Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 87: Attack (Subscribe)

Mrs. Wang's face was frosty, and she did not return to her own courtyard. Instead, she went to the small summer room in the back house where Feng Jieer usually stayed.

The eight wives of the accompanying chambermaids were separated to the left and right, and the maids and old women were there to control the situation. Then they brought in the maids and old women who had been caught gossiping earlier.

Mrs. Wang is a daughter of the Wang family. In her early years, she was as bold and straightforward as Aunt Feng. Now, on the one hand, she is old, and on the other hand, she has lost her spirit because of the torture she suffered from Grandmother Jia for decades. That's why she eats vegetarian food and chants Buddhist scriptures, and looks kind and benevolent.

The matter involved Baoyu's reputation, and Mrs. Wang became furious. She only gave a glare, and the gossiping maids and old women all confessed.

However, the Jia family is even worse than the imperial city, like a leaky shabby house. After a series of questioning, everyone bit me and I bit you, and in the end, they bit out Aunt Zhao!
Although Mrs. Wang was not well educated, she understood the principle of "guarding against the mouths of the people is more important than guarding against the river." She knew that if this matter was investigated further, most of the Jia family's servants would be implicated. Could they really be driven out? The old lady was also a kind person. She was just angry just now. If she was really harsh, she would definitely regret it later.

The point of this matter was to make an example of someone else. These maids and servants were clearly not enough, and Aunt Zhao, who was the most reckless, was just the right person to serve as a warning to the monkeys.

Mrs. Wang made up her mind and immediately ordered, "Go and bring Aunt Zhao here!"

The attendants all responded in unison, and then four of them were sent back to Lady Wang's courtyard. After a while, they saw the four men escorting the anxious Aunt Zhao to the large painted screen wall.

Aunt Zhao had an embarrassed look on her face, and she had a bad feeling in her heart. When she saw him, she bowed hurriedly and said, "Madam, is there anything you want me to do?"

Mrs. Wang said coldly, "If I had known you weren't up to the task, I wouldn't have bothered to argue with you. I've ignored you so many times, and you've gotten complacent. Now you're getting even more aggressive!"

He pointed and shouted, "They are all here, what else do you have to say?"

Aunt Zhao choked and said, "Well, it's not me who spread the rumor. Everyone has seen it. Madam, why won't you let us tell the truth?"

Several wives shouted, "You black-hearted child from generations past! Madam is so kind that she's not bothering with you, but you're just getting even more mad at me! Who doesn't know what kind of person Master Bao is? How dare you spread such rumors!"

"Madam, there's no need to waste time talking to her. Just punish her directly."

"If you don't take a beating, you might not learn your lesson!"

Mrs. Wang held up the teacup and said, "Slap your face!"

Immediately, one of the daughters-in-law came forward and slapped Aunt Zhao more than ten times. These slaps were so powerful that Aunt Zhao's face was swollen and blood was flowing from the corner of her mouth.

She wanted to throw a tantrum, but she met Mrs. Wang's cold eyes. She was so frightened that she dared not make a sound and could only glare at the old woman hatefully.

Madam Wang continued, "Go down, maids and servants, and get twenty lashes of the board. And then take them back to the farm. If they do it again, you'll be sent straight back to the manor!"

Everyone responded solemnly. Madam Wang glanced at Aunt Zhao and said, "Canceling Aunt Zhao's salary and grain for another six months!"

She was born as a dowry, and she worked hard to raise Baoyu while Lady Wang was raising her, and only then did she climb into Jia Zheng's bed, with a monthly allowance of only two taels of silver.

The servants in the mansion were all obsessed with wealth and status, and they always needed money to get things done. How could these two taels of silver be enough? To take care of Huan'er, he might even have to exploit the maids in the room and his daughter, Tanchun.

A few slaps on the face, but Aunt Zhao didn't care at all...Over the years, she was often disciplined by Lady Wang. Aunt Zhao had learned her lesson, and after being disciplined, she would whisper in Master Jia Zheng's ear, always able to get some benefits.

But this time it is different. I was the one who made the mistake first, so I can't argue with the master. I'm afraid that the money and food for the past six months will be lost in vain!

With a cry of surprise, Aunt Zhao collapsed to the ground.

Mrs. Wang snorted coldly, ignored Aunt Zhao and the others, and stood up to lead the people back to their own courtyard. After passing through the hall, Mrs. Wang thought about the seductresses in Baoyu's room, so she pointed to the maid and ordered, "Go to the old lady's room and call one of Baoyu's servants."

The rumor died down after a while, but the fact that Baoyu lost his virginity at an early age should not be taken lightly.

