Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 190 Marrying a Wife and a Virtuous Man
Aunt Xue's face flushed immediately when she heard this.

Going to Dagezi Lane again? Isn't this... a bit too frequent? She felt a little strange in her heart, but when the words came to her lips, she said, "Okay." After a pause, she hurriedly said, "Pan'er is making a big fuss right now. I just said that this marriage is not going to be arranged."

Chen Siyuan felt that he had some experience in dealing with Xue Pan, so he smiled and said, "No problem, I'll go talk to him tomorrow and I guarantee he'll stop making trouble."

"That's good." Aunt Xue breathed a sigh of relief. Chen Siyuan had brushed off her earlier anxiety and impatience, leaving only a strange feeling.

She knew that if she stayed any longer, her tracks would be exposed... Tongxi was waiting behind her, watching the situation. So she stammered, "If that's the case, let's talk about it tomorrow. I'm going back now."

"Okay." Chen Siyuan agreed with a smile, but when she turned around, he reached out and hooked her plump and soft hand, which made Aunt Xue look at him angrily, and then she watched her go away.

Suddenly, at noon that day, Zijuan had just returned from the back building of Rongqing Hall with her lunch box when a maid outside called out, "Second Madam is here!"

Daiyu hurriedly rose upon hearing this, and led Zijuan, Xueyan, and Nanny Wang to greet them. As they reached the stairs, they saw Sister Feng leading Ping'er.

Daiyu hurriedly greeted her and asked with a smile, "Why are you here, Sister Feng?"

Sister Feng glanced at Daiyu angrily and said, "You." Her tone was full of anger at her for not fighting back.

After everyone had taken their seats, Feng Jieer said, "If Madam hadn't informed me, I wouldn't have known you were being bullied by those clueless people. Rongguo Mansion is a wealthy family, how could it be short of your few ounces of bird's nest? Ping'er and I just gave the housekeepers a lecture and checked the storeroom, and sure enough, there's a shortage of bird's nest.

"Sister, you know that the eldest mistress is still in confinement, so we have more bird's nest than usual. I sent the comprador to buy some, and the mistress herself also gave us two pounds of top-quality white bird's nest, so you will definitely not be short of this in the future."

Daiyu felt a little relieved and said with a smile, "Thank you very much, Sister Feng."

Sister Feng sighed, glanced at the maids and old women, and said, "After all, this mansion is your sister's in-laws'. If you were bullied, you should have just come and told me. But your sister is so worried and has kept silent. If it weren't for Brother Yuan telling the lady, I wouldn't have known about this matter."

Daiyu smiled and shook her head, saying, "I thought it was only a temporary thing. If it keeps happening again and again, I'll go and talk to Sister Feng without her even having to tell her."

Feng Jie'er just didn't believe it in her heart, and said to Zijuan and Xueyan, "You girls don't want to cause trouble. If this happens again, just go find Ping'er."

The two maids agreed. Since it was almost noon, Sister Feng gave a few hasty instructions and left. She only said that she had taught a few maids a lesson, but she never mentioned Zhou Rui's wife, who was the one who was in charge of the dishes, because she was the mistress's maid.

Mrs. Wang, out of Chen Siyuan's affection for Daiyu, would never bring the punishment upon herself. Sister Feng, worldly-wise, simply made a big deal out of a small matter.

After Feng Jieer and Ping Er left, Xueyan smiled and said, "I knew that Master Yuan would definitely protect the young lady... How late is it now? It's not even two hours, and the Second Mistress has already rushed to deal with it."

Zijuan changed her mind and smiled, "Now you don't have to worry too much, young lady."

Daiyu glanced at the two maids with disapproval. Although she felt relieved in her heart, she sat down at the table with a stern face, waiting for Xueyan to spread out the food boxes, and then let Nanny Wang arrange the dishes and chopsticks in front of her.

Nanny Wang's smile never faded. After Daiyu had taken a few sips, she sat down and said, "Don't blame me for nagging, young lady. As the saying goes, 'Young couples are companions in old age.' You may be attaching great importance to this matter of marriage, but after ten or twenty years, you may find that nothing is really important.

