Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 245 Clues

On this day, Chen Siyuan returned from his new residence and chatted with Xiangling, Hongyu, and others in the thatched cottage in Qingtang for a while before going to his study to review his lessons.

A short while later, Wu'er brought tea, and seeing that it was almost noon, she went to the small kitchen to fetch the food box. Then Hongyu came over and, while Chen Siyuan was drinking tea, said, "Master, there isn't much money left in that silver box."

Chen Siyuan agreed, and casually took out two hundred-tael silver notes from his sleeve, saying, "You can exchange them with Ping'er later."

Hongyu responded and was about to leave when Chen Siyuan stopped her and instructed, "Wu'er has been here for quite some time now, and starting next month she will also receive a monthly allowance of one tael of silver."

Hongyu responded and looked at Chen Siyuan suspiciously.

Chen Siyuan added, "Thanks to you for managing the room, starting next month your monthly allowance will be two taels of silver."

Hongyu immediately forgot her suspicions. A monthly allowance of two taels of silver was something only concubines received!
Then Chen Siyuan said, "As for Xiangling, her monthly allowance doesn't come from your account, so I'll give it to her privately."

"That would be wonderful." Hongyu happily agreed, and as she turned around, she bumped into Liu Wu'er, who was returning with a food box.

At this moment, Xiangling and Yunxiang went to play in the garden. Hongyu smiled and pulled Wu'er aside, saying, "Congratulations to Wu'er! Master just said that starting next month, you will also receive a monthly allowance of one tael of silver."

"Ah?" Liu Wu'er was a thoughtful person who had read a lot of books in private. Although she considered herself noble and didn't care about money, she valued the status that money represented. A monthly allowance of one tael of silver would only be received by the head maidservant of the old lady in the Rongguo Mansion.

While secretly delighted, Liu Wu'er couldn't help but wonder, "Why is Master suddenly increasing my monthly allowance?"

Hongyu chuckled and said, "Perhaps the master did something wrong yesterday, and now he's had a change of heart."

Seeing that Liu Wu'er didn't understand, Hongyu shoved her and said, "Go inside and thank her."

Wu'er then agreed, picked up the food box, and went into the main room to thank Chen Siyuan. Hongyu thought to herself, "Unsolicited kindness is always suspicious. Maybe some little hussy was taken as a concubine by my master yesterday, and he was feeling uneasy. That's why he increased the monthly allowance for everyone in the Qingtang thatched hut when he returned."

But aren't all men like that? My own master, who is fond of the new but not tired of the old, is a hundred times better than those guys from the East and West Mansions who coax a girl into bed and then forget about her.

A short while later, Hongyu also came in and helped Chen Siyuan have his afternoon snack. After a short rest, Wu'er was helping Chen Siyuan to his study when there was a knock on the door from the outside.

As April approached, the daylight was exceptionally bright. The screen in front of the main room had long been removed, and Hongyu, standing in the hall, saw a tall and robust figure approaching and asking, "Hongyu, is Master Yuan here?"

Hongyu felt a deep disgust for those vixens from the east wing, but when she caught sight of the second young lady beside Siqi, she smiled and said, "She's here!" She quickly went into the study and said, "Master, the second young lady has arrived." Then she hurried out to greet her.

Because Chen Siyuan and Yingchun were of the same generation, the second young lady, accompanied by two maids, entered the courtyard without Chen Siyuan having to come out to greet her.

As soon as Chen Siyuan came out to greet her, he could see from afar that his second sister, Yingchun, was wearing a pink satin round-necked jacket with bamboo leaf patterns and gold trim, over which was a white cross-collared jacket, and a silver-white satin skirt with scattered flowers. Two pink roses were pinned to her temples, and a gold hairpin was inserted in her hair.

His face showed no sign of dullness; upon seeing me, he smiled and nodded in greeting, "Brother Yuan!"

Chen Siyuan was surprised and quickly stepped forward to greet her with a cupped hand: "Second sister is a rare guest. Please come inside and have a chat."

