Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 162 Aunt Xue Asks for Advice

"That's easy."

Seeing Chen Siyuan's calm and composed words, Madam Wang immediately asked anxiously, "Does Brother Yuan really have a solution?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and nodded, saying, "I discussed this privately with my aunt the other day. We both agreed that the Master had been a little…" What was he? Of course, a little unkind. It was like pulling the ladder back after climbing up, or destroying the bridge after crossing it.

After a pause, Chen Siyuan continued, "This matter is originally a win-win situation for both sides, but the eldest master is too selfish."

Mrs. Wang immediately felt that Chen Siyuan was a close friend. She couldn't help but slam the table and said, "That's exactly right!" She suppressed her tone and whispered, "The family's income is increasingly insufficient to cover expenses. Now it's just the servants' monthly wages that are insufficient to make ends meet. I'm afraid that in a few years, even the master's expenses won't be enough.

I have put in so much effort for my family, not for the second wife, but my uncle is so worried! Brother Yuan, I don’t know what your idea is——”

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "The eldest master has plenty of money on hand, so he's naturally not in a hurry. If he were short of money... I'm afraid the eldest master would come to the madam to settle the matter without her even asking."

Mrs. Wang said, "That's the logic, but what should we do?"

Then Chen Siyuan said, "A few years ago, the old Prince Yizhong got into trouble. I heard that those unfilial descendants in the palace are secretly selling off rare antiques and calligraphy and paintings... My uncle has always loved calligraphy and painting. If he sees something he likes, he will buy it without hesitation, even if it means emptying his wallet."

Mrs. Wang immediately had an idea. Feng Jie'er's brother, Wang Ren, was at the Wang family at the time. Because his brother Wang Ziteng's youngest son was still a child, the task of communicating fell on Wang Ren.

In his early years, the four families of Jia, Shi, Wang, and Xue had placed their high hopes on Prince Yizhong, who had devoted all their efforts to supporting him in ascending the throne. However, upon his abdication, the Emperor suddenly passed the throne to the present Emperor, leaving the four families with nothing.

Mrs. Wang is not in a position to intervene in this matter, but her nephew Wang Ren is just the right person!
After making up her mind in an instant, Mrs. Wang breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Brother Yuan is still the one with the best ideas. Yes, it will be Brother Yuan's birthday in a few days. I will take charge then. We can invite a troupe of actors and have a good time."

Chen Siyuan quickly waved his hand and said, "Mrs. Meng, please be kind and keep my birthday simple."

Firstly, he was a foreigner, so it was not appropriate to take advantage of Qiao; secondly, he had to go to the Imperial College to study that day, and it would probably be past 3:00 PM when he returned home; thirdly, he had other thoughts on his mind, which he could not tell outsiders.

Unexpectedly, Mrs. Wang thought he was just staying at the Rongguo Mansion and was being frivolous. Her face darkened and she said, "Brother Yuan, what are you talking about? I treat you as my own son and nephew. We're both brothers, how can I favor one over the other?" After a pause, and before Chen Siyuan could refuse, she said, "Yes, Brother Yuan still has to go to school that day... So, when Brother Yuan returns, I'll call those twelve little actors and liven up his courtyard."

Seeing that he couldn't refuse, Chen Siyuan had no choice but to stand up and bow in acceptance.

The two chatted for a while longer. Mrs. Wang was particularly concerned about Chen Siyuan's academic performance. When she heard that he had topped the list again the previous month, she smiled and said, "Brother Yuan is so capable. I think... he can pass the imperial examination in one or two attempts. What Daiyu said the other day is not without a solution. How many people in this world can pass the imperial examination on their first try? Brother Yuan, just concentrate on your studies. If you don't succeed once, try twice. If you don't succeed twice, try three times. I will definitely help you and Daiyu get married."

Chen Siyuan looked happy. He thanked Mrs. Wang and drank a cup of tea before leaving.

A few days passed in the blink of an eye. That afternoon, Aunt Xue came to sit in Lady Wang's courtyard as usual.

Aunt Xue knew that Mrs. Wang looked down on the Xue family at that time, so she never mentioned the golden marriage and only talked about the small selection in the palace.

