Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 220 The hidden meaning
After a long pause, Prince Ping of Yan jumped from the carriage and squeezed the wheel, a thoughtful expression on his face. Chen Siyuan hurried forward and said, "Your Highness, this rubber tire will certainly make the ride less bumpy than usual. Furthermore, it will also make it easier to navigate. Even if you hit a rock, the wheel won't move."

"Hmm." Prince Ping of Yan stroked his chin thoughtfully. "General Yue is leading his troops away, and military supplies must be transferred from Xi'an. The round trip is more than ten thousand miles. Countless carriages have been damaged... If we had this item, perhaps we could reduce the damage."

King Ping of Yan thought to himself, "The carriage is fine, but the most troublesome thing is the cannon carriage. A general's cannon weighs at least 2,000 jin, while the siege cannons weigh over 10,000 jin. Transporting them is really inconvenient. If this latex is added..."

Just as he was pondering this, the official Huang suddenly said, "Your Majesty, His Majesty Taizong once used latex to make wheels, but it is so resistant to wear that it breaks down in just a few days."

Li Guo also tried to use latex to make tires? There was no doubt that this person was a time traveler.

Chen Siyuan thought about this and said quickly, "Your Highness, I don't know. I have tried several recipes over and over again, and this latex is the most wear-resistant. If Your Highness doesn't believe me, just send someone to test it."

King Ping of Yan nodded and said, "We must give it a try. Huang, please find two clerks to fill this cart and make two trips to Miyun to see how it goes."

"Yes." Huang responded.

Prince Ping of Yan put his hands behind his back and turned his head to talk to Chen Siyuan: "Chen Shuliang, is this the only thing you made?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "I knew I couldn't hide it from His Majesty." He then ordered his servant Qing Yu to get the rest of the items.

One is a bucket made of latex, one is a water pipe, one is a shoe sole, one is a rain boot, there are also raincoats, waist shorts, and so on.

The water pipes, shoe soles, rain boots, and raincoats were all Chen Siyuan's own ideas; the rest were the whims of his subordinates. If Chen Siyuan hadn't stopped them, someone would have tried to mix silk into latex to make armor.

Prince Ping of Yan examined them one by one, commenting on them one by one: "The bucket is nice, much lighter to carry than a wooden barrel... What's this pipe used for? Oh, a water pipe, not bad either... Is this a shoe sole? Why are there different hardnesses? Oh, the soft one is comfortable, the hard one is durable, what a thoughtful idea... What's the use of this little thing?"

Chen Siyuan blinked, wishing he could turn around and slap Qingyu in the face! He was a slob, a slob, and a slob, so why did he bring the offspring blocker with him?

He turned his head and glared at Qingyu. Seeing that he was embarrassed, Chen Siyuan hurried forward and whispered something in his ear.

King Ping of Yan frowned upon hearing this.

Chen Siyuan hurriedly whispered, "Of course, ordinary people won't need this... but in those places with brothels and willow alleys, it might be of great use. With this thing, you can avoid those diseases."

"Tsk!" King Ping of Yan frowned and tutted, taking a step back in disgust. He said to Chen Siyuan, "You're such a rare talent for economics, yet you're pursuing such lowly pursuits... You're not doing your job properly!"

Chen Siyuan looked embarrassed and felt wronged in his heart. He was just waiting to turn around and give the servant Qing Yu a good lesson!
King Ping of Yan ordered his men to pick up the items, including the inferior ones.

Chen Siyuan came out of the inner palace and kicked Qing Yu, making him stagger.

"Ouch—" Qing Yu said with a sad face: "—I was wrong, I was wrong, please forgive me this time!"

Chen Siyuan was still fuming, and with a sidelong glance he said, "This month's salary is gone!"

Qing Yu bowed and apologized profusely, but Chen Siyuan ignored him and got into the carriage.

As the carriage rumbled on, Chen Siyuan pondered, "This thing is probably done." First, the written agreement was sealed. From now on, for the next five years, 70% of the latex produced in Dashun... and indeed in all of East Asia, will be under Chen Siyuan's control. Think of it this way: OPEC only controlled 60% of global crude oil exports, yet it was already able to set the price. If OPEC can do it, why can't he, Chen Siyuan?

