The training grounds weren't occupied by Wang Xifeng alone. The other Jia children were there too.
Jia Zhu was trying to talk Wang Xifeng out of it, but no matter how much he pleaded, she wouldn't listen.
Jia Yuanchun's eyes shone with excitement as she led a few little ones in cheering Wang Xifeng on.
Yingchun held Tanchun's hand with one hand and Jia Baoyu's with the other.
All three were very young.
Yingchun was only four, while Jia Baoyu and Tanchun were just two or three. They had big heads and tiny bodies, and looked utterly adorable.
Yingchun led her younger siblings over to greet Liu Zhong and Jia Hu. They all liked Liu Zhong.
Their older brother often gave them fun little toys.
Liu Zhong smiled and greeted the three little ones, then let his gaze fall on Jia Baoyu's chest.
The Tongling Baoyu was tucked inside Jia Baoyu's clothes, against his chest.
But by now, the Tongling Baoyu was no longer Nuwa's Heaven-Mending Stone.
Liu Zhong had his own designs on the Heaven-Mending Stone.
When Jia Baoyu had his three-day celebration, Liu Zhong took the opportunity to examine the Tongling Baoyu closely. It did indeed contain a trace of merit.
But since the Primordial World had yet to reach the point when Nuwa would mend the heavens, Liu Zhong couldn't tell whether that trace was merit from Mending the Heavens.
Still, the stone could be refined into a post-heaven merit treasure.
Penniless as he was, Liu Zhong was tempted.
He made an ordinary piece of jade into a replica of the Tongling Baoyu, then switched it for the genuine one during Jia Baoyu's first-month celebration.
Afterward, Liu Zhong reached out to the spirit inside the Heaven-Mending Stone and spoke with him.
Would he rather become the spirit of the treasure Liu Zhong was making, or have Liu Zhong help him reincarnate as a human?
The Stone Spirit chose reincarnation without hesitation.
He had come to the mortal world to enjoy himself, to experience its wealth and splendor.
He had no desire to become a treasure's spirit. He'd lose his freedom, for one thing, and wouldn't even be able to cuddle up to pretty young ladies.
So Liu Zhong took the Stone Spirit around the capital and found him a wealthy family.
The family's head was a relative of the imperial house—a commandery prince, whose status was a notch above that of the Rongguo Mansion.
The Stone Spirit was born to the commandery prince's principal wife. He wasn't the eldest son, but as the prince's legitimate second son, he would still inherit a title one day.
With the Stone Spirit settled, Liu Zhong stored the Tongling Baoyu in the space he had opened with his innate ability.
His space didn't belong to this Red Chamber world. Once the Heaven-Mending Stone entered it, the spells some people had placed on the stone to contact it were cut off.
No matter how they tried to locate it with their magic, they couldn't find the Heaven-Mending Stone.
Fairy Jinghuan was horrified. Unable to descend to the mortal world herself, she could only send word to Mangmang Dashi and Miaomiao Zhenren, ordering them to investigate in the capital.
Mangmang Dashi and Miaomiao Zhenren arrived in the capital, slipped into the Rongguo Mansion, and examined the Tongling Baoyu on Jia Baoyu.
Apart from the Stone Spirit not responding to them, they noticed nothing unusual.
—Liu Zhong had extracted a wisp of the Heaven-Mending Stone's aura and infused it into the fake Tongling Baoyu. His forgery was so convincing that Mangmang Dashi and Miaomiao Zhenren never realized the treasure had been switched.
The two reported what they had discovered to Fairy Jinghuan. Though alarmed, she could do nothing about it.
Fairy Jinghuan had kept a low profile all these years while researching how to absorb fortune without the Heaven-Mending Stone concealing the karmic ties.
Back to the present.
Liu Zhong patted Jia Baoyu's head. The boy was still a sucker for pretty faces, but he no longer wanted to eat the rouge off girls' lips.
