Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 236 The Nightmare Magic of the Uncle and Sister-in-Law (Part 2) (First Update, Requesting Monthly Tickets)

Now, Chen Siyuan made up his mind and turned around from the direction of Qingtang Thatched Cottage. After crossing Qinfang Bridge, just as he was about to turn around Cuizhang, he saw several old women shouting and making way for him. Immediately, Feng Jie, with her hair disheveled, took out a gleaming steel knife and slashed around, shouting "Fight! Fight! Fight! Kill! Kill! Kill!"

Ping'er was so anxious that tears streamed down her face as she urged the group of old women, "Quickly take away Grandma's steel knife... Whoever takes it will be richly rewarded!"

Madam Xing was trapped on the spot, unable to move forward or backward with Miao'er and Tiao'er.

Ping'er suddenly saw Chen Siyuan, and in her desperation, she cried out, "Uncle Yuan, please save our grandma!"

Ping'er was afraid that Feng Jie would harm other people's lives, but she was even more afraid that Feng Jie would harm her own.

Chen Siyuan arrived just in time. After a flurry of attacks, Feng Jie was exhausted, her steps faltering and her swordplay slowing. Chen Siyuan, on the other hand, was still growing and had been practicing stance training for half a year, making him much more agile than the group of old women.

Chen Siyuan remained silent, and as Feng Jie slashed at the maid, he crouched low and quickly approached. Feng Jie heard the sound of wind behind her, turned around, and slashed with her sword.

Chen Siyuan ducked to avoid it, then stepped forward and grabbed Feng Jie'er's right hand holding the knife with both hands. He kept pushing her until she staggered two steps and fell to the ground.

Chen Siyuan charged forward relentlessly, tripping over Feng Jie'er and falling forward himself. He held onto Feng Jie'er's hand tightly, refusing to let go until he crashed into her. Feng Jie'er cried out in pain, falling to the ground and letting go. Chen Siyuan had just seized the steel knife, but before he could drop it, Feng Jie'er opened her mouth and bit him!

Chen Siyuan had nowhere to avoid it; half of his shoulder and neck were bitten by Sister Feng!
"Hiss—" 'Clang clang'

Chen Siyuan gasped, threw the steel knife aside, and then reached out to cover Feng Jie'er's mouth and nose. At this moment, a group of old women who had gathered around rushed forward, shouting, and after a lot of fumbling, they finally managed to subdue Feng Jie'er.

Although Sister Feng was exhausted, she refused to stop, cursing, "You villain, I'll kill you, I'll kill you!"

Chen Siyuan finally got up, feeling an unbearable throbbing pain in his shoulders and neck, and couldn't help but grimace and gasp for breath. Madam Xing, who was standing nearby, saw this and her eyes immediately welled up with tears of heartache.

Having at least regained some of his senses, and knowing that it wasn't appropriate for him to go forward at this moment, he said to the two maids, "Oh dear, the young master has been bitten! You two, hurry and take a look at him!"

Miao'er and Tiao'er agreed and hurried over to take a look.

Miao asked where the bite was, and Tiao directly tore open Chen Siyuan's clothes slightly, revealing two rows of red teeth marks on his shoulder and neck, with blood coming from the canine teeth on both sides!

The boy cried out in alarm, "Young master is bleeding!"

"Ah?" Upon hearing this, Madam Xing could no longer contain herself. She rushed forward, grabbed a handkerchief to cover the wound, and muttered to herself, "What, what does this mean? Where is the imperial physician? Quickly, find the imperial physician!"

Fearing that Madam Xing might be reluctant to reveal her presence, Chen Siyuan quickly pushed away the handkerchief and said with a smile, "Auntie, don't panic. It's just a cut and a little blood, nothing serious. Right now, the manor is in complete chaos, and the imperial physicians are probably too busy to even take a break. You don't need to worry about my little injury for now."

Madam Xing frowned and exclaimed, "They're bleeding! How can we just leave it untreated? Tiao'er, go and fetch the imperial physician!"

Tiao'er immediately got up and ran off. Chen Siyuan pulled Miao'er up by the hand and said to Madam Xing with a smile, "Auntie, go and check on Baoyu. Everything will be fine here."

Madam Xing frowned and sighed, knowing that there was no time to waste. She gave Chen Siyuan a deep look before heading towards the Yihong Courtyard.

