Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 145 Intention
Qian Feihu and Xu Dabiao were of course unharmed, having been hit by a few hoes as they rushed out. On the contrary, Jia Yun was hit by two arrows in the back as he rushed out.

Fortunately, it was still freezing cold outside the Great Wall a few days ago. After pulling out the arrow and applying medicine, Ma Panlong was fine when he hurried back.

Chen Siyuan finally breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this, and immediately said to Jia She, "Uncle, I wonder where the Wu brothers' caravan is now? We must not let the tiger go back to the mountain! Please write a letter to the authorities along the way, and make sure these two beasts are detained and brought back to the capital. The land beyond the Great Wall is vast, and I heard there are still settlements of the Shengnuzhi people. The Wu brothers are old and cunning. If they hear of this, they will take their families and men with them and flee. Then all the money they have embezzled for decades will be wasted!"

Jia She twirled his beard in surprise. He had originally thought of using this to scare off the brothers Wu Jinzhong and Wu Jinxiao, and then taking over all the two thousand acres of farmland that had been reclaimed. The land outside the Great Wall was vast and sparsely populated, but the soil was fertile. While the land value wasn't as high as in the capital, at least an acre of good farmland could still be sold for three taels of silver. Two thousand acres added up to six thousand taels!
After hearing Chen Siyuan's reminder, he realized with a start that he had been mistaken. The land wasn't going anywhere, so why not take it anytime? On the contrary, the wealth accumulated by the two Wu brothers over decades might even be more substantial than that land.

Thinking of this, Jia She took a deep breath and said solemnly, "That's right. I'll go and find Zhen'er to settle the matter. I'll send a letter immediately and have Lian'er deliver it to Jinzhou and Guangning. I'll definitely keep those two old men here!"

Jia She stood up and walked away. When he reached Chen Siyuan, he suddenly paused and looked at the dusty Ma Panlong, saying, "Thank you for your help, righteous man. Brother Yuan, please let him rest well. I will definitely reward you handsomely in the future."

Chen Siyuan grumbled inwardly, "Where's the generous reward? Ma Panlong traveled a thousand miles to report the news, so he should have been rewarded with a few dozen taels of silver. How could he just talk without paying anything?"

Thinking this in his heart, Chen Siyuan agreed happily: "Uncle, just go find Brother Zhen, and your nephew will entertain Brother Ma."

"Yeah." Jia She nodded and walked out without stopping.

As soon as he left, Chen Siyuan called to Ma Panlong and said, "Brother, please move over. Let's have some wine and meat."

Ma Panlong smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Brother Yuan, let's not get into this. The fourth and sixth brothers are protecting Yun Ge'er in Guangning Prefecture now. They'll be back soon as they receive a message. I don't care about anything else right now, I just want to get home as soon as possible."

He was worried about his young wife, so Chen Siyuan bowed and smiled, saying, "I was wrong. I'll see you out then." He and Ma Panlong left the outer study together. Chen Siyuan said, "Brother, take a few days to rest. When fourth and sixth brothers return, I'll place all three of them in the inner court. They must find good jobs to establish themselves."

Ma Panlong finally smiled and said, "Thank goodness I've made the acquaintance of Brother Yuan. Otherwise, we brothers wouldn't have known how high the heavens were and how deep the earth was. We'd probably get into trouble in the capital and have to return to Shandong the moment we get there."

Chen Siyuan said, "My three brothers are all capable, but they just lack some opportunities."

Ma Panlong shook his head and didn't respond. There weren't many warriors like them in the capital. Street performers might have some real skills, but how many of them were appreciated by the nobles?
The Imperial Household, that was a fabulously wealthy government office. Since the founding of the Dashun Rebellion, thousands of the elderly, the weak, and the disabled have resided there, and now it has grown to tens of thousands of people. Even so, even a minor clerk in the Imperial Household would be considered respectable in the capital, and some Imperial Household members would even trade their job for a county magistrate. So you can imagine how lucrative the situation was!
Apart from anything else, as long as the three brothers entered the inner palace, they would have security in the future.

Therefore, although Ma Panlong knew that Chen Siyuan had previously intended to make friends with a ruthless soldier, he was now very grateful to Chen Siyuan.

