Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 250 Sisters' Grudge

Meanwhile, the three young girls, Tan Chun, Xi Chun, and Xiang Yun, came to the Grand View Garden together. Xiang Yun and Xi Chun chattered excitedly, busy being happy for their second sister, Ying Chun, but Tan Chun frowned deeply.

Tan Chun was older than Xi Chun and had previously been raised in Lady Wang's quarters, so she naturally knew more about the inside story. For example, even before the Xue family arrived, Tan Chun already knew that Xue Pan had killed someone. This was partly to avoid trouble, and partly because Lady Wang had the intention of bringing Bao Yu and Bao Chai together. (Note 1)

Tan Chun, being a concubine's daughter, had a mother and brothers who were all of low status, so she naturally had a difficult life caught in the middle. She naturally looked down on the Xue family, the powerful family in Jinling, but she did not show it because of her stepmother, Lady Wang.

When the Xue family arrived, Tan Chun saw that Baochai was beautiful, elegant, and graceful. She spoke to people with a gentle and pleasant demeanor, and acted with utmost care, which naturally pleased Tan Chun. She thought to herself, "If I get along well with this cousin, there will only be good things, not bad."

Because her stepmother, Lady Wang, had changed her mind and no longer wanted the marriage, Tan Chun thought it over. She realized that, in terms of both reason and emotion, her stepmother, Lady Wang, had no choice but to support Baochai and Yuanda. If she agreed with her second sister, wouldn't she offend her stepmother?

Besides, Bao-jie's distraught appearance just now was unprecedented; it's clear she and Yuan-dage are...deeply in love?
If that's the case, wouldn't the second sister become the one who came later? How can the one who came later surpass the one who came before?

At this moment, Xichun noticed that Tanchun was frowning and silent, and couldn't help but ask in surprise, "What is Third Sister thinking about? Why is your brow so furrowed? Could it be that you don't like Second Sister's marriage to Brother Yuan?"

Tan Chun shook her head and said, "If they get together, that would be wonderful... However, there are still some things to discuss about this matter."

Xiangyun, being indifferent to the matter and not particularly thoughtful, asked in confusion, "Why does Third Sister say that?"

Tan Chun naturally couldn't discuss such private matters with Xiang Yun, so she simply shook her head. Xi Chun hesitated, but stopped speaking because Xiang Yun was present.

After the three children had dinner together, Xiangyun went to the front of the green gauze curtain room, and Xichun came to Qiushuangzhai to find Tanchun and talk to her.

Since they were sisters, Tan Chun didn't hide anything and said, "Judging from Bao-jie's condition, I'm afraid she's already with Yuan-da-ge... But Madam has mentioned Er-jie, and now Madam is still looking after Bao-er-ge. It's really hard to say what will happen in the future."

Xichun frowned in surprise and said, "No matter what, Second Sister is closer to her. How could Third Sister help her cousin instead of her own sister?"

Tan Chun quickly shook her head and said, "That's not how it's said. You're too young to do this—"

Xichun immediately became angry: "Even though I'm young, I understand reason. If there's a reason, help the reasonable; if there's no reason, help your relatives. Sister Bao is naturally very good, but I'm closer to Second Sister, so naturally I hope Brother Yuan will marry Second Sister!"

Tan Chun sighed and remained silent.

Xichun then said, "I know that Third Sister is afraid of offending people, but I, from another household, am not afraid of offending people. If Third Sister is in a dilemma, just keep quiet, but I want to say something for Second Sister."

After saying that, he stomped his foot, turned around, and stormed off angrily.

Tan Chun took two steps after him, then stopped in distress, twisting her handkerchief in her hands and frowning deeply. (Note 2)

As Tan Chun watched Xi Chun cross the Bee Waist Bridge, she was about to turn around when she saw maids and old women laughing and joking on Zi Ling Isle. She also saw Xing Xiuyan sitting leisurely in the Dripping Green Pavilion, burning sandalwood incense and brewing fragrant tea, letting Zhuan'er chatter away beside her. Xing Xiuyan remained indifferent to it all.

