Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 170: Nonsense
Chen Siyuan sat with Lady Wang in her room for a while. As it was getting late, Lady Wang wanted to keep her for dinner again, but Chen Siyuan declined and left.

As a result, when he just came out of Mrs. Wang's room, he ran into Miao'er who came looking for him.

Miao'er quickly took two steps forward and said, "Brother, please hurry up. Our wife is looking for you."

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

Miao'er pursed her lips and remained silent for a long while. She couldn't help but frown and said, "Brother, you are really kind-hearted. I don't know where the rumor came from, saying that you are a fake. Madam was very worried when she heard it, so she sent me to find you to ask about it."

Yes, there is no wall that is impenetrable in the Jia family. When Liu Yan'er said this that night, there were not only Feng Jieer and Ping'er present, but also seven or eight servants from the Rongguo Mansion. There were many gossips among them. Although Feng Jieer gave strict orders, how could she stop them from talking?

Mrs. Xing has always been a simple-minded person, and she didn't know what happened that day. Wouldn't she be worried?

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "So that's what happened. It's just a rumor. Why bother with it?"

He smiled and teased Miao'er for a few words, then moved to the east wing of the courtyard.

It was already approaching July, and Mrs. Xing was about to give birth in a month or so. Because it was extremely inconvenient for her to travel, she only walked a hundred or so steps in the courtyard every day before returning to her room to rest.

When Chen Siyuan arrived, he saw Tiaoer supporting Madam Xing as she walked back and forth.

Seeing Chen Siyuan arrive, Madam Xing frowned and sat down. She quickly sent the maids and servants away and asked anxiously, "You, how did your affair get out?"

Chen Siyuan said, "What else can we do? Liu Yan'er knows she can't escape death, so she might as well take someone with her before she dies."

Madam Xing said with a gloomy face, "What should we do? Now that everyone knows about this, otherwise... you, you'd better find a way out quickly. At the very least, move out of Rongguo Mansion first!"

Chen Siyuan chuckled and said, "Yudie, there's no need to be impatient. As the saying goes, 'If you're not surprised by something strange, it will vanish on its own.' When Liu Yan'er told her everything that day, no one, from her second sister-in-law to the common servants, believed her. Now, those clueless people are just using it as a topic of conversation after dinner. We just need to ignore it, and after a while, no one will mention it anymore."

"Sure enough?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and nodded, saying, "If there really were risks, how could I stay peacefully in Rongguo Mansion?"

Mrs. Xing agreed with some doubt, and then thought, "In short, you must be more careful in the future. If this plan fails, not only you, but also me and the child will die!" After a pause, she said, "The eldest master is very suspicious. Do you think he will--"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Yudie, you're overthinking it. Anyone can be suspicious, except the eldest master."

Are you kidding? Master Jia She is still hoping to get his marriage certificate with Daiyu confirmed so that he can profit from it. Why would he care whether Chen Siyuan is real or fake?

If even Lady Xing and Jia She hadn't harbored any suspicions, how could the others who had benefited from it suspect Chen Siyuan was a fake? Even if Grandmother Jia knew, she would probably just laugh it off, thinking it was just a false accusation made by Liu Yan'er before her death.

Chen Siyuan spent the evening with Madam Xing before leisurely returning to his own courtyard. Just as Chen Siyuan had expected, the eldest master, Jia She, sneered at the gossip, dismissing it as just another instance of the old lady stirring up trouble.

Jia She's thinking was simple. Now Chen Siyuan was diligent in his studies and making progress. He might even be able to pass the imperial examination in the autumn. Who would be most disadvantaged by then? Naturally, the old lady!
Not to mention that Chen Siyuan's nephew was acknowledged by Madam Xing herself, even if he was fake, for the sake of the Lin family's wealth, he would just treat it as real. Oh, the old lady is trying to sow discord? His master wouldn't be fooled!

The next day, the Queen's wife also received the news. She was surprised, but then she heard that the East Cross Courtyard had no reaction, so she smiled and dismissed it as nonsense. Putting aside other things, the eldest master had transferred Yuan'er's household registration, and the original household registration must be required for the transaction. Even if the eldest master was stupid, the people in the yamen would not be able to tell whether the household registration was real or fake, right?
Besides, the Xing family wasn't just Madam Xing, and no one in the family suspected Yuan'er, so how could he be fake? Furthermore, there was the marriage certificate with Daiyu as proof. With all these factors combined, how could he be fake?

