Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 189: Wang Ganniang appears online

Laughter and laughter could be heard in the main room, but Chen Siyuan sat in front of the mirror, letting Hongyu and Xiangling help him tie his hair. As they mentioned last night's events, Xiangling and Hongyu inevitably complained about each other's incompetence.

Chen Siyuan was naturally very proud of himself, and felt that the Xilaizhi he had been taking for the past two months was indeed effective.

Hongyu tied up Chen Siyuan's hair and put the Zhongjing crown on him. Xiangling then poured a cup of warm water from the bottle and helped Chen Siyuan brush his teeth with tooth powder.

Liu Wu'er had brought a lunch box early, but it was breakfast, not breakfast. This was because Chen Siyuan had been too unruly these days, getting up near noon every day, so most of the breakfast went to Yunxiang, the greedy little girl.

After a while, Chen Siyuan brushed his teeth and sat down to have breakfast. Since Chen Siyuan never paid attention to etiquette, Xiangling and Hongyu came over to eat together.

As breakfast was about to end, Hongyu asked, "Have you decided on the new house in Nengren Temple? Is it only Qingwen that you're going south with?"

Chen Siyuan nodded and said, "Well, my second sister is so absorbed in studying accounting that she said she would not go to Jiangnan."

Hongyu frowned and thought, "Xiangling and Qingwen, neither of them can handle things."

Xiangling said angrily, "Why can't I manage things?"

Hongyu said unhappily, "Sister, it's fine for you to take care of Master's daily life, but how can you possibly handle dealing with outsiders?"

Xiangling chuckled and said, "Oh, so that's the kind of director you're talking about. I really can't do that... How about my younger sister come with me down south?"

Hongyu was tempted, but she had to find a way to keep someone at home to look after the family, and she couldn't bear to leave her parents. Since there would be another opportunity in the future, she decided not to go this time.

After teasing Xiangling for a few words, Hongyu frowned and thought, "I'm afraid Wu'er can't go. It's winter now, and I'm afraid Wu'er's body can't bear the fatigue of the journey."

Liu Wu'er felt aggrieved. She longed to go to the south of the Yangtze River, but her health was not good enough, so she had to stay.

Seeing that he couldn't count the number of people who could be used, Chen Siyuan said, "I'll just take Yunxiang and Qingyu with me."

In this way, Chen Siyuan will take care of dealing with people on his own. Yunxiang and Qingyu are both eloquent, so there won't be any problems if they are sent to run errands.

Hongyu felt that it was just unsatisfactory, and since there was no one else to help at the moment, she could only frown and agree.

Having said this, Hongyu asked, "Master, have you ever been through Jinling? There are twelve other branches of the Jia family still in Jinling, and there are many old relatives there. If I go back to visit the old lady, I'll definitely have to bring some local gifts. Also, do you want to ask Miss Lin about this as well?"

Xiangling smiled and said, "Look, Master, Sister Hongyu is so thorough and considerate. This is not just the work of an internal steward. I'm afraid even the housekeeper's wife is no different."

Chen Siyuan laughed heartily.

Hongyu could no longer bear the constant teasing and joking, so she immediately stood up and started joking with Xiangling.

Unlike the carefree Xiangling, Hongyu, born into a maiden family, naturally had more concerns. She wanted to be a concubine, and she wanted to be a concubine in name only. Therefore, she tried her best to please him at night and was very considerate during the day.

When Chen Siyuan passed the imperial examination, Hongyu was certain that her master would one day be admitted to the imperial court and perform the ceremony of co-opting the family line. With two wives, among the four concubines, there would at least be one for her. This allowed her to relax a little. Over the past ten days, she had become even more lively, playing and joking with Xiangling, making for a lively occasion.

Chen Siyuan leaned on the table and looked around with a smile. He saw one person taking off her gold hairpin, another pulling off her clothes, and soon they were circling around Liu Wu'er. He felt that this place was beautiful. This was what life was all about.

A quarter of an hour later, Chen Siyuan had finished his breakfast. Before Hongyu and the others could clean up, the maid Yunxiang called out from outside, "Master, Sister Jin Chuan'er and Sister Miao'er are here!"

