The Overlord of the Red Mansion

Chapter 77 Good Luck
Two days before the New Year, when I was having breakfast early in the morning, I heard the maid come in to report.

"Master, Grandma, Miss Shi is here. She said she came to liven things up and bring good luck."

Jia Rong said with a smile: "Please come in quickly. It's not to please you, but to share your happiness."

Seeing that Shi Xiangyun came again this year, Jia Yuanchun asked, "Should I go to entertain Miss Shi? Or should my aunt accompany her?"

Jia Rong said, "You can play together. It will be nice to have some fun during the New Year. This year, just like in previous years, we can share the joy with friends."

Jia Yuanchun nodded, and after dinner she went to entertain Shi Xiangyun.

Today, the West Palace of the Jia family is in decline and chaos, while the East Palace is thriving.

Among the four major families, the Xue family was completely defeated, the Wang family was not in good condition either, and the Shi family was in very bad financial condition and was seriously short of money.

It’s not that the Shi couple treated Shi Xiangyun harshly, it’s that her family really had no money but they were still pretending to be rich, and even owed a lot of money.

Jia Rong only interacted with Shi Xiangyun and had no intention of getting to know the uncles of the Shi family.

The interpersonal relationships and personal connections among the four major families have nothing to do with Jia Rong. Jia Rong doesn't even have any contact with Wang Ziteng's son.

During the holidays, the Wang family and the historians would always visit Jia Lian and Jia Baoyu.

Not long after, Wang Xifeng, Lin Daiyu and Li Wan also came over.

Li Wan and Lin Daiyu went to a poetry reading, while Wang Xifeng brought her two children to play with the children.

When Jia Rong came back from the meeting, he saw Wang Xifeng and Ping'er sitting beside the bed talking.

Seeing this, Jia Rong sat down next to Wang Xifeng.

"what's the topic?"

Ping'er was originally chatting with Wang Xifeng. When she saw Jia Rong come in and was about to stand up to greet him, she saw Jia Rong sitting next to Wang Xifeng.

There was a small tea table in the middle of the bed, with large areas on both sides. There were also chairs not far away, but Jia Rong would sit anywhere else but next to Wang Xifeng's butt.

Ping'er's eyes were fixed.

Jia Rong, however, did not care at all, and Wang Xifeng said calmly, "Speaking of matters in the mansion, we can't save much money this year. Now everyone in the mansion is worried about Baoyu's marriage. It's really worrying."

Jia Rong smiled and said, "I think you should worry about your own affairs. My second uncle asked me to borrow three hundred taels of silver a while ago to pay for the aftermath. He said that you forced someone's wife to death and refused to pay for the aftermath. He didn't have much money on hand, so he had to ask me to borrow some money to pay for the compensation."

Wang Xifeng's face suddenly turned cold, "Did you get your money from the wind? Why give it to that heartless man? You lend him money and expect him to pay you back? If he had any shame, he shouldn't come to borrow money from you again!"

Jia Rong stood up and sat down next to Ping Er again, asking, "Okay, I won't lend money to anyone, and I won't take care of your family's affairs. You can handle your family's affairs yourselves."

Ping'er also didn't understand the relationship between Jia Rong and Wang Xifeng, but now that she had married into the Ning Mansion and became an aunt, she didn't want to bother with those things.

Ping'er lowered her head and continued to busy herself with embroidery. According to the instructions of her sisters, she prepared clothes and hats for the child who was not yet visible.

She lowered her head and drew the pattern of the clothes on paper in advance, while Jia Rong and Wang Xifeng continued to chat beside her.

Wang Xifeng said, "The wife of Bao Er is dead, but her family is using that bitch's body to blackmail me. You have to take charge of this for me. Let them know that I am not someone who can be bullied easily! Make them give up all the money and take them to jail!"

Ping Er lowered her head and continued to paint, while Jia Rong laughed and said, "You think my family runs the prison? I don't have that ability."

Wang Xifeng said, "Everyone knows that your uncle Rong has connections everywhere. You are a favorite of the emperor and you can rescue anyone you want from the prison. Many high-ranking officials in the city are your friends. I heard from my uncle that it is more useful to go to you than to him!"

