Red Mansion: Holding Space and Marrying Like the Sea

Whenever Mrs. Wang visited Jia Baoyu, she would find him absorbed in his reading. Even when he was with Lin Daiyu, they would be lost in the world of books. This reminded Mrs. Wang of her eldest son, Jia Zhu, who died young due to excessive concentration on reading, exhaustion, and physical and mental exhaustion. However, because Mrs. Wang could not read, she was unaware that the books Jia Baoyu read were not traditional classics, but literary works such as "The Peony Pavilion" and "The Romance of the Western Chamber." This situation made Mrs. Wang increasingly concerned, and she decided to discuss the issue with her grandmother.

Mrs. Wang then approached Lady Jia and expressed her concern about Baoyu's excessive study. She mentioned Jia Zhu's case, hoping to gain Lady Jia's attention. Lady Jia fell into deep thought. While she understood Mrs. Wang's concerns, she also felt that Baoyu's diligence in study was a good thing. After all, the Jia family needed a talented and insightful heir to support the family's future.

After careful consideration, Grandmother Jia decided to find an opportune moment to have a good talk with Baoyu. She would remind him to take good care of his health and avoid overwork. She also planned to arrange some fun activities so that Baoyu could relax and enjoy life after his intense studies. Only in this way could he truly achieve a balance between work and rest, allowing Baoyu to grow up healthily and happily.

Jia Zheng felt a surge of relief when he heard Lady Wang say that Jia Baoyu had begun studying diligently since she had scolded him. After all, Jia Baoyu was the only legitimate son of the second wife, and he cared deeply for him. Although Jia Baoyu was still young, Jia Zheng was worried that his over-study might damage his health. So, after finishing his official duties, Jia Zheng brought a group of his staff to Jia Baoyu's study.

After entering the study, Jia Zheng immediately saw Jia Baoyu engrossed in a book, not even noticing their arrival. Seeing this, Jia Zheng deliberately raised his voice and called out, "Baoyu!" Hearing the voice, Jia Baoyu quickly looked up, and seeing that it was Jia Zheng, he immediately stood up and respectfully called out, "Father." Jia Zheng walked slowly to the side and sat down, casually waving his hand to signal his staff to sit down as well. Then he said to Jia Baoyu, "Baoyu, I heard from your mother that you have been studying hard recently. Although studying is indeed important, you should also pay attention to the balance between work and rest, so as not to ruin your health. I just saw you reading the Analects, so let me test your homework now." Upon hearing this, Jia Baoyu felt dizzy and his head was buzzing. He was so nervous that he stumbled as he recited: "A true scholar is ashamed of small achievements; the source of all things is to be universal. Knowing that all things are within me, I must cultivate myself to achieve peace and order..." At this, the veins in Jia Zheng's forehead began to throb. He could no longer sit still. He abruptly stood up and grabbed the book Jia Baoyu had just been reading, wanting to see what the annotations were. However, when he opened the book, his face turned pale with rage. He roared at the servant beside him, "Tie up this rebellious son! Bring me the stick!" Then he slammed the book to the ground. At that moment, an aide picked up the book and took a closer look. They realized that it was not an ordinary Analects, but a copy of The West Chamber wrapped in the Analects cover. It was densely covered with obscene lyrics and vulgar language. The aides shook their heads, thinking that Baoyu deserved his beating.

Upon hearing this, the servants rushed forward, pinned Jia Baoyu down, and tied him up with ropes. Baoyu was so frightened that he burst into tears and kept begging for mercy.

Jia Zheng was furious, his face livid, his eyes gleaming with rage. He raised his club high and struck Jia Baoyu with ferocious force. One, two... each blow laced with anger and despair, leaving Jia Baoyu's skin ripped and blood oozing. His staff watched in horror, their hearts pounding with worry. They knew Jia Zheng was truly furious this time, and if he continued beating him, Jia Baoyu's life might be in danger. They also feared Jia Zheng's blame and resentment if anything happened to Jia Baoyu. So, they decided to act. One of the staff members quietly left the room and sent a trusted confidant to find Lady Wang. Time was running out; they had to get Lady Wang to stop Jia Zheng. Soon, Lady Wang arrived. Seeing Jia Baoyu covered in blood, she felt so heartbroken she almost fainted. She rushed to his side, crying and hugging him, trying to protect him from further harm.

"Master, Baoyu is still young and doesn't understand things. Please forgive him this time! What if you hurt him?" Mrs. Wang's eyes were filled with tears, and her tone was pleading.

Seeing this, Jia Zheng's anger subsided a little. He sighed helplessly and put down the board.

"Forget it, forget it. I'll let you off this time. But don't read such indecent books in the future! Otherwise, I will never let you off easily!" Jia Zheng warned sternly.

Jia Baoyu nodded repeatedly and promised that he would study hard in the future and not let his parents down again.

The storm finally subsided, but Baoyu knew in his heart that his life would probably be difficult in the future.