Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 213: Good Night Flowers

She didn't know when she came to her senses, but she saw the girl in the diamond-shaped mirror looking coquettish and angry, clearly like a jealous child.

Sister Bao looked surprised, but soon regained her composure, knowing that she was confused because of her concern.

But it wasn't her fault. Because of Chen Siyuan, Sister Bao had been going against Aunt Xue these days. Aunt Xue told her to go east, and she agreed publicly, but secretly insisted on going west. So whenever she went to Baoyu's place, Sister Bao was as quiet as a clay figurine. When she grew impatient, she would always try to persuade Baoyu to make progress. This advice immediately annoyed Baoyu, and after only a few words, he would find an excuse to escape.

In a few days Baochai will be coming of age, and from then on she will be considered a woman waiting to be married. She has always been a careful person, but her marriage is not yet decided, so how can she not be anxious?

With a sigh, Baochai raised her eyes and glanced at Ying'er in the mirror. Ying'er blinked and quickly said tentatively, "Miss, I... I'll go to the back and check a little?"

Seeing that Baochai said nothing, Ying'er bowed and hurried out.

Sister Bao was just dressing up when Aunt Xue woke up, so Baochai went to the west room. Tongxi and Tonggui, one of them fetched a basin of warm water, while the other hurried to comb Aunt Xue's hair.

Although she was not wearing any makeup and had a plain face, Aunt Xue's face was fair and rosy, and her complexion seemed to be even better than that of Sister Bao.

Mother and daughter briefly discussed yesterday's visit. Baochai casually remarked, "Ying'er said that Brother Yuan returned early this morning."

Aunt Xue's face froze for a moment, then she smiled and said, "I heard that the imperial concubine asked about Brother Yuan yesterday?"

Baochai, being near at hand, had heard the whole story, and so she said, "The Empress praised Brother Yuan highly, saying that his poetry and prose were first-rate, and that if he devoted himself to polishing his works, he would surely be included in the imperial edict someday. She also instructed Auntie to have Brother Bao and Brother Yuan get closer."

Aunt Xue couldn't help but feel proud and said with a smile, "It would be difficult for Baoyu to learn a little bit of Yuan's temperament."

Baochai quickly applied eye drops and said, "Isn't it true? The fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold, and the sharpness of a sword comes from the sharpening of grinding stones. Brother Yuan has suffered many setbacks, which has made him calm down and strive to become stronger. Brother Bao has been raised in luxury since childhood, with the old lady and aunt protecting him everywhere. Although he has a good heart, he is inevitably lacking in responsibility when things happen."

Aunt Xue nodded in agreement. As the saying goes, "Comparing people kills you, comparing goods leads to throwing them away." How could Baoyu, no matter how good he was, compare to the young good man? Baoyu, though he'd been around women, probably didn't know the pleasures of the bed. But the good man... perhaps it was his age, but for some reason he was becoming even more vigorous and energetic. He was truly endearing!

Her mind was filled with a thousand thoughts, but when she suddenly came to her senses, she realized that Baochai's words were clearly filled with disgust for Baoyu. Aunt Xue blinked and quickly said, "My son, how do you expect Baoyu to take on this responsibility? When the eldest daughter becomes a concubine, Baoyu will be the emperor's uncle. You can just live a life of ease and comfort, living a life of wealth and leisure. Why bother trying so hard to imitate Yuan'er's ambition?"

Baochai frowned and said, "Even if you don't need to make progress, you should at least know a thing or two about official careers and economics, right?"

Aunt Xue laughed and said, "He doesn't understand. From now on, I'll leave the household affairs to you. Isn't that just right?"

Baochai was speechless for a moment, feeling angry, knowing that she could not convince her mother for the time being.

After Aunt Xue had dressed and dressed, the mother and daughter had breakfast together. Afterwards, Aunt Xue went to talk to Lady Wang. Only then did Ying'er find time to come over and say, "Miss, Brother Yuan has only been back in the courtyard for a few moments, and now he's gone out again in his carriage."

Sister Bao had been looking for an opportunity to meet Chen Siyuan and have a chat with him, but Chen Siyuan had left the house again... Yes, it must have been because of his livelihood.

