Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 205: Zhen Family and Li Family
The cabin swayed slightly, and outside the carved glass windows, the sky was dark and snowflakes were falling. Ahead of the boat, a team of trackers were shouting and pulling the boat.

The cabin was lit by whale oil lamps, making it brighter than the outside. Chen Siyuan and Xing Xiuyan sat opposite each other, both dressed in moon-white quilted clothes, looking like a fairy couple.

Chen Siyuan nodded and said, "I'll listen to my cousin on this matter."

Although the words were casual, they carried a subtle hint of endearment. Xing Xiuyan rolled her eyes at him, then couldn't help but smile. The two of them stopped talking about Xing Zhong and his wife and turned to interesting stories about the capital and Suzhou, and somehow ended up talking about Jia Yucun.

Because Chen Siyuan mentioned that Jia Yucun's current wife was a maid in Xiangling's family, Xing Xiuyan was naturally surprised.

When he heard that Jia Yucun was dismissed from office for marrying Jiao Xing, he sighed even more and said, "The late wife of Jia Futai was also from the Zhen family. I should call her aunt."

Chen Siyuan blinked, not knowing this, and hurriedly asked, "Is she the legitimate daughter of the Zhen family?"

Xing Xiuyan shook her head and smiled, "Before he became famous, the governor was just a poor scholar. How could he have caught the attention of the Zhen family's main branch? But I heard from my father that when the governor was dismissed from office a few years ago, he worked as a tutor for the Zhen family for a while. Later, with financial support from the Zhen family, he went to Yangzhou. And only a year later, he was reinstated as the prefect of Jinling."

That's it!

If Jia Yucun's deceased wife was from the Zhen family, and Jiao Xing was also a maid from the Zhen family's illegitimate branch, Jia Yucun could have covered up the crime of "taking a concubine as his wife" by asking the head of the Zhen family.

How to cover it up? Probably by adopting Jiao Xing as his adopted daughter. From then on, he eliminated the trouble and then went to find his colleague Lin Ruhai, whose recommendation allowed him to be reinstated.

So, the real backer behind Jia Yucun is the Zhen family in Jinling?

No, I'm afraid the relationship between the two is more complex than that. Jia Yucun is currently serving as a provincial governor, a highly respected figure in the government. He appears to be highly favored by the current emperor, and his meteoric rise to prominence is imminent. The Zhen family, perhaps once a supporter of his, now appears to be a burden.

Zhen Yingjia was the Jinling Weaving Supervisor (the president of the Jinling Provincial Tiren Academy, which means the Jiangning Weaving Supervisor), and his aunt was the Dowager Consort. Moreover, the Zhen family had received the Emperor four times during the reign of the Emperor, which shows that the Zhen family was a close confidant of the Emperor.

The current emperor's influence is growing, so how can he allow the Zhen family to continue to dominate the lucrative position of Jinling Weaving? Now that Jia Yucun has received the emperor's approval, he must cut ties with the Zhen family... But how can he do so when both of his wives are deeply entangled with the Zhen family?

Thinking about it this way, it's no wonder that he didn't meet the governor's office when he went to visit him before leaving. I'm afraid Jia Yucun guessed from the beginning that he was going to the Zhen family in Nanjing.

Chen Siyuan thought it over in a flash, and immediately put the matter aside, saying with a smile: "Xiangling, this tea hasn't been taken anywhere... If cousin is free, why don't we play a game of chess?"

Xing Xiuyan laughed and said, "I only know the basics of the Way of Black and White. I'm afraid I'm no match for Brother Yuan."

"Ha, that's a coincidence. I'm not very good at it either."

As he spoke, Chen Siyuan stood up and searched for the chessboard and chess pieces in the trunk behind him. The two of them sat opposite each other across a small table. The chessboard was spread out, and Chen Siyuan took the white piece and placed it in front of him.

Xing Xiuyan played black and went first, laying out a jade chain, and Chen Siyuan responded with the immortal pointing the way.

Perhaps she couldn't help but mutter, because at this moment, there was a knock on the cabin door, and Xiangling said from outside, "Master, the tea is here."

Without waiting for Chen Siyuan's response, Xing Xiuyan hurried over and opened the cabin door. Xiangling nodded and smiled, then brought in a tea tray. The tray contained two cups of fragrant tea and an assortment of cold dishes and snacks.