Hongyu quickly put down her food box and went out to greet them. In a moment, she led the two of them inside. Miao'er knew them well, so she glanced at them and said, "Brother, why did you just finish eating? The master sent me to tell you that you should go to the study when you have time."

Chen Siyuan nodded in agreement, and Jin Chuan'er said, "Our mistress has also said that Master Yuan should go to Madam's place right now. It seems that Madam has something to say to Master Yuan."

Chen Siyuan thought to himself, it’s a good thing that the master has to go to the Fifth Army Headquarters to be on duty early in the morning, otherwise, with two things happening at the same time, and he doesn’t know how to clone himself, how can he handle them all?
Chen Siyuan immediately agreed and sent Hongyu away with the two maids. He stood up, letting Xiangling help him get dressed, and hurried off to Lady Wang's place.

After leaving the courtyard and entering the garden, he couldn't help but think to himself, there is always a reason for everything, could it be that Mrs. Wang really wanted to match him up with Wang Yunping?

If this is indeed the case, we must find a way to cover it up. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that Wang Ziteng is now just a knife in the hands of a saint, used specifically to cut down the power of the Four Kings and Eight Dukes, and even the Jia family in the army.

The Jia family, through their marriage to the Wang family and their voluntary transfer of the Jingying (official territory) to the Wang family, remained relatively close to the Wang family. The remaining nobles were probably eager to have Wang Ziteng skinned alive and stuffed with straw!

Over the past hundred years since the founding of the Dashun Dynasty, the trust placed in the nobles by the first and second emperors has gradually morphed into a vigilance and caution. When you sit in that chair, it doesn't matter what your nobles think; it only matters whether you have the ability to cause rebellion. Therefore, after pacifying wars, every dynasty has always shifted from military power to civil power.

This was the case with the former Song Dynasty, the former Ming Dynasty, and the Dashun Dynasty.

How upset would one be if one were to marry into the Wang family at this time?

To put it bluntly, Chen Siyuan would rather choose a girl from the Jia family than marry into the Wang family.

Thinking about how to decline politely, he walked into the garden. There were five small kitchens near the back door. Before Chen Siyuan could even get around the main mountain, he saw Zijuan and Xueyan, who was carrying a food box, coming towards him with frowns on their faces.

"Uncle Yuan—" Zijuan, her heart in turmoil, bowed to Chen Siyuan. Xueyan also bowed, then stood up, her face sullen and her eyes filled with resentment.

Chen Siyuan put aside the matter of answering Mrs. Wang for the moment and was puzzled by the situation. He asked, "What are you doing—"

Xueyan opened the food box angrily, casually tossed the lid to Zijuan, and pointed to a lamp inside and said, "Master Yuan, take a look for yourself."

Chen Siyuan looked down and saw that it was a bowl of bird's nest porridge. However, the bird's nest inside was scattered and yellow, as if it was made of yellow bird's nest powder.

According to color, bird's nest is divided into white, blood and yellow. Among them, white bird's nest is listed above yellow bird's nest because of its pleasing color, and blood bird's nest is listed above yellow bird's nest because of its significant effect. In addition to color, it is divided into bird's nest pieces, bird's nest strips, bird's nest pieces and bird's nest cakes. According to the palace classification method, it is divided into official bird's nest, hairy bird's nest and grass bird's nest.

The bird's nest porridge uses chopped pieces of official yellow bird's nest. Although its efficacy is not inferior to that of white bird's nest, its quality is too poor and the serious masters of the Jia family have always disdained to eat it.

Chen Siyuan couldn't help but frown and asked, "Huang Yan Sui? Is this for Sister Lin?"

Xueyan nodded and said angrily, "Our girl has been taking medicine for several months. A while ago, she asked the imperial physician to take her pulse. Nanny Wang sent the pulse to Henian Hall. Doctor Ding examined her and said that the medicine was three-quarters toxic. He asked the girl to stop taking it for one or two months and change her diet, so he prescribed this bird's nest porridge.

In the past, we used top-grade blood swallows. A few days ago, we switched to white swallow strips. The young lady just said it was a temporary shortage in the mansion and told us not to cause trouble. But who knew today she would switch to low-grade yellow swallow pieces!

