The Royal Merchant of the Red Chamber

Besides, Xue Pan was dragged back into the room by Jia Baoyu, and a dozen maidservants immediately surrounded him, Yingyingyanyan, it was so lively.

Jia Baoyu dismissed them one by one, and took Xue Pan into the study.A row of ten hosta flower sticks are placed on the table in between.Jia Baoyu stretched out his hand and lightly picked one up, handed it to Xue Pan, and asked, "Look at it, how is it?"

Xue Pan took it lightly, crushed some and put them on his palm for a closer look, he saw the light white and red fragrance, all four were beautiful.

Jia Baoyu introduced it very enthusiastically again: "This is not lead powder. It is made from the seeds of mirabilis, crushed and mixed with spices."

Hearing this, Xue Pan put his finger on the rouge and sniffed it lightly. Sure enough, it was more fragrant than the rouge on the market, and it was easy to even out, and the color was brighter and more moist.Can't help but nodded, said: "Sure enough, it's a good thing."

Jia Baoyu became more and more happy when he heard this.He picked up a small white jade box from the table, lifted the lid to reveal the blood-red rose ointment inside, and handed it to Xue Pan.

"This is the best rouge. The juice is wrung out, the dross is cleaned, and it is steamed with floral dew. The collection of those petals is also particular. Any incomplete holes, small cracks, and even the color of each petal are references. I have searched for a lot of prescriptions in ancient books, and I have been thinking about it for a long time. After many years of improvement, I can get this color. How is it? Isn’t it much more delicate than rouge and gouache?”

Xue Pan tapped a drop of rouge and melted it with water. After looking at it in his palm for a long time, he sighed softly: "Sure enough, it is more delicate."

"That's natural." Jia Baoyu smiled triumphantly when he heard this.Stretching out his head to see that no one was paying attention outside the study, he put his lips next to Xue Pan's ear and said softly: "To tell you the truth, my sister in the palace uses the rouge cream I made. My sister said I These things are better than those used by the ladies in the palace!"

Xue Pan was startled when he heard this.He couldn't help but asked aloud: "People in the palace are not allowed to communicate with outsiders in private, why is your sister—"

"Shut up!" Jia Baoyu turned pale with shock, and covered Xue Pan's mouth with his hand.After looking out for a long time, he found that the little maids were playing in the yard, so he took a breath and said, "Don't be so loud! If someone hears it and it reaches my father's ears, I will You have to be skinned again."

"But your family—" Xue Pan was still a little dumbfounded.

"You really are..." Jia Baoyu shook his head, and said nonchalantly, "Your Xue family is still an imperial merchant, and you have always had a reputation for oppressing people with money. Don't you hear that 'money can make ghosts grind'?" , not to mention passing two unimportant gossips and giving away two unimportant things.”

As he spoke, he felt more and more meaningless.Picking up the other two boxes from the table, he said, "Let's not talk about this. The ones I showed you just now are mirabilis seeds and rose paste. I also have rose seeds, peony paste, rose seeds and hibiscus paste here." There are all kinds of flowers and styles. Today I saw that the sisters of the Xue family and the sisters of the Lin family are like gods. This kind of character is worthy of the rouge cream I made. You can take these back to them and try them later. Trying it is also my wish."

As Jia Baoyu said, he put down the white jade box in his hand, turned around and went to the bookshelf to search for it.Finally, I found two sets of matching rouge and gouache, one set of peony for Sister Xue, and the other set of plum blossom for Sister Lin.Pack it in an exquisite Xuan kiln porcelain box and hand it to Xue Pan.

Xue Pan looked down at the brightly colored rouge in his hand, then raised his eyebrows and stopped worrying about the past.Instead, he turned to Jia Baoyu and said, "Shall I discuss something with you?"

"What?" Jia Baoyu asked suspiciously.

"Ahem..." Xue Pan coughed twice, scratched his head in embarrassment, and said casually, "Can you teach me how to make rouge paste?"

