Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 221 Difficulties

After singing a short piece, Chen Siyuan bowed and said, "I didn't sing well. I'm sorry, sisters, for making fun of me."

Tanchun and Xichun were the first to clap their hands in praise. Tanchun then said, "Brother Yuan's lyrics are excellent, but I wonder if this piece of music is famous?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and replied, "It's called Wujiapo."

Xichun asked, "It sounds a little different from the music you usually listen to?"

Chen Siyuan would never say that what he just sang was a weird Peking opera. He just said, "I sang it randomly. I haven't learned it before, so it's natural that my singing is out of tune."

Xiangyun said, "It sounds good, Brother Yuan, there's no need to be so modest."

Among the others at the banquet, Feng Jieer was not well-read; Lady Xing had never been educated; Li Wan glanced at Chen Siyuan deliberately, but it was unclear whether she had understood what was going on; Yingchun was still shy; Baoyu took the opportunity to talk about a friend who, although a man, was good at singing female roles; Xing Xiuyan vaguely noticed this, but her face remained calm, but her eyes would occasionally glance at Xue Baochai.
Daiyu remembered that she seemed to have read a storybook, in which there was Xue Pinggui, whose wife had been waiting in the cold kiln for eighteen years. It seemed that her name was Wang Baochuan?
Daiyu's heart stirred, and her eyes, half weeping and half crying, glanced towards Baochai. But Baochai's face was so calm that she could not see the slightest change.

Could it be that I was overthinking it? Daiyu was suspicious and glanced at Baochai again.

Sister Bao was trying hard to hold back her anger, but after being stared at by Daiyu for a long time, Sister Bao could not stand it any longer, so she started singing again and turned her head to stare back at her with her watery almond eyes.

Daiyu originally thought that she was overthinking it, but when she saw Baochai like this, she immediately covered her mouth and laughed.

Sister Bao came over and whispered, "Why are you always looking at me?"

Daiyu covered her mouth and whispered in Bao's ear, "I was the one who felt sorry for Sister Bao just now."

"Ok?"

"When I think about how Sister Bao will have to endure eighteen years of hardship in the cold kiln, I feel incredibly guilty."

Sister Bao's pretty face flushed immediately, and she lowered her voice and said, "You good girl, come teasing me again, watch your back!"

Daiyu's sweet giggles stirred up a chorus of laughter, which in turn made Xiangyun, who was sitting below her, very curious. She could not help coming over and asking, "Sister Bao, Sister Lin, what funny jokes are you telling? Tell them to me, too."

Daiyu squinted her eyes and said, "Sister Yun, do you really want to hear it?"

"Ah."

"Why don't you just call me Sister Lin and I'll tell you."

Xiangyun blinked, then pouted and turned her head away: "Forget it, humph!"

After two more acts were performed, Mrs. Xing saw that everyone had finished their meal, so she ordered the table to be cleared and tea and snacks to be served. Everyone sat around and talked for a while, when the head maid, Amber, came to urge them to finish, saying that the old lady missed Baoyu and Xiangyun.

Seeing this, Mrs. Xing said, "In that case, let's go home today and have fun together again tomorrow."

At that moment, all the maids and old women rushed in from outside, helped the young man and the young lady put on their cloaks, and then came out chattering.

Xing Xiuyan lived outside the Sanchuang Yimen Gate. Xiangyun was a straightforward and kind person. Seeing this, she said, "It's really inconvenient for Sister Xing to live here. She should move to Zhuijin Tower in a few days."

There were only three rooms in this wing. Xing Xiuyan and Zhuan'er lived in the east room, and Xing Zhenshi and Xing Zhong lived in the west room. Xing Zhong and his wife were not yet forty, and they had to go to bed every night. Xing Xiuyan would be seventeen the following year, so it was naturally very inconvenient.

Xiangyun's words were somewhat revealing. Xing Xiuyan knew that Xiangyun had good intentions, so she smiled and said, "Miss Yun is right. I am also eager to move to Zhuijin Tower as soon as possible."

