Red Mansion: Holding Space and Marrying Like the Sea

Things turned out just as Mrs. Wang had expected. After Aunt Xue had sent all the servants away, she hugged Xue Baochai and asked softly, "My child, what do you think of Baoyu?"

When Xue Baochai heard her mother's question, a faint blush appeared on her face, and she lowered her head and remained silent. In fact, deep in her heart, she had a subtle feeling for Baoyu, which was the admiration of a young girl for her favorite person, but as a woman living in seclusion, she really found it difficult to express her feelings.

Aunt Xue looked at her daughter's shy expression and smiled comfortingly, "What's there to be embarrassed about? Between mother and daughter, what can't we talk about?"

Xue Baochai still lowered her head and replied in a very low voice: "Baoyu...is naturally very good."

Aunt Xue struck while the iron was hot and continued to ask, "So, do you have any feelings for him?"

Xue Baochai's face turned even redder. She lowered her head and called softly, "Mom!" Then she shyly fiddled with the handkerchief in her hand. After a long time, she slowly nodded to indicate her agreement.

Aunt Xue saw this and thought to herself, "It looks like this marriage might actually be a possibility." She gently stroked Xue Baochai's hair and said earnestly, "My child, although you are outstanding in everything, our family is from a merchant family after all. It is not easy to marry into a wealthy family. Although Baoyu cannot inherit the title, he is deeply loved by Lady Jia, and his sister is the Empress, so his future should not be too bad. Now his family wants to build a villa for the imperial visit, and the funds are definitely not enough. If you really like Baoyu, you must seize this opportunity. When the time is right, I will discuss this matter with your aunt."

Xue Baochai was well aware of her status and position, and knew that marrying Baoyu was a good fate. So, she obediently followed her mother's arrangements and quietly waited for the opportunity to come.

Not long after, the Jia family officially began construction on their villa for the imperial visit. The Xue family was a prominent merchant family, and their wealth was inexhaustible. Borrowing some money from the Jia family to build a separate villa would have been easy for them. However, no one's money came easily, and if it was to help their future son-in-law, they believed the Xue family would be willing to pay.

At this moment, Mrs. Wang approached Aunt Xue and asked earnestly, "Sister, what are your plans for Baochai's future?" Aunt Xue's heart was moved when she heard this, knowing that Mrs. Wang was testing her attitude. After a moment's thought, she replied, "Sister, I naturally hope to find her a good family in the capital. However, I'm new here and not very familiar with the people here, so I'll have to trouble you to take care of it."

Mrs. Wang nodded slightly and continued, "Don't worry, sister. We are all family. Your business is my business. I will help keep an eye on it. But..." At this point, Mrs. Wang deliberately paused, then continued, "I think Baoyu and Baochai are a very good match."

Aunt Xue immediately understood what Lady Wang meant. She smiled and replied, "Sister, you're absolutely right. Baoyu and Baochai are indeed a good match. But as for the children, it's up to them to decide what they want."

Mrs. Wang smiled and said, "Yes, as elders, we can only guide from the side and cannot force anything."

When Mrs. Wang heard this, she was secretly happy and felt that things were going well. She deliberately asked, "In your opinion, is Baoyu a better match for Daiyu or Baochai?" This sentence seemed casual, but it actually contained a mystery. She wanted to test Aunt Xue's attitude and see if she could promote the marriage of Baoyu and Baochai.

Aunt Xue immediately understood what Mrs. Wang meant and said with a smile, "That's hard to say. Matters of the heart depend on their own fate. But I think Baoyu and Baochai are quite suitable. They are both well-educated and well-mannered children."

After hearing this, Mrs. Wang nodded with even greater satisfaction, thinking: If this marriage can be accomplished, it will not only solve the Jia family's financial crisis, but also separate Baoyu from that sickly Lin Daiyu, killing two birds with one stone. So, she decided to find an opportunity to propose this matter to the Empress again.

The Jia family raised all the money to build the villa. They hired someone to draw a blueprint, and after the location was determined, the construction of the Grand View Garden officially began.

The Jia family spent a huge amount of money, so all the materials needed for the construction of the Grand View Garden were selected from the best quality, and no shoddy materials were allowed.

Because of borrowing money and the extremely large scale of the Grand View Garden, the Jia family was the last one to start construction among all the concubines' families who were coming to visit their parents.

So when they started building the Grand View Garden, all the material shops in the capital had been sold out, and many materials had been reserved, so the Jia family was unable to find any materials for a while.

At this time, the lumber shop that Mrs. Lin gave to Wang Xifeng finally received big business.

Even after Jia Yuanchun's promotion, Wang Xifeng secretly instructed the shopkeepers to begin stockpiling goods, urging them to stockpile more and wait for this opportunity to arrive. Upon receiving the news, Wang Xifeng felt secretly elated, knowing this was a rare opportunity to make money. She immediately ordered her staff to prepare all the wood in stock and quietly waited for the Jia family to deliver the money.

Jia Zhen was delighted to see the high-quality wood in the warehouse, but he was also worried about the high price. However, Wang Xifeng cleverly took advantage of the Jia family's predicament and sold the wood to them at a reasonable price.

The construction of the Grand View Garden was luxurious, with pavilions, towers, rockeries and gardens, and the raw materials required were enormous. After Xifeng took over the Jia family's business, she made a fortune.

Time flew by, and before they knew it, the other imperial concubines' family villas in the capital had been completed, but the Jia family's Grand View Garden remained unfinished. The Jia family was terrified, filled with anxiety and worry. They knew time was of the essence; delaying too long and missing the opportunity for the imperial concubines to visit would have disastrous consequences. Losing the opportunity would not only damage the Jia family's reputation but also waste a huge amount of money—something they did not want. So they urged the construction workers once again, offering increased wages as an incentive, hoping to speed up the work. Determination paid off, and the Grand View Garden was finally completed before the New Year.

Now that the date for the visit had been set, the Jia family could finally breathe a sigh of relief! Then, they worked tirelessly to quickly prepare for the Empress's visit.

Although the Grand View Garden was essentially complete, many details still needed to be meticulously considered. For example, the garden's flowers, trees, pavilions, and towers all needed to be perfectly arranged to showcase the Jia family's wealth and grandeur. Furthermore, a variety of delicious dishes, singing and dancing performances, and more needed to be prepared to make the Empress feel the warmth and comfort of home. Furthermore, accommodations and security needed to be arranged to ensure that everything was flawless. These seemingly insignificant tasks required considerable time and effort to prepare, and even the slightest mistake could jeopardize the smooth running of the entire visit.

Although the Grand View Garden had been completed, some details still required consultation with the Ministry of Rites. Because the Jia family held a high position, and Jia Yuanchun was a virtuous concubine, the Ministry of Rites would carefully inspect the garden to ensure that all facilities met the standards and did not violate any rules. Only then could the Empress's return to her hometown be smooth.

Therefore, the Jia family kept in touch with the Ministry of Rites and made repeated changes to some parts of the Grand View Garden until they met all the requirements.

Look, it’s almost the end of the year, and since the Chinese New Year is coming soon, Jia Yuanchun’s visit to her parents is scheduled for the Lantern Festival after the New Year.