Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 131 I'll have a few drinks with Brother Yuan
There was a slight itch on his face, and he scratched it lightly. Then the itch came to his ears. Chen Siyuan woke up suddenly, and when he opened his eyes, he saw You Sanjie half-supporting her body, pinching the ends of her hair with one hand and looking playful.

The brocade quilt barely covered her body, revealing only a pea-green mandarin duck bellyband, revealing a large expanse of her white neck and arms. Chen Siyuan blinked and smiled, "What time is it?"

Third Sister You said angrily, "It's almost noon. Chunxi came over twice to urge me to leave, but I sent him away each time."

Chen Siyuan yawned, stretched, and felt a sense of relief. Compared to the backache and leg pain he'd experienced a few months prior, this time, he felt nothing. It was also because Third Sister You was more relaxed than Madam Xing, so the first two times, Chen Siyuan had been completely at his mercy, but the last time, he was just a spectator.

Thinking of the beautiful night before, Chen Siyuan naturally took Third Sister You in his arms and had a good time. It was already about this time, and Chen Siyuan was in no hurry to return home. He sat on the headboard of the bed and talked with Third Sister You.

What Third Sister You talked about were just ordinary trivial matters. She said that one of the maids in the house seemed lazy, so she would observe her for a few days and if she was not useful, she would send her away and hire another one. She also said that Chunxi did not know how to serve people and did not even remember to dip her hair in water when combing it in the morning. Then she said that she would go find a female landlord to teach her how to do accounting in a few days.

Chen Siyuan responded one by one, and couldn't help but ask: "Sister, aren't you urging me to take you in?"

Third Sister You chuckled and said, "Brother Yuan has great ambitions and wants to find a good marriage in the future. If I marry you now, won't I become a thorn in your side? You still think of me, so just accept me into your family in the future." After a pause, she frowned and said, "If Brother Yuan marries someone petty, I'd rather be happy outside. If I have to be humble and set rules for others when I get married, I'm afraid we'll have a falling out in a few days."

Chen Siyuan laughed heartily and said, "Then I'll marry a generous man someday." Then he added solemnly, "If my sister doesn't let me down, I will definitely not let her down."

Third Sister You smiled and agreed, then suddenly her stomach rumbled. Worried that Chen Siyuan might misunderstand, she quickly said, "I'm a little hungry right now."

Chen Siyuan thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "I just remembered a funny joke."

Third Sister You said, "I love to hear jokes the most. Brother Yuan, please tell us quickly."

Chen Siyuan said, "My sister-in-law went to the toilet when my brother-in-law, drunk, barged in. Hearing the sound of the toilet through the screen, he couldn't help but yell, 'Stop pouring it out! I can't handle the alcohol.' Suddenly, she leaned against the wall and vomited uncontrollably. My sister-in-law was horrified by the sound and tried to hold it in, but she couldn't help but fart. My brother-in-law was shocked when he heard it and asked, 'Why are you still opening the wine?'"

If Mrs. Xing heard such obscene jokes, she would definitely spit, but she was secretly happy in her heart; Xiangling and Hongyu would laugh secretly, but they were also very angry; Third Sister You was different. She covered her mouth and laughed uncontrollably, her body trembling, full of charm.

After laughing, Third Sister You said, "I didn't expect Brother Yuan to be so humorous. If you come up with any funny stories in the future, you must tell me about them."

Chen Siyuan agreed with a smile. He thought to himself, I have memorized the entire "Xiao Lin Guang Ji" vaguely. If I have time in the future, I might as well write it down and add some jokes to it. Who knows, it can be passed down to future generations.

The two of them lingered for a long while, finally rising after midday. The blushing maid, Chunxi, entered to serve, quickly setting out the meal. Chen Siyuan and Third Sister You ate affectionately for a long while before finally dressing and returning to the Rongguo Mansion.

He did not return home all night, which naturally made Xiangling and Hongyu very worried. When the two girls saw him return safely, they breathed a sigh of relief.

Although she was curious about where Chen Siyuan had slept last night, because Liu Wu'er was still there, Hongyu suppressed her curiosity and just helped Xiangling to help Chen Siyuan change his clothes.

When the old clothes were taken off, not only Hongyu, but even Xiangling could smell the scent of powder on them. The two women looked at each other and were immediately worried.

