Old things in the Red Chamber

Weeds often don't live long enough, but many people want to be weeds in an attempt to please both sides.There are even some people who always have a fluke mentality, thinking that they will end up well if they are fools, and they always have the illusion that they are different from other fools.

Jia Xuan looked at the old lady in front of her, and inadvertently thought of Shi Taijun who was far away in the capital. In comparison, these two are old people who have seen the storm, and they are both planning for the family.However, because of his own luck for a while, he ruined the family's only chance of survival.

Jia Huan only felt that she was very tired, not only physically, but also psychologically, so she didn't want to hear any more excuses from Mrs. Liu.

"Old madam, old madam can just enjoy the wealth and honor at home, and the children and grandchildren will naturally worry about things outside. Thank you for your hospitality today, but I am very tired these days, I just want to go back to my house to rest for a day."

Mrs. Liu knew that it was useless to keep him at this time, so she stood up quickly and sent him out with her son and grandson.

While walking on the road, I tried to achieve my goal today, "Master Jia, Mr. Jia may not know how many girls from relatives I have, and I admire Mrs. Jia quite a lot. A few days ago, I was in the silver building on Qianmen Street... ..."

"I would like to ask the old lady not to say too much about this. If you say too much, it will be bad for the reputation of the girls. If I say that I have thoughts on my own, it is not the old lady's turn to worry about it. Just leave it alone."

Jia Huan was still thinking about Mrs. Liu just now as she was riding on the horse. She never understood that an old man should act like a real old man, drinking tea and watching plays at home, and letting his grandchildren flatter him, wouldn’t it be good? ?

Why do you need to plan for your children and grandchildren?

After he said these words to Xia Zhi, his long-term follower, Xia Zhi smiled and explained to him, "Old people are always worried, especially those who have experienced wealth and prosperity, and they always want to make their home prosperous. , but the descendants often can't afford things, and the family has no successors, so they still need to work hard for the elderly."

"At the end of the day, no one is available to the family members of the descendants. It is said that the brilliance of a gentleman should be beheaded in the fifth generation. This sentence has a strong sense of fate, but in the final analysis, these old people did not do anything to educate their children and grandchildren when they were young. Just like my old grandmother in the Rongguo Mansion in the capital, if she hadn't spoiled Baoyu so much, Baoyu might be able to take care of things by now."

"Some things also depend on talent. I heard that Second Master Bao is famous for being smart, but he has no interest in being an official. On the contrary, Third Master Cong is interested in being an official, but he seems a bit dull in his behavior, and he is somewhat insufficient. .”

Hearing what Xia Zhi said, Jia Xuan couldn't help asking about Jia Cong.

"How is Cong'er? I have a lot of things to do recently, so I can't take care of him when I'm busy."

"I always pay attention to the third master. If I am a deputy, I will do a very good job. I have performed well during this period of time. If I am the chief officer of a place, I am a bit lacking in courage."

"Probably because of his youth. If he is older, has more knowledge and experience, it will be better for him to let go."

"Master, I think it's a blessing for him not to be an official. It's pretty good to be a wise man or a great Confucian. Being an official will only appear mediocre."

Even if his long-term follower thinks so, it can only be said that Jia Cong really has no talent in this area.

Jia Xuan also just sighed, "But he is an official fan, forget it, let him be the deputy, as long as he is not allowed to make up his mind, other things are easy to handle. By the way, how is Jia Lian here?"

Xia Zhi thought about it for a while, and told him the truth, "If you ask him what he has improved recently, it probably means that he has gained a better reputation in the brothel Chuguan. I heard that because of Lian's second master's personal comments, Lian Second Mistress Yanzhihu's reputation is known to most people in Jiangnan. There are also some people who want to entrust him with errands to go your way. Our people see him closely, but this Second Master didn't do anything too much It’s just that the people who stared at him and those who followed him have expressed to the little one that they don’t want to follow him anymore. Even if they are allowed to go into battle at this time and go to the battlefield to fight, it’s more worry-free than following Second Master Lian .”

Jia Huan thought for a while, "Let's stay with him for a while. If one day it really doesn't work, I'll send him back to the capital, but during the time in the south of the Yangtze River, everyone has to keep their eyes open and watch him closely. What's the difference? You must tell me. I don’t know why, every time I think of him, I always feel terrified, thinking about it, maybe because this is the lair of their four major families, I feel a little uneasy.”

"You praise their four major families too much. This reputation was louder decades ago. Now who cares about their face. After all, they are all descendants of an ancestor. Could it be the gods and ghosts here? Are the ghosts doing you any harm?"

"What I'm afraid of is not the dead ghosts, but the living ghosts. As you said, they are all an ancestor, so what kind of ghosts are you afraid of?"

After a few days, Jia Xun came to rest and invited Jia Lian and the others to sit and eat together.By the way, I would like to ask about the harvest in the south of the Yangtze River. In fact, the bigger purpose is to let Jia Lian go back to the north.

It's just that he himself is also hesitating, let Jia Lian not only be unable to help him in this place, but sometimes even let some people take advantage of it.But if Jia Lian is released back to the capital, he is worried about what disaster he will bring to his father or uncle.

