Uncle Lai in the Red Chamber

Chapter 25: The Art of Driving Tigers and Devouring Wolves

It's the Dragon Boat Festival and I have a day off.

In the Ning Rong Mansion, except for Qin Keqing who was pretending to be ill, they all gathered in the Rong Mansion to accompany Jia Mu Gao Le.

Lai Shangrong rarely had a day off, so he had no time to spare, so he rushed out of the city early in the morning.

It's not that he doesn't want to join in the fun, after all, it's quite eye-catching to see all the golden hairpins gathered together at this time.

It's just that it takes a long time to go outside the city, so I can only take advantage of the opportunity to rest and inspect.

He already has some experience in the production of paper pulp. The texture of pulp made from different materials is also different. Lai Shangrong has already ordered to send different pulps in batches to the finished product workshop to make finished products.

Firstly, it is convenient to calculate costs, and secondly, it is easy to check product quality.

You have to be hardworking when it comes to blacksmithing, let alone if you want to earn money from Ning Rong's second mansion. This papermaking is related to your plan to become an official, so there is no room for error.

For the sake of future happiness, I can only hibernate and endure for the time being.

Not to mention how Lai Shangrong inspected the workshop.

Jia Zheng had lunch with Jia Mu in Rongqing Hall and walked out to the study.

"Can you help me to send a message to the Second Master? Pan You'an wants to see the Second Master Bao!"

"Yo! Is it you again?"

"Hey! It's me! Thank you for your help!"

When Jia Zheng walked out of the Yimen, he saw a handsome young man nodding and bending towards the door, handing over a bag of snacks.

Seeing the low-down look, I felt very unhappy. He frowned and said, "Who are you? What are you doing with Baoyu?"

Pan You'an turned his head and saw Jia Zheng, and hurriedly lowered his eyebrows and said: "I was sent to the school as an errand because I know how to read and write. Second Master Bao admires me very much, so I will come here to ask for advice."

When Jia Zheng heard this, he became very angry and scolded: "There is no truth, how can he teach others even if he has not learned it himself? If you tell another lie, don't do it in the government!"

Pan You'an's knees weakened and he knelt down and said, "Master, have mercy! What I'm telling you is the truth!"

He was somewhat smart and knew that he couldn't admit that he was looking for Baoyu to play around. Even if Jia Zheng asked Baoyu, Baoyu would not dare to admit it.

Jia Zheng always followed the principle of persuading people. Seeing that he refused to admit it, he looked at it and said, "Shang Rong is teaching in the school. Even if you are devoted to learning and have doubts, you should ask him. Why are you bothering the master?"

Pan You'an kowtowed and said, "Master, please forgive me! Mr. Lai... Mr. Lai doesn't like to see the little one. Thank God if he doesn't embarrass the little one. How can he be willing to teach the little one? The second master sees that the little one is pitiful and is devoted to learning, so he is merciful to the little one." Come and ask for advice."

He has been thinking about how to deal with Lai Shangrong for a while, but the status of the two is very different, and it is not easy to fight back. After thinking about it, he can only use strength to fight.

After carefully recalling every detail of his time as a school errand, he really discovered some problems.

On the first day of school, Jia Zheng took it seriously at first, but when he saw Lai Shangrong breaking the ruler, he shook his head and left.

Combined with his insinuation and insinuation about Jia Zheng's behavior, he had some guesses in his mind.

Originally, he didn't have the guts to complain, but now he was forced to panic, and he became a live doctor.

Facts have proved that he made the right move. On the first day of school, Jia Zheng labeled Lai Shangrong as a flatterer.

He didn't know the principle of same-sex repulsion. He just felt that the people Lai Shangrong didn't want to see must not be of the same kind. Hearing that Pan Youan was devoted to studying, he immediately became interested.

He said in a deep voice: "Why doesn't he want to see you?"

Pan You'an knelt on the ground and didn't dare to raise his head. He didn't have the chance to observe his words, and he really couldn't explain the reason.

All he could do was hesitate and tentatively say: "Uh... maybe it's because scholars are attracted to each other!"

Jia Zheng didn't expect that he could actually say this, and he didn't care that Pan You'an compared himself to a scholar. Besides, in his heart, it was indeed prestigious to have a scholar in his house.