Since coming to the capital, Aunt Xue has been sending money to the imperial court. However, she has spent a lot of money but still has no news about the selection of Zanshan.

The two sisters were talking when Wang Ren came to their door.

Mrs. Wang hurriedly sent her maid to go and greet them, and soon she saw Sister Feng leading Wang Ren into the house.

Wang Ren exchanged greetings with Madame Wang and Aunt Xue, then explained his purpose. He had had some free time the previous day, gone out of town with friends for some fun, and feeling thirsty, he had bought some watermelons and cantaloupes. They were so delicious that he immediately bought two cartloads.

One car was sent back to the Wang family, and the other car was delivered to the Rongguo Mansion today.

Mrs. Wang and Aunt Xue were naturally full of praise for their nephew's thoughtful gesture. Wang Ren sat for a moment, then exchanged glances with Mrs. Wang and rose to take his leave, saying that he should go to the east wing to pay his respects to the eldest master, Jia She.

Mrs. Wang ordered Jin Chuan'er to lead the way and watched Wang Ren and Feng Jie'er leave.

Aunt Xue had just said a few words when Wang Ren glanced at Mrs. Wang, which naturally caught her attention.

Aunt Xue was wary of the Wang family because of Xue Pan's lawsuit. Seeing the two secretly engaged in other activities, she immediately became alert. She couldn't help but wonder if Madam Wang and Wang Ziteng were conspiring to seize the Xue family's property?
As soon as Wang Ren left, Aunt Xue began to probe indirect ways, but Mrs. Wang was so tight-lipped that Aunt Xue couldn't get any information after asking for a long time.

Just as she was about to ask more, Zhou Ruijia suddenly appeared and said, "Madam, there's a letter from Nanjing. Someone is waiting outside. I've brought the letter."

Letter from Jinling?

Aunt Xue took the letter, opened it and took a look at it, her brows furrowed in thought.

Mrs. Wang asked, "What's the matter?"

Aunt Xue said, "Second Uncle had an acute illness and passed away a month ago."

Mrs. Wang was preoccupied with how to induce Jia She to spend all the money he had, so when she heard this she just nodded slightly, responded with a single word, and said nothing more.

Aunt Xue was confused.

Because Baochai's father died young, the imperial merchant post in the inner court fell temporarily to her uncle from the second wife's family. The contract was signed that day, and when Xue Pan grew up, the second wife's family would hand the post back to him.

Who would have thought that in the Jinling case, Xue Pan had become a living dead. Therefore, even if Xue Pan became a human in the future, this task would not fall on him.

They had planned that after Baochai married Baoyu, the two families would work together to cover up Xue Pan's lawsuit, and then transfer the imperial merchant job that fell on the second wife back to the first wife. However, who knew that the second uncle passed away at this time!

Aunt Xue suddenly felt irritated and wanted to find Baochai to have a fight with her, so she stood up and said, "This matter is urgent. I will go back first."

Mrs. Wang agreed and sent Aunt Xue out.

The back door of Lady Wang's courtyard was almost facing the small courtyard in the northeast. Aunt Xue went there in a hurry, but returned home in a moment.

At this time, Sister Bao was knitting with Ying'er. Seeing Aunt Xue returning in a hurry, Baochai hurriedly asked, "Something happened? Why are you so flustered?"

Aunt Xue pulled Baochai to sit down and said, "It's a disaster. Your second uncle had an acute illness last month and passed away!"

Baochai frowned for a moment, then slowly relaxed her brows, saying quietly, "Did aunt give any advice?"

"No." Aunt Xue shook her head.

Baochai said, "Second uncle is very generous. If this imperial mission falls on you, you can always transfer it back to the first wife's house one day. Now that second uncle is gone, someone will have to take the imperial mission, and brother is in his current situation... If it falls on another wife's house, I'm afraid I'll never get it back."

"Isn't that so? That's what I thought, and that's why I hurried back to ask you what you thought."

Although Sister Bao was intelligent, she was still young. How could she have experienced such a big thing? So she frowned and thought for a long time, then shook her head and said, "Mom, you should wait for Uncle to come back and ask him how to deal with it." After a pause, she said, "Or... Mom, why don't you ask Brother Yuan?"

Aunt Xue was startled for a moment, then said with a sly delight, "Yes, Brother Yuan has the best ideas. I should ask him how to handle this!"

