Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 172 Everyone talks about it
When the two of them sat down again, not only Aunt Xue, but also Chen Siyuan was at a loss for words. He felt a mixture of annoyance and delight, though more than anything else.

For Chen Siyuan, there are only three things in this world that can motivate him to move forward. The first is to leave his name in history and be praised by all people; the second is the collapse of a girl after exhausting her energy in bed; and the third... is a girl's unintentional blush.

Any one of these three things can inspire a man to have great ambitions. How can he not be happy?
As for Sister Bao, since she wasn't doing anything at the moment, he ignored her for the time being.

After forcing himself to regain his composure, Chen Siyuan pondered for a moment. Seeing that Aunt Xue was still clutching her handkerchief in silence, Chen Siyuan said, "What you've asked is truly difficult. I'm only a student at the Imperial Academy, and I've only heard rumors. I'm not sure if I can find a way in. Since you really don't know who to entrust your request to, I'll just give it a try."

Aunt Xue was shyly delighted and said, "Brother Yuan will take care of this matter, it will definitely be a good thing." After a pause, she added, "If Brother Yuan really can restore Pan'er's innocence, I will... repay you in my next life."

Chen Siyuan's face suddenly turned amused. Why should he wait until the next life to repay her? This life would be enough... For example, he could betroth Sister Bao to him.

Then Aunt Xue said, "But it's best to get it done before the end of the year. Since Second Uncle passed away, the imperial merchant job has been on his shoulders. Now that he's gone, Pan'er will have to take over during the year-end inventory. Also, Doctor Cao is a doctor in the Imperial Court, so he'll probably want to investigate the Xue family's background before offering the betrothal gift."

Chen Siyuan couldn't help but frown and said, "In that case, it's better to be impatient than to delay... I'll find someone to investigate tomorrow. Whether there's any connection or not, I'll definitely report back to my concubine."

"Okay." Aunt Xue agreed and breathed a sigh of relief.

The two of them fell silent for a moment. Aunt Xue felt uneasy, yet she didn't want to leave. She glanced at Chen Siyuan twice, but because she could hear the maids laughing outside, she was afraid of being seen by others. So she gritted her teeth and stood up, saying, "Well, I'll go back first."

"Okay," Chen Siyuan stood up to see her off, "I'll see my concubine off."

"Brother Yuan, just stay. It's not far away."

Chen Siyuan smiled without answering, and walked Aunt Xue out of the courtyard. He then returned, feeling puzzled. He went into the main room and spoke with Xiangling, Hongyu, and Liu Wuer, then went into the study and started reading a book.

He was restless, unable to concentrate for a long moment. Things had been really strange lately. First, Bao-jie threw a straight ball, then Aunt Xue pulled another one… the changes were so rapid, it was truly overwhelming. Chen Siyuan naturally preferred Bao-jie, but if Aunt Xue came to him on her own—he thought Aunt Xue still had her charm—he'd better leave it to later.

Because his mind was in a mess, Chen Siyuan reluctantly flipped through a few pages of the book, then simply washed up early and went to sleep in the arms of Xiangling and Hongyu.

The next day, Chen Siyuan went to find Wei Zhaogao alone at noon. Wei Zhaogao's father was the governor of Shaanxi and a legitimate official's son.

Because the matter of Xue Pan was a secret and difficult to spread, Chen Siyuan simply took Wei Zhaogao to Qingwen.

It was the first time that Qingwen saw Chen Siyuan bringing people here. Her face looked a little embarrassed. She hurriedly called two maids to greet them and personally brewed some fragrant tea to serve them.

After Chen Siyuan ordered him to leave, he said to Wei Zhaogao, "Brother Wei, last time you mentioned the secrets of the Ministry of Justice... I wonder if we can find a way?"

Wei Zhaogao burst out laughing and pointed at Chen Siyuan, saying, "I was wondering why Shuliang singled me out. It turns out it's for this matter. What's going on? Does Shuliang want to withdraw the case file too?"

"That's right. I have a distant relative who was involved in a case in Jinling." There was nothing to hide about such things, so Chen Siyuan told Wei Zhaogao about it briefly.