Although she was still feeling rather resentful, that was the good thing about Sister Bao: she always considered the overall situation. So she put her worries aside for the moment, took a short nap, and then took Ying'er to talk to Daiyu.

The master and servant soon went to the back building to look for Daiyu. Seeing that Daiyu looked listless, Baojie knew that she must have been tired yesterday, so she couldn't help but say a few words of concern.

Daiyu smiled and said, "My dear sister, you are still concerned about me. Look at the dark circles under your eyes that can't be concealed. I should be concerned about Baojie in return."

Baochai couldn't help but touch her eyes, then said angrily: "Good girl, Rong'er, I'm concerned about you out of kindness, but you come to tease me, let me see how I can forgive you!"

He reached out his hand to tickle her, and Daiyu rolled over on the bed with a smile, gasping for breath: "Hahahaha... Sister Bao... Come on, please spare me this time!"

Baochai, perhaps enraged, refused to let her off. Seeing she couldn't resist, Daiyu simply tickled her back. But a simple scratch under her ribs sent Baochai's cheeks flushing, and she collapsed to the ground, groaning.

Daiyu was very surprised and stood up and asked, "Sister Bao is so ticklish?"

Baochai paused for a long moment before rolling her eyes and saying, "It's all right everywhere else, but it's these ribs and soles of my feet that are terribly itchy. Every time I scratch them, I lose all my strength."

Daiyu immediately covered her mouth and laughed, "Very good, very good. Sister Bao, if you dare to disrespect me again in the future, I will come and tickle you."

The two girls played around for a bit, then sat down together to talk. Because of the visit yesterday, the old lady had ordered Li Wan, Sanchun, and the others to suspend their studies until after the first lunar month.

As the two of them were chatting, Zijuan brought over some Cordyceps tea and said, "Miss, it's time to have some Cordyceps tea."

Daiyu agreed, took the teacup, and set it aside. Sister Bao glanced at it and said with a smile, "It turns out that Cordyceps is indeed effective. My sister had a cough in the autumn and winter, but it got better after just two days. And even after a long night of fatigue yesterday, she didn't get sick at all."

Daiyu turned her head to glance at the Cordyceps tea and replied with a smile, "I just examined a patient in the first month of the year. Imperial Physician Wang and Doctor Ding from Henian Hall both said it was indeed effective and told me to drink it regularly from now on."

Naturally, Chen Siyuan sent someone to give the Cordyceps to Xueyan every month, and Xueyan quietly took it back to the back building.

After a pause, Daiyu continued, "I still have some left. Sister Bao, why don't you take some home to eat?"

Baochai laughed and said, "Of course I wouldn't. I'm already strong, how could I dare to eat such nourishing things?" The caterpillar fungus reminded her of Chen Siyuan. Seeing that the maids had moved away, Baojie whispered, "Now that the marriage certificate has been finalized, I can't just ignore Brother Yuan like this."

Daiyu blushed and asked, "Sister Bao, why are you talking about this?"

Baochai said, "What else can I do? I know my sister is proud, but Brother Yuan is so talented and brilliant; how could such a man not be proud? If both of them are so proud, it won't be good in the long run."

Since he often sends me this cordyceps, it's obvious he's concerned about my health. I should show some concern." After a pause, she continued, "Although you don't have to be so frivolous as to sit still, you can occasionally send Xueyan and Zijuan with some poems and sachets as return gifts. This doesn't violate the rules of a woman's wife, and it also preserves the affection between us..."

Daiyu was too shy to speak, but Xueyan, having overheard her, leaned over and whispered, "Miss Bao, you don't know that our daughter made a brooch for Master Yuan before the New Year."

Daiyu was immediately embarrassed and annoyed and said, "You are so talkative!"

Hearing this, Sister Bao immediately covered her mouth and laughed, saying, "It seems that I was too suspicious. Sister is more perceptive than Bigan. Why do you need me to teach you about such things?"

Sister Bao thought to herself that when she got married, she would have to spend every day with Daiyu. She and Brother Yuan were in love, but she didn't want to see Sister Lin being neglected.

It's just right now, neither too warm nor too cold. When they get married together in the future, Brother Yuan and Sister Lin will respect each other like guests and love her in every way. In this way, there will be no conflicts between her and Sister Lin.

