Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 159 Double Fifth Girls' Day

Seeing Chen Siyuan looking down at her, Qingwen immediately turned her head away and whispered, "Master, please let go."

Chen Siyuan teased him intentionally and said with a smile, "Let go and you'll hit me again."

"No more collision, no more collision."

Chen Siyuan slowly released his hands that were holding Qingwen's wrists, held her in his arms, patted her back, and then let her go.

Qingwen's face seemed to be covered with a red cloth. After a long while, she looked up at Chen Siyuan and sneered, "Master, you think differently than I do."

"What's different?" Chen Siyuan estimated that it was still early, so he simply leaned on the kang and looked at Qingwen.

Qingwen pondered, "I used to think the master had a bad temper. He had a quarrel with Master Xue when he first arrived... Then he entered the Imperial College and became successful, earning a great reputation. I thought he was some kind of madman... Who knew he could be so playful in private?"

Chen Siyuan said playfully, "It's better to strike the first blow than to get a hundred. My family background is poor, so I have to act like a hedgehog, stabbing anyone who dares to provoke me. If I keep being submissive, who knows, one day I'll be eaten alive."

Qingwen nodded and said, "I see... No wonder Master is so much more modest now."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "It depends on the person and the situation. You're just fine, so why should I lose my temper with you?"

Qingwen smiled, feeling that compared to Master Bao, although this Master Yuan was also approachable, he looked more appropriate.

Chen Siyuan lingered for a moment, then stood up according to the time. Before leaving, he instructed, "Wait for me in the afternoon on the sixth day."

"Yes." Qingwen nodded vigorously and followed him. After sending Chen Siyuan out of the door, she saw him talking to Qingyu and kicked Qingyu, making him stagger. Qingyu scratched his head and rubbed his buttocks, laughing and showing no fear at all. It was unknown what the two of them talked about.

Qingwen smiled and then closed the door. She thought about strolling around on the sixth day of the New Year. She tilted her head and stroked her hair with a smile before returning to the main room.

A day later, on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, Chen Siyuan arrived at Little Flower Branch Lane early in the morning and took You Erjie and You Sanjie for a stroll around the goldfish pond. Unfortunately, the weather was not good; the sky was clear in the morning, but at noon, it suddenly began to rain heavily.

The three of them hid in the carriage together, and Third Sister You became sullen and gloomy. Chen Siyuan tried to comfort her, but Third Sister You's expression did not improve at all.

Summer showers come and go quickly. In just two moments, the rain stopped and the sky cleared, revealing a rainbow. Third Sister You caught a glimpse of this scene, and her anger turned to joy. Leaving Second Sister You behind, she took Chen Siyuan for a stroll, returning only after nightfall.

When they entered the main room, Third Sister You did not avoid Second Sister You and threw herself into Chen Siyuan's arms and said, "Brother Yuan, are you tired of me?"

"what?"

Third Sister You said in a low voice, "It's just a rain, and I got so angry that I even needed Brother Yuan's consolation."

Not to mention that Chen Siyuan II was a man with a temperament far superior to his peers, so he naturally wasn't angry in the afternoon. Even if he was a little angry, the sight of Third Sister You's pitiful appearance dissipated it.

Since it was Chen Siyuan, he laughed and said, "Silly, when did I ever dislike you? My sister learned the trick of running away at night for me, but I can't marry you like Li Jing did. I feel so sorry for you... Besides, my sister is just a little bit irritable now and then. How could a grown man like me make a fuss about it?"

Seeing that Chen Siyuan was indeed not angry, Third Sister You finally felt relieved and begged, "Then Brother Yuan, you won't leave today?"

"it is good."

At that moment, You Sanjie was delighted and quickly sent her maid to buy a table of food. The two of them ate and drank, leaving You Erjie aside.

That night, the originally happy Third Sister You suddenly frowned, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, and hurried to the side room.

Chen Siyuan waited for a long time, but no one showed up. After a long while, Xia Zhu came in with a strange look on her face and said, "Master, the young lady wants to talk to you in the side room."