Yingchun curtsied in return and said with a smile, "I glanced at Brother Yuan's manuscript last time, but I've been thinking about the customs and culture of the Western barbarians ever since. It's amazing how wonderful the world is. I really couldn't put it off, so when I heard that Brother Yuan had returned, I shamelessly came to ask Brother Yuan for the manuscript I had written earlier."

Siqi, who was accompanying them, chimed in, "Master Yuan did promise last time. Our young lady has finally asked for help, so Master Yuan can't just find some excuse to send her away."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "It's just a manuscript, why should I refuse?"

As they entered the room, Chen Siyuan invited Yingchun to sit down. He then went into his study and rummaged around for a while before taking out the first volume of the manuscript that Xing Xiuyan had copied. He returned to the hall and handed it to Hongyu, asking her to take it to the table next to Yingchun. However, Yingchun took it from him halfway there.

Chen Siyuan sat down and said with a smile, "This is the first volume, which briefly talks about the customs and culture of the Western barbarians. I think it is quite interesting. Second sister, why don't you start reading this volume first?"

Just then, Wu'er brought over almond tea. Yingchun thanked her in a low voice, then turned her head and said with a smile, "There's no rush. I read the manuscript last time, and I remembered hearing about the British delegation's visit to Beijing last year. I always thought that the Westerners had their own rules and regulations, but how come Brother Yuan's book... looks so chaotic to the Westerners?"

"This is because the Western barbarians are not a single country. Europe has never been unified. Each region has its own language and script. In the past, there was a religion that united the Western barbarians. For the past hundred years, there have been constant religious conflicts. Now, royal power is greater than religious power. Although this is not entirely accurate, it is similar to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods in our dynasty."

Furthermore, the Western barbarians established their states based on commerce, which is quite different from our dynasty.

“I see,” Yingchun said with a smile, looking noticeably more lively than usual. “I vaguely remember a Saint Valentine’s Day; I wonder what that’s about?”

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "There are different versions of this story. One version says that the prisoner and the jailer's daughter fell in love, and Valentine wrote a love letter to the jailer's daughter before he died; another version says it comes from a medieval English poet..."

The two engaged in a lively question-and-answer session. Siqi, who was serving nearby, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She had been afraid that her second young lady would become timid again and become like a gourd with its mouth sawed off—silent and withdrawn. Now, however, things were going well. Although they were a little awkward at first, they would gradually calm down after a few more exchanges.

Seeing that Hongyu and the others were also staying in the hall, Siqi had an idea. She went over and pulled Hongyu, saying, "There's no need to keep so many people in the room. Why don't we go outside and have some fun for a while?"

Hongyu was secretly annoyed. How could she not see that Siqi was deliberately letting her master and second young lady have a private conversation? Being prudent, she didn't show her expression and nodded in agreement.

A moment later, Siqi followed her out of the hall, and then Xiuju pulled Wu'er out as well.

Siqi rambled on for a while, then suddenly whispered, "Yesterday, Madam was talking about our young lady's marriage, and she was wiping away tears. Guess what Madam said?"

The "wife" Siqi was referring to was naturally Madam Xing.

Hongyu asked in surprise, "What did the First Madam say?"

Siqi smiled and said, "The First Madam sighed for a long time, saying that she came from a humble background and that only Master Yuan was considered good by her side. She also told our young lady that if she could find someone she knew well in the future, the Madam would have less to worry about." She paused and then added, "She even rewarded the young lady with two bolts of lotus-patterned satin."

Hongyu knew perfectly well that the lotus-patterned satin was something her master had brought back from Jiangnan, and quite a lot of it had been sent to the east courtyard. The First Madam's words and the gift to the Second Miss clearly indicated her intention to matchmake the Second Miss with her master!

But... isn't it too late? Last time, Miss Bao was able to act like the mistress of the house, so she must have a deep affection for her master in private. Now that the second young lady has suddenly appeared out of nowhere, she might not only fail to gain any favors but also get herself into trouble.

However, Hongyu was always good with words, and since Chen Siyuan's marriage had not yet been finalized, she smiled and whispered, "Our master is truly blessed."

Siqi then encouraged, "You know our young lady has always been good-tempered," glancing inside, "If this matter succeeds, you'll surely reap the rewards in the future."

