Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 142 Matchmaking
After Chen Siyuan finished speaking, Sister Bao seemed lost in thought. The principles were universal, so how could she not understand? Baochai pondered to herself, thinking that she had repeatedly urged Baoyu to improve himself, perhaps because... she was unwilling to give in.
She considered herself virtuous and virtuous, and how could she be any worse than any other girl? Unfortunately, she had no say in her marriage, so she could only feign complicity with Baoyu, hoping that the Jia family would protect the Xue family's eldest branch after the marriage.

She was only fourteen now, and had read novels about talented scholars and beautiful women like The West Chamber in her early years. How could she not be attracted by Baojie's precocious intelligence? In her early years, she had dreamed of meeting a good man and becoming a good wife, and then she watched him pass the imperial examinations and become an official.

However, the situation was beyond her control, and now she had no choice but to choose Baoyu. Sister Bao was determined to turn Baoyu into the person she coveted. However, people's nature is formed early, and as the saying goes, a child's character can be seen at the age of three. Baoyu was originally a playboy with the habits of a womanizer. Born into wealth and splendor, how could he care about fame and fortune?

I'm afraid it will take a major change for him to change his character.

Sister Bao sighed and laughed, "That's my fault."

Chen Siyuan smiled without saying a word. He looked up and saw a cassia branch sticking out of the wall. He reached out and broke it off, then leaned over and wrote a line of words in the corner of the wall.

“No one helps me reach the summit, I will climb the snow by myself.”

After writing, Chen Siyuan fiddled with the cassia twig and said with a smile, "I'm giving this to Sister Xue as a gift to encourage herself."

Baochai thanked him softly, then frowned and said, "It's a pity that I gave birth to a girl."

In this world, how can women be allowed to show their faces in public and make a living outside?
I heard that during the late Ming Dynasty, Jiangnan was a place of extreme openness. Some women even dressed as men, appeared in public, and managed their businesses. They even sought out handsome scholars and monks to share their lodgings, sometimes forming societies where they would hold forth and discuss state affairs. Centuries later, Jiangnan's customs have revived, with some dandy men wearing seductive clothing and women dressing as men.

But after all, it was just a corner of Jiangnan. The customs in Dashun were still conservative. Women were expected to follow the three obediences and four virtues and to support their husbands and raise their children. Baochai would never go against the trend, but would only follow it.

Chen Siyuan pondered, "Now that we have the virtuous concubine in the palace, and the old lady is gradually becoming less involved in affairs, when the lady truly takes charge of the household in the future, I think the marriage between Sister Xue and Brother Bao will be a natural outcome. As for other things, I can't expect much."

After saying this, Sister Bao's brows furrowed even more.

But during the birthday celebration today, Aunt Xue mentioned to Mrs. Wang privately that Baochai would be coming of age next year, and although Baoyu was still young, had the marriage been finalized?
I thought Mrs. Wang would agree to it, but she said that the old lady's mind was unpredictable and Baoyu was young, so it was difficult to decide on the matter for the time being.

After the birthday party, Aunt Xue suddenly became worried. She and Lady Wang were sisters, so who didn't know who?
She had said all sorts of good things when she borrowed the money before, but now she was suddenly making excuses. How could Aunt Xue not know that Mrs. Wang had other thoughts in mind?
On closer inspection, Yuanchun was given the title of Consort Xiande. If she were to be promoted to Imperial Consort someday, Baoyu wouldn't gain much, but he would still be a legitimate uncle of the emperor. For an uncle of the emperor to marry the daughter of a merchant would be a joke. Not to mention, the Xue family's marriage contract had other constraints.

Aunt Xue regretted it deeply and said frankly, "If I had known this would happen, I should have finalized the matter when I borrowed the money that day."

After hearing this, Sister Bao felt even more melancholy. Because Baoyu had left in anger and had never returned, she was so depressed that she left Ying'er alone and went out for a walk.

Sister Bao was very perceptive and knew that what Aunt Xue said made sense. She was afraid that Mrs. Wang was really thinking of climbing up the social ladder.

