Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 135: Baochai's Thoughts on the Convergence of Xing and Wang
Hearing that Chen Siyuan was famous in the capital, Grandmother Jia couldn't help but feel upset!

The old lady had no problem with Chen Siyuan, but once the marriage agreement was signed, Grandmother Jia naturally disliked him. Both Yu'er children had been raised by her side, and Daiyu's mother was Grandmother Jia's youngest daughter, so Grandmother Jia loved her the most. However, Jia Min died young, so Grandmother Jia felt even more fond of Daiyu.

Seeing the two delicate little people growing up together, Grandmother Jia thought that two good things should be together, and good things should come in pairs.

At first, Aunt Xue and Lady Wang had been obstructing the matter, but now someone was even forging a marriage certificate to defraud the couple! Grandmother Jia simply thought that Chen Siyuan was tricked into marriage by Jia She, so how could she welcome him?
Previously, I thought that this person was uneducated and would not be able to pass the provincial examination in the future. But now that he has made such a great reputation, he might have some talent. What if he really passes the provincial examination in the future?
As her spirits waned, Grandmother Jia said, "Forget it. There's no need to wait on me. It's almost time for dinner. Let's all go home."

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Xing and Mrs. Wang stood up and took their leave. Sanchun and Baochai also said goodbye and left.

Mrs. Xing, Mrs. Wang, and their sisters-in-law all left the hanging flower gate. Mrs. Xing said, "Sister-in-law, remember to come over later. I've prepared a banquet today. Let's have a drink."

Mrs. Wang smiled and said, "Even if you didn't ask me, I would have gone earlier. The first month of the year has been so busy that I haven't had a moment's rest. Although we drink and have fun every day at home, I'm always thinking about socializing, so I can't help but feel anxious when I drink."

"That's right, that's right. I'll go back and prepare first. My sister-in-law will come earlier."

The two of them were talking and laughing like sisters-in-law, and they said goodbye to each other after they had passed through the hall. Mrs. Xing led Yingchun back to the east wing, while Mrs. Wang led Tanchun and Baochai to the east courtyard.

After passing through another hall, Mengpo Zhai came into view, and then she heard hurried footsteps on the right sidewalk. Mrs. Wang stopped to look, and saw that Chen Siyuan had already stopped and bowed, "Madam, Sister Xue, Third Sister."

Tanchun's face was filled with joy, but because Lady Wang was in front of her, she only smiled and nodded in greeting. Baochai quickly bowed, and Lady Wang glanced at him with a smile. Seeing that Chen Siyuan was only wearing a jacket, she frowned and said, "Brother Yuan, you are dressed too lightly. It's still a cold spring, and now it's warmer than the cold of spring. You must not be careless."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "I saw the weather was nice this morning, so I changed into something light. It's a little thin now, so I'll listen to my wife and change back tomorrow."

Mrs. Wang extended her hand to lead the way, and Chen Siyuan hurriedly followed. The group walked west along the alley. Mrs. Wang asked, "How about the Imperial College?"

Chen Siyuan replied, "Everything went smoothly. Supervisor Tao is very easy to talk to."

Madam Wang nodded and said, "Brother Yuan, just study hard. If there's anything missing in the courtyard, just go look for Miss Feng. If you can't find her, you can send someone to look for me. But there's one thing you shouldn't worry about—"

Mrs. Wang frowned slightly, apparently thinking of Jia Zhu.

Chen Siyuan hurriedly bowed in thanks.

Mrs. Wang then said, "Your aunt is hosting a banquet later. Why don't you come and join in the fun, Brother Yuan?"

Chen Siyuan had long known that Madam Xing's banquet was scheduled for today. To be honest, he was really worried!
Mrs. Xing came from a humble family and wasn't very sophisticated. If she spoke without thinking and angered Mrs. Wang, all his previous attempts at matchmaking would be in vain. Since it was Chen Siyuan, he nodded and said, "It's a good thing I have nothing to do three days before school starts, so I'll go over and join in the fun."

Mrs. Wang breathed a sigh of relief. She knew Mrs. Xing wasn't a shrewd woman, and she worried there might be hidden meanings or overtones that Mrs. Xing wouldn't understand, or might misunderstand. The two families had originally been collaborating to seize power from the old lady, and if a misunderstanding arose and they ended up fighting each other to the death, that wouldn't be good.

