Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 193 Borrowing (Part )

Chen Siyuan wanted to imitate Baochai's subtle influence on Aunt Xue, but then he felt it was inappropriate - he was about to leave now, and if he let the secret out, he would just walk away, leaving Baochai alone to deal with it, which would inevitably be a bit awkward.

After some thought, they decided to put it aside for now and discuss it after returning from Jiangnan. After eating and drinking, the two of them inevitably indulged in another round of affection. It was only when it was getting dark that Aunt Xue hurried away.

That day, Chen Siyuan was preoccupied. Returning to his own courtyard, he made a rare foray into his study, found a brush and ink, and sketched a sketch, his mind brooding. The Jia and Xue families had recently been linked by Lady Wang, giving rise to the myth of a perfect match.

Putting aside the superficial rhetoric, the real reason was simply that the Jia family could not make ends meet and needed the Xue family's money, but they looked down on the Xue family's family background.

Now that the Xue family and the Cao family are married, and with Doctor Cao's protection, Aunt Xue doesn't need to rush to ask the Jia family for help. Therefore, it is the Jia family who should ask the Xue family for help.

If I get involved in this, the Jia family will have no money to borrow and will definitely try to seize the Lin family's property.

Chen Siyuan frowned and thought to himself, although the Lin family has a lot of wealth, I am afraid he can't lead the Jia family. In this case, what does it matter how the Jia family uses it?
After thinking it over, Chen Siyuan secretly made up his mind.

The next morning, Aunt Xue had a good night's sleep and woke up feeling refreshed. As she was dressing in front of the mirror, even her personal maid praised her, saying, "You're truly refreshed when you're happy. You look ten years younger!"

Aunt Xue raised her hand to touch her cheek and couldn't help but say proudly, "How can it be so exaggerated?"

Tonggui, who was standing beside him, said, "Even if she's not ten, she must be seven or eight. I guess Madam has been feeling well lately, and she really does look a lot younger."

Aunt Xue smiled, feeling quite pleased. She thought to herself, "As expected, yin alone cannot produce anything." A woman's life must be balanced. Then, a wave of regret washed over her. It was a pity that Yuan-ge would be heading south soon, and she might not see him for months.

After finishing tidying up, Aunt Xue and Baochai had breakfast together. Today, Li Wan was lecturing on the Four Books for Women. Although Baochai had already learned them, she was tired of being around Baoyu all day, so she made an excuse to go to the three small rooms next to Li Wan's room.

As the saying goes, "Fragrance is far away, but stench is near." On this day, Baoyu and Xiangyun had a quarrel, and Baoyu missed Baochai's kindness, so he went to the small courtyard in the northeast around noon.

Aunt Xue was just about to have breakfast. Seeing Baoyu, she hastened with joy to lead him inside, put her arm around his shoulders, and said, "My son, have you had your breakfast yet?"

Baoyu forced a smile and said, "I used a little. I can't eat it now. Auntie can use it yourself."

Aunt Xue smiled as she sat down and continued, "Are you here to play with Baochai? It's an unfortunate coincidence that your eldest sister-in-law is giving a lecture on the Four Books for Women today, and I don't know why Baochai got so interested that she insisted on going to listen early this morning."

Baoyu was immediately disappointed. He mumbled a few words and then left the northeastern courtyard. He walked straight west and before he knew it, he arrived at the newly built flower hall in front of the back courtyard of Rongqing Hall. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a zither. After listening for a while, he realized that it was Daiyu plucking the strings.

So Baoyu stopped and looked around, his heart in turmoil. For a moment, he only remembered Daiyu's goodness and completely forgot that they had often quarreled in the past.

Thinking of Daiyu's acceptance of the marriage certificate, he stamped his feet and burst into tears, muttering, "Sister Lin is the only one who understands me best, but now even Sister Lin has abandoned me. What's the point of living?"

Fortunately, Xiren was with them. Seeing that the situation was not right, she quickly called out to Musk Moon, who each grabbed his arm and comforted him. Then she took Baoyu back to Qixianzhai.

