Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 223: Offering
As Chen Siyuan reached the black-oil gate, he saw Tiao'er helping Madam Xing out of a carriage. Her face was filled with sorrow, evidently indicating a difficult journey. Just as Chen Siyuan was about to step forward to greet them, he saw Jia She and his concubine Jiaohong exit a carriage behind them.

Jiaohong was in high spirits, holding a bunch of purple bamboo in her hands. The master supported her waist as she walked. It seemed that she had gone through a lot of trouble on this trip.

Chen Siyuan greeted Jia She again, and Jia She said, "It's been a busy day today. I know that Brother Yuan is always filial. I don't need you to serve me today. Go down and rest."

Chen Siyuan agreed, and then exchanged a glance with Mrs. Xing before returning to Rongguo Mansion with Jia Lian.

Without mentioning Chen Siyuan, let's talk about the eldest master Jia She, who left Jiaohong and went straight to the study to rest. He had just finished drinking a cup of tea when a servant came in, wanting to say something but hesitant.

Jia She glanced at him and said, "What's the matter?"

The servant said, "Master... I just heard that Master Yuan's business seems to be losing money."

"Huh? How did you lose money?" Jia She suddenly became energetic.

The servant parroted what Jia Yun had said, saying that Jia Yun had not taken good care of the craftsman, and now that the craftsman had left with the recipe, the rubber business would surely be in trouble.

Jia She had no doubts and stroked his beard, saying, "It is indeed so!"

The latex transplantation has been around for a hundred years, but it has not made any name for itself yet. No matter how capable Chen Siyuan is, can he turn it into something magical?
After sending the servant away, Jia She went to the back to look for Mrs. Xing. He immediately repeated what the servant had said, which frightened Mrs. Xing and made her feel very uneasy.

Finally, Jia She said, "I thought you had miscalculated this time... I don't know if you'll really lose all your money this time. You were trying to match Yingchun with Yuan'er a few days ago. If Yingchun gets married, will you use her dowry to make up for the shortfall? Never mention this matter again."

After scolding, Jia She left triumphantly, feeling fortunate that he did not get involved, otherwise the Lin family property that he had embezzled with great difficulty would have been wasted.
Mrs. Xing was a simple-minded person to begin with. She sat in her room and became more and more frightened the more she thought about it. She could no longer contain herself and quickly called Miao'er to go and find Chen Siyuan.

After a while, Chen Siyuan returned. Before he could even greet her, Mrs. Xing asked anxiously, "Little...Brother Yuan, is there something wrong with your latex business?"

Chen Siyuan was startled and said with a smile, "Even my aunt knows about it? A craftsman has indeed escaped. I'm afraid the recipe can't be kept."

Mrs. Xing slapped her thigh in agony, "Oh my! What are you talking about? Why didn't you ask Yun'er to look for her? If that doesn't work, the Shuntian Prefecture Magistrate is a disciple of the Second House Master. If you take the petition and ask, maybe you can get her back."

Chen Siyuan looked around, his face hesitant to speak. Madam Xing waved her hand and said, "Everyone, please leave for now."

The maids and old women agreed, leaving the two of them alone in the room.

At this time, Chen Siyuan said lazily, "The person who helped the craftsmen was the steward of Prince Zhongshun's palace. How can my aunt ask me to pursue him?"

"Ah?" Madam Xing was stunned. After a long pause, she muttered, "How could I have provoked that evil star out of nowhere?"

Chen Siyuan smiled nonchalantly and said, "I think Prince Ping of Yan presented the latex creation to the sage, and Prince Zhongshun somehow learned of its benefits and ordered his men to steal the recipe."

Madam Xing sighed repeatedly, and seeing Chen Siyuan's lazy look, she became anxious and said, "Such a disaster has happened, and you, how can you act like nothing happened?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "It's just a loss of money, so why should I get so angry about it?"

"That sounds nice, but we lost so much money... Huh? Less profit? No loss?"

Seeing Madam Xing looking straight at him, Chen Siyuan nodded and said, "Yes, Yudie, where do you think the 70,000 taels of silver went?"

