Red Mansion: Holding Space and Marrying Like the Sea

After a flurry of panic, the venerable doctor was finally summoned to the mansion by the anxious servants. Calmly, he approached Jia Baoyu's bedside, gently placed three fingers on Jia Baoyu's slender, fair wrist, and began to examine his pulse with undivided attention. After a moment, the doctor frowned slightly, as if sensing something unusual, but quickly regained his composure.

The doctor then pulled out his brush, ink, paper, and inkstone from his medical case, and with a few scrawls, he wrote out several elaborate prescriptions. As he wrote, he meticulously instructed the maids and women beside him, "Take these prescriptions once daily, morning and evening. Never delay! Also, remember to eat light meals, and avoid spicy or greasy foods..." Everyone nodded in agreement, promising to follow the doctor's instructions.

After the prescription was written, the servants in the mansion immediately sprang into action. Some rushed to the pharmacy to get the medicine, while others hurried to light a fire to boil the medicine. For a moment, the kitchen was filled with the rich aroma of herbs. The entire Jia Mansion was in a state of hectic activity because of Jia Baoyu's sudden illness.

After much effort, a steaming, dark brown, and pungently bitter medicinal soup was finally brewed. A clever maid cautiously carried the bowl to Jia Baoyu's bedside and blew gently on it, trying to cool it down before giving it to him. However, the strong medicinal smell still made Jia Baoyu, already feeling unwell, frown.

Despite this, Jia Baoyu forced himself to endure the pain, opening his mouth and letting the maid pour the bitter, unpleasant-smelling medicine into his mouth, spoonful by spoonful. With each sip, he couldn't help but shudder, as if it weren't a healing remedy but a poison that would inflict excruciating pain. After finally finishing the entire bowl of medicine, Jia Baoyu felt his stomach churn and nearly vomit it all out.

At this moment, Jia Baoyu's face was as pale as paper, devoid of any trace of blood. His once rosy, plump lips were now cracked and white, and he looked incredibly haggard, like a candle flickering in the wind, a sight that evoked pity. After drinking the bitter medicine, he leaned limply against the bed, his eyes half closed, his gaze dazed and helpless, like a lamb lost in the fog, unable to find its way.

After a while, Jia Baoyu slowly opened his eyes and said in a very weak voice to Mrs. Wang, who was sitting beside the bed with a concerned look on her face: "Mother, I just had a terrible nightmare, and I am still scared until now. Can you send someone to ask Sister Lin to come and keep me company? As long as she is by my side, my heart may be at peace." After that, he looked straight at Mrs. Wang with his eyes full of expectation and pleading.

Mrs. Wang looked at her son's pale face and fear-filled eyes. Although she was extremely reluctant, she couldn't bear to refuse his request at this moment. After all, Jia Baoyu was seriously ill. If she couldn't fulfill his small wish, what would happen if his condition worsened? Thinking of this, Mrs. Wang could only nod her head and ordered her maid to quickly go to Lin Daiyu's residence and invite her to visit Baoyu.

But she secretly took note of Lin Daiyu in her heart, and thought to herself: "Why are there so many vixen trying to seduce my Baoyu in this world?" The more Mrs. Wang thought about it, the more upset she became. Her brows were tightly furrowed, and her eyes were full of disgust and vigilance.

However, Jia Baoyu was so overjoyed that he didn't even notice his mother's gloomy face. His mind had already flown to the beloved he was about to meet, and he was eager to see her as soon as possible.

Recalling the incredibly real dream of last night, Jia Baoyu was captivated by it. The scenes were vivid, except for Sister Lin's charming face, which remained blurry, much to his dismay. Even so, he could still clearly remember the intimate moments they shared in his dream. That seamless, natural atmosphere of intimacy stood in stark contrast to the unfamiliarity and distance they felt in reality.

The two of them grew up together, living and eating together, and could be said to be inseparable. Compared to the other sisters in the mansion, the relationship between them was undoubtedly closer and deeper.

However, when the first rays of morning sunlight streamed into the room, and Jia Baoyu woke from his sweet dream, an indescribable feeling of loss suddenly overwhelmed him. It was as if something crucial, that extremely precious emotion, was gradually drifting away from him, and no matter how hard he tried to hold it back, it was useless.

At this moment, Qiu Wen stood quietly by, carefully helping Jia Baoyu take his medicine. After he had gulped down the medicine, Qiu Wen hurried forward to take the empty bowl. The absent-minded young master hadn't noticed the massive changes in the maids in the house since yesterday. Even the personal maids like Qingwen, Sheyue, and Meiren, who had served him since childhood, he didn't question them at all.

She stood there quietly, her posture straight, her hands folded in front of her. She looked very well-behaved and reserved, a stark contrast to her former arrogant and reckless self. It was as if all her sharpness had been drained from her, and not a trace of her former arrogance remained.

Even the loyal maid who had grown up with her seemed to have been forgotten by her. How could she expect such a heartless person to take responsibility for other matters?

If Baoyu had just mentioned the senior servants in the mansion, such as Musk Moon and Qingwen, then perhaps Mrs. Wang would have softened her heart a little out of pity. After all, these servants served their masters diligently and wholeheartedly, and all they wanted was a better life. If they couldn't become legitimate concubines, even if they were just to stay by the young master's side as maids, they would surely be willing to do so.

Look at this young master. Despite his outward appearance of calmness and innocence, he's actually quite clear-headed. He knows full well that any mention of the maids will inevitably displease his mother. However, once the topic turns to the eldest daughter of the Lin family, the situation becomes completely different. Even if Lady Wang harbors a hint of dissatisfaction, she's reluctant to intervene due to their kinship and the need to preserve her family's reputation.

