The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 341 Aunt Xue choked up

When Grandmother Jia learned that Xue Baoqin was in the capital, she sent someone to bring Xue Baoqin to stay at her residence for a while.

Of all the young ladies and noblewomen in the family she had seen throughout her life, Grandmother Jia held a particular fondness for Xue Baoqin. Xue Yan was delighted to see this, as the Jia family was not yet in decline.

It includes officials of high moral character, nobles, those with real power, military generals, and civil officials—all are represented.

Given that Grandmother Jia is of noble birth and seniority, Xue Yan would not refuse her affection for her beloved daughter.

When Xue Baoqin arrived at the mansion, everyone was even happier to have a new playmate.

Grandmother Jia's place was a place everyone visited every day.

Lin Daiyu and Xue Baoqin were together. Xue Baoqin said angrily, "I had no idea about this. My elder brother is really good at hiding things. It's infuriating. Next time I see him, I will make him give me an explanation."

Xue Baoqin has an innocent and carefree demeanor, coupled with her extensive knowledge and experience, which often leads to her saying things that are both funny and absurd.

"Oh, right," Xue Baoqin said with a righteous expression, "and Sister Lin also needs an explanation from her older brother."

Lin Daiyu was smiling when she suddenly heard that she was involved. Knowing Xue Baoqin's temperament, she was so frightened that she quickly said, "What does this have to do with me? Don't talk nonsense."

Xue Baoqin was not affected by the Mei family at all; on the contrary, she was extremely happy.

She doesn't want to marry any random person.

"why?"

Although Xue Baoqin was a few years older and had a vague understanding of some things, she was still young and innocently said, "If I'm going to get married, I want to marry someone like my older brother. Isn't Sister Lin one of them?"

The more unintentional a word is, the more powerful it can be.

Lin Daiyu was stunned for a moment.

I want to deny it, but I don't know how. I've never thought about it this way before.

at this time.

A maidservant came in from outside and told Grandmother Jia, "The master has arrived."

"What is he here to do?"

Grandmother Jia said unhappily.

As people get older, they see through many things.

He prioritizes his own happiness and doesn't think many things are that important. In fact, many things are over and done with, and nothing will really happen. Grandmother Jia gets a headache whenever she sees her eldest son, so she doesn't like to see him.

The steward's wife looked helpless and could only bite the bullet and say, "I heard it's about the second young lady's marriage."

As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell silent.

The situation was even more pronounced inside. Everyone turned to look at Yingchun, who, unaware of anything, stood up in shock, her face pale and swaying precariously.

"Don't panic."

Tan Chun was the first to arrive, and she comforted Ying Chun.

Yingchun grasped Tanchun's hand as if it were a lifeline, and Tanchun pulled Yingchun to sit down, saying, "Let's hear what's going on first, and the old lady will make the decision."

Upon hearing this, a glimmer of hope appeared in Yingchun's eyes.

Xue Baochai glanced at Tan Chun subconsciously. Tan Chun looked troubled and looked up to meet Xue Baochai's gaze. Both knew that the other had a formidable personality. Tan Chun shook her head, and Xue Baochai nodded.

Xue Baochai understood that not every father could love his daughter as much as her own uncle.

Xue Baochai had some understanding of the eldest master of the Jia family.

They probably wouldn't care whether it's a good match for Yingchun, and how many good things are there in the world? If you don't pay special attention to good matches, most of them probably aren't very good.

After a moment of silence, Grandmother Jia in the outer room said in a low voice, "Let him in."

There were no outsiders inside.

Aunt Xue had lived in the Jia family for many years. Even after Xue Pan got married, she still lived in a courtyard in the northeast corner of the mansion. It wasn't that the Xue family couldn't afford a house, but rather that the second wife's needs were not opposed by Grandmother Jia.

Even matters concerning her eldest son were beyond her control; Grandmother Jia was well aware of her limitations.

Grandmother Jia knew perfectly well what matters should be addressed, what matters could be addressed, what matters should be ignored, and what matters should be minimized.