For example, family background, appearance, official rank... What really makes two people stay together is a calm temperament, good character, the ability to always consider others, and the upbringing engraved in the bones.

In this way, when the girl is helpless, there will be someone to fight for her; instead of taking advantage of the situation when things are in turmoil, that person will try to add insult to injury.

This marriage is very important. The girl always feels sorry for herself because her husband and wife passed away early and she has no family left... Now that her family is ready and ready to be presented to her, why should she refuse them?"

Daiyu paused, pondering: "Family?" Perhaps because she had read so many songs and storybooks, and because she was just beginning to fall in love, Daiyu had always held high hopes for marriage. She didn't seek a romantic evening, but she wanted someone with similar interests and mutual understanding, someone who knew each other well and was devoted to each other, someone who would stay together for a long time, even through life and death.

Nanny Wang had cared for Daiyu since she was a child, so how could she not know what she was thinking? She immediately whispered, "Young lady, you haven't even tried it with Brother Yuan yet, so how can you know if it suits your taste?"

Daiyu said angrily after a moment, "Madam, are you going to let us have lunch?"

"Okay, okay, I won't nag anymore, girl, eat quickly."

Daiyu ate some of it in silence, thinking to herself, "Yes, now that I've made my choice, there's no changing it. He's the one who knows me and stays with me, and he's the one who treats me with such cold respect. Since he's always protecting me, I should definitely try to get along with him."

After a long moment's deliberation, Daiyu, rinsing her mouth with tea, asked, "Has he said when he'll be leaving for the south?" Without waiting for Xueyan's reply, Daiyu said, "Go back this afternoon and tell her that my fourth uncle has a cousin who's a close friend of mine. If he leaves, please ask him to take some writing paper and gifts with him."

Xueyan immediately agreed happily.

Unexpectedly, Daiyu had just rinsed her mouth when Xiangling came looking for her.

Zijuan ushered her in, and Xiangling and Daiyu exchanged greetings. Daiyu then asked, "Why are you here, Sister Xiangling?"

The word "sister" made Xiangling very happy!

Xiangling smiled with dimples and said, "Master will be setting off southwards, perhaps at the end of this month or the beginning of next. This time he'll go straight from Dagu to Songjiang, passing through Suzhou on the way. He sent me here to ask if there's anything he wants to give you, or anything you want to bring?"

Xueyan immediately smiled and said, "What a coincidence! Just now our young lady wanted to send me to talk to Master Yuan about this matter."

Daiyu's heart warmed slightly, and she pulled Xiangling to sit down and talked about bringing the letter to her cousin. In fact, she and her cousin had only met a few times when they were children, and after she came to Rongguo Mansion, they only exchanged letters once or twice a year... This time, she was just looking for an excuse.

The two women whispered to each other, discussing the Lin family affairs and then talking about Auntie Zizhen. Xiangling finally whispered, "Master said that this time we must go to the graves of the Lin Salt Commissioner and his wife to pay our respects, and then go to Hangzhou to pay a visit to Magistrate Jia."

Daiyu responded in a low voice, feeling both sad and shy.

Xiangling smiled and said, "My dear, I have a favor to ask of you."

Daiyu came back to her senses and said in surprise, "Sister, you have something to ask of me? That's strange."

Xiangling said, "I've long envied the young ladies who write poetry, so I've been studying poetry books in the study. I wanted to ask you to teach me when you have time, but you're busy studying for the imperial examinations... After much thought, I remembered that you said Miss Lin was the most talented of the young ladies in the mansion, so I had the audacity to ask Miss Lin to teach me how to write poetry."

Daiyu pondered, "Who doesn't know that Brother Yuan is the most talented and gifted? Xiangling is now choosing the distant over the near, surely intending to play the central role."

She had thought it through a bit earlier, so she readily agreed, teasing him, "Since you want to write poetry, you should take me as your teacher. Even though I'm not proficient, I can still teach you roughly."

