Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 247 Romantic Affairs

Baochai thought about it again and felt something was wrong. Her mother hadn't returned yet, so where would she find the time to scatter money? Perhaps someone was stirring up trouble.

Baochai then asked, "Have you asked where this rumor came from?"

Ying'er pouted and said, "I was so angry that I didn't ask any questions. Please wait a moment, I'll go and find out!"

Ying'er turned to leave, but Baochai called her back: "Wait a moment." After a moment's thought, Baochai said calmly, "There's no need for that."

Baochai thought for a moment, and realized that this might turn out to be a good thing. Her aunt, Lady Wang, had been vague, neither agreeing nor shirking responsibility. If her mother went to ask after some time, she probably still wouldn't get a definite answer. It would be better to let the rumors pressure her; who knows, she might get a definite answer from her aunt.

"Girl?" Ying'er asked, puzzled.

Baochai looked at her calmly and said, "So-called rumors are nothing but nonsense from ignorant people. We should ignore them and they will surely fall apart on their own in the future. Forget it, you shouldn't listen to them either, lest you get involved in some trouble."

Ying'er had no choice but to silently agree, sitting idly to the side, secretly sulking.

Baochai pondered again. This rumor had arisen so suddenly, perhaps... No, Chen Siyuan certainly wouldn't take it seriously. In a few days, she would have to deal with the latex accounts again, and then she could explain things to him clearly. Recalling the previous incident, Baochai couldn't help but blush again, biting her lower lip with a smile on her face.

Upon recalling the embarrassing incident, she felt a surge of lust, which caused her to cough incessantly. This startled Ying'er, who insisted on going to fetch the Cold Fragrance Pill. It took Baochai much persuasion to finally stop her.

She knew in her heart the reason for her problem, and thought it would be fine after she got married. (Note 1)

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

We'll leave aside the details of what happened to Baochai for now.

On the day Chen Siyuan went to his new residence, You Sanjie, unaware of the situation, only knew that Qingwen had just begun her life as a child. She told You Erjie that she was tired and left Qingwen to serve Chen Siyuan alone.

Qingwen, having achieved her wish, devoted herself even more wholeheartedly. That night, she sent Luan'er to Granny Qu's place, where she shared a bed with Chen Siyuan. Their passion burned like fire, and their excitement was like that of a drunkard. After a tender moment, when their strength waned and their souls were exhausted, they finally rested peacefully.

The next morning, Chen Siyuan was already hated by Xiao Luan'er. No matter how much she tried to bribe him with candy and snacks, the little girl just cried and shouted that he was a bad person.

Qingwen was so ashamed that she couldn't face anyone, so she quickly pulled Luan'er to the side room to teach her a lesson, and that's another story.

After taking a short rest and having breakfast, Chen Siyuan, thinking about his appointment with Aunt Xue, headed to the large grid alley around 7:00 AM.

After meeting Aunt Xue, they inevitably shared a passionate night together. He then coaxed and comforted Aunt Xue before leisurely returning to the Rongguo Mansion.

In the afternoon, feeling bored with reading, Chen Siyuan wandered into the garden again. Unexpectedly, as soon as he reached the Qinfang Gate Bridge, he saw a petite and pretty figure sitting under the peach tree in front of the Aojingxi Pavilion. She was holding a book and studying it with a furrowed brow, with a small flower hoe beside her.

Is Lin Daiyu burying flowers again?

Last time, he intended to visit Xiaoxiang Pavilion, but Daiyu went to Hengwu Garden instead. This time, he happened to run into her. Chen Siyuan made up his mind and crossed Qinfang Gate Bridge. When he got closer, he saw Daiyu reading intently. Chen Siyuan felt a mischievous urge and couldn't help but tiptoe over.

Upon reaching Daiyu, he suddenly exclaimed, "What are you looking at, little sister?"

"Oh dear!" Startled, Daiyu scrambled to her feet, dropping her book on the ground in her haste, and nearly falling off the bluestone.

