Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 225 Moving the Garden
Three poles in the sun.

Third Sister You groaned and struggled to stand up, but as her feet touched the ground, she cried out "Ouch" and fell back onto the bed with a frown.

Chen Siyuan was surprised to see the figure. He reached out and grabbed the figure's foot. Seeing that the ankle was indeed swollen, he asked in confusion, "How did you twist your ankle?"

Third Sister You looked aggrieved at first, then she chuckled and said, "I twisted it accidentally when I got off the car yesterday. I'll put on some ointment soon, and I think it will be healed in three to five days."

Chen Siyuan showed some concern and then said, "Well, just lie down. I'll go to the front and ask Qingwen to help me wash up."

Third Sister You agreed with a coquettish tone, and then flirted with Chen Siyuan for a while before lying back on the bed. She watched Chen Siyuan rustle into his clothes and go downstairs in a disheveled manner.

After a while, the maid Chunxi brought water.

"Girl, hurry up and wash up. I asked the kitchen to leave breakfast for you."

Third Sister You agreed, then slowly stood up, put on her clothes, and sat in front of the diamond-shaped mirror, allowing Chunxi to help her comb her hair. Chunxi lowered his eyebrows, his face flushed, and from time to time he would steal a glance at Third Sister You, whose eyes were full of lust.

Last night was really noisy. The shouting of "brother" and "daddy" made Third Sister's voice hoarse and Chunxi's mind was in a mess.

When he looked back, he bumped into Third Sister You in the mirror. Chunxi was so frightened that he quickly lowered his head. Third Sister You smiled nonchalantly and said, "Why are you always looking at me? You're going to get married someday too. It's bound to happen sooner or later."

Chunxi had combed Third Sister You's hair too much when he suddenly whispered, "Young lady, Aunt Du from the kitchen saw a nun come in through the back door yesterday. Xia Zhu led her all the way to Second Concubine's room, and she didn't leave until almost 3 p.m. Should we replace the maid at the back door?"

Third Sister You narrowed her eyes immediately. A nun? Where did this nun come from? I'm afraid it must be the eldest sister who's covering up her tracks!
No matter how much you guard against, you can never guard against a thief in your own home. With Second Sister as a spy, this kind of thing is bound to happen sooner or later. Feeling a little unhappy, Third Sister You knew that Second Sister was right. She was not the wife of the first wife, so why bother making a fuss about this matter and making everyone embarrassed?

Brother Yuan is such a talented person that he has the ability to do things... Whether in bed or outside the bed, the third sister feels that she can no longer handle it, so how can she care about him looking for someone else?
Because it was Third Sister You, she sneered and said, "Don't worry about it. Second Sister told me about this."

Chunxi nodded in agreement. Third Sister You looked at herself in the diamond-shaped mirror and sighed secretly. She thought to herself, "That's how it is. Out of sight, out of mind."

In the main room at the front, Qingwen fetched some water and threw the medicinal herbs wrapped in gauze into the water. When bubbles formed, she stretched out a pair of slender hands with nails painted with pistil juice and began to carefully scrub Chen Siyuan's hair.

Seeing that Chen Siyuan was really uncomfortable bending over, Qingwen laughed and said, "Master, you are too tall. I'm afraid it must be very uncomfortable to bend over like this."

Chen Siyuan puffed away the foam from his mouth twice and said, "I'll ask a carpenter to make me a reclining chair. I can just lie down and wash in it from now on."

Qingwen paused, thought for a moment, and then smiled, "That's a good idea. I'll draw a design later and have Madam Qu find a carpenter to try to make it."

After a while, Chen Siyuan washed up, changed into clean clothes, and had breakfast with You Sanjie. As they ate, Chen Siyuan asked, "Does Shopkeeper Liang still need it?"

Manager Liang was hired last year and is now in charge of Baicaotang. He is not a man of improvisation, but he is steady.

Third Sister You said, "He's quite capable. He's done everything I asked him to do. But he's a bit indecisive. He always comes to me for questions, big or small."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "That's great. Sister, please find a shopkeeper later. This Shopkeeper Liang will be of great use to me."

