Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 171

It was early autumn, and a sudden breeze blew across the garden, bringing a hint of coolness. Baochai had changed into a short lilac-colored jacket, and beneath her moon-white silk skirt, the tips of her silver-red embroidered shoes peeked. A gentle breeze ruffled her hair, and she stared intently at Chen Siyuan.

Chen Siyuan said to remove the roots and keep the branches, and Baochai was extremely disappointed with Xue Pan, so she naturally had the same idea.

Previously, I felt that what Chen Siyuan said was a little biased. No matter how defeated the Xue family was, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse.

Who would have thought that his own brother Xue Pan was such a bad guy that he couldn't even handle the smallest matters. If the family business really fell on his shoulders in the future, he might squander it all if he wasn't careful!
That's why, thinking back now, Chen Siyuan's words were truly wise advice. Instead of handing over the family business to Xue Pan, why not sell off the various businesses while they were still worth some money, and then find an opportunity to cash in on the imperial merchant foundation?

After that, Xue Pan was kept under strict supervision, and he married and took in concubines for him, placing his hopes for the Xue family's revival on his descendants. If one generation fails, two generations will succeed. There will always be an outstanding descendant, like Chen Siyuan before him, who "studied hard for ten years without anyone paying attention, and suddenly became famous and known to the world."

The eldest branch of the Xue family lay dormant, so there was no need to seek marriage alliances with wealthy families to show self-respect, and there was no need to go against one's will to interact with the Bao brothers.

Compared to Brother Bao, Chen Siyuan was more to her liking. Moreover, he and Daiyu were only performing the ceremony of consorting the daughters of the same clan. If she married first, she might become the principal wife.

Thinking of this, Baochai felt shy.

Baochai was a little dazed, and when she looked over carefully, she saw that Chen Siyuan's face was first surprised, then puzzled, and then his eyes became amusement.

Why?
Baochai suddenly woke up. Yes, how could she have the final say on such matters? Whether it was marriage or dormancy, it had to pass the test of her mother before anything could be said.

But my mother is a woman in the inner house. Chen Siyuan had a lot of arguments with her before, but after that, didn’t my mother still act according to her original plan?
Baochai was at a loss, not knowing how likely she was to convince Aunt Xue.

Chen Siyuan stood with his hands behind his back. He caught a glimpse of confusion in Baochai's eyes, a hint of retreat. Suddenly, he said solemnly, "A hundred words of advice are useless; a lesson learned once is truly etched in one's heart. After this, the concubine will not dare to let Brother Wenlong do things alone in the future."

If this happens once, there will be a second one. How do you know that the concubine will not become discouraged and give up the royal merchant foundation in the future? So if I say this, my sister, don't be too anxious. After some time, the concubine will always come around."

The confusion in Baochai's eyes faded away, and she lowered her head and said, "Brother Yuan is right, but I wonder how much more I will lose next time I go home."

As he spoke, he bowed again: "Thank you, Brother Yuan, for your guidance."

Chen Siyuan suddenly said playfully, "Sister, it's not right for you to thank me so eloquently, is it?"

"Hmm?" Baochai raised her head in surprise, and met Chen Siyuan's playful but passionate gaze. She was immediately startled and turned her head away.

Unexpectedly, Chen Siyuan suddenly reached out and pulled from his waist, then raised his hand and grabbed the menthol sachet that was originally hanging on his waist.

"I've been tired from studying lately, thank you for the gift, sister."

After saying this, he bowed slightly and left with a smile.

Sister Bao was stunned for a moment before she came to her senses. She felt extremely embarrassed! How could a woman's personal belongings be given away casually? And this time, it wasn't a gift; it was clearly stolen by him.

She didn't know why, but every time she was with him, she would feel uneasy. She was about to leave for Rongqing Hall when she saw Chen Siyuan, who was walking with his hands behind his back, suddenly shook the menthol sachet in his hand. Baochai could imagine Chen Siyuan's smug look at this moment, and immediately covered her mouth and laughed.