Poor Baojie, she prides herself on being virtuous and kind. In the past, she had Daiyu to stand in her way, but now that Daiyu is gone, even her own aunt looks down on her! How can Baojie cope with this?
But she could only keep this matter to herself, not bring it out. Baochai glanced at Chen Siyuan, who stood tall, smiling and observing the osmanthus tree, and suddenly felt an impulse in her heart. The man before her was well-educated, well-mannered, and hardworking, and not burdened by his family background, he was truly a rare and good man.

The most important thing was that for some reason, this person always seemed to be able to guess what was on her mind. Sometimes she would come over to deliberately anger her, and sometimes she would come over to comfort her with good intentions... Although it was annoying to think about it, Bao Jie couldn't bring herself to hate her.

It’s not that the Xue family can’t wait, but isn’t it a hundred times better than that damn Baoyu?
As if noticing Baochai's gaze, Chen Siyuan suddenly turned his head to look. Their eyes slightly crossed, and Baochai quickly ducked to avoid him. Then he said, "Yes, I haven't thanked Brother Yuan for the cosmetics box yet. It looks very nice." He paused, then continued, "That day... the kite landed in Brother Yuan's yard?"

"Well, Yunxiang got it and treasures it like anything else. She's had someone repaint it these past two days and said she'll put it up in the garden tomorrow when the weather is fine."

"Oh." Baochai felt a little disappointed.

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "I can't say that the kite was flown by Sister Xue... but the kite looks quite faded. I think Sister Xue likes it very much. How about I make a new one for her someday?"

Baochai was surprised and laughed, "Brother Yuan can even make kites? He really is multi-talented."

Chen Siyuan laughed at himself, "What's that? Horseback riding, hawking, cockfighting, dog walking. It's a pity that my family background is not good. If I had a family background like Brother Bao, I would definitely be more refined and playful than him."

Seeing that he was serious, Baochai couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh.

Chen Siyuan tilted his head and said, "Sister Xue, don't you believe it?"

"I certainly believe it. Look at the porcelain figurines before and the tinware now. You can tell that Brother Yuan's mind was mostly on these exquisite objects."

Chen Siyuan sighed and said, "It's a pity that I wasn't clever enough in my previous life, otherwise why would I have to work so hard in this life."

If he had studied science and knew how to build steam engines and textile machines, King Ping of Yan would have treated him like a treasure. Not only would he have been able to pass the arduous provincial examinations, but he would have easily achieved the title of Duke. Unfortunately, he studied marketing.

Baochai thought he was joking and said, "Brother Yuan, do you still remember your past life? But I don't know what it was like in your past life."

Chen Siyuan pondered for a moment, then turned his head and said seriously, "It's pretty much the same as it is now, except that the people can now have enough to eat."

He worked as a beggar for a while, and then followed his mentor to travel around and set up traps. He had come into contact with wealthy families, and naturally the common people saw him even more.

At this time, there were many families in the countryside who could not find wives. The practice of forming cliques was not something that existed before the founding of the People's Republic of China, but had already existed at this time.

At that time, women were a kind of resource. The powerful and wealthy were extravagant and spent large sums of money on shopping, and they naturally collected all the beautiful women.

Even if she was lucky enough to marry a country boy, it was not necessarily a good thing. She would be envied by her neighbors, coveted by the wealthy, and if she acted unwisely, her family would be destroyed.

An ugly wife is a treasure in the family, and a camel walks alone across a hunchback bridge. This is the truth, though it may be a rough saying.

Beautiful flowers growing in barren lands are bound to be poisonous.

Don't believe it? Isn't that what happened to Liu Yan'er? Because of her beauty, she couldn't marry into a wealthy family as a concubine, and she wasn't willing to marry an ordinary, rough man, so she resorted to setting fire to a bonfire and setting up a trap to gain wealth and status.

As for her past life… was it even worse? Perhaps it was because ordinary women in this life at least had some self-awareness, because they had little experience; in her past life, she had seen too much and completely lost her self-awareness. Regardless of her own moral character, she thought she was Sister Bao or Sister Lin.

A bad feeling came over Chen Siyuan, and he shuddered. He said to Baochai seriously, "Well, it's better now."

"Why?" Baochai asked in confusion.

"At least there aren't that many ordinary women who think they are fairies."

