It Was Originally a Dream of the Red Chamber

The Salt Surveillance Censor is a unique official position in Liang-Huai. Although only a third-rank title, it is one of the most lucrative positions in the world.

Not only does it manage the salt tax of Liang-Huai, but it also has the power to investigate and impeach officials. In terms of status, it is practically not below the provincial governor, only slightly lower than the Governor-General of Liangjiang. Therefore, it has always been a position that only the emperor's close confidants can hold.

Jia Lian's uncle, Lin Ruhai, was once such a prominent figure.

However, all of this is history. After Lin Ruhai died in office, the past wealth and glory vanished like smoke.

Currently, the official residence of the Salt Administration is desolate. Even the servants and maids have been dismissed, leaving only a few servants that Jia Lian brought from the capital.

It was said that this evening,

in the small hall at the back of the official residence, the lights were unusually bright again, and the two bronze stoves were filled with silver frost charcoal, making it as warm as early summer.

Under the candlelight, Jia Lian was seen pouring down Huang wine, one cup after another. He was already cross-eyed and staggering, yet he still slurred, "Come, come, this... this cup of wine, Second Brother must toast to your confidante! If it weren't for her, how could you and I, brothers, enjoy such a hearty drink?!"

He had been busy with funeral arrangements these days, and also had to take care of his young cousin at home. He hadn't been able to enjoy a drink for more than half a year, and had accumulated a bellyful of cravings.

Therefore, when he heard that Sun Shaozong had brought female companions, he was overjoyed!

According to the customs of the time, if there were only Jia Lian and Sun Shaozong, it would not be convenient to drink in the official residence for the sake of his cousin's reputation—but with the Sun family's female companions present, there was no need to worry about anything.

So Jia Lian happily ordered people to invite Ruan Rong to the backyard, arrange for her to rest with his cousin, and immediately set up a banquet, pulling Sun Shaozong to drink from noon until evening.

Seeing that Jia Lian was obviously drunk, Sun Shaozong accompanied him for another cup, and then, taking advantage of his inattention, replaced the contents of their cups with tea.

Just as he put the teapot back on the table, Jia Lian suddenly burst into tears on the table, muttering, "Poor cousin of mine, a celestial being descended to earth, yet so unlucky, first losing her mother, then her father. These days, she has even spoken less, and has become even thinner!"

Sun Shaozong was speechless. Just as he was hesitating whether to simply call the servants to send him back to his bedroom to rest, he heard him slam the table and shout, "Daiyu ah Daiyu, don't blame your Second Brother Lian for being dirty-hearted, it's really... really..."

What 'really' was, he said vaguely and indistinctly, but just the two words 'Daiyu' were like thunder and lightning, making Sun Shaozong's mind buzz!

Daiyu?

Lin Daiyu?!

Isn't that the heroine in Dream of the Red Chamber?!

Sun Shaozong was also a 'rough man' in his previous life, and his favorite story was the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He also had some knowledge of Water Margin and Journey to the West. Among the four great classical novels, he had never read Dream of the Red Chamber.

Therefore, he did not know that Jia Lian, Sun Shaozu, and others were also characters in the book.

But Sun Shaozong had heard of the names of the main characters, Jia Baoyu, Lin Daiyu, and Xue Baochai!

At this moment, suddenly hearing the name Daiyu, and associating it with the Jia family, didn't he know that he had transmigrated into Dream of the Red Chamber?

But why Dream of the Red Chamber of all things?!

If he had gone to the world of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms or Water Margin, with his foresight and this sturdy martial strength, not to mention establishing an imperial hegemony, at least he could have obtained a fiefdom!

But this Dream of the Red Chamber...

How would he know what was written in the book?

After thinking hard for a long time while looking at Jia Lian, who was crying and laughing, Sun Shaozong only vaguely remembered that Dream of the Red Chamber mainly wrote about the Jia family, and it seemed to be a love tragedy—but he really had no impression of the specific plot.

The more he thought about it, the more irritable he became. Jia Lian was chattering like a woman there, and Sun Shaozong couldn't help but pick up a jar of Huang wine, casually patting open the mud seal, and pouring it into his stomach in large gulps!