Miao'er's eyes were also red at this moment, and she said with a sob in her voice, "Young Master was so brave. So many old women couldn't control Second Mistress. Ping'er instigated him, and Young Master rushed out. Luckily, he was only bitten. Those swords and knives have no eyes. What if he had been hit?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "If I wasn't confident, why would I show off? Stop crying, it would be bad if someone saw us."

Seeing that he was laughing and joking as if it weren't serious, Miao'er felt sorry for him and sighed. A moment later, another girl came running back, panting, saying, "The steward said the imperial physicians have all gone to the Grand View Garden—"

Chen Siyuan pondered for a moment and said, "Go to Qingtang Thatched Cottage and ask Hongyu for a piece of gauze that has been boiled in water and dried... um—" Chen Siyuan couldn't finish his sentence. It was only March, and if it had been boiled in water and dried, the wound would probably have scabbed over long ago. So he changed his mind and said, "Why don't you just soak it in some strong liquor and bring it over?"

Miao'er agreed and hurried towards Qingtang Thatched Cottage. Chen Siyuan and Tiao'er then headed towards Yihong Courtyard, but after only a few steps, they bumped into Madam You, who was coming from the main gate of Grand View Garden, accompanied by her maid Yindie.

To prevent the wound from sticking together, Chen Siyuan's collar was open, revealing half of his shoulder. Blood seeped from the wound, staining his collar red.

At first, Madam You was quite puzzled, but when she got closer and took a look, she was so frightened that her face changed color.

"This... Brother Yuan, how did you do this?"

Chen Siyuan treated You Shi with indifference, perhaps thinking of her only as a sexually frustrated neighbor. However, You Shi harbored special feelings for Chen Siyuan.

This probably confirms what writer Zhang said: a woman's heart is connected to her soul. Chen Siyuan was young and strong, and adept at understanding women's thoughts, so in bed he was naturally a hundred times better than Jia Zhen, who only cared about his own pleasure!

Leaving aside the first time, every subsequent time she didn't leave until she was completely satisfied. Sometimes even Madam You herself couldn't figure out whether she was trying to conceive or simply indulging in a moment of pleasure.

Chen Siyuan explained with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Madam You frowned. At least Madam Xing could show concern under the guise of taking care of her nephew, but Madam You was even less than Madam Xing. Therefore, even though she was very concerned, she could only say, "It's not good to have so many bloodstains. Quickly find the imperial physician to bandage it."

Tiao'er then said, "The imperial physicians are all at Yihong Courtyard; we're just about to go there."

Without saying another word, the group hurriedly headed towards the brothel.

Upon arriving inside, Zhou Rui's wife was busy running around. Because the main room was not spacious, Jia Qin, Jia Ping, Jia Rong, Jia Lian, and others were all discussing countermeasures in the courtyard.

Everyone was startled to see the bloodstains on Chen Siyuan's neck and immediately inquired. Someone explained the situation, and Jia Lian, stunned, said, "Feng Jie'er also having a hysterical episode? This, this—"

Without saying much, he bowed to the surroundings and headed home.

Zhou Rui's wife hurriedly summoned the imperial physician. Upon seeing that it was Physician Hu who arrived, Chen Siyuan immediately dared not let him treat him again—this quack doctor was notorious for prescribing strong medicine. It was originally just a bite wound that would scab over in a while, and perhaps heal in a few days. Who knew if it would even heal after this person's treatment?
Chen Siyuan made some excuses, and then Physician Zhang came to examine him. He said, "It's just a broken skin, and the bite isn't deep. You need to find some gauze to wrap it carefully. It will be fine in a few days."

Physician Hu was adept at flattering the powerful and belittling the weak. Knowing that Chen Siyuan was a wealthy man, he immediately smiled obsequiously and said, "Master Yuan, if you use my medicine, I guarantee you will be fully healed in three to five days, without leaving any scars!"

Chen Siyuan didn't trust the quack doctor Hu, so he coldly refused and then inquired about the situation.

Upon hearing the mention of Baoyu, both imperial physicians frowned in thought. After a moment, one offered conflicting advice, while the other offered conflicting suggestions, completely at a loss. Physician Hu even suggested that they should seek out a monk or Taoist priest to examine him.

A short while later, Ping'er, her eyes red, came to ask the imperial physician to examine Feng Jie'er. So, only Physician Zhang was left behind, while Physicians Hu and Wang hurriedly went to Feng Jie'er's courtyard.

