Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 144 Gu Xiu
Mrs. Xing wants to go alone for the banquet? Today is Yingchun's coming-of-age ceremony. Is it appropriate for her to go alone?
Seeing that Chen Siyuan didn't rush to reply, Miao'er smiled and said, "My dear, you don't know, but today is a double celebration. First, the second young lady came of age, and then the mistress took pity on the second young lady and said in front of the old lady that she would adopt and take care of her in the future. The second young lady offered tea and kowtowed on the spot, and she will be raised by the mistress from now on."

Mrs. Xing adopted Yingchun? So, as a man from outside the family, I'm not such a stranger. From Mrs. Xing's perspective, Yingchun and I are cousins. I still remember how Mrs. Xing mentioned a few times before, as if she was trying to match me up with the second young lady, and now she's really putting her plan into action.

Mrs. Xing had put in so much thought, and it was hard to let her down. So Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "In that case, I'll just send a gift to my second sister."

He immediately packed up his things, picked up the small bag that Hongyu handed to him, and followed Miao'er to the east side of the courtyard.

When the two entered the garden and saw no one around, Miao'er complained, "Ever since my brother went to the Imperial College, it takes several days for us to see him."

Chen Siyuan reached out and pulled Miao'er's delicate hand in his hand to play with it, saying with a smile: "What can I do? I don't have the prominent family background of Brother Bao. I should study hard in the imperial examinations and fight for a better future."

Miao'er said worriedly, "My brother is still young. Don't let him tire himself out." After a pause and a glance around, she said, "Take Mr. Zhu for example. He passed the imperial examination at the age of fourteen and was truly a genius. But he still ruined his body and passed away in his twenties."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Sister Lao is concerned about me, I know it."

Miao'er breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's good that you understand, brother. Studying should always be a combination of work and rest. Take more rest when you have time... Our wife often misses you."

Chen Siyuan knew Miao'er's thoughts and asked, "What about my sister?"

Miao'er covered her mouth and laughed, "I've been thinking about it a lot myself, but it's a pity that my brother never came."

Chen Siyuan thought, "It will be fine after the Autumn Examination."

Miao'er suddenly frowned, thinking that she would have to wait for three or four years. She would be seventeen next year, and twenty years later. If she could not be with Chen Siyuan, she would have to marry the boy.

Seeing this, Chen Siyuan said nothing more. He took advantage of the moment when he walked to an attic, pulled Miao'er to a corner and flirted with her for a while. He didn't let Miao'er go until she looked at him seductively.

The rest of the journey was a brief one. They entered the black-oiled gate and, after passing through three ceremonial gates, could hear the melody of southern folk songs. Miao'er led Chen Siyuan along the winding corridor and into the hall, where he greeted everyone.

Madam Xing gave him a meaningful look and said, "The younger generation is all having a great time right here, but you're the only one missing. It's not pleasant to think about it, so I called you here."

Mrs. Wang thought to herself that whether she was bringing Chen Siyuan and Yingchun together or Chen Siyuan and Daiyu together, it would always allow Chen and Dai to meet. So she smiled and said, "Brother Yuan is not very old. In the future, he should be together with his brothers and sisters. It's not good to be too estranged."

Aunt Xue echoed twice, glancing at Chen Siyuan, feeling a growing sense of unease. But it was the following year that Chen Siyuan's figure had grown taller and taller. Though still childish, he possessed a graceful demeanor, like a mountain standing tall in the sun. If it weren't for that charming night, Aunt Xue might have simply considered him a junior and not given him much cause for concern.

It was because of that incident, perhaps because the old house caught fire, that Aunt Xue became obsessed with it and has been unable to forget it until now.

Because this idea was really against human ethics, Aunt Xue had to lower her head to cover it up so as not to reveal her actions.

Chen Siyuan didn't notice it at all. He just replied to Madam Xing and Madam Wang, and then went to the table of the younger generation.

When he got closer, he first greeted the second young lady, Yingchun. Then everyone stood up and greeted each other. Before Chen Siyuan could sit down, little Xichun said, "We were just wondering what gift Big Brother Yuan had brought. Now it seems it's just a small box. Now all we need are Second Brother Bao and Big Brother Yuan."