The maid responded and hurriedly took the order. As they walked, Mrs. Wang pondered: Baoyu's servants, big and small, were all arranged by the old lady, and as a mother, she had no say in the matter. A few years ago, it was fine when he was kept in the old lady's room, but in the past two years, Baoyu had gone to the Qixianzhai during the day, and without supervision, she had let him do whatever he wanted.
The maids around him were all as coquettish as each other, just like Qingwen, who was born a servant but was even more arrogant than the girls in the family. Mrs. Wang looked down on them the most.

But this matter cannot be made public. We must call someone to investigate secretly. If we investigate it in a big way, I am afraid it will really damage Baoyu's reputation.

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But let’s talk about Rongqing Hall.

Sanchun and Baochai tried to comfort him, and maids like Qingwen and Xiren kept talking. Baoyu, after his madness, was now tired. Seeing this, Jia Mu put him in the warm room and returned to her bed.

He then instructed everyone, "Everyone, disperse. He is a troublemaker. He has gone crazy now, but he will be fine tomorrow."

Sanchun joked a few words and then left with Baochai. Xiren, Qingwen and the other maids discussed and decided to leave Musk Moon and Xiren behind to look after the children, while the rest of the maids returned to Qixianzhai.

Xiren and Musk Moon had just undressed Baoyu when one of Mrs. Wang's maids came over and whispered, "Madam sent for someone from the Second Master's household. She wants to question him."

Xiren's heart was moved!
She was always quick-witted and knew that Mrs. Wang had dealt with those who spread rumors, so she was afraid that she would take action against the people around Master Bao.

She knew her own business, and had been instigating Baoyu to know about the affair more than two years ago. If the mistress made a big fuss and examined the maids one by one, how could she hide?
Xiren had been quiet just now, busying herself with this and that, but in reality she had been mulling over a plan. Now that she was summoned by the maidservant beside the mistress, Xiren knew that the mistress probably didn't want to make a big fuss.

If someone else had gone there, he might have exposed himself!

Musk Moon was tucking Baoyu in, so she didn't hear what Yuchuan said. Xiren hurriedly stopped Yuchuan outside and whispered, "Second Master has just gone to bed. I'll give him some instructions and come right over."

He then returned to the western wing and said to Musk Moon, "My mistress sent me to ask some questions. You take care of it yourself first. I'll be back soon."

Musk Moon looked at Xiren and nodded slightly as a sign of agreement.

Xiren secretly breathed a sigh of relief and followed Yuchuan to Lady Wang's courtyard. After a while, they entered Lady Wang's main room. Turning around the screen, they saw Lady Wang sitting in a chair, her brow furrowed, and she was spinning beads rapidly in her hand.

Xiren stepped forward to greet him, and Mrs. Wang said, "Stand up and answer."

When Xiren stood up, Mrs. Wang asked, "How is Baoyu?"

"Madam, the girls just had a little talk, and the Second Master is tired after all the fuss, so he just went to bed now."

Mrs. Wang nodded, and before she could speak again, Xiren said, "I will speak boldly today—"

Xiren choked up halfway through her speech and looked up at Mrs. Wang. Mrs. Wang said, "Go on."

"Yes," Xiren said softly, "Second Master was raised by Madam, so Madam naturally loves him dearly. In this mansion, from the old lady to us servants, who doesn't indulge Second Master? But Second Master is still young and doesn't know the principle of being close to the virtuous and staying away from the treacherous. He only considers people's appearance when making friends.

As the saying goes, a person's heart is hidden in his belly. No matter how good the skin is, who knows whether the person inside is a human or a ghost?

This remark resonated with Mrs. Wang, who nodded repeatedly and said, "My son, what you said is absolutely right. It accords with my thoughts!"

Xiren added, "I think from now on Madam, you shouldn't let Second Master go around playing around. Even if it's just a friend, Madam should first verify the man's character."

"Yep!"

"Besides, at Second Master's age, it's probably not appropriate for him to stay in the old lady's room. As the old saying goes, two people under seven years old should not sit together. In the past, Second Master always played with Miss Lin or Miss Xue, so it's inevitable that he has lost some of the sense of propriety between men and women.

From now on, I will go to Qixianzhai, and Madam will come to look after me often. If anything happens, I can let Madam know."

Mrs. Wang smiled and felt that Xiren's words were even more pleasing to her.

Yin then said, "My son, thank goodness you understand. Baoyu has been staying in the old lady's room. I wanted to discipline him, but the old lady stopped him just as he started. I thought he was still young, but now he is becoming more and more useless. I think it's better for him to move out. If you keep an eye on him, I can feel at ease."

After a pause, Mrs. Wang continued, "There's only one thing: is there any such shameless vixen around Baoyu?"

Xiren fell silent, lost in thought. If she said no, Mrs. Wang wouldn't let it go. Of the Second Master's servants, only Qingwen alarmed Xiren the most. But Qingwen was also proud and arrogant, and disdained to climb into her master's bed.

