Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 139 Something is wrong
Xue Pan was about to argue, but he saw Chen Siyuan had already left the courtyard. Xue Pan thought for a moment, then returned to Lixiang Courtyard without saying anything more.

Chen Siyuan and Yuanyang were walking along the road. Just as they entered the villa, Hongyu caught up with them and said, "I'd better go with you, Master, so we don't need anyone to serve us."

Chen Siyuan took one look and knew that Hongyu was worried, so he chased after her.

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "You are just suspicious... Never mind, if you want to come, just come."

They passed by pavilions and terraces all the way and came to the main gate of the garden. Yuanyang had not uttered a sound, but had only glanced at them. Seeing Chen Siyuan's calm and composed demeanor, she could not help but feel even more puzzled.

After they left the main gate, Yuanyang asked with a smile, "Master Yuan, why don't you ask why the old lady is looking for you?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "I just heard that Nanny Lai's grandson was beaten. I'm afraid the old lady wants to confront me?"

Confrontation? Yuanyang frowned slightly, feeling that this was not quite right, and could not help but speak up for Lady Jia: "Madame Lai has served several generations of masters in the mansion, and she is also the wet nurse of the old Duke. The old lady must be considerate of her."

"Oh." Chen Siyuan responded calmly.

Yuanyang wanted to argue, but she felt that no matter how she argued, it wouldn't make sense. Even if Chen Siyuan was a distant relative, he was still the master. And no matter how respectable the Lai family was, they were still servants. How could she confront the master and the servant?

Yuanyang remained silent as she led Chen Siyuan and Hongyu out of the garden. There was a corner gate in front, and to the west was Li Wan's room.

Li Wan's house consisted of three rooms in front and back, with only a ten-foot-wide alley in the middle, making it look extremely cramped. The houses here did not look like a proper courtyard, but rather like a former storehouse.

Coming out of the corner gate and passing another corner gate, you will arrive in front of the large painted screen wall. To the south are three back halls, where Feng Jieer usually manages the household.

Walking forward, they found themselves in front of an east-west hall, with another corridor on the side leading directly to the large flower hall at the back of Jia Mu's courtyard. Chen Siyuan followed Yuanyang through the hall, then circled around to the front, and along the winding corridor they finally reached the five-room Rongqing Hall where Jia Mu lived.

Chen Siyuan slowed down his pace slightly, let Yuanyang go in to report, and then turned around the screen and went inside.

He looked up and saw that Lady Jia was sitting high on a soft couch with Baoyu squeezed beside her. Lai Ma was sitting on a low stool beside her. Mrs. Xing and Mrs. Wang were sitting on the upper left and right, and below them were the three sisters, Daiyu, Baochai and others.

At this moment, Chen Siyuan entered the room, and everyone turned to look at him. Chen Siyuan glanced at Lady Jia and saw that she could hardly conceal her disdain.

Chen Siyuan didn't care in his heart... Because he almost ruined the old lady's plan, it would be strange if she liked him.

Looking down, Madam Xing's brows were furrowed with worry, while Madam Wang's expression remained calm. Chen Siyuan didn't scrutinize the others, but simply stepped forward and bowed, "Greetings, old lady." He then bowed to Madam Xing, Madam Wang, and the others.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Yuanyang tiptoed behind Lady Jia, leaned over and whispered a few words in her ear. After hearing this, Lady Jia suddenly came to her senses, turned her head to look at Yuanyang, and then looked at Chen Siyuan again.

After Chen Siyuan had greeted everyone, Grandmother Jia finally spoke: "I called Brother Yuan here today because I have something to ask him about."

Chen Siyuan said calmly, "Old lady, please feel free to speak."

Lady Jia was about to speak after a moment's hesitation when Lady Wang said, "Madam, I think we should first have Brother Yuan sit down and have some tea. I heard he just came back from the Imperial College, and it seems he hasn't even changed his clothes."

Grandmother Jia was startled. How could Mrs. Xing care about anything else? She immediately ordered, "Quickly, bring a stool for my brother."

The head maid Amber looked at Lady Jia and saw that she did not refute her, so she moved a stool over and asked Chen Siyuan to sit down.