Xiangling also smiled and said, "If that's the case, I'll take you as my master. But you must not be bored."

Daiyu smiled angrily and said, "It's not that difficult. It's worth learning! It's just a matter of introduction, development, transition, and conclusion. The development and transition are two pairs of couplets, level tone against oblique tone, empty tone against empty tone, solid tone against solid tone. If you really have a unique sentence, even the level tone, empty tone, and solid tone can be correct."

Then she inquired about the history books Xiangling usually read. Daiyu said, "Brother Yuan's list of books is certainly appropriate, but it is not suitable for a girl. I will make a list, and you can read it when you have time, and then come to me."

Xiangling readily agreed. Her life was going smoothly, and she had become more lively than in the previous two years, speaking like a lark, and even Daiyu felt a sense of familiarity.

Xueyan and Nanny Wang watched and laughed from the side, only occasionally making a joke, but Zijuan seemed to be thinking about something.

A quick calculation reveals that, not counting the women he keeps outside, Master Yuan already has Xiangling and Hongyu by his side... and who knows, Liu Wu'er might be added to the mix in the future. Xueyan has been running around for the past year, gaining the favor of both Master Yuan and the young lady, so I'm afraid a concubine will be inevitable. So, how should I cope?
Xiangling lingered for a long time, and because she was close to the red, she made a lot of witty remarks, which made Daiyu laugh continuously. When it was almost noon, Xiangling said goodbye to Daiyu and went back to answer.

She left the back building of Rongqing Hall, passed the corridor and the large painted screen wall, then headed south into the garden. She was about to cross the sluice bridge and go straight to her own courtyard, but she saw Jia Lian from a distance, stopped in front of the side door of the villa where she came to visit her parents, chatting with his wife.

Xiangling looked carefully and saw that the daughter-in-law was none other than Duo Girl!
Remembering the time when Mr. Lian had stared at her for a long time, Xiangling frowned, turned around, and headed west back to her own courtyard.

She wasn't as thorough as Hongyu, nor as trustworthy as Yunxiang. She didn't mention what she had just seen when she entered, but only said to Chen Siyuan, "Master, if I had been a little later, I'm afraid Xueyan would have come."

"Ok?"

Xiangling immediately smiled and told her what had happened. Finally, she said, "This time I have asked Miss Lin to teach me. I can finally be considered her disciple. Maybe in a year or two I'll be able to recite poems and compose couplets."

Chen Siyuan tugged at Xiangling's hand, his heart filled with pity. If she hadn't been kidnapped by a kidnapper, Xiangling would still be the daughter of an official family. Although her maternal family was a branch of the Zhen family, her father had studied hard for several years and might have been appointed an official. Why would she bother to study poetry and couplets so hard?

Hongyu, who was standing nearby, overheard Xiangling's words and came over to tease her, saying, "I was wondering why you were so eager to go. It seems you've chosen Miss Lin as your disciple. It's a pity I can't even read a word now. Otherwise, I'd find a master and learn how to write poetry and couplets."

Upon hearing this, Chen Siyuan said, "I asked Wu'er to teach you, but you refused to learn on your own."

Hongyu said coquettishly, "Master, you sound so easy. Do I ever have time to spare every day when I'm at home?"

"Well, I'm going south this time. I assume there's nothing else to do back home, so you can find Wu'er and study with him. When I come back, I'll definitely test you. If you haven't made any progress, watch out for your hide!"

Hongyu snorted, her face showing no fear at all.

Suddenly it was around 3 p.m. Chen Siyuan sent his maid Yunxiang to the front and asked the doorman, who said that the master had just returned. Chen Siyuan then hurried to the east wing.

It is said that the eldest master, Jia She, returned home in a daze, originally thinking that he would use Yingchun to control Chen Siyuan, which was naturally a sure thing. However, a servant came in and said that there had been rumors in the mansion for the past two days that the second wife was trying to match Chen Siyuan with his niece Wang Yunping.

