Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 179 Warm fragrant nephrite
Chen Siyuan sat for a moment in the Yuyin Hall, then left with his hands behind his back, heading for the Ouxiang Pavilion to look for Xichun. But let's leave that aside for a moment, and instead tell of Aunt Xue emerging from the Yuyin Hall and arriving near the Ouxiang Pavilion. Tongxi, with her sharp eyes, hurried out to greet her.

Aunt Xue, having recovered her composure, led Tongxi back to Rongqing Hall. Meanwhile, Daiyu had returned from the Ouxiang Pavilion, having played a little, and was only slightly warm, but not sweating.

Baoyu, who had seldom been at his private school, had now come to Grandmother Jia's. Grandmother Jia smiled and joked with the two children, while Daiyu listened timidly, occasionally replying. But Baoyu seemed lost and distracted.

Grandmother Jia was old and shrewd, so she knew what Baoyu was thinking. Wasn't it all because of Chen Siyuan? Ever since the Chen family had been sentenced to the imperial examination, Baoyu had been sometimes stunned, sometimes staring at Daiyu, hesitant to speak.

How could Daiyu not be concerned when Baoyu acted like this? Though this granddaughter appeared delicate, she possessed a strong character. Having said that, it seemed she had no reason to regret it. Grandmother Jia sighed, hoping that Chen Siyuan would fail the exam, so the two Yu'ers could be together.

Seeing Baoyu's face dazed again, and his gaze fixed on Daiyu, Jia's mother turned and said to her, "It's been colder since the Mid-Autumn Festival. You just had a cough a while ago. You'd better not catch a cold again."

Daiyu responded softly, and when she looked up she saw Baoyu looking at her. She felt a little unhappy, but remembering the reason, she didn't say anything.

Xueyan said, "Old lady, you don't know, but Brother Yuan gave the young lady some Tibetan medicine. She brewed some tea and drank it every day. In just two months, her health has improved significantly."

"Really?" Grandmother Jia looked at Zijuan.

Zijuan bit her lower lip, somewhat reluctantly, but not one to lie. She nodded and said, "In the past, during the transition from spring to autumn, my hands and feet were always cold, and I couldn't stand the wind. Now that they're warmer, I can wrap myself up and stroll around the garden without any harm."

Although Grandmother Jia disliked Chen Siyuan, she felt sorry for her granddaughter and smiled, saying, "That's good! I think the Tibetan medicine will be very helpful. Yu'er must not stop taking it in the future. She must take it regularly. If you don't have the money, just ask me for it."

Daiyu smiled and thanked him, while Xueyan, standing beside her, secretly curled her lips. The Tibetan Cordyceps was sent by Master Yuan, so why did he ever accept money for it?
Grandmother Jia looked at Baoyu again and saw the red string hanging around his neck. She said, "Did the Madam allow you to wear it? Bring it here so I can see it."

Baoyu came back to his senses and said, "Mother let me wear it a few days ago, but Xiren kept watching it all the time, afraid that I would lose it again."

As he spoke, he took off the spiritual jade and handed it to Lady Jia.

When Lady Jia took it, she saw the magical jade, as big as a bird's egg, radiant as a brilliant cloud, lustrous as butter, and encrusted with colorful patterns. Worried it wasn't the right item, she found her reading glasses and put them on to examine it for a few moments. Then, smiling, she handed it back to Baoyu, saying, "You're such a careless person! A life-threatening item like this deserves the utmost care. But you didn't take it seriously! It's a good thing we got it back this time. If it had been stolen and fled, how could we have found it again?"

Baoyu put on the magical jade and muttered to himself, "It's just a piece of stone, not a magical jade at all." As he spoke, he turned his head and looked at Daiyu.

He thought to himself, if it really was the magical jade, it would have helped both him and Lin Daiyu, so why would Cheng Yaojin show up out of nowhere?

He then secretly prayed to the gods and Buddhas, hoping that Chen Siyuan would fail the exam. He then felt that this thought was not right, and for a moment he was troubled by the conflict.

"Madam, the concubine is here." The head maid Yuanyang announced.