Wei Zhaogao was astonished after hearing this and asked, "Did the Xue family offend Jia Hua? Logically, this case would only involve paying some money for the funeral, so how could it be ruled that the Xue family was guilty?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "The eldest wife of the Xue family is an orphan and a widow."

Wei Zhaogao immediately understood and said, "It turns out that it's difficult to guard against thieves within the family."

Isn't that a traitor? Those behind the scenes, whether they were from the other branches of the Xue family or Wang Ziteng, were closely related to the Xue family's main branch.

Wei Zhaogao pondered and said, "That's easy. Jia Hua is currently enjoying the Emperor's favor. I heard that he handled the port opening properly, earning praise from the Emperor, who said he would be promoted within two years. With this man keeping an eye on things, I'm sure no one will dare to reopen the case in the future."

If Shuliang wants to withdraw the case, he only needs to spend a large sum of money to bribe the secretary and the ambassador, and he will be able to do it without any mistakes."

The Secretary of the Ministry of Justice is a ninth-rank official position, which can barely be considered an official; as for the level of Ambassador of the Treasury, he is a second-rate official. Although he is called an official, he is actually more like a clerk.

Chen Siyuan said, "The Xue family is an orphan and a widow, with only one son, Xue Wenlong, who is a scoundrel. I hope Brother Wei can introduce him and help him find a solution."

Wei Zhaogao laughed and said, "This is easy. Has Shuliang ever heard of Gao Zhongxun?"

Seeing the bewildered look on Chen Siyuan's face, Wei Zhaogao said, "This man was once a retainer of the former Tianguan. He's very well-mannered and eloquent, and has a good reputation in various government offices in the capital. Shuliang, just tell the Xue family to find this man and take charge. We'll have good news within a month or so."

Chen Siyuan was overjoyed and immediately offered Wei Zhaogao a glass of tea instead of wine. Immediately, the servant Qingyu brought two food boxes, and the two of them had their meal in the room.

Wei Zhaogao finished his meal and looked up to see Qingwen standing in the courtyard, peering into the room from time to time. Born a yamen official, he had been around women since childhood, so he knew exactly what Chen Siyuan was up to, with his beautiful daughter hidden in his golden house.

After a few jokes, he said goodbye and left.

Chen Siyuan stood up and escorted him out of the yard. When he turned around, Qingwen came over and asked curiously, "Why did you bring someone here today, Master?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Brother Wei is a classmate of mine and we have a personal relationship, so he can't be considered an outsider." He paused and said, "Besides, does Qingwen want to hide in her room and never see outsiders for the rest of her life?"

Qingwen immediately scolded him, "I was just curious, but you thought about something else."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said nothing. Although Qingwen had never said it directly, Chen Siyuan knew what she was thinking. This small courtyard adjacent to the Imperial College was originally used to house Qingwen. At first, Qingwen might have considered herself a servant, but she could not stand the daily flattery of the two old women and the old man.

Qingwen is a proud person and never thinks that she is inferior to those girls. As time goes by, won't she think of herself as half the owner of this courtyard?

Moreover, Lai Dajie talked about some nonsense that time. Qingwen was just beginning to fall in love, and she often hugged and took a nap with Chen Siyuan at noon. It was different from her previous treatment of Baoyu as a friend. I'm afraid Qingwen had already regarded herself as Chen Siyuan's concubine.

After Qingwen finished speaking, she saw that Chen Siyuan just smiled and did not refute her, so she pulled Chen Siyuan inside and said, "Master, take a nap quickly, otherwise you will feel sleepy again in the afternoon."

"Isn't it? I feel sleepy in spring, tired in autumn, and nappy in summer. If I don't take a nap at noon, I will really have no energy in the afternoon."

When they reached the inner room, Qingwen ordered the maid to bring warm water and help Chen Siyuan wash his face and hands. They both went to the western end of the room, and as soon as Chen Siyuan sat down at the head of the kang, Qingwen bent down and took off his shoes.

Qingwen was very attentive. She took the shoes and measured them, saying, "Master, your feet seem to have grown a little. These shoes are a bit tight. I'll find a pattern and make you a pair someday."