As they were talking, Nanny Wang came upstairs. She frowned as she entered and said, "Just now I saw Imperial Physician Wang and Imperial Physician Bao both go to the Second Madam's courtyard. I don't know who's sick."

Baochai and Daiyu looked at each other, and Baochai stood up and said, "Sister, you are weak, so you'd better wait for the news. I will take Ying'er to see her."

Daiyu felt relieved and quickly stood up to see him off.

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

Qishaizhai.

But Baoyu woke up at noon that day. He recalled that Yuanchun was dissatisfied with the quatrain he wrote yesterday. He was puzzled and felt discouraged, so he lay in bed and refused to get up.

Meiren, Musk Moon, and the others came over to chat a bit, but he paid them no attention. He was worried that he had let Yuanchun down, and he didn't know what instructions would come out of the palace, so he was worried.

Suddenly, a maid came from outside to deliver a message. It turned out that someone from Xiren's house had come to deliver a message. Xiren frowned, apologized, and hurried out of the ceremonial gate.

After receiving the two hundred taels of silver, the doctor really used the old ginseng. Within two days, Xiren's mother's condition improved significantly. Not only was her thirst relieved, but she was even able to get out of bed and walk.

Her mother and brother Hua Zifang thought the money came from Baoyu, and they kept telling Xiren to take good care of Baoyu. Xiren didn't dare to tell the truth, so she just replied vaguely.

These days, Xiren's mind was full of lawsuits, family affairs, and visits to her relatives. Whenever she thought of Chen Siyuan coming, she couldn't help feeling uneasy, so she completely forgot about Qingwen.

Even if she did remember, what would it matter? Now that Qingwen was no longer in the mansion and wouldn't compete with her for the position of concubine, Xiren would never do something that would harm others and not benefit herself.

As soon as she left the ceremonial gate, her brother Hua Zifang came looking for her. The two siblings debated for a moment, and by the time Xiren returned, her eyes were red—it was because the doctor had come to see her that morning and said she might need some ginseng to strengthen her condition.

Xiren, worried about her mother, couldn't help but wonder. Although diabetes is considered a disease of the rich, it shouldn't cost hundreds of taels of silver a month. Perhaps the doctor had bilked the Hua family out of their money?

Thinking this way, she entered the Qixianzhai and sobbed a few times on purpose. Baoyu looked over. Seeing her eyes were red, he stood up and said, "Xiren, what's wrong with you?"

Xiren lamented, "Brother just said that my mother is not well. The doctor has been using a lot of medicine and has spent a lot of money, but it seems to be of little use."

Baoyu frowned and said, "Why didn't you tell me about this earlier? Musk Moon, go and get the imperial physician, and go with Xiren to her house to take a look."

Musk Moon agreed and hurried out to find the imperial physician.

At this time, Xiren said, "The family is busy visiting their parents, how dare I disturb them with such things?"

Baoyu said, "No matter how important the visit to my mother is, how can it compare to the life and death of a person? The others are right. You are just too virtuous."

After a while, Musk Moon returned with a frown and said, "Second Master Bao, Imperial Physicians Wang and Bao have gone to Second Madam's room and say Qiaojie isn't feeling well. Imperial Physician Hu has gone to Aunt Zhao's courtyard to check on Huan'er and will probably be back soon."

Baoyu frowned and said, "Doctor Hu's medical skills..." After a moment's hesitation, he said to Xiren, "I'll go to Sister Feng's room to take a look. I'll tell you when the two doctors are free."

Xiren naturally agreed, and then she, Musk Moon, Meiren and others helped Baoyu get up and wash. After he was dressed, they followed him to Fengjie's courtyard at the back.

But just as he turned around the large painted screen wall, the little maid Feng'er blocked his way and said to Baoyu, "Second Master Bao, please don't come in. Qiaojie is pregnant, and our grandmother has forced you to move to the study, leaving only the two imperial physicians to guard the courtyard."

Baoyu was stunned. He inquired about the situation in detail, and only felt relieved when he heard that the situation was not too urgent. Turning to Xiren, he said, "This is unfortunate... How about I give you some money first, and then you can find a suitable doctor to treat your mother?"

