Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 268 Taking a Different Approach

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement. Whether it was Jia She, Jia Zheng, or Madam Xing, they all knew that the Rongguo Mansion was no longer what it used to be, and if they wanted to maintain their dignity, they would have to rely on Yuan Chun being promoted to Imperial Concubine.

However, 30,000 taels of silver is no small sum, and other noble families also have a share in it... It's easy to take the silver, but how easy will it be to get the noble families to give back what they've already taken? There will inevitably be a lot of entanglement and disputes in the future.

This matter is not something that others can handle, so it naturally falls to Sister Feng.

Sister Feng frowned slightly, feeling quite annoyed. She had eagerly accepted Qin Shi's request, only to find herself embroiled in a mess of legal trouble instead of any benefits. If she had known this would happen, she should have refused in the first place; let whoever wanted to deal with this drudgery meddle!

Madam Wang is discreet and keeps to herself. She doesn't have much personal money, but she owns a lot of land and shops, which, if sold, could be worth twenty or thirty thousand taels of silver. However, this is a public matter, so how could she possibly subsidize it herself? If anyone should be subsidizing it, it should be the old lady.

Lady Wang couldn't say this, but Jia She had no more reservations and said, "If I were to say it, Mother's personal savings are meant to deal with this kind of thing. If we don't use them now, when will we?"

Grandmother Jia snorted coldly and turned her head away, saying, "We agreed on the day that I would keep my personal savings for my own retirement and also set aside dowries for my children. Where would I find any other money?"

Jia She said, "This matter is urgent. Yingchun, Tanchun, and Xichun are not old enough yet. After they recover in two years, we can use the public funds to make up for Mother's personal expenses."

Grandmother Jia simply turned her head away and remained silent.

Will things recover in two years? Although Grandmother Jia doesn't manage affairs much these days, how can she be kept in the dark about what's going on below? If it weren't for Chen Siyuan's wicked idea, the Rongguo Mansion would probably be in dire financial straits by now.

Seeing that Grandmother Jia remained silent, Jia She turned to Lady Wang and said, "Sister-in-law, why don't you speak to the Xue family?"

Madam Wang hurriedly complained, "I did tell her this afternoon... but the previous debts haven't been repaid, and now we have to borrow new ones. My sister is also in a difficult situation."

Previously, she could use the promise of a perfect match to keep Aunt Xue hanging on, but now that the promise was gone, Madam Wang was shocked to find that she had no way to deal with the Xue mother and daughter.

If they stay, the Xue family mother and daughter are of no use other than offering advice and gathering information; if they drive them away, it's neither reasonable nor ethical, since they would have to pay back their previous debts first.

Upon hearing that Lady Wang was also declining the offer, Jia She snorted coldly. He thought to himself, "Since Lady Wang is now in charge of the household, the second branch of the family will figure out a solution for any public debts." So he simply stood up and said, "Fine, I'll just make up for my own debts first."

After saying goodbye to Grandmother Jia, she strode away from Rongqing Hall. Jia Zhen offered a few suggestions, which mainly involved urging Feng Jie to go to various households. After sitting for a while, he also got up and returned home.

Fearing that Lady Wang might try to take advantage of her, Grandmother Jia feigned chest tightness and a headache, and simply had her maid help her into the bedroom. Only Jia Zheng and Lady Wang remained, staring at each other with an air of icy respect.

Because of Fu Qiufang's matter, Jia Zheng was too ashamed to say anything more. He coughed lightly, got up, and went to find Qingke to discuss the matter.

Madam Wang frowned and sighed, then got up and walked out. After a few steps, she suddenly glanced at the green gauze curtain, pondered for a moment, and only after leaving Rongqing Hall did she ask Feng Jie, who was accompanying her, "I remember Master mentioned that Yu'er brought back several boxes of books from the south."

Feng Jie knew exactly what Madam Wang was thinking. She immediately smiled and said, "There are a few boxes of books, but as Madam knows, I don't read much, so I can't really explain the situation."

Madam Wang nodded and said, "Baoyu did mention it once, saying that there are quite a few rare and unique copies among them."

