Chapter 107: Grandmother Jia Dispenses Her Remaining Wealth and Acts with Great Justice; Jia Zheng Receives Imperial Favor and Has His Title Restored

CHAPTER 107

How Lady Jia Distributed Her Private Savings to Manifest Her Great Rectitude, and How Jia Zheng Was Restored to the Family Hereditary Rank through the Emperor's Favor

When Jia Zheng entered the Forbidden City, he was taken first to the Grand Secretariat, where he saw the grand secretaries and then the various princes. The Prince of Bei Jing said to him, "We have summoned you today because there are matters we must ask you by order of His Imperial Majesty." Jia Zheng immediately knelt. The grand secretaries then asked him, "Do you know about your elder brother's dealings with officials outside the capital, his reliance on power to bully the weak, his connivance at his son's gambling, and his attempt to force a commoner's wife and daughter into concubinage, and when they refused, driving them to their deaths?" Jia Zheng replied, "Since Your Majesty graciously appointed me Commissioner of Education and, after my term ended, sent me to inspect the distribution of famine relief; and since I returned home at the end of last winter and was then assigned to supervise public works, and later went to Jiangxi as Superintendent of the Salt Monopoly, and was finally recalled to the capital after being impeached, and have since been serving in the Board of Works, laboring day and night without daring to be remiss—I have never paid any attention to family affairs. I have indeed been utterly negligent, and have failed to instruct my sons and nephews properly. This is a betrayal of Your Majesty's favor. I beg His Majesty to punish me severely." The Prince of Bei Jing reported this to the throne, and before long an imperial edict was issued. The prince then recited it: "His Majesty has considered the censor's impeachment of Jia She for having dealings with officials outside the capital and for bullying the weak. According to the censor, Jia She maintained mutual contacts with the prefect of Ping'an, and also took bribes to influence lawsuits. When Jia She was rigorously interrogated, he confessed that the prefect of Ping'an was a relative by marriage with whom he had merely exchanged visits, and that he had never interfered in official business. The censor was unable to produce any concrete evidence. The only charge that could be substantiated was that Jia She used his influence to extort the antique fans belonging to the Stone Simpleton. But these were mere curios, hardly comparable to forcibly seizing property from a commoner. Moreover, the Stone Simpleton's suicide was due to his own idiocy, which is not the same as death resulting from coercion. Therefore, the sentence is mitigated: Jia She is to be sent to a frontier post to redeem his crime by service. As for the charge that Jia Zhen forcibly took a commoner's wife and daughter as concubines, and drove them to death when they refused, the original records of the Censorate were examined. It was found that You Erjie was indeed betrothed to Zhang Hua by prenatal agreement, but because Zhang Hua was poor, he voluntarily broke off the engagement, and You Erjie's mother was willing to let her become the concubine of Jia Zhen's younger brother. Thus, there was no forcible seizure. As for the charge concerning You Sanjie's suicide by her own sword and her burial without any report to the authorities, it was established that You Sanjie was originally the younger sister of Jia Zhen's wife, and that Jia Zhen intended to find her a suitable husband. But when he was pressed for betrothal gifts, and rumors spread that she was promiscuous, she killed herself out of shame and indignation. This was not a case of Jia Zhen driving her to death. However, since Jia Zhen is a hereditary official who disregarded the law and buried a corpse without reporting it, he should ordinarily be severely punished. But in consideration of his being a descendant of a meritorious official, His Majesty cannot bear to be too harsh. He is therefore leniently stripped of his hereditary rank and sent to the coastal regions to redeem his crime by service. Jia Rong, being young and not implicated, is to be released and exonerated. As for Jia Zheng, he has served for many years outside the capital, and has been diligent and careful in his official duties. He is therefore exempted from punishment for failing to manage his family properly." When Jia Zheng heard this, he was moved to tears of gratitude, knocked his head on the ground repeatedly, and then begged the prince to report his humble request to the throne. The Prince of Bei Jing said, "You should be kowtowing to thank His Majesty for his grace. What further petition do you have?" Jia Zheng replied, "Your Majesty has been so merciful as not to punish me severely, and has even returned my family property. In truth, my heart is filled with shame and fear. I wish to surrender to the government all the property I have accumulated from the generous emoluments left by my ancestors." The Prince of Bei Jing said, "His Majesty is kind to his subjects, clear-sighted and careful in the use of punishment, and faultless in dispensing rewards and penalties. Since you have already received such immense favor and your property has been restored, why need you make this additional petition?" All the other officials also said it was unnecessary. Jia Zheng then thanked the emperor for his grace, kowtowed to the prince, and withdrew. Fearing that Lady Jia might be anxious, he hurried home.

