2.25 Jia Min: Such a match "as gold and jade"?

Several more days passed, and it was now late July.

Although it was not a traditional holiday, the entire Rongguo Mansion was a bustle of festive joy from top to bottom. The eldest daughter of the house, who had been away in the Jiangnan region for over a decade, was finally returning home, and she was bringing her entire family with her.

For a daughter who had not visited her maiden home in a long time, the first order of business was naturally to pay her respects to the elder of the family.

"Mother, I trust you have been well!" In the flower parlor of Lady Jia's courtyard, under the watchful eyes of a circle of young ladies and matrons, Jia Min’s beautiful eyes welled with tears as she slowly sank to her knees. "It is entirely this daughter's fault for letting so many years pass without coming to pay my respects!"

"As long as you are back, that is all that matters. As long as you are back!" The old matriarch's emotions were equally genuine. Though mother and daughter had once experienced their differences, blood was thicker than water, and before she finished speaking, she had already stood up, stepped forward, and gently pulled her daughter to her feet. "It is enough that you have returned!"

Jia Min then rose smoothly, her beautiful eyes sweeping over the gathering.

She saw that the parlor was filled with fragrant breezes, resembling a garden in full bloom. The young ladies and matrons had all risen upon her entry, and coupled with the maidservants standing respectfully behind them, they inadvertently created the effect of a gorgeous folding screen, a sight that warmed her heart deeply.

"Greetings to my eldest and second sisters-in-law!" She released the old matriarch and curtsied gently toward the two women of her generation.

"You are too polite, Sister!" Lady Wang maintained her serene, bodhisattva-like expression without speaking, while Lady Xing smiled warmly as she greeted her. Pointing toward the silent Lin Sister standing behind Jia Min, Lady Xing asked, "Is this your little girl? Bless her, she has grown so large already."

"Yu'er, why don't you greet your aunts?" Jia Min smiled and nodded.

"Greetings to my eldest and second maternal aunts!" Lin Daiyu bowed timidly, performing a deep, respectful curtsy.

"Come now, we are all one family; there will be plenty of time to see each other in the future." Before the two ladies could reply, Lady Jia walked straight up, embraced young Lin Daiyu, and led her toward the long couch in the center. "If you hadn't just arrived and been busy settling in, I would have wanted to have you come stay with us for a few days in advance."

"How could I trouble Mother so?" Jia Min smiled, yet she made not a single mention of a "short stay."

Having finished their greetings, the two madams of the Rongguo Mansion returned to their respective seats and said nothing further.

Only after everyone had seated themselves in order was it the turn of the younger generation to come forward and pay their respects.

"Greetings, Aunt!" Led by Wang Xifeng, Li Wan and the three Chun sisters stepped forward together to pay homage.

"Good, good!" Seeing so many younger relatives, Jia Min broke into a broad smile, hastily waving her hand to dispense with the formal bows, before turning to ask, "I brought some minor trinkets; you can divide them amongst yourselves later. Wasn't there also a young lady from the Shi family? Why is she not here?"

"Yun'er happened to be taken back home, so she missed it today," Lady Jia said, looking around the room. "And as for the mother and daughter from the East Mansion, Rong's wife is feeling a bit under the weather and asked for leave today. It's a real pity you can't see her—she is truly the finest among the young matrons of our two mansions!"

"I have long heard of this granddaughter-in-law; it is simply my daughter's lack of fortune not to meet her." Jia Min did not press the matter further.

"Oh dear, Old Ancestor always says that!" Wang Xifeng put on a look of feigned grievance. "I simply refuse to believe that with all our sisters here in the house, none of them can measure up to her!"

"This is your nephew Lian's wife, Feng'er. She has been running over to our mansion since she was a little girl, and even before she married in, we were well acquainted. She is truly a sharp and unyielding spirit; you may simply address her as 'Feng the Spicy'," Lady Jia teased, holding Lin Daiyu close.

"She appears quite capable to me." Jia Min smiled and nodded.

Having helped manage households since her youth, she understood one fundamental truth: without a certain edge of temperament, it was utterly impossible to keep unruly servants in line. A brisk and decisive manner was the proper disposition to have—which was precisely one of the primary reasons she had looked down upon Lady Wang in the past.

Putting on a serene bodhisattva facade all day long—who was that supposed to be for?

Had she played the part for so long that she had fooled even herself?

