Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Chapter 43 Small meeting

Upon returning to the Rongguo Mansion, Jia Lian first went to see Jia Zheng and handed him Lin Ruhai's letter of recommendation. Jia Zheng also inquired about the trip to Yangzhou. Then Jia Lian withdrew and headed west to Rongqing Hall.

The Rong Hall was filled with talented people. Daiyu and the three sisters of the Spring and Autumn period had just finished recognizing their relatives and were chatting and exchanging greetings. They only quieted down slightly when they heard Jia Lian announce his arrival.

"I have met the old lady and the two ladies."

As soon as Jia Lian stepped forward and bowed, Grandmother Jia smiled and exclaimed, "You've had a hard time on this trip. I heard them say that you didn't slack off at all. Even Yu'er's father praised you highly. That's truly remarkable."

Hearing Grandmother Jia's teasing, Lady Wang and the others smiled slightly.

Amidst the laughter, Jia Lian replied, "Look at what the old lady is saying. When has your grandson ever dared to slack off on a task she assigns?"

Wang Xifeng hadn't seen Jia Lian for so long, and her heart was breaking. As soon as Jia Lian entered the room, her eyes never left him.

That heartless guy seems to have gotten even more handsome...

She stood beside Grandmother Jia and said with a smile, "I can vouch for him on this point. He always tries to push away other people's business, and even the things that Master and Madam ask him to do, he often pushes to me to do. But the only thing that Grandmother asks him to do, he always rushes to complete. Not only does he not push it to me, but he is also afraid that I will steal his credit."

With Wang Xifeng's praise, Grandmother Jia laughed even harder and scolded, "You two, stop trying to flatter me. I know what kind of person he is from the moment he was born. You still want to fool me?"

"Ha ha……"

Grandmother Jia's words were so humorous, especially to the younger children, who laughed while feeling a little embarrassed.

Jia Lian didn't seem to care. Standing upright with his six or seven-foot frame, he appeared somewhat nonchalant, letting others gossip as they pleased.

Grandmother Jia squinted at Jia Lian once, nodded secretly, and said that he had gone out to take care of an important matter, and things seemed to be a little different.

"I heard you bought quite a lot of Jiangnan wine for your master. Did he reward you with anything?"

When asked by Grandmother Jia, Jia Lian sighed, "Don't even mention it, the master really gave me a couple of kicks."

A large family gathers together every day, and there are always so many topics to talk about, which can actually be quite boring. Therefore, whoever can arouse everyone's interest can attract everyone's attention.

Sure enough, everyone looked over curiously when they heard him say that.

Grandmother Jia also asked, "Why is that? Does he not like the wine you bought?"

"No, it's not that. It's just that the master has hired a wandering Taoist priest from somewhere. I happened to run into him in Nanjing and was even swindled out of a tael of silver by him. Now that he's trying to swindle our master, he's naturally indignant."

The old man wouldn't believe me no matter what, and when I talked back, he kicked me twice.

Grandmother Jia's expression darkened slightly. Not only was Jia She giving up his good official position, but he was now following in the footsteps of Jia Jing from the East Mansion and hanging out with those Taoist priests. This was truly hard for her to be happy about.

It wasn't appropriate to reprimand Jia She in front of a room full of grandchildren, so she skipped the topic and only said, "It seems your trip to the south has really made you more capable; you even dare to talk back to him now. Getting kicked twice is too light a punishment; have you forgotten how he used to beat me so badly I was bedridden for half a month?"

Upon hearing this, everyone just laughed, but Daiyu looked over with some surprise.

Why is Lian Ergege's father so strict with him?

Since Jia She was mentioned, Grandmother Jia remembered that Daiyu had come from afar and should also visit her two uncles. So she arranged for Madam Xing and Madam Wang to take Daiyu to see Jia She and Jia Zheng.

After they left, Grandmother Jia looked at the remaining people and said to Jia Lian with a smile, "How come you only thought about bringing back good things for your master on your trip to the south, and completely forgot about me?"

"Grandma, what are you saying? We would never forget our ancestors, would we?"

It was prepared a long time ago, but I just got back and haven't had time to send it over yet.

Not to mention the old lady, even my younger sisters, my third sister, and my fourth sister all got a share.

"This is acceptable."

The three sisters, who were standing nearby, were delighted to hear that Jia Lian had brought them gifts, and they started discussing it happily.

Tan Chun stepped forward and asked, "I wonder what Brother Lian Er brought us?"

Jia Lian turned around and finally saw the three sisters of the Spring Festival at close range.

The eldest was only about the same size as Xiangling, with plump skin, cheeks like fresh lychees, and a nose like goose fat; at first glance, she was a very gentle and beautiful girl. This was his younger sister, Jia Yingchun.

Beside her was a very young girl, probably only five or six years old. Although she was small, she was dressed in fluffy clothes and had a chubby little face, making her look incredibly cute. This was Xichun.

Finally, there was Tan Chun, standing in front, staring at him with a smile in her eyes.

This girl has possessed a unique character that sets her apart from others since childhood:

Slender shoulders and waist, tall and graceful figure, oval face, bright eyes and well-groomed eyebrows, captivating gaze, refined literary talent, a sight to behold.

At just one glance, these beautiful words popped into Jia Lian's mind.

Feeling annoyed by Jia Lian's stare, Tan Chun stamped her foot and snapped, "Second Brother Lian, just say it!"

Putting aside his lustful nature, Jia Lian was always the kindest and most morally upright man of his generation in the Jia family.

Therefore, the sisters in the family all had a pretty good impression of Jia Lian. It was only after Jia Lian got married that he saw them less and less, and they gradually drifted apart.

"As for the gifts I brought for you, there are so many that I can't list them all at once. If you're eager to see them, you can come to my courtyard. I can't guarantee anything else, but apart from the gifts for our ancestors, you can take whatever you like."

Jia Lian's words made Tan Chun feel a little embarrassed.

Everyone else laughed: "Second Master Lian is indeed becoming more and more capable and generous."

Only Wang Xifeng muttered to herself: That's all my money...

Grandmother Jia then took Xichun in her arms and chuckled, "Since he says so, don't be polite with him. Go and choose from his courtyard. If he changes his mind, just come back to me, and I'll spit in his face for you!"

After laughing, Grandmother Jia said to Jia Lian, "You've worked hard enough, so you don't need to stay here with this old woman. Go back and rest."

Jia Lian accepted the order and took his leave. Tan Chun and the other two were all well-mannered and had received proper upbringing, so they didn't follow him to cause trouble.

However, Xiangling, who was by Wang Xifeng's side, immediately followed silently when she saw Jia Lian about to leave.

Seeing Wang Xifeng staring at Jia Lian and Xiangling's backs, Grandmother Jia shook her head and said, "You should go down too. It's all my fault for causing you two to be separated for so long. You must be complaining about me in your heart. Now that I'm keeping you here, you must be cursing me even more."

Those remaining in the hall, regardless of whether they were masters or servants, began to laugh without any attempt to conceal their sarcasm.

This is also because Wang Xifeng is known for her magnanimity; everyone knows she can take a joke, which is why she acted this way.

Only the widowed sister-in-law, Li Wan, smiled slightly, but a hint of sadness returned to her face as she looked away.

Faced with the ridicule of the crowd, Wang Xifeng could only blush and deal with it. In the end, she could not refuse Grandmother Jia's kindness. After apologizing, she hurriedly took Ping'er back home.