Let’s not talk about Baoyu for now, but let’s say that after Aunt Xue had breakfast and rinsed her mouth with tea, she went to Lady Wang’s courtyard.

The sisters' front door faced the back door, making travel extremely convenient. In a moment, Aunt Xue arrived at Lady Wang's main room. The head maid, Yuchuan'er, greeted her and passed the message inside: "Madam, the concubine is here."

He then led Aunt Xue into the main room, and when he walked around the screen, he saw that Mrs. Wang had not finished her breakfast yet.

Aunt Xue was surprised and asked, "Sister, haven't you finished it yet?"

Mrs. Wang said, "Wenlong's affairs are settled, so my sister is free from worries. Today, the master will submit the memorial, and I must examine it carefully to avoid any mistakes when the imperial concubine comes home to visit."

"That's how it should be."

At that moment, Aunt Xue was sitting beside them. Mrs. Wang took a glance at her and felt more and more strange. She felt that Aunt Xue had a happy face and looked ten years younger.

Mrs. Wang kept talking about it, and Aunt Xue finally sent some cosmetics to her, but Mrs. Wang used them and still saw no effect. At this point, Mrs. Wang frowned and asked, "Is your prescription right? Why doesn't it work for me?"

Aunt Xue blinked and quickly covered up, "Sister, you've only been using it for a few days? I've been using it for years, three years, to see such an effect."

Mrs. Wang was always impatient, and upon hearing this, she immediately became discouraged and said, "Forget it, forget it. I'm already in my early forties and have grandchildren. Why should I still put on makeup?"

Aunt Xue was afraid that Mrs. Wang would dwell on the matter, so she quickly changed the subject and said, "Sister, I'm afraid I can't agree to what you said last time."

"Oh?"

Aunt Xue counted on her fingers and said, "Brother has replied to the letter, saying that it all depends on Prince Beijing's wishes. But Prince Beijing has been ambiguous, so I'm afraid I can't refuse this imperial errand. Sister also knows that this incident will probably drain our family's wealth. We may even have to pawn some of our land and shops to make ends meet. How can we borrow money from others?"

"This..." Mrs. Wang frowned, knowing that what Aunt Xue said was true, and since the debt had not been repaid, she really couldn't press for it. She sighed and said, "Forget it. Every family has its own problems, and it's not easy for my sister either."

Aunt Xue tried to smooth things over, saying, "Let's see if Doctor Cao can mediate after Pan'er's wedding. If he can help relieve my family of this burden, I can probably borrow even a hundred thousand, not to mention fifty thousand."

Mrs. Wang sighed, thinking to herself, how could Doctor Cao possibly outmaneuver Prince Zhongshun? Well, I'm afraid I'll have to find another way to get the money.

The two sisters talked about this matter and also mentioned that Mrs. Xing would be leaving the confinement room at noon today.

Mrs. Wang simply said, "Don't you know my sister-in-law? Her shallowness is clearly written all over her face. It's already a great achievement for her to have survived the full confinement period. Just wait and see; she'll regret it when she's older."

Aunt Xue agreed with a few words, and after talking for a while, she went back home.

Mrs. Wang was seeing Aunt Xue off, feeling worried. She couldn't rely on the Xue family, and she couldn't just use her own money to support them, right?

After some thought, he decided to find Sister Feng, and the two of them went to Rongqing Hall together.

Because Baoyu fell ill again and Xiangyun was running wild in the garden, Jia's mother was the only master in Rongqing Hall at that time.

After the aunt and niece exchanged greetings, Mrs. Wang told them about her predicament.

Grandmother Jia had always looked down on the Xue family, so she snorted coldly when she heard this, but said nothing else.

Mrs. Wang observed them for a moment, then said, "I really don't know what to do. I'd like to ask the old lady for advice."

"What ideas can I have?" Grandmother Jia was also worried for a moment.

Feng Jieer was silent beside her. Mrs. Wang thought for a moment and then tried to test the waters, saying, "If all else fails, please ask the old lady to move her personal belongings over temporarily so we can get through this."