Mrs. Xing frowned and pondered for a long moment before finally realizing it. "That's right," she said. "All that money went into buying latex! If the recipe gets out, the latex price might surge. With the latex in your hands, you're guaranteed to make a profit, right?" She let out a long sigh and patted her chest. "Master was just telling you a lie. I thought you were going to lose money."

Chen Siyuan hurriedly asked, "What did the master say just now?"

"What else can I say?" Mrs. Xing rolled her eyes and then repeated what Jia She had just said.

Chen Siyuan was puzzled. Although Master Jia She was evil, he wasn't that stupid, was he? Why was it that when Madam Xing mentioned something that she could have figured out, Master Jia She would just jump to conclusions and not think things through?

After thinking for a while, Chen Siyuan suddenly realized: Yes, it was probably because Jia She had made a small profit by overthrowing the Wu brothers and Dai Liang. After that, his marriage with Daiyu was confirmed, and the eldest master risked his reputation to move all the remaining Lin family property to the east wing.

With so much money, not only was Jia She unwilling to take risks, but he also became arrogant and completely forgot that without Chen Siyuan's advice, he would not have been able to get these benefits.

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "That's good, so he won't come to us to ask for his shares in the future."

Mrs. Xing's worries vanished, and she immediately nodded and smiled, then said with regret, "It's a pity for the second young lady... I think you and she are a perfect match."

Chen Siyuan remained silent. No matter how good Second Sister Yingchun was, how could she compare to Sister Bao? Chen Siyuan would not lose the big picture for the small.

Mrs. Xing stopped talking about Yingchun and asked, "When will that money be sold out?"

"No rush," Chen Siyuan said leisurely, "It will take some time to ferment."

Mrs. Xing's face lit up and she nodded repeatedly when she thought of the fortune she could make every day. Suddenly, she asked, "Have you completed the task I assigned you before I left?"

Chen Siyuan didn't answer any more. He stepped forward, took Madam Xing in his arms, and said, "What do you think?"

Madam Xing leaned against her chest and whispered, "That girl has such a charming look in her eyes, it seems she wishes she could be with you. I'm sure you've drugged her."

Chen Siyuan laughed heartily and said, "My Ecstasy Soup is a miraculous medicine of the time. Yudie, would you like to try it?"

Mrs. Xing was tempted, but she felt that this was not the right time and place, so she replied, "Wait until you move into the garden—"

The two of them were a little affectionate at the moment, and Chen Siyuan didn't dare to stay for long, so he returned to his own courtyard.

One night without words, it was the next day in a blink of an eye.

Chen Siyuan had just finished practicing standing meditation early in the morning and hadn't even had breakfast when a maid came to the back door, saying that Jia Yun wanted to see him. Chen Siyuan had no choice but to get up and go back. He saw that Jia Yun's eyes were bloodshot, showing that he hadn't slept a good night.

"Uncle Yuan, this is the prescription." Jia Yun handed over a piece of paper with both hands.

Chen Siyuan took it, glanced at it, and nodded, "Didn't you sleep well last night?"

Jia Yun smiled bitterly and bowed, saying, "Uncle Yuan, please stop teasing me. After this incident, I wish I could find a piece of tofu and kill myself with it!"

Chen Siyuan laughed heartily, fished a letter from his sleeve, and handed it to Jia Yun along with the prescription, saying, "It's just a matter of losing a few silver coins, I don't mind it at all. Why bother yourself with it? Take this letter and go back and copy it carefully."

Jia Yun took it and said, extremely puzzled, "Uncle Yuan, what are you doing—"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "That's great. After you copy it, take advantage of Prince Yanping's return home and kneel down at his door to offer your prescription. Who knows, you might have a bright future."

"Ah?" Jia Yun's expression suddenly changed, and he frowned in confusion.

Chen Siyuan said, "What's the confusion? Since the recipe is lost, it can't be sold for money anyway. Why not offer it up before it gets out there?"

"This...if there's any tribute to be made, it should be Uncle Yuan who should make it. My nephew has not only done nothing but has committed a crime. How can I have the nerve to take advantage of such a thing?"

Chen Siyuan said with his hands behind his back, smiling, "Do you think I need to offer a prescription?"