The second thing was that all kinds of gelatin products had passed the approval of King Ping of Yan. Although Chen Siyuan was scolded severely, he now roughly understood the temperament of this lazy prince... It seemed that the closer he was to him, the more he would scold people. If they were not familiar with each other, he might be polite to them.

Just look at how Prince Ping of Yan took everything with him before leaving, and you'll know he'll definitely show it to the Saint. If the Saint gets excited and orders tens of thousands of tires, then Chen Siyuan will have everything!

Chen Siyuan pondered this and became even more excited. It's said that when people are happy, they feel refreshed. How could this refreshing feeling compare to a clear mind and body? Chen Siyuan's lust was gradually aroused, and he thought it would be inappropriate to indulge in lust in the daytime when he returned to Rongguo Mansion, so he sent the driver to his new house near Nengren Temple.

When they arrived at the place a moment later, Chen Siyuan suddenly remembered that Aunt Xue and Baochai might still be worried about him, and he also needed to tell Li Wan... He immediately found the servant Qingyu and instructed him, "I'll give you a chance to redeem yourself and make meritorious service. Go back and find Hongyu, and tell her that the matter has been settled and the contract has been signed. Have Hongyu tell the concubine and sister-in-law Zhu about it."

The servant Qing Yu hurriedly patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, sir, there will be no problem this time!"

Chen Siyuan responded and then turned around and walked into the new house.

After watching her go inside, Qing Yu finally stood up, frowning in thought. After a long while, he suddenly realized something, blinked, and said, "You are such a good Yunxiang! I will never let you go!"

After saying this, he turned around and sat on the shaft of the carriage, urging the driver to return to Rongguo Mansion quickly.

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

It is said that Hongyu had served Chen Siyuan in the morning that day, and after breakfast, his mother Lin Zhixiao came to look for him.

The mother and daughter went to the side room and talked for a long time. Because Chen Siyuan had passed the imperial examination and had accumulated a considerable fortune, even buying a house with three courtyards and a side garden, Lin Zhixiao's wife stopped saying anything strange. Instead, she kept urging Hongyu to do her job carefully, not to offend Chen Siyuan, and not to become arrogant because of his favor.

Hongyu nodded in agreement, her eyes rolling inwardly. How could she dare disobey her own master? Her master had so many tricks up his sleeves. Fortunately, Xiangling occasionally helped, otherwise Hongyu wouldn't have been able to endure it for a day.

After seeing off the nagging mother, the snow geese came to look for her.

The two of them chatted together in the main room for a while, one talking about her own daughter and the other about her own master. Xueyan was looking forward to moving into the Grand View Garden as soon as possible so that the two of them could have more contact.

Hongyu then asked, "Have you set a date?"

Xueyan whispered, "I heard from Cuilu that the old lady asked someone to set a date for the wedding, and it's February 22nd."

Hongyu smiled and said, "Oh, but it's a coincidence. Doesn't that mean I missed Miss Lin's birth?"

Xueyan frowned and said, "That's right. How about choosing a nearby date? The garden will be finished in just a few days."

As they were talking, they suddenly heard a commotion outside. Hongyu stood up and listened carefully, then heard Yunxiang retort, "I'm helping you out of kindness, and you're blaming me?"

Then Qing Yu jumped up and said, "Help me? Auntie, thanks to your help, I won't get my monthly allowance next month!"

Yunxiang shouted even louder, "I don't know what that is... It's your fault, you didn't see it clearly!"

"I……"

Hongyu frowned and asked, "Why are these two arguing?"

Snow Goose had just tied a willow leaf knot when she took a look and said, "Oh, it's almost noon. I have to go back first."

Hongyu sent Xueyan out the door and then turned around to scold the two children, saying, "How can you be so noisy?"

"Miss Hongyu doesn't know..."

"He's a dog biting Lu Dongbin!"

"You..." Qingyu was about to say something else when he saw Yunxiang staring at him.

For some unknown reason, Qingyu suddenly became discouraged and sighed, "Forget it, forget it. It's just bad luck. I won't dare ask you for help in the future." He paused, then bowed to Hongyu and said, "Miss Hongyu, the master has instructed that the important matter has been completed and the contract has been signed. Please tell the concubine and the grandmother Zhu to avoid any worries."