Grandmother Jia was immediately furious. These two, instead of thinking about living within their means and cutting costs, were only concerned with calculating her meager savings. She had to keep her savings for her upbringing and also set aside for her daughter's dowry. How could she spend it freely?
Grandmother Jia couldn't help but look at Sister Feng, hoping that Wang Xifeng would bring up the matter of 'misappropriating the Lin family's property'. But Sister Feng was also a cunning person, and at this moment she just kept her head down and didn't say anything, not even glancing at Grandmother Jia's expression.

Grandmother Jia became more and more angry, thinking to herself that this grandmother was plotting against her granddaughter's property. What would happen if she told others about it? But she had to do this evil thing, otherwise it would delay the eldest daughter's visit to her parents. It would be a small loss of dignity, but it would also be a big one that would make the saint dislike her!
Because it was Jia Mu, she said, "There's really no other way...why not move Yu'er's property first?"

"This..." Madam Wang pretended to be embarrassed and said, "Yu'er is easy to talk to, but I'm afraid it's not easy to talk to uncle."

Grandmother Jia felt incredibly suffocated. The eldest master, Jia She, had been on the rampage these past few days, unable to wait for Jia Yucun's reply. He was intent on taking all of Daiyu's property and moving it into the East Wing. Who didn't know what he was up to?

Then Grandmother Jia said coldly, "Even if Yu'er's marriage is settled, the family property should be looked after by me, the old lady. How can it be mentioned to him? You just need to register and record how much has been embezzled. When Yu'er gets married in the future, we can complete the account."

This was exactly what Mrs. Wang had been waiting for. She nodded in agreement and turned around to take care of the matter herself.

But on that day, Chen Siyuan knew that Madam Xing would be discharged from confinement in the afternoon, so he stayed in the small courtyard and did not go to the new house.

After lunch, he was chatting with Xiangling, Hongyu, and Liu Wu'er when the little maid Yunxiang came running in, shouting, "Master, Master, Second Master Yun is here. He looks a little off, as if something big has happened!"

Jia Yun is here? And he looks upset?

Chen Siyuan nodded and winked at Hongyu, who hurried out to meet him.

After a while, Hongyu led Jia Yun around the screen.

Jia Yun entered and bowed hastily, "Nephew greets Uncle Yuan!"

Chen Siyuan waved his hand and said, "There's no need for such formalities between us. Brother Yun, please sit down. Xiangling will serve tea."

After Jia Yun sat down and the tea was served, Chen Siyuan asked, "Brother Yun, why are you here today—"

"This..." Jia Yun looked around.

Chen Siyuan understood, and without waiting for instructions, Hongyu led Xiangling and Liu Wu'er to the west side room.

When only two people were left inside, Jia Yun bowed and frowned, saying, "Uncle Yuan, my nephew was inspecting the storehouse today when I unexpectedly heard that Madam had brought people in to register the two small storehouses at the back, and a few compradors had appraised their values... I thought they were Aunt's property, so I hurried to report it."

Chen Siyuan was immediately comforted. Jia Yun could think of him when encountering problems, which showed that Chen Siyuan's previous friendship was not in vain.

At that moment, Chen Siyuan's face was as gloomy as water. He nodded and said, "This matter is between you and me. Don't spread it to others."

Jia Yun said anxiously, "Then Uncle Yuan—"

"It's okay," Chen Siyuan said, "The Rongguo Mansion is a wealthy family, so how can they coax a girl's property? Even if it was temporarily embezzled, I believe they will make up for it in the future."

It was not known whether Jia Yun believed it or not, but after hearing it, Jia Yun said, "So that's how it is. My nephew is meddling too much."

Chen Siyuan thought about the latex business and felt that Jia Yun was a man of integrity and loyalty, not a heartless person. He asked, "Brother Yun, are you satisfied with your current job?"

Jia Yun gave a wry smile and said, "My nephew is merely helping out now. Manager Zhou will handle all the treasury matters. But at least there's some money and food, which will allow my nephew to support his mother."

"Well," Chen Siyuan said, "I have a business, but I'm afraid it will take me thousands of miles away. If Yun'er is interested, we can discuss it in detail someday."

