The Overlord of the Red Mansion

Chapter 70 The Maid’s Fate

On the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, the young lady's maid and the old nanny arrived at the gate of Rong Mansion.

After the sedan chair landed, Shi Xiangyun, dressed in her best clothes, led the maids and old women into the mansion.

Pink floral satin fur cape

Pink flowered satin fur Guanyin hood
Round-neck satin jacket with mud gold trim, red-brown base, gold-sprinkled flowers

White collar
Red horse-faced skirt with railing trim

Compared to a marquis's daughter like Shi Xiangyun, the girls, grandmothers and wives in the Jia family are also well dressed. Each of them is dressed gorgeously, showing the elegant and noble temperament of wealthy and noble ladies.

When Shi Xiangyun reached the door, she saw Jia's mother and others coming out, and hurried forward and called out obediently, "Auntie!"

Grandmother Jia looked at her niece and granddaughter and said with a smile, "Why are you here today? Didn't you just leave yesterday? I thought you came here to pay New Year's greetings."

The maid Yuanyang, who was wearing a plain cotton-padded jacket and had no brocade or jewelry on her head, held an umbrella to shield Jia's mother from the snow and said with a smile, "Maybe she is going to Ning Mansion with Miss Lin."

Shi Xiangyun was enthusiastic and cheerful, with a sweet and innocent smile on her face, "My uncle and aunt asked me to follow Sister Lin to sit with my elder brother."

When she heard that it was the Shi family's arrangement, Jia's mother naturally understood that the Shi family wanted the younger generation to be more familiar with it.

At present, Jia Rong and Shi Jia are just acquaintances, not to mention being familiar with each other, let alone having face.

The historians are currently following the civil service route. Jia Rong has already entered the civil service system and is currently favored by the emperor. The historians who originally did not care about Jia Rong must now pay attention to him.

Jia Rong did not rely on the Jia family's connections. Lin Ruhai's side was considered a Jia family connection, but Jia Rong himself also knew many people in official circles in many places, and his network was broader than that of the Jia family.

Now is a time of turmoil. Although Jia Rong may not hold a high position, he has more face than the two marquises of the Shi family in many ways.

This kind of young talent is originally from one of the four major families, so it is only right that the younger generation of the family should get to know him.

"Okay." Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "You guys go over and have some fun. I'm going to go to the opera."

It only snowed a little today, which did not affect the performance of the troupe.

The Jia family invited a troupe to perform in the backyard. Grandmother Jia, her daughters-in-law and granddaughters-in-law brought the old women and maids to listen to the performance, while the younger generation accompanied Lin Daiyu to sit with Jia Rong.

The simple maid Yuanyang accompanied the old lady to listen to the opera. She was busy around the old lady and did not forget to ask the young maids to take care of the old lady and broaden her horizons.

In order to give the maids around her a chance to show off their skills, the maid took the initiative to say, "Old lady, here are four people to serve you. I will go and call Master Bao to accompany you."

Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "Okay, go and call Baoyu."

Today all the girls in the mansion went to Ning Mansion, and Jia Baoyu would inevitably act up alone at home, so Yuanyang arranged for him to come and watch the play with the old lady, and the old lady thought it was a very appropriate move.

Yuanyang quickly invited Jia Baoyu to come and ask him to accompany Jia's grandmother to watch the play, while she and several of Jia Baoyu's maids watched from a distance.

Yuanyang and Xiren sat together eating fried broad beans. Xiren took a sip of tea and said, "The girls and grandmas are all dressed very beautifully today."

Yuanyang smiled and said, "You are also dressed beautifully, with a pink cotton jacket, looking gorgeous, while I am the most shabby in my clothes."

Xiren rolled her eyes at her and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Everyone knows that you are lucky. Among the maids, I think you are the only one who can be lucky, except Baoqin!"

Maids are all slaves, all maids are slaves. Only by becoming a concubine can one escape slavery, otherwise one will be a slave for the rest of one's life.

You will have no control over your future marriage. You will marry whoever your master assigns you.

Not all the servants in the Jia family are young and talented. Most of them are lazy and ugly men who cannot find wives.

If the maids who are used to living the life of young ladies marry those rough men, they will soon become the Zhou Ruijia, Lin Zhixiaojia, Zhang Caijia, and Bao Erjia.

Having sex with the master does not necessarily mean that you can become a concubine. There are so many maids in the concubine rooms, and those who are supposed to get married will still get married.

Being able to become a concubine is already a good fortune, and if you can give birth to a son, it will be even more secure.

Jia Rong is in good health and is willing to take responsibility. He is not like Jia Baoyu who dares not admit his guilt and refuses to give a legitimate status to a woman after having sex with her.

Yuanyang comforted him, saying, "Master Bao is still young. It will be about time for you to be given a status in two years."

Xiren was a little shy, "It's hard to say. There are so many gentlemen in the mansion, but no maidservant has become an aunt."

This is true. Usually, maids are only used for enlightenment. The chance of pregnancy is very low. Once the master grows up, there is naturally no need for her to exist.

The mistress will be sent away before she marries in. She will only stay if she is liked by the mistress. The mistress will then take in a concubine after she becomes stable.

Moreover, concubines in ancient times were divided into different levels, including good concubines and inferior concubines, and good concubines and inferior concubines were also divided into different levels.

Being promoted from a maid to a concubine, both are considered lowly concubines, but among all lowly concubines, the lowest level is the concubine promoted from a maid, and the highest level is the concubine bestowed by the elders.