With Chen Siyuan around, even if Mrs. Xing didn't understand at the time, she would probably come to her senses later.

As they reached Lady Wang's courtyard, Lady Wang and Tanchun said goodbye to Chen Siyuan. Chen Siyuan and Baochai watched the mother and daughter enter the courtyard, then smiled and raised their hands to greet them, "Sister Xue, please."

"Brother Yuan, please too."

The two walked side by side, half a step apart, without speaking for a moment.

Baochai was naturally astonished. She was aware of Chen Siyuan's earlier crooked poems. As for talent, there was not a trace of it; as for frivolity, it was 100 percent.

After that, she had several contacts with this person. Because of his several provocations, Baojie had to recuperate at home for some time. Therefore, whenever Baojie thought of this person, she felt secretly annoyed.

I just feel that Chen Siyuan is a jokester who won't stop until he makes me feel uneasy.

I met him a few times during the New Year holidays, but because all my brothers and sisters were there, I was able to avoid his teasing. Who would have thought that when I heard him again, he would write such amazing lyrics!
Thinking of that Lantern Festival poem, I suddenly remembered one of the lines, "Looking into the distance, Baochai's tower is in the distance." Although I know that "Baochai's tower" in this line refers to a restaurant, Baochai can't help but think about it a little more.

Obviously, other words can also refer to the restaurant, so why did Chen Siyuan insist on saying "Baochailou"?
With her heart pounding, Baochai couldn't help but steal a glance at Chen Siyuan, only to meet his gaze head-on. A little startled, Baochai said, "Brother Yuan is indeed a man of exceptional talent."

Chen Siyuan asked, "Where did you get this from?"

Baochai said, "Just now, Brother Bao recited Chen Shuliang's Lantern Festival poem. Who knew that Xueyan revealed the secret and said that Brother Yuan was actually Shuliang."

Chen Siyuan wore a calm smile, thinking to himself, "This is all well and good. Perhaps it was Prince Ping of Yan who made a drunken slip of the tongue, and his real name had just been leaked, mistakenly thought to be a courtesy name. From now on, Chen Siyuan was him, and Chen Shuliang was also him."

Chen Siyuan casually replied, "Xueyan and Hongyu often play together. Maybe Hongyu was too talkative and Xueyan overheard it."

Baochai rolled her eyes, thinking this was just a prank. Xueyan was Daiyu's maid from Suzhou, and she had never been associated with Hongyu. But after the marriage agreement was announced, the two suddenly became close. What was going on? Who was being taken for a fool?
Baochai pondered this, and for some reason, a sudden pang of bitterness welled up in her heart. Still smiling, she said, "Brother Yuan, with such talent, I'm afraid he'll be world-famous in a few months. I think the provincial examination will be even easier for him. I wish you the best of luck in the imperial examination."

The Autumn Examination is also called the Laurel List, and what Baochai said is very appropriate.

Chen Siyuan smiled but said nothing, walking with his hands behind his back. He slowed down his pace unconsciously and suddenly said to Baochai, "Sister Xue, that day I briefly mentioned Brother Wenlong's future to my concubine. My concubine seemed to be interested——"

Xue Pan's future? What future? Sister Bao was clever, and immediately recalled what Chen Siyuan had said. Her heart pounded! It was because of Xue Pan's burden that she had been able to suppress her emotions, taking medicine from time to time to suppress her anger, and reluctantly interacting with Baoyu.

She had ambitions to rise to the top, so why would she associate with an unlearned and unskillful playboy like Baoyu? It was simply the situation that forced her to do so.

Baochai deeply agreed with what Chen Siyuan had said, but she didn't know how to convince her mother. Unexpectedly, Chen Siyuan had already told her mother about it, and her mother was also vaguely moved.

Baochai's originally quiet face suddenly became lively, and she couldn't help asking, "What did my mother say?"

Chen Siyuan walked slowly forward and said, "The concubine is naturally worried. First, she is reluctant to give up her current wealth and status, and second, she is counting on Brother Wenlong to inherit the family business. It's a difficult situation... Although the concubine is tempted, I'm afraid it will be difficult for her to change her mind in the short term. She will only remember what I said that day after suffering a great loss."