After a moment, Chen Siyuan sent Ma Panlong out of the black oil gate, and after a few words, he watched Ma Panlong excitedly ride his horse towards the outer city.

When his figure disappeared into Ningrong Street, Chen Siyuan was about to return to his own courtyard when a servant suddenly ran over from Ningguo Mansion. He came up to him and bowed, saying, "Master Yuan, the master invites you to come over to discuss some matters!"

Chen Siyuan frowned slightly, nodded in agreement, and followed the servant into Ningguo Mansion, passing through the ceremonial gate, heading south to the main hall, and then directly into the inner hall. When he entered, he saw Jia Zhen and Jia She frowning and talking about something.

Jia She saw Chen Siyuan enter and extended his hand to invite him in, saying, "My nephew is the most opinionated. Why not talk to him about what Zhen-er is worried about? Who knows, maybe Yuan-er has some ideas?"

Jia Zhen glanced at Chen Siyuan, his mind filled with confusion. Old Lady You had repeatedly brought her two daughters to the banquet, and even deliberately sent Mrs. You away. Who didn't know what she was thinking?
Unfortunately, Jia Zhen was mourning the death of Qin Shi Huang at the time and had no time to chat with his two sisters-in-law, which delayed him. By now, his grief had long since faded, but the two sisters-in-law no longer visited. The last time, only Old Lady You had come alone, and Jia She, unable to resist his curiosity, had inquired about her.

Old Lady You hesitated for a long time, then burst into a rage, scolding Chen Siyuan harshly! Jia Zhen then realized that this brother Yuan had somehow gotten in touch with Third Sister You, and later even Second Sister You!
Upon hearing this, Jia Zhen was stunned and began to dislike Chen Siyuan... The fat meat that was originally delivered to his mouth was snatched away by someone else. Anyone would feel disgusted if it were him.

Now seeing Chen Siyuan again, Jia Zhen was naturally confused.

However, it was difficult to reveal these hidden secrets, so Jia Zhen said with a forced smile, "Brother Yuan is very capable. I think the King of Yanping treasures Brother Yuan's idea very much. I think he must have a brilliant plan this time. Oh, Brother Yuan, don't be so polite. Please take a seat."

Chen Siyuan bowed and thanked him, then sat down and said, "Brother Zhen, I really don't deserve what you said. I don't know what kind of difficulties I'm facing right now, so how can I say I have any good ideas?"

Jia She said, "Brother Zhen, please speak quickly, otherwise something unexpected will happen."

Jia Zhen nodded and said, "Brother Yuan, you know that the land beyond the Great Wall has always been a bitter and cold place. During the reign of Emperor Taizong, in order to prevent the nobles from seizing the land in the capital and causing the people to suffer, he distributed farmland in Liaodong.

However, Liaodong was far from the capital. Over the past century, the family had sent several young men to guard the area, but none could endure the bitter cold outside the Great Wall. In desperation, they had to find an elderly family member to take care of the land in Liaodong... That's how the brothers Wu Jinzhong and Wu Jinxiao came to manage the farms of the Ning and Rong mansions.

Chen Siyuan nodded.

Jia Zhen continued, "To manage a farm, one must be able to command everyone and be knowledgeable about farming, sericulture, fishing, and hunting. If a mediocre manager were to go there, not only would he not be able to manage the farm properly, but he would also cause dissatisfaction among the farmers. Brother Yuan also knows that Liaodong is a vast land with a sparse population. The farmers here are tough and unruly. If anyone harbors resentment, they could kill the manager, take their wives and children, and hide in the mountains. How could the government find them?"

Chen Siyuan frowned after hearing this and immediately asked Jia Zhen about the details of the farmland in Liaodong. Although Jia Zhen had never been to Liaodong, he had managed the family business for many years and could explain the farmland matter in detail.

To put it bluntly, this farmland is a sub-landlord, similar to the intermediary sub-landlord in the previous life. The owner of the farmland handed it over to the village head to manage, and agreed to an annual rent. Later, the village head asked for more or less payment, and took advantage of the situation. But as long as the master's rent was paid in full, the master would turn a blind eye.

