Red Mansion: Holding Space and Marrying Like the Sea

Jia Lian realized his predicament and naturally stopped considering the overall situation. After a moment of deep deliberation, he headed straight for Rongxi Hall.

As soon as he saw Lady Jia, he couldn't wait to cry and complain: "Grandma, your grandson is really useless! I have neither literary talent nor ability. I wanted to do more chores at home to share your worries. But who would have thought that I couldn't even do such a small thing. Those maids and old women didn't take my orders seriously at all, and said that I was far less tolerant than my second aunt. Woo woo woo..." When Lady Jia heard what Jia Lian said, she was immediately furious, but not because she felt sorry for the grievance Jia Lian had suffered, but because this was exactly what she had ordered Jia Lian to do. Now that the maids and old women said that Mrs. Wang was tolerant, they were undoubtedly implying that she was narrow-minded.

Grandmother Jia was so angry that she slammed the table, her face ashen, and roared, "Lian'er has suffered a great injustice! Don't worry, Grandmother will take care of it for you!" She turned her head and glared at Mrs. Wang beside her, scolding her harshly, "Is this the Jia Mansion under your management? Master Lian can't even order a servant around!"

Mrs. Wang was startled and hurriedly knelt down to explain, "Grandma, please calm down! Lian'er is still young, and those maids may indeed be a little slack. I will go and discipline them immediately."

Grandmother Jia snorted coldly, "Lian'er is still a child after all. As his aunt, you should help him more and not let him suffer any more grievances."

Mrs. Wang nodded in agreement, but a bitter feeling welled up inside. She knew full well that Grandmother Jia was using this as an excuse to blame her for being too overbearing, causing her subordinates to fear her and thus look down on Jia Lian. However, she also knew that Grandmother Jia was acting out of helplessness, having to maintain the reputation of the Jia family and not let the outside world think that the men in the Jia family couldn't even control their own servants.

After Lady Jia had vented her anger, Jia Lian continued to recount his misfortunes, successfully provoking Lady Jia's further rage. Ultimately, Lady Jia resolutely dismissed the insubordinate maids and ordered Jia Lian to personally select suitable candidates to fill the vacancies. Jia Lian was secretly pleased that this farce had finally brought him some benefits.

Grandmother Jia was still furious. She looked at Jia Lian and said, "Lian'er, if anyone dares to look down on you again, tell me directly. I will not let them off easily!"

Jia Lian kowtowed to express his gratitude, feeling secretly delighted.

After Lady Jia left, Jia Lian came to Lady Wang and said in a hypocritical tone, "Thank you, aunt! I really scared you just now."

Although Mrs. Wang was a little unhappy, she still kept a smile on her face and replied calmly, "We are all family, there is no need to be so polite. I will need you to take care of Baoyu in the future." After hearing this, Jia Lian immediately showed an expression of being flattered. He waved his hand to refuse and said sincerely, "Aunt, you are too polite. Baoyu was born with a jade in his mouth. He has been very smart and handsome since he was a child. Moreover, he and cousin Lin have been childhood sweethearts and have a deep relationship. He will definitely be made a king and a prime minister in the future, and his future is bright. In comparison, someone like me who has accomplished nothing at a young age, has neither married nor established a career, and has no capable relatives to support me, can only waste my time at home. Maybe I will have to rely on Baoyu's help to live a good life in the future!" At the end, he couldn't help but sigh heavily.

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Wang was overjoyed, and her smile grew even brighter. She said happily, "Lian'er has good taste! That's right. I've always had confidence in my own Baoyu. He's truly a rare talent, even Princess Shang is no less impressive. What's more, I have an older daughter in the palace, who will surely enjoy great fortune in the future. So, as long as you're willing to invest more money now, you'll definitely see a good return in the future." Upon hearing this, Jia Lian showed an embarrassment and said with a wry smile, "Aunt, you know my nephew's situation. I'm very short of money right now." He wondered to himself why Mrs. Wang had suddenly brought up this topic.

Mrs. Wang's eyes flickered, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly, and she said lightly: "Lian'er, your mother's dowry was quite a lot, and it was all kept by your father. Now you have grown up, and it's time to consider your own affairs. Otherwise, you can go and discuss with your father to take the dowry back, so that your second aunt can help you take care of it. When you get married, you can give it to your wife. Wouldn't that be great?" As she spoke, she observed Jia Lian's reaction.

Jia Lian was shocked when he heard this, but he quickly concealed his emotion. He pretended to be surprised and asked, "Aunt, is what you said true? I thought my mother was the daughter of a poor family and had no dowry at all." He deliberately pretended to be ignorant of the matter in an attempt to confuse Lady Wang.

Mrs. Wang smiled softly, a sly glint in her eyes. "How is that possible? Your mother comes from a prominent family and is a lady from a prominent family. Her dowry will naturally be quite substantial."

Jia Lian could sense the hidden meaning in Mrs. Wang's words, but he didn't show it. Instead, he pretended to be grateful and said, "Thank you, aunt, for telling me this. I will definitely find a suitable opportunity to talk to my father."

Mrs. Wang smiled with satisfaction and nodded, "Well, that's good. Don't worry, Auntie will help you find a solution."

After Jia Lian left, he pondered inwardly. He clearly realized that Lady Wang must have had her own purpose in telling him all this, and that purpose was most likely his mother's dowry.

However, Jia Lian did not feel frustrated or angry. Instead, he felt that this might be an opportunity to learn more about his mother's past and even find some clues about her and his brother's deaths.

So Jia Lian decided to go find his father first, tell him about this matter, and listen to his opinion. At the same time, he also hoped that through this conversation, he could get more information about his mother and brother.

Thinking of this, Jia Lian couldn't help but quicken his pace, his heart full of anticipation.