Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Chapter 35 First Encounter with Baochai

After lingering for a while, Jia Lian realized there was nothing more to say in pleasantries, so he prepared to take his leave.

"Please sit down and have another cup of tea."

Aunt Xue gave this instruction, instructing the maidservant standing outside to pour tea. Then she beckoned to her daughter behind the screen and said, "Now that you're here, come out and meet your cousin-in-law. It's rare for him to come all the way south to see us."

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian's expression turned serious, and he showed no intention of taking his leave.

Sure enough, not long after Aunt Xue finished speaking, a girl of about twelve or thirteen years old walked out gracefully from behind the screen.

She was well-dressed, walked with an elegant gait, and stood gracefully and elegantly.

She walked up to him, her gaze clear and unpretentious, her hands on her waist, and gave a graceful bow: "Greetings, brother-in-law."

Jia Lian had already stood up and returned the greeting in a proper and respectful manner.

"Greetings, Sister Baochai."

Baochai bowed again as a sign of greeting, then walked to her mother's side and stood quietly by her side.

Aunt Xue smiled and said, "Your cousin hasn't met many people and doesn't know any manners, so please don't take offense."

Jia Lian shook his head and said that if Baochai didn't know etiquette, it would be better to say that the Empress didn't have the Phoenix Seal.

I glanced at Baochai next to Aunt Xue. She stood there quietly, yet she seemed to make all the women in the world pale in comparison and make men hesitate to approach her.

She possessed an innate air of composure and detachment, a detachment quite different from that of Miaoyu.

It's not overtly sharp or glaring, which makes people feel very comfortable.

Moreover, perhaps because she was at the age where girls grow to be taller than their parents, Jia Lian could not see the "plumpness" that Jia Baoyu mentioned. However, judging from her current height and figure, she was certainly not the petite and delicate type of woman like Daiyu.

I believe that in a few years, with her radiant skin and figure resembling Yang Guifei, Baochai will reveal her true elegance and grace.

It's not appropriate to stare too much at unmarried women. Jia Lian smiled and said to Aunt Xue, "Auntie, you're joking. Of all the girls I've ever met, Baochai is the most dignified, elegant, beautiful, and generous."

Jia Lian's blatant praise made Aunt Xue and the others laugh. Xue Baochai herself glanced at Jia Lian and couldn't help but blush.

"She doesn't deserve such praise from you."

Aunt Xue denied it verbally, but the smile on her face betrayed her.

Giving birth to Baochai was indeed the proudest and most triumphant thing in her life. Perhaps, it was also the only one.

Thinking of her husband who died young and her good-for-nothing son, all she felt was sadness and grief.

Jia Lian was unaware of Aunt Xue's thoughts, but he knew it was time to take his leave.

Now that we've met Sister Bao, the trip wasn't in vain. But trying to get any more close to her will be difficult.

When Aunt Xue heard that Jia Lian was about to leave, she quickly composed herself and said, "Since you've come all this way, you should at least have lunch before you go."

This was just a polite remark, and Jia Lian naturally understood it, so he declined.

Despite Aunt Xue's repeated attempts to persuade him to stay, she eventually agreed. The mother and daughter saw him off at the entrance of the hall and watched him leave through the passageway under the guidance of the housekeepers and wives before turning back into the house.

Baochai helped her mother sit down on the low kang (heated brick bed) and then personally brought her a teacup.

Aunt Xue took a sip to moisten her throat, and then said, "No wonder your aunt said that he is a very resourceful person when it comes to worldly affairs. Now, he and Feng'er are managing all the affairs at home and outside. Seeing him today, I can confirm that he is indeed very capable."

Logically speaking, I'm not bad with words, but when I was talking to him just now, I had to be extra careful, afraid of saying something wrong and making a fool of myself.

Baochai laughed and said, "Mother, what you're saying is ridiculous. As an elder, would you really compare your conversation and knowledge with him?"

Aunt Xue sighed, "Your father passed away early, and your brother is like a horse without a bridle. There are so many things to do at home and outside, and I have to worry about everything for them. In the end, I am just a woman, and many things are not as convenient and worry-free as they are for men. Things at home are alright, but with you helping me take care of some things, I am much more relaxed."

But when it comes to receiving guests and entertaining relatives and friends, I feel overwhelmed.

Baochai fell silent after hearing this. This was precisely their family's current situation and difficulties, and there was nothing they could do about it.

Aunt Xue didn't want to complain too much, so she quickly changed the subject.

"It's strange, the last time I saw him was when I went to the capital with your father. At that time, he was just a young boy, and I didn't pay much attention to him. I never thought that after more than ten years, he would have grown up to be so handsome."

Besides, I'd vaguely heard that he was a rather unambitious child, living a life of luxury and ease at home. Now that I've seen him in person, I feel that he's better than most people in the world. Looking at all the highly praised young masters in Nanjing, it's hard to find anyone who surpasses him in appearance, demeanor, speech, and manners. Why doesn't anyone promote his reputation?

So much so that I initially thought he was just an ordinary rich kid, and therefore didn't really intend to meet him.

Aunt Xue had actually been very tactful with her words. In reality, based on the rumors she had heard, she originally thought of Jia Lian as a spoiled brat from a Duke's mansion, probably similar to her own Pan'er.

After all, in her heart, although her son was a bit playful and disobedient, he didn't have any major flaws...

Baochai thought for a moment and said, "Mother has only met him once in so many years, it's too early to talk about his character."

There's no smoke without fire; if those people are spreading such rumors, there must be some truth to it.

Baochai was not fooled by appearances. Although Jia Lian made a good first impression on her, she did not believe that it was necessarily Jia Lian's true nature.

There are plenty of people in the world who can pretend, and he's only coming to visit once. As long as you're prepared, it's not difficult to make a good impression.