The entire household, both men and women, did not know whether Jia Zheng's summons to the palace portended good or ill, and were all waiting outside for news. When they saw him return home, they were somewhat relieved, but did not dare to question him. They saw Jia Zheng go hurriedly to Lady Jia and tell her in detail how His Majesty had mercifully pardoned him. Although Lady Jia was relieved, she could not help feeling saddened that two hereditary ranks had been abolished, that Jia She had been sent to serve at a frontier post, and that Jia Zhen had been sent to the coastal regions. When Madam Xing and Madam You heard this, they wept even more bitterly. Jia Zheng said, "Please don't worry, Grandmother. Although elder brother has been sent to serve at a frontier post, he will be doing work for the state and will not suffer hardship. If he carries out his duties properly, he may be reinstated. As for Zhen, he is still young and should be made to exert himself. If not for this, even the merits accumulated by our ancestors would not be enjoyed forever." He said many more words of comfort. Lady Jia had never been very fond of Jia She, and Jia Zhen of the Eastern Mansion was, after all, a generation removed. Only Madam Xing and Madam You wept inconsolably. Madam Xing thought to herself, "The family property is all gone. My husband is old and has been sent far away. Although I have Lian by my side, he has always obeyed his second uncle. Now everything depends on Second Uncle, and Lian and his wife are even more inclined to side with the other branch. I am left all alone and helpless—what shall I do?" Madam You, who had formerly managed the affairs of the Ningguo Mansion single-handedly and had been second only to Jia Zhen in authority, and who had been on good terms with her husband, now thought, "Now that he has committed an offense and been sent far away, our property has been confiscated, and we have to depend on the Rongguo Mansion. Although the old lady is kind to us, we are still living under someone else's roof. And we have brought Xieluan and Peifeng with us. As for Rong and his wife, they are not capable of building up the family fortunes." She also thought, "As for Second Sister and Third Sister, all this trouble was caused by Uncle Lian. Now they are safe and sound, reunited with their husband. Only we are left—how are we to get by?" At this thought, she wept bitterly. Lady Jia could not bear to see this, so she asked Jia Zheng, "Now that the cases of your elder brother and Zhen have been settled, can they come home? Since Rong is not involved, he should be released." Jia Zheng said, "According to the regulations, elder brother cannot come home. But I have asked someone to do me a favor and allow our elder brother and nephew to come home to pack their luggage. The yamen has already agreed. I think Rong will come out together with his grandfather and father. Please don't worry, Grandmother. I will take care of it." Lady Jia said, "In the last few years, I have become so old and useless that I have never asked about family affairs. Now the Eastern Mansion has been completely confiscated, and the house has been taken over by the government, needless to say. Your elder brother's and Lian's properties have also been confiscated. As for the silver in our Western Mansion's treasury and the land in the eastern provinces, do you know how much is left? When they two set out, we must give them several thousand taels of silver for traveling expenses." Jia Zheng was at a loss. When he heard Lady Jia's question, he thought to himself, "If I tell her the truth, I'm afraid she will worry. If I don't tell her, I won't be able to manage even the present situation, let alone the future." Making up his mind, he replied, "If you hadn't asked, Grandmother, I would not have dared to speak. But now that you have asked, and since Lian is also here, I checked yesterday. The silver in the old treasury has long been exhausted. Not only is it all gone, but there are also debts outside. As for elder brother's case, if we don't spend money to bribe people, although His Majesty has been merciful, I'm afraid things won't go well for him and his son. And we have no means to raise that sum either. As for the rent from the land in the eastern provinces, we have already been living beyond our means for some time. We can't make up the deficit at once. All we can do is to convert whatever we have left—the clothing and jewelry that His Majesty has mercifully allowed us to keep—into cash, and give it to elder brother and Zhen for their traveling expenses. As for the future, we will have to think of something then." When Lady Jia heard this, she was so distressed that tears streamed down her cheeks. She said, "What! Has our family come to such a pass? I have never experienced anything like this before, but I recall that our family in my younger days was ten times richer than this one. Yet we maintained a false front for several years, and everything collapsed even before we had any trouble. In a year or two, it would have been finished. From what you say, we cannot last even a year or two." Jia Zheng said, "If these two hereditary stipends were not taken away, we could still manage to borrow elsewhere. But now that we have nothing to offer as security, who will lend us money?" As he spoke, tears streamed down his face. "When I think of our relatives—those who once borrowed from us are now all poor, and those who never borrowed from us are unwilling to help. I didn't make a thorough investigation yesterday. But looking at the household register, not only is there no source of income for the upper ranks, but we cannot even support so many of the lower servants."