Chen Siyuan was prepared and quickly reached out to help her up, but he only let Daiyu grab his arm and did not make any indecent moves.

Daiyu managed to grab his arm to steady herself, and when she saw that it was Chen Siyuan, her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she scolded, "You appear out of nowhere, you scared me to death! Brother Yuan, you didn't even give me a warning!"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "I called my sister a few times as soon as we crossed the bridge, but she was so engrossed in her reading that she didn't hear me. Why are you blaming me instead?"

"Is that so?" Daiyu was indeed engrossed and pretended not to hear. Suddenly remembering the fallen scroll, she was about to bend down to pick it up when Chen Siyuan took it first.

Daiyu's pretty face immediately flushed red, and she said hurriedly, "You, you quickly give me back the book!"

Chen Siyuan glanced at him and was immediately puzzled. He thought to himself that because of him, even if Baoyu wanted to, he wouldn't dare to provoke Lin Daiyu now. Where did this real memory come from? Could it be that Baoyu is still up to his old tricks?
"Give it back to me now!"

Seeing Daiyu's eagerness, Chen Siyuan smiled and handed her the book, saying, "Sister, keep it safe. You really need to memorize it... I'm afraid the old lady and madam will think it's not a good book, and they'll scold you if they find out."

This story is actually called "The Romance of the Western Chamber," a collection of stories about talented scholars and beautiful women. But how many of these stories are actually serious?
Although Daiyu knew she was in the wrong, she couldn't bear to part with the poignant and evocative language, nor could she bear to part with the infatuated men and women, their love and hate.

She was in the prime of her youth, just beginning to experience love, and upon first reading this book, she couldn't help but be captivated by it.

She then retorted, "What's wrong with this book? I find it extremely interesting!"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "I only said that the old lady and the madam don't like it, I didn't say that I don't like it myself."

Daiyu pondered, "If that's the case, if you don't tell and I don't tell, how will my grandmother and aunt know?" With that, she flicked her sleeve to brush the dust off the bluestone, then stood on tiptoe to sit down, picked up the book, and began to read.

As Daiyu's eyebrows and eyes gradually opened, she was indeed a beauty that could topple kingdoms. In particular, her eyes became increasingly clever and charming, which made Chen Siyuan sigh – it was fortunate that he took a gamble that day, otherwise, it would be as difficult as climbing to heaven to get close to such a beauty.

He glanced around and saw that there were maids and old women a few dozen steps away, and there were peach trees outside to block the view, so he simply sat down next to Daiyu.

The two were only a foot apart. Daiyu glanced at them but didn't say anything.

After a short while, seeing that Daiyu had finished reading it and was still savoring it, Chen Siyuan said: "Flowers fall and water flows red, a thousand kinds of idle sorrow, speechless resentment against the east wind."

Daiyu glanced over and said, "You've also read The Story of the Western Chamber?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Otherwise, how could I write a poem about a woman's lament?"

Yes, nowadays there are still people outside singing Chen Ci. Daiyu used to think it was just because of his romantic escapades, but now she thinks it might be because he has read too many stories about talented men and beautiful women.

Daiyu was not the kind of person who followed the rules, and at this moment she only felt that Hui Zhenji wrote well, so she said: "Grandmother must not allow me to read such books... but I don't know how such good books can lead a girl's heart astray."

Chen Siyuan pondered and said, "My sister is reading a clean version. There are many dirty versions outside. The description of Zhang Sheng and Yingying's nighttime meeting is extremely obscene. This is one of them."

"Anything else?" Daiyu asked curiously.

"Furthermore, these two are not a good match in terms of social standing. It was only because Zhang Sheng became the top scholar in the imperial examination that they were considered a good couple. But how many people in the world can become the top scholar? Take my second aunt, for example. When she was young, she married a scholar who was quite talented, but who knew that he would also become a scholar. The family is barely making ends meet, and he looks a few years older than my aunt."

Daiyu, being intelligent, nodded and said, "I see, that makes sense."