Third Sister You laughed sweetly and said, "Brother, what are you talking about? Baicaotang is your livelihood. It's just that you're busy now, so I'm just helping to take care of it."

Chen Siyuan smiled and stroked the third sister's pretty face, and they were affectionate for a while before they stopped.

When Chen Siyuan returned to Rongguo Mansion that day, just as he entered his own courtyard, Hongyu came to greet him and said, "Master, you are finally back. From yesterday until today, the master has sent people to look for you four or five times!" After a pause, she continued, "Why did the master look for you again?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "A night owl never comes into the house without a reason."

Hongyu said, "Although we are relatives, you don't have to obey the eldest master in everything... At most, we can just move to the new house. After all, he is just your uncle, how can he be your boss?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and pulled Hongyu's hand, saying, "Don't worry, I know what's going on."

If it weren't for the fact that Lin Daiyu, Baochai, and his cousin Xing Xiuyan were all in the mansion, why would Chen Siyuan stay in Rongguo Mansion and be looked down upon? If he weren't tied down by his sisters, he would have moved out long ago.

After a short rest, Chen Siyuan went to the east wing.

After entering through the black oil gate, the doorman Yu Si made a lot of expressions and finally found an opportunity to whisper, "Master Yuan, be careful. I see that the master has been in a bad mood these past two days."

Chen Siyuan thanked Yu Si with a smile and walked to the outer study.

The servant reported to the inner room and led Chen Siyuan inside.

The eldest master, Jia She, had a gloomy face, and his glance at Chen Siyuan was ambiguous. Because his thoughts were so outrageous, Jia Zhen couldn't help but talk to Jia She about it when they dispersed yesterday.

Jia She suddenly realized that not everyone who contributed a recipe could be awarded a title. Even today, despite knowing that the title was not his, Jia She couldn't help but feel angry. Perhaps it was because Chen Siyuan had been acting more and more independently, somewhat out of his control?
Jia She had hinted at it a few times before, but Chen Siyuan just listened and acted as if nothing had happened. After returning from the south, he started a business selling latex. Although the gains and losses were unpredictable, at least the recipe earned him a position as a light cavalry captain. Why didn't he tell his master about such a good thing?

Jia She pondered for a long while, then said with a forced smile, "Brother Yuan has become more and more opinionated lately."

"What did my uncle say?" Chen Siyuan asked knowingly.

Jia She said, "Let me ask you, why didn't you discuss the matter of offering the prescription with me before letting Yunge'er offer it?"

Chen Siyuan complained, "Don't mention it, uncle. Yun'er's trip to Liaodong was a near-death experience. I asked for a good position in the government, but your uncle only gave him a supervisory post. He's already in his early twenties, and he only gets two taels of rice and two taels of grain a month. If his mother doesn't wash clothes, she might not be able to make ends meet."

Upon hearing this, Jia She immediately became embarrassed and coughed, "This... isn't this a job that the mansion doesn't have enough people for right now?"

"Oh," Chen Siyuan said, "Brother Yun has been busy with his nephew this time. He has seen his contributions and hard work, and he also thought that his uncle is now a first-class general, so even if he gets this achievement, it will be of no use. That's why he gave it to Brother Yun."

Jia She is indeed a scoundrel, treating Jia Yun like a beast of burden, giving him only the job of supervising, a job that's not as lucrative as tending the garden flowers and plants in the original novel. While this argument isn't at a loss for words, it certainly dampens his morale.

Jia She then coughed lightly and said, "No matter what, I won't use this merit to make up for it... Yuan'er is confused. Although it is not good for me to take credit for it, your second brother is in need of merit. If this title falls to your second brother, if he carefully arranges the succession in the future, he may not need to be demoted!"

Jia Lian had previously provoked Chen Siyuan quite a bit over the marriage certificate issue. Although Jia Lian had immediately changed his stance, the two were only casual acquaintances. To Jia Lian? Why?
Thinking this in his heart, Chen Siyuan pretended to be stunned. After a while, he said, "Is there such a saying? My nephew doesn't know."