Jia She entered the room with a smile on his face.

"Let's get down to business."

Grandmother Jia called out to Jia She.

"Congratulations, madam."

Jia She knew his mother didn't like him, but he didn't care. He smiled and said, "Does the old lady still remember the Sun family of Datong Prefecture?"

After thinking for a moment, Grandmother Jia said, "There was indeed a student in our mansion named Sun before. It seems we were old friends. His ancestors were military officers. I haven't seen him for many years and almost forgot about him. Could it be this Sun family?"

"Exactly."

Jia She clapped his hands and praised, "The old lady has a really good memory."

"Did someone from his family come?"

Grandmother Jia suddenly remembered something and asked, "Wang Xin used to live in Datong, so why haven't we heard any news about this family?"

Jia She sighed with emotion.

It turns out that the Sun family has had a difficult life in recent years.

The Jia family was also having a hard time. It was only in these few years, after the eldest daughter of the second branch was promoted to Imperial Concubine, that the Jia family's status stabilized and stopped declining. But for Jia She, it was the second branch that was getting better.

The second branch of the family is the second branch, and the Jia family is the Jia family; how could he not be anxious?

I've seen many ups and downs.

Over the decades, countless people have risen again, while countless families have fallen.

Putting aside everything else, I heard about Granny Liu a few years ago. Her son-in-law, Wang Gou'er, was from the same family as the Wang family of Jinling. Their ancestors had also served as high-ranking officials, so they were qualified to visit the Jia family.

But after many years, didn't they eventually fall so low that they had to beg for handouts?

And then there's the Duke of Shi's mansion.

The once grand Duke's mansion vanished without a trace.

Rather than letting others benefit, he decided to act first, since he was short of money anyway, and Jia She had no regrets.

Therefore, Jia She was well aware that he had no way out.

As the heir to the Rongguo Mansion, he knew that the family would either fall into ruin under his watch or rise again. How could he not be worthy of his ancestors? No one could understand his plight.

Just like that disciple of the second branch of the family, surnamed Fu.

For the sake of their own future, they would do anything to send their younger sister to be a concubine, even if it meant becoming Baoyu's concubine. So it's not easy for anyone.

Now let's talk about this family surnamed Sun.

It turns out that after Feng Yong went to Datong, he divided and won over the local generals, mainly by suppressing them and promoting newcomers, which led to the Sun family's downfall.

Datong originally had five armies.

The Yongxing Army was personally controlled by Feng Yong, who absorbed the elite troops of the other four armies. The other three armies were gradually wiped out, leaving only the Tiancheng Army to barely survive. Feng Yong was still worried about the court's suspicion.

It's actually the same principle as the four armies of the Beijing Garrison a few years ago.

The retired emperor also took advantage of the emperor's defeat to personally take action to eliminate the Japanese pirates, allowing Zhu Wei to absorb the elite troops of the other three armies through the Eastern Army of the Capital Garrison, thus seizing control of the entire Capital Garrison in one fell swoop, and destroying the emperor's efforts over the years in one fell swoop.

In fact, many principles are universal.

After several changes, Zhang Wenjin continued to suppress the Tiancheng Army, and most of those who took turns entering Beijing were generals from the Tiancheng Army.

“There is only one person left in the Sun family now, and he has been sent to the Beijing Garrison.” Jia She sighed, “He is currently serving as the commander. His name is Sun Shaozu. He is tall and strong, skilled in archery and horsemanship, adept at social maneuvering, not yet thirty years old, and also very wealthy. He is currently waiting for a vacancy in the Ministry of War for promotion.”

This story could only fool those who didn't know the truth; Grandmother Jia understood immediately.

He's just a figurehead with no real job.

There were countless people queuing up for vacancies in the Ministry of War. Each position was filled by a single person, and if you were lucky, it would take three to five years to get a good job.

"Other things are fine," Grandmother Jia said calmly. "Since they are family friends, we should at least look after them. But when it comes to marriage, character must be the most important factor."

Jia She nodded repeatedly, assuring him that this person was of excellent character.