After waiting a while, Chen Siyuan couldn't help but ask, "Where did you get this book, sister? Did Brother Bao send it to you?"

Daiyu laughed and said, "Him? He's probably holed up in my aunt's room right now, and he hasn't paid any attention to me all year."

Chen Siyuan asked in surprise, "That's strange. If it's not Brother Bao, then where did the sister come from?"

Daiyu, having just finished reading a good book, was in a very good mood. She looked at Chen Siyuan mischievously and said, "You want to know? I won't tell you."

Seeing Chen Siyuan staring blankly, unsure of what to say, Daiyu immediately covered her mouth and laughed, saying, "Never mind, never mind, this book... was sent by Sister Bao, who said it would keep me from being bored."

Was it a gift from Baochai?

That's interesting!

In the original story, when Baochai saw Daiyu reading such a book, she immediately tried to persuade her to stop. However, she changed her mind and eagerly gave the book to Daiyu instead.

The reason is self-evident: in the original story, the two women were vying for the same man. Since Baochai knew that Baoyu and Daiyu were closer, she was afraid that if Daiyu found out about their romantic affairs, she might not be able to resist and end up having an affair with Baoyu, in which case Baochai would have no hope. Therefore, when she saw Daiyu reading such books, she naturally gave her a righteous and stern admonition.

After laughing, Daiyu looked at the water not far away and said leisurely, "It's really good. I recently read a book that was not very good, but it was quite interesting."

"One and a half?"

Daiyu turned her head and scolded, "Your book is so captivating. I only wrote half of it, and even though I knew the ending wouldn't be good, I couldn't help but think about it. The more I thought about it, the more upset I became... It took me several days to change my mind and ask someone to continue writing it. Otherwise, I would probably still be stuck in Xiaoxiang Pavilion right now."

Just as Chen Siyuan was about to ask who had been entrusted with continuing the story, Zijuan's voice called from afar. Daiyu, with her delicate face, immediately stood up and said, "Perhaps my sisters have come to find me to play. I'll head back now."

After saying this, he hid the book in his bosom, picked up the small flower hoe, waved his hand, and headed towards Qinfang Gate Bridge.

Chen Siyuan got up to see Daiyu off. He leaned against the bluestone and pondered for a long time before smiling with relief. He then got up and returned to the thatched cottage.

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

Meanwhile, Xichun was clamoring to play handball again, so the sisters found an open space in front of the Yihong Courtyard to play. In early spring, with colorful skirts fluttering, it was quite a lively scene of phoenixes dancing and butterflies fluttering.

After playing around for a while, Ying'er found Baochai, who was covered in sweat, and said, "Miss, Madam is back."

After not seeing her for several days, Aunt Xue suddenly returned, and Sister Bao insisted on going to see her. She told Daiyu and the others what was going on, wiped the sweat from her face, and turned around to head towards the small courtyard in the northeast.

The small courtyard in the northeast corner had a small, cleverly designed door next to the main gate of the Grand View Garden. In a short while, Baochai and Ying'er entered together and soon went into the main room at the back.

When Baochai entered the room, she glanced around and saw her mother leaning against the couch, looking relaxed and languid. Her skin was like solidified cream, white with a rosy glow, but there was a trace of sorrow between her brows.

Baochai leaned closer, and Aunt Xue finally came to her senses. She reached out and pulled Baochai, laughing, "My child, I just heard you were playing with the other girls. Why are you back so soon?"

Baochai obediently greeted her, then asked, "I saw you looking worried earlier, Mother. Is something troubling you again?"

Aunt Xue smiled bitterly and said, "My child, do you not know what worries me?"

Baochai bit her lip in thought, figuring it must be because of her older brother Xue Pan again. Even Baochai frowned, asking, "Is there still no word from brother's side?"