Baochai, consumed by thoughts, trailed Chen Siyuan by a half-step, then said with a wry smile, "With my family's situation, how can I afford to make any more trouble now?"

Chen Siyuan shook his head and said, "As the saying goes, there is no construction without destruction. Otherwise, Sister Xue will have to protect Brother Wenlong for the rest of her life, right?"

Indeed, Xue Pan's unruly nature, and the mistaken belief that his uncle Wang Ziteng was looking after him, had made him increasingly lawless. Although he hadn't assaulted anyone again, he had been a frequent target of jealousy and brawls in the private school.

He'd been hanging out with Jia Rong again these past few days. How could that Rong-er be a good person? But through the back alleys, all sorts of rumors about the East Palace had naturally reached Sister Bao's ears. It was said that Rong-er had always been unruly at home, even having affairs with the maidservants around Grandmother Zhen.

There are also rumors that Jia Rong had an affair with Jia Zhen's concubine... I don't know whether this is true or not, but we must know that there is no smoke without fire. If Jia Rong hadn't been dissolute, how could such rumors have arisen?
Hanging out with people like this, if it was just about flying hawks and riding horses, or carrying caged birds, it would be fine, but now they have to go to brothels and other brothels from time to time. You have to know that the Xue family's eldest branch has only one male, Xue Pan. If he gets sick, the Xue family will have no heir in the future, and even if Sister Bao has all the skills, everything will be over.

Not to mention the Wang family and the Jia family, I'm afraid that the various branches of the Xue family will tear the main branch of the Xue family into pieces!
Sister Bao pondered, "I'd like to trouble Brother Yuan to consider this for me... Things like this must be handled step by step. Now that our family's livelihood is declining, I've been discussing with Mother the other day about consolidating and selling off our businesses in various parts of Jinling."

Chen Siyuan nodded and said, "That's as it should be. Sister Xue, you might as well tell my concubine to see how the business in the inner court is going these days. If my concubine thinks it's not bad, I do have other ideas."

Baochai was immediately tempted. The fact that Chen Siyuan was appreciated by Prince Yanping and entrusted with the management of maritime trade clearly showed that he held him in high esteem. He had mentioned a suitable business, and even if it yielded less profit, it was better than the current loss.

Sister Bao wanted to find out what his livelihood was, but she knew it was not the right time, so she bowed gratefully and said, "Thank you, Brother Yuan." After she stood up, she became confused again, wondering why Chen Siyuan was considering the Xue family.

Arriving at the gate of Lixiang Courtyard, Chen Siyuan stopped, looked at Baochai with a smile, and said, "The theories of fate and feng shui are illusory. If you want to change your fate, just accumulate good karma and study hard. I'm helping Sister Xue, partly to accumulate good karma."

Baochai looked up at Chen Siyuan, who slowly put away his smile and said softly, "Firstly, I can't bear to see a girl like Sister Xue suffer injustice for the rest of her life."

With a slight bow, Chen Siyuan turned and left.

Sister Bao was slightly distracted, and she watched Chen Siyuan enter the small courtyard next door without averting her eyes. She had been doted on by her father since she was a child, and she was proficient in all kinds of arts, such as music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, so she naturally received some favoritism.

Although she wasn't much of a reader, she read a lot because of her father, even the Four Books and Five Classics. After her father passed away and her mother took over the household, the situation changed.

Aunt Xue always urged Baochai to put the Xue family first and consider their interests, which in turn made her value Xue Pan more. Baochai was sensible and although she felt a little aggrieved, she listened to Aunt Xue's advice and became dignified and quiet from then on, no longer acting as she used to.

Entering the Rongguo Mansion, one must patiently interact with Baoyu, maintain a smile and make friends with others, and even more so, must spend time and energy calculating carefully. Who would want to live like this unless it is absolutely necessary?

Whenever Baochai frowned, Aunt Xue would bring up the past and persuade her to take Lengxiang Pills to suppress her emotions. Over the years, who had ever truly considered her?
Unexpectedly, her mother and brother had never considered her, but a stranger who had only met her a few times felt sorry for her and not only considered her but also made careful plans for her.

Sister Bao suddenly felt sad and her eyes turned red.

Ying'er, the maidservant beside her, heard everything. Seeing Bao-jie's red eyes, she couldn't help but say, "Miss, that man is just talking nonsense. Don't be fooled."

