Red Mansion: Holding Space and Marrying Like the Sea

Seeing this, Baoyu quickly stopped and explained with a smile, "I have never seen this thing before. I find it novel and interesting, so I want to try playing with it." The maid standing by couldn't help but chuckle when she heard this, and then said softly, "Sir, you don't know how to turn this spinning wheel. Let me show you." After that, she walked lightly to the spinning wheel and operated it skillfully.

At this moment, Qin Zhong, who had been observing silently, suddenly reached out and tugged at Baoyu's sleeve, lowering his voice to his ear, "This girl is really quite interesting." Baoyu's face changed slightly when he heard this, and he quickly reached out and pushed Qin Zhong away, whispering, "Stop talking nonsense, or watch out for my fists! They don't have eyes!"

As the two were talking, the girl began to spin at a furious pace. Her movements were as natural and fluid as flowing water, the thread tumbling up and down her hands, as if it had come alive—a truly beautiful sight. Just as everyone was engrossed in the spectacle, a voice suddenly called out from afar, "Second girl, come here quickly!" Hearing the call, the girl hurriedly stopped her work, dropped her spinning wheel, and trotted off.

As Baoyu watched the girl walk away, he couldn't help but feel a sense of loss. His originally high spirits suddenly became dull. Just then, Wang Xifeng's servants hurried over and shouted, "Master Bao, Master Qin, Grandma is calling you two to come in quickly."

Soon, Baoyu and Qin Zhong arrived. They found Wang Xifeng sitting on a chair, having just washed her hands and changed into a brand new outfit. Seeing them enter, Sister Feng smiled and asked, "Would you like to change your clothes, too?" Baoyu shook his head and replied, "Thank you for your concern, Sister Feng. I don't need to change." Sister Feng nodded, understanding, and said nothing more.

Not long after, a group of maids filed in, carrying a variety of exquisite tea snacks and fruits, as well as pots of fragrant hot tea. After placing these items on the table, they respectfully stepped aside. After enjoying the tea and snacks, Fengjie and the others rested for a while and then stood up to leave.

As the group walked out of the house and into the courtyard, Baoyu instinctively looked around, hoping to find the spinning woman again. However, to his disappointment, no matter how hard he looked, he could no longer see the familiar figure. Instead, he saw Wang'er outside, busy distributing rewards to the farmers, and the women who received the rewards came forward with joyful faces to express their gratitude.

Before he had gone far, Baoyu saw the second girl holding a delicate little child tightly in her arms. Two other equally charming little girls were beside them. They were standing together at the village entrance, their eyes fixed on him. Seeing this, Baoyu's heart was moved, but at the moment, he was in a carriage and had difficulty moving, so he could only secretly convey his affection out of the corner of his eye.

In the blink of an eye, the carriage sped away like lightning, with a howling wind blowing past. When Baoyu came to his senses and turned around to look, the figures of those people had already disappeared without a trace, as if they had never appeared.

Everyone chatted and laughed along the way, and before they knew it, they had caught up with the grand funeral procession marching ahead. From afar, they could see the roar of gongs and drums at the forefront, the deafening sound of Dharma drums, the glittering of golden cymbals, the fluttering of banners, the solemn and magnificent canopies, and the monks of Tiekan Temple lined up neatly on both sides of the road.

Not long after, the group finally arrived at the temple. Inside, the place was bustling with activity. The venue was being renovated, a solemn incense altar was set up, and the deceased's coffin was safely placed in a side room within the inner hall. Baozhu diligently attended to all matters and even arranged a bedroom for her to stay by his side.

Meanwhile, outside the temple, Jia Zhen was busy warmly entertaining the mourners. Some chose to stay and rest, while others bid farewell to their host. Jia Zhen treated each guest with courtesy and thanked them for their hard work. The distinguished nobles and aristocrats, in descending order of rank, left in a continuous stream until nearly three o'clock in the afternoon, when they finally all departed.

