Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 284 The Broken Hairpin
Daoxiangcun.

Li Wan had just finished instructing her three younger sisters-in-law and was now sipping her fragrant tea when she heard Yu Chuan'er outside ask, "Is the eldest mistress here?"

Su Yun frowned as she went to greet her, and then said, "Grandma, Madam has arrived."

Li Wan's heart tightened, and she quickly got up to greet him.

A trace of sorrow lingered between her brows, simply because she truly didn't know how to deal with Madam Wang. Upon entering the hall, she saw Madam Wang leading her maids and servants into the room.

Li Wan stepped forward to greet her, and Madam Wang carefully examined her before saying, "A private school has been set up in the front. Have you told Yuan-ge'er about it?"

Li Wan gritted her teeth and said, "Not yet."

Madam Wang frowned and said, "Why haven't you said anything yet? Never mind, perhaps you're too naive. I'll send Yuchuan to tell her later, it'll be the same."

Li Wan bowed her head in agreement. After Madam Wang sat down, Zhou Rui's wife stepped forward with a smile and said, "Madam, have you packed up Lan'er's daily necessities? Please give us some pointers, and since the weather is nice today, let's quickly move all of Lan'er's things to Madam's room."

Su Yun and Bi Yue frowned and stepped forward, not daring to provoke Zhou Rui's wife. They simply approached Li Wan and said, "Grandma?"

Li Wan shook her head and sighed, "Go and find all of Lan Ge'er's belongings."

Su Yun glared angrily at Zhou Rui's wife, then had no choice but to go with Bi Yue into the east wing to tidy up.

Lady Wang sat upright in the high hall, coldly scrutinizing Li Wan. Seeing her lowered head and meek demeanor, with only a hint of sorrow between her brows, she was immediately puzzled. If she were in Li Wan's shoes, having her only son taken away, she would probably go mad. Why was Li Wan so quiet?

Jia Lan was young and growing, so his clothes were always newly made every year. Su Yun and Bi Yue tidied up the clothes, and in just a short while, they had packed two small bundles.

Madam Wang reassured him, "You don't need to worry. Even if Lan'er comes to my room, would he forget his mother? He only stays in my room at night, but he still comes to see you during the day whenever he has free time."

Li Wan readily agreed.

Seeing that Li Wan had no intention of making a fuss, Lady Wang assumed that she had resigned herself to her fate. She secretly thought to herself with delight, "Wouldn't it be better if Li Wan fell ill from worry?"
At this moment, Zhou Rui's wife came back and said, "Madam, everything is ready."

Madam Wang responded and stood up, smiling, "Then you rest first, I'll head back now. I'll send someone to pick up Lan-ge tonight."

“Yes…” Li Wan replied, biting her lower lip.

Madam Wang smiled and led her maids and servants out of Daoxiang Village. Halfway there, Zhou Rui's wife approached and said, "Madam, isn't it strange that the eldest mistress is so calm?"

An old woman said, "What's so strange about it? After all, Madam is Lan-ge'er's own grandmother. There's a precedent for this. What can the eldest mistress say?"

Zhou Rui's wife frowned and said, "You can't fight city hall, but Madam shouldn't be so calm. You should be pleading or shedding tears... but now you just silently agree. Doesn't Madam find this strange?"

The old woman scoffed and said, "Even if it's strange, does Madam have some other way?"

As Madam Wang walked along, she sensed something was amiss and instructed, "Send someone to look around and listen for any gossip."

Zhou Rui's wife agreed, then turned around to look around and listen, without mentioning it.

............................................................

Sister Feng's children's courtyard.

Wang Xifeng frowned and scolded as she turned around. Ping'er comforted her, saying, "Grandma, there's no need to get angry. Dai Liang was in charge of the storeroom before, and the accounts were already in a mess. It's already quite an achievement that we've only found a few items missing."

Sister Feng said, "That's easy for you to say. I don't know how to tell Madam about this."

Ping'er said, "No matter what, it can't be blamed on Grandma."

Fengjie breathed a sigh of relief and stepped into her own courtyard. She could hear Jia Lian talking to Feng'er from afar. She frowned and said to Ping'er, "Your second master is so carefree. Look at him, he really thinks he's the emperor's brother-in-law."