"Hey, what am I doing! Look at your seriousness." Jia Baoyu was taken aback by Xue Pan, but it turned out to be such a trivial matter in the end.Shaking his head dumbfounded, Jia Baoyu said, "If you are willing to learn, I am willing to teach. But I think you don't have the patience to keep learning. What are you going to do?"

"I have to let you know." Xue Pan sat down on a chair with Baoyu on his back, and said slowly, "This rouge gouache is our rouge shop. I don't need to talk about the rouge in it. You also know. Nowadays, the rouge used by the empresses in the palace and the high-quality rouge sold outside are all from my family, but this is the way of doing business, you must keep improving, and the best is the best. I I have always heard others say that you make the best rouge paste, and now that I have seen it with my own eyes, I must ask for advice."

Xue Pan paused, and then said: "Our brothers will settle accounts. Your prescription is a good thing, and I don't want it for nothing. I will buy it from you at the highest price on the market. What about you, Even if you sell me a favor. There is only one thing, you are not allowed to sell this prescription to other merchants in the future."

"What are you talking about?" Jia Baoyu frowned when he heard that, "I'm really happy that you like my prescription. If you want to use it, then use yours. What are we brothers talking about economics?" Philistine, don’t you hurt my friendship? What kind of person am I, why would I sell prescriptions everywhere? I see you are very good now, so I’m happy to give Fang Zibai to you. If I meet those I don't look down on this one, and I don't even look at it when they are rushing to give me mountains of gold and silver. There is only one..."

As Jia Baoyu said, he cleared his throat in embarrassment, and said in a low voice, "You and I know about this matter. Don't let the third person know about it. Especially my father..."

"Of course I understand." Xue Pan said with a chuckle, "Your father has always looked down on your behavior of messing around with the inner curtains and tinkering with rouge and gouache. Don't you know that most of our Xue family's business has to be turned over to the internal treasury. Even if it is a Sixty percent of the rouge cream is given back to the people. Thinking about it this way...we can be considered as contributing to the country and benefiting the people."

Jia Baoyu was very happy when he heard it, and said again and again: "I like to hear this. According to this, we are much better than those Lilu people who only know how to study hard. You said why didn't the two of us know each other earlier? It's like we have known each other for many years. I just met you today... I have lived for so many years for nothing, I only hate that we met too late!"

"Why do the ancients always say that it is like old friends at first sight, and the white head is like a new one. It can be seen that there is still a fate between people." Xue Pan said shaking his head.

Jia Baoyu patted his thigh repeatedly and laughed, "That's right, that's right."

Saying that, he quickly got up and walked to the desk, and put a pen to the desk.

Seeing this, Xue Pan laughed and said, "Why, the 'fake' talent is so popular in poetry that he wants to write two good poems that startle the world and weep ghosts and gods, to commemorate our meeting?"

"I don't have that much time now." Jia Baoyu laughed back and said, "I'm writing you a rouge prescription! It's a big event that benefits the country and the people. Maybe I'll do it because of this in the future." 'Fame goes down in history', how can it be done if you don't care about it?"

As he spoke, he lowered his head and dried the written prescription, then folded it up and handed it to Xue Pan, saying, "Remember, don't let others know. Otherwise, my ass will suffer again."

Xue Pan smiled and said, "Then—"

"Don't talk to me about money." Jia Baoyu waved his hand and said, "I think you are different from others, and you also need to see me differently from others. If money is involved in everything, tell them apart." You are so obvious, vulgar and philistine. It would be a pity for our friendship. If you really feel sorry, you can get me some rare spices and materials in your rouge powder, so that I can study it."

Xue Pan had no choice but to accept Fang Zi with a smile. Knowing Jia Baoyu's eccentricity, he stopped mentioning money.He just decided silently in his heart to save three points from the proceeds of rouge and gouache. If there is such a day in the future... it can be considered as a gift from Jia Baoyu.

For a while, another big girl, Xiren, came to urge her to resettle. Jia Baoyu and Xue Pan looked at each other and smiled tacitly.I obediently went out to sleep without mentioning it.

