Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 155 Migration
Jia She was overjoyed and couldn't help but look at his subordinate beside him. The subordinate was also tactful and knew that it was not good for him to know such a secret, so he immediately stood up and said goodbye.

Jia She hurriedly sent his servants away, then warmly invited Chen Siyuan to sit down and ordered the maid to serve fragrant tea. Only then did he ask hopefully, "Brother Yuan, what kind of business is that?"

What kind of business? Jia She is a greedy and shameless man. If he were to tell everyone now, how could he have a share in this business in the future?

This is Cordyceps and Shilajit. How much does a piece of Jinge cost in the past? How much did a piece cost before the counterfeit products came out? How can ordinary people afford it? If they want to promote it now, I'm afraid they have to go the upper echelons.

As it happened, the capital city was in no shortage of high-ranking officials. Chen Siyuan was determined to recruit the Jia family and others into his business. Firstly, he wanted to make a quick buck without any effort; secondly, he was attracted by the Jia family's connections. Apart from anything else, if the medicinal wine and pills produced in the future were to be widely distributed, they would bring in a considerable amount of money every year.

Chen Siyuan said, "Please forgive my suspense, uncle. I just happened to find a recipe. Using this recipe, I can make pills that will have the effect of inflicting invincibility. However, I need to invest a large sum of money first to buy out the main ingredients. That way, I can make more money later."

"So that's how it is..." Jia She was suspicious and thought, "Brother Yuan said so, but I wonder if the prescription has been proven?"

"Yes, although I can't guarantee it's 100% effective, I think it's at least 70% to 80% effective."

Jia She nodded and asked, "How much silver does Yuan want?"

Chen Siyuan raised two fingers.

"Two thousand taels?"

"It's twenty thousand."

"Hiss—" Jia She gasped. Just buying a few main herbs in the early stages would cost twenty thousand taels. How many years would it take to recoup the money invested? Thinking of this, Jia She simply asked.

Chen Siyuan thought, "It's hard to say. At the fastest, it will take a year, at the slowest, two years. Probably after two years, it will be free money."

Jia She immediately lost interest and said, "I'm afraid your business isn't very suitable, Brother Yuan. Selling southern goods in the capital only takes half a year to recoup your investment, but your business is really taking too long."

Chen Siyuan pretended to be stunned and said, "Uncle, this business is really great. You must not miss it."

Jia She only frowned and waved his hand, saying, "I also know that Brother Yuan is a good person, but now our family is short of money, and I am also a little tight on money. This... I really can't help you."

Chen Siyuan frowned for a moment and couldn't help but sigh, "What a pity. In that case, I'll go talk to another elder."

Jia She nodded and said, "That's right. Perhaps the Second House and the East Mansion are well off, especially the East Mansion, which just received a fortune."

Chen Siyuan stood up and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your advice, uncle. I'll go first."

"Ah."

Jia She nodded and watched Chen Siyuan walk away quickly. He couldn't help but feel suspicious. He had originally thought it was inappropriate, but when he thought about how Chen Siyuan had helped him make a lot of money several times before, he was undecided whether he should invest the money this time. Then he thought again, he hadn't said he was dead just now. At worst, he could have a good talk with Brother Yuan someday and make up for it later.

Putting aside Jia She’s thoughts, Chen Siyuan came out of the outer study, thought for a moment, and simply walked through the three-story ceremonial gate into the inner room.

Unexpectedly, Miao'er stopped him in front of the main hall and said with a smile, "Madam is feeling sleepy and has gone to bed. If you're not in a hurry, why not go to the side room and talk for a while?"

"Going to bed now?" Chen Siyuan was secretly shocked. Mrs. Xing was getting older and was inevitably burdened by the fetus. Not only did she get up frequently at night, but she also often felt sleepy.

Fortunately, I listened to Chen Siyuan's advice, ate small meals frequently every day, and walked around in the courtyard frequently, otherwise giving birth the next day would be another difficult task.

Chen Siyuan estimated the time, then, meeting Miao'er's hopeful gaze, smiled and nodded, then entered the side room with her. As soon as they entered, Miao'er pursed her lips and closed the door. Turning around, she saw Chen Siyuan standing in front of her, smiling.