Jia Yun blinked, speechless. Indeed, Chen Siyuan had chosen the proper path to the imperial examinations, so he naturally didn't need to offer any secrets to curry favor. Such behavior, to the upright, was merely a sham.

"You've done a lot of work for me, big and small. You've contributed a lot, and you deserve this credit."

Jia Yun was slightly stunned when he heard this, then he lifted his robe and knelt down to kowtow.

Chen Siyuan waited for him to kowtow before helping him up, saying angrily, "What are you doing?"

Jia Yun's eyes were red, and he trembled as he said, "I have no way of repaying my uncle's kindness. I will wait for the day... wait for the day..."

Chen Siyuan said, "Let's just put aside the childish behavior. You and I are uncle and nephew, so why should we worry about these conventional etiquette?"

Jia Yun was so overwhelmed with emotion that he could not speak. He bowed deeply again. Chen Siyuan gave him some words of encouragement before sending him home to copy it.

Chen Siyuan strolled back to his own courtyard and thought to himself: This has given Jia Yun a way out, but I don't know what reward King Yanping can give him.

As soon as he entered his own yard, Yunxiang suddenly appeared out of nowhere and blocked his way.

Chen Siyuan was startled and frowned, scolding him, "Sneaky! Where did you come from?"

Yunxiang lowered her voice and said proudly, "Master, that matter is now known to everyone. Also, I just saw the concubine rushing back to the mansion."

Are you asking for a reward?

Facing the eager gaze of the little maid Yunxiang, Chen Siyuan said in a deep voice: "That's right, I'll give you two more strings of money next month."

"Thank you, sir!" Yunxiang left happily.

Chen Siyuan went into his room and had breakfast, thinking to himself, Aunt Xue must have been in such a hurry to get home this morning because she must have received the news. But with Sister Bao here, I guess... Yes, because I've been so busy with work lately, the two of them haven't been together for some time. I guess Aunt Xue will pretend to be ignorant and come looking for me right away.

As Chen Siyuan had predicted, Aunt Xue returned to the northeastern courtyard with Tongxi and Tonggui. As soon as she entered, she frowned and asked, "Why would Brother Yuan entrust such an important matter to Jia Yun? He's only a little old, how can he be so responsible?"

Baochai, not knowing what Aunt Xue was thinking, helped her sit down on the soft couch and said quietly, "Don't worry, mother. I asked Brother Yuan yesterday, and he said it didn't matter. It was just a matter of making more or less money, but he wouldn't lose money."

Although Aunt Xue was a woman of the inner chambers, she knew exactly where the profit came from, having been thoroughly explained by Chen Siyuan. She then retorted, "You only know one side of the story. Of course, I can't lose money, but any loss is a loss."

Sister Bao looked puzzled.

Aunt Xue then said earnestly, "Don't forget that Brother Yuan has borrowed a lot of money from everywhere. We only have ten thousand yuan at home, and he needs tens of thousands more from other places. This money has legs, and the interest alone is quite a lot every year. If he earns less, won't he lose money? If Brother Yuan becomes discouraged and lazy, it's hard to say how this business will end."

Sister Bao was filled with suspicion. She had actually forgotten about this incident yesterday, but remembering how calm and composed Chen Siyuan had been, she figured it couldn't be that bad. But Sister Bao wasn't sure, because men working away from home usually only report good news, not bad news. Perhaps he was afraid she'd worry?
Aunt Xue saw Bao-jie frowning in thought and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She said, "I'll go see your aunt later, and then I'll find Brother Yuan and go take a look at the workshop. Well, it's always good to minimize the losses."

Sister Bao had no doubts and nodded in agreement.

After breakfast a while later, Aunt Xue went to look for Mrs. Wang.

The two sisters met and after a few words, Mrs. Wang brought up the matter, saying, "Why does it sound to me... that Brother Yuan has suffered a loss?"

Because Baochai was also there, Aunt Xue was reluctant to say more. She shook her head and said, "It's hard to say now. I'll go to the workshop and take a look later."

Mrs. Wang couldn't help but frown and said, "Brother Yuan has been too successful before. How could a business worth hundreds of thousands of silver coins be so easy to manage?"