After glancing at Chen Siyuan twice, Xing Xiuyan and Zhuan'er returned to the side room.

Chen Siyuan chatted animatedly with Xichun and Tanchun, but he lagged far behind Yingchun, Baochai, Daiyu, and Xiangyun. Baochai, having been spotted by Daiyu and teased about her, was about to find a way out, but Xiangyun got on her nerves, and she had to think up a joke.

Xiangyun was very proud after hearing this, and said to Daiyu, "If Sister Lin doesn't tell me, Sister Bao will tell me."

Daiyu just covered her mouth and smiled, looking at Xiangyun like a silly girl, and didn't care about her.

In a blink of an eye, they returned to Rongguo Mansion from the corner gate. Xiangyun wanted to go back to the green gauze cabinet, so she went with Baoyu; Daiyu ignored Baochai and went straight to the back building with the three sisters.

So only Chen Siyuan and Baochai were left, entering the inner quarters through the corner door beside the stables. Once inside the small corridor, Ying'er, carrying a lantern, went ahead, leaving Chen Siyuan and Baochai behind to talk.

After all, it was Sister Bao. She had been agitated then, but now she had calmed down and was weighing the pros and cons again. She said to Chen Siyuan, "It's just the eldest lady making the decision arbitrarily. I didn't say anything. Why are you so anxious?"

Chen Siyuan walked with his hands behind his back, teasingly saying, "I don't understand what you mean, sister."

Sister Bao said angrily, "If you keep acting crazy and stupid... I won't pay any attention to you from now on."

Chen Siyuan then laughed and said, "It was just a song. Who could make up a story out of it?"

Sister Bao said, "Sister Lin has heard it."

Chen Siyuan was stunned when he heard this, and thought to himself that this was not unusual. With a Jinshi master as a teacher, there were countless rare and valuable books in the room. Daiyu had no idea how many books she had read privately, so it was not unusual for her to occasionally read Xue Pinggui's storybook.

He then said, "I don't think Sister Lin would say anything else."

Baochai thought to herself, if her situation were reversed, her own marriage would have been decided long ago, and for the sake of her family lineage, she would have had to be a concubine. Who her husband would choose as his principal wife would have been none of her business. If she could choose a close friend, perhaps she would be happy instead.

Baochai often went to talk to Daiyu, and she had learned a great deal about her temper. After pondering this, she finally breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Do you remember what I told you last time? Sister Lin is all alone and helpless. Now the old lady only sees her once every three or five days. She looks so pitiful."

Chen Siyuan nodded in agreement. He wanted to spend more time with Daiyu, but it was difficult for a stranger like him to go to the back building.

Passing Mengpo Zhai, the small courtyard to the northeast loomed before her. Baochai slowed her pace, feeling deeply reluctant to leave. She then said to Chen Siyuan, "It's all my fault... If I had convinced Mother earlier, why would we have to hide it so much now? It seems Second Sister has her own concerns..."

Chen Siyuan pondered and said, "Don't worry, sister. I'm afraid this matter won't pass the test of the master."

Seeing Ying'er knocking on the door, Sister Bao pursed her lips and thought for a moment, then took a small step sideways and reached out to tug at Chen Siyuan's hand: "Don't be impatient from now on. I trust you in my heart. What do other people say? It's none of my business."

"Yeah." Chen Siyuan smiled and shook his hand back.

Sister Bao felt shy and pulled twice, but when she couldn't get free, she said coquettishly, "Tongxi is out."

Chen Siyuan then let go of his soft hand, watched the pretty figure walk into the door, and turned back to look at her tenderly.

After the door closed, Chen Siyuan walked away, humming to himself, "Bao Longtu is meditating in Kaifeng Mansion..."

Things were different now. After finally winning Bao-sister's affection, Chen Siyuan was determined not to give in. Second sister Yingchun was a good girl, but she was still a little behind Bao-sister.

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Outside the third-floor ceremonial gate, there are wing rooms.

Zhuan'er helped Xing Xiuyan remove her headgear and change her clothes, then said, "Sister, you don't have enough makeup."

Xing Xiuyan asked, "Didn't the government just send it out?"