Xiangling was not worried about anything else but that Chen Siyuan would sleep with other prostitutes and contract another internal disease; in addition to this worry, Hongyu was even more worried that Chen Siyuan had been seduced by some vixen.

That afternoon, Liu Wu'er went back to her room to take a nap. Hongyu finally had some free time and walked into the study room and said, "Master, I got a piece of news this morning, but I don't know whether I should tell you or not."

Chen Siyuan put down the scroll and said with a smile, "Then tell me about it."

Hongyu smiled softly and whispered, "I ran into Sister Qu this morning. She said that Master Lin from the sixth room in the back was not feeling well."

"Oh?"

"Master, you don't know, but Fourth Master Lin's family is quite wealthy, earning several hundred taels a year from his shop alone. He injured his face when he was a child, leaving a huge centipede-like scar, so he hasn't gotten married yet. I don't know what he was thinking, but since last year Fourth Master Lin has been living in that alley... Who knew he'd contracted an internal disease before the New Year? He's consulted many famous doctors, and they've spent hundreds of taels, but they haven't been able to cure him. I heard that this time they used strong medicine, and Fourth Master Lin is in excruciating pain. I don't know if he can make it through it."

Jia Lin? Chen Siyuan seemed to have met him once when he was helping with the funeral at Ningguo Mansion. He looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old, and there was indeed a centipede scar on his face.

It was obvious that Hongyu had other intentions when she talked about Jia Lin.

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "I know what you're thinking. Don't worry." He waved to Xiangling outside. When the two women came to him, Chen Siyuan said, "My third sister had a big argument with Anren and Sister-in-law Zhen yesterday. She cried until her eyes were swollen. She refused to go home, so I stayed with her for half the night and talked. That's why she didn't come back."

Xiangling was kind-hearted and said, "Why won't you go home, Third Sister? You've given me your life and raised me. It's not right to refuse to come home, no matter how much you quarrel."

Chen Siyuan said, "Family affairs are the most difficult to deal with. I don't bother to speak ill of others, but what Old Man You said is indeed not very appropriate."

Xiangling was about to ask more, but Hongyu, standing beside her, quickly pulled her aside and gave her a look that stopped her. Hongyu had heard some of the details and would share them with Xiangling later.

But Chen Siyuan said, "We've been talking for half the night." Who was he trying to fool? Hongyu looked at him teasingly, making Chen Siyuan feel uncomfortable.

Fortunately, Hongyu didn't expose the truth to Xiangling's face. She said a few words to Chen Siyuan and then dragged Xiangling out. After explaining the situation of the You family to Xiangling, Hongyu couldn't help but have some thoughts.

My master spent the night at Third Sister You's place last night. How could this be done by the legal wife? There's no such thing as an impenetrable wall in this world. I'm sure the news will spread soon.

Regardless of how the You family was arguing, I was afraid that if Third Sister You entered the family in the future, she would not be able to get past the First Wife. Therefore, Third Sister You could at most be a concubine, but it would be a luxury to think of going any further.

A quick calculation: Xiangling, myself, Third Sister You, and Xueyan, who had a tacit understanding with me, so even if the master married two wives in the future, the concubine room would be full. In the future, besides Miss Lin, wouldn't the new mistress be angry when she came into the house?

Hongyu suddenly felt melancholy. After all the calculations, wouldn't she be the only one left who could vacate the position of concubine? Well, her indenture was still in the Jia family, so it was useless to think too much.

Instead of daydreaming about it, it would be better to hope that my uncle would pass the imperial examination and be appointed as a Hanlin in the future. If he works as a scholar for three years, he will at least be a fourth-rank prefect, and then he can take in another concubine.

The day passed peacefully, and at night Chen Siyuan had a rare peaceful sleep.

The next day was the thirteenth day of the first lunar month. Early in the morning, just after breakfast, the maid Yunxiang came running over. She glanced around furtively, and seeing Hongyu still busy in the west room, she hurried over to Chen Siyuan and said, "Master, there's a lantern festival going on in Lantern Market today!"

The little girl's eyes were full of hope as she said, "I haven't been to the Lantern Festival since I came to the mansion."

Chen Siyuan thought for a moment and said, "Alright, let's go borrow a carriage from the front later and go to the lantern festival tonight."