"Then you shall observe her slowly over time." Lady Jia smiled, gesturing toward the three Chun sisters. "These are your little nieces. As I mentioned in my letters, the eldest is your eldest brother's daughter, Yingchun; the middle one is your second brother's daughter, Tanchun; and the youngest is the little daughter of your eldest cousin Jing, Xichun."

"Yu'er, come here!" Jia Min motioned to her daughter, then drew Li Wan and Wang Xifeng over, introducing them so the sisters and sisters-in-law could exchange formal greetings. After a flurry of activity, she said, "From now on, we will also be residing permanently in the capital, so we can all spend time together."

The younger generation hurriedly acknowledged this with respectful compliance.

"Min'er, I heard that your clan nephew has secured an official post?" Hearing this, Lady Jia could not help asking, "In the Ministry of War, is it? Do you need our mansion to put in a good word? No matter what, our old friendship with the Niu family still stands, so passing along a word shouldn't be difficult."

"There is no need to trouble Mother," Jia Min replied, shaking her head. "Daughter is on speaking terms with the madam of their household. At most, it is just a matter of mentioning a few things—we aren't asking for any special favors, so there is no room for misunderstanding."

When these words left her lips, the younger generation thought nothing of it, but the three older women visibly froze.

"Then that is good, that is good!" A moment later, Lady Jia forced a smile and nodded.

Yet for some reason, the others all felt something was amiss.

Although the light conversation continued thereafter, not a single person brought up official matters again.

"Having returned these past few days, how does Aunt find the two places to compare?" Li Wan asked, offering a customary observation.

"If we speak of scenery, the capital falls far short of Jiangnan; but if we speak of other things, how could the premier realm of the Great Zhou be an undeserved reputation?" Jia Min smiled faintly. "Yu'er has just returned and is still somewhat unaccustomed to things, feeling a bit under the weather. It is only in these past few days that she has recovered, which delayed our coming to pay a visit."

"I heard that my niece's health is not quite robust; what medicines is she taking?" At that moment, Lady Wang suddenly interjected with a concerned tone. "Our mansion keeps a plentiful supply of everyday remedies that can be taken directly. Even if we lack them, the Imperial Hospital prepares medicines for the various noble houses; sending a word would be no trouble at all."

Jia Min cast a sideways glance at her with a half-smile, completely ignoring the remark.

"Well now, it is nearly noon. Yuanyang, why haven't you ordered the tables to be set?" Acting as though she had heard nothing, Lady Jia issued her instructions directly. "Min'er, rest assured, I told the old servants in the kitchen to prepare dishes matching your usual tastes."

"Understood, Old Ancestor!" Yuanyang bowed in response, though she did not immediately leave the room.

Lady Wang resumed her bodhisattva expression, as if she had never spoken a word just now.

"Mother is most thoughtful," Jia Min finally said.

Yuanyang bowed lightly to her once more before heading out to arrange the meal.

The younger generation all lowered their heads; if they still couldn't tell something was wrong by now, they would have to be utter fools.

Thus, despite the crowded room, it was strangely devoid of any lively chatter.

Fortunately, because invitations had been sent out long in advance, the kitchens were well prepared. Before long, lines of maids and servants entered the parlor in orderly fashion, swiftly and efficiently setting out a lavish banquet. During this entire process, no one spoke, and there were no superfluous movements.

Only when the dishes were fully arranged did Lady Jia smile and invite everyone to be seated.

Yet at that very moment, another commotion broke out outside the door.

"I heard another young sister has arrived?" Just a moment later, a young man barged in despite the guards at the door. His peach-blossom eyes swept across the room as if he could never see enough, quickly lighting up with pleasant surprise. "I have seen this younger sister before."

He was dressed in a riot of reds and greens, and though he appeared quite grown, the hair on the crown of his head was not shorn into a proper topknot; instead, it was parted into numerous small braids bound with red silk threads, all gathered together into one large braid atop his head, presenting a rather striking appearance.

His entire person was hung with various trinkets, ranging from protective lock pendants and embroidered pouches to jade talismans, lacking nothing.

Naturally, the person he had set his eyes upon was Lin Daiyu.

Jia Min's expression shifted instantly, and she swept a cold, indifferent gaze over Lady Wang, looking at her as if she were inspecting a corpse.

"Baoyu!" Lady Jia's face darkened as well.

Of course she knew her grandson's habit of mingling among the inner quarters, but there was a time and a place for everything.

At the very least, she knew full well that her own daughter would never permit such behavior.

"Mother!" To her utter astonishment, Jia Min suddenly broke into a smile. Pulling her daughter into her embrace to serve as a sort of shield, she pointed with her other hand at the newly arrived youth. "Is this the one you kept going on about in your letters—the one who is 'like a treasure and as pure as jade'?"