Miao'er's eyes were moist as she said with a smile, "Brother, are you greedy again?"

Chen Siyuan smiled silently, then lifted Miao'er's chin, causing her to close her eyes with a rapid breath. Chen Siyuan waited for a moment, teasingly, and when Miao'er opened her eyes in surprise, he leaned over and kissed her.

After a while, Chen Siyuan pecked all the way down her pink neck. Miao'er was afraid of disturbing the main room, so she could only cover her mouth tightly and hum...

The two of them were whispering in each other's ears. Tiao'er, seeing Wang Shanbao's wife coming, got up and went out to change clothes. But just after he had relieved himself, he turned around and heard charming sounds coming from the side room.

Tiao'er stopped walking, frowning, and followed the sound. When he got closer, he saw the door swaying, and Miao'er inside let out a low, suppressed groan.

Tiao'er was slightly stunned, then flew into a rage! He knew without asking that it must be that little bitch Miao'er who had been causing Grandpa Yuan to misbehave again!

Tiao'er was so angry that his face turned pale. He bit his lower lip and thought for a while. Then he took a deep breath, stepped forward, and knocked on the door with his hand, saying, "Miao'er, open the door quickly. My bracelet fell under my pillow. Did you see it?"

The shaking of the door suddenly stopped, and Miao'er said in a panic, "What bracelet? I haven't seen it before."

Tiao'er gritted his teeth and said, "Maybe you didn't look carefully. Open the door and let me go in and take a look."

After a moment, the door suddenly opened, and Tiao'er took a step forward when he saw Chen Siyuan standing behind the door. Before Tiao'er could react, Chen Siyuan reached out and pulled him inside.

The girl cried out in surprise, but before she could say anything, Chen Siyuan leaned over and started to get intimate with her. For a moment, Mr. Chen embraced her left and right, kissing one and sweetening the other, feeling indescribably happy.

Miao'er was so frightened and embarrassed that she was speechless. Although Tiao'er was infatuated, he glanced at Miao'er and her eyes turned red, saying, "Who do you think I am?"

Tiao'er stood up and was about to leave, but how could he break free? He just stayed awkwardly around Chen Siyuan.

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "My two sisters and I are on the same page, and I was afraid you would start arguing, so I decided to just enjoy the blessing of having two wives."

Tiao'er cried, "I'm not a shameless vixen like her. Will the master get tired of me one day and urge the mistress to marry me off to the boy?"

Chen Siyuan immediately cursed, "Sister, what are you talking about? Just look at the people in my room and you'll know. How could I bear to let you marry this boy?"

Tiao'er heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing this, and stared at Miao'er with a pursed mouth without saying a word.

Chen Siyuan soothed them, "I'll ask my aunt to let you out in a few years. I'll find you a house to live in and hire a maid to take care of you. I can't let you suffer any injustice."

Tiao'er felt a little relieved, as this meant that at least she could be a concubine, which was much better than marrying a boy.

She was already in love with Chen Siyuan, so upon hearing this, she asked, "Sir, can you guarantee that you are not lying?"

Chen Siyuan immediately swore, "God, if I tell a lie today, I will be struck by lightning as soon as I leave the house!"

Tiao'er was so frightened that he quickly covered Chen Siyuan's mouth and said angrily, "Master, just say you never lied. Why bother swearing an oath... I, I believe you."

Chen Siyuan started to laugh and was about to say something when Wang Shanbao's voice suddenly came from outside: "Miao'er, Tiao'er, come quickly, the mistress is up!"

The two maids were so frightened that they quickly stood up, packed their clothes in a hurry, and went to the main room together.

Chen Siyuan waited leisurely for a moment before leaving the side room. Unexpectedly, when he came out, he saw Siqi standing at the door of the side room, looking at him resentfully.

Chen Siyuan smiled, nodded slightly and went into the main room.

At this time, Mrs. Xing was already dressed neatly, sitting sideways on the soft couch, with a slightly swollen face.

After the two chatted for a few words, Chen Siyuan mentioned his livelihood and then gave Mrs. Xing a look.

