The Red Mansion

Chapter 176 Xiren Enters the Jiang Family

Hua Zifang deliberately waited a day, thinking that perhaps there would be a turning point in Xiren's case, and that perhaps the masters of Rongguo Mansion would soften their hearts, forgive Xiren, or even let Xiren go back.

However, a day passed without any improvement.

On the contrary, the servants of Rongguo Mansion and the neighbors all gossiped about Xiren.

A servant said, "That Hua Xiren pretends to be virtuous all day, but she's actually seducing Master Bao behind his back!"

A servant said, "I heard that Madam found a lot of valuables in her trunks, all of which she swindled from Master Bao."

A neighbor pointed at Hua Zifang and said, "Young man Hua, with your sister being kicked out of the Rong family like this, it'll be hard for her to find a husband in the future!"

Hua Zifang felt a surge of anger upon hearing this.

So that afternoon, Hua Zifang went to the eastern suburbs of Shenjing.

Zhang Ruojin and his wife, Shen, were Baoqin's elder brother and sister-in-law, as well as concubines favored by Yuanchun. They were now managing affairs in the Jiang family. The couple rented a house near the Jiang family's new residence. Although the house was old and small, it was tidy.

When Hua Zifang knocked on the door, it was late afternoon. A maid opened the door. After Hua Zifang explained her purpose, the maid informed Madam Shen. Since Zhang Ruojin was not at home, Madam Shen, a young woman, felt it inappropriate to receive Hua Zifang alone. So she asked Hua Zifang to wait at the gatehouse and sent the maid to the Jiang family to fetch Zhang Ruojin.

Soon, Zhang Ruojin returned and led Hua Zifang into the study, ordering a maid to pour tea.

Hua Zifang then recounted the matter of Xiren in detail, and presented a cloth bag containing twenty taels of silver, saying, "Brother Zhang, my family is poor, but here are twenty taels of silver, which is a small token of my appreciation. I hope you won't find it offensive."

Zhang Ruojin refused the money, his brows furrowed. After a long silence, he said, "Brother Hua, it's not that I'm unwilling to help. In your sister's case, to release her from slavery..." He shook his head, "Your sister has committed such a crime, and the old lady and madam of the Rong family have already dismissed her. If we were to grant her release, how would we manage the servants in the future?"

Hua Zifang pleaded repeatedly, even trying to kneel down in desperation, but Zhang Ruojin stopped her.

Zhang Ruojin suddenly said, "Here's what we'll do—I've informed our grandmother, and if she's willing to take back your sister's slave status, then your sister can work for our Jiang family from now on; if not..." He sighed, "Don't blame me."

Hua Zifang was overjoyed upon hearing this. He knew Jiang Nian well and believed that if Xiren could come to the Jiang family to serve Yuan Chun, it wouldn't be any worse than when she was in the Rongguo Mansion.

Hua Zifang tried to give her more money. Zhang Ruojin pushed the cloth bag back and said, "If this matter succeeds, you can give me fifty taels of silver as a thank you. This is already out of consideration for our friendship. Otherwise, even if it were one or two hundred taels, I wouldn't help you. If it doesn't succeed, I won't take a single tael of silver from you."

Who doesn't love money?
The Jiang family was strict with their servants. Even though Zhang Ruojin was Yuan Chun's confidant and the Jiang family's steward, it was inconvenient for him to embezzle money from the Jiang family, and his expenses were considerable. In his view, this kind of money was rightfully his, and if the matter succeeded, it would be worth it even if Hua Zifang spent one or two hundred taels of silver.

Hua Zifang bid farewell with profuse thanks.

Back at the Hua family home, Xiren was doing needlework with her mother.

Upon seeing her brother return, Xiren hurriedly served him hot tea.

Hua Zifang recounted Zhang Ruojin's words in detail.

Aunt Hua exclaimed happily, "If this can be accomplished, it's even better than being freed from slavery!"