Ping'er smiled without saying a word and followed Feng Jie into the room. There she saw Jia Lian lying on the kang (a heated brick bed). Feng Jie glanced at him and let Ping'er take off her outer garment. She casually asked, "Have you checked out the workshop yet?"

Jia Lian said, "It's just like that. The place is quite big, but there aren't many things. There's only an old servant guarding it. I heard that all the servants we bought earlier were sold to others at high prices." He popped a longevity fruit into his mouth and said, "If you ask me, since you already have the recipe, why did you have to involve Brother Yuan?"

Sister Feng snorted coldly and said, "What do you know? That latex is a new thing. Without Brother Yuan, do you know more about it than I do?"

Feng Jie changed into a thin gauze jacket, dismissed her maid Feng'er, and sat down at the kang table. She said to Jia Lian, "With Brother Yuan here, we won't be at a loss."

Seeing that Jia Lian remained noncommittal, Feng Jie added, "You absolutely must not go to the master's side again."

Jia Lian's face immediately turned bitter. He said, "How could I dare to go? Last time, I was beaten black and blue by the master. If I suffer another loss, how will I survive? I can only hide for a day, not the next. I'm afraid I'll still have to run around to Ping'an Prefecture."

Sister Feng asked in surprise, "Are you leaving again?"

Jia Lian nodded and said leisurely, "I'm afraid we'll have to set off at the end of the month."

Sister Feng then complained, "I can't rely on you for anything. I'm afraid I'll have to manage the workshop myself."

Jia Lian said, "The capable should do more work."

Feng Jie sighed, not bothering to argue with Jia Lian, and gave Ping'er a wink, who then quietly went to guard the door.

This move made Jia Lian uneasy, fearing that Ping'er had revealed his affair with Bao Er's wife.

Unexpectedly, Sister Feng lowered her voice and said, "Today, Yuanyang and Ping'er mentioned it briefly—"

Fengjie then repeated Yuanyang's words, which left Jia Lian stunned for a long time.

After Sister Feng finished recounting the story, she hurriedly asked, "What are your thoughts?"

Jia Lian remained silent, tossed another longevity fruit, chewed for a while, and then said, "I'm afraid this is not quite appropriate. The entire household is now relying on Your Highness; do you really intend to challenge Madam?"

Sister Feng immediately said discouragedly, "We can't just watch the Madam keep holding onto the job of managing the household, can we?"

Jia Lian laughed and said, "What's so difficult about that? Why don't you go around praying to Buddha and Bodhisattvas tomorrow, and ask them to bless the Empress so that she can be promoted to Imperial Concubine soon? That way, your family can naturally open a separate residence. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?"

Sister Feng said dejectedly, "I don't believe in this stuff, but I've already prayed quite a bit this year for the sake of the Empress. This matter is beyond the power of praying to gods and Buddhas; it's all up to the Empress's discretion."

Jia Lian then said, "We'll have to wait. If Consort Wu becomes Empress, Your Highness might have a chance."

Sister Feng pouted and said, "I'm asking you to make the decision, so stop with this nonsense."

"Isn't that simple?" Jia Lian said with a smile. "If the old lady gives the word, you just have to take responsibility. Madam's people have taken on two important duties. If you want to manage the household, how can you avoid these two people? Just do what you're doing now and ask Madam for advice every day. Madam naturally won't hold it against you."

Sister Feng asked in surprise, "Wouldn't that mean I've got a nominal position as head of the household?"

Jia Lian chuckled and said, "Do you think you, a junior, can gain the upper hand in a battle of wits between the old lady and the madam?"

Upon hearing this, Sister Feng frowned in deep thought. Jia Lian couldn't resist reaching out to take Sister Feng's hand, only to be slapped away by her, who scolded him, "You still have the mind to think about such nonsense! If you really care, just go find Ping'er!"

Jia Lian looked embarrassed, but he was really itching to go, so he simply got up and said, "Never mind, I'll go to the study for a while."

Watching Jia Lian walk away, Feng Jie sat there pondering for a long time, unwilling yet unsure of what to do, and could only sigh.

..................................................................

At Shenshi (3-5 PM), Jia Lan led several servants back. As soon as they entered Daoxiang Village, they saw a gloomy and desolate atmosphere.

