Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 181: Joy and Sorrow
East Cross Courtyard.

After Chen Siyuan left, Mrs. Xing was agitated and couldn't help coughing a few times. Because of that old man from Wang Shanbao's family, she and her child had caught a cold.

Although Madam Xing was forbidden from bathing during her confinement, she had plenty of food to eat, and she looked even plumper. Her previously oval face had become rounder. Because of her strong constitution, the cold subsided in just a few days, and now she only had a few coughs.

Upon hearing that Chen Siyuan had passed the imperial examination, Mrs. Xing was overjoyed. If she hadn't been in confinement, she would have been preparing a banquet and inviting the opera troupe for three days and three nights of revelry.

Although she couldn't leave the house, she couldn't hide her joy. Miao'er and Tiao'er came over to congratulate her, and Mrs. Xing was so happy that she looked at everything from top to bottom.

Then another wet nurse came in, holding the child. She smiled and said to Madam Xing, "Fourth brother's fever has subsided. He must be happy to hear that Master Yuan passed the imperial examination."

Miao'er looked at the child and smiled, "It's hard to say... Fourth brother was crying non-stop yesterday, but he seems much calmer today."

Tiao'er said, "Madam, Brother Yuan has just graduated from high school, so the family must be very busy. How about I go over and help out?"

Miao'er was immediately annoyed when she heard this. She had originally thought so, but Tiao'er, that little hoof, got there first.

Mrs. Xing noticed the expressions of the two maids. Since she already had her fourth brother, she naturally didn't care... After all, she and Chen Siyuan were not destined to be together in this life. She would be content to have occasional trysts in the future. So she smiled and said, "I wonder what you two are thinking of me?"

"Madam..." Miao'er and Tiao'er both lowered their heads. Miao'er had experienced a clear path before, so she wasn't afraid. Tiao'er had never experienced a clear path before, so she felt anxious.

Madam Xing said, "I won't hide it from you. Brother Yuan is still young, and his parents passed away early. As the elder, don't I have to look after him constantly? You two are my maids, and considering your age, it won't be long before you're promised to someone else." As she spoke, her eyes flickered between Miao'er and Tiao'er, and she smiled, "I have a plan to send you two over someday...but whether I'll send you back later depends entirely on Brother Yuan's intentions."

Miao'er and Tiao'er were overjoyed and quickly bowed to express their gratitude. They glanced at each other furtively, obviously with a competitive look in mind.

After Mrs. Xing had explained this, she added, "Keep your ears open, and let me know when the master returns. After all, Brother Yuan is the master's nephew. If we don't take care of such a joyous occasion as his passing the imperial examination in the East Wing Courtyard, how can we expect the mansion to do the same?"

All the maids and old women hurriedly agreed, and immediately one of them went to the front to listen.

Mrs. Xing was delighted and asked the wet nurse to hold the child in her arms. The child was not even a month old and his eyebrows and eyes had not yet fully grown, but she could vaguely tell that he looked seven points like Mrs. Xing. As for the remaining three points, he naturally took after his biological father.

Madam Xing was delighted as she teased the child, thinking to herself, "Son, your father passed the imperial examination. A juren of fifteen or sixteen is a rare talent in this dynasty. Perhaps one day he'll be listed on the imperial list and become an official. I don't expect you to surpass him, but at least if you can achieve even 70% of his ability, I'll be relieved."

Strangely enough, the child seemed to know what Mrs. Xing was thinking. He opened his eyes, babbled, and reached out to grab Mrs. Xing's face.

The nanny heaved a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "It's true that mother and child are connected by heart. I didn't see Fourth Brother this happy when I held him as a child."

Mrs. Xing smiled and couldn't help thinking in her heart that mother and son are connected by heart, and maybe father and son are also connected by heart.

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

Mrs. Wang’s courtyard.

Sunlight shone into the room through the carved window lattices. Mrs. Wang was sitting cross-legged on the kang. Although she was flipping through Buddhist scriptures in her hands, her face looked quite absent-minded.