The eldest master frowned, feeling uneasy. Wang Ziteng had risen to prominence as the governor of the Beijing Camp, a position previously held by the Ningguo Mansion. The old Dukes of Ning and Rong, seeing the situation as dire, wanted to transition the Jia family from military to civil service. Furthermore, the succession struggle had infuriated the current emperor, so they transferred the governorship to Wang Ziteng.

Most of the military power of the Jia family was gone, and Wang Ziteng naturally took advantage of the situation to rise. Although Jia She looked down on Wang Ziteng, he knew in his heart that the situation had changed. In terms of power alone, Wang Ziteng had already surpassed the Jia family.

In this way, if Jia She were to choose between a concubine's daughter of the Rongguo Mansion and the legitimate daughter of a high-ranking official, he would choose Wang Yunping instead of Yingchun.

He had deliberately planned to make a good living, but now that his hopes were dashed, he was naturally upset. At this moment, the servant from outside came in and said that Chen Siyuan had arrived.

The eldest master Jia She thought to himself that he couldn't win the case and had no choice but to use his personal feelings to pressure the other party.

He immediately ordered the servant to lead Chen Siyuan in, and he even stood up and took two steps to greet him.

After the two men had exchanged greetings and taken their seats, the eldest master, Jia She, beamed with joy and chatted for a few words before turning to the topic, "Brother Yuan will be sixteen next year. Have you considered your lifelong affairs?"

As the saying goes, there is no smoke without fire. Chen Siyuan was convinced that the rumor about him and the second young lady must have been spread by Jia She.

Because he and Baochai were still secretly in love and couldn't reveal it to anyone, he said, "My dear uncle, I have just passed the Autumn Examination. I feel that my knowledge is insufficient. I want to put my heart into studying hard for a few years and then take the next exam. As for marriage, don't you have Sister Lin?"

Jia She frowned and said, "Yu'er is weak and alone, and it's not easy for her to bear children. Besides, when Ru Hai asked for the ceremony of co-opting the family line before his death, he implicitly approved Yuan Ge'er's marriage to a second wife."

Chen Siyuan pondered and said, "This... I'm afraid I need to ask Jia Fantai's opinion."

Jia She smiled and said, "The doorman said that Yu'er sent someone to the courier shop to deliver a letter to the south this morning. What do you think Yu'er will say?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said nothing.

Jia She then said sarcastically, "Well, you'll know when the time comes. I think I know a little bit about Yu'er's thoughts... Besides, Yu'er is still young, and the next exam will only be in four years. If Brother Ruoyuan passes the exam, does he still have to wait for the results to find a son-in-law?"

In four years, Chen Siyuan would be in his twenties. If he really passed the imperial examination, and if he hadn't married at his age, I'm afraid the civil officials and nobles would be crazy about him!
Jia She could not help but speak earnestly, "As for marrying a virtuous wife and taking a beautiful concubine, if Brother Yuan is to find a suitable marriage, he must know the whole story. I will not keep you in suspense. You and Yingchun are of the same age. In two years, I will make the decision and marry Yingchun to you. How about it?"

Chen Siyuan was in a state of confusion; it wasn't a good thing for good things to happen too often. Mrs. Wang had previously acted as Wang Ganniang to match him with Baochai, and now Jia She wanted to marry Yingchun to him. Since he could only marry one wife, how could he choose?
Whether it was due to regrets from his past life or the ties of this life, Chen Siyuan had to choose Baochai. But how could the master refuse?

Just as he was thinking about it, Jia She said again, "But... Yuan'er must pay more attention to it. If Yingchun marries him, she can't live a hard life with Yuan'er, right? Don't think that you can earn thousands of taels of silver every month now. When you live in a separate mansion, there will be expenses from top to bottom, and everything will be a waste.

At Yuan'er's age, he's probably aiming for a successful career, so he wouldn't get involved with those frivolous people. So, why not take advantage of this free time and carefully find some good jobs?"

Chen Siyuan figured it out and wondered why Jia She was so kind. It turned out that he was just not willing to do anything without profit. It sounded like he was just thinking about himself, but who knew what he was actually doing?
"This... what my uncle said is true, but this good job is limited, and I don't have any plans at the moment."