Tanchun also laughed and said, "Second Brother Bao has been hiding things. I wonder what he will give to Second Sister this time."

Baoyu held up his wine cup and said ostentatiously, "I can't say it, I can't say it. Let's take a look at Brother Yuan's gift first."

At this time, Miao'er brought the small bundle over. Chen Siyuan opened the bundle and pushed the brocade box inside in front of Yingchun. He smiled and said, "I didn't know what to give Second Sister, so I made one myself. Second Sister, please take a look and see if you like it."

Yingchun bowed her head and thanked them, holding the brocade box in front of her. At this time, the girls were making a fuss, so Yingchun shyly opened it. When she took a look, she saw a small tin treasure box inside.

It was engraved with a pattern of winter jasmine flowers, and when opened it was divided into three layers, upper and lower. Yingchun held it in both hands, naturally overjoyed, and hurriedly bowed and said with a smile: "Thank you, Brother Yuan, I like this treasure box very much."

Tanchun and Xichun were filled with admiration, and even Daiyu and Baochai kept looking at the treasure box.

Everyone admired it, but Baoyu frowned slightly. Xichun smiled softly and said to Tanchun, "At least I've seen it. I think even if the gift Brother Yuan gives me for my birthday can't compare to this treasure chest, it won't be much worse."

Tanchun reached out and poked Xichun, scolding her, "You have so many thoughts."

Xichun said playfully, "Other people's gifts are just something to suit the occasion, but only Brother Yuan put so much thought into it." She paused, and seeing Baoyu frown again, she added, "I think Second Brother Bao is deliberately trying to compare himself to Brother Yuan. Now that he's seen that treasure box, he's feeling unsure."

Tanchun chided Xichun again, then said to Baoyu, "Second brother Bao, don't hide it. Are you going to wait until your second sister gives birth before giving her the gift?"

Baoyu smiled and said, "Okay, you guys take a look too. I really put a lot of thought into this."

As he spoke, he pulled out a waist fan from his sleeve and unfolded it, revealing a picture of a lady on it.

Chen Siyuan was astonished at the mere glance. Yingchun couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "What a wonderful needlework! Where did Brother Bao find it?"

Baoyu said proudly, "I begged Qingwen for a long time, and she spent another month making this waist fan."

Daiyu glanced at it and whispered, "Gu Xiu."

Baochai glanced at Daiyu and nodded, saying, "It seems the skill was indeed inherited from Gu Xiu. If she can master it for another ten years, she might be the next Huiwen."

Huiwen, also known as Huixiu, was born into a scholarly family. She excelled in calligraphy and painting, and later learned the Gu embroidery tradition, a tradition passed down from the early Ming Dynasty. She incorporated landscapes and cursive script into her embroidery, earning her a reputation for its vividness. Huiwen only occasionally created one or two pieces, never selling them. Furthermore, she died at the age of eighteen, so few Huiwen pieces remain in existence. Those that remain are treasured by wealthy families.

This waist fan was actually embroidered by Qingwen! Although the imitation is obvious, it has already captured Huiwen's true style. Baochai is right. If Qingwen is given another ten years to hone her skills, I'm afraid she will truly be a work of art that surpasses nature!
Chen Siyuan thought to himself that Qingwen's beauty was just a byproduct, and the most valuable thing was probably Qingwen's skills.

Even if it was a skinny horse from Yangzhou or someone with Qingwen's looks and beauty, she would cost at least eight hundred or one thousand taels of silver. But a top-notch needlework woman with such skills would cost three to five thousand taels of silver.

When Chen Siyuan thought that such a good woman might get sick and die in the future, he looked at Baoyu with an unfriendly look.

While Baoyu was chatting and laughing, he suddenly caught a glimpse of Chen Siyuan's unfriendly look and couldn't help wondering, "Brother Yuan, why are you looking at me like that?"

"Oh, nothing." Chen Siyuan looked away, but happened to meet Daiyu's gaze. He gave her a playful look, and didn't care whether Daiyu understood or not. Chen Siyuan simply focused on eating the food and wine.

Daiyu was very puzzled and didn't know what Chen Siyuan was thinking. When she looked over again, she saw that he was just eating and drinking, and didn't say a word.

