Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 229 Venting

Siqi returned from the small kitchen carrying a water bottle. Seeing her young mistress still playing in the room, she found a table and poured her some warm tea. Seeing Daiyu covered in sweat, she smiled and said, "Miss Lin, would you like some warm tea?"

Zijuan laughed and said, "Our young lady can't drink even a drop of tea these days."

Siqi asked in surprise, "What do you mean by that?"

Zijuan mumbled, "The imperial physician examined her and said that our young lady has a lung disease and a weak stomach, so she can't drink tea." As she spoke, Xueyan returned from Xiaoxiang Pavilion, also carrying a water bottle containing barley tea that had been roasted according to Ding Daojian's doctor's instructions.

Zijuan said, "Look, now we can only drink this barley tea."

Siqi smiled and agreed, then looked around. Seeing that she didn't see Chen Siyuan and Baochai, she frowned slightly. After serving Xichun, who had just arrived, some tea, she asked Xiuju, "Why haven't I seen Miss Bao?"

Xiuju, preoccupied with watching the excitement, said upon hearing this, "She was hit by the ball just now and it seems to have turned to the back."

Siqi silently agreed and quietly headed around to the east of the Jade Emperor Temple.

The passageway was lined with bamboo fences, and between the Jade Emperor Temple and the Green Bamboo Nunnery were several bluestone steps leading to a stone path. Siqi walked slowly towards the path, and just after passing the main gate of the Jade Emperor Temple, she faintly heard soft laughter and conversation. Siqi immediately pursed her lips and slowed her pace. She peeked out from behind the wall and saw her maid Ying'er picking flower branches by the octagonal pavilion at the end of the winding corridor. In the distance, under the tall peach tree, a man and a woman stood side by side, looking like a perfect couple.

What Brother Yuan said immediately made Miss Bao roll her eyes at him reproachfully, and then she couldn't help but cover her mouth and burst out laughing.

Siqi blinked, utterly astonished. Wasn't Brother Yuan supposed to be with Aunt Xue… how come he's now entangled with Miss Bao?

Siqi gritted her teeth and pondered, then cursed inwardly: What a shameless Xue family! The mother's dissolute behavior has led the daughter to follow in that vixen's footsteps. Like mother, like daughter!

Last time, Chen Siyuan thought he would ask Madam Xing for her in the future, but how could Siqi be willing to accept that? Going there like that would only make her a concubine without any title. But if she marries Yingchun, she will become a head maidservant! Look at Ping'er, and then look at Aunt Zhao. The two are worlds apart.

If there were no other choice, how could Siqi have been willing to be a concubine without any title?

She already looked down on the Xue family, and now she looked down on both mother and daughter. How could she tolerate the tender affection between Baochai and Chen Siyuan?
After a moment's thought, Siqi turned back a few steps and saw that Xiangyun and Cuilu had also left the arena and were strolling towards Longcui Nunnery. She immediately had an idea and then clasped her hands together and said, "Miss Yun, slow down. There are peach blossoms all around here, why go to such lengths to see that one?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Ying'er, who had been counting ants in front of the octagonal pavilion, jumped up, glanced around, and hurriedly ran towards Baochai. Reaching her, she cried out urgently, "Miss, quickly hide! Miss Yun is here!"

Baochai was startled, glanced at Chen Siyuan, and said reluctantly, "Then I'll go first."

Seeing Chen Siyuan nod, he and Ying'er hurriedly went around to the side of the thatched cottage.

Chen Siyuan glanced in the direction the sound came from, then suddenly turned and ran after it. He caught up with Baochai in a moment and said, "Here's a little gift for you."

Baochai continued walking, and whispered, "What object?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Give me your hand."

Baochai gave him a coquettish glance and quickly reached out her hand. Unexpectedly, Chen Siyuan first concealed his right hand in his sleeve, then suddenly grabbed her soft, slightly plump hand. The cool, moist touch of her hand to his large, hot one made Baochai blush instantly. Just as she was about to scold him, Chen Siyuan abruptly released her, and something slipped between Baochai's fingers.