Chen Siyuan took one look at him, and Xiangling knew what he was thinking. She smiled and said, "I just went to make tea, and it just so happened that Uncle was thirsty, so I sent some tea to Uncle first."

Chen Siyuan responded, and Xing Xiuyan's face changed drastically. She frowned and said, "Sister, you're not a servant, why do you have to do this? The next time my father gives you random orders, just come and tell me!"

Xiangling is no different from the others; she's a noble concubine. Even if Xing Xiuyan were to marry into the family, she'd be no more than Xiangling's equal. So where did Xing Zhong get the nerve to order Xiangling around?

Xiangling never paid much attention to such matters. She only smiled and said, "It's only a small favor. Why should you worry so much, sister?" After a pause, she added, "I'm just asking Qingwen to help me with some knitting. Master and sister, please chat for a while. I'll be leaving first."

After saying that, Xiangling retreated.

Xing Xiuyan couldn't stay any longer, so she bit her lower lip and turned away: "I'm going to go talk to Daddy!"

"Cousin." She had just turned around when Chen Siyuan pulled her hand. The big hand bent the index finger and gently hooked it in her palm.

"Uncle has had a few too many drinks, so there's no need to rush...why not talk about it later?"

Xing Xiuyan thought about it and realized that Xing Zhong was drunk and dazed at the moment. How could he listen to any advice? At this moment, she realized that her hand was being taken away by him. Xing Xiuyan couldn't help but blush. Seeing Chen Siyuan's burning eyes, she responded in a mosquito-like voice.

Xing Xiuyan sat down again, but too shy to look up, staring intently at the chessboard. Their minds were elsewhere, and by the middle game, white pieces were exposed, and Xing Xiuyan's black pieces had captured a large dragon.

The winner had been decided, but neither of them mentioned it. After playing for a while, the black chess piece seemed to be coming back to life.

The game reached an endgame, and with only a few pieces between them, it was a draw! They looked at each other and couldn't help laughing.

Xing Xiuyan was a girl after all, so it was not easy for her to stay in the cabin for long. After the chess game was over, she hurriedly got up and said goodbye. Chen Siyuan escorted her out of the cabin, and when he turned around, he saw a handkerchief left by her cushion.

He bent down to pick it up and saw that the handkerchief was plain, with only the outline of a winter plum blossom and words embroidered underneath: The fallen plum blossoms on the ground are like scattered snow, and they are still full after I brush them off.

Chen Siyuan took the handkerchief in his hand and smelled the girl's body fragrance. He smiled with his hands behind his back and looked out the window at the light snow covering the ground and the river flowing silently eastward.

As Xing Xiuyan left the cabin, her shyness gradually faded, but she began to frown at Xing Zhong's inappropriate behavior. She then lightly walked towards the cabin behind her parents, and when she reached theirs, she could faintly hear their deafening snoring.

After gently knocking on the cabin door, Xing Zhen opened it a moment later. Seeing that it was Xing Xiuyan, she immediately smiled and said, "Why don't you talk to Brother Yuan for a while?"

Xing Xiuyan glanced at the soundly sleeping Xing Zhong, then pulled her mother inside. She frowned and lowered her voice, "Mom, do you want to separate me and Yuan Ge'er?"

Xing Zhen blinked and said in astonishment, "My son, where do you get this from?"

Xing Xiuyan said, "Just look at these three days. Mom and Dad have been very picky about what they eat, and they've been demanding fine wine with every meal. I've calculated privately that they've probably spent nearly ten taels of silver in these three days!"

Xing Zhen said awkwardly, "Well... after all, Brother Yuan isn't short of money either."

"Even if it's not bad, there's no reason to spend like this!" Xing Xiuyan had been suffocating for a few days, and now she couldn't stand it anymore. With a cold face, she said, "If Daddy and Mom are just looking for money, why don't they sell their daughter?" After a pause, she added, "That's fine, but Daddy, after a few drinks, thinks he's the master, and now he's ordering Sister Xiangling around. Mom, do you know that even if your daughter marries you, she'll just be a concubine like Xiangling?"

Xing Zhen's face was even more embarrassed. She defended herself, "Your father also thought that Xiangling was my niece, since she was my junior from my mother's family.

Xing Xiuyan pressed, "If that's the case, why don't you see Daddy and Mommy going to the Zhen family in Jinling to show off their power?"