After the two imperial physicians left with Feng'er, Ping'er turned to look at Chen Siyuan, and without saying a word, she knelt down with a thud and was about to kowtow.

Startled, Chen Siyuan rushed forward to help her up: "Miss Ping, what are you doing?"

Ping'er couldn't kneel down, and could only sob, "Thank you so much, Master Yuan, for saving our grandmother... If it weren't for Master Yuan, if anything had happened to our grandmother, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to survive either!"

In the midst of the chaos, Ping'er got up after only a few words of advice from Chen Siyuan, said annoyed, and quickly wiped her eyes before heading back to Feng Jie'er's courtyard.

Chen Siyuan thought to himself, Ping'er was originally Feng Jie'er's personal maid, so their fates were naturally intertwined. If Feng Jie'er were to pass away, there was no guarantee that Jia Lian wouldn't take a new wife in the future.

It is said that when a new bride is brought into the house, the old bride is thrown over the wall. At that time, she, the former mistress's maid, will probably become a thorn in the side of the new mistress. She won't be able to survive then.
Just as Ping'er left, the sound of hurried footsteps approached from outside. It was the arrival of the Second Miss Yingchun, the Third Miss Tanchun, the Fourth Miss Xichun, Xing Xiuyan, Daiyu, Baochai, and Aunt Xue.

After such a major incident, everyone who heard the news naturally came to Yihong Courtyard to see Baoyu. But as soon as they entered, they saw that Chen Siyuan's neck was covered in blood, and half of his collar was stained red!
This sight shocked everyone present. The second daughter, Yingchun, gasped in surprise, and the two younger girls quickly approached, asking, "Brother Yuan, how did you get hurt?"

Aunt Xue and Baochai felt a pang of heartache. At least Aunt Xue could step forward and show some concern, but Baochai, in front of Aunt Xue, suppressed her heartache and just stood close to Chen Siyuan, gazing longingly at him.

Daiyu, however, had no such concerns and immediately instructed Zijuan to quickly return to Xiaoxiang Pavilion to fetch the wound medicine.

After Tiao'er explained to everyone again, Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Sister, there's no need to worry. This little injury is nothing. It's not bleeding much now."

Daiyu frowned and said, "If it were just a minor scrape, that would be fine, but this time it's on the neck, so we can't be too careful. Brother Yuan, you always know that a wise man doesn't stand under a dangerous wall, how could you forget that principle?"

Chen Siyuan thought that it was Daiyu's kind intention, and since she had already said so much, he really couldn't refuse, so he smiled and agreed: "Then thank you very much, sister."

Daiyu sighed and shook her head, then turned and urged Zijuan to hurry up.

At this moment, Baochai realized what was happening, biting her lower lip and disregarding everything else, she found a clean handkerchief and handed it over: "Quickly wipe yourself."

Chen Siyuan exchanged a glance with him, signaling him to relax, and took the handkerchief, daring only to wipe around his neck, but not daring to touch the wound.

They had come to see Baoyu, but because Chen Siyuan was injured, the young ladies and Aunt Xue had been concerned about Chen Siyuan for quite a while before they had no choice but to go inside to see Baoyu.

After a while, Miao'er, Xiangling, Hongyu, Wu'er, and Yunxiang came looking for him, and Zijuan also brought wound medicine. Seeing Chen Siyuan's injuries, Wu'er and Xiangling were heartbroken and shed tears, while Hongyu's eyes also reddened. As she carefully wiped Chen Siyuan's wounds, she scolded, "There are so many people in the garden, why did you have to be so brave, Master? The old woman is useless, couldn't you have gone to find a servant?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "In times of emergency, one must act expediently; there's no time to think about so many things."

Xiangling added, "Even if you don't think about yourself, sir, you should think about us... If something happens to you, how will we live?"

Upon hearing this, even Hongyu burst into tears. Zijuan, watching from the side, saw that Hongyu was trembling all over and couldn't do anything, so she quickly took some wound medicine and applied it to Chen Siyuan.

The gauze was half-dry, and it had been soaked in strong liquor, so it stung the wound. Afterwards, some wound medicine was applied, and the wound felt cool and soothing.

As more and more people gathered in the courtyard, Chen Siyuan left only Xiangling by his side and sent Hongyu, Wu'er, and Yunxiang back to Qingtang Thatched Cottage first.

At this moment, Jia She, Jia Zheng, and Jia Zhen came out from inside. As they opened the door, they could vaguely hear Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang crying out, "My son! Baoyu!" and the voices of female relatives trying to comfort them.