Grandmother Jia then fell silent.

First, her eldest son wouldn't listen to her, and she couldn't stop him. Second, Tan Chun was already engaged and would be getting married soon, so it wasn't appropriate for Ying Chun to stay. Ultimately, it was her father who made the decision.

As the eldest son said, the man surnamed Sun was originally a descendant of a protégé of the Jia family. Given this relationship, even if he was of bad character, he wouldn't have bullied Yingchun.

How many men like Wang Xin, the good husband Tan Chun found, are there in the world? Grandmother Jia, having become indifferent to the situation, no longer refused.

Jia She left in great joy.

Although Jia She left, everyone was still discussing the matter. Jia Mu was worried about Yingchun, so she asked everyone to disperse.

Normally, Aunt Xue would sit with Madam Wang for a while.

There wasn't much going on in the inner quarters. No matter how many disagreements the two sisters had throughout the year, their age meant they didn't take things too seriously, and they were each other's companions.

Today, Aunt Xue was sullen and did not return to the small courtyard in the northeast, but instead followed Xue Baochai.

Knowing that her mother was unhappy, Xue Baochai did not go anywhere else and went straight back to Hengwu Garden.

"Mother, what's wrong?"

Xue Baochai wore a lotus-root-colored silk cotton skirt, tied with a matching handkerchief, and over it a light blue silk jacket with a thin white ribbon around the collar.

Her hair was styled in a round bun tied with a jade knot at the back of her head. Her eyebrows were like distant mountains filled with affection, and her eyes were like autumn waters rippling across the surface. When she sat quietly, she resembled a secluded orchid, not vying for attention but possessing a unique elegance. Her appearance was exquisite.

Aunt Xue stared at her daughter without saying a word.

Xue Baochai wasn't afraid of being seen, but she was worried about her mother, so she reached out to hold Aunt Xue's hand.

Aunt Xue felt a pang of heartache for her daughter.

"I regret listening to my elder brother. I should have sent someone to arrange a marriage. Missing out on Wang Xin is something I truly regret." As Aunt Xue spoke, her voice choked with emotion.

Xue Baochai's eyes were glazed over for a moment, then cleared up and she smiled, "Why bring up things that are in the past?"

Aunt Xue wiped away her tears.

"It was today that stirred up these feelings."

Once she started talking, Aunt Xue was filled with emotion.

"You saw your aunt's family too. Just pick one at random, and they'll have students, old friends, or close acquaintances. They're not like ordinary wealthy families, and we can't compare either."

"Then why?"

Xue Baochai asked in surprise.

Aunt Xue sighed again, becoming even more dejected.

"You know how your elder brother's wife is. The family is not a family, and life is impossible. Even Xiangling can't tolerate her, so she can only settle down by your side. Anyway, we can't care what the servants of the Jia family say."

“Our main branch’s business is getting worse year by year. What should we do if this continues?”

Aunt Xue became more and more upset as she spoke, and she couldn't help but choke up again.

My son is a good-for-nothing.

The family business couldn't keep going, and his wife brought chaos to the household.

They still have to live under someone else's roof.

With the Jia family's influence, their own business was still declining. If they really moved away, they, a widow and her son, with no talent to show for it, would probably be devoured by wolves and tigers in just a few years.

"Second Uncle shouldn't be like that."

Xue Baochai understood the reason for her mother's sadness; the root cause was actually the second wife.

Although the eldest and second branches of the Xue family had their affairs exposed after their father's death, and the eldest branch managed to retain many businesses thanks to the influence of their aunt's family, many of their businesses remained the same.

The core business of the first wife is the same for the second wife.

After all, they come from the same family.

The second wife's business grew bigger and bigger. With new business avenues, she not only made a lot of money, but also found more sources of goods, and her original business also benefited.

As the second wife's business expanded, the first wife's business naturally decreased.

As the saying goes, one rises while the other falls. Although Xue Baochai did not travel around like her cousin Baoqin from a young age, she had heard her father say that the business world is like a battlefield, where one either advances or retreats, and those who retreat are utterly defeated.

