lovenovelstory Chapter 52 Grandmother Jia's Arrangements
Chapter 52 Grandmother Jia's Arrangements
"Snapped!"
"ah--"
"Slap—slap—"
"Ah~ Ah~"
Madam Wang was not in the main room, but in one of the three side rooms in the east corridor. She sat upright on the kang (heated brick bed) on the west side, her eyes tightly closed, slowly turning her prayer beads in her hands, and softly chanting Buddhist scriptures, as if she had not heard the commotion outside at all.
"Madam! Madam..."
Zhou Rui's wife scrambled in, collapsing to her knees before the kang (a heated brick bed), tears and snot streaming down her face. "Madam, if these fifty lashes are finished, even if she doesn't die, she'll be crippled!"
The prayer beads in Madam Wang's hand paused only slightly before slowly resuming their rotation.
Seeing that Madam Wang didn't even lift her eyelids, the old woman who followed her in immediately dragged Zhou Rui's wife out.
"Madam! Madam..."
As Zhou Rui's cries faded into the distance, Madam Wang slowly opened her eyes. Hearing the sound of whips and Zhou Rui's screams in the courtyard, fire blazed in her eyes. Her fingers gripped the prayer beads tightly, her knuckles turning white.
Before long, Zhou Rui's screams gradually subsided, leaving only the piercing sound of the whip.
An old woman rushed in, covered in sweat. "Madam, Master Zhou has fainted."
Madam Wang remained silent, her face frighteningly grim. The old woman dared not linger and quietly slipped out.
Madam Wang suppressed the surging anger in her heart and slowly closed her eyes again.
Suddenly, a piercing scream rang out, and Madam Wang abruptly opened her eyes, hurriedly getting off the kang (a heated brick bed).
Immediately afterward, the old woman rushed in again, her voice trembling: "Madam, something terrible has happened! Master Zhou's leg... his leg has been broken!"
Madam Wang was stunned for a moment, then could no longer contain her anger and slammed the prayer beads in her hand to the ground! The string snapped, and the beads scattered all over the floor...
......................
Logically, Liu Feng should have gone to pay his respects to Grandmother Jia as soon as he entered the Jia Mansion. However, Grandmother Jia had just taken her medicine and was resting, so he couldn't disturb her. He had to wait until after dinner before going to Grandmother Jia's room to sit for a while and chat with her about everyday matters.
By the time they came out of Grandmother Jia's courtyard, the sun had already set.
Liu Feng glanced back at Rongqing Hall, inwardly thinking: "TV dramas are all made up, as expected. In the show, Xue Ke immediately meets Lin Daiyu and the three Jia sisters upon entering the Rongguo Mansion. But in reality, it's never that easy."
Not to mention the three sisters of the Jia family, he didn't even get to see Li Wan, Wang Xifeng, You Shi, and Qin Keqing, the young wives. The only person who accompanied him the whole time was Madam Xing, who said some polite words and even tried to make connections by saying that she was also from Suzhou and that her younger brother and niece were still living in her hometown in Suzhou.
Jia Zhen accompanied Liu Feng to the front yard, saying with a smile, "That's just how the Second Master is; he likes to advise others. Don't take it to heart."
Jia Lian, standing behind him, shook his head. After a couple of cups of wine, Jia Zheng's old habit had returned, and he was rambling on about grand principles of persuading people to do good. His own room was a mess, yet he had the nerve to criticize others—enough already.
Liu Feng smiled and didn't take it to heart at all.
Just then, an old woman and a young maid came from the other end of the corridor.
"Granny Lai."
The brothers Jia Zhen and Jia Lian hurriedly stepped forward and clasped their hands in greeting, while Granny Lai also curtsied slightly, saying, "Master, Second Master, you're too kind."
Granny Lai? This old woman is Lai Da's mother?
Liu Feng glanced at her twice, then his gaze swept over the little maid following behind her, and he was immediately stunned.
The girl had a slender waist, narrow shoulders, and fair, delicate skin.
What surprised Liu Feng the most was that her eyebrows and eyes resembled those of Lin Daiyu.
Could it be... that this person is Qingwen?
This scene happened to be witnessed by Jia Zhen. He looked Qingwen up and down, his eyes darting around, and a meaningful smile appeared on his face.
"Gentlemen, please continue with your business. I'll go and pay my respects to the old lady first."
"Take care, Granny."
After Granny Lai had gone far away, Jia Zhen and Jia Lian escorted Liu Feng out of the mansion.
After watching the group walk away, the two turned and went back to their residence.
Jia Zhen smiled and told Jia Lian about Liu Feng staring at Qingwen earlier.
Jia Lian laughed as well: "Looking at you so aloof and proper, it turns out you're just an ordinary person after all."