As soon as the master and master came out, Jia Qin, Jia Ping, and Jia Rong quickly surrounded them.

Jia She did not see Chen Siyuan for a moment, and said, "The three imperial physicians each have their own explanations, and I am afraid that medicine is ineffective... I think it would be better to invite a Taoist priest to exorcise the evil spirit."

Jia Qin then said, "I know a sorceress who is very efficacious. Why don't we invite her to exorcise evil spirits for Uncle Bao?"

Jia Rong said, "That sorcerer is no match for Master Zhang from the Jade Emperor Pavilion. I think we should invite Master Zhang instead."

Hearing this, Jia Zheng became even more agitated, saying, "The Master did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits..." He then looked up and asked Jia Ping, "How is Feng Jie doing on her side?"

Jia Rong and the others told the truth, which greatly upset Jia Zheng. He could only sigh, "What a troubled time... what an unexpected disaster!"

At this moment, Jia She noticed Chen Siyuan's wounds and was startled. He quickly asked, "What happened to Yuan-ge'er?"

Chen Siyuan had no choice but to step forward and explain. After he finished speaking, Jia Zheng was immediately filled with gratitude and said, "Thanks to Yuan-ge'er, otherwise it would have been terrible if someone had been killed."

Jia She echoed twice, but his gaze toward Chen Siyuan held a hint of reproach.
Chen Siyuan quickly understood the master's thoughts: why save Sister Feng? It would be better to let her die on her own!

In her early years, when Sister Feng was in charge of the household, she always followed the orders of Grandmother Jia. The eldest master, Jia She, could control his own son, Jia Lian, but he couldn't control his daughter-in-law, Sister Feng. How could he not resent her? He probably harbored the thought of hoping that Sister Feng would die early so that he could marry a more obedient daughter-in-law.

Chen Siyuan, realizing the situation, pretended to be puzzled and glanced at Jia She a few times. Such private matters were not easy to discuss openly, and Jia She, at a loss for what to do with Chen Siyuan's feigned ignorance, simply stopped looking at him.

Jia Zheng then said, "Yuan-ge'er, go back and recover from your injuries first. You all can leave now. Elder brother, let's go see Lian-ge's wife." Jia She agreed, and so the group of people left Yihong Courtyard and headed towards Feng-jie's courtyard.

With a distressed expression, Xiangling helped Chen Siyuan turn around. Chen Siyuan thought to himself, "It's a pity I didn't have a chance to talk to Xiren... otherwise I could have found out about Baoyu's condition." When he came to his senses, he realized that he had been supported by Xiangling the whole time, and he said with a wry smile, "I only hurt my neck, why do I need someone to support me?"

Xiangling frowned, looking at Chen Siyuan with a pitiful expression, without saying a word. Did she mean she was afraid that if she let go, Chen Siyuan would be gone?

Chen Siyuan felt relieved and smiled at Xiangling, comforting her, "Don't worry, didn't you hear the imperial physician say that you'll be fine in a few days?"

"Mmm," Xiangling replied.

Just as the master and servant stepped onto Qinfang Bridge, a man came running from the east side hall. Upon seeing Chen Siyuan, he raised his hand and called out, "Uncle Yuan."

Chen Siyuan looked closely and realized that the person who came was Jia Yun. He stopped and waited. After a while, Jia Yun rushed over, panting, and solemnly bowed. He asked in surprise, "Uncle Yuan, how did you get hurt?"

Chen Siyuan said with a wry smile, "Don't mention it..." He briefly explained what had just happened and said that he was fine, and Jia Yun finally relaxed.

He then said, "A relative just told me that something bad had happened to Baoyu, so I rushed over to see him."

Chen Siyuan glanced at him and saw that he was wearing a brocade robe, so he knew that Jia Yun had been doing well these days. So he smiled and said, "You don't need to worry about me, go and see Baoyu and your second sister-in-law."

Jia Yun bowed in agreement, saying he would come to see Chen Siyuan later, before quickly walking away.

Chen Siyuan returned to the thatched cottage in Qingtang, where Hongyu, Wu'er, and the others had been eagerly awaiting his return. Upon seeing him, they were naturally very concerned for him, as he had been waited on hand and foot. If it weren't for the need to use the toilet, the girls would probably have done even that for him.