Sister Feng smiled but didn't respond. After they passed through the hallway at the back, the aunt and niece began to talk about the family accounts. Sister Feng knew them by heart and carefully calculated that the Rongguo Mansion could only spare four thousand taels of cash, and that was all.

"It's a drop in the ocean," sighed Madam Wang, then bid farewell to Feng Jie and headed back to her own courtyard. Feng Jie stood at the gate, watching Madam Wang and her party pass through the side gate, then glanced at the Xiaoxiang Pavilion behind them, sighed again, and finally returned to her room.

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Meanwhile, the master was returning to the east courtyard in a state of frustration when, before he had even passed the third ceremonial gate, Jia Zheng caught up with him from behind.

Jia She was puzzled and turned to greet Jia Zheng, asking, "Is there anything else, Second Brother?"

"This..." Jia Zheng said, "I wonder how you plan to cover the deficit, elder brother?"

"What can I do?" Jia She frowned and said, "We must first send twelve thousand taels of silver to the nobleman, and as for the rest... we'll discuss it with each family later."

“This…” Jia Zheng pondered, “…I think that there is no rush for this matter, elder brother. We should wait until Feng’er has settled things with the other families before making a decision.”

Jia She blinked, and when he finally understood, he was so angry he almost twisted his nose!
The Ministry of Works had a deficit of 30,000 taels of silver, and Jia She's latex business had a deficit of over 6,000 taels... Oh, if you include the bribes given to nobles, that's 8,000 taels. Jia Zheng's meaning was simple: 8,000 is still not as good as 30,000, so it's better to aim for 30,000 taels first.

Otherwise, if she first settles the debt of eight thousand taels, how will Sister Feng explain herself to the other families?
Conversely, if the 30,000 taels were mentioned first, how would Jia She calculate the deficit with each household?

The master had raised quite a bit of money for this latex hoarding business, and with the five thousand taels sent by Sun Shaozu, he had lost a lot of money and even owed five thousand taels of silver.
"you--"

"Brother, the bigger picture is more important. Once I receive the ice and charcoal, I will immediately send them to you to cover the deficit."

Jia She sneered, about to retort, when suddenly his eyes lit up and he said, "In that case, how about I also include my deficit in the public funds?"

"This... I'm afraid it wouldn't be appropriate to say this in front of the old lady and the madam."

Jia She scoffed, said "We'll discuss it later," and turned to enter the three-tiered ceremonial gate. Jia Zheng stood at a distance, unsure whether to go or chase after him, hesitating for a long time, feeling that his luck was running out. He sighed, decided not to return to his residence, and simply ordered a carriage to go find Fu Qiufang.

Leaving aside Jia Zheng, let's talk about the eldest master, Jia She, who stormed through the three ceremonial gates and soon arrived at the main room, where Madam Xing was teasing her fourth son, who dared not take a step.

Upon seeing this, Jia She, who was initially furious, felt his anger subside somewhat. After the wet nurse took the fourth son to the inner room, Jia She then spoke to Madam Xing, asking, "How much personal wealth do you still have?"

Madam Xing became alert and quickly said, "My lord, do you know how much personal savings I have? Every time I receive a reward for a festival or birthday celebration, it all comes from my personal savings. And after successfully answering Third Sister's question about her marriage, I only have a few hundred taels of silver left."

"It's just a drop in the ocean."

Madam Xing rolled her eyes inwardly, but asked aloud, "How much money did you lose this time, sir?"

Jia She said with annoyance, "It's probably as much as eight thousand taels."

Madam Xing was startled and exclaimed, "Ah? How come there are so many?"

Jia She was too lazy to argue with her, and only said, "You wouldn't understand even if I told you." After a pause, he added, "Tomorrow, call Yuan-ge over and tell him that I have something to discuss with him."

Madam Xing muttered, "Master is planning to borrow money from Yuan-ge'er? This... I'm afraid it's not appropriate."

The thief had always been generous to her, so Madam Xing naturally didn't want to cheat him.

Jia She asked, "What's wrong with it?"

Madam Xing said, "Not only has Yuan-ge'er lost all the little he had earned before in the latex business, but he also owes a lot of money. Where can he lend you money now, sir?"

