The Red Mansion

Chapter 182 Dealing with Madam Xing

As Madam Xing returned to Rongguo Mansion from the Jiang family in the eastern suburbs with Grandmother Jia and Madam Wang, she kept plotting to extort money from Jiang Nian.

Just as Madam Xing returned to Jia She's courtyard, which was separated from the Rongguo Mansion, she suddenly heard a childish voice calling out, "Greetings to Madam!"

Madam Xing was walking with her head down, lost in thought, when she was startled by the call. She looked up and saw Jia Cong standing timidly at the bottom of the steps, wearing an old cotton-padded jacket with worn-out frayed edges on the cuffs, and his face covered in mud, probably from playing in the mud earlier, looking like a little kitten.

Jia Cong was Jia She's second son, born out of wedlock. He was still young, and his mother had already passed away. Jia She disliked this son and had always treated him harshly, which Lady Xing particularly abhorred.

"Where did this little monkey come from!" Madam Xing shouted sternly, startling a sparrow under the eaves into fluttering away. "Is your wet nurse all dead? How can you be so dark-browed and black-mouthed? You don't look like a well-educated child from a prominent family." As she spoke, she covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief, as if Jia Cong had some strange smell.

Jia Cong was so frightened that he took a half step back, lowered his head, and then glanced at Madam Xing.

Seeing his appearance only increased Madam Xing's disgust. She snorted and turned to go into the inner room.

Seeing this, several servants and old women also pointed and whispered about Jia Cong.

One of them was Wang Shanbao's wife, who was Madam Xing's personal maid and also Madam Xing's confidante.

Wang Shanbao's wife deliberately spoke loudly: "After all, she was born to a lowly woman; she's not fit for the table."

Jia Cong bit his lip, but dared not utter a sound.

Inside the room, Madam Xing gulped down half a cup of tea, still feeling irritable. Suddenly, two concubines dressed in bright colors, their gold hairpins dangling wildly in their hair, entered to pay their respects, which only made her feel more irritated.

However, while Madam Xing dared to scold Jia Cong in public, she did not dare to scold the two favored concubines of Jia She in front of her. She simply said in a deep voice, "You may leave. I am feeling rather troubled right now."

After the two concubines left, Madam Xing sat alone on the kang (a heated brick bed) and muttered to herself, "That Jiang Nian pretends to be a good person. Of all the people he could adopt, he had to take in Xiuyan! If he were truly a good person, why didn't he adopt that wretched Jia Cong as well? If he had adopted Jia Cong, it would have saved me from having to worry about him, and I wouldn't have to see him or feel annoyed. That would have been much better!"

Just then, I heard a commotion outside.

It turned out that when Jia Cong's wet nurse, Granny Cheng, saw that the young master Jia Cong was crying, she was so anxious that she stamped her feet and asked, "My boy, what's wrong?" When she looked up, she saw Wang Shanbao's wife watching coldly, so she quickly hugged Jia Cong and dared not say anything.

"Granny Cheng," Wang Shanbao's wife said sarcastically, "Madam said that the young master is so slovenly, you, his wet nurse, should be slapped." As she spoke, she actually pulled out a silver hairpin from her hair and pretended to poke him.

Suddenly, Jia Cong broke free from Granny Cheng's embrace and bit Wang Shanbao's wrist. Wang Shanbao cried out, and the hairpin fell to the ground. Jia Cong, like a cornered animal, cried out with red eyes, "Don't bully her!"

Hearing the commotion from inside the room, Madam Xing's lips curled into a cold smile. She straightened her clothes, slowly stepped out, and said to the panicked Granny Cheng, "Cong'er has been completely corrupted by you, Granny. You can pack your bedding tomorrow!"

Upon hearing this, Granny Cheng was struck dumb, and she knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly.

Jia Cong knew he had caused trouble, and burst into tears, clinging tightly to the hem of Granny Cheng's clothes.

