Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 157 Coincidental
The peach tree's branches and leaves are shaking.

Suddenly, Siqi bit her lower lip and straightened her neck. Her trembling legs could no longer support her body and she knelt on the ground.

Her summer clothes clung to her body, as if drenched in water. Her messy hair clung to her cheeks. Her ten fingers were still tightly gripping the peach tree trunk, and only when she released her grip did she realize that her nails had dug into the bark.

Chen Siyuan rustled his clothes aside, glanced around, and hurried over to help. However, after two attempts, he still couldn't pull Siqi up.

Siqi panted for a long time before she came to her senses. She endured the discomfort in her body and helped Chen Siyuan to stand up. Seeing a stone bench under the osmanthus shed, the two of them went in and sat down.

Siqi originally wanted to be like a little bird leaning on the man, but she found that he was too tall. She felt awkward for a long time before she finally rested her head on Chen Siyuan's shoulder.

Chen Siyuan asked, "Was it beautiful just now?"

Siqi pursed her lips and remained silent. How could she say such words? She simply said, "I have given everything to my brother now. If he doesn't want me anymore, I will just hang myself."

Chen Siyuan said, "You're lying again! When did I ever say I didn't want you anymore?"

Siqi asked, "Then, what if we have a child?"

Chen Siyuan blinked and smiled bitterly, "How can I expect to have a child? It's like you reap what you sow. You haven't even planted the seeds, and you still expect melons and beans?"

"what?"

Although Siqi was a little older than Yingchun and had some knowledge of the world, it was just theoretical knowledge. How could she know the inner workings of the bed? At this moment, Chen Siyuan spoke with a mixture of laughter and tears, and Siqi finally understood, but then she became embarrassed again.

Just as she was about to say something, she suddenly heard a muffled groan not far away. Siqi trembled with fear and said tremblingly, "Brother, it seems someone saw us!"

Chen Siyuan frowned slightly and glanced around. However, the sun had already set and the garden was dim, so how could he see clearly? He said, "It's dark now. Even if they could get a rough idea of ​​who we are, they wouldn't know. I'll stay here for now. You go around the cave and return quickly."

Siqi was immediately moved and asked, "What about my brother?"

"Me?" Chen Siyuan said disdainfully, "Even if they saw it was me, what would happen?" He paused, then said, "It's probably the night watchwoman. I'll talk to her and give her a few taels of silver."

Siqi felt a little relieved, and she felt that Chen Siyuan was a reasonable person. If it were Second Master Lian, he would have run away long ago, why would he stay to stop him?

In the early years, the Second Mistress had several maids. Second Master Lian flirted with one and got involved with another, which made the Second Mistress angry. She sent three of the four maids away and only left the obedient Ping'er.

Thinking this in her heart, Siqi did not dare to delay and stood up and said, "Then brother, please stay for a while and then leave. It's not good to cause trouble with others."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Don't worry. I'm just an outsider, why would I bother to cause trouble with the maids in the mansion?"

Siqi breathed a sigh of relief, gave a few more instructions, then packed her clothes and hurriedly went around to the stone cave in the north.

Chen Siyuan waited in the distance for a long time, but no one showed up. His eyes adjusted to the dimness, and he caught a glimpse of someone peeking around near Daoxiang Village.

Chen Siyuan frowned and thought to himself, "This person is so sneaky. I want to see who he is." After thinking for a while and making a decision, Chen Siyuan stood up and walked towards the cave.

Before entering the stone cave, I looked back briefly and saw that the person who was peeking out finally came out from behind Daoxiang Village and was heading north.

Chen Siyuan took a few quick steps and reached the winding mountain path. Here, the road split into two. One led to the back garden gate and the main mountain, while the other led down to a plank bridge with red railings, leading to Hengwu Garden. Chen Siyuan headed for the plank bridge with red railings and found a huge rock to hide behind...

Aunt Xue walked around the banana grove, held onto a banana leaf, and carefully peered into the stone cave. After waiting for a long time without seeing any movement inside, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Once the uneasiness in her heart was gone, Aunt Xue suddenly felt ashamed and embarrassed!
She came from a pure and innocent family, and lived a respectable life after marriage. How could she have lost her mind like this? Chen Siyuan was only fifteen, even younger than Xue Pan. How could she have been so obsessed with him?
Not only that, but he was so shameless just now...

