The Overlord of the Red Mansion

Chapter 61 Xue Family
As the Chinese New Year approaches and order on the streets gradually returns to normal, people finally feel the festive atmosphere.

The Jia family also began to get busy with New Year preparations.

While I was reading in the study, a servant came in with a message.

"Master, the people from the Xue family who came to see you are all women."

Jia Rong said, "Please come in."

Soon the Xue family came in, including Aunt Xue, Xue Baochai, Xue Baoqin, and their maids.

When Xue Baochai came in, she took the initiative to call out, "Brother Rong."

Jia Rong smiled and said, "Sister Bao, there's no need to be polite. If you have something to say, just say it directly."

Xue Baochai said embarrassedly: "Then I'll just say it directly. This time I have an unreasonable request."

Jia Rong said, "You can talk about it. If I can help, I will help. If I can't help, I won't delay you from finding other ways."

Aunt Xue came over and said, "Uncle Rong, my son is not doing his job properly in school all day. Now his uncle is not here, and no one can control him, so I would like to ask Uncle Rong to take care of him."

Xue Baochai looked at Jia Rong and said, "Brother Rong, please talk to him. He has always been very afraid of you."

Jia Rong shook his head. "Fear is only temporary and won't solve the problem."

Xue Baochai said hurriedly, "It would be nice if you could take care of it for a while."

Jia Rong smiled and said, "Well, it's fate. Your father and Xue Ke's father helped each other. Now Xue Ke is helping me and continuing to manage the overseas business. Then Xue Pan will inherit his father's business."

"I promised to help you take care of the Xue family's business. You can ask Xue Pan to come and work with me, and I will help him get familiar with the business in the capital."

Aunt Xue and Xue Baochai were overjoyed when they heard this.

"Thank you, Uncle Rong!"

"Thank you, Brother Rong!"

Jia Rong looked at Xue Baoqin, "Sister Baoqin, are you doing well in the mansion? I am usually quite busy, and there are not many girls your age in my family. If you are free, you can come to my study and read a book. I will be busy with other things starting tomorrow, so I will not be here."

Xue Baoqin said hurriedly: "No, I just feel sorry for disturbing you for many days. Now I can only wait for my brother to come back before making any plans."

"Don't worry, just stay here." Jia Rong said to Aunt Xue, "Let Xue Pan come over tomorrow. I'll teach him how to do business."

Aunt Xue said hurriedly, "Thank you, Uncle Rong!"

After Xue Baoqin saw that Aunt Xue's affairs had been dealt with, she continued to talk about her own affairs.

Xue Baoqin was seen holding a very small purse and looking at Jia Rong.

"I am already very uneasy about disturbing the mansion, and the master has given me five taels of silver as monthly salary. This money cannot be taken from the master."

Xue Baoqin came over and handed the money over with both hands.

Jia Rong smiled but did not take the money.

"Just accept it. Since you are a guest in my house, it is only right for you to accept it. I am not just giving you money. It is New Year's Day, and everyone who comes will get a share. Just think of it as sharing the happiness and blessings in the house, and also wishing you and your brother good luck."

After hearing this, Xue Baoqin knew that Jia Rong didn't care about the money, and if she didn't want it, it would make him unhappy.

Jia Rong added, "If Sister Baoqin doesn't accept it, Miss Li and Miss Xing will be so embarrassed when they find out. It's almost the New Year, why make everyone feel estranged?"

Xue Baoqin also thought of this. If she returned the money, the others would also return it as they were all girls who wanted to save face.

"Then I'll take it. Thank you, sir."

Jia Rong smiled and said, "Sister Baoqin, there is no need to be so distant. I don't mind what you call me. But if you meet someone outside asking about things in the mansion, you can just call me Brother Rong. That way, the peddlers and hawkers outside will be more polite to you and won't tease you just because you are pretty and cause trouble."

Xue Baoqin blushed and lowered her head and said, "Thank you, Brother Rong..."

"Sister Baoqin." Jia Rong stood up and said, "I have always had a good relationship with Madam Xing and Master She. I have known the Li family for a long time. When I was young, I went to study at Master Li's house. I also know Aunt Li and the two girls. Sister Baoqin is also related to Madam Wang, Aunt Xue and Sister Baochai. We are all family. You can rest assured and stay here."

Xue Baoqin's reputation has been ruined now that the Mei family has broken off her engagement with her. Her brother has been arranged by Jia Rong to go out and do business. She is now alone and helpless and has no choice but to stay in the Jia Mansion.