Aunt Xue could only sigh and shake her head. Although the fate of children is determined by heaven, they had been married for quite some time and there was still no sign of pregnancy, which inevitably made Aunt Xue worry. So yesterday, Aunt Xue secretly invited the imperial physician to examine Xue Pan's pulse and medical records. Apart from insufficient kidney essence, there was nothing seriously wrong. However, He Xin and Sui Jin still hadn't conceived.

This morning I chatted with Chen Siyuan for a while, and Xiao Liangren only offered some words of comfort and nothing else. Aunt Xue thought that Xue Pan was not blessed with good fortune, so she decided to choose a day to go to the temple to burn incense and pray for the Buddha and Bodhisattvas to grant him mercy so that the Xue family could at least have an heir.

After a period of frustration, Aunt Xue changed the subject and asked, "How has Baoyu been while I was away?"

Baochai said, "I go to my aunt's courtyard every day. I heard that she is much better now, and even the burns on her face have healed."

"That's good, that's good."

"But..." Just as Baochai was about to mention the renewed rumors of the "golden and jade marriage," someone outside exclaimed joyfully, "Madam, Miss, Second Master Bao has sent a maid to bring you tea."

Baochai had no choice but to stop talking. Aunt Xue instructed that the person be brought in, and soon Tongxi brought in a little maid.

The maid's name was Jia Hui. She was a servant girl outside Qi Xian's study. I don't know how she was assigned to deliver tea to the girl.

Jia Hui explained that it was the daughter's tea that Aunt Wang had given her before. Today, Bao Yu saw that there was still some left, so he sent someone to send some to all the sisters, including Feng Jie.

Aunt Xue smiled and said, "It's so kind of Baoyu to be so thoughtful... By the way, how has Baoyu been these past few days?"

Jia Hui said, "Sister Hua said that Second Master is much better, but he stays in his room and doesn't come out. He throws a tantrum every now and then. Luckily, Madam is by his side, otherwise we maids wouldn't know how to deal with him."

Aunt Xue covered her mouth and laughed, "This child is still unsettled, how can she hold back her feelings?" She then gave Baochai a look. Baochai felt annoyed, but smiled and said, "I won't use you for nothing. Ying'er, go and get Jia Hui a string of coins."

"More reward money?" Jia Hui was overjoyed. She thanked Aunt Xue and Sister Bao repeatedly, then happily left with a string of coins. After leaving the small courtyard in the northeast, she saw several maids running towards Sister Feng's courtyard, laughing and joking. She asked them and learned that the old lady had also given out rewards.

Jia Hui was overjoyed, her eyes crinkling with delight, and she hurried back to Qi Xian Zhai to wait for her reward.

After she left, Baochai continued, "Mother, I don't know why, but these past few days, rumors about the 'golden and jade marriage' have suddenly started circulating in the mansion again."

"Is that so?" Aunt Xue asked, looking quite surprised.

Baochai observed carefully and realized that this was not Xue Yima's doing. She became even more curious. If it wasn't her own mother, then who was stirring up trouble behind the scenes?
Aunt Xue pondered for a long time, then suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "My child, do you think... it could be your aunt?"

"Ah?" Baochai was quite surprised. But Aunt Xue thought about it more and more, and suddenly stood up and put her hands together, saying, "That's it! It's possible that the eldest young lady in the palace sent a message. Your aunt was vague and kept making excuses before, but now that the eldest young lady has spoken, she has to find a way to back down before talking to us! That must be it!"

Baochai blinked, thinking to herself, "Is that really possible?" Seeing Aunt Xue's confident expression, Baochai became uncertain and uneasy. If her aunt also wanted to arrange a marriage between the golden and jade-like betrothal, what would become of her and Chen Siyuan?
Because Lady Wang is currently looking after Baoyu, even if Aunt Xue comes to the door, she can only speak through the door and cannot investigate for the time being. Although the mother and daughter have different thoughts, they cannot find out the truth and have to keep the matter to themselves.

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

It's already early summer in April.