Aunt Xue immediately sent Tongxi and Tonggui to inquire at the two places, and waited for Jia Zheng and Chen Siyuan to return so that she could visit them in person to ask for advice.

After enduring for a full hour, Jia Zheng still did not return. Instead, Chen Siyuan returned to Rongguo Mansion first.

Aunt Xue's heart was in turmoil. First, she was on pins and needles because of the family affairs, and second, she was also very upset because of Chen Siyuan. When she heard Tongxi's reply, her heart could not help but beat wildly. She suppressed her emotions and said to Baochai, "My son, why don't you come with me to ask Brother Yuan?"

Sister Bao wanted to go, but before she could open her mouth, Aunt Xue said, "Never mind. I'll go by myself. It wouldn't be convenient for you to go."

As he spoke, he stood up and asked Tongxi to accompany him, and hurried to the backyard.

I just left Sister Bao feeling confused and thought to myself: It's not like I haven't seen her before, why should I be so shy?

Without mentioning what happened to Bao-sister, we will instead say that Aunt Xue came out of the small courtyard in the northeast, walked north along the alley, and after a while, turned west at Lixiang Courtyard, and soon arrived at the gate of Chen Siyuan's courtyard.

Tongxi went forward and knocked on the door. Yunxiang, a young maid, answered. Seeing that it was Aunt Xue, Yunxiang hurriedly shouted, "Master, the concubine is here!"

Aunt Xue couldn't help but clench her handkerchief, her palms sweating. She felt both hopeful and timid, with mixed feelings in her heart. She couldn't tell what she felt for a moment.

Tongxi said from the side: "Madam, let's go in."

"Oh." Aunt Xue came back to her senses and went into the yard with Tongxi. When she looked up, she saw Chen Siyuan coming out from the main room.

But he was seen bowing from a distance, then when he came closer he bowed tall and said, "I am late, please forgive me, Madam."

Aunt Xue laughed and said, "Brother Yuan, what are you talking about? I'm the unwelcome guest this time... I've come to you for advice because I've encountered a difficult situation and I'm really undecided."

Chen Siyuan said, "In that case, Madam, please come in and talk."

At that moment, Chen Siyuan invited Aunt Xue into the house, and the host and guest sat down. After tea and snacks were served, Aunt Xue told him about the death of her second uncle.

Chen Siyuan pondered for a moment and understood the underlying situation. He said, "Is it because of the imperial merchant's background?"

"I knew I couldn't hide it from Brother Yuan," Aunt Xue exclaimed.

Chen Siyuan thought for a moment and said, "I have two options, one for the better and the other for the worse. Madam, you can make your own decision."

Aunt Xue suddenly felt relieved and thought to herself that it must be Yuan Ge'er. She had an idea just after hearing this story, and she was right.

Aunt Xue suppressed her thoughts and said hurriedly, "Brother Yuan, please tell me quickly."

Chen Siyuan nodded and thought, "One option is to spend a large sum of money and ask the officials of the Ministry of Justice to change Wenlong's case file."

Chen Siyuan explained the details of the case. The Ministry of Justice was under the jurisdiction of the Minister of Justice, who had left and right assistant ministers under him, and eighteen clerks. Xue Pan's case fell under the jurisdiction of the Jiangsu clerk.

The Ministry of Justice also had a storage area for case files, called the Criminal Ministry's Grand Treasury. Guarding the Grand Treasury were only a few low-ranking officials. If Xue Pan could pay a large sum of money and retrieve the original case files, his name would be cleared instantly. Then, it would be a natural progression for him to accept the imperial commission from the Imperial Household.

As soon as this proposal was made, Aunt Xue's eyes suddenly brightened up, and she felt that half of the clouds in the sky had dispersed.

But Chen Siyuan said, "But this matter needs to be handled through a channel. It would be best for the concubine to ask the eldest master to discuss it with him. It would be difficult for ordinary people to handle it."

