Jia Zheng came to Lady Wang's room doubtfully and saw her sitting on the bed in a daze, staring blankly at the air. Her hair was disheveled and her clothes were untidy. She looked extremely unsightly. He said impatiently, "Cai Xia said you were sick. You don't look like you're sick. You look like you've gone crazy."
Madam Wang smelled the sweet fragrance of cosmetics and immediately understood that Jia Zheng had just climbed out of a woman's bed. She asked in a sinister voice, "Where did you sleep last night?"
Jia Zheng coughed dryly and replied uncomfortably, "At Concubine Zhao's place."
When Madam Wang heard this, she immediately said with disdain, "Can't you just leave that vulgar woman for a moment?
I wish I could tie you to her belt!
What do you mean you're a proper scholar? In my opinion, you're just a hypocrite! "
Jia Zheng had never heard Lady Wang say such things to him. He glared at her and trembled with anger. "Wang Clan, how dare you!
You, you, you, you are really too, too … "After a long while, he still couldn't find a suitable word. His face couldn't help but turn red, and even his beard was about to stand up.
Lady Wang snorted and added fuel to the fire. "I'm too what?
You said you've been studying all your life. Have all your studies gone to the dogs' stomachs? "
Hearing this, Jia Zheng was so angry that he couldn't stop trembling. He quickly walked in front of Madam Wang and raised his hand, wanting to slap her face.
Lady Wang didn't expect Jia Zheng, who had always boasted of being a gentleman, to hit her. Half of her face turned red and purple.
She was so angry that she immediately pounced on Jia Zheng without a care. She punched and kicked him, and they became entangled in a fight.
When the maids heard the commotion and entered the room to separate them, the couple was in a terrible state.
Jia Zheng's hair bun was crooked, and both sides of his face were scratched by something that looked like a cat's whiskers.
A few strands of his beard were also pulled out. He was in a sorry state.
Madam Wang, on the other hand, had a palm print on each side of her face.
After being separated, the two of them were still glaring at each other with hatred, cursing and swearing at each other.
Jia Zheng twirled his beard and roared, "I'm going to divorce you, you evil woman!"
Lady Wang sneered and said, "If you're not afraid of the Imperial Concubine blaming you, why don't you divorce me?
If you really dare to divorce me, I'll admire you for being a man! "
Jia Zheng was so angry that he almost couldn't stand, but he couldn't open his mouth to divorce Lady Wang again.
Obviously, as long as Jia Yuanchun didn't fall, Lady Wang's position would be as stable as Mount Tai.
Looking at Jia Zheng's incomparably furious expression that he had no choice but to forcefully restrain himself, Madam Wang laughed out loud. "Look at your cowardly appearance, pooh!
Marrying a good-for-nothing like you is truly my greatest misfortune!
Otherwise, with our Wang family's background, what kind of man can't we find?
You can't inherit a title, nor can you be promoted. Until now, you're still a fifth-ranked official. You're really a piece of trash!
If it weren't for my son and daughter's hard work, do you think any noble would even look at you in the eye?
Your entire Jia family depends on me, do you know that? "
Before Jia Zheng could speak, Mother Jia's cold voice came from outside. "So our Jia family is supported by a woman like you. This is the first time I've heard of this …" As she spoke, Mother Jia walked in shakily with the help of her red sandalwood walking stick. Her face was frosty and she looked terrible.
Jia Zheng hurried over to support Mother Jia and said, "I'm ashamed to have made you worry about my family.
This woman from the Wang Clan wasn't like this before. Today, it's like she took the wrong medicine. Sigh … "
Mother Jia stared coldly at Lady Wang and said to Jia Zheng, "What does this have to do with you?
You're in charge of everything, but can you care about what other people think?
She only hid it well in the past. Today, she spoke the truth. "
As she spoke, she slammed the walking stick in her hand and asked in a muffled voice, "Wang Clan, do you know what you did wrong?"
Mother Jia was giving her a way out. She didn't want the family to be in a deadlock.
Although she hated the Wang Clan to the core, she still had to give her some face because she had given birth to a pair of outstanding children.
Unexpectedly, Wang Clan didn't play by the rules and stubbornly said, "I don't know what I did wrong. What I said was the truth."
Mother Jia raised her eyebrows and said, "Then what you said about those old farts were also the truth?"
Jia Zheng didn't expect Lady Wang to say such things. Sweat suddenly appeared on his forehead and he hurriedly said, "Mother, please calm down. No matter how bad the Wang Clan is, they definitely wouldn't dare to say such things.
