Chapter 3, Ideas

Do not be deceived by Wang Xifeng's imposing presence as she flits about in the Jia household; in reality, she is merely a tool in the hands of Lady Wang

It is merely the possibility of affecting Jia Baoyu's worthless reputation that has prompted Lady Wang to act so ruthlessly; however, if Jia Huan were to rise unexpectedly and become someone who could influence Jia Baoyu's status, this would be far more serious than a mere reputation.

As for Jia Huan's father, Jia Zheng, to put it bluntly, he is merely a pedantic scholar, utterly lacking in merit

Secondly, and most importantly, others in the Jia household do not allow him to stand out

In fact, this is akin to murder, committing murder through the guise of moral teachings

Aunt Zhao snorted and said, "What a useless maid, Little Jixiang is the same age as you, only seven years old this year, what can she possibly handle? Little Que is still in the pharmacy preparing medicine."

Indeed, Lady Wang is not without her limitations; after all, she is merely a woman who survives by relying on her family and her natal home

Therefore, Jin Chuan jumped into the well

In theory, if Jia Huan wanted to make a name for himself, pursuing martial arts and joining the military would be a good choice. However, "Dream of the Red Chamber" does not describe any influence the Jia family has in the military. Instead, it mentions that Wang Xifeng's elder brother, Wang Ziteng, is a military governor of the capital garrison, and according to past accounts, he seems to be a commander of a major military district.

What dynasty is it now, and who is the emperor?

If Jia Huan were still the same as before, merely a good-for-nothing wastrel, it would be acceptable; he would not be an eyesore, and in the future, spending a thousand or so silver would suffice to dismiss him

Suddenly awakened to the realization, at the age of seven this year, still not having begun to develop, he chuckled foolishly again, secretly feeling pleased: not bad, not too small.

The main theme of "Dream of the Red Chamber" is to suppress military might and promote culture, as the world is already at peace, naturally leading to the disarmament of weapons and the release of horses to the southern mountains

The reasons are quite simple; Jin Chuan was suspected of seducing Jia Baoyu, and after being slapped in the face, she was to be driven out with the remark, "You have corrupted a good man."

Jia Huan frowned and said: "Mother, you only have two maidservants, and one of them is... so what about mine?"

A clear manifestation of this is that after the death of her elder brother, Prince Teng Wang, the previously very "well-behaved" Madam Xing of the main family began to stir up trouble

Let us not speak of Ningguo Mansion for the time being, but rather focus on the Rongguo Mansion where Jia She, the current heir, resides. To quote the words of Old Lady Shi from "Dream of the Red Chamber", as the eldest son who has inherited the title, Jia She does not take his official duties seriously, but instead spends his days at home drinking with his concubines.

This matter surprised Lady Wang, as she likely did not expect that Jin Chuan would be so "reckless" as to dare to jump into the well in the Jia residence

While eating the porridge in his bowl in a haphazard manner, several bursts of fireworks suddenly rose outside the window. Jia Huan glanced at them but lost interest quickly, finding them too monotonous

Jia Huan nearly choked upon hearing this; he was helpless against his mother's sharp tongue and could only hastily change the subject: "Mother, what festival is it today? I want to know so I can congratulate you properly"

In the country, he lacked the ability to be loyal, to earn merits, or to do anything beneficial for the nation. On the contrary, he even assisted a tyrannical and greedy petty person like Jia Yucun in finding connections, which led to the case of the gourd monk judging the gourd case when he became the governor of the Ying Tian Prefecture.

As for the literary aspect, the cultural atmosphere of the Jia family is exceptionally rich, with even the daughters being able to read and write, compose poetry, and engage in literary exchanges, and they do so quite well

The most crucial point is that they are the "legal" heirs of Jia She and Jia Zheng, who are the consensus choice of the people.

Whether it is Rongguo House or Ningguo House, both were granted nobility due to military achievements. Currently, the titles of the Jia family are all military positions, one being a first-class general and the other a third-class general

Therefore, regarding this woman, Wang Fu-ren, Jia Huan would absolutely not underestimate her

Jia Huan instinctively reached out a hand to burrow into the bedding, feeling his way towards the nest. Upon sensing something unusual, he furrowed his brow in contemplation, pondering why the land area had shrunk so significantly

He does not believe that after living again, he would be able to decipher the meaning of these cryptic texts

However, even if she has a thousand shortcomings, even if she is coarse and vulgar, Jia Huan can feel that she truly cares for him

... ...