Jia She suddenly became complacent, pointing at Chen Siyuan and saying, "Brother Yuan is younger than me, so he has little experience. Let's forget about it this time, but if you encounter such a thing in the future, you must first come to me to discuss it before anything else. A good commander of the light cavalry, but that brother Yun didn't get away with it."

Chen Siyuan agreed vaguely, then decided to take matters into his own hands and said, "Uncle, there's a really big deal going on—it's about the latex business. I borrowed tens of thousands of silver coins and secured a five-year contract for the latex production at the Zheng He Island latex forest. And with the recipe, the latex will surely be a global success. I've left you a 20% stake, just 20,000 taels. I can't say for more, but it's easy to double the profit in five years."

Jia She was about to curse in his heart, thinking that the recipe was lost, and if people outside followed suit, how could he make any money?
Yin Shi also said vaguely: "Since this rubber milk business is run by Yuan Ge'er himself, there is no need for me to get involved." Jia She thought of the strategy of procrastination. If the rubber milk business really made money, it would not be too late to get involved then.

But Chen Siyuan was sure that Jia She was afraid to take action at this moment, so he was secretly happy but said anxiously: "How can my uncle not get involved? That 20% stake -"

Before he could finish, Jia She said, "Yes, Brother Zhen has just sent someone to consult with me about opening the ancestral hall. You should put your business aside for now. Madam has not seen you for a few days and she misses you very much. Go to the back and talk to Madam."

After saying this, he ignored Chen Siyuan and stood up and walked away quickly. Chen Siyuan pretended to be anxious and chased after him for a few steps before stopping. He watched the eldest master Jia She walk away quickly and laughed to himself. He thought to himself, maybe the eldest master is afraid that the money he invested will be used up by himself to make up for the deficit?
He turned around and headed towards the third-floor ceremonial gate. When passing by the wing room, he looked inside. Unfortunately, Xing Xiuyan was still not there. He guessed that she had gone to play with her sisters again?

After a while, Tiao'er led Chen Siyuan inside. At this time, Madam Xing was holding her fourth brother and teasing him. The fourth brother was half a year old and could already turn over by himself. It was estimated that he would be able to crawl in two months.

Wang Shanbao, the housekeeper, was quite disgusting. He glanced at Chen Siyuan and actually laughed, "Oh, this fourth brother and Yuan brother look so much alike. Just look at their features, they look like they were cast from the same mold."

Mrs. Xing was immediately flustered. Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "The boy looks like his mother. My mother and aunt are sisters, so it's not unusual for my fourth brother to look like me."

Wang Shanbao's wife immediately laughed and said, "That's right, brother, you are absolutely right."

Mrs. Xing finally breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. After a while, she sent all the maids and servants away. Then, Mrs. Xing frowned and said, "That old woman is becoming increasingly unpopular. Sooner or later, we'll find a reason to send her away!"

Chen Siyuan was at a loss for the moment about matters in the inner chamber. Who knew that Madam Xing, despite her many miscalculations, would actually come up with a solution? After a moment, she suddenly brightened and said, "Yes, Cong's wet nurse is useless. I might as well send that old woman to look after Cong!"

Jia Cong is already eleven years old now. His biological mother died early. Jia She doesn't care about him, Mrs. Xing is too lazy to take care of him, and even the wet nurse is just going through the motions. His life is even worse than Jia Huan's. He is always in a gloomy state, like a poor man, without any of the virtues of a young man from a noble family.

At this time, Jia Cong lived in the east wing and rarely came to the main room.

The more Mrs. Xing thought about it, the more she felt it was right. She nodded repeatedly to herself, thinking it was a brilliant idea. Turning back, she said to Chen Siyuan, "When are you going to sell your latex stock?"

Chen Siyuan said, "No rush. Last time, Prince Ping of Yan sent half a cart to the mountains and back, and I heard that he has sent half a cart to Shanxi again. If it is indeed useful, I believe the prince will submit a memorial to explain the benefits."

As for the future, as long as the imperial court places an order, this latex will immediately become popular all over the world... Then, will there be any worry about not making money?
Mrs. Xing, who had always been indecisive and believed everything he said, smiled and said, "I'm looking forward to your arrival soon so I can save more for my fourth brother."