Jia She frowned and said, "What do you know, you woman? Don't worry about anything else. Just call Yuan-ge'er over tomorrow, and I'll take care of it."

Madam Xing gave a vague reply, and Jia She didn't linger. He got up and went to the side room to find a concubine to relieve his pent-up desire.

As soon as he left, Madam Xing was thinking of talking to Chen Siyuan, but it was getting late and she was afraid that Jia She would become suspicious, so she suppressed her thoughts for the time being and waited until the next morning to talk to Chen Siyuan.

On the other side, Chen Siyuan had just returned to Qingtang Thatched Cottage when he saw Suyun, who was beside Li Wan, talking to Hongyu.

Upon seeing Chen Siyuan, Suyun greeted him with a smile and said, "Our grandmother tried several times, and this time the filling is the best."

Chen Siyuan glanced over and, sure enough, spotted a steaming basket of three-ingredient buns on the table. It was lunchtime, and Chen Siyuan was also hungry. He washed his hands, grabbed a handful, and devoured it with gusto. After just one bite, he exclaimed, "Sister-in-law, what excellent cooking skills you have!"

Su Yun smiled and said, "Lan Ge'er also said it was delicious. Grandma said that if Uncle Yuan likes it, Grandma will make some and send it over often."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "That would be great, but I'll have to trouble you, sister-in-law."

Su Yun smiled and shook her head, then took her leave.

Hongyu took Suyun's hand and escorted her to the courtyard gate. Watching Suyun walk away, Hongyu was about to turn back when she heard someone calling her from not far away. Looking closely, she saw Yuchuan hiding in the shade of a tree, waving at her repeatedly.

Hongyu, puzzled, came over and asked, "Did you want to see me about something?"

Yu Chuan looked around with a tense face, pulled Hong Yu to hide in the shade of a tree, and whispered, "Just now, we were talking to the old lady about making up for the deficit. The master has a deficit of six thousand taels, and the master also wants to make up for the deficit of thirty thousand taels in the Ministry of Works. The masters discussed it for a while but couldn't come up with a solution. Before the madam left, she glanced at the green gauze cabinet and asked the second mistress, 'Did Miss Lin bring back a lot of ancient books when she came back from the south?'"

He paused, then added, "Quickly tell Master Yuan that I'm afraid Madam might be planning something on Miss Lin!"

Hongyu said gratefully, "Thank you for informing me. I will go and report back to Master right away."

Yu Chuan nodded, looked around, and then walked quickly toward Longcui Nunnery. Hong Yu knew this, but she was afraid that Yu Chuan had tipped them off because her master had saved her sister Jin Chuan's life earlier.

Seeing that no one was around, Hongyu hurriedly returned to her room, found Chen Siyuan, and whispered back what Yuchuan had said.

Chen Siyuan frowned as he listened, thinking to himself that Madam Wang was indeed a fool. She had already misappropriated tens of thousands of yuan of the Lin family's assets, and now she was even trying to take advantage of those ancient books? What kind of logic was that? Did she think he was dead?
After a moment of annoyance, Chen Siyuan slowly came to terms with it. "Oh well," he thought, "Madam Wang is a fool anyway; it's not surprising she could come up with such a scheme." Unwilling to openly antagonize her, Chen Siyuan decided to devise a more appropriate plan. Unexpectedly, a sudden inspiration struck him, and he actually came up with a wicked idea.

Chen Siyuan found it increasingly amusing, and after a short while, he couldn't help but throw his head back and burst into laughter. His laughter puzzled Xiangling and Hongyu, who came over to ask him what was wrong, but Chen Siyuan simply shook his head and said, "It cannot be said."

That night, Chen Siyuan changed into a black robe and quietly made his way to Hengwu Garden again.

He thought he had gotten away with it, but as soon as he turned the corner of the provincial villa, he heard someone from the Tubishan Manor call out in a low voice, "Is that Master Yuan?"

Chen Siyuan was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat, and when he looked up, he realized it was Ying'er.

Ying'er covered her mouth and laughed, "Master Yuan, please wait a moment. Our young lady played handball with the other girls this afternoon and worked up a sweat. She's taking a bath now. She thought Master Yuan would probably come soon, so she sent me here to wait."