Mrs. Wang was worried. First, she owed Chen Siyuan her previous kindness. Without him, she didn't know when she would have been able to take charge of the Rongguo Mansion. Now that the accounting office and the storehouse were under his control, he could be said to be in charge of most of the family. Second, Yuchuan'er had just replied, saying that the old lady had heard that Chen Siyuan had fallen on hard times and had eaten an extra bowl of green glutinous rice porridge in the morning out of joy.

Mrs. Wang looked down on him very much. She couldn't beat Yuan Ge'er, so she could only gloat over his misfortune. The old lady was really getting worse as she grew older!
Mrs. Wang’s thoughts were simple: if the old lady was happy, she would naturally be unhappy. She wanted to help Chen Siyuan and also make the old lady angry!
The two sisters talked for a while, and after breakfasting together, they went to Rongqing Hall together. Jia's mother was in high spirits today, and she chatted with them for a while with a smile. Then she asked Fengjie to find a few young actors and call them in, who sang for a long time.

Mrs. Wang's face was as gloomy as water, and even Aunt Xue couldn't help but wonder: Why does this old lady look like a smug villain?

After a while, the two sisters stood up and took their leave. Mrs. Wang returned to her own courtyard. Aunt Xue, who was "concerned about the latex business," sent Tongxi to invite Chen Siyuan to check on the workshop.

Chen Siyuan had expected this and was familiar with the route. He took a car with Aunt Xue and changed cars halfway to go to the Dagezi Lane.

The two were already in love, and without saying a word, they only exchanged glances before moving in close. The fragrance of the powdery and greasy sex, the smoothness of the skin, the whole body feeling relaxed and numb, needless to say.

Soon, the lovemaking ended. Chen Siyuan, dressed, got out of bed, and fetched a pot of warm tea from the table. He leaned over and said with a smile, "Drink some quickly! I'm afraid you're dehydrated." Aunt Xue bit her lower lip and rolled her eyes at him. She took the tea and guzzled two cups. She leaned against Chen Siyuan's chest, stroking his leg with one hand while she said, lost in thought, "Hearing that you've had bad luck, the old lady was so happy. Not only did she have an extra bowl of green glutinous rice porridge this morning, she even insisted on calling in some young actors to join in the fun."

Chen Siyuan chuckled and said, "Old naughty boy, old naughty boy, the ancients were not deceiving me. I'm afraid the old lady will be disappointed again after some time."

Aunt Xue chuckled for a moment, then said, "Since it's the work of Prince Zhongshun, how are you going to deal with it?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and whispered his plan to her. Aunt Xue was secretly impressed, but then she felt something was wrong and asked, "Why don't you leave such a good thing to Pan'er?"

Chen Siyuan blinked and said, "Don't make a fuss. How dare Wenlong show his face in public now?"

Although he changed his name, Xue Pan still used his own name in the capital. If his contribution was indeed meritorious and he was awarded an official title by his superiors, it would be troublesome if they found out that he had died early.

Aunt Xue frowned and said, "It's all Jia Yucun's fault!"

Chen Siyuan was at a loss for words. The Jinling case was complex and if it weren't for the Xue family's other branches and Wang Ziteng's efforts, how could Jia Yucun, who had no grudges against the Xue family, be sentenced to death?
Aunt Xue knew her own business, but she couldn't afford to offend her brother Wang Ziteng. She also avoided the other branches of the Xue family. The only person she could scold was Jia Yucun.

After scolding her for a while, Aunt Xue said worriedly again, "With you here, it seems the family business can be saved at least... maybe even the imperial merchant business can be saved. But Baochai's marriage... Sister keeps changing her mind, and the old lady doesn't like our family at all. This will be difficult."

She shifted slightly and lay on her back on Chen Siyuan's legs. Aunt Xue frowned and said, "You know my family's situation. We can't marry into ordinary noble families, and we're unwilling to marry into lesser families. Baochai has already reached marriage age. If Baoyu doesn't work out, I don't know where else to find a suitable match."

"Well, it's difficult." Chen Siyuan agreed on the surface, but secretly he had a plan in mind and said teasingly, "Baoyu has such a dissolute personality, I'm afraid he won't be able to settle down in the future. Instead of thinking about that useless golden marriage, why not marry Baochai to me?"