Yunxiang jumped three feet high, threw out a burst of praise, and then disappeared before Hongyu could find her.

Hongyu was at a loss for words and muttered, "Master is spoiling Yunxiang too much. If he continues like this, what will happen if the rules are broken?"

Chen Siyuan said, "You're in charge of that." He paused, then saw Xiangling approaching. Chen Siyuan said, "If Aunt Zhen is free, why don't we go for a walk together tonight?"

Xiangling was immediately overjoyed and said, "Then I'll go to the outer city later. I'm sure mother will be happy to hear the news."

According to the Dashun Dynasty tradition, the Lantern Festival was held outside Dong'an Gate, with Dengshikou as its center, stretching for several miles north and south. Dengshikou was already bustling, and while the Lantern Festival lasted only a few days, those who rented out shops and stalls during these few days could earn enough to cover half a year's rent.

A moment later, Liu Wuer entered the main room, a smile on her face. Because she was frail, she had only wandered around once as a child, and by that time, she was no older than Yunxiang.

Seeing that the maids were so excited, Chen Siyuan thought to himself, today is the 13th, tomorrow there will be a banquet at the Xue family, and after the 15th I will go to the Imperial College. I just had a good time with Third Sister You, it would be bad to ignore her. Could it be that he is going to take Third Sister You out for a walk on the 15th?
He did not mention what he was thinking, but talked about the east wing courtyard.

Siqi was absent-minded from the start, perhaps because she had a night of erotic dreams the previous night. First, she dreamed of being raped by Pan Youan, and she was sobbing uncontrollably. Then, Pan Youan's face had transformed into Chen Siyuan's. She woke with a start, then went back to sleep and had another random dream. This one was more vivid than the first. She dreamed of spending the night with Chen Siyuan, and from then on, they would live together.

When she woke up in the morning, Siqi was filled with shyness, secretly cursing herself for her random thoughts. After all, she was just a servant, and Master Yuan was the master. I heard he was very capable, so how could he look down on a servant like her?

Although she felt extremely inferior, Siqi couldn't help but think wildly. The scene of that day was still vivid in her mind, and Siqi felt that only by entrusting her life to a man like Master Yuan, who was upright and would not take advantage of others, would she be making the right decision.

She was just a second-class maid, how could she get in front of Master Yuan?
It was obvious that this idea could only be applied to her own daughter. As they were returning from the main house in the east wing, before the second daughter, Yingchun, left for the three small porches next to Sister Feng'er's courtyard, Siqi said, "My daughter, I heard from grandma yesterday that Master Yuan has forged a good relationship with Prince Ping of Yan. I heard that the prince appreciated him and gave him a very good job to manage."

Xiu Ju was standing nearby and had heard about this before. She smiled and said, "I've heard it too. I heard that the eldest master and the eldest mistress have invested money. These past few days, they've been flooded with friends and relatives, all begging the eldest master and the eldest mistress for help in getting rich."

Yingchun felt a little strange, but she smiled and said, "Brother Yuan is a capable man, so it's not unusual for him to be appreciated by such a noble person."

Because Yingchun had been coughing a bit recently, Siqi brought her some snow pear soup and said with a smile, "My mother also heard from the eldest lady that Master Yuan didn't care about choosing an official position after graduating from the Imperial College. He was only thinking about passing the provincial examination and having his name called out outside Donghua Gate in the future." She paused, observing Yingchun's expression, and said, "Yes, was the poem Master Yuan wrote that day truly good or was it just a pretense?"

Yingchun couldn't help but hope, "It's truly rare. If that poem of Magnolia gets spread, Brother Yuan will surely be famous in the poetry world in the future."

Siqi laughed and said, "I've always heard operas mentioning talented men and beautiful women, but I never knew what it meant to be a talented man. Now that I've met Master Yuan, I finally understand."

Xiu Ju also praised: "Sister Siqi is right."

Seeing that Second Young Lady Yingchun was lost in thought, Siqi stopped talking immediately. She knew clearly that her daughter, though appearing dull, was actually a gifted soul, thinking more clearly than anyone else. It was only due to the circumstances that her dull nature was revealed.

If she spoke too much, Yingchun would inevitably become alert. This was just the right way to stop, otherwise the girl might start to think about it too much. If she spoke more frequently in the future, perhaps she would be able to satisfy her own desires.