He still hated the Four Books and Five Classics, but could at least manage to study them.
He seemed like a perfectly normal child.
Meanwhile, Jia Lian and Wang Xifeng had already started their contest.
Wang Xifeng was weaker than Jia Lian, but her aim with a bow was better.
The match ended in a draw.
Jia Lian refused to accept it. "Just you wait. Next time, I'll beat you for sure."
Wang Xifeng scrunched up her nose and gave a huff. "Next time, I'll beat you for sure."
The young girl had bright eyes and pearly teeth, but she was dressed like a little boy. She looked more like a delicate, exquisitely carved boy than a girl.
No wonder people called her "Brother Feng."
Lady Jia Shi liked Wang Xifeng's forthrightness and quick tongue, and often invited her to the Rongguo Mansion.
Wang Xifeng studied alongside the Jia girls and boys. She learned to ride and shoot, and read plenty of books. She was no longer the Wang family girl described in the original story as believing "a woman's lack of talent is a virtue," unable even to recognize the written word.
Jia Daishan took his grandchildren's education seriously, hiring well-regarded tutors to teach them.
Even the girls had to study.
Jia Daishan's daughter Jia Min was a talented woman, which showed just how much importance he placed on educating his daughters and granddaughters.
And with Jia Daishan around, Lady Jia Shi and the second branch could never carry out their plan to send Yuanchun into the palace.
Jia Yuanchun studied the Four Books and Five Classics with her brothers from a young age, rather than learning palace etiquette.
In the original story, Wang Xifeng had been scared off by the rules Yuanchun was learning and didn't study alongside her.
In this world, there were no frightening palace rules, so Wang Xifeng naturally studied with her older cousins.
Though she was as competitive as a boy, Wang Xifeng could at least be considered educated and well-mannered.
When Liu Zhong learned that Wang Xifeng was studying at the Rongguo Mansion, he persuaded Jia Hu to have the tutor teach the children about the laws of the Great Jin Dynasty as well.
That way, Wang Xifeng would learn that taking on litigation cases and lending money at interest could get the family confiscated and land her in prison.
He wanted the fearless Wang Xifeng to know right from wrong—to understand what she could and couldn't do.
Jia Lian and Wang Xifeng were like a bickering couple, always competing with each other.
Jia Zhu, Jia Hu, and Jia Yuanchun had all noticed that the two felt something for each other, and watched the show from the sidelines.
They were all happy to see Jia Lian and Wang Xifeng end up together.
Though Wang had schemed against Zhang and Jia Hu, neither of them had a good impression of the Wang Family.
But Wang Xifeng was simply too likable. After spending time with her, Zhang grew fond of her forthright nature.
If her younger son liked her, there was no reason they couldn't marry her into the family.
Besides, Wang Xifeng wasn't particularly close to Wang.
So Zhang let Jia Lian and Wang Xifeng spend time together.
Liu Zhong finished dinner at the Rongguo Mansion before leisurely making his way back to the Liu Family.
Liu Xianglian stared at Liu Zhong with a wounded expression. His big brother had gone off to have fun by himself and left him a mountain of homework. How unfair.
Liu Zhong raised an eyebrow and smiled at Liu Xianglian.
So what if he was picking on him?
He was the older brother, and Liu Xianglian was the younger one.
He was destined to keep his little brother under his thumb!
The New Year arrived a few days later.
Father Liu took the whole family to the Li Duke Mansion, where they joined Second Uncle Liu and the other brothers and nephews who had returned to the ducal estate to pay respects to their ancestors.
Afterward, they enjoyed a lavish New Year's feast at the mansion and then left.
Over the next few days, Liu Zhong accompanied Father Liu to banquets hosted by various families, dealing with all sorts of people.
Liu Zhong smiled until his face nearly stiffened, wishing he could set off already.
At last, the tenth day of the New Year passed, and Liu Zhong and Jia Hu boarded a boat heading south to Jiangnan.
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