The filial son of the Red Mansion
Page 137
Qiu Bailin is decent?
Hey! If there is a chance to trip up the Ning and Rong families, Qiu Bailin will definitely be the first to do it. It is still interesting to see villains like Jia Yucun. He can be on guard against them while using them. If he can’t use them, he will bury them. People like Qiu Bailin are too thoughtful. You can only be on guard against them. If you want to use them once, you have to spend countless thoughts.
Jia Rong also refused to talk about these topics, but instead wanted to know about Jia Lian’s trip to Ping’an Prefecture.
Jia Lian hesitated for a while and did not hide anything. It was just a common scene of officials from other places trying to curry favor with officials from the capital.
“It’s fine for daily interactions, but after interacting for a long time, they will inevitably make requests. Uncle Lian, please think carefully and don’t let anything go wrong.” Jia Rong’s face turned unhappy. He knew in his heart that such things were unavoidable. With such a trend, even Lin Ruhai was trying to find an official position for Jia Yucun. But he still couldn’t help but remind him.
Chapter 202: Aunt Zhao seeks help from Ma Dao Po
Jia Lian has always been a very sensible person, even conservative.
Rong Ge’er knew it all in his heart, so he didn’t say anything serious or long. When he left Jia Lian’s study, it was already afternoon and the weather was a little hot. He was thinking about whether to go to Lixiangyuan to visit Xue Baochai who was suffering from the heat toxin, but he heard the voices of Baoyu, Qin Zhong, Jia Lan and others coming from the front.
Ever since Mingyan, Jinrong and others had caused a big disturbance in the school, Qin Zhong had behaved much better than before. Although he still played with Baoyu, he had never heard of any more incidents of adopting a brother in the charity school.
Why would a good man like you accept a foster sister? Wouldn’t it be better for you to spend your time coaxing a girl?
Jia Rong suddenly remembered something and asked Qiu Bailin if he had been to Shuiyue Temple. If the nun Jingxu from Shuiyue Temple was arrested, what happened to the other nuns? In the original novel, Qin Zhong was in love with the smart nun from Shuiyue Temple, but he didn’t know if they were together now.
Damn it, random thoughts popped up in my mind again. I have no interest in nuns!
Let the Jinyifu handle the matter of Shuiyue Temple as they please. They can do whatever they want to the nuns. Even if all the nuns are arrested, it is none of their business.
Jia Rong listened carefully and found out that Baoyu and Qin Zhong wanted to invite Lan Ge’er to go to Fangyuan to play archery and throwing pots together. However, the youngest Jia Lan spoke coldly to his uncle Baoyu, which made Baoyu lose interest immediately.
Baoyu was still a respectable man after all, and even though his nephew rejected him coldly, he didn’t show any annoyance on his face. He just said, “We won’t bother you anymore. You better be careful and don’t fall. We’ll go together next time when you are free.”
Jia Lan did not respond, but just nodded slightly, then quietly went through the second door and returned to his room to change clothes.
“What a heartless boy.” Rong Ge’er smiled bitterly and shook his head. Seeing Baoyu and Qin Zhong also said goodbye to each other, he also thought about going back to the east.
But in the West Mansion, Aunt Zhao had already met Baoyu’s godmother, Ma Dao Po.
There is a saying: Don’t let go of gossips in front of the hall, and keep the back door locked. If there is a well in the yard, be careful of small openings, and there will be fewer disasters and more blessings.
The biggest taboo for a decent family is to often associate with gossips.
Although Dao Po is not a Taoist nun, she is also a kind of gossip. Dao Po is also called Shi Po, who is best at pretending to be a ghost, drawing talismans and chanting spells. In addition to this, Ma Dao Po is also a medicine woman, hiding a hand of witchcraft that can harm people, which is very powerful.
Aunt Zhao was angry and impulsively called Ma Dao Po to ask for some witchcraft and sorcery to harm people. When she saw Ma Dao Po, she hesitated and finally did not have the courage to do so. She asked, “The day before yesterday I gave 500 coins to the Medicine King as an offering. Did you accept it?”
Thinking that more money had come to her door, Ma Dao Po said with a smile, “I have already offered you the tribute.”
Aunt Zhao sighed deeply and said, “Amitabha! If I had more time, I would often offer sacrifices, but I have the will but not the strength.”
Ma Dao Po was well versed in the art of deceiving people, and she coaxed him, “Don’t worry. When Huan’er grows up and gets a job, what great merits will you be able to perform?”