Mrs. Xing immediately perked up and quickly sent Wang Shanbao and the two maids away. As soon as they left, Mrs. Xing asked anxiously, "Did you finally find your way?"

"It's pretty much the same. I should make a profit." After a pause, he continued, "I was a little evasive when I told the master just now. He was skeptical and refused to pay."

Mrs. Xing said happily, "It's just bad luck that he doesn't pay. I can't miss out on my share." Then she frowned slightly and said, "It's a pity that the silver from the sea trade hasn't come back yet. I only have a few hundred taels on hand now."

Chen Siyuan soothed her, "Even if it's for the child, how could I ask you to pay for it? I came here just to let you know. I'll go find the second wife and second sister-in-law first, then go to the East Palace. Maybe this money will be enough."

How could Mrs. Xing agree? She frowned and said, "You've got a mistress, and you think I don't know? I'm afraid you don't have much money to spare. Even brothers have to settle accounts. I've taken advantage of you a lot, so I can't be ungrateful."

Chen Siyuan said a few words, but Mrs. Xing just shook her head, so Chen Siyuan couldn't persuade her anymore. Mrs. Xing called Miao'er in, took out the silver box, and counted out 500 taels of silver in front of Chen Siyuan, giving it to him.

Chen Siyuan didn't want to stay any longer, so he gave a few instructions and got up to leave.

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

Mrs. Wang’s courtyard.

Baoyu, however, had quarrelled with Daiyu again that day, and feeling annoyed, he went to Lady Wang's courtyard. Entering, he saw Jin Chuan'er and Yu Chuan'er coming out, holding quilts.

Baoyu came forward with a smile and asked, "Where are you going, sisters?"

Jin Chuan'er said jokingly, "You'll know after you see it. Summer is approaching and the mistress can no longer cover herself with the quilt, so she sent us to hang it out to dry and put it away."

Baoyu nodded and said, "Is mother reciting Buddhist scriptures again?"

Yuchuaner said, "My concubine and Miss Bao are here too. They are talking to Madam right now."

Baoyu's expression suddenly changed. He was having a quarrel with Daiyu, but he didn't want to run into Baochai. He had skipped school again today, and if they did, he'd be nagging Baochai. So Baoyu simply turned around and went out again with the two maids.

Yuchuan'er asked in surprise, "Second Master, don't you want to go see the Madam?"

Baoyu sneered and said, "It doesn't matter if it's a little later. I'll go with my two sisters to see the fun."

Jin Chuan Er chuckled and said, "Miss Bao and the concubine are here. I'm afraid that the Second Master has skipped school again today. He's afraid that Miss Bao will tell him off."

Baoyu didn't care about his secret being exposed. He just laughed and said, "It's better to have less trouble than more."

She chatted and laughed with the two maids and went to the back together. But just as she left the courtyard, she ran into Chen Siyuan who was rushing towards her.

Baoyu was unhappy and greeted the meeting with a calm expression. Chen Siyuan found out that Aunt Xue and Mrs. Wang were both there, so the two groups passed each other.

But when Chen Siyuan arrived at the door, he was greeted by colorful clouds.

"Why is Mr. Yuan here?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "I have something to ask Madam, please let me know."

Caixia nodded and said, "Then Master Yuan, please wait a moment."

Caixia hurried inside. At this time, Aunt Xue brought up the old matter again, and Mrs. Wang talked in circles about the visit to her parents. The two of them were talking at cross purposes, which made Baochai feel annoyed.

Caixia stepped forward and said, "Madam, Madam, please see Master Yuan."

Mrs. Wang and Aunt Xue were both startled when they heard this, and were extremely puzzled. Aunt Xue then said, "Brother Yuan, come here now—"

Mrs. Wang was very proud of Chen Siyuan's tact and said with a smile, "Perhaps there is something important." Turning around, she told Caixia, "Quickly, go and invite Brother Yuan in."

Upon hearing this, Baochai quickly stood up and said, "Aunt, Mother, I'm going to take shelter inside for a while."

Mrs. Wang and Aunt Xue nodded, and Baochai went to hide in the corner room.