Aunt Xue reached out and touched it, and felt a dampness on the front of her clothes. She blushed and felt embarrassed for a while, then she took a deep breath and walked towards the cave.

As expected, Chen Siyuan was nowhere to be found, so Aunt Xue left the cave and headed along the winding mountain path. Unexpectedly, after taking just two steps, she saw a light coming from behind Hengwu Garden and heard the rustling of voices.

Under normal circumstances, Aunt Xue would have simply gone to meet him, but now she felt guilty and was afraid that Chen Si would come back, or that the maid would come looking for him with a lantern, so she hurriedly turned towards the plank bridge with red railings.

Unexpectedly, he was walking in a hurry and tripped accidentally. With a cry of "Ouch", he fell right near the huge rock where Chen Siyuan was hiding.

The lights not far away suddenly flickered, and soon there was a voice asking, "Who's there?"

Aunt Xue's face was twisted in pain, but she dared not say a word. She wanted to get up anxiously, but as soon as her right foot touched the ground, she gasped in pain.

Just as she was panicking, a deep male voice suddenly came from the side: "Auntie?"

Aunt Xue was terrified. She turned around and saw Chen Siyuan looking at her with a frown.

Aunt Xue hesitated for a moment, then forced an awkward smile and said, "Is it... is it Brother Yuan?"

Chen Siyuan had never imagined that the person eavesdropping on him was actually Aunt Xue. Not to mention that Chen Siyuan had a low moral standard to begin with, just take what had just happened—it was just a secret affair with a maid, not to mention in a wealthy family, it would be common even in ordinary wealthy households.

Since it was Chen Siyuan, he was naturally full of confidence. He took two steps forward and asked, "My concubine, is...you sprained?"

Aunt Xue smiled and nodded, and Chen Siyuan helped her behind the boulder.

Behind the boulder was the riverbank, planted with weeping willows, and to one side was a plank bridge with folding red railings. The space was so cramped that if it had been just Chen Siyuan, it would have been more than enough, but with Aunt Xue's presence, it seemed a little crowded.

Although the two of them were deliberately keeping their distance, their bodies inevitably rubbed against each other as they moved. Aunt Xue was initially filled with shame and indignation, but suddenly a gust of east wind blew, bringing Chen Siyuan's scent to her. That scent landed in Aunt Xue's nostrils, instantly intoxicating her.

As the group of people holding lanterns approached, Aunt Xue held her breath, not daring to breathe, and her body would occasionally stick to Chen Siyuan.

At this moment, Chen Siyuan didn't think about anything else. He just thought Aunt Xue had twisted her ankle and was a little unsteady. He watched the lights approaching and then moved to squeeze in with Aunt Xue.

Unexpectedly, Aunt Xue was not paying attention and was about to fall to the side again. Chen Siyuan quickly reached out and embraced her, and the two of them inevitably hugged each other.

Aunt Xue pressed herself against Chen Siyuan and could vaguely smell a strange scent, which made her blush and her heart beat fast.

Chen Siyuan had been paying attention to the noises outside, but he heard footsteps stop on the winding mountain road, and then lanterns shone everywhere. Then a woman's voice said, "Miss, I think I heard it wrong just now. Maybe it was frogs croaking."

Another female voice responded, saying, "Let's go around the front and come back later."

"Yes."

Then the voices and footsteps gradually faded away, and Chen Siyuan breathed a sigh of relief. Immediately, he felt his arms wrapped in a ball of softness.

Feeling a little strange, he slowly let go of Aunt Xue and whispered, "Auntie, can you still walk?"

"Ah? Um..." Aunt Xue said in embarrassment, "It doesn't seem to work."

Chen Siyuan glanced up and down, thinking it would be difficult to carry her, and without noticing Aunt Xue's strange look, he turned around, knelt slightly and bowed, saying, "Then I'll carry you for a while. When we get to the back garden gate, I'll call the maid to help you."

Aunt Xue should have refused, but she agreed vaguely. She put her arms around Chen Siyuan's neck and leaned against his back.