That day, Chen Siyuan sat brooding for half a day. He then called over Wu'er and let her choose a topic from the book at will. Chen Siyuan then wrote an eight-legged essay in one go. Chen Siyuan had already mastered all the methods of solving essay questions from the Mei family, and now he was extremely familiar with the Four Books and Five Classics. Therefore, he actually got a above-average score on this eight-legged essay, which made Chen Siyuan quite proud.

Just as he was about to get up and stroll around the garden, Hongyu came over to remind him: "Master, the Fourth Miss will be giving birth in a few days. Don't forget to prepare a congratulatory gift."

Chen Siyuan said, "I've already prepared it." It's not like she's a baby; sending her a round fan that Qingwen imitated Gu embroidery would suffice. I'm sure it will please Xiao Xichun.

Hongyu laughed and said, "I was just being nosy. Master dotes on Fourth Miss the most, so he probably already had a plan."

Just then, an old woman came knocking at the door. Hongyu went out in surprise, then turned back a moment later and said, "Master, the old woman at the back door says that Chunxi from the new house requests an audience."

Chen Siyuan had been sitting idly all day and was too lazy to move, so he ordered, "Go and lure Chunxi here."

Hongyu agreed and turned to lead Chunxi. After a while, she successfully led the quail-like Chunxi to the thatched cottage.

Chunxi was clearly quite taken aback by the wealth of the Rongguo Mansion. She had previously thought her master was already incredibly rich, but today she realized that there were always people more powerful than her. Compared to the Rongguo Mansion, her new house seemed like the residence of a nouveau riche from the countryside.

Upon meeting Chen Siyuan and seeing her master calm and composed, Chunxi finally felt reassured and stepped forward to reply, "Master, Third Concubine sent me to deliver a message to you."

As he spoke, he rummaged through his handkerchief and pulled out a letter, handing it to him. Chen Siyuan took it and glanced at it; it was about Old Lady You.

Jia Zhen asked around several times to speak with Dr. Guo, but Dr. Guo was determined to divorce him this time, and even returned the You family's old house.

Having no other choice, Jia Zhen secretly sent Lai Sheng to the Guo family early this morning to fetch Old Lady You and escort her to the Shuiyue Nunnery outside the city. It is said that two capable old women were also assigned to take care of her, and arrangements will be made for Old Lady You after she gives birth.

Third Sister You hated Old Mother You so much that only Second Sister You went to see her today, and she only sent Old Mother You out of the city before returning home.

After reading the letter, Chen Siyuan could still vaguely sense the resentment in You Sanjie's words, and his heart ached even more. He sighed, put the letter away, said "I understand," and sent Chunxi back to the new house first.

After a while, voices came from outside, and then Liu Wu'er said, "Master, Miss Cousin has come to see you."

Chen Siyuan hurriedly got up to greet her. As soon as he stepped out of the study, he saw Xing Xiuyan wearing a light purple cross-collar vest embroidered with magnolia branches, a white cross-collar jacket underneath, and a white long skirt with scattered flowers. Her face seemed to be both angry and smiling. She had already walked in.

"Why is my cousin here?"

Xing Xiuyan said playfully, "Hiding from the wind, hiding from the rain, hiding from peace and quiet."

Chen Siyuan pondered and said, "My cousin is detached from worldly affairs and has always been impervious to storms, so why would she talk about avoiding storms?"

Xing Xiuyan gracefully sat down, tilted her head and looked at Chen Siyuan, saying, "No matter how invulnerable I am, I can't withstand someone lifting the curtain... Here!" As she spoke, Xing Xiuyan casually tossed a manuscript onto the table.

Chen Siyuan lifted his robe and sat down, glancing at the scroll. He was immediately dumbfounded to see that it was his own work, "Fleeting Life Like a Dream." He had spent half a day trying to figure out who he had asked to continue the story, only to find out that it was Xing Xiuyan.

