The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 48 Longing for Spring Freedom

In a blink of an eye, the Spring Plowing Festival on the second day of February in the fourth year of Qiansheng in the Dajin Dynasty is commonly known as the dragon raising its head. There is a folk proverb: On the second day of February, when the dragon raises its head, big warehouses are full of small warehouses.It can be seen that it is full of ordinary people's simple and beautiful vision for the new year, and after this day, it means that the year-long spring planting has officially started, the weather is getting warmer, everything is recovering, and the animals and plants that have been silent for the winter are beginning to bloom in the sun, arousing a thriving vitality.

At this moment, Jia Huan stood in front of the window, looking calmly at the garden tree standing in the rainy spring. He seemed to have grown a little taller, and his bookish air seemed to be stronger, making him look more youthful and mature.

The garden tree has sprouted new buds, and the grass under the well is also breaking through the ground. Looking at the spring swallows flying past in the rain, Jia Huan is inexplicably envious. Counting from the [-]th day of the first lunar month, he has been confined for more than half a month. Although the time is not long, it feels like he has been locked up for several years. Now seeing the scenery of spring coming to the world, his desire for freedom is even stronger.

For more than half a month, Jia Huan read during the day and wrote the script at night. The [-]th "Palace of Eternal Life" has been written. During this time, except for the occasional visits of Aunt Zhao and Jia Tanchun, no one came to the door.

The small courtyard where Jia Huan lived seemed to be a cold deserted place, and the maids and mother-in-law in the mansion also took a detour when they passed by, as if they were afraid of causing bad luck. This is the power of Jia Mu's words.

In Jia's mansion, Jia's mother is the god of ups and downs, and the staff refers to spring, summer, autumn and winter. Of course, Jia's mother only annoyed Jia Huan because of Jia Baoyu's falling jade, but she did not instruct Jia Huan to abuse and suppress Jia Huan. It was Mrs. Wang and Wang Xifeng who really abused and suppressed Jia Huan.

In the back house of Jia's mansion, apart from Jia's mother, it was Mrs. Wang and Wang Xifeng who had the final say. Since these two didn't want to see Jia Huan, the people below naturally didn't dare to approach Jia Huan. Jia Yingchun and Jia Xichun didn't come, so they must have been pressured from this aspect.

As for the reason why Lin Daiyu didn't come, Jia Huan thought it was because Xueyan came to ask for the script that day but failed. It happened that he was in a bad mood at that time and his attitude was a little cold. Lin Daiyu was originally suspicious, and after hearing Xueyan's report, he probably started to think wildly again. Maybe he felt that he had annoyed her, so he simply broke off contact.

Lin Daiyu is a lonely girl who is a spiritual aristocrat, as can be seen from her poems, just like the sentence in "The Song of Burying Flowers", "The quality is clean when it comes and goes, and it is better than the dirt and ditch", so it is normal for her to not come if she is proud in her heart.

Of course, Jia Huan didn't care, if he didn't come, he wouldn't come. He was not Jia Baoyu, but he didn't have the hobby of licking dogs. They were equal to each other.

Jia Huan was meditating on the silk rain outside the window, when he suddenly saw Ping'er entering the yard from the outside with an oil-paper umbrella, wearing an apricot red bud-pinch vest on his upper body, and an emerald green pleated skirt on his lower body, and his figure under the thin spring shirt was even more slender and attractive, but at this time Qiao Ping'er's face was not very good-looking, and the rims of his eyes were red, as if crying.

Jia Huan was secretly surprised, at this time, a little maid also followed into the yard, it was Xiao E'er, the rough maid, who also looked panic-stricken.

Jia Huan turned around and went back to the desk and sat down. Soon, Ping'er packed up his rain gear and came in, with a soft and sweet smile on his face, but the slightly red eyes could not be concealed.

Jia Huan asked calmly: "It's raining outside, where is sister Ping'er coming from?"

While wiping the rain from his hair, Ping'er said: "I have nothing to do, I chatted with Yuanyang for a while, I heard that Aunt Xue's family will go to Beijing in the second half of this month, and now the mansion is repairing the Lixiang Garden, probably it is going to let Aunt Xue's family live in."

Jia Huan's heart moved. It seemed that Xue Baochai was about to appear on the stage. I wonder how this sister Bao compares with the one in the [-]th edition of "Dream of Red Mansions"?Even if it is ruthless and touching, it is worth looking forward to!
At this time Ping'er said again: "I heard that Uncle Xue from Aunt Xue's house is nicknamed the Overlord. He was a fool. He fought with others to buy a girl, and even beat her to death. He was ruthless enough. Now that he has come to Beijing to join our house, he is probably avoiding a lawsuit. A capable person, he was ten times better than Brother Nai in reading when he was young, and seeing that Brother Nai was not good enough, he stopped his studies and concentrated on helping the family with the family's affairs, and the family business finally improved."

When Ping'er said this, he couldn't help sighing: "As the saying goes, the same rice feeds a variety of people. They are originally brothers and sisters of the same mother, but the difference is so big."