Zhuan'er pouted and said, "I did get it, but it smells musty when I get it. I'm afraid it's useless. I asked Sister Tiao'er during the day, and she said that the compradors in the mansion always buy useless things, so the girls and maids all ask others to buy them themselves."

Xing Xiuyan thought that she didn't have much powder and rouge left, so she said, "Then I'll give you some money later. Tomorrow, you can find a way and ask carefully, and then find someone to buy it for us."

Zhuan'er immediately and happily agreed. Although she was young, she loved beauty and often painted herself like the little girls in New Year pictures.

The door creaked open, and Xing Xiuyan turned to see her mother, Xing Zhenshi, walking in. Xing Zhenshi smiled and complained, "I didn't expect this birth to be so tiring. I just took four maids with me for ages to dismantle the stage."

Xing Xiuyan remained silent. She knew her mother's situation. Relying on her relationship with Madam Xing, she would boss people around in the east courtyard every day. Even when dismantling a stage, it was Xing Zhen who would direct the process, leaving the other maids to do the rest.

Xing Zhen smiled and sat next to Xing Xiuyan, pulling her hand and saying, "It sounds to me like your aunt is trying to match Yuan'er with the second young lady?"

Xing Xiuyan said, "Mom, why are you listening to this? I can't be the principal wife anyway, so who my cousin marries in the future is none of our business."

"Oh, my silly daughter, that's not how you say it!" Xing Zhen frowned and muttered, "No matter how much you and Brother Yuan are in love, you always have to look up to the wife. If the wife has a strong personality, like Second Mistress Lian, look at how stubborn Brother Lian is. If he's not seeking relief from his sexual desires with the servants, or flirting with those questionable wives in the mansion. Even Ping'er only spends a few days a year with him."

Xing Xiuyan was still a girl, how could she bear to hear such words? She blushed and said, "Mom, stop talking."

Xing Zhen spoke earnestly, "This is all learned from experience. If I don't tell you, you'll definitely suffer in the future. You think those boudoir affairs are like a flood or a beast, but in fact, they are just that. What couple in the world doesn't love each other? Today, mother will teach you a lesson. If a man dotes on you, he will naturally seek you out for affection. But if his mind changes, I'm afraid he won't seek you out anymore."

Xing Xiuyan couldn't stand it any longer, so she found an excuse to get up and leave. Unexpectedly, Xing Zhen pulled her back and continued to mutter, "When you go to Zhuijin Tower sometime, you must get along well with the Second Young Lady. If the Second Young Lady does marry Yuan Ge'er, she has a soft personality. If you two get along well, maybe you'll be more open-minded in the future."

Xing Xiuyan stammered and tried to cover it up. After Xing Zhenshi left for the western wing, Xing Xiuyan blushed and pondered for a long while. She thought to herself, I just shook hands with Yuan Ge'er, why should I think about the etiquette of family ties now?

When Xing Xiuyan regained consciousness, she saw Zhuan'er floating back and forth before her eyes again, so she stood up and rummaged through the boxes to find the silver box. Last time, Chen Siyuan gave her a bag of golden melon seeds, but she had never used them.

Who knew they couldn't find it even after searching through all the boxes and cages! Xing Xiuyan's face changed, and Zhuan'er came over to help look for it.

When Xing Zhen finished her work, she came back to the east room. Seeing the two men frantically searching through boxes and cabinets, she asked, "What are you looking for?"

Zhuan'er said nothing with a bitter face. Xing Xiuyan bit her lower lip and said, "Mom, have you seen my silver box? It contains the golden melon seeds my cousin gave me last time."

"Ah?" Xing Zhen's face turned pale with horror.

Zhuan'er then said, "It's a full ten taels of gold... but did Madam use it?"

"Stop talking nonsense!" Xing Zhen scolded, frowning and thinking for a moment. Then she clapped her hands and said, "Oh no! I was wondering why I saw your father happily taking a silver box away yesterday. It turns out he took it!"