After hearing this, Aunt Zhao snorted and said, “Well, well, don’t talk about it anymore. It’s like this now, how can we women keep up with it! It’s not that we have Baoyu, but we have a living dragon. He is still a child, and he looks good. It’s okay that adults favor him a little; but I just don’t accept this guy.” As she spoke, she held up two fingers.
Ma Dao Po understood, and asked, “But is it Second Mistress Lian?”
Aunt Zhao was so frightened that she waved her hands hastily, went to the door, lifted the curtain and looked out to see that no one was there. Then she came in and whispered to Ma Dao Po: “This is terrible! This is terrible! Speaking of this lady, I would be a nobody if I didn’t make her move this share of property to her parents’ home!” After a pause, she added: “Even if we don’t move it to her parents’ home, we’ll empty the west side and fill the east side with it.”
“I need not tell you,” said Ma Dao Po. “Can’t you see it? It’s fortunate that you didn’t reason about it in your hearts, but just let her do what she wanted. That’s quite wonderful.”
Aunt Zhao said, “My mother, if she doesn’t go, who would dare to do anything to her?”
Ma Dao Po lifted her chin high, smiled with her nose upturned, and said sarcastically: “I am not saying anything sinful, but it is no wonder that you have no ability. You dare not do anything openly, but you have been plotting in secret, and you have waited until now!”
Aunt Zhao had been planning something for a long time, and after hearing this, she was secretly delighted. She asked, “How do you plan something secretly? I do have the intention, but I don’t have the ability to do it. If you teach me this method, I will thank you very much.”
Ma Dao Po had a plan in mind. If the house was peaceful, how could these Daoist women cheat people out of money? Seeing Aunt Zhao coming up to ask, she pretended to be reserved and paused for a moment, then deliberately said, “Amitabha! Don’t ask me any more, how can I know these things? I am guilty! I am guilty!”
Aunt Zhao was ruthless, but she had little money, so she gave all her savings over the years to her younger brother Zhao Guoji for household expenses.
She thought about it carefully and whispered, “You are the most willing to help the poor and the needy. Are you going to watch others kill us mother and daughter? Are you afraid that I won’t thank you? Although I don’t have much now, I have saved a few taels of my own money, and I also have a few clothes and hairpins. You can take them first. For the rest, I will write you a debt deed. I will also have a guarantor for whatever you want. I will give you the money when the time comes.”
Aunt Zhao was afraid that Ma Dao Po would not give her credit, so she added, “If your method really works and they are both dead, I’m afraid that tomorrow this property will not belong to me, Huan’er. Then you can have whatever you want.”
Ma Dao Po’s expression changed as expected. She smiled brightly and asked, “Is that really the case?”
Aunt Zhao nodded her head, called a trusted maid over, and whispered something in her ear. The maid went out, and came back soon after, writing a deed of five hundred taels. Aunt Zhao then took her handprint and went to the cupboard to take out her personal belongings.
Ma Dao Po looked at the pile of silver and the IOU, and without further ado, she responded without hesitation. She reached out to take the silver and tucked it away, then took the IOU. She then rummaged in her waistband for a long while and pulled out ten paper ghosts with green faces and white hair, and two paper figures, which she handed to Aunt Zhao.
He whispered, “Write the birth dates of Baoyu and Second Lady Lian on the two paper figures, and hide the five ghosts on each of their beds. I will only perform the ritual at home, and it will work. Be careful, and don’t be afraid!”
Aunt Zhao took the ten paper ghosts and two paper figures with shaking hands. The ghosts were heavy, while the figures were light.
Ma Dao Po whispered, “Don’t open the paper ghost. The thing inside is the signal for me to cast a spell. If you touch it, you will also be affected by the spell.”
Aunt Zhao put it away carefully and was very happy. She was just about to invite Ma Dao Po to have tea when there was a sudden loud noise next door.
Chapter 203: Auntie doesn’t want to let…
It turned out that Jia Huan had returned from school earlier and was seen by Mrs. Wang when he arrived in the yard. She then ordered him to copy the Diamond Sutra and recite it.
Jia Huan sat on Lady Wang’s kang, ordered the lights to be lit, and began to copy in a pretentious manner. He asked the maid Caiyun to pour a cup of tea, asked the maid Yuchuan’er to trim the wax flowers, and asked Jinchuan’er to block the light.
The maids usually disliked him and ignored him, but Caixia was the only one who got along well with him and poured him a cup of tea.
Caixia saw Mrs. Wang talking to someone, so she whispered to Jia Huan, “Why bother to be so annoying?”