Xiren was utterly disappointed! She hadn't expected Baoyu to succeed in the first place, and now, having given it a try, it was useless! How much could she withdraw? Only twenty or thirty taels of silver could possibly buy a ginseng root.

Xiren said, "It's really a coincidence. In that case, I'll go find another doctor. I have money, but if it's not enough, I'll come back to you."

Baoyu, without a doubt, nodded his agreement, and then ordered a carriage to be prepared for Xiren. Xiren turned around and took the carriage back home, and did not mention it again.

At this time, in Fengjie's courtyard, she heard that Qiaojie had given birth to a flower, so Mrs. Wang hurriedly said goodbye to Aunt Xue and came over.

Jia Lian also summoned Doctors Wang and Bao. After a thorough examination, Doctor Wang bowed and said with a smile, "Congratulations on behalf of the Madam and the Grandmothers. Your fever is a sign of good news, not something else."

Upon hearing this, Lady Wang and Sister Feng hurriedly sent someone to inquire for details. Doctor Wang replied through the curtain, "Although the illness is serious, it's going well, so it's fine. It's important to prepare mulberry worms and pig tails."

After hearing this, Sister Feng first persuaded Mrs. Wang to go back, and then hurriedly found Ping'er to follow the doctor's instructions.

She cleaned the house to offer sacrifices to the Smallpox Lady, told Feng'er to tell the kitchen not to fry or stir-fry anything, ordered Ping'er to move Jia Lian to another room, and sent a maid to find a large red ruler to make clothes for her relatives.

There are many kinds of them.

However, after leaving Fengjie's courtyard, Mrs. Wang couldn't help sighing. Firstly, it was because Qiaojie had smallpox, and secondly, she had just come home to visit her parents, and the family needed someone to take care of things. Unfortunately, Fengjie was not available at this time. Wouldn't all the things have to fall on Mrs. Wang's shoulders?
Mrs. Wang was used to being a hands-off boss. She would usually give an order and let her subordinates handle it. How could she have ever handled the mundane affairs in such detail?

Just when he was feeling bitter, as soon as he entered his own courtyard, he heard Aunt Zhao jumping up and down in the small courtyard next to him and cursing: "...God damn you, you black-hearted man! Huan'er doesn't have diarrhea early or late, why does she have to have diarrhea just when the imperial concubine comes home?

You can fool others, but not me! Aren't you just jealous that Huan'er is favored by the master? If you dare to use such despicable tactics on your grandmother Zhao, I'll see if she doesn't take out all your cow gall and dog treasures!

How big is the ring? You are a dirty seed with a black heart. You did such a wicked thing. No wonder you can't lay eggs! "

When such obscene words reached their ears, not only Lady Wang but even Mrs. Zhou Rui, who was accompanying them, frowned.

Mrs. Wang said, "That's really too rude! Go and tell her to shut up!"

Mrs. Zhou Rui quickly agreed, turned around and went into Aunt Zhao's courtyard, and with just a few words she silenced Aunt Zhao.

A moment later, Zhou Ruijia arrived at the main room. Mrs. Wang asked, "Did you hear clearly?" Zhou Ruijia smiled and said, "It's because Huan'er has a stomach upset. Doctor Hu saw him last time and prescribed a medicine, but not only did it not get better, he even had diarrhea and couldn't get out of bed. Doctor Hu came again this time and said it must be because of the croton seeds he took.

Madam Zhao also knew that she was always quick to believe everything she heard, and when she saw Aunt Zhou passing by, she jumped up and down and started scolding her for a long time.

Madam Wang curled her lips and said, "Brother Huan is only so young, who would want to deal with him?"

Mrs. Zhou Rui smiled and agreed, but she secretly thought that Aunt Zhao was probably making a veiled attack. Mrs. Wang naturally didn't care about Aunt Zhao and her son, but Aunt Zhao was extremely favored by the master, and because of her love for her, she was also very good to Huan'er.

Mrs. Wang didn't care, so how could the eight concubines who came with the dowry not care? Although they knew that Jia Huan was not worthy of being in public, it was common to give him croton and make him have diarrhea for a few days just in case... I just don't know who was behind this.

After sitting there for a while, the housekeeper came in to ask for instructions. Mrs. Wang answered them one by one. Fortunately, Mrs. Zhou Rui's wife reminded her, so she didn't make any mistakes.