Chen Siyuan was puzzled and got up to look for her in the wing room. As soon as he entered, he heard Third Sister You say, "Brother Yuan, it would be better if you parked farther away... I'm not very convenient right now."

Seeing Third Sister You sitting on the kang with her belly in her hands and her brows furrowed, Chen Siyuan knew that her period must have come.

"Sister, is this... your day coming?"

Third Sister You nodded with a sad face and said, "Originally it would take two days, but maybe because I ate too many rice dumplings these past two days, it was brought forward by two days."

Chen Siyuan was at a loss for words, and hurriedly asked about her well-being. Third Sister You answered all of her questions, then bit her lower lip and whispered, "It's late now...how about...how about letting Second Sister accompany you?"

Seeing that Third Sister You was so angry that she almost bit her lower lip until it bled, how could Chen Siyuan dare to agree? He immediately said, "Let's discuss this matter later. As it happens, we have to get up early tomorrow, so you should go back to the main room and rest. I will go back to Rongguo Mansion now."

Third Sister You felt relieved immediately, and then she said in a fake tone, "Keep raising him... We can't just waste the eight hundred taels of silver... Then Xia Zhu will ask Second Sister to come and see Brother Yuan off."

You Erjie was in the southern side room of the wing, so there was no need for Xia Zhu to invite her. Upon hearing this, her face remained calm and she just stood there waiting.

Chen Siyuan sneered, and regardless of Third Sister You's attempts to stop him, he stepped forward and scratched her upturned nose, whispering, "Your thoughts are written all over your face. Who can you hide them from? Drink more hot water and get some rest. I'll come see you in a few days."

You Sanjie agreed with a smile and watched You Erjie and Chen Siyuan leave the room.

The courtyard wasn't big, and it only took a few steps to reach the gate. A maid tried to bolt the door, but You Erjie waved her away. She quickly walked past Chen Siyuan, bolted the door, turned around, glanced up at him, said "Brother Yuan," and then stared at him with her autumn eyes.

Chen Siyuan asked, "Has your mother not come in the past few days?"

You Erjie said, "When she came once, I hid in my room, and Sanjie argued with mother through the door. Mother saw that she couldn't get in, so she left in dismay."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Third sister said that you and Old An are usually the closest, but now you are hiding in your room and not answering. I'm afraid your mother will call you an ungrateful person in private."

You Erjie pouted and said, "What can I do? The engagement letter has already been signed... A daughter who is married off is like spilled water. I dare not displease Brother Yuan."

As she spoke, she glanced at Chen Siyuan with her watery eyes. The colorful ribbons hanging from her temples added to her charm, and her pretty face became even more charming and affectionate.

Chen Siyuan secretly called her "little devil," knowing that Third Sister You must be watching from the window. He suppressed his restlessness and whispered, "Third Sister will have to take care of her business in a while, so I'm afraid she won't be back until night."

Third Sister You smiled coquettishly and said pretentiously, "Oh, then I'm the only one left at home. The remaining maids and servants are young and old. If a scoundrel comes to our house, I don't know how to deal with him."

Not sure how to respond? Just give in!
Chen Siyuan gritted his teeth secretly, and as he moved past her, he took the opportunity to grab Yingrou on the left and then pushed the door open and left.

Second Sister You suppressed her strange and angry glance and waited until she was far away before closing the door and bolting it. Turning around, she saw Third Sister You move away from the window and lie on the kang again, groaning and yelling, "Xia Zhu, Xia Zhu, hurry up and bring some hot water!"

You Erjie pursed her lips and smiled, thinking to herself, "What does it matter if you guard it strictly? Brother Yuan is not a monk who doesn't eat meat. Sooner or later, he will get what he wants!"
Then he thought to himself, I wonder how much my monthly allowance will be by then... It would be great if I could have five taels of silver, then I wouldn't have to worry too much about buying anything.

While thinking, he entered the wing room, and You Erjie asked, "How is my sister?"

Third Sister Yu covered her belly and groaned, rolled her eyes at him and said nothing.

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

But the next morning.

Outside, the rooster crowed three times. A figure stood up from the bed, fumbled under the pillow and took out a pocket watch. He looked at it and lay down again.