Tan Chun shook her head, secretly envying Xing Xiuyan's carefree and unconventional nature. But with Baochai on one side and Erjie on the other, how could she remain indifferent?
Shaking his head and sighing, Tan Chun's return to Qiushuangzhai was not mentioned.

Meanwhile, inside the Zhuijin Tower on Ziling Island, the atmosphere was truly festive.

Just now, Madam Xing brought up the marriage in Rongqing Hall, which made the second young lady so embarrassed that she covered her face and left. She is still hiding in her room and has not come out.

Upon receiving the news, all the maids and servants came to Yingchun's room to offer their congratulations. The head maids, Siqi and Xiuju, were also overjoyed.

Xiuju is simple-minded. In terms of looks alone, Master Yuan is better than Master Lian and Master Bao. In terms of talent and ability, those two masters can't even come close! If her daughter really marries Master Yuan, Xiuju, as a senior maid, will naturally become a dowry maid.

Although I dare not hope for it, what if the girl is not feeling well, and she is favored by Master Yuan in the future... Wouldn't her life be settled then?

Siqi, standing to the side, was more preoccupied and was extremely smug. If it weren't for her tireless efforts in networking and encouraging her daughter to fight hard, would this turn of fortune have come?

Now that the First Madam has brought this up in front of the Old Madam, the marriage is probably settled. In the future, I will naturally be considered a maidservant and marry into the family along with her. Even if I am rewarded for my service, I will still be entitled to the title of concubine.

So, even if she can't compare to Xiangling in the future, Siqi will at least be no different from Hongyu.

Feeling pleased with herself, Siqi saw that the maids and servants from Zilingzhou, and even the maids and servants from the nearby garden, had come to congratulate her. Although she couldn't help but smile, she said, "It's only the beginning, so it's too early for you to ask for a reward."

The maids and servants below chimed in, "We've already gone through with the old lady's permission, how can we not make a decision?"

Others said, "If you make a betrothal this year and get married next year, who knows, you might be able to celebrate your 100th birthday the year after next."

Siqi laughed and said, "You're getting more and more absurd. Be careful, or our young lady might get angry and give you a beating!"

Then an old woman stepped forward with a fawning smile and bowed, saying, "We don't need any money. On such a joyous occasion, surely we can at least have a drink?"

Siqi and Xiuju exchanged a glance and nodded. Xiuju quickly said, "Sister, this month's allowance hasn't been paid yet. Last time, the nanny borrowed a lot of money from you, Miss."

Siqi gritted her teeth, thinking to herself that she would have to get rid of that old hag Wang Mama someday; keeping her around would only cause trouble sooner or later. With a determined look, she took out a silver coin from her purse and quietly slipped it to Xiuju, instructing her, "Go find Miss Ping and exchange it for copper coins to reward them, otherwise who knows how long they'll keep making a fuss."

Xiuju quickly agreed and said to everyone, "Don't make a fuss, I'll go find Sister Ping'er to exchange for copper coins."

All the maids and servants clasped their hands and jumped for joy, immediately crowding around Xiuju and heading towards Fengjie's room at the front.

Siqi smiled and watched everyone leave before turning and going upstairs into her room.

Peeking through the beaded curtain, she saw the second young lady sitting sullenly on the edge of the bed, her face showing no embarrassment, only a furrowed brow as she pondered. Siqi approached with a smile and said, "Miss, you've gotten what you wanted, so why don't you look happy?"

Yingchun raised her eyes and said, "Where can my wish be fulfilled?"

Siqi chuckled and said, "The First Madam mentioned it herself, and it has been officially acknowledged by the Old Madam. Now the whole household knows about it, so it can't be fake, right? In the future, as long as we get past the First Master's hurdle, there's no reason why it can't be done."

Yingchun gave a wry smile and shook her head, saying, "If it were that simple, that would be great..."

Brother Yuan is not a good-tempered man. If he insists on refusing, what can even the lord do to him?
And her father is so greedy, even a toad would be squeezed dry; who knows what trouble he'll cause this time.

Since ancient times, fortune and misfortune have been intertwined. Yingchun felt that Madam Xing had been too hasty this time. If things had been handled slowly, there might have been room for maneuver. Now that she had made her position so firm, there was no turning back. If her brother Yuan did indeed refuse in the future, how would she face people? If word got out, she feared she would find it difficult to find a husband.

