Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Chapter 65 A Warning to Sister Feng

Several days later, in the warm bedroom, Wang Xifeng personally wiped Jia Lian's face clean with a handkerchief. Touching his face, which had become smooth again after the scabs fell off, she finally breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's finally healed. If you don't look closely, it doesn't seem to bother you at all."

Jia Lian had many bruises on his body from Jia She's beatings, but Wang Xifeng cared most about the scar on his face, after all, the face is a person's reputation. Seeing that wide scar on Jia Lian's face a few days ago had broken her heart.

With a smile, Jia Lian grabbed Wang Xifeng's hand with one hand and wrapped his other arm around her slender waist, pulling her into his embrace. He then lowered his head to kiss her delicate, rosy lips.

Ping'er, who was carrying a basin of water nearby, wrinkled her little nose and curled her lips up, giving him a disdainful look before turning her eyes away.

These two are becoming increasingly shameless!

"Ugh~" Wang Xifeng finally pushed Jia Lian's mischievous hand away, blushing as she shoved him.

Jia Lian had no intention of remarrying. He took the robe from the rack and put it on himself.

Wang Xifeng then came back to help and asked, "Are we going to the Zhang family again today?"

Seeing Jia Lian nod, he complained, "I don't know what's so great about the Zhang family that makes you want to go. You're rushing over even though your face injury hasn't healed yet. Aren't you afraid people will laugh at you?"

What a joke? Little did they know, he deliberately went over with the scars on his face, just so the old man could see them.

How could Wang Xifeng know that the old man's attitude towards him changed faster and faster each time he visited, a stark contrast to his attitude at the birthday banquet?

Even Zhang Su, the usually aloof scholar, began to complain to him that his grandson was almost closer to him than his own grandson.

Without explaining to Wang Xifeng, who simply assumed that Jia Lian was becoming increasingly mysterious, she smiled and didn't care. She took the belt from Ping'er and tied it around Jia Lian's neck herself.

But when I bent over, I suddenly felt dizzy and my stomach was churning, which made me sway.

"What's wrong?" Jia Lian asked, grabbing her arm.

"It's nothing, I guess it's just that there's been too much going on these past few days. The income from the various estates has been arriving one after another, and I'm busy settling accounts, clearing out warehouses to store and distribute it. It's been quite a busy time."

Wang Xifeng said with a smile, and seeing that Jia Lian did not speak, she continued, "After this matter is over, we will have to start preparing New Year's gifts for each household, which is another big event. After that, we will have to prepare sacrificial offerings, New Year's goods, and the expenses of each household during the New Year. I don't know when I will be able to have the leisure you have and go out to visit relatives whenever I want."

Wang Xifeng's words were actually just a way of complaining to Jia Lian and boasting about her own achievements. However, Jia Lian merely glanced at her and said, "Do you know how Zhuge Liang died?"

Wang Xifeng was taken aback: "What? How did you die?"

He then recalled a play he'd seen, and his eyes immediately turned hostile: "You mean I'll end up working myself to death like him?"

Jia Lian nodded: "He did die from overwork, that's true. I think you're far worse than him; you died from stupidity."

Wang Xifeng's face flushed slightly, and she said angrily, "You... I've suffered so much for your family's affairs. Even if I haven't managed things well, I've still put in some effort, haven't I? How can you say that about me... If it weren't for you, do you think I would be willing to get involved in all this messy stuff in your family!"

"Is it really for me?"

Jia Lian seemed to be mocking him.

He admitted that the steward was somewhat tired, after all, there were many things to do in a large family. But someone like Wang Xifeng, who personally managed everything and didn't overlook any nook or cranny, was clearly power-hungry and enjoyed the pleasure that power brought her.

For this reason, they did not hesitate to overwork their bodies.

In the original story, it was because of this that she couldn't have any more children after giving birth to Qiao Jie. When she finally conceived a boy, she miscarried due to exhaustion.

Wang Xifeng, of course, would not admit to any of this. Even if she knew the truth in her heart, at this moment she could only hold her head high and stubbornly say, "Otherwise what? Look at the people in your family, which of them are easy to get along with? Ask yourself honestly, are you someone who puts in the effort to manage things? Take the elders in the family, for example. If I hadn't helped you serve and take care of them, how could you be so carefree? You don't remember the good I did for you, and you even scold me..."

Wang Xifeng sounded aggrieved and seemed about to cry.

Seeing Wang Xifeng lost in self-pity, Jia Lian remained unmoved.

Only when she saw that she was about to cry did she lift her face and wipe away the tears that were about to fall. Wang Xifeng stubbornly shook her head and refused to accept the gesture.

Jia Lian laughed and said, "Look at you, you cried after I said something to you. If other people saw the dignified Second Mistress of Lian like this, it would be big news."

Wang Xifeng stared at him through teary eyes.

Jia Lian then hugged her again and said, "Do you think I'm scolding you? I'm just reminding you because I care about you."

You're taking advantage of your good health now and don't know how to take care of yourself. What will you do when you're in debt in the future?

Besides, to be frank, we're here to help manage the household. You weren't originally the mistress of this house, and even if you're going to have to suffer, you shouldn't be the one doing the hard work.

You, on the other hand, treat other people's affairs as your own, meddling in everything yourself, pouring your heart and soul into it. What are you getting out of this?"

When the man put his arm around her, Wang Xifeng's anger vanished, and she blushed again. She retorted defiantly, "What are you saying? Master and Madam trust us to manage the household, so how can we not be conscientious and responsible? If everyone were as lazy as you, what kind of family would this be?"