Chen Siyuan opened his eyes in a daze, and saw Xiangling standing beside him with disheveled hair and only a tight red bellyband on, revealing her white neck and arms. Turning his head to look again, he saw Hongyu rubbing her eyes and yawning repeatedly, with the brocade quilt only covering her chest, her messy hair hanging on her arms, and her face full of fatigue.

Seeing Chen Siyuan reaching out to do something naughty again, Hongyu frowned and muttered, "I knew I had to get up early today, but you still made such a fuss at night."

Chen Siyuan ignored her and reached out to grab Yingrou and knead her, saying, "It's hard to explain. Who was the one who kept torturing her?"

Hongyu was immediately embarrassed and said angrily: "Master, are you still talking? Well, I don't know where you learned this method of torturing people, making it impossible for them to go up or down..." As she spoke, she pursed her lips, and the soul-stirring feeling immediately came back to her mind, making Hongyu unable to continue.

At this moment, Xiangling suddenly woke up with a moan, and suddenly stood up straight and said, "Oh no, I'm going to be late today!"

Hongyu chuckled and covered her mouth with her hands, "Look, Xiangling is already half asleep."

Xiangling was stunned for a long while before she said with relief, "Yes, today is the Dragon Boat Festival, so you don't have to go to the Imperial College."

Feng Jieer had set the time to set off at Chenshi, and it was only Maoshi now, so there was no need to be too anxious.

Chen Siyuan immediately embraced her left and right, taking full advantage of her warmth and softness. When they heard a noise from outside, the three of them slowly got up.

After washing up, Liu Wuer came back with the lunch box.

Placing the food on the table, Liu Wu'er spread out the food box and took out the bowls and dishes one by one. She said softly, "I was worried that Master would get upset from eating too many zongzi, so I asked Mom to prepare some extra porridge and pickles."

Hongyu smiled and said, "From now on, this job should be done by Sister Wu'er. It would be inappropriate for someone else to beg like this."

Liu Wu'er smiled silently, and Chen Siyuan said, "Yes, have the rewards from the mansion been distributed?"

Hongyu said, "Sister Ping'er said that it will be postponed for a few days, but the rules will remain the same as before."

That's a double monthly allowance. Dragon Boat Festival is also known as Daughters' Day. While the servants' pay can be postponed, how can the maids and servants in the mansion be delayed? I wonder if Sister Feng has lent out the money, or if the mansion is struggling again.

Chen Siyuan couldn't comment on this matter, so he thought: "Let's send it out today. There's only one thing, we have to tell everyone so that it won't be spread outside."

Hongyu smiled and agreed, saying, "Don't worry, sir. I've prepared everything this morning. I went to Sister Ping'er to exchange the copper coins a few days ago."

As he spoke, he turned back inside, took out the silver box, and first sent out the silver to Xiangling, Liu Wu'er and himself. Then he called Yunxiang and the two servants in one by one.

Everyone was extremely happy to receive the reward, and the two servants bowed repeatedly, thinking that they had a good master.

Because they were going to the goldfish pond that day, everyone had breakfast early. By the time everyone had finished breakfast and tidied up, it was almost noon.

Chen Siyuan knew that the maids around him rarely left the house, so he took them all with him. So after a while, Chen Siyuan led four maids to the front.

As they exited the ceremonial gate, they saw a flurry of carriages and people and horses in front of the Rongguo Mansion. Sister Feng stood before the gate, ordering the housekeepers to load all the belongings onto the carriages. Ping'er was also running around with messages, and Zhou Rui's wife was running back and forth.

Several carriages had already stopped outside. Sister Feng smiled and arranged them, saying, "Yingchun, Tanchun, and Xichun will take one, and Baochai and Daiyu will take another... By the way, has Sister Zhu arrived?"

Ping'er said, "Just now, Madam Zhu sent someone to say that she will not be going."

Sister Feng didn't think much of it and said, "Then I'll take a carriage myself."

He glanced at Chen Siyuan and turned to greet him.

