A stew of the Red Chamber

Chapter 2 First Meeting with Grandma and Grandma

After a moment's thought, Wang Xifeng replied, "There are two empty courtyards, one in the northeast corner of the alley and the other next to Pear Fragrance Courtyard. Please decide, Madam."

Although Grandmother Jia made a solemn vow that taking care of Wang Qing was her duty, if she really wanted to, she wouldn't have waited until now to let him stay.

Wang Xifeng was very good at reading people's expressions, so she deliberately chose two courtyards, one inside and one outside, to test Grandmother Jia's intentions.

Sure enough, after a moment's thought, Grandmother Jia said, "Qing-ge'er has taken on a mission from the imperial court after all. In the future, he will likely have to socialize and entertain people. Living in the northeast corner is quite inconvenient. It would be better for him to live next to Pear Fragrance Courtyard, which is close to the back street and convenient for him to come and go."

"Hey!~"

Sensing Grandmother Jia's ambivalent attitude, Wang Xifeng quickly agreed, saying, "There's plenty of time in the future. Brother Qing has had a long journey. Why don't you go and settle in first, and then come and chat with the old lady another day?"

Before Grandmother Jia could speak, a maidservant reported, "Grandmother, the two ladies have arrived with their wives and daughters."

"Quickly, let them in!"

Grandmother Jia greeted them, then turned to Wang Qing with a smile and said, "I suppose it's the ladies bringing your sister-in-law Zhu and a few of your younger sisters for their morning and evening greetings. In that case, you should go and meet them."

Upon hearing this, Wang Xifeng pursed her lips: "It's possible that Madam Wang might be the one, but the old lady dislikes her mother-in-law and has long since exempted her from the morning and evening greetings. I'm afraid she just heard that the old lady has a junior and came to find out what's going on."

While secretly grumbling to himself, he went to greet her, saying with a smile, "Our ancestor is the pillar of our family, and the ladies should naturally come to show their filial piety from time to time."

As they were talking, several maids escorted two women dressed in gorgeous but very different styles as they walked in from behind the screen.

The older women, who looked to be around thirty-five or thirty-six, were plump and rounded, clearly pampered ladies from wealthy families. Their skin was fair and smooth, and they were very well-maintained. If it weren't for the two faint crow's feet at the corners of their eyes, they would look even younger.

She wore a long, dark blue satin embroidered coat, which, though slightly loose, could not conceal the bulging bulge in front of her body.

She walks with her head still and shoulders steady, exuding grace and poise.

Holding a string of sandalwood prayer beads in her hand, she wore a gentle smile, yet her eyes and brows hinted at a certain aloofness, giving off a feeling of forced smiles.

The other one was slightly younger, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with a slender figure and graceful posture.

She wore a narrow-sleeved satin jacket in a moon-colored hue. Not only was it extremely fitted, but it was also specially tailored to accentuate her waist. Although she was not as voluptuous as the former, it highlighted her unique and delicate figure.

Her face was all smiles, with exaggerated flattery. Her every move was large, causing her skirt to sway. Her head was covered in jewels and hairpins, jingling and tinkling. Her eyebrows were raised, exuding a charming yet frivolous air.

Judging from their attire, Wang Qing knew they must be Madam Xing and Madam Wang, and quickly stepped aside to give up the seat in front of Grandmother Jia.

The two walked around the screen and bowed to Grandmother Jia.

Grandmother Jia then looked at Wang Qing, pointing to the two women in turn, and said, "Qing-ge'er, these are your eldest aunt and second aunt."

Upon hearing that the youngest was actually ranked high in the family, Wang Qing paused for a moment, not following the advice of Grandmother Jia to avoid unnecessary conversation, but instead bowed to the two women and said, "Wang Qing greets the First Madam and the Second Madam."

"No wonder he's the old lady's great-aunt's grandson, he's truly a handsome young man."

The two seemed to be not good with words; they only said one compliment in unison, and then said nothing more.

Noticing the awkwardness of her two daughters-in-law, Grandmother Jia quickly waved to the people behind them and said, "Zhu-ge's wife, come over here and meet your brother Qing."

Knowing the proper order of seniority, Wang Qing understood that Grandmother Jia would introduce Madam Xing and Madam Wang first, so he waited patiently without glancing around.

