Red Mansion: Holding Space and Marrying Like the Sea

After everything was tidied up, Wang Xifeng changed her clothes and washed her hands. Then she sat at the table and leisurely ate two mouthfuls of sweet rice porridge made from fruit candies and glutinous rice. Afterwards, she rinsed her mouth with water. By the time she had finished all these things, it was already 2:45 am.

By this time, Lai Wang's wife had been waiting for a long time with numerous servants. Wang Xifeng sauntered out of the hall and gracefully boarded a carriage. A pair of bright corner lights shone from the front of the carriage, with the three characters "Rongguo Mansion" written in bold, eye-catching letters. Thus, the group steadily journeyed towards Ningguo Mansion.

Arriving at the Ningguo Mansion's gate, they saw a lantern hanging high above the main gate, radiating light that illuminated the surroundings like daylight. On either side of the gate, neatly arranged lanterns of the same color shone equally brightly. Servants in white mourning clothes stood respectfully on either side, silently waiting.

At that moment, after many female relatives had dispersed, Mrs. Wang turned to look at Fengjie and asked with concern, "How do you feel today?" Fengjie bowed slightly and replied, "Thank you for your concern, madam. It's just that the affairs in this mansion are numerous and complicated. I hope you can go back to your room and rest first. I will sort out these things clearly and then come back to report to you." After hearing her words, Mrs. Wang nodded and left with Mrs. Xing and others. Let's not talk about it here for now.

Meanwhile, Sister Feng slowly walked into the three-room porch and sat upright on a chair, her brows furrowed as she pondered: "First, the mansion's population is so mixed that people often lose valuables. Second, there's no single person in charge, so when it comes to critical matters, everyone blames each other. Third, daily expenses are excessive, and there are people who misappropriate funds, causing confusion in the accounts. Fourth, regardless of the size of the task, the responsibilities and treatment everyone bears are uneven, making it difficult to convince everyone. Finally, some of the servants are unbridled. Those with a little respectability have no regard for the rules, while those without face struggle to improve themselves." These five issues are all long-standing bad habits and practices in Ningguo Mansion. I wonder how I, Wang Xifeng, can effectively address them. As the saying goes: Even if there are countless dignitaries in golden and purple robes in the court, they may not be able to govern the country well; however, in the boudoir, just one or two smart and capable women can actually manage the family affairs in an orderly manner.

At this moment, Lai Sheng, the chief steward of Ningguo Mansion, heard that the mansion had entrusted Second Madam Lian from the West Mansion, also known as Feng Ji, to be in charge of internal affairs. He hurriedly summoned all his subordinates and solemnly instructed them: "Everyone must be on high alert! Now that we have invited Second Madam Lian from the West Mansion to take care of our household affairs, if she comes to withdraw things or give us instructions in the future, we must be doubly careful than usual! We must not be negligent in the slightest!" Everyone responded in unison, expressing that they would follow the steward's instructions.

Every morning, people arrived early to begin their busy work, continuing until dusk. Although this period was extremely tiring, everyone preferred to persevere for a full month, then rest and recuperate. No one wanted to lose face by slacking off. After all, the man was a notoriously powerful figure, not only sullen and stubborn, but also ruthless when angry!

Hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement. Then, someone in the crowd laughed and interjected, "To be honest, we really need someone like her to clean things up. These days, everyone's too lax and it's a mess." Amidst the discussion, Lai Wang's wife suddenly approached, holding a pair of cards. It turned out she was there to collect the petition, the imperial edict, and some paperwork. The specific amounts of the items needed were clearly written on the cards.

Seeing this, everyone hurriedly stood up and offered their seats, enthusiastically pouring tea and water for Lai Wang's wife. Meanwhile, someone quickly fetched the paper according to the quantity indicated on the ticket, carefully gathered it in their arms, and then walked towards the ceremonial gate with Lai Wang's wife. When they reached the gate, they handed all the papers they had in their arms to Lai Wang's wife, who then carried them into the palace alone.

Meanwhile, Wang Xifeng acted decisively, ordering Caiming to quickly prepare a book to record the relevant matters. Immediately afterwards, she summoned Laisheng's wife and demanded a household roster for verification. She also ordered Laisheng to gather all family members and daughters-in-law by early the next morning to receive instructions and other arrangements. After a rough inventory of the number of people and belongings, Wang Xifeng asked Laisheng's wife a few key questions and then boarded her carriage for home. For the rest of the night, there was peace and tranquility, with no further incidents.

The next morning, before daybreak, Wang Xifeng arrived at the Ningguo Mansion at 2:30 AM. Meanwhile, the maids and wives of the Ningguo Mansion had heard the news and had gathered. Everyone saw Sister Feng methodically assigning tasks with the Laisheng family's wife. For a moment, no one dared to enter the house. They could only stand quietly outside the window, carefully listening for any sounds from within.

All that was heard was Fengjie saying to Laisheng's wife in a serious tone: "Since you have entrusted the matter to me, I don't care whether I will annoy you or not. To tell you the truth, I am not a person with a gentle personality like your grandmother who lets you do whatever you want! From now on, everything must be done according to my rules. If anyone dares to violate them or do something wrong, don't blame me for not caring about anyone's face. No matter whether they are well-known or unknown, they will all be dealt with fairly and strictly, and there will be no leniency!" After saying this, she immediately turned around and instructed Caiming beside her to take out the personnel roster and read it aloud.

After Caiming finished reading the list, Fengjie began calling everyone into the room one by one to inspect it. Soon, everyone had been reviewed. Then, Fengjie issued another order: "These twenty people will be divided into two shifts of ten. Each shift will be responsible for receiving guests in the room every day and serving them tea and water promptly. As for other miscellaneous tasks, they are not required to interfere."