Now that the Wu brothers had grown stronger, the rent had been decreasing year after year, but the Ning and Rong families had no way to deal with them. This was because the family had previously sent a steward to Liaodong to serve as a village head, but after only a year, he was driven back to the capital by the farmers because he was not professional.

After several times, the Ning and Rong mansions saw that their prospects were declining, and they dared not make trouble anymore. They had to choose a family from the two manors to be appointed as the head of the manor.

The work of a village headman isn't something anyone can do. You have to know the weather, keep the farmers in check, irrigate the fields during busy season, and harvest on time. During slack season, you have to dig canals, cultivate land, burn wasteland, fish, hunt, and so much more. In short, there are so many tasks! It's truly not something anyone can do.

Chen Siyuan inquired about the situation of the farmers in detail and found out that many of them were landless farmers from Shandong and Hebei. Some of them were tenants, and some of them sold themselves to the two governments and were considered slaves.

Chen Siyuan couldn't help but frown after hearing this. He always felt that this Zhuangzi was vaguely consistent with some systems in his memory of his previous life, but he couldn't remember them for a while.

Jia She was a man of impatience. Seeing him frowning in thought, he could not help but ask, "How is it? Has Brother Yuan made up his mind?"

Chen Siyuan came to his senses and said, "I have some vague ideas. I'll think them through when I get back. I've written a plan these past two days for my uncle and Brother Zhen to review... But the Wu brothers must send a letter immediately to apprehend these two people. Don't let the tiger go back to the mountain."

"This..." When it came to making a decision, Jia She hesitated and looked at Jia Zhen quickly.

Jia Zhen nodded and said, "Brother Yuan, what you say makes sense... How many acres do the two families have in Liaodong? The Wu brothers alone have embezzled two thousand acres, and the remaining holdings combined are probably not less than these two. No matter what, these two must be detained and brought back to the capital. Uncle She, I will send a letter to Jinzhou right away. The Jinzhou commander is an old friend of ours, so I don't think he will refuse this request."

After hearing what Jia Zhen said, Jia She nodded and said, "Okay, I will also write a letter to the commander of Guangning. This person is from the family's personal guard. Even if Jinzhou can't stop them, the Wu brothers will not be able to pass Guangning!"

The matter was settled for the time being, and the three chatted for a while. Suddenly, a maid came in and said, "Master, the boy has been found."

Jia Zhen's face turned pale with rage, and he could not help cursing, "You have no intention of making progress every day, but only of riding horses and roaming about innards and brothels. This is really outrageous!"

Jia She stood up and said, "In that case, Yuan Ge'er and I will go back first. Rong Ge'er is still young, so don't be too harsh on her."

Jia Zhen agreed and quickly got up to see him off.

After escorting them out of the corner gate of Ningguo Mansion, Jia Zhen went back angrily to teach Jia Rong a lesson.

Chen Siyuan and Jia She were heading towards Rongguo Mansion together. As they approached the black-oiled gate, Jia She felt uneasy and asked in a low voice, "Brother Yuan, are you sure?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Uncle, even if we're not sure at this point, what does it matter? Can we still watch that old servant embezzle the family's money and food? Putting aside other things, just the farmland and the Wu family property that have been recovered is not a small amount."

Jia She was startled for a moment, then smiled and said, "Yes, I was wrong. In that case, tomorrow I will send Lian'er to Liaodong to bring Wu Jinzhong back to the palace and see what the old lady has to say."

Chen Siyuan smiled and bowed, watching Jia She walk leisurely into the black oil gate. Then he moved forward, entered the Rongguo Mansion from the corner gate, and walked along a winding road back to his own courtyard.

He ignored Xiangling, Hongyu, and the others, and went into his study, frowning and thinking. When the lights came on, Chen Siyuan suddenly clapped his hands and said, "So that's how it is! Isn't this a cooperative?"

Isn't a cooperative essentially a wage system? Daily work is calculated based on cents, and after paying enough, the remaining output is aggregated and distributed according to the cents. This system is a copy of the Russians, and while it may not be well adapted to local conditions, it seems perfectly suitable for a Liaodong village.
Firstly, whether they were domestic slaves or tenants, they had no land, so the work point system was just right for implementation; secondly, the village head would be re-elected every few years, which prevented the second landlord from becoming too powerful.