Zijuan sighed, knowing exactly what was going on. The servants in this mansion were all overwhelmed with wealth and privilege, always flattering the powerful and looking down on the weak. Seeing their daughter move to the back building and bring in the green gauze cabinet with Miss Shi, they were deliberately giving her a hard time.

Chen Siyuan understood and frowned, saying, "It's my fault too. I've been so busy with chores lately that I forgot to ask about Sister Lin's condition... Look at you two, are you going to the kitchen to have a quarrel?"

Before Xueyan could speak, Zijuan hurriedly said, "Even if we're not arguing, we should at least find out the reason. After all, the girl is the old lady's granddaughter. How could she be so disgusting?"

Chen Siyuan clasped his hands in thought. Should he argue with the kitchen manager? He'd lose his status. Besides, the small kitchen was now managed by Liu Wu'er's mother, Sister Liu. She wouldn't use Huang Yan's tricks to bluff anyone unless she had to.

Since it was Chen Siyuan, he said, "I still have a lot of blood swallows in my room. You two can just go find Hongyu and take some back with you. Now that winter is approaching, there is a charcoal brazier in the room. I'd like to ask you two sisters to get up early and make some bird's nest porridge. We can do it ourselves and don't have to bother with those people."

Xueyan breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "I knew Master Yuan had a way."

Zijuan, standing by, was still frowning, saying, "But once something like this happens, it will happen again..."

"That's all right," Chen Siyuan said. "I'll go to the kitchen and ask, and then talk to my wife. I think there won't be any such issues in the future."

Seeing that Xueyan was so willing, Zijuan had no choice but to agree. She then said goodbye to Chen Siyuan and went out the back door with Xueyan to find Chen Siyuan's courtyard.

Chen Siyuan turned around and went straight to the five kitchens.

It was just past noon when Chen Siyuan arrived. The kitchen servants were all resting. Several maids had left the door open and were sitting around a small table, chatting and laughing while eating.

A maid saw Chen Siyuan coming and quickly nudged Sister Liu with her elbow, saying, "Master Yuan is here!"

Mrs. Liu quickly put down her bowl, wiped her hands on her apron, and then came out to greet him with a smile on her face.

"Why is Mr. Yuan here?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Why bother with that? Sister Liu, just call me brother from now on."

Mrs. Liu smiled so much that she couldn't stop. She thought her daughter was really lucky. She took advantage of the fact that this man had not yet made a fortune and married him to help him. Although he has not yet taken her in, this man would secretly give her some Poria cocos cream and Cordyceps for her health every now and then.

Although Wu'er looked a little weaker now, at least he hadn't had a coughing attack since the beginning of autumn. Wu'er was still young, and I was afraid that in another year or two, he would definitely be taken in by this Mr. Yuan.

Mrs. Liu considered Chen Siyuan half her son-in-law, so she agreed without hesitation: "Brother, you came to see me? Is it about Wu'er?"

Chen Siyuan extended his hand and led Sister Liu to the tree, saying softly, "I was planning to take Wu'er south with us, but I was worried that her body wouldn't be able to withstand the fatigue of the journey."

Sister Liu said angrily, "Isn't it? Brother, is Wu'er showing such a displeasure? I'll definitely teach this girl a lesson later!"

"No, Wu'er is open-minded. I'm just worried that Sister Liu might not be able to, so I'm telling you this."

Sister Liu felt immediately relieved. A master who was afraid of her suspicions and rushed to speak to her showed that this master must treat Wu'er very well.

Sister Liu was at a loss as to what to do. "What kind of talk is that... Everyone in this house knows that my brother is the most compassionate to his servants. Wu'er is truly blessed to be with my brother."

Chen Siyuan waved his hand and continued, "There's another thing... I just ran into Zijuan and Xueyan. I heard that the bird's nest porridge prepared for Sister Lin today... uses low-quality yellow swallow's nest."