Hongyu smiled and shook her head, saying, "Our master has always been a man of his own mind, so I wouldn't dare to say anything out of turn."

Siqi said, "You don't need to say anything. We've always been good at understanding each other, so we've got everything we need." She paused, then added, "Our young lady comes from a noble family, which makes her a hundred times better off than those merchants who have no background."

Hongyu was horrified. Had word gotten out about her master's affair with Miss Bao?

Just as they were about to investigate, they suddenly heard voices coming from outside: "Wow, it's so lively today."

Hongyu looked up and saw Sister Bao leading Ying'er in.

Hongyu's heart skipped a beat. She thought to herself that her master must have done something wrong yesterday. It was rare for "Second Wooden Head" to change his ways, but who knew that Miss Bao would happen to see him like that... This is going to be quite a sight to behold!

Immediately leaving Siqi behind, Hongyu went to the door to greet her: "Miss Bao is here? What a coincidence, the Second Miss just came to ask our Master to borrow the manuscript, and now Miss Bao has arrived."

Baochai smiled gently and said, "My family wants to set up a latex workshop. They asked my mother for permission, and she sent me to ask my brother Yuan for help... After all, he is my family. Even if latex is in short supply, he should still allocate some to me."

At this moment, Wu'er had already sent a message inside, and Chen Siyuan and the second young lady Yingchun came to greet them.

As Baochai was talking to Hongyu, she bumped into the two of them in front of the main room. Baochai glanced at Yingchun and then smiled, saying, "If I had known Second Sister was here, I should have come later. But Mother was urging me so hard... I hope I didn't delay Second Sister's business?"

Yingchun smiled and said, "I was just borrowing a manuscript from Brother Xunyuan. I've already borrowed it and am about to head back. Since Sister Bao has important business to attend to, I'll head back first."

Baochai laughed and said, "I've only just arrived and you're already leaving, that's not good. It would make it seem like I'm the one who chased you away."

Yingchun laughed and said, "Now that we've received the item, wouldn't it be unwelcome to stay?" She then turned to Chen Siyuan and said, "Brother Yuan, you're studying hard, but you shouldn't overwork yourself. If you're feeling bored, why not come to my Zhuijin Tower for a game of chess to relieve your boredom?"

Chen Siyuan gave a vague reply, and Yingchun added, "In that case, I'll be going now. Brother Yuan, Sister Bao, please stay. We're all family, so there's no need for all this seeing each other off. It'll make us seem like strangers."

After saying that, she selected two girls, Siqi and Xiuju, and then gracefully left.

After passing through the flower-adorned room, Siqi suddenly sneered and said, "Why did she have to come at the exact time of day, just when you came, Miss? Do you think she did it on purpose?"

Xiuju realized her young lady's thoughts at this moment. If her young lady really married Master Yuan, that would be wonderful! In terms of character and talent, which man in this mansion could compare to Master Yuan?
Because it was Xiuju, she spoke with one voice of righteous indignation: "These maids and old women around here have all benefited from the Xue family. Who knows which one of them might have become an informant? It might not be easy to keep it a secret."

Siqi frowned and pondered, "No matter how many informants there are, they can't get into the east wing... Next time Master Yuan goes to the east wing, why don't you go too, Miss?"

Yingchun remained silent. Having made up her mind, she wouldn't change it, even if it meant suffering a crushing defeat. Though her heart was pounding, she also felt a strange sense of pleasure! After so many years of suppressing her feelings, revealing them was so liberating!

Xiuju added, "As the saying goes, three cobblers can outwit Zhuge Liang. Third Miss is always full of ideas, so I think we should go and ask her for some advice?"

Siqi frowned and said, "Third Miss seems to be closer to Miss Bao. What kind of bad idea is this? I think we should ask Miss Xing instead of Third Miss."

What was said unintentionally was taken seriously by Yingchun. She suddenly recalled Xing Xiuyan's subtle hints during their last game of chess, and a thought immediately took hold...

Meanwhile, on the other side, as Baochai watched Yingchun walk away into the distance, she suddenly muttered, "Second Sister is different now." After saying that, she gave Chen Siyuan a meaningful look.