Xing Xiuyan sighed when she heard this, knowing that with Xing Zhong's personality, he would not be found until the ten taels of gold melon seeds were all distributed.

Xing Zhen refused to give up and jumped up and down, saying, "My son, Brother Yuan gave me so many golden melon seeds, why didn't you tell me? What should I do... What should I do..."

Xing Xiuyan thought to herself, "Wouldn't it be the same if I gave it to you?" Daddy's been trying so hard, maybe you'd spill the beans yourself.

Xing Zhen frowned and turned around, then said, "No, I'll go find your father. That's ten taels of gold!"

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In the main house of the east wing.

The eldest master Jia She had just taken the pill and was about to have some fun with the little girl Cuiyun, but Cuiyun told him what had happened at the table.

The eldest master, Jia She, had been waiting to sell Yingchun for a good price, and had hinted at this several times, but Chen Siyuan had been recalcitrant, which had annoyed Jia She greatly, and he naturally had a grudge against Chen Siyuan. Hearing that Lady Xing was clearly trying to match the two of them up while Yingchun was giving birth, the eldest master was immediately anxious!

He immediately rushed over, frowned, and scolded, "Let me ask you, what nonsense did you say at the banquet just now?"

Madam Xing complained, "Master, what you said... I just said a few words to suit the situation. How could that be nonsense?"

"You still dare to quibble? The people around here are not blind or deaf. I have heard your words about trying to match Yingchun and Yuange'er together!"

Mrs. Xing blinked and said, "Master has been thinking about bringing these two together since the beginning..."

"Shut up!" Jia She frowned, pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back. "Even if we want to bring them together, there's no need to rush now... At least wait until Yuan Ge passes the next exam."

Mrs. Xing immediately scoffed. By the time the next spring exam comes, the second young lady will be twenty. How can she stay at home? Knowing that the eldest master is just trying to get benefits, Mrs. Xing said, "Master, I heard from Brother Yuan that he has invested hundreds of thousands of silver dollars in a large business this time."

Jia She was stunned and said, "How come I don't know?"

After being stunned for a while, he became annoyed and thought to himself that maybe it was because of the complications with Yingchun that Yuan Ge'er became estranged from him?

I felt a little regretful. If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have said it so firmly. I should have kept the carrot dangling in front of the donkey. Now, look what happened. I made a fortune with hundreds of thousands of dollars in capital, and I was completely unaware of it!
Jia She felt a mixture of emotions. He hurried to Mrs. Xing's side and said, "Tell me quickly, what has Brother Yuan found for a living?"

"Okay, it looks like some kind of latex." "Latex?"

Mrs. Xing also had a vague understanding of the matter, so she told him everything she knew.

After hearing this, Jia She rubbed his chin and pondered for a long time, but he was no longer upset. This was because it was Emperor Taizong Li Guo who strongly advocated the introduction of this latex. In the following decades, the imperial court had tried many times but had not been able to find any effect.

This substance is difficult to preserve and will become unusable after six months at most. Furthermore, the objects made with it will become brittle and break easily over time. So, even if Chen Siyuan was capable, could he still change the nature of latex?
Hiss… Could this be another gimmick like that sea trade? Then, they'll pass the parcel, selling the shares at a high price to make a killing?
Thinking of this, Jia She was no longer anxious. He just frowned and said, "It's hard to say... Anyway, let's wait and see."

Mrs. Xing looked at Jia She eagerly and said, "Master, what about Yingchun and Yuange'er—"

Jia She squinted and said, "Why are you in such a hurry? You should remain calm in times of crisis. If Brother Yuan can really make a living, I will decide to marry Yingchun to him."

Mrs. Xing trusted Chen Siyuan very much and said immediately, "Okay, okay, I guess we'll know whether it's successful or not in a few days."

Jia She responded and was about to get up to look for Cuiyun when he heard a commotion outside. Listening carefully, he discovered that it was Xing Zhenshi and Xing Zhong arguing.

The eldest master Jia She frowned in displeasure and said, "How can you make such a fuss?" After that, he snorted coldly and left.

Mrs. Xing was also puzzled, and immediately called Miao'er and ordered, "Go and take a look, what's the matter?"

