Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 426 Ugly Wife, Treasure of the Home

Rongguo Mansion.

With her temples plastered with black hair and her face, which had become much fuller, glistening with sweat, Ping'er awoke from her drowsy state. Smelling the scent of the delivery room, she quickly turned to the midwife beside her.

Just then, the midwife patted the baby a few times, and the baby started wailing loudly.

Ping'er was filled with apprehension. Her body was still weak, but she managed to sit up and said, "Quick, quick, let me see it."

The midwife smiled and wrapped the baby up, then stepped forward and said, "Congratulations, madam! It's a little boy!"

Looking at the wrinkled, rosy little face, Ping'er felt a mix of joy and worry. She was happy that she had given birth to a boy, who might inherit the Rongguo Mansion's lineage; she was worried that if Feng Jie'er didn't give birth to a boy, the child might have to be raised in Feng Jie'er's room.

The outer door creaked open, and Feng'er happily entered, saying, "Sister Ping, the ginseng chicken soup is ready. Grandma said that Sister Ping has been too exhausted, so she told you to eat more."

Ping'er silently agreed, letting Feng'er feed her spoonful by spoonful, her mind in turmoil. Once the midwife had finished preparing, she took the baby and went ahead to announce the good news.

In Feng Jie's room, Madam Xing, Madam Wang, Amber, Jia Lian, and others were all present. They had already heard the good news and knew that Ping'er had given birth to a boy.

Since they didn't care whether it was true or not, everyone was all smiles and offered their congratulations in one go, which made Master Lian keep bowing and scraping.

Amber returned to Rongqing Hall first to report the good news, and then Lady Wang also got up to take her leave. Jia Lian went to the east wing to find Jia She to report the good news, and in the blink of an eye, only Lady Xing remained.

Madam Xing held the baby for a while, pretending to hold her, before handing her back to the wet nurse. Then she said in a sarcastic tone, "Feng'er is so lucky. Now, no matter if it's a boy or a girl, Lian'er will finally have an heir."

Madam Xing was hoping that Jia Lian would die young and have no heir, so that the title and family property would fall into the hands of the fourth son.

Feng Jie was extremely displeased, but since Madam Xing was her mother-in-law, she had no choice but to endure it for the time being. She then asked, "I heard that Uncle's marriage has been arranged?"

Madam Xing choked and said, "There are two families who are quite reasonable. I was going to find Yuan-ge'er to settle things, but who knew that he went to Tongzhou with the Second Miss this morning, saying that he wanted to see the excitement of the railway carriages. Tsk tsk tsk, I thought the Second Miss was well-behaved, but I didn't expect that she would be so reckless when she goes crazy."

Sister Feng laughed and said, "The young couple is loving and harmonious, and now that they have nothing to do, it's only natural for them to wander around."

Madam Xing pursed her lips, hummed twice, and said nothing.

After finally getting away with a correct answer from Madam Xing, Feng Jie's face immediately turned cold. Ping'er had given birth to a boy, and what if she herself gave birth to a girl in two months?

Sister Feng was never a generous person, so naturally she was unwilling to raise someone else's child.

Then I realized that thinking about it too much was pointless; things would be clear when the time was right.

A moment later, a maidservant came in and found Sister Feng, saying, "Madam, Aunt Zhu has come to see you. I told her that you were busy today, so Aunt Zhu went to Madam's place."

"Aunt Zhu? Is she the matchmaker?" Sister Feng asked.

The maid nodded repeatedly: "That's right."

Sister Feng frowned in thought, then smiled and said, "Second Sister has just gotten married, and Tan'er and Xi'er are still young. I'm sure they've come to propose marriage for Baoyu. Go and listen in and see what kind of family they are."

The maidservant agreed and hurriedly ran to Lady Wang's courtyard to eavesdrop.

Before long, while Sister Feng was still pondering, Jia Lian happily entered the room. Master Lian had been living a carefree life lately, having coaxed Yun'er to redeem herself and rented a small courtyard in Xiaohuazhi Lane to settle down. During the day, they were tender and affectionate, and now they had a son, which could be described as double happiness.

