Red Mansion: Holding Space and Marrying Like the Sea

Tanchun gathered her thoughts a bit and turned to leave. Not long after, her graceful figure reappeared in front of the courtyard where Aunt Zhao lived. When Aunt Zhao saw Tanchun coming towards her, her face, which had always been moody, instantly turned pale and blue, and her expression became extremely unnatural.

Tanchun walked straight up to Aunt Zhao and stood still. Her beautiful eyes stared straight at the woman before her, who made her feel both helpless and heartbroken. Her eyes were filled with deep disappointment. "Mother, ever since I was old enough to understand, I have never wronged you in any way. But I don't know why you always treat me like this?"

Faced with Tanchun's righteous questioning, Aunt Zhao couldn't help but purse her lips guiltily. But after a long while, she only managed to utter a few broken words: "You... your heart and eyes are now filled with only the Madam and her gang. How could you even consider my feelings?"

Hearing this, Tanchun couldn't help but let out a long sigh: "Mother, why don't you understand? I am in this huge Jia Mansion. My every word and action must be in accordance with the rules of the mansion. Any mistake may cause unnecessary trouble or even disaster. So many times, even if your daughter has thousands of concerns and thoughts about you in her heart, she has to bury this emotion deep in her heart! Can't you even understand this little truth?" After saying these words, Tanchun stared at Aunt Zhao closely, hoping to see some remorse on her face.

Unfortunately, Aunt Zhao simply lowered her head silently, never saying another word. The courtyard was completely silent, with only the gentle rustling of the breeze through the branches, as if to convey the unspeakable rift and conflict between mother and daughter...

Tanchun frowned slightly, her eyes fixed on Aunt Zhao, and continued, "I'll forgive you this time for the sake of our mother-daughter relationship, but from now on, you must never trust anyone else's advice again! If you truly only care about me, then don't get involved in these intrigues and schemes again."

Aunt Zhao listened to Tanchun's earnest, heartfelt words, feeling as if struck by thunder. She froze in her tracks. After a long moment, she slowly raised her head, as if awakening from a dream. Her once pretty face now looked pale and haggard, a hint of regret in her eyes. Her lips trembled slightly as she whispered, almost inaudibly, "Son, it was all because of my momentary confusion and my lack of clarity that I did such a foolish thing. It was truly my fault..."

Tanchun gazed silently at the woman before her, her biological mother, yet, due to her humble status, she was always resentful, narrow-minded, and easily deceived. An indescribable complexity welled up in her heart. From childhood, she had known Aunt Zhao's character intimately, and was well aware of her flaws and shortcomings. Yet, even so, she had never imagined that Aunt Zhao would one day be so foolish, so obsessed with greed, that she would collude with outsiders to harm her own daughter!

For a moment, mother and daughter sat in silence, the atmosphere so heavy it seemed as if water could drip from them. The silence stretched on for a long time, until Tanchun finally broke the deadlock. She took a deep breath, trying to calm the turbulent emotions within her. Then, she spoke softly, "Since mother has understood the truth, I will say no more. I only hope that from now on, our family will be less filled with intrigue and deception, and more harmonious, happy, and peaceful." Tanchun shook her head gently, as if trying to shake off all the worries in her mind. Then, with a resolute determination, she turned and walked forward. Each step was firm and powerful, yet the slight heaviness of her steps betrayed the immense pressure and pain she endured.

Aunt Zhao stood frozen in place, as if under a spell, her gaze vacant and blurry, following Tanchun's receding figure until it vanished. She subconsciously clenched the hem of her garment, as if to bury all her anxiety and regret within the tiny scrap of fabric. Her once vibrant eyes were now dim, revealing a complex intertwining of emotions: guilt, resentment, and a hint of indescribable confusion.

At this moment, has Aunt Zhao truly realized her mistakes and truly repented? Even she herself probably can't immediately give a definitive answer. Perhaps only the passage of time, the impartial judge, can reveal the final answer...

