Red Mansion: Holding Space and Marrying Like the Sea

Furen Wang harbored a grudge and was deeply displeased with Jia Zheng's frequent visits to Aunt Zhao's residence. It happened to be Furen Wang's sister-in-law's birthday, and Aunt Xue and the other Jia sisters happily attended the feast, creating a lively atmosphere. However, Furen Wang, unable to attend due to Grandmother Jia's illness, remained at home alone. Just then, Jia Huan returned from his studies. Seeing him, Furen Wang ordered him to copy the Vajra Mantra as homework.

Jia Huan, acting pretentiously and with airs, began ordering the servants around him around. However, the servants didn't seem to agree, turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to his commands. Only Caixia remained on good terms with him and was willing to follow his orders.

Not long after, Baoyu also stepped into the room. He quickly stripped off his robe and boots and, like a joyful fawn, threw himself into his mother's arms. Seeing Baoyu's face flushed slightly, as if from a few drinks, Mrs. Wang thoughtfully placed a soft pillow beside him, letting him lean back comfortably. She then called Caixia over to gently pat him to sleep.

Baoyu lay there, his eyes fixed on Caixia, wanting to engage her in some kind of banter. However, Caixia was preoccupied with Jia Huan and ignored Baoyu's words. Seeing this, Baoyu simply reached out and took Caixia's hand, muttering "sister" repeatedly and acting coquettishly.

Thus, a different scene unfolded within the room. On one side, doted-on Jia Baoyu slept peacefully, lovingly tended by Caixia. On the other, lonely and neglected, Jia Huan painstakingly copied the Diamond Sutra. Seeing this scene, Jia Huan felt a mixture of emotions, and an indescribable jealousy ignited like a raging fire. And then, Jia Baoyu's next move completely infuriated him.

The cause was Caixia, who was serving Jia Baoyu. She was standing by respectfully, but strangely, her eyes never left Jia Huan from beginning to end. This behavior was so abnormal that even Jia Baoyu, who was always treated like a star, was surprised.

You know, for Master Bao, a man of unparalleled status in the Rongguo Mansion, every maid in the mansion was eager to show their affection and attention. However, Caixia's behavior today was completely different from everyone else's, as if she completely ignored Baoyu's presence. This unconventional behavior not only surprised Baoyu but also piqued his curiosity and interest.

So, Baoyu began to pester Caixia, intentionally or unintentionally, trying to figure out the reason. Meanwhile, Jia Huan, who had been watching from the sidelines, could no longer suppress his surging emotions. His face was terribly gloomy, and he thought to himself, "Hmph! Am I, Jia Huan, just like the weeds on the roadside that are trampled on by everyone? Why does everyone look down on me? Even a mere maidservant disdains me, and instead tries to please that Jia Baoyu!" As his thoughts continued to spread, the anger in Jia Huan's heart burned more and more fiercely, and eventually he even had evil and vicious thoughts.

At that moment, Jia Huan accidentally caught sight of an oil lamp on the table. It was filled with oil and emitted a faint glow. A fierce and resolute look flashed across his eyes. Taking advantage of the moment when everyone around him was unprepared, he quietly reached out and slammed the lamp to the ground, sending it rolling directly towards where Baoyu lay. With a crisp "bang," the lamp landed heavily on the ground, startling everyone present. However, worse was yet to come—the full lamp oil had already spilled out uncontrollably, sweeping towards Baoyu at an extremely fast speed, and it was about to splash onto him...

Caixia suddenly let out a scream, her voice sharp and piercing, shattering the originally quiet air. She looked panicked and stumbled towards Baoyu, as if trying to use her fragile body to block the impending danger.

Seeing this scene, Jia Huan, who was standing nearby, suddenly became extremely gloomy, his eyes blazing with fire, as if he wanted to burn everything in front of him. He gritted his teeth and said in hatred, "Humph! He is the only one you have in your heart!" His words were filled with jealousy and anger, which made people shudder.

Just then, Li Wan, having heard the commotion, hurried over. She was horrified by the chaotic scene. She quickly shouted at Jia Huan, her voice as harsh as thunder, "Stop! Jia Huan, you're so bold!" Then, she quickly ordered the servants to help Baoyu up and carefully examine him for any injuries.