Chen Siyuan, knowing the chaos, led four maids out of the corner gate and found a carriage. He then lifted the curtain and looked out, seeing the streets filled with beautiful women, some squeezing over each other and saying, "You rubbed my flowers!", others, "You stepped on my shoes!", chattering and making a lively scene.

Mrs. Zhou Rui rushed back and forth, unable to help but say, "Girls, this is outside, don't let others see you and laugh at you."

After she had said this, everyone lowered their voices and each found their own carriage to return. Just then, Aunt Zhao came chasing out from the corner gate, leading Jia Huan with her, shouting, "Why don't you take my Huan'er with you? Fine, you look down on my maiden background, and now you look down on Huan'er too. I'll go and talk to the old lady!"

Zhou Ruijia hurried over to comfort her, but she couldn't make him understand after talking for a long time.

Aunt Zhao looked around with a raised brow, and suddenly caught sight of Chen Siyuan. She immediately walked over quickly, waving her handkerchief.

"Brother Yuan, this carriage is full. How about letting Huan'er squeeze in with you?"

Chen Siyuan didn't rush to reply. He first said to Zhou Ruijia who had caught up with him, "Mrs. Zhou, is there any room in the carriage behind?"

"And more."

Chen Siyuan thought about it and said to Yunxiang and Liu Wuer, "Then why don't you guys go to the back and squeeze in?"

Liu Wu'er said nothing, but Yunxiang, with a sullen face and full of displeasure, muttered, "Why doesn't Master Huan San go?"

Although he said this, he still got out of the car with Liu Wuer and went to the back.

Aunt Zhao burst into laughter upon seeing this and scolded, "No one in this mansion considers Huan'er the proper mistress, but Yuan'er instead."

Sister Feng, who had just left the corner gate, frowned upon hearing this and scolded her, "What are you saying, my aunt? I sent Ping'er to inquire about it yesterday, and my aunt herself said she wouldn't go. The carriage was arranged yesterday afternoon, and now my aunt says Huan'er is going too. Even if it's difficult for someone, you can't put it this way!"

Aunt Zhao and Sister Feng were at loggerheads. She said, "I only said I wasn't going, and I didn't say Huan'er wasn't going. And yet your maid passed on the wrong message and you're blaming me!"

Ping'er was displeased. Although she was gentle and considerate, she also had a temper. So she said, "Is it my fault? Well, why don't I go to the Madam with my concubine and talk to her?" Aunt Zhao choked and said awkwardly, "It's just a trivial matter. I dare not disturb the Madam's peace. Forget it, I feel relieved to have Brother Yuan looking after me."

Without saying anything more, he turned around and entered the corner gate.

Feng Jieer pouted and looked at Chen Siyuan, who smiled wryly and bowed to her. Feng Jieer sighed and said, "Brother Yuan will be a good person."

At this time, Jia Huan had already boarded the carriage, and Chen Siyuan laughed and exposed it in front of him.

After a moment, Jia Huan entered the carriage and bowed respectfully, saying, "Greetings, Brother Yuan."

"Brother Huan, there's no need for external advice. Come sit down."

"Yes." Jia Huan responded and sat down beside them. He glanced at Xiangling and Hongyu with his slender eyes, then quickly lowered his head.

Chen Siyuan looked at the man and saw that he had a handsome appearance, but he slumped his shoulders and looked at people with squinting eyes. He exuded a sense of... vulgarity from the inside out?
Chen Siyuan recalled the saying: "Dog meat is not to be served at a banquet"—this was referring to Jia Huan. He wondered what Jia Zheng was thinking, letting illiterate Aunt Zhao teach a bastard's son, turning a good boy into this state... Well, I'm afraid when Jia Zheng mentioned this, Lady Wang would have been pleased to see it happen.

At that moment, everyone gathered together, and with a shout from the manager, the carriages set off one after another, heading towards the goldfish pond.

Jia Huan was only nine years old at this time. Chen Siyuan chatted with him for a while, but seeing that he was timid, he simply talked about the scenery outside with Xiangling and Hongyu.

After three quarters of an hour, the carriage arrived near the goldfish pond and began to move slowly.

Hongyu leaned out to look around and couldn't help but exclaimed, "Master, there are so many people."

