NFBE Chapter 21 Wang Xifeng
Chapter 21 Wang Xifeng
"Yes! As the saying goes, 'Spoiling a child is like killing a child.' I understand now. I beg you, Master, to discipline Baoyu strictly from now on."
Hearing this, Jia Zheng felt something was amiss, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He simply assumed that Lady Wang was also angry and heartbroken because Baoyu had teased Jin Chuan the day before.
Looking at his wife's graying hair, he felt a pang of sadness. If Zhu'er were still alive, they wouldn't have to worry so much.
Aunt Zhao, who was in the east wing, pressed her ear to the window, trying her best to hear what was happening inside the main room.
The news that Lady Wang had sealed off Jia Baoyu's Yihong Courtyard had spread throughout the entire mansion, but she was still very curious about what it was about.
Something must have happened to that precious child, otherwise why would Madam have stayed there for so long for no reason?
I just don't know what happened!
"Oh dear, what is it? I'm so worried!" Aunt Zhao said, pulling herself back from the side, her heart pounding like oil.
"Looking at how pale Madam looked just now, something must have happened to her precious child, otherwise she wouldn't be like this."
Aunt Zhao's eyes darted around, and she boldly guessed, "Could it be that Baoyu is dying?"
Thinking about it this way, she was overjoyed, but then she felt something was wrong: "If he were to pass away, how could this mansion still be so peaceful?"
Aunt Zhao thought for a long time but still couldn't figure it out. There was no movement from the main house either. It was already this late, so Jia Zheng probably wouldn't come over. Feeling a little depressed, she turned off the light and went to sleep.
Jia Huan, from Qingfeng Courtyard, sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) wearing a robe, listening to two young maids talk about what had happened at Yihong Courtyard.
When he returned, he secretly left two maids behind to inquire about the brothel.
They never expected to find out anything, since if Baoyu had really done something shameful, Lady Wang would definitely have kept it a secret.
Who knew that these two little maids were so clever. After hearing his instructions, they came to Yihong Courtyard. Seeing that Madam Wang was inside, they couldn't go in, so they went around and hid through a dog hole in a secluded room in Yihong Courtyard. Coincidentally, it was the room next to the one where Zhou Rui's wife interrogated Xiren.
Zhou Rui's wife whipped Xiren while cursing under her breath.
The two maids immediately understood that Xiren had been caught seducing Master Bao by the Second Madam, and was therefore punished with fifty lashes and sent to the estate to be married off.
The maids in this mansion are all pampered and spoiled. How could they withstand fifty lashes? It's uncertain whether they'd survive after the beating, let alone be sent directly to the estate without any medical treatment.
Won't their later years be ruined?
The two girls were so frightened that their faces turned pale. Afraid of being discovered, they dared not move and just waited. Only after Bihen and the other two had also been beaten and taken away did they dare to return.
Seeing the two frightened maids, Jia Huan ordered Zizai Feihua to come in and take them out.
Zizai Feihua had come to understand Jia Huan's character over the past few days, so she gave the two women extra money, had the kitchen prepare some food for them, brewed some calming soup to soothe their nerves, and finally gave them a few days off to rest. She also instructed them not to tell anyone what they had seen or heard at Yihong Courtyard that day.
Although they didn't know what had happened at the brothel, seeing the two men's pale faces, they knew it wasn't anything good, so they didn't inquire.
Sometimes knowing too much isn't a good thing.
Inside the room, Jia Huan sighed; he never expected things to develop to this point.
It's not uncommon for wealthy families to have three wives and four concubines!
Jia Huan previously thought that it was no big deal for Baoyu to take in the maids around him, and that even if Lady Wang found out, it wouldn't be a big deal.
At most, it's just a loss of face.
In a normal family, if the elders discovered this, they would only scold the son for not studying properly, punish him, and then take the maid who was favored into their household as a concubine.
Who knew that Madam Wang would act so unpredictably!
They were given fifty lashes and then sent to the manor to be reassigned.
Even if they didn't die from being whipped fifty times, they would be half-dead.
That's rather ruthless!
Jia Huan crushed a black pill, threw it into the tea, and after watching it melt and disappear, poured the tea out the window.
This is medicine sent by Madam Wang; she said it's something to nourish the kidneys and strengthen the body.
Ha ha!
You guys made the first move!
Since that's the case, he doesn't need to worry about anything anymore.
······
Overnight, news spread like wildfire throughout the Jia family that Xiren, who served Baoyu in the Grand View Garden, conspired with Bihen, Sheyue, and Qiuwen, all of whom were also head maids, to steal valuables. They were caught red-handed by Lady Wang.
Wherever there are people, they are talking about this.
"Have you heard? That Xiren actually dared to steal something and was caught by the Second Madam."
"Oh dear, it wasn't just Xiren alone; there were also Bihen, Sheyue, Qiuwen, and a few others with her. They were caught stealing."
"Such a respectable group of people, I never expected them to steal."
“I’ve said before that Xiren isn’t a good person. She always has a smile on her face, but who knows what she’s plotting behind the scenes.”
"Exactly, that Musk Moon is sharp-tongued, and Bi Hen is arrogant and looks down on everyone. They're both no good. Now look what happened, they've both been caught."
"Bah! None of them are any good. They always rely on Master Bao's power to make us old folks smile at them. Now, thanks to Second Madam's keen insight, she has found out what they were up to and they can no longer act so arrogantly. It's so satisfying!"
The young ladies in the mansion, such as the three sisters, Daiyu, and Baochai, were too young to believe it. However, since the news came from Lady Wang, they could only suppress their doubts.
Wang Xifeng, upon hearing the news, raised an eyebrow. She had already heard about the incident at Yihong Courtyard yesterday. She had originally wanted to go and see what was going on, but was stopped by Madam Wang's people. Helpless, she could only endure it silently all night and got up early this morning.
Wang Xifeng picked up a hairpin and held it up to her head twice before having Ping'er, who was serving behind her, put it on her head.
“Madam has always been lenient with us, so the fact that she has dealt with these people so severely this time suggests there must be more to the story. We never keep anything about Baoyu from the old lady.” Wang Xifeng turned to Ping’er: “Ping’er, go and ask Yuanyang later if she knows what it is.”
Ping'er was deeply worried. She was closest to Yuanyang and Xiren in the household, and upon hearing of Xiren's accident, she was extremely anxious. She had gone to Yuanyang early to inquire about the situation. Hearing her mistress ask, she quickly replied:
“When I heard the news, I went to ask her, but she said she didn’t know either. Yesterday, when Madam went to report to the Old Madam, there were only the two of them in the room, and no one else was there. Even she wasn’t allowed to stay in the room. After Madam left, the Old Madam instructed Yuanyang to select a few capable people to send over to serve Baoyu.”