The splendor of the Red Chamber, the power that reigns supreme.

Chapter 56 Knocking on Cai Jing's Door
Hearing Zhai Qian's advice.

Lai Bao felt his mouth go dry and was so excited he almost fainted. He knelt down again with a thud, this time kowtowing louder than ever before, the sound of his forehead hitting the ground being exceptionally clear in the silent flower hall.

"My lord's words are like gold, turning stone into gold! I... I am as dull as a pig or a dog, but at this moment I am enlightened and my mind is clear! Your kindness is as high as the heavens and as deep as the earth! When I return, I will report to the master of the family word for word, along with the birthday of the Grand Tutor, without missing a single detail! When the master learns of this, he will surely be grateful for your guidance and support, and will never forget it! On behalf of the master, I thank you again for your great kindness and virtue!" After saying this, he kowtowed three times, his forehead turning red.

Dai'an followed behind, kowtowing a dozen more times.

Zhai Qian looked at Lai Bao, who was babbling incoherently with excitement, and then glanced at Dai An behind him. The smile on his face became even more genuine. One could see the master's methods from the way he disciplined his servants.

He nodded slightly and waved the fan in his hand: "Hmm. Good that you understand. Get up. Go back and tell your master that the sentiment is more important than anything else. The journey is long, so go back as soon as possible. As for your help, I appreciate your kindness, but it depends on whether your master has the good fortune to let my master accept the gift."

"Yes, yes, yes! Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!" Lai Bao finally got up, feeling as if he were floating on clouds.

He knew that the biggest goal of this trip, the most important thing that Master Ximen had entrusted to him, was now a sure thing, a certainty!
All that's left is to hurry back to Qinghe and have the head of the family, Master Ximen, properly prepare the "Presenting the Celery Gift" that can open the gates of the Grand Tutor's mansion!

He thanked them profusely and took his leave. As he stepped out of the side gate of the Grand Tutor's mansion, which was as deep as the sea, he shivered when the sun shone on him and he felt his soul return to its place.

Looking back at the imposing vermilion gates and high walls, Lai Bao let out a long sigh of relief, his face beaming with barely suppressed joy. He called to Dai An, "Quick! Bring the horses! Let's travel day and night back to Qinghe! This momentous occasion must be reported to the master!"

Having said that, he leaped onto his horse, wishing he could sprout wings and fly back to his master immediately. The whip cracked loudly in the air, and the horse's hooves thundered, carrying his overflowing joy and the news of immense wealth, as it sped away.

Meanwhile, inside the main house of the Ximen mansion.

After Jinlian finished washing up standing up, her buttocks were much better. Ever since she was taken in by Ximen Qing, her heart had been entirely devoted to this great master. Last night, she had perfumed her skin early, chosen a purple handkerchief and wore a plain undergarment, and waited anxiously. She waited until the third watch of the night, but there was still no sign of the great master Ximen.

First came anxiety, then suspicion, and then a burning frustration and grievance, wondering if I had done something wrong.

Tossing and turning, thinking it over and over, it must have been because that night, being my first time, and with my buttocks sore, I couldn't use many of my techniques and failed to satisfy my master. Thinking of this, I felt a little annoyed. The red welts on my buttocks, which had been scabbed over, started to ache again that night due to the stuffy air.

A mix of grievance and a dull ache in her buttocks cast a thin layer of resentment over her eyes. Just as she was about to eat, she suddenly heard familiar, slightly dragging footsteps approaching from outside the door—her master had arrived!
Jinlian was overjoyed. She rushed to the bed, having just intended to eat. She leaned forward, facing inwards, deliberately arching her back and raising her buttocks, making the outline of her scabbed wounds faintly visible under the thin silk. One leg was slightly curled up, as if she were in pain and unable to straighten it. "Ah...oh..." Her voice was soft and sweet, with a hint of seduction, swaying gently from side to side with her hips.

Just as I settled down and finished my training, I heard the door curtain rustle.

Ximen Qing lifted the curtain and entered, only to see Pan Jinlian lying face down with her back to him, her dark hair disheveled on the pillow, her thin shoulders trembling slightly, as if she were sobbing silently.

The autumn sun shines obliquely.

The light shone through the thin, sheer silk trousers, revealing every detail. The faint red marks left by the bamboo whip were also faintly visible, and the crisscrossing red marks, against the backdrop of the barely visible white flesh beneath, added to the decadent allure of the whipped woman.

Two golden lotus feet were adorned with bright red embroidered shoes with gold-painted mandarin ducks, the toes of the shoes upturned. Because of the prone position, the slippers were not fully on, but rather loosely hanging on the feet, leaving most of one foot exposed.

Two deep red shoe marks were visible on her jade-like ankles, carved into her white flesh. These marks echoed the faint red bruises on her buttocks, one above the other, trembling with a vibrant, rosy hue.

"Jinlian?" Ximen Qing called out.

"Master!" Pan Jinlian slowly turned her head. Her small face was not made up, but it was deliberately rubbed until it was a little red. Her eyes also looked like they had been rubbed hard, and they were a little watery, making her look even more pitiful.

Her voice was thick with nasal tone as she timidly and aggrievedly called out, "Master is here... Please forgive me... I am unwell and cannot get up to kowtow to Father..." As she spoke, it seemed as if she aggravated her injury, her delicate eyebrows furrowed, she hissed softly, and bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth, her appearance truly showing unbearable pain.

Ximen Qing approached the bedside, looking at the delicate flower with raindrops on its face. He reached out, wanting to caress her soft waist, and asked with concern, "Is the injury on your buttocks hurting badly again?"

"It hurts..." Pan Jinlian immediately seized the opportunity, her voice soft and sweet, trailing off like a feather tickling the tip of one's heart, "But last night, when Father didn't come, I was so anxious, tossing and turning... I think... I think I pressed against something... This morning, it hurts even more than the past few days, it's burning..."

"Dada!" Pan Jinlian struggled to turn around and crawl over, burying her face in Ximen Qing's arms. Her two pink arms wrapped tightly around his waist like vines, her voice trembling with sobs, soft and sweet, reaching straight to the bone:
"Dad, have you forgotten me? How cruel you are to leave me alone in this cold and desolate room! I've been waiting so long, my heart is breaking! Feel it, my heart is still pounding!" As she spoke, she grabbed Ximen Qing's large hand and pressed it against her bulging chest without saying a word.

(End of this chapter)