Xing Zhen has always been a person without any ideas. Although she felt something was wrong in the past few days, she was still addicted to fine wine and delicious food. When she heard Xing Xiuyan's questioning, she was suddenly speechless.

Seeing that Xing Zhen was speechless, Xing Xiuyan said, "Even if Yuan-ge is good-tempered, he won't be able to tolerate this for long... I think to avoid any future embarrassment, we should just separate when we get to Nanjing, and we can go to the capital alone to seek refuge with our aunt."

A family of three going to the capital on their own? Putting everything else aside, where would they get the money?
Xing Zhen knew her daughter was anxious at the moment, so she quickly comforted her, "Forget it, forget it. I'll talk to your father later and ask him to be more restrained in the future."

Seeing Xing Xiuyan's expressionless face, Xing Zhenshi said, "From now on, I will take care of him and stop him from making trouble."

Hearing this, Xing Xiuyan's expression brightened slightly. She glanced at the soundly sleeping Xing Zhong, then bowed and left the cabin. When she returned to her own cabin, Xing Xiuyan couldn't help but smile bitterly.

She was born into a humble family, and with such incongruous parents, how could she possibly find a suitable marriage? Even if she was lucky enough to find one, she was afraid that her parents would eventually drive her apart.

This is good. My cousin is a broad-minded man and treats me sincerely. It is a good thing for him to become my concubine.

The next day, Xing Zhenshi did indeed try to persuade him, but Xing Zhong refused to listen and started to make a scene again, demanding wine and food. Because Xing Xiuyan had already given the boatman instructions, the boatman only asked Xing Zhong for money this time.

Xing Zhong, embarrassed, turned and went to look for Chen Siyuan again, but was stopped twice by Qingwen and Xiangling, who said that Chen Siyuan was too busy studying to meet anyone. Xing Zhong, frustrated and fearing that his finally found son-in-law would run away again, indeed became much more obedient in the following days.

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

Rongguo Mansion.

Hongyu and Liu Wu'er, smiling, escorted Tanchun and Xichun out. Little Xichun was holding a storybook in her hand. She had come to borrow a book, but in reality, she was afraid that Chen Siyuan would be away and Hongyu and Liu Wu'er would be bullied by that fool again.

When they reached the courtyard gate, Xichun suddenly stopped and turned around, saying, "The winter solstice will be here in a while. Brother Yuan is not here. If you have some free time, why not come to the back building and have some fun together?"

The third young lady, Tanchun, also said, "That's right. It's quite boring to be alone in this courtyard with just the two of you. Why don't you go and have some fun with the maid and the others?"

Hongyu smiled and agreed, "Since the Third and Fourth Misses have said so, we will definitely go over and cause trouble during the Winter Solstice."

Xichun nodded and left with Tanchun.

Hongyu and Liu Wu'er were about to turn around when they saw Baochai leading Ying'er towards them. The two girls simply waited at the door. Because Baochai came through the sidewalk, she didn't run into Tanchun and Xichun heading for the garden. When they got closer, they smiled and said, "Who did you just send off?"

Ying'er also laughed and said, "Hongyu and Wu'er, can you tell fortunes? How did you know our young lady was coming?"

Since Baochai came every once in a while, and Hongyu was familiar with her, she joked, "Isn't it? I was woken up early this morning by a magpie. It seems that a distinguished person is coming to visit. So I simply asked Wu'er to sweep the place carefully and waited at the door. Look, isn't Miss Bao here?"

Baochai covered her mouth and smiled as she said to Ying'er, "You said Hongyu was honest, but have you ever spared anyone with your words?"

Hongyu quickly apologized with a smile: "Miss Bao, please forgive me. I won't dare to tease you again in the future."

While chatting and laughing, Hongyu led Baochai and her companions into the main room. After Liu Wu'er served them tea and snacks, Baochai said, "My mother went to the old house today. Before she left, she asked me to come and take a look, so that nothing would be left unattended... Actually, I was being too concerned. With Hongyu watching over me, how could anything be left unattended?"

Hongyu replied, "Thank you, Madam, for your concern. To be honest, Master usually doesn't come home, and I didn't think anything of it then. But now that Master has gone south, I'm really worried. It's a blessing that Madam and Madam come to look after him so often. When Master comes back, I'll definitely invite him to come and thank you."

Baochai laughed and said, "It's only natural. Why bother thanking me?"

Ying'er, standing by, said, "Thanks to Master Yuan, my master has finally found a good match. Madam Yu, no matter how much she thanks him, it's all due."

