Red Mansion: Holding Space and Marrying Like the Sea

After bidding farewell to Qin Zhong and Zhineng, Sister Feng did not dare to delay for even a moment and immediately rushed to Tiekan Temple without stopping. Along the way, she kept thinking about various matters in her mind, fearing that she would miss something.

When she finally arrived at Tiekan Temple, the moment she stepped through the gates, she was captivated by the sight before her. Incense curled upward, filling the air like layers of gauze. Accompanied by the melodious sound of chanting, the sound seemed to penetrate the soul, bringing an inexplicable sense of tranquility and peace.

Sister Feng first approached the main hall with light but steady steps. She respectfully took three sticks of incense, lit them, clasped her hands together, bowed her head slightly, and her face was filled with piety. In her heart, she silently prayed to the Buddha to bless the Jia family with peace and prosperity. After offering the incense and worshipping the Buddha, Sister Feng did not leave immediately, but began to carefully examine the surroundings.

She walked slowly along the bluestone path, her eyes scanning every corner. She saw the monks in the temple, each doing their own job. Some were concentrating on chanting sutras, while others were cleaning the courtyard. The Buddha statues were solemn and majestic, surrounded by fresh offerings and flowers. The incense burners burned brightly, with smoke curling... Seeing that everything was in perfect order and there was nothing unusual, Fengjie nodded with satisfaction and breathed a sigh of relief.

At this moment, Baozhu, who had been silently following her, suddenly stepped forward quickly and gently tugged at Fengjie's sleeve. She raised her head timidly, her eyes full of pleading, and whispered to Fengjie, "Second Madam, I really don't want to go home. I want to stay here for a few more days. Please agree!"

Fengjie couldn't help but frown when she heard Baozhu's words. She knew that if Baozhu continued to stay in Tiekan Temple, she would have a hard time explaining what would happen. But when she saw Baozhu's earnest expression, her heart softened. After a moment's hesitation, Fengjie finally nodded in agreement.

However, out of concern for Baozhu's safety, Fengjie had second thoughts and decided she couldn't just leave her here alone. So, she turned to Jia Zhen and ordered, "Brother Zhen, you must arrange for some reliable maids and servants to keep Baozhu company, so she doesn't feel all alone here. If anything goes wrong, we can't afford it!" Upon hearing Wang Xifeng's order, Jia Zhen's face lit up with seriousness as he promised, "That's what I should do! I'll have someone arrange it right away!" With that, Jia Zhen left as fast as the wind and hurriedly began to deal with the matter.

Jia Zhen returned to his residence and quickly summoned his men to listen to his orders, and explained the tasks to them in detail. Not long after, several women hurried over, stopped beside Baozhu, and listened to Jia Zhen's further instructions.

Seeing that everything was properly arranged, Jia Zhen breathed a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, Sister Feng, knowing that everything had been properly handled according to her wishes, finally felt relieved. She nodded in satisfaction, then gracefully turned away, slowly leaving Tiekan Temple with light steps.

Meanwhile, beneath a lush tree behind the temple, Qin Zhong and Zhineng'er, a pair of lovers, embraced each other tightly. Their bodies pressed so close, as if they wanted to absorb each other into the depths of their souls. When their eyes met, they revealed endless reluctance and longing.

They knew full well that after this separation, they had no idea when they would be able to meet again. The thought of this brought them both grief, yet they felt helpless. Helpless, they secretly set dates for their rendezvous, each one a secret location known only to them. These locations might be quiet mountain trails, or peaceful corners by the lake...

However, no matter how deep their affection, no matter how much they cherished their parting, reality ultimately proved ruthless. After a heartbreaking farewell, Qin Zhong and Zhineng'er reluctantly parted ways, filled with resentment and reluctance. As for the sweet words and vows they exchanged at their parting, I won't recount them here. After all, some emotions are too intimate and delicate to be hidden deep within the hearts of two lovers.