In a moment, Caixia led Chen Siyuan inside. Chen Siyuan bowed respectfully, and Madam Wang said with a smile, "I told you I wasn't a stranger, but you just kept acting like one. Stop standing around and let's sit down and talk. Caixia, make some tea for Brother Yuan." Chen Siyuan thanked her and sat down. When the tea arrived, he said, "It just so happens that my concubine is here too. I'm here to bother you today because I have a business I'd like to invite you to invest in."

Aunt Xue's eyes lit up when she heard this, and she quickly asked, "What's your business?"

Chen Siyuan was unwilling to reveal anything. He only said, "I have been planning this for a long time. I can only say that it is a rare medicinal herb. If nothing unexpected happens, it will definitely be a good business with no loss. However, it will require a lot of money in the early stage."

Mrs. Wang believed that Chen Siyuan was acting prudently, so she smiled and said, "Listen, sister, Brother Yuan is so good at talking. It's clear that he wants to help us make money, but when he says it, it becomes like he's asking for help."

Aunt Xue also said, "Yes, yes, Brother Yuan is a man who knows how to talk."

Chen Siyuan didn't refute him, but just smiled and said, "This business can at least make a profit. If it is managed properly, I wouldn't say it will be a huge profit, but it can at least double the amount. I still have several thousand taels of silver on hand, so I'm about 15,000 taels short."

Mrs. Wang was shocked and blurted out, "So many?"

As soon as he said this, he saw Chen Siyuan was calm and composed, as if he didn't care at all. Suddenly, he remembered everything that happened before... Yes, Brother Yuan had made tens of thousands of taels of silver in the sea trade last time. In comparison, these 20,000 taels now seemed like a small matter.
Mrs. Wang felt relieved and said, "It's a pity that the sea trade payment hasn't come back yet. I only have two thousand taels on hand. Brother Yuan, please don't despise it."

Chen Siyuan bowed and said, "Madam, how dare I despise you for your help?"

Aunt Xue also thought of the maritime trade. She had heard that the fleet had already returned to Songjiang from Fusang, and they only needed to sell the goods to settle the money. This time, Chen Siyuan was the one who initiated it, so she thought it would be a sure win.
Because she still had some thoughts about Chen Siyuan in her heart, Aunt Xue said impulsively: "The Xue family will pay for the remaining ten thousand or so."

This remark immediately drew Mrs. Wang's attention. Anyone with a discerning eye couldn't help but wonder if Chen Siyuan was trying to befriend everyone and make money with them.

Fifteen thousand taels seemed like a lot, but if you divided it up, it would be gone after going around the two mansions. How could Aunt Xue have the nerve to take all the twelve thousand taels?
Since it was Mrs. Wang, she said, "How can you take all the advantages? I'm afraid Zhu'er's wife, Fengjie'er, and the East Palace are all waiting for Yuan'er's support."

Aunt Xue suddenly realized and smiled, "Brother Yuan, go around and at least leave me five thousand taels. If there's any extra, I'll make up for it."

Chen Siyuan smiled and nodded, then stood up and left without staying any longer.

As soon as he left, Baochai came out from the corner, glanced at his back, and felt a little annoyed when she thought of the broken bracelet.

At this time, Mrs. Wang said, "Brother Yuan is a good writer and knows how to make a living. He will surely have a smooth career and a good financial situation in the future." After a pause, she suddenly said to Aunt Xue, "If a girl marries him, she will surely have a great future."

Aunt Xue nodded slightly, her mind aching with thought. The strange man she had imagined in her boudoir now seemed to be increasingly consistent with Chen Siyuan, and Aunt Xue's mind was in a state of confusion.

Baochai sat quietly by the side. Seeing Aunt Xue looking thoughtful, her heart suddenly skipped a beat. She wondered if her mother was planning to marry her off to Brother Yuan.
Sister Bao's mind was in a mess for a while, her thoughts were all confused and disorganized, but in the end she felt relieved and a little happy.

Mrs. Wang saw the situation of the mother and daughter, and a smile immediately appeared on her face. She thought to herself, if the eldest daughter had not been made a concubine before, according to the rule of marrying down and marrying up, given the Xue family's wealth, this golden marriage would have been perfect. But now that the eldest daughter has been made a concubine, who knows, she might even be promoted to a noble concubine in the future. By then, Baoyu would be the emperor's uncle, so how could this golden marriage still be a good match?