Sister Bao couldn't help but slow down her pace. When she saw Chen Siyuan turn around the green peaks, nodding and smiling at her, and then disappearing behind them, she quickened her pace. Unaware that she was smiling, she secretly criticized him for his playful and mischievous behavior. She couldn't help but wonder, perhaps the saying in the book, 'knowing the ways of the world but not worldly,' refers to someone like him.

Let's not talk about Sister Bao's confusion, but rather Chen Siyuan, leaping with joy as he turned back toward Cuizhang, intending to return directly to his own courtyard, change his clothes, and then head to Xiaohuazhi Lane to look for the You sisters. Unexpectedly, just as he passed Qinfang Pavilion, he faintly heard the sound of a flute coming from the west.

Chen Siyuan immediately slowed down his pace and listened carefully to the slightly rough sound of the flute. He knew it must be little Xichun practicing. He remembered that Xichun hadn't come to visit him for quite some time. Perhaps she was afraid that she would delay his studies?

The little girl was only eight years old, and although she was a little naive, she was sensible enough to make people feel distressed. Chen Siyuan thought to himself that since he had formed a good relationship with the little girl, he would definitely protect her in the future.

Having made up his mind, he immediately changed direction and crossed two bridges to head towards the direction of the flute sound.

After crossing the Bee Waist Bridge and walking a short distance, you will see a petite figure playing the flute in the water pavilion, with the tassels on the side swinging back and forth with her body.

Chen Siyuan stopped and looked at her with a smile. Little Xichun seemed to sense something and glanced over. The sound of the flute suddenly stopped. Then she raised her flute high and waved it, saying, "Brother Yuan!"

"Fourth sister!"

Chen Siyuan greeted him and stepped into the pavilion. Only two maids, Ruhua and Caiping, stood by. Xichun, though delighted, bowed politely and said, "Greetings, Brother Yuan. Have the results of your monthly exam been announced?"

Chen Siyuan shook his head and smiled, "I'm afraid it will be the day after tomorrow... Fourth Sister seems to be familiar with the flute. She will be able to master it in a few more days."

Xichun curled her lips and said, "Brother Yuan knows how to coax people. Just by playing this piece over and over again, I can see that practice makes perfect. Even so, it still seems awkward. If I really want to master the flute, I'm afraid it will take several years of practice."

At this time, Cai Ping moved a stool over and said with a smile, "Uncle Yuan, please sit down."

Chen Siyuan lifted his robe and sat down, smiling and saying, "Silk and bamboo music is an elegant thing. Fourth sister is not a musician. Just listen to it to your own satisfaction. Why be so demanding?" Suddenly, he saw a string of Buddhist beads on Xiao Xichun's right wrist. Chen Siyuan frowned and said, "This Buddhist beads..."

Little Xichun reached out and touched it before saying, "This was given to me by Sister Miaoyu."

Chen Siyuan frowned and said, "Why should we be sad when we are talking about music and pottery?"

Xichun blinked. She was so young that she didn't understand what Chen Siyuan was hinting at. Chen Siyuan was still trying to figure out how to persuade her indirectly, but Xichun already understood his intentions.

He pursed his lips and said to his attendants, "I'm going to talk to Brother Yuan. You guys go down and play first."

Because Xichun was so young, Ruhua and Caiping didn't say anything else. They just bowed and left.

After the people left, Xichun approached Chen Siyuan, stared at him, and whispered, "Brother Yuan, did you just advise me not to learn Buddhism?"

"Yes." Chen Siyuan said sadly, "I persuaded Fourth Sister last time, and I thought she had changed her mind, but who knew she would get together with Miaoyu again."

Xichun suddenly said with amusement, "Actually, Brother Yuan doesn't have to worry about it... Sister Miaoyu claims to be a stranger, but every time I go back she always has to listen to what Brother Bao has to say. I think she's probably not in the same boat, but her heart is in it."

Chen Siyuan laughed heartily upon hearing this: "Fourth sister is really good at judging people." He paused, then said in surprise: "If that's the case, why does Fourth sister have to—"

Xichun raised her index finger to her lips, then looked back. Seeing that Ruhua and Caiping were far away, she said with a smile, "Brother Yuan, you look down on me so much. Can't I just be pretending?"