Chen Siyuan had just nodded when Madam Xing suddenly said, "I'll give that little rascal Tiao'er a few days off in a few days."

Madam Xing sat reclining on the couch, her posture becoming even more graceful. She wore a half-new, lotus-colored silk jacket embroidered with a lotus pattern. The collar was lined with delicate blue satin lace, fitting snugly around her neck. Her skirt, a light green floral pattern, barely covered her feet, revealing only a pair of pointed horns.

Chen Siyuan frowned and said, "That's not a problem...but your family members come and go every day here. If something happens, I'm afraid I won't be able to explain it."

Mrs. Xing's expression suddenly changed. She said, "You really are disgusted with me. You despise me because I'm old and ugly!"

Chen Siyuan was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, and hurried over to hold her in his arms, coaxing and teasing her. Mrs. Xing had been celibate for a long time, and in a moment her heart was aroused by Chen Siyuan's teasing, so she had to fool him by scratching his itch.

After a while, Mrs. Xing came to her senses and complained even more angrily, "This doesn't work, and that doesn't work. It's not easy for me to go out. Why is it so difficult?"

Chen Siyuan also frowned and thought for a long time. Suddenly, an idea came to his mind and he said, "Why don't you learn to worship Buddha and gods?"

Mrs. Xing looked up in wonder. Then she heard Chen Siyuan whisper, "Don't forget that the Jade Emperor Temple is now empty—"

Mrs. Xing's eyes lit up immediately when she heard this. The Jade Emperor Temple was right next to the Qingtang Hut, at the easternmost end of the garden, near the East Corner Gate. It was a nice, quiet place.

Mrs. Xing thought for a moment and then smiled and said, "Tomorrow I'll go ask the second wife for the key to the Jade Emperor Temple."

The two of them were briefly affectionate with each other, and then Chen Siyuan leisurely took his leave.

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

Two days later, in celebration of Jia Yun's conferment of the title, the Ningguo Mansion opened the ancestral temple, and the Jia clan gathered. After the sacrifices, a grand banquet was held, and a troupe of opera performers sang from morning till night, creating a lively atmosphere.

That afternoon, Tiao'er came secretly and told Chen Siyuan about the holiday. Chen Siyuan saw that the girl was so devoted to him that he didn't want to let her go without a place to go, so he pretended to be excited and agreed.

The next day, she was familiar with the route, and after taking Tiao'er to buy a set of headgear, they immediately went to the big grid alley and half-heartedly made their love affair. Afterwards, they spent the next day in a gentle and affectionate manner, coaxing Tiao'er back home very happy. Tiao'er, new to the world of human affairs, couldn't help but have a smile on her face, often lost in thought. Miao'er noticed these actions, and after a brief thought, she knew that Tiao'er must have climbed into Chen Siyuan's bed, just like her!

The two maids were already having trouble coping with Chen Siyuan, and Miao'er was about to have her period, which was when her temper was rising. How could she hold back? After a few words, the two of them started to wrestle in the side room.

For a while, you pulled my hair, and I pulled your handkerchief, and the quarrel was unbearable. It was also because of the excessive noise that Madam Xing brought people to investigate.

Seeing the two maids fighting, Mrs. Xing was slightly surprised, but she knew the reason. She immediately ordered the maid to separate them, frowning and asking why.

How could Miao'er and Tiao'er dare to say it was because of Chen Siyuan? At that moment, Miao'er only said that Tiao'er had said bad things about her in private, and Tiao'er also said that Miao'er had stolen his rouge, and for a while they couldn't figure it out.

How could Mrs. Xing care so much? She scolded them all without distinguishing right from wrong, and only then did Miao'er and Tiao'er calm down.

As the 22nd was approaching, Mrs. Xing pretended to read Taoist scriptures for a few days, and then took Miao'er, who had not been embarrassed, to Mrs. Wang's courtyard.