Chen Siyuan also took a look and saw sedan chairs, carriages, and a crowd of people converging on the Temple of Heaven. Since the Ming Dynasty, visiting the Temple of Heaven to avoid poison had become a custom on Dragon Boat Festival. In this dynasty, the emperor felt it was too cumbersome to mobilize so many troops, while the scholars and nobles disliked the large crowds at the Temple of Heaven, so they flocked to the Goldfish Pond instead.

After a moment's delay, they passed through the congested streets and finally entered the goldfish pond. When the carriage stopped, Jia Huan jumped out without a word and ran away like a madman.

Chen Siyuan and two maids got off the carriage and hurriedly asked Zhou Rui's wife to send someone to take care of Jia Huan.

After Zhou Rui's wife sent the servant to catch up with Jia Huan, Chen Siyuan finally looked around. He saw that the banks of the goldfish pond were covered with curtains, there were boys riding horses and shooting willows, and girls in groups of three or five were strolling around the goldfish pond, laughing and playing. The pavilions and towers around, and even the pleasure boats on the water, were all filled with dignitaries.

Xiangling smiled and said, "It's so lively."

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard the sound of gongs and drums. He looked in the direction of the sound and saw a dozen dragon boats speeding out from the east bank. There were constant shouts of cheers from all along the bank, but he didn't know where the dragon boats came from.

Chen Siyuan couldn't help but wonder, "Is there a dragon boat race in the capital?"

Hongyu was born in the capital, so she said, "Master, you don't know that during the reign of the Emperor, twenty dragon boat teams were dispatched from all over Jiangnan to Beijing to celebrate. Even now, although the emperor doesn't send dragon boats to the capital, the dignitaries have followed suit. Every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, they gather the best dragon boat racers to compete in the Goldfish Pond. It's said that the prizes are quite high."

It turned out to be the case.

Chen Siyuan looked up and saw that after a while a dragon boat crossed the finish line first. Some people around him cheered, while others sighed and shook their heads.

Chen Siyuan asked with a smile, "Just this one match?"

Hongyu said, "I don't know the rules this year. In previous years, there was a match every half hour, so a total of nine matches from morning to night."

At this time, Liu Wu'er and Yunxiang also came over. Chen Siyuan saw that even Liu Wu'er rarely smiled, and her face looked eager to go out for a stroll, so he said: "It's a rare opportunity for you to come out. Don't hang around me. Go and have fun."

There were four girls. The youngest one, Yunxiang, was only eleven, and the oldest one, Xiangling, was only fifteen. They were at the age when they loved to play. Upon hearing what was said, they gave way slightly and went to the east together, playing and having fun.

Chen Siyuan walked instead of riding a carriage, and headed west, thinking that this was a rare opportunity, and he wondered if he could have a private chat with Daiyu or Baochai.

They had not gone far when they saw Sister Feng, clutching her waist, angrily saying, "Let's go, let's go! We were all so well-behaved in the mansion, but now we've lost our composure. Now that everyone has dispersed, how can we find them? Quickly send the servants and maids to follow us, so we won't be disturbed. Ping'er, quickly draw the curtains!"

Catching a glimpse of Chen Siyuan, Sister Feng said, "Oh my God, please hurry up and chase them. Tanchun and Xichun are nowhere to be seen now!"

Chen Siyuan quickly agreed and hurried forward to catch up. The goldfish pond was lined with weeping willows, and local fish farmers had built tile houses along the water. There were also piers and waterside pavilions sandwiched between them. From time to time, a gentle breeze blew in from the lake. It was indeed a great place to escape the summer heat.

After a moment, he caught a glimpse of a servant from the Jia family. Chen Siyuan hurried to the waterside pavilion to look for him. When he entered, he saw the second girl Yingchun standing behind him and the head maid Siqi arguing with someone.

The man bowed repeatedly and said, "I dare not deceive the girl. Fifty big coins, there is nothing cheaper than this."

Siqi frowned and said, "You still say you're not kidding me? Normally, a handful of fish food costs five coins, but now this fish food isn't much more, why does it cost fifty coins?"