Xiren remained silent, the image of Yuan Chun's dignified and graceful appearance appearing before her eyes, as well as the image of Jiang Nian's young and heroic appearance—she had seen Jiang Nian at the Rongguo Mansion before.

As she pondered this, she thought to herself, "The Jiang family is indeed a good place to go!"

……

……

After seeing Hua Zifang off, Zhang Ruojin discussed things with his wife, Shen, and then took Shen to the Jiang family to meet Yuan Chun in the inner courtyard.

Zhang Ruojin was a young man. Even though he was Yuan Chun's personal attendant and confidant, Yuan Chun would not meet with him alone casually. When she did meet him, she would ask him to bring his wife along.

Yuan Chun was looking at account books in the east wing. She was wearing a casual silk jacket and only had a jade hairpin in her hair, which made her look more relaxed than when Jiang Nian was at home.

Upon seeing Zhang Ruojin and Madam Shen enter, Yuan Chun put down the account book.

After Zhang Ruojin finished bowing, he explained the matter of Xiren in detail. He mentioned that the so-called Xiren seducing Jia Baoyu was actually Jia Baoyu taking the initiative to eat the rouge on Xiren's lips. He praised Xiren as a talented maid and also confessed that he had a relationship with Hua Zifang, who had asked him for help. However, he did not mention the fifty taels of silver.

After hearing this, Yuan Chun frowned and fell into deep thought.

Last December, she was released from the palace and stayed at the Rongguo Mansion for a period of time. During this time, she had a lot of contact with Xiren and liked her very much. She thought that Xiren was a dutiful, smart and capable maid, no less than Yuanyang, the maid of Grandmother Jia, and Ping'er, the maid of Wang Xifeng.

In her opinion, having Xiren by her side would give her a good assistant.

In addition, she already regarded Zhang Ruojin as a trusted subordinate. Since Zhang Ruojin had pleaded for her and it was not a big deal, she did not mind taking the opportunity to do Zhang Ruojin a favor.

Thinking of this, Yuan Chun nodded and said, "I am going back to the Rong Mansion to pay my respects tomorrow, so I will tell the old lady and the madam." She glanced at Zhang Ruojin, who was standing with her head bowed, "Since you have asked, I will naturally give you the courtesy. However, whether it will work out or not is still unknown."

Zhang Ruojin quickly bowed and thanked him, knowing that the matter was most likely to succeed.

……

……

The following morning, Yuan-chun arrived at the Rongguo Mansion by carriage. She first paid her respects to Grandmother Jia, and then followed Lady Wang to the three side rooms on the east side of Rongxi Hall.

The winter sun shone through the windows, illuminating the three side rooms.

Yuan Chun sat upright on the kang (a heated brick bed), dressed in a brocade jacket embroidered with gold butterflies and a five-phoenix hairpin adorned with pearls. She addressed Madam Wang, who was dressed in plain clothes and clutching prayer beads, saying, "Mother, it is most important to take good care of your health now. Although the Wang family has suffered misfortune, it has not affected you..."

After comforting and reassuring Madam Wang about the tragedy that befell the Wang family, Yuan Chun finally said, "I heard that Mother, in a fit of anger, chased Xi Ren away?"

Lady Wang immediately exclaimed, "That vixen! She's only good at corrupting Baoyu!"

Lady Wang then told Yuan Chun about Xi Ren's affair with Jia Baoyu.

Her statement differs from Zhang Ruojin's statement yesterday.

Although Yuan Chun doted on her younger brother Jia Baoyu, she believed Zhang Ruojin's statement this time, thinking that it was Jia Baoyu who became attached to Xiren, rather than Xiren who took the initiative to seduce Jia Baoyu.

Yuan Chun said, "I need a maid who knows me well. Although Xi Ren has her faults, she is capable. I want to take Xi Ren with me. Please ask Mother to give me Xi Ren's status as a slave."

If it were anyone else who asked, Lady Wang would certainly not agree, but Yuan Chun was different.

First of all, Yuan Chun was Lady Wang's beloved biological daughter.