"Pretend?" Chen Siyuan's face became more and more puzzled.

Xichun said, "I see that the Rong and Ning mansions are flourishing like flowers and brocade, and it's all thanks to the protection of the old ancestor and my elder sister. But the old ancestor is old, and I don't know how much time he has left. My elder sister is in the deep palace. They say that serving the emperor is like serving a tiger. How can it be easy to be a concubine?"

As the saying goes, 'The grace of a gentleman is cut off after five generations.' The Jia family's prosperity has continued to this day, but it is now running out of money. I'm afraid it will soon decline."

Chen Siyuan felt a chill in his heart, thinking that he had underestimated Xichun. Who would have thought that a girl of such age could be so thoughtful?
Then Xichun continued, "Besides... although Ruhua has concealed her secret well, I know she often goes to Ningguo Mansion. I don't know what evil intentions the East Mansion has. Naturally, I have to be on guard!"
I pretend to be aloof and Buddhist, and I will be spared a lot of trouble. When things go wrong in the future, I can also naturally become a monk."

When she said this, there was a rare hint of pride on her face. Such heartfelt words made Chen Siyuan feel sad, and he couldn't help but feel more pity for Xichun.

Seeing that Chen Siyuan remained silent, Xichun said, "I've already told you everything. Brother Yuan, please don't spread it... I haven't even told Third Sister about this."

"Okay, this is something you can only say and I can only hear. I won't let anyone else know," Chen Siyuan said solemnly. He then reached out and rubbed Xichun's little head, saying, "Fourth sister, there's no need to worry so much. I may not be able to take care of other things in the future, but I will always protect you."

Little Xichun looked at Chen Siyuan seriously, then smiled and nodded, then extended her right little finger to hook it. Chen Siyuan was puzzled at first, but then suddenly understood, and quickly extended his right little finger to hook it with Xichun's, and then pressed his thumb.

When Xichun released her hand, she smiled and said, "Brother Yuan, please remember what we said today."

"Well, I'll definitely keep it in mind."

Xichun continued, "Okay. Well, let's not talk about these annoying things. I've practiced the piece you taught me last time very well. How about Brother Yuan teach me another one?"

"Okay." Chen Siyuan agreed, reached out to take the bamboo flute handed to him by Xichun, thought for a moment, then put it to his lips and started playing.

He only played half of the melody, the style of which was cheerful, and Xichun nodded along with the beat.

When half of the melody was finished, Xichun asked anxiously, "It sounds great. What is this piece of music?"

Chen Siyuan was playing the piece "Double-Faced Yan Xun," but he couldn't bring himself to tell Xichun about it, so he just made it up: "It doesn't have a name. I just made it up randomly, so it's only halfway through. Fourth sister is naturally intelligent. Maybe in a year or two, you'll be able to complete the piece. Then we can discuss a name together."

"Okay, okay."

Chen Siyuan immediately taught Xichun how to play the flute. At this moment, Caiping walked in quickly, came close, clasped her hands together, leaned over and whispered a few words to Xichun.

Xichun asked in surprise, "Is there going to be trouble again?"

Cai Ping said, "I heard that Aunt Zhao has been in a lot of trouble these past few days. Isn't she going to settle the score with the maids in the kitchen?"

Seeing Chen Siyuan's bewilderment, Xichun said, "I don't know what's going on. Aunt Zhao and Old Lady Huan... Third Brother has been vomiting and having diarrhea these past few days, and Aunt Zhao says he's offended the kitchen maids, so she's trying to punish him. But even though the food in each room has increased or decreased, it's basically the same. Everything else is fine. I don't know why Aunt Zhao's vomiting and diarrhea are the only ones suffering."

Chen Siyuan knew the reason after a little thought... Perhaps it was because of Aunt Zhao's instigation that Liu Yan'er stole the spiritual jade?

If you really think about it, Mrs. Wang and Sister Feng could only teach Aunt Zhao a lesson for her gossip, but how could that possibly alleviate the hatred in the hearts of the aunt and niece? Was that why they were tormenting Aunt Zhao in so many different ways?