"This..." Sister Liu frowned and looked around. Seeing that no one was around, she whispered, "It's not that we're trying to embarrass Miss Lin, it's really... My dear, you know, all Miss Lin's expenses used to be paid out of the old lady's account. Now that Miss Lin has moved to the back building and Miss Shi has returned, it's possible that the accounts and expenses can't be opened for the time being."

Chen Siyuan responded without saying anything.

Sister Liu's heart sank, and she whispered hurriedly, "A few days ago, the warehouse was running low on bird's nests. I mentioned this to Mrs. Zhou Rui, and when I asked again yesterday, she just said we'd just use what we had in stock. Even a good cook can't cook without rice. I carefully selected the bird's nest porridge this morning. There's really no other way."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "I see. Thank you, Sister Liu, for your care. Since Sister Liu is not to blame for this matter, I will go and talk to Madam about it."

"Hey——" Mrs. Liu hesitated to speak.

Chen Siyuan said, "I will definitely not sell Sister Liu."

Mrs. Liu finally smiled, and after seeing Chen Siyuan off for a while, she happily returned to the small kitchen.

The kitchen servants were joking around a lot. Mrs. Liu was in a very good mood. She said a few words casually and then sat down leisurely to continue eating.

Meanwhile, Xueyan and Zijuan had just entered the courtyard when Hongyu arrived with a large bag of blood swallows. Chen Siyuan had originally bought them for Madam Xing after she had given birth, but they were now in need.

Xueyan tugged at Hongyu, whispering to her for a long while. Zijuan, seeing it was her first time, looked around in silence. The girl had made up her mind, so what if she was unwilling? If she went against her will again, she would probably find it difficult to stay with her.

Uncle Yuan seems to be a magnanimous person, and it is not too late to make amends now.

Thinking about this, Xueyan came back with a small bag, said goodbye to Hongyu, and then returned with Zijuan. After passing through the garden, they returned to the back building of Rongqing Hall in a moment. From a distance, they heard Nanny Wang say, "Marry a man, get clothes and food. Miss, why don't you be more at ease? How many marriages in this world are like those in the opera? I didn't even meet the head of the family before we got married, but now we are doing well." Daiyu responded, saying, "It's Nanny who missed me that separated me from my husband's family. I think after a year or two, I will let Nanny go and return to Suzhou."

Nanny Wang hurriedly said, "Young lady, are you trying to get me out? Madam and Master have already told me that I must see Young lady get married before I return to Yangzhou."

Zijuan listened to this and wished Wang Mama would return to Suzhou as soon as possible. Otherwise, Wang Mama and Xueyan would be at loggerheads with each other. If the girl married Master Yuan again, where would there be room for her? Who knows, by the time she gets older, she'd be married off to a boy!
When Zijuan followed Xueyan into the room, Daiyu and Nanny Wang stopped talking. Xueyan smiled and said, "Look, young lady, I just ran into Master Yuan. I couldn't help chatting with him for a while, and he gave me some of his best blood swallows."

Daiyu frowned and said, "Eat less bird's nest porridge. I won't die, so why should I ask for help?"

Xueyan was at a loss for words when Nanny Wang said, "Young lady, you're wrong again. Brother Yuan isn't an outsider, so what's the big deal about him taking some bird's nests?"

He took the bundle and unfolded it, seeing that it was filled with top-grade blood swallows. He immediately praised, "Maybe Brother Yuan got the news and prepared it early in the morning."

Xueyan smiled silently, and Zijuan didn't expose the truth. Daiyu looked a little shy, but her heart was also somewhat relieved. Nanny Wang had a point. Isn't marriage a matter of clothing and food? How many of these scenarios were there in the opera?

As long as Brother Yuan treats me decently in the future, why should I be so demanding of others?

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

But on the other side, in Lady Wang's courtyard.

Mrs. Wang sat in the center, with Baochai at her side. They were chatting about random things, and Baochai was naturally puzzled. Yesterday, when Aunt Xue returned home, she thought that Mrs. Wang had changed her mind, so she smiled and told Baochai to visit Mrs. Wang often.

Baochai was puzzled, wondering why her aunt had changed her mind. Could it be that she changed her mind because of her elder sister's order?
I came here early in the morning with doubts and sat for a while, but my aunt, Mrs. Wang, avoided the topic and never mentioned the golden marriage, not even Baoyu.