Chen Siyuan scratched his head without saying a word, feeling extremely wronged—his second sister had come to him herself, so he couldn't very well turn her away in front of him, could he?

The two of them went inside together, and before Ying'er could find an excuse, Hongyu and Wu'er, being very perceptive, went outside.

Baochai had already mentioned the serious matter: some old acquaintances from the Xue family had come to ask for a share of latex. Latex prices fluctuate with the market, so it doesn't matter who they sell to. Chen Siyuan had no objection.

After that, Chen Siyuan hurriedly asked with concern, "You look much better today, little sister."

Baochai smiled and rolled her eyes at him, knowing full well that he was trying to cover up what he had said earlier. Although Baochai was jealous, she also knew that Chen Siyuan was not to blame for this.

Let alone the East and West prefectures, even if he were placed in the capital, how many people could surpass Chen Si in terms of appearance and talent?
Thus, it was only natural that Wang Yunping had come to take a look first, and then the Second Sister Yingchun came to visit. Wang Yunping's matter was already settled, and as for the Second Sister Yingchun... although she seemed slightly different just now, and now that she had Madam Xing as her backer, why would Baochai be afraid of her?
The man before her had been a womanizer for the past two years, but now that he had taken in many girls, he had become somewhat more restrained.

But old habits die hard. My second sister is no match for me in looks alone, so where does she get the confidence to compete with me?

To be honest, compared to competing for a good-for-nothing playboy like Baoyu, competing for a talented young man like Chen Siyuan made Baochai even more eager to try.

Now, Baochai is not afraid of the other sisters. What she worries about most is that a powerful person outside will take a fancy to Chen Siyuan and offer him a condition that he cannot refuse. That would be a situation where she would be helpless and have no one to turn to.

There was no point in thinking about it anymore. Right now, she just hoped that the rest of the month would pass as soon as possible so that her mother could find out her aunt's thoughts and she could settle down with him as soon as possible.

Baochai was a thoughtful woman who knew that occasional jealousy was a pleasure, but too much jealousy would inevitably annoy people. Therefore, she did not mention the Second Sister's visit earlier, but only smiled and talked about what had happened in the past two days.

"I was feeling down for two days, and I only started to feel better this morning, so Lin Meimei came looking for me."

"Did Lin Daiyu go?"

Baochai said, “It’s a funny story. She actually copied you and sewed her own mask. All three of them, master and servant, wore them, covering half of their faces when they spoke. Later, she couldn’t stand it anymore and finally tore the mask off… Oh, and I also gave her the lotus flower from the palace. Lin Daiyu was so happy that she stuck it to her temple right there.”

As she spoke, she noticed that Chen Siyuan's cup was empty, so she got up, picked up the teapot, and came over to pour tea for Chen Siyuan. She then moved closer to him and said, "Sister Lin made a fuss for a long time before leaving. I was wondering who to give the other orchid to when I came out and bumped into Sister Xing."

Chen Siyuan said, "That's quite a coincidence."

Baochai smiled and said, "Isn't that right? I saw that Sister Xing's hair was plain, so I sent her that orchid." Baochai put down the water pot and was about to turn around when Chen Siyuan grabbed her delicate hand.

Baochai's face immediately showed a hint of annoyance. She turned her head to look outside, frowned, and said in a low voice, "Everyone is watching. Let go quickly."

Chen Siyuan smiled, then suddenly said loudly, "There were two errors in the accounts last time. Sister Bao, please come with me to the study to examine them."

Having said that, he stood up, let go of her hand, and extended his hand in invitation.

Baochai gave him a reproachful look, then glanced outside guiltily. Seeing Hongyu, Ying'er, and the others playing outside the courtyard, she breathed a slight sigh of relief and followed Chen Siyuan toward the study.

As soon as they entered, Chen Siyuan turned around, and Baochai was so frightened that she covered her heart with her hands and took a small step back, stammering, "You, you must not do anything strange again."

Chen Siyuan feigned surprise and said, "I just wanted to have a private chat with my sister, how is that strange? Besides, what I did last time was just a matter of affection and restraint, so how could it be strange?"