While Lady Jia was worrying, Jia She, Jia Zhen, and Jia Rong came in together to pay their respects. Seeing them in this state, Lady Jia took Jia She's hand in one of hers and Jia Zhen's in the other and burst into loud weeping. The two men, ashamed and distressed at Lady Jia's tears, knelt on the floor and wept, saying, "Your sons and grandsons have been unfilial! We have disgraced the merits of our ancestors and caused you, Grandmother, such grief. We deserve to die without a burial place!" Everyone in the room, seeing this, also burst into tears. Jia Zheng had to console them, saying, "First we must make arrangements for their expenses. They can probably stay at home only for a day or two. If we delay longer, the authorities will not permit it." Lady Jia, restraining her grief and tears, said, "You two go and talk with your wives for a while." Then she said to Jia Zheng, "This matter cannot be delayed. I'm afraid it will be useless to try to borrow money from outside, and if we miss the deadline set by the emperor, what will become of us? I had better make arrangements for you myself. As for this disorder in the household, it is no way to carry on." So saying, she called Yuanyang and gave her some instructions.

Here Jia She and the others came out and cried with Jia Zheng for a while. They could not help but speak of their past willfulness, their later regrets, and now their separation, each then going off to grieve with his own wife. Jia She, being advanced in age, could let go, but how could Jia Zhen and Lady You bear to part? Jia Lian and Jia Rong could only cling to their father and weep. Though this was one degree lighter than exile or banishment, it was still a final parting in life, a separation as bitter as death. Now that matters had come to this, they could only harden their hearts and get through it.