Mrs. Wang had been dealing with this for half a day and was inevitably exhausted. She frowned and said, "I am old after all. I am not as capable as I was when I was young. It's a pity that Qiaojie is ill now. I don't know who to send for help."

Mrs. Zhou Rui, unaware that Mrs. Wang was secretly trying to match Baochai with Chen Siyuan, said with a smile, "Mrs. Madam, how could you not have people to call upon? I think Miss Bao from the concubine's family is the most considerate. Why not call her over?"

Mrs. Wang was delighted, but then she frowned and shook her head, "No, no."

If she ordered Baochai around at this time, wouldn't outsiders think that she had chosen Baochai as her daughter-in-law?

Seeing her shaking her head, Yuchuan'er said, "Madam, I think the third young lady is also a straightforward and thoughtful person."

Mrs. Wang thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "It will be about ten days. Go and call Tanchun."

Yuchuaner agreed and hurried to find Tanchun.

Tanchun, Yingchun, and Xichun were all in Rongqing Hall at the moment. When she heard that the mistress was looking for her, she was startled, thinking that Aunt Zhao had caused trouble again. She left with a trepidation, and only felt somewhat relieved after Yuchuaner explained.

When they reached Lady Wang's courtyard, Lady Wang pulled Tanchun aside and said, "I have no one to serve me now, and you are getting older. Why don't you come to my room tomorrow and learn how to handle household chores?"

Tanchun was overjoyed and quickly bowed in response.

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

It is said that Chen Siyuan returned home at dusk that day. After returning the carriage, he strode towards his own courtyard.

He had nothing else to do that day except go to the market with Third Sister You to select suitable servants. Although the Dashun Dynasty was prosperous at that time, the Little Ice Age was still recurring, and floods and droughts came and went. Naturally, there was no shortage of families who could not make ends meet and sold themselves into slavery.

Chen Siyuan worked hard all day and finally selected six families. One of them was a carpenter, and the others were all strong men with families.

It was difficult to accommodate all twenty or thirty people in the new house. Chen Siyuan and You Sanjie rented a small courtyard and had not returned until now.

Along the way, he pondered his business of selling latex, and also recalled that Baojie would be coming of age soon. This coming of age celebration was naturally more grand than an ordinary birthday, and the gift naturally had to be extra thoughtful.

It just so happens that I'm going to try vulcanizing latex these days, so I might as well ask the carpenter to make a mold and use the latex to make a smaller version of Sister Bao. I think Baochai will be happy.

Thinking like this, he entered the Grand View Garden. After a moment, he turned the Qinfang Gate Bridge and looked up. In the distance, he saw a man and a woman whispering at the bamboo fence near the Aojingxi Pavilion.

The woman was dressed in a pink jacket and skirt, a style only seen on the Naduo girl. The man was dressed as a servant, and only when they got closer could they see that he was Jia Lian's page.

The two of them finished their plan in just a few words. The servant took advantage of the opportunity to bow and took out a handful of money in front of Miss Duo. Then he turned around and walked away with a smile. When he saw Chen Siyuan, he quickly coughed with a serious expression.

"Uncle Yuan."

"Ah."

Chen Siyuan passed by the boy without even looking at the girl who was winking at him. He walked away with his hands behind his back and was out of the back garden door in the blink of an eye.

As soon as they entered their own courtyard, the little maid Yunxiang chirped, "Master, Master, Qiaojie has chickenpox!"

"Hmm?" Chen Siyuan frowned and thought about it, and when he thought about what happened just now, he suddenly realized - Qiaojie had chickenpox, so Jia Lian was having an affair with Duo Girl at this time?
After secretly praising Second Brother Lian for his good appetite, which really didn't discriminate between meat and vegetables, Chen Siyuan walked inside with a smile.

Jia Lian was a much more tactful person than Baoyu. Ever since he had suffered a setback in Rongxi Hall, he had been more polite to Chen Siyuan. So, Chen Siyuan would not bother Jia Lian.

Xiangling and Hongyu helped Chen Siyuan clean his hands. As they sat down, Hongyu said, "A message arrived this morning from the East Palace, saying that everyone should go there tomorrow to have some fun. Master Zhen specifically instructed that no one should be left out, and Master must be."