Thinking too much is pointless; for now, we can only take it one step at a time.

Siqi, unaware of Yingchun's thoughts, stepped forward to offer a few more words of congratulations. Seeing that Yingchun was distracted, she simply turned away and went off to enjoy herself.

Leaving aside the situation at Zhuijinlou, let's talk about how Xiao Xichun left Qiushuangzhai and headed straight for Qingtang Maoshe.

Caiping and Ruhua, who were beside her, offered a few words of comfort, but none of them pleased Xichun.

The young girl had her own scales in her heart. Having lived in a different household since childhood, she was used to the coldness and warmth of human relationships. She could tell who was sincere and who was fake. Xi Chun was more discerning than Tan Chun.

Although Sister Bao is kind and speaks gently, upon closer inspection, her actions are merely small, inexpensive favors; Sister Er, despite her own unfortunate circumstances, secretly gave Xichun a lot of advice. (Note 3)

Therefore, in Xiao Xichun's heart, the second sister was naturally closer than the sister Bao.

For some reason, Third Sister Tanchun was still hesitating over such a matter! If it were anyone else, Xichun would have ignored it, but Third Sister Tanchun was the closest to her, so Xichun became even more annoyed.

They walked along in a huff, and soon arrived at the thatched cottage.

The maid Yunxiang was playing shuttlecock in front of the door when she saw Xichun coming in annoyed. She quickly greeted her and then went inside to inform the maid.

Xichun stepped forward and glanced at Yunxiang, who was completely bewildered by her gaze. Then she said, "Still playing shuttlecock? You don't even know when something serious has happened."

"what?"

Xi Chun scolded, "If I were you, I would hurry up and ask around right now, so that I don't have to know nothing when Brother Yuan asks me."

Yunxiang blinked, dropped the shuttlecock, and ran off: "Thank you, Fourth Miss, I'll go right now!"

Xi Chun shook her head, stepped into the thatched cottage, and was greeted by Hong Yu. Since Xi Chun often came, there was no need for Chen Siyuan to greet her. After a short while, she entered the house and saw Chen Siyuan coming out of the study.

"Fourth Sister is here? Perfect timing, Aunt sent some rose dew yesterday." Turning to Fifth Sister, he instructed, "Quickly, fetch some."

Wu'er acknowledged and withdrew. Chen Siyuan turned his head and saw Xichun's angry face. He immediately laughed and said, "Who has provoked Fourth Sister? Come, tell me, and I'll stand up for Fourth Sister."

Xichun pouted and remained silent, but then suddenly asked, "Brother Yuan, would you like to marry Second Sister someday?"

Chen Siyuan was stunned, thinking to himself, "What's all this about?" So he said, "Fourth Sister, why are you bringing this up?"

Xichun didn't reply, but continued to say to herself, "Second Sister is intelligent, but she hides her talents because of her unfortunate circumstances... Brother Yuan knows this. Moreover, Second Sister is virtuous, extremely skilled in needlework, and her knot-making is exceptional. She is better than Sister Bao in every way!"

Chen Siyuan was used to dealing with Xichun and knew that the young girl couldn't stand listening to others when she was in a hurry, so he asked, "Anything else?"

"And..." Xichun frowned and hesitated for a long time before shaking her head and saying, "...I can't really explain it, but I always feel that Second Sister is better than Sister Bao."

"Heh," Chen Siyuan chuckled and rubbed Xichun's head, saying, "Marriage isn't about who's better or worse. There's the arrangement of parents and matchmakers above, and... there's also the word 'fate' below."

Xichun then looked up at him and said, "Since ancient times, people have chosen wives based on virtue. Didn't Brother Yuan already have a sister named Xing with whom he shares a deep affection?"

Chen Siyuan was speechless for a long time after hearing those words. He could only smile bitterly and ask, "Where did Fourth Sister hear these rumors from?"

Xichun said, "This is not just gossip. The eldest madam said it in front of the old lady just now, and now the whole mansion probably knows about it."

