The Red Mansion

Chapter 183 Watching the Meteor Shower Together

Madam Xing's face flushed red and then turned pale, filled with shame, anger, and fear. However, it was as if a lump of charcoal was stuck in her throat, preventing her from uttering a single word.

Seeing her master humiliated, Wang Shanbao's wife thought that if she didn't save face, she would be in for a beating when she got back. So she mustered up her courage and said to Jiang Nian, "Didn't you tell me before that this matter was negotiable and that we would hand over the two thousand taels of silver when our madam arrived in person? Why did you suddenly change your mind and turn your back on me?"

Jiang Nian's eyebrows furrowed, and she shouted sharply, "Insolence! When did I make an agreement with a servant like you?"

The sound was like a thunderclap, startling Wang Shanbao's legs so much that they went weak, and all the words he had prepared instantly turned into a cold sweat.

Yuan Chun sat there restless, her handkerchief twisted into a knot, unsure of what to do.

Mrs. Xing, feeling embarrassed, abruptly stood up, the chair legs scraping against the blue bricks with a harsh sound.

Wang Shanbao's wife rushed to help, but in her daze, she tripped on the threshold and fell to her knees with a thud, the gold hairpin on her head flying far away.

Madam Xing left the Jiang family mansion without looking back, climbed into the carriage, and urged them to hurry up.

With a flick of the whip, the coachman sent the carriage darting off like an arrow, and in the dust it kicked up, Wang Shanbao's limping figure could still be seen chasing after it.

……

……

After Madam Xing left in a hurry, the Jiang family study was extremely quiet for a moment.

The handkerchief embroidered with plum blossoms in Yuan Chun's hand was twisted beyond recognition.

Jiang Nian turned to Yuan Chun, his voice suddenly softening: "Madam, please don't worry. It's not that I'm not giving you face, it's just that this First Madam has acted foolishly. Her actions have not only tarnished my reputation but also disgraced you. Today's events are entirely her own doing." As he spoke, he gently grasped Yuan Chun's hand. "If I were to back down on this matter, wouldn't I be unworthy of being the head of the household and an official appointed by the court?"

Yuan Chun nodded slightly, feeling a slight relief from the pent-up emotions in her heart.

Jiang Nian offered a few more words of comfort, then said, "I have a few more words to say to Miss Xing."

Yuan Chun understood, straightened her clothes, got up and left, making sure to gently close the door behind her.

Jiang Nian then looked at Xing Xiuyan, who had been standing quietly to the side. She saw that the girl's eyes were red and her pearly teeth were lightly biting her lower lip, clearly trying to hold back her tears.

“I told you before that your distant aunt is a fool, and you’ll never have a good life with her. Now do you see it clearly?” Jiang Nian sighed. “As your cousin, instead of taking care of you, an orphan, she’s trying to extort money from your parents’ deaths and even wants to sell you for money!”

Xing Xiuyan nodded gently, the tassels of the butterfly hairpin in her hair trembling slightly. She felt inwardly fortunate to have been adopted by the Jiang family; not only did Jiang Nian treat her well, but Yuan Chun, the matriarch, also treated her exceptionally well. If she had been adopted by Madam Xing, how could she have had a good life?

The brand-new lake-blue satin jacket she was wearing and the gold-inlaid jade butterfly hairpin in her hair were both gifts from Yuan Chun. She had dared not accept them, but had to refuse them.

Thinking of this, Xing Xiuyan suddenly knelt down, choking back tears, and said, "Thank you, Grandpa and Grandma, for taking me in!"

With this kneel, the tears she had held back for so long finally rolled down, leaving a few dark spots on the ground.

Jiang Nianxu helped him up: "Get up quickly. There's no need to mention this matter of gratitude or not. Now that you've entered the Jiang family, you'll be treated like a young lady from a wealthy family."

Xing Xiuyan lowered her head and silently wiped away her tears with a handkerchief. A small, twin lotus blossom was embroidered on one corner of the plain silk, the stitches fine and dense. This silk was also a gift from Yuan Chun.

This detail warmed her heart even more.