Silent all night.

The next morning, Xue Pan was woken up by Jia Baoyu.

"What are you doing?" Xue Pan turned over in extreme pain, directly covered the brocade quilt on his head, shrank his body, and continued to sleep.

"Get up! I'm going to pay my respects to the old lady." Jia Baoyu pulled off the brocade quilt unwillingly, shook Xue Pan and said, "Get up quickly, it will be late later."

"The old lady won't get up so early." Xue Pan said, and covered the quilt again with a faceless face, and arched his body into the bed, but he couldn't come out.

"Why didn't you wake up so early? Didn't you see that the lights in the old lady's room are on." Jia Baoyu shook his head helplessly, and said, "I always thought that I was the most tired. Now it seems that I really am There are people beyond people, and heaven beyond the sky. If you don’t accept it, you can’t do it!”

The maids waiting on the side heard this, and all covered their mouths and snickered.

After tossing and tossing for a long time, he finally coaxed Xue Pan, who was lying on the bed, up.Jia Baoyu then ordered Xiren to wait for the servant girl to wash and dress.When everything is done, the sky is a little bright.

Jia Baoyu stamped his feet anxiously, and said angrily, "It's late, it's late, what should I do?"

"Ah?" Xue Pan blinked sleepily, and looked at Jia Baoyu blankly.

"Nothing!" Jia Baoyu said with a sigh, then took Xue Pan's hand and hurried out of the room, rushed to the flower hall to greet the old lady.

When I got to the flower hall, I saw a crowd of people inside.With hairpins around the temples, they looked at the two of them in unison.It didn't matter that Xue Pan had a thick skin, but Jia Baoyu's face flushed immediately.Some cautiously stepped forward, bowed and saluted: "Greetings to the ancestors."

Mrs. Wang on the side didn't wait for Mother Jia to speak, and took the lead in scolding: "Why did you get up so late today, and you are so tired that the old ancestor and all the elders came to wait for you?"

As soon as Xue Pan was about to speak, Jia Baoyu said first, "I'm going back to my mother, because I hit it off with brother Xue, I chatted too late last night, so I didn't get up this morning. Please punish me."

"When relatives meet, it is inevitable to get together and chat. If you are interested, you can talk at night. This is a good thing to get along with each other. What about punishment? Besides, I woke up a little late this morning. Come on, let's sit in the flower hall and chat, and you'll come here too. It didn't take much time." As Jiamu said, she reached out to Baoyu and Xue Pan and said, "Come, be here with me, let's make dinner! "

Xue Pan and Jia Baoyu went to sit down as they said.Sister Feng took Daiyu to sit on the first chair on the left, Baochai sat under Xue Pan, and the other three Yingchun sisters sat opposite Jia Mu.The maid next to her was obsessed with dust whisks, rinsing bowls, and towels.Li Feng and Li Feng stood next to the case and gave up.

Jiran finished the meal and had tea again, and then Mother Jia wiped the corners of her mouth and said to Baoyu, "Go and pay your respects to your father! Didn't you say yesterday that you would take Uncle Xue's family out to play? When the time comes You go outside, you don't have to come back."

Baoyu got up and answered, then turned and went out.Yingchun's three girls also had to go to school, so everyone dispersed.

Xue Pan returned to Lixiangyuan with the two sets of rouge and water powder that Jia Baoyu gave yesterday, and after handing the things over to Baochai and Daiyu, he couldn't help raising his eyebrows suspiciously and asked, "Why don't you see ink?"

Mrs. Xue said with a smile: "I got up early today and went out. I didn't quite understand when I said I was going to the Ministry of Officials."

Baochai interjected from the side: "The elder brother of the Lin family is an official appointed by the imperial court. Now that he has returned to the capital, he presumably wants to go to the Ministry of Officials to report his duties. Therefore, he didn't bother to greet the old lady in the morning, so he went out alone. I'm afraid there will be no words at this moment." I didn't even eat any hot food!"