When Jia Mu looked up, she saw Aunt Xue leading Tongxi in with a stern face. She frowned slightly, feeling unhappy. After Aunt Xue greeted her and stood up, Jia Mu said with a normal expression, "It's still early today, why is my aunt here?"

Aunt Xue's eyes turned red as she said, "Madam, I'm here to ask for your help."

She burst into tears and told the story of Doctor Geng bullying the Xue family. At the end, she said, "If it really was the emperor's envoy, it would be fine. Even if it meant ruining the Xue family, we would still protect them. But Doctor Geng has other intentions!"
I previously asked Brother Yuan to investigate, and he found out that Huang Sanrong had chosen the Xue family's imperial envoy, and he had Prince Zhongshun backing him. If it were just Doctor Geng, it would be easy to deal with; at most, we could just send him some extra money, but with Prince Zhongshun behind him... Madam, if this imperial envoy is gone, the Xue family will be ruined!"

Grandmother Jia's heart was in turmoil. She looked down on the Xue family mother and daughter and wished the Xue family would move away as soon as possible. However, she also knew that the Xue family was deeply connected to the Jia, Shi and Wang families. If anything happened to the Xue family, she was afraid that the other three families would be implicated.

Yin Shi frowned and said, "This matter is urgent. I don't know how to deal with it. I'm afraid I'll have to consult with the master and the eldest master. Who knows, I might have to find the Shi and Wang families to deal with it later."

Aunt Xue cried, "I am so confused right now that I have no idea what to do. I leave the matter entirely to the old lady."

Grandmother Jia said to Yuanyang, "Go and see if the master and the eldest master have returned. If they have, please come to Rongqing Hall to discuss matters."

Yuanyang came out in response, and Grandmother Jia comforted her a few more times before letting Aunt Xue sit down.

Not long after, the eldest master Jia She and the second master Jia Zheng came together. When they entered, they listened to Aunt Xue's conversation again.

When they heard that the person behind the scenes was King Zhongshun, the two brothers frowned and took a deep breath.

The eldest master, Jia She, said, "Mother, Prince Zhongshun has made enemies with our families. He has come with ill intentions, and those with good intentions will not come."

Jia Zheng also said, "Is the letter that Brother Yuan received true? If it really is Prince Zhongshun, I'm afraid this will not end well."

"If it weren't for Prince Zhongshun," said Lady Jia, "the concubine could have gotten rid of him herself. I sent for you to come here to ask for advice."

Jia She and Jia Zheng exchanged a glance, and Jia Zheng said, "It's inevitable that we'll have to go to Prince Beijing's mansion. Prince Zhongshun has always been domineering, so even if Prince Beijing intervenes, this matter won't be easy to deal with."

Jia She nodded and said, "The prince has always been at odds with Prince Zhongshun... This isn't just a family matter; both the Shi and Wang families need to contribute." He paused, then suddenly looked at Aunt Xue and said, "Yes, Lord Wang is now inspecting the nine frontiers and enjoying the emperor's favor. Why don't you write a letter to him and ask for his help?"

Aunt Xue nodded and said, "I just received the letter and am in a hurry. I will write to my brother when I get back."

Jia Zheng said, "It's a pity that Prince Zhongshun has gone into hiding. Otherwise, if we had found the censor and filed a complaint against him, he would have been in great trouble."

Jia She glanced at Jia Zheng without saying anything. "Hasn't Prince Zhongshun been impeached often enough in recent years? Each time, he was merely fined and forced to reflect on his mistakes. And then, wasn't he still bullying men and women everywhere?"

The two brothers discussed it for a while, but only came up with a general idea: either they would seek the advice of Prince Beijing, or they would seek help from Wang Ziteng and Baoling Hou to force Prince Zhongshun to give up the idea.

Aunt Xue was, after all, a woman of the inner chambers, and having heard what Chen Siyuan had said, she had assumed that disaster was imminent and that the imperial envoy could not be saved no matter what. Now, hearing what the two brothers had said, she could not help but feel hopeful again, hoping that a smooth turn of events would work out and that the imperial envoy could be saved.

Towards the end of the Shen period, everyone dispersed, and Aunt Xue returned to her small courtyard in the northeast to write a letter to Wang Ziteng.