Jia Yun was immediately overjoyed. He bowed and said, "Who doesn't know that Uncle Yuan has the ability of Tao Zhugong? I imagine this must be a good career. I won't hide it from Uncle Yuan, but my current assignment is truly boring. If Uncle Yuan could support me, I would be completely devoted to him."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "There's no rush for this matter. I'm afraid it won't be finalized until I return from Jiangnan. Why don't you just do this job for now... Yeah, yes, don't forget to mention it to the East Cross Courtyard."

Jia Yun was able to get this job thanks to Jia She's suggestion, so it is only right and proper that this matter should be reported to Jia She.

Jia Yun agreed and said, "The eldest master hasn't returned home yet. When he does, I will definitely go to the east wing."

After the two of them had finished their discussion, Chen Siyuan personally stood up and escorted Jia Yun out the door.

Chen Siyuan had just turned around when he suddenly heard a commotion all around. He stopped where he was, still wondering, when he saw a figure suddenly jump out from the west wing.

She only said "I'll go check it out" and then disappeared. Chen Siyuan paused for a moment before he remembered that the figure was actually the little maid Yunxiang.

Yunxiang was gone for about two cups of tea. When Diandian came back and entered the inner room, he said, "It's terrible! The eunuchs have come up to the front, setting up the incense table and kneeling to receive the imperial edict. Even the old lady was startled."

Without waiting for Chen Siyuan to ask, Hongyu said, "Stop talking nonsense. Did you hear clearly what's going on?"

Yunxiang said, "I heard from the old woman that the emperor has granted permission for Consort Xiande to return home on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month of next year, the Lantern Festival." After a pause, she continued, "As soon as the eunuch left, the old lady and the mistress were overjoyed and were clamoring to have a banquet soon."

After saying that, he looked at Chen Siyuan eagerly. Chen Siyuan couldn't help but laugh and said, "Add another string of money next month."

Yunxiang's face immediately lit up with joy, and she kept saying "Thank you, sir", then she ran away at Hongyu's delicate scolding.

Chen Siyuan thought to himself, today is not a good party... Mrs. Wang led people to register the Lin family's property. She guessed that Aunt Xue had received the advice and was no longer willing to lend money to the Jia family. The Jia family had no choice but to set their sights on Daiyu's dowry.

Jia Yun came to tell me first, and the master would know it later. Given Jia She's temper, he would definitely make a fuss.

If I attend the banquet myself, I'll be caught in the middle, and any response will be wrong. So, perhaps the best strategy is to run away. As for Madam Xing, she won't miss a day or two, so why not talk about it tomorrow?

Having made up his mind, Chen Siyuan dared not stay any longer. He immediately stood up and said, "I'm going to the new house. If anyone comes to invite me, I'll say that it's a friend who invited me today. I really can't refuse."

Hongyu agreed, and Chen Siyuan hurried to the new house in Nengren Temple.

As he expected, Jia She was flattered to hear that the imperial edict had arrived, and he hurried back from the Fifth Army Headquarters. As soon as he entered the east wing, Jia Yun informed him of the matter.

When Jia She heard this, he was shocked. What he had worked so hard for was Daiyu's fortune of hundreds of thousands of yuan. If it was embezzled by Lady Wang, where would the profit be?

He immediately hurried to Rongqing Hall.

At this time, Rongqing Hall was full of joy. Grandmother Jia was sitting in the hall, and Lady Wang, Aunt Xue, Li Wan, Sister Feng, the three sisters, Daiyu, and Baochai were all there.

Jia She came in furious, but seeing this situation, he knew it was not right to speak, so he could only hold it in. After a while, Jia Zheng returned home from the court, and the group of people finally dispersed. How could the eldest master Jia She still hold it in?
He then said, "It is a great joy that the eldest lady has come to visit me, but there is one thing I do not understand, and I must ask mother."

Grandmother Jia glanced up and knew what Jia She was thinking. She smiled and said, "Today is a happy day. Whatever the master has to say may be discussed tomorrow."

"This..." How could Jia She wait? "This is a matter of great importance, and I have to speak my mind." As he spoke, he stood up with a frown on his face, and said angrily, "I heard today that my sister-in-law opened the storehouse to count the things Daiyu brought to the capital. I wonder if this is true?"