Besides, the Xue family’s marriage contract was very harsh, and she didn’t want to let Baoyu down.

However, I had already agreed with the Xue family, and now it is not easy to go back on my word, so I can only shirk my responsibility slightly. It would be best to let the Xue family think about other things and try to climb up the ladder.

After drinking a cup of tea and waiting for the Xue family mother and daughter to calm down, Mrs. Wang said, "Yes, I invited my sister here today for another matter. Your current residence is not very convenient, so I think it would be better if you moved to the guesthouse in the northeast. This would give you a few more rooms and also avoid disturbances. As for the Pear Fragrance Courtyard, I'm thinking of using it to house the twelve young opera singers someday."

Aunt Xue was originally a sojourner, and considering that the guesthouse in the northeast was very close to Lady Wang's courtyard, she nodded and said, "That's good. It will be more convenient for us sisters to visit each other."

At this moment Baochai suddenly said, "Aunt, have you forgotten that Brother Yuan lives next door to Lixiang Courtyard? If those twelve little opera singers were placed there, playing musical instruments and singing every day, I'm afraid Brother Yuan would be annoyed."

Mrs. Wang said, "Why haven't you thought about it? But the house in the mansion is so scarce. We'll have it after the visit." After a pause, she continued, "According to the rules of the Majesty's time, after the concubine's visit, all the rest of the villa except the main hall can be rewarded and moved in. So I thought, let Brother Yuan suffer for a few months first, and after the visit, we can simply find a secluded place in the garden for him to live there."

Aunt Xue smiled and said, "That's quite appropriate... But I wonder where you plan to place Yuan-ge'er?"

Mrs. Wang said, "Look, I've taken a fancy to the thatched cottage in the Qingtang. It has three main rooms and four side rooms. I think it should be enough."

The Qingtang thatched cottage is located to the north of the Jade Emperor Temple, next to the east corner gate. It is indeed a secluded place.

As the two sisters chatted, Bao-jie, beside them, fell into a state of brooding. Chen Si-yuan was, after all, a year older than Bao-jie, and only a few months younger than the second young lady, Ying-chun. Placing him in the garden at such a young age, it might be tempting to say that Lady Wang would have a special regard for him. Perhaps she was more interested in bringing Chen Si-yuan up with Dai-yu? Or perhaps even herself?
............................................................

Chen Siyuan left Lady Wang's courtyard and passed through the east corner gate, arriving in front of a three-room porch. Next to the porch was Li Wan's room. After a brief hesitation, Chen Siyuan simply went through the west corner gate.

Widows are prone to gossip, and Li Wan has always kept a low profile. Since Chen Siyuan came to live in Rongguo Mansion, the two have only met a few times and exchanged very few words. If he is deliberately avoiding her, why should Chen Siyuan be annoying?
He walked around the large painted screen wall and was about to knock on the door, but it opened wide and it was Jia Lian who came out.

The two bumped into each other. Jia Lian blinked and said hurriedly: "Brother Yuan, what are you doing——"

Chen Siyuan bowed and smiled, "I have a business to ask my second brother and second sister-in-law, would you like to get involved?"

Jia Lian's eyes lit up immediately, and he smiled and pulled Chen Siyuan out, saying, "Come on, come on. Wenlong happened to invite me to have a drink. Why don't we go together? Brother Yuan can tell you in detail on the way."

Chen Siyuan hesitated and said, "This...doesn't require an explanation to my second sister-in-law?"

Jia Lian was a playboy, so how could he save money? Whenever he needed money, he would just ask Feng Jieer for it. But then he thought about it and felt that it was not right. Yes, Jia Lian had just returned from the Liaodong farm, so he must have saved a lot of money secretly.

Jia Lian then said, "Why bother telling her? Can't I make the decisions about this family's affairs?"

Chen Siyuan laughed heartily and briefly explained the matter. He then added, "This matter is urgent. If Second Brother Lian wants to invest, he'd better hurry up... Also, last time, we were angry about something and went to the East Palace to make a scene. Now it's not easy to go to see Big Brother Zhen with such shamelessness. Second Brother Lian, please speak up and ask Big Brother Zhen if he wants to get involved."