Chen Siyuan had helped her in more than just this one matter. Not to mention the several times he had helped her in making a living, Aunt Xue deserved a huge thank you just for making her feel "physically and mentally comfortable".

Hongyu was Chen Siyuan's bedmate. Although she didn't know about Aunt Xue's affairs, she knew a little more about others, so she hurriedly smiled and thanked him.

Baochai then pulled Hongyu to ask about her daily life, and then asked if she had got new clothes for winter.

Then he remembered that the monthly allowance had not yet been paid, so he said, "Yes, it will probably be paid at the end of the month. If you are short of money, just ask me for it first."

Hongyu replied one by one, smiling and saying, "Thank you Miss Bao, but the master left a lot of flowers for us before he left. Wu'er and I opened up the flowers and used them. I'm afraid we'll have to use them until summer comes."

Baochai smiled and said, "I was overthinking it. Brother Yuan is always considerate and would never forget this."

After sitting around for a while and having a cup of tea, Baochai finally took Ying'er back. After seeing off Sister Bao, Hongyu and Wu'er returned. Wu'er was surprised and said, "It's strange! When the master was here, there weren't so many people. But now that he's gone south, there are so many people coming."

Hongyu replied casually, "Isn't it because you are always kind to others?"

Seeing Wu'er nod, Hongyu began to think about it.

The eldest wife is the eldest master's aunt, so the third and fourth daughters are the closest to the eldest master, which is understandable. However, Miss Bao always comes under the name of concubine, which may be a strange thing.

At this moment, Liu Wu'er hesitated for a moment before finally unable to resist whispering, "Sister Hongyu, do you think Miss Bao has something on her mind?"

What's on your mind? Of course, you want to be the Chen family's young mistress!
Hongyu replied in a low voice: "If you see it but don't say it, we'll just pretend we don't know."

Liu Wu'er nodded, smoothed her hair and walked towards the study, thinking to herself that her master had become very popular after passing the Autumn Examination.

Some time ago, Miss Wang was called one after another, and then the second Miss. These two didn't seem to take any action. Instead, Miss Bao often came to look after them... Isn't her behavior comparable to that of the mistress of the house?

Liu Wu'er felt sorry for herself and wondered which girl the master would choose to marry in the future.

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

Dusk.

Chen Siyuan and Xing Xiuyan were sitting opposite each other again, playing chess. Qingwen came in from outside and said, "Master, the boatman said that after passing Dinghuai Gate, Mochou Lake is just ahead, and Shuixi Gate will be there in two quarters of an hour."

Chen Siyuan breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's finally here. I've been feeling really depressed these past few days."

Xing Xiuyan placed a move and couldn't help but laugh, "It's true that you're feeling a bit stuffy. No wonder you go to the bow every morning and evening to stretch your body."

Xing Xiuyan was referring to the Zhuang Gong (Zhan Zhuang) that Chen Siyuan practiced. Chen Siyuan took a look at his piece, then simply resigned himself to defeat. "I've heard Mochou Lake and Qinhuai River are the most prosperous places. Would you like to go and see them, cousin? It's a pity it's winter now; I think it would be most interesting in spring or autumn."

Xing Xiuyan replied, "Mochou Lake is fine, but the banks of the Qinhuai River are not a good place."

She hinted at something, a hint of coquettishness in her voice, and stared at Chen Siyuan. After a moment, Chen Siyuan finally laughed and stood up to invite her. The two of them put on their coats and went to the bow together.

At this time, the wind and snow in the south of the Yangtze River had stopped, and the temperature had warmed up again. The surface of the water was misty and the cold water vapor was blowing in the face.

Looking southeast, you can see a lake surrounded by weeping willows and bamboo forests, with scattered courtyards.

Chen Si gazed out for a moment and could not help but sigh, "The willows hanging down have a history of six dynasties, and the lotus standing in the clear water has been cultivated for generations."

Xing Xiuyan's heart moved when she heard this. She glanced over and said, "I've heard of Chen Ci before. Was that a new work by Brother Yuan?"

Chen Siyuan only remembered these two lines, and now he couldn't even remember who wrote them, so he said vaguely, "It's just something I wrote out of inspiration, it can't be considered a poem."

Xing Xiuyan was surprised and said, "Brother Yuan's casual suggestion is probably far better than what others have racked their brains for."