Mrs. Wang, having received Lady Jia's nod, was not afraid and said, "That's right."

Jia She bowed to his mother and said, "Mother, those things are all Ru Hai's property. They are now just stored in the mansion. Our family is Yu'er's maternal family, so we are just guarding all the things. How can we move them around?"

After saying this, seeing that Mrs. Wang was silent, Jia She turned to look at Jia Zheng and said, "Second brother, do you think this makes sense?"

Jia Zheng glanced at his mother and whispered, "Brother, we don't know the whole story yet. Why don't we first hear what mother has to say?"

Jia She frowned and said, "Second brother, you are confused. Isn't this obvious?"

Jia's mother was so angry that she couldn't help but say angrily, "Forget it, I told Madam to embezzle Yu'er's property. If Yu'er gets married in the future, you can pay for it from my own pocket.

"Master, there's no need to act like an uncle. I wonder what you're thinking of me? I'm going to get to the point here today. The eldest daughter's visit is of utmost importance. We're short of money, so we had no choice but to move Yu'er's property."

After the visit, the public treasury will make up for the shortfall annually. If there is still a shortfall, I will deduct my own money first, and then my wife's money!"

Although Grandmother Jia disliked Jia She, she at least gave him some face in front of everyone. But what she said just now really stripped him of his shamelessness.

Jia She was shocked and angry, his face flushed red, and he frowned and said, "Mother, what you said... This virtuous concubine is from the second house, so logically, the second house should be the one to attend the visit—"

Before he could finish, Jia's mother spat, "I'm not even dead yet, and the eldest master is already thinking of dividing the family?"

"Ah? My son doesn't dare..." Jia She looked flustered.

Filial piety was paramount at this time. All Grandmother Jia needed to do was label Jia She an unfilial son, and he would be forced to kneel and beg for mercy. Otherwise? Grandmother Jia was a high-ranking official, and if she could report him to the palace, a reprimand or a demotion would be considered the least severe. In serious cases, Jia She's rank as a general might even end.

Grandmother Jia has been in a very bad mood recently. Her good granddaughter was abducted by a man named Chen, Baoyu has been making a fuss for quite some time, and now her eldest son is almost hitting her in the eyes with an abacus bead. Naturally, she is very angry!
Seeing Jia She's anxiety, Jia's mother knew that she could only warn him and not really tear his face apart, so she frowned and said, "Master, don't think about those trivial things in the future. Your wife has just come out of confinement. The most important thing is to take care of your wife and fourth brother."

He excused himself as being tired and said he would come back after the banquet. He then let Yuanyang and Amber help him into the west room to rest.

The eldest master's face turned green and red, feeling that he was being laughed at by the second wife. After watching Lady Jia go into the room, how could the eldest master Jia She stay any longer? So he stamped his feet, sighed, and muttered, "I was wholeheartedly serving the public, but Mother misunderstood me... Forget it, forget it, I will not take care of this matter anymore!"

Jia Zheng chased for a few steps inside. Mrs. Wang's face remained calm, but she was secretly happy. Li Wan hung her head like a withered tree, pretending not to see it, but Sister Feng could not hide her mocking look.

Jia Zheng chased him out of Rongqing Hall, but Jia She only exchanged a few words with him before leaving in anger. After a moment, he returned to the east wing and happened to see Mrs. Xing leading her maids and old women out.

Mrs. Xing bathed and dressed up carefully. Her lochia had been discharged and she had rested properly. Her face was white with a rosy glow. She looked a little fuller than before giving birth, but she seemed a few years younger.

Seeing Jia She returning with a frown and his hands behind his back, Mrs. Xing hurried forward to greet him.

Jia She asked unhappily, "Where are you going?"

Madam Xing said, "Thanks to the old lady for taking care of me during the confinement period. Now that I'm done with the confinement period, I have to go and thank her—"

Before she could finish, Jia She snorted coldly and said, "The old lady is tired. It will be the same if you go again tomorrow."

After saying this, he stormed off, shocking Mrs. Xing to the point of feeling bewilderment.