If anyone in the Rongguo Mansion was more concerned about Chen Siyuan's Autumn Examination than Lady Xing, it was Lady Wang. This was because it involved the engagement between Lady and Dai, which affected Baoyu's marriage, and more importantly, whether it was Lady Jia or Lady Wang who would decide Baoyu's marriage.

Furthermore, because Chen Siyuan had offered so many suggestions and shown so much kindness, Lady Wang inevitably favored him. She couldn't concentrate on the Buddhist scriptures at the moment, thinking to herself: Although Yuan'er is my sister-in-law's nephew, he's a brilliant man. He's already built such a reputation in just six months, and he's consistently topped the Imperial College. So, passing the Autumn Examination... isn't out of the question?
But who can truly say for sure about the imperial examinations? For example, Jiangnan, a region of exceptional talent, saw many renowned scholars repeatedly fail in the Autumn Examination, remaining mere scholars until their death. Then there were those obscure old men who, for decades, passed the imperial examinations with no one paying attention, only to rise to the top of the official ranks in the blink of an eye.

While she was lost in thought, the maid Yuchuaner came in with a smile on her face and said to Mrs. Wang, "Madam, there's a message from the front. I'm afraid Master Yuan has passed the imperial examination!"

Mrs. Wang's heart moved, she put down the Buddhist scriptures and said, "Is it true?"

Yuchuan'er said, "There was a chorus of gongs blaring in front, and Second Mistress was urging Second Master to go forward to greet him. Mrs. Zhou hurried to the back to look for Master Yuan. I guess it must be him."

"Amitabha!" Mrs. Wang couldn't help but laugh. "Finally, he's won! Yuan'er has finally gotten what he wanted." After a pause, she sighed, "How old is he? He's probably even smarter than Zhu'er."

Yuchuan'er quickly shut up. Jia Zhu was Lady Wang's taboo, so it would be inappropriate to say anything at this moment.

Fortunately, Mrs. Wang was not lost in the memory of her eldest son. She only sighed and said, "When you get the news, go to Feng'er and ask what the government plans to do."

Mrs. Wang was naturally worried that if this matter were to reach the old lady's ears, she would feel as sick as if she had eaten a fly. Unfortunately, the old lady couldn't say anything about such a happy event, so she would have to celebrate with a pinch of her nose.

Thinking of this, she felt happy and was eager to see Lady Jia's distressed expression.

Yuchuan'er naturally agreed and hurried to look for Fengjie'er. As soon as she left, Mrs. Wang left the Buddhist scriptures and walked into the main hall, twirling the Buddhist beads in her hand rapidly, her eyes full of joy.

Chen Siyuan had passed the imperial examination, and the marriage was inevitable. Mrs. Wang had been bullied by Jia Min many times in her life, and Daiyu looked like her mother. Seeing her face made Mrs. Wang unhappy, so how could she be willing to facilitate Baoyu and Daiyu's marriage?

While she was thinking, Jin Chuan'er led Hongyu back inside and said, "Madam, Master Yuan sent Hongyu to tell you the good news."

Hongyu hurriedly said, "Madam, the master wanted to come here himself to announce the good news, but there was an endless stream of people coming to congratulate him, and the master couldn't leave at the moment. He was also worried about Madam, so he had no choice but to send me here to announce the good news first."

Mrs. Wang came back to her senses, a smile plastered across her face, and she nodded repeatedly, saying, "Very good, very good, Brother Yuan has passed the high school entrance exam. You have a bright future ahead of you. This is truly a cause for celebration."

Hongyu quickly bowed and said a few pleasant words. When Mrs. Wang asked about her ranking, she said, "Twenty-seven is pretty good. I heard that the Shuntian Prefecture provincial examination only selected thirty-six people."

"Yes."

"It's not easy for Brother Yuan to pass the imperial examination at his age. You should serve him diligently. If Brother Yuan passes the imperial edict and lives elsewhere in the future, I will release you from your indenture."

Hongyu was overjoyed and immediately knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Thank you, Madam, for your help."

Mrs. Wang accepted it with a smile, then ordered Jin Chuan'er to help him up. She added, "Passing the imperial examination is always a great joy. Let's not talk about how busy tomorrow will be, but the mansion will definitely be lively today. Go back and tell Yuan'er that he is not allowed to go anywhere today."