Even if it was a lie, it was probably sent by the eldest master to seize the Lin family's property. Mrs. Wang looked down on Daiyu and was eager to facilitate this matter, so why would she create any unnecessary complications?

That afternoon, Aunt Xue and Sister Feng came to talk to Lady Wang. During the conversation, they mentioned this matter and both of them just laughed it off.

Sister Feng sneered, "It was just a dying bite from this servant. I warned you not to gossip about it, but who knew it would get out? Thank goodness Brother Yuan is so broad-minded, otherwise he would have come to me to demand an explanation. If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have dragged Brother Yuan along to help."

Aunt Xue nodded repeatedly and said, "Brother Yuan has good intentions. How can he be fake?"

Aunt Xue naturally had some feelings for Chen Siyuan. Besides, thanks to Chen Siyuan's advice these days, the Xue family was able to avoid marrying the vicious woman Xia Jingui, and she also found a good marriage for the Xue family.

However, Aunt Xue had been asking people to plead for her and had never had anything to do with Doctor Cao's family. She was still thinking of asking Chen Siyuan for advice, so naturally she had to speak on Chen Siyuan's side.

Mrs. Wang laughed and said, "Brother Yuan is so absorbed in his studies, and with the monthly exams approaching, he naturally has no time to pay attention to such criticism. However, these rumors are getting more and more outrageous. It's time for Miss Feng to punish those gossiping maids. How can the once prosperous Rongguo Mansion be reduced to a mere teahouse?"

Sister Feng nodded and agreed, "Since Madam has said so, I will deal with those gossipers later."

As they were talking, the maid Yuchuan'er suddenly rushed in to report, "Madam, concubine, second madam, Yunxiang, the little maid outside Master Yuan's room, and Mrs. Qian, who is in charge of sweeping the garden, are having a quarrel!"

Mrs. Wang frowned and asked, "Why did it start such a commotion?"

Yuchuaner said, "It is said that Mrs. Qian was gossiping behind my back and Yunxiang heard it. Yunxiang was so angry that she started to curse at her. Mrs. Qian couldn't win the argument, so she pushed Yunxiang into the water. Fortunately, there were people on the pleasure boat who cast a rope and pulled Yunxiang out."

Mrs. Wang immediately looked at Sister Feng and said, "This is really outrageous. Sister Feng, go and ask whoever is at fault and give them the punishment!"

The rumors of Chen Siyuan being an imposter were a separate matter. After dinner, the servants, maids, and old women were constantly gossiping about Jia Lian and Liu Yan'er, and naturally, Sister Feng was among them. Sister Feng, feeling her authority was greatly damaged, was about to take someone down to assert her authority, but upon hearing this, she stood up and said, "Then I'll go take a look in the garden."

At that moment, Feng Jieer led Ping'er and others straight to the garden. When they arrived, they saw the little maid Yunxiang, who was soaking wet, and Hongyu, who was standing with her hands on her hips and arguing with the old woman Qian. If the maids and old women in the garden had not stopped them, they would have fought again.

Feng Jieer shouted, and the whole place fell silent. She came closer, frowned slightly, her face cold, and in a few words, she asked the truth clearly. It turned out to be because of Mrs. Qian's gossip that Chen Siyuan was a fake.

Feng Jieer sneered, "How dare you spread gossip about the master? Even the eldest master and the eldest mistress just treat it as a joke. Could it be that you know more than them?"

Mrs. Qian lowered her eyebrows and defended herself: "To answer the Second Madam, I didn't say this. I just heard it from someone else--"

Sister Feng sneered, "Oh, someone else said it? Then tell me who you heard it from?"

Mrs. Qian was stunned. How could she dare to tell this? Would she still be able to live like a human being after she did that? She stammered and tried to cover it up.

Feng Jieer knew that there was no way to investigate the matter further, so she simply decided on a punishment: deduct three months' salary and food, and lash him with twenty boards to see if he would behave as a role model. If he committed the same offense again, she would punish him with multiple offenses and banish him directly to the Liaodong farm.

Immediately, a maid came with a stick and pinned Mrs. Qian to the ground, slapping her with it twenty times. Sister Feng displayed her power, and for a moment everyone was terrified and the scoundrels were intimidated.