Entering the inner chamber, they were greeted by Lady Wang, Aunt Xue, and her sister. After exchanging pleasantries, the three women sat down and served tea. Before Lady Xing could get down to business, Lady Wang said, "Sister-in-law, Brother Laiyuan is almost sixteen. Isn't it time for him to get married?"

Mrs. Xing was puzzled and said vaguely, "I told him about it last time, but he said there was no rush. I'm afraid we should wait until after the Spring Examination."

Mrs. Wang said, "How can the Spring Examination be so easy? At thirty, one is already a Mingjing, and at fifty, a Jinshi. Even Daiyu's father passed the Jinshi exam after he was thirty. If Brother Yuan wastes time, won't his marriage be delayed as well?"

"Hey, isn't this Daiyu?"

Madam Wang sighed, "Firstly, Yu'er is still young, so I'm afraid we'll have to wait a few more years. Secondly, it doesn't look easy for her to have children. Even if she does, it'll be a first-born boy to carry on the Lin family lineage... I heard that Yuan'er is the only child in the Chen family, and his parents died early. I'm sure my eldest sister-in-law will be very worried about him."

Mrs. Xing didn't catch Mrs. Wang's hidden meaning for a moment, so she said, "I thought the same thing before... Seeing that Yingchun and Yuan'er were about the same age, I thought of pairing the two younger ones up. But I had just made the first move when the eldest master scolded me... Well, I don't know what the eldest master was thinking."

Mrs. Wang couldn't help but look at Aunt Xue with joy. She turned her head and saw that Aunt Xue's face was calm. Mrs. Wang smiled and said, "My niece Yunping is about the same age as Yuan'er. What do you think, sister-in-law?"

"Ah?" Mrs. Xing was so shocked that she couldn't speak for a moment.

Why did Mrs. Wang bring up this old matter again? It was because she had received a letter from her brother, Wang Ziteng, early this morning. Besides the usual greetings, the letter emphasized one particular matter: a cart with latex tires carrying 800 kilograms of cargo had recently arrived in Taiyuan from the capital.

The journey from the capital to Taiyuan, over mountains and hills, was extremely difficult. The roads were rugged and bumpy, so the wheels needed to be rebuilt upon arrival. But with these rubber tires, the carts required much less effort to maneuver, and because of the rubber cushioning, the wheels looked exactly the same as when they left the capital.

Wang Ziteng, a military scion, immediately recognized the benefits of latex tires. He also heard from the Imperial Household that Chen Siyuan had spent a fortune to purchase five years' worth of latex production on Zheng He Island, and he was certain this man would have a promising future. Coincidentally, Wang Yunping was about to get married, and Wang Ziteng immediately considered finding Chen Siyuan as his son-in-law.

After reading the letter, Mrs. Wang sighed repeatedly. She thought to herself that if the recipe got out, Yuan'er would lose money, but she didn't expect her brother to be so sure that Yuan'er would definitely grow a baby this time!

He immediately called Aunt Xue to come and discuss the matter.

Aunt Xue's feelings were naturally mixed. She had invested a total of thirty thousand taels of silver in the latex business, including loans and investments, which amounted to half of the Xue family's income. If it were to go to waste, Aunt Xue didn't know how to explain it. Hearing that her brother Wang Ziteng was sure it would be a huge profit was naturally a relief. But Wang Ziteng also intended to marry his niece Wang Yunping to Chen Siyuan. This... Aunt Xue felt uncomfortable no matter how she thought about it.

What's the difference between a mother and daughter and an aunt and niece? Aren't they both incestuous?

Because she had just spoken, Aunt Xue was vague and had not given any definite answer.

Blinking, Mrs. Xing instinctively said, "I'm afraid this isn't very appropriate."

Before Lady Wang could ask, Aunt Xue said, "Sister, I just felt that this was inappropriate." Seeing the two of them looking over, Aunt Xue continued, "Yunping's appearance is just ordinary... marrying a virtuous wife and taking concubines of beauty is also normal. But Yunping is spoiled by her nature, and Yuan'er is at the age of being lustful and infatuated with women. Sister, look at the girls in Yuan'er's room. Xiangling is first-rate, even ordinary girls can't compare to her. Look at Hongyu and Wu'er, they are also one in a million.