Just then, Jin Chuan'er came in with a smile and replied, "Madam, Master Yuan is here."

"Brother Yuan is here? Come in quickly."

Upon hearing this, Baochai quickly stood up and tried to go back inside, but Mrs. Wang pulled her hand and said, "We're all here in the mansion. We used to live next door to each other, so we'd see each other every day. And now I'm still here, so why should I hide away? Come on, sit down! I'm just looking for Brother Yuan to discuss something."

Sister Bao couldn't persuade Mrs. Wang, so she had to sit down with a red face.

Soon, Yuchuan'er led Chen Siyuan in. Sister Bao took a glance at him and couldn't help but admire him in her heart. He was wearing a sky-blue robe today, how could he be so handsome?
Chen Siyuan walked in with a smile, and when he saw Baochai looking slightly puzzled, he quickly bowed and said, "Madam, are you looking for a younger generation?"

Mrs. Wang smiled and said, "Brother Yuan, please sit down and talk."

Chen Siyuan agreed, lifted his robe and sat down at the bottom.

Mrs. Wang said, "I'm here to see you today for two reasons. First, the arrangements for the visit are complete, but there are always mistakes and omissions. Brother Yuan, now that you have some free time, why don't you take a look around and see if there's anything missing? Just consider it as helping me to find and fill in the gaps."

"Yes, since Madam has given the order, I will take a look around."

Madam Wang nodded and continued, "Secondly, Brother Yuan will be sixteen next New Year, right?"

Chen Siyuan and Baochai were both startled, thinking that Mrs. Wang was about to bring up Wang Yunping. Baojie, in particular, felt a strange feeling. Aunt Xue had mentioned this when she came back yesterday, and Mrs. Wang had already given it up after some consideration. Why was she bringing it up again now?

After Chen Siyuan agreed, Madam Wang smiled and said, "As the saying goes, men should marry when they are old enough, and women should marry when they are old enough. Now that my brother has completed his studies, it's time for him to find a suitable marriage. This shouldn't be something I say, but since my sister-in-law is still in confinement after childbirth, I'm presumptuous enough to bring it up... Is my brother happy about this?"

Chen Siyuan forced himself not to glance at Baochai, and just said in a depressed tone, "This... I have been busy with my studies before and have never thought about this matter."

Mrs. Wang sighed, "It's hard for you... If your parents were here, why would you have to worry so much at this time? But marriage has always been a matter of equal status, and there's also the saying of marrying lower and marrying higher. If it were up to me, Brother Yuan, don't be too ambitious. You might find someone you like right now."

At the end of her speech, Mrs. Wang actually glanced at Baochai.

Chen Siyuan and Baochai exchanged a glance, both delighted and surprised. They were surprised because they had never thought of this before; yet they were delighted because, with Madam Wang acting as a go-between, this matter might just go much more smoothly.

Even though Chen Siyuan was worldly-wise, he was still distracted by Madam Wang's actions. He couldn't help but think, how could this be Madam Wang? It's clearly Wang Ganniang!

Mrs. Wang paused after saying this, and, holding her teacup, observed the two of them in secret. She saw that Chen Siyuan's brows were radiant with joy, while Baochai blushed shyly, and could not help glancing at Chen Siyuan again.

Seeing this situation, Mrs. Wang was an experienced person. How could she not know that these two children might have had feelings for each other for a long time?

As his smile grew wider, he couldn't help but feel a little proud. This was killing two birds with one stone: he won over Chen Siyuan and broke up the perfect match.

The old lady, however, refused to give up. Seeing Daiyu had accepted the marriage certificate, she immediately took Yun girl with her. Yun girl was a tomboy, so how could she be a good match? She was the daughter of a marquis, but her father, Shi Yu, had never inherited the title. How could she be a marquis' daughter?

Mrs. Wang concluded that the old lady was just desperate and was trying anything she could think of. When Yun girl was no longer useful, she would see which other girl the old lady could invite.