Baoyu, overjoyed to see the outer study tidied up, eagerly arranged to meet Qin Zhong for a night of study. However, Qin Zhong, despite his scholarly spirit, was also physically frail. A while ago, he'd been caught in a bit of wind and frost while out in the country, and coupled with his secret meetings with Zhineng, he'd been so obsessed with romance that he'd neglected his health. Upon his return, he'd been coughing profusely, catching a cold. He couldn't even eat his usual favorite foods, looking haggard and frail, as if he'd collapse at the slightest gust of wind. Consequently, he dared not venture out of the house, remaining content to rest and recuperate.

When Baoyu learned of this, his high hopes vanished in an instant, leaving him feeling extremely disappointed. However, facing his friend's illness, he was helpless and could only sigh, burying his disappointment for the time being, and secretly praying that Qin Zhong would recover soon, so that they could reunite for their evening reading appointment.

Meanwhile, Wang Xifeng had received a reply from Yun Guang, confirming that all matters had been settled. The old nun quickly relayed the good news to the Zhang family. As expected, the garrison commander, though reluctant, ultimately accepted the betrothal gifts. Who could have foreseen that the Zhang family's parents, so obsessed with power and wealth, would raise a daughter so righteous and affectionate? Upon hearing that her parents had arbitrarily canceled her former husband's engagement, the woman, overcome with grief and indignation, resolutely took a thick hemp rope and, unnoticed, hanged herself. Upon learning that his beloved, Jin Ge, had hanged herself, the garrison commander's son, a man equally devoted to love and friendship, was heartbroken and unable to accept such a cruel reality. Without hesitation, he jumped into the river to follow his beloved, demonstrating his deep affection for his wife with this decisive act. As a result, the Zhang and Li families suffered a complete loss of face and wealth, leaving them destitute. Meanwhile, Wang Xifeng, content to receive her generous reward of three thousand taels of silver, remained completely unaware of the incident. From then on, Fengjie grew even bolder, acting with impunity whenever such incidents arose. It's needless to say.

At the Lin residence, Xifeng thought of her own lawlessness and recklessness. A surge of resentment surged through her heart. To atone for her sins, she had been keeping an eye on the Zhang family and the prefect's family. Helping them in times of trouble would also make her feel better.

It was a sunny and breezy day. Sister Feng, dressed in her finest attire, strolled leisurely through the garden with a graceful demeanor. Suddenly, she saw a young maid running toward her, her expression frantic. As she approached, the maid breathlessly reported to Sister Feng.

All I could hear was the maid saying, "Madam, you are truly a man of foresight and foresight! The Zhang family's parents are simply the kind of people who are extremely greedy for power and only want to make money! Who would have thought that such parents would raise such a kind and loving daughter! When the girl named Jin Ge learned that her biological parents had secretly decided to cancel her engagement with her ex-husband without her knowledge, she was so sad and angry that it is simply indescribable! In a moment of rage, she was so furious that she picked up a thick and strong hemp rope without hesitation and was about to hang herself! Oh, thank goodness the people we sent to keep an eye on her were sharp and careful. They saw that she was not in a good mood and followed her closely the whole time. That's how they discovered and prevented this tragedy in time. Otherwise, the consequences would be disastrous!"

After hearing these words, Fengjie couldn't help feeling a little relieved. She sighed softly and murmured to herself, "Amitabha, it seems that I have unintentionally accumulated a small amount of good karma." Then, she had an idea and thought to herself: Since I have already intervened in this matter, I might as well be a good person to the end, and use some tricks to make sure that this pair of affectionate and righteous young people can finally achieve the right result and become an enviable couple.

So, Sister Feng immediately summoned a clever and well-behaved servant and instructed him, "Go and investigate immediately to find out what exactly caused this incident with the Zhang family. The two families had already made an engagement long ago, so how can they just cancel the engagement for no reason? We must get to the bottom of this and make no mistakes!"

The servant left in a hurry after receiving the order, and soon returned breathlessly to report the situation to the wife. The servant's face was flushed, and there were a few beads of sweat on his forehead, obviously he had run all the way here.