Tanchun was afraid of leaving Chen Siyuan out in the cold, so she took advantage of the moment when everyone was chatting and laughing to ask, "By the way, have the monthly exam results been posted, Brother Yuan?"

"Well, the list that came out yesterday."

Xichun looked over and said, "I know without asking, with Brother Yuan's talent, he will definitely be among the best."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "I'm ashamed. I got the top spot by luck."

Tanchun counted on her fingers and said, "Doesn't that mean one point? I heard that one can graduate from the Imperial College with eight points. So, doesn't that mean that Brother Yuan just needs to save up enough for eight months to get the top score?"

Baochai laughed and said, "That's not how Third Sister calculates it. The monthly exam gives one point, and there are quarterly exams every quarter. If you get first place, you can get two points."

As she spoke, Baochai felt a little strange. Although the Imperial College was not as good as it had been at the beginning of the country, it was possible for him to be at the top of the list. In the next autumn examination, perhaps he could be among the top candidates in just one or two attempts. How old was Chen Siyuan? Even if he passed in two attempts, he would still be a juren under twenty.

If he could pass the imperial examination and enter the Hanlin Academy after ten years of hard work, he might just become the next Lin Ruhai! Given the Xue family's current situation... they could probably hold out for another ten years, right?
Baojie felt strange, and Daiyu, beside her, felt even more strange. The promise they had made that day in Rongxi Hall was still fresh in Daiyu's mind, and she couldn't forget it. Daiyu had already been impressed by Chen Siyuan's poetic talent, and hearing that he was now at the top of the list made her even more flustered.

Her thoughts were exactly the same as Bao Sister's. If this continued, and that person really passed the imperial examination one day, wouldn't the promise she had made to him that day be confirmed?
Daiyu frowned slightly, not because she was unhappy, but because she was confused. She was only eleven years old the following year, and had a basic understanding of the affairs of men and women. She was an age like a flower, and should have been enjoying the company of a father and playing in the garden. But now she had to think about marriage like other girls in the boudoir.

And it wasn't just about marriage; she was also responsible for the Lin family's eldest branch. A flurry of emotions washed over Daiyu, who didn't know whether to be happy or sad.

Not only Baochai and Daiyu, but also Baoyu thought of this. He hurriedly looked towards Daiyu, but saw that she was frowning and looking down as if she was thinking about something. Baoyu's heart was suddenly broken.

Ever since the marriage certificate was announced last year, although Baoyu and Daiyu seemed to be laughing and joking as usual after their quarrel, there was something different about them.

For example, Baoyu could no longer enter the green gauze cabinet without permission. Every time, the annoying Nanny Wang would stop him and repeatedly say, "A girl must avoid taboos when she grows up."
For example, when Daiyu wanted to take a nap, Baoyu insisted on sleeping in the same bed with her, but was immediately stopped by Nanny Wang.

Even Daiyu was like this. A few days ago, Daiyu pricked her fingertip while doing needlework. Baoyu wanted to come and see her, but Daiyu refused to let him hold her hand.

All these things were too numerous to mention, and Baoyu had not taken them seriously before, but now, on hearing the bad news, they all came back to him. And seeing Daiyu ignoring him, Baoyu suddenly became angry, and felt that Sister Lin had changed too!

I was so sad that my eyes turned red.

But as everyone was talking and laughing, Baochai suddenly caught sight of Baoyu and asked in surprise, "Brother Bao, what's wrong with you? Has the wind and sand blinded you?"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone looked over. Baoyu gave a bitter laugh, feeling that none of his sisters understood him. Even Sister Lin looked over in surprise. He thought to himself, what was the point of staying here? It would be better to go away.

Baoyu then stood up and stumbled out. Xiren, who was accompanying him, saw that something was wrong and hurried after him.

Mrs. Wang was talking to Aunt Xue when she suddenly saw Baoyu stumbling out. She hurriedly asked, "What happened to Baoyu?"

Tanchun replied, "Madam, I don't know why, but Second Brother Bao's eyes suddenly turned red, and he left without saying a word."

Mrs. Wang's heart skipped a beat, thinking that Chen Siyuan and Daiyu's flirting had irritated Baoyu. She was afraid Baoyu had had a fit of hysteria, so she quickly got up and ran after him: "I'm afraid this evil creature is going to have another fit of hysteria. Stop him quickly."

