A stew of the Red Chamber

Chapter 44 The Difference Is Immediately Clear

As soon as Jia Baoyu arrived, he immediately became the focus of everyone's attention.

He ignored everything and buried himself in Grandmother Jia's arms, repeatedly saying, "Sister Lin can't leave."

Seeing that her coquettishness was useless, she tugged at the jade pendant on her chest, pretending to smash it.

Grandmother Jia, being skilled through practice, quickly pressed it down.

Wang Qing was happy to have some free time, so he simply hid to the side and secretly observed the women.

It is said that once a wife is born, one forgets one's mother. The more Jia Baoyu, a mama's boy, does this, the more likely Lady Wang will oppose the preordained love between Jia Baoyu and Jia Baoyu.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look at Madam Wang, and sure enough, he saw her cheeks twitching, with a hint of dissatisfaction.

Wang Qing secretly plotted how to take advantage of Madam Wang's mentality, using the pretense of helping her solve her problems to steal Lin Daiyu away.

But then he suddenly caught a glimpse of a seductive curve behind Madam Wang.

His gaze unconsciously shifted upwards, only to unexpectedly bump into Li Wan.

At times like these, one must not be guilty. He looked at Li Wan with a calm expression and nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

Meanwhile, I secretly observed her reaction to determine whether she noticed me glancing around.

Unexpectedly, a smile appeared on Li Wan's cold and beautiful face. Wang Qing couldn't tell what the smile meant, so he didn't respond.

Just then, Jia Baoyu's momentum suddenly weakened.

Wang Qing stopped responding and instead turned his gaze to Jia Baoyu in Grandmother Jia's arms.

Perhaps seeing that Grandmother Jia remained unmoved, and having exhausted her three tricks of tantrums, she seemed somewhat tired, like a wilted eggplant, curled up in Grandmother Jia's arms, sobbing and looking at Lin Daiyu with teary eyes.

Seeing that her beloved grandson had finally calmed down, Grandmother Jia remembered Wang Qing and said with a smile, "Qing-ge'er hasn't been invited to stay for dinner yet. There's no time like the present, so let's have dinner here today!"

Wang Qing readily agreed.

Grandmother Jia nudged Baoyu in her arms and said, "Hurry up and greet your Brother Qing!"

Jia Baoyu glanced at Wang Qing, a hint of surprise flashing across his face, but then he pursed his lips and said, "You're Brother Qing? Why sweep such beautiful snow so dirty when it's meant to be admired?"

These words were exactly the same as those spoken by Jia Zheng before.

In other words, Wang Qing had never heard Jia Zheng's evaluation; otherwise, he would have definitely said something like, "Like father, like son."

Wang Qing feigned profundity, sighed, and replied lightly, "Alas! If everyone could be like Brother Bao, free from worries about food and clothing, without having to toil and struggle, why would I need to sweep snow and clear roads?"

Although this is completely different from what Wang Qing said in the yamen, the final interpretation rests with him.

These words immediately revealed the difference in their abilities.

He was too lazy to argue with the brat, but Jia Baoyu seemed determined, saying sullenly, "It's not like I've never walked on snowy roads before. They crunch underfoot, and you can enjoy the snowy scenery along the way. Isn't that wonderful?"

Wang Qing glanced at the deerskin boots on his feet and laughed, "If I didn't have to carry dozens of kilograms of loads and could wear waterproof deerskin boots like Brother Bao, that would indeed be a wonderful thing."

These words immediately rendered Jia Baoyu speechless.

Grandmother Jia gently patted Jia Baoyu and said with a smile, "What Qing-ge'er said makes sense. It is thanks to the foundation laid by our ancestors that you are able to live such a leisurely and happy life. Don't take your good fortune for granted."

Jia Baoyu may be naive, but he is definitely not stupid, nor is he someone who doesn't eat meat porridge. Otherwise, he wouldn't have asked Miaoyu for a teacup to give to Granny Liu.

However, whether they were relatives and friends or servants, due to their different positions, when telling the story, they praised the officials for their service, but ignored the convenience this move brought to the people.

Although Wang Qing wasn't entirely wronged, Jia Baoyu viewed him as a traitorous official who flattered his superiors and bullied his subordinates, and his words were full of veiled barbs.

