The Overlord of the Red Mansion

Chapter 42 The Happiest Person
Jia Lian's father Jia She died, but the banquet outside was still going on, with various wealthy and noble people coming one after another.

If we were to say who is the happiest, it would definitely not be Jia Rong.

Jia Rong was not so happy about Jia She's death. This kind of thing was just an ordinary thing to him.

The saddest person must be Jia She's son Jia Lian.

Jia Lian, who received Jia She's hospice care, was the person who was most reluctant to leave Jia She.

Mrs. Xing was not sad because no one could divorce her after her husband died.

When Jia She was alive, he could divorce this old woman on the grounds that she was infertile, so she was very scared.

Now that Jia She is dead, we naturally don’t have to worry about these problems anymore.

While she was crying out of sadness, she was thinking about how to drive away all of Jia She's concubines.

Of course you can cry during the first two days of a funeral, but if it lasts for 49 days, then you must be holding back except for the first few days.

Except for Jia Lian, no one else wanted to hold a forty-nine-day funeral.

Including Lady Jia.

But only Jia Rong came out to play the villain.

After getting up early and exercising, Jia Rong went into the house to eat. He saw You Erjie and You Sanjie setting the table with the maids. He also saw Youshi coming out of the house with two children, followed by Jia Yuanchun and Qin Keqing.

There were not many maids serving in the room. The number of servants in Jia Rong's mansion was much less than that in Rongguo Mansion. In addition, some people were borrowed to help with the funeral, so the mansion became even more deserted.

Jia Rong sat down and asked, "What day is it today?"

Third Sister You smiled and said, "Master, this is because he hasn't gotten into spirits yet. Today is only the seventh day, and he's still busy outside."

Jia Rong smiled and said, "Let them be busy. They should provide manpower and money. They have enough manpower, so one less of me will not be a big deal."

Jia Yuanchun and Jia She had a very ordinary relationship, but she also said, "Master, the dead are the greatest."

At this time, someone came over from outside. Yinglian saw them and shouted, "Second Madam Lian!"

There should have been a maid standing at the door watching, and when someone came, she should have shouted loudly to inform everyone in the house to behave themselves.

However, Jia Rong didn't want to let the maid suffer the cold outside in the middle of winter, so he cancelled this position.

Wang Xifeng was wearing a solemn dark brown long coat with gold thread patterns on it today. The collar was a buttoned style that was tilted from the bottom of the neck. This dress was put on and was tailor-made for the body. It could not be worn if the body shape was changed.

She wore a sable Zhaojun hat and a white scarf as a sign of mourning.

She has a graceful figure, but it is not visible when she puts on this big cotton-padded jacket.

Her simple, noble and solemn dress, coupled with her powerful aura of being the boss, made people feel at first sight that she was a woman who could take charge.

"Brother Feng, have you eaten?" Jia Rong chatted with her.

The woman in front of you is the biggest beneficiary of Jia She’s death.

After Jia She died, his son observed a three-year mourning period and naturally could not take a concubine. This gave Wang Xifeng three years to legally discipline Jia Lian.

After Jia She died, his son inherited the title, and the status of a noble lady that she had longed for finally came to her.

After Jia She's death, his son will definitely be promoted and have more income in the future.

Now that Jia She is dead, there is one less person who spends a lot of money, and the head of the household is more comfortable.

After Jia She died, the four kings, eight dukes, and twelve marquises, as well as all the civil and military officials in the court came to offer gifts and condolences. Even the emperor gave her rewards. As a daughter-in-law, she finally had the opportunity to show her face and meet and get to know the princess and other female relatives.

After Jia She died, his private money and various things had to be given to his son, and naturally to Wang Xifeng.

Now that Jia She is dead, my mother-in-law, Mrs. Xing, has lost her supporter!
Jia She’s death...is much better than his life!

Wang Xifeng smiled and said, "I have eaten. I have been busy all morning, so I came here to ask Master Rong for help."

"It's freezing outside. Even the stove I use to protect my hands can't keep me warm. It's Master Rong who knows how to enjoy himself. As soon as he comes into this room, it's warm like spring."

Jia Rong smiled and said, "Why is Brother Feng so happy?"

Wang Xifeng frowned quickly and said, "Master, please stop teasing me. I will apologize to you for what happened to the Second Master."

Jia Yuanchun said, "Brother Feng, please sit down. What's going on?"

Seeing Wang Xifeng was about to take off her cotton-padded jacket, Jia Rong quickly said, "You will be going out soon, don't let the heat hurt your body. You have been very busy these days, so you should take a good rest."

Wang Xifeng's face flushed. "Thank you for your concern, Master. The old lady said that many people will come today. The old lady's room alone cannot accommodate them all. She wants to arrange for the female relatives to go to Sanchun's room to entertain them. It is estimated that it will take two or three days."