Over there, Chen Siyuan saw that all the girls were frowning and silent, and suddenly sighed, "Could it be because of me? Oh, if I had known he was coming, I wouldn't have come."

The others were fine, but Bao-sister felt that the words sounded very familiar. She glanced at Dai-yu and saw that she was staring and puffing up her cheeks. She immediately covered her mouth and burst out laughing.

Tanchun didn't understand what was going on, so she just said, "Second Brother Bao must be overthinking it. What does this have to do with Brother Guan Yuan?"

Daiyu glared at Chen Siyuan, her heart filled with wonder. She had said this before, but somehow Chen Siyuan had picked it up.

A moment later, Lady Wang returned. Sister Feng hurriedly questioned her, but Lady Wang simply replied, "He won't tell me even when I ask. Xiren has already gone back to Qixianzhai. Forget it, let's leave him alone for now. I'll go check on him later."

Feng Jieer thought to herself that Bao-yu must have been thinking about his engagement again, which was why he had left the table in such a disgrace. She glanced at Lady Wang and saw that she was not unusual. She was surprised. If someone else had provoked Bao-yu, Lady Wang would have been furious. Even if she had tried to hide it in public, she would have held a grudge against her.

But looking at the current situation, Mrs. Wang doesn't seem to care at all... It seems that Mrs. Wang really doesn't like Daiyu, and in order to destroy the alliance between wood and stone, she is willing to hurt Baoyu.

Wang Xifeng, sitting nearby, naturally overheard why Baoyu left the table. She hadn't expected this distant brother to be not only a master of poetry but also a brilliant writer, having won first place right after entering the Imperial College... Who knows, he might even make it onto the imperial examination list someday.

It seems that the old lady's thoughts are just wishful thinking.

The southern opera troupe continued singing until nightfall. After performing more than a dozen acts, Mrs. Xing finally ordered people to give them tips. The banquet should now be dispersed, so Mrs. Xing ordered the maids to clear the table.

Tea and snacks were then served, and everyone chatted briefly. Mrs. Wang and Aunt Xue said goodbye first, and then Baochai, Daiyu and others also got up and left.

Chen Siyuan was about to take his leave, but Madam Xing kept him there, saying, "Brother, please stay a while. I have something to tell you."

Chen Siyuan waited for Mrs. Xing to see the guests off, and then escorted everyone out of the black oil gate before returning.

Miao'er and Tiao'er were also smart. After tidying up, they went to wait in the outer porch. Only Chen Siyuan and Madam Xing were left inside.

Mrs. Xing held up her teacup and said, "Some time ago, that old Nanny Wang kept urging me to adopt Yingchun. I've thought it over and over again, and I think it's a good idea to adopt her. Who knows, we might even become closer relatives in the future."

Chen Siyuan asked, "Are you really going to match me up with the second young lady?"

Madam Xing laughed heartily and said, "You don't look down on me, do you?"

Seeing Chen Siyuan shaking his head, Madam Xing said, "I've calculated everything, and there are many advantages to marrying the second young lady. First, she's gentle and docile, and she probably won't disobey you. Second, when I'm old and you no longer care about me, at least she can come with me to see our child."

Chen Siyuan chuckled and said, "How can I be considered old and ugly? It's just that you are the most thoughtful."

Mrs. Xing frowned and said, "Don't worry about my thoughts. I just want to ask you one question: is it okay for you to marry the second girl?"

Chen Siyuan thought about it and said, "It's all right."

A married woman is like spilled water. Although Yingchun is a daughter of the Jia family, once she is married, even if the Jia family gets into a huge lawsuit in the future, Yingchun will not be implicated. So he did not mind.

Having topped the monthly exam, Tao Jiancheng is indeed a trustworthy person. It seems he'll definitely graduate from the Imperial College before August. Then, he'll take the provincial examination. I think Prince Ping of Yan is also a trustworthy person. Once he's on the list, his engagement with Daiyu will be confirmed. And what if Grandmother Jia disagrees? Daiyu's marriage isn't decided by the Jia family alone; the real decision lies with Jia Yucun.