The next day, Chen Siyuan went to Xiaohuazhi Lane early in the morning.

After breakfast with the two sisters, they rode in a carriage towards the inner city. Third Sister You was a straightforward person; Chen Siyuan had only spoken to her before, and she had already privately found a broker and selected three houses.

The first one, located in Babao Hutong east of the inner city, was the residence of a retired minister. It had three courtyards, front and back, and seventeen neatly arranged rooms. The asking price was 1,300 taels (Note 1).
The second one was on Gulou West Street. The owner was a member of a royal family with a declining fortune. It also had three courtyards and a small side garden. The asking price was doubled to 3,700 taels.

The third house is near Nengren Temple. The owner is a Huizhou merchant. Although it has three courtyards and a side garden, its layout is not like an ordinary quadrangle courtyard. For one thing, the main house is two stories high, and the back building is three stories high.

Moreover, the side garden is quite exquisite, with several pavilions and towers inside, and a branch of the Jinshui River passes through the garden. The most important thing is that there are two sweet water wells in the house.

Because the Hui merchant priced it at 6,300 taels.

The room had already been vacated, and the pawnbrokers were accompanying Chen Siyuan and You Sanjie. You Erjie was delighted to see this, and she took her little maid Xia Zhu to stroll in the side garden.

Chen Siyuan paced around with his hands behind his back, examining the surroundings. The more he looked, the more curious he became. Third Sister You, observing his expression, couldn't help but smile and said, "Brother Yuan, what do you think? I fell in love with this place the other day. It's just that the price is a bit high."

The broker said, "I think Madam has also taken a look at one of the houses. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. How can this house be compared with an ordinary three-courtyard house? Not to mention other things, just the two sweet water wells, if they were sold, I'm afraid someone would rush to buy them for two thousand taels, not to mention the Golden Water River running through it.

Tsk tsk, if the master here hadn't lost money, why would he be willing to sell it?"

Third Sister You paused, glanced sideways, and sneered, "You've gotten something, so naturally you're boasting. This house is at least thirty years old. It's tidy on the outside, but the beams, pillars, and tiles inside probably need some repairs. Six thousand three hundred taels is too much. At least five hundred taels should be removed."

The broker's eyes widened, and he cried out, "Oh my goodness, ma'am, how can I say the price of this house? I'll tell you the truth. The man let it slip long ago that the maximum I can give is one hundred taels, and six thousand two hundred is the final price. If you like it, we can sign the contract today. If you still want to bargain, there's a two-story house in Mao'er Hutong that's cheaper."

"Hey! Who are you using the second-floor house to insult? My master...is going to be an official in the future."

The broker looked down on him, but said flatteringly, "This gentleman is obviously a rare talent. I expect him to be admitted to the imperial court soon. As I said, although passing the imperial court will give you an official residence, it will take at least ten or twenty years to live in a house like this. I think you are not short of money, so why not buy it and enjoy it first?"

Third Sister Yu haggled with the broker for a long time, but the broker insisted on 6,200 yuan and refused to give up a penny.

At this time, You Erjie came out from the side garden, a smile on her face. As she approached, she said happily, "Although this garden is small, it is quite exquisite inside. There are pavilions along the river, porches, terraces, towers, and even a study with three rooms."

Chen Siyuan was already tempted, and by this point, he had almost made up his mind. Turning to the back garden, he saw the back building, which had five rooms on the east and west sides, three floors, and was extremely spacious.

The broker said that the household owner hired a singer of southern opera, and there were more than 20 people in the building, including concubines, maids, old women and actors.

Third Sister You had a dispute with the broker and returned with a frown, saying, "He's holding on to the six thousand two hundred taels and won't budge. Brother Yuan, why don't we take another look?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "I won't look anymore. I'll just look at this place."

Third Sister You calculated and said, "With Brother Yuan's income added in, there are three thousand taels left. How about..."

Chen Siyuan waved his hand and said with a smile, "It's only 6,200 taels of silver. I can still afford this amount."

He immediately called the agent and told him to call the landlord immediately, and then went to the Shuntian Prefecture government office to obtain the house deed.