Fortunately, Chen Siyuan has grown taller and stronger. If it were last year, the two of them would have fallen out if they stumbled.

At that moment, Chen Siyuan held Aunt Xue's legs with his hands, walked away from here, and headed towards the winding mountain road.

The climb was not easy, just over a hundred feet, but Chen Siyuan was sweating profusely. The masculine aura on his body made Aunt Xue dizzy.

Aunt Xue felt extremely uncomfortable at the moment. On the one hand, she felt that she shouldn't have such extravagant expectations and it was really against moral principles; on the other hand, she wished that Chen Siyuan would carry her on his back like this forever.

However, no matter how long the road ahead is, it has an end. When they reached the gate of the back garden, Chen Siyuan gently placed Aunt Xue under a tree and said, "Madam, wait a moment. I will go and call someone."

Aunt Xue responded and watched Chen Siyuan stride to the gate of the back garden. He negotiated with the gatekeeper, and then the gatekeeper called her companions over.

"How did your wife sprain her ankle?"

Aunt Xue reluctantly withdrew her gaze and, forcing a smile, said to the two maids, "Don't mention it. I just came back from your mistress's place, thinking I'd enjoy the cool air before returning, but it got dark and the roads were slippery, and I sprained my ankle. Fortunately, I ran into Brother Yuan, otherwise I wouldn't know how to get back."

A maid said, "Madam, you don't know, it's been raining a lot lately, so the stone road is inevitably a little slippery." Then she said to her companion, "Come and lend a hand, help Madam back home."

The two maids worked together to support Aunt Xue, who was hopping on one leg, out of the back garden door and then returned to Lixiangyuan.

When they entered, Xue Pan and Baochai were greatly surprised. But when they heard that Aunt Xue had merely sprained her ankle, they were somewhat relieved.

Xue Pan said, "Mother is old, how can she act like a fool? It will be difficult for her to leave the maid behind and go away alone."

Aunt Xue was immediately annoyed and said, "I gave birth to you and raised you, but you don't know how to be filial. How dare you tease me now?"

Xue Pan glared at her and said, "I was clearly saying nice things, how come I irritated Mother?" He turned and looked at Baochai again, "Sister, please judge for yourself!"

Baochai frowned and said, "That's not the way to say nice things. Go and have some rest, brother. I'll take care of mother here."

Xue Pan was completely confused and could only return to his room in silence.

Tongxi and Tonggui helped Aunt Xue to the head of the bed. The two maids complained a lot, but Aunt Xue just smiled to cover it up. But Baochai was sharp-eyed and pointed at Aunt Xue's clothes and said, "Did Mom fall into the water?"

Aunt Xue looked down at it, her ears burning with embarrassment. She suppressed her emotions and said, "It fell on the bluestone slab. There's moss on it. Maybe it got wet with dew."

Baochai nodded slightly, then noticed the strange smell again and felt puzzled for a moment. Then she suddenly realized that she had just thought Aunt Xue had lost control of her bladder due to panic, so she didn't want to say it out loud...

Elsewhere, Chen Siyuan returned to his own courtyard. Hongyu, Xiangling, and Liu Wuer came to greet him. Xiangling asked, "Master, why did you come back so late? The fourth lady waited for a long time, but when he didn't come back, she left. We were just thinking of sending people to look for him."

Chen Siyuan said, "The master just left some food for us."

It seems like I stood Xichun up? Never mind, I'll make amends later.

He and Siqi struggled for a long time before finally carrying Aunt Xue on their backs. Now he felt his legs were sore and his whole body was greasy.

After finding a chair and sitting down, Chen Siyuan took the warm tea handed to him by Liu Wu'er, drank it all in one gulp, wiped his forehead and said, "The weather is getting hotter. Fetch some water later. I need to wash myself."

Hongyu said, "It's already night, why are you still sweating?" As she said that, she used a handkerchief to wipe Chen Siyuan's sweat.

Chen Siyuan said, "I happened to see my concubine sprained her ankle on the way. There was no one in the garden. I carried her on my back for quite a while, and I was sweating all over, didn't I?"

Hongyu was surprised and asked, "Is there no one around the concubine?"

