Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 1: Yuqing is sitting idle in the autumn when a distant relative suddenly comes to visit
The twelfth year of Dashun Yankang.

It is already September. Two days ago, there was an autumn rain and it was frosty. But today, the sun is shining brightly, and the weather is warm with a gentle breeze and sunshine.

In the back room behind the study in the east wing of the Rongguo Mansion, several maids carefully poured clean water into a water jar. Then, they carefully hung the whole bunch of grapes, still attached to the branches and leaves, upside down on the lid of the jar, gently covered it, and sealed the gap with soft mud. In this way, the large agate grapes could be stored until the first month of the year and remain fresh.

Wang Shanbao, the housekeeper, saw this and, noticing the maids working meticulously, she cleared her throat and said, "Everyone, be careful! If the jars you open get rotten during the first month of the year, watch out for your skins!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the maids agreed one after another. The daughter-in-law beside her said with a flattering smile, "Mammy, the mistress is waiting right now. Without Mammy, I'm afraid the mistress wouldn't know who to ask for advice."

Housekeeper Wang Shanbao smiled with a certain smugness and said, "You sound as if Madam has no ideas of her own. That's not good for anyone to hear. Madam is simply impatient with trivial matters."

The daughter-in-law immediately echoed, "Well, don't we need Madam's help in investigating the trivial matters in the East Wing?"

Housekeeper Wang Shanbao smiled, turned, and walked out. In a moment, he led his two daughters-in-law through the three-tiered ceremonial gate and into the center of Madam Xing's courtyard. From the distant courtyard, he could see Jiaohong, Yinhong, and Cuiyun sitting on either side. Madam Xing sat upright in the center, wearing a satin cape with a small embroidered collar and amber and gold pattern, a white jacket with a stand-up collar, and an ivory skirt with embroidered hems.

She wore a pearl and kingfisher-embellished headpiece, and looked to be no more than 15 years old. She had a plump figure, and a hint of harshness hung on one side of her face.

The maidservant standing in front of the porch caught sight of Wang Shanbao and hurried inside to pass on the message, "Madam, Nanny Wang has returned."

Upon hearing this, Wang Shanbao hurried a few steps forward and entered the inner chamber, her face already beaming with joy. She bowed to Madam Xing, Yanhong, and Cuiyun and said, "Madam, those large agate grapes can all be stored. I'm watching them carefully, and I guarantee they'll be just fine. Take them out in the first month of the year, and they'll be perfectly fresh!"

Madam Xing nodded slightly, picked up a bright red soft-seeded pomegranate, and put it between her lips and teeth. She frowned and said, "You are an old man, so I am naturally relieved. Has Qin Yu's family returned yet?"

Qin Yu was the daughter of Wang Shanbao and the mother of Siqi, Yingchun's maid. She now worked in the East Cross Courtyard with her sister-in-law, Qin Xian. This morning, she had gone to the Xing family on Madam Xing's orders. It turned out that Madam Xing's younger sister, the third sister, had given birth, and Madam Xing had sent her to deliver a gift of congratulations.

Wang Shanbao, the housekeeper, bowed and said, "Madam, Qin Yu came back around noon. I saw that Madam was taking a nap, so I sent him home to rest. He should be back by now."

As soon as she finished speaking, a maid outside called out, "Madam, Qin Yu's family is here."

As soon as the words fell, a daughter-in-law hurried in, bowed to Madam Xing and the concubines, and said stiffly, "Madam..."

The Qin Yu family member was a man of few words. Before she could say anything, Madam Xing asked, "Is Third Sister all right? How is Fourth Brother?"

Qin Yu's family replied, "Everything is fine. The third sister even said she would come and thank the madam when she has time."

Mrs. Xing frowned, her heart refusing to believe it. The Xing family was originally a small family. Marrying into the Rongguo Mansion to become Jia She's second wife was like a carp leaping over the dragon gate. Not to mention Mrs. Xing herself, the whole family would be skinned alive.

To raise the eight thousand taels of silver for the dowry, not only did the family's wealth disappear, but they also had to borrow money from relatives. As a result of this delay, Mrs. Xing's second sister only married a few years ago, and her third sister, now a maid in her twenties, couldn't find a good husband and was forced to remain unmarried. Uncle Xing's marriage proposal was even more hopeless.

My status has changed since I married into the Rongguo Mansion. Who would have thought that the Rongguo Mansion is full of flowers and splendor on the outside, but it is like a bag of chaff on the inside. What's more, the eldest master Jia She is a very cunning person. Even though Mrs. Xing has been married into the Rongguo Mansion for more than ten years, the money she earns is limited. I'm afraid that the marriage of my third sister will still have a long way to go.