Baochai thought about it seriously for a moment before she understood what 'Pu Xin Nu' meant. She immediately covered her mouth and laughed, "Could it be that Brother Yuan was reborn in the late Ming Dynasty in his previous life?"

Chen Siyuan was about to answer when he heard Ying'er calling Baochai from the Pear Fragrance Courtyard. Chen Siyuan said, "Sister Xue is leaving now, and it's time for me to go back too. Why don't we talk to Sister Xue next time?"

Baochai nodded in agreement, and saw Chen Siyuan bowing and saying goodbye. She hurriedly bowed to return the greeting, and when she stood up, she saw Chen Siyuan striding away.

As she watched her figure disappear, Baochai kept muttering "Pu Xinnu" to herself. Her face looked strange, but the distress in her heart was much relieved than before. She agreed and then moved back to Lixiangyuan.

They said they would meet next time, but for the next ten days or so, the two of them never had the chance to see each other.

The next day, Chen Siyuan went to see Zhen Fengshi and found that her cold had improved slightly, but her coughing persisted. He asked the doctor, who said that Zhen Fengshi had been working hard for many years and was in a very weak condition.

Chen Siyuan gave up some money and asked Doctor Ding to prescribe some nourishing medicine. He and Xiangling had dinner with Zhen Fengshi before returning to Rongguo Mansion.

In the following days, Chen Siyuan was no longer free because his schoolwork suddenly accelerated. Tao Jiancheng found him and secretly revealed a set of examination questions to him.

Chen Siyuan immediately felt like he was facing a formidable enemy. He painstakingly crafted an eight-part essay, only to find it was completely incoherent and rewrite it. This happened repeatedly, and as the end of the month approached, Chen Siyuan, unable to save face any longer, sought advice from Mei Hanlin.

Mei Hanlin was quite enthusiastic at first, but after reading the article, he frowned. After thinking it over, he simply called his son Mei Chong to give him some advice.

Mei Chong was indeed quite capable. He revised and commented on the article in a very logical way. Chen Siyuan benefited greatly from it and said in surprise, "Brother Mei, such insightful comments show that the article is worthy of being published. I wonder why it hasn't been published yet?"

Mei Chong said in distress, "My father once said that I would be able to leave when I learned the calendar and calculations."

Chen Siyuan didn't bother to find out the Mei family's rules. He excitedly took the essay home and carefully revised it. Sure enough, when he took the exam at the end of the month, the same question was asked.

Chen Siyuan pretended to think, and it took him half a day to finish writing. Afterwards, he wrote a test poem. At that time, he was still worried, afraid that he would not live up to his reputation for talent.

Who would have thought that the doctoral examiners didn't care about the test poems at all? Come to think of it, once the rhyme and theme are set, how many people, even if they have talent, can write a famous poem by chance? It's okay if it's close enough.

The next day, the list was posted, and Chen Siyuan was indeed ranked first. Wang Zhongfang, Jiang Yuanqian and others congratulated him profusely, but after reviewing Chen Siyuan's essay, they suddenly had different thoughts.

Jiang Yuanqian privately went to Wang Zhongfang and said, "Brother Wang, although beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I think Shuliang's article seems to be..."

Wang Zhongfang said, "Lack of technique? You think the doctor can't see it? But Shuliang's introduction to the topic is clever. This idea is the first step, and the subsequent eight-part essay doesn't need to be too flowery. It is better than ordinary articles."

Jiang Yuanqian was startled, then immediately bowed and said, "Yes, it's my petty mind."

Meanwhile, Chen Siyuan had also been summoned by Tao Jiancheng. Tao Jiancheng said little, his underlying message being that Chen Siyuan's essay lacked quality and that if it wasn't good enough, he should just find someone else to write it for him. If he continued like this next time, he wouldn't be able to take the top spot.

Chen Siyuan was ashamed. He made up his mind that although he would have to find someone to write for him in the future, he also had to study hard on his own studies. Otherwise, even if he passed the provincial examination by chance, he would probably not pass the imperial examination.

No matter what, I finally accumulated one point in February, and with seven points left, I can successfully graduate from the Imperial College.