That night, Chen Siyuan really brought four maids and took Zhen Fengshi to stroll around Dengshikou.

Arriving at the Lantern Market, I gazed from afar. Sure enough, the lights stretched like a long dragon stretching for miles. Both sides of the street were filled with shops and stalls, all ablaze with colorful lanterns and Aoshan lanterns. Fireworks occasionally exploded in the sky. Although it was only the 13th day of the first lunar month, the place was already packed with tourists.

Chen Siyuan was afraid the girls might get lost, so he just let everyone sit in the carriage and slowly moved along with the crowd. He also sent a borrowed servant to buy sugar figurines, dough figurines, candied haws, and other snacks. The journey from the long street to the end took a full hour and a half.

They left the lantern festival only after reaching the Shuntian Prefecture government office. The maidservant, Yunxiang, still not satisfied, clamored to go back and wander around a bit more, then ate Hongyu's food and became unhappy.

Chen Siyuan sent his servant to buy some silk flowers and shared the profits with the maids. Only then did Yunxiang become happy again.

The next day, the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, Chen Siyuan went to Xiaohuazhi Lane early in the morning. After breakfast with You Sanjie, You Sanjie said with a smile, "Brother Yuan, are you free today? There's a lantern festival outside Dong'an Gate. Why don't we go and take a look together?"

Chen Siyuan felt relieved. He knew from these words that Third Sister You was deeply concerned about him. If it were someone less sensible, they would probably have insisted on leaving on the 15th. Chen Siyuan was staying at the Jia family and might not be able to leave until the 15th. It was because of Third Sister You that he wanted to leave today.

Chen Siyuan had already made up his mind. Since Third Sister You had given him everything, how could he possibly let her down? He couldn't give her the title of legal wife, but he couldn't afford to neglect anything else. So he said, "Let's go to the Xue family for a drink this morning."

Third Sister You's face stiffened, and she smiled, "That's right, Brother Yuan might have already planned the itinerary."

Chen Siyuan tugged at Third Sister You's hand and said, "Tomorrow the whole family will have a feast, and I'm too lazy to get involved, so as not to upset the old lady. Why don't we go for a walk together then?"

Third Sister You was immediately overjoyed: "Really?"

"Yes. But Xianqu Book House has booked a restaurant. My sister will dress up as a scholar and we can go together to see what's going on."

"Great, great," Third Sister You said happily, "I've heard that the female teachers in the bookshop are extremely charming and beautiful, and they are the most charming and elegant. But I don't believe they can be better than me."

Chen Siyuan looked her up and down carefully, frowned and shook his head, saying, "Sister, what you said is inappropriate. In my opinion, those female teachers are far inferior to me!"

Third Sister You immediately smiled like a flower, and without avoiding the old woman or maid, she walked straight over and sat in Chen Siyuan's arms, and brought him tea to feed him. For a while, the two of them were very affectionate, and the little maid Chunxi was so embarrassed that she couldn't bear to look at them, but she couldn't help but steal a glance at them.

Chen Siyuan was so aroused that he simply picked up Third Sister You and ran straight to the west end room. But before he could do anything, the little maid Chunxi called out in the hall, "Master, Miss, Old An is here again!"

Chen Siyuan's mood was ruined, and Third Sister You was filled with resentment. She said, "Brother Yuan, just stay here. I'll go talk to Mom." Chen Siyuan knew it was inappropriate to show up at this moment, as it would easily lead to trouble, so he simply hid in the west corner room and watched through the glass window. Third Sister You, dressed neatly, stopped at the door and had a heated argument with Old Lady You.

The mother and daughter quarreled more and more fiercely, attracting the neighbors to come out and watch.

Third Sister You was also desperate and said simply, "I'm not going back! Mom wants to get rich, so she just instigated Second Sister to give up her dignity! Even if I, Third Sister You, am a lowly person, I would never be so shameless as to seduce a married man!"

Old Lady You was so angry that she was shaking all over. She couldn't help but slap Third Sister You on the cheek. Third Sister You tilted her head and then smiled, "What are you angry about, mother? Did I hit the nail on the head? Come on, sisters-in-law and aunts from the neighborhood, please give us your opinions. Where in the world can you find such a mother who instigates her daughter to do such useless things all day long?"