Jia She waved his hand and said, "Brother Yuan, why are you so modest? I trust you, brother Yuan, just look for it with all your heart. If you fail in one year, try two years, and if you still fail in two years... it will be a little too late. You must know that Yingchun can't wait for you for several years." As he spoke, Jia She's face was full of earnest expectation. Chen Siyuan thought to himself, is the master just painting a pie in the sky for himself?

He was at a loss for words for the moment. Normally, he was the one who made promises to others, but who knew that the situation could change so quickly and now he was making promises to himself.

At that moment, Chen Siyuan responded vaguely, and then talked to the master for a long time while complaining in his heart, and then he stood up and left.

As he left the black oil gate, Chen Siyuan immediately came up with a plan. The master wanted a good life, so he could just give him one.

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

Her waist swayed gently, her almond-shaped eyes slanted, and in a moment of deep affection, Aunt Xue could not help but let out a soft cry, calling "brother, brother" a few times, then leaned over and pressed against Chen Siyuan's chest, panting for a while and feeling as if in a dream.

After a moment, Aunt Xue suddenly slapped Chen Siyuan in a scolding tone, frowning and saying, "Stop making trouble! You're like a wild bull. I can't stand it..." Then, thinking that she had enjoyed herself so much, she said shyly, "You have two more outside and two in your room. Go back and mess with them."

Chen Siyuan couldn't help but feel proud. What man in the world wouldn't want to hear his partner begging for mercy like this?
He stopped his mischief and let Aunt Xue roll over to the side. He then rustled and slowly put on his clothes. Then he sank into her arms, resting his cheek on her chest, and said, "You're always like a hungry wolf. Don't you think those guys are letting you eat them?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "How can they be the same?"

Aunt Xue gave him a stern look, but was secretly delighted. After all, she was still anxious to attend to important matters, so she hurriedly asked, "What should we do with the Cao family girl?"

Chen Siyuan rested his head lazily on his right arm and said, "What can I do with her? I can't let those 20,000 taels of silver go to waste. I'll marry her and keep her as a gift."

"Put it on display?"

Chen Siyuan looked down at Aunt Xue and said, "Have you forgotten that the reason for the marriage with the Cao family was that Doctor Cao had influence in the inner court and could at least shield the Xue family. And the young lady from the Cao family is a virtuous woman. With her looking after Wenlong, you and Baochai will have less worries and less effort."

"But--"

"Offspring?" Chen Siyuan said with a smile, "Since Miss Cao is a barren woman, why would she stop Wenlong from taking a concubine? Then, just take in concubines and choose one you like to raise under Miss Cao's wing." He paused, then added earnestly, "Marry a virtuous wife and a beautiful concubine."

Aunt Xue blinked, pondering it carefully. Isn't that the truth? Yesterday, when she heard Xue Pan's clamor, Aunt Xue felt completely devastated. Now, after hearing Chen Siyuan's explanation, she felt suddenly enlightened.

He then tentatively asked, "Then... should we just pretend we don't know about this?"

"Yeah." Chen Siyuan nodded.

Aunt Xue felt relieved and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, saying, "It's just a few words, but you had to call me out to talk." After saying that, she laughed again.

If I hadn't come here, how could I have this tenderness?
The courtyard at the entrance of this large grid lane was only occupied every now and then, so it was inevitably a bit dusty. It was also late autumn, and although there was a brazier on the ground, it was still a bit chilly.

Aunt Xue saw that his chest was sweaty, so she found a handkerchief and wiped it carefully.

With her worries gone, she couldn't help but think of Chen Siyuan. She said with a hint of complaint, "It's not good for us to be so unclear about each other. I know what I'm thinking. I'll just wait a few years until I'm old and you've married and had children, and then we can just live in peace."

Chen Siyuan teased deliberately, "Well, I'll listen to you."

Aunt Xue was stunned when she heard this, then frowned angrily: "Whatever I say is what it is."