In addition, since Sister Feng has been focused on her pregnancy lately, she has been less restrictive towards him, which has made Master Lian less wary of her.

He casually lifted his robe and sat down next to Sister Feng, reaching out to lightly touch Sister Feng's lower abdomen, only to be slapped by her immediately.

"Be careful, you mustn't hurt the child!"

Jia Lian looked embarrassed, but said aloud, "What are you thinking about?"

Sister Feng said, "Mrs. Zhu, the official matchmaker, went to Madam's room."

"Oh?" Jia Lian seemed thoughtful.

Sister Feng asked again, "What happened to the matter of Eunuch Xia borrowing money last time?"

Jia Lian said, "Madam scraped together 1,200 taels of silver and sent me to deliver it to the palace. Tsk, these spineless cowards, always knowing how to fawn over the powerful and bully the weak. They're taking advantage of the Empress's lack of power to bully our family!"

Sister Feng frowned and said, "Stop talking about those things. Now that you know what kind of people those eunuchs are, if they are capable, then teach them a lesson; if they are not, then just bear with them. It's not good to hold the Empress back."

Jia Lian sighed and fell silent.

Sister Feng grew increasingly contemptuous, thinking to herself, "If it were that wild ox, he would surely have a way to handle this properly. But Jia Lian only complains behind my back, not daring to utter a single word in front of the eunuch!"
Suppressing her disgust, Sister Feng patiently said, "I haven't managed the household for a long time, and I'm afraid the family is becoming increasingly insolvent."

Jia Lian said, "No matter what, we masters will not be shortchanged."

"Who's telling you all this?" Feng Jie said, annoyed. "I mean, how much can Madam's personal savings really cover? She'll inevitably have to consider Brother Bao's marriage. This time, Aunt Zhu is here to arrange a marriage; we might have good news in a year or two."

Jia Lian scoffed dismissively, saying, "Madam is too proud and is always at odds with the Old Madam. Last time, the Old Madam asked someone to find a salt merchant, but Madam declined, didn't she? If she had agreed, her dowry alone would have been two or three hundred thousand taels of silver. What hole couldn't she fill?"

Sister Feng sneered, "Now that you're in charge of the household, you don't make any decisions yourself. You just gather everything together and talk to Madam. Just you wait and see, I'm afraid Madam will give in soon."

Jia Lian was not interested in such matters. He stood up and said, "I'm going to check on Ping'er. I have an appointment this afternoon, so I won't be having dinner at home."

After saying this, she left in a hurry. Sister Feng snorted coldly and said nothing more.

Rongqing Hall.

Inside, there was laughter and chatter, and several maids were making witty remarks, which made Grandmother Jia laugh so hard she almost fell over.

After a long pause, Grandmother Jia said, "That's good, Lian'er will have an heir now. If Feng'er also gives birth to a boy in a couple of months, then it will truly be two good sons making one good son, a double blessing."

As soon as she finished speaking, several maids chimed in, and then Li Wan quickly stepped inside.

Grandmother Jia reached out and beckoned, "Zhu-ge's wife, come quickly! We haven't seen you all day, where have you been?"

Li Wan said with a forced smile, "Grandma, don't you know me? Since Madam assigned me this task, I've been scrambling around every day, barely managing to keep up. I just heard that Aunt Zhu went to Madam's place, and I wish I could chant 'Amitabha Buddha' and just hope that my sister-in-law can come in soon and take over this exhausting job."

Grandmother Jia burst into laughter.

Li Wan sat down beside her, and after the maid served her fragrant tea, she hesitated before saying, "I received a letter from my father this morning, but I was unsure of what to do. I was going to ask Madam for her opinion, but then I had a guest. After thinking it over, I had no choice but to come and ask Madam for help."

"Oh? What did your father say in his letter?"

Li Wan pulled a letter from her sleeve, stood up, and handed it over, saying, "As you know, Madam, Lan'er's tutor has resigned, and she has been attending a private school these days. Last time, I went with Madam to visit my brother Yuan, hoping he could recommend a reliable tutor, but good tutors are hard to find, and we haven't heard back yet. Just last month, I sent a letter home, enclosing some of Lan'er's usual essays. To my surprise, Father replied that Lan'er is already halfway there, and just needs to find a renowned teacher to guide her; she might be able to take the imperial examinations in three or four years."