Jia Lan, being precocious, immediately sensed something was wrong and hurriedly stepped forward to ask, "Mother, but... but Grandmother—"

Li Wan gave a wry smile, reached out and straightened his collar, and said, "Your grandmother moved all the things over there this afternoon. After dinner, you can go to your grandmother's courtyard."

"I'm not going!" Jia Lan was furious, her small fists clenched tightly.

Li Wan sighed, gave Su Yun and Bi Yue a wink, and after the two left, she instructed Jia Lan, "You must listen to her. After all, she is your grandmother, she wouldn't harm you. Don't worry, you'll be back in a couple of days."

Jia Lan was taken aback and quickly asked, "Did Uncle Yuan come up with the idea?"

It's not a good thing for a child to be too clever. Li Wan was afraid that Jia Lan would find out the truth and reveal his whereabouts, thus ruining Chen Siyuan's painstaking plan. So she just said, "Don't ask about these things. It's more important to study hard. What did you learn today?"

Jia Lan told the truth, and was then tested by Li Wan. Only then did he go to the east side room to read the books.

After dinner, as expected, Zhou Rui's wife and Yu Chuan'er came to pick them up. Jia Lan looked back every step of the way, and seeing that Li Wan, though unable to express her sorrow, did not lose her composure, he was certain that Uncle Yuan had come up with a good idea. So, with a heavy heart, he followed Yu Chuan'er to Lady Wang's courtyard.

Even though Li Wan knew what was going on, seeing Lan Ge'er leave her, she felt as if her heart was being torn apart. She inevitably returned to her room with tears in her eyes, and no amount of comforting from Su Yun and Bi Yue could console her.

After dismissing the two maids, Li Wan sat listlessly on the edge of the bed, pondering Chen Siyuan's arrival.

Suddenly recalling the enchanting moments of yesterday, Li Wan was overcome with shyness, her face flushing red all the way to her ears, and soon even her neck turned red.

Born into the Li family, she was well-versed in the Four Books for Women from a young age and was known for her virtue and gentleness. Even after marrying Jia Zhu, their intimacy was merely a formality. Each time, Li Wan would finish quickly once the pain subsided, and she had never experienced such ecstasy.

That night, Li Wan tossed and turned, unable to resist trying Chen Siyuan's method... but it turned out to be completely different. Li Wan even wondered if Chen Siyuan knew magic, otherwise how could there be such a big difference?

After blushing for a while, Li Wan was still confused about the situation. The Fang Sheng in the Three Delicacies Bun was less of an expression of affection and more of a confession of her feelings. She wondered what her brother Yuan would think after reading it.

Then she thought of Jia Lan again, wondering if he was eating well or sleeping peacefully in the madam's room...

Just as she was pondering this, she suddenly heard Suyun calling out to someone outside, and then she relayed the message inside: "Grandma, Grandpa Yuan is here."

"Ah?" Li Wan was immediately flustered. She instinctively got up, smoothed her hair, and frowned in worry. Hearing the sound of the beaded curtain being lifted, Li Wan had no choice but to come out from the side room to greet her.

Upon entering the hall, Li Wan immediately saw Chen Siyuan, dressed in black, walking in with a smile behind his back. His clear, bright eyes seemed to speak volumes, and just one glance at her made Li Wan feel her heart melt.

"Brother Yuan... Brother Yuan—"

Chen Siyuan bowed and greeted her, saying, "Sister-in-law, I heard that Lan-ge'er has been taken to Madam's room. I was afraid that you would worry, so I came to say a few words."

Li Wan bit her lower lip and murmured, "I'm troubling Brother Yuan again."

"It doesn't matter."

Seeing her grandmother standing there helplessly, Su Yun quickly said, "Uncle Yuan, please sit down and talk. I'll make you some tea."

Li Wan then realized what was happening and quickly invited Chen Siyuan to sit down.

After a short while, Suyun brewed tea, and Biyue brought over some snacks and fruit. Only then did Chen Siyuan say to the sullen Li Wan, "What I said to my sister-in-law last time will be cleared up in a few days. Sister-in-law, you must not be discouraged now."

"Ah."

