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Jia Baoyu's emotions would always come and go quickly.
Well, just after drinking a few cups of wine with Sun Shaozong and chatting about some strange stories both inside and outside the Capital, he put aside his worries.
He presented several articles to Sun Shaozong and proudly stated that he had anonymously invited his master to read them. He said that although it might be difficult to pass the Imperial Examination, he was able to achieve the title of a scholar with ease.
"Second Brother, when I become a scholar next year, don't forget what you promised me!"
The position of this master was repeatedly declined by Liu Xianglian, but Jia Baoyu couldn't forget it.
However, this was also normal. After all, Sun Shaozong sent Liu Xianglian on a legitimate mission, while Jia Baoyu only intended to put on a good name and embark on a legitimate investigation journey.
The purpose was different, and the level of expectations was naturally vastly different.
Sun Shaozong smiled and was about to ask him to stop talking shamelessly so that he could not find a way to cry when he fell behind the list. Suddenly, he saw Xiren leading a little servant girl in and said in a crispy voice. "The Old Lady had asked someone to pass the message, and invited the masters and sisters to meet the guests."
"Guest?"
Jia Baoyu was puzzled and said, "What kind of guest is worth calling everyone out?"
At this time, the little servant girl who followed in interrupted with a smile, "It's an old lady from the countryside. Her name is Grandma Liu. She seems to have some relative's relationship with the Second Daughter-in-law. I don't know how she was being fond of the Old Lady. She said that her brothers and sisters had never paid attention to the folk sufferings, so she might as well call everyone to gain experience."
Upon hearing that it was an old lady from the countryside, Jia Baoyu couldn't help but curl his lips and say, "If I want to know about any folk suffering, why don't I ask Second Brother Sun, who is a high-ranking official? Why do I have to listen to a village woman gossip and gain insights?"
As he spoke, he shook his sleeve and said, "You go back and report to my Grandmother. Just say that I have important guests here to entertain, so I won't go and join in the fun."
The little maid agreed and followed Xiren out.
Jia Baoyu then brought up the matter of the Imperial Examination again, even saying that he had been studying poetry and books hard lately and was almost becoming a bookworm. If he hadn't thought about going to the scene with Sun Shaozong to solve the case, he might have lost his temper long ago.
He just talked and talked, but now Sun Shaozong was a bit absent-minded and couldn't help but wonder, "Second Brother, is there something? Is there something on your mind?"
"Uh..."
Sun Shaozong suddenly regained his composure and quickly concealed himself, saying, "It's nothing. Just when I heard you talk about solving cases, I thought of several unsolved cases in the Yamen, and I was a bit distracted for a moment."
Jia Baoyu finally felt relieved as he knew that the reason why Sun Shaozong's mind was not in line was due to his contemplation of Grandma Liu.
Before transmigrating, the most familiar character in the entire Dream of the Red Chamber was Grandma Liu. After all, the proverb ”Grandma Liu Enters the Grand View Garden” was heard by him from a young age.
At this moment, upon hearing the background story of this proverb, it was vividly displayed in front of Sun Shaozong, and he couldn't help but feel a dreamlike feeling.
However, Jia Baoyu heard that there were several unresolved cases in the government office, and his heart suddenly became itchy and unbearable, pestering Sun Shaozong to inquire about the truth.
Sun Shaozong was so entangled by him that he had no choice but to gather his energy and pick up the one that could be said but didn’t harm much, and use it to relieve Baoyu’s curiosity.
Just as it was mentioned that there was a headless female corpse in the county government office, a case of two families claiming it popped up. Just then, the little maid turned back and approached, saying, "Master Bao, the Old Lady heard that Lord Sun is here with you, so she asked you and Lord Sun to come over and talk together. She even said that we are all relatives and there was nothing to avoid in front of the elderly."
Jia Baoyu still felt a bit reluctant upon hearing this, but Sun Shaozong was a bit eager to see what kind of person the legendary ”Grandma Liu” was.
So he stood up and pretended to ask, "I wonder if my Sister-in-law is also where the Old Lady is?"
"Yes, she’s there!"
The little maid nodded hastily and said, "She came out of the Old Master's courtyard and went to pay her respects to the Old Lady. Now, she is chatting with Lady Baochai, Lady Shi, and others in the green gauge cabinet."
"That's it."
Sun Shaozong turned back and said seriously, "I really should go and take a look. After all, this is the first time my Sister-in-law has returned to her mother's house after getting pregnant. If she neglects her body for a moment, this can’t happen."
Upon hearing these words, Jia Baoyu had no choice but to get up and go with him to Jia's mother's place.
There was nothing to say along the way.
When it came to Old Lady Jia's house, after going up to pay their respects, he never saw the legendary Grandma Liu. Baoyu casually checked and found out that she had been taken down by Ping'er to take a shower and change clothes, and was about to return soon.
As she was speaking, Jia Yingchun came out of the green gauge cabinet and met Sun Shaozong. Sun Shaozong, as her younger uncle, reminded her to take good care of herself.
In fact, before coming, Sun Shaozong also secretly explained this to Jia Yingchun. Now, mentioning it in front of others made Jia Yingchun felt a bit embarrassed. Fortunately, she has been the mistress for half a year, and now she has made great progress, which was enough to cover up.
At this moment, Wang Xifeng also came out from inside and joked with a smile, "Just now when I was saying, you were still preventing me. What's going on now? Not to mention that your husband is worried, and even your younger uncle is afraid that you are not careful enough. You are just like a treasure!"
There was no other meaning to this statement, but the speaker had no intention and the listener had an intention. Jia Yingchun's heart skipped a beat, and her redhead and swollen face drooped down, burying it directly into her increasingly strong chest.