The more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. Chen Siyuan found a brush, and Liu Wu'er, understanding his interest, hurried over to grind ink. Once the ink had dissolved, Chen Siyuan picked up his brush and began to write a long and eloquent article, detailing the various aspects of the work-point system.

Of course, what he drafted was only a rough outline. As for how many centimeters of work would be counted daily, and how many work points would be awarded for fishing and hunting, these would need to be carefully negotiated with the servants and tenants. Furthermore, these rules couldn't be finalized overnight. Chen Siyuan planned to revise them as he went along. If there were objections to this year's calculations, he could simply change them next year.

After finishing, Chen Siyuan felt his eyes sore and his arms ached. He thought to himself that he should use a hard pen for this kind of writing from now on; using a brush all the time was really tiring.

Rubbing his eyes, Chen Siyuan asked, "What time is it?"

Liu Wu'er had returned to her room without her knowing. Xiangling heard her voice and replied, "Master, it's almost midnight."

Chen Siyuan stood up and stretched, then quickly asked Xiangling to help him wash up. Once he was in the bedroom, he remembered that Hongyu hadn't been there. After a moment's thought, he asked, "Has Hongyu had her period?"

Xiangling replied, "More or less. She had been having cramps for a while, and she was afraid it would come at night, so she went to the side room."

Chen Siyuan responded, crawled into the warm room, hugged Xiangling and was about to fall asleep. At this moment, he heard Xiangling say, "Master."

"Hmm?" Chen Siyuan said with his eyes closed.

Xiangling said, "It's strange, but I'm afraid I'll have my period in the next two days... Then I'll have to let Wu'er keep watch."

Chen Siyuan opened his eyes and smiled, "There seems to be a saying... It says that if two women spend time together day and night, over time, the days of their periods will become the same."

"Is there such a thing?" Xiangling blinked and smiled, "It seems to be true."

Chen Siyuan was very tired, so he didn't say anything else and fell asleep while hugging Xiangling.

The next morning, Chen Siyuan was woken up in a daze. He ate a quick bite of breakfast, handed the work point system he had written the night before to Hongyu, and instructed her, "You will take it to the master in the east courtyard in a while."

After Hongyu agreed, Chen Siyuan packed up, went out the back door, and took a carriage to the Imperial College.

But Hongyu hurriedly sent the paper to the east wing. The eldest master Jia She took the paper and examined it carefully, but could not tell whether it was good or bad for a while, so he had to go to the East Palace to find Jia Zhen to settle the matter.

Jia Zhen, having been unchecked for several years by Jia Jing's escape from danger, had become rampant in the East Palace. With Qin's departure, Jia Zhen became even more unscrupulous, and he often seduced the attractive maids and wives in the household. Even so, Jia Zhen, having managed the family business and clan lands for several years, was more capable than Jia She.

It would have been fine if he hadn't seen it. After seeing it, he immediately clapped his hands and exclaimed in admiration: "Brother Yuan is indeed quite talented. No wonder King Ping of Yan values ​​him so highly!"

Jia She raised his eyebrows and asked, "Did you see clearly that this plan is indeed useful?"

Jia Zhen said hurriedly, "Although my nephew has never managed the farm himself, this matter is no different from that of a steward. One must set rules and follow them. I think the rules set by Brother Yuan are excellent, and I think the servants and tenants will be happy. From now on, the rent will be set every three years. This is much more convenient than handing it over to the Wu brothers!"

Jia She was overjoyed and could not help laughing. "Brother Yuan has always been prudent. I saw that he had a plan in mind yesterday, so I was sure he would come up with a suitable plan. In this case, there is no time to waste. Let's send Lian'er to Liaodong!"

He immediately sent a servant to call the confused Jia Lian, handed him two letters, and gave him some careful instructions, then urged Jia Lian to set off immediately.

Jia Lian was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. He returned to Rongguo Mansion with a feeling of resentment and explained everything to Sister Feng, which naturally caused Sister Feng to criticize him a lot.