After finding a maid to listen in, she learned that the master had been scolded in Rongqing Hall. Mrs. Xing thought about it for a while, but finally went to Rongqing Hall to pay her respects.

Although Lady Jia did not like to see Mrs. Xing, considering that she had just come out of confinement, she patiently met with her and said a few words to her. After a cup of tea, she sent Mrs. Xing back.

After leaving Rongqing Hall, Mrs. Xing had her own plans. Although the thief had long since decided that Daiyu's property was lost, Mrs. Xing thought that if the thief married Daiyu one day, the property would belong to him. And since she had given birth to a son for the thief, she might even get a share of the property.

Therefore, no matter whether it was Lady Jia, Lady Wang or the eldest master who took the property, Lady Xing was unhappy and just hoped that Chen Siyuan would take away the Lin family's property intact.

However, she still had to rely on Jia She, so she could only criticize this matter in her heart, but she dared not say anything. After a while, she turned back to the east wing and saw the servant coming out of the outer study with a shy look on his face.

After eavesdropping, he realized that it was Jia She who sent people to look for the thief, but the thief was so cunning that he ran away early in the morning. Jia She then vented all his anger on the servant, not only splashing tea on him, but also scolding him harshly!

Mrs. Xing was afraid of displeasing the eldest master, and knowing that Chen Siyuan was not at home, she hurried back to the main room.

At the banquet that day, because the eldest master Jia She was angry and didn't go, Mrs. Xing didn't want to go to Rongqing Hall, so there was constant laughter and joy in Rongqing Hall.

The next day, Mrs. Xing went to pay her respects to Lady Jia again at noon.

Grandmother Jia then instructed, "You have just finished your confinement, so you should focus on your fourth brother. In the future, you don't need to come to me to set rules unless there is anything else."

Mrs. Xing was naturally happy to agree and immediately returned to the east wing.

As soon as they entered the main room and sat down for a while, Miao'er came happily, "Madam, Brother Yuan is here."

After not seeing him for over a month, Mrs. Xing couldn't help but ask coquettishly, "He still remembers to come and see me? What was he doing yesterday?" As soon as she said this, she felt something was wrong and quickly changed the subject, "Forget it, please invite my brother in."

Miao'er agreed, and soon led Chen Siyuan inside.

Since all the maids and servants were present, Chen Siyuan bowed respectfully and asked, "Is Aunt all right? How is Fourth Brother?"

Seeing the hope in Chen Siyuan's eyes, Mrs. Xing felt relieved and quickly ordered, "Brother, please sit down. Miao'er, ask the wet nurse to bring the fourth brother here."

Chen Siyuan lifted his robe and sat down, and soon a wet nurse brought the baby to him.

Coincidentally, the child was sleeping soundly just now. When the wet nurse held the child close to her, the child woke up, opened his dark eyes and looked around.

Chen Siyuan had lived two lives, but this was his first time being a father. He was moved at the sight of the child. He forced himself not to be moved, carefully examining the child's face before smiling and saying, "Fourth brother, you see he resembles Aunt. I'm sure he'll be handsome in the future."

Madam Xing said with a hint of meaning, "A boy doesn't need to be too handsome, lest he be stained with cosmetics. What matters is that he learns from his father and becomes as capable as possible."

Chen Siyuan narrowed his eyes and said, "With his father protecting him, he will definitely be fine in the future."

Mrs. Xing smiled, and seeing the child crying, she sent the wet nurse to take the child away. After Miao'er served tea, Mrs. Xing gave another look, and Miao'er led the two maids away.

Only Madam Xing and Chen Siyuan were left in the western wing. Madam Xing couldn't help but whisper, "Why didn't you come yesterday?"

Chen Siyuan smiled bitterly and said, "The master has been defeated and will definitely come to me for advice. What can I do? After thinking it over, I think the best thing to do is to run away."

Mrs. Xing said, "I'm afraid I can avoid the first day, but not the fifteenth."

Chen Siyuan said cheerfully, "It's okay. I'll be heading south in a few days. Just hold off."