Chen Siyuan smiled and thanked Hubo, then sat down with his arms raised. He then took the tea offered by another maid, took a sip, and then placed the teacup on the small table beside him.

Grandmother Jia said, "Just now, Nanny Lai came to see me and said that there was a quarrel between her children, Rong and Yuan. Today, for some unknown reason, Rong was beaten up by some thugs, and now even his arm is broken. Does Yuan know about this?"

Chen Siyuan said calmly, "There is such a thing? I don't know about it."

Seeing him flatly deny it, Nanny Lai was not willing to give up. She stood up and trembled, "Let's be frank. My brother Rong has never caused trouble. He just had a quarrel with Grandpa Yuan... It was just a child's mischief. Why did you kill him? My poor grandson——"

Chen Siyuan's face turned cold, and he scolded, "I think this is Madam Lai? Oh, Madam Lai said it so lightly. It was just a momentary impulsiveness at Qingyuan Tower, and then she turned around and went to find Supervisor Tao to ruin my reputation. How can it be considered a prank? Madam Lai, don't you know that reputation is related to fame and honor?"

Lai Ma Ma argued cunningly, "Although my grandson had evil intentions for a moment, he didn't harm Master Yuan, did he?"

Chen Siyuan nodded and said, "Yes, he was incapable of doing anything. That's why I just talked to my aunt and my wife and gave him a slight punishment. If he gets beaten up by a bad guy later, what does it have to do with me?"

"you--"

"Madame Lai, don't be so quick to deny it. Your grandson is just trying to ruin my reputation out of a momentary rage. Who knows how many people he has offended in private? Yesterday's actions have led to today's consequences. It's a cycle of retribution. I hope Madame Lai will keep a strict discipline on your grandson in the future to prevent him from causing trouble again."

"You're bullshit!"

Chen Siyuan glanced sideways and said in a cold voice, "Madame Lai, please be careful with your words. 'Nonsense'... how can you say that to me?"

Mrs. Xing was anxious and unsure how to speak up for Chen Siyuan. Upon hearing this, she immediately said, "Old Madam, no matter how much Nanny Lai has contributed and how much she has worked, you can't mess up the hierarchy, right? Brother Yuan is still the master after all. How can a servant speak to the master like that?"

Nanny Lai blinked, raised her arm and slapped herself: "Please forgive me, Madam. I was just anxious at the moment." After a pause, she couldn't help sobbing: "My grandson has suffered an unexpected disaster. May I ask Master Yuan, is this matter really none of your business?"

Chen Siyuan took a leisurely sip of tea, raised his eyes to look at Grandmother Jia and said, "The old lady called me here... just to argue with this Lai Mama?"

How could Grandmother Jia admit it? She said, "I just thought it's better to resolve a feud than to create one, so I asked Brother Yuan to come and help me resolve it."

Chen Siyuan nodded, then looked at Nanny Lai and said, "How dare you, a Nanny, question how I act? We've always been about catching thieves and seizing stolen goods. I've never heard of anyone asking me to prove my innocence for no reason. If Nanny Lai is still dissatisfied, why don't you file a complaint with the Shuntian Prefecture government?"
This way, we can save ourselves from wasting time and energy, and once we catch the criminals, we can make it public."

After these words were spoken, Nanny Lai was speechless. She turned around and looked at Lady Jia pitifully, saying, "Old Madam, please make the decision for me!"

Jia Mu was suddenly in suspense, unable to advance or retreat. Having just heard Nanny Lai's complaint, Jia Mu had thought it was an opportunity to bully Chen Siyuan, completely forgetting the distinction between master and servant. Fortunately, Yuanyang, a loyal woman, found an opportunity to remind her, and Jia Mu came to her senses.

Seeing that Chen Siyuan was calm and composed, and even asked Lai Ma to report to the police, Jia Mu became even more suspicious... Could it be that this matter really had nothing to do with Chen Siyuan?

Fortunately, Yuanyang reminded me just now, otherwise I would have wrongly accused someone and I don’t know how it would end.