It was Aunt Zhao who asked for it. If she hadn't been so talkative, how could she have brought such misfortune upon herself?

Seeing that it was getting late, Chen Siyuan said to Xichun, "Fourth sister, please practice on your own first. I will take a rest tomorrow. You can come find me then."

"it is good."

Xichun agreed, and Chen Siyuan nodded, then walked out of the pavilion with his hands behind his back.

He walked north, passing stone caves and winding mountain roads, and soon arrived near the back garden gate. Just to the side were the garden's five kitchens. From a distance, he could see Aunt Zhao, one hand on her waist, the other clutching a handkerchief, waving it back and forth, railing against the kitchen servants.

Suddenly, someone came out from inside. It was Liu Wu'er's mother, Sister Liu. Sister Liu suppressed her anger and said, "Auntie, please stop talking. Why are the other masters all fine, but only Auntie is vomiting and having diarrhea after eating? Besides, the imperial physician has checked the food and there is nothing wrong with it. Auntie can't scold us!"

"Bah!" Aunt Zhao cursed, "What a lowly whore! Do you think I don't know what you servants are doing behind your backs? You're just flattering the powerful and bullying the weak! Huan'er is also the master's child. If anything goes wrong with her, you'll see if you're still alive! You're a bunch of shallow-minded people, only knowing how to lick other people's foot bindings. Your parents are counting coppers in the underworld, and you're trying to imitate those corpse-stretching behaviors! Who are you trying to fool?"

Sister Liu was so angry that her face turned pale. She stamped her feet and said, "I, I have no right to argue with you! Someone come quickly, ask Second Madam to come and judge the matter!"

Aunt Zhao still refused to give up and kept yelling, "It's no use no matter who comes! You're riding on our mother and me and shitting and pissing on us, you want to go blind!" As she was yelling, she suddenly burst into laughter and let out a cry of "Ouch". Aunt Zhao's face changed and she turned around and walked away quickly.

As he walked, he turned back and cursed: "Just wait, this thing is not over yet! Ouch... Hurry up, I can't hold it anymore!"

Chen Siyuan paused to gaze in wonder, thinking to himself that Aunt Zhao was truly a powerful scold. Then, not far away, he saw Tanchun, her maid, approaching the villa and bumping into Aunt Zhao. He didn't know what the mother and daughter exchanged, but Aunt Zhao burst out laughing, and Tanchun, frowning, came over to find them.

Chen Siyuan sighed inwardly, knowing that Tanchun must have come to find Sister Liu and the others to vent her anger. He exchanged a glance with Tanchun from a distance, then turned and left the garden.

He returned home a moment later, where Hongyu, Xiangling, and the others welcomed him in. Xiangling and Liu Wu'er went to the study to study poetry together. Hongyu brought him some warm tea and couldn't help saying, "Master... I don't know if I should say some things."

Chen Siyuan teased, "What will you do if I say something that shouldn't be said?"

Hongyu pursed her lips and smiled, "I'll tell you when I have time." Chen Siyuan laughed heartily and said, "That's it, then you can tell me."

Hongyu said, "Recently, the concubine has been coming to see the master all the time. The master is now concentrating on his studies and it's not good for him to be distracted by other things."

"Yeah." Chen Siyuan responded casually.

Hongyu hesitated for a while, then leaned closer and said, "Could it be that Master... has taken a liking to Miss Bao?"

Phew… Chen Siyuan, who had just taken a sip of tea, spat it out. He looked up at Hongyu in surprise and asked, "Who said that?"

Hongyu curled her lips and said, "Who else needs to tell me? Apart from Miss Bao, I'm afraid there's no one else in the Xue family worth your concern."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Is Sister Bao not well?"

Hongyu pursed her lips and shook her head, saying, "Master, you only have to wait until the Autumn Examination to finalize your marriage with Miss Lin. As for the others, they all look very promising now, but I'm afraid that in the end, it will all be in vain."

Chen Siyuan knew Hongyu was trying to persuade her to make progress, so he smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'm just offering some advice to build a good relationship. It won't delay anything."

"It's good that you have your own ideas, sir." Hongyu stopped persuading him.