Chen Siyuan shook his head and said nothing.

Hongyu said "strange" and immediately went outside to call two servants, asking them to boil some hot water. When she turned back around, she said, "Master, the Dragon Boat Festival is in about ten days. I heard that the people in the mansion are going to the goldfish pond to avoid the poison this year."

Chen Siyuan said: "Did you hear from your mother?"

Hongyu nodded and said, "Mom said it was a letter from Second Madam's room." Seeing Chen Siyuan nod, Hongyu continued, "I thought we should also prepare. We need to prepare the colored silk and paper for the festival in advance. If we trouble the family to buy them, they might pass them on to others, and we might not be satisfied with what we get."

Chen Siyuan understood what he meant and said, "In that case, if you have time these days, go out and do some shopping. Oh, have Qingyu come with you, and put some silver in the stables. We can use the mansion's carriage to avoid any trouble." He paused, then said, "It's only April, and there's no telling how hot it will get. Bring some money and buy some silk and gauze. You can also buy a few more sets of clothes so you don't run out of changes."

Hongyu smiled and responded, "Yes, I saved it."

Chen Siyuan rested for a while, and his legs felt a little better. He was slowly drinking warm tea when a maid brought in a bathtub, followed by two buckets of hot water and several buckets of cold water.

Chen Siyuan undressed and allowed Hongyu and Xiangling, both sweating profusely, to help him bathe. After he finished, a servant took all the belongings out. Hongyu and Xiangling chatted with him for a while before heading to the side rooms.

Chen Siyuan pondered, "Are they here together again?"

Hongyu said with a worried look, "What can I say... Xiangling had a stomachache early this morning, and I felt something was wrong in the afternoon. I wonder if it will come tonight."

Chen Siyuan breathed a sigh of relief. He had just had a fight with Siqi, so how could he have the energy to deal with these two at night?
After the two of them moved their bedding to the side room, only Liu Wu'er was left to serve. Liu Wu'er was a little excited, and she kept pursing her lips and guarding beside Chen Siyuan, occasionally secretly glancing at him.

Chen Siyuan felt uncomfortable being looked at, so he simply dropped the book and walked straight to the west room.

Liu Wuer asked in surprise: "Master?"

Chen Siyuan said, "How can I concentrate on reading when you're staring at me like that? Well, let's go to bed early today."

Liu Wuer chuckled and hurriedly brought the quilt over. Although there had never been anything real between the two of them, just being in Chen Siyuan's arms from time to time made Liu Wuer feel satisfied.

Rongqingtang Bisha Cabinet.

Grandmother Jia was old and went to bed early.

Nanny Wang had gone to the servants' quarters in the back to rest. Zijuan was helping Daiyu wash her feet when Xueyan came over with a cup of tea. Daiyu glanced at her and said angrily, "I'm about to go to sleep, and you're bringing me tea again?"

Xueyan tilted her head playfully and said, "This is not ordinary tea. Miss, take a closer look."

"Hmm?" Daiyu took it and glanced at it. At first, she thought there were three insects soaked in it. After carefully examining it, she asked uncertainly, "Cordyceps? Where did you get it?"

Daiyu has been well-read since she was a child. Lin Ruhai raised her as his own son. The Lin family has a huge collection of books, so Daiyu's knowledge is naturally far beyond that of ordinary girls.

Xueyan was surprised and said, "Young lady, you actually know him?"

Daiyu curled her lips and said, "Why would you come here to pick it up? Why wouldn't I know it?" She raised her hand and pointed to the bookshelf, saying, "It's recorded in the 'Daguan Bencao'. I just took a look at it a few days ago."

Xueyan admired her and said, "You are truly knowledgeable and have a good memory." Then she smiled and said, "Then why don't you guess where this Cordyceps comes from?"

Daiyu was clever enough to know why Xueyan was keeping things in suspense. She tilted her head and snorted, "If you want to tell me, just tell me. I won't guess."

Xueyan said in riddle: "If you don't want to guess, then I won't tell you."

Zijuan squatted, carefully wiping Daiyu's feet. She was well aware of the source of the Cordyceps. She was furious, furious with Xueyan, and after helping Daiyu to bed, she said with a smile, "May is only ten days away. Tomorrow we'll ask Second Mistress for some colored silk and paper... And who knows, Master Bao might even ask Miss for blessings in a few days."