So Lady Jia said, "Don't look at me. You spoke so confidently just now that I thought you had solid evidence, so I asked Brother Yuan to come and question you. But I didn't expect that all you said was just speculation. If I had known this, I shouldn't have bothered Brother Yuan!"

When Lady Jia changed her tone, Nanny Lai's heart skipped a beat.

As expected, Madam Xing added insult to injury, saying, "How shameless! You're just a maid. Your own grandson was beaten by a villain, yet you're trying to accuse your master. Oh, to put it bluntly, even if you didn't hit him this time, what would happen? Who doesn't know that a scholar values ​​his reputation the most?"
Your grandson wants to ruin Brother Yuan's reputation, which is no different from ruining Brother Yuan's future. If that's the case, he deserves to be beaten to death!"

Mrs. Wang also said, "The old lady is too lenient with the people below. We must distinguish right from wrong in the future. It's not right to blame a good person."

The two daughters-in-law joined in the attack, choking Grandmother Jia into a deep depression. Unfortunately, there was no way to divert the situation with a joke, so Grandmother Jia could only sulk.

I had a good time with Chen Siyuan, ruining his reputation, so that I could privately discuss the pros and cons with Daiyu and finally get rid of the marriage agreement. But Chen Siyuan didn't react, and his words only left me hanging...

At this moment, Yuanyang said with a smile, "You two ladies are wrong. The old lady only asked Master Yuan to come and ask questions because she was anxious. She never accused Master Yuan of any crime before. How can it be the old lady's fault? Now Madam Lai has nothing to say, but the old lady has said nothing so far."

After hearing this, Jia's mother felt a little relieved. She finally had a way out and said angrily, "Is it my fault for inviting Yuan brother here?"

Mrs. Wang hurriedly said, "I dare not." Mrs. Xing was unwilling to give in, but she stopped talking.

Grandmother Jia looked at Chen Siyuan and said, "Ask Brother Yuan if I have ever wronged him."

Chen Siyuan smiled but said nothing. He had done something righteous, otherwise he would have been slammed with a bucket of mud. He stood up, bowed, and said, "I just came from the Imperial College and haven't even dusted myself off yet... If there's nothing else, I'll excuse myself."

Grandmother Jia quickly added, "Then Brother Yuan, please go back first. I remember the kitchen prepared some sour bamboo shoot and chicken skin soup. I'll bring some to Brother Yuan later."

Since Feng Jieer was not at home, the head maid Yuanyang agreed to do it.

Chen Siyuan bowed and said goodbye, glanced at Daiyu and Baochai, turned around and left.

As soon as he left, Madam Xing could no longer sit still. She stood up and said, "I just feel heavy today. If it weren't for Nanny Lai coming to complain, I wouldn't have rushed here. Now that this matter is over, old lady, I will take my leave."

Grandmother Jia murmured a sullen reply, watching Madam Xing walk away in a haughty manner. Once Madam Xing was gone, Nanny Lai felt too embarrassed to stay any longer, so she had no choice but to leave in embarrassment.

But when Chen Siyuan led Hongyu out from the back hall, Hongyu couldn't help laughing and said, "I was worried that Master would suffer a loss, but I didn't expect that just a few words would make Lai Ma speechless."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Do you think I'm tongue-tied?"

Hongyu smiled and shook her head, saying, "Being able to talk normally and being able to talk during an argument are two different things. Some people can talk very logically normally, but when they argue, they just raise their voices and talk in a raspy tone, never getting to the point."

Chen Siyuan said, "I wasn't arguing. I was just being reasonable."

He thought to himself that Lai Shangrong was a sinister person, and he would not let this matter rest until his career was thwarted. He would go to see Supervisor Tao and settle the matter someday. At most, he would just have to pay a little more money, but he had to put an end to this trouble.

Meanwhile, Madam Xing didn't rush to board a sedan chair. Instead, she walked slowly out of the hanging flower gate. A moment later, she caught sight of Nanny Lai coming out from behind. Naturally, Madam Xing offered a barrage of sarcasm, which left the old woman so embarrassed that she hurried away. A moment later, Madam Wang, accompanied by her maids and servants, caught up with them.

The two sisters-in-law looked at each other and were secretly delighted.