Jia Rong said directly: "Stop! Don't expect me to help you. Although we have a good relationship, I won't let you do whatever you want. I won't help you with this matter! Don't come to me if you have any problems in the future!"

Wang Xifeng glanced at the children playing outside. She could hear the noisy sounds of the children, as well as the voices of Jia Qiaoer and Jia Ying.

Wang Xifeng quickly looked at Jia Rong and said, "Even if you don't do it for my sake, can you do it for the sake of the child?"

Ping'er lowered her head and dared not speak, vaguely aware of some troublesome things that she shouldn't hear.

Jia Rong was not afraid of being threatened. "Don't underestimate me, and don't think too highly of yourself. Don't say that I grew up with you. Even if I offended your mother-in-law, aunt, or sister-in-law, what does it matter?"

"I heard from Jia Lian that when you caught someone cheating, you were still thinking about reporting it to the police. Use your brain and think about the consequences of doing so. You are disgusted with your imperial wife, the grandmother of the Jia family, who is living too comfortably, right?"

"During the period of national and family mourning, if you dare to report to the authorities and make a big fuss about your family, I will divorce you regardless of whether you have a son or not! I will throw you into a dilapidated temple and freeze to death!"

Wang Xifeng said angrily, "How dare you?!"

Jia Rong said coldly: "What do you think of the Wang family in front of me? What hope do you have?"

"I..." Wang Xifeng thought anxiously and blurted out quickly, "I also have a son!"

Jia Rong couldn't refute this. "Yes, your son is your amulet, but you are first and foremost the grandmother of the Jia family. Just live a peaceful life and don't mess around. The national mourning will be over in a few months. In the future, Jia Lian can take a concubine."

After thinking about it carefully, Wang Xifeng still couldn't bear it because of her pride.

"You have to help me. Because of Bao Erjia's matter, and because I don't have Ping'er to help me, I have made a lot of jokes. If Ping'er was here, Bao Erjia's matter would never be like this!" Jia Rong said, "Don't talk nonsense. How important is Ping'er to you? I'm afraid that when you see Bao Erjia sleeping with Jia Lian, you will definitely slap Ping'er in the face."

Wang Xifeng laughed and said, "What are you talking about? Jia Lian and Bao Erjia are having an affair, so why should I beat Ping'er?"

Jia Rong smiled and said, "Of course you are looking for a place to vent your anger. Can you beat Jia Lian? You two have to have a place to vent your anger, not just bully a maid."

Wang Xifeng said quickly, "Nonsense, if you don't want to help then don't help, and you're trying to sow discord between me and Ping Er. We are as close as sisters, and I have such a good temper, I can't bear to hit her."

Jia Rong was too lazy to reason with a woman. "Alright, since you can just pay the money and let it go, why do you have to be so aggressive? Just consider it as a good deed for your son, and let this matter go for my sake."

Wang Xifeng quickly said, "Okay, I won't bother with it for your sake, otherwise I will definitely skin them alive!"

Jia Rong said indifferently, "I know that Rongfu has been having a hard time recently. I have been speaking for you on your mother-in-law's side. You said you want to work for your aunt, so just do it. At least give your mother-in-law some face. It's not that difficult to be respectful a few times a month."

Wang Xifeng remained silent and didn't want to speak.

Jia Rong added, "Be more polite to her in the future. You don't see her every day. She has no children and is counting on you two to take care of her in her old age. It would be good for you to give each other some face."

Wang Xifeng said expressionlessly, "Mr. Rong is right."

Although he had a blank expression on his face, he had listened to some of what was said.

Jia Rong said, "Jia Baoyu can't be an official in the future, nor can he do anything else. He must be a housekeeper. You have been busying around for the old lady, so you should go back. Now you have lost your dowry, right? What will you do when you go back? What will happen to your son?"

Wang Xifeng thought about this matter carefully and wiped the powder off her face with a handkerchief.

"I really don't have much money left, and my family is in a bad state right now. I'm not afraid of being laughed at. Today, I have the same idea as Miss Shi."