These twenty people were divided equally into two shifts, each responsible for providing tea and food to the relatives daily. They were not required to manage any other matters. The other forty people were also divided into two shifts. One group was responsible for burning incense, adding scented oil, hanging curtains, and guarding the coffin in front of the mourning hall. The other group was responsible for providing food and tea, and standing up to mourn and cry as needed. Aside from these specific tasks, they had nothing to do with anything else.

As for these four, they were solely responsible for the storage and management of all kinds of cups, plates, and tea sets in the inner tea room. If even one item was lost or damaged, they would be required to compensate for it. Similarly, there were four other people who were responsible for the various utensils used for drinking and dining. If any item was missing, they would naturally bear the responsibility and compensate for it.

The next eight will be responsible for overseeing the receipt of sacrificial gifts. Another eight will be responsible for managing the lamp oil, candles, paper, and other supplies needed at various locations. I will first gather all of these and hand them over to you eight, then distribute them to the various locations according to the quantities I specify. Furthermore, the remaining thirty people will rotate night shifts in different locations each day. Their responsibilities include maintaining security at the gates, monitoring for fire hazards and abnormal candlelight, and cleaning and tidying up the area.

Finally, the remaining people were divided and arranged according to the location of the house. Someone was responsible for guarding a certain place. Starting from all the tables and chairs, antiques and treasures in that place, to spittoons, boxes, feather dusters, and even a blade of grass or a seedling, no matter if it was lost or damaged, they had to find the person in charge of guarding this place to settle the accounts and demand compensation.

Lai Sheng's family is responsible for daily inspections and oversight. Anyone caught slacking off, gambling, drinking, fighting, or engaging in other misconduct must report it to me immediately. If I discover anyone engaging in favoritism or corruption, the reputation they've accumulated over three or four lifetimes will be shattered! Everything has been set in stone. From now on, if any issues arise in any particular department, the person in charge will be specifically interviewed and held accountable. Those who work with me on a daily basis all carry clocks. I've set specific times for handling matters, big or small. You have a clock in your upper room, too. Every morning at 2:15 a.m., I'll personally come to roll call. Breakfast begins at 1:15 p.m.; anyone needing a badge to report something can only come at 1:15 p.m.; at 1:15 p.m., evening paper must be burned. Afterward, I'll personally inspect every area. Upon my return, the night shift staff will hand over the keys to me. The next day, I'll still be here to roll call at 2:15 p.m. There is no other way. You all will have to work hard during this period of time. After this task is completed, your master will definitely reward you handsomely.

After saying these words, she raised her head slightly, her eyes firm and calm, and began to give orders in an orderly manner. Her clear and resounding voice echoed throughout the room, and every word was clearly pronounced: "Distribute tea, oil candles, feather dusters, and brooms to everyone according to the number of people!" As her orders were issued, the servants sprang into action, carrying out their tasks swiftly and orderly.

At that moment, another group of servants filed in, carefully carrying a variety of utensils. There were brightly colored tablecloths, exquisite chair covers, soft and comfortable cushions, thick and warm felt mats, small and exquisite spittoons, and sturdy footrests. These utensils were neatly placed aside, awaiting further distribution and use.

As she directed the delivery of items, she meticulously recorded them. Each person's assigned area and the items they received were meticulously recorded, making it easy to see at a glance. After receiving their assigned tasks, everyone had a clear goal and direction. They no longer simply picked easy and profitable tasks, leaving the difficult and laborious ones to the side.

This way, belongings in each room were properly organized, preventing them from getting lost or misplaced due to disarray. Even when guests came and went, the household became orderly. No more frantic scrambling—just as tea was being served, the kitchen had to immediately begin serving meals; while mourning a deceased person in one place, the new arrivals were greeted in another. Such confusion, panic, the tendency to pass the buck, slacking off, and even stealing—all disappeared by the next day.

Seeing her power growing and her orders carried out without resistance, Sister Feng was filled with pride. Seeing that Youshi was ill and Jia Zhen was grief-stricken, unable to eat or drink, Sister Feng personally prepared a variety of fine rice porridge and delicious side dishes from her own home every day, sending them to Jia Zhen to comfort him. Jia Zhen also arranged for the finest delicacies to be delivered to the porch every day, specifically for Sister Feng's enjoyment.

Sister Feng had no fear of hard work. Every day, she would arrive early at 2:15 a.m. to take roll call and handle affairs. She lived and slept alone in the porch, never socializing with the other sisters-in-law. Even when guests came to visit, she would not take the initiative to go out to greet them.

It was the fifth day of the seventh month, and according to custom, grand rituals were held. Buddhist monks were prescribing remedies to dispel the sufferings of hell, passing bright lanterns to illuminate the path of the deceased, paying homage to the King of Hell, and apprehending various ghosts. They also held a grand banquet to invite Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva to descend, open the golden bridge to the Pure Land, and lead banners to summon the spirits. Meanwhile, a group of Taoists were reverently prostrating themselves, writing petitions to the Three Pure Ones and worshipping the Jade Emperor for protection. Meanwhile, Zen monks were busy burning incense and performing rituals, performing the "Yama-mouth" ritual to liberate hungry ghosts, and reverently kneeling in the "Water Repentance" ritual to ward off disasters and pray for blessings. Thirteen nuns, clad in embroidered robes and red shoes, stood quietly before the coffin, silently chanting various mantras to guide the deceased to the afterlife. The scene was a scene of extraordinary activity.

The shrewd Fengjie knew that today would be a day of many guests, so she stayed at home a day in advance to rest. At the time of Yinzhong, her personal maid Ping'er hurriedly woke her up and asked her to get up, wash and dress, so that she could face the busy day.