Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 25 Nobushige
"My nephew Jia Yun greets Uncle Yuan." After a pause, Jia Yun continued, "Last night, my nephew had the honor of meeting Uncle Yuan from afar."

Jia Yun? Chen Siyuan observed him carefully. He was tall, handsome, and courteous. His words were subtly flattering.

I vaguely remember that this person in the book was very capable, and later seemed to sell Qiaojie out? However, everyone says that the last forty chapters are fake and can't be taken seriously, so I don't know whether it is true or not.

Chen Siyuan didn't care. On the surface, he was just a distant relative trying to get close to the Jia family; secretly, he was a fraud who was impersonating the Jia family and plotting against them. What did Jia Yun do to him?
He was extremely surprised and said with a smile, "It turns out to be Brother Yun. You just came out of the mansion?"

Jia Yun said, "I wanted to see Mrs. Zhou, but unfortunately, she's gone to Ningguo Mansion to help out." After a pause, he added, "It's better to meet by chance than to be invited. When I met Uncle Yuan, my nephew felt quite close to me. Why don't you do me the honor of sitting down with me?"

Chen Siyuan had already recalled that, if nothing unexpected happened, Jia Yun was intent on finding a job in the Rongguo Mansion. Was he not blocking Zhou Rui's wife, so why not just look for opportunities here? The question was, where would such opportunities come from?

Eh? No, I do have some here—Aunt Xue just lost a shop, bringing in three hundred taels a year. A playboy like Jia Lian might look down on it, but to Jia Yun, who was struggling to make ends meet, it was a fortune of unparalleled wealth.

However, the shop was sold to the Xue family and was repurchased. No matter what Jia Yun planned, it was doomed to fail.

He was about to decline the offer, but then he thought, since he was a nobody and needed help. Jia Yun was in dire straits, and if he gave up his fortune, he might be able to recruit a useful hand.

His thoughts raced, and when he spoke again, Chen Siyuan nodded and smiled, "Okay."

"Ah?" Jia Yun was surprised by Chen Siyuan's straightforward agreement. He felt pent up for what he was about to say, but then his expression brightened. "Uncle Yuan is really forthright. This way, please! There's a mutton shop up ahead. The food is delicious!"

As Chen Siyuan walked, he said, "I went out to visit a friend this morning and just got back. It looks like it's past noon now. I was just thinking about what to eat when Yun Ge came to invite me."

Jia Yun smiled and said, "It seems that we are destined to be uncle and nephew."

The two of them chatted and laughed as they walked west along Ningrong Back Street. Soon they arrived at a shop.

Jia Yun brushed the dust off the long bench with his sleeve, invited Chen Siyuan to sit down, and said, "Aunt Guan, do you have any good meat tonight? Bring me a few dishes."

A woman of about forty strolled out, caught sight of Jia Yun, and said with a smile, "It's Brother Yun. A cow fell and died on the farm today. It was brought here this morning, and it's now braised. Would you like to try some, Brother Yun?"

Jia Yun said briskly, "Bring a plate of beef and a pot of old wine. Let the aunt next door take care of it."

The woman agreed and turned around to bring over six dishes and a pot of warm old wine.

Chen Siyuan took a quick glance and saw a plate of braised beef, a plate of braised beef liver, a plate of lamb's trotters, a plate of ginkgo nuts, and two plates of stir-fried seasonal vegetables.

Jia Yun stood up and poured wine for Chen Siyuan, inviting him to drink two cups. Jia Yun was an eloquent speaker, and although he had never actually left the capital, he had heard many stories from outside.

He then spoke to Chen Siyuan, and for a moment both the host and the guests were in a good mood.

After three rounds of drinks, Chen Siyuan suddenly asked, "Where is Yun'er doing his living now?"

Jia Yun's face froze, and he smiled bitterly, "I'm ashamed to say that my nephew still has to rely on my elderly mother for support. I really don't deserve to be a man of seven feet."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Brother Yun has extraordinary insights. He is just in trouble for the time being. He will surely have a bright future."