However, Jia Huan expressed doubts about this. According to the verdicts of the Twelve Beauties of Jinling, Jia Tanchun is destined to travel far to the rivers and seas, marrying a barbarian king and becoming a barbarian queen. The reason lies in the defeat of the Duke of Nan'an, as she was chosen by the old dowager of the Duke of Nan'an's residence to be her adopted daughter and was sent to marry as part of a diplomatic alliance

However, he still inquired, "Mother, what day is it today? Why is it so lively outside?"

Jia Huan was taken aback upon hearing this, and then asked in confusion: "Mother, what about the maidservant by your side?"

The reason these three individuals met their demise is that their actions could potentially impact the reputation of Jia Baoyu

Aunt Zhao let out a laugh, saying "Ha," and then, with an exaggerated expression of mockery, remarked: "I say, Huan Ge'er, do you really think of yourself as the third master of the Jia family? You have a worthless maid! Go ahead and indulge in your daydreams; your mother is unfortunate to have such a maid! A seed without fortune, a curse of a malignant heart..."

The current situation of the Jia family can be summarized in one sentence: it is a typical case of the upper beam being crooked, leading to a crooked lower beam.

Aunt Zhao rose while indignantly saying: "Let someone else do it? Who should I let? I still have to go and ask for it myself!"

Aunt Zhao complained with a grumble: "Dogshit festival! That dead aunt's daughter came last month, and the old lady is really confused. Isn't she just a poor little girl who lost her father? Just a person with little fortune. It's made the entire Jia residence restless, and for more than half a month, she still causes a ruckus from time to time. My poor son has been ill for so long, yet no one has come..."

However, prior to this, when Jia Huan did not yet possess the strength to protect himself, any attempts to provoke Lady Wang were tantamount to courting death and were also foolish

It is indeed difficult to think, as Jia Huan remains completely unaware of this world to this day

On one occasion, Wang Xifeng expressed, "I truly regret being born several decades too late, as I was unable to witness the grand spectacle of the Holy Ancestor's southern tour." The Ming Dynasty did not have the concept of a Holy Ancestor; apart from the Qing Emperor Xuanzong, no emperor throughout history had the audacity to be so presumptuous as to refer to themselves as the Holy Ancestor.

Jia Huan did not hear clearly what Aunt Zhao said afterwards, because at this moment he finally grasped the extent of his journey into the world of "Dream of the Red Chamber"

Although he does not yet understand this world very well, it is evident that there are indeed not many things he can do now

This road seems quite good, but Jia Huan does not think so.

Jia Huan finally breathed a sigh of relief; he did not want to end up with not even a single good day, just to accompany the Jia family to their downfall

The story has only just begun, and there is still a long way to go before the Jia family is raided.

Jia She's son, Jia Lian, resigned from a position as a deputy official and then stayed at home to manage household affairs. Although he was somewhat familiar with certain matters, he was merely a spendthrift who could only spend money without the ability to earn it

It is important to note that the rulers of the Qing Dynasty, the Manchu, were truly an ethnic minority.

In the face of such issues, not to mention Lady Wang, this false Bodhisattva, even a true Bodhisattva would turn hostile and kill.

At present, Lin Daiyu is probably only around nine or ten years old

As for Yu Jia, there is no need to mention it; he is a complete fool

However, if he suddenly transforms into an ambitious and positive individual, he will first pose a threat to Jia Baoyu's position

In this era, no innocent girl can survive with such a "stigma" on her back

However, his mother, Aunt Zhao, is far inferior to Lady Wang in terms of background, subjective intelligence, and professional tactics

He recognizes every word in these sentences, but it is of no use whatsoever

Although these two individuals are so inept, they are the most favored ones in the Rongguo Mansion

I wonder if that good-looking fellow Xue Dazi has arrived yet

Mother, I am speaking the truth. Please have someone bring me some thin porridge quickly so that I can fill my stomach. Otherwise, I will truly starve to death!