The so-called Fu'er are small tigers, bats, rice dumplings, gourds and other objects woven with colored threads. They are worn on the body since the first day of May and are taken off and thrown outside the door on the Dragon Boat Festival, which means "to avoid disasters."

Daiyu said, "I won't make it for him. If he wants it, he can ask the maid in Qixianzhai for it."

Xueyan was afraid that Zijuan would mess it up, so she offered the Cordyceps tea and said with a smile, "It seems that Second Madam has spread the word that we should go to the goldfish pond to avoid poison on Dragon Boat Festival."

Daiyu was a bit older than him, and thinking that she hadn't been out of the house for half a year, she said happily, "Really?"

Xueyan nodded repeatedly and said, "It's been spread all day, and I haven't seen Second Madam refute it, so I guess it's true."

Daiyu smiled and said, "That's good! I haven't been to the goldfish pond for two years."

Xueyan said, "Miss, you must see as much as you can this time, otherwise you will have to wait several years before going again. Miss, please drink your tea. Master Yuan said that after you finish the tea, you can chew the Cordyceps."

"Yes." Daiyu knew that Chen Siyuan had good intentions, so she drank the Cordyceps tea in one gulp and ate the three Cordyceps in it.

So, she felt a little relieved, and didn't mind Chen Siyuan's extramarital affair. In fact, she had thought it through clearly from the beginning. Even if they were as loving as her parents, it wouldn't have stopped her father from taking concubines one after another. In such a world, how many capable men would stay with one wife for their entire lives?
............................................................

Silent all night.

At dawn, Chen Siyuan suddenly woke up. He opened his eyes to see Liu Wu'er, covered by a quilt with only her eyes exposed, observing him. Their eyes met, and Liu Wu'er hurriedly closed her eyes, then felt something was wrong. When she opened them again, she said, "Master, are you awake? It's still early, you can still sleep a little longer."

Chen Siyuan yawned and said, "I went to bed early yesterday, and now I can't sleep."

Liu Wu'er was about to say something else when she saw Chen Siyuan stretch out his arms and hug her tightly in his arms.

Because it was hot and stuffy last night, Liu Wuer fanned herself for a long time, and only fell into a deep sleep after Chen Siyuan fell asleep. Therefore, there was no intimacy, not even a normal hug.

Chen Siyuan held him in his arms and said vaguely, "Don't be in a hurry to get up. Lie down for a while."

"Yeah." Liu Wu'er rested her head on his shoulder, feeling incredibly relieved. Remembering how Chen Siyuan often heard the maid Yunxiang talk about the trivialities of the mansion, she couldn't help but whisper, "Master, I heard my mother say yesterday that the daughter-in-law of that official... doesn't seem like a good one."

"Huh? What do you say?"

Liu Wuer whispered, "Mother said that the official's wife had just entered the mansion a few days ago and was already flirting everywhere. I don't know what benefits Chief Steward Wu promised her, but she followed Chief Steward Wu to the storeroom at the back for a full half hour."

Miss Duo, who claims to have slept with everyone in the Rongguo Mansion, is just like this, isn't she?

Seeing that she didn't say anything, Liu Wu'er moved her cheek, raised her face and said, "How can there be such a shameless woman in this world?"

Chen Siyuan said: "When the granaries are full, people will know etiquette."

Liu Wu'er frowned and said, "Master, what you said is not right. That Duoguan is a cook. As the saying goes, 'If the cook doesn't steal, the crops won't be harvested.' Now he is in the mansion and has everything he needs for food and clothing. Why would he do this?"

Chen Siyuan said playfully, "Huh? You know that, too. I guess your mother has stolen a lot of good things, hasn't she?"

Liu Wu'er immediately blushed and pouted, looking at Chen Siyuan pitifully.

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Everyone has their own way of living. Maybe the official's wife likes this. If you don't like her, just watch her from afar."

"Yeah." Liu Wu'er agreed, then put her arm around Chen Siyuan's arm and said nothing.

