Setting Up a Private Hall, Lin's Daughter Meets a Fragrant End

There would be another update at midnight.

Jia Baoyu went straight to his eldest uncle's courtyard, but Jia Yingchun was nowhere to be found.

After asking one of Madam Xing's maids, he learned that Wang Xifeng had claimed illness and had not shown herself since last night. As her sister-in-law, Jia Yingchun naturally ought to pay her a visit after hearing the news.

When Jia Baoyu heard that Phoenix Sister was ill, he insisted on going to see her too. But Jia Lian caught hold of him and, with a sinister grin, scolded, "What illness could she possibly have? She's just sulking over some quarrel—come on, come on. I heard the opera troupe's new production, 'One Sword Settles Hu-Guang,' is already looking pretty good. Let's go have a look. If it's any good, we'll have them perform it today!"

Though Jia Baoyu was concerned about Phoenix Sister as well, he knew Jia Lian was probably telling the truth—and the person she had quarreled with was likely none other than Lian, Second Master.

So he allowed himself to be half-pushed, half-persuaded toward Pear Fragrance Courtyard. Along the way, he kept urging Jia Lian to keep harmony between husband and wife, but Jia Lian let it go in one ear and out the other. Instead, he went on animatedly about Sun Shaozong's heroic exploits in Hu-Guang.

Let us not speak of how those two "brothers" arrived at Pear Fragrance Courtyard and ordered the actresses to rehearse the new play.

As for Jia Yingchun, escorted by Ruan Rong, Yuanyang, Si Qi, Xiuju, Shi Liu, Pheobe, two older matrons, and four little maids, she made her way to Wang Xifeng's Xi Yun Pavilion—only to be turned away at the door.

"I'm terribly sorry, Madam and Auntie."

Ping Er wore a small floral jacket,