After a tense inspection, everyone discovered that although Baoyu had luckily avoided the oil splashing into his eyes, his fair, jade-like face was still covered with blisters of varying sizes, clearly burned by the scalding oil. Furthermore, Baoyu appeared to be terrified by the sudden shock, his body trembling slightly.

Seeing this, Mrs. Wang's fury intensified. She turned around and glared at Jia Huan fiercely, the anger in her eyes like a raging fire, almost devouring him. She scolded him harshly, "You conscienceless, black-hearted thing! How dare you do such a cruel and vicious thing! What have I taught you? I've really wasted my love for you!"

Jia Huan, cowering in a corner like a frightened rabbit, lowered his head, not daring to meet Mrs. Wang's fierce gaze. Although his heart was filled with resentment and unwillingness, facing Mrs. Wang's majesty, he could not utter a single word of rebuttal.

Li Wan, with her feet swift as a flash, quickly climbed up to the edge of the kang and swiftly set about helping Baoyu clean up. As she busied herself, she chuckled and scolded, "Look at our third son! He's always so fussy and erratic! I've always said he's unfit for high places! Aunt Zhao, shouldn't you spend more time and effort to teach him a lesson?"

Li Wan's casual chuckle was like a flash of lightning across the night sky, instantly lighting up a corner of Mrs. Wang's mind. Mrs. Wang, who had been angrily scolding Jia Huan for accidentally scalding Baoyu, stopped scolding Jia Huan after hearing Li Wan's words. She turned her gaze to Aunt Zhao, who was standing trembling beside her, and shouted without hesitation, "Come here, quickly call Aunt Zhao over!"

Soon, Aunt Zhao arrived before Lady Wang, terrified and overwhelmed. Before she could even find her footing, Lady Wang erupted in a barrage of fury, "You've raised such a wicked and ignorant child, and you don't care! I've repeatedly ignored you, but you've become complacent and are getting even more aggressive!" Poor Aunt Zhao had suffered such an inexplicable and undeserved misfortune, and naturally her heart was filled with resentment and grievance. However, facing Lady Wang's authority, she dared not even think of resisting. She could only nod in agreement, suppressing her anger, and quickly stepped forward to help Baoyu clean up the mess.

Looking at Baoyu again, she saw a streak of startling blisters on the left side of his once fair and handsome face. Mrs. Wang's heart ached, her pity evident in her words. The scolding, which had paused for a moment, resumed, and this time, it was Aunt Zhao who was once again in trouble. Mrs. Wang pointed at Aunt Zhao's nose and unleashed a torrent of accusations and rebukes.

Seeing Baoyu's injuries so severe, everyone was extremely anxious. They frantically searched for various medicines and raced against time to apply medicine to Baoyu, hoping to quickly eliminate the poison and reduce the swelling. However, even so, Baoyu's face, covered in blisters from the burns, was clearly unlikely to recover in a short period of time. Now, how to report Baoyu's injuries to Lady Jia became a thorny problem. So, everyone gathered together, discussing countermeasures...

Baoyu thought his brother Jia Huan had accidentally touched him with the scalding object, and he couldn't bear to see his younger brother suffer such a scolding from Grandmother Jia. So, he endured the pain, his face pale but still whispering, "It's just a little painful, it's nothing serious. If the old lady asks about this tomorrow, just say I accidentally burned myself."

At this moment, Li Wan, standing by, couldn't help but chuckle. She shook her head slightly, a sly look in her eyes as she spoke, "Even if you say you accidentally burned yourself, the old lady will definitely blame you for being so careless and getting burned! You'll definitely make her angry anyway. As for how to deal with it tomorrow, that's entirely up to you." With that, Li Wan chuckled again, as if she had already foreseen what might happen tomorrow.

Baoyu listened to Li Wan's words and sighed softly, knowing that she was right. Everyone was at a loss for words, and the room fell silent, with only the occasional sound of Baoyu's pained struggle.