"Huh?" Chen Siyuan scratched his head in disbelief. He thought to himself, "Is Madam Xing trying to reach for the heavens?"

After a moment's thought, she realized that given the master's opportunistic nature, he would likely use the marriage to manipulate her. Besides, Madam Wang had previously intended to match her with Baochai, and since Madam Wang would be leaving the house soon, she figured she wouldn't stand idly by.

With both sides combined, it's possible that Madam Xing's hopes will be dashed, and Second Sister will end up with nothing to show for her efforts.

Chen Siyuan assumed that Xichun was afraid that he would neglect her after marrying Baochai, so he pulled Xichun and said, "Don't worry, Fourth Sister. No matter who I marry in the future, I will not neglect you... Oh, have you opened and looked at that item?"

Xi Chun silently agreed, then muttered, "It's not because of that—"

Before she could finish speaking, Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Alright, I know that Fourth Sister is thinking of me. Thank you, Fourth Sister. But only the person drinking the water knows whether it is hot or cold. It's best for me to make the decision myself."

Xichun looked up and responded, but when she looked down, she saw Chen Siyuan pulling her hands. The girl blushed for no reason and, without bothering to speak well of her second sister, hurriedly ate a bowl of rose dew and took her leave.

Seeing this, Hongyu leaned over and scolded, "Master, you're wrong. Now that Fourth Miss is all grown up, it's not appropriate to hold her hand and pat her head like when she was little."

Chen Siyuan smiled and replied, "It was my mistake. I won't do it again in the future."

That's his good point; whenever he makes a mistake, he always admits it to the person in front of her. Seeing this, Hongyu stopped scolding him and instead frowned, saying, "What is the eldest madam trying to do out of the blue?"

Now they're bringing up the Second Miss to challenge Miss Bao?
Just then, Xiangling came over and whispered, "Master, shall I go and take a look at Hengwu Garden?"

Xiangling had previously received much care from Baochai in the Xue family; otherwise, she would have been taken advantage of by that fool Xue long ago. Now that she was with Chen Siyuan and had found her mother again, she felt her situation was much better and was even more grateful to Baochai. Now that this had happened, it was only right and proper for her to go and see Baochai.

Chen Siyuan nodded, and Xiangling hurriedly headed towards Hengwu Garden.

Hongyu glanced at Xiangling, a pang of envy rising in her heart. She thought to herself that Xiangling was so close to both Baochai and Lin Daiyu; she could easily get along with either of them in the future. As for herself, she would have to figure out whether to go to Lin Daiyu's room or Baochai's…

After a moment's thought, Hongyu turned to Chen Siyuan and said, "Master, why don't you hurry up and get ready? We might need to invite you over to the east courtyard for a chat soon." Chen Siyuan replied meaningfully, "No rush, just wait."

The day before yesterday, the price of latex rose to 6.5 cents per pound. The old man was in high spirits at the time, so how could he possibly look up to me now?

East Cross Courtyard.

Madam Xing returned victorious, naturally feeling quite pleased with herself. Those who accompanied her—Wang Shanbao's wife, Qin Yu's wife, Miao'er, and Tiao'er—were all beaming with joy.

After returning to the main room in the east courtyard, Wang Shanbao's wife couldn't help but say, "Madam, now that the second young lady's marriage is officially arranged, why don't we go and inform the young master?"

Although Siqi tried to hide it, Wang Shanbao's wife, being an old hag, was shrewd and had long suspected that her granddaughter was having an affair with Chen Siyuan. Naturally, she couldn't wait for Siqi to marry into the family along with Yingchun.

Madam Xing thought to herself that the little thief had just complained about her a couple of days ago, so how could she dare to come to Chen Siyuan alone now?

He shook his head and said, "No rush, we can call him after we've spoken to the master." He then sent Qin Yu's wife, "Go and see if the master is still in the outer study?"

Qin Yu's wife said, "That guy surnamed Sun came again just now. I suppose he should have finished answering and left by now." After saying that, she turned around and went to the outer study.

Madam Xing glanced at Miao'er and Tiao'er, then smiled and promised, "You two don't need to rush. If the marriage is settled, there can't be only two maids to accompany you in your dowry. You'll have your own good ones then!"