It was indeed chilly outside, and Chen Siyuan was worried that Xing Xiuyan wouldn't be able to handle the wind, so he only looked at her for a moment before returning to the cabin. A few minutes later, the boat had indeed anchored at Shuixi Gate.

Xiangling, Qingwen, and the others had already packed their belongings, and they all disembarked in a sampan. Outside Shuixi Gate, the place was bustling with activity. Coachmen, noticing the numerous gifts Chen Siyuan and his entourage were carrying, gathered around to solicit passengers.

Chen Siyuan pretended he had never been there. He first asked a few drivers, then turned around to argue with Xing Zhong. Xing Zhong said, "It's better to stay near Chaotian Palace. It's too noisy elsewhere."

Chen Siyuan thought about it and agreed, so he hired four carriages and went to an inn near Chaotian Palace to stay.

Because it was getting late, everyone hurried to rest after dinner.

The next day, Chen Siyuan led Qingyu to deliver the earthenware ceremony. The four great families of Jia, Shi, Wang, and Xue all had branches in Nanjing, and Sister Feng had already prepared the earthenware ceremony, so Chen Siyuan only had to run errands.

Let's not talk about other families. When he arrived at the Xue family, Chen Siyuan wanted to take a look at Baoqin, but he was greatly disappointed to see that only an elder of the family came to answer.

After delivering it to these four families, it was then sent to the Zhen family and the Li family.

Early in the morning of the third day, Chen Siyuan went to the Zhen family in person. When he arrived at the Zhen family mansion, Chen Siyuan frowned secretly after just one look.

It’s simple, it’s beyond the rules!
The servant Qing Yu, who came from the Rongguo Mansion, saw him frowning and smiled, "Master, you don't know that the Zhen family is extremely favored by the Emperor. On four of the six trips south of the Yangtze River, the Zhen family received the Emperor. Later, when the Emperor was pleased, he allowed the Zhen family to live in the temporary palace."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said "I see", but he disagreed in his heart!

The Grand Emperor is the Grand Emperor, but the current Emperor is in power! Furthermore, the old Concubine Dowager is old and will pass away someday. The Zhen family, relying on the Grand Emperor's favor, is living in the temporary palace with impunity. What does the current Emperor think?
There's a saying that goes, "Don't strike too early, don't strike too late, only strike those who are blind." The Zhen family is one of those blind people. They don't even understand that a new emperor has new ministers. They deserve to be raided one day.

Perhaps he was looking at her with disdain, so the servant Qing Yu whispered again, "Master, don't underestimate the Zhen family. The second daughter of the Zhen family is now the Princess of Beijing.

Hey, I heard that the Zhen family still has three girls waiting to be married. If you can catch the old lady's eye, you might even find a good marriage."

Chen Siyuan knew that the Princess of Prince Beijing was the second daughter of the Zhen family. There was also an older daughter of the previous generation who was the original wife of the eldest master Jia She, but she died of illness in her early years, so Lady Xing was made his successor.

As for the three girls from the Zhen family... the Zhen family is so flamboyant and doesn't know how to restrain themselves. Chen Siyuan would have to be crazy to marry a girl from the Zhen family!

Chen Siyuan rolled his eyes at Qingyu, who immediately shut up in embarrassment.

When they got closer, Qing Yu went to talk to the doorman, and soon a steward invited Chen Siyuan to wait in the back hall. After two cups of tea, the steward came to invite him in, saying that the mistress wanted him to come in and chat.

This palace originally had a layout of five lanes and five courtyards. The two lanes on the west were not very regular, so roughly three courtyards were left and then expanded a bit to build a palace garden.

The Zhen family naturally did not dare to live in the central palace, so Chen Siyuan followed the maid to the second west road, passed through two palace gates, and arrived at a side hall.

When I entered, I saw a woman in her forties sitting upright, with a dozen maids and old women standing around her. It seemed that the rules were even more extravagant than those in Rongguo Mansion.

The woman was the original wife of Jinling Weaving Master Zhen Yingjia. Chen Siyuan stepped forward and bowed politely. After sitting down, he answered the woman's questions one by one.

Finally, the woman said, "Today is unfortunate. The old lady is not feeling well and has just gone to bed. If it were any other day, I would definitely meet the world-famous Brother Yuan."

A maidservant beside him also said, "Madam is right. Baoyu was reciting his speech a few days ago... Yes, if Baoyu heard about this, he would definitely make a fuss and ask to come."