The man laughed awkwardly and said, "Miss, what you said is...you also said it was a weekday, but today is the Dragon Boat Festival."

Siqi was about to argue when she heard footsteps. She turned her head and caught a glimpse of Chen Siyuan. Her anger immediately dissipated and she said to the man, "Forget it, then give me some fish food." She took out her purse, counted out fifty copper coins and handed them over.

The second girl, Yingchun, also saw Chen Siyuan and quickly bowed, saying, "Brother Yuan."

"Hello, Second Sister." Chen Siyuan came closer with a bow and asked, "Have you seen Tanchun and Xichun?"

Yingchun smiled and pointed towards the lake: "Isn't that it?"

Chen Siyuan looked over and saw a black-sailed boat slowly drifting around. Tanchun and Xichun were sitting in it, chattering and pointing at the dragon boat over there.

Yingchun said, "Xichun was still a nobody when she came here last time, so she's just trying to find something new. Third sister is worried about her so she's been following her."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Second sister-in-law can't find them, and she's getting anxious right now."

Yingchun quickly ordered Xiuju, "Go and tell Sister Feng so she won't worry."

Xiu Ju agreed and turned to look towards the curtain.

Siqi came over again, split the oil-paper-wrapped fish food in half, and said with a smile, "Miss, Master Yuan, let's feed them together."

Yingchun was too shy to speak. Chen Siyuan took the fish food and said, "Okay, then we'll wait here for them for a while."

There were bamboo clips in the paper bag. Yingchun picked up some and threw them casually on the water. In a moment, koi fish from all around gathered and scrambled to eat them.

Chen Siyuan also spilled some of the beans and was just thinking about what to start a conversation when Siqi said, "I heard that Master Yuan won first place in the Imperial College again this time?"

"Yeah, lucky. In fact, the difference between Zhong Fang and me is not much, so it's normal to choose Zhong Fang as the first one."

Siqi laughed and said, "Master Yuan, why are you being so modest?" She counted on her fingers, "You've already topped two monthly exams and one quarterly exam. If you can do that a few more times, Master Yuan will graduate from the Imperial College, right?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "It's hard to say. I just hope I can catch up with the Autumn Examination this year."

The second girl finally took over and said, "Brother Yuan is very talented and his writing is excellent. I think he will definitely be able to catch up with the autumn examination and maybe even win the first place."

Siqi said mischievously, "How many days until Master Yuan's birthday? If he passes the imperial examination at fifteen or sixteen, he'll probably be even more impressive than Master Zhu was back then."

Chen Siyuan shook his head, exposing his own shortcomings, and said, "It's hard to compare... Jiangnan is a place with a strong literary atmosphere. If I took the imperial examination there, I'm afraid I wouldn't even be able to pass the scholar level. On the contrary, it would be easier to pass the juren level."

Siqi asked, "Why is that?"

Yingchun said, "There are three stages in the Tong exam: the county exam, the prefectural exam, and the imperial exam. The first two are decided by the county magistrate and the prefectural governor. They are bound to judge based on their own preferences, and if they are biased, they might miss out on great talent. On the other hand, the Juren exam only has one stage, the provincial exam, and with the provincial governor overseeing it, talented people are more likely to pass."

"That's how it is."

Siqi was just thinking about bringing the two together when she suddenly heard someone walking quickly. She turned around and saw Baoyu approaching with a frown.

When Baoyu got closer and caught a glimpse of Chen Siyuan, he was startled. He forced a smile and greeted the two of them. Then he said to Yingchun, "Second sister, have you seen third and fourth sisters?"

Yingchun smiled and asked, "Why is Brother Bao here?"

Baoyu said, "I have been staying behind the curtains to see what Jing'er is interested in. I said I wanted to go for a walk, but Sister Bao and Sister Lin didn't come."

Yingchun said, "Brother Bao, you'll have to wait a little longer," pointing to the distance on the lake. "I'm afraid it'll take them quite a while to get back."

Baoyu clasped his hands together in annoyance and said, "If I had known they were going on a boat trip, I should have come earlier."