"Yes, I will pass the message to you right away."

Mrs. Wang then ordered Jin Chuan'er to escort Hongyu out. Without mentioning Mrs. Wang's joy, it is said that Jin Chuan'er escorted Hongyu out of the corner gate and came out facing the small courtyard in the northeast.

Ying'er was whispering with a maidservant at the courtyard gate. When she saw Jin Chuan'er bringing Hongyu out, she immediately waved and said, "Hongyu!"

Hongyu was slightly displeased when she heard the greeting, for Ying'er had always been reckless and willful, and also extremely worldly and cunning.

When Hongyu was still a third-class maid outside Baoyu's room, Ying'er didn't even glance at her when she saw her; when Hongyu went to live with Chen Siyuan, although Ying'er didn't say anything, her face showed disgust.

Who would have thought that the following year, when Ying'er learned that Chen Siyuan had become quite famous, her expression changed again. She would always look for opportunities to chat with Hongyu, and would try to find out about Chen Siyuan's situation in her words.

Hongyu said goodbye to Jin Chuan'er and turned her head to look over, and saw Ying'er leaving that man and coming towards her happily.

"Sister Hongyu, is your uncle in high school?"

Hongyu was unhappy in her heart, but she never showed it on her face. She just smiled and nodded, saying, "Thank God for your blessing. I have ranked 27th in the provincial examination."

Ying'er immediately sighed, "He passed the imperial examination at the age of fifteen or sixteen... I'm afraid he's even better than that Mr. Zhu."

"I dare not say so."

Ying'er laughed and said, "Master Zhu failed the imperial examinations twice, but isn't that better than him? Sister Hongyu really knows how to judge people, she ended up with Master Yuan so early. As the saying goes, if one person succeeds, everyone else will prosper. Sister Hongyu is quite trusted by Master Yuan, so she's definitely going to be a concubine in the future!"

Hongyu was uneasy and forced a smile, saying, "It's hard to say what will happen in the future."

Ying'er said seriously, "Yes, your master has always been a magnet for attention. Not only do he have two children outside, but a few days ago I saw Miao'er and Tiao'er from the east wing fighting with your master in the garden."

Hongyu suppressed her anger and said, "I won't talk to you anymore. I have received the madam's order and must reply to the master as soon as possible."

After these words were spoken, Hongyu left Ying'er and went to the back.

Ying'er watched Hongyu go away, clicking her tongue non-stop, and after a while she turned around and went back to the small courtyard in the northeast.

The news of the news coming from the front was already known inside, but the specific circumstances were still unknown.

Ying'er hurried inside and, seeing Aunt Xue and Baochai, said, "Madam, young lady, I just ran into Hongyu, who was beside Master Yuan. I heard that Master Yuan ranked 27th in the Shuntian Prefecture exam and was very close to failing."

As soon as he said this, Baochai frowned and scolded him, "Don't be ridiculous! If you pass, you pass. Apart from the first place, what's the difference between the second and the last place? Even in the spring examination tomorrow, it's possible that the last place will jump up, and the first place will fail."

After a pause, he lectured, "I've always taught you to be careful with your words and actions. Now that you haven't made any progress, it's fine. But why are you becoming even more unruly? If you speak so recklessly, people will think our family is ungrateful and talk behind Brother Yuan's back!"

Ying'er's face darkened immediately with fear, and she said in panic, "Miss, I was wrong. I was just saying it casually, and I didn't gossip about it with anyone else."

Baochai's face was as gloomy as water. She said only, "I'll fine you half a month's salary. If you do it again, you won't be able to follow me anymore."

Baochai's harsh words made Ying'er even more frightened. She glanced at Aunt Xue for help. But Aunt Xue, who always protected Ying'er, remained silent. Ying'er could only plead guilty and swear never to do it again.

After he had been talking to himself for a long time, Baochai finally dismissed him. Ying'er retreated anxiously, her face gloomy, and she couldn't help but wonder, these days, whenever her daughter mentioned that Master Yuan, she usually smiled, but when she heard about Master Bao's situation, her face turned dull... Could it be that her daughter really had a crush on that Master Yuan?
She was a maid from the Xue family, so she was bound to the young lady. Although Mr. Yuan was only a juren now, he could not be underestimated in the future. If the young lady really married him, how could she have a good life in her current situation?
Not to mention that the little maid Ying'er had a change of mind.