There must be some kind of misunderstanding … "
While Jia Zheng was about to kneel down, Lady Wang was still calm and unhurried. She said with a faint smile, "There's a saying among the common people that 'those who don't die are thieves'. I think there's some truth to it …"
When Mother Jia heard this, she was so angry that her face turned green and white. She couldn't say anything.
She had lived like a princess for decades. When had she ever been pointed at and scolded in her face like this?
She was so angry that she almost fainted. She was on the verge of collapsing.
Seeing Mother Jia's appearance, Jia Zheng's knees went soft and he knelt down. He hugged Mother Jia's leg and said, "Mother, please calm down. Just divorce this disobedient and unfilial woman. It's not worth it for Mother to be angry over.
Mother Jia closed her eyes and suppressed the majestic anger in her heart. She said faintly, "Your Madam is ill and can't leave the house. Tell Sister Feng to handle all matters. Do you understand?"
The maidservants looked at each other and saw the confusion and panic in each other's eyes. They agreed in unison.
Thus, from that day onwards, the Wang Clan was grounded.
She handed over all the matters in her hands to Wang Xifeng. Sister Feng loved to play with power. She was very happy, but she didn't dare to show it.
Since then, she put in more effort in managing the household. Everyone praised her.
Mother Jia moved a large pile of Buddhist scriptures for the Wang Clan to copy. She said that every scripture had to be copied a hundred times.
She could only come out when she finished copying.
Lady Wang cursed endlessly in the courtyard all day long. After she was done with Mother Jia, she was done with Jia Zheng. After she was done with Jia Zheng, she was done with the first branch. Her filthy words were incessant. It was unbelievable.
When Mother Jia found out, she hated her even more.
But because of Jia Yuanchun and Jia Baoyu's face, she couldn't really divorce her. She felt so sullen and depressed that it was hard for her to show her face.
The second branch was in turmoil. While Lady Wang's matter was still in everyone's minds, something else happened.
The Wang Clan's Da Ya's maid, Yu Chuan 'er, stole their entire family's indenture and disappeared.
The people sent to look for her came to their house, but they found her gone like a yellow crane.
Rongguo Mansion sent people to look for her, but they couldn't find her, so they gave up.
People discussed in private. They thought that it was most likely because Yu Chuan 'er jumped into the well. Their entire family hated Lady Wang.
Thus, after Lady Wang lost her power, the entire family fled.
After hearing everyone's private discussions, Mother Jia and Jia Zheng thought that the Wang Clan had damaged the Jia family's reputation. They hated her even more.
Thus, the day when Lady Wang would be relieved of her confinement order became even more distant.
During this period of time, because of the brilliant spring scenery, all the sisters gathered in the Grand View Garden to enjoy the spring scenery and recite poems. They were very happy.
Because Lin Daiyu wrote an excellent peach blossom poem, after everyone discussed it, they changed the name of "Begonia Club" to "Peach Blossom Club". They all wrote peach blossom poems, but none of them could compare to Daiyu's poem.
Shi Xiangyun also wrote a catkins poem at home and sent it to Xue Tao. When everyone saw it, they praised it and wrote another catkins poem.
One of the best poems written by Baochai was, "Relying on the strength of the good wind, it sends me up to the clouds."
When Baoqin saw it, when no one was around, he smiled and asked Baochai, "Sister's ambition is so high. How could you be willing to bury your good years in this Rongguo Mansion with no future?"
Baochai said, "Even though I have the ambition to reach the clouds, because of my family background, I can't use it.
In the future, if Sister has a great future and can help Sister, please don't forget. "
Baoqin nodded and said, "That's natural.
Just as Sister said, you can't write two Xue characters with one stroke.
If you don't help your own family, who do you want to help? "
Baochai smiled and said, "Sister's poem, 'West River Moon', was also very well written!
Three spring careers in the east wind, bright moon and plum blossoms in a dream … Reading it made people's lips and teeth feel fragrant, but also a sense of loss … "
Baoqin smiled but didn't say anything. What she wrote was actually what Xue Baoqin wrote in her memory at this poetry gathering.
However, it was also very much in line with her own intentions.
Wasn't it?
From when she first came here until now, wasn't it just 'bright moon and plum blossoms in a dream'?
Die 'er broke into my dream, and I was in a butterfly's dream … Did I become Xue Baoqin, or did Xue Baoqin become me?
When she thought about it carefully, she didn't have a definite conclusion. She was just following the path that she had set, and walking down it …
Just as everyone was discussing what poem to write for the next poetry gathering, Old Mistress Da Ya's maid, Hu Po, hurried over and said, "Ladies, quickly go and take a look. Miss Shi is here. Something seems to have happened, and she's crying uncontrollably at Old Mistress's place!"