Why did the old lady insist on her word? Besides filial piety, she relied on old servants like the Lai family and her ability to convince others. This not only exposed Lai Ma's shame, but also made the old lady return empty-handed.

Although Yuanyang had turned things around, the old lady didn't seem to have lost anything, but in the eyes of everyone, the old lady had mobilized a large number of people to find Chen Siyuan, but let him turn back for no reason. This in itself lost her prestige!

If this happens once, there will be two. When Lady Jia's prestige declines in the future and Lady Wang still bears the title of head of the household, who do you think those fence-sitters will listen to?

The two sisters-in-law chatted for a few minutes in person, exchanged glances, and then went their separate ways happily.

But Nanny Lai came out in a hurry and went to find Lai Da to settle the matter after passing the ceremonial gate.

Lai Da went to the back to check the storeroom, and when he came back he heard that Lai Ma had hurried to Rongqing Hall to complain. Then he heard that Lai Shangrong had been beaten and had his arm broken. At this time, Lai Da's family was looking for Lai Da to settle a quarrel with, but when Lai Ma arrived, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law burst into tears and quarrels, giving Lai Da a headache.

After Lai Mama finished, Lai Da asked, "Mother, you're so confused! There's no evidence to support this matter, so how can you just make false accusations? Now that Chen is accusing us of this, if we find out tomorrow that he was the one who did it, I'm afraid we won't be able to make it public."

How could such a thing be investigated? In name only, Chen Siyuan was the master. Even if he had beaten Lai Shangrong casually, would the Lai family really be able to file a complaint with the government?
If they really sue, will the Lai family still want to stay in the Jia family?

So even if they wanted to investigate, they could only do it in private. Nanny Lai had made a scene because of this, so even if they did find clear evidence tomorrow, how could they dare to bother the old lady?
Lai Mama sobbed, "Could it be that Rong'er's arm was broken in vain?"

How could Lai Da care about Lai Shangrong? Lai Ma's disturbance naturally upset the eldest wife. The one thousand taels she had sent earlier were now wasted. She might even have to prepare a filial gift to appease Jia She.

I had previously underestimated that Chen guy. I had never expected him to be so ruthless! If Lai Shangrong went to the Imperial College again, he might fall into his trap again!

Lai Da thought: "For now, it's better not to go to the Imperial College."

"Boss!" Lai Dajia suddenly became anxious.

Lai Da glared and said, "We've offended Master Yuan so much this time. How can Rong Ge'er get any good results if he goes to the Imperial College again? Rather than this, it's better not to go. At most, we can spend a little more money every day to buy Rong Ge'er an official position."

Lai Dajie's sad face made him think for a long time before he sighed and agreed.

Lai Da added, "It's said that it's better to resolve a feud than to create one. We've carefully listened to Mr. Yuan's preferences in private, so we have to get this over with...otherwise, it will be a disaster sooner or later."

Lai Ma said, "They are just distant relatives of the first wife and the second wife. Can't we find a way to deal with them——" "Shut up, mother!" Lai Da was so frightened that he looked around and said in a low voice, "Mother, can't you see? This time, the first and second wives are teaming up to deal with us. The first wife is not to be feared, but the second wife is more difficult to deal with."

Mrs. Xing came from a poor family, and her only concubines were from the families of Wang Shanbao and Fei Pozi. Mrs. Wang from the second house brought eight concubines with her. If they really wanted to put in some effort to deal with the Lai family, how could they withstand it?

They were high-class domestic slaves, having been slaves for several lifetimes, and only had dignity thanks to the grace of their masters. If their masters turned against them, they would lose all their dignity and money!

Lai Dajie frowned and said, "How about...we try to be soft with the Madam again?"

Lai Da shook his head and said, "If the Madam gives in, how can we explain it to the Old Lady? Well, I've figured it out. We can't offend either side, so we can only smooth things over."

Nanny Lai felt increasingly aggrieved, and could not help but burst into grief as she cried, "Didn't Rong'er get beaten in vain?"

Lai Da jumped up and said, "Mother, why are you still bothering about that evil creature? If this matter is not handled properly, our family will be doomed!"