For a moment, the onlookers outside pointed and talked at Old Lady You. Mrs. You had originally been reluctant to show up, but seeing this situation, how could she dare to sit in the carriage? She immediately sent a maid to drag Old Lady You back, and then she returned to Ningguo Mansion in disgrace.

Although Third Sister You won the argument, she closed the door and turned around and sobbed. After all, they were mother and daughter, and if it weren't for Old Man You's repeated pressure, how could she have argued with him?

Chen Siyuan tried to appease her, but his lustful thoughts disappeared. In the afternoon, thinking of the Xue family's banquet, he said goodbye to You Sanjie and returned to Rongguo Mansion.

As soon as they returned to their own courtyard, Hongyu said, "Master, the women of the Zhen family arrived this afternoon, and the old lady ordered a banquet to be held to entertain them tonight. Just now, the Xue family sent Tongxi to say that Master Pan will entertain you first today, and after the banquet is over, Aunt Xue has something to discuss with you."

Chen Siyuan frowned and asked, "Someone from the Zhen family is coming? Why are they here at this time?"

Hongyu said, "No matter what, the two families are still close relatives. The eldest master's original wife was a girl from the Zhen family. Unfortunately, she passed away shortly after giving birth to Second Master Lian."

So that's how it is. No wonder the women of the Zhen family entrusted their wealth to the Rongguo Mansion a few years later. It turns out the two have such a connection.

Chen Siyuan waited steadily until the evening hour, then dressed himself and headed for Lixiangyuan.

When he got closer, the maid Zhen'er was already waiting. When she saw Chen Siyuan, she bowed and invited him in while announcing to the inner room, "Master Yuan is here!"

At that moment, a burly figure came rushing in from the main room. When he got close, he said warmly, "Brother Yuan is finally here. We must get drunk tonight. Hahaha, come on, let's serve the wine!"

Chen Siyuan smiled and bowed, and the two of them entered the main room together. They saw Liu Yan'er timidly bowing and calling out "Uncle Yuan".

Aunt Xue and Baochai had gone with them to entertain the Zhen family's guests, and Tongxi, Tonggui, and Ying'er were also not in Lixiang Courtyard. So, apart from a few old women and maids, there was only the maid Zhen'er to serve them.

Xue Pan wanted to befriend Chen Siyuan, and thinking that Liu Yan'er had been his personal maid, he naturally brought her out.

Chen Siyuan nodded slightly, took a look and said, "Yan'er looks a little plump, which shows that she is living a happy life."

Liu Yan'er glanced at Xue Pan with a charming look and said, "Master treats me very well. As the saying goes, a happy heart makes the body fat. Haven't I gained some weight?"

Xue Pan called out, "Brother Yuan, please take a seat quickly. My mother wanted to join us in the entertainment today, but I don't know what it was about. What difference does it make if I tell her? Tsk, she just doesn't trust me. Now she's still worried about going to the front to drink, and before she left, she told me to wait until she came back to discuss that matter."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "In front of a mother, even if her son is in his seventies or eighties, he is still a child. Her deep love and care for him is understandable."

Xue Pan muttered a response, then immediately removed the seal and poured wine for Chen Siyuan and himself. He raised his glass and said, "Without saying anything else, I'll drink first as a toast!"

He drank the whole thing in one gulp, set the glass down with a slurp, wiped his lips and said, "I'm too lazy to beat around the bush. I'll just say what I want to say. Brother Yuan, King Yanping has entrusted you with the Songjiang maritime trade. I wonder how much of a share you have?"

Chen Siyuan did not hide it and spread out his palm and stretched out five fingers.

"Only five thousand?" Xue Pan frowned.

"It's fifty thousand."

Xue Pan blinked, and was immediately overjoyed. He hurriedly said, "Can I get a piece of the action this time? It doesn't have to be much, just a share of eight thousand taels will be enough."

Chen Siyuan calculated that the Xue family's eight thousand taels was only a little over forty thousand taels now, so he smiled and replied, "Okay, then eight thousand taels."

"Ah?" Xue Pan stared at Chen Siyuan for a long moment, then suddenly laughed and said, "Great, that's straightforward! Brother Yuan is indeed straightforward. I'll toast you again!"

