The Second Master of the Red Chamber

Chapter 22
Putting all the heavy broken silver ingots into their pockets and covering them with their hands, Zhang Yong and others looked at Jia Lian with more respectful and flattering eyes.

Second Master Lian is indeed a generous and trustworthy person!
Following such a person, the future is bound to be promising.

"Originally, I also said that I would give you a vacation when I arrived in Yangzhou, and I would not break my promise. But right now, my aunt is still in mourning period, and it is inconvenient to let you go out to be cool at this time. The master doesn't blame me, he also lost the affection of his relatives and the face of our Duke. I will give each of you two more days off when I return after sending the coffin of my aunt to Suzhou for burial."

When Jia Lian said this, everyone agreed with him.

Wang Dashuan, who likes to answer the most, even laughed and said: "It is our blessing to be able to follow the second master and do things for the second master. How can we worry about whether it is fake or not. If you are not afraid of the jokes of the master, I will come down with the master this time. Yangzhou, for us, it is equivalent to a long vacation, hey, you can still get the silver reward from the second master... so the second master should stop talking about fake or not, it makes us feel uneasy."

His words were also echoed by others.

Originally, they were basically not the cronies of the masters in the mansion. They just had nothing to do in the mansion every day and spent their days with meager monthly money.

Who would have thought that the second master would go to Yangzhou to attend the funeral this time, but instead of bringing the long entourage with him, he would pick them instead?

What's even more rare is that during the journey south, Jia Lian did not treat them badly in life.Every time they went to a place, Jia Lian asked them to eat whatever they ate, and when Jia Lian stayed in the inn, he also gave them money to let them live in the side room. This way of eating and living together moved them and admired them.

Now Jia Lian did not break his promise, and rewarded them with vain money...

At this moment, Jia Lian's position in their hearts was already extremely high, and they almost all thought to themselves, after going back this time, they must find a way to stay by the second master's side no matter what!

Hearing their words of loyalty, Jia Lian smiled.

This is also the reason why he chose these people to go south with him. If the slaves who are in power in the mansion, how can they be bought for a mere 20 taels of silver?
Just like Mrs. Wang's companion Zhou Rui's family.Grandma Liu took Qiufeng 20 taels of silver from Wang Xifeng, and wanted to offer one ingot to reward Zhou Rui's family for their kindness in leading the way, but Zhou Rui's family looked down on her and refused to take it.

From this we can see how rich the second masters in Rongguo Mansion are!
Correspondingly, Jia Lian knew that the silver deposits in the official treasury of the Rongguo Mansion were decreasing year by year. If he was the head of the family, he would definitely not be able to resist using those blood-sucking insects to help the disaster.

It's a pity that he is only a housekeeper for others now, so he won't be able to offend people for the time being.

Maybe, when those people get more greedy and absorb enough oil and water, they may not necessarily be fatter when they are slaughtered in the future.

After the benefits were given, Jia Lian recruited Wang Teng and Feng Fei, the youngest two, and said: "I will arrange a task for you these two days. When you have nothing to do during the day, go to the city and check out the Yangzhou city. Which wine store has the best wine, especially spirits, ask me clearly."

Both Wang Teng and Wang Teng agreed, and wanted to ask, didn't the second master just say about the funeral of his aunt, and everyone was not allowed to drink, why did he ask about wine again in a blink of an eye?
"The Eldest Master was good at wine all his life, and it is rare for me to go to Jiangnan, so I will bring back some of the best and strongest wine for the Elder Master to enjoy."

Jia Lian explained.

It is said that Jiangnan Fine Wine has come here, so it is natural to bring some good things back for Jia Amnesty.

He even thought about whether to buy two "good horses" in Yangzhou. They must be the kind of top-quality horses that have experience in human affairs, are extraordinarily coquettish, and can seduce people's spirits and squeeze people's bones.

Just think about it.

The news that the son recruited prostitutes for the father is too ugly.The point is that I don't know if Jia She is the same as before, like this type...

……

For the next two days, Jia Lian hardly ever left the gate of the Lin residence.

In addition to coordinating the matter of helping Jia Min's coffin to go to Suzhou, he just stayed in the courtyard and let Zhang Yong teach him the methods of exercise and basic fighting skills.

During this time, the younger brothers of the Lin family, headed by Lin Yu, came to invite him out many times to "play", saying that they wanted to invite him to experience the difference between Jianghuai Fengyue and Beijing.

Naturally, Jia Lian knew their real intentions, but he didn't bother to expose them, and every time he made vague excuses.

The last time they gathered a crowd in the courtyard, they half-pushed and half-persuaded him, and they seemed to push him out of the house, but when Zhang Yong showed his arms and yelled lightly, they all scared the hell out of them, and never let him go again. Did not dare to harass him.

In response, Jia Lian was not polite, but casually mentioned a few words in the ear of the old housekeeper, believing that the old housekeeper would help him pass it to Lin Ruhai's ears.

By the early morning of the third day, everything was ready.

