A stew of the Red Chamber

Chapter 59: I'm counting on you.

East Courtyard.

Wang Shanbao's wife and daughter rushed over early upon hearing the news. Seeing Madam Xing return, they immediately knelt and pleaded, "Madam, you can't just stand by and watch her die!"

"I'm already..." Madam Xing was about to complain when she suddenly stopped and said, "They were up to no good, and Qing-ge caught them red-handed. The matter has blown up so much that even the old lady has been alerted. What can I do?"

Both of them were startled and said in a panic, "Madam, this isn't Master..."

"What nonsense are you spouting!" Madam Xing quickly retorted. "How could Master allow them to steal from our own family? If you continue to talk nonsense, be careful that you won't escape punishment either!"

"This..." The two looked at each other in bewilderment.

Just then, Jia She walked in.

Madam Xing gave the two a warning look and hurriedly went to greet Jia She, leaving Wang Shanbao's wife and daughter behind, looking helpless.

After a long while, they finally helped each other leave.

Madam Xing accompanied Jia She back to the backyard, whereupon she carefully served him a cup of tea and asked, "Is the old lady angry with us?"

"My fault?" Jia She glared, puffing out his beard. "It's all her fault for being biased!"

This attitude startled Madam Xing, who quickly said, "Then Wang Shanbao and Qin Fu..."

Since she was just a servant in her own household, Madam Xing didn't have many capable people around her.

Jia She raised his hand to interrupt, saying, "It would be good for a few servants to vent Qing-ge'er's anger!"

Shouldn't they be throwing pots and pans, smashing bowls, and giving Wang Qing a good dressing down? What's the point of this?

Mrs. Xing was increasingly confused.

But then Jia She frowned and looked at her, saying, "Go tell Qing-ge'er that I intend to betroth Er-ya to him. Tell him to prepare three to five thousand taels of silver for the betrothal!"

Although Grandmother Jia reminded Jia She that he should still observe the situation, Jia She took it as her favoring Jia Zheng.

In addition, seeing that I was flustered and that I was busy, I decided to get straight to the point.

Jia She's method may seem thoughtless, but it was actually well-thought-out.

A serious illness requires strong medicine. This time, there was already a disagreement with Wang Qing. If we don't make a complete 180-degree turn and try to slowly ease the tension, it will probably all be in vain.

He knew his younger brother best; even if he wanted to win him over and benefit from Wang Qing's influence, he would inevitably have to do it indirectly.

And this is his only chance.

Madam Xing, unaware of Jia She's true intentions, hesitated and said, "Master! After all this commotion today, shouldn't we postpone the marriage of Er Ya to him?"

"Slow down my ass!" Jia She said irritably. "If we delay any longer, the second branch will get all the benefits, and we won't even get a hot meal!"

Madam Xing didn't dare ask what the benefits were, and only said pitifully, "But...but I'm afraid he'll misunderstand and think we're deliberately setting a trap, saying we're going to betroth Er Ya to him, and then intentionally humiliate him when he proposes!"

Jia She's lips twitched, but he retorted defiantly, "Isn't this all your fault? Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, why did you have to humiliate him, sir?"

Madam Xing was almost choked by his words, but dared not refute them, and could only say, "That may be true, but I'm afraid Qing-ge'er still harbors resentment."

"That's why the master asked you to go and talk to him yourself!"

Jia She explained, "You are, after all, the first wife of the household. If you admit to instructing servants to embezzle the household's money to subsidize your family, would he still suspect you?"

"Just tell him that the master came back and gave you a good scolding, ordering you to apologize to him. Lower your stance, repeat all the things I said to him before, and then tell him that this time, despite the fight, you've become friends, and the master has developed a mutual respect for him, intending to marry the second daughter to him. Would he still have any doubts?"

"Um...then shall I give it a try?"

If it were Madam Wang, she might feel that apologizing to a junior would be beneath her dignity, but Madam Xing, from a humble family, didn't care about such things.

"Um!"

Jia She nodded in satisfaction, then added after a moment's thought, "Remember to tell him that if Lian Er returns and still shows no remorse, there's no need to bother the old lady. I'll definitely break Lian Er's legs and give him a good venting of his anger!"