After a moment's thought, Xiren said, "Madam, you know that the people who stay with the Second Master at night take turns. I haven't heard anything about it... But a while ago, Bihen was bathing the Second Master, and the water even reached the foot of the bed. I wonder what happened."

"What a vixen!"

Xiren hurriedly said, "Madam, for the sake of Second Master's reputation, this matter must not be made public."

Mrs. Wang thought about it and agreed. She was just a servant; beating her to death was commonplace, but damaging Baoyu's reputation was inappropriate. She secretly made up her mind to find an opportunity to kick that little bitch out of the house.

Suddenly thinking of Qingwen, Mrs. Wang asked, "If Bihen is like this, what about Qingwen?"

Xiren knew that even if she told him, she was afraid that the mistress would secretly investigate afterwards, so she couldn't just accuse someone. She shook her head and said, "I haven't heard of that."

Mrs. Wang responded, and found Xiren even more pleasing. It didn't matter whether she had lied or not; what mattered was that she was now actively moving closer to her!
The old lady said that it was an honor to support her, but in fact most of the household affairs were handled by the old servants of the Lai family. Mrs. Wang had the power to be the head of the household, but it was useless. All major matters had to be approved by the old lady before they could be implemented.

Xiren was originally arranged by the old lady to be with Baoyu. Now that she has come to Baoyu, it is a good start. In the future, she will win him over and conquer him step by step. Sooner or later, the Rongguo Mansion will fall into her hands.

Thinking of this, Mrs. Wang reached out and called Xiren over. She took off a bracelet from her hand and put it on Xiren, whispering, "My child, from now on, you must treat Baoyu with all your heart and effort. I will never let you go without a home!"

Xiren was overjoyed and knelt down to kowtow. In her heart, she was secretly glad that at least she had passed this hurdle!
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But it was in the small courtyard next to Lixiangyuan.

After bathing, Chen Siyuan let his hair down and wore only a beige shirt, allowing Hongyu to comb his hair with a comb.

The little maid Yunxiang would come from time to time to pass on messages, sometimes saying which old woman was called away, sometimes saying that Aunt Zhao was slapped, and later she said that Aunt Zhao was fined half a year's money and food.

The gossiping spirit caused Hongyu to scold her several times, but this time she had Chen Siyuan's support, so the little maid Yunxiang became even more proud.

The aroma of roasting food rose from the incense burner. Seeing Yunxiang talking endlessly, Hongyu couldn't help but say, "Stop talking nonsense. Can't you see that the master is tired?"

Chen Siyuan set out early in the morning and rode dozens of miles back to the capital. He was indeed a little tired now.

Yunxiang pursed her lips and said, "I saw that Master liked to hear it, so he sent me to investigate again."

Hongyu said angrily, "It's just a small matter, but you've been talking in circles. Stop it now and call someone to move the bathtub!"

Yunxiang agreed reluctantly and then walked out of the main room.

Just as dinner was approaching, Hongyu returned with a lunch box and served Chen Siyuan. Fatigue and hunger combined to make Chen Siyuan's eyelids droop. He gave a few brief instructions and then returned to his bed to rest.

He had been working hard these past few days and was worried even at night. Now that he had finally saved his life, Chen Siyuan fell into a deep sleep as soon as he relaxed, and did not even wake up.

In a trance, sporadic memories of the past life emerged in the dream, all like fleeting glimpses, and only a general idea could be seen.

Suddenly, there seemed to be a noise coming from the sky. Chen Siyuan gradually woke up and saw Hongyu holding the lamp when he opened his eyes.

Chen Siyuan sat up and listened carefully, and he heard that everyone around him was in a panic.

"Master." Hongyu lighted the candle.

Chen Siyuan was surprised and asked, "Why is there so much noise outside?"

Hongyu placed the candle on the table, turned around, put on her clothes and said, "Sir, wait a moment. I'll go out and take a look."

Hongyu wrapped her clothes tightly, pushed the door open and went out to take a look. After a while, she came back and said to Chen Siyuan, "They say there's a fire in the back street of Ningrong, and everyone is carrying buckets of water to put out the fire over there."

Chen Siyuan didn't care after hearing it. He asked Hongyu to bring him some warm water to drink, and then fell into a deep sleep again.

The next morning, Chen Siyuan had a good sleep and felt refreshed. He stretched out his body and walked into the courtyard. Yunxiang, the maid who was sweeping the floor, said, "Master, I heard there's been a fire at Second Master Qiang's house in the back street!"

"Huh?" Chen Siyuan paused.

The maid Yunxiang came over and lowered her voice, "They kept arguing for half the night. I heard the fire was put out at 11:00 AM. Tsk tsk, even Second Master Qiang and several of his maids were burned to charcoal... I heard the only one who survived was the old deaf doorman."

Chen Siyuan pondered, could it be that nobleman who did it last night? This old man, who was the only one left deaf among the dozen or so people, was truly ruthless!
(End of this chapter)