Love of Friends in the Red Chamber

In a blink of an eye, Jia Cong and Daiyu's marriage is imminent.Nazheng, Nacai, asking for names, Najib, asking for a date, etc., after five of the six ceremonies, only the personal welcome remains.Because the bride's dowry was to be paid in the morning of the wedding, on this day, Aunt Lin went to Jia's mansion to discuss with Jia's mother.Of course, Mother Jia knew that the Lin family was rich now, so Daiyu's dowry must be generous. The face of the second room too.The so-called family and everything is prosperous, this is exactly what Aunt Lin intends to discuss in the house today.

Mother Jia was grateful in her heart, but she couldn't express it on the surface. She only had a polite conversation with Aunt Lin, so the two agreed that Daiyu's dowry would also be sixty liters.Mrs. Xing, who was sitting next to her, was so anxious that she was scratching like a cat. She wished she could intervene and say that she didn't have to worry about Baoyu's marriage. , I was still anxious, for fear that the dowry would be reduced, not to mention the loss, and Jia Amnesty would complain.

When Aunt Lin left, Mother Jia said to her: "You have been the mistress for many years, and your eyelids are still so shallow, and you have never seen the world. The Lin family came to discuss reducing Daiyu's dowry in order to take care of Jia. The face of the family is not to save money and trouble - although the number of units is small, the inside is essential, this son does not understand the truth, you have lived so many years for nothing."

When Jia's mother got angry here, Mrs. Xing didn't dare to say anything. She was really worried. It wasn't until the morning of the second day of the wedding, when the bride visited her family and counted the dowry as usual, that Mrs. Xing's heart was put in her stomach. .The atmosphere of this day was not as weird as the day when Baoyu and Baochai got married. All the female relatives gathered in Jiamu's room, even Xiangyun and Baoqin who were married, everyone was happy, Daiyu She just sat next to Jia Mu shyly and smilingly, not saying much. After seeing her for a few days, Daiyu became more and more beautiful. She was also a bride, but Baochai seemed more depressed.Because Baoyu is already married, he can no longer hang out with the female relatives at this time, but only sits among the male guests outside.

Everyone here was chatting and laughing, while the emcee in the other room announced Daiyu's dowry list loudly, among which there were many precious and rare things, which were beyond memorization, and here is just the list of them, including:

赤金首饰120件，珠宝俱全；白金首饰120件，珠宝俱全；珍珠首饰120套。各色玉饰玩器共1000两百件；各色钟表36件。

There are 36 sets of gold plates, bowls and spoons, 36 sets of silver plates, bowls and spoons, 36 sets of gold wine vessels, 36 sets of silver wine vessels, 36 sets of tea sets, and [-] pieces of ancient porcelain.

Eighteen pieces of black fox skins, eighteen pieces of white fox skins, eighteen pieces of red fox skins, eighteen pieces of mink skins, eighteen pieces of lynx skins, a total of 180 pieces of top-quality furs of various colors, twelve pieces of tiger skins, merlot Twelve skins, 360 rolls of silk, satin, damask and silk cloth of various colors, and 360 sets of four-season lint-padded single clothes.

A complete set of rosewood furniture, a complete set of rosewood furniture, a babu bed carved from agarwood wood, and 120 pieces of embroidery in various colors, all from the hands of famous Suzhou embroidery masters.

There are 20 ​​ingots of 360 two-legged red gold ingots, 20 ingots of 360 two-legged silver ingots, [-] gold taels, [-] silver taels, and [-] hanging coins.

A farm outside Guanwai, covering an area of ​​[-] mu; a hot spring village in the suburbs of Beijing, covering an area of ​​[-] mu, with a foreign goods store in the capital, a Nanhuo store, a silk and satin store, and a silver building; tea gardens, mulberry gardens, and orange hills in the suburbs of Suzhou each one.

There are twelve servants and eight servant girls.