Jia Yun smiled and said, "Thank you for your kind words, Uncle Yuan." He paused and continued, "To be honest, I've just been looking for Mrs. Zhou to ask for a job, but unfortunately, you're so busy, we can't meet." He spoke casually, but who was Mrs. Zhou Rui? And who was Jia Yun? Mrs. Zhou Rui was only Mrs. Wang's maid, and Jia Yun was still a member of the Jia family after all. To say that you were so busy showed how destitute and helpless Jia Yun was.

Chen Siyuan said, "What a pity. I've just arrived, so it's hard for me to speak up for Brother Yun right now."

Jia Yun waved his hand and said, "Let's just let it go. By the way, Uncle Yuan, I heard Uncle Xue and Uncle Yuan had a falling out a few days ago."

Chen Siyuan said, "It's just a misunderstanding. Just talk it out." The shop had already been sold, so Chen Siyuan didn't know how to respond.

Jia Yun went around in circles, but seeing that Chen Siyuan wouldn't respond, he changed the subject. For a while, the two of them chatted about everything, and it was quite lively.

After drinking a pot of wine, Jia Yun was drunk and was talking about the glory of the old Duke in the past. Suddenly, a tall and strong man came in from outside. He had broad ears and a full beard. At this time, he still had his shirt open, revealing a palm-sized beard.

As soon as he entered, he shouted, "Sister Guan, give me two pounds of beef and a pound of old wine. Put it on the account. I'll come to settle the bill at the end of the month."

Aunt Guan inside responded. The man turned his head and suddenly caught sight of Jia Yun. He frowned and couldn't help but scold, "Your mother washes clothes all day long and works hard to raise you, just so you, Master Jia, can come here and have a drink?"

Jia Yun hurriedly said, "Second Brother, this is the eldest wife's nephew—Uncle Yuan. Uncle Yuan and I hit it off the moment we met, which is why we're all together."

The man glanced at Chen Siyuan, and without saying a word, he took the wine pot and oil paper bag handed to him, then turned around and left.

Jia Yun sat down again and explained, "That's my neighbor, Ni Er, nicknamed Drunken King Kong. It seems he's on errands with Rong Ge'er now."

It turns out that guy is Ni Er.

Chen Siyuan took note of it and continued to toast with Jia Yun. When the afternoon was past, with only the remains of a cold, cold stew or roasted meat left on the table, Chen Siyuan said, "Today's fun is over. Why don't we get together again someday when we have time?"

Jia Yun agreed, and although he smiled, he couldn't hide the heavy thoughts on his mind.

The two of them left the mutton shop together. Chen Siyuan suddenly stopped, tugged at Jia Yun's hand, and thrust something into his hand. He said earnestly, "It's just a temporary setback, so don't lose your spirit, Yun-ge. I'm new here, so I can't trouble you right now. Well... let's wait until tomorrow. If there's a chance, I'll definitely ask Yun-ge for some help."

"Uncle Yuan, you're very polite, but if you have anything to say, I will go through fire and water for you."

Chen Siyuan smiled and patted Jia Yun on the shoulder, then turned and walked away, waving his hand and saying, "I'll go back by myself. Brother Yun should go back early too."

Jia Yun was unwilling to do so. Without even looking at what was in his hand, he escorted Chen Siyuan through the back door of Rongguo Mansion before returning.

After entering the alley, Jia Yun opened his fist and looked into his hand, and saw two silver notes worth one hundred taels.

Two hundred taels! Jia Yun felt his blood boiling, and for a moment he felt dizzy! He had lost his father at a young age and relied entirely on his mother's laundry work to support him. Bearing the title of Second Master Jia, how could he have ever seen so much silver?

The family had been struggling for years, and my mother had to borrow money from him and her. They had to pay it back, and even then, they couldn't avoid the cold shoulder from relatives. And who had ever given a large sum of money to someone on their first meeting?
His scalp tingled for a moment. Jia Yun hurriedly tucked the banknotes into his arms, slowly letting out a sigh of relief. He muttered softly, "The rumors in the mansion are indeed true. This Uncle Yuan is truly a generous man. For no other reason than this trust, if there's any errand I need in the future, I'll be willing to go to great lengths, if not through fire and water!"

After muttering this, Jia Yun returned home excitedly.

(End of this chapter)