Her mind was in turmoil, a thousand thoughts on her mind, yet she didn't know how to begin. In the end, she could only sigh. Madam Xing said to Wang Shanbao, "Madam, please come home when you have time."

Wang Shanbao, the housekeeper, was close to Madam Xing and naturally knew what Madam Xing was worried about. He nodded immediately and said, "That's for the old lady to save."

As they were talking, a maid suddenly came in and bowed, saying, "Madam, the doorman has sent a message saying that a relative of yours is visiting. He has brought something and said that you will know the answer after seeing it."

As she spoke, she presented a red gold filigree plum blossom embroidery with both hands. Wang Shanbao, quick-witted, quickly took it and passed it on. Mrs. Xing took the embroidery, glanced at it, and was lost in thought. Wang Shanbao, however, said, "Is it Qiaojie's..."

Madam Xing sighed and smiled bitterly, saying, "The debt collector has arrived." She then looked at the maid who had delivered the message and asked, "What does the person look like, and how old is he?"

The maid replied, "They said they saw a boy of fourteen or fifteen years old, with only a maid carrying a bundle."

Wang Shanbao, the housekeeper, said, "Aunt Qiao got married a year before Madam did. If we calculate their ages, wouldn't that make sense?"

Mrs. Xing said with some distress, "Madam, please go and welcome the guest in first. No matter what happens, we can talk about it after we see them first."

Wang Shanbao agreed and turned to greet them. Yanhong, Cuiyun, and the other concubines were very tactful. Jiaohong said, "Since it's the younger generation of the Madam's family who are visiting, we can't stay for long. We will go back now."

Madam Xing agreed and watched the concubines and their maids leave. A moment later, Wang Shanbao, the housekeeper, led a handsome young man through the main hall and into the inner chamber. The young man was indeed about fourteen or fifteen years old, with an upright figure, a childish face, and bright eyes.

Her hair was tied up with a net scarf, and she wore a deep blue cross-collared undershirt underneath, a pale blue round-necked robe with arrow-shaped sleeves, and a white embroidered purse tied around her waist. After taking a quick look, Wang Shanbao, the housekeeper, smiled and said, "Brother Yuan, this is Madam, your biological aunt!"

Then the young man bowed and said in a clear voice, "Nephew Chen Siyuan greets aunt!"

Madam Xing forced a smile, her heart in turmoil. She took a deep breath before saying, "Brother, please get up quickly. Madam, please take a seat."

Housekeeper Wang Shanbao hurriedly invited the young man to sit down, and Madam Xing ordered the maid to serve tea and snacks. As Madam Xing asked about the journey to the capital, she couldn't help but think of her cousin, whom she hadn't seen in over a decade.

The red-gold filigree plum blossom embroidery originally belonged to Lady Xing. When the young man's mother got married, Lady Xing personally presented it as a congratulatory gift. The following year, Lady Xing planned to marry into the Rongguo Mansion. She spent all her money at home but still couldn't muster enough for her dowry. Having no other choice, she wrote a letter to her cousin in Yangzhou, seeking help. It was with her cousin's two thousand taels of silver that she was able to marry Jia She, becoming the second wife of the Rongguo Mansion's first wife.

In the early years, they exchanged letters and things went well. Mrs. Xing once said that she would repay the borrowed money after saving enough money for a few years. However, within two years, her cousin fell ill and died. From then on, Mrs. Xing lost contact with Yangzhou.

More than ten years have passed. If it weren't for this young man coming to visit today, I'm afraid Mrs. Xing would have forgotten about it long ago.

The young man had already told her about his past, so Madam Xing casually asked, "I wonder if everything is going well at home, Brother Yuan? Your mother and I are sisters, and I owed much to your mother's help back then..."

Unexpectedly, before he could finish his words, he saw the young man's eyes redden. Not only that, but even the maid who came in with him was secretly wiping away tears.

Mrs. Xing and Wang Shanbao looked at each other in astonishment. Wang Shanbao then asked, "Brother, have you been wronged?"

The young man bowed and said, "To be honest, after my mother passed away, my father remarried within a year and took in many concubines. Since then, he has had many children and sisters-in-law. My nephew's stepmother is a treacherous person. She treats me very well in public, but in private she is extremely harsh. When my father was alive, we could at least get along on the surface. But after he passed away, my stepmother and brothers treated me like a slave.

If I hadn't been unable to bear it any longer, I wouldn't have left Yangzhou and come to the capital to seek refuge with my aunt!"

　A new book by a new author, please collect and recommend it~
　　I personally suggest that everyone take some time to read the related works. I will post some internal logic of the Dream of the Red Chamber from time to time.

(End of this chapter)