Wang Xifeng rushed over in haste, only to discover she had arrived too late—the master had already started beating him.
She was the first to arrive; Old Ancestor and Second Madam hadn’t come yet.
The servants around them were already kneeling on the ground, trembling.
They wanted to help protect Baoyu, but the master angrily ordered them to kneel, and they dared not disobey. They could only watch helplessly as the master wielded his palm, striking Baoyu’s bottom again and again.
Seeing this, Wang Xifeng was momentarily stunned, a thought flashing through her mind: This time the master didn’t use a rod but his palm instead—the injuries probably won’t be too serious.
But now that she was here, what could she do?
Wang Xifeng anxiously stamped her feet on the side, watching Jia Baoyu’s tears streaming down. She hastily urged: “Master, calm down for a moment. What happened? What did Baoyu do to anger you?” Oh dear, why haven’t Old Madam and Madam arrived yet? She couldn’t stop the master!
As soon as the maid reported this matter, Wang Second Madam and Grandmother Jia came over. However, their residences were at different distances, and their situations at the time also differed. For instance, Grandmother Jia lived closer to Baoyu, but she had already retired for her nap and needed to get up and dress.
So Second Madam arrived first. She threw herself over Baoyu’s body, blocking Jia Zheng’s palm. “Master, why must you lose your temper like this? The child is still young. If you teach him well, he’ll surely learn. You come up and either beat or scold him—aren’t you afraid of damaging his health? I’ve only given birth to two sons total, and this is my only remaining heir. You striking him is worse than striking me!” Hearing this, Baoyu cowered and hid in his mother’s embrace.
Wang Second Madam saw that Baoyu’s bottom was swollen and felt even more heartache.
Jia Zheng snorted: “A loving mother spoils her son! Look at what books he’s reading!”
He forcefully threw a book of miscellaneous tales onto the ground. “This wretched creature even made a cover from the Analects for this book!” He had thought when he arrived that Baoyu was studying diligently and felt gratified. But when Baoyu saw him come, his panicked expression aroused his suspicion. Taking a closer look, rage surged to his heart: “At such a young age he’s already learned to be two-faced! What great achievements can he have in the future?!”
Grandmother Jia finally arrived. Hearing it was such a trivial matter, she stamped her cane: “Didn’t you read these miscellaneous books when you were young? Did I manage you so strictly? A father teaching his son is only natural, but this is your own flesh and blood, and he’s been weak since childhood. How can you bear to strike him?”
“If you’re still not satisfied, then beat me instead.”
“This son wouldn’t dare!” Jia Zheng knew that once they arrived, this would be the scene, so he had struck first—beat first and talk later.
Wang Second Madam sent someone to summon the physician.
Jia Zheng: “Baoyu, I’ll come check on you again in two days. Lying down to nurse your injuries won’t prevent you from studying diligently.”
Check again in two days?
Jia Baoyu’s tears flowed even more torrentially.
Jia Zheng left. Jia Baoyu was surrounded by Grandmother Jia and Wang Second Madam with a round of concerned inquiries. The physician came and examined him: “Indeed, these are only superficial injuries. Apply medicine and rest lying on his stomach for a few days, and he’ll be fine.”
Only then did Grandmother Jia and Wang Second Madam feel at ease. Then they asked the maids for the detailed sequence of events.
Wang Second Madam: “Wasn’t the master out visiting friends today? How did he come back? And why has Baoyu recently become interested in these kinds of miscellaneous tales?”
The maids naturally didn’t know why the master would return at this time. The latter question they could answer: “Today, Young Master Lin from the Lin family asked Second Master Lian about the rumor of that monk and Taoist being struck by lightning nearby before. Second Master Lian even had an eyewitness come over to describe the scene at that time to them. Young Master became very interested after hearing it.”
Not only was Young Master interested—they were interested too. This was quite a rare occurrence, and quite a few people around still kept bringing it up.
Hearing this, Wang Second Madam’s face grew even longer.
How was it the Lin family again?