Just as things were getting out of hand, Jia Lian's voice suddenly rang out: "What is Madam up to?"

When Madam Xing saw Jia Lian arrive, her expression softened slightly, but she still pointed at Jia Cong and said, "Look at this little rascal, he's getting more and more unruly."

Jia Lian glanced at his half-brother, who was crying his eyes out, and felt pity for him, but that was all; he wouldn't protect him.

……

……

The next day.

Inside the Jiang family's study, the silver frost charcoal brazier burned brightly, creating a warm atmosphere, as Jiang Nian was learning the zither from Yuan Chun.

Yuan Chun specially wore an apricot-red satin jacket embroidered with gold butterflies and flowers, a pale yellow silk cotton skirt, and a phoenix hairpin inlaid with kingfisher feathers and pearls in her hair.

She sat upright before the sandalwood zither table, her fingertips lightly caressing the icy strings of the Nine Heavens Jade Pendant Zither, and sighed, "This Nine Heavens Jade Pendant Zither truly lives up to its reputation as a Tang Dynasty thunder zither; I love it more and more each day."

As he spoke, he plucked the strings of the palace zither, and a clear melody flowed out like a cold spring.

Jiang Nian, dressed in a plain dark blue satin robe with a black silk sash loosely tied around her waist, was intently watching Yuan Chun's finger movements.

“Sir, please observe the technique of this ‘chanting’.” Yuan Chun pressed the string with her left thumb and lightly plucked it with her right, and the sound of the zither trembled like a sob. “This line in ‘Youlan’ is the most difficult…”

After the instruction, Jiang Nian sat down at the zither and awkwardly began to play a fragment of "Youlan". Although the sound was hesitant, as she played, it gradually revealed an indescribable sense of determination.

Yuan Chun listened quietly, and suddenly noticed that the tune her husband played was slightly different from the original score—the Gong tone had changed to the Zhi tone, and a sense of ruggedness was revealed in the sorrow.

"Grandpa, what's wrong...?"

"I changed a few notes on the spot." Jiang Nian stopped playing, the strings still vibrating. "Since it's called 'Orchid in the Valley,' why not include some of its proud and resilient spirit?"

Yuan Chun smiled and said, "No wonder I've always heard people say that you are a genius, and you are so clever and talented in music."

Suddenly, a rustling sound was heard outside the door.

"Master, Madam," Madam Feng reported as she entered, "Wang Shanbao's wife, who serves the First Madam of the Rongguo Mansion, requests an audience, saying she has something urgent to discuss."

Yuan Chun paused, the strings of the zither vibrating with a "zheng" sound. She looked at Jiang Nian with a puzzled expression: "Why did the First Madam suddenly send a maidservant here?" She subconsciously touched her temple, and the tassels of the kingfisher feather and pearl-inlaid phoenix hairpin swayed slightly.

After a moment's thought, Jiang Nian vaguely guessed the reason. A cold smile appeared on her lips as she said to Madam Feng, "Please invite Miss Xing over first, and then bring the person in."

Before long, Xing Xiuyan arrived in a hurry. Today, the girl was wearing a lotus-colored silk jacket, with a moon-white vest over it, and only a plain silver hairpin in her hair. As always, she looked elegant and refined. Not knowing what was going on, she greeted Yuan Chun and then stood quietly beside her.

When Wang Shanbao's wife entered, she carried the chill of the outside air with her. The old woman was wearing a brand-new blue satin vest with lace trim, and a gold hairpin was dangling from her hair. When she saw Jiang Nian and Yuan Chun, she put on a big smile and said, "Greetings to Young Master Jiang and Miss Yuan Chun." But her eyes glanced at Xing Xiuyan.