At this moment, following the direction pointed out by Grandmother Jia, Fang greeted her, saying, "Greetings, Sister-in-law Zhu!"

Unlike Wang Xifeng, who was radiant and dazzling, Li Wan appeared exceptionally plain.

Her features were exquisite, her eyebrows and eyes were like a painting, and her skin was so white it was almost dazzling, whether it was because she rarely saw the sun or because she was born that way.

Perhaps because of her widowhood, she has lost some of her vibrancy and gained more blandness.

After entering, he stood by the screen until he heard Grandmother Jia's introduction, at which point he stepped forward slightly.

"Greetings, Brother Qing!"

After returning Wang Qing's greeting, she retreated behind Madam Wang, like a snow lotus perched on a snow-capped mountain, exuding a strong sense of coldness and loneliness, completely out of place with the surrounding atmosphere.

However, beneath her plain-colored dress and jacket lay an extremely impressive figure.

Her breasts were bulging, one in front and one behind, just as large as Lady Wang's. However, unlike Lady Wang's relatively loose clothing, she wore a close-fitting, narrow jacket that clung tightly to her body, making her waist appear even slimmer, her hips fuller, and her chest more prominent.

Her expression was indifferent, her face expressionless, which contrasted sharply with her plump figure.

It inexplicably gives rise to an urge to tear away the disguise and find out what's going on.

Grandmother Jia glanced at the indistinct shadows behind the screen and asked, feigning ignorance, "Why aren't Er'er and the others coming in?"

Madam Xing smiled broadly and said, "Hurry up..."

She just got started.

But then Madam Wang coughed lightly, interrupting, "These sisters are all playful by nature. They want to go to Lin's room for a chat and will come to pay their respects to the old lady later."

Ever since Lin Daiyu entered the Rongguo Mansion, the three sisters moved to the three small main rooms in Lady Wang's courtyard.

This second wife naturally took on the responsibility of educating the three sisters, knowing that there were guests at Grandmother Jia's place, so she dared not be careless.

Before leaving, he specifically instructed Sanchun to wait outside.

If Wang Qing is of suitable age, then invite them in for a meeting. If Wang Qing is a filthy, uncouth man, then find an excuse to make them leave temporarily.

Although Wang Qing was handsome and had a good appearance, he was not the kind of person who would be associated with a filthy, unshaven man.

But with his imposing figure, not to mention Jia Lian and Jia Baoyu, even Jia Zheng looked much smaller in front of him. In addition, Grandmother Jia did not let Lin Daiyu come out to meet him, so she used the excuse that the sisters were having a private chat and asked them to go to the gauze curtain to hide for a while.

Lady Wang's words pleased Grandmother Jia, who nodded and said, "That's good. They're more reserved here. Anyway, Qing-ge'er will be staying at the mansion, so there will be plenty of opportunities to see him in the future."

Upon hearing this, Sanchun excused herself and left through the screen.

Grandmother Jia invited Madam Xing and Madam Wang to take their seats.

Perhaps feeling that the three sisters were avoiding her, she asked, "By the way, where is Baoyu? I haven't seen him all day. Where has he been running around again? We have guests at home, but he doesn't even come out to greet them."

Wang Xifeng quickly smiled and said, "Rongge's daughter-in-law's younger brother came to study. The two of them are about the same age and have similar interests. They played together very much. Perhaps they went to play at the East Mansion after school."

It's so good that we can't even talk about it!

Wang Qingzheng chuckled to himself.

Suddenly, Madam Xing let out a muffled groan and said in a sarcastic tone, "You seem to know all about these things, so how come you've let the thieves take advantage of you time and time again?"

Last night, in the dead of night, it was like a battle was raging inside the mansion. Those thieves must have broken in again, right? I heard it all clearly from over there. Did it frighten the old lady?"

As soon as she entered, Wang Xifeng brought up the very thing she didn't want to talk about, saying that she had come to the old lady to fulfill her filial duties.

What was said unintentionally was taken to heart by the listener. Madam Xing felt that Wang Xifeng was subtly making things difficult for her, and she was already quite unhappy.

I felt I had lost face because Madam Wang had interrupted me again.

Although she held the title of sister-in-law, she was a second wife and from a humble family, unlike Lady Wang's powerful family. She couldn't show Lady Wang any disrespect, nor dared to express dissatisfaction with Grandmother Jia. She had long been harboring resentment.