This was as it should be. Apart from anything else, Jia Zhen had already made back his investment in Baicaotang after half a year, and would still receive another eight hundred or one thousand yuan every month. No matter how much Jia Zhen thanked him, it would not be excessive.

Then another maidservant, Yunxiang, came in and told the story of Aunt Zhao swearing in the street and Lady Wang asking the third young lady to help with miscellaneous affairs.

Chen Siyuan was secretly surprised by what he heard. He thought that Yunxiang's ability in snooping was probably even better than that of the Jinyiwei of the previous dynasty.
So he wondered, "How come you can also hear what's going on in the mistress's courtyard?"

Yunxiang couldn't help but say proudly, "How difficult is that? I just walk around and when I see women gossiping, I'll go over and say a few nice words, then slip some melon seeds into their mouths. I guarantee they won't be able to hide anything from me!"

Seeing Yunxiang cocky again, Hongyu couldn't help but frown and lecture her, "You're only a master. How could other masters have such a job? You won't be a child anymore next year. From now on, you must learn to do the work. Don't neglect your needlework, or you'll be in trouble in the future."

Yunxiang suddenly pursed her lips and said nothing, looking at Chen Siyuan as if asking for help.

Chen Siyuan didn't take sides this time. He just smiled and said, "Hongyu is right... By the way, how many words can you write now?"

"Huh?" Yunxiang blinked and suddenly felt that the melon seeds in her purse were no longer fragrant.

After he left dejectedly, Chen Siyuan became concerned about Qingwen again, so he found Liu Wuer and said, "From now on, you will teach Hongyu and Yunxiang to read and write in the morning. In the afternoon, when you are free, go to the new house and teach Qingwen as well."

Liu Wuer couldn't help but bite her lip and said in embarrassment: "This... Everyone says Qingwen has a fiery temper. I'm afraid I can't teach her well and she will get angry with me again."

Liu Wu'er had only been to the new house a few times, and since she was a proud person, she was naturally a little embarrassed.

Chen Siyuan said, "She has a straightforward personality, but she has no ill intentions. Go teach her, and I guarantee she'll be happy with you."

Only then did Liu Wuer agree with a smile.

That night, as Xiangling's period was approaching, Hongyu thought about it and decided to go to the side room as well, leaving Liu Wu'er alone in the room to serve her.

The beauty and tenderness inside are not easy to tell to outsiders.

The next morning, Chen Siyuan felt that the courtyard was too cramped to practice, so he went to the Grand View Garden to practice standing meditation.

Liu Wu'er had been affectionate and sweet when she got up early, but once Chen Siyuan left, she couldn't help but frown. This was because she had been so energetic yesterday, but when she was about to serve Chen Siyuan, he claimed to be sleepy and just hugged her to sleep.

Wu'er was a smart girl. She realized that the master might be tired of the joy of siblings... However, she wanted to hand herself over to him, but the master refused, saying that she was still young.

Whenever Liu Wu'er had time to return home, Mrs. Liu would ask her about it in detail, especially about her sex life. She said that whether she was favored or not would be determined by how many times she went to bed with him in a month.

Liu Wu'er was a maid with a lady's temperament, so how could she be willing to talk about such things with Sister Liu? Besides being vague and trying to cover up the matter, she couldn't help but think about it after hearing it so many times.

This time is fine, but if my master behaves like this again in the future...how can I let him serve me?
Some things are harder to ask the more familiar someone is, so Liu Wuer kept her thoughts to herself and waited until she found the right person to talk to and ask for advice.

But Chen Siyuan, dressed in a tight outfit, had just left his own courtyard and entered the Grand View Garden when he heard someone calling out, "Master Yuan!"

Chen Siyuan stopped in surprise, and saw Xiren coming out from behind a huge rock, frowning and biting her lips, her eyes were watery, and she looked at Chen Siyuan pitifully.

Xiren stayed overnight at Hua's house yesterday. She was happy that her mother's condition had improved, but she turned around and started to argue with Hua Zifang. When she heard that she needed a lot of money, she couldn't sleep all night.

This morning, Xiren hurriedly left the Hua residence, saying she had returned early to ask Baoyu for help. Once inside the Grand View Garden, she simply stopped at the back gate to wait for Chen Siyuan's arrival.