Mrs. Xing was concerned about Daiyu's property, so she couldn't help but whisper, "You little thief... Yu'er's property... are you really willing to give it up?"

Chen Siyuan sighed and said meaningfully, "How much of that hundred thousand family fortune do you think is left now?"

A portion of the funds was embezzled when the garden was built before, and now with the imperial decree, another portion will be embezzled when the mother comes to visit next year. Adding the two together, apart from those inanimate objects that are difficult to dispose of, I am afraid that all the land, shops and floating assets have been embezzled long ago.

Mrs. Xing said, "From what the old lady said, the public office is short of money now, so we're borrowing it for the time being. We'll have to make up for it bit by bit in the future."

Chen Siyuan sneered and said, "You really believe it? Apart from anything else, don't you know how much the Rongguo Mansion spends every year and how much it earns? It's forced Second Sister-in-law to secretly lend money, and she's already running out of money!"

"Well...well...at least there's still the old lady's body."

Before he could finish, Chen Siyuan waved his hands and said, "Don't count on it! Let's not even talk about whether the old lady can keep her body, don't forget there are three girls in the mansion who are about to get married. Even if we only count 10,000 taels of dowry for each, how much will be left?"

Mrs. Xing was immediately disappointed. She frowned and muttered, "If you ask me, this old lady's behavior... is a bit unkind."

Mrs. Xing had first given herself to Chen Siyuan. He knew that this woman was not presentable and was secretly calculating money and titles. So he said, "Don't worry, I've found a good job now. If everything goes well, I guarantee that Fourth Brother will have no worries about food and clothing in the future. Even if he has ordinary talents, it's not bad to be a rich and idle person."

Mrs. Xing was immediately overjoyed and said with her hands covering her mouth, "Is it true?"

Seeing Chen Siyuan nod, Mrs. Xing's face immediately lit up with smiles. She thought to herself, only a biological father would think about Fourth Brother. Look at the eldest master, he didn't even come to visit after the confinement period. He just kept making random plans all day long, but in the end, he achieved nothing.

Mrs. Xing was about to ask what his livelihood was and what his future held, but Chen Siyuan didn't dare to tell her. He simply said, "It's hard to say," and covered it up.

Mrs. Xing thought, at least I can get five thousand...three thousand taels a year, right? If I can really get three thousand taels a year, then it will be enough for everything.

So she found Chen Siyuan more and more pleasing to the eye, and couldn't help but move her body to sit closer, and her plump hand took Chen Siyuan's hand.

Chen Siyuan raised his eyes and looked around, then jokingly asked in a low voice, "Have you thought about it?"

Madam Xing spat and said, "You just keep thinking about that."

Chen Siyuan curled his lips and said, "It's always you—"

"Don't say it!"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Okay, okay, I won't tell you. I won't tell you. Just keep it to yourself."

Mrs. Xing's pretty face flushed with arousal, and indeed, she felt a little strange. However, she had just finished her confinement, and even though the lochia had been discharged, she would still have to wait another two months before she could have sex.

Forcefully suppressing her uneasiness, Madam Xing turned and said, "Yes, I heard from Miao'er and the others that there's been a lot of buzz in the mansion these past few days. One moment it's about you and the second young lady, and the next moment it's about Wang Yunping. What are you thinking?"

Chen Siyuan, fearing that Madam Xing would lose control of her mouth, said vaguely, "It's hard to say right now... The Second Wife hasn't mentioned anything yet, so I guess it's just a rumor. But Second Sister... you know what the eldest master's temper is like. He's been talking to me several times, and his words are all about trying to get me to give up a good job."

"That won't do!" Madam Xing frowned and said, "How old are you and you've already passed the imperial examination? Wouldn't you be more than enough to marry the second young lady? Why would you want to make a living there? If that's the case, then this marriage is foregone."

After a pause, as if suddenly remembering something, Mrs. Xing said, "Yes, your cousin is in Suzhou. Xiuyan will be seventeen next year. Every letter from his family praises her as the most beautiful in the world. You are going to the south, so why not go and take a look at her?"

After a pause, he said casually, "If you like, why not marry Xiuyan?"

(End of this chapter)