Jia Yucun looked down on the Jia family and would go along with it when the time came.

So, he was lucky enough to have abducted Sister Lin. As for whether he could abduct the other golden hairpin, that depended on luck.

"All right?" Madam Xing didn't care about Chen Siyuan's attitude. Upon hearing this, she said, "Since you say so, I'll take care of the rest. I'll talk to the master when I have time tomorrow."

Seeing Madam Xing's cheerful expression, Chen Siyuan frowned and said, "I'm afraid it will be difficult to pass the test of the eldest master."

"After all, we are husband and wife, he should at least give me some respect, right?"

Chen Siyuan blinked and remained silent. He thought to himself, "If it were any other matter, it would be fine, but in this case, would Jia She even give Madam Xing face? What a joke!"

Forget it, let’s wait until Mrs. Xing encounters trouble in the future.

The two of them stopped talking about other things and briefly talked about Xing Sanjie's marriage. Seeing that Chen Siyuan was about to come over again, Mrs. Xing was afraid that he would have a miscarriage, so she quickly sent him away.

Qishaizhai.

Baoyu returned home in a daze, and fell asleep in his Qixianzhai. Xiren, Musk Moon, Qingwen, and Meiren came to persuade him one by one, but his mood did not improve.

Fortunately, Baoyu didn't cry or make a fuss this time. He just covered himself with the quilt and stared at the sky. A little later, Mrs. Wang also came to watch. She persuaded Baoyu to eat some dinner, and when she saw that he wanted to go to sleep again, Mrs. Wang gave him some instructions before leaving.

In the blink of an eye, it was night. Baoyu woke up drowsily and saw Qingwen sitting under the lamp, sewing clothes.

Baoyu rustled to his feet. Qingwen turned to look at him and said with a smile, "Are you awake? Would you like some tea?"

Baoyu shook his head.

Qingwen said, "You're already a grown-up, yet you lose your temper over a single disagreement. Now we don't know what you're up to."

Baoyu felt a pang of pain in his heart, his lips moving. He caught sight of a fine cloth garment made by Qingwen, and could not help asking, "Is that the fine cloth sent by Sister Zhou?"

Qingwen was startled and said, "This isn't the one that belonged to Second Master."

"It's not mine?" Baoyu landed and walked over to take a look. Seeing that the dress was long, he asked, "Could it be that Sister Ping'er asked you to sew it for Brother Lian?"

Qingwen's face tightened, and after a long pause she whispered, "I saw Master Yuan coming back from shopping for cloth, so I volunteered to take the job."

"Yuan—" Baoyu hated the sound of Chen Siyuan's name the most. He'd at least been somewhat cautious in public, but now, in Qixianzhai, he was naturally less cautious. Hearing this, he flew into a rage, "Ever since he arrived, the sisters have been constantly talking about him, looking forward to his thoughtful gifts and praising his talent. He even snatched Sister Lin away from him. And now, even my maids are rushing to make clothes for him!"

As he spoke, he snatched the clothes, threw them to the ground, and stomped on them!
Qingwen was slightly stunned. She stood up and said angrily, "What the hell are you crazy about? Give me back the fabric!"

"No! I won't give it back even if I tear it to pieces!" Baoyu was like a madman. He snatched the scissors on the table, leaned over and poked at the clothes randomly, making holes all over the good fabric.

Qingwen's eyes immediately turned red, and she burst into tears, saying, "I've been embroidering that waist fan all January, and I finally finished it. What's wrong with finding some work on the side to supplement my income?"

Musk Moon came over quickly and opened the curtains, asking, "What's the commotion?"

Baoyu threw away the scissors and said, "You belong to my family, you are not allowed to make clothes for him!"

Qingwen was also a fiery-tempered person. Upon hearing this, she spat, "Master Bao, I'm afraid you're wrong. I'm just a maid in your room. Xiren and Bihen are the people in your room!"

After saying that, he angrily dropped his needle and thread, turned around and walked out.

Musk Moon tried to stop him but failed. She quickly called for the concubines outside to chase Qingwen, then hurried forward to support Baoyu and said, "Second Master, what's going on?"