He immediately picked up the jar of wine and poured it out, drinking it down like a gulp. The wine flowed down his face and he didn't care even if it wet his clothes.

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "It's better to give advantage to an acquaintance than to an outsider. Brother Xue is really trying to be friendly with me, so why would I deliberately try to take advantage of him?"

"Hahahaha..." Xue Pan was overjoyed, pointing at Chen Siyuan and Liu Yan'er and saying, "--What do you think? I told you before that Brother Yuan would definitely agree to it, but mother and sister were so worried that they insisted on persuading him in person."

Liu Yan'er said, "I've already told you that Master Yuan is a straightforward person."

Xue Pan laughed again, then said with a hint of lingering emotion, "If it were up to me, why not invest all the remaining family wealth? I could get a 30% return in half a year. Where in the world can you find such a safe and secure way to make a living? But my mother and sister are too cautious. Could it be that Brother Yuan is still trying to trick me?"

"Brother Wenlong remembered it wrongly. It's 40%."

Xue Pan waved his hand and said, "I'm not ignorant. How can I let Brother Yuan work in vain? Even the pawnbroker who is looking for a house should give some tea. Brother Yuan, don't refuse. Just take the 10% or I won't be happy."

Chen Siyuan laughed and agreed, but his mind was completely on Liu Yan'er. This woman was not one to stay quiet. Now she seemed to be doing well, but who knew what she was thinking?
If I were Liu Yan'er, I would see my colleagues cleansing their identities and becoming gentlemen, while I became a concubine. I am afraid that I would not feel at ease for a long time.

When the banquet started, Xue Pan was in a very good mood and he and Chen Siyuan kept toasting each other. When they were drunk, they asked about the situation of the leisurely book house.

Chen Siyuan didn't hide it and said, "I'm only going there to make a name for myself."

Xue Pan's face was filled with disgust that he couldn't hide. He said, "Damn it! Brother Yuan is already handsome and can write some sour poems and lyrics. Isn't that what those girls like? Brother Yuan doesn't know that I have begged Brother Lian several times, but each time he just laughed it off and said that it was difficult to get into that Xianqu Book House.

But I didn't know that the ladies there are all really beautiful?"

Chen Siyuan pondered for a moment. Jinyun and Jiangyue were fine, as neither could compare to Xiangling or Third Sister You in terms of looks. On the other hand, Lingyun, the female official, though cold in temperament, was nonetheless charming.

Yin frowned and said, "I just went there once and only saw two female gentlemen. They seemed ordinary."

Xue Pan stared at him with his eyes wide open, unwilling to believe it. He shook his head and said, "The bookstore must be bullying Brother Yuan because he's new here. The most beautiful girl is hiding in the back and only sending the ordinary ones to scare people."

Once the topic of leisurely bookshops came up, Xue Pan began to talk about everything, whether meat or vegetables. The more he drank, the more vulgar his words became. Chen Siyuan only agreed with him briefly, and was then accepted as a close friend by Xue Pan.

When Liu Yan'er came to pour wine again, Chen Siyuan saw her nails shaking, and thought to himself, she's here as expected!
Xue Pan knew nothing about it. He drank from the cup and soon his head became heavy and he fell into a deep sleep at his desk.

Chen Siyuan's face was immediately filled with the effects of alcohol, but his mind was clear as day. He looked at Liu Yan'er with a half-smile and said, "Are you not used to the good life?"

Liu Yan'er laughed and said, "My brother is now dressed in fine clothes and riding a horse, and he's going to the academy and has made friends with noble people. It's a pity that I'm the mistress of a cheap woman. My family spends a lot of effort to please him every day, but at the end of the month, I only get two taels of silver for cosmetics." She paused and lowered her voice, "The more I think about it, the more wrong it seems. When my brother was dealing with Old Sun, didn't he share the money?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Sharing the profits? It's good enough to be alive now."

"Tsk," Liu Yan'er curled her lips and said, "I don't have high hopes. I have to keep some money for myself. If I have a child in the future, it will be useful for emergencies."

Chen Siyuan simply said, "No."

Liu Yan'er squinted her eyes and said, "Brother, are you sure I won't reveal the secret? Aren't you afraid that I might ruin your plans someday?"

Chen Siyuan had a strange look on his face, and said with a smile, "Why don't you teach me, sister, what good things will happen tomorrow?"