They also said that Jinling had many famous teachers, so they wanted me to send Lan'er there.

By this time, Grandmother Jia had already read the letter, and as she put down her reading glasses, she couldn't help but ponder it to herself. Ever since the magical jade revealed its secrets, Grandmother Jia had paid much attention to her great-grandson, Jia Lan.

Unfortunately, Jia Lan was an unlikable child. He acted rigidly and like a little adult, always spouting classical Chinese phrases. Gradually, Grandmother Jia's interest waned. Apart from assigning a senior maid named Boli to take care of him, she rarely summoned Jia Lan to speak with him.

As the saying goes, old people are shrewd and experienced, and Grandmother Jia naturally knew that Li Wan intended to use her as a scapegoat. However, her father, Li Shouzhong, was the former Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, and her former tutor had also praised her highly.

In this letter, Li Shouzhong was certain that Jia Lan would be able to take the exam in three or four years, which naturally excited Grandmother Jia!

The Rongguo Mansion is currently a first-class general, but once Jia Lian inherits the title, he will become a third-class general. Seeing that this title is unlikely to be retained, they must find another way out.

What way out? In times of peace, scholars are valued and warriors are looked down upon, so naturally one must study and take the imperial examinations.

Earlier, the deaths of Jia Jing and Jia Zhu, two promising scholars, interrupted the Jia family's transition to a tradition of combining farming and scholarship. Now, Jia Lan has taken up the mantle, and Jia Jun from a collateral branch is quite astute. It's possible that the next generation of the Jia family will depend on these two.

Moreover, since Grandmother Jia already harbored resentment towards Lady Wang, she thought for a moment and then smiled and said, "Since Grand Master Li has said so, it is indeed a great thing. But Lan-ge is only ten years old, isn't it a bit too early?"

Li Wan said, "When Brother Yuan came to the manor, he wasn't much older than Lan'er. Besides, when we go south, Lan'er can't go alone. We'll probably have to bring a few servants and maids with her. I'm thinking we should find a suitable person to escort her, and I don't think we'll be in any trouble."

Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "Very well, it's better to travel ten thousand miles than to read ten thousand books. I just hope that Lan'er will become successful soon... I just don't know if I'll be able to see that day."

Li Wan hurriedly replied, "The old lady is in good health; it would be normal for her to live another twenty years."

Grandmother Jia laughed heartily and said, "Wouldn't I become a monster if I lived another twenty years?"

Li Wan had to flatter her quite a bit to please Grandmother Jia before she left Rongqing Hall with a secret sense of satisfaction. Turning around, she went to Jia Lan's study and saw him reciting his lessons with his head swaying. Li Wan felt very pleased.

After they went inside and he told her about his plans to go south to study, Jia Lan was initially overjoyed, but then frowned and hesitated, saying, "If I go to Jinling, won't there be no one to take care of Mother?"

Li Wan felt both bitter and amused. She said, "How old are you? I'm not seventy or eighty yet. Why would I need you to take care of me? You should just focus on your studies while you're going south. I'm hoping my son will make something of himself and earn me an official title."

Jia Lan was overjoyed and solemnly said, "Mother, rest assured, I will study diligently."

With this matter settled, Li Wan then urged the maids to pack Jia Lan's luggage, and set the departure date for the third day of the month. The rest is self-evident.

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

The carriage sped along, heading east.

In front of the carriage, a driver cracked his whip and shouted orders, while a guard from the Imperial Censorate held a goose-feather knife and a pistol at his waist. Suddenly, the guard glared and yelled, "You old hag, get out of the way! Don't you want to die?!"

The peasant woman picking up horse manure by the railway tracks turned and ran away in a flash, leaving only the sound of the barbarian cursing.

Half a month after the double-track railway from the capital to Tongzhou opened, several thefts of the tracks occurred, followed by a major nighttime train robbery. Prince Yanping was furious and ordered idle guards from the Censorate to escort and guard the tracks along the route. Three days ago, they slaughtered many people, finally stopping the thefts.