"Haha..." Chen Siyuan grabbed the soft hand that was slapping him, played with it in his palm and said, "Then I'll tell you again, if you dare to ignore me in the future, I will go to your house and capture you to be my foot-warming maid!"

Aunt Xue laughed and said, "If you're not afraid of your wife making a fuss, just come and catch her."

After the two of them had some fun, Aunt Xue felt as if she had become ten years younger when she was with Chen Siyuan.

After a while, Aunt Xue said worriedly, "I'm afraid I can't convince Pan'er. I'm afraid I'll need Yuan'er's help to persuade him."

Chen Siyuan tutted and said, "With all his talk and tricks, how could he order people around for no reason?"

"How are you doing?"

Chen Siyuan whispered a few words into her ear with a wicked smile, causing Aunt Xue to slap her face non-stop. Finally, unable to bear his pestering, she had no choice but to shyly lower herself and bury her head in his...

It was almost 3 p.m. when the two finally said goodbye. Chen Siyuan rode slowly back to his own courtyard when Yunxiang came to greet him, chirping, "Master, Master, Sister Hongyu said I was coming south with her too. Is that true?"

Chen Siyuan deliberately teased him and feigned surprise, "Hongyu said that? How come I didn't know that?"

Yunxiang had been staring with hopeful eyes, but upon seeing this, she was instantly disappointed and pouted, "I knew it was just a tease! Sister Hongyu despises me the most and always makes fun of me!"

Seeing that she was indeed angry, Chen Siyuan laughed loudly, ruffled Yunxiang's hair, and said, "I'm just trying to coax you. I'll take you with me. If you don't stay with me, who will run errands and pick up the news?"

Yunxiang's eyes had originally been red, but now she burst into laughter. She scolded Chen Siyuan for a while before saying, "Yes, Sister Tongxi from the concubine's side came over just now and said that the master should go to the northeast courtyard for a walk when he has time."

"Well, I'll go after I change my clothes."

Chen Siyuan went inside to change his clothes, and Hongyu inevitably complained to him, saying, "Master, you are so old, but you are still joking around. You have made Yunxiang cry twice this month."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "That girl is very cunning. She is being deceived now. She will surely become a cunning monkey when she grows up. Only then will she be able to treat people with more consideration."

These twisted theories made Hongyu, Xiangling and Liu Wuer laugh so hard that they bent over.

After changing his clothes, Chen Siyuan leisurely went to find Aunt Xue.

He walked through the garden without looking around, but as he crossed the sluice bridge, he saw a man and a woman arguing behind a bush near the thatched cottage in the Qingtang Hall. He looked closely and saw who else could it be but Jia Lian.

Chen Siyuan had excellent eyesight. He carefully looked at the woman a few times and saw that she was indeed quite vulgar and pretty. He guessed that this woman must be the girl named Duo.

Inwardly, he mocked Jia Lian for his indiscriminate eating of meat and vegetables, and thought about his own elder brother, not to mention his second brother, so he pretended not to see him and walked back to the garden gate.

After a while, they arrived at the small courtyard in the northeast. Tonggui greeted Chen Siyuan and led him inside.

From a distance, they could hear a constant clamor coming from the main room in front. Xue Pan was shouting, "What are you talking about, mother? She's a barren woman, a barren woman!"

Tonggui, who was standing by, said, "The madam came back this afternoon and went to seek advice from the master, but he refused to listen and just lost his temper."

The saying "things smell good from a distance, but smell bad up close" is absolutely true. Sometimes a word from an outsider can be more effective than a whole bunch of words from someone close to you.

While thinking, they reached the main room in the front yard. Tonggui called out, and the noise inside stopped. The door opened, and Aunt Xue frowned and said, "Brother Yuan is finally here. This evil creature won't listen to anything I say."

Then Baochai came over with a worried look on her face. Chen Siyuan didn't want to reveal his feelings, so he said seriously, "Don't worry, Madam. Wenlong is just having a hard time. I'll try to persuade him."