At this time, Xue Baochai slowly walked forward, looked at Baoyu's injury, and said calmly: "Although brother Bao's intention is good, it cannot be concealed. In my opinion, it is better to tell him the truth, but emphasize that brother Huan is still young and did not do it on purpose. I believe that the old lady will feel sorry for brother Bao and will not be too harsh on brother Huan." Everyone thought it made sense after hearing this.

The next day, upon learning of Baoyu's injury, Jia's mother was furious. However, after being informed of the situation as previously agreed upon, Jia's anger subsided slightly. Although she still reprimanded Jia Huan, she felt more sympathetic towards Baoyu and ordered the servants to take better care of him.

After Baoyu's wound gradually healed, he was strolling through the garden one day. While walking among a cluster of flowers, he suddenly heard the melodious sound of a flute. Curious, Baoyu followed the sound and found Lingguan playing the flute alone. Unable to bear the thought of interrupting her, Baoyu quietly stood by and listened. Only after Lingguan finished her song did Baoyu appear and praise her. Lingguan looked up and saw Baoyu, offering a simple greeting. Baoyu took no notice and began chatting with Lingguan. As they discussed the garden, Lingguan's words expressed a certain sentimentality about her life.

As they were talking, Li Wan and Biyue hurried over. Seeing Baoyu there, they said with a smile, "Brother Bao, the old lady is looking for you. She said a distant relative sent some rare treasures, waiting for you to appreciate them." Baoyu had no choice but to bid farewell to Lingguan and leave with Wang Xifeng. On the way, Li Wan teased Baoyu, "Brother Bao, you are always so kind and considerate of women. Did you have feelings for them just now?" Baoyu blushed and argued a little. When they arrived at Lady Jia's house, they saw a table filled with rare treasures and everyone sitting around chatting and laughing. Baoyu temporarily put the matter behind him.

Baoyu spent half a day enjoying himself at Grandmother Jia's, but the sound of Lingguan's flute was still on his mind. When everyone had dispersed, he quietly walked deeper into the garden, hoping to find Lingguan again.

Just as she reached Lingguan's usual spot, Jia Qiang approached, carrying a birdcage. It turned out that Jia Qiang, who understood Lingguan's tastes best, had found a clever parrot and had brought it to her as a gift. Lingguan's usual aloofness faded when she saw Jia Qiang, and a smile graced her face. Jia Qiang teased the parrot, making Lingguan giggle.

Baoyu watched from the side and suddenly realized that Lingguan's feelings for Jia Qiang were just like his feelings for Daiyu. He thought to himself that everyone has someone they love, and he shouldn't show affection to everyone.

Baoyu turned to leave, but accidentally stepped on a dead branch and broke it. Lingguan and Jia Qiang heard the commotion and looked over. Seeing Baoyu, Jia Qiang hurriedly bowed and greeted him. Baoyu smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Don't bother me, you two. I'm leaving now." With that, he walked away from the flowers with a carefree manner, his heart no longer troubled.

After Baoyu left, he went straight to the Xiaoxiang Pavilion to find Daiyu. Daiyu was reading by the window. Seeing Baoyu come in, she looked up and asked, "Where are you from? You seem to be in a hurry. What's interesting?" Baoyu then told her the story of Lingguan in detail. Daiyu chuckled and said, "You're getting your bearings now." Baoyu sat down next to her and sighed, "Seeing Lingguan and Jia Qiang today, I finally realized that love between men and women in this world has its own place. I shouldn't be as ignorant as before." Daiyu's cheeks flushed and she scolded, "Who cares about your affairs?" Although she said this, she was happy in her heart.

At this time, Zijuan brought tea and said, "Second Master, it is rare that you can understand this today. Miss, you should worry less in the future." Baoyu agreed, but his eyes were always on Daiyu. Daiyu felt shy when she was looked at, so she picked up a book and pretended to read. Baoyu suddenly remembered something and took out an exquisite jade pendant from his bosom, handed it to Daiyu and said, "This is for you, as a little gift from me." Daiyu took it, played with the jade pendant, and said softly, "This jade pendant is beautiful, but I am afraid that accepting your things for no reason will cause gossip." Baoyu smiled and said, "Why should I be afraid of gossip between us?" The two smiled at each other, and the room was filled with a warm and quiet feeling.