A concubine given by the elders is equivalent to a concubine recognized by the elders, and is also equivalent to the elders' spies, who cannot be taken away at will.

You Erjie and You Sanjie were concubines, Baoqin was a dowry, and Yuanyang was a gift from the elders. However, there was no such thing as a maid becoming a concubine directly around Jia Rong, not even the maids in the same room. Yuanyang and Xiren talked about the future.

Qingwen, who was standing next to her, didn't say anything after hearing this, but the other maids all listened attentively.

Men should get married when they are old enough, and women should get married when they are old enough. This year, because of things happening in the capital, the Jia family also sent some older people out.

The maids basically have no external social skills and know very few people. They would have already taken a fancy to anyone in the mansion who caught their eye. However, most of them are still muddle-headed all day long and dream of becoming a lady or a lady at night.

Not only the maids are worried about the future, the young ladies are also worried about the future.

Xue Baochai accompanied Lin Daiyu into the Ning Mansion.

Jia Rong asked Jia Yuanchun to invite only Lin Daiyu, but not only Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai, but also Shi Xiangyun and the three sisters came.

After the New Year, Jia Xichun was still a ten-year-old girl. She was also Jia Rong's aunt and the eldest daughter of Ningguo Mansion.

"Brother Rong told me to build me a beautiful big house in the big yard at the back! I'll take you to see it!"

Jia Xichun showed off her nephew's filial piety.

Xue Baochai smiled and said, "Let's go and greet Grandma Rong first. There's no way we can go to the backyard right now."

As soon as everyone entered the main courtyard and started talking and walking, Jia Rong came out of a nearby guest room and looked at the group of people.

"You have come at the right time. I have asked Yuanchun to prepare a treat for you. However, since there are so many people, the maids will take one of them over, and the rest can go to the warm hall to have tea and snacks, rest a bit, and collect some wedding money."

Jia Rong quickly asked someone to arrange for maids and servants for these girls.

Each of them is a young lady from a wealthy family, and has a few maids and servants.

When they heard that there was wedding money to be received, the maids and servants immediately became happy.

Shi Xiangyun looked at Jia Rong innocently and said with a smile, "Big brother, are you handing out New Year's money so early?"

Jia Rong smiled and said, "This is just for today. When you come to pay New Year's greetings, I will give you another portion."

When Shi Xiangyun heard that she could take two, she said happily, "Thank you, big brother!"

Jia Rong liked Shi Xiangyun, a lively and enthusiastic girl. "Go find Yuanchun. Let her take you to bathe later. I have guests to entertain."

"Thank you, big brother!" Shi Xiangyun thanked him again.

Jia Rong said to Lin Daiyu, "Your father wrote to say that he is in good health and told you not to worry. He also sent you some poetry and books and local specialties from Jiangnan. Go and look for Yuanchun and have someone bring them back for you when you return."

Lin Daiyu thanked him politely: "Thank you, Brother Rong."

Although the relationship between the two became closer, it was not that good. It was impossible for Lin Daiyu to be a concubine, and she treated Jia Rong as a friend from beginning to end.

Jia Rong is not interested in this little girl either. At present, he still likes women who are enthusiastic, mature and proactive.

Jia Rong looked at Xue Baochai again and said, "Sister Baochai, your brother has been running away for several days, saying that he has gone to learn business from your family. I saw that he was reluctant and did not stop him, after all, there are more people in your family who understand business."

Xue Baochai didn't know about this and thought that Xue Pan had been following Jia Rong to learn how to do business these days.

After hearing Jia Rong's words, Xue Baochai said helplessly: "I'm sorry to trouble Brother Rong. I will go back and persuade him again."

Jia Rong said, "You don't have to do that. I was too talkative and thoughtless. Xue Ke has already helped me do things. If Xue Pan also helps me do things, then there will be no one to take care of the Xue family's business. Since Xue Pan can see this clearly and take on the Xue family's affairs without relying on others, we should let him do his best."

When Xue Baochai heard what Jia Rong said, she could only nod in agreement. Indeed, people of the Xue family should still be busy with their business.

Jia Rong quickly looked at Jia Yingchun again, "Yingchun, your father and I have a good relationship. Now your aunt is the housekeeper, you don't have to pay attention to her, your grandmother and sister-in-law will help you. I see that you have a weak character, so I will help you find a good family in the future, so that you won't be married off by your aunt and sold for money."

Jia Zheng's daughter Tanchun said, "Why do you say that, brother-in-law? Grandmother is not that kind of person. Our family is a duke's family. How can we sell our daughter?"

Jia Rong did not smile, but said seriously: "You don't understand what's going on here. A child whose father doesn't love her and whose mother doesn't care for her will have no one to rely on after she gets married. She can't even hold her head up in her husband's family, not to mention that she is a concubine's daughter."

"But it doesn't matter." Jia Rong looked at Jia Yingchun and said with a smile: "With me here, you won't suffer any harm. If someone bullies you, just tell me and I'll stand up for you."

Jia Yingchun said gratefully: "Thank you, Uncle Rong!"

Jia Rong smiled and said, "It's freezing outside. You guys should go in and play quickly. I have something else to do first."

Everyone responded quickly.

Soon Jia Rong continued to go into the house to entertain the guests. Jia Tanchun, who was also a concubine's daughter, did not get Jia Rong's guarantee at this time, so she couldn't help feeling a little uneasy.

Fortunately, Jia Yuanchun is her half-sister and Jia Rong is her brother-in-law. Jia Tanchun felt a little relieved when she thought of this.

(End of this chapter)