"Did it work?" Hongyu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She was carrying 70,000 taels of banknotes. If anything went wrong... she wouldn't have anywhere to cry.

Hongyu inquired carefully again, and then sent the servant Qingyu away to rest. She turned around and looked for Yunxiang again, but there was no trace of the little girl.

Hongyu was too lazy to argue with Yunxiang, so she hurriedly told Xiangling something and headed towards the small courtyard in the northeast.

Both Aunt Xue and Bao-jie were concerned about this matter that day, so they both stayed in their room waiting. When Ying-erh brought Hong-yu in, mother and daughter hurried out to meet her.

Hongyu smiled, bowed, and said, "Madam, Miss Bao, my master has sent me to tell you that the matter has been completed and the contract has been obtained... The prince has sent people to test the new wheel and has collected various rubber items. I think they will be presented to the emperor in the palace someday."

After listening to Hongyu's detailed account, Aunt Xue and Bao-jie were both delighted.

Aunt Xue smiled and said, "God bless you, God bless you... By the way, why didn't Brother Yuan come by himself?"

How could Hongyu say that her master had gone to the new house to hang out with those two beauties? She just said, "There's still some work to be done. Master might not be back until the evening."

"All right, all right," Aunt Xue said with a smile, not suspecting anything. "Go get half a pound of salt-and-pepper torreya nuts and give them to Hongyu."

"Thank you, Madam!"

Aunt Xue smiled and said, "They are just some snacks, not really rewards."

Tongxi then took out a bag of salt and pepper ginkgo nuts, and Hongyu bowed to thank him again, and then Tongxi escorted her out.

After he left, Aunt Xue and Sister Bao were both delighted. One thought that if the latex turned out to be a huge profit, even if the errand from the Imperial Court was a loss, at least the imperial merchant job would be secured, and that would be enough to repay her late husband. She figured that when they met in the afterlife, her late husband wouldn't mind her and her young lover's secret affairs too much, would he?
Another thought was that Brother Yuan was indeed capable, even a prince like King Ping of Yan trusted him. Before leaving, he had even taken all the rubber items with him. If he could really present them to the emperor in the palace someday, not to mention the other benefits, Brother Yuan might even gain a reputation in his presence.

When he passes the next exam, he might become a figure among the saints. In this way, if I help him diligently, after ten or twenty years, when Brother Yuanda ascends the throne and becomes a prime minister, I might even be able to obtain a first-class imperial decree!

Sister Bao was full of romantic thoughts for a while. Sometimes she thought about her lover wearing a red robe; sometimes she thought about herself wearing a phoenix crown and a red robe... While she was thinking about it, she remembered the last time Chen Siyuan secretly pulled her hand, so she couldn't help blushing.

On the other side, Hongyu came out from the small courtyard in the northeast, and soon arrived at the three small rooms next to Li Wan's room. This was where Li Wan taught Sanchun.

It was already the end of the first month of the lunar year, and there was no longer any talk of not doing needlework, for Li Wan was now instructing the three sisters in needlework. Suyun, standing by, caught a glimpse of Hongyu's observation and came out to answer.

Hongyu repeated the same thing to Suyun, and Suyun smiled and agreed: "Don't worry, I will tell grandma after the class is over."

Hongyu didn't stay long and immediately returned to the small courtyard at the back.

As expected, the class ended a short while later. Sanchun and Xiangyun chattered about Yingchun's birthday tomorrow and headed to the back building together. Biyue brought the lunch box, Suyun served tea, and they took the opportunity to talk about the matter.

Li Wan's face remained calm after hearing this. She had more than enough money to spend in the banknotes, so how could she dare hope for more? It was a pity that it wasn't Chen Siyuan who came this time. If it had been him, Li Wan could have asked him how to answer her eldest brother, Li Chongming.

Forget it, there is still some time left. It is better to wait until Lan'er goes to study with her brother Yuan, and then find a chance to ask him myself.

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

Nanny Qu stopped in the hall and took a look around, and saw the maid Xia Zhu carrying a basin of water and going towards Loushan. She curled her lips and turned to look for Qingwen in the ear room.