Wang Xifeng frankly admitted the purpose of her visit.

Jia Rong smiled and said, "We all came here to have fun. It's New Year's Day, so I won't say anything bad. I don't want you to have a miserable life. How much did you spend on your dowry? Tell me the truth."

Wang Xifeng held up a finger and said, "It cost more than ten thousand yuan, and I pawned a lot of things."

Jia Rong nodded and said, "Okay, give me all the pawn tickets tomorrow, and I will redeem your pawned dowry for you, and give you some silver for your own use. But if you lose your dowry in the future, I will not help you fill the hole."

"Only the three of us know about this matter. I will let Yuanyang take charge of this matter later. Yuanchun will also be informed. As for whether you tell others or not, it's up to you."

Wang Xifeng regretted that she did not extend three fingers just now, and lost 20,000 taels of silver.

"Okay! It has to be Master Rong again!" Wang Xifeng thanked him painfully and happily.

Jia Rong went out to talk to the children, and soon Wang Xifeng took the two children away.

After everyone left, Jia Rong and Yuanyang came in and sat down together.

Jia Rong sat on the bed and stretched his legs into Ping'er's warm quilt. "This woman is really cruel. Fortunately, I married you earlier, otherwise you would have suffered so much injustice over there."

Yuanyang also said, "Second Madam is not easy to serve, and Second Master Lian is a pervert. If I really become a maid over there, I will be neither a human nor a human."

Jia Rong hugged his confidant sister Yuanyang and said with a smile: "Yuanyang is smart and can see what kind of person Wang Xifeng is. She is worthy of being the woman I like. From now on, the children and maids will be left to you. You and Ping'er are my aunts and my personal maids~"

Yuanyang looked at Jia Rong who was clinging to her. She didn't expect her master to be this kind of person. She smiled and said, "Okay, I'll listen to you."

Compared with the gentlemen in Rongguo Mansion, it is indeed a blessing for Yuanyang to follow the young and talented Tanhualang.

Ping Er also smiled and said, "If I were still there, I don't know how many tears I would shed."

After jumping out of the fire pit, Ping'er found that there were a lot of pits in Rongguo Mansion. She was lucky to be pulled out, otherwise she would still be suffering in the fire pit.

Jia Rong said, "You are all familiar with the maids in this mansion, and you can help each other. If you have any problems, you can come to Yuanchun or me."

"I also know that those girls can't chat with you, just have fun by yourselves, don't worry about them, we all have our own duties in the mansion."

Ping Er asked curiously, "Why did the master give Second Madam 10,000 taels of silver? Second Madam is right, our family's money didn't come from the wind."

Jia Rong did not hide it, "Feng Ge has a hard time too. As the head of the household, I know how difficult it is to be the head of the household. I have to burn incense and worship Buddha every day to be a good person. Not to mention being the head of the household, I can't even manage the temple well. She can use her own money to subsidize the Rong Mansion. To be honest, she is much better than those people who are traitors."

"The decline of the Jia family is not the fault of just one or two people. Now I am the only one who is trying to make a difference. If I don't help, it will be uncomfortable to see a group of them falling into the fire pit. I am not the kind of person who will not help others until they are ruined. I will help as much as I can."

"Besides, you see, I have given money to the old lady, but what has she done to manage the household? If I don't give it to Feng Ge, will I give it to Jia Lian to keep women and servants, to Jia Zheng to keep those useless retainers, and to Madam Wang and Madam Xing to fill their pockets?"

"Now, in the Rong Mansion, there is only Brother Feng who is useful. From now on, call her Brother Feng. Don't call her Sister Feng. It's too much of an underestimation of her."

Ping'er and Yuanyang had just said something bad about Wang Xifeng, and now they heard Jia Rong saying something good about her.

Both of them were maids of the housekeeper of the Jia family and were very familiar with the situation in the Jia family.

Now that Jia Rong had said this, he thought about it carefully and realized that even though Wang Xifeng was wrong in many ways, the most capable person in the Jia family and the one most willing to make sacrifices for the family was precisely this cruel and ruthless woman.

(End of this chapter)