Miao'er agreed and hurried forward to take a look. After a while, when the clamor had died down, Miao'er returned and told Mrs. Xing, "Madam, I heard that my uncle stole ten taels of gold and spent it all in just two days. My uncle's wife is arguing with my uncle."

Madam Xing blinked and asked in surprise, "Ten taels of gold? He's only been here for a short time, how could he have so much?"

Miao'er shook her head and said, "I don't know about that."

Mrs. Xing waved her hand to send Miao'er away, frowned and thought for a while, and suddenly she realized: Yes, it must have been the little thief who gave it to Xing Xiuyan secretly!

Perhaps it was the alcohol, and the fact that she hadn't rekindled her past with the thief, that made Mrs. Xing feel resentful. However, she had to leave for the Niangniang Temple tomorrow to fulfill her vow, so it would take several days to settle the score with the thief.

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

The next morning, Jia Lian was busy running around. Seeing that Mrs. Xing had already boarded the carriage, but the eldest master Jia She was nowhere to be seen, he kept sending people to urge him to come. After a long time, the eldest master Jia She finally got out, holding his waist.

Then, a group of seven or eight carriages left Rongguo Mansion and headed straight east.

Miao'er, the maid, saw Madam Xing off, then happily carried her small bundle back home. The first day was to visit her parents, and the second day... Yuan'er was waiting for her.

It is said that Chen Siyuan got up at noon that day. He was worried about the workshop outside the city, so he had breakfast and took a car to the outer city.

Let's not talk about his side for now. Meanwhile, Daiyu had finished her breakfast and, thinking that Baojie would definitely come to look for her, she decided to take the initiative and led Xueyan and Zijuan to the northeast courtyard.

Just as Baojie thought, since the marriage had been decided long ago, Daiyu naturally had no other thoughts. The principal wife had nothing to do with her, so if that was the case, it would be better to find a close friend, so that there would be a lively atmosphere in the future and she wouldn't be too lonely.

They went straight to the northeast courtyard and happened to see Aunt Xue with Tongxi and Tonggui going to the old house for a few days. Daiyu and Baojie watched Aunt Xue go. When Baojie turned around, she pulled Daiyu's arm and said, "My dear Rong'er, I didn't go looking for you, but you came to me on your own!"

Seeing she couldn't break free, Daiyu's bright eyes darted around, and she reached out to scratch Baojie's ribs. Baojie was very ticklish there, and she screamed in surprise and squatted on the ground.

Daiyu laughed and said, "I have taken advantage of your weakness, and you still dare to pick a fight with me?"

Sister Bao immediately pouted and became very angry, and Daiyu chuckled again. Then the two girls went inside, sent all the maids away, and talked to each other face to face in private.

Daiyu said, "I never thought that Sister Bao actually had a special affection for Brother Yuan."

Baochai deliberately sought Daiyu's friendship so that they could get along better in the future. Knowing Daiyu wouldn't gossip behind her back, she spoke frankly, "I can't quite figure out how things have turned out like this. I still remember how I felt such a strong dislike for her when she first came into the house."

"Disgusted?"

Sister Bao frowned and said, "Every time we meet, he always says something sarcastic and hurtful, and I can't argue with him. Isn't it annoying?"

Daiyu had just turned twelve and given birth to a child. Although she was beginning to fall in love, she did not know the subtle ups and downs of emotions in love between men and women.

At that moment, he only said: "That golden marriage——"

Sister Bao sneered and said, "Stop talking! This was all my mother's idea. I never agreed with it myself."

Daiyu observed her expression and said with a smile, "So Sister Bao looks down on Baoyu."

Baochai smiled bitterly and said, "How old is he? He's just a naughty boy, prone to temper. He's been pampered since childhood and can't stand the slightest injustice. He's like a flower nurtured in a flower hall, unable to withstand the slightest wind and rain."