As for the women in the temple, the shrewd and capable Wang Xifeng was in charge of entertaining them. She respectfully saw off the ladies of high rank, and by around two o'clock in the afternoon, the distinguished guests had finally begun to leave. Only a few close relatives expressed a desire to wait until the three-day ceremony was complete before leaving.

At this time, Mrs. Xing and Mrs. Wang knew that Wang Xifeng was so busy with the funeral that she would not be able to return home. So after discussing it, the two decided to take Baoyu back to the city with them.

When Baoyu first arrived in the suburbs, he was instantly captivated by the beautiful scenery before him: verdant mountains, clear waters, chirping birds, and fragrant flowers. It was as if he had stepped into a fairyland. He was so excited that he was like a wild horse running free. How could he possibly want to go back? His eyes darted around, eager to throw himself into the embrace of nature.

Seeing this, Fengjie secretly laughed. She knew Baoyu's personality well and knew that forcibly bringing him back to the mansion would cause trouble. So, she simply went along with it and agreed to let Baoyu live with her in the suburbs. Although Mrs. Wang was a little worried, seeing Fengjie's arrangement, she reluctantly nodded, handed Baoyu to Fengjie, and left.

Furthermore, Tiekan Temple was meticulously constructed by the Ning and Rong lords. Despite the vicissitudes of time, it still maintains a constant stream of worshippers, boasting acres of fertile land that sustains the temple. This place serves not only as a place for the worship of the gods but also as a place for the coffins of the elderly in the capital. Within the temple, both the Yin and Yang chambers are fully equipped, providing a temporary refuge for those escorting the departed.

However, times have changed, and the descendants of the two lords, Ning and Rong, have grown ever larger. The gap between the rich and the poor within the family has widened, and their personalities have also become more diverse. Some, from impoverished families, face hardships and nowhere else to go, and so choose to stay in the Iron Gate Temple for shelter. Others, from wealthy families, powerful and discerning about grandeur, find this place too simple and uncomfortably comfortable, and will undoubtedly seek a more luxurious residence, perhaps a mansion in the village or a quiet nunnery, to entertain guests and rest after the funeral.

During the funeral procession for Qin's unfortunate passing, members of the Ning and Rong families flocked to offer their condolences. Some chose to remain at Tiekan Temple, while others sought alternative accommodations based on their preferences and circumstances. Even the typically assertive and capable Feng Jie was dissatisfied with the Tiekan Temple's surroundings. She quickly sent someone to negotiate with Jingxu, the nun at Mantou Temple, hoping to vacate a few clean and tidy rooms.

The Mantou Temple and the Shuiyue Temple were originally of the same ilk, earning their nickname from the delicious steamed buns they made there. The temple was not far from the Tiekan Temple. At this moment, the monks in the temple had finished their rituals and had their evening tea. Seeing this, Jia Zhen quickly ordered Jia Rong to invite Fengjie to rest.

Seeing that several sisters-in-law were still accompanying the female family members, Fengjie said goodbye to them and then slowly led Baoyu and Qin Zhong towards the Mantou Temple. Qin Bangye, due to his advanced age and illness, was unable to come in person and had only asked Qin Zhong to stay and wait for the coffin to be placed. Therefore, Qin Zhong followed Fengjie and Baoyu closely.

Soon, the three of them arrived at the nunnery. Master Jingxu personally led the two disciples Zhishan and Zhineng to greet them quickly outside the door. After greeting each other, the group slowly entered. When Fengjie and the others reached the clean room, changed their clothes and washed their hands, Fengjie looked up and saw that Zhineng had become taller than before, and her appearance had become more beautiful and charming. So, Fengjie couldn't help but laugh and said, "Why haven't you and your disciples visited me recently?" Upon hearing this, Master Jingxu hurriedly smiled and explained, "Oh, grandma, you don't know! Recently, Mr. Hu's family has a son. His wife specially sent ten taels of silver to our nunnery and asked several masters to recite the "Blood Basin Sutra" for three consecutive days. Everyone is busy with this matter, so we haven't found the time to go to your house to pay our respects to you, grandma."