Now Grandmother Jia called Lady Wang and Lady Xing, along with Yuanyang and the others, to open chests and turn out boxes, bringing out all the things she had accumulated from the time she became a daughter-in-law to the present day. She then called Jia She, Jia Zheng, Jia Zhen, and the others, and distributed everything one by one, saying: “Here is the ready silver I have. I give three thousand taels to Jia She: you take two thousand for your travel expenses on the road, and leave one thousand for your wife’s separate use. These three thousand go to Zhen: you may only take one thousand, and leave two thousand for your wife to manage the household. Each of you will still manage your own affairs; the houses are in the same compound, but you will eat separately. The matter of Fourth Girl’s future marriage is still my responsibility. I only pity that Feng girl, who worried herself to death all her life, and now she is stripped clean. Give her three thousand taels as well, and let her keep it herself; she is not to let Lian use it. She is now ill, confused and fainting; call Pinger to come and take it. These are clothes left by your grandfather, along with the clothes and ornaments I wore in my youth. I have no use for them now. For the men, let Elder Master, Zhen, Lian, and Rong divide them. For the women, let Elder Lady, Zhen’s wife, and Feng girl take and divide them. This five hundred taels of silver I give to Lian, to send Lin girl’s coffin back south next year.” Having finished the distribution, she then called Jia Zheng and said: “You say there are still debts to others for expenses—this is unavoidable. Have this gold sold and the proceeds used to repay them. They squandered what was mine; you are also my son, and I do not show partiality. Baoyu is already married. The gold, silver, and other things I have left are worth probably several thousand taels; these are all for Baoyu. Zhu’s wife has always been filial to me, and Lan is also good; I will give them a share as well. This finishes my business.” When Jia Zheng saw his mother’s clear and just distribution, they all knelt and wept, saying: “Your Ladyship is so advanced in years, and we descendants have shown no filial piety, yet we receive such grace from our ancestor—we are even more ashamed and have no place to hide!” Grandmother Jia said: “Do not talk nonsense. If this trouble had not occurred, I would still have kept it stored away. But now there are too many people in the household. Only Second Master is in official service; keep just enough servants. You should instruct the stewards to gather everyone and assign them properly. Let each household have enough people, and that will do. Suppose everything had been confiscated—what then? As for those inside, we must also assign them: those fit for marriage should be married off, and those to be dismissed should be sent away. Although our houses are not to be seized by the government, you really ought to hand over the Garden. Those lands were originally given to Lian to sort out; sell what should be sold, keep what should be kept, and by no means put up a false front of empty show. Let me speak plainly: the Zhen family in Jiangnan still has a few taels of silver; Second Lady has them in her keeping—you should send someone to deliver them. If any further trouble arises, it would be like them escaping a storm only to meet rain.” Jia Zheng, who had never understood household management, listened to every word of Grandmother Jia’s instructions and accepted them, thinking to himself: “The old lady truly knows how to run a family. It is all because of us worthless ones who have ruined everything.” Seeing that Grandmother Jia was weary, Jia Zheng begged her to rest and restore her spirits. Grandmother Jia added: “What I have left is limited. After I die, use it for my funeral expenses. The remainder goes to the maids who have served me.” When Jia Zheng and the others heard this, they were even more grieved. They all knelt and said: “We beg Your Ladyship to set your mind at ease. We only hope that, by relying on your grace, after some time we may receive the imperial favor. Then we will manage the household with utmost care to atone for our past faults, and serve Your Ladyship until you live to be a hundred.” Grandmother Jia said: “I only hope it turns out so, so that when I die I may face our ancestors with a clear conscience. Do not think I am one who can enjoy wealth and honor but cannot endure poverty. It is just that these past few years, seeing you all so grand and flourishing, I chose not to interfere, and spent my time laughing and chatting to nourish myself. How was I to know the family’s fortunes would decline to such a state! As for the outward show being grand while inwardly empty—that I knew long ago. But ‘one’s bearing changes with one’s surroundings, and one’s habits change with one’s nourishment’; for a time I could not gracefully step down. Now, thanks to this, we can draw in and hold fast to this gate, or else people would laugh at you. You do not know—you only think that because I know we are poor, I will be anxious to death. But in my heart, I think of our ancestors’ great merits and achievements. Not a day passes that I do not hope you will surpass them; if you can merely preserve what we have, that would be enough. But who knew what those two—father and son—were up to!”

Just as Grandmother Jia was in the midst of this long discourse, Feng'er came rushing in, panic-stricken, and reported to Lady Wang: “This morning, our mistress heard about the trouble outside, and she cried a good deal. Now she can barely catch her breath. Pinger sent me to inform you, madam.” Before Feng'er had finished, Grandmother Jia heard and asked: “What exactly is the matter?” Lady Wang replied on her behalf: “They say it is not good now.” Grandmother Jia rose and said: “Alas! These tormenting creatures will be the death of me!” With these words, she asked to be supported, intending to go and see for herself. Jia Zheng quickly stopped her and urged: “Your Ladyship has grieved for a good while and given many orders; you should rest now. Even if something is wrong with your grandson’s wife, you should send the daughter-in-law to see to it—why must you go in person? If you become upset again and anything happens to you, how will your son bear it?” Grandmother Jia said: “All of you go out now. Come back in a little while; I still have something to say.” Jia Zheng dared not argue further and had to withdraw to make arrangements for his elder brother and nephew’s departure, also telling Jia Lian to select servants to accompany them. Only then did Grandmother Jia call Yuanyang and the others to take the things intended for Xifeng and follow her over.