Chen Siyuan smiled, and without lingering, turned and entered the thatched cottage. Baochai, disregarding her shyness, hurried after Ying'er. As they rounded the stone wall, the sounds of the sisters' playful banter reached their ears. She then reached out to examine her wrist. She noticed a colorful ring on it, wrapped with multicolored threads, slightly loose and elastic… she guessed it was made of latex?
Ying'er, who was standing nearby, watched in surprise and asked, "What did Master Yuan give you?"

Baochai smiled gently and shook her head, then said again, "Perhaps it's for tying up hair?"

Ying'er thought for a moment, then clasped her hands in praise: "Every time I tie my hair, I need colorful ropes. This thing looks elastic, so it's much more practical than colorful ropes. Miss, that latex business is sure to make you money!"

Baochai said softly, "Stop talking, let's go back quickly."

The two continued westward, with Baochai constantly touching the rubber band, feeling a special comfort in her heart. Perhaps it was because the two of them had always been unable to meet in the open, having to carefully plan each time, spending short periods together, and living in constant fear of being seen by outsiders, that Baochai could never forget each encounter and could savor the memory for a long time afterward.

Furthermore, compared to such exquisite gifts, she has always preferred these unassuming little trinkets. Just by looking at this item, she knows that he is often thinking of her.

While they were thinking, the mistress and servant walked around to the passageway. At this moment, the three sisters, Daiyu, and Xiangyun had all left, and the maids Xiuju, Xueyan, and Xiangling had taken their place to play. Baochai glanced around and saw that Xiangyun was indeed not there, so she sat down next to Daiyu and took a small sip of the teacup that Ying'er handed her.

Daiyu turned her head and looked at her teasingly, and said in a low voice, "Why are you back so soon? I thought you would not return until the banquet was over."

Baochai couldn't help but retort, "I was just trying to get you two together for a chat, and you turn around and tease me!"

Daiyu chuckled and said, "Who asked you to play matchmaker? You should be thinking about how to make things public."

Baochai sighed, her brows furrowed in distress. But how easy was it to change Aunt Xue's mind? It would require a slow and patient process.

After finishing a cup of warm tea, Baochai casually asked, "Where is Yun'er?"

Daiyu, unaware of the details, simply replied, "It seems they went to the nunnery at the back."

Sister Bao nodded thoughtfully, and said nothing more.

After a while, Chen Siyuan returned first, and Xiangling then invited him to play a game together, saying, "Grandpa, come and help us out, we've already lost twice."

Since it was the maids playing around, Chen Siyuan smiled and agreed. With his long arms and slender waist, he was still growing and practiced stance training regularly. How could the maids possibly defeat him on the field? He dominated the field and quickly defeated Xiu Ju and the others.

The girls in the audience looked at each other, exchanging bewildered glances. Xiao Xichun said with lingering fear, "No wonder Brother Yuan didn't go on stage earlier. He was afraid that if he went on stage, none of us would get to go!"

The fourth sister's words were amusing, and Tan Chun chimed in with a couple of remarks.

As it was nearing noon, Tan Chun hurriedly made arrangements to return to Xiao Cui Hall. A short while later, Shi Shu returned with Xiang Yun and Cui Lü, and the group went to Xiao Cui Hall together.

On the way, Xichun, Tanchun, and Xiangyun huddled together, and Tanchun asked, "Where did Yun'er go just now?"

Upon hearing this, Sister Bao immediately listened attentively.

Then Xiangyun said, "I went to Longcui Nunnery."

Tan Chun said, "That Master Miaoyu seems aloof. Did she let you in?"

Xiangyun shook her head and said, "She's not here. There are only two old women guarding the place. I'll rest for a while and have a cup of tea before I go back."

Baochai pursed her lips, a thought suddenly occurring to her: This girl Yun originally wanted to come and see that tall peach tree, so why did she go to Longcui Nunnery instead? Could it be that she saw her talking to Brother Yuan?
Baochai was filled with anxiety and contemplation. When they arrived at Xiaocui Hall, she left Daiyu and spoke with Xiangyun for a long time. Seeing Xiangyun's composed demeanor, Baochai couldn't tell whether it was because the girl was well-dressed or if she hadn't actually watched. Then, seeing a group of young actresses in their makeup singing in the hall, Baochai finally calmed down and returned to Daiyu's side.