At the gate of the Lin family, Jia Lian came to Lin Ruhai and said in a low voice, "Uncle, the time has come."

"Hmm..." Lin Ruhai lingered on the wooden coffin for a long time, paved the white silk tied on it with his own hands, and finally sighed: "Let's go."

The housekeeper sang: "Enlightenment~!"

Sorrows, cries...

All the senders followed the lifted coffin and slowly left the Lin family's gate.

Both sides of the gray street were covered with white lanterns made of bamboo poles, which looked extremely cold.But under the rows of white lanterns, there are blue and white tents, and in front of each tent, there is a small sacrificial table with incense burning inside the tripod.

It was the sacrificial shed set up by the officials and gentry of Yangzhou Prefecture. At first glance, it seemed that there was no end.

In those mansions, some sent family members and housekeepers to sacrifice, and some came in person.

Jia Lian's task at this time is to help Lin Ruhai, greet these people and thank them.

After leaving the road section with sacrificial sheds, the long line began to move forward at a constant speed.

Jia Lian turned his head to look at the small and thin figure in front of the coffin.

She looked so delicate, just holding her mother's spirit card, as if all her strength had been exhausted, Jia Lian was really afraid that a gust of morning wind would blow her down.

Thinking that there was still a long way to go outside the city, Jia Lian said to Lin Ruhai who was riding on horseback: "Uncle, sister Lin is weak and her illness is not recovering. I'm afraid it will hurt you if you blow for so long. Basically, let her ride in the car."

Lin Ruhai glanced at her daughter, "Alright."

Jia Lian beckoned for someone to drive the carriage up.

"No, thank you, Second Brother Lian..."

During these two days, Lin Daiyu also met Jia Lian several times, mostly in the mourning hall, so there was no initial stranger.

Hearing Jia Lian's arrangement for her, she turned her head and firmly refused.

He knew that Jia Lian deliberately said that she was ill so that she could rest in the car in a legitimate way.

But she knew that she was not sick, or rather, she had always been like this, being sick and weak was her normal state.

Although she did feel a little tired after walking such a long distance, behind her was her mother's coffin, and what she held in her arms was her mother's spirit card.At this time, she can't leave.

One is that this is her last chance to be filial to her mother, and the other is that she can't let so many people underestimate her!
Lin Ruhai said affectionately: "Your Lian's second elder brother is also doing it for your own good. Everyone knows your physical condition, and even your mother won't blame you for it. Just listen to him."

Daiyu just shook her head.

Seeing the firmness in Daiyu's eyes, Jia Lian couldn't help feeling more compassionate, so he turned to Lin Ruhai and said, "Sister Lin has a sincere heart, since that's the case, let her do what she wants."

In this way, although Lin Ruhai couldn't help worrying, he had no choice but to give up.

The long white dragon meandered forward, and finally arrived at the South City Gate after more than half an hour.

Outside the city is a carriage that has already been prepared to transport the coffin.

Although it is possible to transfer from Yangzhou to the Yangtze River via the Grand Canal to Suzhou, it would take a long time and be inconvenient, so the Lin family decided to take the dry road and use a horse-drawn carriage to escort the coffin back to Suzhou.

Seeing her mother's coffin being carried onto the carriage by the clansmen, Lin Daiyu cried so hard that she could hardly stand up. Fortunately, she was supported by the maids and nurses beside her.

Jia Lian hurriedly brought the carriage and helped Daiyu into the carriage himself.

Daiyu didn't insist this time, stood on the carriage, bowed to Lin Ruhai and then to Jia Lian, and then got into the carriage with the spirit tablet, and immediately, the sound of crying came from inside.

Jia Lian knocked on the dumbfounded Xueyan who was covering Bai Xiao, and asked: "Aren't you going to comfort your girls?"

"Oh."

Only then did the silly girl get into the carriage belatedly.

At this time, Jia Lian also got on his white-haired horse, and when the coffin was firmly tied to the horse-drawn cart, Jia Lian rode the horse to Lin Ruhai.

Lin Ruhai was being courteous with the "Third Lord" and others, and when he heard Jia Lian say that everything was ready to set off, he clamped his horse's back vigorously, approached and patted Jia Lian's shoulder: "I'm sorry to trouble you this time."

Jia Lian shook her head: "Uncle is serious, this is what my nephew should do."

After finishing speaking, ignoring the jealous eyes of Lin Yu and the others next to him, he asked, "Is there anything else you can order, Uncle?"

Lin Ruhai shook his head and said, "You guys go."

In fact, he also wanted to send his beloved wife off for the last time, but he shouldered the mission of the imperial court and the favor of the Holy Majesty.

If he wants to leave Yangzhou, he must first ask the imperial court for an order, and he can only do so after the imperial court approves.

He didn't want to make a lot of trouble because of his private affairs, and he didn't want the emperor to think he was frivolous.

Therefore, he could only hide his guilt towards his beloved wife in his heart.

Seeing that the sending team had gone far away, Lin Ruhai put away his gaze and beckoned his followers back to the yamen.

(End of this chapter)