Aunt Xue's worries had just been put to rest, but then they became tense again. She thought about the flirting between Madam Wang and Wang Ren that afternoon, and she didn't know what was going on between them. How could she dare confront the Jia family about this now?
Aunt Xue frowned and said, "Brother Yuan is right...but I don't know what the worst option is."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "The worst plan is simple. Madam, all I have to do is have Brother Wenlong return to Nanjing, find some yamen runners and officials, and have a new household registration card registered under another family name. That way, Brother Wenlong will be completely renewed and naturally able to accept the imperial commission."

After a pause, he continued, "But since this is the worst option, it has its drawbacks. The Ministry of Justice case file is still in the main vault. If someone were to open it one day, it would be disastrous. Secondly, this worst option is too complicated. I have to bribe the officials in Nanjing to register it under the name of another family, and then I have to ask Brother Wenlong to bear the heavy responsibility of the main family lineage. It's really a bit cumbersome."

"Okay, okay, Brother Yuan really is someone with ideas!"

Aunt Xue was overjoyed! She thought to herself that only a man as capable as Yuan-ge'er could establish a family. How could a woman like her, a woman in a secluded house, know all the ins and outs of the outside world?

In her joy, she inevitably forgot to hide her feelings, and the look she gave Chen Siyuan revealed a hint of affection.

Chen Siyuan saw something strange in his heart, thinking that Aunt Xue was so happy about the idea that she lost her composure, so he said, "If it's up to me, this is the best plan."

Aunt Xue quickly withdrew her gaze and pondered: This best plan requires the Jia family's contribution, but how can the Jia family be used for nothing? Not to mention what evil intentions my good sister Lady Wang may have, even if this plan is accomplished, the Jia family will inevitably exploit them.

Furthermore, Pan'er was wrongly accused in the Jinling case, becoming a living dead without knowing the truth. If the lawsuit were to become public, the one who would be most anxious would be the former prefect Jia Yucun. Who knows, Xue Pan might even be able to clear his name by then, so what was there to be afraid of?

I think changing nationality is just a minor offense, and I can just accept the punishment.

Aunt Xue made up her mind and raised her eyes and said, "I know the best plan is good, but I have to suffer so much. Alas... For now, even the worst plan is good."

Chen Siyuan nodded and said, "As long as my wife thinks it through carefully, it will be fine."

Aunt Xue nodded and added, "Thanks to Brother Yuan for giving me the idea. I don't know how to thank you."

Chen Siyuan smiled and waved his hand, saying, "It's just a suggestion, it's nothing."

Aunt Xue smiled and said, "It's nothing to you, but it's a huge favor to my family. I also know that Brother Yuan is not short of money now. So, let's keep in touch with each other in the future. There will always be a day when the Xue family will repay you."

"Haha, my aunt, you are too kind."

Aunt Xue felt more confident now, and fearing that if she stayed any longer she would reveal her feelings, she stood up and said, "Baochai is still worried at home, so I won't stay any longer."

Chen Siyuan also stood up: "Okay, I'll see my concubine off."

"Brother Yuan, please stay. Why are you sending me off?" Chen Siyuan smiled but said nothing. In the end, he sent Aunt Xue out of the courtyard.

When Chen Siyuan returned to the main room, Hongyu came over and whispered, "Master, why did I look at the concubine just now...it seemed like something wasn't right?"

Chen Siyuan said, "That makes sense...Wenlong's case was like a mountain weighing on him. Now that he's found a way out, isn't he overjoyed?"

Although Hongyu nodded, she didn't agree in her heart. It made sense, and Aunt Xue was indeed happy, but the look in her eyes was more than just happiness.

Without mentioning Hongyu's thoughts, it is said that Aunt Xue felt confident and returned to the guesthouse excitedly. She found Baochai and told her about Chen Siyuan's two strategies.

Sister Bao, limited by her own experience, had been at a loss for what to do earlier, but now, after receiving the hint, she suddenly understood. She couldn't help but exclaim in praise, "The best plan is the best, but the worst plan is also feasible. Brother Yuan is truly amazing!"

Aunt Xue couldn't help but hope, "A man as extraordinary as him, I'm afraid there will be no more troubles in the world. It's just a pity——"

As soon as the words came out, Aunt Xue felt something was wrong. She looked at Baochai anxiously, but saw that her good daughter had turned her head away with a slightly sad look on her face.