After comforting the aggrieved maid Yunxiang, Sister Feng dismissed everyone. It was said that Siqi had been watching from a distance. Earlier, when Hongyu and that old woman Qian were arguing, Siqi had been so angry that she clenched her fists and twisted her handkerchief. If it weren't for the Second Mistress arriving earlier, Siqi would have wanted to step forward and argue on Hongyu's behalf.

That was her nature. Once she'd set her heart on a man, she'd leave him alone. Never mind his appearance, talent, and character, Master Yuan was the best of the best, and Siqi was naturally enamored with him. Anyone who dared to criticize Master Yuan behind his back was only safe from Siqi. Otherwise, she wouldn't even need Hongyu; she could have torn that gossiping woman apart herself!
Seeing Second Mistress severely punishing Mrs. Qian, Siqi finally breathed a sigh of relief and immediately hurried to the back building of Rongqing Hall to look for her.

Soon they reached the rear building of Rongqing Hall, where they heard laughter coming from the large flower hall in front of the building. Siqi paused to observe, only to see her own daughter, the third daughter, the fourth daughter, and Miss Lin all chatting in the flower hall.

Siqi stepped inside. As soon as she entered, the third young lady, Tanchun, asked, "Where have you been? Just now, the second sister accepted the punishment, and the fourth sister said that each of them would send a maid to wrestle. Unfortunately, you were not here, so Xiu Ju had no choice but to admit defeat."

Daiyu chuckled and said, "It was just a joke. Why did Third Sister bring it up again? A nice girl like you insists on playing that stupid sumo wrestling game. Fourth Sister is quite humorous."

Tanchun said, "It's called 'the close association of bad people breeds bad influence.' Don't look at Brother Yuan, who seems to be very serious on a daily basis, but in private he can be quite humorous. Fourth sister often goes to Brother Yuan's room, so maybe she's been influenced by him and picked up his humor!"

Xichun smiled and said, "Brother Yuan said that a life with a sad face is a life of sorrow, and a life with a happy face is a life of joy. So why not be happy?"

The second girl Yingchun exclaimed in admiration: "Brother Yuan, what you said makes sense."

Siqi stood aside, and after the girls had finished speaking, she smiled and said, "I just went to the kitchen to ask them to prepare some fruit and snacks for the girls, and I happened to see Yunxiang, the maid from Master Yuan's courtyard, and Mrs. Qian quarreling."

Tanchun was surprised and asked, "Why did they start a quarrel?"

Siqi curled her lips and said, "What else can I do? That old woman Qian was gossiping behind my back, probably saying Master Yuan was a fake. Yunxiang happened to overhear it, and Yunxiang got so anxious that she started a fuss, didn't she?"

The news spread to everyone within two days. The servants told the story with some details, but they just treated it as a topic of conversation. Young ladies in the mansion, such as Sanchun and Daiyu, naturally disdained it.

Tanchun was still frowning, and Xichun, who was closest to Chen Siyuan, said, "Those old women deserve to be beaten!"

Siqi smiled and said, "What the Fourth Miss said was correct. Later, Mrs. Qian pushed Yunxiang into the water, and the matter was brought to the attention of the Second Madam. The Second Madam personally brought people to the scene, fined Mrs. Qian three months' worth of rice, and beat her with twenty sticks in public. She said that if she did it again, she would be sent straight back to the farm."

Tanchun nodded and said, "Thank goodness it was Sister Feng, otherwise the servants in the family would have been in trouble."

Xichun, however, said dissatisfiedly, "If I were Sister Feng, I would just fire that old woman."

Yingchun laughed and said, "Fourth sister is still young, how could she know the reason behind this?"

Lady Jia advocated leniency towards servants in the name of honoring their upbringing. Not to mention Sister Feng, even Lady Wang was hesitant in dealing with servants, for fear of being branded as harsh and disturbing the old lady's peace.

Xichun nodded, not knowing whether she understood or not. Then she turned to Daiyu and said, "Sister Lin, I'm afraid Brother Yuan will be at the top of the list again in a few days. Who knows, he might even be eliminated this autumn."

Daiyu pursed her lips and said, "What does it have to do with me whether he gets punished or not?"

Tanchun jokingly said, "If Brother Yuan passes the imperial examination, wouldn't that have something to do with Sister Lin?"