After a few moments of tenderness, there was a noise outside, and Liu Wuer hurriedly got up to help Chen Siyuan get dressed. When it was time for breakfast, Chen Siyuan saw the little maid Yunxiang hanging out with two servants in the courtyard, so he waved her in.

Yunxiang came running in and asked, "Master, what do you want to talk to me about?"

Chen Siyuan took a sip of the porridge before asking, "Did your sister get a job?"

"No!" Yunxiang frowned and complained, "The jobs in this mansion are all assigned to the right positions. My sister is not so good-looking, and my mother has been looking for the second mistress for many times but couldn't get a job." As she spoke, Yunxiang suddenly became hopeful. Could it be that -

Sure enough, Chen Siyuan said, "The day after tomorrow, ask your sister to come over. I have set up a business outside and need someone to look after it."

Yunxiang was overjoyed and quickly bowed, saying, "Oh, I knew you were kind. I thank you on behalf of my mother and sister!"

"Well, let's go."

Yunxiang turned around and ran, not caring about the broom in the yard, and ran back to report the good news.

Hongyu was at a loss for words and said, "Look how much Master has spoiled her. She has become even more unruly."

Chen Siyuan laughed and didn't care.

Two days later, Yunxiang brought her sister to the courtyard early in the morning. Chen Siyuan took a quick look. Yunxiang's sister was indeed born with a plain face and a straight head, without any beauty at all. However, she was unusually easygoing and cheerful, and looked like someone who could manage things. Unfortunately, she had never been educated and couldn't manage accounts.

Chen Siyuan asked a few questions and then took him to Xiaohuazhi Lane.

As soon as he arrived, You Sanjie and You Erjie were delighted and hurriedly welcomed him inside.

After Chen Siyuan mentioned Yunxiang's sister, Third Sister You asked a few questions and immediately felt that she was satisfied. She said, "That's right. You will work with me from now on. The monthly salary is 500 coins. If you need it, you can increase it later."

Yunxiang's third sister quickly bowed and said, "Thank you very much...Miss. Please give me a name."

Third Sister You smiled and asked, "What's your name at home?"

"At home, I just call you Third Sister."

Third Sister You covered her mouth and smiled, "I can do the same thing too. We are truly destined to be together." After a moment's thought, she decided, "I only have Chunxi and Xiazhu here now. How about you call me Dongmei from now on?"

Dongmei bowed again: "Yes, I will be called Dongmei from now on. Thank you for the name, Miss."

Chen Siyuan frowned slightly and said, "What's your last name?"

Dongmei hurriedly said, "My last name is Ma."

Ma Dongmei? Chen Siyuan's eyes twitched, and he couldn't help but say to Third Sister You, "Sister, you named her... shouldn't autumn come after spring and summer?"

Third Sister You was puzzled and asked, "But it's not appropriate?"

Chen Siyuan sighed inwardly. This name... seemed to be understood only by him. Well, there was no point in saying more, so he said, "I just feel that my sister doesn't follow common sense."

Third Sister You chuckled and said, "If I had followed common sense, how could I have the blessing I have today?"

That’s right, if it were You Erjie, she would never do such a thing as running away at night.

He immediately sent Ma Dongmei home to pack up and told her to come to the courtyard tomorrow to receive instructions, so he didn't mention it anymore.

Chen Siyuan continued to talk about his business, and You Erjie went to the side room on her own.

Only Chen Siyuan and You Sanjie were left inside. After a few moments of intimacy, You Sanjie said, "I've been busy with the abacus these past few days, and now my arms are sore."

Chen Siyuan began to massage her and said, "I'll find an accountant later. Then you won't have to handle the accounts. As long as you can tell right from wrong, that'll be enough."

Third Sister You said, "Aunt Dou praised my talent and said that I would be able to become a master in a year or two."

Chen Siyuan praised: "Sister is indeed smart."

Third Sister You raised the corners of her mouth proudly, and simply leaned on Chen Siyuan's arms. Her pair of diamond-shaped feet became restless again, kicking back and forth, and she felt indescribably comfortable and relaxed.

The two of them clung to each other for a while, then Third Sister You suddenly said, "Yes, the Dragon Boat Festival is just a dozen days away, and the Imperial College will be closed. Why don't we go to the goldfish pond to avoid the poison? I heard that you can shoot willows near the goldfish pond, and maybe even get some good luck."