Aunt Xue blinked and pondered for a long time before she guessed Baochai's thoughts. She still refused to believe it, so she asked tentatively: "My son, could it be that you and Yuan'er——"

Baochai suddenly became anxious and frowned, saying, "What are you talking about, mother? Brother Yuan... I naturally admire you. Apart from that, there is nothing else."

Aunt Xue suddenly felt strange. Then she thought, after all, it was her own daughter, and she liked him, so it seemed normal for her daughter to like him.
Thinking about this, Aunt Xue suddenly had another idea: If Baochai is betrothed to Yuan'er, at least she can see her often?

At this moment, both mother and daughter were silent, but they had different thoughts.

Just then, I heard someone shouting outside: "Mom, sister, I'm back!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xue Pan strode in, bowed with a smile, and seeing that both mother and daughter had strange expressions, he couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Mom, what's going on?"

Aunt Xue came to her senses, sent the maid who had followed her in, called Xue Pan over, and said, "A letter from Nanjing says your second uncle is dead." She then told him what had happened and also mentioned Chen Siyuan's desperate plan.

Finally, Aunt Xue said, "It's just right. You're leaving for Jinling tomorrow. You'll attend your second uncle's funeral today, and secretly find the fourth wife to finalize this matter. No matter how much money you spend, you must get this done properly."

"Leaving tomorrow?"

Aunt Xue said solemnly, "This matter is extremely urgent. It concerns our family's royal merchant foundation. We can't delay it! Fourth uncle is temporarily acting as clan leader. He is extremely greedy. You only need to spend a large sum of money, and there is no reason to refuse this time."

Xue Pan agreed silently.

Sister Bao, standing by, warned, "Brother, don't make this public. Don't drink alcohol from now on, and don't mention it to outsiders."

"That's right, it's absolutely right. You must not make it public. Pan'er, you must not drink again this time."

"Huh?" Xue Pan felt extremely depressed.

It's bad enough that we have to travel thousands of miles back and forth in the hot summer, but we're not allowed to drink alcohol. Isn't that boring?
But seeing his mother and sister's eager eyes, he could only sigh and agree. After he returned to his room to pack his bags, Aunt Xue had another discussion with Baochai, and finally said, "Thanks to Yuan'er's idea, if this is successful, it will also be time to arrange a marriage for your brother."

Suddenly, they heard footsteps approaching. The mother and daughter looked up and saw Liu Yan'er walking in. She bowed and said, "Madam, the master said that we must prepare some local rituals before going to Jinling..."

Baochai said, "My family also has a shop in the capital. I'll ask my brother to go and select some for the ritual."

Liu Yan'er obediently complied, bowed, and left, her expression immediately grave. She could have lived a few more years of good life, but who knew that Xue Pan would be arranged to marry her right now... If the young mistress is stubborn and insists on being married, how could she possibly have a happy life?

She might as well lose face and ask Chen Siyuan for advice. She had made up her mind anyway: if she herself wasn't doing well, Chen wouldn't be doing well either!
............................................................

Another day passed in a flash.

Tomorrow is a day off, and Third Sister You returned to Xiaohuazhi Lane early from Widow Dou's shop. She was calculating her abacus skillfully while looking forward to it.

Because it was a hot summer day, You Sanjie was only wearing a small shirt inside, a silvery white round-necked double-breasted long gown on the upper body, and a glaze blue skirt on the lower body. She was lying on the kang, with her pair of diamond-shaped feet, with her shoes and socks taken off, kicked back and forth, and her nails painted with nail polish gently fiddled with the abacus.

Seeing that the afternoon was almost over, Third Sister You hurriedly looked for Xia Zhu and asked, "What time is it?"

Xia Zhu then said, "My lady, it's almost evening."

Third Sister You frowned. Then Second Sister You, dressed in a thin white gauze, came in with a bowl of steaming ice smoothie.

Glancing at Third Sister You's situation, Second Sister You said, "Brother Yuan must have been held up by something. If he hadn't come, he would have sent a servant to let us know."

Then he put the smoothie on the table and said, "Sister, would you like some smoothie? I made it myself."

Third Sister You took one glance and her mouth watered. The shaved ice was layered with shaved ice, with milk tofu sprinkled with icing sugar in the middle. Above that were watermelons, melons, cherries, mulberries, and other fruits. The colorful shaved ice looked extremely tempting.