On this day, when Chen Siyuan was returning from the Imperial College, he sent his servant Qingyu to buy a court bulletin. On the way back, he glanced at it and saw one of the items that said 'Yingshanlang Dai Xinting was transferred to the position of Assistant Censor-in-Chief'. Chen Siyuan blinked and took a breath of cold air.

The Director of the Ministry of Works and the Assistant Censor-in-Chief... Well, let alone the Jia family, even the four kings and eight dukes can't get any money from the Ministry of Works and the Imperial Censorate.

After some introspection, he concluded that Prince Ping of Yan must have known the truth, and the emperor had simply taken drastic action. This censor had earned his position through his reputation for honesty, and Dai Xinting was known for his strict and upright character, making him an easy target for bribery. This effectively cut off the Jia family's access to the Ministry of Works.

After this incident, the Jia family still had to welcome Yuanchun to visit her parents, and who knows how much money that would cost. Hiss… maybe Daiyu would lose her fortune.

So, after I passed the Autumn Examination in August, how would the Jia family respond? Would they deny it? Or would they agree to it upfront and save it for the future, either for me or Daiyu?

As the saying goes, 'people die for money and birds die for food'. Chen Siyuan has experienced countless dangerous things in his two lives and has never hesitated to speculate about people's hearts with the greatest malice.

I still remember that in the original novel, it seemed that Mrs. Wang changed the imperial physician for Daiyu, but when Lady Jia found out, she changed him back... Lady Jia's protection of Daiyu was not just out of grandparent-grandchild love, but also out of the Wood-Stone Pact. Now that the Wood-Stone Pact has been broken by herself, who knows if Lady Jia will still protect Daiyu?

Thinking about it more carefully, Grandmother Jia has enough dignity to not commit such a crime as to murder her granddaughter. It is Lady Wang who needs to be warned in time, lest she become cruel.

He also remembered that he had not visited Madam Xing in the East Wing for a few days. A pregnant woman's mind is very changeable, so he must be on guard against her jealousy. So Chen Siyuan gave an order and drove straight to the main gate of Rongguo Mansion.

Soon they reached the main gate, where Chen Siyuan disembarked and hurried to the east courtyard. The gatekeeper ushered him in, and Yu Si said, "Master Yuan, your arrival today is unfortunate. The eldest master and the master went to see Master Zhen to discuss matters. Madam You of the East Palace invited the first mistress to visit Huifang Garden that afternoon, and she hasn't returned yet."

It was not a good idea to go any further inside, so Chen Siyuan said, "That's really unfortunate. Please let my aunt know later and tell her that I will come tomorrow on my day off."

Because of the examination at the end of the month, the holiday was moved to the second day of this month, which coincided with Yingchun's coming of age.

Yu Si smiled and agreed: "Don't worry, Master Yuan. I will let you know when the Master and Madam come back."

Chen Siyuan gave Yu Simei a dime, then, seeing her smile, turned away leisurely. He entered the Rongguo Mansion through the corner gate, then the left corner gate near the stables into the backyard. He passed Mengpo Zhai and Lady Wang's courtyard, then turned west from the northeastern guesthouse, passed the meeting hall, and arrived at the main gate of the villa.

Although there were maids guarding the main gate at this time, they did not stop Chen Siyuan from passing through the garden. They greeted him from a distance and watched him enter.

After a ten-day absence, Chen Siyuan took a quick look inside and saw that all the buildings had been completed, leaving only delicate repairs. He walked slowly, skirting the rockery and lush peaks ahead. He saw a group of maids gathered in front of the jade archway of the provincial villa, chattering and pointing towards the river. Looking over, Chen Siyuan saw a double-decker pleasure boat docked on the shore, with craftsmen sketching and painting on board. It looked like the construction would be finished in a few days.

Chen Siyuan stopped to observe for a moment, secretly sighing at the extravagance of the Rongguo Mansion. They actually built a pleasure boat in their own garden. What a great deal!

While he was thinking about it, he saw a maid on the opposite side who seemed to have caught sight of him, waved from afar, and then quickly went around the sluice bridge to greet him.

Only then did Chen Siyuan see clearly that it was the man beside Mrs. Xing.

When Tiao'er came closer, because they were already familiar with each other, she didn't even bother to greet him. Instead, she just held the ends of his hair and asked with a smile, "Brother, why are you in the garden?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "You didn't follow me to Huifang Garden?"