Sun Shaozong was afraid of being exposed, so he quickly laughed and said, "Second Sister-in-law's words are true. My brother is almost forty years old, and he finally got this baby, so naturally he is very careful."
Wang Xifeng giggled coquettishly, her red phoenix eyes rolling around, but she was pondering how to distract others and demanded the dividend from Sun Shaozong.
Just before she could come up with an idea, Ping'er outside the door had already led Grandma Liu in.
The Grandma was dressed in silk and satin, making it difficult for her to walk smoothly. She grinned and revealed her yellow teeth, saying repeatedly, "It's a waste of money. How can I afford to wear such good clothes like this, an Old Lady?"
"Isn't that clothing meant for people to wear? As long as it fits well, it won't cost anything!"
Old Lady Jia greeted her with a smile and called for Lin Daiyu, Xue Baochai, and others to come out and meet Grandma Liu one by one.
Every time someone was mentioned, Grandma Liu would bow repeatedly, saying things like "fairy descending to earth" and "reincarnation of immortals," which made everyone laugh and laugh.
After introducing the young master and young lady from Rongguo Mansion, Old Lady Jia pointed to Sun Shaozong and said, "This is our relative. He is now serving as the Governor of the Central Judicial Office and his name is called Sun Shaozong. I believe you have also heard of his name."
Although Grandma Liu didn't know what the Governor was when she heard the three words "Sun Shaozong," her eyes widened and she bent down to kneel in front of Sun Shaozong.
Sun Shaozong was quick-witted and quickly reached out to help her. He smiled and said, "Now that we are not in the court, I don't dare to let you kneel in front of me."
"You’re worthy, you’re worthy!"
Supported by Sun Shaozong's hand, Grandma Liu's hands and feet trembled with excitement as she said, "Who doesn't know the name of Master Sun?! It's said that you reincarnate with the Dragon Diagram and will also become the King of Hell in the future. Unexpectedly... Unexpectedly, you are also a relative of this mansion!"
When the others heard the rumors that Sun Shaozong would become the King of Hell in the future, the audience couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Sun Shaozong also didn't realize it. She was a master whom he had seen before, and he didn’t find this old lady vulgar. He helped her sit in the lower position and Grandma Liu kept declining.
Others were just watching the excitement, but only Old Lady Jia looked at a few youngest who kept a respectful distance from Grandma Liu. Only Sun Shaozong treated her warmly and sincerely, without the appearance of a wealthy family being superior.
In these two comparisons, she couldn't help but sigh a few times, hoping that Jia Yuanchun could find a man in the palace.
Grandma Liu sat down anxiously and exchanged a few words with Old Lady Jia before regaining some energy. She searched her heart and soul and picked up the interesting thing, using vulgar language to vividly explain it.
How could Jia Baoyu and others ever hear these words?
Consciously speaking better than the books spoken by those blind gentlemen, one by one laughing back and forth, forgetting the initial impatience.
Sun Shaozong, on the other hand, heard that the old lady's words were clear and organized, and when it came to the hearts of old people, he also had a vague understanding. It was not as crude and vulgar as it seemed on the surface. He knew that she was deliberately hiding her awkwardness to show off her cleverness in front of others, but he didn’t point it out. He just laughed along with everyone.
Although Grandma Liu was a villager, she was born with some knowledge. Moreover, she was old and had experienced both the ups and downs of life. Seeing Old Lady Jia happy, these brothers and sisters also love to listen. Even if there was nothing to say, they would try to make up something to say.
She said, "We grow crops and vegetables in our village every year, in spring, summer, autumn, and winter, in the wind and rain, there is a sitting space where we make a resting pavilion on the ground every day. We have never seen anything strange."
"Just like last winter, when it snowed for several days in a row and the ground was buried three or four feet deep. I woke up early that day and heard the sound of firewood outside before leaving the house. I thought someone must have stolen firewood and peeked through the window, but it wasn't from our village."
Old Lady Jia then said, "It must be that the passing guests are cold. When they see the ready-made firewood, they want to draw some and take it back for the fire."
Grandma Liu smiled and said, "It was not a guest either, so it's strange to say, what kind of person was it? But it turns out to be a very beautiful little girl of seventeen or eighteen years old, with a slick head, a big red coat, and a white silk skirt–-"
Just as she was about to say this, she suddenly heard people outside arguing and said, "You irrelevant person, don't scare the Old Lady."
Upon hearing this, Old Lady Jia and others quickly called for servants to come in and inquire.
A maid replied, "There was a fire that broke out in the stable of the southern courtyard, it's irrelevant. We need people to be rescued."
Old Lady Jia, the most timid, heard these words and quickly stood up and out of the corridor. She saw the southeast still shining brightly with flames.
Old Lady Jia was directly threatened. She recited Buddha's words and quickly ordered people to burn incense in front of the Fire God.
At this moment, Old Lady Wang and Old Lady Xing also rushed over and comforted Old Lady Jia, saying that the fire had been put out. The Old Lady should return to the room and sit down.
However, Old Lady Jia waited until the flames had completely extinguished, and only then did she and the supported maid, walk inside one by one, reciting Amitabha Buddha.
Everyone followed suit and entered, and Sun Shaozong was also preparing to follow when he saw Old Lady Wang break out from inside again, her face embarrassed and hesitant.
Sun Shaozong said strangely, "Auntie, what do you need to instruct?"
Old Lady Wang hesitated, "I shouldn't have bothered you, my dear nephew, but the fire was burning a bit strange, and I happened to have you as a guest at my house..."
"There is indeed something suspicious!"
Before he could finish speaking, Jia Baoyu pulled out the curtain and excitedly said, "It's a small matter. Why bother Second Brother to take action? I'll go investigate and understand the situation!"