After hesitating for half a day, it was not until the afternoon that Jia Lian led four servants out of the capital and headed outside the city.

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

Qishaizhai.

But one day, Baoyu had returned from his studies and, as soon as he entered the Qixianzhai, Xiren came to greet him. After taking a few steps, he glanced into the wing room and saw Qingwen sitting with one leg sideways on the kang, embroidering something stitch by stitch.

Thinking of what happened the day before, Baoyu felt a little guilty and asked, "How is Qingwen?"

Xiren laughed and said, "You know she has a fiery temper. I'm afraid if you don't take the initiative to bow your head, she will ignore you."

Baoyu mused, "I certainly went a little overboard the night before last." As he spoke, he turned and went into the side room. Seeing Qingwen glance up at him, she lowered her delicate head and continued to work. Baoyu sat down beside her with a smile, took a look, and asked, "Why are you embroidering a waist fan again?" Qingwen put down her fan and said with a stern face, "Does the Second Master have any work for me?"

"No, I just came to talk to you."

Qingwen frowned and said, "In that case, it wouldn't be a problem for Master Bao if I did some needlework myself, right?"

Baoyu said embarrassedly, "It's okay, it's okay..." After a pause, seeing Qingwen snorted coldly and ignored him, Baoyu took off his purse and poured out all the loose change inside.

Qingwen was startled and asked with a frown, "What do you mean?"

Baoyu smiled and said, "Aren't you short of money? Take these first. If it's not enough, I'll ask the old lady for more."

Qingwen's brows furrowed even deeper as she sneered, "What do you think I am, Master Bao? A cat or a dog? If you like me, you stroke my fur and throw me some dried fish and meat bones; if you don't like me, you kick me aside?
Oh, I dare not take this silver, Master Bao, please take it back! Besides, I have hands and feet and can do needlework, and I can earn money myself!

Baoyu sighed and said, "I wasn't targeting you that day, but——"

Qingwen said, "Because of Master Yuan? He and Miss Lin are already engaged. It was Master Lin who arranged it. If Second Master wants to blame someone, he should blame Master Lin! I actually think Master Yuan is a very good person."

Baoyu was startled, then immediately annoyed. He stood up and turned away: "Since you say he's a good person, why don't you go to his room?"

As the conversation progressed, Qingwen also started to make a scene, shouting, "Second Master is not pleased with me, so why not just let me go back to the Lai family?"

Baoyu opened his mouth, but in the end, no cruel words came out. He stamped his foot and walked away angrily. Xiren hurriedly chased after Baoyu. She turned around and saw Musk Moon coming in, frowning and soothing him, "You too, he clearly came here to please Dao Nao, but a few words from you have irritated him again!"

Qingwen's eyes instantly turned red. She said, "I haven't said anything wrong or done anything wrong. He doesn't dare to argue with me, but he chose to pick on me, a servant. Who have I offended? Besides, I don't live on my looks. I have hands and feet. I can earn a living by doing any work I can."

Musk Moon smiled bitterly and said, "You're getting more and more ridiculous. Stop talking."

He immediately picked up the scattered silver and money on the kang, said a few words of comfort, and then went to the main room.

Qingwen was so angry that she wiped away her tears for a long time. When she stopped crying, she carefully began to sew the foundation for her waist fan. She didn't know how much time had passed when she heard a sudden noise outside. A little later, a little maid said, "Qingwen, Aunt Lai is here to see you."

Qingwen was startled when she heard this, and quickly put down her work and went out to meet him.

As soon as I arrived in the yard, I saw Lai Dajie coming towards me with a smile.

Qingwen stepped forward to greet him, and Lai Dajie tugged at her hand and said, "Just now I heard that you and Master Bao had a quarrel?"

Qingwen frowned and asked, "Who said that? Did he complain?"

Lai Dajia sneered and said, "There are people everywhere in this house, how can we hide the truth?"

Lai Dajie then dragged Qingwen into the side room, and when they sat opposite each other, she asked Qingwen what had happened. Qingwen had been feeling depressed for two days, and now that she had no one to confide in, she took the opportunity to tell her about what had happened that day and today.