At this point, everyone suddenly realized that Jia Baoyu was not ignorant of the ways of the world. On the contrary, he not only understood them well, but his heart was also much harder than others imagined. He knew how to manipulate people's hearts and how to act in order to get what he wanted and achieve his goals.

Qiu Wen, standing beside her, lowered her head even lower, as if trying to completely conceal herself. The once bustling scene of laughter and joy in Yihong Courtyard was gone, replaced by a suffocating silence. All the maids, like frightened birds, buried themselves in their work with trepidation, not daring to make the slightest sound, fearing the slightest mistake would anger their master.

If there were no tasks to attend to, the maids and servants would become restless, fearing they would be the next to be kicked out by their masters. After all, in such a large and hierarchical household, the slightest mistake could lead to disaster.

When Lady Wang heard that the Xue family was planning to arrange a marriage for Xue Baochai, she was terribly anxious. She quickly ordered her servants to harness the carriage and hurried to the Xue residence. Upon arrival, she didn't even have time to catch her breath before she stepped out of the carriage and hurried inside. Upon meeting Lady Xue, before she could even begin to greet her, Lady Wang eagerly grasped her hands, her face filled with anxiety as she exclaimed, "Sister, I just heard you were planning to arrange a marriage for Baochai!"

Mrs. Xue was slightly taken aback when she saw Madam Wang's eagerness, but then she smiled and replied, "Sister, you may not know, but now that the children have grown up and are at the age of marriage, it's natural that we should hurry and settle the marriage. Besides, Bao-ya-chan even had her coming-of-age ceremony a while ago. I think it's time to find a suitable marriage for her, a good family to entrust her life to."

After hearing this, Madam Wang not only paused in her grip on Mrs. Xue's hand, but her face, which had originally been slightly flushed from the rush of travel, instantly hardened. She stared at Mrs. Xue with wide eyes, her voice slightly raised, and said with a hint of dissatisfaction, "Sister, didn't we agree on this matter before?"

As she spoke, Mrs. Wang, while displaying great enthusiasm and earnest persuasion, secretly reached out and gently pinched the back of Mrs. Xue's hand. However, Mrs. Xue had already grown annoyed by these actions. She wondered, "We had all agreed to this before, so why hadn't Mrs. Wang mentioned this to the old lady yet?" Furthermore, the Wang family hadn't shown any concrete signs or actions. Days passed. How could their daughter's marriage be delayed indefinitely? How long would it take for a final decision to be made?

"Oh, Pan'er, her temper is always fickle, and she flies around like a headless fly. However, if we can find her a stronger wife, maybe she can slowly calm down and become sensible and well-behaved!" Someone shook his head, looking helpless but expectant.

Another person took over the conversation: "That's right, his brother has already married his sister-in-law. According to common sense, as a sister-in-law in the future, she should at least help her sister-in-law to arrange her marriage, right?" As he spoke, his eyes revealed a hint of curiosity and concern.

At this time, Mrs. Wang couldn't help but sigh softly: "Alas, I just came to the capital and I am unfamiliar with the place. It is really not an easy task to find a satisfactory marriage for our Baochai." She frowned, looking a little worried.

However, she secretly thought that she had originally planned to take advantage of her sister's ardent expectations for Baoyu and Baochai, and spend more money to smooth the relationship so as to achieve her goal. She never thought that someone would arrange a marriage for her daughter Baochai in the blink of an eye.

Especially after hearing what Mrs. Xue said, it was true that those famous and wealthy families were indeed not easy to find. However, as long as you are willing to lower your standards a little and look down, you may still be able to find a good match. Besides, the Xue family is extremely wealthy and powerful. Not only are there many families interested in marrying Baochai, but even if they want to take the initiative to become a son-in-law, there are probably many people who want to come and marry into their family.

Mrs. Wang was speechless for a moment, racking her brains for some suitable rebuttal, but no matter how hard she racked her brains, she could not come up with a valid reason. After all, the ironclad facts were right in front of her, and she could no longer have any chance of luck, let alone continue to be so stubborn and willful.

Mrs. Wang looked embarrassed and said after hesitating for a moment, "Sister, you should understand what I'm thinking. Our Baoyu and Baochai get along so harmoniously and have such deep feelings. How can I have the heart to marry Baochai off to someone else?" As she said this, Mrs. Wang's eyes revealed a hint of reluctance and helplessness.

At this time, Aunt Xue beside her hurriedly echoed, "Old Madam, to be honest, my sister and I have long been attracted to Baoyu and Baochai, a perfect match! Whether in appearance or talent, they are a perfect match made in heaven."

Mrs. Wang added, "That's right. If it weren't for the young age of our two children, I wouldn't have been able to bring this up with you. But now the situation is urgent. We see such a good daughter-in-law might slip away from us. Where else can we find someone as suitable as Baochai?"

As soon as these words came out, not only Aunt Xue was stunned, but even the other two members of the Xue family were stunned. They had originally thought that even if the Rongguo Mansion was interested in matching Baoyu and Baochai, they would have to wait at least three to five months to have time to discuss the matter slowly. But they had never expected that in just two days, Mrs. Wang would be so impatient to express her attitude and make the matter a done deal.

Aunt Xue's eyes instantly brightened, as dazzling as the stars twinkling in the night sky. She thought to herself, "See, I really need to push this matter harder!"

Looking back, whenever she'd been a bit soft and gentle, her sister would always come up with a thousand excuses to evade or shirk responsibility. Those excuses all sounded reasonable, but in reality, they were just a way to get by. Now, it seemed that if she didn't take stronger measures, she might never get things to go the way she wanted. Thinking of this, Aunt Xue gritted her teeth and secretly resolved to change this situation.