At this moment, Xing Xiuyan smiled leisurely and said, "Sister Lin has been pleading with me for so long, and Xueyan said that Sister Lin is working day and night on this manuscript. If I don't continue writing it properly, I'm afraid I'll inevitably stir up Sister Lin's thoughts again..." She looked up at Chen Siyuan and said, "You really know how to make trouble for me."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "It's also because my cousin is talented; otherwise, why didn't Lin Daiyu seek someone else?"

Why seek her out specifically? Xing Xiuyan had asked, of course. Daiyu only said that she resembled Yunniang from the book by seven or eight points. Xing Xiuyan didn't believe it at first, but after burning the midnight oil last night to read half of "Floating Life Like a Dream," she was astonished to find that she indeed resembled Yunniang by eight or nine points!

So, the way he looked at Chen Siyuan at this moment was quite meaningful... No wonder his cousin's gaze had changed after seeing him that day; he had long imagined a woman like Yunniang. And now that he'd encountered this imposter, how could his cousin possibly resist his desires?
Since Xing Xiuyan knew that Yunniang was just a figment of her imagination, she naturally wouldn't be jealous of the characters in the book. Instead, she felt even more at ease, thinking that she and her cousin were indeed destined to be together—who would have thought that his former sweetheart was someone just like her?

As for seeking peace and quiet, Xing Xiuyan wasn't referring to Daiyu. Seeing her cousin Chen Siyuan's bewildered expression, Xing Xiuyan felt a mischievous urge and kept smiling, refusing to explain why she was laughing.

The maids had already slipped away early in the morning. Chen Siyuan was itching to go, and seeing that no one was around, he simply grabbed Xing Xiuyan and headed to the study.

Xing Xiuyan was initially startled, but quickly recovered and followed him into the study with a smile. Once the two stood facing each other, Chen Siyuan indeed became restless, grabbing her soft hand and kneading it incessantly, while scolding, "Since you've already made up your mind, and we have nothing to hide, why don't you come here a few more times?"

Xing Xiuyan laughed and said, "No, no, it's enough to come and see you once in a while, so that you won't take advantage of me if I come too often."

"Where is this pushing your luck?"

Xing Xiuyan glanced at her sideways and said, "Do you think I don't know what you're thinking? Today you're holding hands, tomorrow you'll be eating rouge, and who knows what you'll do the day after tomorrow."

Chen Siyuan blinked and said, "Cousin, you are usually so detached from worldly affairs, why are you suddenly so bound by formalities?"

Xing Xiuyan smiled and said, "My heart is beyond the world, but my body is in the mortal realm. Shouldn't I follow the customs? If you can't resist, why don't you take me as your wife tomorrow?"

She spoke with such nonchalance, but Chen Siyuan felt a pang of sorrow. Such a good girl should rightfully be someone's principal wife, yet she was forced to be his concubine due to her family background. Chen Siyuan already felt deeply indebted to her, so how could he dare to be disrespectful after hearing her words?
His thieving thoughts gradually faded, and he simply pulled Xing Xiuyan to sit down beside him, saying, "I told you before, I was thinking of letting my cousin play with her sisters in the garden for a couple more years."

Xing Xiuyan smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder, whispering, "I appreciate your kindness... Although there are disputes in the Grand View Garden, it is a rare pure land. We usually laugh and play, or write poems for fun, or do needlework, visit each other's homes in our spare time, and have small gatherings when we have time... I have only lived such a life in my dreams."

He paused, then looked up at Chen Siyuan with a smile: "In that case, cousin, would you allow me to live for another two years?"

What could Chen Siyuan say? After a moment's thought, he realized that he had been manipulated by Xing Xiuyan... On second thought, it was quite amusing, so he put his arm around Xing Xiuyan and started talking intimately.

While the two of them were deeply in love, inside the Zhuijin Tower, swords clashed and shadows flashed.

Earlier, the sisters had gathered at the Rose Courtyard behind Daoxiang Village. The day was sunny and the summer heat was rising. The three sisters, Daiyu, Baochai, Xiangyun, Xing Xiuyan, and others gathered together. After feeding the koi, they started composing poems together.