If Yunping gets married in the future and is neglected, do you think she will be able to endure it? If the young couple doesn't get along, it might turn a good thing into a bad thing. Instead of being relatives, they might become enemies."

As Aunt Xue finished speaking, Madam Wang frowned and was about to speak when Madam Xing interrupted her, saying, "Exactly, absolutely. I think what Auntie said makes sense. I don't know what kind of person Yuan-ge is. Yu-ge is as beautiful as a fairy. How can you put your sister-in-law's niece with her? What do you think Yuan-ge feels?"

Mrs. Wang's enthusiasm was immediately dampened by a bucket of cold water. She immediately felt that this was not a good thing, so she nodded and said, "Yes, I was wrong."

Yuan-ge'er is capable, and he certainly wouldn't tolerate such a shrewd person. Fortunately, he thought of it now, otherwise, there is no telling what would happen in the future.

Mrs. Wang said, "Then I'll talk to my brother about it later and let this matter go."

At these words, Aunt Xue and Madam Xing both breathed a sigh of relief. Madam Xing was not cunning, while Aunt Xue was cunning, but not much. A casual glance between the two of them revealed the other's relief. Aunt Xue felt guilty, while Madam Xing was puzzled, wondering why this concubine didn't want to marry the little thief. Could she have other ulterior motives?
After a moment's reflection, Mrs. Xing suddenly realized: "That's right. Baochai is only one year younger than that damned Wang Yunping, so she's already of age. Could it be that Aunt Xue is deliberately trying to match Baochai with Chen Siyuan?"

Baochai, that girl, may appear quiet and demure, but she's actually full of evil intentions. If she gets married, how can I possibly associate with such a thief? This is absolutely unacceptable!
So Mrs. Xing couldn't help but give Aunt Xue a glare, which made Aunt Xue feel confused.

After a while, Mrs. Xing started talking about business.

He said to Lady Wang, "I used to scoff at my younger brother and sister-in-law's constant worship of Buddha. But now that they have a child, I'm worried about what might happen to the child, so I've even started reading Taoist scriptures."

Mrs. Wang smiled vaguely and said, "Buddhism and Taoism guide people to be good, which is good."

Madam Xing said, "As you know, my fourth brother is still young and cries every day. Even if I wanted to worship the gods, I couldn't concentrate... I just remembered that the Jade Emperor Temple is empty. Why don't you give me the key to the Jade Emperor Temple? I'll go there to pay my respects when I have time."

Mrs. Wang had no doubts and said, "That's easy. I'll send a maid to give it to my sister-in-law later."

Mrs. Xing was overjoyed at her success. She patiently spoke to Mrs. Wang for a while before getting up and taking Miao'er back.

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

It is said that Chen Siyuan was either reading or writing these days. He went to the new house every other day and only looked for You Sanjie and Qingwen. He ignored You Erjie and left her alone for several days.

On the 22nd, everyone moved into the Grand View Garden. Baochai moved into Hengwuyuan, Daiyu into Xiaoxiang Pavilion, Yingchun and Xing Xiuyan into Zhuijinlou, Tanchun into Qiushuangzhai, Xichun into Liaofengxuan, Li Wan into Daoxiangcun, and Baoyu once again into Yihongyuan.

Unfortunately, Master Yihong had just been happy for half a day when Master Zheng came looking for him. After much searching, Jia Zheng finally found an old scholar named Wan to teach Baoyu.

From then on, Jia Zheng established a rule: Baoyu could stay in the Yihong Courtyard at night, but from the morning till the evening, he had to study attentively in the Qixianzhai. If he did not study well, he would be punished with a beating.

Baoyu listened with trepidation and did not dare to disobey Jia Zheng. He had no choice but to follow the old scholar to Qixianzhai to study with a feeling of disappointment.

Without mentioning Baoyu's situation, it is said that Chen Siyuan came to Qingtang's thatched cottage early in the morning with the maids and old women.