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

In the middle of the night, You Erjie, who looked like a floating gourd on the water, suddenly raised her neck and sang a lingering and sad song. The flowers were covered with raindrops and her whole body was cold. She then stopped the car, held the reins, and lay down.

After it rolled to the side, Chen Siyuan looked around. One was as sleek as jade, while the other was fragrant like orchid and musk. Chen Siyuan couldn't help but feel extremely proud, thinking that Shilajit was indeed effective. "Someday I'll find three good brothers to learn the standing meditation. With patience and practice for three or two years, I'll be able to have sex with ten women in one night."

At this time, Third Sister You had recovered her breath, reached out her hand and gently slapped Chen Siyuan, and said with a charming look, "Brother, why are you so strong today?"

On the other side, You Erjie also said, "My waist and legs are sore right now. If you still want it, go find Third Sister."

Third Sister You also frowned and said, "I'm really very sleepy... How about we talk about it tomorrow?"

Third Sister You now manages her pill business during the day and spends many hours making love with Chen Siyuan at night, so she is naturally very tired.

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Then we'll talk about it tomorrow."

He immediately embraced her on both sides, enjoying the blessing of having two men. Perhaps Third Sister You was really tired, and after curling up in his arms for a while, she breathed evenly and fell asleep.

You Erjie, however, tossed and turned, seeming to want to speak but stopping herself several times. Chen Siyuan noticed that You Erjie seemed to have something to say, so he asked, "Second sister, do you have anything to say?"

You Erjie said, "This morning, mother and eldest sister came again. They asked me some questions, but I covered them up. Mother then told me about the Zhang family's affairs and said she would find you tomorrow and discuss it with you." Then the third sister took out the longevity lock.

My mother choked for a moment, then turned to praise your ability and asked when you would have a wedding to marry me.

Chen Siyuan pondered, "Is your mother short of money again?"

You Erjie nodded pitifully, and whispered softly, "After all, she gave birth to me, so I can't just ignore her... Before she left, she stuffed a hundred taels of silver into her pocket."

Chen Siyuan frowned and said, "Your mother is throwing money around just to look decent. I'm afraid even if you give her mountains of gold and silver, it wouldn't be enough for her to spend."

You Erjie quickly tried to make amends, saying, "I know it's wise to help in times of need, not in poverty. In the past, Third Sister and I were there, so we could at least stop her. But now that Third Sister and I are gone, there's no one to look after her, isn't there?" After a pause, she added, "I've also decided that this isn't going to work in the long run. How about... how about bringing Mom here?"

Bringing Old Lady You to the courtyard? What a joke!
Chen Siyuan said, "Don't mention this matter anymore. It's not pleasant to talk about it in a melon field or a plum field."

How old was Old Lady You? Even though she was known as Old Lady You because they were close friends, she was actually no older than Aunt Xue. And since she was a man who would do anything for money, Chen Siyuan was terrified that someday Old Lady You would try to seduce him and be discovered by Third Sister You.

You Erjie frowned upon hearing this and said, "But... I can't bear to see Mom lose her livelihood."

Chen Siyuan thought, "Don't give your mother too much money again. You sisters can figure it out later. Just give her thirty or fifty yuan a month to support Anren."

Second Sister You raised her head and glanced at Third Sister You, pouting, "Third Sister is not someone you can get along with easily. She and Mother had a falling out a long time ago because of you."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "How could there be any deep hatred between mother and daughter? I imagine your mother has long felt regretful after seeing your third sister living a happy life. If you can bring them together, wouldn't this matter be resolved?"

You Erjie hesitantly nodded in agreement. After all, Chen Siyuan had given her advice, which was better than her mother's quarrel over money every month or two.

Chen Siyuan continued, "I've given you a way out. How are you going to thank me, Second Sister?"

You Erjie was a gentle woman, always admiring the strong. If someone was completely obedient to her, she would probably push her too far; but if someone like Chen Siyuan manipulated her in every way, she would be extremely obedient.

Seeing that Chen Siyuan had another idea, You Erjie shrank back and went down...

