Red Mansion: Holding Space and Marrying Like the Sea

Jia Mu, Lady Wang, Lady Xing, Aunt Xue, and the others never left Baoyu's side, only surrounding him and wailing. Meanwhile, Jia She and Jia Zheng, seeing their old mother weeping so heartbrokenly, worried that she might suffer from excessive grief. They worried about this matter day and night, fretting over it and causing everyone in the mansion to panic and restless. Yet, even so, faced with this overwhelming situation, they were completely clueless and didn't know what to do.

On one side, Jia She was extremely anxious, running around looking for eminent monks and Taoist priests, hoping for a miracle. On the other side, Jia Zheng saw that he had exhausted all methods but still had no effect, and he could not help but feel extremely frustrated. Finally, he could no longer suppress his inner anxiety and spoke out to stop Jia She, saying: "The life and death of our children are all determined by fate, and cannot be forcibly changed by human power! Now that they have suddenly contracted this strange disease, it is really unexpected. We have tried every possible way to treat them, but there has been no improvement. I think this is probably fate determined by heaven. In this case, we can only resign ourselves to fate and let things develop..."

Upon hearing this, Jia She was immediately furious. His eyes widened, his face flushed red as he pointed at Jia Zheng's nose and began to curse: "The person lying in there is after all your own son. How can you be so cold-blooded and say such cold-blooded words? What do you mean by fate playing tricks on me? That's pure nonsense! I don't care about these fallacies. I am a confused and reckless person, but I just don't believe in such weird things!"

Jia Yingchun listened quietly to the heated argument between her father and her second uncle, a wave of guilt welling up within her. She had always considered her father's behavior unruly and absurd, far inferior to her second uncle's dignified, steady, and amiable character. Yet, now, faced with real hardship, she was astonished to find that her seemingly unreliable father would step forward without hesitation, doing everything in his power to save his nephew. In contrast, her second uncle's indifference left her heartbroken.

At this moment, Jia She had no time to care about what others thought. He was busy and anxious, running around looking for a cure, and he seemed a little flustered. But no matter how hard he tried, he could not see any results. Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, three full days had passed.

Looking at Baoyu again, he lay weakly on the hospital bed, his breathing growing increasingly weak, as if he would draw his last breath at any moment. Everyone in the Jia family was horrified by this sight, shaking their heads and sighing, unanimously concluding that Baoyu was beyond saving, with no hope of survival. So, they hurriedly began to prepare the clothing, shoes, and other items necessary for his funeral. Lady Jia and Lady Wang, even more so, wept bitterly, forgetting to eat or sleep, and wishing for death.

Just when everything was in chaos and chaos, suddenly, there was a faint sound of a wooden fish, accompanied by a low and solemn Buddhist chant: "Namo Amitabha, the Bodhisattva who can resolve all grievances." Although the sound was not loud, it seemed to penetrate the layers of walls and noise, and reached everyone's ears clearly.

Then, someone was heard chanting, "If anyone has suffered misfortune, their home is in turmoil, or they've encountered a dangerous event, or are possessed by evil spirits, we are all capable of healing them."

Upon hearing this, Lady Jia and Lady Wang's expressions changed drastically. How could they contain their inner anxiety? Simultaneously, they both shouted to the servants beside them, "Quick, quick, quick! Bring in the person who has spoken!" Standing by, Jia Zheng felt a little uneasy, but facing Lady Jia's command, how could he dare even the slightest bit of disobedience? After all, in this large family, Lady Jia's words were like imperial decrees, unbreachable.

Besides, the Jia Mansion was so large, with so many houses and deep courtyards, that even if someone shouted loudly, it would be difficult for their voice to be heard so clearly. So, upon hearing such clear voices, Jia Zheng couldn't help but wonder: There must be something fishy going on! Thinking of this, his original discomfort was replaced by curiosity, and he followed Lady Jia and ordered, "Quickly invite the person into the mansion!"