Lin Daiyu hurriedly said from the side: "I have ordered the small kitchen to save meals for my brother, and they are all warming up on the stove, and I can eat them when he comes back. My brother sent Ming Nuo by his side to bring me 5 yuan. The two silver bills are said to be kept for my own pocket money. I am a girl from a deep house, what expenses can I have! I have to keep it for my godmother."

As he spoke, he took out a stack of bank notes from his sleeve and handed it to Mrs. Xue.She was also frightened by what Rongguo Mansion did before.I'm afraid that as time goes by, the Xue family will also despise her.Just as she was bored and didn't know what to do, she saw Lin Mozhi entrusting someone to give her a silver note of 10 taels.She took out half of it and gave it to Mrs. Xue.

Seeing this, Mrs. Xue frowned in displeasure. Before she could speak, she saw Baochai reaching out to stop Daiyu, and softly persuaded: "My dear sister, what are you talking about with us? Don't talk about us. It's my family, even if outside guests come and stay for a while, there is no reason to ask for money!"

"That's not what I meant—" Lin Daiyu hurriedly replied.

"I don't care what you mean, just collect the money quickly." Mrs. Xue glanced at Lin Daiyu, and said a little unhappy: "You child, you are too worried. I didn't argue with you originally, It is because you are a sensible person even though you are young. Why are you confused now? To say something rich and powerful, even if it is modest, our Xue is also a rich man who is making money every day. Based on other things None, pearls are like earth and gold is like iron. This reply is definitely not false. How could it cost a girl? To put it more closely, you are my daughter, how can there be any reason for a daughter to give money to live in her mother's house? What do you think of me, and what do you think of my affection for you? Could it be that my Xue family is an inn and restaurant, and anyone who comes has to take care of the money?"

"Godmother, don't be angry, I definitely haven't thought about it that way." Lin Daiyu said, tears streaming down uncontrollably. "This time I was ignorant, godmother must forgive me this time, I will never dare again..."

"You!" Seeing Lin Daiyu crying like a little cat, Mrs. Xue couldn't help but soften her heart.Immediately sighed, put Lin Daiyu in his arms, stroked Lin Daiyu's back, and said: "I know what you are worried about. I shouldn't have said this, but the Rongguo Mansion's behavior is really wrong. It's more like... Don't worry, you are my daughter now, and I will definitely not see you being wronged. Now that I live in this Lixiangyuan, you can live with us at ease. But if the master comes to Beijing one day, We moved out, and we will definitely not throw your own size here. There is no reason in this world for a girl who has not left the court not to live with her mother. Even if the old lady misses you, let's come back and stay with her for three to five days Just relieve boredom."

"Godmother..." Lin Daiyu burst into tears when she heard this.He wrapped his hands tightly around Madam Xue's waist, buried himself in Madam Xue's arms, and cried, "How could they be so cruel to others? I am also a lady from an official family, so why should they say that I am mean and petty? Disrespecting elders..."

"What did you say?" Baochai was shocked, and hurriedly pulled Lin Daiyu away and asked, "Who did you listen to?"

"It was Xueyan who told me." Lin Daiyu wiped her tears with her hand and said, "When Xueyan went outside this morning, I heard two little girls talking in private."

"Call Xueyan to come here." Xue Baochai ordered immediately.

Yinger responded, turned her head and went out.After a while, Xueyan walked in with a panicked expression.

"I've seen Mrs. Xue, Mrs. Xue, Mr. Xue..." Xue Yan saluted everyone nervously, then stood on the ground tremblingly, her hands tightly clasped together, and she bowed her head in silence.

"Tell me again exactly what you said to Sister Lin this morning." Xue Baochai said slowly, expressionless.

"Girl, please forgive me! I'm really not chewing my tongue, I won't dare again..." Xueyan knelt on the ground in fright, her voice trembling badly. "If I knew what I said... the girl who hurt me vomited out a bowl of medicine... I would definitely not dare to say it..."