Before it was that vixen Lin Daiyu, now it was that illegitimate son Lin Chen Yu. How many losses had Baoyu suffered at the Lin family’s hands? How many times had this happened already!
The Lin family was truly incompatible with her and her son’s fortune!
No, she must tell her brother not to form a marriage alliance with the Lin family.
If her niece were betrothed to him, wouldn’t there be endless trouble in the future?
Wang Xiluan returned to her own home. Her mother came to ask her: “How was it? Did you see him?”
She had truly worn her heart out worrying for this daughter. Being her only daughter, she wanted to give her all the best things.
That Lin family—as soon as she heard the master drop a hint, her daughter immediately clamored to go see the person.
Wang Xiluan’s face reddened, and she said nothing more.
Seeing this, Mother Wang couldn’t help but sigh. A grown daughter couldn’t be kept at home.
——
Upon returning, Chen Yu told Yun Shuyao about the specific details of the lightning striking the monk and Taoist that day. It was confirmed that those two people had escaped, because after the incident spread, some people sought out the onlookers and asked them to recall carefully. The people who came were from the government office, so they had a deep impression of this matter. Even though some time had passed, they hadn’t forgotten.
Compared to the various chaotic rumors circulating outside, what they learned this time was more specific.
Chen Yu was somewhat worried: “I wonder if they’ll make a comeback in the future.”
In his view, this monk and Taoist were not good people. They had once trespassed into their home uninvited, and Father had ordered their arrest and capture. Unfortunately, there had been no progress over all these years. The only consolation was that afterward they seemed not to have done anything else harmful to their family.
“Now, they seem to have set their sights on the Jia family.”
They had appeared around the Jia family quite a few times.
Even though Chen Yu felt indifferent about the Jia family, he didn’t want such people to do anything to them.
Yun Shuyao nodded: “Indeed.”
Then they heard about Jia Baoyu being beaten. Chen Yu shook his head: “Their love and affection for Baoyu is genuine, but blindly doting on him in everything isn’t good. As long as Second Master’s force is lighter, appropriate rod discipline can be effective and make Baoyu strive to improve, which would be good. I see that in the Jia household, the only person Baoyu fears is Second Master. If this one person he fears were gone, who knows what he’d grow into.”
He already had the bearing of a wastrel son. With forceful correction, it wasn’t impossible to straighten him out.
Moreover, he truly did have talent.
It was just that whenever books were mentioned, he would zone out. He clearly rejected the path of the imperial examinations and liked reading miscellaneous books. Chen Yu also liked miscellaneous books—they were relaxing and interesting—but he knew what he wanted, so he only indulged in moderation.
He carried heavy responsibilities on his shoulders. Jia Baoyu was similar to him.
In this generation of the Jia family, Second Brother Lian clearly wasn’t the scholarly type. He had purchased an official position, but it was only a nominal post. Second Master’s sinecure was about the same as a nominal position. If Baoyu also wanted to be just a wealthy young master in the future, that would mean two consecutive generations not in the court.
There would be a gap in succession.
Next door at the Ning Estate, they had finally produced an advanced scholar, but he went off to become a monk.
If it weren’t for their in-laws and Grandmother Jia, this Duke’s wife, their family would have faded into obscurity among the masses.
Even he could see this clearly, so the Jia family naturally wouldn’t fail to see it. That’s why they sent their eldest granddaughter of this generation into the palace, hoping she could secure a future. The other hope was Jia Baoyu, yet they couldn’t manage to be strict with him and only indulged him.
Yun Shuyao shook her head without saying anything.
She didn’t want to get involved in the Jia family’s affairs. Now that she had come into contact with cultivation, she even less wanted to become entangled with the male and female leads.
The male and female leads had extraordinary origins. If they were truly reincarnated to undergo trials, her involvement would be asking for trouble. She should just properly be her bystander.
What she should do, she would do. What she shouldn’t do, she wouldn’t do.
Old Madam heard that Jia Baoyu had been beaten and happily ate an extra half bowl of rice. She had no choice but to go out for a walk to aid digestion.