Besides, Aunt Wang had broken her promise. She had promised to do so earlier, but now that the eldest daughter had been promoted to Consort Xiande, she immediately became vague. Since the Song and Ming dynasties, relatives of the emperor's wife had always been undervalued. Furthermore, according to the rules of the Dashun era, even if Yuanchun was lucky enough to be promoted to Imperial Consort, the benefits would be to Jia Zheng and Lady Wang, not Baoyu.
Brother Yuan is different. Not to mention that they are in love with each other, in terms of age, character, ability, and talent, which one can Baoyu compare with?

This business of making rubber latex worth hundreds of thousands of silver coins, if successful, he would one day be listed on the imperial list, and would surely be a figure chosen by the sage. Perhaps, considering his talent like Tao Zhu, he would be allowed to study at the Ministry of Revenue, becoming a minister for ten or twenty years, and then ascend to the throne and become a prime minister...

When Daiyu saw that Baochai's eyes were becoming increasingly infatuated, she immediately covered her mouth and giggled, thinking that Baochai and Chen Siyuan were in love.

After Baochai came to her senses, Daiyu said, "I looked carefully yesterday, and it seems that only Sister Xing and Sister Zhu discovered what was going on. Sister Zhu never meddles in other people's business, and Sister Xing is also very beautiful and intelligent, so I don't think she would gossip about it."

Baochai sighed and said distressedly, "Everything else is easy to talk about. I just don't know how to convince mother now."

Daiyu then said, "Why are you troubling yourself with such trivial matters? Brother Yuan has the best solution, so why not let him find one?"

Baochai laughed and said, "How do you know he didn't come up with any ideas? It's just that this idea is slow to take effect and will take time."

Hearing her say this, Daiyu was at a loss for a moment and could only comfort her with a few words.

Baoyu and Daiyu discussed this matter and then found some chess pieces to play. At noon, they had lunch together. Daiyu took a nap every afternoon, and just as she was about to leave, Ying'er came in and said, "Miss, Sister Hongyu from Master Yuan's room is here."

"Please."

Ying'er agreed and brought Hongyu in in a moment.

Baochai looked up and saw Hongyu holding something. Before she could ask, Hongyu caught sight of Daiyu and said with a smile, "So Miss Lin is at Miss Bao's. Sister Xiangling went to the back building earlier to give Miss Lin something."

Daiyu laughed and said, "What did your master send you again?"

Hongyu smiled and said, "I won't tell you. You two girls can see for yourselves."

As he spoke, he handed the thing to Ying'er, who then held it before Baochai. Baochai and Daiyu gathered together to examine it, and they saw that it was a cloak made of shiny patent leather.
Sister Bao spread it out and saw that it was indeed a large coat, but it was heavy to the touch, and the texture was leather but not leather. It had a hood and the outer layer was black and smooth, which showed that it was waterproof.

"Could it be a straw raincoat?"

Hongyu immediately smiled and nodded, saying, "Master sent Qingyu back with this, saying it was newly made in the workshop, so it's a good opportunity for you girls to try it out. It's only February now, and I'm afraid it's going to rain a lot once we move into the garden. Walking around with an umbrella will inevitably get your skirts wet. This raincoat is easier to put on and take off than a straw raincoat, so you two girls can take advantage of the rain to explore the garden."

Daiyu exclaimed, "What a beautiful thing!" After a pause, she added, "It's only black, no other colors?"

Hongyu said, "It's just been made, and it hasn't been painted yet."

Baochai then said, "Thank you, Brother Yuan, for me... By the way, when did Brother Yuan leave today? Is breakfast ready?"

Hongyu answered all the questions one by one, and only said goodbye and left after Baochai asked some more questions.

As soon as she left, Daiyu stood up and said, "I'm going to go see my female disciple." She then led Xueyan and Zijuan back to the back building and said no more.

After seeing Daiyu off, Sister Bao returned to her room, stroking her raincoat, and could not help but feel lost in thought. It was precisely when longing for love was most unbearable that the worry had just subsided, only to return to the surface.

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Near Nengren Temple is the new house of the Chen family.

The carriage stopped and the driver found a footstool. Xia Zhu hurriedly opened the curtain and helped You Erjie down.

