Red Mansion: Holding Space and Marrying Like the Sea

Before Lai Shangrong arrived in the capital, Lin Ruhai had already learned of Jia Yucun's plot—he was trying to instigate Lai Shangrong in an attempt to discredit him. This news made Lin Ruhai lament that if Wang Xifeng hadn't reminded him to inquire about Jia Yucun's character, he would have been severely schemed against by him. At this point, Lin Ruhai deeply realized the importance of having a virtuous wife in the family. She not only helped her husband with household chores but also provided valuable advice and support at critical moments. It was precisely because of a virtuous wife like Wang Xifeng that the Lin family was able to maintain its prosperity, which also confirmed the old saying: "A virtuous wife in the family brings prosperity to three generations."

Lin Ruhai thought for a moment, picked up a pen, wrote a letter, and had it sent to the capital as quickly as possible. The letter said: "Send someone to let everyone in the streets and alleys of the capital know that the day before Lai Shangrong goes to the Jia family to propose marriage, Jia Min, the daughter of the Jia family, has an affair with Lai Shangrong, the grandson of her wet nurse, and is pregnant. And then say something that seems to be true, such as that Jia Min is pregnant. In this way, the Jia family will inevitably be caught up in a scandal, and Lai Shangrong will not dare to discredit himself at this time." After he finished writing, he handed the letter to his confidant and instructed: "It must be sent to the capital as soon as possible to ensure that the news can spread before Lai Shangrong proposes marriage." The confidant took the letter, nodded in agreement, and immediately set off for the capital.

A few days later, Shang Rong and Leng Zixing returned to the capital, exhausted. Leng Zixing hurried to the Jia residence and approached Zhou Ruijia, eagerly saying, "Mother-in-law, I have brought Lai Shangrong back. He has returned home and will soon propose to Miss Min. Do you have any other instructions, Madam?" Zhou Ruijia looked at her exhausted son-in-law with pity and said gently, "Good boy, go home and rest. Your wife is waiting for you at home! If Madam has any other instructions, I will tell you." Leng Zixing bowed and said goodbye to Zhou Ruijia before returning home. Zhou Ruijia turned to Madam Wang and whispered, "Madam, my son-in-law, Leng Zixing, has successfully brought Lai Shangrong back. Lai Shangrong will soon propose to Miss Min. He also happened to run into Jia Yucun on the way." Madam Wang frowned at Zhou Ruijia's words, pondering Jia Yucun's affairs. She felt as if there was some hidden agenda, but she was convinced that Jia Yucun couldn't escape her control. So, she said coldly, "Jia Yucun? How could such a coincidence happen? I'm afraid he has some ulterior motive, but no matter how he tries, he can't escape my Five Fingers Mountain." Upon hearing Lady Wang's words, Zhou Ruijia quickly flattered her, "Madam, you're right. You're a female Zhuge Liang, a master of all calculations. How can ordinary people compare to you?"

On the other side, Lai Shangrong hurriedly found his grandmother, Lai Ma. When Lai Ma saw her grandson suddenly appear in front of her, she was a little dazed for a moment, and then asked anxiously: "Rong'er, why are you back? Calculating the time, your sentence has not yet expired! Did something happen?" As she spoke, her eyes actually turned red. Seeing this, Lai Shangrong hurriedly comforted her: "Grandma, don't worry, didn't Old Lady Jia send Leng Zixing to pick me up? She said that Jia Min was pregnant with my child and asked me to come back to propose marriage and give the child a complete family." Lai Ma was still shocked when she heard the news. But after all, she had been in the Jia family for so many years and had seen a lot. She was already accustomed to all kinds of conspiracies and calculations. She quickly regained her composure and said, "Rong'er, you just said that Leng Zixing went to pick you up, and you said it was ordered by Old Madam Jia?" Lai Shangrong nodded with a puzzled look on his face and replied, "Yes! Brother Leng told me that, and he was very attentive to me along the way." Lai Ma sighed deeply and said, "I have always served Old Madam Jia and Jia Min, and I can be sure that this was definitely not the old lady's intention. It seems that you have been deceived. However, now that you have arrived home safely, it can be considered a blessing in disguise." After thinking for a moment, Lai Shangrong turned to look at his grandmother, "But if all this is a lie, then why did Leng Zixing go to so much trouble to rescue me?"