Then she thought again of that Wang Xiluan matter. The Wang family?
No matter what they were thinking, she would never seek a marriage with a Wang family daughter for her grandson anyway.
She had already witnessed the upbringing of Wang family daughters.
Her requirements for family status weren’t high. High families marry off daughters, low families marry in wives. Good health and proper education were essential.
In the following time, the Lin family no longer had the energy to pay attention to Jia family matters. Ying Yu’s happy day had arrived.
The Lin residence was decorated top to bottom with red silk and pasted with the double happiness character.
Before the happy day, the dowry was first sent to the Xilin Gioro family.
The Xilin Gioro family’s betrothal gifts and betrothal silver all went through official channels. The betrothal silver was the same as her eldest sister-in-law’s above her—ten thousand taels.
There was nothing to criticize in this aspect. What satisfied Old Madam was that to show his sincerity, Da Chun personally led people to catch a pair of live geese.
Moreover, before the wedding, although the two weren’t allowed to meet, they exchanged gifts back and forth, passing items with the tacit permission of their elders.
When sending the dowry, they had to be mindful of the eldest sister-in-law above. For family harmony, they didn’t exceed her seventy-two trunks and reduced it to seventy.
However, all the trunks and cases containing the dowry had been enlarged and thickened.
When sending off the dowry, many people gathered along the roadside to watch the excitement, then exclaimed: “This dowry is impressive!”
There were shops, estates, and so many other things.
“I remember she’s the Lin family’s eldest illegitimate daughter, right? This dowry is truly generous—not many legitimate daughters from other families have dowries this generous.”
“The Xilin Gioro family is blessed.”
“Where did the Lin family get this wealth? Did Lord Lin while in office…”
Someone knowledgeable nearby explained: “You’re really ignorant. The Lin family’s ancestors were also marquises. That old madam is still a marquis’s wife. It’s just that from Lord Lin’s generation they no longer have the title. He himself is accomplished—he achieved third place in the imperial examinations at a young age. Moreover, their family hasn’t had aunts marry out for many generations, and each generation’s household mistress hasn’t been from any ordinary family. The Lin family’s wealth only increases without decreasing—who knows how much money they’ve accumulated.”
From this dowry alone, one could roughly estimate—definitely several tens of thousands of taels, and who knew how much more silver was privately tucked away at the bottom of the trunks.
Many families felt regret in their hearts after seeing the scale of this dowry. Had they known Lin Ruhai gave even an illegitimate daughter such a generous dowry, they wouldn’t have been concerned about the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children and would have long since sought marriages for their sons.
Quite a few people teased Fourth Prince when they saw him, saying he had married a golden treasure.
The elder sister’s dowry was so much—by the time it came to his Ce Fujin, the dowry would only be even more.
Although they wouldn’t touch women’s dowries, who didn’t like their wife’s family having a generous dowry? It would all be left to their descendants in the future.
Along with the dowry to the Xilin Gioro family came nannies and maids. One was to guard the dowry, while the others also came ahead of time to understand the situation, so their young miss wouldn’t know nothing and be flustered when she married into the Xilin Gioro family.
The closer it got to the day of welcoming the bride, the more nervous Concubine Mei became, unable to sleep at night.
After marrying out, she wouldn’t see her daughter for a very, very long time.
Thinking of this, Concubine Mei felt as if a large stone pressed on her heart, so heavy she couldn’t breathe. If only she had given birth to a son—sons didn’t marry out but brought wives home.
She held Ying Yu’s hand and cried: “After you marry out, you must be filial to your parents-in-law and live well with your husband. You must guard your dowry well. Your dowry is generous—who knows if some shameless person might dare ask you for it. Don’t agree, and don’t be afraid. The family still has Old Madam, and she’ll stand up for you.”
“I had people inquire. Your eldest sister-in-law is an amiable and virtuous person. Your second sister-in-law is somewhat competitive. Don’t mind her—she’s just illegitimate. Your mother-in-law only shows her surface courtesy. Just follow your eldest sister-in-law, watch what she does, and follow her lead.”