Such a dowry, all the female relatives present here have seen the world, and they are all dumbfounded - even if Daiyu's mother was married in a grand way back then, with a lot of red makeup, it can't compare to this modest family property. .Mrs. Xing was elated when she heard it, but Mrs. Wang was stunned. For the first time, she regretted her decision—if there was no marriage from the imperial concubine, this huge family property would have been her precious jade. The silent Baochai suddenly felt a trace of remorse from the bottom of her heart.

But Mother Jia was very happy in her heart. She took Daiyu's hand and looked at it carefully. No matter how hard she looked, she couldn't get enough of it. It's been a long time at our house." Everyone laughed together, and Jia's mother laughed from ear to ear.

Because Jia Cong was the groom's official, he made an exception to hang out with the family members, vaguely intending to replace Baoyu, others didn't realize it, but Xiren was not without regret, and now she has opened her face in a serious manner and was rejected by Baoyu. After confiscating the house, she is now dressed as a young woman, standing behind Baochai to serve her, but Baoyu has always treated her indifferently in recent years, but Baochai regards her as her confidant, so she followed Baochai wholeheartedly and loyally. .At this time, she looked at Daiyu coldly, her red makeup was different from the plain dress in the past, she was more beautiful, she looked like a fairy concubine, and she was secretly worried about Baochai: "The one who wants to come to us is all on Miss Lin's mind." I had hoped that Miss Lin would marry when she returned to the Lin family, but unexpectedly she married into the Jia family and became the third grandmother of Cong. How could they meet each other every day? How could Baoyu be able to How about breaking that infatuation?"

Baochai never felt emotion in her heart, but she is a person who understands in her heart, and naturally no one can hide the thoughts of everyone from her. Although she is suffering in her heart, she can comfort herself, and she doesn't take Baoyu very much in her heart. No matter how everyone flatters and praises Daiyu, she only smiles slightly, calm and at ease, without any embarrassment, which is very different from Mrs. Wang's expression, making Jiamu and others look up to her.Jia Mu didn't get tired of her at all. Seeing her like this, she felt sorry for her and Baoyu. Every time people spoke coldly and ridiculed her, Jia Mu always wanted to protect her.

That Daiyu is another sensible person, so she naturally knows what everyone thinks. Now she has cut off her friendship with Baoyu. Although she knows that Baoyu is a little crazy, but for the sake of everyone's dignity, she absolutely refuses to have any more involvement with Baoyu. Therefore, after the newly married, he lived in Lixiangyuan in peace, had nothing to do, changed the furnishings according to his own wishes, tidied up properly, and Jia Cong was very respectful. Although there were things about the bed, it was not complicated, just indifferent Besides, Jia Cong didn't dare to bother her too much.All the servants in Lixiangyuan were brought by Daiyu, only the two maidservants beside Jia Cong followed, Xia He had already been dispatched to serve as a servant, and Nanny Cai was kind enough to let her out to take care of herself. Daiyu was already familiar with Xiang'er and Xiang'er, so naturally she didn't dare to be a demon, she just obediently obeyed Zijuan's mercy, and served her new grandmother conscientiously, and the Lixiangyuan was quiet.

One day after Jia Cong's shift, he stayed at home and leaned against the orchid window to read the imperial "Song Fu". Go, the courtyard in the courtyard is quiet, only the fallen leaves dance lightly in the sunlight, Jia Cong turned his head and saw a couplet hanging on the wall, it was Zhao Mengfu's ink, and it read: Butterflies are seen from the shadow of the curtain, and the cherries are half The bird takes it out.So he got up and took off the couplets, opened the box again, found a couplets given to him by the old scholar Shen Dashi, stood on the chair and hung them on the wall.

I was busy, but I saw Daiyu standing at the door smiling and looking at him wrapped in a jade-colored tweed crane cloak, so she jumped off the chair and explained: "I think it turned out to be a scene in the late spring of the couplet. Although it's good, it doesn't match the season, so I changed it to this one, do you like it?"