Liu Yan'er fiddled with her nails and said, "That's hard to say... For example, my brother was mistreated since childhood and his kidney water was damaged. For example, my brother was once a sworn brother to a wealthy family. For example—"

The two of them were tied to the same rope, neither dared to reveal their secrets. However, Liu Yan'er, relying on her former status as Chen Siyuan's personal maid, was able to spread rumors and stir up trouble. To put it bluntly, she was deliberately trying to disgust others.

"That's all right, that's disgusting." Chen Siyuan didn't get angry and said, "So what? At most I'll just move out of the house. What can you do to me?"

Liu Yan'er narrowed her eyes and smiled, "Brother, do you think I don't know? I'm afraid you're planning on finalizing that marriage. Miss Lin has hundreds of thousands of dollars in wealth as a dowry. I'm not greedy, so even three or five thousand silver coins will do."

"Bah, what are you dreaming of? Forget three or five thousand, I can't even get three or five hundred."

"You—" Liu Yan'er was annoyed and frowned, "Brother, are you planning to break up with me?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "I might as well tell you that the nobleman who threatened me back then is the same person who is supporting me now. Ha, you think I'm still afraid of your threats?"

"Was it King Yanping that day?" Liu Yan'er's face changed immediately.

There is a saying in the officialdom that "it is better to use people who have made mistakes than to use people who have made achievements". King Ping of Yan has the handle in his hand, so he can use Chen Siyuan unscrupulously without worrying that he will have other intentions in the future.

With Prince Ping of Yan as his backer, if it weren't for the Lin family's marriage, I'm afraid Chen Siyuan would have found another better partner long ago.

If Liu Yan'er really spread rumors and caused trouble, the worst that could happen to Chen Siyuan would be that he would just leave. Then Liu Yan'er would have no hope and could only serve as Xue Dashazi's concubine wholeheartedly.

Her expression changed several times, and then she smiled charmingly and said, "I was just joking with you just now, don't take it to heart."

Chen Siyuan said with a half-smile, "This joke makes me sick, and you just brushed it off with just one sentence, sister?"

Liu Yan'er bit her lower lip and said, "What else can I do? Can you really be interested in a humble figure like me?"

"No thanks!" Chen Siyuan flatly refused, saying, "Don't worry about it for now. I'll need you someday. And let me tell you something: instead of focusing on me, you'd better try to please Xue Pan. The Xue family may have more wealth than the Lin family. You're just stumbling into a treasure trove without realizing it."

Liu Yan'er was about to say something else when the maid Zhen'er outside said, "Master, the mistress is back!"

Liu Yan'er hurriedly stood up and went to Xue Pan's side to serve him attentively. Chen Siyuan also stood up to greet him. After a while, Aunt Xue led Tongxi and Tonggui into the room.

He glanced up and nodded briefly to Chen Siyuan, then frowned and asked, "Why did Pan'er get drunk?"

Liu Yan'er hurriedly said, "Master just made a request, and Master Yuan agreed immediately. Master was so happy that he drank a few more cups, and I couldn't stop him."

Aunt Xue was startled and couldn't help but look at Chen Siyuan. Chen Siyuan bowed and said, "I was worried that I couldn't raise the amount. Brother Wenlong is willing to help. I welcome it very much."

Although Aunt Xue was a woman of the inner court, she was still somewhat knowledgeable and could hear Chen Siyuan's modesty. Thinking about how she had previously underestimated him, and how he had repeatedly helped the Xue family, Aunt Xue couldn't help but feel guilty. She said gratefully, "Oh, Brother Yuan, you're wrong. With Prince Ping of Yan and the Imperial Household backing him, if he were allowed to make a living, he'd be inundated with people. How could he not get enough money?"

She exchanged a glance with Tongxi, who then hurried to support Xue Pan. Aunt Xue untied her cloak and said, "I was planning to entertain Brother Yuan myself, but something happened to me today and I'm afraid Brother Yuan hasn't had enough to drink yet. Why don't I have a few drinks with him?"

　Seems like there's a double bonus at the end of the month? Put a flag on it! If you reach 1,000 monthly votes, I'll add a whole new chapter. I originally had eight chapters saved, but I've been using two of them lately because of a cold.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)