Red Mansion: Holding Space and Marrying Like the Sea

For many days, Lin Ruhai went out early and came back late. In the eyes of those who were concerned, the city of Suzhou looked like it was about to be in trouble.

The Qian family, Suzhou's largest salt merchants, sent an invitation to the Lin residence, inviting Old Lady Lin and Xifeng to a flower-viewing banquet. Old Lady Lin wanted to refuse, but Xifeng said, "Mother, think about it! Ruhai is investigating a case right now, and it's already a critical moment. The Qian family not only stayed indoors, but they took the initiative to invite us to the banquet. They must have some ulterior motive. And they even gave Ruhai a Yangzhou skinny horse!" Upon hearing this, Old Lady Lin slammed the table in anger and shouted, "What? A Yangzhou skinny horse? Did Ruhai accept it? If he dares to accept it, I'll show you how I'll deal with him!"

Xifeng quickly helped Madam Lin sit down and consoled her, "Mother, this isn't Ruhai's fault. A few days ago, when my husband and I attended Lord Zhao's mother's sixtieth birthday, we discovered that Master Qian's concubine was actually Lord Zhao's favorite concubine. Actually, she wasn't a concubine at all; she was simply one of a group of girls raised by the Qian family. They've been trained in the art of sex since childhood, starved for food and given cartilage-softening powder. As they grow up, they become so frail and delicate, as graceful as willows in the wind, that's why they're called the skinny horses of Yangzhou. That day, several of the masters were holding such girls in their arms!"

After hearing this, Mrs. Lin sighed, "Is the officialdom in Jiangnan so chaotic? What's the difference between this and openly soliciting prostitution?" After saying this, she sighed several times.

Wang Xifeng vividly recounted the incident to Mrs. Lin, with anger and dissatisfaction flashing in her eyes.

She said: "When Mr. Qian saw my husband bringing me to the banquet, he immediately asked, 'Who is this beautiful lady next to Lord Lin?' He actually questioned whether I was Mrs. Lin, and said that I was so beautiful that I was definitely not Mrs. Lin. Then, this shameless Mr. Qian had the audacity to tell my husband that several of his daughters admired him very much and hoped to give him a chance. As he spoke, a group of slender women in cool clothes came forward. They were all beautiful and charming. They saluted my husband one by one, but a few of them The daring ones even tried to grab my husband's arm. Fortunately, my husband pulled me away from them without hesitation and told Master Qian that I was his wife and that he would never take a concubine. Then, Master Qian shamelessly accused me of being a jealous woman, believing that no man would be without a concubine. He also promised that if his daughter became a concubine, he would prepare a generous dowry, which would become the Lin family's property once it arrived. Finally, he asked for my opinion. Without waiting for me to speak, my husband decisively refused, and those people mocked my husband for being henpecked.

After saying this, Wang Xifeng's face flushed with anger, and she seemed to still be indignant about what happened that day. Mrs. Lin listened quietly, with a look of surprise on her face.

Upon hearing this, Madam Lin was stunned for a long moment before she came to her senses. Her face was filled with astonishment. She frowned and said in disbelief, "How could Mr. Qian be so bold as to be so rude to a third-rank official of the imperial court?"

Xifeng looked helpless, sighed, and then slowly said, "Master Qian has someone backing him up, and it's a very solid backer. With this backer, he naturally has the confidence."

Madam Lin frowned, a hint of doubt flashed in her eyes, and she asked softly, "Could it be that the daughter became a concubine of some important figure?"

Xifeng nodded and said seriously, "Mother is indeed clever. She guessed it right. Mr. Qian's legitimate daughter is the concubine of Zhen Youdao of the Zhen family, and the skinny girl he kept is his concubine."

Thinking of this, Xifeng couldn't help but feel a surge of contempt. Back then, when Mr. Qian's daughters entered the Zhen Mansion, they brought with them millions of taels of silver, and each of them was a true golden child.

"Zhen Youdao?" Madam Lin narrowed her eyes and pondered for a moment. "I have heard of this man. He is the uncle of the prince of the capital. I didn't expect the Qian family to be related to him."

Xifeng sneered, "It's precisely because they have Zhen Youdao's support that the Qian family is so arrogant and domineering. They think they can do whatever they want by relying on a powerful tree, but they don't know that this will only bring disaster upon themselves."

Madam Lin nodded slightly in agreement. "We, the Lin family, cannot afford to be complicit with them. However, we still have to go to the flower viewing banquet and see what tricks they have in store."

"Mother is right." A glint of determination flashed in Xifeng's eyes. "We can't show weakness. We have to let them know that our Lin family is not to be bullied!"