However, this also has its drawbacks. The guards of the Imperial Criminal Investigation Department are all ruthless and carry muskets. They are like weapons in the hand, ready to kill. Yesterday, a farmer who was crossing the railway tracks was shot down by a guard. The victim's family went to the Shuntian Prefecture government office to file a complaint. It is still unknown how the matter will be handled.

Behind the first carriage were two separate carriages, each about two zhang long, connected by glass windows on both sides. A tiny face, no bigger than a palm, was peeking out of one of them, giggling. A moment later, the face was pulled back, followed by a stern lecture from Qingwen: "Catching too much wind can give you a stomachache!"

The carriage was cramped, with no way to avoid it, so Luan'er could only dejectedly agree. Qingwen simply hugged her sister and sat by the window, looking at the desolate fields outside and sighing repeatedly, saying, "I'm afraid we'll be entering Tongzhou soon, won't we? It really is fast."

On the other side, Hongyu brought over two half-full cups of tea. Yingchun snapped out of her reverie and smiled, "We're almost in Tongzhou, so there's no need to rush. Please sit down."

Xiangling smiled and agreed, then turned around and went to find Wu'er to chatter away.

Holding her teacup, Yingchun turned to look outside, feeling a sense of peace and joy. Compared to Baochai and Daiyu, Yingchun was truly someone who never ventured beyond the inner courtyard. In recent years, the furthest she had ever gone was to the Haidian estate with her grandmother to escape the summer heat; she had never even been to Fragrant Hills.

This time, the second young lady was full of novelty, looking left and right, feeling that her two eyes were not enough to take it all in.

Chen Siyuan, who was sitting opposite, was looking through a government gazette. Now, as if he had finished reading it, he casually tossed it onto the table.

The young couple looked at each other, and Yingchun asked, "Is there anything important in the official gazette?"

Chen Siyuan said, "Nothing major has happened, but a censor has submitted a memorial requesting that the granaries in various regions be opened to collect sorghum from the people."

Jade sorghum is corn, but it's quite different from the corn Chen Siyuan knew. Not only is the yield low, but it also consumes a lot of soil. Its only advantage is that it's not picky about the location; it can be planted on hillsides and in ditches.

The north is mostly plains, so there is not much planting, but in Yunnan, Guizhou and other places, planting has spread widely.

Furthermore, that official was pleased with the large quantity of sweet potatoes the granary had stockpiled, but he was severely reprimanded by an imperial censor. Sweet potatoes, without extensive processing, simply cannot be stored for long periods.

Chen Siyuan then casually pointed out the window and said, "If the court adopts this plan, my second sister might be able to see the ground covered with green gauze curtains in two years."

The second daughter smiled and sighed, "It's true that reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. I was quite puzzled before, because the ancient books all say that you should plant in spring and harvest in autumn, but the rent we collect at home is collected in summer and autumn. Now that I've come out to take a look, I realize that wheat is planted in autumn and harvested in summer."

Men, after all, love to be teachers. Unlike Baochai and Daiyu, Yingchun had never traveled from Jinling to the capital, always confined to her secluded mansion, thus lacking worldly experience. When Chen Siyuan got into the mood, he pointed things out along the way, offering his opinions on everything he encountered.

The second young lady already admired him, and at this moment, her starry eyes naturally sparkled with affection, arousing Chen Siyuan's heroic spirit.

Two quarters of an hour passed in a flash, the carriage slowed down, and they were about to reach Tongzhou Wharf.

The messenger dared not offend the scholar, especially since Chen Siyuan was a favorite of Prince Yanping. So he turned around, forced a smile onto his ugly face, and asked, "Master Chen, shall we stop in the town or drive straight into the dock?"

Chen Siyuan said, "I'll trouble you, Commandant Zhang. We can stop in the town."

The servant agreed and instructed the driver to stop the railway carriage by the town. After Chen Siyuan led a group of beautiful women off the carriage, he smiled and reminded them that the return carriage should depart at Shenshi (3-5 PM), and at the latest, no later than two quarters past Shenshi.