Let’s not talk about what the two sisters, You Erjie and You Sanjie, would do the next day. Chen Siyuan was now focused on passing the imperial examination, so he had breakfast in the morning and returned home to study.

More than ten days passed, and at noon that day, Minister Tao called Chen Siyuan over. In addition to revealing the monthly exam questions in advance, he also asked Chen Siyuan whether he was interested in taking the autumn exam.

Chen Siyuan was of course more than happy to accept this, and immediately expressed his gratitude profusely.

Tao Jiancheng wanted to persuade him, but Chen Siyuan looked so confident that he couldn't say the words that were on his lips.

Since the establishment of the Imperial College during the Dashun era, students had traditionally been expected to study and study, often to prepare for future official selections. While some students did not take the Autumn Examination, Chen Siyuan was truly unique in his ability to invest so heavily and impatiently take the exam. It's unclear where Chen Siyuan's confidence came from.

At that moment, Tao Jiancheng just told him to study hard and the rest of the matters would be handled by the Imperial College.

When I returned to my own courtyard that day, Aunt Xue came to visit with her friends.

After saying goodbye to Baochai that day, Sister Bao started talking to Aunt Xue the next day. But Aunt Xue was now preoccupied with two things: one was to exonerate Xue Pan, and the other was to arrange his marriage with Miss Cao as soon as possible.

So no matter how Baochai broke it down and explained it in detail, Aunt Xue just ignored it and brushed it off with a few words.

Baochai was depressed, and remembered what Chen Siyuan said when they parted, so she had to be patient and wait for things to change.

Aunt Xue searched for a way around and finally found a close relative of the Cao family. She gave him some money and begged him to pass on a few words to Doctor Cao, just to sell the pills she had.

After a few days of dealings, Aunt Xue finally transferred the shares to Doctor Cao. Two days later, she spent a large sum of money to buy them back, which was in effect a gift of 20,000 taels of silver to Doctor Cao.

Doctor Cao was in a state of panic, so he quickly sorted out the accounts after receiving the money. When the matchmaker came to visit again, he was in a good mood.

The next day, Aunt Xue paid a visit and had a pleasant conversation with Doctor Cao's wife. She also met the girl from the Cao family. Aunt Xue was delighted to see that although the girl from the Cao family was pretty, she was dignified and generous, and her speech and behavior were quite elegant. She even looked like her own daughter. She was overjoyed and immediately discussed the matter of the betrothal gift with Doctor Cao's wife.

The marriage went smoothly, but there was no progress in getting rid of the crime.

Aunt Xue went to Madame Wang to ask for her permission. Although Madame Wang agreed to the matter in person, she could not hide her evasiveness. She simply asked Master Jia Zheng to take care of it. She also said that Jia Zheng had always worked in the Ministry of Works and was not familiar with the Ministry of Justice, so she was afraid that the matter would be difficult to handle.

Aunt Xue waited two days for a reply, and she knew that Mrs. Wang was not taking the matter seriously. Then she remembered Chen Siyuan's suggestion that they might ask the eldest master to help, and then she shook her head.

How could Aunt Xue not know what kind of character the eldest master Jia She was? This man was greedy and shameless. If they really found Jia She, they would just throw money away like water, but nothing would get done. If that was the case, since Jia She had been involved, the Xue family would not be able to entrust someone else to deal with it.

Aunt Xue was filled with melancholy, and her thoughts turned to Chen Siyuan. Because her marriage to the Cao family had gone smoothly, Aunt Xue had grown increasingly reliant on Chen Siyuan, and since she hadn't seen him for some time, she couldn't help but feel impatient, so she came to him at the right time.

Chen Siyuan stood up and came out to welcome Aunt Xue in. After the two of them sat down, Aunt Xue said apologetically, "I know that Brother Yuan needs to concentrate on his studies right now, and I really don't want to distract him... But if it weren't absolutely necessary, I wouldn't have come here today."

Chen Siyuan asked, "Is the concubine in trouble? Is there something wrong with the Cao family?"

Aunt Xue quickly shook her head and said, "The Cao family is easy to talk about, but that's another matter—"

As she spoke, Aunt Xue glanced at Xiangling.