Everyone drew lots in turn, and after agreeing on the order, they started to joke around. When it was Baochai's turn, she saw that the second young lady, Yingchun, was next, and she was immediately tempted to tease her, so she deliberately gave a difficult question.

Although the second young lady, Yingchun, was thoughtful and far-sighted, her talent could not compare to that of Baochai and Daiyu. She was in a dilemma for a moment, but then she suddenly remembered the articles she had read in the past two days and immediately replied with the line, "I endured the cool night, and suddenly awoke with a start, to the dawn through the gauze window."

Upon hearing this, Baochai was greatly surprised and her expression changed! Everyone pressed Yingchun to tell them where she had heard this line, but Yingchun insisted that she didn't remember.

So Yingchun was punished by having to drink a cup of tea.

As the couplet continued, Baochai couldn't help but occasionally eavesdrop on the second young lady, Yingchun. Xing Xiuyan noticed this and immediately sensed something was amiss. So, after everyone dispersed, Xing Xiuyan didn't return to Zhuijin Tower. Instead, she sent Zhuan'er with some books and went straight to the thatched cottage in Qingtang to find some peace and quiet.

Back at Hengwu Garden, Baochai felt increasingly uneasy as she pondered the matter. She secretly thought that Yingchun's line was probably from one of the Yuan dynasty novels! This was extremely bad!

What are the Hundred Types of Yuan Dynasty People?

The "One Hundred Yuan Dynasty Plays" is a collection of one hundred plays compiled by Zang Maoxun. It is a comprehensive collection of Yuan and Ming Dynasty plays.

Although it contains more serious content such as legal cases, historical legends, and moral lessons, it also has plenty of erotic scenes that will make you blush!

Some of the romantic scenes are written in a passionate and unrestrained manner, directly depicting the feelings and desires between men and women, which is truly astonishing.

For example, the story of the Moon Worship Pavilion tells of the daughter of a high-ranking official who secretly pledged her life to another man during the war, but was separated by her parents. After many twists and turns and by a series of unexpected events, they were able to reunite.

For example, the scene at Wangjiang Pavilion depicts a young widow fighting off a wicked young man to find a good match;

For example, the story of the beautiful maiden leaving her body: the young lady fell in love with the scholar, and her soul left her body to accompany him to the capital for the imperial examination. Only after he passed the examination did they reunite... Yes, the line that the second young lady just recited came from the story of the beautiful maiden leaving her body!

Baochai did not consider Yingchun a rival. She believed that Yingchun and Chen Siyuan had a deep friendship, and that a mere second young lady could not possibly break them up.

But what if the Second Miss learns from those shameless vixens among the Yuan Dynasty's Hundred Kinds of Seduction, and one day really goes all out to seduce Chen Siyuan... Baochai knows this, of course. Her beloved is good in every way, but this ailment of a lonely man is probably hard to change in a short time.

If, after drinking, one loses control and does something unexpected... then the master will take the opportunity to suppress it, regardless of the affair between Sister Bao and Chen Siyuan. At that time, even if Chen Siyuan is unwilling, he will probably have no choice but to marry the second young lady, Yingchun!
The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became. How could Baochai sit still? She wanted to remind Chen Siyuan, but such a private matter between sisters couldn't be discussed openly. Besides, there's always the saying, "One can be a thief for a thousand days, but one can't be on guard against a thief for a thousand days!"
After careful consideration, Sister Bao gradually made up her mind. As dinner time approached, she led Ying'er to Zhuijin Tower.

Xing Xiuyan had not yet returned. Baochai entered the second young lady's room with a smile, and Yingchun couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Why is Sister Bao here?"

Baochai sat down gracefully and said with a smile, "Second Sister, stand still. I'm going to examine you carefully."

Yingchun asked in surprise, "Why are you interrogating me out of the blue?"

Baochai laughed and said, "What a fine young lady! Still pretending to be naive! Let me ask you, where did you come from that sentence you just said, 'I really don't know'?"