Third Sister You was fine, she hugged Chen Siyuan's arm and played around on the way back; Second Sister You had no idea of ​​Chen Siyuan's family background, and this time she was so shocked by his lavish spending that she felt wet all over!
Six thousand two hundred taels! Brother Yuan took it without blinking an eye? It was obvious to him that Brother Yuan secretly had two six thousand two hundred taels. She was older than Third Sister You and knew that during the years when Old Lady You was at her most prosperous, her various properties, shops, and personal belongings combined would have meant she was lucky to have six thousand taels. It was true that comparisons kill, and comparisons lead to disappointment.

Yes, and then there's the pill business, bringing in at least 750 taels a month. Brother Yuan, living in the Rongguo Mansion, only has himself and his third sister to support, a total of only six or seven people. Even if he spends lavishly, he can still save 500 taels a month.

Tsk tsk, I can’t spend it all, I can’t spend it all at all!

You Erjie, blinded by money, became even more servile, and treated Chen Siyuan with the utmost tenderness. That day, when they returned to Xiaohuazhi Lane, You Sanjie insisted on ordering a feast, and the two sisters eagerly waited, leading to a passionate night of intense fighting that lasted until after midnight.

The next day, because the new house had just been renovated the previous year and the owner was a Huizhou merchant, there was no need to change the family status, so You Erjie and You Sanjie made arrangements to move in as soon as possible.

Chen Siyuan naturally agreed. The new house was a little further from Rongguo Mansion than Xiaohuazhi Lane, but it was only two streets away. A quick walk and a cup of tea would take you to Rongguo Mansion.

After receiving Shensi's approval, Third Sister You hurriedly sought out a Taoist priest to calculate an auspicious date. The Taoist priest calculated and said that tomorrow was the auspicious day, but if she missed it, she would have to wait until the beginning of September.

How could Third Sister Yu wait any longer?

So the next day, Chen Siyuan returned to Rongguo Mansion leisurely after sending a maid to hire a carriage and porters in Xiaohuazhi Lane. He asked Hongyu and Liu Wu'er to help, then turned around and went to Dagezi Lane to inform Qingwen. Qingwen was overjoyed and urged Madam Qu to move to the new house quickly.

Fortunately, You Erjie, You Sanjie, and Qingwen had only recently moved in and didn't have many belongings, so they moved in within a day. Moving wasn't just about moving people and belongings; once the Hui merchants had vacated their houses, Chen Siyuan would inevitably have to come and buy more.

As Third Sister You was counting the things and utensils she needed to prepare, Second Sister You came over worriedly. She quietly pulled Third Sister You aside and said, "Sister, you're still busy thinking about what to buy, but didn't you see the colors of the things around Brother Yuan?"

Xiangling and Qingwen, needless to say, were of first-rate beauty. Hongyu and Liu Wu'er, though somewhat less so, were also considered beautiful.

You Erjie naturally didn't care about Hongyu and Liu Wu'er, but she was wary of Xiangling and Qingwen at first sight.

Third Sister You was puzzled and said, "Sister, what are you afraid of? No matter how beautiful you are, you are just a maid."

You Erjie shook her head repeatedly and said, "Qingwen was born a maid, but Xiangling was not." She then hurriedly muttered out Xiangling's background.

When Third Sister You heard that Xiangling was a concubine, she immediately frowned. This woman had been with Brother Yuan since the beginning, and she was also a concubine. This made her a real rival. Third Sister You bit her lip and said coldly, "I'll go see what kind of person she is first."

He left You Erjie and went to the back to talk to Xiangling. After a while, he returned to the front, his face as relieved as if a heavy burden had been lifted. He said to You Erjie, "Sister, you're worrying too much. I talked to her for a while and I know she has a very good nature. It's rare that she has no ulterior motives. Besides, she won't move in either. She'll stay in Rongguo Mansion with Brother Yuan from now on."

After a pause, he frowned and said, "It's Qingwen who has a fiery temper. I'm afraid there will be something to talk about her later."

Just as You Erjie was about to say something, word came from the front that Chen Siyuan had arrived, so You Sanjie happily went out to greet him.