Then, although Lady Wang was confused and resented Jiang Nian because of the Wang family's affairs, she now knew that Jiang Nian was powerful, influential, and had a bright future. Grandmother Jia had previously told her that the reason the retired Emperor Jingning had pardoned her was twofold: first, out of consideration for Jia Daishan's relationship with her, and second, because Jiang Nian was a pillar of the Daqing dynasty. Jiang Nian was valued by both Emperor Taishun and Emperor Jingning.

Now that the Wang family is finished, Madam Wang has lost all face and will have to rely on Yuan Chun and even Jiang Nian in the future.

Thinking of this, Madam Wang forced a smile: "Since you need it, take it with you."

Yuan Chun then went to Rongqing Hall and told Grandmother Jia about this matter.

Because Yuan-chun took the initiative to return today to pay her respects and offer comfort, Grandmother Jia was in a good mood. Wearing a light-colored jacket with an unbroken swastika pattern, she looked more energetic than Lady Wang.

After hearing this, Grandmother Jia laughed and said, "I thought it was something serious. Xiren is a good girl, but..." She swallowed the rest of her sentence, not wanting to speak ill of Lady Wang in front of Yuan Chun.

Grandmother Jia then ordered Yuanyang to retrieve Xiren's original indenture.

Yuan Chun took it and saw that it was a piece of paper that was slightly yellowed and the ink on it was a little faded.

……

……

the next morning.

Xiren followed Hua Zifang to the Jiang family's new residence. Today, she wore a half-new jacket and only had a silver hairpin in her hair. Although it was not as nice as her clothes at the Rong Mansion, she was still dressed neatly and cleanly.

Xiren waited in the outer courtyard for a while, and then Madam Feng came out to greet her: "My mistress invites you in, young lady. Please come with me."

Upon entering the east wing, Xiren saw Yuanchun sitting upright on the couch and hurriedly knelt down, saying, "This servant greets Madam." Her voice trembled slightly.

"Get up." Yuan Chun's voice was gentle yet authoritative. "Now that you're here, do your job well." She then pointed to Xue Baochai inside the room. "This is Aunt Xue."

Xiren then looked at Xue Baochai sitting next to her. She saw Xue Baochai wearing a moon-white jacket embroidered with plum blossoms, smiling at her. Xiren quickly bowed to Xue Baochai.

Yuan Chun then ordered Feng Shi to lead Xi Ren to her residence, and smiled at Bao Qin, who was serving her, saying, "You two are old acquaintances, so why don't you have a chat?"

Several maids, including Baoqin, Qingwen, Jinchuan, and Yuchuan, came to Xiren's side. These maids all knew Xiren, especially Baoqin, Jinchuan, and Yuchuan, who had grown up with Xiren in the Rongguo Mansion.

"Sister Xiren!" Jin Chuan rushed over and took Xiren's hand.

Although Yu Chuan was Jin Chuan's younger sister, she was more mature than Jin Chuan.

Qingwen, who was following behind, suddenly crossed her arms and said, "Oh, Master Bao dotes on you so much, why don't you serve him? Why are you here with us?"

Xiren glanced at Qingwen but ignored her.

Baoqin sighed, "I never expected that we sisters would meet here."

Xi Ren nodded, tears welling up in her eyes, a mixture of sadness and joy.

……

……

It was already late November.

Jiang Nian's fleet had already entered Zhili Province and was nearing Luhe Post Station in Tongzhou.

That evening, Jiang Nian stayed at a riverside inn.

The north wind made the window frames of the water station creak.

Jiang Nian stood by the window, watching the setting sun gradually sink outside. The afterglow dyed the Grand Canal waters blood red, reflecting the lanterns on the nearby boats.

"Sir, the tea is ready."

Xing Xiuyan brought over a cup of tea and said softly. Today she was wearing a moon-white silk jacket, with a lotus-colored vest over it, and only a silver hairpin in her hair, as pure and simple as a secluded orchid in a valley.

Jiang Nian turned around and took the teacup.