"you?"

Chen Siyuan took out the fake jade with a shake of his hand: "Look, I also have jade, isn't it a perfect match for a perfect marriage?"

Aunt Xue's expression suddenly changed: "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll never talk to you again!"

Chen Siyuan saw that things were not going well, so he quickly hugged her with a smile and said soothingly, "Why are you still making a fuss? It was just a joke, but you took it so seriously."

Aunt Xue said angrily, "How can I marry Baochai to you when we are like this?"

Chen Siyuan said meaningfully, "I was thinking that if Baochai were to marry us, maybe we could visit each other more often in the future."

"Pfft!" Aunt Xue was completely annoyed. She stood up and looked at him coldly and said, "If you say something like that again, we'll use bean dregs to stick together New Year pictures—they won't stick together!"

Chen Siyuan narrowed his eyes and smiled, then reached out and lifted his chin, praising him, "You look even more charming when you're angry."

"I'm talking to you seriously - woo woo -"

Before Aunt Xue could finish, Chen Siyuan rudely pressed her down. He played with her until Aunt Xue was so embarrassed that she blushed and felt a lustful ache. She stopped talking about the things that had upset her.

Afterwards, they spoke kindly and tenderly, and the two of them were as close as ever again.

It wasn't until the afternoon that Aunt Xue reluctantly left. As the saying goes, the speaker may not mean anything, but the listener may take it to heart. Chen Siyuan's seemingly joking words actually made Aunt Xue think twice.

Indeed, in terms of appearance, talent, and wealth, is Brother Yuan not outstanding in every way? Otherwise, how could Aunt Xue sacrifice her dignity and get involved with him in such an ambiguous relationship? A man like this is the ideal husband that every girl dreams of.

If Baochai were indeed betrothed to Chen Siyuan, they would be a perfect match. But Aunt Xue couldn't get over the hurdle in her heart! So, upon returning to the northeastern courtyard, she couldn't help but become suspicious of Baochai again. Not only did she hint at it, she even asked Ying'er to spy on Baochai's whereabouts.

Ying'er knew that she had been tied to Baochai for a long time, and that she had often received rewards from Master Yuan these days. Therefore, she knew nothing about anything and never mentioned any private dealings between the two.

She turned around and told Baochai about it. Baochai was naturally upset, but she didn't want to make a fuss with Aunt Xue, so she didn't go to look for Chen Siyuan for the time being.

That afternoon, Jia Yun copied the letter and, after some hesitation, went to the palace of Prince Ping of Yan. Arriving at the palace, he introduced himself and said he had a secret recipe for latex to offer.

The palace guards dared not delay and hurried back inside to report. A moment later, a eunuch led Jia Yun back inside. Prince Ping of Yan frowned in surprise, inquiring carefully and examining the prescription. After a long pause, he finally promised to present it to His Majesty the following day.

Jia Yun thanked him profusely and left. Prince Ping of Yan stroked his chin and pondered for a long moment. He then pointed to Ding Daolong and asked, "What's Chen Shuliang up to? Why don't I understand?"

Ding Daolong laughed and said, "Your Highness, I heard that a craftsman from Chen Xiaolian's workshop escaped... and someone saw that it was the steward of Prince Zhongshun's palace who took him into the palace."

Prince Ping of Yan blinked and nodded, saying, "Oh, a broken jar is broken, it harms others and does not benefit yourself... is it a waste of joy?"

Ding Daolong smiled and said, "This offering can be considered a contribution."

Prince Ping of Yan remarked in amusement, "Interesting... I never thought there would be someone so blind as to leak information to my brother. I should have the Ministry of Punishment conduct a thorough investigation."

Ding Daolong was so frightened that his face suddenly became grim and he dared not speak. The Ministry of Punishment had a terrible reputation, and if the prince said they would investigate, who knew what kind of bloody storm would be unleashed.

The next day, King Ping of Yan attended court and, as expected, announced that Jia Yun had presented thirteen recipes for gelatin, promising to make it widely available. The sage was delighted and instructed the Ministry of Rites to determine a reward. Hearing that Jia Yun was no more than twenty years old, the sage lamented, "Even in noble families there are virtuous and virtuous people."