You Erjie sighed secretly, thinking that it was because Xiangling had been following Chen Siyuan that she should be worried! Now that she had entered the Chen family, and the mistress of the house had not yet entered, it was not the case that whoever got the favor would be the most popular.

When it came to vying for favor, even her own sister couldn't be trusted. Second Sister You couldn't help but think of the booklet at the bottom of the box. She immediately made up her mind, willing to endure some hardship, to please her distant brother.

But Chen Si came in from afar and ran into You Sanjie who came to greet him. The two of them talked and laughed for a while, and then You Sanjie went back to thinking about the things she needed to buy.

Chen Siyuan walked from the east hall of the main courtyard to the back building, where he saw several maids sweeping and wiping everywhere. Xiangling, Hongyu and Qingwen were gathered together, chatting and laughing.

Seeing Chen Siyuan coming, the girls came forward to greet him. Chen Siyuan then said to Hongyu, "Only Yunxiang is left at home. You know her temper, she might make a scene. Take my car and go back to look after her."

Hongyu agreed, and Chen Siyuan called Qingwen to the side to talk.

"Master." Qingwen was filled with joy. Previously, she had lived in Da Gezi Lane, which was too cramped because it was only one entrance. Qingwen felt really suffocated. It was only when Chen Siyuan came every day at noon that she felt a little relieved.

Now that they had moved into this new house, there was a side garden to stroll around in, and Qingwen was naturally delighted.

Chen Siyuan thought for a moment and said, "I'll come to take a look from time to time in the future. Just tell me if you need anything. Also..." After a pause, he said, "Third sister may be impatient, but she's not a bad person. You guys..."

Before she could finish, Qingwen said angrily, "Master, do you think I'm a troublemaker? I think Third Concubine is the best, but Second Concubine is too cunning."

Chen Siyuan thought about it and it was true. Third Sister You was only concerned about herself, and she was afraid that if he said a word, she would follow him into the sword mountains and sea of ​​fire; Second Sister You had impure thoughts and naturally had a lot of small thoughts.

Although Qingwen has a hot temper, she is actually smart and clever. She just disdains those petty schemes and is good at judging people.

Then she smiled and said, "Then from now on, you should get closer to Third Sister. With Third Sister protecting you, Second Sister won't dare to cause trouble for you."

"Hmm," Qingwen replied, then lowered her head and asked hesitantly, "But... do I have to live in the back building too?"

The back building was for concubines to live in. Qingwen was still a maid now, so if she came to the back building, she would have to live on the first floor with the old woman and maids.

As soon as she said this, Chen Siyuan knew what she was thinking. He leaned over and whispered, "You will live in the side room of the main courtyard."

The ear room is prepared for the maidservants.

When Qingwen heard this, her face turned red immediately and she responded in a muffled voice. But when she turned around, she couldn't hide her joy and couldn't help but curl up the corners of her mouth.

After a brief chat, Chen Siyuan went back to the front to discuss the purchases with You Sanjie. From the tables and chairs, beds, and dressing mirrors for the rooms, to the servants and grooms in the front yard and the maids and old women in the backyard, to the small things like needles and thread, You Sanjie listed everything on a whole sheet of paper.

It would take at least a month to find a woodworking shop to make a custom piece, so the two of them decided to find a consignment shop, choose the one they like, and use it first. Then they could go find a woodworking shop to make it later.

Having moved into a new house, Third Sister You was no longer busy looking for Chen Siyuan to go on a tour. Instead, she happily spent her days buying things for the new house. As for the tour, it was naturally postponed for a later time.

In the past two days, Chen Siyuan has been coming to the new house every day, but he rarely stays overnight. This is because he is thinking about his sisters in the Rongguo Mansion, and yes... Aunt Xue is one of them.

The day before, Aunt Xue invited Chen Siyuan to visit the Xue family's old house, but Xue Pan also went with them. Not to mention being intimate, they didn't even dare to let Xue Pan see them flirting.

After a serious discussion with Aunt Xue and learning about the four families' countermeasures, Chen Siyuan could only shake his head secretly. If the four families had joined forces, it would have been fine, but Wang Ziteng had ill intentions and had long coveted the Xue family's eldest branch's property. Now that Prince Zhongshun had come to bully them, he was afraid that Wang Ziteng might not be willing to stand up for Aunt Xue.