Lai Dajie came to his senses and hurriedly tried to persuade Lai Mama together with Lai Da. After much persuasion, they finally persuaded her to leave. The couple then separated and went to the first and second rooms.

Jia She returned home early that day. When he got home, he heard that Mrs. Xing had hurried to Rongqing Hall because of Chen Siyuan's matter.

Jia She was slightly displeased and said, "Madam treats Yuan Ge'er more attentively than her own son."

The old woman Fei who stayed behind said, "Master, you don't know. I heard that Nanny Lai's grandson was beaten, and that old woman came to complain."

Jia She nodded, unconcerned. He was a man who used to work when needed, not when needed. Previously, he had relied on Chen Siyuan to make money, so he naturally paid some attention to him. Now that the maritime trade issue was settled, who would he care about Chen Siyuan?

After a while, Mrs. Xing came back and chattered about what had just happened. Jia She blinked and suddenly became happy. He said with a smile: "Look, I let Lai Da go, but now he has fallen into my hands again, Master?"

Madam Xing frowned and said, "Master, what you said...Brother Yuan almost got bullied!"

Jia She stood up and said, "It was almost as if he had not been bullied. If he had been, I would have stood up for him. I will go to the outer study and wait. Zi Lai Da will send some filial gifts to him in a moment."

He then excitedly left for the study. Mrs. Xing watched him go, feeling annoyed. She couldn't help but hold her belly and think to herself, "With the master's greed and his devotion to money, he's truly not worth trusting. Instead of relying on Jia She, why not rely on the child in my belly... and that little thief?"

Jia She went to the outer study to drink a cup of tea, and sure enough, Lai Da came looking for him. He bowed and apologized, saying that he would not mention his anger, and finally gave him another thousand taels. The eldest master was satisfied and pretended to scold him before sending Lai Da away.

After he left, Jia She did a quick count and realized he had swindled two thousand taels of silver in just two days. Gee, that was a lot of money! Jia She was eager for Chen Siyuan to follow his example and offend Shan Daliang, Lin Zhixiao, and the others one by one. Wouldn't that make him rich for nothing?
On the other side, Lai Dajie begged for a long time and finally gave up the job of tea room manager, which appeased Mrs. Wang.

When Lai Da and Lai Da reunited, they were both immediately filled with worry. Because of Chen Siyuan, not only had they lost two of their jobs, but they had also paid two thousand taels of silver in compensation. This man was a disaster. They wouldn't dare mess with him again!
The most troublesome thing is that Chen Siyuan is still angry. How can he make amends for this?
Without mentioning how worried Lai Da and his wife were, let’s talk about what happened in Rongqing Hall. When night fell, Baoyu returned to Qixianzhai, and Grandmother Jia was also tired, so she went to the west end to rest.

In the green gauze cupboard, Daiyu flipped through a scroll by candlelight. Nanny Wang carefully made the bed. Xueyan, remembering what had happened in the afternoon, chuckled softly, "It was Master Yuan again. With just a few words, he silenced Nanny Lai."

Zijuan smiled and said, "Master Yuan has calculated that the Lai family will not dare to report to the authorities, otherwise who knows how this will end."

Xueyan frowned and said, "Sister, are you saying... that it was Master Yuan who did it?"

Zijuan said, "That's hard to say...but I just offended Master Yuan, and then something like this happened. How could it be such a coincidence?"

Nanny Wang couldn't bear to listen any longer and turned around, saying, "That's not something you can say carelessly. What Master Yuan said just now makes sense, but it was just a momentary impulse. The Lai family's grandson is actually trying to ruin someone's reputation, which shows that he is petty and vindictive. Who knows how much trouble this person has caused in the past? It's a coincidence that he will get his comeuppance now."

Xueyan nodded and said, "Madam, what you said is true... Besides, what kind of character is the Lai family's grandson? And what kind of character is Master Yuan? Not to mention that it wasn't Master Yuan who did it, even if he really did get beaten, that person deserved it!"

Zijuan smiled and said, "Madam and sister are right. I just said it casually." After a pause, she looked at Daiyu again and asked, "What do you think, young lady?"