Three days later, the Ministry of Rites determined the reward, and then a chief official led a group of minor officials to Ningrong Back Street with music and drums, and announced the imperial decree on the spot. Because Jia Yun had made great contributions in proposing the prescription, he was promoted to the rank of Fourth Grade Light Cavalry Commandant, and ordered to go to the Ministry of Works to "learn to walk", and after completing his studies, he would be given another official position.

Jia Yun and his widowed mother shouted "Long live the emperor" three times, kneeling on the ground and pounding their heads. After hurriedly giving him a reward, his mother burst into tears of joy. Neighbors kicked at the door, and his mother led Jia Yun inside, instructing him, "Every sip and bite has a reason. My son, don't be ungrateful. From now on, you must treat Master Yuan like your own uncle."

Jia Yun's eyes were filled with tears as he nodded in agreement. He then spent all his savings and went to his uncle Bu Shiren to buy a lot of spices, spending a full two hundred taels of silver. Only then did he come to Rongguo Mansion.

Jia Yun didn't want to burden Chen Siyuan, so he sent a maid through the back door. When the two met, Jia Yun thanked him profusely. Chen Siyuan, after much effort, finally accepted the large bag of ice flakes, and finally said, "Now that you have such a background, you should find a suitable marriage."

Chen Siyuan took Hongyu to his own room, which meant he had snatched away Jia Yun's marriage, so all the previous actions might have been a form of compensation.

Jia Yun smiled and said, "Thank you, Uncle Yuan, for your concern. I'm not too worried."

Indeed, the rank of Fourth-Rank Light Cavalry Commandant was the lowest rank of military merit in the Dashun Dynasty. Jia Yun's title was modest, providing only a small monthly stipend, but it couldn't be passed down to his descendants. The real benefit was the opportunity to study in the Ministry of Works! This privilege had always been reserved for Jinshi (Jinshi) scholars. Jia Yun had truly leaped over the dragon gate. At the very least, upon completing his studies, he could become a director of a ministry, a sixth-rank official at least, a true social class leap compared to the past.

Jia Yun then said that his mother was grateful and invited Chen Siyuan to a banquet the next day. Chen Siyuan smiled and agreed, and the two of them said goodbye.

It was the twelfth of February, the day Lin Daiyu gave birth. Chen Siyuan had already sent Xiangling with a gift, but otherwise he could only watch.

Because it was a rainy day, Daiyu, Baochai, and the others were just playing in the large hall up front. Hearing that the afternoon banquet would be held in Rongqing Hall, Chen Siyuan knew he had no part in it and was completely bored.

Chen Siyuan expected that the news of Jia Yun's title would soon reach the mansion, so in order to avoid a lot of trouble, he simply went to the new house closest to Nengren Temple.

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

But now, in the big flower hall behind Rongqing Hall, Sanchun, Daiyu, Baochai, Xiangyun, Xing Xiuyan and Baoyu were gathered together. Because it was raining outside, Baojie had the longest distance to walk, so she came here wearing the raincoat given by Chen Siyuan.

When Baoyu saw it, he couldn't help but jokingly said, "Where did Sister Bao get this thing? It's so black, it's really an insult to Sister Bao."

Xiangyun had also received a gift from Chen Siyuan. Upon hearing this, she frowned and said, "My brother Shaohun said that this was given by Brother Yuan to the sisters." Then she came over with a smile and said to Baochai, "How is Sister Bao wearing?"

Baochai smiled and said, "It happened to be a slanting wind and a light rain today. Fortunately, I have this thing to shield me from the rain. Otherwise, even if I had held an umbrella, my skirt would have gotten wet."

Xiangyun said happily, "I was told this is perfect for rainy days! Why don't we wear it and stroll around the garden later? I imagine the view in the rain will be truly captivating."

Daiyu could not help teasing, "If you want to play with water, just say so. If the beautiful rain falls on you, I'm afraid it will only make the cows eat the peonies."

Xiangyun choked and opened her mouth to argue, but suddenly she let out a breath and said, "Forget it, forget it. Today is Sister Lin's birth. I won't bother with you."