Baochai was so angry at his shameless behavior that she didn't know how to respond... In Baochai's mind, holding hands was just expressing affection but stopping at the proper place. The rest, like eating rouge and putting his hand inside her clothes, was simply the behavior of a frivolous playboy!
Just as she was getting angry, Chen Siyuan had already closed in on her. Baochai tried to back away, but after only two steps, her back hit the wall.

Now there was no way to avoid it, so Baochai watched helplessly as he approached her before stopping.

The two exchanged a glance. Baochai knew she couldn't avoid it again. Her heart pounded, she felt awkward, but there was also a faint sense of anticipation.

For this reason, Baochai blushed with embarrassment, bit her lower lip, and turned her head away, not daring to look at Chen Siyuan.

Chen Siyuan reached out and pinched Baochai's chin, leaned down and gently pecked her, and said in a gentle voice: "The strict separation between men and women has always been to prevent unauthorized sexual relations... My sister and I have been so in love since we were young, and we have never done anything out of line, so how is that strange?"

Baochai blushed and said, "Where did this twisted logic come from? I don't believe it!" She paused, then whispered, "Besides, we haven't officially entered into the marriage yet... We have to, we have to wait until we're married before..."

Chen Siyuan thought to himself with amusement, then sighed and feigned melancholy, saying, "I'm afraid there will be more twists and turns later."

Seeing that he seemed anxious and uncertain, Baochai was secretly pleased and coaxed him, "Auntie has never looked down on my family, so how could anything happen?" As she spoke, she reached out and grabbed Chen Siyuan's big hand, hooked her thumb in his palm, and said, "Let's just wait patiently for a while."

Chen Siyuan nodded in agreement, and suddenly pulled Baochai into his arms. Baochai let out a soft gasp and bumped into him.

Baochai said angrily, "Why...why are you acting strangely again?"

Chen Siyuan whispered in her ear, "Sister, don't shout. Let me hold you for a while."

Baochai paused, pressed her face against his chest, and listened to his strong, pounding heartbeat. Unconsciously, she was moved. For a moment, she let him hold her in his arms, and then reached out to wrap her arms around his waist. So the two of them embraced each other, and for a moment, they were quiet and still.

In no time, Baochai felt as if she had been given honey wine, sweet and dizzy, her heart filled with thoughts of the man before her. Chen Siyuan, however, was no honest man. His hands, which had initially been holding her, soon began to caress her back, and after a while, they began to knead her.

By the time Baochai realized what was happening, she was already panting heavily from his caresses, her almond-shaped eyes glistening with moisture, clearly aroused once again.

Chen Siyuan was secretly pleased and was about to take advantage of her when a voice suddenly came from outside: "Master, Miss Miao'er is here!"

Baochai was taken aback for a moment, then quickly pushed him away, broke free, and gave him a reproachful look, both embarrassed and annoyed, before hurrying into the hall. Once her expression had calmed down, she simply tidied her hair and said, "I suppose the First Madam has something to discuss with you. In that case, I'll head back now."

Having said that, he fled from the thatched cottage as if escaping, and led Ying'er away.

Chen Siyuan sighed inwardly that Miao'er had come at the wrong time, but he didn't take it to heart. There was plenty of time in the future... Now that he had tested Baochai and found out that she was indeed made of water, he would naturally have plenty of ways to seduce her in the future.

After seeing Baochai off, Chen Siyuan then sought out Miao'er. Miao'er avoided the others and whispered, "Young master, Madam said that the eldest master has sent out invitations everywhere, even to the residences of the Duke of Zhenguo and the Duke of Liguo. Just now, she also said that Second Master Lian will be going to Tianjin soon. I wonder what he's up to... Madam sent me to tell you this, so that you won't fall into the eldest master's trap in the future."

He sent out invitations to heroes everywhere and urged Jia Lian to set off... Jia She thought the combined capital of the East and West Mansions was too small, so he planned to contact the Four Kings and Eight Dukes so that he could get rich overnight.
Ah, that's interesting.

Latex is not a food. If Da Shun's grain production decreases by 10% next year, the price of grain will not only rise by 10%, but will rise until 10% of Da Shun's population can no longer afford it.

