Red Mansion: Holding Space and Marrying Like the Sea

When Fengjie heard this, she trembled with fear, a fine layer of sweat broke out on her forehead, and she was completely stunned. After a long time, she came to her senses and pondered in her heart how sudden this matter had come. There was nothing she could do. At this point, she could only hurriedly put on her clothes and hurried to Mrs. Wang.

By then, the entire Jia family had heard the tragic news. For a moment, everyone was buzzing with discussion, their faces filled with surprise and confusion. The older generation recalled Qin's filial piety and respect for their elders; her peers recalled her warm, friendly, and intimate interactions; and the younger generation, even more, could not forget her loving care for them. Even the servants and children in the household, remembering Qin's compassion and sympathy for the poor, her cherishing of the humble, and her kindness to the elderly and the young, were overcome with grief and burst into tears.

Let's put that aside for now. Let's talk about Jia Baoyu. Lin Daiyu had recently gone home, leaving him all alone and in no mood to play with others. Every night, as soon as it got dark, he felt bored and went to bed early. Now, while Jia Baoyu was dreaming, he suddenly heard someone mention that Qin Shi had passed away. He shuddered and quickly sat up. Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced his heart, like a sharp knife, making it almost impossible to breathe. Then, he couldn't help but open his mouth and spurt out a mouthful of blood. The crimson liquid arced through the air and splashed onto the bed.

Seeing this, Xiren and others nearby panicked and scrambled forward to support the staggering Baoyu. They anxiously inquired about what had happened, and some even suggested returning immediately to report to Lady Jia and request a doctor. However, Baoyu, despite the pain, forced a smile and said, "Don't panic, it's nothing serious. It's just my impatience and anger, which caused my qi and blood to flow backwards." With that, he struggled to his feet and signaled the maids to quickly fetch him clean clothes. He then prepared to go to see Lady Jia and immediately go to Ningguo Mansion to pay his respects.

Xiren, watching Baoyu's determination, was filled with worry, but she knew it was impossible to stop him. She nodded helplessly and let him go. When Grandmother Jia learned that Baoyu was going to Ningguo Mansion, she frowned and advised, "A person who has just died must be surrounded by unclean things. It's so late at night, and the wind is strong. Why not wait until tomorrow morning?" But Baoyu was in no mood to listen. He simply wanted to see Qin Shi one last time as soon as possible, and he refused to comply with Grandmother Jia's wishes.

Finally, unable to persuade Baoyu, Grandmother Jia ordered her servants to prepare a carriage and dispatch additional attendants and servants to ensure his safety. Thus, the group set off in a mighty procession, the sound of horses' hooves and wheels rumbling along the way. Soon, they arrived at the gates of Ningguo Mansion. Looking up, they saw the gates wide open. Lanterns hung on either side of the doorway shone brightly, illuminating the surroundings like daylight. The mansion was bustling with activity, people rushing to and fro in a chaotic and chaotic manner. From afar, they could hear bursts of heartbreaking sobs, the wails so deafening that they seemed to shake the mountains.

Baoyu hurriedly got out of the carriage and stumbled towards the room where the coffin was placed. As soon as he entered the room, he could no longer suppress the surging grief in his heart. He fell to the ground and burst into tears. His cry was like sobbing, as if he wanted to vent all the sorrow in his heart.

After crying, Baoyu calmed down a bit and went to see Youshi. However, when he arrived at Youshi's room, he found her lying in bed with a stomachache. Her face was pale, and beads of sweat covered her forehead. Seeing this, Baoyu didn't want to disturb her any further. He just said a few words of greeting and turned away.

Then, Baoyu went outside again and saw Jia Zhen. Jia Zhen had already cried like a tearful man, and he looked extremely haggard. He was holding Jia Dairu and others and crying, "In our whole family, young and old, as well as those relatives and friends, whether near or far, who doesn't know my daughter-in-law? She is more than ten times better than my good-for-nothing son! But now, she has passed away like this. From now on, I am afraid that our eldest branch of the family will be completely extinct and there will be no successor!" Speaking of this sad thing, Jia Zhen couldn't help but burst into tears again.

Seeing this, the crowd around hurried forward to comfort him, saying, "The deceased is gone. No matter how much you cry, it will be of no use. The most important thing right now is to quickly discuss how to handle the funeral."

Jia Zhen slapped his thigh sadly and said, "As for how to handle this matter, don't worry. I will give my all, and I will spare no expense!" He had barely finished speaking when Qin Ye, Qin Zhong, and several of Youshi's relatives—the You sisters—arrived at the scene. Seeing this, Jia Zhen immediately assigned Jia Qiong, Jia Chen, and Jia Qiang to accompany the guests. Simultaneously, he quickly issued orders to invite the Yangsi of the Imperial Observatory to select an auspicious date. After careful consideration, they settled on a period of 49 days, with the formal funeral to be held three days later, and a notice of the obituary to be sent to relatives and friends.

During these arduous forty-nine days, Jia Zhen meticulously arranged a series of grand rituals. First, he invited a full 108 Zen monks to devoutly perform the Great Compassion Repentance in a spacious hall, seeking to liberate the souls of those who had departed previously and those who would later depart, hoping to mitigate any sins the deceased might have committed in their lifetime. Furthermore, he set up another altar in the Tianxiang Tower and invited ninety-nine Quanzhen Taoists to perform a forty-nine-day ritual to resolve grievances and cleanse karma.

The coffin was then temporarily placed in Huifang Garden. Before the coffin, fifty highly respected monks and fifty highly accomplished Taoist priests gathered. Standing opposite each other, they chanted sutras and prayed according to the seven-day cycle, sincerely performing various charitable acts for the deceased. However, Jia Jing, who was away at the Taoist temple, reacted with remarkable apathy upon hearing the news of his eldest grandson's wife's untimely death. Firmly believing that he would eventually attain immortality, he refused to return home to the worldly concerns, fearing that all his efforts would be wasted. Consequently, he completely ignored the details of the funeral, leaving them entirely to Jia Zhen.