After being away for a few days, I've just returned, so of course I want to see Sister Bao.

Chen Siyuan smiled and agreed, but then felt that waiting was boring, so he simply climbed the steps and arrived at the Tubi Mountain Villa.

The Convex Jade Mountain Villa and the Concave Crystal Stream Pavilion are like yin and yang, the latter being concave in shape and the former convex in shape. Outside the convex-shaped Xuan Hall, there is a white jade railing surrounding an open space paved with bluestone slabs. Ying'er is sitting on the railing with her legs turned to the side, leisurely cracking melon seeds.

Seeing Chen Siyuan arrive, Ying'er quickly rose to greet him. Chen Siyuan invited her to sit down, then sat on the railing with one leg to the side. He then stared at Ying'er's purse and asked, "Melon seeds?"

Ying'er smiled and handed it over, saying, "These are no ordinary melon seeds, Master Yuan, would you like to try some?"

Chen Siyuan responded and grabbed a small handful from his purse, but as soon as he touched them, he realized something was wrong. Upon closer inspection, he found they were real melon seeds.

At this time, the seeds are actually watermelon seeds, which have more seeds than flesh. After they mature, they are split open, dried, and then roasted.

Chen Siyuan asked in surprise, "Chrysanthemum seeds?"

Ying'er smiled and nodded, saying, "These chrysanthemum seeds are very precious. I usually can't bear to buy them. Grandpa Yuan, please try them; they're delicious."

Chen Siyuan tried two and found them delicious, so he couldn't help but praise them.

Ying'er giggled for a while, then couldn't help but swing her dangling legs. Because of the summer heat, Ying'er's embroidered shoes were flattened at the back, resembling slippers, and she was barefoot, so her white, slender feet made Chen Siyuan dizzy for a while.

The two ate some melon seeds. Chen Siyuan felt an itch on the back of his neck, and after scratching it slightly, he couldn't help but gasp. Ying'er jumped down from the fence, turned around and took a quick look, then exclaimed in surprise, "Uncle Yuan, you have a huge pimple on the back of your neck, it looks like it's about to pop out! Shall I squeeze it out for you?"

Chen Siyuan said, "Okay, then be gentle."

Ying'er said, "Don't worry, Master Yuan. Last time, our girl's butt... um—I need to squeeze."

Chen Siyuan then saw a cool little hand touch the back of his neck, followed by a sharp pain, and then a handkerchief came over to wipe it.

Chen Siyuan gasped, "I told you to be gentle, how can it be so crowded?"

Ying'er said, "Don't move, it looks like there's bleeding."

Chen Siyuan had no choice but to let Ying'er do as she pleased. Just then, a soft cough came from below. Chen Siyuan glanced over and saw Sister Bao standing gracefully at the back door of the villa for the provincial visit.

Ying'er quickly put away her handkerchief and said, "Alright, Master Yuan, go on your way." Chen Siyuan didn't delay. He said goodbye to Ying'er and came down from Tubi Manor. He went straight to Sister Debao, glanced at her, and couldn't help but grab her hands, saying, "Sister..."

Baochai smiled and asked, "What were you and Ying'er fiddling with just now?"

Chen Siyuan said, "I got a pimple on the back of my neck. Ying'er said she could squeeze it out gently, but she squeezed it with her fingernails and almost made me die of pain."

Baochai immediately covered her mouth and laughed, "With her temperament, she'll be impatient if she can, and it'll be the same next time you ask me for help."

After a few days apart, Chen Siyuan took Baochai to a secluded spot, where they shared a few intimate words and poured out their hearts to each other. After chatting for a while, Chen Siyuan finally got down to business.

He said, "Your aunt is probably after the ancient books in Lin Daiyu's room."

"Ah? What's the reason for this?" Baochai was naturally very surprised.

Chen Siyuan then recounted the situation at Rongqing Hall, and at the end said, "I didn't know at first either, it was only when Yuchuan came to tell me that I found out."

Baochai frowned slightly, then relaxed and smiled, saying, "You saved Jinchuan, and Yuchuan is grateful to you."