At this moment, Qingwen was teaching Luan'er to recognize a needle. Luan'er was younger than her, so she started to play tricks after recognizing it twice.

Qingwen's face suddenly turned stern and she scolded, "Stop fooling around and study hard!"

Luan'er immediately agreed with a grievance. Just then, Aunt Qu pushed the door open and said, "Why are you arguing with Luan'er? She's only a few years old." Aunt Qu smiled and walked forward. She took out a handful of watermelon seeds from her purse and stuffed them into Luan'er, saying, "Go and play. Don't listen to your eldest sister."

Luan'er agreed with a smile, jumped off the kang, and went outside. Aunt Qu hurriedly warned, "Play in the garden, but don't go to the back!"

Luan'er responded vaguely and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"It's always Mammy who stops me. Now she eats well and uses things well. If she doesn't study needlework diligently, what will become of her in the future?" After a pause, Qingwen suddenly saw Mammy Qu smiling like that again. She said helplessly, "Mammy, you're nagging me again!"

Aunt Qu smiled and said, "I saw Xia Zhu had already sent water twice... I won't say much, the young lady has her own thoughts."

Qingwen said angrily, "What kind of girl am I? Is there any girl who makes a living by needlework?"

Aunt Qu curled her lips and said, "The master specially invited Wu'er to teach you to read and write, and he said you are not a girl——"

Qingwen was immediately at a loss for words and said, "I don't even want to learn, but for some reason, Master insists on making me learn to read."

Aunt Qu laughed and said, "Young lady, you are in a blessed situation but don't know how to appreciate it."

After a few more ramblings, Madam Qu finally stood up and left. Qingwen embroidered a few times on the embroidery frame, unable to help but wonder, "I wonder what's got into the master today? He's dragging Second Concubine into this frivolous affair..."

In the second sister's room in the back building, red silk hung from the top of the bed, holding the lotus-like feet of a lotus root. The feet struggled several times before finally getting out of the red silk cover.

You Erjie's heart was in turmoil. She came to her senses just now and said to Chen Siyuan angrily, "Next time, let's wait for Third Sister. I really can't bear it myself!" Chen Siyuan was thinking with his arm on his head. He just smiled when he heard her words, thinking it was just a flattery.

Who would have thought that this time You Erjie was telling the truth? She lowered her eyes to observe and calculate in her mind, only to find that the handle of the whisk had just moved half an inch too far!

You Erjie herself was frightened and didn't know how she had been able to endure it just now!

After she calmed down a little, You Erjie put on her clothes, went down to get a plate, picked up a torreya nut with her slender fingers, and was about to bite it between her teeth, but suddenly she remembered something and stopped, then slowly brought it to Chen Siyuan's mouth.

Chen Siyuan ate one and shook his head, "No, I'm saving some for lunch."

You Erjie smiled and said, "I'm not really hungry."

Chen Siyuan couldn't help but tease, "You ate so much, so you won't be hungry, right?"

You Erjie blushed and grumbled. After a moment, she leaned into Chen Siyuan's arms and said, "Master, you didn't enjoy it just now. If there's a next time... I'll ask you to come."

Chen Siyuan squinted his eyes and asked, "Is your elder sister looking for you again?"

You Erjie smiled wryly but said nothing. She had received many benefits from Youshi, so how could she not be devoted to her?

Chen Siyuan said, "To be honest with you, I don't want to be associated with Ningguo Mansion."

You Erjie said, "Master, please be merciful. What you ask for... you don't need it. Besides, you have a family and a business. How can you really go against you later?"

Chen Siyuan sneered and said nothing. He stood up and put on his clothes, letting You Erjie help him get dressed. Then he said, "Since you're not hungry, I'll go to the front to eat first."

Second Sister You hastily put on her clothes and escorted Chen Siyuan to the stairs. She turned and peeked through the window lattice as she watched him walk through the hallway to the front. She couldn't help but feel annoyed: Could it be that Third Sister said something again? The master was so vague last time, why is he refusing again this time?

After a moment's reflection, he suddenly smiled. He thought to himself, "How could this cat not steal something?" He was just saying this now that no one was around... He'd just send someone directly to the room tomorrow and see if he could control himself!