But as for the mother and daughter in the main room, Ying'er had just left when Baochai and Aunt Xue started to scold Ying'er, which made Aunt Xue nod her head repeatedly.

Finally, Aunt Xue frowned and said, "Ying'er is indeed becoming more and more unremarkable. If she continues to be like this, we should just replace her with a new maid."

Ever since she and Yuan Ge'er broke the window paper and had a passionate love affair in Da Gezi Lane, Aunt Xue has been protecting her lover in every way.

It is not wrong to publicize the fact that Yuan'er has passed the imperial examination, but I am afraid that Aunt Xue will be even happier than Lady Wang.

Hearing this, Baochai said, "It's because she's been with me since she was little and always considers me that I only scold her out of consideration for the relationship between master and servant. If it were someone else, how could I tolerate her?"

Ever since Bao-jie had spoken her secrets that day and stopped taking the Cold Fragrance Pills, she'd been thinking about Chen Si-yuan most of the time. However, the two of them hadn't been able to be alone for quite some time. Firstly, they were of similar age, so they had to avoid suspicion. Secondly, this was the Rongguo Mansion, and Bao-chai, known for her discreet manners, wouldn't do anything like that.

Upon hearing that Chen Siyuan had passed the imperial examination, Sister Bao was delighted. She knew that there were many obstacles between them. On the one hand, she had to convince her mother, and on the other hand, she also wanted Chen Siyuan to realize his talent.

Passing the imperial examination is the first step to realizing one's talent.

Then Baochai continued, "Let's not talk about Ying'er... Mother, it's rare even in this dynasty for Brother Yuan to pass the imperial examination at such a young age."

"That's right!" Aunt Xue said happily. "This Yuan brother has both talent and character. What's most rare is that although he is full of clever tricks, he also has a broad mind. If it were someone else, after what happened with your brother, I'm afraid they would have been at odds with our family from then on."

Seeing how highly Aunt Xue thought of Chen Siyuan, Baochai felt even more delighted. She smiled and said, "Mother is absolutely right. This last point is extremely rare. They say 'a prime minister's heart can hold a boat,' but to put it bluntly, only those with broad minds can accomplish great things. Brother Yuan is not lacking in talent and wisdom, and he has a broad mind. I'm sure he will have a bright future."

Aunt Xue hadn't yet understood what Baojie was thinking. She just nodded and praised, "That's right, that's right! How old is he? Even if he passed the imperial examination at the age of thirty, he's still very young. If he's lucky enough to enter the Hanlin Academy, he'll definitely be able to enter the cabinet and become a prime minister in the future." After a pause, she couldn't help but sigh, "It's just a pity..."

What a pity! It was just what Chen Siyuan had said that day: 'You were born, and I wasn't yet.' Countless times, tossing and turning in her dreams, Aunt Xue wondered what would have happened if they were the same age.

Perhaps they'd gazed across the wall, falling in love at first sight; perhaps they'd exchanged secret messages, expressing their affection through letters; or perhaps they'd meet secretly during the holidays, leaving their families behind, reserved yet full of affection. Despite her turmoil, Aunt Xue couldn't help but yearn to see Chen Siyuan... It wasn't because of his physical clarity; now it seemed as if just seeing him would clear her heart. Of course... it would be even better if both her body and mind were clear.

Baochai had no idea of ​​Aunt Xue's thoughts. She thought her mother was gradually changing her mind, and was afraid that if she suddenly revealed her thoughts, it would offend her mother. She thought it would be better for her to change gradually, like a trickle of water. So she just followed the conversation and praised Chen Siyuan.

It was a strange thing that the mother and daughter had different thoughts but could talk to each other.

After a while, Ying'er suddenly returned and reported: "Madam, young ladies, I just heard that Master Bao is making a scene again! I heard that this time he even smashed the magic jade to pieces!"

"what?"

The mother and daughter were immediately shocked. They looked at each other, then quickly got up and went to Rongqing Hall together.