Chen Siyuan agreed, and Qingwen put down her shoes, stood up, and rummaged through the boxes again, finding the half-finished round fan.

After he sat down on the kang with one leg sideways, Chen Siyuan asked thoughtfully, "Haven't you left yet?"

Qingwen blushed and replied, "That's about it for today."

Chen Siyuan lay down and said, "Then let's take a nap together."

Qingwen immediately shook her head and said, "No, no, no, I'm not going to insult you. You're going to get yourself into trouble next month!"

At this time, the world believed that women's menstruation was impure, because for the past three days, Qingwen had only responded to Chen Siyuan in the side room, with the door and windows closed. Today, when most of them had left, she put a bag of ash on it to serve Chen Siyuan.

Chen Siyuan sighed. He'd argued with the women around him about this issue many times, but even someone as bold and outspoken as Third Sister Yu wouldn't share her bed during her period. Expecting to change customs and habits on his own was sheer wishful thinking.

Since it was Chen Siyuan, he didn't force it. He yawned, rolled up the quilt and took a nap.

Qingwen stood by, embroidering a round fan stitch by stitch, occasionally glancing at Chen Siyuan and smiling.

Perhaps because she had been sitting for too long, Qingwen's legs felt a little sore, so she took off her shoes and got on the kang. She yawned and embroidered a few stitches. Qingwen was so sleepy that she could not open her eyes and her head was pounding.

After a long time, Chen Siyuan suddenly woke up and saw Qingwen sleeping outside the kang cabinet. He hurriedly took out his pocket watch from his pillow and took a look.

"Okay, we still have a minute before class starts." Chen Siyuan stretched his muscles and saw Qingwen's cute little face, and he immediately felt playful. He reached out and gently pulled the sock off one of her feet, then stretched out his index finger and tickled the sole. Qingwen frowned, flexed and stretched her toes twice, then paused.

Chen Siyuan scratched her again, and Qingwen immediately retracted her legs and opened her eyes in a daze.

"uncle?"

Chen Siyuan stood up and crawled over, picked up Qingwen and muttered, "You're so sleepy, but you still have to hold on. Go to sleep. I'm going to the Imperial College."

As he spoke, he put it down, covered it with a brocade quilt, and then went down to the ground to put on his shoes.

Qingwen struggled to get up, but Chen Siyuan tapped her forehead with a finger and said, "Just sleep peacefully. I come every day, so why should I expect you to send me off every time?"

Qingwen agreed vaguely, watching Chen Siyuan get up and leave the room. She then stood up and leaned against the window to see Chen Siyuan greet the two maids and leisurely lead Qingyu out of the courtyard.

Qingwen lay down again, burying the quilt over her head with a pursed smile. A moment later, she lifted the quilt again, her watery eyes flickering with the thought that she couldn't wait to throw herself into the master's arms.

Now that I think about it, what Aunt Lai said that day did make some sense... It's just a pity that she always despised Xiren, Bihen and others for pretending to be seducers to seduce Master Bao, and naturally she didn't know about their tricks in bed.

Qingwen thought that it would be great if Aunt Lai came again so that she could ask her about it.

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

After school that day, Chen Siyuan went straight back to his own courtyard. As soon as he entered, Hongyu said, "Master, Second Master Yun came this afternoon, left some Liaodong ceremonies, and then left, saying he'd come back when you're on your day off."

Jia Yun is back? It took a full five months to go back and forth. Jia Yun had just returned from Liaodong in late summer, so he must have settled all the affairs of the Liaodong manor.

Chen Siyuan nodded to indicate that he understood, went into the room to rest for a while, changed his clothes, and then went to Aunt Xue's courtyard.

Who would have thought that just after leaving the main room, Jin Chuan'er came looking for him.

Jin Chuan'er came forward and greeted her, saying, "Madam, you figured it was time for my brother to return, so you sent me to invite him to visit you."

Chen Siyuan asked curiously, "Sister, do you know why Madam is looking for me?"