Latex is a practical commodity, but not indispensable. Take tires, for example. If latex is too expensive, drivers would rather continue using wooden wheels than buy those damn latex tires.

Chen Siyuan had calculated in private that the price of latex would peak at one qian of silver per jin; any further increase would be counterproductive. It seemed that Master Jia She was following the same logic as hoarding grain and cloth, trying to amass wealth overnight… He was clearly delusional.

However, this was a good thing for Chen Siyuan. He could let Jia She drive up the price of latex, whether it was hoarding or purchasing. Most of the latex came from Zheng He Island, which would benefit Chen Siyuan.
Since it was Chen Siyuan, he said, "You should tell your aunt to just wait and see how things develop, and let the master do whatever he wants."

Miao'er agreed, then looked at Chen Siyuan expectantly and said, "I'm going home the day after tomorrow."

Chen Siyuan understood Miao'er's meaning and immediately arranged for the two of them to return secretly the day after tomorrow, thus making Miao'er leave happily.

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

Two days later, the Ningguo Mansion indeed held a banquet, inviting mostly the female relatives of the four kings and eight dukes, under the pretext of celebrating Lady You's birthday.

These noble families didn't move around freely unless there was a reason, and they mostly communicated with each other through their female relatives.

Because Lady Wang had to stay with Baoyu, only Lady Xing, Sister Feng, Li Wan, and others went to the East Mansion to celebrate You Shi's birthday that day.

Perhaps because most of the guests were women, the Ningguo Mansion did not cause any embarrassing incidents this time. Although there was a lot of music and drumming, there was nothing outrageous.

On such occasions, even if Chen Siyuan received an invitation, it would be inconvenient for him to go. So he made an excuse that he was not feeling well and stayed in the study to review his lessons.

After the East Mansion was closed in the afternoon, someone came to invite Chen Siyuan.

Chen Siyuan followed Tiao'er straight to the main room of the east courtyard. Madam Xing had just coaxed Fourth Brother and then sent all the servants away, leaving only Chen Siyuan to speak with her.

"I've heard all the details carefully. The master has made quite a stir this time! The Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, the Duke of Li's mansion, and even the Princess Dowager of Nan'an have invested. If I calculate it, it must be at least this much!"

Madam Xing held up two fingers.

Twenty thousand taels? Latex is only a small plate, so twenty thousand taels is not a small amount.

Seeing that Chen Siyuan remained unmoved, Madam Xing frowned and said, "They act so recklessly, is it really alright?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "I told you last time that pushing up the price is a good thing for me."

Madam Xing was slightly relieved, then said, "While I was changing clothes just now, I heard something very important!"

"Oh, what's the matter?"

Madam Xing kept everyone in suspense before whispering, "It's said that Old Madam You got married last year, but now her husband's family can't take it anymore and they're making a fuss about divorcing her."

Chen Siyuan frowned deeply, thinking to himself that Ningguo Mansion was probably not even as good as Rongguo Mansion. How could such a private matter have spread so widely?

"It's not over yet. I heard that Brother Zhen asked a mediator to speak on his behalf, but the Guo family is adamant about getting a divorce. Brother Zhen had no other choice but to plead with the master during the banquet, saying that he would send Old Madam You to the Shuiyue Nunnery in a few days."

Chen Siyuan feigned surprise and said, "There really is such a thing? That's truly bizarre."

Thinking to himself, he realized that Shuiyue Nunnery was already a den of iniquity, and now that it had fallen into the hands of that unreliable Jia Qin, there was bound to be more trouble in the future.

After discussing this matter, Madam Xing brought up the old story again, praising Yingchun once more. Chen Siyuan grew impatient, but simply claimed that he was truly afraid of the master, and after further coaxing Madam Xing, he leisurely took his leave.

But Madam Xing got stuck on one point: only if Yingchun married Chen Siyuan would it be convenient for the two to meet secretly in the future. So she completely ignored Chen Siyuan's feelings and only focused on figuring out how to encourage the second young lady to be more proactive.

The day passed quickly, and the next day, Jia Lian indeed led a dozen or so servants and young men, along with several stewards, in a grand procession toward Tianjin.