Baojie immediately suppressed her bitterness and glanced at Ying'er. Ying'er was immediately shocked and wondered if she had said the wrong thing again.
Just as she was about to express her annoyance, Baochai suddenly covered her mouth and coughed a few times. Ying'er asked nervously, "Miss, is your old illness coming back? I'll go get some Lengxiang Pills right away."

Ying'er raised her foot to leave, but was pulled back by Baochai. Ying'er turned her head and saw that although Baochai was coughing non-stop, she had a cheerful smile on her face.

"Cough cough... I choked a little, it's okay... cough cough——"

After years of depression, it was a rare chance for her to feel refreshed. Even a cough was enough. Sister Bao looked up. The sky was high, the clouds light, a vibrant blue. Flocks of early spring birds were returning. Suddenly, she smiled and said, "Go find my kite. When it warms up in a few days, we can go fly it in the garden."

Ying'er blinked, and it took a long while for her to come back to her senses and respond. She couldn't help but think to herself, "Flying a kite is something the young lady would only do when the master was around. Ever since the master passed away, the kite has been buried at the bottom of the box. Why would the young lady want to fly a kite now?"

On the other side, Daiyu had dinner with Jia's mother and then went to rest in the green gauze cabinet.

Seeing that there were no outsiders around, Daiyu frowned and said to Xueyan, "Don't talk too much from now on."

Xueyan pouted and said aggrievedly, "I was just mumbling to myself, but who knew that Fourth Miss had such sharp ears that she actually heard it."

How could Zijuan, standing by, believe it? Chen Siyuan had been in the mansion for several months, and when had he ever mentioned his courtesy name was Shuliang? Although Zijuan wasn't very literate, she had read the play "Romance of the West Chamber" before. How could she not know that it was Xueyan, the little bitch, who was helping Chen Siyuan and Daiyu have a secret affair?
Haha, you want to be a matchmaker!

Zijuan despised her, thinking Xueyan had failed to curry favor with Master Bao and was therefore trying to curry favor with Chen Siyuan as a second best option. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that the wealth and splendor of the Rongguo Mansion was no match for a mere scholar.
Apart from anything else, the moment the young lady entered the mansion, she was dazzled by the wealth and splendor, and she was wary of everything, fearing she might make a mistake. Even if Chen Siyuan had a promising future, it would still take decades for him to rise to prominence, right? And how could he compare to Master Bao, who had known his young lady since childhood and knew her intimately? Her marriage was like returning home.

Seeing Daiyu scolding her a few more times before letting Xueyan go, Zijuan became worried. She then thought, her daughter is sentimental and loves such inspiring writings. Could it be that Chen Siyuan has seduced her?

She didn't want to gossip at the moment, but she secretly made up her mind to visit Master Bao's room more often in the future.

............................................................

Without mentioning the situation of Daiyu and Baochai, it is said that Chen Siyuan returned to his own courtyard. He just sat for a short while and then someone came to find him.

The message was passed on: "Madam invites you to a banquet later."

Chen Siyuan asked, "Isn't my uncle back today?"

Tiao'er laughed and said, "The master said there will be a banquet in the afternoon, so I'm afraid we won't be back until nightfall."

It was also true that when Lady Xing hosted a banquet for Lady Wang, even if a younger person like himself was included, Jia She could not show up to accompany them, so he simply avoided it.

Chen Siyuan said, "Please reply, sister, and tell them that I will be there soon." Tiao'er agreed, and chatted with Liu Wu'er for a while before returning to the east courtyard.

Hongyu hadn't said a word from beginning to end. Only after she saw him leave did she exchange a glance with Xiangling. Xiangling didn't care. She smiled and held up the calligraphy, saying, "Master, do you want to find a place to hang it?"

This calligraphy was just bought from a calligraphy and painting shop, and it is worth five hundred taels... Well, if we talk about its true value, I'm afraid it's two taels of silver too much.

Chen Siyuan said, "Let's keep it in the bottom of the box. It will be normal if we look at it now."

Xiangling was puzzled, but she didn't ask any questions. She said, "Then I'll put it away first. Master can take it out when he wants to see it."