Jin Chuan'er shook her head and said, "How could I dare to guess what the Madam is thinking? But the Second Madam came in the afternoon and told me about the accounts of the summer grain coming into the warehouse. She said that it was a bit dry this year, and the summer grain was 10% less than in previous years."

This is nonsense. Although there was less rain at the beginning of summer this year, it can still be considered a rare period of good weather. How could the summer grain yield be 10% less than last year? I'm afraid the village heads and Dai Liang are in cahoots, greedily taking advantage of the Jia family.

Thinking this way, is Mrs. Wang planning to take action against the granary? If so, she must have sought out Chen Siyuan to communicate and settle a dispute with the eldest wife of the East Cross Courtyard. Only then could the two families work together to force Lady Jia to acknowledge the matter.

Chen Siyuan thought it over and nodded, "Don't keep Madam waiting. Let's go now."

Jin Chuan'er agreed, turned around and led Chen Siyuan to Lady Wang's courtyard.

Not long after, Chen Siyuan entered the main room and looked up to see Mrs. Wang looking at him eagerly.

The two of them exchanged greetings, and Mrs. Wang patiently chatted with them for a while before sending the maids away.

After they left, Mrs. Wang said, "Brother Yuan, the summer grain accounts have been sent over. They are 10% less than last year."

Chen Siyuan frowned and said, "Snakes and rats are in the same nest. They must be dealt with properly."

Madam Wang nodded and said, "I think so too. The Duke's estates around the capital aren't many, but they still add up to several thousand. The Duke's expenses are barely enough, and the servants are enriching themselves. If it were up to me, I'd do the same as Brother Yuan did and take down Dai Liang."

Chen Siyuan understood and said, "Madam, what you said is absolutely right. However, this matter involves public affairs, so it is not easy to bypass the East Wing. I will go to the East Wing right away and discuss the pros and cons with the Master. I believe the Master will definitely support me."

Mrs. Wang immediately laughed and said, "Yes, this isn't my own business, so shouldn't I ask my uncle to help?" After a pause, she continued, "Brother Yuan's autumn examination is approaching, and I shouldn't bother you, but there's really no one to help."

Chen Siyuan waved his hand and said, "I'm just delivering a message. How can I bother you enough? In that case, Madam, please wait a moment. I will go find the Master."

Mrs. Wang agreed and sent Jin Chuan'er to see her off. Chen Siyuan left Mrs. Wang's courtyard, made a detour out of the mansion, and entered the east wing through the black oil gate. Coincidentally, Mrs. Xing was about to give birth, and today Jia She had summoned the imperial physician to treat her. Chen Siyuan then followed Miao'er into the main room.

When he entered, he looked up and saw Madam Xing reclining on a soft couch. Doctor Wang had already examined her and was explaining to Jia She, "...Master, please allow me to report that the first wife is already pregnant and will probably give birth in a month or so. Both the first wife and the unborn child are in good health, but... the first wife is a little overweight. She needs to eat less in the future to prevent the fetus from growing too large and causing a difficult labor."

Mrs. Xing frowned when she heard this and said, "I've been watching my diet for the past two months and haven't eaten much, so how come I've gained weight?"

Doctor Wang smiled and said, "Perhaps the eldest lady has not worked too hard."

Jia She was delighted and waved his hand, saying, "Come on, give me a reward and send Doctor Wang off for me."

Immediately, a maid brought two silver coins. Doctor Wang thanked him repeatedly and was then sent away by the maid.

Chen Siyuan then stepped forward to greet him. Jia She, thinking he was here to see Mrs. Xing again, said, "You aunt and nephew, please continue your conversation. I'm going to the outer study."

Chen Siyuan hurriedly said, "Uncle, wait a minute. I have something important to discuss with you."

"Oh?" Jia She blinked, and suddenly said happily, "Could it be that the pill business is going to make some money?"

Chen Siyuan was stunned and rolled his eyes inwardly. This master was really obsessed with money!
He then said, "Please ask your attendants to leave, uncle."

The master waved his hand and pushed the maid away.

When there were only three people left inside, Chen Siyuan told Mrs. Wang about her request.