Recovering from her daze, Madam Wang gave Jin Chuan'er a subtle look. The latter slipped out quietly, and Yu Chuan'er came back a moment later and replied, "Madam, the second mistress said that the red silk we prepared has faded a little. Please go and take a look."

Mrs. Wang suddenly stood up and asked, "How could it have lost its color at this critical moment?" She then walked out, saying, "I'll go take a look and be back soon. Brother Yuan, please stay a while. I have something to say."

After saying this, he left in a hurry without even caring about Baochai and Chen Siyuan getting up to see him off.

Chen Siyuan has lived two lives, and Baochai has been smart since childhood, so how could she not know what Mrs. Wang is thinking?
Chen Siyuan turned and looked at Baochai and said, "Sister Bao, now it's just the two of us."

"Hmm," Baochai replied, her face flushing and unable to fade. She was so overwhelmed with shame and joy that she was speechless for a moment.

Chen Siyuan knew what was going on. For a girl like Baochai, who had such ambitions, occasional romantic flirting was fine, but if it was constant, she'd assume you weren't ambitious and probably wouldn't be able to resist admonishing her. She was a woman of strong ambition, only wanting to help her husband rise to the top. Instead of discussing worldly affairs, she found it more effective.

Since it was Chen Siyuan, he asked, "Sister Bao, have you read the court reports recently? Earlier this month, Lord Xu went south to inspect the provinces. He only briefly visited other places, but stayed in Yangzhou for about ten days. People say Lord Xu is tired from the journey, but I think he may have received orders from the emperor to overhaul the salt administration."

Baochai's interest was truly aroused. She frowned and said thoughtfully, "I've also read the imperial gazette, but I didn't see anything like this. I wonder how Brother Yuan could have seen it?"

Chen Siyuan said, "Our dynasty's salt law, inherited from the Ming Dynasty, has remained unchanged for hundreds of years and is already riddled with flaws. Furthermore, the Ming Dynasty also frequently revised its salt law, so how could our dynasty remain static? Furthermore, Salt Commissioner Lin lost his wife and then his son. Fearing he might not be able to protect Miss Lin, he rushed her to the Rongguo Mansion. Clearly, he knew the situation was dire. And sure enough, within two years, he, too, passed away... Sister Bao, do you think this was just a coincidence?"

"Ah?" Baochai was shocked. After careful consideration, she realized that this was indeed a coincidence. She immediately asked, "Brother Yuan, do you think that the Lin Salt Bureau family... was murdered?"

Chen Siyuan nodded. "It's hard to say. But the Sage must have been furious. He held it in for a year before ordering Lord Xu to tour the south on his behalf. As my sister knows, Lord Xu is a man of integrity. I'm afraid that Jiangnan will soon be in turmoil."

Baochai was convinced, and after some thought, she said hurriedly, "I'm afraid that after this, the Yangzhou salt merchants will be short of money. Brother Yuan thinks my family—"

Chen Siyuan smiled but said nothing. Baochai pursed her lips and said, "Yes, my family doesn't even have a head of household right now, so how can I dare to hope for that?"

The two of them talked about the court situation for a while. Sister Bao felt that she had benefited a lot and couldn't help but admire him more.

Seeing this, Chen Siyuan struck while the iron was hot. He moved a chair over with great fanfare and sat down next to Sister Bao. While they talked, he dipped his finger in the tea and wrote a line on the table: "First meeting, I was surprised and delighted. After a long time together, I still feel the same excitement."

After finishing the book, he tapped the table lightly with his knuckles. Sister Bao glanced at him and was so embarrassed that she couldn't speak.

Suddenly, Sister Bao also quietly dipped her finger in the tea and wrote on the table: I see all living things as grass and trees, but I see you as a green mountain.

When Chen Siyuan saw it, he quickly brushed it away with his hand, and then went to wipe the writing in front of Chen Siyuan. Unexpectedly, the tender hand was grabbed by Chen Siyuan as soon as it was extended.

"Brother Yuan——" Sister Bao was so frightened that she looked out quickly, fearing that someone would come in.

Chen Siyuan said, "My sister has lost weight."

Baochai blushed and turned her head away, whispering, "I've always been strong inside. If I were any fatter, I'd probably have frequent nosebleeds in winter."