"Even if your second uncle leaves us some food, what difference does it make? Our family isn't going to go hungry."

Aunt Xue picked up her daughter with heartache.

My daughter has turned seventeen without me even realizing it.

Since the Ming Dynasty, the social custom has changed. Girls are usually married at seventeen or eighteen, while wealthy families marry a little later, around eighteen or nineteen. Any later and they are considered old maids.

They used to be quite well-off. Their dead husband had just abandoned them, and they still had some semblance of decency. But their daughter was still young at the time.

There was no hope of entering the palace.

Marrying Baoyu is now highly unlikely.

If the second branch of the family were to decline, even a weakened camel would still be bigger than a horse, and that would be the most suitable situation. However, Aunt Xue was unwilling to hope that her elder sister would not do well.

Aunt Xue knew that the better her sister's family was doing, the less likely her own daughter would be to marry her.

Then continue the search.

Aunt Xue was at a loss for what to do.

The third daughter of the Jia family is several years younger than his own daughter and is already engaged. The second daughter is also younger than his own daughter. Judging from Jia She's eagerness, she may get married in a few months.

Aunt Xue was really panicked. She could put it off before, but as time went by, her daughter's wedding could no longer be delayed.

"At worst, my daughter won't get married."

Xue Baochai made up her mind.

"If my elder brother doesn't change his ways, what will happen to Mother if I leave again?"

Before Aunt Xue could speak, Xue Baochai quickly added, "If I find a good husband, I can bring my mother along to live with me. But if I marry the wrong person, my mother and I will both be unhappy in the end."

Aunt Xue was at a loss for words.

Xue Baochai deliberately smiled and said, "I might as well not get married, live with my mother day and night, and live out the rest of my life in peace."

"useless."

Although Aunt Xue was tempted, she wasn't the type to push her daughter into a fire pit for her own sake, so she rejected the idea, saying, "You can't ruin your life like this."

He felt increasingly remorseful.

Who knew my brother would do this? I really shouldn't have listened to him back then.

Sudden.

A maidservant announced from the doorway, "Madam, Master Zhang has arrived."

"Why is he here? Let him in quickly and wait in the courtyard." Aunt Xue quickly wiped away her tears.

The Xue family's main branch business is now being kept afloat by a group of elderly people.

Zhang Dehui was the backbone of the group.

He managed everything, big and small, in the business.

The Grand View Garden is the Grand View Garden, and the Jia family mansion is the Jia family mansion.

Before the Grand View Garden was built, the northeast corner of the Rongguo Mansion was the area of ​​the Pear Fragrance Courtyard behind the gate. The construction of the Grand View Garden effectively divided the Jia family mansion into two parts: the front half was the Jia family mansion, and the back half was the Grand View Garden.

Before the Grand View Garden was built, Aunt Xue's family lived in the Pear Fragrance Courtyard in the northeast corner of the Jia Mansion.

at this time.

Xue Pan entered and exited through a side gate in the southwest of Pear Fragrance Courtyard, exiting through the back door.

After the Grand View Garden was built, Aunt Xue still lived in the northeast corner, but at this time it was in the northeast corner of the Jia family mansion, which was the location where the Grand View Garden and the Jia family mansion were connected. It was the flower hall of Grandmother Jia, the courtyard of Wang Xifeng, the main gate of the Grand View Garden, and then the large courtyard where Aunt Xue lived.

This courtyard is separated from the Yihong Courtyard by only one wall.

Beyond the gate of this courtyard, there is a side gate to the north. Outside the side gate is the private alley between the Rongguo Mansion and the Ningguo Mansion, where no outsiders would pass by.

Xue Pan and other outsiders mostly entered and exited through this gate.

Zhang Dehui came in quite a few times, and each time he would talk to the mistress of the house in the courtyard.

"Wang Xin?"

Aunt Xue was stunned.

Xue Baochai also felt it was a bit of a coincidence, as her mother had just mentioned this person.

(End of this chapter)