Second Sister You's face was as gloomy as water, her brows slightly furrowed. When she returned to the back building, she couldn't help but sigh, "If I had known this would happen, I should have followed the master to wander around Jiangnan that day."

The maid Xia Zhu was not good at speaking and kept silent at this time.

It was because You Erjie had been learning accounting from Widow Dou for a long time, and even recently the account books could recognize her, but she couldn't! Today, You Sanjie was trying to make things difficult for her, so she watched You Erjie do the accounting from the side.

As a result, she was wrong here and wrong there, and You Erjie was severely ridiculed by You Sanjie.

You Erjie was embarrassed, and she knew that she was not cut out to manage accounts, so she simply took a car back and had no intention of going to Baicaotang to make a fool of herself in the future.

After being depressed for a while, You Erjie couldn't hold it in any longer, so she took Xia Zhu to Ningguo Mansion.

When he arrived at Ningguo Mansion by carriage, he saw Jia Rong coming hurriedly as soon as he got off the car.

When the two of them met, Jia Rong didn't dare to act rashly. He greeted them politely and left in a hurry with his servant.

You Erjie ignored Jia Rong and followed the maid through the ceremonial gate. In a moment, they arrived at You's courtyard.

The two sisters met and exchanged a few words before Youshi sent the maid and the old woman away.

When they were the only two left, You Erjie thought that Youshi was going to bring up the old matter again, but Youshi said, "Someone from the Guo family came again yesterday."

You Erjie's heart skipped a beat when she heard this, and she frowned and asked, "Is Mom causing trouble again?"

Yu Shi gritted her teeth and said, "It's all Rong'er's fault!"

Jia Rong had been hanging out with Old Lady You, and he had frequently given her Wuxiang Pills. This pill was addictive after just a few uses, and Old Lady You had to work very hard to wean her off it.

Old Lady You was a hedonistic person, so how could she have the energy to give up this thing? So after Old Lady You had spent all her money, she sent someone to ask for the money. Old Lady You was afraid of Third Sister You, and feared she would tie her up again, so this time she only came to look for Youshi.

After hearing what she said, You Erjie immediately breathed a sigh of relief and said, "How much are those Wuxiang Pills? If you're short on money, we sisters can just pool our money and buy some."

"That's not the case." Yu Shi shook her head and frowned, feeling that the Wuxiang Pills were not a good thing. However, this thing was highly praised by the nobles, so Yu Shi didn't know how to continue.

You Erjie didn't care either. She just said, "I've already told Master about that matter with my eldest sister twice."

Yu Shi really became anxious: "He...what did he say?"

You Erjie smiled and whispered, "What can the master say? Third Sister is trying to stop it privately." Seeing You Shi frown and sigh, You Erjie said, "But the hermit has a clever plan... I'll send Xia Zhu to invite you tomorrow. Sister, remember to come quickly. I'll definitely fulfill your wish."

When Youshi recalled the madness of that day, she folded her hands over her abdomen, feeling an unusual burning sensation in her heart. She forced herself to remain calm.

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But the next day, Chen Siyuan found Miao'er as expected. He first went to the Imperial Household Department to buy a set of headgear for her, and then naturally went to the Da Gezi Lane.

Miao'er had already set her sights on him, and when they got there, she was only half-hearted. After Chen Siyuan coaxed her for a few words, she gave herself to him.

Afterwards, Chen Siyuan's sweet words and tenderness were no longer mentioned. Three days later, the two finally separated. Miao'er returned to the east wing of Rongguo Mansion, and Chen Siyuan also came to his own small courtyard.

Who knew that just after taking a short nap, Yunxiang came running in, yelling, "Master, Yun'er is waiting at the back door. He said he has something urgent to tell you!"

"Oh?" Jia Yun had been taking care of the workshop. Could something have happened there?
Chen Siyuan hurriedly got up and left, fearing a murder case had occurred in the workshop. When he reached the back door, Jia Yun frowned and bowed, saying, "Uncle Yuan, disaster has struck! Xu Laoshi's family ran away during the night!"

(End of this chapter)