"What, Miss didn't even take any medicine this morning?" Baochai was startled, turned her head to look at Lin Daiyu whose expression was filled with grief and indignation, and patted her on the shoulder pityingly.

"You don't have to be afraid, I won't punish you. Just tell me exactly what you heard this morning. No embellishment is allowed, do you understand?" Mrs. Xue stared at Xueyan with burning eyes, and said solemnly.

"Yes!" Xueyan nodded, sorted out her thoughts, and said, "After I helped the girl wash up this morning, I went to the old lady's room with my wives to say hello to the old lady. Afterwards, everyone went into the flower hall , and the girl was accompanied by sister Jinse, so I didn't go in. I hid in the porch outside to avoid the wind, thinking that the girl came out, so I could go back with her."

Speaking of this, Xueyan swallowed nervously, and said: "It turned out that within a short time, I heard two sisters gossiping above me. When I heard our girl's name, I breathed out and listened carefully. I just heard them say, "Miss Lin's arrogance is too big. She prides herself on herself and looks clean. She doesn't even look down on our wife. It's just because she gave the old lady 2 when she went to Rongguo Mansion." Ten thousand taels of silver, so frivolous. Don't you know how long the 2 taels of silver can be spent, and how long will Miss Lin stay here? Seeing that Tian'er can't finish eating bird's nest and ginseng, I'm afraid Jinshan Yinshan can't support her to eat like this .'"

As she said that, Xue Yan nervously raised her head to look at Mrs. Xue and Baochai, and continued: "There are too many words in the back, and I can't remember clearly. I just remember that they still said that our girl is mean, and they don't see it at all." She doesn't look like a lady. It's not as good as...better...than the slightly more respectable big girls in the house."

After finishing speaking, Xue Yan touched his head to the ground, lying on the floor tiles firmly, and said in a trembling voice: "Madam and Miss Xue, please be clear, this servant is absolutely not lying for half a day. If I tell a lie, tell me to lie on my tongue." I got a boil, and it hurt so bad that I would never be able to speak again."

At that time, not to mention Lin Daiyu, even Mrs. Xue, Xue Pan and Xue Baochai trembled with anger when they heard these words.That Xue Baochai said bitterly: "You are also an uneasy person. You have heard such words and forget it. You know that your girl has a heavy heart and a weak body, so how dare you go to her and talk to her? You I hate you for not killing her, right?"

"Miss Mingjian, I really have no intention of talking to the girl." Xue Yan cried loudly when she heard the words: "Although I was very angry when I came back, I was thinking about the girl's body, so I didn't dare to speak. Wait for Jinse After my sister helped the girl to take the medicine and lay down again, I couldn't hold back anymore. Then I took Jinse sister outside and whispered under the window. Unexpectedly, the girl got up again somehow, stood inside and listened for two days. He called me in... let me learn the words for her... I haven't dared to say it yet... But our girl is also the master's heart at home, and everyone respects it when we arrive at Xue's house. How could I have suffered such humiliation. When I got angry, I vomited out the medicine I just took."

When Baochai heard this, she was really anxious and angry.What's urgent is that Lin Daiyu's tossing and tossing may add to her heart troubles.She had lost her mother suddenly and felt lonely.Now it's the same situation at my grandmother's house. How can a little girl live in every house?The angry thing is that Lin Daiyu is also confused, she doesn't know what she is, but she is so angry at being gossiped by others.Let people read it, I'm afraid it will add two more tongues.

Immediately, he poked Daiyu's forehead with a finger and said bitterly, "Xueyan girl is ignorant, and you are not much smarter than her. Just a few gossips for the sake of outsiders." You made yourself look like this, and you made stupid tricks again and again. Today we asked you the reason for your weird behavior. If you have changed your life a little bit, you can hide it in your heart and don’t say it. It will last forever. , Don’t you all have a grudge? You can’t control others by yourself, but let others gossip in a hurry, and blame others for not taking you seriously. You are really not up to date... How are you? Don't you know? Don't tell me that you feel sorry for yourself, but also spit out a bowl of medicine after listening to the gossip...I'm afraid that if someone else does something unreasonable, next time you will not spit medicine, but blood. "

Lin Daiyu pursed her lips in grievance when she heard the words: "They did such an inconsequential thing, are you not allowed to be angry?"