Daiyu flushed instantly, and reaching out to tickle Tanchun, she cried, "If you keep saying that, I'll definitely give you a hard time today!"

Tanchun was extremely ticklish. She giggled and twisted her body, and immediately fell off the stool. She quickly got up and dodged, joking to herself, "Does what Sister Lin said in Rongxi Hall that day still count? If so, should I call her Sister or Sister-in-law tomorrow?"

Daiyu grew increasingly angry and stood up, chasing Tanchun around the table for a long time. However, Tanchun was far from being as strong as Daiyu. After several rounds of chasing, Tanchun was still not hurt, while Daiyu herself was exhausted and sweating.

Feeling embarrassed, Daiyu said she was tired and took Xueyan back to Rongqing Hall.

As soon as they left the grand hall, Xueyan said, "Young lady, what did I say? How could Master Yuan be fake? But Zijuan is here to make trouble. She really wants you to marry Master Bao."

Daiyu frowned and scolded, "Stop talking nonsense. I'm not deaf or blind, so I don't need you to gossip."

As for Chen Siyuan being a fake… Daiyu privately treated it as a joke. Putting aside other things, he was constantly paying respects to the East Cross Courtyard and running around for the Xing family, yet her uncle never questioned him, so how could he be a fake?
Baochai, who lived in the northeast courtyard, had the same idea as Daiyu, so she scolded Ying'er, who was spreading rumors.

Chen Siyuan had been in Rongguo Mansion for more than half a year. He had always been kind to others and made plans for various places. Even the Xue family, who had previously had conflicts with him, had to say "good" to him, not to mention the other masters who had taken advantage of him?

Suddenly, in July, Chen Siyuan took his monthly exam, and the gossip in the Rongguo Mansion died down. Even when someone occasionally brought it up, it was just to laugh at the poor old woman Qian, who had been caught in the crossfire.

Mrs. Xing had been worried for more than ten days, and only when she saw that everything was just as Chen Siyuan had expected did she feel a little relieved.

On the second day of the seventh month, after finishing his studies, Chen Siyuan went straight to the palace of Prince Ping of Yan. Upon meeting the prince, he recounted the Western Barbarians' fear of power rather than virtue, his words expressing his fear that the court would be deceived by the Western Barbarians.

Unexpectedly, King Ping of Yan stared at Chen Siyuan for a long time like a fool, then curled his lips, frowned, and drove Chen Siyuan out.

Chen Siyuan was embarrassed, his mind completely bewildered, wondering what was wrong with Prince Ping of Yan. The next day, after reading the court bulletin and the terms of trade reached between the Dashun and the British, he suddenly understood.

This first act tacitly acknowledged the area east of Temasek as the Dashun sphere of influence, effectively selling out the red-haired aborigines. In the following ten or so acts, although the Dashun opened ports like Songjiang to trade, England also opened ports across Sindhu. It's hard to say who was at a disadvantage and who was at an advantage.

The last and most important provision was to balance trade between the two countries. Every year, Dashun would purchase 100 million catties of pig iron from England, worth 800,000 taels of silver. This provision would be effective for three years, after which the two sides would renegotiate the pig iron purchase amount to balance Shun-British trade.

Chen Siyuan put down the official report, feeling a mixture of emotions. On the one hand, he felt ashamed. This time, Dashun not only did not suffer any loss, but seemed to have gained a lot of advantages. The iron ore in Shentu was of much higher quality than that of Dashun. Exchanging silk, porcelain, tea, etc. for pig iron was naturally a good deal.

On the one hand, a feeling of pride welled up in his heart. The Dashun, being not isolated and having frequent exchanges with the Western Yi, had never considered England an ordinary foreign country. Although he could not help but feel superior and despise England, he did not think of incorporating it into the Dashun tribute system. He gained face but lost substance.

Although I am just worrying about nothing this time, I can't help but feel very relieved.

This day he was about to go to Xiaohuazhi Lane to meet the You sisters, but as soon as the carriage arrived at Ningrong Back Street, a servant came and reported with folded hands: "Master Yuan, my wife has an urgent matter to discuss with you, Master Yuan. Please move aside, Master Yuan." The visitor was a servant of the Xue family. Could it be that Aunt Xue wanted to ask him for advice again?

As if sensing Chen Siyuan's surprise, the servant whispered, "Master Pan returned from Jinling this afternoon."