Jia Huan smiled and said: "That's a matter of discipline. Xue Pan is an only child. Aunt Xue was spoiled since she was a child."

Ping'er nodded and said: "That's the reason, by the way, is the third master hungry? The servant girl will cook for you."

Jia Huan touched his stomach and said, "I'm a little hungry."

Ping'er smiled and said: "Third Master, wait a moment, it will be ready soon." After speaking, he turned and left the house.

Taking advantage of Ping'er's busy schedule, Jia Huan called Xiao'er in secretly, and asked, "Where did your elder sister Ping'er go just now? Why does she seem to be crying?"

Xiao E'er hesitated and said: "Sister Ping'er didn't let me tell the third master."

Jia Huan asked, "Did she secretly go to find Second Mistress Lian?"

Xiao E'er stuttered and said: "Third Master...how did you know?"

Sure enough, Jia Huan couldn't help frowning. The dry goods stored in the house were almost gone, and the hundreds of catties of dry firewood sent by Lai Da last time were about to be burned.

Xiao E'er lowered her head and said in a low voice: "Since the third master knows, the servant girl will not hide it anymore, sister Ping'er has indeed gone to look for Second Mistress Lian."

"And then?" Jia Huan said in a deep voice.

Xiao E'er said angrily: "Sister Ping'er kowtowed to Second Mistress Lian, asking her not to embarrass Third Master, but instead she was humiliated by Feng'er and Laiwang's daughter-in-law."

"What did Second Mistress Lian say?" Jia Huan's tone was already tinged with coldness.

Xiao E'er whispered: "Second Mistress Lian didn't say anything, but she hinted that you should go find her personally, Third Master."

Jia Huan sneered inwardly, does Wang Xifeng feel that he has subdued me?Asked: "What happened later? Why did Ping'er cry? There are still stains on the skirt?"

Xiao E'er faltered, as if he didn't dare to say anything, Jia Huan's face darkened and said: "Xiao E'er, how do I treat you, Third Master?"

Xiao E'er gritted her teeth, and said in a friendly voice: "When Sister Ping'er and the maid left Second Grandma Lian's room, they happened to meet Second Master Lian near the veranda."

Jia Huan's heart tightened, and she suddenly clenched her small fist and said, "But did Jia Lian bully Ping'er?"

Xiao E'er quickly shook her head and said, "No...no, I just stopped her and said a few stupid words, sister Ping'er fell while going around, and stained her skirt a bit."

Jia Huan breathed a sigh of relief, but the anger was burning in his chest, the tiger really thought of me as a sick cat if it didn't show its power, well, if that's the case, don't blame Lao Tzu for being cruel.

Jia Huan was still hesitating whether to go big and knock Wang Xifeng down completely. After all, the Wang family's backing was very tough, and he didn't want to tear his face apart unless he had to. But if something like this happened today, he decided not to bear it any longer.

On the afternoon of the second day, the continuous spring rain finally stopped for a while. Jia Huan was sorting out and proofreading the manuscript of "The Palace of Eternal Life", and Aunt Zhao ran in crying, wiping her tears and howling: "Huan'er, I can't live through this day!"

Jia Huan frowned and said, "What's wrong?"

Aunt Zhao cried: "We haven't paid the monthly money for last month, and this month's monthly money was deducted by that Yasha star. Today I couldn't help asking, but they gave up a lot of reasons, and everyone started arguing. Instead, my wife helped her, reprimanded me for not knowing the rules, and scolding me for making troubles because of trivial matters... Woohoo, no monthly money, how will I live in the future!"

Jia Huan's head hurt a little from her howling, and he ordered: "Ping'er, go and get 20 taels of silver and give it to Auntie."

When Aunt Zhao heard this, she stopped crying immediately, and just wiped her tears with a handkerchief, and peeked at Ping'er who turned around to open the cash box.

It is said that just after the new year, Aunt Zhao had already proposed to help Jia Huan take care of the new year's money and the 100 taels of silver rewarded by Jia's mother, but Jia Huan flatly refused.

At this time, Ping'er took out 20 taels of silver from the cash box and handed it to Aunt Zhao. After the latter took it, she finally had a smile on her face, and hummed: "You have a bit of conscience at last, my mother didn't hurt you in vain."

Jia Huan said angrily: "Auntie will come to me when she has no money to spend. There is no need to make people laugh."

Aunt Zhao felt good, but she still hummed and said: "Toad is yawning, with your little money, you can afford to be my mother and me for the rest of your life? What's more, it's only natural for us mothers to receive monthly money. Could it be that she withheld it for nothing and bullied her for nothing? Anyway, I can't swallow this breath."

Jia Huan thought, I can't swallow it, let's bear it for a while, when Wang Xifeng spits out all the profit, it's time to stop.

Aunt Zhao got 20 taels of silver, and she was in a much better mood, and after nagging for a while, she left happily.

(End of this chapter)