Dream of the Red Chamber: I can upgrade my entries!

Chapter 81: A Glimpse into the Life of the Jia Family – Why the Initial Arrogance and Later Fawning?

"elder brother."

Before everyone could react, a small figure rushed from Rongxi Hall toward Jia Yan.

"Eh!!!"

Jia Yan scooped up little Xichun with both hands and held her in his arms.

"Giggle!"

Xiao Xichun was overjoyed; her innocent laughter echoed throughout Rongxi Hall.

The scene evoked mixed feelings among the Jia family members present. They had only known that Jia Yan cared deeply for his younger sister, even assigning one of his personal maids to serve Xi Chun, but no one knew that the two siblings were so intimate.

Jia Zhen stood there somewhat awkwardly. In fact, he, Jia Yan, and Xi Chun were all born of the same mother.

"Second brother!"

Jia She suddenly patted Jia Zheng on the shoulder, his eyes revealing a different meaning.

"Brother?"

Jia Zheng was somewhat confused. What was going on?
'well!!!'

Wang Xifeng sighed inwardly, thinking about her clueless aunt.

Fortunately, she did not follow Madam Wang's instructions to make things difficult for Xiao Xichun; otherwise, she would have been the one in a hurry.

Everyone in the mansion who knew the inside story turned their attention to Madam Wang. Among those who gloated was Madam Xing, while Madam Wang's face was ashen.

"Grandma, Uncle She, Uncle Zheng, Big Brother, I'm back."

Holding little Xichun in his arms, Jia Yan greeted everyone with a composed and neither arrogant nor cold demeanor.

"Just come back."

“Yan-ge’er, in all these years, you are the only one who has emerged from this household.”

"I thought the path to military merit for the Jia family was over, but I never expected that you would surpass your predecessors."

"Good, good, good! When I meet my husband, my elder brother Daihua, and the late Lords Ning and Rong in the afterlife, I will have no regrets!"

Gazing at the young man before her, Grandmother Jia was deeply moved, her cloudy old eyes glistening with tears. No one knew what she was thinking, but these words alone were enough to show that Jia Yan held a very special place in her heart.

All of this was because Jia Yan went to the northern frontier, fought bloody battles, and made outstanding contributions, which earned him the title of Marquis of Wu, making him the best in the entire army.

"Yan-ge'er".

"Second brother!"

Jia She, Jia Zheng, and Jia Zhen looked at Jia Yan with different feelings.

The others present, such as Jia Lian, Jia Rong, Jia Huan, Jia Baoyu, Madam Xing, Madam Wang, Madam You, Li Wan, and so on, were all stirred to excitement by Jia Yan's mere glance.

"Lian'er, why aren't you seeing your brother Yan!"

Jia She shouted loudly.

"Brother Yan!"

Jia Lian belatedly stepped forward to greet them, his words somewhat incoherent.

Jia Zhen's eyes lit up, and he quickly scolded Jia Rong: "You good-for-nothing, why don't you pay your respects to your second uncle?"

"Clap!"

Jia Rong was so frightened that he knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Second Uncle!"

Upon seeing this, everyone's thoughts were stirred, but no one looked down on Jia Rong's actions. After all, given Jia Yan's current status and position, even a tiny bit of money slipping through his fingers would be enough to make the Jia family rise to prominence.

Besides, when facing the Marquis of Daqian, every official in the court was extremely respectful; what did it matter if they kowtowed a few times?

“Baoyu, Huan-ge’er, Cong-ge’er, Lan-ge’er.”

"You should also go and pay your respects."

Jia Zheng didn't think much of it and greeted the younger generation of the Jia family.

"Second Brother/Second Uncle!" The group of little rascals called out loudly. Apart from Jia Baoyu, who among them didn't admire Jia Yan? Not to mention them, how could people in the capital and even the whole country not have some respect for the Marquis of Wu?

For nearly a month, storytellers in streets and alleys, teahouses and taverns have been compiling Jia Yan's deeds into stories and spreading them throughout the country, making him incredibly famous and popular.

"Ah."

After looking around, Jia Yan nodded, having gained a general impression of the Jia family members.

"Second Brother/Yan Erge".

Yingchun, Tanchun, and Lin Daiyu were the last to step forward and greet them gracefully.

"Second sister, third sister, Lin sister."

Jia Yan replied gently, "The north is bitterly cold, and the Mongol Tartars are crude and have nothing of value. I had some furs packed up and sent to my sisters' courtyards, where they can be used to keep warm in the winter."

"Thank you so much, Second Brother/Second Brother Yan!"

Yingchun, Tanchun, and Lin Daiyu were overjoyed to hear this, as they had never expected to receive gifts. Of course, they knew that Jia Yan would have prepared the best things for Xiao Xichun, but they were already content with these gifts.

"Grandma, look at them, it's clear that the sisters have a good relationship."

"As soon as Yan-ge came back, he bought all those furs from the north, which made me very envious."

The ever-shrewd Wang Xifeng started to tease, and her offbeat words drew laughter from everyone in the hall.

"You hot-tempered woman, you're vying for favor with your sisters, don't you even know how to be ashamed?"

Grandmother Jia pointed at Wang Xifeng and said.

“The old lady is right.”

All the women of the Jia family laughed in unison.

"Second Sister-in-law Lian is joking."

"Those furs and jade have already been prepared, and we will send people to deliver them to the various courtyards tomorrow."

"It's just that my sisters happened to be here, so I said a few more words."

Facing Wang Xifeng, Jia Yan was much more approachable. She was one of the few capable people in the inner court of the Jia family, with outstanding skills and abilities. If it weren't for filling the deficit of the Rongguo Mansion, why would she have done those things?

Just look at Jia She, Jia Zheng, and Jia Lian—each and every one of them is a master at squandering family fortunes. When it comes to management, they're truly a disaster.

With Wang Xifeng's witty remarks, the atmosphere in Rongxi Hall was not as heavy as before. Jia Yan did not mind the jokes among relatives. He was very focused on the battlefield and the court, but he could relax at home.

"Ouch."

“I knew my second brother was a generous person, so I shamelessly accepted it.”

Wang Xifeng covered her mouth and chuckled, showing no shyness whatsoever.

"Thank you very much, Second Brother/Yan Brother/Second Uncle."

Lady You, Li Wan, and Qin Keqing also bowed in thanks.

They knew that the furs Jia Yan mentioned must be extraordinary; they were the stuff he had obtained from the ancestral homes of various Mongol tribes, and they were all top-notch items.

"Yan-ge'er".

"Now you are Marquis Wu, ranking first in the national court."

"It's good that the sisters in the manor care about us. These brothers are ignorant, so we should teach them a lesson when we have time."

"A folk saying goes, 'Brothers fight tigers together, fathers and sons go to war together.'"

Grandmother Jia spoke slowly.

'Thump!'

Everyone present looked at Jia Yan with enthusiasm in their eyes.

Among the founding nobles, there were many junior members who followed Jia Yan. Han Qi, Chen Yejun, Feng Ziying, Wei Ruolan, Niu Meng, Hou Jie, and Liu Yi have all obtained the hereditary title of Light Cavalry Captain of the third rank and the title of General of the Capital Garrison of the fourth rank. This news has spread throughout the capital. How could the Jia family not know? Jia Lian and Jia Rong were even more envious.

Especially Wang Xifeng and Qin Keqing, who were always hoping that their husbands would rise to a higher level, their beautiful eyes sparkling with desire.

(End of this chapter)