Jia Huan was uncommonly indecisive.So the purpose of today's gathering is to invite the two brothers to a family dinner.

For Jia Cong, he felt that being an official was a very prestigious thing in the early years, and he still thinks that being an official is a very prestigious thing until now.It's just that he used to think it was very easy to be an official, but now he feels that every step he takes is trembling, like walking on thin ice.

This is the difference between things that have happened and things that haven’t happened. After listening to his emotions, Jia Huan persuaded him, "You are still young and have experienced many things, so naturally you will not be surprised by honor or disgrace, and now these things are all It's some trivial things, messy and cumbersome. You can't let go of your homework during this time, and ask teachers and people who are more knowledgeable than you. In the future, you can also go to high school. At that time, the family will run it for you. Ask the Ministry of Rites There are not so many things in the noble yamen."

This sentence made Jia Cong regain his confidence, and he was as excited as Jia Xuan toasting.

Jia Xun took a sip and said happily to Jia Cong, "In the end, you still have to study hard. If you study well, you will be eligible for promotion if you have the qualifications for promotion. It's a matter of skill, worshiping a minister is a trivial matter."

After finishing speaking, his complexion suddenly changed, he felt a cramping pain in his stomach, and opened his mouth to spit out a mouthful of black blood.

The people guarding their brothers were in chaos, and even Jia Cong and Jia Lian were scared and at a loss.

Xia Zhi ran over quickly, pried open Jia Huan's mouth with his chopsticks, and inserted his fingers into his throat, making him spit out what he had just eaten.

Someone brought a basin of freshly washed clothes from outside, and poured it into Jia Huan's stomach involuntarily.

Jiacheng spat out a pile of black stuff with a painful face, and there were a few blood clots in it, and finally opened his eyes weakly.

At this time, it is not suitable for the brothers to drink any more. Jia Cong and Jia Lian watched in dumbstruck as Jia Xuan was carried to the bed.A few people were separated to watch him, others rushed to the kitchen like tigers and wolves, and a few others rushed to invite the doctor.

In less than a stick of incense, the entire mansion was under control, and no one was hiding this matter except Qi Jing'an, who was raising her baby in the backyard.

When Jia Nan came to see his father, he found that his father's eyes were tightly closed, and he was in great pain in his sleep. Even so, he was relieved to know that his life was safe.

"This matter must not be left alone. Xia Zhi, you are now sending someone back to the capital to tell my grandfather about this matter. People in the mansion must not leak the news that my father is sick in bed these days. If I find out Some people eat inside and out..."

The future Patriarch almost lost his life, which is definitely a very serious event for Xia Zhi and his retainers.Xia Zhi said to Jia Nan with sweat on his face, "There is absolutely no one in our family who eats inside and out, and no one dares to attack the young master."

After saying this, Xia Zhi turned his eyes to Brother Jia Lian and the others.Those who followed the young master to the south of the Yangtze River were brothers who were born and died in the north.What's more, they checked the things in the kitchen, and none of them were poisoned.

The only thing that was poisoned was the wine cup used by the young master.

But this wine glass was touched by the hands of the Jia family.

In his opinion, the Jia family was to blame for this matter.

He touched the ground with his hands and assured Jia Nan, "Don't worry, our family will investigate this matter to the end."

Jia Xun is currently lying on the bed, and Jia Lian's brothers are also very anxious.They have a good life in Jiangnan, and they still rely on Jia Xuan a lot of the time.

Now that Jia Xun is lying on the bed, not knowing whether he is alive or dead is definitely a big deal for them.

But in the face of such a difficult event, the two have nothing to do.He didn't know how to catch the murderer, and he didn't know how to appease the insiders in the mansion.

Even he and the others are inferior to Jia Nan, and they don't even have the bloody desire to take revenge.

The two of them only had that anxious mood, and they couldn't help much.They didn't even know that the servants who came with them were controlled, and they didn't remember where the people they brought had gone until they were hungry in the middle of the night.

When Jia Lian asked about this matter, others gave him a sneer.Jia Lian was terrified all over.

He is not stupid at all, on the contrary, he is very smart in dealing with people.

"Don't you think I poisoned Brother Xun?"

Xia Zhi came out from the darkness, "Second Master Lian, if you did this, would you still be able to stand in my guest room and yell at us now?"

Jia Lian breathed a sigh of relief, as long as she wasn't implicated in this matter.

Jia Cong ran out of the house, "So you found out who poisoned it, so it's really our family?"

Xia Zhi didn't speak any more, but stared at their brothers, and then retreated.

The most frightening thing is to have half-understood the news. The two brothers sat facing each other in the room for a long time, neither knowing whether Jia Xun was out of danger, or who did it.

At this time, Jia Lian couldn't calm down for a long time. He was older than the beetle, so he naturally understood how cruel his family was.

He walked up and down the room irritably, thinking about the people his brother brought one by one.

"It must be someone from the old lady or the second master. It's from the second wife. The master will not attack Brother Cheng. In all likelihood, the second master or the old lady did it."