Yingchun handed over the fish food and said, "Brother Bao, why don't you feed the goldfish for a while? They will be back soon."

Baoyu took it excitedly and threw fish food into the water.

After a while, Tanchun and Xichun came back and waved to Baoyu from a distance. At this moment, a shout came: "Third Master, slow down. Don't run around!"

Then Jia Huan said, "Don't follow me, I can't get lost!"

Chen Siyuan looked back and saw Jia Huan running towards him, glancing at Baoyu from the corner of his eye. While Chen Siyuan was pondering, Jia Huan had already approached. Suddenly, he stumbled with a sound of "ouch!" and bumped right into Baoyu, who was bending over to feed the fish.

The second girl hurried to stop him, but Jia Huan used all his strength and Yingchun was hit on the chest by Jia Huan's shoulder. She screamed and hit the fence, her body tilted back and she was about to fall.

Chen Siyuan was quick-witted and quick-handed. He reached out and pulled Yingchun's left hand, pulled it into his arms, and then held Yingchun's shoulders with his right hand.

With a cry of "Ouch", the second girl Yingchun fell limply into Chen Siyuan's arms.

Everything happened in a flash. Siqi reacted in the blink of an eye and was about to scold Jia Huan, but she saw the two of them hugging each other. She rolled her eyes and swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

Baoyu turned around and caught a glimpse of Jia Huan lying on the ground. He simply frowned and came over to ask in a very tactless manner, "Is Second Sister okay?"

Yingchun had never had any close contact with a man since she was a child. She could smell the masculine scent and was immediately terrified and unable to move. When Baoyu spoke, she struggled to her feet. A blush crept up her face, and she shook her head and stammered, "No, nothing..."

He glanced at Chen Siyuan, then quickly turned his head away, holding on to the pillar.

Chen Siyuan simply nodded at Yingchun, then frowned and looked at Jia Huan. Jia Huan then glared fiercely at Baoyu's back, then clutched his ankle and cried, "Ouch! My foot! My foot!"

At this moment, the servant also chased in, mumbling something as he pulled Jia Huan to his feet. Chen Siyuan relaxed his brows but said nothing. At this moment, Tanchun stepped onto the pier and quickly entered the waterside pavilion. She pinched Jia Huan's ear and scolded him, "You are so impulsive! You almost hurt my second sister. Why don't you apologize to her now!"

Jia Huan said dejectedly, "I didn't mean to do that. I just tripped over a stone..."

The pavilion is paved with bluestone slabs. Where did the stones come from?

Yingchun said, "Perhaps Huan'er slipped for a moment, so there's no need to blame him." After a pause, Yingchun blushed and said, "Siqi, I feel a little hot right now, can you help me back?"

Siqi came over and said, "Young lady, you just arrived. Why don't you stay a little longer?"

"No, no, let's go back quickly." He said goodbye to Chen Siyuan and Tanchun, took Siqi and went back.

Tanchun greeted Chen Siyuan and mentioned Jia Huan, saying, "Brother Yuan, I must keep an eye on Huan to prevent him from getting into trouble again."

Chen Siyuan smiled and nodded, and Tanchun bit her lower lip and carried Jia Huan back.

A moment later, Chen Siyuan saw the young girl Xichun walk in. She greeted him and they both looked toward the water. Xichun then said, "I saw it clearly just now... Third Brother Huan wants to kill Second Brother Bao, right?"

Chen Siyuan glanced down at her, reached out and rubbed her head, and whispered, "See through it but don't say it out loud."

Xichun nodded heavily: "Well, I won't tell anyone else except Brother Yuan."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "This young man is teachable."

Xichun pursed her lips and continued, "If Third Brother Huan kills Second Brother Bao, will he be favored?"

"What does Fourth Sister think?"

Xichun said jokingly, "I'm afraid Third Brother Huan is being too obsessed. Even if Second Brother Bao wasn't here, I'm afraid Old Madam and Second Aunt would turn their attention to Brother Lan."

Chen Siyuan sneered, neither agreeing nor refuting. Instead, he said, "I heard that Fourth Sister went to Longcui Temple when she had time these days?"

(End of this chapter)