books44 Chapter 4: We saw someone!
Chapter 4: We saw someone!
In winter, the bare flowers, trees, and rocks are not very attractive, especially after the entire Jia family focused all their energy on the Grand View Garden, which made the scenery of the mansion even worse.
Jia Huan walked slowly, always mindful of his frail and sickly persona. The two nannies and Xiuyun and Xiuyu followed silently behind him.
He lived far from Madam Wang's residence and walked slowly, so by the time he arrived, everyone had already gathered.
Caixia was a maid in Lady Wang's courtyard and one of the few people in the mansion who was willing to show kindness to Jia Huan.
She was chatting and laughing with a few maids in the corridor, but Jia Huan was late in arriving, and she couldn't help but feel anxious: Bao Yu had already arrived, why wasn't he here yet? Could it be that his illness had worsened again?
Just as I was thinking this, I saw Jia Huan arrive with his men. Instead of being anxious, he looked quite relaxed.
She quickly went to greet him and said reproachfully, "Why are you so late? Baoyu and the three young ladies are already here. Don't worry, Master is in a good mood today. You should go in quickly, don't keep him waiting, that wouldn't be good."
She quickly took off Jia Huan's cloak and let him into the house.
Jia Huan knew that Caixia was doing it for his own good, so he smiled at her and obediently went into the house.
He wasn't an ungrateful person. The reason he treated his servants harshly was twofold. First, they were utterly lawless, and their negligence was undoubtedly a contributing factor to the original owner's death; he harbored a desire to punish them. Second, he might have to stay in this mansion for a few more years, and if his subordinates weren't obedient, he would be the one who suffered.
Subordinates may not be smart, but they cannot be disobedient.
When Jia Huan entered the room and saw that it was Aunt Zhao who was lifting the curtain for him, he called out softly, "Aunt Zhao."
According to etiquette, although Jia Huan was born to Aunt Zhao, he was the proper master, while Aunt Zhao could only be considered half-master and half-servant, and therefore could not accept his courtesy.
Aunt Zhao tugged at him and said somewhat anxiously, "Hurry up and go inside, or the master will get impatient and scold you."
Jia Huan nodded to indicate that he understood and continued walking into the house. At the same time, he silently took out a few melon seeds before leaving the house, clenched them in his palm, and activated his Midas touch.
Jia Huan's face immediately turned pale, his steps became unsteady, and he looked sickly.
Upon seeing Jia Zheng and Madam Wang sitting opposite each other on the kang (heated brick bed), he bowed with slightly hesitant movements, saying, "Greetings to Master and Madam."
Jia Zheng had been waiting for a while and was getting impatient. He was about to reprimand Jia Huan, but when he looked up and saw Jia Huan's pale face, he was startled: "Yesterday I sent someone to visit him to report that he was feeling better! Why does he still look so bad? Quickly, someone help him to a chair."
As soon as he finished speaking, the maid standing to the side immediately stepped forward to help Jia Huan.
Jia Huan did not sit down immediately. He greeted Bao Yu and the three sisters before sitting down to reply.
"Don't worry, sir. I just haven't been out for a long time, and I'm a little tired after walking so far today," Jia Huan said, making up an excuse for being late.
Hearing him say this, Jia Zheng sighed:
“Sigh, we should go back and have the doctor take another look, lest your condition worsen.” After saying that, Jia Zheng added, “I heard that you were feeling much better and was planning to let you continue your studies in a while, but I didn’t expect… Sigh! You should continue to rest and recuperate at home.”
Jia Zheng felt somewhat distressed.
He had already lost one son, Jia Zhu, and really didn't want to lose another, even if this son was useless, somewhat despicable, and behaved... huh?
This ring is completely different from the ones I've had before!
Jia Zheng looked Jia Huan up and down. His face was still the same, but his entire demeanor had undergone a dramatic change.
Although Baoyu was not a good person, he was born with a graceful and elegant appearance, and was very handsome. In contrast, Huan'er was sleazy and uncouth. In terms of appearance and temperament, she was worlds apart from Baoyu.
But today, Huan'er was polite in her words and actions, calm and composed in her tone, and graceful and self-possessed in her demeanor. She showed no trace of her usual restraint and timidity. The gloom between her brows had completely dissipated, and her manners and bearing were as natural as flowing water. Her demeanor was also extraordinary.
Jia Zheng was secretly puzzled, wondering why Huan'er seemed like a completely different person after her illness. But then he thought it made sense. In the past, this child was not pure of heart, and was somewhat wicked. His appearance reflected his inner thoughts, so it was natural for him to look lewd. Now that he had gone through a life-or-death experience, he had seen through life and death, so some change was to be expected.
As the saying goes: an illness can give you a new lease on life!
Jia Zheng racked his brains, finding excuses for Jia Huan's change. He even secretly thought: It seems this illness has some benefits after all.
Turning her head to glance at Jia Baoyu beside Lady Wang, she thought, "If Baoyu were also..."
Jia Zheng quickly shook off this unrealistic thought from his mind.
Jia Zheng asked Jia Huan a few more questions, which prompted Lady Wang to secretly glance at Jia Huan. She secretly sneered, her mind racing, but she didn't show it on her face. She didn't pretend to care about him or say anything, and just acted as if he didn't exist.
Ignoring Jia Huan was Lady Wang's consistent attitude towards him!
Lady Wang lovingly stroked the precious jade in her arms.
Just before Jia Huan arrived, Jia Baoyu had displeased Jia Zheng by naming his head maid "Xiren." Although Jia Zheng refrained from harshly reprimanding him because Lady Wang was present, Jia Baoyu was still terrified and dared not utter a word.
He had initially thought that Jia Huan's late arrival would likely result in a reprimand from Jia Zheng, and that he could share some of the blame. He was secretly pleased, thinking that he wouldn't be the only one who had lost face in front of the sisters. However, Jia Zheng not only didn't reprimand Jia Huan, but also spoke kindly and caringly to him, which made him somewhat unhappy.
"I'm sure you've all heard why I've summoned you here," Jia Zheng said leisurely. "The Grand View Garden is where the Imperial Concubine visits her family. After the visit, it should be carefully sealed off so that no one is allowed to enter and disturb her. However, the Imperial Concubine is kind to you sisters, so she issued an edict allowing you to live in the garden. Now that everything in the garden has been prepared, you can each choose a place to move in."
As soon as Jia Zheng finished speaking, Yingchun, Tanchun, Xichun, and Baoyu were overjoyed, their faces beaming with happiness, and the room was filled with jubilation.
Jia Huan, who hadn't heard anything, sat quietly, not needing to think much about it, since he knew he wouldn't get a share of this good fortune anyway. So Jia Huan simply observed everyone present in secret.
Jia Zheng and Lady Wang were both around fifty years old, but being from a wealthy family, they were well-preserved and looked like they were in their forties. Jia Zheng was handsome, but he always had a stern and serious expression when facing his children and younger relatives, so he seemed unapproachable.