Chen Siyuan suddenly felt a headache. He couldn't give up the rare opportunity to get together with his sisters just because of Third Sister You, right?
Therefore, he said, "The Rongguo Mansion has decided to go to the goldfish pond on Dragon Boat Festival, and I'm afraid I can't leave."

Third Sister You immediately frowned in displeasure and said angrily, "Why are you both in the same place?"

"Who says not?" Chen Siyuan echoed, and then said: "Why don't I take a day off on the fourth day of the New Year and take my sister out for a stroll."

Third Sister You was delighted at first, but then she shook her head and said, "No, I dare not delay Brother Yuan's studies. Brother Yuan always got first place before, but I'm afraid he got distracted because of me, so he only got an A last time."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Nonsense! The Imperial College is full of talented people. Wang Zhongfang is no less talented than me. It was no surprise that he got first place last time. Well... I will definitely get first place in the next monthly exam."

Third Sister You was immediately delighted and said, "If Brother Yuan wins first place, he can take a day off on the fourth day of the New Year."

Chen Siyuan agreed with a smile, and after having dinner with You Sanjie and You Erjie, he leisurely returned home.

Unexpectedly, just as he entered the house, Yunxiang came to greet him and said, "Master is finally back. The eldest mistress is looking for him. Miao'er and Tiao'er have come once each."

"Hmm?" Mrs. Xing is looking for me for something urgent?
Chen Siyuan then headed east across the courtyard. When he reached the third-floor ceremonial gate, a figure came to greet him.

Chen Siyuan asked, "What does my aunt want to see me about?"

Tiao'er's face was odd, his lips moved, and suddenly he covered his mouth and laughed, "I can't say it, brother, ask yourself later."

Chen Siyuan was preoccupied with the lawsuit and didn't know what was going on, so he had to follow Tiaoer into the main room.

Unexpectedly, the second girl Yingchun was also there at this time, and her face immediately became flustered when she saw Chen Siyuan.

Madam Xing leaned on the couch and frowned, saying, "They are cousins ​​after all, so there's no need to be too shy."

Yingchun suppressed her panic, stood up and greeted Chen Siyuan. She didn't dare sit down, so she smiled at Madam Xing and said, "Mother, please talk to Brother Yuan. I have some needlework to do in my room."

Madam Xing shook her head at her, then smiled and said, "Forget it. I won't force you to stay. Go ahead."

Yingchun breathed a sigh of relief, said goodbye to Chen Siyuan, and then hurried to the west wing.

After they left, Madam Xing frowned and asked, "Why did you come back just now? I'm afraid you went to see those two vixens again?"

Since Miao'er and Tiao'er were both there, Chen Siyuan coughed awkwardly and said seriously, "Aunt, do you have something to talk to me about?"

Madam Xing sighed, exchanged glances with the two maids, and after they left, she whispered, "What magic medicine did you give the master?"

"what?"

"What? That old bastard has been making such a fuss for three days straight! And that vixen Jiaohong doesn't even know how to hide it, making Yingchun sleepless. Although she didn't mention it when she came just now, she's determined to move out."

Chen Siyuan blinked, suddenly feeling both amused and helpless.

Yes, it is summer now, and the doors and windows are not closed. No matter whether the master is resting in the ear room or the east wing, wouldn’t Yingchun hear what he is doing?
If it were someone else, it would be fine, but for a girl to listen to her own father's affairs...it's not nice to say. No wonder Yingchun wants to move out!
Little did he know that coincidentally, at this moment the third young lady Tanchun was looking for Lady Wang, and was determined to move to the back building of Rongqing Hall to keep little Xichun company!

　I've been feeling unwell since this morning and have returned from the hospital. The results will be published tomorrow. I was planning to write a sequel today, but I'll postpone it. I have a draft saved and have been updating it regularly. Since it hasn't been pre-screened, I'm not sure if it will get stuck in the review process.

　　If I go to bed early and it’s stuck in the review process, I’ll ask the editor to release it tomorrow morning; if I haven’t gone to bed yet, I’ll try to revise it.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)