Seeing Li Wan acting like a quail, only silently agreeing, Chen Siyuan secretly scratched his head. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then said to Suyun, "I'll trouble you to guard the door, sister. What we're saying down here... shouldn't be overheard by outsiders."

Su Yun didn't think of anything else, and just smiled and said, "Don't worry, Master Yuan, Bi Yue and I will guard the door and make sure nothing goes wrong."

Li Wan belatedly realized what was happening, and only after the two maids left did she panic. She opened her mouth to speak, but upon meeting Chen Siyuan's clear eyes, she bit her lip and couldn't utter a word.

Chen Siyuan smiled, took out a scroll from his sleeve, stood up and walked to Li Wan, gently placing the scroll on the table.

Li Wan glanced at it and saw that it was the Taishang Ganying Pian (Treatise on the Response of the Supreme Being), and was immediately puzzled.

Looking up and meeting Chen Siyuan's gaze, she panicked and stammered, "Brother Yuan, I—"

Chen Siyuan reached out, startling Li Wan into a hasty dodge. Seeing the hand hover in mid-air, Li Wan abruptly stopped. A moment later, the hand touched her cheek, and Chen Siyuan said gently, "Lanqiao, why must you struggle against yourself?"

He paused, then added, "Haven't the rules and customs of this world caused you enough suffering?"

Li Wan felt a pang of sorrow in her heart. Even in this Great Shun Dynasty, countless ordinary women who lost their husbands sought remarriage; yet, it was women from scholarly families like her who were bound by social norms. Maintaining chastity was easy to say, but who knew the loneliness within?
Countless times in the dead of night, Li Wan wished she had been born into a commoner family, so she wouldn't have to endure seven or eight years of loneliness.

Seeing that he was moved, Chen Siyuan quickly said gently, "I was a bit abrupt last time... From now on, I'll only talk to you, okay?"

Upon hearing this, Li Wan's eyes reddened, realizing that Brother Yuan truly understood her. She couldn't let go of this ill-fated relationship, thinking that as long as they were just confidants, their feelings would remain within the bounds of propriety, and no one could say anything about it... So she nodded repeatedly.

Chen Siyuan smiled gently, quietly removed his hand, and slowly sat down again. Li Wan felt her warm cheeks gradually turn cool, and seeing Chen Siyuan turn around and sit down, she felt a sense of loss.

Li Wan quickly pulled out a handkerchief to wipe away her overflowing tears and asked, "This Taoist scripture?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "When Lan-ge goes to Madam's room, you have to put on a show."

Li Wan suddenly realized and couldn't help but laugh, "So that's how it is. You were quite thorough in your thinking."

Then Chen Siyuan said, "If we don't do this, how will we have time to talk?"

Li Wan was stunned. Chen Siyuan then said, "Tomorrow you should go and find Madam and say that you want to go to the Jade Emperor Temple to study Taoist scriptures. I think Madam will definitely not refuse."

“I…” Li Wan blushed immediately.

That day, Jia Lian and Bao Er's wife were just seven or eight steps away. Even though they were so far away, the brothers couldn't help but tease him quite a bit. If he were alone, how could he possibly keep to himself?
Chen Siyuan seemed to have read her mind, and said, "Come if you want... If you come, I'll secretly talk to you for a few minutes." He paused, then added, "Yes, Second Sister-in-law wants to partner with me to run a workshop. You've entrusted all your money to me for safekeeping, and I'm thinking it's a waste to keep it in my hands. Why don't I take some out and invest?"

Li Wan hesitated, her brows furrowed in distress.

Chen Siyuan laughed it off and simply stood up, saying, "Then you can think about it first. There's no need to rush to reply to me. I'll head back now."

Li Wan watched Chen Siyuan leave the room blankly before hurriedly getting up. But in her haste, the gold hairpin in her hair fell off.

With a clang, it landed awkwardly on the table leg, and in her panic, Li Wan accidentally stepped on it!
Li Wan hurriedly moved aside, no longer caring about seeing Chen Siyuan off, and quickly bent down to pick it up, only to find that the gold hairpin was bent and the head had fallen off...

She stopped in the hall, looked up to watch Chen Siyuan being escorted out of the courtyard by Su Yun, then looked down at the broken hairpin and couldn't help but sigh softly...