"Nonsense!" The woman scolded with a smile, but she didn't look concerned.

Chen Siyuan only smiled in response, but in his heart he was cursing. If the emperor had the ability to treat him as a poet, it would be fine, but what virtue and ability did your Zhen family have?

As the saying goes, if you don't agree, there's no need to talk too much. Chen Siyuan drank a cup of tea and simply stood up to say goodbye. The woman hurriedly asked Chen Siyuan when he would return to the capital, saying that before leaving, she would stop by the Zhen family to bring some Jinling local gifts to the Rongguo Mansion.

Chen Siyuan agreed and immediately stood up and left.

When they returned to the inn that day, Xing Xiuyan saw that he was not in high spirits, so she took the initiative to approach him to play chess. The two of them made a few moves, and Xing Xiuyan asked, "Did the Zhen family neglect us?"

Chen Siyuan sneered and shook his head, saying, "The rich are feasting and drinking."

Xing Xiuyan said, "Everyone hates the rich, but everyone also envies the rich... Since you hate the smell of wine and meat, why not make some tea and listen to the pine wind?"

Chen Siyuan seemed to be thinking about something, then shook his head and said, "A wild goose leaves its voice behind, and a person leaves his name behind. Since I have come to this world, I will never be willing to do anything without doing something."

Xing Xiuyan teased, "If you want to do something, then don't you have to become a wealthy family yourself first?"

This means that Chen Siyuan hates people who have and laughs at people who don't.

The Taoist priest Chen Siyuan would have refuted this, but after a moment's reflection, he nodded and agreed, "That's pretty much it. A man cannot live without power, and a woman cannot live without money."

Xing Xiuyan blinked and then started to chuckle. To her, Chen Siyuan's unexpected behavior always captivated her.

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

The next day, Chen Siyuan went to Li's house outside the city again.

Li Shouzhong was Li Wan's father, the former Imperial College chief academic officer, considered a man of integrity. Two years ago, Chen Siyuan would have assumed Li Shouzhong was a man of modest means; but after spending half a year at the Imperial College, Chen Siyuan realized that the Imperial College was anything but a shabby establishment. It was clearly awash in wealth!

Sure enough, when they drove to the shore of Mochou Lake and saw that the Li family villa was as elegant as the Suzhou gardens, they knew that Li Shouzhong must have received a lot of money during his tenure.

Unlike the situation at the Zhen residence yesterday, this time Chen Siyuan introduced himself, and within a few minutes the steward came to greet him respectfully: "My master is extremely happy to hear that Master Chen is visiting. He is waiting in the hall. Please follow me."

Chen Siyuan agreed and told the servant Qingyu to wait at the gatehouse. He followed the steward to the ceremonial gate and then went to the back with a maid.

This was a separate courtyard, naturally not as formal as the mansion. After walking through a bamboo forest, crossing a small bridge, and wandering through a flower garden, Chen Siyuan arrived at a study.

The maid went in to report and invited Chen Siyuan in.

Chen Siyuan entered and saw an elderly man in his seventies sitting at his desk. He didn't dare to be negligent and stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Student Chen Siyuan, greetings to the Grand Master!"

Li Shouzhong laughed heartily and waved his hand, saying, "I have already resigned from my post. It is better not to mention this Grand Secretary. Shuliang, please take a seat."

Chen Siyuan thanked him and sat down, serving him fragrant tea. Li Shouzhong didn't ask about Li Wan, but only about Chen Siyuan's studies. Chen Siyuan's studies over the past six months hadn't been in vain, and after answering each question, Li Shouzhong's face was indeed even more cheerful.

Just as he was about to say something else, a maid came in and said, "Master, the Madam is here."

Li Shouzhong's face froze, and he smiled awkwardly, "My wife must be thinking about Wan'er. I hope Shuliang doesn't mind."

"You're too polite, Dasicheng."

As they were talking, a lady in her early forties hurried in. Seeing Chen Siyuan, she couldn't help but praise him, "What a handsome scholar! No wonder the master came to see him in person."

Chen Siyuan hurriedly stood up and greeted her. The woman smiled and said, "Brother Yuan, please sit down. We are actually close relatives. I'm really worried about Wan'er, so I'm really sorry for being so rude."

As soon as the woman sat down, she couldn't wait to ask, "Brother Yuan, is my daughter... okay?"