Xue Pan is back? Tsk, could it be that this guy and Jia Lian had a fight?
He didn't know that when Xue Pan returned home and heard that Liu Yan'er died of Huangqi because of Jia Lian, he was immediately furious and rolled up his sleeves to find Jia Lian to settle the matter.

Aunt Xue and Baochai tried their best to stop him, and finally calmed him down with some consolation. Jia Lian, who had just recovered, shamelessly went to the door to complain in person, bringing a beautiful courtesan to Xue Pan, bowed and slapped himself several times, and Xue Pan finally let the matter slip.

As soon as Jia Lian left, Xue Pan began to blame Chen Siyuan again, saying that he had not told him that Liu Yan'er was a fickle person.

Aunt Xue scolded her brother a few times, but she didn't hit the point. Sister Bao couldn't stand it any longer, so she retorted to her brother with "Oranges grow in the south of the Huai River".

The servant saw that he seemed to be lost in thought and bowed again, "Master Yuan?"

"Oh, okay, let me go home and change my clothes, and I'll be right back."

The servant agreed and walked away quickly.

Chen Siyuan sent his servant Qing Yu to inform Third Sister You, then got off the car and entered the Rongguo Mansion through the back door. After a short walk, he returned to his home.

Several maids welcomed him inside. Chen Siyuan washed his hands and, while Liu Wu'er was changing his clothes, handed him an oil-paper bag and whispered, "You've been busy the past few days. Take these and make tea. You can chew the cordyceps together. It's very nourishing."

Liu Wuer happily agreed and said with a smile, "Master is busy with his studies, so there's no need to worry about me... After all, my body won't need another day or two."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "The sooner you recover, the sooner you can feel at ease. Take it first, and remember to tell me if it disappears."

"Yeah." Liu Wu'er smiled and carefully tidied his clothes.

Chen Siyuan drank another half cup of tea before quickly heading northeast to the small courtyard.

He continued to pass through the garden, but unexpectedly, when he was near the gate bridge, he ran into Siqi head-on.

"Brother!" Siqi took two quick steps forward, bowed, and there was a hint of resentment between her brows.

Chen Siyuan glanced around and saw a maid not far away. He secretly tugged at Siqi's hand and whispered, "Have you been waiting for me?"

"Ah."

Chen Siyuan said, "I've been busy with the monthly exams these days and really have no time to care about anything else."

Siqi pursed her lips and said, "My brother, of course, you should focus on the important things. However... if you have time, please just talk to me for a few words."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "How can two sentences be enough? I was thinking of seeing you as soon as I opened my eyes in the morning."

Siqi felt relieved immediately, and she didn't know what she remembered, but her face turned red again.

Chen Siyuan was thinking about choosing some jewelry, cosmetics, or something similar to give to Siqi tomorrow, so he said, "My concubine invited me. I heard that Wenlong has returned, so I have to go quickly. You go back first, and we can talk again when we have time."

Siqi responded muffledly, but then she saw Chen Siyuan suddenly straighten up, measure himself briefly, and said with a smile, "Huh? I seem to have grown a little taller. I don't look shorter than you anymore."

Siqi couldn't help but shrink a little, took a look and smiled, "Yes, maybe by the end of the year, my brother will be taller than me."

This height has always been a concern for Siqi. The maids and old women who have not yet conceived children privately call her "Yi Zhang Qing" and "Mother Big Tiger". Even the lustful and lecherous Master Lian would avoid her from a distance. Only Yuan Ge'er not only did not mind, but also had a hint of admiration and greed in his eyes.

Siqi is reluctant to let go of such a good brother.

Chen Siyuan smiled, and when they passed by each other, he pinched Siqi again, then quickly walked towards the main gate of the garden.

Siqi stood there and watched him leave, her mind full of reverie, her hands wishing she could wring water out of her handkerchief.

Chen Siyuan emerged from the main gate, and to his left lay the northeastern upper guesthouse. The gate stood open, guarded by a maid. As Chen Siyuan approached, the maid hurriedly greeted him, and immediately a fellow passenger arrived to greet him.

The man bowed and said, "Master Yuan is finally here. My wife has been asking about him several times."

Chen Siyuan smiled and nodded, then followed Tongxi into the inner room. A moment later, Xue Pan came to greet them. The two of them greeted each other warmly, then went into the main room together.