............................................................

One night without words, it was the next day in a blink of an eye.

Chen Siyuan was in a bad mood from the start of the day. He found fault with everything, from clothes to food, but Xiangling and Wu'er didn't care at all. They even whispered and laughed to each other in private.

As Hongyu entered, leaning on her cane, she overheard Xiangling whispering a few words to her, and she burst into laughter. Only after Wu'er brought breakfast did Hongyu approach and say, "Master, please wait a few more days—"

Chen Siyuan immediately retorted angrily, "I'm completely healed now, why can't I?"

Hongyu covered her mouth and laughed, "They say a drop of semen is worth ten drops of blood. Your wound has only just scabbed over, so it's best to be careful."

Chen Siyuan pointed angrily to the swollen pimple on his chin and said, "Look at you, you've been holding in your anger!"

Hongyu kept giggling, thinking that this was not a solution, so she whispered a few words to Xiangling, who nodded in agreement, before returning to whisper to Chen Siyuan.

Chen Siyuan's eyes lit up at first, but then his face fell and he said listlessly, "Forget it, it's a chicken rib, it's not worth eating but it's a pity to throw it away."

Hongyu retorted angrily, "Then forget it."

"No... It's good to taste meat even if there isn't any."

The maids laughed incessantly upon seeing this.

Chen Siyuan quickly finished his breakfast and was eagerly pulling Xiangling towards the side room when Yunxiang suddenly rushed in from the outer room.

"Uncle, uncle!"

Chen Siyuan patiently asked, "Is something the matter?"

Yunxiang said, "Last night, Lan-ge'er was startled twice, keeping Madam awake all night."

"Oh, what else?"

Yunxiang said, "Yindie, who serves Madam You, just entered the garden through the east gate. Judging from her appearance, she went to find Madam You in a hurry. I wonder what happened."

Silver Butterfly? Lady You is currently pregnant. Could it be that something has happened to the Ningguo Mansion again?
Chen Siyuan thought to himself, "Old Lady You is staying at Shuiyue Nunnery with peace of mind. Since You Shi became pregnant, she has been sending her expenses every month. Third Sister hates Old Lady You so much that she will not go to visit her. Only Second Sister You goes to visit her once a month."

There has been no movement for so long. Considering that Old Lady You is eight months pregnant, could it be that she has started to move?
Yunxiang's eyes darted around, and seeing that Chen Siyuan had come to his senses, she said, "Master returned to the manor early this morning. I saw Yuanyang go to Mengpo Studio first, and then to the East Wing."

Seeing that there was nothing else to do, Chen Siyuan rewarded the maid Yunxiang with a string of coins. Yunxiang left happily, and Chen Siyuan no longer had any wicked thoughts. He was only looking forward to what would happen in Rongqing Hall later.

Before breakfast that day, Li Wan tossed and turned all night, worried about Jia Lan, and finally went to Lady Wang's courtyard.

Upon entering, they saw Yu Chuan and the others serving Jia Lan as he washed up.

After exchanging greetings with Madam Wang, Li Wan asked in surprise, "Why are you only getting up now?"

Madam Wang explained, "Lan-ge'er is having some trouble getting used to the new bed and was a bit reluctant to get out of bed this morning. Besides, autumn is just around the corner, so it's not good to let Lan-ge'er travel back and forth. I've sent someone to Yuan-ge'er's new house to deliver a message that the tutor will be here soon, and he can have the lessons right there."

Li Wan nodded in agreement, and couldn't help but glance at Jia Lan, only to see Jia Lan looking at her with a pitiful expression.

Li Wan felt a pang of sadness, recalling what Chen Siyuan had said earlier. She felt that all these years of keeping her chastity had been a joke! Did she think she didn't know what her mother-in-law, Lady Wang, was thinking? She just wanted to drive her to her death so that she could share the benefits promised by Prince Yanping with Baoyu!

A surge of anger rose within her, but her face remained calm as she spoke softly, "I came here for two reasons. First, to see Lan'er, and now that I see he is alright, I am relieved. Second, because I have been feeling uneasy these past few days, I would like to ask you to open the Jade Emperor Temple so that I can recite Taoist scriptures to calm my mind."