I thought Jia She was short of money and would definitely help, but after hearing this, Jia She stroked his beard and thought for a moment before saying, "The servants below are behaving badly and it's time to discipline them. However, Dai Liang has been in charge of the granary for a long time. If we remove him, I'm afraid we won't be able to find a suitable replacement for a while."

Chen Siyuan thought to himself that Jia She was of course happy to overthrow Dai Liang, but after this overthrow, who would be in charge of the granary? This required careful consideration.

The first and second houses would both benefit if they joined forces, and only by working together could they defeat Lady Jia, but they were constantly at odds with each other. So, before the matter was even completed, Jia She was already thinking about sharing the profits afterwards.

Chen Siyuan asked, "Does my uncle have any suitable personnel in mind?"

Jia She narrowed his eyes and said, "I think Shan Daliang is not bad."

Shan Daliang? The Shan couple were the housekeepers, both inside and outside the palace. They were accustomed to deceiving their superiors and lying to their subordinates, flattering the powerful and bullying the weak... Hiss, could it be that Shan Daliang had secretly defected to the eldest master, Jia She? It was very likely.

Once Jia She makes this suggestion, I'm afraid Mrs. Wang will definitely not agree to it. Wouldn't that mean the matter will come to an end?
Chen Siyuan pondered and said, "Dan Daliang originally only handled comprador matters, which had nothing to do with the granary. I'm afraid he'll be unavoidably flustered once he takes charge. The second wife thinks Zhou Rui is the most suitable person to manage the granary."

Zhou Rui is an old man in the Jia family, but Zhou Rui's wife is Lady Wang's chambermaid.

Upon hearing this, Jia She frowned and shook his head, saying, "No, Zhou Rui is too old to convince the crowd. I think Shan Da is better."

Chen Siyuan pondered and said, "If it were up to me, neither Shan Daliang nor Zhou Rui would be as suitable as the other."

"Oh? There are such people? Brother Yuan, tell us about them."

Chen Siyuan smiled and uttered two words: "Jia Yun."

Jia She blinked and said, "Yes, Yun'er is back today. I saw him last afternoon."

Jia She then reflected to himself that Jia Yun had made a very good trip to Liaodong and had managed the Liaodong farms very well. Having eliminated the deceitful head of the Wu family, not only had the master of the farm been satisfied, but the farmers and servants as well.

This man was eloquent, dedicated, and a member of the Jia family, so he was indeed a good choice. However, the Jia family had never had the custom of having their children serve as servants.

At this time, Chen Siyuan said, "If it's up to my nephew, let Zhou Rui take charge of the granary, and let Jia Yun supervise the investigation of the Jingji Zhuangtou and Dai Liang. Of course, it would be best for my uncle to come forward personally."

Chen Siyuan's proposal seemed like a compromise, but it actually grasped the core contradiction. Lady Wang, driven by power, naturally wanted to seize control of the granary; while the eldest master, Jia She, was obsessed with money, his previous words were merely an attempt to push for more. To put it bluntly, he was going all out, taking advantage of every opportunity and refusing to suffer any loss.

According to Chen Siyuan's arrangement, Zhou Rui was given the granary manager position, and with Jia Yun supervising him, it would be difficult for him to interfere. Jia She would investigate the corruption of Dai Liang, the village head and granary manager, and the lucrative job of raiding and seizing the granary in the future would naturally go to the eldest master. This way, he could kill two birds with one stone.

The eldest master, Jia She, pondered for a long moment, remaining silent. Madam Xing and Chen Siyuan, who were standing by, exchanged glances, coughed, and said, "Master, I think what Brother Yuan says makes sense."

"Well," the eldest master said, "In that case, Brother Yuan will go and tell the second sister-in-law that I have agreed to this matter."

Chen Siyuan quickly stood up and bowed in thanks. The master, still sullen, was pondering how to bring bad luck upon those village heads and Dai Liang. After giving a few instructions, he hurried away.

As soon as he left, Madam Xing hurriedly said, "The Second House is finally making some moves. A few days ago, he was privately grumbling about why he hadn't taken any action yet."

Chen Siyuan stepped forward and took Madam Xing's hand, and comforted her with kind words, saying that he would visit her and the children regularly after the autumn examination.