Tiao'er said, "I go to Huifang Garden several times every year, but there's really nothing to see. I just took a leave and came to the garden on my own to see what's new." He paused and continued, "Who told you that? Yes, you just went to the east wing courtyard?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and nodded, saying, "Since they're all gone, I can't stay any longer. I was thinking of going back to look for my sister."

At this moment, laughter could be heard from near the Jade Archway. Tiao'er turned around and spat at the maids. Then, a little shyly, she said, "Brother, if you have time, why don't we go for a walk together?"

"Okay." Since there was nothing else to do, Chen Siyuan agreed.

Tiao'er suddenly jumped for joy and led Chen Siyuan westward. At this time, the grass and trees were sprouting everywhere, looking at the tender green, and dotted with early spring flowers. Wandering among them was really refreshing.

In front of a crowd, Tiaoer seemed to be a little talkative, but when the two of them were together in private, they didn't talk as much.

Tiao'er introduced various places randomly. When he came to a pavilion, he saw that there was no one around. He suddenly stopped, raised his little face and said, "Brother, look at my rouge today - um -"

Before Tiao'er could finish her words, Chen Siyuan reached out and hugged her. The girl looked at him timidly and said with a giggle, "Brother, aren't you afraid of others seeing it?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Just take a look. I'll ask my aunt to bring you over later."

Tiao'er said, "It's strange. Madam said earlier that she would send Miao'er and me to take care of my brother, but now there's no movement."

Why else? Before, when Madam Xing wasn't pregnant, she naturally had more worries. Now that she was pregnant, her heart was mostly on the child in her belly. She even ignored Chen Siyuan, let alone this matter.
Chen Siyuan had a lot of flaws, but his only good point was that he would take full responsibility for anything he provoked. He had taken Tiao Er to sit in the pavilion, and after some intimacy, he began to chat about trivial matters.

Tiao'er's heart was on him, and he told him everything he knew, saying a lot of things. For example, the master had been extremely irritable these past few days, and for some unknown reason, even Jiaohong Concubine got slapped yesterday;
For example, yesterday Xing Dequan came over, saying he had heard Chen Siyuan was famous in the capital, so he came to visit Chen Siyuan and go to his study. Mrs. Xing was furious and scolded Xing Dequan before sending him away.

For example, Wang Shanbao and Siqi have been whispering to Mrs. Xing recently.

Chen Siyuan asked, "What did Nanny Wang say to Siqi?"

Tiao'er sat in Chen Siyuan's arms, her body pressed tightly against his shoulder, and whispered, "For some reason, Nanny Wang said that Madam, it would be better for you to raise the second young lady under your name. That way, you can gain a good reputation in the future... After all, Madam has no shortage of money now, so at most you can add some to the dowry when the second young lady gets married. If... if the second young lady marries me, it will only be a matter of transferring money from one person to another, and it won't be a good deal for outsiders."

"Ah?" Chen Siyuan was puzzled. What was Wang Shanbao planning?
Tiao'er continued, "Siqi also said that my brother and the second young lady are like a golden boy and a jade girl together, a match made in heaven. She also said that every time my brother sees the second young lady, he has to look at her carefully, and every time the second young lady comes back, she is always thinking about it."

After a pause, Tiao'er leaned close to Chen Siyuan and said, "Brother, do you really like the second lady?"

Chen Siyuan avoided answering and asked, "What did your aunt say?"

Tiao'er said, "At first he was just hesitant, but recently he seems to have been persuaded."

Mrs. Xing now resembled Chen Siyuan, and her personality was quite simple, so Chen Siyuan knew what Mrs. Xing was thinking with just a little thought. Perhaps it was because the second young lady was soft-tempered and easy to manipulate. If she really married him, wouldn't Mrs. Xing have the final say?
Even if he vaguely guessed what was going on between him and Madam Xing, he would not dare to make it public.

Chen Siyuan was instantly at a loss for words, thinking to himself, "Second Miss Yingchun seems soft-tempered, but that's simply due to the situation." Yingchun is particularly skilled at Go, and judging by her quiet demeanor, she's probably someone who can endure. But if she truly crosses a line, I'm afraid her resistance will be even more fierce than her own fiery nature.