It just so happened that the three members of the Xue family lived in Rongguo Mansion, and Xue Baoqin's brother worked for Jia Rong, so it made sense for her to live in Ningguo Mansion.

Jia Rong quickly sent the others away. After the Xue family members left, Jia Rong continued to busy himself with his own affairs.

Jia Rong, on the contrary, has no relationship with the Wang and Xue families. Ever since he had a falling out with the group of four kings and eight dukes when he was a child and married Jia Yuanchun, the nobles in the capital have looked down on this self-degraded downtrodden man.

Because of Wang Ziteng's rise in the past few years, the Wang family actually looked down on the Jia family and would not marry into the Jia family.

Wang Ziteng's daughter married the daughter of Marquis Shi.

Since he passed the imperial examination this year, many people have paid attention to this side. However, Jia Rong had a falling out with Jia Lian at Jia She's funeral, which led to many upper-class nobles not knowing Jia Rong.

It was not until Jia Rong was summoned by the emperor late at night a few days ago and given a reward that the others began to inquire about what was happening here.

Jia Rong was also thinking about the relationships within the Jia family’s circle of allies.

Among the four major families, the Xue family is of higher quality.

Aunt Xue, at least she won’t get in the way and she really wants to do something.

Xue Baochai is capable of being the head of the household, and can correctly view her own situation and make plans. Her shortcoming is that as a girl she cannot step forward and make decisions outside.

Xue Ke, an honest and capable young man.

Xue Baoqin is beautiful but unlucky. If she marries badly, it will be of no use to her. If she marries well, she can help the Xue family rise quickly.

Xue Pan is a big fool, but he is very good to his sister and mother, and is willing to work hard for the Xue family. It's just that his brain is not very good, he can't control his temper, and he doesn't use his brain when doing things.

Most of the disasters that befell the Xue family were caused by Xue Pan. If Xue Pan could be controlled well, the Xue family would be fine.

It's impossible to become rich, but it's okay to live a stable life without any problems. There is only one bad piece of wood in the boat.

On the contrary, the other families had a lot of problems, and the ship was full of holes.

The problem of the Shi family is that they want to break away from the four major families and work on their own, with two marquises in one family, but they can't get out, and in the end they have to obediently marry into the Jia and Wang families.

In the original novel, she married Wang Ziteng's niece and the son of the Shi family. Now Wang Ziteng of the Wang family is not so prominent, but her side has become prosperous.

Jia Rong felt that the Shi family might be inclined to marry into the Jia family.

At present, the only person in the Jia family who is suitable for marriage is Jia Xichun, who was born in Ningguo Mansion.

Yingchun and Tanchun were both born out of wedlock, so it was impossible for them to be the legal wives of Marquis Shi.

Others also arranged marriages in order to establish a kinship relationship with themselves as the master of Ningguo Mansion, so Jia Xichun was naturally the first choice.

He just casually told the Jia family about Liu Xianglian's marriage, and actually did not tell the Liu family. He just used it as a shield. Anyway, Liu Xianglian was indeed old, and it would be easy to change it later.

The old lady of the Jia family must be able to sense this intention, and she would probably try to match Jia Xichun with the Shi family.

Jia Rong thought about it and remembered that during the several times they met, Jia Xichun and Shi Xiangyun seemed to have a good relationship.

Jia Rong was immoral and quickly came up with an idea.

If it was an ugly old aunt with a bad temper, Jia Rong would definitely marry her off without hesitation even if it meant paying money.

If the sister-in-law is well-behaved, cute, beautiful and good at talking, of course she will stay and live a good life and share the wealth.

Women of this era stayed in the house all their lives. Among the many women in the Jia family, few had ever been out on the street. After getting married, they would stand and serve their mother-in-law at meals like Mrs. Wang and Mrs. Xing, pay respects to her every day, and be busy with house fights. When they grow old and lose their looks, they would be despised by their husbands.

If you marry a short-lived man, or a poor, useless and dishonest husband, you will be unhappy for the rest of your life.

The historian has more rules. The Three Obediences and Four Virtues and various feudal etiquette restrain her from acting recklessly.

"Let's build a nunnery for Xichun. Her father is a Taoist priest, so it makes sense for her to be a female Taoist priest, right?"

Anyway, in the original book, she became a nun after her family fell into poverty. Now her family has no worries about food and clothing, and the family is prosperous. Becoming a nun will only give her more freedom.

In this era, not every woman, from the royal family to the common people, had to get married.

Jia Rong would rather build a nunnery in his backyard than marry Jia Xichun off.

(End of this chapter)