If Lady Wang were to seek an excuse to discipline him at this moment, in a society where propriety reigns supreme, Jia Huan would have no possibility of retaliation, and even self-preservation would be exceedingly difficult

Yet Lady Wang, with her "Bodhisattva heart," did not even cast a glance at her

On weekdays, I serve Madam Wang like a beast of burden, executing her will, but once something goes wrong, it is her "close relative" niece who bears the blame.

How should the path ahead be navigated

According to the records in "Dream of the Red Chamber", the most glorious days of the Jia family have yet to come

None of them died a good death

Perhaps one can choose to no longer be so annoying, but one must absolutely refrain from making any efforts to improve oneself

In this way, Jia Huan had ample time to outline his future plans

Take a look at Jin Chuan, and then think about the maid Si Er, as well as Qing Wen

After Aunt Zhao went out, Jia Huan clasped his hands behind his head and began to contemplate the path ahead.

Later, when the Rong and Ning families were confiscated, Wang Xifeng was indeed cast out as a scapegoat; not only was she divorced, but she also died in an exceedingly tragic manner

Jia Yucun leveraged connections to regain his former position, while Lin Daiyu left her father behind to enter the capital

This is likely one of the major reasons why "Dream of the Red Chamber" became a banned book during the Qing Dynasty

The faults in Jia Huan are mostly learned from his mother... To scold her own son in such an unpleasant manner, if it weren't for her pair of swollen, tearful eyes, Jia Huan would truly doubt whether he was a gift from this woman for topping up her phone bill

In the Jia household, for those who pose a threat to Jia Baoyu, the seemingly wooden and unfeeling Lady Wang will make them understand what true ruthlessness and malice entail

From the literary examination for the imperial examination, then to hold an official position

Having said that, Aunt Zhao exaggeratedly twisted her waist and lifted the door curtain to leave

As for the homebody Jia Baoyu, he is merely a flower in a greenhouse, a dandy of cosmetics and finery

It should no longer be the Ming Dynasty, and Jia Huan vaguely remembers that there were several descriptions of the emperor in "Dream of the Red Chamber".

Jia Huan looked at the back of Aunt Zhao with some speechlessness, feeling that there was a reason for being disliked by others in the Red Mansion, and that reason lay with his mother.

Indeed, in the Jia family's clan school in "Dream of the Red Chamber," many lively events took place, and it was also a place where a mix of good and bad characters coexisted

The maid Si'er, having been born on the same month and day as Jia Baoyu, secretly remarked, "Those born on the same month and day are all spouses." This was reported to Lady Wang, who became furious and expelled her under the pretext of being "improperly behaved".

First of all, Jia Huan believed that he was not the kind of person who would study the eight-legged essay. During his school years, he found classical Chinese even more distressing than bird language.

As for Qingwen, she suffered the most. After being bedridden for four or five days without a drop of water or a grain of rice, she was dragged off the bed and chased out, and that very night she passed away... The reason was that she had seduced her obedient son Baoyu with her flirtatious ways

Aunt Zhao, somewhat irritated, held a copper basin, with a towel hanging from its edge. She said in an annoyed tone: "Mind your own business and eat your food. You really are too particular, always fussing about. Why do you insist on washing your hands? You haven't even been to the toilet, so what hands need washing? In the past, when I called you to wash your hands after using the toilet, you never went, but now you have so many concerns..."

It is neither the Ming Dynasty nor the Qing Dynasty, yet the clothing and etiquette depicted in "Dream of the Red Chamber" bear the influences of both dynasties

However, it would not be accurate to say that this world is entirely Qing Dynasty

This pertains to fundamental issues of family inheritance rights and resource allocation

With two direct ancestors of the Jia family like this, there is even less to say about the descendants

Those profoundly enigmatic words left him guessing in every direction, unable to fathom their true meaning

Aside from the long hair on his forehead, Jia Huan remembered that "Dream of the Red Chamber" described the illustrious military achievements of this dynasty, one of which is the tranquility of the seas and rivers, with various foreign tribes being defeated.

The seizure of the Grand View Garden also originated from this

Moreover, at his current age, he cannot do much; at most, he can only attend school

The large mansion is rife with disputes, and Jia Huan does not wish to become a victim of such palace intrigues

When thinking of Xue Daizi, one cannot help but associate him with his beautiful sister, Xue Baochai

Jia Huan said weakly, as the sound of "gurgling" from his stomach indicated his unwillingness to be lonely.

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