When the banquet began, Li Wan came over with a smile and said she had also come to join in the fun. In reality, everyone knew that the old lady was afraid that if there was no one to look after the guests, some misfortune might occur, so she had sent her sister-in-law over to look after them.

With so many people around, it became difficult to have private conversations. Little Xichun kept pestering Chen Siyuan, so Chen Siyuan could only offer snippets of conversation to the others. For some reason, he kept feeling Li Wan glancing over during the meal. When he looked over, Li Wan would pretend nothing was wrong and continue watching the play.

Chen Siyuan thought to himself, could it be that Li Wan is worried about losing money in the latex business? He figured that once the price of latex rises in a few days, Li Wan will be at ease.
With their elders gone, the sisters relaxed considerably. Even the usually taciturn second sister was full of witty remarks, and after a few cups of wine, Tan Chun blushed and leaned over to drink with Chen Siyuan.

Amidst the laughter and play, the drama unfolded one act after another, and before long, the cups and plates were scattered everywhere, and it was almost late afternoon.

Just then, a maid came to report: "Master Bao has arrived."

Xiangyun laughed and said, "Just you wait and see, he'll definitely be annoyed when he arrives."

Sure enough, a moment later, Baoyu arrived with a frown. Upon entering, he saw the young actors leaving and the maids clearing away the dishes. He immediately stamped his foot and exclaimed, "Oh dear, I'm a step late! It's all Mr. Wan's fault for holding back the audience!"

Xiangyun immediately clasped her hands together, looked up, and laughed: "Haha, see, I was right!"

While laughing, she leaned back, then struggled to move her hands and feet, but couldn't reverse the backward momentum, and fell backward with a cry of "Ouch!" But she continued to laugh heartily.

This naturally amused everyone, who covered their mouths and laughed. Seeing several maids help Xiangyun up, Daiyu said with a smile, "Every time Yun'er tells a joke, no one else does anything, but she laughs so hard she falls over."

Seeing that Xiangyun was alright, Li Wan quickly invited Baoyu to sit down. Xiangyun then called him "Brother Baoyu" repeatedly and recounted the fun they had had playing handball that morning.

Baoyu was initially listening with a smile, but the more he listened, the more uncomfortable he felt.

He originally thought that once he entered the garden, he would spend his days with his sisters and maids, reading, writing, playing the zither, playing chess, painting, composing poems, embroidering phoenixes, playing games with grass and flowers, singing softly, and playing word puzzles. He thought it would be very enjoyable.

Who knew that although he had entered the garden, he would have to study with an old scholar every day, which made him very uncomfortable. That teacher was old-fashioned and inflexible, and whenever Baoyu said something surprising, the teacher would inevitably go to Jia Zheng to complain. What would Jia Zheng do when he found out about this? At best, he would scold him; at worst, he would hit his hand with a ruler. After only two times, Baoyu dared not do it again. Every day, he would pretend to be studying to pass the time, and only after late afternoon could he feel a little more at ease.

Thinking that the liveliness in the garden had nothing to do with him, he suddenly felt uneasy, feeling that this was not good and that was not good, and a sense of dejection appeared on his face.

Master Bao was always the type to do whatever he wanted. Feeling something was amiss, he frowned and got up, saying, "It's almost dinnertime, I'll go check on the old lady."

He left with a single sentence, got up, and led Musk Moon and the others away, leaving everyone looking at each other in bewilderment.

Xiangyun asked in surprise, "Why did Brother Ai leave so soon after arriving?"

Tan Chun smiled and said, "Perhaps he's in a hurry to see the old lady."

Xi Chun said, "I think Brother Bao is a little unhappy because the show has ended."

As soon as Xichun finished speaking, it sparked another round of laughter. The young ladies inside were innocent and carefree, just beginning to experience love, so they sat and lay down without restraint, laughing and joking without a care in the world, and therefore did not care about Baoyu's loneliness.