Chen Siyuan met with Baochai earlier that morning, but since they were near Hengwu Garden, it was not appropriate to be too intimate. He could only leave it for later.

That day, I was sitting in my study, reading until my head was spinning, when Yunxiang called out, "Master, Master, Second Madam is here!"

Chen Siyuan blinked and hurriedly got up to greet her. Just as he reached the front door of the main room, he saw Sister Feng walking towards him with a smile.

Sister Feng only brought Feng'er today; Ping'er is nowhere to be found.

Chen Siyuan dared not be negligent and hurriedly stepped forward to greet her. Unexpectedly, Sister Feng stepped aside to avoid him, and then formally curtsied to Chen Siyuan.

Chen Siyuan asked in surprise, "What is Second Sister-in-law doing?"

Sister Feng said solemnly, "I can't say it out loud, but Brother Yuan knows it in his heart."

Is this because I rescued him before?

Chen Siyuan didn't want to say it outright, so he quickly led him inside.

Before anyone could tell that Feng Jie had even sat down and had tea served, she dismissed Feng'er, saying, "Go wait outside. I'll say a few words to Brother Yuan and then leave."

Feng'er agreed and quickly withdrew. Feng Jie glanced at Chen Siyuan again, and Chen Siyuan understood. He gave a slight wink, and Hongyu, Xiangling, and Wu'er left together outside the door.

At this moment, Sister Feng sighed and said, "If it weren't for Brother Yuan's rescue, I wouldn't be alive today. I wanted to come and thank you a few days ago, but I was overwhelmed with household chores. Just as I finished dealing with them, your second brother had to go to Tianjin. It wasn't until he left early this morning that I finally had time to come and thank Brother Yuan for his kindness."

Chen Siyuan smiled and waved his hand, saying, "It was just a coincidence... Although the person who poisoned her was despicable, without the source of the poison, I expect my second sister-in-law will recover in a few days."

Sister Feng refused to believe it, thinking it was just Chen Siyuan being modest.

After another round of thanks, Sister Feng asked, "But how did Brother Yuan know that someone had cast a curse?"

Chen Siyuan had already prepared a response, saying, "It's quite a coincidence. Last time, when Brother Bao's godmother came to visit, I happened to run into her. That old woman twisted her ankle and fell, and a paper ghost actually flew out of her sleeve... Within two days, my second sister-in-law and Brother Bao had a hysterical fit, and I wondered if it was the effect of that ghost talisman."

Sister Feng has been busy these days. Since it concerns her own life, she has spent money on it. Now she has found out the origin of that scribbled mark very clearly—it was the work of Granny Ma!
Upon hearing this, Sister Feng sneered, "Luckily she ran fast! If I had caught her, I would have made her wish she were dead!"

That kind of wicked sorceress, Ma Daopo, has harmed countless people; she truly deserves to die.

Suddenly recalling the time Ping'er had begged for permission, Chen Siyuan thought for a moment and then pretended not to know. That old hag Ma deserved to die, and Caixia, instigated by Aunt Zhao, was no good either. Since she was bewitched and resorted to such underhanded tactics, she shouldn't blame Fengjie for taking revenge.

After saying this, Sister Feng looked at Chen Siyuan and said, "Brother Yuan, I will always remember your kindness. I will definitely repay this life-saving grace in the future."

"Second sister-in-law, you're too kind."

Sister Feng didn't linger; after discussing the matter, she hurriedly took her leave.

After seeing Feng Jie off, Chen Siyuan lost interest in studying and simply walked out of the Qingtang Thatched Cottage with his hands behind his back, strolling into the garden. He walked leisurely and soon arrived at the Xiaoxiang Pavilion, where he saw Xueyan looking around at the door.

Upon hearing this, Xueyan immediately came over with a smile and said, "Young master, you've come at an inopportune time. Our young lady just went to Miss Bao's place."

Daiyu went to find Baochai? Then Chen Siyuan shouldn't go and join in. So he bid farewell to Xueyan and continued on his way.

Just as they were about to cross the narrow bridge, they faintly heard the sound of chess pieces being played from their side and behind them, followed by a familiar female voice calling out, "Cousin, where are you going?"

(End of this chapter)