Chen Siyuan and Li Wan had only met a few times and hadn't exchanged many words, so he could only rely on his memory: "Mrs. Zhu has always lived a secluded life, devoting herself entirely to teaching Brother Lang."

"Brother Yuan, you have been in Rongguo Mansion for some time. Do you know how Jinping died?" the woman asked anxiously.

"Jinping?" Chen Siyuan was completely confused.

Li Shouzhong, who was in the middle, coughed lightly and said, "Madam, you——"

"Shut up!" Unexpectedly, the woman got angry and turned around and yelled at him. Li Shouzhong immediately became embarrassed and dared not say a word.

Turning around, the woman's eyes reddened as she spoke, "Jin Ping was Wan'er's maid since she was little. After Zhu Ge'er passed away, within a year, Jinping also passed away. Wan'er simply said she died of an illness. I wrote to her several times, but each time she gave me a vague reply."

Chen Siyuan frowned and bowed, saying, "Please forgive me, Madam. I really don't know about Jinping's matter."

The woman was immediately disappointed. She turned her head and gritted her teeth, saying, "You old bastard, you pushed your daughter into the fire pit just for the sake of face! I only have this one daughter. I heard that Wan'er is living a life of withered wood and death now. Wuwuwu... How can I live like this!"

"Madam, you...you are unreasonable!"

Li Shouzhong failed to make a move, stood up and walked away quickly with his hands behind his back, leaving Chen Siyuan on the spot.

Chen Siyuan blinked, not knowing what to do for a moment.

The woman cried for a while, then with red eyes she asked Chen Siyuan, "When will Brother Yuan return to the capital?"

Chen Siyuan said, "Once everything is settled, we will set off in two or three days."

"Okay, please leave your lodgings here. I'll send someone to bring some things to Wan'er tomorrow."

Chen Siyuan said hurriedly: "It will be the same if I come again tomorrow."

The woman agreed and ordered food to be prepared. Chen Siyuan didn't dare to stay. He simply said he had other things to do and hurriedly left the Li family compound.

After getting on the carriage, Chen Siyuan couldn't help but wonder in his heart, why does it sound like the Li and Jia families are arguing over Li Wan?

Thinking about it carefully, yes, it is okay that Li Wan has always lived in seclusion, but why has Mrs. Wang never paid attention to Jia Lan since she is Jia Lan's grandmother?
Chen Siyuan was suspicious, so when he returned to the inn that day he went to ask Xiangling, Qingwen and Yunxiang about it.

Xiangling had come into the Rongguo Mansion with the Xue family, and Qingwen had also arrived later. The maids knew nothing about the two of them, but Yunxiang, the young maid, shouted, "Master, I know about this."

"You know?" Chen Siyuan suddenly realized: Yes, the Ma family has been servants in the Rongguo Mansion for several lifetimes, and Yunxiang is a family-born child. Even if he has never seen her, he must have heard his parents talk about her.

At that moment, Yunxiang, presenting a treasure, said, "I heard the old women gossiping that Master Zhu had failed the imperial examinations twice in a row. The old lady and the mistress were afraid that Master Zhu would be bored, so they sent a few maids to his room. But Master Zhu actually became addicted to women and had an affair with the maid in the mistress's room. This angered the master, and he was beaten with a stick.

Then Master Zhu fell seriously ill and passed away after a few months. The wife cried bitterly and after sending Master Zhu away, she immediately sent all the maids back to the farm.

Grandma Zhu, mindful that Jinping was her personal maid, pleaded for her. Madam Zhu didn't say anything to her face, but later found fault with Jinping and gave her a severe beating. Jinping's health hadn't been good to begin with, and she died after only a dozen or so strokes... "After a pause, she continued, "My parents said it seemed like Jinping let the cat out of the bag, which got the master so angry!"

The little maidservant Yunxiang spoke in a straightforward manner without mentioning the reasons behind the incident at all. Chen Siyuan pondered for a long time before he figured out the whole story... Perhaps Mrs. Wang blamed Jinping for leaking the fact that Jia Zhu had an affair with the head maidservant, and then she became angry with Li Wan and Jia Lan as well?

"uncle?"

Hearing the call, Chen Siyuan came back to his senses. Seeing the little maid Yunxiang looking at him eagerly, he immediately smiled and said, "Don't deduct the string of money."

Yunxiang blinked and suddenly became happy: "Hey, thank you very much, sir!"

(End of this chapter)