I'm afraid Mrs. Xing is wrong this time...

Tiao'er was about to say something else when he suddenly heard faint voices coming from the direction of the cave. Tiao'er was so frightened that he quickly stood up, straightened his clothes and said, "Someone is coming. Brother, please come back quickly. I'm leaving too."

Seeing that Chen Siyuan was pulling her hand and refusing to let go, Tiao'er smiled and gave him a kiss, then she covered her mouth and left with a smile.

Chen Siyuan didn't stop. He stood up and left the pavilion, passed the flower shed and flower rack, and walked along the winding path towards the stone cave. Unexpectedly, when he was still ten steps away from the stone cave, he suddenly heard a woman's voice calling out from the bushes beside him, "Who is it?"

Chen Siyuan stopped immediately, and then he saw a woman's face emerge from the bushes. He glanced at her and said, "Uncle Yuan?"

When Chen Siyuan saw that it was Siqi, he frowned and looked around. Seeing that there was no one around, he couldn't help but feel puzzled, wondering if Siqi was here to relieve herself.

Soon Siqi shyly stood up, her clothes neatly arranged, and said, "I, I saw an interesting bug, so I played with it for a while."

In fact, she had just been near the jade archway and had seen Chen Siyuan and Tiao'er wandering towards her. Then she turned back and pretended to talk in the cave, which scared Tiao'er away. She didn't know how she happened to run into Chen Siyuan again, so she simply lay down in the grass to catch insects.

"It turned out to be Siqi. I was wondering who it was."

Siqi was about to speak when Chen Siyuan waved his hand and said, "No need to thank you. I just happened to be here."

Siqi was also straightforward, and upon hearing this, she smiled and said, "Since Master Yuan has said so, I won't bother you any more. By the way, I heard Master Yuan is releasing the exam list today, and I imagine you'll be among the top, right?"

Chen Siyuan stepped forward and nodded, saying, "Luckily, I'm on top this time."

Chen Siyuan stopped, looked up at Siqi slightly, felt uncomfortable, and took another step back.

Siqi bit her lower lip and said, "Master Yuan doesn't like my height either? It's strange. My parents were never this tall, but I just keep growing taller."

Dislike? Chen Siyuan estimated himself that he was about 5'7" tall, and Siqi was definitely over 5'7". Especially since even with a bra, she couldn't hide her throbbing figure, and she looked pretty good. In her previous life, such a figure would have been sought after, but now it had angered the scholars.

Chen Siyuan shook his head and said, "Why wouldn't I be happy? In less than two years, it will be you who will be looking up at me."

Siqi's expression relaxed a little. She looked at Chen Siyuan carefully and said, "Well, Master Yuan looks quite a bit taller than when he came here. If a man can grow a few more years, he will definitely be taller than me in the future."

Chen Siyuan smiled and nodded. The two chatted for a while, and just as Chen Siyuan was about to leave, Siqi said, "Master Yuan, are you going back to your own courtyard? What a coincidence! I'm just about to go back to look for my mother...why don't we go together?"

"Okay."

Chen Siyuan agreed, and the two of them walked along the winding path and entered the stone cave. Siqi was thinking about how to find an opportunity, but unexpectedly, Chen Siyuan, who was walking in front, didn't see clearly for a moment and stepped on a pebble, and suddenly stumbled to the side with an "ouch".

Siqi cried out in surprise and hurried to support him. It would have been fine if she hadn't helped, but as soon as she did, Chen Siyuan couldn't control his body and fell to the side.

The two of them immediately collapsed against the stone wall, Siqi still holding Chen Siyuan tightly in her arms. Chen Siyuan felt trapped in the softness for a moment, and it took him a long while to react and said, "Are you hurt?"

"No...hiss, no."

Chen Siyuan tried to break free, but felt Siqi's arms tightly around him, preventing him from moving. After a moment, Siqi woke up with a start and abruptly let go. Chen Siyuan climbed to his feet and pulled Siqi up again. He saw that her clothes were slightly torn on the right shoulder, but there was no blood.

Chen Siyuan said, "I'm a man, why do I need you to protect me? I must be hurt, right? Fortunately, I didn't break any skin."