It was called a thatched cottage, but in reality it was just a tiled roof covered with straw, meant to be more interesting. It was much the same as the small courtyard I'd lived in before, with the same three-room and two-room main rooms, plus four east and west wing rooms—a bit smaller than before, actually. But it was quieter, and I no longer had to listen to the soft singing in the Pear Fragrance Courtyard every day.

Although this thatched cottage had been tidied up early on, Chen Siyuan had lived there for two years, and naturally, together with Xiangling, Hongyu and others, they had accumulated more and more things.

They had been cleaning all day yesterday, and today they had to carry things back and forth several times. Later, they would have to clean up and put things away. Xiangling, noticing that Chen Siyuan was getting in the way, smiled and said, "It's too late to stay in this room. Why don't you go for a stroll in the garden and come back in the afternoon?"

Chen Siyuan agreed awkwardly and was about to go to the new house, but as soon as he came out, he ran into someone who came to look for him.

"Brother, the madam wants to see you."

Chen Siyuan followed Tiaoer to the east wing. Once inside, Mrs. Xing pretended to talk about her business for a while. After the maids and old women left, she secretly handed over two keys.

"Hurry and take it!"

Chen Siyuan took the key, thought for a moment, and then smiled and said, "Is it from the Jade Emperor Temple?"

"How could it be fake?" Mrs. Xing said proudly, "The second wife sent her maid to bring it here yesterday. I secretly made a set and left it in your hands."

How could Chen Siyuan not know what Mrs. Xing was thinking? He was eager to try. However, they had just moved into the Grand View Garden today, and there was chaos everywhere, with maids and old women everywhere. Mrs. Xing suppressed her temper and said, "Well, there's no rush. Just rest for a few days. I'll write to you when I have time."

As the two were talking, Miao'er called out from outside, "My uncle's wife is here."

Mrs. Xing was immediately annoyed. She gritted her teeth and frowned, saying, "You don't come to see me one day, and you come early the next day. You're really annoying!"

Chen Siyuan didn't want to stay any longer, so he just said goodbye and left.

Thinking it was still early, he leisurely walked to the new house. When he arrived, he did not look for You Erjie, but only talked with Qingwen and teased Ziluan'er for a while.

It has only been three months since the beginning of the year, but Luan'er has gained weight visibly, and her little face is chubby, making her look particularly cute.

When this matter was mentioned, Qingwen became extremely worried and frowned, saying, "Master, please don't spoil Luan'er from now on. If she keeps eating like this, I'm afraid she'll become a fat girl and won't look like anything anymore."

Chen Siyuan said with a smile: "She is still young... When she grows up and appreciates beauty, she will naturally not dare to eat like this."

Luan'er immediately huddled up to Chen Siyuan and said proudly, "That's right, I'm still young, I have to make sure people are fed, right?"

Looking at Luan'er's expression, she treated her own master even more affectionately than her own sister, which made Qingwen so angry that her teeth itched.

Just then, Xia Zhu came over and said, "Master, Second Aunt wants you to go to the back."

Chen Siyuan disliked You Erjie's self-assertion, so he naturally wanted to give her a warning this time. So he said, "If you have something to say, just say it. If not, I still need to talk to Luan'er."

"This..." Xia Zhu wanted to say something but stopped, finally bowed and turned away.

A moment later, You Erjie came with a bitter face and begged, "Master, please spare me a moment to talk. I have something urgent to do."

In order to not embarrass You Erjie too much in front of Qingwen and her sisters, Chen Siyuan took the opportunity to stand up and followed her to the back building.

After passing through the hall, Chen Siyuan asked, "What's going on?"

You Erjie bit her lower lip and said, "I know that the master is disgusted with me... I won't dare to do it again. It's just... it's just..."

You Erjie didn't dare to say anything, but just looked upstairs. Chen Siyuan followed her gaze and saw the curtains upstairs were lifted, revealing the shadowy figure of a pretty woman wearing a veiled hat.

Yu Shi? Why is she here again?
You Erjie whispered, "This time it's not me who's reporting the news."

So... addicted? Chen Siyuan stopped, hands behind his back, a mixture of emotions. It had always been him, Uncle Chen, who played with the girls, so why was it the girls who played with him this time? What did he mean?

(End of this chapter)