Daiyu put down the book, glanced at him and said, "If you like to gossip, go ahead and do it in private. Why are you dragging me into this?"

After this was said, Nanny Wang, Zijuan, and Xueyan stopped talking about the matter. Daiyu picked up the book again, but never turned a page.

Just now during dinner, my grandmother kept stealing glances at me from time to time. Daiyu is very perceptive, so how could she not know?
After a little thought, she realized that her grandmother was deliberately trying to discredit Brother Yuan. However, Brother Yuan had good reasons and evidence, which left Nanny Lai speechless. Then she let the matter go.

Why did my grandmother do this? Perhaps she wanted to disgust her and eventually reject the marriage certificate?
Daiyu is much older than Baoyu, so it is unclear whether Grandmother Jia is trying to match her up with Baoyu or is after the Lin family's eldest wife's property.

The night was as cold as water, and Daiyu felt annoyed. She stared at the book in a daze, her mind in turmoil.

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

The next morning, Hongyu came back with a lunch box. She avoided Liu Wuer again and quietly handed a piece of paper to Chen Siyuan.

Chen Siyuan took it with surprise. Hongyu watched Liu Wu'er clean up the study and whispered, "Xueyan stuffed it in here. She said Miss Lin had finished writing it a few days ago, but she never got around to delivering it."

Was it the note Daiyu had sent? Chen Siyuan unfolded it and took a look. He saw the beautiful handwriting on it: "Don't worry about the journey, the wind will come to you."

The soothing meaning was self-evident. Chen Siyuan pondered for a while and only vaguely remembered that these two sentences seemed to be from Tang poetry, but he forgot who wrote them.

Chen Siyuan was secretly delighted, thinking that he had some weight in Lin Daiyu's heart, otherwise why would she send a note to comfort her?

After breakfast, he went to his study and wrote a poem. After drying the ink, he handed it to Hongyu, saying, "Send it to Xueyan when you have time."

Hongyu agreed with a smile, and then helped Chen Siyuan get dressed before going to pick up the food box.

When Chen Siyuan left the main room, he saw the little maid Yunxiang holding a kite and standing in the courtyard.

Chen Siyuan stepped forward and asked, "Where did the kite come from?"

Yunxiang was also confused and shook her head, "I don't know either. I was just sweeping when I saw this kite fall from the sky and almost hit me on the head."

Chen Siyuan looked at it carefully. The kite in his hand was called a kite, but it was actually made of bamboo strips and silk yarn. It was in the shape of a butterfly as big as a washbasin, and looked a little faded. There were two whistles hanging from the bottom.

After a slight movement, the butterfly's wings were seen flapping back and forth.

Is this a soft-winged kite with a whistle? It looks like a Jiangnan style. Chen Siyuan turned his head to look at the Lixiang Courtyard next door. There was no movement inside even through the two walls.

Yunxiang glanced over and clasped her hands together as she suddenly realized, "Yes, Ying'er must have secretly released it early this morning, and somehow the string got broken."

Ying'er?

Chen Siyuan thought to himself, I'm afraid it must be Sister Bao! The Xue family has always been strict in disciplining their servants. How could Ying'er dare to fly a kite so early in the morning without Sister Bao's permission?
Chen Siyuan casually tossed the kite to Yunxiang and said with a smile, "I guess no one wants it. You can do with it as you see fit."

Yunxiang didn't dislike it and said happily, "This kite looks great. I'll find some paint and outline it later. It will look like new!"

Chen Siyuan didn't care about Yunxiang. He walked out of the courtyard, went out through the back door, took a carriage and went to the Imperial College.

Baojie's birthday was approaching, and Chen Siyuan didn't know what gift to give. This gave him an inspiration.

When we arrived at the Imperial College that day, although there were doctors urging us to study early in the morning, everyone in the Suixing Hall was absent-minded.

Chen Siyuan asked someone and found out that they would be taking a day off in two days, and everyone was discussing where to go for a trip.

The Imperial College was closed for one day every ten days. Chen Siyuan pondered over the situation and came up with a plan. At noon, he was about to go look for Supervisor Tao when, during lunch, Jiang Yuanqian asked, "Shuliang, did you know that the servant's son had dropped out of school today?"

