happiness, but also that he had already paid the price and people were waiting downstairs, so he could not refuse.

"How could this be? How come the Xue family can't even afford 100,000 taels?"

Seeing Jia Lian's distraught look, Xue Pan rubbed his buttocks and thought to himself, "The Xue family can definitely afford 100,000 taels, but it depends on what you do. 100 taels for a night of pleasure? If Duke Dingguo wants 100 taels, no, let alone 100 taels, even if it's a million taels or tens of millions taels, my sister will have to find ways to raise the money, even demolish the house and sell the land."

Xue Pan sighed, collected his scattered thoughts, and pushed Jia Lian downstairs, "My sister doesn't want to see anyone, Lian'er, don't make a fuss here, why don't you admit your mistake and let the government pay 30,000 taels to get rid of Zuixianlou."

"I remember the lowest bid was 30%. Now that Rongguo Mansion has built such a large villa for visiting relatives, 100,000 taels may be difficult to offer, but 30,000 taels should be possible."

"Now that the matter has been settled, if you come to my brother's place to drink again, I will put it on my bill and not charge you any money. This is my apology."

Jia Lian was not comforted at all by Xue Pan. He was panic-stricken, cold sweat gradually seeped out of his forehead, and his legs seemed to have no feeling. He was taken downstairs by Xue Pan.

There was no need to think too much. As soon as the two of them arrived at the lobby, people from Zuixianlou and those who came to watch the fun all gathered around them.

The madam stepped forward and asked enthusiastically, "Two gentlemen, who will pay the 100,000 taels?"

Xue Pan quickly protected Jia Lian and said, "He, he came to pay the bill. I didn't go to your Zuixianlou, why are you looking for me?"

After hearing this, all the managers of Zuixianlou understood what was going on and said in a cold voice: "Second Master Lian, you are such a big Rongguo Mansion, do you still want to deny your debt? Come, take him to Rongguogong to ask for justice!"

"Are you crazy? Are you crazy? A brothel dares to fight with people from my country's mansion?"

"What should we do with the Duke's Mansion? We have a strong backer behind us!"

The two groups were arguing with each other and making a mess. Jia Rong and Jia Qiang were still loyal and protected Jia Lian in the crowd.

At that moment, the servant of the Jia family saw a fight going on inside and rushed to help.

"Master Rong, Master Qiang, there are a few carriages outside. They belong to our West Mansion. They should be used by the three young ladies."

Jia Qiang's mind suddenly became clear, and he came to his senses immediately. He shouted, "Don't do anything yet!"

"Uncle Lian, Uncle Lian! There is still a way. The aunts are upstairs! Since the aunt of the Xue family won't give this favor, the aunt is still Uncle Lian's biological sister!"

Jia Lian, who had originally lost hope, now had the fire in his eyes rekindled.

"What? Yingchun, Tanchun, Xichun and the others are upstairs? Why didn't you say so earlier? Come with me to find them!"

(End of this chapter)