“Your mother-in-law doesn’t permanently reside in the capital. Later she’ll still return to Fengtian Prefecture. There’s also a grandmother at home. After all, there’s a layer of separation, so she probably won’t be too strict with you.”
“You must also control the servants around you with both kindness and authority. Da Chun has a room maid by his side. Don’t regard her too highly, but don’t look down on her either. She’s followed your husband first and has some face. You’ve just arrived—don’t rashly target her. First give birth to a son. As long as you bear a son, your position will be completely secure. No matter how many women there are, they won’t be able to shake your status.”
“There are also those underhanded methods—be more careful with what you eat and use daily. You won’t encounter such things at home, but you can’t be sure about your husband’s family. Especially since the Xilin Gioro family has many people and complex relationships.”
Concubine Mei wished she could pour everything she knew into her daughter all at once.
Ying Yu listened quietly, her eyes also brimming with tears. She was reluctant to part with Grandmother, reluctant to part with her concubine mother, reluctant to part with her younger sister, reluctant to part with everything about the Lin family.
“Mother, I will live my life well in the future.”
The night before she married out, she slept together with Grandmother.
She hadn’t slept with Grandmother for a long time. Grandmother gave her a booklet, and she listened while suppressing her embarrassment.
Grandmother also told her many experiences and precautions about being a daughter-in-law.
Grandmother’s words were unhurried. She knew her reluctance and understood her anxiety. In her words, there was nothing that couldn’t be overcome. After listening to her finish, Ying Yu’s anxious mood improved considerably. She slept soundly and well. Opening her eyes, it was the day of welcoming the bride.
Naturally, people came up to wash her, cleanse her face, dress her, and apply makeup.
The woman of complete good fortune who recited auspicious words for her praised her continuously: “Your future days will surely be prosperous and thriving, perfect in every way, with a houseful of children and grandchildren…”
Men love beauty—with a proper wife of such appearance, could he still fancy those modest maidens?
The woman of complete good fortune glanced again at the new bride’s two younger sisters. Regardless of legitimate or illegitimate birth, these three sisters were all blessed by heaven, born with fine appearances. It was strange—previously, she hadn’t heard much about the beauty of Lin family daughters?
On such a happy day, the Mei family also sent people. The person who came was Concubine Mei’s younger brother.
Although their family had been disciplined by Old Madam and sent back to their hometown, their foundation still remained. Knowing that Ying Yu was their support, for such a major event as her marriage, they prepared generous supplementary gifts to send over.
On this day of welcoming the bride, the Jia family and all families on good terms with the Lin family came.
When the bridegroom Da Chun arrived wearing his wedding robe and riding a tall horse, he faced the closed gates of the Lin residence. Chen Yu, as the younger brother-in-law, stood at the forefront. Welcoming the bride naturally required some challenges before one could carry the beauty away.
Chen Yu didn’t deliberately make things difficult. Wedding urging poems, topic poems—the other party answered them all.
The reason the Xilin Gioro family formed a marriage alliance with the Lin family was because Da Chun walked the path of literature.
He was already a county student now.
With the Lin family as his wife’s family, he would have guidance on this path without having to fumble on his own.
Many people came.
Jia Lian and Wang Xifeng looked at so many families—most of them households with power and influence—and that feeling in their hearts was beyond description.
This was the difference between a nominal post and real power, not to mention this son-in-law was someone favored by the Emperor.
Watching her grandson carry her eldest granddaughter onto the bridal sedan while her grandson-in-law joyfully mounted his horse to ride back, Old Madam couldn’t hold back and wiped the corner of her eye.
But her heart relaxed.
Her eldest granddaughter had married out. Now they just had to wait for her good news.
Old Madam believed her eldest granddaughter could live her life well.
This wedding exhausted everyone in the Lin household up and down. They rested for two days before resuming activity.
Next, when the eldest miss returned, it would be together with her husband to stay for the double-month a month later. Before that, the second young miss’s happy day was approaching.