Now, seeing that his words were quite different from the rumors circulating outside, and that they were substantial and not fake, he couldn't help but change his opinion.

Despite Jia Baoyu's usual pronouncements that all men are filthy and uncouth, he is not a bad friend because of his good looks; he only begins to study because of his romantic nature.

When they encounter handsome and charming men like Qin Zhong and Jiang Yuhan, they are happy to mingle with them, and even don't mind humbling themselves and showing them their affection.

At this moment, her opinion of Wang Qing changed drastically. She actually stood up from Grandmother Jia's arms, bowed deeply, and said, "I have misunderstood Brother Qing. Please forgive me!"

Grandmother Jia was greatly relieved to see this, and Lady Wang was overjoyed.

Originally, they were worried that the two would argue, but unexpectedly, Wang Qing made this precious child apologize and admit his mistake with just a few words.

Grandmother Jia was greatly incredulous, while Lady Wang became even more convinced that Wang Qing was her lucky star.

The two men spoke highly of Wang Qing even more.

When it came time to arrange the seating, Madam Wang simply invited Wang Qing to sit at the lower end of the table, right next to her, so that she could share in the festive atmosphere.

Grandmother Jia had always hoped that Wang Qing would be closer to the second branch of the family, so naturally she wouldn't object.

However, the two of them also had to consider the Xue family's reputation, so they couldn't keep praising Wang Qing over and over again.

Lin Daiyu was preoccupied with her father's illness, and Yingchun and Xichun were one taciturn and the other aloof. The Xue family mother and daughters were in an awkward situation, and without Wang Xifeng's witty banter, the atmosphere was somewhat dull.

Seeing this, Tan Chun quickly took on the responsibility of mediating the situation.

Unfortunately, she knew little about Wang Qing's affairs and could only inquire about his good deed of shoveling snow.

Wang Qing then feigned seriousness and said, "These people are living in poverty, so this is a way for them to make a living. Besides, in the past, everyone only cared about their own affairs, which gave thieves an opportunity to take advantage. Now that someone is sweeping the streets, it can at least provide some protection..."

He then took the opportunity to explain his measures for preventing thieves, which enlightened the women.

Lady Wang suddenly realized why Jia Zheng praised Wang Qing for his steady and reliable work; there was actually a deeper meaning behind it.

Tan Chun originally thought he was just making things convenient for merchants and travelers, but she was surprised to find that he had so many deeper meanings.

Thanks to Xue Pan's notorious reputation, the women didn't feel any disgust towards Wang Qing, who punished him.

Wang Qing was not only handsome and had a pleasant voice, but he was also compassionate, which immediately earned him a lot of kind looks.

However, this only made the situation of the Xue mother and daughter even more awkward, and they had no choice but to put on a smiling face and flatter them.

After finishing the meal, I felt a sense of relief.

Knowing that Grandmother Jia would have someone pack Lin Daiyu's belongings, everyone tactfully took their leave.

Grandmother Jia did not try to stop him, but kindly suggested that Wang Qing return with the Xue family.

After leaving Rongqing Hall.

Madam Wang, however, had no time to say anything good about her sister and said impatiently, "I sent someone to ask the master earlier, and he happens to be free tomorrow evening."

Originally, she planned to use this opportunity to get Jia Zheng to move more of his influence towards her.

Now, however, they hope to heat up the relationship as soon as possible.

She believed Wang Qing's reasons and worried that he would reconcile with the Xue family, causing her to delay and miss the opportunity, while her sister would gain the upper hand.

Therefore, they decided that something was better than nothing, and they would delay the time for Wang Qing to apologize to the Xue family.

Since Wang Qing had already made his statement, it was naturally difficult for him to object.

Madam Wang then turned to Aunt Xue and said, "Once Wenlong is released, you must give him a good scolding. Wait until he reforms himself before he goes to apologize to Qing'er!"

Aunt Xue had no idea what was going on in Madam Wang's mind. She just thought that Madam Wang was worried that Xue Pan wouldn't understand, so she quickly agreed.

Madam Wang nodded in satisfaction, said a few more polite words, and then parted ways with Wang Qing and his party.

……