After some fun, the sisters sat down one after another. After some discussion, Daiyu ordered Xueyan to fetch a pot for tossing, and the sisters played pot for fun.

While everyone was watching the fun, Bao-jie came up to Dai-yu and whispered, "Did he bring anything?"

Daiyu nodded shyly and said, "I sent my female disciple to bring it here this morning... It's a very strange-looking thing."

Seeing that Sister Bao was puzzled, Daiyu took advantage of the fact that no one was looking over, pulled her to the back, and took something out of the box.

It has black feet, a black belly, a yellow back, and white ears. It looks like a cat but not a cat, and like a bear but not a bear. Sister Bao was puzzled and asked, "What is this?"

Daiyu laughed and said, "Xiangling said it was a little panda."

Sister Bao couldn't help but praise: "It can be seen that you put a lot of thought into it."

As Bao-jie spoke, she couldn't help but ponder a few more things. Chen Siyuan had previously given her a giant panda, and now he was giving Lin-jie-mei a red panda. The difference in size made the underlying meaning clear.

Who would have thought that at this moment, Xiangyun came running over with a cry of surprise. She looked at the object eagerly and said, "It's a panda!"

Daiyu raised her eyes and asked, "Sister Yun, do you know about this?"

Xiangyun nodded and said, "My third uncle once went on a business trip to Bashu. On his way back, his servant caught a panda and brought it to my second uncle's house. Unfortunately, he only raised it for two years before it died."

Baochai couldn't help but correct him, "It's a little panda, and there's also a big panda."

Xiangyun said with a smile, "Third Uncle told me there's a story behind this. It's said that originally the little panda was just called a panda, and the big panda had many names: Pi, tapir, white bear, flower bear, bamboo bear, and iron-eating beast. Later, as the name was passed down, it became the giant panda, and the original panda became the little panda."

Sister Bao laughed and said, "I didn't know there was such an allusion."

Daiyu pondered, "An iron-eating beast? Could it be that the giant panda was originally Chi You's mount?"

Xiangyun laughed and said, "I don't know that, but I heard that giant panda is very fierce."

As they were talking, Ying'er came in with an umbrella. She took a quick look inside, then raised her feet and waved, "Come here, young lady!"

Sister Bao apologized and got up to look for Ying'er. When she got close, Ying'er whispered, "Miss, this is incredible! Master Yun from the back street has been conferred a title!"

Sister Bao blinked in surprise, then heard Ying'er continue, "They say he was rewarded for his contribution, not only was he awarded the title of Fourth Rank Light Cavalry Commandant, but I heard he's also going to the Ministry of Works and might even be promoted to an official position someday. Miss, do you think Yun'er betrayed Brother Yuan?"

"Stop talking nonsense," Bao-jie scolded, then pondered, "Brother Yun has always been at his beck and call. How could he sell himself for a little profit to gain fame?"

Ying'er pouted and said, "Fame, wealth and status can move people's hearts... Who can say for sure? I just saw a few little hooves being tempted."

Sister Bao glared at her, and Ying'er immediately fell silent.

Baojie was naturally overwhelmed with emotion, thinking to herself that he was indeed the man she had chosen. With a little trickery, she had obtained a prescription, and in the blink of an eye, Jia Yun had been granted a title. Given his abilities, it was no problem for him to be admitted to the imperial examinations and become a prime minister one day!

Sister Bao forced herself to suppress her emotions, then turned back to play with the sisters with a smile. But in her heart she wondered what he was doing now.

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The news of the major event of changing the door lintel at the home of the fifth sister-in-law in Ningrong Back Street spread like wildfire, and soon everyone in the East and West Mansions knew about it.

Ningguo Mansion's Jia Zhen inquired carefully, but when he heard that he was only a fourth-rank light cavalry captain, he curled his lips and immediately lost interest. Thinking that it was a good thing after all, he sent Jia Rong to express congratulations with a gift.

He turned around and left Youshi behind to go and mingle with his concubines. Just as Youshi was about to return to her own courtyard, Yindie came to report that the maid Xiazhu wanted to see her.

Yu's heart suddenly began to beat fast, and she thought to herself, had she finally waited for this day for so long?
(End of this chapter)