Madam Wang smiled and said, "You can just say it, why use the word 'beg'? However, since the First Madam took the key to the Jade Emperor Temple, we have another one in the mansion. I'll let the First Madam know and then send someone to deliver the key."

Li Wan bowed in thanks, glanced at Jia Lan again, and then simply got up to take her leave. As she reached the door, she suddenly heard Jia Lan call out "Mother" behind her. Li Wan suppressed the bitterness in her heart and rushed out the door. Once she reached the alleyway, tears streamed down her face.

He murmured, "Lan'er, just bear with it for a few days, it will be alright in a few days, it will be alright in a few days..."

Just as Li Wan emerged from the back door of Madam Wang's room, she saw Yuanyang hurrying towards her. Li Wan quickly wiped away her tears, exchanged a few words with Yuanyang discreetly, and then hurried towards the three small side rooms.

After Yuanyang entered through the side gate, she glanced back at Li Wan, frowned, sighed, and then turned and walked forward.

After a short while, Yu Chuan'er led her inside. Yuan Yang greeted her and then said with a smile, "The old lady has given the order that Madam should wait until she has had breakfast before going over."

Lady Wang asked in surprise, "Did they talk about something?"

Yuanyang smiled and said, "The old lady has been preoccupied since early morning. She called for the master and the eldest master. Perhaps the eldest madam will also be coming later."

Lady Wang, unaware that it was because of her, assumed something terrible had happened. After delivering the mandarin ducks, she suddenly felt a chill, wondering if the Ministry of Works had discovered another embezzlement.
Master Jia Zheng didn't return home last night, and only came back early this morning... Well, who knows!
Lady Wang was in a state of confusion and no longer cared about the pretense of educating Jia Lan. She simply instructed the maids and servants to dress Jia Lan properly, have breakfast, and then send him to the private school in front of the house.

Two quarters past Chen Shi (7-9 AM), Madam Wang finally headed towards Rongqing Hall.

A short while later, as they passed by the large, pink-painted screen wall, they bumped into Wang Xifeng, who was leading Ping'er out.

When the aunt and niece met, Madam Wang probed them several times, but Feng Jie pretended not to understand, saying she didn't know what the old lady meant.

A short while later, Madam Wang and Sister Feng entered Rongqing Hall and saw that Master Jia She and Master Jia Zheng were both there, but Madam Xing, the eldest wife, was missing.

After asking around, she learned that it was Madam You from the East Mansion who had gone through a miscarriage, and Madam Xing rushed to the East Mansion to see Madam You.

Lady Wang wondered to herself, "Could something terrible have happened in the East Mansion?" She glanced at Jia She and Jia Zheng, and saw that Jia Zheng was calm and composed with a smug look on his face, while Jia She looked distressed. Lady Wang became even more puzzled.

After thinking it over, he suddenly gritted his teeth in hatred: Could it be that Fu Qiufang is pregnant?
Just as he was pondering this, he saw Amber helping the old lady out from the side room.

Once seated on the soft couch, Madam Wang asked, "Old Madam, why all this commotion today... has something happened?"

Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "Good news, very good news! Master—"

Madam Wang's heart skipped a beat!

"—The sage is wise and has appointed the master as a tutor. After handing over his duties at the Ministry of Works, he will go to take up his post."

Madam Wang breathed a sigh of relief and then asked with a smile, "I don't know the rules of officialdom. What rank is the position of Education Commissioner?"

Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "That's hard to say. It's the same for both second-rank and fifth-rank officials. Sir?"

Jia Zheng cupped his hands and said, "My son was fortunate enough to be promoted one rank and is now a physician of the fifth rank."

Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "It's a good thing overall. The position of education commissioner is a prestigious one. If he does his job well, he might even be promoted in the future."

Everyone echoed their congratulations and offered their best wishes to Jia Zheng. Jia Zheng feigned humility, but in reality, he was flushed with excitement.

Educational commissioner—that's a position of integrity! Isn't this the kind of appointment Jia Zheng has been so eager for?
Furthermore, by transferring himself away from the Construction and Maintenance Department, it was as if the Emperor had let the Jia family off the hook, meaning that he would no longer pursue past grievances. How could Jia Zheng not be delighted with such a win-win situation?