Seeing Baoyu trembling with anger and tears streaming down his face, Musk Moon whispered, "Qingwen's cousin, an official, is getting married, and Qingwen has given all her savings to him. She was busy embroidering a waist fan for the Second Master all January, and now she doesn't even have money for cosmetics next month. So, won't she have to look for some needlework?"

Baoyu was startled when he heard this and said, "She was short of money, but she didn't tell me?"

Musk Moon was speechless. The silver box had always been in Xiren's hands. Which of the maids dared to use it without permission? Xiren had a say in the affairs of the old lady and the mistress, and she'd even said that Bihen might have been driven out by Xiren's trickery. That was why everyone was so cautious now. Who dared to give others a chance to talk about her?
At this moment, the curtains were drawn aside, revealing Xiren. She frowned as she entered, "We just lay down, and now what's going on? Qingwen has run out, crying and snotting. Second Master must have made her very angry."

Baoyu felt even more aggrieved after hearing this. He said, "I haven't even told her that she's mad at me, so why are you blaming me for madness? You don't have to chase her. She can go wherever she wants!"

Xiren was naturally very happy about it, but she also knew that Baoyu was just speaking in anger, so she laughed and said, "Second Master, I will believe it only if you say so tomorrow. Who would believe it now?"

At that moment, Xiren and Musk Moon tried to comfort her again and again. After a while, Meiren came back and said that she had come back to find Qingwen and was now resting in the side room.

Baoyu felt aggrieved at this moment, and felt that he shouldn't have quarreled with Qingwen. His heart was in a mess, so he lay on the bed with his head down and hugged the pillow.

Xiren argued with Musk Moon and Meiren for a while, then stayed alone in the room. After blowing out the lights, she climbed onto the bed in the dark and began to tease him. She put her red lips close to Baoyu's ear and whispered, "Second Master~"

Baoyu was feeling very depressed, and he couldn't help himself any longer, so he immediately started to have sex with her...

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

A few days later, Chen Siyuan went to study at the Imperial College as usual. When he returned to the Rongguo Mansion after school, he had just entered his own courtyard when the little maid Yunxiang came to him, flaunting herself.

"Master, Master, Qingwen came again during the day!"

Chen Siyuan was surprised and asked, "But the clothes are finished? Tsk tsk, it only took one night."

Yunxiang curled her lips and said, "No, not at all!" She glanced back and saw that Hongyu and Xiangling had not yet come out. Yunxiang pulled Chen Siyuan to the foot of the wall and whispered, "Qingwen saw that Master was not here, so she said she would come back later. I just went out to take a look. Master, guess what?"

"Ok?"

"For some reason, Master Bao had a quarrel with Qingwen the other night because she was making clothes for him. He even used scissors to poke holes all over the fabric. Tsk tsk, no wonder Qingwen had such a gloomy face just now, as if someone owed her money."

Huh? There's such a thing?

Even a simple guess would reveal Baoyu's reason. Chen Siyuan couldn't help but ponder, not daring to lose his temper in front of him, and later took it out on the maid in the room... This was very Baoyu.

Qingwen was short of money and had originally planned to do needlework to earn some money, but after Baoyu made such a fuss, she ended up owing money.

While he was pondering, he suddenly heard someone knocking on the door. Then a deep female voice said, "Is Master Yuan back?"

Chen Siyuan and Yunxiang looked at each other, then turned around and walked to the door. Sure enough, they saw Qingwen standing there with a sullen face, pinching her clothes with both hands, and looking uneasy.

Seeing Chen Siyuan, Qingwen quickly bowed and said, "Master Yuan."

"It's Qingwen, is there something wrong?"

Qingwen bit her lower lip and said, "Master Yuan, please forgive me. I accidentally damaged the fabric yesterday... When my monthly allowance comes, I will definitely give you a piece of fine cloth to mend it."

Chen Siyuan smiled generously and said, "It's just a piece of fine cloth, what's its value? Yesterday I saw the waist fan that Brother Bao gave me. It was so exquisitely crafted. Is it Miss Qingwen's workmanship?"

Qingwen nodded: "Yes."

Chen Siyuan clapped his hands and praised, "Sister Xue is very kind, saying that you have already mastered the three essences of wisdom patterns. Your skills... have you passed down the art of Gu embroidery?"

Qingwen looked up in surprise and asked, "Master Yuan also knows needlework and embroidery?"