Only Lin Daiyu and Baochai had their own thoughts. One was gradually growing distant from Baochai, and knew it in her heart but dared not say it. The other was restrained by Xue Yima's superficial relationship with Baoyu, and in reality, she didn't care what Baoyu was thinking.
As it approached Chenshi (7-9 AM), the crowd dispersed. Xiangling and Wu'er, chatting and laughing with Chen Siyuan, left, but that's another story. Now, let's talk about Baochai and Daiyu leaving Xiaocui Hall together. Daiyu then invited Baochai to sit for a while in Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

The two girls went straight inside. Perhaps their hair had become disheveled while they were playing, because Baochai's hairpin suddenly fell off, and her black hair came undone. This made Daiyu laugh and say, "It's a good thing it came undone just now, otherwise he would have seen it."

Xueyan greeted her, "Miss Bao, please sit down. I'll braid your hair."

Baochai's heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, she reached out and tentatively wrapped the rubber band around her head a few times, managing to style her hair into a unique bun. Then, she smiled and said, "No rush, let's talk for a while first."

Daiyu glanced at the colorful hair tie on her head and suddenly seemed to have a thought.

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

Nothing was said that night, and everyone slept soundly, except for Baoyu, who tossed and turned all night.

It wasn't until nearly Chenshi (7-9 AM) that Xiren urged him to wash up and head to Qixianzhai. As soon as Baoyu left, Xiren tidied up the room and then found a piece of paper on the table.

She picked it up and glanced at it, noticing that it seemed to have poems written on it. She then casually folded it neatly and turned to go back to her work.

Just then, they heard voices coming closer from outside, and soon Baochai and Ying'er arrived together.

Xiren quickly responded with a smile, while Baochai asked knowingly with a smile, "Brother Bao, have you gone to study again?" Xiren replied, "I dare not slack off. Nowadays, not only the master, but even the teacher can punish me with a ruler."

Baochai patiently pulled Xiren aside to inquire about Baoyu's daily life. Xiren answered her questions one by one, and then said, "Everything else is fine, but I don't know why, after yesterday, Baoyu changed his behavior. He lost his appetite and just locked himself in his study to write." After saying that, she got up and found some paper and stationery: "Here it is."

Baochai took it and glanced at it, then saw a poem on it: "Spring Night Musings: The rosy clouds and misty curtains are laid out as they please; The frogs across the alley, their cries still faint. A slight chill on my pillow, rain outside the window; Spring colors before my eyes, a person in my dreams. For whom do the brimming candle tears weep? The scattered petals, sorrowful, are for my reproach. It's just that the little maidservant is used to being pampered and lazy; wrapped in the quilt, she can't bear the constant laughter and chatter."

With Baochai's talent, how could she not see that the poem was about Daiyu? She immediately scoffed inwardly, thinking to herself, "Lin Daiyu already has someone she loves. Who are you showing this poem to now?"

After a moment's thought, Baochai suddenly smiled and praised, "This poem is excellent. I'm just about to go to my aunt's place, so please allow me to copy it down and show it to her."

Xiren, unaware of the reason, hurriedly prepared ink to serve. Baochai copied it once, secretly calculating in her heart. Her uncle, Jia Zheng, disliked Baoyu's use of such flowery and ornate language, and her aunt, being uneducated, certainly wouldn't see through it. She worried that her aunt would boast to her uncle, who would then severely discipline Baoyu.

Having made up her mind, Baochai sat for a short while before taking a note to find Lady Wang.

Who knew that as soon as Sister Bao left Qixianzhai and passed the large screen wall, she bumped into Madam Xing and Sister Feng leading a group of maids and servants, heading aggressively towards the Grand View Garden.

When Baochai stepped forward to greet her, Madam Xing responded coldly. Even Fengjie, preoccupied with her own thoughts, only gave a brief greeting before hurriedly entering the Grand View Garden.

Sister Bao stopped and watched the group leave, feeling very puzzled. She wondered if something had happened again.
Having these thoughts in mind, but not wanting to follow and observe, she sent Ying'er to gather information while she herself moved gracefully towards Madam Wang's courtyard.

Little did she know that Madam Xing had brought Feng Jie over early this morning. In front of Feng Jie, she spoke in a sarcastic tone, saying, "Now that you're in charge of the household, I don't expect you to take care of Ying Chun and Xiu Yan, but can't you even treat them equally?"