But Chen Siyuan went ahead to have lunch with Qingwen, and it was not until around 3 p.m. that he saw Third Sister You return.

Chen Siyuan was puzzled and asked, "Sister, are you checking the accounts again?"

Unexpectedly, Third Sister You pursed her lips and said, "That's not it... I've learned something these past few days. I'll show it to Brother Yuan when I've mastered it."

Chen Siyuan's curiosity was piqued, but no matter how hard he pressed her, Third Sister You just smiled and kept silent. Chen Siyuan pretended to be angry, and that night he went to find Third Sister You and played a lot of tricks on her.

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

The next day was the second day of the second month, and the second girl gave birth to a son.

Because Mrs. Xing had already made her suggestion, in addition to the share set by the public, Mrs. Xing also gave an extra twenty taels of silver to celebrate Yingchun's birthday.

In the morning, according to the rules, they set up incense and candles, burned incense, laid tea and burned paper, and then paid their respects to the elders in various places.

Mrs. Xing spent a lot of money this time. In addition to the ordinary longevity noodles, she also sent two pieces of brocade, which made little Xichun very envious.

After they had paid their respects to everyone, the sisters gathered in the garden to play.

Because Baoyu had gone to a private school that day and would not be back until the afternoon, only Sanchun, Daiyu, Baochai, Xiangyun, and Xing Xiuyan were present in the Ouxiang Pavilion.

The girls were chatting and laughing, and suddenly the topic of the daily garden entry came up. Tanchun said, "Which place did everyone choose? I chose Qiu Shuang Zhai, Second Brother Bao seems to have chosen Yi Hong Yuan, and Big Brother Yuan wants to go to Qing Tang Thatched Cottage."

Xichun said, "I chose Nuanxiangwu. It's by the water, and when I open the window I see the mountains and the water."

Baochai said, "I chose Hengwu Garden." Then she looked up at Daiyu and said with a smile, "Sister Lin chose Xiaoxiang Pavilion."

When Baochai looked at Xing Xiuyan, she smiled and said, "I had no hope as a newcomer, but I never expected that thanks to Second Sister's help... I will live with Second Sister in Zhuijin Tower from now on."

Yingchun smiled and nodded, saying, "Sister Xing has a simple and unpretentious personality. It's a good idea for us to be neighbors."

Shi Xiangyun blinked and couldn't help pouting and said, "You all moved in, but I still have to live in the green gauze cabinet."

Xing Xiuyan said, "The old lady dotes on Sister Yun. I'm afraid others can't even envy her."

Xiangyun was a carefree person. Upon hearing this, her anger turned into joy and she said with a smile, "Never mind. It's only a few steps away. I'll just visit people from time to time in the future."

Everyone agreed.

In February, the spring breeze gradually rose. Xiangyun was a restless person. She immediately remembered something and hurriedly sent her maid to find a kite. The sisters then flew kites for fun.

It was late in the afternoon when the maid from the east wing came twice to urge them to go. Finally, they reluctantly put away their kites and agreed to fly them again the next day. Then they went to the east wing together.

Mrs. Xing was rarely generous, but her actions betrayed a petty nature. She didn't invite an opera troupe, only two amusing female entertainers. The banquet was sumptuous, but the dishes were mostly New Year's goods that couldn't be stored.

After careful calculation, after deducting the public expenses, Mrs. Xing could add five taels of silver by herself, which would be a lot!
Even so, when Mrs. Xing saw Yingchun, she pulled her to her side as if she were her own daughter. She first said that Yingchun had had a hard time over the years, and then said that she had spent a lot of time celebrating her birthday. Her intention to show off made people sneer.

Soon the banquet began. The little actors from Lixiangyuan were preparing in the side room, and two female fairies came up first to entertain.

The first one was fine, but the girl at the back kept telling some funny jokes that were neither obscene nor vegetarian. Mrs. Xing was so happy that she was rolling on the floor with laughter, while Sanchun, Baochai, Daiyu, Xing Xiuyun and Xiangyun were all blushing.

Sister Feng couldn't stand it any longer, so she quickly told Madam Xing a few words. Madam Xing frowned and said, "It was just a joke. The rules in our mansion are very strict. You can't talk about this or that. No wonder the young lady asked for double the price when she heard she wanted to come to our house."