"Why did Madam suddenly send you here?" Yuan Chun's tone was indifferent, her fingers unconsciously plucking the strings of her zither. She disliked Madam Xing and this Wang Shanbao's wife. Wang Shanbao's wife chuckled dryly, "Our Madam said that although Mr. and Mrs. Xing Zhong were indeed attacked by bandits, in the end..." She swallowed, "...they died tragically because of Mr. Jiang's job. Logically, Mr. Jiang should give our Madam some compensation! In addition, Mr. Jiang wants to adopt Miss Xing, which is equivalent to buying the Xing family's daughter, so he should also pay for that! Together, our Madam should receive two thousand taels of silver!"

The room fell into a deathly silence.

A spark popped out of the charcoal brazier, startling Xing Xiuyan.

Yuan Chun knew that Madam Xing was a greedy, selfish, narrow-minded, and suspicious person, but even so, she was still shocked by Madam Xing's behavior.

Yuan Chun was stunned and her face turned pale. She sighed inwardly, "Madam Xing is the eldest wife of the Rong family and a lady of high rank. How could she do such a vulgar thing? Alas, has my family really fallen to this level?"

“The First Madam is truly thoughtful.” Jiang Nian suddenly chuckled, her fingertips tracing the scorch marks on the tail of the Nine Heavens Jade Pendant Qin, then she abruptly pressed down on the strings, producing a piercing noise. “This matter is easy to discuss. You should go back and invite the First Madam here, and I will discuss it with her in person.”

Wang Shanbao's wife was overjoyed upon hearing this, thinking that Jiang Nian had agreed to give two thousand taels of silver. She thought to herself with disdain, "I've always heard that this son-in-law Jiang is a formidable person, but now it seems that he's nothing special."

Wang Shanbao's wife said, "Young Master Jiang can just give me the two thousand taels of silver directly, and I can take it back to give to the First Madam. Why bother the First Madam to go there herself?"

Jiang Nian maintained her smile: "That won't do. Two thousand taels of silver is no small amount. The eldest madam must come in person, and the silver must be given to her in person."

Wang Shanbao's family continued to pester her, but Jiang Nian suddenly turned cold.

Left with no other choice, Wang Shanbao's wife had to take her leave.

After she left, Yuan Chun hurriedly asked Jiang Nian, "How does Master intend to handle this matter?"

Jiang Nian said in a deep voice, "Since they're coming for me, Madam, don't interfere in this matter. I'll handle it."

……

……

Wang Shanbao's wife left the Jiang family's house and boarded the carriage for the return journey. The creaking of the wheels over the dirt road mirrored her inner turmoil. Suddenly, the old woman pulled back the curtain and spat out the window: "Pah! What a newly rich official! He's nothing but a spineless coward. When our mistress asks him for money, he doesn't dare refuse!"

Back at Jia She's courtyard in the Rongguo Mansion, Madam Xing was playing dominoes with several maids and servants in the warm pavilion. When she saw Wang Shanbao's wife enter, she hurriedly pushed aside the dominoes, dismissed the maids and servants, and then asked Wang Shanbao's wife impatiently, "How did things go?"

"Congratulations, Madam!" Wang Shanbao's wife said with a big smile. She briefly explained the situation and then said, "That young master Jiang is very respectful to you, Madam, but he said that two thousand taels of silver is not a small amount and that you should go and collect it in person." As she spoke, she winked and said, "Judging from his appearance, he is clearly afraid of your power."

Madam Xing was stunned after hearing this. In her mind, Jiang Nian was a formidable person. She thought that this matter would not be easy to handle today, and that Jiang Nian would not give money easily. Even if she was willing to give it, she would not give two thousand taels of silver as she asked. She did not expect things to go so smoothly.

On second thought, perhaps it was because of Yuan Chun's face that she didn't want to break ties with the eldest wife of the Rongguo Mansion; perhaps it was because of Jia She's power, even though Jiang Nian had publicly insulted Jia She before, she still didn't dare to provoke him again; perhaps it was because Jiang Nian was very rich and didn't care about "mere" two thousand taels of silver; or perhaps it was because Jiang Nian had taken a fancy to Xing Xiuyan.