Miao'er and Tiao'er were extremely grateful.

Hearing the maids and servants showering her with praise, Madam Xing became even more smug. She thought to herself that even if the little thief blamed her in the future, she could simply try a few more tricks to apologize. For the sake of her fourth son, he couldn't afford to be estranged from her no matter what.

Leaving aside her inner thoughts, Qin Yu's family walked out of the three ceremonial gates and bumped into Xing Xiuyan's mother, Xing Zhenshi, returning from outside. The two met, and Xing Zhenshi asked, "Where are you going, Sister-in-law Qin?"

Qin Yu's wife naturally looked down on her mistress's poor relatives, but one shouldn't hit a smiling face. Qin Yu's wife was in a good mood at the moment, so she spoke briefly with Xing Zhenshi before hurriedly saying, "Madam sent me to check out the outer study. I'll take my leave first."

"Ah? Ah, Sister-in-law Qin, please wait." Xing Zhenshi watched Qin Yu's family leave, pondered for a moment, then suddenly stamped her foot and exclaimed, "Isn't this a wonderful thing?"

My daughter, Xing Xiuyan, is a cousin of the second young lady. If they were to marry together in the future, my daughter would no longer be an ordinary concubine; according to the rules of wealthy families, she would be a secondary wife! (See the preface for the classification of concubines)

And who doesn't know that the second young lady has the best temper? If Yuan-ge'er really marries the second young lady, then my daughter's future will be much easier!

Overjoyed, Xing Zhenshi hurriedly went into the room to find Xing Zhong and told him. However, Xing Zhong was drunk and kept humming and hawing, but the words went in one ear and out the other, which made Xing Zhenshi so angry that she fell backward.

Meanwhile, Qin Yu's family arrived at the door of the outer study and saw the eldest master, Jia She, and Sun Shaozu coming out together.

The old man said lazily with a stern face, "Nephew, don't worry. With another two thousand taels, I can definitely get that official position in the Fifth Army. However... it's hard to say whether I should stay at the border or remain in the capital."

Ever since Jia Lian went to Tianjin, he has been sending his servant back to the capital by fast horse to report the price of latex every day. Master Jia She only received the news today, saying that the price of latex has risen to 6.7 cents per catty, and Jia Lian doesn't have much money left.

Jia She was so frustrated that he wanted to ask Chen Siyuan for a loan, but unexpectedly, Sun Shaozu delivered himself to his door.

Still concerned about filling the vacancy, Master Jia She's eyes lit up, and a plan immediately came to mind. He thought that the previous three thousand taels of silver was not enough, and that another two thousand taels needed to be added.

It was just a casual extortion attempt, but Sun Shaozu, being new to the capital and unaware of the situation, readily agreed.

Jia She was in high spirits! So he personally got up to see him off, but then felt unwilling and thought of extorting another sum of money.

Sun Shaozu cursed inwardly, but said outwardly, "Uncle knows my situation. I am skilled in archery and horsemanship, but unfortunately, the army now values ​​the art of battle more."

Consider that during the Qing Dynasty, firearms accounted for 40-50% of the troops in various regions, let alone the Shun Dynasty, which kept pace with the times. At that time, firearms accounted for 70% of the Shun capital garrison, 20% were cavalry, and the remaining 10% were heavily armored soldiers specifically used to hold the line.

“Now that I am free to go anywhere, as long as I fill the vacancy, I will have room to maneuver. As for other matters, I will come to you for advice in the future.”

Jia She nodded and said, "That makes sense. In that case, you should go back and wait. It will take at least three months, and at most half a year, and I will definitely take care of it for you, my nephew."

“This…” Sun Shaozu hesitated.

"Hmm?" Jia She teased, "Nephew, do you not believe me? If you don't, just take back the three thousand taels of silver you had earlier."

Sun Shaozu cursed inwardly, but smiled apologetically and said, "I was just thinking that it was a bit too slow."

Jia She then said, "Do you think you can be relied upon when vacancies arise in various places?"

Sun Shaozu dared not offend Jia She, so he could only agree. After saying a few flattering words, he patted his chest and said, "I will send a letter home right away. Two thousand taels of silver will be delivered within half a month."