After Tanchun left, Aunt Zhao remained standing there like a statue, unable to recover for a long time. Her thoughts seemed to be still lingering on the moment she had just parted with Tanchun, lost in the unspeakable loss and regret. After a long while, Aunt Zhao slowly moved her feet, as if awakening from a dream, but she still looked a little lost.

Over the next few days, Aunt Zhao, her usual arrogance and provocation, unexpectedly became remarkably quiet. This sudden change in her, a constant source of gossip and stirring up trouble, astonished the servants. Everyone speculated, wondering if Aunt Zhao, always the most restless and unruly, had finally come to her senses and reformed.

However, this peaceful life did not last long. Just as everyone was discussing Aunt Zhao's change of heart, something unexpected happened. Jia Huan had an argument with someone in the school and not only suffered a great loss, but also felt very angry. Poor Jia Huan ran back to Aunt Zhao in tears and told his mother about his experience.

Upon hearing this, Aunt Zhao flew into a rage, the pent-up anger instantly ignited. Her eyebrows shot up, and she gnashed her teeth as she cursed, "It must be Jia Baoyu again, secretly doing evil! He's taking advantage of the old lady's love for him, and he's been acting tyrannically all day, bullying us, an orphan and a widow!" Before she even finished her words, Aunt Zhao's heart, which had been calming down for a while, began to stir again, and all kinds of evil thoughts began to flood her mind.

She carefully and furtively found a few maids, took out some loose change from her purse and handed it to them, and lowered her voice to instruct them: "Take this money, and just help me spread some bad words about Baoyu in the garden. Remember, do it secretly and don't let anyone notice anything." Seeing that there was profit to be made, the maids naturally agreed.

However, as fate would have it, it wasn't long before the clever secretary learned of this matter. She was shocked, knowing that this matter was of great importance, and without delay, she hurried to report everything she had heard to Jia Tanchun.

Upon hearing this, Jia Tanchun snorted coldly, her brows furrowed, and her beautiful eyes gleamed with anger. She immediately decided to punish Aunt Zhao severely as a warning to her: this kind of gossipmongering must not be allowed to continue. She acted immediately, leading her attendant and hurriedly heading towards Aunt Zhao's residence.

Before he reached the door, he heard a loud noise coming from the house in the distance, mixed with Jia Huan's heart-wrenching sobbing and Aunt Zhao's unbearable curses.

Without hesitation, Tanchun pushed the door open and strode into the room. In an instant, the room, which had been bustling with noise, fell silent. Everyone's eyes were fixed on Tanchun.

Tanchun's face was as gloomy as water, her eyes cold and sharp. She stared straight at Aunt Zhao and said coldly, "Mother, mother, what is your intention in doing this? Have you completely forgotten what happened last time?" Faced with Tanchun's questioning, Aunt Zhao's face flushed instantly, and a trace of embarrassment flashed across her face. But then, she forced herself to calm down, stiffened her neck and shouted back, "Huan'er has suffered such a great injustice for no reason. How can I, as a mother, sit idly by and watch? In my opinion, it must be that Jia Baoyu who instigated others to bully our Huan'er!"

Tanchun laughed out of her fury, her pretty face frosty as she said, "Mother! Please don't trust those slanderous words of others anymore! Brother Baoyu has always been of good character, how could he stir up trouble for no reason? Besides, if Brother Huan'er really did nothing wrong in school, the teacher would naturally uphold justice and make appropriate decisions! Mother, you are instigating the old women to spread false rumors everywhere in this garden. If this matter reaches the ears of the master, not only will Brother Huan'er's bright future be ruined, but I'm afraid you, mother, will not be able to escape punishment either!"

Upon hearing this, Aunt Zhao's delicate body shuddered slightly, and a flash of panic crossed her face. Tanchun saw this, her heart softening, and her tone softened slightly. "Mother, if you truly care about Brother Huan'er, then you should carefully teach him to study hard and be proactive. You must not let him cause trouble for no reason again." With that, Tanchun turned to the secretary beside her and solemnly ordered, "Quickly, find those gossiping women and bring them here to me. Remember, this matter must not be spread a single word!" The secretary quickly bowed in agreement, then hurriedly turned and left to carry out the order.