Chen Siyuan smiled and agreed, then turned his head and nodded. A servant named Qingyu stepped forward and gave the coachman and the guard a few silver coins.

The coachman thanked him profusely, and the spies felt a surge of satisfaction. They watched enviously as Chen Siyuan and his party headed into the city, before muttering under their breath, "Nothing beats the thrill of being called out outside Donghua Gate, tsk tsk..."

Tongzhou City was not large, but it flourished due to the canal and railway. Chen Siyuan and his party strolled around for only a short while before they had seen all of the city.

Unfortunately, it was still early and everyone had nothing to do, so Qingwen couldn't help but laugh and say, "If we had known this would happen, we should have set off at noon."

Hongyu said, "If we set off at noon, wouldn't we have to turn back once we arrive at our destination?"

Qingwen said, "Tongzhou is so small, if we walk quickly, we can walk around in a quarter of an hour. Why waste so much time?"

The second young lady in front remained silent, only looking around with longing. Chen Siyuan was pondering where to spend his leisure time when he suddenly heard the sound of a gong. It turned out that a Hui opera troupe called "Yuegui Ban" had rented a theater here.

Before Chen Siyuan could speak, Qingwen exclaimed excitedly, "Oh my, there's a show to watch! Master, Madam, why don't we go and take a look?"

Chen Siyuan turned to Yingchun and asked her, and Yingchun obediently replied, "I will listen to my husband."

So the group went to the theater, paid for tickets, and booked a private room. The room was packed with beautiful women, all looking down at the audience.

Before long, the gong sounded, and the grand show began.

The first act was from "The Story of the Thorn Hairpin," and it was fairly ordinary. However, after the third or fifth act, the audience started jeering and the play took a turn for the worse.

A young woman gracefully stepped onto the stage, her upper body clad in thin silk that barely covered her arms and shoulders. Her vest was open, revealing glimpses of her soft breasts. Her skirt was unbuttoned, revealing her pale thighs. She sang lewd and obscene songs that were utterly unbearable to hear.

Inside the private room, from the second young lady Yingchun down to the maids and servants, everyone was red-faced and cursing. Luan'er, being young, was still eagerly watching the commotion when her older sister Qingwen grabbed her by the neck and dragged her back. Needless to say, she received a good scolding.

The second daughter was so embarrassed that she dared not look anymore. Seeing that Chen Siyuan's expression was normal, she couldn't help but ask, "Husband... why is the play outside different from the one we see at home?"

"Hmm..." Chen Siyuan pondered, "Only when the granaries are full can people know etiquette. In the past, the plays performed in Rongguo Mansion were either Kunqu Opera or new songs from Anhui Opera troupes. They were elegant, but how many ordinary people outside could understand them? Besides, those who could perform for a prominent family like Rongguo Mansion were all outstanding members of the opera troupe. Second Sister, how many opera troupes are there, and how many of them are truly outstanding?"
Those who are not well-known often have to resort to extreme measures to survive.

The second young lady thought about it and realized it made sense, so she sighed.

Chen Siyuan didn't elaborate. He had heard stories in Yangzhou about a wealthy man who hired an opera troupe to perform for his mother's birthday. He complained that the fight scenes were too fake and forced the troupe to use real weapons, which resulted in a fatality. As for actresses selling their bodies, that was all too common.

Otherwise, why would actors be considered the lowest of the low at this time?

What are the nine lowest classes? First, witches; second, prostitutes; third, shamans; fourth, clappers; fifth, barbers; sixth, wind instrument players; seventh, actors; eighth, thieves; and ninth, candy sellers.

According to the rules of traveling opera singers, they would have to address prostitutes as "Second Aunt" when they saw them, which shows how low the status of actors was at that time.

Because they were the leading female roles, virtuous female roles, beautiful female roles, and male dan roles in various opera troupes, they had the opportunity to become concubines or mistresses. For example, Qi Guan Jiang Yuhan first married into the Zhongshun Prince's family, and then turned around and had an ambiguous relationship with the Bei Jing Prince and Bao Yu... This shows just how things are.

At this moment, Xiangling suddenly exclaimed in surprise, prompting those around her to inquire. After hesitating for a long time, Xiangling finally shook her head and said nothing.