Xifeng was unconscious, gasping for breath. Pinger, with eyes red from crying, heard that Grandmother Jia had arrived with Lady Wang, Baoyu, and Baochai, and hurried out to greet them. Grandmother Jia asked, “How is she now?” Fearing it would upset Grandmother Jia, Pinger replied, “She’s a bit better now. Since you’ve come, please go in and see her.” She ran in first and gently lifted the bed curtain. Xifeng opened her eyes and saw Grandmother Jia entering, feeling utterly ashamed. She had originally thought that Grandmother Jia and the others would be angry with her, no longer care for her, and leave her to live or die on her own. She never expected Grandmother Jia to come and see her in person. Her heart eased a little, and the congestion in her chest seemed to loosen slightly. She struggled to sit up. Grandmother Jia told Pinger to hold her down, “Don’t move. Are you feeling better?” Xifeng said, tears in her eyes, “Since I came here as a child, how dearly you and Lady Wang have always cherished me. Who would have known my fortune was so thin, that ghosts and spirits drove me out of my senses? Not only have I failed to show any filial devotion before you, or earn any favor from my parents-in-law, but you still treated me as a person, letting me help manage household affairs, and I’ve thrown everything into chaos. What face do I have left to see you and Lady Wang? Today, for you and Lady Wang to come in person, I can’t bear it—I’m afraid that if I was meant to live three more days, this has cut two of them short.” As she spoke, she sobbed with grief. Grandmother Jia said, “All those matters were stirred up outside; what do they have to do with you? Even if your things were taken by others, that’s nothing. I’ve brought you many things—take a look.” She told someone to bring them over for Xifeng to see. Xifeng had always been insatiably greedy, and now that everything had been stripped away, she was deeply distressed and afraid of being blamed. At a point where she barely wanted to live, today Grandmother Jia still cherished her, and Lady Wang had not scolded her but came to comfort her. She also thought that Jia Lian was safe, which settled her mind somewhat. So, from her pillow, she kowtowed to Grandmother Jia and said, “Please set your mind at ease, ma’am. If my illness improves by relying on your blessings, I willingly become a lowly maidservant, serving you and Lady Wang with all my heart and strength.” Grandmother Jia, hearing her speak so sorrowfully, could not help but shed tears. Baoyu had never experienced such a great storm; he was someone who only knew comfort and never understood hardship. Now, no matter where he turned, he encountered weeping, so he was even worse than a simpleton—whenever he saw others cry, he cried too. Seeing everyone so melancholy, Xifeng forced herself to say a few cheerful words to comfort Grandmother Jia, begging, “Please, ma’am and Lady Wang, go back. When I’m a little better, I’ll come and kowtow to you.” As she spoke, she lifted her head. Grandmother Jia told Pinger, “Take good care of her. If she needs anything, come to my place and get it.” Then, she took Lady Wang and prepared to return to her own room. From two or three places, cries could be heard. Grandmother Jia could not bear to listen, so she told Lady Wang to dismiss the others and said to Baoyu, “Go see your uncle and elder brother, see them off, and then come back.” She herself lay down on the couch and wept. Fortunately, Yuanyang and the others could comfort her with a hundred words, and Grandmother Jia rested for a while. Not to mention the grief of Jia She and the others parting. Of those who went with them, who was willing? They could not help but complain inwardly, crying out in misery. Truly, a living parting is indeed worse than death; those who watch are more heartbroken than those who suffer. The once fine Rongguo Mansion was reduced to wailing and howling. Jia Zheng, the most rule-abiding and meticulous in propriety, after clasping hands and saying goodbye, rode his horse ahead to the city outskirts, where he offered wine at the farewell, and exhorted them with many words about the state’s care for meritorious officials and the duty to strive for recompense. Jia Zheng and the others, wiping away tears, parted and went their separate ways.

Jia Zheng took Baoyu and returned home. Before they even entered the gate, they saw a crowd of people at the door shouting, “Today’s decree grants the hereditary title of Duke of Rongguo to Jia Zheng to inherit!” Those people were demanding congratulations money. The gatekeepers argued with them, saying, “The hereditary title belongs to our own family; what congratulation is there?” Those people said, “The glory of that hereditary title is harder to come by than anything else. Your eldest master lost it, and you’ll never get it again. The current sage on the throne pardons faults and forgives crimes, and has even granted the second master the inheritance—this is a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity. How can you not give congratulations money?” As they were squabbling, Jia Zheng arrived home. The gatekeeper reported the news. Although Jia Zheng was pleased, it was ultimately caused by his elder brother’s offense, which made him feel grateful to the point of tears streaming down his face. He hurried inside to tell Grandmother Jia. Lady Wang, who had been afraid that Grandmother Jia might be upset and had come to comfort her, was naturally delighted to hear that the hereditary title was restored. When Jia Zheng entered, Grandmother Jia took his hand and exhorted him on diligence and gratitude. Only Lady Xing and Madam You grieved inwardly, though they dared not show it. As for those relatives and friends who fawned on the powerful, they had all kept far away when the Jia family was in trouble. Now that Jia Zheng had inherited the title, knowing the imperial favor remained strong, they all came to offer congratulations. But Jia Zheng, by nature honest and sincere, was troubled at heart because he inherited his brother’s position, and only felt gratitude for the imperial grace. The next day, he entered the palace to thank the emperor, and even prepared a memorial to return the restored mansion and garden to the state. A decree from the inner court ordered him not to, and only then did Jia Zheng feel at ease. After returning home, he performed his duties modestly, but the family’s finances were straitened, with income insufficient for expenses. Jia Zheng could not manage social engagements outside.