"We're heading to the capital tomorrow." Jiang Nian took a sip of tea and suddenly asked, "What are your plans?"

Upon hearing this, Xing Xiuyan's hand holding the tea tray trembled. She looked down at the tips of her shoes—they were specks of mud, from when she had accidentally stepped on them at the dock earlier.

The room fell into complete silence.

The longer she spent with Jiang Nian, the more attached she became to him, and the more she wanted to stay by his side after arriving in the capital, rather than going to rely on her distant aunt in the Rongguo Mansion.

But she couldn't bring herself to say it.

"Here you go." Jiang Nian suddenly took out two gold ingots, totaling twenty taels, and placed them on the table with a dull thud.

Xing Xiuyan looked up and saw that the gold ingot was bright yellow, but it hurt her eyes.

Seeing Xing Xiuyan looking at her with surprise, Jiang Nian said softly, "Your parents died unexpectedly. This is my compensation for you, and also a token of my care for you. I wanted to give it to you for a while, but I was afraid you would be embarrassed to accept it, so I waited until today. Now that we are familiar with each other, please don't refuse, otherwise I will be unhappy."

Xing Xiuyan choked on her words, hesitated for a moment, then nodded to accept the money, her expression sullen. In her view, Jiang Nian had given her twenty taels of gold, so it seemed she really intended to send her to Madam Xing of the Rongguo Mansion.

Jiang Nian suddenly said, "I won't lie to you, but Madam Xing of the Rongguo Mansion is a stupid and unreliable woman. If you are adopted by her, you probably won't have a good life. If you are willing, I can arrange for you to stay at my house after you come to the capital."

These words were like a gentle spring breeze, and Xing Xiuyan suddenly looked up, her eyes shining with disbelief.

If this had happened in Suzhou, she might not have dared to accept such an arrangement. But now…

She stole a glance at Jiang Nian and saw that he had beautiful features, and his eyes reflected the flickering candlelight, warm and bright.

"I...I'll follow the adults' instructions..."

Xing Xiuyan's voice was barely audible, yet she nodded solemnly. The silver hairpin in her hair slipped from her hair and fell to the ground with a "clink." She hurriedly went to pick it up, but bumped into Jiang Nian, who was also bending down at the same time. The two exchanged a smile, and a blush instantly rose on Xing Xiuyan's face, more radiant than the red candle on the table.

Jiang Nian picked up the silver hairpin and gently placed it back in Xing Xiuyan's hair: "In that case, you will stay at my house tomorrow."

Just then, they heard someone cough outside: "Sir, the hot water is ready."

Jiang Nian responded, and Xing Xiuyan hurried to fetch hot water.

Although Xing Xiuyan came from a poor family, she was still a girl. However, during the time she spent with Jiang Nian, she treated herself as Jiang Nian's maid, always serving her in a servant's manner. This was partly out of affection for Jiang Nian, but also out of a deliberate attempt to curry favor with her.

She wasn't vain, but she knew that she needed to curry favor with Jiang Nian now in order to have a better chance of surviving.

However, when serving Jiang Nian, she kept a proper distance and did not make any overly intimate gestures, so as not to lose her ladylike composure and to avoid Jiang Nian looking down on her because of it.

For example, when helping Jiang Nian wash up, she only helps Jiang Nian wash her face, but not her feet, let alone her bath.

At this moment, Xing Xiuyan saw that Jiang Nian wanted to take a bath, so she left Jiang Nian's room and went into the room next door, which was her residence.

Xing Xiuyan carefully put the two gold ingots into her bag, as if they were precious treasures. The gold ingots were heavy and cold, but they warmed her heart.

After carefully putting away the gold ingots, Xing Xiuyan sat at the table, gazing at the candlelight as she pondered her thoughts. She thought about her trip to the capital the next day, whether Madam Xing would allow her to stay with the Jiang family, her own life as a guest in the Jiang household, and even the wives and concubines in Jiang Nian's household…

(End of this chapter)