Yingchun was momentarily speechless, and said embarrassedly, "I don't remember who told me this, Sister Bao, please forgive me this time."

Baochai then laughed and said, "If I didn't want to forgive you, I would have gone to tell my sister-in-law long ago. Why would I be so eager to come looking for my second sister?"

Yingchun blushed without realizing it and fell silent.

Baochai then said earnestly, "Second Sister, you don't know, I was a naughty girl back then too. When I was seven or eight years old, I was quite a handful."

Our family was considered a scholarly family, and my grandfather loved collecting books. In the past, there were many people in the family, and all the siblings were afraid to read serious books.

Some of the brothers loved poetry, while others loved lyrics, such as "The Romance of the Western Chamber," "The Lute," and "One Hundred Yuan Dynasty Works," and so on.

"

When Baochai finished speaking, she deliberately paused on the book "One Hundred Yuan Dynasty Works" and then glanced at it playfully. This made the second young lady, Yingchun, turn her head away in embarrassment, not daring to look at her.

Baochai then continued, "They watched secretly behind our backs, and we watched secretly behind theirs too. Later, when the adults found out, some were beaten, some were scolded, and some were burned, and only then did they stop."

So it's better for us girls to be illiterate. Men who read but don't understand reason are worse off than those who don't read at all, let alone you and me.

Even writing poetry and calligraphy are not our duties, nor are they men's duties. Men should study, understand principles, assist the country, and govern the people; that's enough.

Nowadays, however, we don't hear of such people who become worse after reading books. It's because books misled them, but unfortunately, they also squandered the books, so they're not as good as farming or trading, which at least doesn't cause them any great harm.

You and I should only be doing needlework and weaving, but we happen to be literate. Since we can read, it's fine if we only read serious books; the worst thing is if we get distracted by miscellaneous books and our temperament is corrupted—then we're beyond redemption.

The second daughter, Yingchun, readily agreed, repeatedly saying that Baochai's words made sense.

Seeing that Yingchun had taken it to heart, Baochai felt a little relieved. She didn't linger and took her leave after having a cup of tea.

After seeing Baochai off, the second young lady, Yingchun, returned home, frowning in thought. Xiuju, who always followed Siqi's lead, couldn't immediately guess what Baochai had meant.

When Siqi returned from the east courtyard, she heard that Baochai had come and scolded the second young lady. She immediately sneered, "She had a secret rendezvous with Master Yuan, and now she's lecturing the young lady. What right does she have?"

At this moment, Yingchun smiled and said, "She's scared."

Siqi looked over in surprise and asked, "Miss Bao... are you scared? What are you scared of?"

Yingchun smiled and shook her head, saying, "It's hard to say yet. Let me think about it carefully, and I'll figure it out eventually."

Seeing that her young lady had not lost her spirit, Siqi breathed a sigh of relief, gave her a few more words of encouragement, and then went to get the food box.

In fact, Yingchun had already thought it through by now. Of all the things Baochai had said, the last sentence was the real deal... She was afraid that she would change her mind!

Yingchun had already figured out her place and knew she was lagging behind others. She was wondering how to come up with a clever solution when Baochai unexpectedly brought her a solution.

The erotic plays in the Yuan Dynasty playlist had made Yingchun blush, so she dared not watch them for the past two days. But then Baochai reminded her, and now she had no choice but to watch them.

After dinner, Yingchun closed the door and began to peruse the Yuan dynasty novels again. Yingchun was about a year older than Baochai, a young girl at the age of first love, and that night she was captivated by the novels. After resting, she had a series of vivid dreams. At first, the men in her dreams were vague, perhaps Wang Sheng or Li Sheng from the book, but as the light gradually brightened, they transformed into 'Chen Sheng'!
Startled awake in the middle of the night, Yingchun felt a cool, slippery sensation beneath her. She immediately covered herself with the blanket, feeling even more ashamed and unable to face anyone.

(End of this chapter)