Chen Siyuan, feeling both amused and exasperated, comfortably enjoyed the gentle touch of the young women. After a while, he finally found a moment to call over his maid, Yunxiang, and whispered, "Go to the new residence and tell Third Sister to send someone to the Sansheng Nunnery to keep an eye on Granny Ma and see if she makes any unusual moves. Under no circumstances should you disturb Granny Ma unless absolutely necessary."

Yunxiang was puzzled, but seeing the seriousness on Chen Siyuan's face, she immediately knew that this matter was important. She quickly patted her chest and said, "Don't worry, sir, I will definitely handle this matter properly!"

Yunxiang turned and left in a hurry; let's leave that aside for now.

Meanwhile, Feng Jie and Bao Yu suffered a fit of hysteria. Jia She and Jia Zheng consulted three imperial physicians, but each gave a different opinion, and they couldn't come up with a suitable prescription. Jia She was so angry that he cursed loudly, while Jia Qin, Jia Ping, and Jia Rong offered their suggestions.

Jia She, thinking he could try anything, instructed the three men to do as they pleased. Jia Qin brought talismanic water, Jia Ping recommended a monk and a Taoist priest, and Jia Rong hastily invited Master Zhang. Jia Zheng, however, disbelieved in superstitions and ordered his retainers to invite renowned doctors from the capital to treat the patient.

Who would have thought that after feeding them talisman water, having Master Zhang perform a ritual, and even having the imperial physicians of the Imperial Hospital take their pulses, they were all helpless! Baoyu and Fengjie became increasingly confused, unconscious, lying on the bed, their bodies burning like charcoal, and uttering all sorts of incoherent words.

In the afternoon, Aunt Wang took her leave. Jia She and Jia Zheng were worried that their mother would cry herself sick, so they tried to comfort her, but to no avail. They also thought that it would be inconvenient for the imperial physician to take care of the two of them since they were separated. So they decided to move them to Madam Wang's room together.

After dinner, Xing Xiuyan came first, followed by Daiyu, the three sisters, Baochai, and then Madam Xing, Aunt Xue, and others to visit Chen Siyuan.

Because of the large number of people and their chatter, Chen Siyuan was unable to have any private conversations with her close female friends.

After seeing everyone off, Hongyu, Xiangling, and the others saw that Chen Siyuan was indeed unharmed, and he finally felt relieved. He vaguely remembered that Aunt Zhao had conspired with Granny Ma to slip strange talismans under Baoyu and Fengjie's pillows, so Chen Siyuan wandered around the garden looking for an opportunity.

As luck would have it, the uncle and aunt had just moved to Madam Wang's main room, and their head maid, Xiren, had been crying with them. Now, because they needed to retrieve some of Baoyu's frequently used items, they came to Yihong Courtyard with red eyes to get them.

Chen Siyuan was strolling near the artificial hill when he caught sight of Xiren approaching, and his eyes lit up immediately.

Because there was an old woman walking in the distance, Chen Siyuan could not greet her, so he just coughed lightly, which made Xiren look up and see what was going on.

When Xiren saw that it was Chen Siyuan and noticed his strange look, she was immediately startled! When he got closer, Xiren curtsied and said, "Master Yuan... Baoyu is not well now. If you want... you might as well wait a few more days."

What is this all about?
Chen Siyuan frowned and said, "That has nothing to do with it. Baoyu and Second Sister-in-law's hysteria is strange. Search Baoyu's room carefully and bring it to me as soon as you find anything."

Xi Ren glanced at Chen Siyuan in surprise, bit her lower lip and agreed, then headed towards Yi Hong Courtyard.

Leaving aside Chen Siyuan who stayed behind to wait, Xiren went inside and argued with Musk Moon, who was left behind, before going into the west wing bedroom to tidy up the bedding.

Xi Ren dared not disobey Chen Siyuan's orders. Taking advantage of Qiu Wen carrying the bedding out, she hurriedly began searching around. However, after searching for a long time, she found nothing. Xi Ren thought that Chen Siyuan was being paranoid, so she sent Qiu Wen to take the bedding and other items away first. She waited for a while before getting up and leaving Yi Hong Courtyard.

Upon reaching the passageway, Xiren looked around but couldn't find any trace of Chen Siyuan. She wondered if Master Yuan had gone back. Suddenly, she heard a soft cough and turned to see Chen Siyuan emerging from behind a tree.

Seeing that no one was around, Xiren quickly stepped forward to greet them.