He calmed his breath a little, then said respectfully, "Madam, I have already found out everything. It turns out that the Zhang family got lucky and suddenly gained power. They used their power to bully others and forced the garrison to cancel the engagement. The cause of the matter was that Li Yanei, the brother-in-law of the magistrate of Chang'an Prefecture, happened to see Miss Jin of the Zhang family who was going to the temple to worship while he was out for fun. He fell in love with her at first sight and insisted on marrying her, so he hurriedly sent someone to propose marriage. But who would have thought that Jin had already accepted the betrothal gift from the son of the former Chang'an garrison commander, and the beautiful girl was already taken.

The Zhang family was caught in a dilemma. If they abruptly called off the engagement, they worried the garrison commander wouldn't relent. If they didn't, they couldn't afford to offend the powerful Li Yanei. So, initially, they lied, claiming their daughter was already betrothed to someone else, hoping to shirk their responsibility. However, Young Master Li was stubborn, determined to marry none other than Jin Ge, and ignored the Zhang family's arguments. Upon hearing this, the garrison commander was furious. Regardless of the truth, they arrived at the Zhang family's door and launched a barrage of abuse, accusing them of betrothing their daughter to multiple families and refusing to return the betrothal gifts. They even threatened to sue the Zhang family.

The Zhang family was now caught in the middle, unable to offend either side. They were completely overwhelmed and at a loss for what to do. Finally, they gritted their teeth and sent a messenger to the capital to seek support and connections, determined to cancel the engagement. As luck would have it, they were introduced to the residence of Master Yun, the governor of Chang'an. Master Yun had the closest ties to the Jia family, and out of respect for the Jia family, he used the letter from Madam Wang to put pressure on the garrison commander, ultimately succeeding in getting him to agree to cancel the engagement.

Sister Feng sneered, "Humph, I will not tolerate such bullying."

As the sun set and the afterglow faded, Lin Ruhai finally finished a busy day of official duties and returned home, slightly exhausted. Upon entering the mansion, a servant arrived to announce that Wang Xifeng had been waiting in the study. Upon hearing this, Lin Ruhai hurriedly quickened his pace toward the study.

Entering the study, Wang Xifeng was seated at the table, a cup of fragrant tea in her hand. Seeing Lin Ruhai enter, she quickly rose to greet him. After Lin Ruhai sat down, Wang Xifeng recounted the details of today's events. Lin Ruhai frowned slightly, pondering for a moment. Then, looking up at Wang Xifeng, she asked, "Feng'er, from what you've said, do you intend to help those two young men?"

A blush appeared on Wang Xifeng's face. She nodded shyly and said softly, "I really feel that they are very pitiful, so I was thinking about whether I could do my best to help them. But I don't know if this will bring trouble to my husband, so I feel a little uneasy." As she spoke, she raised her head and looked at Lin Ruhai with a full gaze.

Lin Ruhai smiled faintly, extended his right hand, and gently grasped Wang Xifeng's hand, saying soothingly, "Don't worry, Feng'er, since you have such a kind heart, as your husband, I will fully support you. Besides, helping others is the foundation of happiness, and being able to achieve a happy marriage is also a merit." Hearing Lin Ruhai's words, Wang Xifeng's eyes flashed with surprise, as bright and charming as a blooming spring flower. She said in a sweet voice, "Thank you, husband, for your help."

Next, Lin Ruhai spread out a sheet of rice paper, picked up his brush, dipped it in thick ink, and quickly composed a letter. The letter, written earnestly and clearly, laid out the stakes of the matter, emphasizing that allowing the situation to continue as it did would not only harm those involved but also damage the reputations of all parties. After completing the letter, Lin Ruhai carefully reviewed the contents, confirming they were correct, and summoned a trusted messenger, instructing him to deliver it swiftly to the residence of Yun Laoye, the governor of Chang'an.

A few days later, Master Yun received Lin Ruhai's letter. He unfolded it and carefully read it word by word. After finishing, Master Yun fell into deep thought. After much deliberation, he finally decided to personally intervene to mediate the matter.