Jia Huan was also angry, and snorted softly, “I know that too, don’t try to fool me. Now that you and Baoyu are getting along well, I can see that you are ignoring me.”
Caixia bit her lower lip, poked a finger at Jia Huan’s head, and said, “He has no conscience! He is just like a dog biting Lu Dongbin, he doesn’t know the kindness of a good person!”
Who would have thought that Baoyu did not go out to play with Qin Zhong today, nor did he go to Lixiang Courtyard to see his sister Bao, nor did he go to Ningguo Mansion to ask to see his sister Lin. Caixia and Huan’er were talking when Baoyu went into the room with a depressed look on his face.
It turned out that Qin Zhong had been troubled recently and was not as close to him as before. Lin Daiyu still did not want to see him.
Sister Bao always greeted him with a smile, but every few words she would start talking about studying, the imperial examinations, official careers, and the economy. Baoyu was very annoyed by what he heard, and no matter how beautiful Baochai was, he didn’t want to go to the Pear Fragrance Courtyard.
Baoyu was tired in spring and autumn, and felt weak all over. When he saw Mrs. Wang, he just said a few polite words, then asked someone to remove his headband, take off his robe, and pull on his boots. He didn’t even say hello to Huan Ge’er who was copying scriptures next to him, and rolled into Mrs. Wang’s arms.
Mrs. Wang then caressed and caressed him all over his body and face with her hands, and Baoyu also touched Mrs. Wang’s neck and gossiped about her, what a loving mother and obedient son.
Baoyu smiled and said, “I’m a little tired.”
Mrs. Wang was very fond of him, so she asked someone to bring a pillow for Baoyu to fall on behind her, and asked Caixia to pat Baoyu’s chest for her.
Baoyu wanted to talk and joke with Caixia, but Caixia was indifferent and didn’t pay much attention to him. Her eyes were only looking at Jia Huan. Baoyu then took Caixia’s white and tender little hand and said with a smile: “Good sister, please pay attention to me too!”
Caixia snatched her hand away, her ears reddened with shame, and said angrily, “If you make trouble again, I will yell.”
Jia Huan had been paying attention, and suddenly he looked up and saw Baoyu pulling Caixia’s hand into her clothes. He had always hated Baoyu, and now seeing him quarreling with Caixia, he could no longer suppress his anger.
Although he dared not say it openly, he always made plans in secret, but he usually failed.
Today, the two of them were very close, and Jia Huan took a look at the candlelight on the table and thought of using the boiling oil in the candle lamp to blind Baoyu’s eyes. So he pretended to make a mistake and pushed the oily candle lamp straight into Baoyu’s face.
Baoyu just let out a cry of “Ouch!” and everyone in the room was startled.
Everyone hurriedly moved the lamp from the ground over, and took three or four lamps from the inner and outer rooms to see, and saw that Baoyu’s face and head were covered with wax. Mrs. Wang was anxious and angry, and while she ordered someone to clean Baoyu’s face, she scolded Jia Huan.
Aunt Zhao heard the noise in the side room and hurriedly said goodbye to Ma Dao Po and rushed to the main room. Mrs. Wang pointed at her and scolded her: “You raised such a rude and black-hearted person, and you don’t care about it! I didn’t talk to you several times, but you got complacent and are getting even more aggressive!”
Aunt Zhao swallowed her anger and silently cleaned up Baoyu’s face. She saw a line of blisters on the left side of Baoyu’s face, but the rest of his face was fine. She felt both relieved and regretful.
Mrs. Wang felt even more distressed when she saw this, and was afraid that Jia’s mother would ask about it tomorrow, so she didn’t know how to answer. She was so anxious that she scolded Aunt Zhao again. Then she comforted Baoyu and ordered some anti-toxic and swelling medicine to be applied.
Baoyu looked at the situation in the room and said, “It hurts a little, but it’s okay. Tomorrow when the old lady asks, just say I burned myself.”
Outside, Ma Dao-po had not left the courtyard, but had been eavesdropping on what was going on inside, and whenever she had time she would rush in to see what was going on inside. When she saw Pao-yu she nodded, sighed, and made all sorts of gestures, and then she drew a few strokes on Pao-yu’s face with her fingers, muttered something to herself, and then said, “I promise you’ll be alright; this is only a temporary disaster.”