Only after everyone quietly came out of the theater did Xiangling find Chen Siyuan and say, "That female lead just now... looked like Yu Guan."

Chen Siyuan frowned and asked, "Are you on good terms with her?"

"No, not at all..." Although Xiangling was soft-hearted, she wouldn't show kindness indiscriminately, so she shook her head again and said, "Forget it, everyone has their own fate, why should I meddle?"

Despite this, Chen Siyuan noticed that Xiangling's brows were furrowed, clearly indicating that she was worried about him. So, as soon as Xiangling left, he called over his servant Qingyu and instructed him to go backstage and listen in.

Since it was just past noon and the passengers in the carriage had already eaten their travel fare, Chen Siyuan thought for a moment and decided to lead the women to a teahouse. There were private rooms there, and the storyteller wouldn't be selling sex like a courtesan.

They walked a short distance and chose a teahouse. The group went upstairs to a private room, ordered fragrant tea and fruit snacks, and chatted incessantly in small groups.

Suddenly, a gavel struck downstairs, signaling that a storyteller was about to recount tales of the Sui and Tang dynasties.

Before he could finish speaking, a tea drinker complained, "I've heard of the Sui and Tang dynasties twice already. Tell me something new, sir."

Someone else said, "I heard that the Han family is involved in a lawsuit. I don't know the details. If you know, please tell me. You'll be rewarded handsomely."

The storyteller chuckled and said, "This old man truly knows the truth about this matter. Now, let's talk about that rich man Han..."

It turns out that there was a wealthy man named Han outside the county. His parents had died early and he was no longer under their supervision. Relying on his abundant wealth, he became increasingly unscrupulous in his actions.

Although he already had a virtuous wife, this fellow felt unsatisfied. As the saying goes, a wife is not as good as a concubine, and a concubine is not as good as a stolen one. So, in less than three years, this guy had stolen all the maids and wives in the house.

Just as he was feeling a bit disgusted, a young couple came to the general store in May. The man was originally the second manager, but had to find another job after the owner sold the business. His wife was originally a maid in a wealthy household, and was quite beautiful.

This fellow stumbled upon it by chance and immediately became itchy to get his hands on it. The next day, he sent the steward to coerce him.

Knowing that Master Han was not someone to be trifled with, and that crushing the couple would be as easy as crushing an ant, the man felt a deep sadness. Coupled with his empty pockets, he had no choice but to go back and tell his wife.

His wife wept bitterly, but for the sake of her three-year-old child, she had no choice but to comply with the demands of the wealthy man, Master Han.

After the incident, Master Han was satisfied and rewarded her with a silver ingot. However, it was during this time that the woman discovered where Master Han hid his silver.

She went back and plotted with her husband, pretending that she wanted to leave him to become Han Yuanwai's mistress. She arranged two secret meetings with him and took the opportunity to steal more than 500 taels of silver.

The next day, the couple packed their belongings and ran away, disappearing without a trace.

It took the man surnamed Han three days to realize something was wrong. Upon checking, he discovered that the couple and their child had vanished without a trace. He also found that more than five hundred taels of silver were missing from the shop, and he was immediately filled with remorse.

Not only did they report the matter to the authorities that day, but a few days later they also invited heroes from all walks of life to offer a reward of two hundred taels of silver, just to bring the couple to justice.

The tea drinkers below burst into laughter, calling the wealthy Han a lecherous glutton, their words tinged with envy. Inside the private room, a group of beautiful women whispered curses, saying the authorities should arrest the wealthy Han.

Seeing that his second sister seemed lost in thought, Chen Siyuan asked in a low voice, "Second sister, is something on your mind?"

Yingchun hesitated for a moment before nodding, then whispered, "No wonder there's a saying, 'An ugly wife is a treasure in the home.' Even if a poor family marries a wife who is somewhat attractive, it can still bring them unexpected disasters."

Chen Siyuan felt a pang of sympathy and thought to himself: If he hadn't understood this principle earlier, why would he have given up being a wealthy countryman and risked going to the capital to gamble on his future?
(End of this chapter)