Before long, everyone present raised their heads simultaneously, their gazes fixed on the doorway. Just then, a bald-headed monk and a lame Taoist priest slowly walked in. Everyone stared intently, observing the two men carefully.

First, consider the monk. His appearance is truly unique and remarkable. His nose is straight and tall, like a piece of gall bladder suspended in the air, revealing an air of unwavering fortitude. His eyebrows are long and curved, like willow branches gently swaying in the breeze, exuding a lively charm. His eyes, in particular, are exceptionally bright, like the glittering stars in the night sky, gleaming with the dazzling and captivating brilliance of gemstones. However, the only flaw is that the monk's patched robe is tattered and covered with patches of various sizes, looking as if it has been weathered by countless years. Then, consider his straw sandals, which are also so tattered that they barely cover his feet. This suggests that this man has no fixed abode and spends his days wandering. However, the most eye-catching thing was his head covered with leprosy. The scars were crisscrossed and distributed horizontally and vertically, looking quite filthy and unclean, which made people feel disgusted and hateful.

Look at that Taoist priest; he's truly unlike any other. He sways from side to side, staggering, one foot high and one low, his entire body swaying like a candle in the wind, seemingly about to fall to the ground with a single misstep. Even more surprising is that he's soaked from head to toe, smeared with filthy mud, as if he'd just struggled to crawl out of a bottomless quagmire. He exudes a foul odor.

Seeing this, Jia Zheng couldn't help but feel puzzled, so he quickly asked, "Excuse me, fellow Taoists, in which temple are you practicing?" The monk smiled faintly and replied slowly, "Master, there's no need to ask too much. We just happened to hear that your family has been having difficulties with population problems recently, so we took the trouble to come here, hoping to offer some small help to help you resolve this sudden disaster."

Upon hearing this, Jia Zheng hurriedly asked, "There are indeed two people in your mansion who have been possessed by evil spirits. Do you have any magical talismans or water that can drive away the evil spirits?"

At this moment, the Taoist suddenly burst into laughter, and then responded with a face full of joking, "You clearly have a rare treasure hidden in your mansion, so why are you asking us for the talisman water?"

Upon hearing these words, Jia Zheng felt a strange feeling well up within him, finding the matter both odd and intriguing. His thoughts were stirred, and he quickly responded, "My child was indeed born with a crystal-clear, magnificent jade. According to legend, that jade possesses miraculous properties that ward off evil spirits. However, surprisingly, to this day, we haven't seen even the slightest sign of its miraculous effects."

At this point, the monk nodded slightly and responded slowly, "Sir, you don't know that the magical uses and benefits of that treasure are not as simple as they appear. It's simply because your son has become obsessed with pleasure, wealth, fame, and gain, and his mind has been clouded. Therefore, the jade has lost its original magical properties." After saying this, the monk paused, staring at Jia Zheng, and continued, "Why don't you take out the jade and hand it over to us now? After we chant some mantras and scriptures, perhaps we can restore its former magical powers."

Upon hearing this, Jia Zheng, without the slightest hesitation, reached out and gently plucked the jade from Jia Baoyu's neck, carefully handing it to the two extraordinary figures before him. The monk took the jade steadily, then held it high in his palm. He sighed deeply, then spoke with deep emotion, "Since we parted on Qinggeng Peak, over a dozen years have already passed in the blink of an eye! Time in this world flies by so quickly, like a fleeting moment. When our earthly ties end, looking back on the past will seem like a fleeting moment! I truly envy the freedom and unfettered state it once held: Heaven held no restraints, and the earth could not limit its movements. It felt neither joy nor sorrow. Sadly, since undergoing countless trials and tribulations, attaining spiritual enlightenment, it has begun to dabble in the mundane world, seeking to understand right and wrong, good and evil."