Aunt Xue was sitting upright on the couch inside. When she saw Chen Siyuan, she stood up with a smile. Although she could not see Baojie's figure, there was a screen separating the hall from the west side room, and there were shadows behind it. She guessed that Baojie must be listening to the sound behind the screen.

Chen Siyuan exchanged greetings, sat down, and drank tea while he and Xue Pan talked about Nanjing. Xue Pan immediately forgot his previous unhappiness and was still talking about Nanjing's scenery, but then he talked about the painted boat on Mochou Lake.

The more Aunt Xue listened, the more she felt it was outrageous. She quickly coughed to stop him from talking, then said, "Brother Yuan, I asked you to come here today... because Pan'er's business didn't work out."

"It didn't work?" Chen Siyuan asked in surprise, "Why didn't it work?"

Aunt Xue frowned in dismay and glanced at Xue Pan, who immediately drooped his head. Xue Pan felt bored and stood up and said, "Well, Brother Yuan, please sit down for a moment. I, I'm going to change my clothes. I'll be right back!"

He immediately walked like a dragon and a tiger, escaping from the main room.

Chen Siyuan was very puzzled and couldn't help looking at Aunt Xue.

Aunt Xue sighed and said, "It's easy to talk to the clerks; it can be done for three hundred taels of silver. The fourth wife has already been offered two shops, and we agreed to it... But Pan'er got drunk and said something nonsense, and the third wife heard about it."

While Wang Ziteng was involved in the Jinling case, it was probably the Xue family's various branches that contributed the most. The third branch of the Xue family was eager to divide up the entire estate of the first branch, so how could they tolerate Xue Pan's deceptive scheme? They immediately gathered their clansmen and had a huge fight with the fourth branch.

Fearing a lawsuit, the fourth uncle flatly denied the allegation and swore on the spot that it was not true. When Xue Pan sobered up and happily went to find the fourth uncle, his expression changed immediately and he sent Xue Pan away in a few words.

If the accompanying servant was not smart, Xue Pan would probably still be confused at this moment.

Chen Siyuan was at a loss for words when he heard this, and could only sigh, "Things are accomplished through secrecy, and ruined through disclosure. Success is achieved through thinking, and planning is achieved through deep thought."

Aunt Xue's eyes reddened as she spoke, "I regret it so much... If I had known this would happen, I should have taken the best option back then... Or perhaps I could have gone with Pan'er myself. Now that things have come to this, the worst option is no longer feasible. Brother Yuan, this best option... is there any other solution?"

Chen Siyuan had many connections in the Imperial College, so he certainly had some connections. But how could he dare to get involved in such a life-threatening matter? So he said, "Madam, you think too highly of me. I'm just a scholar, without any official title, how could I possibly handle such a matter? If it were up to me, Madam, you'd better go and ask the master privately."

"This...it's not good to open your mouth like this."

Chen Siyuan smiled but said nothing.

Aunt Xue thought for a moment, then bit her lower lip and said, "Forget it. For Pan'er, even if I sacrifice my dignity, what does it matter?"

Chen Siyuan nodded and said, "My wife, you are right to think so."

Aunt Xue's worried expression faded slightly, and she continued, "I'm in a hurry to find Brother Yuan today, but actually, there's something else going on. I've sacrificed my dignity and entrusted a few people with this, but the Cao family has been so indifferent, neither promising nor saying goodbye. Brother Yuan, what exactly is this all about?"

Chen Siyuan thought to himself, Doctor Cao is always cautious and never wants to give people a chance to talk. Aunt Xue is a woman in the inner chambers. If she is forced into this position, she may not know the ins and outs of officialdom.

He immediately asked, "How did the concubine pass the message to the Cao family?"

Aunt Xue said, "I only said I was willing to pay a betrothal gift of 20,000 taels...Isn't that right?"

Chen Siyuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He shook his head and sighed, "Auntie, this isn't the way to give gifts."

Aunt Xue asked, "How should we give it to them? We can't just give away 20,000 taels of silver for nothing, can we?"

Chen Siyuan continued to shake his head: "Even if the concubine gave it to me, I'm afraid Doctor Cao wouldn't accept it."

"Then let's follow Brother Yuan..."

Chen Siyuan thought for a moment and said, "Tomorrow, my concubine will send someone else to pass on a message, saying that she has some shares of Baicaotang for sale, and the price is 5,000 taels. Once Doctor Cao buys them, my concubine can ask someone else to buy them back at a higher price. In this way, the money will be transferred from one hand to the other, and 20,000 taels of silver will be given away."