It is not said that the old nun is chatting with Fengjie. Look at Qin Zhong and Baoyu, they are playing and having fun in the hall. Suddenly, Zhineng came over gracefully. Baoyu was sharp-eyed and immediately shouted with a smile: "Neng'er is here!" But Qin Zhong had a look of disdain on his face and said with a curled lip: "Why bother with her?" Hearing this, Baoyu couldn't help laughing and said jokingly: "You guy, stop pretending here! When you were in the old lady's room, there was no one around, and you hugged Neng'er affectionately. Now you pretend to be serious, and you dare to deceive me?" Qin Zhong blushed slightly when he heard this, and waved his hands to deny it: "That's not the case, don't talk nonsense. "! " Baoyu laughed even harder upon seeing this, pointing at Qin Zhong and saying, "Whether it exists or not is not up to you to decide. Even if you deny it, I know it all too well in my heart! Never mind, never mind. I won't argue with you about this. Just ask Neng'er to pour me a bowl of tea to quench my thirst, and we'll drop the matter." Qin Zhong had no choice but to smile and agree, "Okay, okay, Neng'er, quickly pour Master Bao a bowl of tea." It turned out that Neng'er had been in and out of the Rongguo Mansion since she was a child, and almost everyone in the mansion knew her. On weekdays, she often played and joked with Baoyu, Qin Zhong, and the others, forming a very close relationship. Now, as she grew older, Neng'er gradually understood the affairs of men and women, and she developed a deep admiration for the elegant Qin Zhong. Qin Zhong, in turn, found Neng'er charming, sweet, and endearing, and he was deeply in love with her. Although the two have not yet had any substantial intimate actions, they are already in love with each other and have a mutual understanding.

Zhineng walked lightly to the table, carefully lifted the teapot, and poured the fragrant tea into the exquisite teacup. Qin Zhong saw this, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, revealing a smile, and whispered, "Quick, give me that cup of tea." Before he finished speaking, Baoyu beside him couldn't wait to shout, "Give it to me! Give it to me!" Zhineng, hearing the two of them fighting over it, couldn't help but purse her lips and respond with a coquettish smile, "Oh, it's just a bowl of tea, and you two are fighting over it. Are my hands covered with sweet honey?" As she spoke, she gently shook the teacup in her hand.

At that moment, Baoyu, quick-witted, snatched the teacup from Zhineng'er's hand and drank it all in one gulp. Then, smacking his lips, he was about to ask Zhineng something. Before he could say anything, however, Zhishan hurried over and called out to Zhineng, "Zhenneng, set the fruit plates!" Zhishan then turned and enthusiastically invited Baoyu and Qin Zhong to join him for some fruit tea. But these two young men had no interest in such ordinary food. They sat for a moment before getting up and leaving to continue their playful activities.

On the other side, Fengjie also slowly returned to the clean room and took a rest. The old nun stayed by her side all the time. At this moment, seeing that there was no other business to be dealt with here, many mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law dispersed one after another and went to find a place to rest. Only a few close and trusted little maids stayed to serve Fengjie. Taking advantage of this gap, the old nun felt that the time was right, so she hurried forward and said to Fengjie in a low voice: "I have something here, and I want to go to your house to ask for help from the lady. Before that, I hope you can give me some advice." After hearing this, Fengjie raised her eyebrows slightly and asked with interest: "Oh? What is it?" The old nun put her hands together, chanted "Amitabha", and then said: "Thinking back then, when I first became a nun and practiced in Shancai Temple in Chang'an County, I once met a donor named Zhang. He was incredibly wealthy, one of the richest men in the area. He had a daughter nicknamed Jin Ge. That year, Jin Ge often came to our temple to burn incense and pray. Who would have thought that one day, while offering incense, she would run into Master Li, the brother-in-law of the Taiye of Chang'an Prefecture? "One day, Master Li happened to catch a glimpse of Jin Ge. At that single glance, he fell head over heels in love, as if under a spell. He immediately sent his servants to propose marriage, eagerly anticipating the chance to win her heart. However, fate played tricks on us. Who could have predicted that Jin Ge had already accepted the betrothal gift from the former Chang'an garrison commander?