He paused, then added, "They've already misappropriated the Lin family's assets, how can they possibly be eyeing ancient books? Tomorrow I'll talk to my mother and aunt about this; this kind of thing is unacceptable."

Chen Siyuan said, "It's also because the Rongguo Mansion can't afford it... The eldest master and the master together have a deficit of thirty or forty thousand taels of silver. Let alone the Rongguo Mansion, which noble family could come up with so much money?"

Baochai frowned and said, "These are turbulent times."

Chen Siyuan suddenly smiled and said, "After thinking about it, I have an idea..." Seeing that Baochai was looking over, Chen Siyuan said in a low voice, "...Do you know the Xia family? The Xia family has a girl named Xia Jingui, who is about the same age as Brother Bao. She is an orphan and a widow. If they were to get married...wouldn't the Xia family's assets be completely used to enrich the Rongguo Mansion?"

Bao-jie glanced at Chen Siyuan with a look of alertness: "The Xia family and my family are old friends, so I naturally know what the situation is like... But how did you know? You even heard the girl's name?"

Chen Siyuan was speechless. Yes, Baochai stopped taking the Cold Fragrance Pills and then stopped using the loom. In the midst of her love, how was she any different from other women? He quickly made up a story: "Wenlong once said that..."

Baojie immediately understood and said, "I see... To be honest, when my brother was arranging marriages, we hadn't found the Cao family yet, but my mother mentioned the Xia family twice."

Chen Siyuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that he mustn't speak recklessly in the future. Baochai was precocious, Lin Daiyu was intelligent, and his cousin seemed to have seen through the ways of the world; lying carelessly would have endless consequences.

He quickly asked, "What does my idea mean, sister?"

Baochai frowned and said, "The Xia family is also a royal merchant family, I'm afraid Aunt doesn't think much of them."

Chen Siyuan smiled sarcastically and said, "Does little sister really think Baoyu is the emperor's brother-in-law? In this dynasty, only the parents of imperial concubines are granted titles; I've never heard of bestowing titles on the brothers of imperial concubines. With Baoyu's personality, what's there to be reluctant about in exchange for the Xia family's tens of thousands of taels of silver?"

Baochai smiled and said, "We can see clearly from outside, but Aunt and Grandma... they have high aspirations." She paused, then added, "It's still a way. I'll mention it to Mother first thing tomorrow morning and see what she thinks."

Chen Siyuan smiled and nodded. After discussing business, the moon rose above the willow branches, and the two enjoyed a romantic evening until around midnight before parting ways.

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The next day, remembering Chen Siyuan's instructions, Baochai had breakfast early in the morning and headed to the small courtyard in the northeast.

But when Baochai entered the room, Aunt Xue had just gotten up and was now dressing in front of the mirror. As Tongxi combed her hair, she glanced at the person in the mirror and said, "Madam looks like a sister to Miss. If you said they were mother and daughter, outsiders probably wouldn't believe it."

Baojie glanced at it and said, "Mom's new face powder is really good for her complexion. The fine lines on her neck have disappeared."

Aunt Xue was uneasy and made up a story: "It's because I've been taking care of myself recently that I look a little younger." She paused, then quickly changed the subject: "My child, why did you come so early?"

Baochai gave Aunt Xue a look, and Aunt Xue understood. After combing her hair, she sent the maid away, and the mother and daughter began to plot in private.

After Baochai finished speaking, Aunt Xue said with a strange expression, "I didn't expect you to really treat Yu'er as a close friend."

Baochai said calmly, "Firstly, although Lin Daiyu is sharp-tongued, she has a very good temperament; secondly... Mother knows that she will rely on the Lin family's influence in the future to succeed in officialdom. If Lin Daiyu's dowry is too meager... I'm afraid outsiders will gossip about it."

Aunt Xue laughed and said, "Alright, since you don't care, why should I say anything? But... my son, although the Lin family girl is a secondary heir, she still lives in her own house. After she gets married, whether Yuan-ge lives more with her or with you... I'm afraid there will be some disputes."

Baochai understood the implication and blushed with embarrassment, saying, "If Mother says that again, I dare not stay any longer."