As it was almost breakfast time, the small kitchen nearby was bustling with people, making it inconvenient to talk here. Xiren bowed and said, "Please, Master Yuan, follow me."

After saying that, he stood up and headed towards the winding mountain road.

Chen Siyuan looked around and saw that no one was paying attention to him, so he left.

After a while, they reached the cave, and Xiren finally stopped. Chen Siyuan stepped forward and saw the embarrassment on her face, and knew that she was probably short of money again.

He deliberately teased her, "Strange! You invited me here, but why aren't you talking now?"

"Uncle Yuan——" Xiren called out in a low voice, and then he lifted her chin and she slowly raised her head.

Their eyes met, and Chen Siyuan said, "I'm not a cannibal, so why don't you dare look at me?"

Xiren gritted her teeth, her heart set, and said, "Master Yuan, do you know there's a pocket alley halfway down the street?"

Seeing Chen Siyuan nod, she said, "The second one from the east." After that, she turned her head away and struggled to break free from Chen Siyuan's hand that was lifting her chin. Her face flushed red with embarrassment, and she raised her hands to cover her face and hurried back to the winding mountain road.

Another handkerchief fluttered down, and Xiren just paused for a moment before hurried away.

Chen Siyuan pondered in his heart, stepped forward and picked up the handkerchief, feeling quite complicated: he had just thought that it was a good relationship and would distract Baoyu from always looking for Lin Daiyu and Baochai, but who knew that the matter would turn out like this?
Although Xiren wasn't innocent, and her appearance and character weren't as good as Xiangling and Qingwen, I vaguely remembered her being listed in the second volume. This woman appeared gentle on the surface, but was actually treacherous. She was also someone else's maid, and Chen Siyuan probably wouldn't be responsible for her in the future... Chen Siyuan wasn't a germaphobe, so how could he miss such a good opportunity?

It is possible to win over Xiren after several attempts.

With his mind made up, Chen Siyuan quickly practiced the standing meditation and then hurried back to his own courtyard. After breakfast, he said, "We bought some people yesterday, and settling them in is quite messy. I'll go to the new house first thing in the morning. If anyone from the East Palace comes to ask, tell them I'll be back before the banquet starts this afternoon."

Hongyu and the others naturally agreed. After helping Chen Siyuan change his clothes, they watched him leave in a hurry.

However, Banbian Street and Koudai Hutong were only half a mile away from Rongguo Mansion, so Chen Siyuan simply walked straight there.

After going out of the back door of Rongguo Mansion, Chen Siyuan was afraid of being seen, so he walked through the streets and alleys and wandered around for a long time before he arrived at the destination.

When I stopped to look around, I saw that there were three houses here, with two vegetable gardens at the back. The main door in front was slightly ajar, leaving a gap.

Chen Siyuan was afraid that he would be stabbed by the attacker, so he just stopped in front of the door and coughed twice.

After a while, half of a face appeared from the crack of the door. Seeing that it was indeed Xiren, Chen Siyuan pushed the door open and went in.

The attacker bolted the door and went into the inner room in silence.

Chen Siyuan came along and asked knowingly, "Sister, you invited me here... is there something?"

Before she finished speaking, Xiren had already pulled off the mandarin duck knot around her waist. The silk ribbon tinkled as it fell to the ground, and there were several silver bells hanging on it.

When Xiren raised her eyes, she took off her clothes and skirt and threw herself into Chen Siyuan's arms. She raised her eyes and said pitifully, "

"Uncle Yuan... I will always remember the kindness he showed my family. But now our family is in a difficult situation, and my mother is ill... If Uncle Yuan could help me out again, I would... be willing to work like a slave for him."

At this point, Chen Siyuan stopped pretending and just smiled and said, "Half of the silver has been spent in the two trips... I'm certainly not short of this money, but it depends on how hard you work."

Xiren's breath was as fragrant as orchids, and though her face flushed with shame, she finally reached down and touched him. At first, she thought it was just ordinary, just a little stronger than Baoyu's... But in a moment, the handle of the whisk stretched in the wind, and Xiren was startled! Could this thing be Monkey King's weapon?
(End of this chapter)