After mumbling a lot of complaints, Mrs. Xing finally gave the woman some money to let her leave.

The gongs and drums sounded, and the little actor came on stage to perform, and the girls finally felt relieved.

After the piece was finished, Mrs. Xing saw that Chen Siyuan had not yet arrived, so she went to find Miao'er and said, "Go and see why my brother hasn't come yet."

Miao'er responded and went to look for him. After a long while, she returned and said, "Madam, Hongyu said it's an unfortunate coincidence today. My brother has a friend visiting, so he's gone out for a drink... He said Shen Zhengyi will definitely be back."

Madam Xing frowned and said, "It's really... why did you come at such a bad time instead of earlier?"

Waving her hand to send Miao'er away, Mrs. Xing secretly thought of her luck and no longer had any interest in watching the show.

This was because Chen Siyuan mentioned it last time, saying that if the latex business flourished, it would definitely make the master want to marry his daughter off.

Mrs. Xing has been thinking to herself these days, if this is really the case, why not go with the flow?

Firstly, she had adopted Yingchun, so she would have to find a suitable marriage for her in the future. Secondly, Yingchun was a very soft-hearted person, and in the future, she would be both her mother-in-law and her own mother, so wouldn't she have to decide what she said? Thirdly, Mrs. Xing, having had her plans ruined repeatedly, was increasingly eager to visit the thief frequently. If Yingchun married him, she would naturally be able to visit him regularly with justification.

As for the eldest master Jia She's thoughts, Mrs. Xing naturally knew it clearly... It was just for a few cents. If the little thief really got rich this time, would she still care about those few coins?
And after this, who knows, the little thief will become very popular. She is a girl sought after by hundreds of families, who knows, she will become a boy sought after by hundreds of families!
As the saying goes, he who strikes first gains the advantage, and he who strikes last suffers. Mrs. Xing thought that it was a good opportunity to match the two of them up in person when Yingchun gave birth to a child.

But who would have thought that the little thief would be delayed by this weird friend today!
After a while, Mrs. Xing, who was not a shrewd person, became more and more impatient.

Besides the other girls, Li Wan and Sister Feng were also there. Li Wan never meddled in other people's affairs, so Sister Feng couldn't help but take a few extra glances.

Seeing Mrs. Xing's anxious look, he couldn't help but feel puzzled.

By the time it was well past 3:00 PM, Mrs. Xing was growing increasingly impatient and sent Miao'er out to look for him again. This time, she was quicker; in a moment, Miao'er led Chen Siyuan inside and said from a distance, "Madam, my brother is here."

Chen Siyuan smiled and stepped forward, saying, "A friend invited me to visit you, so I've been delayed for a while. I hope my aunt and second sister will forgive me."

Mrs. Xing couldn't help but say angrily, "If you don't come, this life will be over."

Chen Siyuan laughed and was wondering where to sit when Madam Xing said, "Come, sit next to me."

"this--"

Apart from Baoyu, there was a table full of female relatives, so where could Chen Siyuan sit?
Madam Xing continued, "Even the Empress has let you into the garden, yet you're so suspicious. They're actually related, so why should we be so cautious?"

Feng Jieer was originally sitting to the left of Madam Xing, feeling impatient. Upon hearing this, she stood up, moved her chair, and called out, "Brother Yuan, come quickly."

Chen Siyuan finally agreed and leisurely sat down next to Madam Xing. He greeted the other sisters, his eyes lingering briefly on Baochai, Daiyu, and Xing Xiuyan. Then he raised his glass and said, "Today is my fault. I will punish myself with three cups as an apology to my second sister."

Yingchun smiled and said, "Brother Yuan, just have one cup, no need for three."

Mrs. Xing immediately curled her lips and said happily, "Look, my daughter is the most considerate. Since she said so, I will forgive you this time."

Chen Siyuan felt strange, but drank it all in one gulp with a smile on his face.

Who would have thought that just as he put down his wine glass, Madam Xing couldn't wait to say, "You two are cousins, after all. Brother Yuan, your second sister is weak-willed. There are only those servants in the family who are not good at it. You never know when she will bully her.