Jia Lian was naturally overjoyed and said hurriedly, "We haven't seen any return on the sea trade yet, so my wife and I have two thousand taels of silver. I'll send someone to deliver it to Brother Yuan tonight. I'll go to the East Palace and tell them about this great news. Brother Zhen will definitely give Brother Yuan a banquet tomorrow."

Chen Siyuan nodded and said, "That's good. To be honest, I have to work on this matter now, so I won't go to the banquet."

Jia Lian did not force it, and happily watched Chen Siyuan pass through the west corner gate and enter the garden.

Chen Siyuan walked into the garden and paced around, thinking to himself that the two thousand taels of silver... might be the benefit that Jia Lian got this time.

Sister Feng is a fiery-tempered woman, and her dowry is generous. Jia Lian would often have to put on a smile and ask Sister Feng for money, wouldn't that make him feel ashamed? If he could make a fortune with Jia Lian this time, as the saying goes, money is the courage of a hero... then who knows what would happen to this couple.

Chen Siyuan returned to his own courtyard to wait. Before noon, Jia Lian sent a servant to deliver two thousand taels of silver notes, and then Mrs. Wang sent Jin Chuan'er to deliver the silver notes.

The two of them together amounted to five thousand taels, which was more than enough. Fearing that the night would be too long and full of dreams, Chen Siyuan took the banknotes and went to Dazhalan. He exchanged the money and goods with Su He, then picked up some Tibetan medicine and went straight to Heniantang.

The Henian Hall was at the foot of the White Pagoda Temple. Ma Panlong accompanied them on the way, so they had no problems along the way and arrived at the destination in no time.

After entering, Chen Siyuan found the waiter and asked to see Ding Daojian.

After a short wait, about a cup of tea had passed before Ding Daojian hurried out to greet him. Seeing that Chen Siyuan looked familiar, Ding Daojian hurried forward to greet him, "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, Master. I was just in the middle of acupuncture and couldn't stop right now."

Chen Siyuan said, "That's all right. Doctor Ding, I have a favor to ask of you today." He then presented various Tibetan herbs and said, "I've stumbled upon some rare medicinal herbs, but the doctors in the Central Plains don't recognize them. Doctor Ding, please identify their properties. From now on, please prescribe a medicine for me. Upon completion, I'll give you a thousand taels of silver!"

Ding Daojian couldn't help but gasp! One thousand taels, how much did he earn from seeing patients every day? Don't look down on his five shops at Heniantang, in fact, he can earn a few hundred taels a year.

Ding Daojian immediately agreed and opened several oil-paper packages to identify the medicinal properties one by one. He had a rough idea after just sniffing them, but he couldn't make out the details of the brown shilajit.

Ding Daojian said simply, "Since you are so efficient, I will take the job. In twenty days... well... at least a month, I will definitely be able to identify the medicinal properties."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "It's a deal."

At that time, I left a deposit of 500 taels of silver and didn't mention it.

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

A few days passed in the blink of an eye.

Jia Zhen, as expected, came in person, spoke warmly, and scolded Jia Rong bitterly, only then did he leave a silver note of 5,000 taels. Aunt Xue, expressing regret, also sent a silver note of 5,000 taels, thus completing Chen Siyuan's share.

The fourth day of the fourth month is the day when little Xichun gives birth. Chen Siyuan finally found out from little Laba Yunxiang why all the girls in the mansion looked at him with strange eyes. It turned out to be because of what he had specifically mentioned when giving her the bracelet.

Chen Siyuan laughed, then shook his head. Aside from Li Wan and Feng Jieer, the other girls were still young. The second young lady had only just reached marriageable age, Bao Jie was only fourteen, and the rest were all in the "three years or more" category. Not to mention Chen Siyuan couldn't bring himself to say anything, even if he could, those girls were probably still naive. How could they possibly understand the concept of love?

Because Xichun was living in the back building of Rongqing Hall at that time, it was inconvenient for Chen Siyuan to go over to congratulate her, so he sent Hongyu to deliver the gift.