"Dr. Ding of Heniantang is a famous doctor. Since my sister has this problem, why don't you go see him when you have time?"

"Yeah." Sister Bao responded in a voice as soft as a mosquito.

She tried to pull back several times, but Chen Siyuan wouldn't let go, so she let him take her hand and play with it. Her heart was pounding, her ears were burning, and she felt like her heart was going to jump out of her chest at any moment.

Chen Siyuan was about to say something when he heard footsteps outside. Sister Bao couldn't help but beg, "Brother Yuan... you, please let me go."

Chen Siyuan let go of her hand when he heard the footsteps approaching. Under Baochai's pleading gaze, he wiped away the water stains in front of him and then moved the chair back to its original place.

He had barely sat down when Yuchuan'er and Ying'er came over. Ying'er glanced at him and, though suspicious, said to herself, "Miss, the madam wants you to go back quickly. She says she has something to discuss with you."

The blush on Baochai's face faded slightly. Upon hearing this, she quickly stood up and frowned, saying, "Do you know what this is about?"

Ying'er opened her mouth to speak, but finally shook her head, thinking that this matter should not be known to outsiders.

Baochai no longer cared about anything else, and bowed to Chen Siyuan before leaving. Chen Siyuan couldn't help but feel disappointed. He had been waiting for this rare opportunity to be alone with Baochai, but Ying'er had called him back just when he was in love. What had the Xue family done to him?

While he was thinking, he heard footsteps approaching. It was Madam Wang returning. Once inside, Madam Wang complained for a while about the negligence of the servants and said some other things. Only then did Chen Siyuan take the opportunity to talk about the bird's nest.

Madam Wang frowned upon hearing this and said, "Is there such a thing? Don't worry, Brother Yuan, I'll have Sister Feng investigate later. The servants in this mansion are truly unruly. After all, Yu'er is my niece. How could she be bullied by a few worthless bastards?"

Chen Siyuan hurriedly thanked her. He had no doubt that this was Lady Wang's doing. If Lady Jia had been instrumental in forging the Wood and Stone alliance, Lady Wang might still have done it. But now that her engagement with Daiyu was already finalized, why would she resort to such a mean attitude?

There was nothing else to do at the moment, so Chen Siyuan said goodbye and left.

As the eldest master, Jia She, had not yet returned, he went through the garden to his own home. As he reached the sluice bridge, he heard someone calling from behind. Turning around, he saw that it was Aunt Xue and her companions who were chasing him.

Seeing Aunt Xue's panic-stricken expression, Chen Siyuan couldn't help but become more and more puzzled. What had happened in the Xue family just now?
While he was thinking, Aunt Xue had already led the others to the front. Without waiting for Chen Siyuan to greet her, Aunt Xue begged, "Brother Yuan, you have to help me this time!"

"Don't panic, Madam. What's going on?"

"This..." Aunt Xue winked at Tongxi, who stepped back to watch.

Aunt Xue leaned in and whispered, "Pan'er just came back and started making a scene. He said he heard that Miss Cao was going to worship Buddha today, so he was instigated by some of his friends to go and see her. Who knew—"

Hiss… Could it be that the fool Xue was being rude to the beautiful lady? Oh, this idiot is really more of a hindrance than a help.

Then Aunt Xue said, "Pan'er took a look from afar and was naturally satisfied. But who knew she would hear the two young monks gossiping about this and that... The Cao family girl was actually born a barren woman!"

Chen Siyuan blinked, his eyes agape. Born a barren woman? Meaning she couldn't have sex, much less give birth?

Seeing Aunt Xue panicking, Chen Siyuan pondered, "Don't worry. It's hard to say whether this is true or not. Why not send someone to find Miss Cao's personal maid and wet nurse and listen carefully. Once we get the correct information, you and I can discuss countermeasures."

Aunt Xue said, "I have just sent someone to investigate. I expect to get news by tomorrow morning."

Chen Siyuan had already made up his mind, so he said calmly, "Then go to Da Gezi Lane tomorrow afternoon. I'll wait for you."

(End of this chapter)