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

Sister Feng's children's courtyard.

Feng Jieer had just come back from the three-room hall in front and back after taking care of the household chores. After taking a short rest, she heard the maid come to report that the messenger had come to the door and that Chen Siyuan might have passed the imperial examination!
At that moment, Sister Feng hurriedly sent her maid to find Jia Lian and ask him to go to the front to answer the questions. She also ordered Ping'er to observe from the left side of the ceremonial gate to avoid any misunderstanding.

After waiting for a while, Ping'er came back happily.

"How is it?" asked Feng Jieer.

Ping'er smiled and nodded, saying, "Grandma, you're right. The newspaper said that Master Yuan ranked 27th on the imperial examination list. This is truly great news!"

Sister Feng smiled indifferently and said, "Brother Yuan, it's a cause for celebration that he got what he wanted...but for others, it might not be a good thing."

Ping'er was startled, then immediately thought, "Yes, I saw Master Bao pacing in the garden early this morning, his brow furrowed in thought. I suppose it's because of this matter?"

Sister Feng sighed, "I thought the two Yu'er could be a perfect couple, but who could have known something unexpected would happen?" Then she shook her head and smiled, "Well, that matter will be dealt with by the old lady and the mistress. We dare not get involved."

Ping'er nodded and asked, "Madam, should we send someone to Rongqing Hall to tell her?"

Feng Jieer said distressedly, "Of course I have to tell you... but let's wait for your Second Master to come back."

Such "bad things" should be delayed as long as possible.

Feng Jieer then thought of Jia Lian again. If there was no Chen Siyuan for comparison, it would be fine. But now that Chen Siyuan was there, Feng Jieer, with her strong personality, naturally looked down on Jia Lian's playboy habits.

He then said to Ping'er, "Look at Brother Yuan, and then look at your Second Master. He spends every day hanging out with those handsome servants. I don't ask him to improve himself, but at least he should have some serious work to do."

Ping'er argued, "Madam, you also said... Second Master is so reserved and constrained in the mansion that he's already feeling uncomfortable. If you continue to push him to make progress, I'm afraid he'll quarrel with you again."

Hearing this, Sister Feng frowned and said, "After going south, his mind has become even wilder. His soul must have been seduced by that slutty vixen from Jiangnan!"

"What slutty vixen?" Jia Lian's voice suddenly came from outside, and then the curtain was opened. Jia Lian came in with surprise.

Sister Feng quickly changed the subject and said, "Is the answer correct?"

"Very thorough, three groups of messengers in a row. Brother Yuan is quite generous, he gave out more than thirty taels of silver. Tsk tsk..." Jia Lian shook his head and sat down on the kang, his body tilted and waving his folding fan, and suddenly he laughed and said, "Guess what? The messenger from the patrol army and the messenger from Shuntian Prefecture got into a fight again. The vertical plaque was kicked in two, and the soldier even shouted, 'We'll fight each other every time we see each other, hahaha..."

He raised his head and laughed heartlessly. Jia Lian did not forget to ask: "Yes, what did you say about the slutty fox?"

Sister Feng said angrily, "Who else could it be? It must be that Miss Duo."

Jia Lian's expression grew serious, and he leaned forward, feeling a sense of longing. He asked, "What's going on? Who has Miss Duo hooked up with again?"

Feng Jieer said, "Second Master, what you're asking is... shouldn't you be saying that you haven't hooked up with anyone? That Miss Duo doesn't mind anyone, whether they're sweet or smelly. She'll go into the weeds with anyone who's just a little bit of money." After a pause, Feng Jieer squinted and said, "Why? Second Master, do you want to weigh Miss Duo's weight, too?"

Jia Lian laughed heartily and shook his head, saying, "I was just asking casually, how did it become related to me?"

At this time, the little maid Feng'er brought Yuchuan'er in, and Yuchuan'er conveyed Mrs. Wang's words.

After hearing this, Sister Feng nodded and said, "I understand. Go and tell the Madam that she will take care of this matter herself."

Yuchuan'er took her leave, and Fengjie frowned and said, "Forget it. Even if it's Yama Palace, we have to go there. Ping'er, come with me to Rongqing Hall."