This time it was not tinware, but a rag doll that Yang Qingwen had sewn based on the pattern drawn by Chen Siyuan. It was an imitation of the shape of a Wilton Cool Dog and looked very ugly.

At first, Qingwen was puzzled by the design, wondering who would like such a shape. But after sewing it, she couldn't let it go. Reluctantly, she handed the doll to Chen Siyuan and secretly made another one for herself.

When Hongyu presented the doll to Rongqing Hall, it naturally stirred up a crowd of other girls' curiosity. Little Xichun, who had originally been most proud of the silk figurines Baoyu had given her, was delighted to see the ugly, silly doll and immediately embraced it in her arms, unable to let it go.

She was young, her mother died early, her father lived in exile outside the city and seemed to be non-existent, and she had been living in Rongguo Mansion. Hadn't she always been tense and uncomfortable?
The ugly, silly dog, soft and warm in her arms, immediately put the little girl at ease. Xichun secretly thought that for the dog's sake, she would forgive Brother Yuan just this once and forget about the bracelet incident.

A few days passed in a blink of an eye. It was a day off, and Chen Siyuan sent out invitations to all his friends, inviting them to a banquet at Zhen Feng's house at 3 p.m.

Chen Siyuan was a generous person and had many friends in the Imperial College. In addition to Wang Zhongfang, Jiang Yuanqian, Wei Zhaogao, and Xu Xueqin, there were five or six other people present, just enough to fill a table.

Everyone brought gifts, some were words or paintings, others were just something to suit the occasion.

Chen Siyuan specially invited Zhen Fengshi and Xiangling to meet everyone. Everyone called them "little brother and sister", which made Xiangling, who was wearing a pink jacket and skirt, blush.

Zhen Feng wiped her tears, feeling completely satisfied. Although there was no engagement letter yet, she could announce it to her friends everywhere, and the matter would be settled.

At that moment, Chen Siyuan was drinking with everyone. Zhen Feng was about to leave, so she pulled Xiangling into the inner room to study and give instructions.

Two days after that day, Chen Siyuan hired a carriage and forced five hundred taels of silver on Zhen Fengshi. Then, in Xiangling's tearful eyes, he watched Zhen Fengshi go away.

Seeing Xiangling weeping, Chen Siyuan felt pity for her. He put his arm around her shoulders and said soothingly, "We'll see each other someday. Didn't Auntie say she'd come to see you once every year or two? When I pass the provincial examination, we can go to Jiangnan when we have time."

Xiangling nodded silently in agreement, but her tears kept falling, and she had to keep wiping them with a handkerchief.

After Xiangling went inside to rest, Qingwen came over with the local maid.

Chen Siyuan first said to the old woman, "Don't worry, Madam Qu. Everything will remain the same from now on, but we'll probably need to move somewhere else."

Madam Qu breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "It's not easy to have a kind-hearted master like you. Since you don't mind me, I'll follow you wherever you move."

After Nanny Qu left with peace of mind, Chen Siyuan said to Qingwen, "I'll be looking for a house near the Imperial College these days. You can move in once I rent it."

Qingwen nodded in agreement, but her brow remained gloomy as she pondered, "Master Yuan, I've made another waist fan. Do you have any other work for me?"

Chen Siyuan frowned and said, "Not yet. I'm afraid you stayed up late again. Be careful and hurt your eyes."

Qingwen forced a smile and shook her head, saying, "I have nothing to do anyway."

Chen Siyuan observed Qingwen's expression and, after a brief moment of reflection, he understood what she was thinking. She had been living in the Rongguo Mansion for a long time, and now she had just left to change her family. She had only come once in a long time, and hadn't given her any assignments, so Qingwen couldn't help but feel a little worried.

Since it was Chen Siyuan, he said, "No rush, let's talk about it after we move over."

Perhaps because of the life-saving grace he had shown him previously, Chen Siyuan's gentle words resonated softly with Qingwen's ears, like a gentle spring breeze. The girl's slightly agitated heart calmed down, and she couldn't help but smile, "Yes." After a pause, she added, "Move closer to the Imperial College, so the master can come and rest during lunch."

(End of this chapter)