Chen Siyuan was puzzled and asked, "Why would you drop out of school?"

Jiang Yuanqian showed off for a bit before saying, "He said he fell off his sedan chair yesterday and broke his arm. His family knew there was no hope for him to continue his studies, so they came here today to take all his belongings and went to see Supervisor Tao to get him withdrawn from school."

Chen Siyuan frowned, thinking to himself, "This Lai family is truly formidable!" If Lai Shangrong continued to stay at the Imperial College, Chen Siyuan would have to sacrifice his wealth and money to completely destroy his literary heritage. Unexpectedly, the Lai family simply expelled Lai Shangrong, leaving Chen Siyuan at a loss.

Lai Shangrong had dropped out of school, so Chen Siyuan naturally couldn't go back to find Tao Jiancheng to settle the matter. After leaving the Imperial College at 3 p.m. that day, he wandered around the Huguo Temple, found a southern goods shop, and bought a lot of tin bars.

Thinking that if I didn't go to Xiaohuazhi Hutong today, I was afraid that Third Sister You would feel resentful, so I simply went to Xiaohuazhi Lane.

I knew that the two sisters, You Sanjie and You Erjie, were still looking at each other coldly, but when Chen Siyuan entered, he saw the two sisters huddled together, talking and laughing about something.

Chen Siyuan blinked, feeling very confused. He didn't know what had happened to the two sisters in the past two days.

Seeing Chen Siyuan coming, You Sanjie was very happy and immediately pulled him to the west room to talk.

Chen Siyuan sat down and asked in a low voice, "Have you reconciled with my second sister?"

Third Sister You smiled and said, "What's there to be said for this? It's just three rules."

Three chapters of agreement?

Third Sister You continued, "She said she would return home when Mom had given up her thoughts. Now she's just staying for a while... and it won't delay us at all." As she spoke, she raised her chin: "Look!"

Chen Siyuan turned his head and saw that You Erjie had stood up and gone to the side room.

Could this be so simple? Chen Siyuan always felt that You Erjie's words were not entirely true. So he said to You Sanjie, "I can't get involved in your sisters' affairs. Third sister, be careful and don't trust others completely."

Third Sister You pouted and said, "Brother Yuan, do you think I'm stupid? I know what I'm doing."

Having said this, Chen Siyuan could not persuade them any further. The two of them were in the sweetest of moods, and with the maidservants and You Erjie out of the way, they were naturally very intimate.

After a long while, Third Sister You's eyes seemed to be filled with tears. She stared at Chen Siyuan and said, "You haven't been here for a few days, why don't you rest here today?"

Chen Siyuan shook his head and said, "I have to go to the Imperial College tomorrow... I have a day off the day after tomorrow, so how about I come tomorrow night?"

Third Sister You couldn't hide her disappointment, and begged again, "Then it would be okay if you could stay for a meal?"

"Well, that's all right."

Third Sister You was immediately delighted and quickly asked the maid to book a table.

After a while, the banquet was served. Third Sister You pretended to invite Second Sister You, but Second Sister You refused to come to the main room. Third Sister You picked up various dishes, packed them into a food box, and sent it to Second Sister You in the side room.

Chen Siyuan felt more and more strange. If it weren't for the fact that You Erjie had seduced him several times at You's house that day, Chen Siyuan actually believed that You Erjie came here to stay temporarily because she didn't want to go to Ningguo Mansion.

But it's easy to change the country, but it's hard to change one's nature. How could You Erjie give up just like that? I just don't know what she is thinking.

On second thought, no matter what tricks You Erjie had, she was targeting You Sanjie. How could a grown man like me suffer any loss?

He immediately put aside his doubts and toasted with Third Sister You, drinking from the same cup from time to time. The joy he felt was beyond words.

In the side room, You Erjie finished her meal alone and sent the maid away. Chunxi, a simple-minded woman, cleaned up and took the dishes away. Xia Zhu took the opportunity to approach and whispered, "Miss, I saw clearly at that time that Third Sister's box was full. There was a thousand taels of silver in banknotes alone!"

(End of this chapter)