……

……

Jiang Nian secretly thought that a foolish woman like Madam Xing might not let the matter rest and might even instigate Jia She to cause trouble.

That afternoon, Jiang Nianben was going into the city on business and stopped by the Rongguo Mansion on the way.

At that time, Grandmother Jia was chatting with Lady Wang in Rongqing Hall, while several maids and servants joined in the conversation.

Upon hearing that Jiang Nian was requesting an audience, Grandmother Jia was surprised and quickly ordered him to be invited. At the same time, she wondered to herself, "Why has Nian-ge suddenly come to see me today?"

Before long, Jiang Nian walked leisurely into Rongqing Hall. Several maids dressed in red and green jostled each other to lift the curtains and steal glances at the young and promising Mr. Jiang.

Jiang Nian stepped into the hall, bowed to Grandmother Jia, who then offered her a seat and ordered Yuanyang to pour tea.

Jiang Nian did not touch the teacup that had been clear and blue after the rain, and smiled at Grandmother Jia, saying, "I apologize for bothering you today, but there is something I need your advice on."

Grandmother Jia thought to herself, "With your abilities, what is there that I need to decide?" But on the surface, she said kindly, "Nian-ge'er, please speak freely."

Jiang Nian suddenly became serious and recounted how Madam Xing had falsely accused her of extorting two thousand taels of silver. She concluded by saying, "I hope the old lady will take care of this matter! Otherwise, I'm afraid the eldest madam will cause trouble again, or even instigate the eldest master to cause trouble. If things get too out of hand, I will have no choice but to take it to the yamen. Since this matter involves an imperial envoy, it may alarm the emperor."

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia was furious. First, she was angry at Madam Xing for being greedy, despicable, and foolish, bringing shame upon the Rong Mansion. Second, she was annoyed that Jiang Nian had come to her door for this, causing her to lose face as well.

Suppressing her anger, Grandmother Jia said, "Don't worry, Nian-ge'er, I will have a good talk with the master and mistress and make sure they don't cause any more trouble."

Seeing that she had achieved her goal, Jiang Nian got up to take her leave.

……

……

After Jiang Nian left, Grandmother Jia's face darkened, and she shouted to those around her, "Go and fetch the Master and Madam!"

In order to save face for Jia She and his wife, Lady Wang was asked to take her leave first.

Before long, Jia She and Madam Xing arrived at Rongqing Hall, trembling with fear. Grandmother Jia ordered all the maids and servants to leave, leaving only the three of them to talk, but she did not ask the two to sit down.

Seeing this commotion, Jia She was surprised and bowed, asking, "What are your instructions, Madam, that you have summoned your son and daughter-in-law?"

Grandmother Jia snorted coldly: "Give orders? What a fine daughter-in-law you've raised!"

Upon hearing this, Madam Xing's face turned ashen, and she began to twist the handkerchief in her hand.

Jia She turned and glared at Madam Xing, demanding, "What trouble have you gotten yourself into?"

Madam Xing lowered her head, not daring to utter a sound, feeling her legs go weak.

Grandmother Jia then recounted the whole story, concluding with, "Just now, Nian-ge'er came to our door personally, asking me to handle this matter. If you continue to cause trouble, he'll take it to the authorities. This concerns an imperial envoy; if it escalates, even the Emperor might be alarmed!"

Upon hearing this, Jia She flew into a rage: "That little beast! Relying on the Emperor's favor, he dares to cause trouble in our mansion over such a trivial matter! Let him sue us, do you think I'm afraid of him?"

Grandmother Jia slammed her cane down heavily and said in a deep voice, "Your wife is confused, and you're confused too? This matter is entirely your wife's fault. If we really alarm the Emperor, given Nian'er's current favor with the Emperor, do you two think you'll have a good outcome?"

Jia She was speechless for a moment, and the veins on his forehead bulged.

Grandmother Jia then turned to Madam Xing, her voice as cold as ice: "Wasn't the Wang family's lesson enough? Do you intend for the Xing family to follow in the Wang family's footsteps?"

These words struck Madam Xing like a bolt from the blue, leaving her utterly terrified. She suddenly recalled the tragic annihilation of the Wang family, and her knees buckled, nearly causing her to collapse to the ground.

