CHAPTER 722: CHAPTER 291: THE SWINDLER AGAIN (PART 7)_3

Jia Huan, though young and looking not too bright,

was no naive and gullible fool.

Having grown up in a large household with a favored legitimate brother above him, he knew all too well the ways of the world.

Therefore, he understood that his grandmother’s sending of Jia Lian to Yangzhou wasn’t without purpose.

Firstly, it was naturally to escort Lin Daiyu.

Secondly, it was to prevent any issues, as Lin Ru Hai was dying, the Lin family had few members, and Daiyu, as an orphaned girl, wouldn’t be able to manage the aftermath.

Though the Lin Family had lost its title, their wealth was undoubtedly substantial.

Such a large inheritance couldn’t simply fall into the hands of outsiders.

Jia Huan perhaps hadn’t thought of the Jia family plotting for the Lin estate, but he knew that his grandmother’s sending Jia Lian meant she was aware of Uncle Lin’s fate.

And yet, this inevitable demise had suddenly changed!

Jia Lian returned empty-handed, and while Madam Jia, Mrs. Wang, and others appeared overjoyed at Lin Ru Hai’s recovery, only they knew their true thoughts.

After all, Jia Yuanchun had been granted the title of Consort, and the Saint had decreed that the concubines were allowed to return home for a visit.

Jia Lian hadn’t even arrived home yet, and the East Mansion and West Mansion had already started discussing the construction of a "Provincial Villa".

Building a house required land and Silver Coin.

The land issue was easy to resolve, as Jia Zheng and Jia She had already conferred with Jia Zhen. Both mansions would contribute some land. Ningguo’s Mansion would demolish a garden, Duke Rong’s Mansion some houses, linking the small alley between the two to build the Provincial Villa.

But the Silver Coin was not so easily solved.

A garden spanning over three li, with pavilions, terraces, furnishings, every brick, every tile, every flower and every blade of grass — it all cost money.

If there had been an extra two or three million taels from the Lin family, it surely would have sufficed.

But now that Lin Ru Hai hadn’t died, the Lin family’s money naturally wouldn’t end up in the hands of the Jia family.

Thus, the construction of the Grand View Garden became quite a challenge for the Jia family.

"...Uncle Lin is ill, but with no immediate danger to his life, so my cousin from the Lin family stayed in Yangzhou to care for him."

Jia Huan didn’t know all the details; he simply saw that Jia Baoyu was unhappy, and that made him happy.

"Even the old lady and lady of the house aren’t too pleased, and even my Aunt Zhao dare not speak loudly these past few days!"

Upon mentioning his own mother, Aunt Zhao, that wave of excitement dissipated once again.

Ah, he and his mother had always been disregarded, even his own elder sister looked down on them.

Yet Jia Cong hadn’t even reacted before Jia Huan left, clueless.

"Lin Ru Hai isn’t dead?"

"How has he not died? Could this be a result of my butterfly effect?"

"That can’t be right, I’m just an insignificant figure in Duke Rong’s Mansion, unable to even control my own fate, so how could I influence others?"

Jia Cong was full of questions, and his emotions fluctuated drastically.

His only reliance in this Red Mansion World was his familiarity with the plot and his knowledge surpassing that of the era.

Now, with major changes in the main storyline, was this Red Mansion World still the same renowned book he knew?

What would the plot be like moving forward?

What impact would these changes have on it?!

Jia Cong became bewildered, a sense of inexplicable fear rising within him.

Of course, such wild thoughts came to him because of his severe injuries, and he was further beset by a persistent fever due to infection of his wound.

A small child, his little face flushed with fever, his tiny body shaking non-stop.

Without timely medical treatment, he probably couldn’t last through the night.

And at this time, no one bothered whether a mere Concubine Son was dead or alive.

Jia Zhen, Jia She, Jia Zheng, and others all gathered around the old lady, discussing how to finance the construction of the garden.

Without the Lin family’s inheritance, Madam Jia and Mrs. Wang were both deeply troubled.

The Jia family had long been living beyond their means, even the servants’ monthly salaries were used by Wang Xifeng for gambling to supplement household expenses.

To suddenly come up with millions of taels was beyond Wang Xifeng, and even Mrs. Wang couldn’t manage it.

Unless they sold the family’s ancestral assets.

But to sell off ancestral property, that was disgraceful – the very image of a family in decline.

And unpleasant to mention, even selling ancestral property might not garner a million taels.

The old lady herself had private savings, but she didn’t wish to dip into them.

Mrs. Wang had money too, but she would rather borrow from the Xue family than pay out of her own pocket.

In the end, the focus shifted to the East Mansion, with a ready-made justification — a single surname could not represent both "Jia" characters.

With Jia Yuanchun ascended to the rank of Virtuous Princess Consort, Ningguo’s Mansion had a reason to be proud.

Jia Zhen saw the logic in it; after all, he was an opportunist, otherwise he wouldn’t have arranged for his legitimate eldest son to marry the complexly-situated Qin Keqing.

Moreover, Qin Keqing’s death was subtly connected to Jia Yuanchun’s elevation to Consort.

Now that Jia Yuanchun had successfully risen, Jia Zhen who lent a hand felt entitled to share in the fruits of victory.

If possible, Jia Zhen also fancied the idea of relishing the role of Imperial Uncle.

Just as Jia Zhen was preparing to agree to provide the funds, suddenly a servant dashed inside: "Grand Master has returned!"

Jia Zhen’s heart lurched. What was this living ancestor doing returning out of the blue?