The family members saw that Jia Zheng was honest and kind, and Xifeng was too ill to manage the household, while Jia Lian’s debts grew heavier day by day, so inevitably they began to pawn houses and sell land. Among the servants in the household, several who had money, fearing Jia Lian would pester them, pretended to be poor and avoided trouble, some even taking leave and not coming back, each finding their own way out. There was only one Bao Yong, who, though newly arrived there, happened to encounter the misfortunes of the Rong household, and he was truly earnest in his work. Seeing those people deceiving their master, he often felt indignant. But unfortunately, being a newcomer, he could not get a word in, so he grew angry and spent his days eating and sleeping. The others disliked him for not being agreeable, so they told Jia Zheng that he spent all day drinking and causing trouble, and never did his duties. Jia Zheng said, “Let him be. He was originally recommended by the Zhen household, so it would be awkward to dismiss him. After all, adding one more mouth to feed in this house, though we are poor, it doesn’t hinge on him alone.” He did not call for him to be expelled. The others then told Jia Lian how bad he was, but Jia Lian at that time did not dare to throw his weight around, so he had to let it be. One day, Bao Yong could no longer contain himself. After drinking a few cups of wine, he wandered idly on Rong Street and saw two people talking. One said, “Look, such a great mansion, and the other day it was raided. I wonder how things are now.” The other replied, “How could their family fall? I heard there’s a consort in the palace who is one of their daughters. Though she’s dead, they still have a foundation. Besides, I often see them associating with princes, dukes, and marquises—surely they have support. Even the current prefect and the former Minister of War are from the same family. How could these people not protect them?” The first said, “You’ve been living here for nothing! Others may be manageable, but that one, Lord Jia, is something else! I often saw him coming and going between the two mansions. The other day, though the censor impeached him, the emperor still ordered the prefect to investigate the facts before handling it. What do you think he did? He had once benefited from the two mansions, and fearing people would say he was shielding them, he gave them a vicious kick, and that’s why the two mansions were finally raided. Do you think the world today is tolerable?” The two men were chatting idly, not knowing that someone nearby was listening and understood everything. Bao Yong thought to himself, “Is there such an ungrateful person in the world? But I wonder what relation he is to my master. If I see him, I’ll beat him to death, and if trouble comes, I’ll take the blame.” While Bao Yong was lost in these drunken, wild thoughts, he suddenly heard the sound of men clearing the way ahead. Bao Yong stood at a distance. He saw the two men whisper, “The one coming now is that Lord Jia.” When Bao Yong heard this, he harbored resentment, and with the wine’s courage, he shouted loudly, “You heartless wretch! How dare you forget the kindness of our Jia family!” Jia Yucun, inside his sedan chair, caught the word “Jia” and looked carefully. Seeing it was a drunkard, he ignored him and passed by. Bao Yong, drunk and not knowing better, returned to the mansion feeling very pleased with himself. He asked his companions and learned that the gentleman he had just seen was someone promoted by this household. “He didn’t remember past favors but instead kicked us when we were down. When I saw him and cursed him a few times, he didn’t dare to reply.” The people in the Rong household had always disliked Bao Yong, but since the master didn’t mind him, they let it be. Now that he had caused trouble outside again, they had to report it. Taking advantage of a time when Jia Zheng had nothing to do, they told him about Bao Yong’s drinking and causing trouble. Jia Zheng, at that time, was afraid of more trouble. Hearing the report from his servants, he grew angry, called Bao Yong in, scolded him a few times, and then assigned him to watch over the garden, forbidding him from wandering outside. Bao Yong, who was by nature straightforward and loyal, had devoted himself to protecting his master after joining him. How could he have expected that Jia Zheng would instead blame and scold him? He did not dare to argue further, so he packed his belongings and went to the garden to keep watch and water the plants. If you want to know what happened later, read the next chapter.