The official boat sailed unimpeded.

Nowadays, the waterways, whether rivers, lakes, or seas, are very clean, and the Qing Dynasty's navy is no longer comparable to what it used to be.

About a month and a half later, the official ship finally arrived at the Jinling Wharf.

The Jia family had already received the news and sent people to wait at the dock.

Upon seeing the flags of the official ship in the distance, one of the servants rushed back to the mansion to report the news.

Baoyu stood at the bow of the boat, gazing at the familiar dock, and a feeling of indescribable warmth welled up in his heart.

After being away from home for several months and going through many hardships, I am finally back.

He turned to look at Baochai and said softly, "Sister Bao, we're home."

Baochai smiled slightly, tears welling up in her eyes: "Yes, we're home."

As soon as the boat docked, the servants of the Jia family rushed forward and helped Baoyu and Baochai off the boat.

Zhou Rui's wife squeezed to the front, and upon seeing Baoyu, tears instantly streamed down her face: "Second Master, you're finally back! The Old Madam and Madam have been worrying about you every day, they're almost going crazy!"

Baoyu felt a pang of sadness and forced a smile, saying, "Sister Zhou, I'm perfectly fine, aren't I?"

The crowd escorted Baoyu and Baochai onto the carriage, which sped back to the mansion.

As soon as the carriage stopped in front of the Jia family mansion gate, Baoyu couldn't wait to jump off. Looking up at the familiar plaque, his eyes immediately reddened.

He strode into the mansion, passed through a series of corridors, and headed straight for Rongxi Hall.

Grandmother Jia had already received the news and was sitting in the hall, eagerly awaiting its arrival.

Upon seeing Baoyu enter, Grandmother Jia stood up shakily, her voice choked with emotion: "My Baoyu...!"

Baoyu knelt down in front of Grandmother Jia with a thud, tears streaming down his face: "Grandmother, your grandson has returned!"

Grandmother Jia hugged Baoyu tightly, tears streaming down her face, and said, "My child, how come you've lost so much weight?"

Baoyu buried his face in Grandmother Jia's lap, weeping like a child: "Your grandson is unfilial, causing you, Grandmother, to worry..."

Madam Wang stood to the side, unable to hold back her tears.

Yuan Chun gently supported Lady Wang and whispered, "Mother, it's a joyous occasion that Bao Yu is back. Please don't get too excited."

Madam Wang nodded with a smile.

Grandmother Jia wiped away her tears, took Baoyu's hand, and examined him closely: "Let your grandmother take a good look at you. You must have suffered a lot on this journey, haven't you?"

Baoyu nodded and recounted his experiences on his journey south.

When the illness was mentioned, both Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang felt their hearts clench.

When mentioning Baochai's constant care, Grandmother Jia repeatedly exclaimed, "Baocha is such a good girl, we are so grateful to her!"

Just then, Baochai walked in, accompanied by Aunt Xue.

She had changed into clean clothes in the carriage and had her hair combed again. Although she looked a little tired, she looked much better than Baoyu.

Grandmother Jia quickly beckoned, "Bao'er, come here quickly!"

Baochai stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Grandmother."

Grandmother Jia held her hand and said affectionately, "Good child, you've worked so hard. If it weren't for you, I don't know what would have happened to Baoyu!"

Baochai smiled slightly: "Grandmother, you flatter me. Brother Bao and I are family, it's only right."

Aunt Xue stood to the side, her eyes filled with satisfaction.

She quietly tugged at Baochai's sleeve and whispered, "Bao'er, come back to the room with me to talk in a bit."

Baochai understood, bid farewell to Grandmother Jia, and returned to Pear Fragrance Courtyard with Aunt Xue.

——————

Inside the Pear Fragrance Courtyard, Aunt Xue dismissed the servants, pulled Baochai to sit down, and asked with expectant eyes, "Bao'er, on this journey... have you and Baoyu...?"

Baochai's cheeks flushed slightly, and she lowered her head, saying softly, "Mother, why are you asking this?"

Aunt Xue said anxiously, "You child, are you still shy with your mother? Tell me quickly, have you two already..."

Baochai bit her lip and nodded slightly.

Aunt Xue was overjoyed and put her hands together in prayer: "Amitabha, it's truly the Bodhisattva's blessing!"

She took Baochai's hand and lowered her voice, "Has your period started this month?"

Baochai shook her head, her voice barely audible: "It hasn't come yet... but it's probably already here."

At first, she was worried that things wouldn't work out... Who knew that she and Baoyu would get together in the second month of their journey...

If Baoyu hadn't fallen ill later, she probably would have gotten pregnant long ago.

Last month, Baoyu was delirious with fever. He held her and kept calling out "Pin'er...Pin'er..." She pretended not to hear him and was extremely tender in bed. The two became intimate again.

Anyway, there's plenty of time ahead. Now that she has a child, what is there to be afraid of?

Upon hearing this, Aunt Xue was overjoyed and kept chanting Buddhist prayers: "That's wonderful! If it's really true, I don't know how happy the old lady and madam will be!"

Baochai was so ashamed that she couldn't lift her head: "Mother, please don't make a sound, what if it's not true?"

Aunt Xue smiled and said, "Alright, alright, Mother won't say anything. You should rest well these days and don't overwork yourself."

---

At dinner, Grandmother Jia specially ordered someone to prepare a table of dishes that Baoyu liked to eat.

During the meal, Baoyu recounted in detail what he had seen and heard along the way. When he got to the dangerous parts, everyone held their breath in awe.

When he talked about funny stories, it drew laughter from the whole room.

Grandmother Jia was heartbroken to hear this and repeatedly instructed, "You must not go on any more long trips! If you really want to travel, wait until you have recovered."

Baoyu nodded in agreement: "Grandmother, rest assured, your grandson will definitely listen to you from now on."

Madam Wang also said, "This time, we are very grateful to Uncle Lin for sending an official boat to pick us up; otherwise, we would have suffered a lot on the way. We must thank him properly later."

Yuan Chun smiled slightly: "Mother, don't worry, Father has already gone to thank you."

Grandmother Jia sighed, "Ruhai is such a thoughtful child."

After the meal, everyone chatted for a while. Seeing that Baoyu looked tired, Grandmother Jia said, "Baoyu is tired. Go back and rest early."

---

As night deepened, the Jia mansion gradually quieted down.

Baoyu lay in bed, unable to fall asleep for a long time.

He and Baochai had consummated their marriage. If she were just a maid, it would be fine; he could simply take her as a concubine.

But Baochai is not a girl from an ordinary family, so how could he tell his mother?

Furthermore... I heard that Lin Daiyu is getting married.

The thought of my beautiful younger sister marrying someone else breaks my heart.