Chen Siyuan couldn't help but compare Aunt Xue with Madam Wang. Both were daughters of the Wang family, sisters. Madam Wang was a simple-minded woman with a fiery temper, determined to kill once she saw fit. Aunt Xue, on the other hand, was the opposite—mindful and indecisive.

Chen Siyuan was afraid that as time went on, Aunt Xue would start to back down again, and then all his previous efforts would be in vain.

So that afternoon, I returned from my new house, took a short rest, and then headed northeast to look for the small courtyard.

Coincidentally, that day Baojie went out to play chess with Xichun, and Xue Pan also went to the old house to supervise the work, so only Aunt Xue was left.

Chen Siyuan followed Tongxi into the main room in the backyard. The two looked at each other. Chen Siyuan politely sat down and winked at Aunt Xue.

Aunt Xue's heart was pounding as she heard Chen Siyuan say, "Please, Madam, please dismiss the attendants. I have something important to report."

"This..." Aunt Xue's heart was in turmoil, worried that Chen Siyuan would do something reckless. However, Tongxi and Tonggui just thought Chen Siyuan was here for the imperial envoy, so Aunt Xue didn't need to say anything. When they saw him glance over, they both withdrew.

When the door closed, Chen Siyuan suddenly stood up and walked over.

Aunt Xue's heart was trembling, and she couldn't help but speak with a trembling voice, begging: "Brother Yuan... No, I can't do that."

Chen Siyuan came closer, stared at Aunt Xue for a moment, then took out a bunch of keys from his sleeve pocket, pulled Aunt Xue's plump hand, and put the keys inside.

He jokingly said, "What do you think I'm going to do?"

"Key?" Aunt Xue looked down, then quickly raised her eyes and looked at Chen Siyuan with confusion.

Chen Siyuan turned around and sat down, whispering to Aunt Xue, "After much searching, I finally managed to find Doctor Geng. However, this matter is a secret, and we don't want outsiders to see us. This is the fourth house from the east of Dagezi Lane. If you're interested, please come to the meeting tomorrow at noon."

While speaking, he kept staring at Aunt Xue, making her blush.

Aunt Xue heard what Chen Siyuan said. She was no fool. The so-called Doctor Geng was just an excuse. How could she not know that Chen Siyuan was forcing her to do this? So she just lowered her head and said nothing, clutching the key in her hand tightly.

"you……"

After a long while, Aunt Xue finally opened her mouth, but was interrupted by Chen Siyuan, "See you tomorrow at noon." As he spoke, he stood up, looked at Aunt Xue deeply, and immediately turned around and left.

Only Aunt Xue was left inside, still in a mess and confusion.

Chen Siyuan did not mention that he had gone to the garden to talk to Xichun, but instead said that Aunt Xue was in a trance the entire afternoon. She sent the two maids away and lay alone on the couch, sometimes biting her lips in confusion, sometimes sighing and retreating, and sometimes pursing her lips in hope.

Towards the evening of the twentieth hour, Baochai returned. Aunt Xue had just recovered from her shock and absentmindedly exchanged a few words with Baochai. Then, as if possessed by some strange spirit, she suddenly said, "Yes, I'm afraid I'll have to go to the inner chambers tomorrow."

Baochai couldn't help but wonder, "Didn't they say that my uncle had made up his mind and was now discussing countermeasures with Xiangyun's uncle? Why is mother going to the inner palace again?"

Aunt Xue regretted it immediately after she said it, but now she had no choice but to advance and not retreat. She gritted her teeth and said, "If you rely on mountains, they will fall; if you rely on people, they will run away... My son, have you forgotten about your uncle? I think this matter must be handled by myself."

Sister Bao had no doubts and sighed, "Mother is right. I just hope that if I can get some money, Doctor Geng will change his mind."

"Yes, yes." Her trembling heart calmed down, and Aunt Xue was afraid that Baochai would discover her whereabouts, so she said immediately: "My son, you can have your dinner by yourself. I can't eat now, and I just want to lie down in the corner room for a while."