Aunt Xue sighed and quickly stepped aside. Chen Siyuan took a quick look inside and saw Xue Da Sizi standing there, sulking. The ground was in a mess, and the maid Tongxi was bending over to clean it up.

When Xue Pan saw Chen Siyuan, he suppressed his anger and said, "Brother Yuan is here?"

Chen Siyuan couldn't help but laugh and said, "Brother Wenlong, I have nothing to do today, so I just wanted to ask for a glass of wine."

As he spoke, he glanced at Aunt Xue and Baochai, and they both hurriedly retreated.

After the mother and daughter left, Xue Pan frowned and said, "Drinking? I don't have the heart to drink now. Brother Yuan, don't you know that the girl from the Cao family is... a barren woman!"

Chen Siyuan ignored him, lifted his robe, sat down, and said with a smile, "So what?"

Xue Pan stared at her with his ox eyes and said, "Did you hear clearly? She's a barren woman!"

"Yeah, so what?"

"This……"

He did not play by the rules and actually choked Xue Dashazi so much that he was speechless for a moment.

Chen Siyuan then said, "Wenlong's marriage to the Cao family girl was originally to shield the Xue family... Let me be frank, it doesn't matter whether the Cao family girl is a human or a ghost, a barren woman or a man, Wenlong will just marry her."

"Then continue the family line..."

"Tsk!" Chen Siyuan frowned and said, "Could it be that the daughter of the Cao family can still stop Wenlong from taking concubines? She is in this situation, and she feels guilty. I am afraid that if Brother Wenlong doesn't accept one, she will also arrange for him to take a concubine."

"Uh—is there such a good thing?"

Xue Pan grinned happily upon hearing this.

At that moment, Chen Siyuan explained in detail, listing the pros and cons one by one, which made Xue Dasha rub his hands in frustration.

After a while, wine and food were served, and the two of them toasted each other and talked happily without saying much.

Tongxi listened through the crack in the door for a while, and when he heard his master bragging about how he was showing off his power in Jinxiang Courtyard and how he had made the young lady beg for mercy for two days in a row, he immediately blushed and spat, then turned around and went through the hall to the backyard.

Aunt Xue and Baochai were looking forward to it. When they saw Tongxi come in, Aunt Xue asked hurriedly, "What's the matter?"

Tongxi blushed and said, "Master and Master Yuan are in a good mood and are drinking right now... I guess Master doesn't mind."

The mother and daughter looked at each other and immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Aunt Xue said, "Bless the Buddha! This evil creature wouldn't listen to anything I said, but with just a few words from that distant brother he got what he wanted."

Baochai said, "Brother Yuan is very capable. I think you admire him from the bottom of your heart, which is why you are so convinced by what he says."

Sister Bao's thoughts were now mostly on Chen Siyuan, so she tried to influence him subtly and gently whenever she had the chance. But Aunt Xue didn't think much of it, simply thinking that it was just what Siyuan deserved.

It is strange that the mother and daughter are talking at cross purposes and are both proud of themselves.

An hour later, Tongxi came back and said, "Madam, Miss, the master is drunk and has been taken to his bedroom by the maid. Master Yuan is also leaving."

Aunt Xue wanted to see him off, but she knew it was inappropriate, so she frowned and said, "Your brother really doesn't know the seriousness of the matter. How could he get so drunk?"

When Baochai heard Aunt Xue's high praise for Chen Siyuan, she couldn't help saying, "That's exactly right. We can't neglect Brother Yuan. If it's inconvenient for you to see him off, how about your daughter go on your behalf?"

Aunt Xue agreed, "It's getting dark now, and I'm afraid Brother Yuan has been drinking a lot. Tongxi, please find a cloak quickly to prevent him from catching a cold. It's dark at night, so bring a lantern."

Tongxi naturally agreed, then took the cloak and went forward with Baochai.

As soon as Baochai left, Aunt Xue was stunned by her sudden realization - Baochai had been praising Yuan'er all these days, could it be that she had developed admiration for him?

This...this...this...I dare not do this!
(End of this chapter)