Jia She nodded and immediately ordered the steward to deliver it, then turned and went back to his study.

Sun Shaozu left with a grumbling in his heart. Once he was out of the black-lacquered gate and riding out of Ningrong Street, he immediately began to curse Jia She's ancestors for eighteen generations. The servant accompanying him frowned and said, "Another two thousand taels? Master, even bribing the Ministry of War would only cost this much. Why should we put all our eggs in one basket?"

Sun Shaozu cursed, "Damn it, how could I not know? But that old bastard said that the three thousand taels of silver had been sent to smooth things over long ago, so how can I get it back now? Oh well, I'll just treat it as following the rules and going through the Ministry of War. I'll just stay away from that old bastard from now on."

The attendant frowned and said, "This... what if General Jia takes the money and doesn't do the job—"

"He wouldn't dare!" Sun Shaozu frowned and glared, then suddenly remembered Siqi, and chuckled, saying, "It's one thing to take the money and not do anything, but I'll take that money as a bride price. Maybe I can even marry a noble lady and have some fun!"

Like master, like servant; the attendant immediately burst into lewd laughter, and the two rode off laughing.

Meanwhile, Qin Yu's wife saw the master enter the outer study and hurriedly went inside to report that the madam had invited her.

To everyone's surprise, the old man didn't raise his head or open his eyes, only focusing on calculating on the abacus. After a moment, Qin Yu's wife couldn't help but ask again, "Master?"

But the master waved his hand and said, "Wait a moment."

crackling-

After a while, the master raised an eyebrow, his face immediately lighting up with delight. He had just carefully calculated that the 18,000 taels of silver he had purchased had an average price of 5.9 fen for the latex, which had now risen to 6.7 fen. Calculating it up, the master alone had made a profit of over 800 taels!

Jia She let out a long sigh, his heart filled with even greater confidence. He paced back and forth, a smile playing on his lips as he spoke: "What is it, Madam?"

Seeing Jia She's strange smile, Qin Yu's wife replied solemnly, "It's about the second young lady's marriage."

"Hmm." Jia She nodded, then walked out and headed towards the main house at the back.

After a short while, they entered the main room and saw Madam Xing teasing Fourth Brother. Jia She immediately forced a smile and was about to tease Fourth Brother when Madam Xing quickly stopped him, saying, "Master, please stop teasing Fourth Brother. Last time you teased him, he was terrified for several nights. We had to find a shaman to call back his soul before he got a little better."

Jia She awkwardly withdrew his hand, sat down, and asked, "Didn't we say last time that Yingchun's marriage wasn't in a hurry? The old lady wanted to wait a couple more years."

Madam Xing said, "Whether to keep or settle, it won't hurt to settle it sooner. Besides, I sounded out the old lady's opinion today, and she was very supportive when she heard that the master wanted to betroth Yingchun to Yuan'er."

Jia She blinked, then couldn't help but get annoyed and said, "Why didn't you even tell me before you went and made a scene in front of the old lady?"

Madam Xing's eyes darted around, and she turned her head away to reply, "It was Master who first told Yuan-ge'er... Now that everyone knows, if I don't tell the Old Madam, I'm afraid she'll blame us."

Jia She snorted coldly, curled his lip, and pondered to himself, "Betrothing Yingchun to Chen Siyuan... isn't out of the question. Right now, I'm short of money to stockpile latex, so why not have my good nephew send over a dowry of ten thousand taels of silver... wouldn't that be too much to ask?"

His master is only temporarily appropriating the money; he'll naturally send it to the Chen family along with Yingchun in the future. With this ten thousand taels, he might just earn it back many times over in the future!
The more the master thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed, so he relented and said, "Alright, since you've already told Mother, I can't go back on my word. I'll talk to Yuan-ge'er about it another day."

Madam Xing was immediately surprised, thinking to herself that the master always scolded her first for such a unilateral decision, so why had he changed his mind now?

She didn't have time to think much, and just laughed without hesitation, "Alright, alright, it's all up to you, sir."