Lai Dajia was very surprised when he heard this and asked hurriedly, "How did you get involved with Master Yuan?"

Qingwen complained, "My cousin is arranging a wedding, and even if I gave him all the money I had, it wouldn't be enough, so I thought I'd take on some needlework."

Lai Dajia said, "I'm sorry for the hardship you have suffered. It was I who advocated your cousin's marriage. Since you are short of money, why didn't you tell me?" As he spoke, he was about to take out the money.

Qingwen hurriedly tried to stop him, saying, "No, I don't need it now." As she spoke, she fished out a few silver coins from her handkerchief and said, "Look, Master Yuan ordered a waist fan from me. He gave me a deposit of ten taels of silver, and there's another ten taels left."

Lai Dajia wanted to say something inappropriate, but when the words came to his lips, he was suddenly stunned. He looked at Qingwen carefully and couldn't help but wonder in his heart, could it be that Chen Siyuan is coveting Qingwen?
There are countless needlework people in the family, why did you choose Qingwen to do the needlework?

Seeing his strange expression, Qingwen hurriedly asked, "Why are you looking at me like that? Are you blaming me for something wrong?"

"Ah? Oh oh..." Lai Dajie said vaguely: "Since you have agreed, just do the work carefully. Don't let things get estranged with Master Bao in the future-" He paused and continued: "-I think the old lady is considering promoting you to be a concubine. If things get estranged, won't all your future be ruined?"

Qingwen blushed immediately and spat, "Whoever wants to be his concubine can do it, I don't want to!"

In the past, Lai Dajia would have been tempted to tease her and ask if Qingwen really didn't care. But now, Lai Dajia had no mood for teasing. He just talked about the same old things and comforted her for a few words. Then he said he had some chores to do and hurried out.

After Qingwen sent Lai Dajie off, she returned to her room and continued embroidering her waist fan, so she didn't mention it anymore.

But the Lai family hurried out of Qixianzhai and soon reached the Yimen Gate. There, they found Lai Da, and the couple gathered in a corner to discuss their dispute.

Seeing that Lai Da was gloomy, Lai Dajia hurriedly asked, "Is there something on my mind, Boss?"

Lai Da nodded, looked around, and lowered his voice to ask, "Did you know that Second Master Lian just led his servant out of the capital on horseback?"

Lai Da nodded, and then he said, "A message came from the East Palace saying that the eldest master and the eldest master Zhen were dissatisfied with the Wu brothers' harsh demands, so they sent people to Liaodong to check the accounts after the Lantern Festival. Who knew that this move would lead to the Wu brothers' nephews and nieces gathering together to besiege Zhuang Han.

The eldest master and the eldest master Zhen were furious, so they sent the second master Lian to Liaodong. I am afraid that the Wu brothers will be in trouble this time.

Everyone was shocked: "Ah? This... Boss, will this matter implicate us?"

Lai Da said, "Every year Wu Jinzhong only gives a few hundred taels of silver, but I'm afraid he'll have to pay again this time."

"Well...why not ask my mother-in-law to ask the old lady for help?"

"Women's opinions!" Lai Da gritted his teeth and said, "Last time, my mother begged for permission twice for that Chen guy. How can she still have the face to do so now? This time, I'd rather lose money than suffer a disaster."

"This..." Lai Dajia's heart ached, and he said regretfully, "How much silver will we have to give this time? We have worked so hard to oversee the villa for the visit, and I am afraid that we will have to give it all back this time. Rong Ge'er is still thinking about building a garden at home, but this time it will be difficult."

Lai Da frowned and said, "It's already this late, and you're still pampering him? How can a family like us just build a garden casually? Forget it, I'll go find the master tomorrow and feel him out."

Lai Da nodded with a bitter face, and Lai Da asked again: "Yes, is there something you want to talk to me about?"

Lai Dajia then said, "Qingwen and Master Bao have had a quarrel. It's been two or three days and there's no sign of it calming down. I went to see what was happening, and I found out that Master Bao was upset because Qingwen was secretly doing needlework for that Chen."

Lai Da said, "That girl Qingwen has always been arrogant and sarcastic. I suggested that we send the red ibis instead, but you and mother insisted on sending the magpie... Qingwen. She may have caught the old lady's eye, but with such a temper, how can she survive in the mansion?"