After hearing this, Nanny Lai frowned slightly, her eyes deep, as if she was thinking about something carefully, and then she slowly said: "There must be Madam Wang's calculations in this." Her voice was low and serious, as if it carried a kind of wisdom that could see through the world.

Lai Shangrong, thanks to Nanny Lai, had lived a life of luxury since childhood, shielded from the complexities and dangers of the Jia Mansion. He was completely clueless about the chaos within the Jia Mansion, and looked bewildered. Nanny Lai sighed at her grandson's foolishness. Knowing he didn't understand, she steeled her heart and patted Lai Shangrong on the head. She said sternly, "Madam Wang and Jia Min have always been incompatible, a thorn in each other's side. They dislike each other and can't tolerate the other's well-being. Madam Wang should have been secretly delighted to see Jia Min divorced, but she didn't expect Jia Min, protected by Old Lady Jia, to continue to tyrannize and abuse her power within the mansion. How could Madam Wang tolerate this?" Lai Shangrong, still bewildered, asked, "What does this have to do with me? I'm just an insignificant scholar," fanning himself with a pretentious air of nonchalance.

Seeing this, Nanny Lai was so angry that she almost fainted, but she still suppressed her anger and said, "This matter really has nothing to do with you, but Jia Min is related to you! Our Lai family is originally a servant of the Jia family. You actually had an affair with the Jia family's legitimate daughter in another family and made her pregnant. If this matter gets out, it won't be long before the whole capital knows about it, and it will definitely cause an uproar. By then, Jia Min's reputation will inevitably be damaged, and even her daughter, the cousin of the Lin family, will be implicated."

When Lai Shangrong learned the truth, he was immediately enraged and shouted angrily, "What a cruel heart! Grandma, what should I do now?"

Nanny Lai narrowed her eyes slightly, a murderous intent emanating from her cloudy eyes. She said in a hoarse voice, "What should I do? Of course I have to return it! I, an old woman, have never done anything to offend Madam Wang. Yet, she actually wants to kill our entire family. She is truly a vicious and cruel person!"

The next morning, just after sunrise, Nanny Lai arrived early at Rongxi Hall. She took the comb from Yuanyang and gently combed Old Lady Jia's hair. Looking through the mirror, Old Lady Jia smiled and said, "You're not young anymore, why are you here so early?" Nanny Lai replied with a smile, "It's been ages since I've done your hair, and I missed it, so I thought I'd come early. Back when you were in your boudoir, you loved the way I styled your hair the most! You even praised my dexterity!" As she spoke, she expertly combed Old Lady Jia's hair into an exquisite high bun. Then, she carefully helped her up and sat them down at the kang table. Old Lady Jia said, filled with nostalgia, "Yes! We've grown old in the blink of an eye. You, old woman, are still playing tricks on me. Have you run into some trouble?" "Old Lady, you have a keen eye; nothing can be hidden from you," Nanny Lai sighed, a look of worry on her face. She lowered her voice and continued, "To be honest, my good-for-nothing grandson returned yesterday, thanks to Leng Zixing's connections." Upon hearing this, Old Lady Jia's face darkened, a flicker of surprise in her eyes. She frowned and asked, "Isn't Leng Zixing the son-in-law who came with the second son's dowry? How did he get involved in this?" Nanny Lai immediately complimented her, "You have a good memory, old lady. That man is none other than Zhou Rui's son-in-law." Upon hearing this, Old Lady Jia suddenly understood something. She knew Lady Wang's thoughts well and suspected that she might be plotting something behind this incident. So, she addressed Nanny Lai directly, "Just tell me! You have nothing to hide from me." Seeing Lady Jia's frankness, Nanny Lai no longer hesitated and told her everything. Upon hearing this, Lady Jia's face darkened, and she slammed the table in anger, "This is outrageous! If this gets out, it will not only damage the Jia family's reputation, but also Daiyu's."

Grandmother Jia pondered for a moment and said, "This matter must not be made public. First, lock that brat up at home. I will discuss the issue of your grandson after I have dealt with the affairs of the mansion."