At this time, Aunt Zhao stammered a few times, as if she wanted to explain something, but in the end she slowly lowered her head, like a child who had done something wrong, and she looked quite remorseful.

After the maid brought the old women to her, Tanchun raised her eyebrows, opened her eyes wide, and scolded them in a stern voice: "Well! You are so bold that you dare to speak nonsense, spread rumors, and slander the master in this garden! Today, considering that you are first-time offenders and were instigated by others, I will show leniency and forgive you. However, if there is a next time, don't blame me for being ruthless, I will never let you off easily!" The old women were frightened by Tanchun's fierce momentum. They were already pale with fear and trembling all over. They knelt down and kowtowed for mercy, shouting "Auntie, please spare us, we will never dare to do it again", and then left in a hurry, covered in dust and in a mess, like dogs that had lost their homes.

Seeing this, Tanchun snorted softly, slowly turned her head, and looked straight at Aunt Zhao beside her. Her face was solemn, and her tone was serious: "Mother, this time your daughter has taken care of this mess for you. But I hope you can think carefully before doing anything in the future, and never be so reckless and impulsive. Although we are not as powerful as the main house, as long as we do our duty and behave properly, Huan'er can also concentrate on studying hard and getting a good reputation. In the future, there will be a day when she will make a name for herself." Aunt Zhao heard this, her lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to argue something, but in the end she just nodded in agreement.

However, what Jia Tanchun never anticipated was that, despite the apparent calm, Jia Huan was actually harboring other agendas. He knew that he was far inferior to Jia Baoyu in terms of family background, status, appearance, and talent. The resentment and resentment that had long been simmering within him burned like a raging fire, only to grow more intense...

Jia Huan clenched his fists tightly, sweat oozing from his palms. His heart was filled with resentment and unwillingness, and he muttered to himself, "Why is it that Baoyu can be surrounded and admired by everyone like the bright moon in the sky, while I am like the mud on the ground and have to be inferior to others everywhere!" When he thought of this, he felt like a huge stone was blocking his chest, pressing him so hard that he could hardly breathe.

At this moment, his mind involuntarily emerged with the image of Caixia, the maidservant who served Lady Wang. Every time he saw her, she looked at him with such gentle eyes, a faint smile on her lips, which made his heart flutter. However, because of his humble status, there was an insurmountable chasm between him and Caixia, and he could not achieve his wish no matter what.

The more Jia Huan thought about it, the more indignant he became. He gritted his teeth as a daring plan gradually formed in his mind. After careful consideration, he finally made up his mind to find Caixia and confess his true feelings to her. So, one day, when no one was around, Jia Huan tiptoed to where Caixia usually worked.

Seeing Caixia busying herself alone, Jia Huan's heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and he was so nervous that even his breathing became a little rapid. He took a deep breath, then rushed forward, grabbed Caixia's wrist, and pulled her into a corner without saying anything.

Caixia was caught off guard by this tug and was so frightened that she almost screamed out in surprise. When she saw that it was Jia Huan, her heart finally settled down a little. She patted her chest gently and breathed a sigh of relief.

At this time, Jia Huan's face was flushed, like a ripe apple, and he stammered, "Sister Cai...Caixia, I know...I know that I really don't have any great ability now, but please believe me, I will work harder in the future and try my best to make a career to change the status quo!" As he spoke, his eyes looked at Caixia with expectation, as if he had placed all his hopes on her.

However, after hearing this, Caixia showed a trace of embarrassment on her face. She shook her head gently and advised softly: "Brother Huan, it's not that I don't want to believe you, but our status is different. If this matter gets out, Madam will definitely not agree." After that, she lowered her head, not daring to look at Jia Huan again.