Third Sister You put down her abacus, stood up and sat cross-legged, smiling and saying to Second Sister You, "You don't have to try to please me. I told him a month ago. He didn't want to do it, so it's not my fault."

You Erjie smiled and said, "I'm not in a hurry either. I can always wait." Although she said this, she was secretly complaining. You Erjie could imagine the reluctance of her good sister when she said that. Brother Yuan was a top student, so why would he offend the third sister for his own sake?

When You Sanjie heard her say this, she couldn't help but smile triumphantly and buried her head in eating the smoothie.

Suddenly, there was a noise outside, and Chunxi shouted, "Master is coming!"

Third Sister You immediately put down the spoon, put on her embroidered shoes, and rushed out like a gust of wind.

When she left the main room, she saw Chen Siyuan coming in with his hands behind his back. Third Sister You was worried about him, so she ran over with a smile and threw herself into Chen Siyuan's arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and calling out sweetly, "Brother Yuan is finally here."

Chen Siyuan pinched Third Sister You's cheek and said with a smile, "Are you getting impatient? Doctor Ding from Heniantang sent someone to say that the prescription is ready when school is over."

Third Sister You was immediately delighted and asked, "Is it done? How long will it take to sell it?"

"No rush. The two masters of the Rongguo Mansion have been enjoying the benefits for so long, it's time for them to contribute... First, make a name for themselves, and from now on, you just have to wait for the big scale to divide the gold."

Third Sister You's eyes immediately curved, and she was filled with admiration. She immediately hugged Chen Siyuan's arm and dragged him inside, saying, "What's the use of money? It's enough. As for me, I just hope that Brother Yuan will come to see me more often when he has time."

As he was speaking, You Erjie also came to the door and exchanged glances with Chen Siyuan, which immediately made Chen Siyuan feel agitated.

The round-necked, double-breasted dress already revealed a white area under the neck, and the gauze was extremely translucent, revealing the snow-white skin underneath. It was even more seductive when she was wearing it than when she was taking it off.

Seeing Chen Siyuan's strange look, You Erjie couldn't help but feel proud. She smiled and bowed, saying, "Brother Yuan."

"Ah."

When everyone entered the main room, Third Sister You hurriedly asked Chunxi to find some ice cubes and made a bowl of smoothie for Chen Siyuan herself.

After removing all the previous ingredients and replacing the icing sugar with honey, he watched Chen Siyuan take a bite eagerly and asked, "How is it?"

Chen Siyuan praised: "Sister, you have great cooking skills."

Third Sister You's eyes suddenly curved, she took off her shoes and sat next to Chen Siyuan, then she grabbed the spoon and started feeding him one spoonful at a time.

You Erjie also understood the situation and chatted for a few words before going to the side room.

Chen Siyuan couldn't eat more after eating half a bowl of smoothie, so he took out two porcelain bottles from his pocket.

"Is this... the medicine we're going to sell?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Exactly. This white porcelain bottle is called Bu Tian Wan, and the black porcelain bottle is called Huan Chun Dan. The former has an immediate effect, while the latter strengthens the body and replenishes the vital energy. In three months, one can feel refreshed."

Third Sister You happily took two porcelain bottles to play with, pulled out the cork and poured out a pitch-black pill from inside. Immediately, a strange smell came from it.

Third Sister You frowned and said, "This pill smells really weird."

Chen Siyuan said: "This medicine is amazing. It can be used not only by men but also by women to relieve dysmenorrhea and amenorrhea."

"Huh? It's still effective?"

This was exactly what Ding Daojian was capable of. He saw his yellow dog become incredibly powerful after eating the medicine, and within a few days, it had pampered all the female dogs around it. He immediately felt relieved. So he first took the medicine himself, and then gave it to his wife.

His own condition was not very obvious, but his wife had stopped menstruating last year, and no matter how she treated herself, her condition did not improve. But after taking Shilajit, she started having menstruation again in just over twenty days!
Ding Daojian was overjoyed and quickly added a few more herbs to the mixture, kneading it into a pill and naming it Huanchun Pill.

I just told Chen Siyuan that in the future this Huanchun Pill might sell better than the Bu Tian Pill.