He recalled that when the old lady held Jia Xun's hand, the old lady had a kind face at that time, and she seemed to like Jia Xun from the bottom of her heart. Looking back, what happened to Jia Xun today suddenly felt a chill , from the spine to the back of the head.

"No, we have to go back early, Jiangnan is not safe anymore."

Jiacheng watched his brother-in-law wandering around in the room, muttering to himself, and finally showed a look of sudden realization.

"Second brother, do you know who did it?"

"Who else can instruct you and my people to do such a thing, of course it is the people in the mansion."

Jia Lian looked at Jia Cong blankly and didn't move, so he knew that he didn't seem to believe it.

"Third brother, you should have figured it out. It's not a day or two since the old lady favored the second master and Baoyu. Back then, they were able to take away the title of our master, and they could also order people to poison brother Xun. It’s not scary, what’s scary is that after they’ve done this kind of thing and it’s exposed, they’ll push [-] not only to deny it, but to blame it on our brothers.”

Jia Cong trembled, "How could this be so, how could this be so."

If he was a young scholar before, he naturally didn't believe what Jia Lian said, but since he spent some time in the yamen, he certainly understood how dark the yamen was.This matter is operable. As long as the matter breaks out, there will be people fabricating evidence without evidence. At that time, my two brothers may not be able to speak clearly even if they have mouths all over their bodies.

Even if he came out of the yamen in full beard, how should he face the master and uncle.

"So second brother, what should we do?"

If Jia Lian knew what to do, she wouldn't be so irritable.

After the incident lasted one night, Jia Huan woke up in time the next morning. Apart from being uncomfortable all over, he felt that he slept well this time.

Jia Nan stayed by his side all night, and when he saw him wake up, he quickly brought over the bowl of soup that was placed by the bed.

"Father, drink the soup first, and drink the medicine later."

Jia Nan looked at Jia Xun, drank the soup one gulp, and whispered to Jia Xun, "I'd better stay in Jiangnan to serve you, you see you are lying on the bed now, your mother has a big belly, and there is no one else in the house , if I leave, what will you two do?"

It is indeed a heart-warming thing for Jia Xuan that his son is so caring.

"It hasn't reached this level. When your father was not much older than you, he killed the enemy on the battlefield. Every time he escaped from death, sometimes the wounds he suffered were so deep that the bones were visible. Isn't your father still alive? Get over it hard."

Jia Huan was determined not to leave his son in Jiangnan, "You have been away from the capital for so long, and you should return to your grandparents to be filial. I am not filial to them for so long. You are not just going back to let you learn your homework." He Wuyi is also for you to fulfill my filial piety, this matter is settled like this, or according to the date set before, when you leave this time, take more people with you, and take care of yourself on the way."

Jia Huan felt that his father's words were desolate, and still refused to leave. While the father and son were talking, Xia Zhi came in from outside with a bowl of medicine.

Jia Huan hurriedly drove her son out. Jia Nan pouted, went outside the door, and lay in the crack of the door watching Xia Zhi feed a bowl of medicine to his father. The two seemed to be still talking, but their voices were too low. Can't hear clearly from outside.

Jia Nan wanted to press his ears to the door, but their voices were too low, and their bodies didn't change much, so it was impossible to see if they were angry from their backs.

Jia Nan turned left and right in front of the door, and saw a person entering the yard, who was also his father's confidant.The name is Autumnal Equinox.

Autumn Equinox entered the yard with a sad face, "Master, why are you here? Is the young master awake?"

"Wake up, talking to Xia Zhi, why are you in such a hurry, is there something wrong?"

"Look at what the young master said, the young master's matter is a big one." After he finished speaking, he wanted to pass Jia Nan and enter the door. Jia Nan deliberately stood in front of him, but Qiu Equinox was tall and long-legged, so he bypassed him and went straight forward. The door went in.

Jia Nan watched the door close in front of him, then quietly lay in the crack of the door and looked inside.This time he finally heard something valuable. There was a bang in the room, which seemed to be the sound of broken porcelain.

Then came the father's questioning, "Is what you said true?"

Qiufen knelt in front of his father and whispered a few times, then turned around and came out, opened the door, and invited Jia Nan in.

Before Jia Nan could react, he walked in with the autumnal equinox.

"You have to go to Beijing this time. Go to Beijing immediately. I just received the news that your grandfather was assassinated."

Jia Nan opened his mouth wide in surprise, "Why is our family so unlucky during this time? First, grandfather and then you. What kind of unlucky god did our family provoke?"

Xia Zhi discussed this matter with Jia Huan disapprovingly on the side, "It seems that someone is deliberately targeting our family, young master, isn't it a little thoughtless to send the young master away at this time. I'm worried that someone will attack the young master on the road .”

There is also this possibility. Jia Xun looked at his son and thought that although it was dangerous at this time, there was no need to send his son away.

What he is most worried about is that if he dies, who will ensure that his pregnant wife is safe and sound.

And there will be another boy in the house soon... All things are complicated, Jia Huan took a deep breath, "Go to the capital to deliver the letter first, just say that I left Nan'er, and wait for the young lady to give birth to a child for a full moon." After that, the three of them, mother and son, returned to the capital together."