Grandmother Jia finally said sternly, "This matter ends here! If any more trouble arises, not only will you all be in trouble, but I will also lose face!"

After saying this, he closed his eyes and waved his hand, signaling the two to leave.

……

……

With a grim face, Jia She led Madam Xing back to his study in his courtyard. Just as they stepped inside, Jia She suddenly shouted, "Kneel down!"

Madam Xing was so frightened that her knees buckled and she knelt down on the blue brick floor with a thud, the hairpin in her hair tilting crooked.

She had always been afraid of Jia She, and now she was trembling with fear.

Jia She's old face turned purplish-red, and the veins on his forehead bulged menacingly. He pointed at Madam Xing and cursed, "What a stupid woman! How dare you do such a shameless thing behind my back! You've made me lose all face!"

Madam Xing forced a defense: "My lord, you are wise. It was Jiang Nian who killed Mr. and Mrs. Xing. I... it is only right that I ask for compensation. He adopted Xiuyan because he liked her. It's like he bought her."

Before she could finish speaking, Jia She kicked her, knocking her to the ground.

"You insolent wretch!" Jia She roared. "Even if what you say makes sense, you should have consulted me first! Who gave you permission to act on your own?"

Madam Xing collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down her face, but she dared not cry out loud. She could only bite her handkerchief and sob. Where was the dignity of the eldest wife of the Rong family and a lady of high rank?

Jia She, panting heavily, finally said after a long pause, "Let's leave it at that! If you dare to provoke that little beast again..." He then smashed the teacup on the table to the ground, shards of porcelain flying everywhere, and said in a sinister tone, "That little beast is currently relying on the Emperor's favor, so we can't touch him for now. Hmph, there's plenty of time. One day, I'll make him know how powerful I am!"

After saying that, a hint of malice flashed in his cloudy old eyes.

……

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That evening, Jiang Nian was looking at the night sky in the inner courtyard of the Jiang family when she suddenly saw a silver light streak across the sky, followed by three or five shooting stars, just like fairies scattering pearls from a celestial palace.

Jiang Nian hurriedly called to Xiang Ling: "Quickly go and invite Grandma, Aunt, and Miss Xing to come out. Tell them that there is a strange phenomenon in the sky, a spectacular meteor shower!"

Before long, Yuan Chun, wearing a silver-red cloak, Xue Baochai, wrapped in an apricot-yellow cloak, Jing Qing, wearing a moon-white jacket, and Xing Xiuyan, wearing a lake-blue satin jacket, all came into the courtyard.

Baoqin, Xiren, Qingwen, Jinchuan, Yuchuan, Ying'er, Hongxia, Lüyi and other maids also came.

Each of them craned their necks, craning their necks to look up at the sky.

"Grandpa, why don't we see the star shower spectacle?"

Before Yuan Chun could finish speaking, several streaks of light suddenly flashed across the sky, startling her so much that she covered her mouth.

Xue Baochai looked up and gazed at the shooting star, which was reflected in her clear, autumn-water-like eyes as if glistening with tears.

Jing Qing was so engrossed in watching that she didn't even notice the hand warmer in her hand tilting to one side.

Xiangling clapped her hands and laughed, "Could it be that the gods in heaven are setting off fireworks?"

The maids exclaimed or sighed, some saying it was like a handful of silver needles being scattered, others saying it was like the Queen Mother of the West dropping her beaded string. They chattered excitedly, making quite a scene.

Jiang Nian stood with her hands behind her back, thinking to herself, "Today is November 29th. Tonight's meteor shower should be the Geminid meteor shower. Because the night sky is sparsely clouded and the moonlight interference is minimal at the end of the month, it can be seen so clearly."

In an instant, stars fell from the sky like rain, some as fine as gossamer threads, vanishing in an instant; others as bright as torches, illuminating the heavens. One star, trailing a long, fiery tail, turned a patch of night sky blue-purple, as if a celestial being were dancing in the air with a colorful ribbon.

Everyone held their breath and focused, afraid of disturbing this celestial spectacle.