Chen Siyuan agreed, sent Hongyu to fetch dinner boxes, and distributed them to the maids. As soon as it was two o'clock in the afternoon, he dressed and headed for the east wing.

He passed by the villa where he came to visit his relatives and saw that the roofs of the pavilions and towers had been completed. He estimated that the garden would be completed in less than two months.

While he was thinking, he reached the main gate of the garden, and by coincidence, he ran into Siqi coming towards him.

Catching a glimpse of Chen Siyuan from afar, Siqi's emotions were in turmoil. Her cousin Pan Youan had long since fled the capital and was now missing. Siqi's mother had argued with Pan Danian's family several times, and it was unknown what benefits the Pan family had secretly promised, but the Qin Yu family had finally stopped making trouble in the past few days.

But after such an experience, how could Siqi not be angry? After that anger, there was a series of beautiful moments. She didn't know why, but she would dream about that day every now and then, and the face of Master Yuan was imprinted in Siqi's mind with unparalleled clarity.

As soon as she saw him, Siqi's heart was beating like a deer. She was a brave person by nature, and although she was nervous, she still went to meet him and bowed from afar: "Master Yuan."

"Well, Miss Siqi."

Chen Siyuan didn't want to get involved, so he gave a slight nod and passed by. Siqi watched him go, biting her lower lip, her expression growing even more emotional. He did a favor without expecting anything in return, never spread his scandal, and was both talented and handsome... a man like him would be hard to find even with a lantern.

Siqi became more determined. If she missed this man, she would regret it for the rest of her life. She also thought about how often she had mentioned Master Yuan these past few days. Though the Second Young Lady kept silent, she was lost in thought several times during the day. She must have taken his words to heart. If she talked about it more often tomorrow, maybe this matter would finally come to fruition.

Siqi made up her mind, pursed her lips, and hurried to find her mother.

But Chen Siyuan walked out of the Rongguo Mansion and entered the black oil gate. There, the maid Miao'er led Chen Siyuan into the three-story ceremonial gate.

Since there was no one around, Chen Siyuan hooked his finger with her and asked with a smile, "Sister, why haven't you come to see me these days?"

Miao'er said in distress, "I was going to go today, but Tiao'er got there first." After a pause, Miao'er said gruffly, "That's fine, but I don't know why, but Tiao'er has been snoring and grinding his teeth these past few nights, keeping me awake for several."

Chen Siyuan was no ordinary person, so he knew what Miao'er was thinking. He just scratched her palm and asked, "Is the second wife here?"

"Just arrived, brother, you are late this time."

Chen Siyuan said, "This is not good. Let's walk a few steps faster. We shouldn't keep the elders waiting."

Without saying anything else, the two of them went straight into the main room. Chen Siyuan walked around the screen and saw Madam Xing and Madam Wang holding teacups and talking with smiles, while Jiaohong, Yanhong and others around them flattered them from time to time.

Chen Siyuan came forward and greeted everyone one by one. Mrs. Xing then asked angrily, "Why did you come just now?"

Mrs. Wang defended Chen Siyuan, saying, "Sister-in-law, we are all family, so there is no need for us to be so discreet. Brother Yuan just came back from the Imperial College today, so he might still have schoolwork to do."

Madam Xing said, "As for homework, it's not too late to do it after we have some wine."

Chen Siyuan smiled apologetically and said, "I was delayed on the way. Please forgive me, Aunt and Madam."

Mrs. Xing said, "Forget it. I'll deal with you later. Tiao'er, tell them to come to the table." She then told Yanhong and the others, "You don't have to keep watch. Go back and rest."

Several concubines and Qiu Tong stood up, bowed, and left one by one.

A maid removed the chairs, set the table, and then brought the food in like a stream.

Mrs. Xing put a lot of thought into this, knowing that Mrs. Wang was raised in Jinling when she was still a girl, so there was a bit of Jiangnan flavor in the meal today.

A dish of eight-treasure braised duck, a dish of Gongdan sea cucumber, a dish of pine nut fish and rice, and a dish of lotus vegetarian pigeon eggs.

Mrs. Wang took a quick glance and said with a smile, "Sister-in-law, you are so thoughtful."

Mrs. Xing said proudly, "I was afraid my sister-in-law wouldn't be used to the food, so I hired a chef from Jinling to prepare it. This meal alone cost two taels of silver."