Feng Jie was puzzled and asked, "Madam, what exactly happened?"

"What happened? Your cousin was bullied by two rough old women. She's only been in the garden for a few days, and those two old women, Yang and Liu, have already extorted more than a tael of silver from her!"

The servants of the Rongguo Mansion were known for their snobbishness. People like Chen Siyuan, though secretly despising his family background, were always fawned over because of his generosity. Take the brothers Yu Si and Yu Liu, for example; they always answered correctly. Over the years, Chen Siyuan alone had rewarded the brothers with twenty or thirty taels of silver!

Money can be a powerful motivator, and the servants and maids naturally followed suit.

For someone like Xing Xiuyan, from a poor family and with limited means, the servants would naturally be less attentive. That's just how some things are; they can be incredibly difficult to manage!
Xing Xiuyan was still a young lady, yet she was extorted by two rough old women. Upon hearing this, Feng Jie was furious: "Such a thing has happened? Madam, allow me to investigate. If Yang Liu and the other woman really did extort money, I will have them beaten and kicked out of the mansion today!"

Madam Xing and Sister Feng are about the same age, but one is the mother-in-law and the other is the daughter-in-law. Previously, Sister Feng had often helped the old lady embarrass Madam Xing, so the two had a deep-seated grudge.

At this point, the situation changed. The old lady was in a weak position, and Madam Wang quietly took over most of the household. Even Madam Xing, having given birth to a son and having a good nephew to rely on, spoke with more authority.

In contrast, Sister Feng had previously been devoted to the old lady and had already developed a rift with her aunt, Lady Wang. Seeing that the situation had changed, she turned back to Lady Wang. In the first month of the lunar year, Sister Qiao contracted smallpox, and Sister Feng originally intended to take a few days off to let Lady Wang know that without her, the household would be in chaos.

To everyone's surprise, Madam Wang brought out her third daughter, Tan Chun, to help manage things! Although Tan Chun was unfamiliar with the situation, she was straightforward and had a strong sense of justice. With Madam Wang's support, everyone performed their duties without making any major mistakes!

Upon hearing this, Sister Feng could no longer sit still. It was only afterward that, taking advantage of the effects of the medicine, she moved out of her room to manage the household again.

Feng Jie knew perfectly well that if the First Madam really found a weakness in her, Madam Wang might just push out the more obedient Tan Chun to manage the household. At this time, Feng Jie was being extremely cautious; how could she possibly give anyone cause for gossip?
Ping'er, standing to the side, chimed in, "Madam knows that our mistress is always busy with chores and can't really interfere in the young ladies' quarters. It's just that we didn't know that, otherwise, I would have dealt with those two good-for-nothings myself without our mistress's help! They're servants for generations, yet they dare to bully their mistress; they're really asking for trouble!"

Seeing that the two women, mistress and servant, were furious, Madam Xing didn't think twice and said, "Fine, since you say so, I'll believe you this time. Let's go to Zhuijin Tower and find out the truth!"

Now, the group entered the Grand View Garden and arrived at the Zhuijin Pavilion. At this time, the second young lady, Yingchun, had gone to the small side hall in front to learn needlework with Li Wan. Only Xing Xiuyan, Xiuju, Zhuan'er, and two rough-working old women were inside.

Seeing the First Madam and Second Madam approaching in a menacing manner, the two old women sensed something was wrong and quickly ushered the group inside.

Madam Xing sat high in the hall, with Sister Feng sitting beside her at the lower end. After Xing Xiuyan and the others had exchanged greetings, Sister Feng said, "Cousin, don't stand on ceremony, sit down and let's talk."

Xing Xiuyan sat down calmly, blinked, and then turned to look at Zhuan'er. Seeing the smug look on Zhuan'er's face, how could she not know that this girl was behind it all?

She was staying at the Rongguo Mansion and really didn't want this matter to become public knowledge. But what could she do now that things had come to this?
Feng Jie then smiled and said, "You've been living in the garden for a few days now, and I haven't had a chance to come and see you. Now that I've come, I just wanted to ask if you're having any difficulties."

As Xing Xiuyan was pondering how to respond, Zhuan'er said, "Second Madam, our young lady was bullied by those two old women!"