He is now about one meter ninety-three in height and weighs around two hundred and forty pounds. His stomach is naturally much larger than that of ordinary people, so in a short while, he drank a jar of Huang wine to the bottom.

In addition to the two pots he had drunk before, he had consumed at least four catties!

Although the alcohol content of this Huang wine wasn't very high, about the same as beer, its after-effects were far greater. After Sun Shaozong's wild drinking, he soon became quite drunk.

In a daze, not knowing what string in his brain was misfiring, he tapped his chopsticks against the cups and plates, and a song, 'The mighty river flows east,' burst from his throat.

The desolate and vigorous singing spread around in the night, perfectly complementing the desolate atmosphere of the official residence after its former prosperity.

——separator line——

Creak~

The windows of the west wing in the backyard parted, and Ruan Rong poked her head out. After listening intently for a moment, she curiously turned back and asked, "Brother Sun is singing about the Yangtze and heroes, which sounds quite interesting. Does Sister Lin know what lyrics he's singing?"

Following her gaze, one could see a small figure like an ice sculpture sitting on a spring stool, dressed in plain linen clothes. Who else could it be but Lin Daiyu?

Although they had only spent half a day together, both being daughters of officials who had lost their mothers at a young age, and neither being one to follow the rules, they felt like they had met too late.

Perhaps some cold air blew in from the window, Daiyu shrank her shoulders, frowned and pondered for a long time, before shaking her head and saying, "This poem is simple, vigorous, generous, and sad, worthy of being a first-class masterpiece among all the Linjiang Xian poems, but I have never heard of it, and I don't know who wrote it."

Seeing her pitiful appearance, Ruan Rong quickly closed the window.

Then, hearing her say that she had never heard this poem before, Ruan Rong's eyes suddenly lit up. She rushed to Daiyu in a flurry, leaned on the round table covered with Shu Brocade, and asked excitedly, "Then do you think this poem could have been written by Brother Sun?"

Daiyu stared at her with wide eyes for a long time, then suddenly burst out laughing. She quickly covered her small mouth and giggled, "They all say 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder.' You're even better, you've managed to hear a great talent!"

Ruan Rong's pink cheeks flushed, and she also felt that she was being a bit fanciful, but she stubbornly said, "Haven't you never heard this poem before either? Why couldn't it be written by Brother Sun?!"

Daiyu laughed again, "I'm just a little girl, not some great talent. How many poems and songs have I read? If every poem I haven't heard is considered to be written by your darling, then wouldn't he be able to write hundreds of poems after a few drinks? It's really easy to be a literary plagiarist!"

Ruan Rong was rendered speechless by her words, and seeing the little girl's fox-like smile, she couldn't help but rush forward indignantly, tickling her under the armpits and around the waist, making Daiyu beg for mercy repeatedly.

After this bout of laughter, the two became even closer.

Seeing that Daiyu's small hands were icy cold, without a trace of warmth, Ruan Rong simply opened her woolen coat and wrapped her whole body in her arms, rubbing her chin against Daiyu's forehead, sighing with a mixture of affection and fondness, "You're good in every way, but you just won't spare anyone with that sharp tongue."

Daiyu, burying her head between those twin peaks, felt her nose and mouth filled with warm fragrance, and her heart felt indescribably close. She couldn't help but offer a sincere reminder, "Sister, aren't you afraid that Captain Sun… that Captain Sun's family won't accept you if you act so recklessly? Don't forget the rule of 'betrothal makes a wife, elopement makes a concubine.'"

She had originally wanted to say 'aren't you afraid that Captain Sun will become a heartless man,' but she was afraid that these words would be too hurtful, so she temporarily changed her wording.

But even so, Ruan Rong's body stiffened upon hearing this, but she quickly softened again, burying her pretty face in Daiyu's black hair, and said leisurely, "So what if I can only be a concubine? It's still much better than missing out on a good man and regretting it for the rest of my life."

The protagonist got drunk and sang just to mourn his past life.

He's not trying to show off or gain fame.

The two women who were eavesdropping were just joking around and didn't think he wrote it.

Moreover, this matter was never mentioned again.

If this counts as literary plagiarism, then I have nothing to say.