The old man grunted twice, then seized the opportunity to say, "Now that Fourth Brother has finally gained some footing, what about your Purple Bamboo—"

Madam Xing's expression immediately changed: "No, that's Fourth Brother's lifeline!"

The master didn't insist. Without saying a word, he got up and went to find a few concubines to fool around with.

After he left, Madam Xing became increasingly suspicious. However, no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't figure out what Jia She was up to, so she simply stopped thinking about it.

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

A small courtyard in Northeast China.

When Aunt Xue and Baochai arrived at the back room, Aunt Xue was so anxious that she couldn't sit still. Although Baochai had a deep frown, she gradually figured things out.

Madam Xing has always been disrespectful to the old lady, and even in the east wing, she lets the master boss order her around. Logically, such an important matter as marriage should be discussed between Jia She and the old lady, but this time it was Madam Xing who brought it up first... which could be considered as her acting on her own initiative.

That's fine, but now that Baochai and Chen Siyuan are in love, it can be considered... a secret affair? Chen Siyuan has been in the Rongguo Mansion for several years, and he has only recently started to have more contact with the Second Miss. In terms of affection, he is probably not even as good as the Fourth Miss Xichun.

Besides, the master is always greedy and insatiable; who knows what harsh conditions he might propose in the future? Even without these, Baochai is certain that Chen Siyuan would never agree. So why should she worry unnecessarily?
On second thought, it's possible that something bad could turn into something good.

Although Mom had previously given her consent, she wasn't very interested in her marriage to Chen Siyuan. Now that her second older sister is vying for his attention, Mom might actually be more interested than before.

Sure enough, Aunt Xue was so anxious that she paced back and forth. Finally, she stopped and said, "My child, what should we do?"

Baochai pretended to be dejected, frowned and shook her head slightly, saying, "Brother Yuan has always been respectful to the Master and Madam. If he mentions it in the future, I'm afraid he won't be able to refuse... I just regret that I don't have such a fate."

After saying that, he rubbed his eyes with a handkerchief, applying a little pressure, and his eyes immediately turned red.

Aunt Xue was immediately heartbroken and came over to hug Baochai, saying, "My child, don't worry. This matter... this matter..."

After talking for a while, Aunt Xue didn't know how to comfort her, and immediately frowned and said, "It's all Baoyu's fault!"

Baochai was taken aback for a moment, then quickly understood her mother's thoughts. If Baoyu hadn't had a fit of hysteria, Aunt Wang wouldn't have been staying in the room. In that case, the two sisters would have already confronted each other, and none of this would have happened today.

Knowing that her mother always doted on Baoyu, Baochai, in her haste, blamed Baoyu instead, which made her secretly amused.

Aunt Xue continued, "This marriage can't be settled in just a few days. Your aunt will be leaving soon, and I'll talk to her about it then... If she still doesn't agree, then we'll settle this matter before the east wing."

Baochai asked in surprise, "Wouldn't that offend everyone?"

Aunt Xue gritted her teeth and said, "My son, how can anything in this world only bring benefits and not harm? Yuan-ge is a good man, and our family might have to rely on him for protection in the future. It's just offending the east wing; what does it matter if we offend the entire Jia family?"

Baochai was both amused and exasperated, thinking to herself that she hadn't expected her mother to be so reckless in her haste. She then feigned sadness and agreed, and chatted with Aunt Xue for a while. Suddenly, Ying'er came from outside and said, "Miss, Xiangling has arrived."

Aunt Xue sighed, "Xiangling is a good girl, but it's a pity—" Then she thought of her foolish son Xue Pan, who had never had a child, and Aunt Xue began to think of buying Xue Pan a concubine.

Baochai knew that it must have been Chen Siyuan who sent Xiangling, so she said, "Mother, I will go and answer Xiangling correctly first."

Aunt Xue agreed, and Sister Bao went to the outer room. But as soon as she saw Xiangling, Xiangling covered her mouth and laughed.

Baochai immediately retorted angrily, "I've been so good to you all this time, and now that things have turned out like this, instead of offering comfort, you just smile at me."

Xiangling chuckled and said, "Miss Bao is usually very clever, but I didn't expect her to be so foolish when the time came."

(End of this chapter)