"It's good to be an ordinary person!" Jia Zhen stroked his beard and laughed. "If he were truly a saint who didn't eat the food of worldly affairs, we wouldn't be able to win him over."
Jia Lian nodded: "I'll go and report to Master right away..."
Jia Zhen stopped him, saying, "This matter can't be brought up in the open. If word gets out, it won't sound good. Besides, you know Second Master's temperament..."
He glanced around, then lowered his voice, "Whether the manor will simply send it over, or whether we brothers will arrange it privately, the differences are vast. If we encounter any difficulties in the future..."
Jia Lian understood instantly, but still hesitated: "This...isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
"My silly brother, you should always think more about yourself!"
Jia Zhen grabbed his arm, "Putting everything else aside, the area under his jurisdiction is all bustling and prosperous places. If he just raises his hand to help us out, how can we not make a fortune? A man can only stand tall when he has money in his hands. At that time, Feng'er will no longer be able to suppress you in every way."
These words struck a chord with Jia Lian, and his eyes immediately lit up, revealing that he had often suffered humiliation over money matters.
Jia Zhen pressed his advantage: "It's settled then. The two of us brothers will chip in five hundred taels of silver, and you'll contribute two hundred taels. Go find Lai Da and deliver the man over before dark."
"Five hundred taels? That much?!"
"Being willing to spend money shows sincerity; the more money we give, the more it demonstrates our brotherly affection."
Although Jia Lian was reluctant to spend the money, he thought about the benefits and gritted his teeth and agreed.
......................
Granny Lai was unable to see Grandmother Jia, who went to Rongxi Hall and summoned Jia She and Jia Zheng.
Grandmother Jia sat in the head seat, with a large plaque of red gold with nine dragons on a blue background behind her, exuding an air of grandeur.
Jia She stood properly, while Jia Zheng knelt on the ground with his head bowed.
Grandmother Jia looked at Jia Zheng and sighed softly, "Get up."
Jia Zheng slowly got up from the ground and moved to stand next to him.
Grandmother Jia said irritably, "Who are you arguing with? Sit down and talk."
"Yes." The two brothers bowed and then sat down.
Grandmother Jia looked at Jia She and said, "Our Jia family still needs the Wang family to maintain its standing. We can't afford to break ties with the Wang family."
Jia She nodded without saying a word.
"However, this matter cannot be simply let go."
After thinking for a moment, Grandmother Jia said to Jia Zheng, "The Dowager Princess is unwell. Have Wang go to the Buddhist hall to eat vegetarian food and chant sutras to pray for her well-being."
"How long?" Jia Zheng asked.
Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia choked for a moment, feeling both angry and helpless.
Jia She almost burst out laughing. Was there even a question? Of course, Wang Shi could only come out of the Buddhist hall when the Dowager Consort recovered from her illness.
Grandmother Jia ignored him and turned to Jia She, saying, "From now on, let Feng'er manage the affairs of the inner quarters."
Jia She grunted in response.
After a moment of silence, Grandmother Jia said, "There's something else I'd like to discuss with you, the compensation the eunuch mentioned earlier..."
Jia Zheng hurriedly looked at Grandmother Jia, his heart pounding with anxiety.
Grandmother Jia glanced at him and continued, "I've been thinking about this for days. Even if the second son gets promoted to the position of Vice Minister of Works, it won't be of much practical use to the family. Besides, the second son isn't good at being an official..."
Upon hearing this, Jia Zheng felt a pang of disappointment, but he said nothing.
Grandmother Jia suddenly sighed deeply: "The second daughter of the Zhen family has found a good marriage, but our Yuan Chun is several years older than her and still hasn't settled down. As her grandmother, it really pains me. She entered the palace entirely for the sake of her family..."
She sighed heavily again, "I plan to go to the Dowager Empress Dowager to beg for a favor, and with the compensation promised by the Emperor, I'll try to get Yuan Chun a proper title, even if it's just a lowly concubine!"
Jia She was slightly taken aback, then understood what Grandmother Jia was thinking.
If the Emperor agrees to this, all previous matters can be wiped clean, and the Jia family can live in peace.
With the Jia family's foundation and connections, plus the Dowager Empress's Buddhist practice in the palace, and Lin Ruhai's support in the court... Liu Feng is also considered a member of the Jia family. In the future, Yuan Chun will surely rise to the rank of Ninth Consort in the palace. If she can successfully give birth to a prince or princess, that would be even better.
Seeing that Jia She had no objection, Grandmother Jia immediately made the decision: "It's settled then."
As she spoke, she suddenly frowned, "Ever since dawn, I've felt uneasy, like something's missing. Just like with your father..."
Jia She and Jia Zheng exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with worry.
Grandmother Jia stared blankly at the distant sky outside the door, and after a long while, she slowly shook her head: "No...no...when people get old, they always become suspicious."
After saying that, he got up and walked out.