Mrs. Xing said, "Just come every three to five days." After a pause, she added, "I originally thought it would be nice to have a child, but I didn't dare to hope to stay with you forever."

Chen Siyuan said angrily, "What are you talking about? Who do you think I am?"

Madam Xing couldn't help but giggle for a while, then she said, "Even after the confinement period, I still have to take care of the child. I'm afraid I won't have time to take care of you. If you get bored, just go find those little rascals Miao'er and Tiao'er. The other day, I took a nap, and those two little rascals thought I was asleep and didn't hear anything. They were whining about you and almost had a falling out. I see, now you just beckon them and they'll happily crawl into your bed."

Chen Siyuan said, "How can I care about these things now? I just hope to get through the Autumn Examination as soon as possible."

After a brief private conversation, Chen Siyuan left. A moment later, he returned to Lady Wang's room and shared his previous discussion with her.

Mrs. Wang was indeed overjoyed, not caring at all that the prestigious post of confiscating and collecting articles had fallen on the eldest master. She immediately praised Chen Siyuan highly and gave him two boxes of Poria Cocos Cream before leaving.

Chen Siyuan came out of Lady Wang's courtyard and wandered around to find Aunt Xue's courtyard. He told the maid at the door what was going on and soon a maid led him inside.

When the two met again, Aunt Xue felt strange, but she suppressed her worries because she was worried about Xue Pan's case.

He invited Chen Siyuan to sit down, and after serving tea, he quickly asked, "Brother Yuan, how did that matter go?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and nodded: "Fortunately, I have fulfilled my mission and have learned some tricks."

"Ah..." Aunt Xue was pleasantly surprised and hurriedly asked about it. Chen Siyuan then told her in detail what his friend Wei Zhaogao had said.

Finally, he took a sip of tea and said, "This matter should not be made public. My concubine is a female relative, so I'm afraid it will be difficult for her to deal with that person. Why not find a suitable manager under my command and talk to that person carefully. Then, all we have to do is pay the money, and this matter will be properly handled."

Aunt Xue nodded repeatedly and said, "My dear brother, you are absolutely right. After what Pan'er has gone through, I don't trust him anymore." Then she thought again, "I have an old shopkeeper named Zhang Dehui at home. He is experienced and loyal. Should I entrust this matter to him?"

Why do you have to ask yourself about everything? Are you relying on yourself?
Chen Siyuan felt strange, but he smiled and said, "Since the concubine said this person is suitable, then I guess he is suitable."

Seeing Aunt Xue looking straight at him, Chen Siyuan glanced at the screen casually. Aunt Xue suddenly came to her senses and remembered that Baochai was still in the room.

He coughed lightly and said, "Okay, I'll find him and tell him tomorrow. Brother Yuan... have you just come back? Can you use it later? If you haven't used it yet, I can just ask the maid to bring some more and use it here."

Chen Siyuan stood up and bowed, saying, "No, the Autumn Examination is approaching, and I have to go back to review my studies, so I won't stay any longer."

Aunt Xue hurriedly told the maid to send him off, then she stood up and sent Chen Siyuan to the main door. After watching him leave the courtyard, she sighed and turned around.

Who knew that when he turned around, he saw Baochai had walked around the screen and stopped in the hall.

Aunt Xue was startled, and quickly said with a smile, "My son, your brother's matter has finally been resolved."

Baochai couldn't help but sigh, "Men manage the outside world, women manage the inside world. This has always been the case. For my mother and I, this was a truly daunting task, but who could have imagined it would be so easy in Brother Yuan's hands."

Aunt Xue sat on the soft couch with Baochai in her arms, nodding her head and saying, "It's only Brother Yuan who can do this. How could any other brother know all this?"

Sister Bao's heart moved, and she said, "Mom, do you also think that Brother Yuan is capable?"

Aunt Xue laughed and said, "That's not what I thought. Who in this mansion doesn't say that Brother Yuan is capable?"

Sister Bao said, "If that's the case, then I guess what Brother Yuan said earlier was actually good advice."