Lai Dajie said, "Who knew she would only grow old but not learn from her mistakes? It's too late to say anything now... Yes, what I was trying to say was that maybe that Chen guy has coveted Qingwen."

"Huh? How do you say this?"

Lai Dajia said, "There are countless needlework masters in this mansion. If Chen didn't covet Qingwen, why would he insist on giving the job to Qingwen?"

Lai Da frowned in thought, and after some reflection, he realized that there was some truth in this. So he said, "There's no rush for this... But Qingwen and Master Bao..."

Lai Dajie hurriedly shook his head and said, "Qingwen is very proud."

Lai Da nodded and said, "It's not good to have another crested ibis."

Who could have imagined that the crested ibis would be possessed by her own son so early in the morning? The original intention was to settle the grudge, but who knew that sending a girl would only create a deep hatred!
This time, I must send her away intact no matter what.

Lai Dajia suddenly frowned and said, "But, if Qingwen sends it off, what will Master Bao say?"

Lai Da said, "Let's take it one step at a time. Master Bao is easy to talk to. Even if Qingwen is gone, he can send a more beautiful maid tomorrow. But it's hard to answer about that Chen guy—" He paused and said, "—I've asked someone to do some research these days. Chen is very popular in the Imperial College. Not only will he be on the Imperial List, he might even be on the Imperial List! With this guy as a formidable enemy, even if Rong'er enters the officialdom in the future, I'm afraid he won't be able to have a good life. For the sake of the future, we must finally resolve this feud."

Lai Dajie sighed and said, "Well, I'll take a look and see what Chen's intentions are."

Two days passed in a flash.

That day, as soon as Chen Siyuan returned to his own courtyard, Qingwen came to find him.

Hongyu led her inside, and Qingwen bowed and said, "Master Yuan, is this picture ready?"

Chen Siyuan washed his hands and said with a smile, "I finished the painting yesterday. It's my fault for forgetting to send it to you."

Qingwen laughed and said, "I'm just a maid. Why would Master Yuan send someone to bring me here?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and nodded, then asked Xiangling to bring the blueprint to Qingwen. Qingwen examined it carefully, then put it down for a moment, frowning and pondering for a moment before saying, "It's not too difficult. I'm afraid it will take more than twenty days to complete. I wonder if Master Yuan's blueprint is any good?"

Chen Siyuan replied, "Spring Dawn on the Goutai."

This is one of the eight scenic spots in Yangzhou.

After a pause, Chen Siyuan continued, "Yes, has your cousin set a date?"

"It's decided, it's on the sixteenth of this month."

Chen Siyuan gestured to Hongyu, who then returned to the western room, took out a few silver coins and handed them to Qingwen.

Qingwen asked curiously, "What's this, Master Yuan?"

Chen Siyuan said, "Your family has a happy event, and I'm afraid it will cost you money. Anyway, the wages are all yours, so why not pay them in advance?"

Qingwen was instantly overwhelmed with gratitude. Clutching the silver, she bowed and said, "Thank you very much, Master Yuan." After a pause, she added, "Master Yuan, rest assured. I will embroider this fan carefully and it will definitely suit your taste."

Chen Siyuan agreed with a smile, and then sent Hongyu to send Qingwen out.

As soon as the two of them left, the little maid Yunxiang sneaked in.

"Uncle, uncle!"

Seeing Yunxiang eager to try, Chen Siyuan said, "Go ahead, I'll give you a raise next month."

Yunxiang's face lit up with joy as she said, "I was strolling around the garden this afternoon when I heard some maids say that Steward Lai was looking for someone to snoop around about Master and Qingwen."

　When Qingwen died, she had several hundred taels of silver, which I personally think was not common for ordinary maids. Qingwen was a top-notch needlework woman, and she must have earned extra income from doing private work.

　　Also, recommend a friend's book.

　　Author: Rong Yan
　　Work: I became famous in the entertainment industry by burning incense

　　At the beginning, Koi is in the entertainment circle, relying on brushing five or three to survive, a chosen worker, and a girl group.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)