"Ahem—" Chen Siyuan quickly coughed to remind him.

Mrs. Xing suddenly realized she had said something wrong and quickly picked up her wine glass: "Sister-in-law, let's have a drink together."

"it is good."

Chen Siyuan, who was sitting at the table, had a drink with her. Seeing that Mrs. Xing was having trouble getting out of this situation, he simply said, "Aunt, Madam, I'm going to file a complaint today."

Madam Xing frowned and said, "Complain? Which foolish person provoked you?"

Mrs. Wang pondered and said, "Could it be that the lunch box was not delivered at noon?"

Chen Siyuan shook his head and said, "This story all started yesterday during the Lantern Festival. Aunt, Madam, I went to Xianqu Bookstore during the New Year to make a name for myself. You both know that if you want to be successful in the Imperial College, you must have some reputation."

Madam Xing and Madam Wang nodded, and Madam Wang said, "As the old saying goes, a person's reputation is like the shadow of a tree. Having a good reputation will always help you avoid trouble. Brother Yuan is right."

Chen Siyuan nodded and said, "I was lucky enough to write a poem that caught the eye of a female teacher there. She invited me to Qingyuan Tower for a chat during the Lantern Festival. I went there last night, but before I could even enter, a scholar stopped me."

Madam Xing and Madam Wang frowned.

Then Chen Siyuan continued, "I didn't take it seriously at first and wrote a poem. But because I brought my good friend with me that day, the scholar came to stop me. He then introduced himself as Lai Shangrong."

Madam Xing frowned and asked, "Lai Shangrong? Why does this name sound familiar?"

Mrs. Wang then said, "Sister-in-law, noble people tend to forget things. Lai Shangrong is Lai Da's son. He was freed from slavery in his early years by the old lady's grace. I heard that he was raised in luxury since he was a child. He has maids and servants to serve him at home, and he has servants accompanying him outside."

Mrs. Xing's heart tightened immediately. Lai Da was Lady Jia's man, currently serving as the chief steward of Rongguo Mansion. His brother Lai Sheng was also the chief steward of Ningguo Mansion. These two brothers were half of the Jia family. On a daily basis, these brothers usually took care of all matters, big or small.

Even if Jia Lian showed up, it was just superficial. The ones who really did the work behind the scenes were the Lai brothers.

At this moment, Chen Siyuan said, "It was all a misunderstanding, and I didn't take it seriously at the time... Who would have thought that today, after entering the Imperial College, I would run into this person again. Perhaps he was resentful of me for humiliating him, so he went to find Minister Tao and tried to pay me to embarrass myself."

"Ah?" Madam Xing was furious! She slammed the table and said, "A slave like you has rebelled!"

Mrs. Wang knew why they came here today, and she agreed, "It was out of our family's grace that we released him from slavery back then. Who could have known that he would be so cruel and heartless? Not only would he not know how to repay his debt, but now he's plotting against Brother Yuan!"

Madam Xing cursed, "You black-hearted slave! Such a lackey who doesn't know his place deserves to be beaten out! Miao'er, go get the culprit!"

Chen Siyuan quickly stopped her, saying, "Aunt, why bother getting so upset over such trivial matters? We can discuss this tomorrow."

Mrs. Xing was genuinely angry and worried. Lai Shangrong was ruining Chen Siyuan's future, and Mrs. Xing was counting on Chen Siyuan to be recognized on the imperial list, so that he could look after her child. After all, he was her biological father, and a man of integrity. She couldn't just leave her child without a care.

As for her uneasiness, Lady Jia still had great prestige, and at this moment filial piety was paramount. If a real quarrel broke out, I'm afraid Mrs. Xing would end up in a bad situation.

Mrs. Wang had different thoughts.

She had been tortured by Lady Jia for over twenty years and was no longer prepared to endure it. Aunt Xue's earlier suggestion, which had spread rumors of a perfect match and described Daiyu as a sickly woman, was essentially a test by Lady Wang.

What was the result? Even Grandmother Jia couldn't control her gossip! Anyone with a discerning eye could see that Grandmother Jia was old and would die sooner or later. Wouldn't she have to listen to Lady Wang one day?
Once there is a first, there will be a second. Using Baoyu's wife as a breakthrough point, Mrs. Wang has tested Lady Jia's true intentions and naturally wants to have a good fight with her.