Siqi said in a low voice, "As long as Master Yuan is alright, I don't mind even if I lose my life."

Chen Siyuan was startled, and looking up, he saw Siqi biting her lower lip, hesitant to speak, her eyes full of affection. Chen Siyuan was not a fool, so how could he not know Siqi's feelings?

Then he said, "What's with all this talk about life and death? I don't like to hear that, and please don't say it again. We're all fine, and we still have a long way to go."

"Hmm." Siqi wanted to confide in him, but she remembered the difference between master and servant, and since she was the Second Young Lady's personal maid, some things were difficult to say. She fumbled for a handkerchief and said to Chen Siyuan, "Master Yuan, I...our young lady was inspired yesterday, so I wrote on this handkerchief. Would you like to take a look, Master Yuan?"

"Well, it's dark in the cave. Let's go out and take a look."

Siqi said, "Master Yuan, just keep it for your inspection and return it to me later."

Chen Siyuan agreed, and the two of them did not stop. They walked out of the cave and went along the winding path on the rockery to the back door of the garden.

When they arrived at the foot of the villa and came out from the back door, Siqi finally separated from Chen Siyuan.

Chen Siyuan returned to his own courtyard. Only Hongyu and Liu Wu'er were there; Xiangling was still tending to Zhen Fengshi and hadn't returned yet. After a quick snack, Chen Siyuan went into his study to review his lessons.

Suddenly he remembered the handkerchief Siqi had given him, and he drew it from his sleeve to examine it. He saw that the writing on it was crude, and indeed there was a short melody:
In February, the wind cuts the flowers into brocade, the orioles sing and the red rain falls in front of the village.

A guest on the roadside with a face like peach blossoms, hiding her delicate shyness, with her powdered face covered with a thin mist and gauze.

Full of poetry and books, his calligraphy leaves no trace.

Delicate and graceful, the spring is bright. Flowers are so beautiful, and I meet my lover on the winding bridge.

Chen Siyuan frowned after reading it, thinking, "Was this written by the Second Young Lady? With Yingchun's temperament, how could she dare to write such a young woman's love song? I'm afraid Siqi must have forged the imperial edict!"
I don't know where he found this little poem from, but he took great pains to copy it on a handkerchief, and then he found an opportunity to hand it to himself, and even falsely claimed that it was written by Yingchun.

Chen Siyuan pondered for a moment before throwing the handkerchief into the brazier, burning it completely. Siqi's affection for Yingchun was understandable, but this move clearly dragged Yingchun into the water, which was a bit inappropriate.

Chen Siyuan didn't want Yingchun's reputation to be affected by this. Suddenly, he remembered that Yingchun would be coming of age the next day, and the gift he wanted to send her was not yet finished, so Chen Siyuan hurriedly found something and got busy.

Let’s not talk about him for now, but say that Siqi wandered around for a moment, and when she saw Chen Siyuan returned home, she came back to the front from the back door.

They left Rongguo Mansion and entered the east wing through the black-oiled gate, then passed through the three-story ceremonial gate into the main courtyard. Siqi entered the west wing and saw her own daughter, Xian, sitting behind a desk, working on a chess game. Xiuju was sitting nearby, doing her needlework. Seeing her come in, she smiled and asked, "Why are you back so late?"

Siqi smiled and said, "Although it is mostly finished, it has not yet been carved or painted, so it looks ordinary. I will just accompany you, young lady, and you should go and take a look."

Xiu Ju happily agreed, said goodbye to Yingchun, and happily went to the garden.

Only the master and servant were left inside. Siqi came over and said with a smile, "Miss, guess who I just met?"

Yingchun said calmly, "I'm not a worm in your stomach, so how can I know who you ran into?"

"It's Uncle Yuan."

As soon as the words fell, Yingchun's heart was in turmoil, but she remained calm on the surface, and she picked up a black piece and dropped it.

Siqi smiled and whispered, "Mr. Yuan just asked you a lot of questions and said he would definitely prepare a special gift for you. Yes, Mr. Yuan said he would take a day off. Why don't you send me an invitation and invite him to have some fun together?"

The second girl couldn't help but frown and said, "Nonsense again, how can I invite him?"

(End of this chapter)