The master and servant then left the courtyard under Jia Lian's eager gaze. Just as they walked around the large painted screen wall, they ran into Siqi who was coming in through the west corner gate.

Feng Jieer then asked, "Did you go to congratulate on behalf of your daughter?"

Siqi forced a smile and responded, "That's right. The third and fourth girls are both helping Master Yuan, but my girl wants to avoid suspicion."

Sister Feng laughed and said, "How old are they? How old is the second young lady? Come back quickly. Brother Yuan is a generous man and won't make trouble for this."

As they were talking, the three of them passed through the hall together, and then two went south and one went north and said goodbye to each other.

Siqi bit her lower lip as she walked north into the corridor and paced towards the back building, her mind in a state of confusion. This was because she had just gone to congratulate her daughter and had run into those two little rascals, Miao'er and Tiao'er.

What walls are impenetrable in the Rongguo Mansion? The rumors of these two little rascals secretly having an affair with Master Yuan had already spread widely.

Because Hongyu responded to Siqi indifferently for a few words, Siqi was angry but couldn't vent her anger, so she took it out on Miao'er and Tiao'er.

She relied on her status as Wang Shanbao's granddaughter to look down on those two unrelated people. But they found so much confidence that they refused to give in in this argument. They even said…they even said they had already gotten the eldest wife's permission, and that they would be moving into Master Yuan's room in two years.

Siqi simply told him it was fake, but inside she was in a state of confusion. Since that garden rendezvous, she and Master Yuan had occasionally run into each other, but the constant comings and goings in the garden made it difficult to revisit their past. Siqi had intended to take leave to meet him the previous time, but other matters had delayed her.

So, hearing the two little girls say this, Siqi couldn't help but feel anxious. Master Yuan had promised to ask Second Mistress for her marriage contract when she was old enough, but how could such a life-long event wait and be relied upon?

Besides, getting a marriage contract and following the girl are two different things! The former is like having no roots. Even if she enters Master Yuan's room, she will probably have to endure years and try to please everyone. Only after she pleases the mistress of the house can she be promoted to a concubine. The latter is different. As long as the girl gets pregnant, she will take over the position herself.

As long as she has a child, she can be a stable concubine.

So Siqi couldn't help but feel resentful towards Yingchun for not fighting back. She went downstairs, climbed the stairs, and went straight into the room. She saw the second girl Yingchun sitting quietly, holding the chess manual in her hands, playing the remaining chess pieces on the chessboard.

When Siqi came closer, she said, "Miss, I have congratulated Master Yuan. Master Yuan has thanked you very much."

"Yeah." The second girl Yingchun responded softly.

She had a little thought for her husband, but she hadn't received a reply for a long time, which made her feel a little discouraged. Also, because she knew her own situation, she knew that she was afraid that she couldn't handle the matter of marriage, so she slowly suppressed the thought in her heart.

This time, Chen Siyuan passed the imperial examination. Yingchun was happy for him, but she couldn't help feeling a little self-pitying, secretly sighing that she had missed such a good marriage, and didn't know who she would marry in the future.

Seeing her calm face, Siqi couldn't help but feel annoyed, and immediately said: "My dear, this is such an important matter, please pay attention to it!"

The second girl looked up and asked in confusion, "How can I care about this?"

Siqi bit her lip, turned her head and looked around, then saw Xiu Ju tidying up outside. She immediately leaned over and lowered her voice and said, "I am the young lady's maid, so of course I have to consider her. The young lady will be sixteen next year, and she will be getting married in the next one or two years. How can I feel at ease when I don't even know whether the person proposing marriage is a cat or a dog?"
Besides, a good marriage is right before your eyes, so why would you bother looking for one far away?"

The second girl, Yingchun, blushed immediately and said, "You, you are talking nonsense again!"

"How can you say that? I don't believe that the young lady has no feelings for Mr. Yuan!" Siqi stared at Yingchun aggressively.

Yingchun couldn't bear it any longer, and slowly lowered her head, sighing, "How can I make the decision on such a matter?"