Daiyu then laughed and said, "You don't need to say, I'm going to change it too—it was originally because my third sister came to have tea yesterday, and because it was a congratulatory gift from her, so I hung it up—but I forgot about it when I got up early. It's gone." While talking, he looked at Jia Cong's new couplet.It was written in the style of Wang Xizhi imitated by Shen University scholar: the cold frost on the door can refresh the bones, and the residual light on the window is good for reading.Daiyu laughed and said, "It's really the tone of a university scholar. Learn more about it—the calligraphy is really good."

Jia Cong smiled and took her hand and sat on the kang. The maid brought red dates and ginger tea, and Jia Cong slowly asked her who she had met with Jiamu, and what new things she had.Daiyu hesitated for a moment, and then said: "It's nothing serious, but it's just a gossip. Now Lian's second sister-in-law is in better health, but the second wife insists that Sister Bao take care of the housework. I can see through it when I look at the second sister-in-law." She didn't resist very much, so she handed over the cards, but she also recommended me to the old lady to be the head of the house with Sister Bao. Naturally, I didn't appreciate it—isn't the hot stove easy to burn? "

Jia Cong said with a smile, "That's right, just take care of our own affairs, don't bother with other people." Daiyu then laughed and said, "After all, the old lady still loves Feng girl, and expressly forbids the second sister-in-law and the others to move back to the big house." Come on, it's fun to have Sister Feng by my side." Jia Cong said, "The life of Lian's second brother and second sister-in-law will be easier that way." Daiyu nodded and said nothing.

Jia Cong saw that she seemed to have something on her mind, so he refused to ask. He only quietly called Jin'er to inquire, and found out that Baoyu had taken Baochai's maid, Yinger, into her room when she was just a few years old. Qiuwen and Sheyue, the big maids who were serving, also took over the house. Mrs. Wang did not coerce her son because she doted on her son, and Baochai was also unknown. Although Jia Mu sighed, she also indulged Baoyu's nonsense. If it is spread among relatives and friends, everyone will laugh at it.

After hearing this, Jia Cong laughed.He only cared about Daiyu in his heart, so he went into Daiyu's inner room, and saw Daiyu writing in front of the desk, but it was a quatrain chanting the beginning of winter: the autumn wind blows away the old courtyard, and the yellow leaf and red maple pass by.A little solitary lamp and half a moon, tonight is colder than last night.Jia Cong sighed: "Poetry expresses ambition, the mood of this poem is so gloomy." Daiyu pondered for a while, then Fang said softly: "You don't have to think too much, I am not moved, but I feel worthless for Sister Bao. .” Jia Cong gently moved her towards her, and said, “I know it.”

The days passed by so lightly, the poems and books in Lixiangyuan were full of tastes, Jia Cong had never enjoyed such a pleasant time in his life, what he said was that the years were quiet and good, and everything was going well for Daiyu, so he didn't have any other worries.Apart from going to Jia Mu's side to sit with Jia Huan every day, she has cut off the Grand View Garden, and her relationship with everyone in Jia's house is only superficial.Needless to say Mrs. Wang, etc., even Mrs. Xing is not too big, but when she sees Daiyu, she wants to greet Daiyu, she is more affectionate than her own daughter.

Only when I saw Baochai, it was all because of the old friendship and the sympathy I had always had. I wanted to go on a blind date, but who knew that it became even more estranged. Sometimes I sat with Jia Mu for a long time without exchanging a word.Baochai took care of the housework and was very tired and worried. But after Sister Feng and his wife let go of the affairs of the second house, Baoyu could not be counted on. She only played games and jokes in the rooms of the aunts every day, and did not know the economic affairs. Baochai has three heads, six arms, and the ability to mend the sky, and she is a clever woman who can't live without rice. Seeing that Jia's mansion is depleting day after day, the family just sits and talks, and refuses to reduce the expenses by half, which is a little unsatisfactory She wanted to complain about being mean, and even the ignorant servant woman simply pointed at Sang and scolded Huai, saying that Baochai had moved all the furniture to her mother's house to fill her brother's lawsuit.Baochai's heart is distressed, and she has no intention of socializing with her sisters and sisters-in-law.

The author has something to say: Daiyu is also married, and the fairy has been relegated to the world since then. From the perspective of ordinary people, it may not be a blessing.