"Understood."

Qingwen's needlework and embroidery were her strengths, and that was why she never resorted to seductive tactics like Xiren to seduce Baoyu, treating him only as a friend. To put it bluntly, it was only because of the indenture that Qingwen had a relationship with her, otherwise, with her skills, countless wealthy families would have offered her a hefty annual salary to work as a needleworker.

Qingwen then said, "My craft is inherited from my family. It is indeed the Gu embroidery of Songjiang."

"That's what I told you." Chen Siyuan smiled, then suddenly frowned and shook his head: "What a pity..."

"What a pity?" Qingwen asked.

Chen Siyuan said nothing, and Qingwen didn't dare to ask any more questions. She only complained to herself, "Why does this Master Yuan speak half-heartedly?" Then she said, "Let's put it this way. I'll supply Master Yuan with the fine cloth later."

"They all said no."

"It must be made up. Since it's my fault, how can I let Master Yuan suffer the consequences?"

Chen Siyuan thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "How about this? You can embroider a round fan for me. I'll give you the pattern later. If you embroider one, I'll give you twenty taels of silver."

Qingwen blinked and said happily, "Really? Master Yuan, do you keep your word?"

"Of course it's true." Just then, Hongyu, Xiangling, and Liu Wu'er came out to greet them. Chen Siyuan turned and said to Xiangling, "Qingwen and I have already arranged an engagement. Go and get ten taels of silver as a deposit."

Xiangling agreed with a smile and turned back to get the silver.

Qingwen suddenly felt relieved. She thought to herself that this Mr. Yuan really knew what he was talking about. Her craftsmanship, after a month's work, must be worth at least twenty taels.

After a while, Xiangling brought out a few silver coins and stuffed them into Qingwen's pockets, saying, "These are two taels each. Take them, sister."

"Yes." Qingwen stuffed the silver into her handkerchief, then finally smiled and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Master Yuan. I'll come get the drawings someday and I'll be sure to do the work carefully."

Chen Siyuan agreed with a smile, and Qingwen left happily.

At this time, Hongyu followed Chen Siyuan into the main room and couldn't help but say, "What kind of work costs twenty taels of silver? I heard that the top needlework artists in Suzhou charge about the same price."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Qingwen's craftsmanship is considered top-notch even in Suzhou. The most remarkable thing is that she is still young. Who knows, she might even surpass her master in the future and create a masterpiece like Huiwen."

Hongyu was extremely surprised. When she heard Chen Siyuan talk about the waist fan yesterday, she couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

Chen Siyuan went into his room to rest for a while and was about to enjoy dinner when a message suddenly came to him in a hurry: "Brother, the master wants you to go to the outer study as soon as possible."

Chen Siyuan stood up and asked, "What happened?"

Tiao'er whispered, "It is said that a friend of yours has returned from Liaodong."

Huh? Why are you back in early February? Did something go wrong along the way?

Chen Siyuan hurriedly packed up his things and followed the group to the east wing of the courtyard.

After a while, they arrived at the east wing courtyard. After the servant informed them, Chen Siyuan went into the outer study. He took a look inside and saw Ma Panlong, looking very worldly. The eldest master, Jia She, was scowling with anger, but the corner of his mouth was raised, and he couldn't help but jump for joy.

Chen Siyuan greeted him and asked hurriedly, "Brother Ma, why did you come back only after twenty days?"

Ma Panlong looked at Jia She, who waved his hand and said, "It's okay. You can talk to Yuan Ge'er."

"Yes," Ma Panlong said to Chen Siyuan, "Brother Yuan, you may not know that the four of us rode fast and arrived near Heishan Manor on the ninth day. When we got there, we heard that Wu Jinzhong had 800 mu of farmland here, and his brother Wu Jinxiao had secretly reclaimed more than 1,000 mu of wasteland!
We thought we'd get the evidence and wait for the two brothers to return to Liaodong before taking them down. But we alerted the Wu family's nephews, who gathered dozens of villagers and besieged us at night. We had a hard time fighting to escape!"

"Ah?" Chen Siyuan asked anxiously, "How are Fourth Brother and Sixth Brother? How is Yun'er?"

(End of this chapter)