"Angry?" Xue Baochai sneered repeatedly upon hearing this. "In this world, if anger can solve the problem, there won't be so many dead ghosts?"

With a sound of "哐!", Xue Pan slammed the table hard, shaking the teacup twice. "It's really deceiving, I want to ask them to reason."

"Sit down, my good brother." Xue Baochai grabbed the hem of Xue Pan's clothes who was about to rush out, and said helplessly: "Can you see which two girls said what they said? Is there any evidence? If others don't Admit it, and bite you back and say that you have slandered others for nothing, what should you do?"

"Me?" Xue Pan was speechless when asked.Immediately, he straightened his neck and stared at him and said, "I'll beat him up first to vent my anger."

"You're getting angry, I'm afraid you will limit sister Lin to unfilial and unrighteousness, wouldn't it add to the chaos?" Xue Baochai shook his head and smiled wryly. "Brother, you should rest! The affairs in this inner house are dark and mysterious, and it's not something you men can control."

"But—" Xue Pan pointed at Lin Daiyu excitedly, speechless.

"We need a long-term plan for this matter." Xue Baochai said thoughtfully, "It will last forever, as long as we pay attention, sooner or later she will be speechless, why are you so anxious?"

Mrs. Xue on the side also smiled indifferently: "Isn't it! Anyway, we are here as guests, and they picked us up and persuaded us to stay here. We are just like this. If the family fell out, wouldn’t it become a joke? Maybe it’s just some little girls who gossip, and the master’s family doesn’t know anything, and they don’t know it! We all have great achievements, who can look at everything with a good eye? We don’t I sulked indiscriminately, I'm afraid the other side still doesn't know anything!"

It's just that although Mrs. Xue spoke tolerantly, the silk handkerchief in her hand was almost torn apart.She has the best face and pays attention to ostentation.Now Daiyu was brought to Beijing by her and entered the Rongguo Mansion.Not to mention that she saw Daiyu falling in love with each other, and then recognized her god-in-law.Even if there is no such relationship, she is still living in Rongguo Mansion, so someone dares to gossip like this, wouldn't they take her seriously?What's more, when the master of the Lin family and the uncle of the Lin family knew about this, how would they ask her to explain it?

Lin Daiyu was crying in this room, listening to Mrs. Xue and Baochai with hazy eyes.She has a delicate heart, although she thinks the words of these two people are a little weird, but she has a pure nature, and she can't make so many twists and turns in her mind for a while.He just grabbed Mrs. Xue's sleeve and said: "If the godmother leaves Rongguo Mansion one day, she must remember to take me away. Otherwise... I'm afraid I will die here."

Seeing this, Mrs. Xue sighed softly.He stretched out his arms to hug Lin Daiyu, patting her back continuously to comfort her.His expression was secretive.

Xue Pan on the side saw it, but still asked in a daze: "Then what about this matter, just let it go and ignore it?"

Xue Baochai rubbed her temples with some headaches, got up and pushed Xue Pan outside, saying, "Didn't my brother make an appointment with his cousin to go out? Don't delay, let's go!"

"But—" Xue Pan turned around unwillingly.

"Good brother, you leave this matter to your sister, and you leave it alone!" Xue Baochai discussed with Xue Pan, while persuading him: "My sister's means should be believed by my brother! You just leave this matter to Xue Pan." Let me deal with it, and I will keep it properly. Don't be impulsive! Be careful and you will hurt sister Lin instead."

"Okay then!" Xue Pan had no choice but to shake his head and leave.It's just that he held back a burst of anger in his heart, and when he saw Jia Baoyu, he spilled a burst of anger on Baoyu, causing another commotion.