"Make a wish quickly!" Jiang Nian suddenly shouted, "Making a wish when a shooting star streaks across the sky is the most effective!"

As he spoke, he clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and prayed silently.

Although Yuan Chun had never heard of this saying, seeing her husband do so, she also clasped her hands in prayer.

Xue Baochai, Jing Qing, Xing Xiuyan, and the other maids all followed suit.

Ying'er found it novel and couldn't help but burst out laughing, then quickly covered her mouth.

Suddenly, Xiangling's clear voice rang out: "Look, that one is golden!"

Everyone looked up and saw a golden light streak across the sky, leaving a lingering afterimage on the dark sky, like a golden shuttle thrown down by Chang'e.

Xue Baochai gently tucked her temples together and said softly, "When I was young, my father told me that these shooting stars were originally lanterns carried by celestial beings on their travels."

Before she could finish speaking, she froze, her eyes reddening as she thought of her father who had passed away many years ago.

Yuan Chun smiled at Jiang Nian and said, "Master, you love stargazing. Could it be that you're waiting for this spectacular star shower?"

Jiang Nian watched another shooting star fall and said with a smile, "That's not entirely true. Such a magnificent sight is rarely seen."

Jing Qing stood silently, the light of the shooting star flickering on her face, revealing a hint of melancholy.

……

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After watching the meteor shower, Jiang Nian smiled at Yuan Chun, Xue Baochai, and Jing Qing and said, "Tonight's spectacle has inspired me to write poetry. All three of you are skilled poets, so why don't we compose a poem together, using this meteor shower as the theme?"

Seeing that her husband was in such a refined mood, and considering that she herself had been startled by the meteor shower, Yuan Chun quickly smiled and said, "This is an excellent idea."

Xue Baochai and Jing Qing naturally agreed with smiles.

Jiang Nian then turned to Xing Xiuyan: "Although you are young, you have read some poems and books, so why don't you compose one as well?"

Xing Xiuyan curtsied in response, but two blushes rose on her cheeks.

When the maids heard that they were to compose poems, they all perked up. One said she would add incense, another clamored to hold the inkstone, and they chattered away, making quite a scene.

Jiang Nian led everyone into the study, and the once quiet study was suddenly filled with beautiful women.

Jiang Nian specially took out his treasured Four Treasures of the Study: top-quality wolf-hair brushes from Huzhou, ancient-style pine soot ink from Huizhou, tribute Xuan paper from the Cao family of Jing County, and purple Duan ink from the old pit of Shuiyan in Duanxi. He also ordered someone to add agarwood incense to the incense burner, and the rising smoke made the study look like a fairyland.

Jiang Nian personally rolled up his sleeves and ground the ink. The ink stick shone with a faint light on the Duan inkstone. He smiled at Yuan Chun and said, "I will grind the ink for you, Madam. Please give me your masterpiece first."

Under the lamplight, Yuan Chun appeared even more elegant and graceful. Unable to refuse, she picked up a top-quality wolf-hair brush from Huzhou. Before the brush even touched the paper, a strand of her black hair fell down to her cheek, reflecting the snow-white of the Xuan paper from the Cao family of Jing County, adding to her charm.

After a moment of contemplation, she picked up her pen and began to write.

"The Milky Way pours down like pearls onto a jade terrace, and the Heavenly Weaver unfolds her brocade at night."

I wish I could borrow a thousand threads of starlight to embroider the beauty of spring on earth.

The graceful curves of the brushstrokes resemble the trajectory of a shooting star.

Xue Baochai, who was watching from the side, couldn't help but praise, "Sister, your metaphor of 'the Heavenly Weaver's Brocade' is truly wonderful."

“I prefer the line ‘I wish I could borrow a thousand threads of starlight to embroider the spring colors of the human world,’” Jiang Nian said with a smile, then turned to Xue Baochai: “It’s your turn.”

Xue Baochai accepted the fine wolf-hair brush from Huzhou and, without further hesitation, began to write:
Who scattered pearls from the heavens, turning them into countless tiny, exquisite gems?

Do not say that the star's light fades when it falls; this heart forever reflects the lonely moon.

(End of this chapter)