Baochai naturally agreed, thinking that Aunt Xue was worried about the emperor's errand, and immediately ordered Tongxi and Tonggui to wait on Aunt Xue and let her go inside to rest. Ying'er came back with a food box, and Baochai also ordered it to be placed on the fumigation basket to keep it warm.

Later in the evening, Aunt Xue calmed down and got up to eat some food. Then Xue Pan came back from the old house and came in to talk about a lot of random things.

For some reason, perhaps out of resentment for her son's delay in getting married, or perhaps to embolden herself, Aunt Xue suddenly scolded him, "It's just a trivial matter. Just hold on to the money and the accounts and send the servants to take care of it. Why do you have to run around for everything yourself? You're getting married soon, and you're still so clueless!"

Xue Pan was originally trying to boast about his achievements, but unexpectedly he was scolded instead. He immediately felt resentful and scratched his head, saying, "Why is it that everything I do is wrong when it comes to my mother?"

Aunt Xue became even more furious upon hearing this and lectured him, "If you had focused on the right path earlier, you would have been able to establish your own family now. How could you still let outsiders bully our Xue family? Go back and reflect on yourself!"

"I--" Xue Pan was very angry.

Baochai glanced over, then turned to Aunt Xue and said, "Don't be upset, mother. My brother has made progress now. As the saying goes, it is always a good thing to mend the fold after the sheep have been lost." She then winked at Xue Pan repeatedly.

Xue Pan agreed with an embarrassed look on his face, and suddenly felt unhappy. He turned around and walked back to the front lazily.

She tossed and turned all night and was in a daze the whole morning. When it was almost noon, Aunt Xue took advantage of Baochai's absence and asked Tongxi to hire a carriage on the street.

Tong Xi was surprised and said, "We already have carriages and horses at home, why does Madam need to hire someone from outside?"

Aunt Xue lied, "This matter is secret, and it's not for outsiders to see. Not only can I not ride in my own carriage, but you can't follow me either."

Tongxi and Tonggui had no suspicion and rushed to deal with the matter. A little later, Tongxi came back with a message, and the hired carriage stopped at the back gate of Rongguo Mansion.

Aunt Xue changed into ordinary clothes, her heart in turmoil, but she sullenly got on the carriage. She was first told to go to the inner palace, and after leaving Ningrong Street, she turned and told to go to Da Gezi Lane.

After driving for two minutes, the carriage stopped at Da Gezi Lane, west of the Imperial College. Aunt Xue paid the fare and then went to the fourth house nervously.

As they neared, a maid emerged from the second house. Aunt Xue was so frightened that she trembled violently, not daring to open the door. She pretended to be passing by, walked a hundred or so steps further, and then turned back to find the maid, who had vanished.

She arrived at the door nervously and saw that it was locked. Aunt Xue took out the key and tried it a few times. After opening the door, she quickly slipped in.

Aunt Xue hurriedly slammed the bolt and leaned against the door, panting heavily. She bit her lower lip and felt like retreating, but suddenly she remembered, if the bolt was slammed... how could Brother Yuan get in?

As she pondered this, she suddenly heard a creaking sound. Looking up, she saw Chen Siyuan, dressed in a moon-white dress, standing under the eaves of the main house with his hands behind his back. Catching sight of Aunt Xue, a smile immediately crossed her face, and she took long strides and approached in a flash. Without giving Aunt Xue a chance to speak, she opened her arms and embraced her.

"Yuan...Brother——"

Chen Siyuan whispered in her ear, "Madam, did you know I was here at noon? Madam, you've made me wait so anxiously."

Aunt Xue's heart trembled when she heard this, and she stammered, "I, I shouldn't have—Ouch!"

The fish had taken the bait, so how could Chen Siyuan afford to lose? He immediately cupped her plump cheek and leaned forward to kiss her. At first, her plump, white, and tender hands kept pounding her back, but as they grew weaker, she suddenly found strength from nowhere and embraced her...

　Note 1: As mentioned in the previous note, the average price of a room in the inner city is 50 taels, but there is a premium for courtyard houses. Therefore, it is set at 1,300 taels.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)