Wang Xifeng hadn't expected that Madam Xing would be so ruthless in front of outsiders. As a woman of lower seniority, she could only suffer like a wronged little wife.

Grandmother Jia quickly said, "You can't say that. It's not just our family; how many families in the capital have been able to settle down these past two months? Besides, how would she, a mere woman, know how to catch a thief?"

Her words, seemingly upholding justice, were in fact an attempt to save face for her own family.

After all, being robbed is not something to be proud of.

He thought that once he spoke up, his eldest daughter-in-law would probably stop.

Unexpectedly, Madam Xing acted out of character and persisted, saying, "Old Madam, you can't say that! Not to mention the distant past, just look at the East Mansion. They only suffered once. It's nothing like our side, where people have sneaked into the mansion time and time again."

Normally, Master Lian and Grandma Feng are a formidable and influential couple, always meticulous in everything they do. Why are they so helpless this time? It's clear they didn't take this matter seriously, allowing the thieves to spot their weakness and then pick on the weakest link!

At this point, she looked at Wang Xifeng and said earnestly, "You are both young, and I'm not blaming you. However, you should listen to the advice of your elders more often. Last time, the master said he would transfer two people over to help out, but you were too proud and just stubbornly refused..."

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia's face immediately darkened, and she shouted sternly, "Enough!"

It's one thing to talk about your family being robbed in front of Wang Qing, since you're not the only one who's been robbed.

Moreover, Wang Qing is about to take up a post in the Five Cities Military Command and will be living in the mansion. He can keep it a secret for a while, but not forever.

As the saying goes, no one knows a son better than his mother. Grandmother Jia knew exactly what kind of person her eldest son was.

As soon as Madam Xing opened her mouth, how could Grandmother Jia not know what kind of nonsense she was holding back?

Family scandals should not be aired in public. If it were behind closed doors, she could patiently offer some advice, but in front of Wang Qing, she was afraid of exposing the family's discord.

Madam Xing shrank back in fright, but still forced herself to say, "Grandma, it's not that I'm being nosy, I'm just really worried about the family!"

This group of thieves has come three or four times already, and each time they leave empty-handed. It's one thing if the government loses a few hundred taels of silver, but my sister-in-law also suffers losses every time. Er Ya and the others live in my sister-in-law's courtyard. If something they shouldn't have lost were to be stolen and end up outside, it would be a serious matter!

Madam Xing could certainly see Grandmother Jia's dissatisfaction, but she had no way to express her grievances.

At first, when the Rongguo Mansion was robbed, Jia She was somewhat gloating.

But when he tallied it up, he couldn't laugh anymore. Not only were hundreds of taels of silver stolen from the official residence every time, but small items were also constantly going missing from Madam Wang's courtyard.

Although he moved to the east wing, he didn't get a share of the family property, but he still received a share of the government's silver.

Whenever Jia She heard these things, he felt a pang of heartache.

Unfortunately, the thief was too oblivious and didn't venture into his courtyard, leaving Jia She with no opportunity to inflate his deficit and offset his losses.

The only option was to pressure Jia Lian and Wang Xifeng, attempting to arrange two lucrative positions for their confidants. However, Jia Lian and Wang Xifeng outwardly complied but inwardly resisted, making excuses and delaying the process.

I heard last night that the mansion had been robbed again, and I couldn't contain myself any longer.

However, I startled Grandmother Jia last night and didn't get up to catch up on sleep this morning, thus missing the morning and evening greetings, which is why it's been delayed until now.

Unexpectedly, by a twist of fate, I heard that Wang Qing had come to visit.

Just like when a child takes a fancy to a toy, they will often choose a time when outsiders are present, and then they will cry, make a scene, and even threaten suicide.

Jia She was overjoyed and immediately gave Madam Xing a death order.

Otherwise, how could Madam Xing have dared to bring up the very thing that Jia Mu was unhappy about?

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia felt a terrible headache.

Although they knew that Jia She and Madam Xing had impure motives, they could no longer pretend to be deaf and dumb because it involved the reputation of Yingchun and others.

Before Grandmother Jia could speak, Lady Wang, standing to the side, looked astonished: "What? Something's gone from my courtyard?"

……