He smiled and said, "Oh? Do you know that scholars are attracted to each other?" With this tone of voice, Pan Youan could tell that Jia Zheng was in a good mood, even if he didn't dare to raise his head.

Thinking that flattery can never go wrong, he hurriedly said: "It's all taught by Mr. Bao!"

Unexpectedly, the flattery slapped the horse's leg, and Jia Zheng scolded him with a straight face: "You bastard, you actually work hard on this mess."

Pan You'an shrank his neck in fear, knelt on the ground and shivered, his eyebrows lowered and he didn't dare to say anything.

Jia Zheng looked at him for a while, then smiled and said, "You are willing to work hard, so how about it! I will transfer you to Baoyu's side to be a book boy, and remember to persuade him to work hard in the future."

It was true that great joy and great sorrow came so quickly. Pan Youan did not expect the joy to fall from the sky, so he hurriedly kowtowed and thanked him.

"Thank you for your kindness, Master! You must take good care of me... no... advise the second master to work hard!"

Jia Zheng was very proud of his wise decision. Since Lai Shangrong only knew how to flatter and welcome, he would put someone next to his son who was brave enough to rebuke him.

The reason why he was transferred to Baoyu was because he was afraid that Pan Youan would be under the supervision of Lai Shangrong in the school.

As soon as Jia Zheng left, Pan Youan jumped up from the ground quickly, raising his head and chest.

The people at the second gate were dumbfounded, and they said arrogantly: "Why don't you go and tell the second master!"

The servants didn't expect that he would be appreciated by Jia Zheng. It was obvious that he was like a chicken turning into a phoenix. They didn't dare to neglect and hurriedly went in to spread the message.

Pan You'an was so complacent that he accepted the flattery from the people around him and did not notice a pair of eyes in the corner staring at him fiercely.

After a while, Baoyu came out with Qin Zhong and learned that his father had assigned Pan Youan to him as a bookboy. There was no reason to be unhappy when he thought that it would be easier to get close to him in the future.

The three of them held hands and came to Baoyu's study together. There is no need to mention how to play.

After Lai Shangrong inspected the two workshops and made arrangements for each place, it was already Youshi time when he returned home.

There was no time to eat, so Lai Da and his wife immediately called him to the east courtyard.

"Son! It's all your father's fault. I didn't expect to pick out such a rebel!"

As soon as they entered the door, they were confused by the complaints of their mother, Mrs. Xu. The couple did not wait for him to ask, so they repeated Pan Youan's exchange with Jia Zheng in front of the second door, word for word.

"He didn't even think about how he got into the school, and he dared to complain in front of the second master, but the second master promoted him to Baoyu."

After complaining, the two of them looked at Lai Shangrong and said, "The second master won't be dissatisfied with you, right?"

Lai Shangrong was stunned when he was asked. He didn't have much contact with Jia Zheng. Every time he met, he was respectful and dealt with him appropriately. He couldn't think of anything that made him dissatisfied.

He shook his head and smiled: "This is a good thing! It was also my son's intention."

Seeing Pan Youan and Baoyu flirting with each other, Zheng was worried that he had no excuse to separate the relationship, so Jia Zheng was undoubtedly dozing off and gave him a pillow.

The parents were worried, so they told Pan Youan and Baoyu about their super friendly relationship.He only concealed his relationship with the chess player. After all, his character had to be established clearly, and sometimes he even had to deceive himself, let alone his parents.

After listening to Lai Shangrong's words, the two lowered their heads and pondered for a while, looked at each other and nodded.

Lai Da said: "This kid doesn't know what to do and dares to mess with Tai Sui. Don't blame us for being ruthless. Don't worry, son, leave this matter to us. If he can't bear it, he will have to walk away."

"This……"

Lai Shangrong hesitated. He understood his parents' desire to speak out for him, but there was no guarantee that Si Qi wouldn't know about it. Then he would become a villain who did one thing in front of her and did another behind her back. How else...how to test her behind her back. Who wants to target his own family?

"It's not necessary. Besides, if this matter spreads, others will only treat him as a son, which is intolerable."

"Hey! You kid underestimates your father too much!" Mother Xu laughed and said, "Do we still need to take action on this matter? As long as...if there is just a little bit of news leaked, we will rush to get it done!"

(End of this chapter)