However, at least it's better than my brother, who doesn't know how to behave with anyone and offends people without even realizing it!

……

Jia Lian had no idea that he hadn't left much of an impression on Xue Baochai, but had earned Xue Baochai's great favor.

After leaving the Xue family, they were preparing to stroll around the bustling city center to pick out some novel and unique gifts.

Jia Lian was serious about turning his reputation around. So, it was quite necessary for him to take a long trip and bring back some local specialties for his family as a token of his affection.

Before they had even left, they saw Wang Sheng riding up at full speed. As soon as he got close, he shouted, "Second Master, we've found the person you're looking for!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian's expression immediately lit up with joy: "Where?"

"They've already been taken to the manor and are being kept under guard!"

Jia Lian disregarded his shopping trip and immediately ordered the carriage to be turned around and return to the mansion.

Perhaps sensing Jia Lian's urgency, the coachman drove the horse much faster than usual, only to run into trouble.

"Get out of here, you stinking Taoist priest!"

Jia Lian felt the carriage stop abruptly, and he almost lost his footing inside. Hearing Wang Sheng and the others shouting and cursing, he lifted the curtain and asked, "What happened?"

Wang Sheng stepped forward and said, "Second Master, a stinky Taoist priest has fallen into the street and is blocking the way."

Even without him saying it, Jia Lian had already seen that a dispute seemed to be taking place at a street stall ahead.

Several people grabbed a man who looked like a hermit, groping him and saying things like "evil Taoist priest, murdering for money" and "what kind of elixir is this, it's clearly a poison pill."

Jia Lian originally didn't want to get involved and was about to leave when he suddenly caught a glimpse of the words on the banner next to the stall and lifted the carriage curtain again.

On the crooked fortune-telling banner, several stylish characters were written in black ink:

One Qi Dao Pill!

There was also a cloth banner on the ground with words on it, but it was lying on the ground and could not be seen clearly. It could only be roughly judged that it said: "Exorcise evil spirits, strengthen the body and nourish the vital energy, cure all diseases".

Jia Lian then ordered the carriage to move forward. After the old Taoist priest had been punched several times in the face, he finally shouted, "What are you doing?"

The three men who were clinging to the old Taoist priest didn't look like wealthy landowners, so their attitude wasn't hostile when they saw Jia Lian and his group. They simply glared at the priest and said viciously, "This old Taoist priest killed my third uncle! He was only in his fifties, and he was seriously ill. We heard that his elixirs could cure all diseases, so we went to him for treatment. Who knew that after taking his elixirs, he died in less than three days? So he's the one who killed my third uncle!"

"Nonsense! He was clearly on his last breath. If it weren't for my elixir, how could he have lived for another three days? So many people saw it that day. He took my elixir and immediately recovered. But ultimately, his lifespan was over, and no human power could save him! Fine, fine, you just want your money back, so here you are..."

Perhaps because he was hurt from the beating, the old Taoist priest stopped insisting and shakily took out two pieces of silver from his pocket and threw them to the leading man.

Jia Lian also said, "Since this involves human life, why not go to the yamen to report it to the authorities and clarify the matter? Gathering a crowd to cause trouble here and even beating others, don't you know that you have already violated the laws of the Great Wei Dynasty!"

Upon hearing Jia Lian's words, the three men immediately shrank back, begged for mercy, cursed the old Taoist priest a few more times, and then left.

By this time, even those who weren't neighbors understood the reason behind it, chuckled, and dispersed.

The old Taoist priest rubbed his swollen face, picked up his eating utensils, and seeing that Jia Lian was still not leaving, he immediately put on a smile: "This esteemed gentleman, do you want your fortune told or your illness treated? In consideration of your righteous help just now, whether it's fortune telling or illness treatment, you'll get a 20% discount."

Jia Lian smiled, looking at the bottles and jars covering the table, and asked curiously, "What is this Qi-cultivation pill?"

Upon hearing that there was hope, the old Taoist priest immediately became animated and introduced, "This Qi-cultivating pill was refined by me with all my life's effort; it is a closely guarded secret that I will never pass on..."

The old Taoist priest immediately recited the lines he had said countless times, lines he knew by heart.

Jia Lian, of course, had no interest in listening to his rambling nonsense and asked directly, "How much do you want for this pill?"

"Thank you, one tael of silver per piece." The old Taoist priest said with a smile, which surprised Zhao'er and the others beside him.

"One tael of silver per coin? Why don't you just rob someone? Second Master, ignore him, he's definitely a conman!"

Zhao'er and the others' words naturally displeased the old Taoist priest, who immediately began to argue.

Jia Lian laughed and said, "I've been feeling a bit unwell lately, so I might as well buy one to try."

As he spoke, he asked Zhao'er to give him some money.

Although Zhao'er was unwilling, she had no choice but to obediently hand over the money.

The old Taoist priest's face immediately lit up with a smile. He hurriedly presented a pill in an exquisite wooden box and asked, "If you are feeling unwell, please feel free to buy a few more to keep on hand. I guarantee that after taking them, you will feel refreshed and full of energy!"

Jia Lian didn't even open it to take a look. He simply put the pill away and said with a smile, "I won't use it for now. I'll come back to see the old immortal after I've tried it and found it effective."

He then lowered the carriage curtain and ordered them to set off.

Although the old Taoist priest was disappointed, he quickly cheered up again.

Given Jia Lian's youth, he'll definitely have no problems taking his pills; he'll only say they're good. He'll surely send someone to buy more later. It seems I need to stock up on more pills when I get back, otherwise I'll miss the opportunity and feel guilty.

The old Taoist priest was only thinking about meeting a generous benefactor and scheming how to fool this patron, unaware that he had already been targeted and might never escape someone else's clutches.