In [Dream Of The Red Chamber], Jia She Acquires A Plant-Based Superpower. - Chapter 1

“Stop crying! It is so annoying!”

A grown man bawling like this—is he not ashamed?

Shi Yue was full of confusion. He lived alone, so where was the sound of a man crying coming from? Had his computer automatically started playing a soap opera?

When Shi Yue saw his surroundings, his eyes widened in shock. Everything was a vast, blinding white. In front of him, a man in traditional, ornate costume was huddled on the ground, weeping bitterly. The despair in his sobs was so piercing that even an outsider like Shi Yue felt a pang in his heart.

Shi Yue was certain he was dreaming, but he could not understand why he would have such a dream. Was it because of the high pressure at work lately that he felt like crying?

After waiting for a long time, the dream did not fade. The man’s crying only became more agonizing. Shi Yue sighed softly and walked over. “Why are you crying in my dream?”

Jia She looked up at Shi Yue, his face streaming with tears. He could not help but hiccup mid-sob. “I am crying for my life. Why is my life so bitter?”

“It is one thing that my mother favors my younger brother, but it is not my fault that I stood on the wrong side when the new Emperor ascended. Why take all your resentment out on me?”

“My wife was forced to her death, and my eldest son was murdered by them. I am a failure as a husband and a father, unable to even find the killer.”

“My family was terrified that the new Emperor would settle old scores, so they forced me to become a wastrel. Now, I can only watch helplessly as they raise my remaining son into a wastrel as well.”

“They wanted me to marry the daughter of a minor family, the Xing woman, and I obeyed. Now, they are forcing my son to marry into the Wang family.”

Shi Yue sat down beside Jia She and patted his shoulder with great solemnity. “Brother, look on the bright side. Though there is a lot of trouble at home, you are healthy and enjoy immense wealth and glory. That is much better than someone like me, who lives paycheck to paycheck.”

At these words, Jia She completely broke down, his wailing shaking the heavens.

“It is gone! Everything is gone! The entire family ends up as nothing but a desolate white expanse. I knew that new Emperor was petty. I gave him plenty of trouble when we were young, and he remembered every bit of it.”

Jia She seemed to recall something and suddenly looked at Shi Yue with eyes full of light.

“I can give you wealth and glory. Do you want it? I am the son of a Duke, holding the rank of a First-Class General. Even though the family will be raided in the future, if you prepare in advance, you can live a life of comfort.”

He had been so infuriated by his family this time that after fainting, his soul actually ended up in the underworld. There, he had befriended an underworld messenger and learned his future fate. He had not done anything evil, yet he was destined for exile. At that moment, filled with shock and rage, he felt a pulling force. In his panic, he had snatched a jade pendant from the messenger’s waist, then arrived in this white space, and subsequently met Shi Yue.

The moment he saw Shi Yue, he inexplicably knew that their soul origins were identical.

Shi Yue saw Jia She looking at him with such longing, as if he were his last straw. The refusal that had reached his lips could not be spoken. Forget it, he thought. It is just a dream; I will just humor this man. He looks almost thirty; it is pathetic to see him cry like this.

Seeing Shi Yue silent, Jia She handed him the green jade pendant he had snatched. “I do not know what this is, but it must be a treasure. I will give it to you if you swap identities with me. I will go to your world, and you will go to mine.”

Shi Yue, still thinking it was a dream, casually picked up the green jade to examine it. Jia She beamed with joy. “You accepted my gift, so I will take that as a yes!”

As the words fell, Jia She dissipated like smoke. Shi Yue felt a pulling force dragging him, thinking, Finally, this absurd dream is ending.

As soon as he woke up, Shi Yue frowned. Who was smoking something outside? The scent was drifting right into his room. He opened his eyes and saw a luxurious, antique-style quilt, surrounded by elegant, refined furnishings. Only one thought crossed his mind: Where is this?

Blinking again, strange memories flashed through his mind. The protagonist of those memories was none other than the strange man from his dream. When the memories finally settled, Shi Yue clenched his fists and pounded the bed frame several times.

Damn it! The man he dreamed of was Jia She, the corrupt wastrel from “Dream of the Red Chamber” who sold his own daughter for a few thousand taels of silver.

Shi Yue gritted his teeth. What he thought was a dream was not a dream at all. Jia She had swapped bodies with him, and now he was Jia She.

Initially, Shi Yue could not accept it. Although he was not satisfied with his fast-paced, impoverished modern life, he had no desire to live in ancient times, especially in the Jia household, which was destined to be raided. The First-Class General title Jia She held was not a real political position; it was a death warrant held by the King of Hell.

Shi Yue slowly calmed down. Whether he accepted it or not, he was Jia She now.

He lifted the quilt and sat up, looking down at his flabby waist. The body was indeed pampered, its skin as delicate and fair as a young woman’s.

Outside the room, the concubine, Jiao Hong, heard the movement and immediately brought in hot water. “My Lord, you are finally awake. The Second Grandmother sent someone to pay her respects, and the Madam sent word asking for your instructions.”

Jia She frowned. The original owner had fainted out of pure rage because Jia Lian refused to listen to his advice about Wang Xifeng. After the marriage, Wang Xifeng showed him no respect, and her tone during her daily respects was always biting. It was that anger that caused his soul to flee to the underworld.

Jia She hummed coldly, his expression icy. “What instructions could I have? The whole manor knows she is the one in charge. The servants only know her methods; when have they ever remembered my status? I wonder if this Jia household is surnamed Jia or Wang.”