Lady Jia abruptly turned her gaze toward her second daughter-in-law, her expression pitch black.

Lady Wang acted as though she knew nothing at all, maintaining her familiar bodhisattva mask.

Strangely enough, despite the magnificent spread of food before them, not a single person had any appetite left.

Jia Baoyu looked left and right, sensing that something was wrong. Most importantly, finding that no one was paying him any mind, he flew into a rage, grabbed his jade pendant, and hoisted it high above his head!

"What rare treasure is this? None of the sisters in the house pay it any heed! They talk about it being 'spirit-infused' or whatever, but I don't want this wretched thing anymore!"

With a sharp *crack*, the crystal-clear jade pendant was smashed onto the floor. Strangely enough, while jade ornaments ought to be hard and brittle, this particular piece, having suffered such a violent blow, did not produce a single fragment.

"Oh my!" Just as everyone else failed to react in time, Jia Min broke into a smile. "Born with it?"

Since she had been in contact with her old subordinates, how could she not understand this little theatrical "masterstroke"?

The atmosphere in the parlor grew even colder.

Jia Baoyu finally realized something was amiss and burst into a loud wail.

Jia Min's smile grew even more "delighted."

"Yuanyang, why aren't you taking him outside?" Lady Jia's voice was as cold as ice.

Jia Min watched as Jia Baoyu was coaxed and dragged away, "smiling" almost to the point of breathlessness.

"Second Sister-in-law truly has wonderful family discipline; does Second Brother know of this?"

The oppressive tension in the parlor thickened further.

"Let us eat!" After a long silence, Lady Jia dropped the words with a cold face.

This was arguably the fastest and quietest meal the Rongguo Mansion had ever hosted since its founding.

By comparison, Lin Rui's side was far more relaxed.

As a male visitor calling for the first time—even though everyone knew he was de facto the heir to the Lin family, because no formal adoption had taken place, his official status remained that of a "clan nephew," making it impossible for him to accompany them into the inner courtyards.

Fortunately, the person receiving him was quite "familiar."

"Brother Anping is truly astonishing!" In Feng's courtyard, Jia Lian smiled and gestured toward a refined table of wine and food, inviting him to be seated. "A substantive fifth-rank official post—by any measure in the capital, that makes you a person of consequence. Once you officially assume office, we must sit down and have a proper drink together."

"Second Brother Lian, shouldn't we go pay our respects to the two uncles?" Lin Rui did not even use their familial tie through the Lin side, opting instead for the conventional uncle-nephew address. "As a junior coming to visit, half the morning has already passed; wouldn't it be improper not to go pay a call?"

"This—" Jia Lian visibly paused, an awkward expression crossing his face. "Father is feeling somewhat indisposed today and isn't quite convenient for visitors; as for Second Uncle, he had business at his yamen and is not here right now."

"I see!" Though Lin Rui was speechless internally, his expression remained understanding.

In truth, could he fail to guess the petty tricks at play here?

Jia Shes feeling indisposed? He was probably holding some concubine in his arms and simply too lazy to bother meeting him. Jia Zheng busy with official business? With his usual routine of drinking tea and playing chess with sycophants all day, what official business could he possibly have to attend to?

If they refused to see him, so be it; dealing with Jia Lian for matters of consequence was the same anyway.

Minor matters could be handled directly, and major matters weren't something the Jia family could manage in any case.

"Come, let's drink!" Jia Lian smiled hospitably. "Come to think of it, I never expected you would be assigned to the Ministry of War. There are plenty of our own people there; whenever you find it convenient, we can gather a few friends together—the young masters of the Niu and Liu families are all quite familiar."

"Oh?" Lin Rui's expression flickered. "Could you mean the sons of Grand Secretary Niu and Vice Minister Liu?"

"We share old friendships going back generations, why stand on ceremony?" Jia Lian said with a magnanimous wave of his hand. "Going to the Ministry of War, you will inevitably have to deal with them; getting acquainted in advance can only do you good."

"In that case, this younger brother thanks Second Brother Lian!" Lin Rui naturally accepted the gesture.

"There you have it!" Jia Lian stood up to fill both their cups. "The waters run deep in this capital city; it's hard to tell whose backing lies behind whom. Fortunately, neither of us brothers is unworldly—among our own family, convenience is everything, isn't it?"

"Second Brother Lian speaks truly."

Thereafter, the two men chatted idly of various matters.