Third Sister You suffered from unbearable abdominal pain every time she had her period, and her condition did not improve after several treatments. When she heard that this medicine had such an effect, she was immediately amazed.

He pushed the two porcelain bottles back, but they were pushed forward again by Chen Siyuan.

Third Sister You looked up in surprise, and saw Chen Siyuan smiling, "Sister, you're in excruciating pain every time. Why don't you take more of this medicine from now on? Madam Ding will be feeling better in just the past twenty days. Maybe you won't have to suffer this pain again next month."

Third Sister You felt so comfortable that she immediately threw herself into Chen Siyuan's arms. The two of them cuddled together for a long while, and because of the hot weather today, beads of sweat appeared on their bodies.

Third Sister You quickly found a fan to fan herself, then leaned against Chen Siyuan with a smile on her face. After a while, she said, "Brother Yuan... If not, I'll let Second Sister accompany you tonight."

Chen Siyuan asked, "Sister, are you feeling unwell?"

Third Sister You shook her head and pouted, "It's already like this now. I can't drive you away, and you're so greedy... If I try to stop you, it'll inevitably make people dislike me."

Chen Siyuan reached his hand under her collar, grabbed the sweaty Yingrou, and said, "I may be jealous, but I don't dislike you at all. My love for my sister is deep and sincere, how can anyone else compare to her?"

Third Sister You immediately burst into laughter, and any reluctance she had felt vanished completely. She was a fiery-tempered woman, easily pliant. If you were in her element, she would treat you wholeheartedly; if you weren't, she wouldn't even consider offering you mountains of gold and silver.

So he got up quickly, without even putting on his socks, and walked away in his slippers.

"Huh? Where are you going?"

Third Sister You walked two steps and then turned back. She kissed Chen Siyuan's lips, reached out and grabbed two porcelain bottles, and said, "I'm going to Ningguo Mansion to see my eldest sister. Brother Ziyuan and Second Sister can enjoy it together later."

He immediately took Chunxi away, and regardless of Chen Siyuan's repeated calls, he went to the side room to give some instructions, and then left in a hurry.

Chen Siyuan sighed inwardly. Who could have known that Third Sister You was such a remarkable woman? She must have ended up in such a predicament in the book because she was young and had been coaxed into losing her footing by Old Lady You, which had led her to abandon herself to playing with men.

The two met in humble circumstances, and though they could not be considered to have shared hardships, Third Sister You ran away at night for him. Chen Siyuan kept this friendship in his heart, secretly determined to live up to her.

While he was thinking about it, You Erjie came out of the side room with a red face. Her face seemed to be heavily made up, and she looked extremely lovely with a rosy complexion.

After entering, he timidly said, "Brother Yuan, the food is ready... Can we have some together?"

"it is good."

Chen Siyuan landed on his side, stood up, and took two steps closer. Second Sister You's breathing quickened. Chen Siyuan reached out and lifted her chin, giving her a light peck on the cheek. He smiled and said, "Have someone prepare a pot of good wine... Today is a rare opportunity, and I'd rather not let Third Sister down."

"Yes." You Erjie agreed.

When the two of them arrived in the hall, the little maid Xia Zhu came and went, serving them four cold and four hot dishes, and also a pot of chilled Hejiang lychee wine.

Only after Chen Siyuan had started eating did You Erjie follow suit. Her mind was completely on Chen Siyuan, so she didn't eat much. She just followed Chen Siyuan in setting the dishes and getting up repeatedly to pour him wine.

Their eyebrows met from time to time. You Erjie avoided his gaze but had a smile on her face. It seemed that she was very happy in her heart.

With fine wine and delicious food, and a beautiful woman as his companion, Chen Siyuan was delighted. Halfway through the pot of wine, You Erjie came to refill it. Chen Siyuan reached out and put his arm around her waist, gently pulling her into his arms. He then lifted her up horizontally and, ignoring You Erjie's exclamations, walked straight towards the western wing.

You Erjie put her arms around his neck and said, "Brother Yuan...it's still early."

"It's still early, but I can't wait any longer."

　I'm recommending a novel written by a girl, author: Chanchan Mianmian. It's a Harry Potter fanfiction with a female protagonist, modern mystery, and behind-the-scenes flair. If you're interested, check it out.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)