"Can't you learn from your wife and delegate everything to the staff? You just need to coordinate things."

"Look at what you're saying! It's obvious you're used to shirking your duties. If everyone thought like you, nobody would do anything. Even so, there are still people shirking their responsibilities. If I did that, wouldn't they rebel?"

Ordinary persuasion is ineffective with Wang Xifeng; this woman is very clever and understands all kinds of principles.

So Jia Lian touched her belly and laughed, "Then tell me, is it more important to manage the household well, or to take good care of your health and give me a son?"

"screw you……"

Wang Xifeng's face immediately turned bright red, and she struggled to break free.

Jia Lian's occasional actions always easily broke through her sense of shame, yet she couldn't resist them.

Jia Lian, of course, wouldn't let go. It felt good to hold this woman in his arms. "Think about it yourself, it's been over two years, and there's still no sign of pregnancy. Aren't you afraid that if this continues, you'll become infertile?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Xifeng immediately perked up, then looked at Jia Lian somewhat cautiously: "Are you blaming me for this?"

"No, why would I blame you? Anyway, if you can't have a child, you can let Qingwen have one when she's older. I'm not worried. I'm just afraid that you'll feel guilty in the future and won't treat her son as your own."

Such heartless and unconscionable words made Sister Feng grind her teeth in hatred.

She broke free from Jia Lian's grasp, walked to the side and sat down, angrily saying, "If that's the case, then from now on I won't concern myself with household affairs anymore. I'll just stay in the house and recuperate, and won't go anywhere, okay?"

Jia Lian walked over, sat down next to her, and said with a smile, "Alright, I'll go talk to Madam about it later. She certainly won't refuse, considering the issue of having offspring."

Fengjie glanced at Jia Lian, unable to tell if he was joking, and finally gave in first, saying, "Everything's fine, and suddenly you say you don't care anymore? Even if the Old Madam and Madam don't suspect anything, won't they complain that I'm being reckless? Besides..."

Wang Xifeng glanced at the empty doorway and said in a low voice, "Didn't you say you wanted to compete for the family business in the future, and that I should take good care of the old lady? If I have the advantage of being the housekeeper, I can at least help you a little. But if you abandon all these things, let alone anything else, how can we stay here legitimately? Are you willing to go back to your father's side?"

The Rongguo Mansion has now been divided in two, and this side is far superior to the East Wing in terms of both population and wealth. She has no intention of going there.

The same applies to Jia Lian. Before Jia She died, he certainly didn't want to move back to the east wing. Therefore, this is why he had to keep Jia Mu and others in line for the time being.

As for Wang Xifeng, he certainly didn't ask her to give up managing the household; he knew that Wang Xifeng definitely couldn't let go of the thrill of having power over the place.

Not wanting her to fall into such a trap, he touched Wang Xifeng's face and said, "Take good care of yourself. Be smart when you need to be, don't be too naive. You should also think about it carefully. Given the previous situation, if you can't give birth to a son and you don't allow me to take a concubine, who will ultimately benefit... or rather, who is most likely to benefit in the end?"

Wang Xifeng felt aggrieved, because no one had ever complained about her lack of intelligence, which was her proudest achievement.

If it weren't for her own man, and if he hadn't improved so much since then, she would definitely have started cursing.

He managed to calm himself down and try to understand what Jia Lian meant, but he still couldn't figure it out. Jia Lian then reminded him, "The family's title can be passed down for several generations."

Wang Xifeng's eyes widened immediately. "You mean Baoyu? No, you mean Madam. Madam wants to seize our family's title? How is that possible? Even if the Master is gone, you're still here. How could that be? You're overthinking it..."

"What if something happens to me?"

Wang Xifeng's rambling suddenly stopped. She suddenly realized that she had really been unable to extricate herself from the wealth and luxury of her family.

She never imagined that such a harmonious family might just be a facade.

First, her seemingly foolish husband claimed he wanted to fight with her uncle's family for ownership of the main courtyard. Then she was told that her own aunt, who was also her maternal aunt, was very likely coveting their branch's title, and might even have tricked her into managing the household in order to ruin her health and cause her husband to have no heir...

Wang Xifeng found it hard to accept.

But upon reflection, she realized that her husband's words weren't entirely baseless speculation. She recalled how Lady Wang, while neglecting other matters, demanded that she do everything perfectly, and how she tolerated and tolerated the dismissal of one servant after another from Jia Lian's quarters without ever uttering a word of reproach…

Seeing Wang Xifeng's expression, Jia Lian knew she had thought it over seriously, so he decided not to provoke her any further.

To be honest, he wasn't entirely sure that Madam Wang truly intended this. After all, Madam Wang had always maintained a benevolent image and had never done anything wrong to him and his wife.

However, one should always be wary of others, especially since there is indeed a huge conflict of interest between him and the second wife!

He stood up, patted Wang Xifeng on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "Take good care of yourself. You don't need to worry too much about what I just said."

Also, I noticed you seemed to have some stomach discomfort earlier. Why don't you see a doctor this afternoon? You might be pleasantly surprised.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Wang Xifeng's attention was diverted by Jia Lian.

Jia Lian then whispered in her ear, "Since I returned, I have been so diligent in sowing the seeds. It's time to see if there has been any harvest."

"Ah...! You're going to die..."

Wang Xifeng exclaimed in surprise, pushed Jia Lian away, and stood up, looking flustered and unable to look at him.

Jia Lian laughed heartily, then turned and went out.