This...this is using public office for private gain!

Madam Xing dared not say more and quickly took her leave.

……

Qin Fujia.

Wang Shanbao was arrested. Wang's mother was worried about her, so she simply brought him home. The two of them were dejected and at a loss.

Suddenly, a tall and robust Siqi rushed in.

"What's wrong?"

"You...you're back?"

"Upon hearing that my father, grandfather, and cousin had been arrested, I quickly asked the second young lady for leave!"

Siqi paused, then said, "Why are Grandpa and Father with my cousin... What happened?"

She didn't want to associate the theft with her own family, so she avoided the main issue and only pressed for details.

If outsiders were to inquire, Wang Shanbao's wife and Wang Shi would likely have to heed Madam Xing's warning.

When Siqi asked him a question, he only hoped that she could give him some advice.

He hurriedly recounted the whole story in detail.

Upon hearing this, Siqi found it hard to believe and asked in astonishment, "Why would the master steal his own things?"

"What else could it be? I just want to play the poor card with the old lady!"

As Madam Xing's maid, Wang Shanbao's wife had some speculations about the inside story.

Siqi breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this and said, "If you were just following orders, how come you were arrested?"

"If we don't arrest them, are we supposed to implicate the master? Can the manor afford to lose face like that? He'll probably just push them out to take the blame!"

Madam Wang said angrily, "I just told the First Madam that if she dares to talk nonsense outside, we will all be punished too."

"What can we do then? Are we just going to stand by and watch them suffer this injustice?"

"What else can we do? If your grandfather and father take the blame, there might be a chance for a lighter sentence; otherwise..."

Just then, a mournful cry was heard from outside the door: "You'an! My son!"

Immediately afterward, a woman stumbled into the house. Seeing Wang, she grabbed her and said, "Brother said he had good things to offer You'an, but this child is still young. He believed his uncle, and that's why things have turned out like this. Sister-in-law, you can't just abandon him!"

She called her sister-in-law, but her eyes were glancing at Wang Shanbao's wife, clearly wanting to use her relationship with Madam Xing.

Wang Shi already disliked her sister-in-law, and when she heard her push all the blame onto Qin Fu, she became even more furious.

He angrily retorted, "You're always eager to get involved when things go well, but when trouble comes, you try to pin the blame on your brother? There's no such thing as a free lunch!"

"I don't care! It was my brother who took him away, who else can I turn to if not you?"

Siqi was completely exasperated. She stamped her foot and said, "Stop arguing!"

As soon as she spoke, the woman grabbed her again, crying, "Siqi! Your mother has always disliked us, you can't just stand by and watch us die!"

"It's not that we don't want to help, it's just that..."

Siqi shook her head helplessly and said, "Even my father and grandfather were arrested. Don't my grandmother and mother want to save them? That's why they went to beg the First Madam..."

"Don't talk to her about those irrelevant things!" Wang quickly interrupted.

She trusted her own daughter but not her sister-in-law, fearing that her eagerness to save her son would lead her to expose the truth.

But Madam Wang understood the underlying meaning in Siqi's words. She was stunned at first, but then, as if grasping at a lifeline, she clung to Siqi even tighter and pleaded, "Go and beg the Second Miss!"

Siqi said helplessly, "Even if I beg the young lady, I still have to go to the First Madam, right?"

"No, no, no! Yesterday I heard from your second aunt that the second master invited Master Qing over for drinks and even gave him that white horse. It was Master Qing who took An away. If you can ask the second young lady to plead with the second madam, Master Qing will certainly not refuse the second madam's request."

People tend to rely on their own paths. Wang Shanbao and Qin Fu were originally from the East Courtyard. Wang Shanbao's wife and daughter, seeing that Madam Xing refused to come forward, did not think of seeking help from afar.

Hearing her say that opened their minds, and they all turned their attention to Siqi.

Siqi considered her daughter's temperament, then looked at the expectant gazes of the crowd, and finally gritted her teeth, saying, "Alright! I will definitely rescue Father and the others!"

"Hey! Hey! The whole family is counting on you!"

……