Third Sister You asked curiously, "What's the problem? They are all female relatives, so can't we just make arrangements?"

Wang Xifeng glanced at the unruly young lady and said with a smile, "Last year, the master had Xichun's residence renovated. It is as warm inside as here. The old lady wanted to take this opportunity to let the ladies outside know that we have several good girls in our family."

Jia Rong's own home had been remodeled, and Xichun was his aunt and a child, so naturally he gave her a lot of care.

Moreover, after Lin Daiyu and Xichun lived together, they also needed a comfortable house to keep this delicate flower. Not only did they have a heater in the winter and ice watermelon in the summer, but they also had to have a bathhouse.

Jia Rong built a bathhouse specifically for the maids and wives, which was only used by women and himself.

Usually it is Old Lady You who is in charge of it. It is in You's yard, and it also heats You's room and is used for cooking.

Jia Rong's yard was only a dozen meters away from Youshi's yard, and he usually went there to fetch water.

The bathhouse's pool can accommodate twenty to thirty people at the same time and is divided into two warm pools.

It used to be used only once at the end of the year, but after the relationship with the Rongguo Mansion improved, it was opened for a few days in the summer in the past two years.

Jia Rong quickly understood why Wang Xifeng came.

Sure enough, Wang Xifeng looked at Youshi and said, "Sister, can you help me make some room to entertain the female guests? It would be even better if the master could go to entertain the male guests."

Jia Rong didn't want to be so tired. "I've caught a cold lately and need to rest for a few days."

Jia Yuanchun knew he was pretending, and couldn't help but said angrily: "Then I will go to my father and mother to help, and come back in the evening."

Jia She is her father's biological brother. Jia Yuanchun feels that if her father died, Jia Rong would be as ruthless as he is today.

Jia Rong said helplessly: "I think the cold will be cured after dinner. I will go to the West Mansion to entertain the guests, and you stay at home to entertain the women."

Jia Yuanchun said with satisfaction, "Yes, sir."

Wang Xifeng saw that the matter was settled, and said with a smile: "Then I will go back and talk to the old lady, and I will bring people over later."

Soon the two governments cooperated again.

Rongguo Mansion mainly entertains princes and nobles, who will stay to eat and chat, and the female members of the family also have interactions.

The female members of the family were also divided into different categories according to their status. Some talked to Lady Jia, some talked to Lady Wang and Lady Xing, and the younger ones went to Sanchun after meeting the old lady.

Jia Yuanchun's side mainly entertained people who were diverted here, and there were also many people who wanted to meet Jia Rong's wife, Mrs. Jia.

Jia Yuanchun also took the initiative to pull out the two little boys to prove that there was nothing wrong with her children and to dispel some rumors.

Visitors from the four major families, colleagues from the capital, and all kinds of people who came here because of his reputation.

It’s okay, just eat in the tent and leave.

If you have any connection, come inside and eat.

If the relationship is good, family members will accompany you.

Jia Rong was eating and drinking with a group of people, and he was becoming more and more tired of this kind of socializing.

Jia Rong couldn't help but think about going into the palace and slapping the emperor's son twice, so that the large group of people outside would not dare to go out casually.

Unfortunately, I don’t have that ability at the moment, the best I can do is go to the harem at night.

Returning home drunk at night, Jia Rong said to Baoqin, "I'm going to take a bath. Ask someone to prepare hot water."

Baoqin said, "Today, several ladies came to the bathhouse to take a bath. They also said they would talk about it after they returned and also use the warm bath room."

Large families all have special bathrooms for bathing, not only for the master but also for servants.

If the maids don't take a bath regularly, the mistress can't stand it.

There is a place for bathing for both men and women, and this is not something that Jia Rong alone invented.

It would be a luxury to install a heater in the bathroom, and unless it is summer, bathing time will be very short.

Jia Rong casually said, "If you like, build it yourself. It's not a technical job."

Baoqin smiled and said, "They all praised our family for enjoying life. They also said that soaking in the hot pool for a while during the cold winter is especially refreshing."

You need to boil water to take a bath, and you need firewood to boil water, which is not cheap.

Wood is difficult to transport and needs to be used for cooking, so wealthy families do not have bathhouses that can stay warm for more than ten hours.

Jia Rong soon went to take a bath as well. The banquet was not held day or night, and the same was true for the bathhouse.

Jia Rong took a bath in a wooden tub, and Baoqin and Qin Keqing were responsible for helping him bathe.

"Have Second Sister You and Third Sister You taken a shower?"

Baoqin said, "Not today. The ladies left in the evening. They were embarrassed to wash together so they stayed in the room and said they would wash tomorrow."

Jia Rong said casually, "Then I will go find them tomorrow."

Qin Keqing suggested, "Shall I go and call them over?"

Jia Rong smiled and said, "No, you two will do."

(End of this chapter)