Chen Siyuan then asked, "Have you found the item?"

"No," Xiren shook her head.

"Hmm?" Chen Siyuan stared at Xiren, and seeing that her expression did not seem to be feigning, he said, "You also searched inside and under the pillow?"

Xi Ren whispered, "I've searched everything carefully, but there's nothing there... Ah!" Xi Ren suddenly realized, "The pillow has a tear in it for some reason!"

No? That's impossible.

Chen Siyuan frowned and pondered for a moment, then asked, "Who went into the main room of the Yihong Courtyard today?"

Xiren, with her good memory, quickly counted on her fingers. Aside from the maids of Yihong Courtyard, the only other young ladies present were Fengjie, Grandmother Jia, Lady Wang, Lady Xing, Aunt Xue, Lady You, and Aunt Zhao—

Upon hearing that Aunt Zhao had also entered the room, Chen Siyuan frowned deeply. He wondered to himself, "Could it be that Aunt Zhao secretly took the talisman back?"
It's not a good idea to ask Xiren this. Although that woman is not virtuous, she is intelligent and will likely see through it immediately. If trouble arises, it might implicate her third sister, Tanchun.

Chen Siyuan only wanted to find out whether Granny Ma had the ability to cast spells from a distance. He was after cultivating immortality, not upholding justice. In addition, the uncle and sister-in-law were later out of danger in the original story, so why should he do anything unnecessary?
"Uncle Yuan?"

"Hmm—" Chen Siyuan came back to his senses and said, "Never mind, perhaps I was just overthinking it."

Xi Ren curtsied and took her leave of Chen Siyuan. As she walked to the artificial hill, she couldn't help but turn her head to look at him, only to see Chen Siyuan still pacing back and forth, deep in thought.

Xiren secretly wondered, "Could it be that Master Yuan has cast a curse on Baoyu?" Then she realized the absurdity of the matter. Master Yuan was perfectly fine; why would he cast a curse on Baoyu?

There must be something behind this, right? To fight over Baochai? What a joke! I'm afraid the two of them have been having an affair for a long time, and Madam has always been ambiguous about the "golden and jade marriage." Now, only Aunt Xue herself is enthusiastic. Who else is mentioning the "golden and jade marriage"?
As for the Rongguo Mansion's title... Baoyu doesn't inherit it; it's Second Master Lian who does. Even if she's being manipulated by Madam Xing, the harm would be done to Second Master Lian, so what does it have to do with Baoyu?
After thinking it over, Xiren assumed that Chen Siyuan was just being overly kind and stopped trying to figure out the reason. She then hurried towards Madam Wang's courtyard.

Chen Siyuan stood there pondering for a long time, thinking to himself that if Aunt Zhao had indeed secretly taken it back afterward, then it would be impossible to find. Aunt Zhao could come to Yihong Courtyard, but she probably couldn't go to Sister Feng's courtyard. If he wanted to find that talisman, he might have to go to Sister Feng's courtyard.

Unfortunately, he was only casually acquainted with Jia Lian, and he wasn't familiar with the maids like Feng'er or the old women in Feng Jie's room. Wait, today Ping'er was so grateful she wanted to kowtow to him… If he sought out Ping'er, perhaps this matter could be resolved?

He knew that such an opportunity was extremely rare. If it was confirmed that Granny Ma really had such abilities, then the monk and the Taoist priest... oh, those two must be fakes—even Madam Wang herself had vaguely admitted that the magical jade was fake, so how could the monk and the Taoist priest be real?
Having made up his mind, Chen Si left the Grand View Garden and strolled around the three small side halls between the east and west corner gates.

As fate would have it, just as Xiren, Sheyue, Qiuwen, and others had delivered Baoyu's usual items, Ping'er turned around and led Feng'er back, sobbing, to retrieve Fengjie's personal clothing.

As soon as they stepped out of the East Corner Gate, they ran into Chen Siyuan!

Ping'er led Feng'er forward to greet them. Chen Siyuan knew that there was no time for idle talk, so he said, "Please come forward, Miss Ping'er. I have something to say."

Ping'er was slightly surprised, then nodded and sent Feng'er back first. She then followed Chen Siyuan to the eaves of the three small side rooms to talk.

Chen Siyuan followed suit, saying, "Second sister-in-law and Brother Bao's hysteria is quite strange. Even if it's an evil spell, I've never heard of a spell that can cure someone from a distance. Miss Ping'er, please search carefully in a while. If you find anything, do not make a fuss. Take the item and send it to me immediately. If we do know about the evil spell, then we can find a master to ask for a way to break it."