Aunt Xue hesitated and said, "It's just... such a baseless claim..."

Before he could finish his words, he heard a light cough from behind the screen.

Aunt Xue suddenly understood, and seeing Chen Siyuan's calm expression, she quickly changed her tone and said, "Since Brother Yuan said so, I guess it must be a success. Very well, I will deal with it this way tomorrow."

After sitting for a while longer, Chen Siyuan, seeing it was getting late, stood up to say goodbye. Aunt Xue hurriedly stood up to see him off, but suddenly there was another cough behind the screen. Aunt Xue's face froze, and she sent Tongxi off to see him off.

But Chen Siyuan was walking slowly, and just as he came out of the small courtyard in the northeast, he heard footsteps chasing him from behind.

"Brother Yuan."

Chen Siyuan stopped and saw Baochai, dressed in plain clothes, chasing out with an oil-paper bag in her hand.

Baochai stepped forward and bowed, saying, "This is some new cloud tea. Mother asked me to bring it to Brother Yuan."

Chen Siyuan thanked her and took it. He noticed that the mutton-fat jade hairpin on Sister Bao's hair was a little loose, so he said, "Such matters can be handled by sending a maid. Why trouble Sister Xue?"

Baochai said, "I was just going to look for Daiyu to play with, and I happened to stop by."

As he spoke, he glanced at Tongxi, who was very discerning and said with a smile, "In that case, I'll trouble you, young lady. I'd like to take a break for once."

After Tongxi finished speaking, he returned to the courtyard. Chen Siyuan extended his hand and invited Baochai to walk side by side, half a step away from him.

Baochai then said, "Thank you so much, Brother Yuan, for your guidance."

Chen Siyuan smiled and shook his head, saying, "I was just talking, but the real deal is up to the concubine herself."

Baochai obviously knew what was right and wrong, and shook her head, saying, "That's not how you say it—"

There are some things Baochai can't say directly. Xue Pan has been traveling back and forth for several months, but all his efforts have come to nothing. Baochai is extremely disappointed! Brother Yuan has made it clear and even explained the details of how to handle it. Even so, her own brother still messed it up... How should Baochai feel?
Even if Baochai really marries into the Rongguo Mansion in the future, and can protect her brother for a while, can she protect him for a lifetime?
Baojie had already believed Chen Siyuan's story, but she had been keeping it to herself because of Aunt Xue. But now that this had happened, Baojie felt she could no longer let her mother and brother run around like headless flies.

While it's certainly good to cling to the powerful, even the best ironsmith must be strong himself. With a personality like my brother's, it would be better for him to stay at home and wait for death, then have more children. As for establishing a new household, managing the family business, and even restoring the glory of our ancestors, rather than pinning his hopes on Xue Pan, perhaps it would be better to rely on his unborn nephew!
While thinking, Baochai turned a corner and saw a half-bared crabapple tree peeking out from the courtyard of the Furen Yude Conference Hall. She couldn't help but sigh, "These ten kinds of brocade should be uprooted. The roots are rotten, so what's the point of keeping them?"

Chen Siyuan paused briefly, glanced at the crabapple tree, and pointed to a piece of paper hanging from a branch covered with new leaves. He said, "Since the roots are rotten, just remove the roots and keep the branches. Besides, flowers bloom and fade as they should, so why force it, Sister Xue?"

Chen Siyuan was about to engage in some witty exchanges with Baochai, but suddenly Baochai turned and looked up at him, saying bluntly, "I don't want to force it now. Do you want to force it, Brother Yuan?"

The girl's eyes, like autumn water, stared at him. Although she didn't say anything, it seemed as if she had said everything. Chen Siyuan couldn't help but gasp. Why did she suddenly throw a direct ball instead of a witty remark? Sister Bao, what are you trying to do?
　Oh, I've used up all my saved drafts! I feel like I've lost out on this year.

　　Now I am looking forward to the New Year being over so that I can concentrate on writing more. Counting it up, I have completed full attendance in January and added two chapters, so I am confidently asking for monthly votes.

　　The rules remain the same this month. A larger chapter will be added for every 1,000 monthly votes. Please support us, dear readers!
　　It’s a new month and I’m asking for monthly tickets~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)