Siqi persuaded him, "My grandmother has secretly let it slip that the eldest mistress is interested in bringing the young lady up with Master Yuan, but Master has other ideas and said he'd wait until after the Autumn Imperial Examination. Now that Master Yuan has passed the Autumn Imperial Examination, I'm afraid the matter will be brought up again soon. Young lady, please at least show some concern. I don't ask you to go to such trouble to meet Master Yuan in private, but at least show some appreciation and convey some words. That way, Master Yuan will know what the young lady is feeling, and it will be easier to talk to her in the future."

Yingchun frowned and said, "Will my father... agree?"

Siqi beguiled him, saying, "How could the master miss such a lucrative son-in-law? If nothing else, he's only fifteen or sixteen years old, and he's earned so much money for the family. I'm afraid the master will definitely agree this time."

The second girl couldn't help but feel hopeful, but she was too shy to suppress it, so she kept her head down and said nothing. After a long while, she stammered, "I, I understand."

Siqi heaved a sigh of relief, and then she saw a newly made purse hanging from Yingchun's waist. She reached out and pulled it off, laughing softly, "Then I'll give this purse to Master Yuan when I have time!"

After saying this, he stood up and left. Yingchun blushed and turned around, reaching out for her hand. She opened her mouth but no words came out. Her mind was in a state of confusion, and she wondered how Brother Yuan would look at her if she gave him the purse.

While he was pondering this, he suddenly heard a commotion ahead: a group of maids were shouting, and Baoyu was shouting at the top of his lungs, "What use is there for me with this useless thing?"

Xiu Ju, who was tidying up, blinked and suddenly cried out, "Oh no! Master Bao has gone crazy again!"

Yingchun knew it was not good to pretend not to hear, so she stood up and said, "Hurry up, let's go and block a fence!"

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

But let’s talk about Jia Baoyu.

Baoyu had gone to the private school early in the morning. When he heard Xianglian and Yuai mention that today was the day when the imperial examination results would be posted, he suddenly remembered his appointment with Yuandai. How could Baoyu stay any longer? He pleaded a stomachache, took the servants, and returned to the Rongguo Mansion.

As it was still early, Baoyu was in a restless mood, so he wandered around the garden for a while.

Who knew that the more he walked around, the more upset he became. He had a vague feeling that Lin Daiyu might leave him alone, but he also had some hope, hoping that Chen Siyuan would fail the exam.

After walking around for a while, I looked up and realized that I had unknowingly arrived in front of Longcui Temple.

Looking up, I saw a few clumps of late chrysanthemums in front of the steps of Longcui Temple, still covered with dew. Perhaps due to the wind, rain and hail in the past few days, many of the late chrysanthemums had their flower heads broken, and the burnt yellow petals were scattered all over the ground, like a handful of scattered gold.

Baoyu stood still at the door. Suddenly, the gate of Longcui Temple opened and Miaoyu, who was not interested in worldly affairs, came out with a basket in her hand. When she saw Baoyu, she looked a little surprised and asked, "Are you here to have tea with me or to listen to Buddhist scriptures?"

Baoyu was lost in thought. He glanced at the withered chrysanthemums and suddenly said, "These chrysanthemums were so gorgeous just a few days ago. Who would have thought that in just a few days, most of them would be blown away by the wind."

Hearing the regret in her words, Miaoyu said, "That year, I was cultivating in Panxiang Temple. There was a century-old osmanthus tree there, and when it bloomed, it illuminated the entire temple. But a foolish man, while offering incense, insisted on taking a brocade bag and collecting the fallen petals and burying them in the stream... Have you fallen out with Miss Lin, who loves to bury flowers, again?"

Baoyu was surprised and asked, "Burial of Flowers...you know Sister Lin? Why have you never mentioned her?"

Miaoyu said as if it was a matter of course, "What's the big deal? Panxiang Temple is not far from Suzhou City. I've met Mr. Lin and Miss Lin twice, so it's nothing... However, I know her, but she may not remember me."

　My child is in the hospital with lobar pneumonia caused by mycoplasma. Azithromycin isn't working. My child's teeth are late and only halfway through, and I'm afraid to use cyclin. What should I do? I'm so worried.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)