Ping'er didn't have time to think much of it, assuming that Chen Siyuan was just being concerned, so she gave a blessing and said, "Master Yuan reminded me, I'll do a thorough search later."

As for keeping it a secret, Ping'er assumed it involved witchcraft and would affect the ladies in the palace.

The two parted ways, and Ping'er hurriedly returned to Feng Jie's courtyard. She carefully searched the bedding, trunks, and cabinets, but found nothing suspicious. After moving the pillow, she found nothing under it either. Just as she was sighing with a mixture of disappointment and relief, a sachet suddenly fell out of the pillow.

Ping'er was startled. She dropped the pillow, picked up the sachet, and unfolded it slightly. Inside, she saw that it contained scribbled symbols arranged in a square pattern.

Ping'er was horrified, her eyes widened, and then she trembled all over!
Fortunately, she remembered Chen Siyuan's instructions. She quickly tucked the sachet into her handkerchief and instructed the old woman and Feng'er to move the bedding to Madam Wang's courtyard first. She waited for a while, just like Xiren, before coming out to find Chen Siyuan.

This time, Chen Siyuan didn't hide in some corner. The two reunited, and Ping'er was so frightened that her face turned pale.

Chen Siyuan glanced at it and immediately understood, asking, "Did you find anything?"

Ping'er bit her lower lip and nodded heavily, glancing around furtively. Seeing that no one was around, she took out a sachet from her handkerchief.

"Uncle Yuan, look!"

Chen Siyuan took the sachet, opened it, and glanced at it. He was immediately delighted. Fearing that the sachet was ominous, he quickly put it in his sleeve and whispered to Ping'er, "I will find an expert to break the curse. Whether it succeeds or not, I will inform Miss Ping'er tomorrow."

Ping'er nodded repeatedly and said, "We will have to rely on Master Yuan for everything. I, as your servant, will take over your household. If you do get better in the future, I will ask you to thank Master Yuan properly."

Chen Siyuan waved his hand and said, "It's too early to say that now."

The two parted hastily, and Chen Siyuan, not even bothering to return to his thatched cottage, hurried straight to the front stables, boarded a carriage, and headed towards Henian Hall—if he were to seek a master, he would find a suitable one. In the afternoon, Master Zhang performed rituals for half a day, but Feng Jie and Bao Yu showed no improvement. Even with such a reputation, he was largely useless; it was clear that truly capable masters were hard to find.

Since that's the case, why not let Ding Daojian of Henian Hall take a look at this item first, in case he can see through its true nature?

Without further ado, Chen Siyuan urged the coachman to speed up the horse and head towards Henian Hall. They arrived at the place close to dusk.

Chen Siyuan jumped off the carriage and strode into Henian Hall. The waiter remembered Chen Siyuan and quickly invited him to sit down, then turned and went to the back to fetch Ding Daojian.

After exchanging pleasantries, Chen Siyuan lowered his voice and said, "Doctor Ding, I have something I would like you to examine."

Ding Daojian stroked his beard, his eyes gleaming, assuming that Chen Siyuan had once again sought out some kind of miraculous object like Xilaizhi. He immediately extended his hand in invitation: "Chen Xiaolian, please come back and talk."

When the two arrived at the back side hall, before tea was served, Chen Siyuan hurriedly rummaged through his sleeve and found the sachet.

Ding Daojian accepted it as if it were a precious treasure, but his brows furrowed as soon as he unfolded it. Pointing to the talisman inside, he said, "This, this... Chen Xiaolian, I am just a doctor, I cannot cure witchcraft."

Although Chen Siyuan was more inclined to believe that Granny Ma possessed magic, he said, "Confucius said, 'You should not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits.' I do not believe that such nonsense about witchcraft can do anything. Brother Ding, please examine it carefully. There must be something else at work to make it effective."

"That...whatever."

Ding Daojian frowned as he flipped through the paper-cut blue-faced, white-haired ghost. At first, he only intended to go through the motions, but after a few glances, a lot of brown powder fell off the paper-cut blue-faced, white-haired ghost.

Ding Daojian blinked, reached out and pinched it, then put it in his mouth and tasted it briefly. After a long while, he said, "This... why does it taste like a poisonous mushroom?"

(End of this chapter)