"It's truly lamentable, to see your bizarre journey today! That once crystal-clear, radiant jade is now tarnished by powder and grease, losing its former brilliance; those magnificent pavilion doors and windows have trapped a pair of mandarin ducks day and night. However, even the deepest dream must eventually awaken, and once all grievances have been paid, this farce will finally come to an end!"

After saying these words, the man gently stroked the jade for a while, muttering some incomprehensible crazy words, and then handed the jade to Jia Zheng, and solemnly instructed: "This jade now has a spirit, and you must not do anything to blaspheme it. You should hang it high above the threshold of the bedroom, and place the people in the same room. Except for their respective biological wives and mothers, no other women should be allowed to bump into or offend them. As long as you do this for thirty-three days, I guarantee that he will be in good health, his illness will subside, and he will recover as before." As soon as the words fell, the man turned around and left quickly without looking back.

Seeing this, Jia Zheng hurried after them, wanting to ask a few more questions. He warmly invited the two men to stay for a cup of tea and offered them a generous thank-you gift. But who could have imagined that while Jia Zheng was busy trying to keep them, the two men had already disappeared like a gust of wind.

After learning of this, Jia Mu and the others were still unwilling to give up and kept sending people to chase and search for the jade, but in the end, it was in vain and they could not find even the slightest trace of it. In desperation, everyone had no choice but to do as the man said and carefully placed the jade in Mrs. Wang's bedroom and respectfully hung it high above the door.

From then on, Lady Wang took care of the situation herself, guarding the room day and night, resolutely forbidding anyone else from entering without permission. She waited until nightfall, when a miracle finally happened: the unconscious man gradually regained consciousness, and the first thing he said was that he was hungry. Upon hearing this news, Lady Jia and Lady Wang were overjoyed, feeling as if they had found the most precious treasure in the world. They hurriedly prepared a fragrant rice porridge for the two of them.

Only when they saw that his spirits gradually improved and the evil spirits retreated a little did the whole family feel relieved.

No matter how much Xifeng hated the Jia family, he was still her cousin after all. It was at this juncture that she arrived at the Jia family. Baoyu had already eaten rice porridge and was asleep.

Xifeng left Lady Wang's bedroom and sat down in the main hall in front.

After everyone sat down, they asked the reason in detail.

Jia Zheng said, "I thought it was useless, and even the coffin was prepared.

Later, a bald monk and a Taoist priest with a limp foot came. I don’t know what magic they used, but the patient was cured.

Now I can sleep well after eating some rice soup!"

"There is such a divine person! It shows that Baoyu is very blessed. After this experience, he will surely have a smooth and worry-free life!" Xifeng said with a smile.

Everyone nodded in agreement after hearing Wang Xifeng's words. As they were speaking, Baoyu's cry of alarm was heard from inside the room. Everyone rushed in to check, only to find Baoyu sweating profusely and his eyes filled with fear. Mrs. Wang quickly hugged him and soothed him. Baoyu gasped, "I just dreamed of that monk and Taoist priest. They said they were only temporarily saving my life. The Jia family will surely face great disaster in the future, and only accumulating virtue and doing good deeds can avert this."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other, their hearts filled with worry. Jia Zheng frowned and pondered for a moment, then said loudly, "No matter what, since the immortal has given us this advice, we must be careful with our words and actions and do more good deeds." Everyone echoed him. However, Wang Xifeng had other plans in mind. She knew the complex internal affairs of the Jia family and that it would be difficult to accumulate virtue and do good deeds.

Jia Zheng sighed and said in a deep voice, "That being said, the bald monk also said that it would take thirty-three days for Baoyu to recover from his illness. If that's the case, I'm afraid Baoyu won't be able to make it to the children's examination in half a month."

Seeing that Baoyu was showing some improvement, Jia Zheng couldn't help but feel sorry that he couldn't give it a try.

"It doesn't matter if this boy fails the test. As long as Baoyu is healthy, nothing else matters." Grandmother Jia waved her hand and everyone agreed.