Only then did he agree to send people to Liaodong to investigate the affairs of the village.

This time I came to the East Cross Courtyard, of course I wanted to form an alliance with Madam Xing.

Lai Da's family was originally Jia Mu's arm. If they were really cut off, Jia Mu would immediately lose control.

Thinking about this, Madam Wang said, "Brother Yuan is right. Sister-in-law, there's no need to rush. Let's ask Lai Dajie tomorrow. Could it be that her son is more precious than his real master? Who gave his dog the audacity to plot against Brother Yuan?"

Mrs. Wang's words were filled with murderous intent, which immediately gave Mrs. Xing a sense of urgency. She thought that if the two sisters-in-law attacked together, even if Lady Jia was angry, she wouldn't be able to say anything... Especially since she was in the right this time?
Since it was Mrs. Xing, she said, "Okay, then I'll listen to my sister-in-law."

The three of them enjoyed some food and wine. With Chen Siyuan's suggestion, Mrs. Xing finally understood the situation and said, "It's okay with the Lai family, but who doesn't know that the servants in this mansion are obsessed with wealth and luxury? Although I call you sister-in-law, I am a later-born and have been bullied by those servants in private for many years."

Mrs. Wang lamented, "Not to mention my sister-in-law, even I feel helpless sometimes. Take the kitchen expenses, for example. The account book states a hundred eggs a day, but when you add them up, how can there be that many? Thirty eggs is an overage, and the rest must have been divided up by those greedy maids."

Madam Xing said, "I'm not afraid of being laughed at by my sister-in-law. Before I married, I thought I was going to enjoy a comfortable life, but who knew I'd end up living like this? Two years ago, I finally got a bottle of hair oil, and I was so precious to myself that I didn't want to use it. But then I ran into Mr. Lai and could smell the fragrance of magnolia flowers from afar. Tsk, tsk, the servants in this family are more respectable than us masters. Where can I go to seek justice?"

Chen Siyuan interjected at the right moment, "Don't mind my nagging. As the saying goes, 'Eat well and wear well, but plan poorly and you'll be poor.' The old lady meant well by being lenient with the servants, but this is too much. How can you fatten the servants and starve the masters?"

Mrs. Wang complained, "I know exactly what my sister-in-law and Brother Yuan are saying." She paused, then added, "Now that I think about it, our family is really getting worse and worse. We need to put things in order."

Upon hearing this, Chen Siyuan quickly nudged Madam Xing with his toes. Madam Xing said, "Sister-in-law, you're responsible for the family, who can underestimate you? If you're worried about Old Madam getting angry, I'll shoulder the responsibility with you. Right is paramount, and we're in the right. We can't be blamed for it, can we?"

Mrs. Wang felt relieved. Hadn't she been waiting for this sentence all night? She nodded, looked at Chen Siyuan with a smile and said, "It's just that I don't have any ideas, and I don't know where to start. Brother Yuan, why don't you give me some advice?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "I think we should start with the accounts of the various warehouses." He paused and explained, "I think Madam and my second sister-in-law have also looked at the accounts, but Madam is probably unaware of the deception methods used. I'll find a few experienced accountants someday and we'll know what they are."

This remark also struck a chord with Madam Wang. What kind of a head of household is it if he doesn't have the financial power in his hands?
Mrs. Xing said at the right moment, "The storeroom is fine, but we need to check the kitchen thoroughly first!"

Mrs. Wang immediately understood that Mrs. Xing was deliberately putting someone in charge of the kitchen. Mrs. Wang secretly wondered, if Mrs. Xing was in charge of the kitchen... would she add something to the food?

After a moment's thought, Mrs. Wang smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, you may not know that this villa is almost finished, and Feng'er said she wants to allocate a small kitchen in the garden. In my opinion, the staff in this house are all connected, so it's hard to use them. Sister-in-law, please keep an eye out tomorrow. If there's anything you can use, we can try it out first. Even if you're a novice, you're better than that old woman who deceives her superiors and hides the truth from her subordinates."

Mrs. Xing blinked, then came to her senses and quickly said with a smile: "Oh, that's what you said, sister-in-law... Come, I'll toast you a glass."

(End of this chapter)