Red Mansion: Holding Space and Marrying Like the Sea

Jia Yucun, with a solemn expression and steady steps, arrived at the gates of the Duke of Rong's mansion in the capital. Dressed in a plain robe, he held a carefully prepared invitation card, his eyes revealing the importance and anticipation of this visit. He handed it to the servant at the gate and politely said, "Please inform me that I am Jia Yucun, a native of Huzhou, and I have come to pay my respects to the masters of the Duke of Rong's mansion." The servant informed him that the second wife was now in charge of the Rong mansion, while the eldest wife, who was supposed to inherit the title, had been relegated to the east garden next to the stables. This situation surprised Jia Yucun, but he saw nothing wrong with it, even considering it a great opportunity.

Most of the Jia family's servants were born with a snobbish eye. The gatekeeper only finished half of his sentence. Seeing that Jia Yucun was still interested in listening, he made a gesture with his hand to ask for money. Jia Yucun had no choice but to pull a piece of silver from his sleeve and put it in the gatekeeper's hand. The gatekeeper took the silver, took a bite, and then continued, "Our old lady loves this precious Second Master Bao the most. She has raised him since he was a child. Therefore, all household affairs are decided by his mother, Madam Wang, while the official posts in the mansion are with his father, Master Zheng."

After hearing this, Jia Yucun hurriedly asked, "Young man, does Master Zheng have any taboos or hobbies?" The servant raised his head high, his face full of pride, and replied, "Master Zheng attaches great importance to rules and regulations and loves scholars the most. We have twenty or thirty guests in our mansion, and we treat them all with courtesy!"

After hearing what the servant said, Jia Yucun had an idea in mind. He asked the servant to bring pen, ink, paper and inkstone. He sat at the table and pondered for a moment, then wrote a letter:

"I, Jia Yucun, pay my respects to you, sir. I passed the imperial examination three years ago, but disliked the intrigues of officialdom and resigned to live in seclusion. My wife is seriously ill, leaving us penniless. Alas! A useless scholar. I have heard that you are a man of great righteousness and love for scholars, so I have taken the liberty of writing to you, asking for a way to make a living. May you be at peace and at ease. This is my student, Jia Yucun."

After finishing the letter, Jia Yucun carefully checked it and confirmed that it was correct before carefully folding it, putting it into the envelope and sealing it. Then he took out a silver ingot from his pocket and handed it to the servant, saying, "This is a small token of my appreciation. Please make sure to deliver this letter to Master Jia Zheng."

The servant was immediately delighted when he saw the silver, but he pretended to be reserved and declined, saying, "How can I do this? I am only trying to help you."

Jia Yucun smiled and said, "Young man, you don't have to be polite. If this matter succeeds, I will reward you handsomely in the future."

The servant then took the silver with a smile on his face and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Please rest assured, sir, I will definitely deliver the letter to Master Jia Zheng." After that, he turned and left.

Jia Yucun watched the servant walk away, silently praying that this letter would receive the attention and response of Jia Zheng. After the servant left, he found a nearby inn to stay temporarily, and every day he looked forward to receiving news from the Jia Mansion.

A few days later, Jia Yucun finally received a reply from Jia Zheng, inviting him to visit Rongguo Mansion. Jia Yucun was delighted and immediately packed his clothes and headed for Rongguo Mansion.

At the gate of the Jia Mansion, Jia Yucun met the servant again, and the servant led him into the mansion. Along the way, Jia Yucun saw the magnificent Jia Mansion, with its pavilions and towers arranged in an orderly manner, and could not help but sigh at the wealth of the Jia family.

A short while later, Jia Yucun arrived at Jia Zheng's study. Looking up, he saw a middle-aged man seated at his desk, absorbed in his reading. This man was Jia Zheng. His face was solemn and composed, as awe-inspiring as a towering mountain. His hair was neatly combed back and held back with a black ribbon, revealing his broad forehead, which made him look particularly energetic. His eyebrows were thick and neat, and his eyes were deep and focused, revealing a shrewd and decisive temperament. His nose was straight and his lips were tightly pressed together, giving him an air of seriousness. Jia Zheng wore a dark robe intricately embroidered, revealing his refined taste. He wore a black belt with a jade pendant dangling from it, which swayed gently with his movements, making a crisp sound. He wore a ring on his finger, and his slender, strong fingers exuded a sense of stability and confidence. A pair of black boots further emphasized his dignity. Seeing this, Jia Yucun hurried forward, bowed, and introduced himself: "My student Jia Yucun, greetings to Master Zheng."

Seeing Jia Yucun's politeness, Jia Zheng nodded slightly, put down his book, looked him up and down, and said seriously, "Mr. Jia, there's no need to be so polite. I've read your letter and summoned you here today to test your talent."

Jia Zheng nodded slightly and continued, "I've recently come up with a couplet, but I'm struggling to come up with the second line. I wonder if Mr. Jia would give it a try?" He took up his pen and wrote the first line on paper: "To understand the affairs of the world is to be knowledgeable."

Jia Yucun looked at the first couplet, pondered for a moment, and then answered confidently: "The understanding of human nature is the essence of writing."

Jia Zheng smiled and nodded in approval, thinking to himself, "This man does have some talent."

Immediately afterwards, Jia Zheng asked Jia Yucun a few more questions, and Jia Yucun answered them one by one, and the answers made Jia Zheng quite satisfied.

Finally, Jia Zheng stood up, patted Jia Yucun on the shoulder, and said, "Mr. Jia is indeed a man of extraordinary talent and learning. If you don't mind, you can serve as a tutor in my family school and teach my son."

When Jia Yucun heard this, he was overjoyed, but on the surface he remained very humble and quickly said, "Thank you for your support, sir. I will do my best and will not slack off in the slightest." Jia Zheng nodded with satisfaction, and then ordered the servants to prepare a banquet to welcome Jia Yucun.

Upon hearing this, Jia Yucun was overjoyed and quickly knelt to express his gratitude: "Thank you very much, Master Zheng, for your appreciation. I will do my best to live up to your expectations."

In this way, Jia Yucun became a tutor in Rongguo Mansion and began his new life.