The two old women, Yang and Liu, were startled and quickly retorted, "Don't talk nonsense, little girl. When have we ever bullied you?"

Zhuan'er spat and cursed, "Shut your mouth! You two are always busy with banging corpses and pulling up beds, completely ignoring what the young lady says. Last time the young lady wanted to take a bath, you two carried two buckets of hot water and complained about back pain. In the end, we had to extort a string of coins before you finally brought the water. And the time before that, the young lady ran out of silver charcoal in her room and asked you to go to the storeroom to get some, and you brought back black charcoal to fool her!"

The two old women, Yang and Liu, were already terrified. Seeing Zhuan'er recount one sordid act after another, and witnessing the First Madam's cold expression and the Second Madam's sneer, they immediately knelt on the ground, pleading, "This...we're innocent—"

Sister Feng slammed her hand on the table, making the teacups clatter. Her triangular phoenix eyes glared at her, her willow eyebrows raised in anger: "What a pair of filthy lackeys! We let you into the garden to serve our masters, but instead you ride on the girls' heads and defecate and urinate on them! Who gave you the guts!"

The two old women, Yang and Liu, stammered, knowing they couldn't refute the argument, so they could only kneel and kowtow, begging Sister Feng for forgiveness. Then another old woman, Yang, said, "Second Mistress, it wasn't us... it was that Granny Wang—"

Feng Jie's heart skipped a beat. Granny Wang was Ying Chun's wet nurse, chosen by the master's first wife to enter the mansion. She even had some influence with the old lady... The first lady had made a big fuss early this morning, forcing her to take drastic measures. Could it be that she was targeting Granny Wang?
While pondering, he quickly looked at Xing Xiuyan and Zhuan'er.

Xing Xiuyan had been keeping her head down, but when she saw that Wang Mama was mentioned, Feng Jie looked over... and then she saw that Madam Xing had a smile on her face. After thinking for a while, and seeing that Madam Xing did not speak, she shook her head and said, "Wang Mama did not extort money from me."

That's true. Granny Wang only instigated Yang Liu and the other two to extort Xing Xiuyan. She herself couldn't possibly look down on Xing Xiuyan's poor and stingy nature.

Ping'er immediately rebuked, "Stop making excuses, just tell me if what Zhuan'er said is true or false?"

Granny Liu got up and began slapping herself in the face, pleading, "It was my greed that led me to urge the young lady to give me the reward money, seeing that other people who moved into the garden had been given wine money."

Sister Feng said coldly, "This is outrageous! A servant's greed allows him to extort his master? What kind of logic is this? Come here, take him out and give him twenty lashes, then dismiss him from the mansion immediately!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a burly old woman rushed forward and dragged Yang Liu and the other woman away.

After Yang and Liu's pleas faded into the distance, Sister Feng finally breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Madam Xing with a forced smile, saying, "Madam, is this arrangement satisfactory?"

Madam Xing snorted and scolded, "You don't even know how to take care of your own family. I don't know what kind of household you're in charge of." She paused, then turned to Xing Xiuyan and said, "And you, you weren't even there when someone bullied you. If it weren't for—"

If Chen Siyuan hadn't come to plead for her, Madam Xing would have been too lazy to care even if she had known. Unable to say this aloud, Madam Xing sighed and said, "You—"

At this moment, Sister Feng also sat down with a smile, took Xing Xiuyan's hand and said, "No matter what, my sister is still a relative. If any troublesome person makes things difficult for my sister in the future, just come to me and I will definitely stand up for her."

Xing Xiuyan quickly thanked her, "Thank you, Second Sister-in-law."

After talking for a while, Madam Xing and Sister Feng got up to leave. Xing Xiuyan escorted the two downstairs, and Madam Xing suddenly stopped and said, "Your parents told me yesterday that they would deduct one tael from your monthly allowance for them to use."

Xing Xiuyan remained calm, but Zhuan'er frowned deeply. If it weren't for her status, she would have already spoken up to protest.

But then Madam Xing said, "Your father will squander all the money he has. I refuted everything they said. Don't go out of your way to send the money over there yourself."