But she also knows that my words are useless, so she keeps it a secret. Every time she finds out, it makes me feel so distressed. Brother Yuan has a good heart and is the best at suppressing those evil spirits. From now on, you should visit your second sister's room more often, even if it's just to talk every now and then.

As soon as these words came out, not only Chen Siyuan, but even little Xichun could sense something was wrong. Yingchun would be sixteen today, and Chen Siyuan would be sixteen soon. They were both of the same age, and it was time for them to talk about marriage.

At this time, Mrs. Xing was arranging for the two of them to interact frequently, and the meaning behind it was self-evident!

Xichun, Tanchun and Xiangyun were fine, they were just curious and watching the fun, but Xichun was somewhat happy to see it happen; Daiyu's marriage certificate had been finalized long ago, and both of them were concubines, so it didn't matter who Chen Siyuan married as his principal wife in the future; Xing Xiuyan had also been finalized long ago, and she would become a concubine once Chen Siyuan married his principal wife in the future; only Sister Bao had forced herself not to change her expression just now!

She and Chen Siyuan were in love and had become increasingly inseparable recently, but because of Aunt Xue, they had concealed their actions. Who knew that Madam Xing would intervene and try to bring Chen Siyuan and Yingchun together?

Sister Bao's face was calm. She turned to look at the second daughter, Yingchun, and saw that Yingchun's face was flushed with embarrassment. She lowered her delicate head and dared not look at anyone. But she couldn't help it. She raised her eyes and quickly glanced at Chen Siyuan, then quickly turned her head away.

How could Baojie not see the childishness of this? She thought, "Brother Daoyuan is such a talented man, how many girls can resist being attracted to him?" Second sister Yingchun was indeed secretly moved!

Sister Bao's hands under the table were tightly twisting the handkerchief, and she turned her head to glance at Chen Siyuan.

Chen Siyuan groaned inwardly, but he had no choice but to respond to Madam Xing's words. He thought for a moment and said with a smile, "Is there such a thing? Don't be afraid, cousin. If you ever have such trouble in the future, just send Siqi to find me and I'll help you vent your anger."

Yingchun shyly agreed. Madam Xing smiled and wanted to say something more, but she saw Chen Siyuan's unfriendly expression, so she stopped talking awkwardly.

"Let's go to the show, why did it stop? Brother Yuan also ordered a 10% discount?"

Just then, Wang Shanbao, the housekeeper, came in and said, "Madam, Lingguan's voice isn't feeling well. We'll have to change the next act."

Mrs. Xing frowned in displeasure, but Chen Siyuan didn't wait for her to speak before saying, "Aunt, you don't know, but it was my classmate from the Imperial College, Wei Zhaogao, who came to see me today. He enjoys opera and has come up with a piece of his own, but he's not good at writing lyrics. Knowing that I'm good at poetry, he asked me for help."

Mrs. Xing was confused and said with a smile, "So, my brother even wrote a play of his own?"

"Indeed, this opera is called Wujiapo. After listening to Brother Wei sing for a long time this afternoon, I have learned a little bit. Why don't you lend me some money and let the sisters listen to this piece of music as well?"

"Okay."

Xichun clapped her hands and praised loudly, "Great, great! I didn't know Brother Yuan could sing opera too! Come on, sing and liven things up!"

Without waiting for Madam Xing to reply, Chen Siyuan stood up and bowed to all around. He cleared his throat and, without leaving the table, began to sing: "Remembering those days, my tears never dry. The colorful pavilion and the embroidered ball paired with a perfect match. Pinggui surrendered the Red Mane War. The King of Tang rewarded me with an official title to the Governor's Office..."

"

The pair of soft hands under the table first loosened the handkerchief, then entangled it tightly! Sister Bao was not stupid, how could she not hear the hidden meaning of the song? At this time, there was already a storybook, and Xue Pinggui's wife was Wang Baochuan, Baochai, Baochuan, and the word Wang was Baochai's mother's surname. This was clearly a song expressing her feelings!

If it weren't for the fact that this was happening in front of everyone, Sister Bao would have loved to throw herself into Chen Siyuan's arms right then and there! However, she couldn't, so she just gritted her teeth and pretended to be calm.

(End of this chapter)