Chen Siyuan understood what she meant and said to Xiangling, "You and Hongyu go out and play first. I'll have a word with my concubine."

Xiangling agreed and led Liu Wuer and others out of the main room.

When only two people were left inside, Aunt Xue began to complain bitterly, "It's true that you don't know how difficult it is to get things done until you've done them. These past few days, my path has been so clogged with thorns that it's been difficult for me to take a single step. Brother Yuan, you know, I'm just a woman in the inner chamber. How can I know the people in the officialdom?"
At first, I asked my wife and master for help, but the master has been working in the Ministry of Industry and is not familiar with the Ministry of Justice. I used my connections for several days but still couldn't find anyone who was suitable.

Chen Siyuan nodded and said, "The Master has always been aloof and has always disdained such matters. That's why I said that day that the concubine should go find the Master."

Aunt Xue frowned and said, "Don't mention it now. I don't know what your uncle is like. If we ask him to take care of it, I'm afraid that if it doesn't get done, thousands or tens of thousands of silver will be spent. I'm afraid the Xue family still has some money left, so this thing can't be done."

Chen Siyuan laughed secretly in his heart. The eldest master Jia She was greedy and shameless. If the Xue family came to him for help, he would probably squeeze their blood and marrow.

He thought for a moment and nodded, "Yes, I was wrong. Did the concubine go to the East Palace to ask?"

"Hey—" Aunt Xue frowned and sighed, "I'm closely related to the West Mansion, so what does the East Mansion have to do with me? If I rashly go to their house and ask for help, I'm afraid I won't get any reliable information."

"This..." Chen Siyuan said, "My concubine said so. I'm at a loss."

Aunt Xue said, "Of course not. Since Brother Yuan has pointed out the way, I'm sure we can find it. I'm risking my pride today. After all, as we're relatives, Brother Yuan will definitely help me this time."

As she was speaking, Aunt Xue saw that Chen Siyuan looked embarrassed, so she simply gritted her teeth, stood up, and bowed to Chen Siyuan.

How could Chen Siyuan dare to accept it? He quickly stood up and dodged, then stepped forward to support her. Unexpectedly, Aunt Xue bowed straight down, and this support became a support. She was plump, far from the size of You Erjie and You Sanjie. Although Chen Siyuan had gained strength over the years, he was caught off guard and was dragged down by her.

The two of them seemed to be wrestling, each gaining more and the other losing, their strength never reaching a consensus. Aunt Xue cried out, "Ouch!" and fell to the ground, causing Chen Siyuan to fall forward and fall into Aunt Xue's arms.

Perhaps because the mother and daughter were together day and night, Aunt Xue also had some of Baojie's scent on her. It smelled cool and sweet, with a unique fragrance.

It was only early autumn, and the doors and windows of the main house were wide open, not even the courtyard door was closed. Chen Siyuan didn't think much about it, and quickly straightened up and asked, "What is this, Madam?"

But Aunt Xue stared at him blankly. A blush spread across her cheeks for a moment, and she suddenly turned her head away and said vaguely, "I, I really have no other choice."

Chen Siyuan was no ordinary person; he knew Aunt Xue's thoughts in a blink of an eye, and then he felt strange. He wondered if he had a special physique. The Jia family's daughters didn't seem to treat him well, so why did the wife and the madam have special feelings for him?

That's not right. Mrs. Xing threatened and used force on her own, but he didn't use any means on Aunt Xue in front of him.

Seeing Chen Siyuan speechless, Aunt Xue's heart moved. She thought that this brother Yuan was thinking the same thing as herself. Knowing that the situation between the two of them was not appropriate at the moment, she said with a mixture of joy and embarrassment: "Yuan, brother Yuan, no, why don't we get up and talk?"

"Ah?" Chen Siyuan suddenly came back to his senses: "Ah... what the concubine said is true."

Chen Siyuan hurriedly got up and hesitated to reach out, unsure whether to help Aunt Xue. Unexpectedly, Aunt Xue turned her head away, raised her hand to hold Chen Siyuan's, supported herself, and stood up with a blushing face.

(End of this chapter)