Xing Xiuyan was puzzled, because as soon as she arrived at the Rongguo Mansion, she knew that Madam Xing did not like her family. They had only spoken a few times, and Madam Xing always looked at her with a strange scrutiny. Why was she being so kind to her now?

Little did she know that, firstly, Madam Xing now earned over a hundred taels a month from Baicaotang's profits, and Third Sister Xing had also married, so she no longer needed to scramble for money; secondly, Madam Xing also wanted to curry favor with the petty thief.

Xing Xiuyan curtsied and thanked them, and then Madam Xing and Sister Feng left.

Watching the group disappear into the distance, Xing Xiuyan snapped out of her reverie and tugged at Zhuan'er's ear, saying, "Tell me honestly what you said to your cousin that day?"

Zhuan'er cried out in pain, tiptoeing and tilting her head, while complaining, "I told my sister everything when I came back that day. As for how Master Chen dealt with it afterwards, I'm not a tapeworm in Master Chen's stomach, how would I know?"

Xing Xiuyan frowned, released her hand, and then tapped his forehead: "You. It's only been a year or two. This isn't even our own home. We should just be careful with our lives. Why cause trouble like this?"

Knowing that she couldn't win the argument, Zhuan'er simply shut up and remained silent.

A short while later, the mistress and servant ascended the steps. Xing Xiuyan had just received the manuscript that Liu Wu'er had sent yesterday, so she went to the study to grind ink and begin copying it. Since it was only a first draft, Chen Siyuan's writing naturally contained many errors and inconsistencies. Xing Xiuyan would circle some parts she was unsure about with a red pen; only those parts she was sure of would be corrected.

I had just finished copying when suddenly a servant came running over.

"Sister, sister!"

Xing Xiuyan stopped writing and looked over reproachfully, while Zhuan'er said with a grin, "Grandpa Chen is waiting for you at Luxue Nunnery, sister!"

Zhuijinlou, being a building, naturally has windows on all four sides. Xing Xiuyan blinked, put down her brush and ink, and went to the north window. Pushing open the window, she saw a figure in blue standing proudly in front of Luxue'an.

He seemed to catch a glimpse of her upstairs, and even raised his folding fan and waved it.

Although she was annoyed that Chen Siyuan was making a mountain out of a molehill, how could Xing Xiuyan not feel comforted after he defended her? Besides, they had only met briefly yesterday and hadn't exchanged many words, so Sister Xing must be missing Chen Siyuan too.

She smiled sweetly, turned around, and started walking downstairs. Zhuan'er was surprised and followed closely behind, asking, "Sister, aren't you afraid of being seen?"

Xing Xiuyan smiled and glanced at him sideways, saying, "Why would I bury my head in the sand?"

Before Zhuan'er could react, she had already gracefully descended the stairs. After leaving Zilingzhou and crossing the Bee Waist Bridge, she walked a short distance and turned onto a path, where she soon met Chen Siyuan in front of Luxue Temple.

"Cousin, how have you been?"

Xing Xiuyan said with a playful smile, "Thanks to you, I'm afraid everyone will be talking about me today."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "To avoid being called mediocre, my cousin's character is like an awl in a bag; it can only conceal it for a while, not forever."

Xing Xiuyan smiled and said, "If possible, I might as well keep it a secret for life."

As far as she was concerned, it was enough for him to know about her character and talent. What use would it be for so many mediocre people in the world to know?

Seeing the two gazing into each other's eyes, Zhuan'er felt a sense of comfort in her heart. Thinking about the good life she would have in the future, she smiled and said, "Master Chen, Miss, it's windy outside. Why don't you come inside and talk? I'll keep watch outside."

These words immediately provoked Xing Xiuyan to scold: "Why is it so shameful to talk to my cousin?"

Zhuan'er was speechless. Xing Xiuyan then chuckled and, seeing Chen Siyuan gesturing for her, followed him into Luxue Nunnery.

Zhuan'er was stunned for a long time, then couldn't help but complain, "That sounds nice, but you still got in, didn't you?"

Despite these thoughts, Zhuan'er still obediently stayed near Luxue Temple—for her own future enjoyment, she couldn't let outsiders disturb Master Chen and her sister's good time!

(End of this chapter)