"Of course..." Aunt Xue just agreed and felt something was wrong.

Sure enough, Sister Bao said, "Mother knows what's going on with brother. So, why don't you trust Brother Yuan for once? Sell all your business outside, and transfer your royal merchant assets. That way... you can keep brother safe."

"This..." Aunt Xue said in embarrassment, "Let's not talk about anything else. This imperial merchant business was passed down from our ancestors. How can we just give it away? If the other families knew about this, who knows how they would make a scene... This is not right, this is not right."

Baochai said, "If the other families want it, just bring real money and we will give it to them."

Aunt Xue frowned and said, "Hum! If I really give it to the other families, how will I explain it to your father in my grave?"

Sister Bao frowned slightly and fell silent. She couldn't help but think to herself that these words would have different effects depending on who said them. She was too close to her mother, and even though she knew her words were true, she would probably still harbor some doubts. If she put it in a more convincing way, her doubts would probably be alleviated.

Now my mother is relying heavily on Big Brother Yuan. If Big Brother Yuan says these words again, maybe it will have a miraculous effect, right?
Sister Bao made up her mind and when she had time she would go find Chen Siyuan to talk to him, determined to persuade her mother to change her mind.

Otherwise, the family's income would decrease, and the expenses would continue to rise. My brother was a scoundrel, and there was no telling when he would get into trouble again. If this continued, how could the Xue family's fortune be maintained?

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

But Chen Siyuan came out of Aunt Xue's courtyard and went straight into the garden. He passed through the garden on his way back to his own courtyard, but he ran into Siqi on the way.

After asking, I found out that it was Siqi who had taken the lunch box to the small kitchen in the back. After Siqi said that, she looked at Chen Siyuan intently, her eyes seemed to be filled with tears.

After their first romantic encounter, Siqi never had the chance to be alone again, which naturally made her feel resentful. Chen Siyuan was very proud of Siqi's tall and sturdy figure, so seeing this, he had to pull Siqi away to a quiet place to comfort her.

However, with so many people coming and going around him, Chen Siyuan had no choice but to hold back and not actually enter the alley.

After finishing, Siqi tidied herself up, biting her lower lip, her eyes growing more moist. She leaned over and whispered, "Brother...after the Autumn Examination, I'll choose a day to ask for leave, okay?" After a pause, she added, "My parents are usually at the mansion on business, so there's no one at home during the day."

Chen Siyuan was immediately tempted and said with a smile, "Okay, after the Autumn Examination, even if you don't look for me, I will still come to look for you."

Siqi was overjoyed and was about to say something when she suddenly heard Xiu Ju calling out from afar, so she left Chen Si and went away.

Chen Siyuan waited for a while and came out from the back door of the garden. After walking a few steps, he ran into Xue Pan who was returning from the back door.

"Brother Yuan!" Xue Pan greeted him warmly, laughing heartily as he approached and slapped Chen Siyuan on the shoulder. "I came back and wanted to go out and play with Brother Yuan, but my mother and sister wouldn't let me, saying that Brother Yuan was about to take the imperial examination and we couldn't disturb him. Tsk, Brother Yuan is so talented, how could I disturb him? I guess the imperial examination would be easy for him, hahahaha——"

Chen Siyuan smiled and bowed: "I'm sorry for Wenlong's good words, but I'm actually very nervous right now. Who can say for sure that I will pass the Autumn Examination? Yes, Wenlong is-"

Xue Pan grinned and said, "I've been away from the capital for a while, so I need to visit friends everywhere. Liu Xianglian is treating us today, so let's find a mutton shop in the outer city and have a good meal."

Liu Xianglian? Xue Pan finally hooked up with this guy... I just don't know if he'll give me a beating someday.

After speaking to Xue Pan, the two said goodbye. Chen Si walked a few steps, turned his head and watched Xue Pan striding along the alley, and suddenly felt strange.

If something really happens between him and Aunt Xue in the future, wouldn't Xue Pan become his adopted son?
What will you say then?
Brother Wenlong, let’s talk about our own things from now on. I call you Brother Wenlong, and you call me Dad?
(End of this chapter)