Jiao Hong lowered her head, trembling with fear. Jia She had no intention of making things difficult for her. She was a concubine of the original owner and had served him quite diligently. It was a pity that although he was a man now, he had no interest in women. These obedient concubines would only be used as maids from now on. If they were willing, he would provide them with silver to leave the manor and start new lives.

Jia She dismissed Jiao Hong, dressed himself, and looked at his reflection in the copper mirror. Jia She’s features were exquisite and flamboyant. In his youth, because of this face, he had won the favor of the Crown Prince and the Retired Emperor, often giving the current new Emperor a cold shoulder. After the Crown Prince died of illness and the Retired Emperor abdicated, the original owner had tried his best to minimize his presence. Especially after guessing the new Emperor’s desire to suppress the four major families, the original owner had basically crawled into a turtle shell.

His knowledge of “Dream of the Red Chamber” was only fragmented information from his school days. He knew the major events and the ending, but he had no clue about the times and places of those events. Having graduated for nearly a decade, he had long returned that knowledge to his teachers.

After breakfast, Xing Shi arrived with Wang Shanbao’s wife.

“My Lord, the Old Matriarch sent word for you to come over.”

Jia She glanced at Xing Shi. Her features were delicate enough, but her aged attire and somber demeanor made her look lifeless. The original owner had been particularly dissatisfied with her; on their wedding night, he had turned over and gone to sleep, and later, finding her reticent, he grew increasingly distant. Because whenever the original owner saw Xing Shi, he was reminded of the painful memory of Mother Jia forcing him to remarry. Xing Shi was also dissatisfied with him, using various excuses to brush him off.

As it was late autumn, Jia She saw that Xing Shi was dressed thinly and instructed the servant at the door. “Tell Lin Zhixiao to open my storehouse and bring the First Madam some good furs to make clothes.”

Then, Jia She said to Xing Shi, “The weather is turning cold. Make a few sets of clothes for Cong’er and Yingchun.”

Xing Shi thought it strange. The Master had always only cared about carousing outside, spending his days hugging those antique fans to sleep. When had he ever cared about those two illegitimate children? She murmured to herself, but nodded in obedience.

Jia She gave Xing Shi a look of disdain. “You are only twenty, yet you dress like an old woman. How can you stand it? Go to the storehouse and pick out some vibrant fabrics to make clothes that are not an eyesore.”

Xing Shi’s scrutiny of Jia She became even more obvious. The Master fainted from rage this time, but his temperament has changed quite a bit upon waking. He does not seem as annoying as before.

Jia She took Xing Shi to Mother Jia’s quarters. Along the way, he was happy yet saddened by the prosperity of the Rong Mansion. Even if he struggled for a hundred years in the modern era, he would never attain such a life where he could call upon servants at will.

Unfortunately, this carefree life would not last. If the new Emperor wanted to secure his throne, he would definitely slash at the four major families. Suppressing them was not just to assert authority; it was to rake in wealth. The new Emperor was broke, too! The daily lives of the four major families were more extravagant than the imperial family; it would be a surprise if they were not raided.

When Jia She arrived at Mother Jia’s, he saw Jia Zheng and Lady Wang were both there. Wang Xifeng was smiling as she served Lady Wang, while Jia Lian stood to the side, grinning like a fool. Jia She swept an icy glance over Jia Lian. The original owner had voluntarily abandoned everything, including his son, Jia Lian. Jia Lian was already married and no longer his responsibility; he only needed to take care of Yingchun and Jia Cong.

Jia She saw Jia Zheng sitting in the first seat on the left and sneered in his heart. In this world, the left is the seat of honor. According to status, it should have been his seat. Jia Zheng claimed to be a scholar; he could not possibly be ignorant of this. He had to be doing it on purpose.

As soon as Jia She sat down, Mother Jia slammed the teacup beside her toward his feet with a cold face.

Jia Zheng and Lady Wang stood up in a panic. Jia Zheng bowed with concern and offered an apology. “Mother, please calm your anger. If the eldest brother has faults, let him make amends properly. Please do not ruin your health with rage.” Lady Wang and Wang Xifeng hurried to Mother Jia’s side, one massaging her back, the other fetching tea.

Xing Shi stood behind Jia She with practiced ease, head bowed and silent, treating herself like a pillar in the room.

Ever since arriving in this world, Jia She had been simmering with rage. Seeing Mother Jia throw a teacup at him, he deftly grabbed the teacup beside his own hand and hurled it into the center of the room.

Porcelain shards scattered, and a chorus of screams rang out in the room.

Mother Jia glared at Jia She with bloodshot eyes. “You rebellious son! You have the nerve to lose your temper? Your sister-in-law has been working tirelessly for this household, and not only are you ungrateful, you go around making snide remarks about whether this manor is surnamed Jia or Wang.”

“You accuse your sister-in-law, ruining her reputation, but how much better is your own reputation?”

Jia Zheng suddenly turned his head, bowed to Jia She, and sighed. “Brother, Lady Wang’s management of the manor has been quite diligent. Even if she made a mistake somewhere, there is no need for you to accuse her to such an extent. If the remark that the Jia Manor is surnamed Wang were to spread, how could Lady Wang face people outside?”

Jia She finally understood the saying that there are no secrets in a great family. When he said that, only Jiao Hong was around. Not even an hour later, it had reached Mother Jia.

Jia She was not the original owner. The original owner had been terrified of the new Emperor settling old scores and had always lived with his tail between his legs. He could not act like a turtle and suffer in silence. In his view, the new Emperor would not bother with petty tricks. If the new Emperor wanted to settle old scores, he would not even need to find an excuse.