Having said this, Ma Dao Po’s eyes rolled, and she felt that there was more money to be made in this matter, so she went to Madame Wang and said, “As a rule, the sons and daughters of the nobles, ministers, and ministers, from the moment they grow up, there are many mischievous devils following them secretly, who take every opportunity to twist and pinch them, or knock their bowls over when they are eating, or push them down when they are walking. That is why most of the sons and daughters of such great families never grow up.”
Mrs. Wang was indeed deceived, and she asked for a way to rescue herself and gave out dozens of taels of silver.
Aunt Zhao remained silent the whole time, and did not say a word until she was driven out of the main room by Lady Wang and took Jia Huan back to the side room. However, her eyes were filled with various lights, some cruel, some vicious, some excited, and some proud.
She heard the maids in the yard jumping up and down anxiously, escorting Baoyu back to his room, and Tanchun, Yingchun and others came over to show their concern.
Aunt Zhao felt even more resentful.
At this time, Jia Rong had already returned to Ningguo Mansion and was unaware of what had just happened in the west. He went to Tianxiang Tower and found that Wang Xifeng and You Erjie were no longer in the tower, and no one was playing in Huifang Garden. Only Jia Lan was practicing archery alone in the archery range not far from Tianxiang Tower.
He looked at it for a while, felt bored, and immediately went downstairs to look for Youshi.
Another day.
The news of Baoyu’s burns finally spread throughout the two mansions. Yu Shi had caught a cold from the wind when she went to Fangyuan yesterday evening, so she could only ask Yindie and a few maids to visit Baoyu. Qin Keqing’s mouth was swollen from what she had eaten in the middle of the night, and she couldn’t see anyone, so she asked Feicui to take someone to visit him.
Wang Xifeng took Lin Daiyu, Ping’er, Zijuan and other maids to the West Mansion. Baoyu had to go there no matter what when he encountered such a thing.
When Fengjie and Daiyu arrived, Baoyu’s room was crowded with people, including Aunt Xue, Li Wan, Yingchun, Tanchun, Baochai and others.
Jia Rong did not go because Qiu Bailin came to visit Ning Mansion early in the morning.
“Brother Qiu is too diligent. We just met next door yesterday, and he came here today.” Seeing that there were no guards from the Jinyi Palace following Qiu Bailin, Jia Rong spoke more casually.
Qiu Bailin smiled and said, “I am here to tell Lai Rong brother the good news. The emperor has given you a verbal order to help Jinyifu investigate the truth about the Taoist Hongchen in Qingxu Temple.”
“What?” Jia Rong was stunned. This was a result he had never expected.
There are many meanings of assistance, and there are even more ways to assist. More importantly, there is a natural difference between oral instructions and imperial edicts. As the saying goes, words are not enough, and many things may not be acknowledged after they happen. The matter of Qingxu Temple is not easy to handle. Even the Jinyi Mansion cannot arrest Hongchen Taoist for interrogation without reason.
Obviously, the palace had also thought of this. It was impossible to issue an imperial decree to arrest the people from Qingxu Temple.
Jia Rong sat motionless on the chair, thinking for a while. Although there was a way to lure out the Taoist Hongchen and make him reveal his true colors, it would only be to assist the Jinyi Mansion and he would not get any benefits!
What’s the point of that?!
No help! I won’t help you. Oral instructions are oral instructions. If you give some suggestions, it will be considered as assistance.
“Brother Qiu must be joking. If you want me to help, I will do my best. Why bother to spread the imperial edict? If it gets out, your future will be ruined. Besides, I am stupid and only know some skills in bed… horseback riding. I can only shoot a few shots. I can’t really help you.”
Jia Rong was still feeling a little strange at the moment. Baoyu was inexplicably scalded on the face by Jia Huan yesterday. He suddenly remembered the incident in the original novel where Aunt Zhao cast a spell and almost killed Baoyu and Wang Xifeng.
This must be investigated and understood clearly. If there really is any witchcraft or magic technique in the world, I must master it myself.
I don’t have the time to take care of the affairs of Qingxu Temple now.
“Since Jia Huan has already taken action, Aunt Zhao must have used a poison just like in the original novel. Although Aunt Zhao is nearly thirty years old, she is charming and her figure is more enchanting than many maids. We can take advantage of this opportunity to find Aunt Zhao’s handle and whisper in her ear: ‘Aunt doesn’t want the Second Master to know about this, right!’ This way, Wang Xifeng will not be harmed and it will also satisfy her…”
Pooh!
Damn. Why do I have this weird idea again?
I am a gentleman and would never do such a thing.
Jia Rong abandoned his evil thoughts and looked at Qiu Bailin with an innocent and pure gaze.