Thinking this, Madam Xing couldn't help but smile: "You're still young after all."

Just as she was pondering this, she suddenly heard a maid outside exclaim in surprise. It turned out that Jia Cong was playing in the courtyard and had accidentally smashed a stone against the window frame. Madam Xing immediately frowned and yelled, "You little rascal!" She grabbed the candied fruit box from the kang table and threw it out, startling Jia Cong so much that he fell to the ground.

"Madam, please calm down," Wang Shanbao's wife hurriedly advised. "The most urgent thing is to get those two thousand taels of silver from the Jiang family. As for Cong-ge'er, we can find an excuse to send him away later."

Madam Xing remained silent, sighing inwardly, "I would like to send this little brat away, but he is, after all, the master's son. How can I send him away so easily?"

Forget about the matter at the moment, Madam Xing hurriedly instructed her maid to dress her up, and then she went out in her finest attire. The gorgeous clothes even made her sallow face look somewhat radiant.

The sun was pale and bleak today, shining on the Jiang family's courtyard without offering any warmth.

Madam Xing arrived at the Jiang family's residence in a carriage at noon. Madam Feng said to her, "Master and Madam are having lunch. Please wait in the back room, Madam."

Upon hearing this, Madam Xing's heavily powdered face instantly turned a deep purplish-red. To actually ask her to condescend to wait in the back room? Outrageous!

However, for the sake of two thousand taels of silver, I'll just have to bear with it for now!

Madam Xing was led into a room in the back of the main house, where she saw only a square elm wood stool and no brazier. As Madam Xing sat there, she suddenly heard the laughter and chatter of the Jiang family's servants outside, seemingly mocking her predicament.

It took a full quarter of an hour before a servant came to lead the way into the inner quarters.

In the study, Jiang Nian was playing chess with Yuan Chun. When Madam Xing entered, she did not get up, but simply gestured to the chair below her: "Please sit down, Madam."

Xing Xiuyan stood quietly behind Yuan Chun. She was no longer wearing the previous lotus-colored silk jacket, but a brand-new lake-blue satin jacket. Her hair was no longer adorned with a plain silver hairpin, but with a gold-inlaid jade butterfly hairpin. Dressed like this, she looked like a noble lady.

Jiang Nian deliberately dressed her up like that.

When Madam Xing saw Xing Xiuyan dressed like this, her eyes widened immediately, and she cursed inwardly, "This little hussy, she's become so arrogant after being adopted, humph!"

After Madam Xing sat down, Jiang Nian casually twirled a black jade chess piece between her fingers and asked, "I wonder what brings you here so suddenly, Madam?"

Madam Xing suppressed her anger: "Didn't Wang Shanbao's wife come to tell us today? That two thousand taels of silver..."

"Two thousand taels of silver?" Jiang Nian feigned surprise. "What two thousand taels of silver?"

Madam Xing was speechless for a moment, her yellow face turning from red to white, then from white to green. She gritted her teeth and said, "Why are you pretending to be confused? My cousin and his wife were essentially killed by you, so you should give me some compensation! And you want to adopt Xiuyan, which is tantamount to buying our Xing family's daughter! Putting it all together, you need to give me two thousand taels of silver!"

"Smack!" Jiang Nian suddenly slammed the black jade chess piece on the chessboard, startling Madam Xing.

Jiang Nian still smiled, but her eyes were icy: "Madam, you are mistaken. The deaths of Xing Zhong and his wife were accidental. I was on a mission that night to capture a heretical bandit, and the bandit killed them while fleeing. Now you are accusing me of killing them and demanding two thousand taels of silver from me."

At this point, Jiang Nian stopped smiling and turned her gaze to Madam Xing like a knife: "I will send someone to the Rong residence to inform the old lady of this matter and see if she will take action! If she does not, I will take it to the yamen and we will confront each other there. Since this matter involves the imperial envoy and the emperor, it may alarm His Majesty."

Madam Xing: "..."

(End of this chapter)