If someone as upright as him could understand this, then it was even more obvious to Grandmother Jia and the others. So, everyone in Rongqing Hall was filled with joy, and the maids came one after another to offer their congratulations. Grandmother Jia was so pleased that she ordered, "Rewards, everyone will be rewarded."

After a long while, once the matter was over, Grandmother Jia said with a smile, "There is another matter. Yesterday, Madam took Lan-ge'er back to her room to be raised... I wonder if Lan-ge'er is doing well?"

Madam Wang quickly smiled and said, "It's true that I'm having trouble sleeping after suddenly changing the bed. I think I'll get used to it in a couple of days."

Grandmother Jia smiled and nodded, then said, "I have thought about what Madam said earlier carefully these past few days, and indeed she has been working too hard."

Lady Wang, not understanding why, simply smiled and nodded.

Then Grandmother Jia said, "I think that from now on, Madam should just focus on raising Baoyu and Lan'er. As for managing the household, let the younger generation, Feng'er, take care of it."

Madam Wang's face froze instantly! She turned to look at Sister Feng.

Sister Feng feigned surprise and quickly covered her mouth with a laugh, saying, "Grandma is using me as a scapegoat again. At my age, I'm too old to handle things behind the scenes. How can I possibly support the entire mansion?"

Grandmother Jia said, "Who hasn't been testing the waters? Take Yu'er's mother, for example. Before she got married, she was only sixteen or seventeen, yet she managed the entire household perfectly. Feng'er's temperament is no less than Yu'er's mother's. I think she'll be just as capable in the future." She paused, then looked at Madam Wang with a smile and said, "Madam, you can't complain that I'm making too many demands on you this time."

Lady Wang was at a loss for words and was about to offer her explanation when the master of the house suddenly perked up and said, "That's right. Feng'er is already in charge of the back affairs, and now she only has one more thing to do at the front. I'm sure she can handle it. My sister-in-law is getting on in years, so it's better for her to raise Baoyu and Lan'er."

Sister Feng smiled and said, "I am not worthy of such praise from you, sir. Since the old lady has spoken, I will go to the old lady and madam for advice whenever I am unsure about something. Please do not find me a bother."

Lady Wang remained silent with a cold face, but she knew perfectly well that Sister Feng had probably already conspired with Grandmother Jia.

But she had already made her promise in front of everyone, and Jia Lan had just been brought back to her room yesterday. Even if she had no shame, how could she go back on her word?

Lady Wang, lacking any quick wit, was at a loss for what to do and could only look to Jia Zheng for help.

Who knew that Master Jia Zheng completely disregarded Madam Wang, believing in his heart that the Rongguo Mansion would belong to the eldest son's family sooner or later, and that it was only reasonable to hand it over to Sister Feng to manage at this time.

Seeing that Jia Zheng was ignoring her, Lady Wang was filled with resentment. Just then, the old lady said, "Madam, what do you think of Feng'er?"

Feng Jie is Lady Wang's niece, so how could she possibly say no?
She pondered to herself, and after discussing it with Xia Jingui later, she covered up her thoughts with a smile and said, "Feng'er is certainly suitable, but she is still a bit too young... I'm afraid she will suffer when dealing with the ladies of various noble families in the future."

Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "That's easy. Aren't the First Madam and the Second Madam there? If that doesn't work, this old woman can take care of it herself."

Seeing that there was no way to salvage the situation, Madam Wang forced a smile and said, "Since the old lady has said so, what can I say?" She turned to look at Feng Jie and said coldly, "Then Feng Jie will come back with me later and take the keys to all the places."

At this point, it was decided that Grandmother Jia would instruct people to prepare a banquet, saying that she wanted to have a grand and lively event. After talking for a while, everyone was finally allowed to disperse.

Lady Wang emerged angrily from behind Rongqing Hall, when she stumbled and the kingfisher feather hairpin in her hair fell to the ground. By sheer luck, the hairpin landed on the bluestone slab and snapped crisply in two.

Yu Chuan hurriedly picked it up, glanced at it, and said, "Madam, I'm afraid this hairpin will need to be repaired."

Lady Wang thought to herself, "A broken hairpin can be repaired, but my relationship with Sister Feng is broken... how can it be repaired?"
(End of this chapter)