Aunt Xue covered her mouth and laughed, thinking to herself that the young man was indeed robust, but she wondered if he would be busy enough to come. She then replied, "Speaking of which, when I saw Madam Xia last time, she was still complaining, and her words were full of sympathy for Xia Jingui. I'll mention it to your aunt later. If it really works out, it would be a good thing."

Having achieved her goal, Baochai chatted with Aunt Xue for a while before getting up to leave. Aunt Xue then went to find Lady Wang in her courtyard after having breakfast.

Once inside, the two sisters chatted about everyday matters before Aunt Xue finally spoke up: "Sister, it's not that I'm trying to shirk responsibility... You know our family's current situation. A few days ago, a letter came from Jinling saying that the young master and young lady from the second branch of the family will be coming to the capital soon. This isn't a visit to seek refuge; it's clearly a debt collection trip."

Yesterday I did the math carefully, and frankly, let alone thirty thousand taels, I'm afraid I wouldn't even be able to come up with three thousand taels these days.

Lady Wang sighed, "You've had it tough too. Every family has its own difficulties. But my family is in dire straits right now... If we don't make up for the deficit, I'm afraid it will ruin Your Highness's reputation."

Aunt Xue said, "Although I don't have much money on hand right now, I do know other imperial merchants. Do you know the Xia family of Guihua?"

Madam Wang said in surprise, "I have heard about it before."

Aunt Xue then said, "Sister, you don't know, Master Xia passed away early, leaving behind only a daughter named Xia Jingui, who was spoiled and pampered since childhood. Madam Xia only had this one daughter, and she truly treated her like a precious gem."

Madam Wang blinked and immediately understood Aunt Xue's unspoken meaning. She hesitated for a moment... She looked down on the Xue family now, so why would she care about that damned Osmanthus Xia family?
Aunt Xue, however, did not mention matchmaking. Instead, she said, "The Xue family and the Xia family often visit each other. Baochai and Xia Jingui are very close friends. The last time I ran into Madam Xia, she complained to me that Xia Jingui had no one to talk to and was thinking of coming to find Baochai."

Madam Wang's heart skipped a beat, and she said, "Since we are old friends, we can't be considered outsiders. Why don't we invite Miss Xia to stroll around the garden for a few days?"

Aunt Xue feigned difficulty: "This...I'm afraid it's not a good idea?"

Madam Wang laughed and said, "What's wrong with that? Yingchun, Tanchun, Xichun, and Baochai are all at the right age, the best time for young ladies to grow up. If they don't make more close friends now, they might regret it when they leave home."

Aunt Xue also smiled and said, "Since it's what you said, I'll talk to Mrs. Xia about it later. I'm sure Miss Xia will be very happy."

After discussing important matters, Aunt Xue sat idly for a while before leisurely taking her leave.

Madam Wang, however, had a change of heart, thinking that she should see Xia Jingui before making any further plans.

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Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

Last night, Daiyu suddenly remembered an interesting scene. Afraid that she would forget it if she slept and woke up in the morning, she simply put on her clothes, lit a lamp, and stayed up for half the night before finally going to sleep.

Because when Sister Bao came looking for her, Daiyu was still sleepy and eating breakfast.

Baochai glanced at it and asked in surprise, "Didn't you sleep well last night?"

Daiyu shook her head with a smile, while Zijuan chided her, "You were already asleep, but then you remembered a scene and stayed up half the night with your clothes on and a lamp lit. That's how you ended up like this."

"Don't be so talkative," Daiyu said with a playful laugh, then quickly asked Baochai, "Have you had breakfast yet? I'm not really hungry, so why don't you have some too, Baochai?"

Baochai swallowed hard and said, "I just ate, how can I eat anymore?"

She ate a lot, which made her slightly plump. However, people at the time considered slenderness to be beautiful, so even though Chen Siyuan praised her in private, Baochai secretly controlled her food intake and dared not overeat.

Daiyu said, "Then wait a moment, I'll be done soon."

"No rush, I'll stay with you."

Xueyan brought over a chair, and Baochai sat down beside her. Seeing that Daiyu had only eaten half a bowl of rice and barely touched the dishes, she frowned and said, "Sister, you're eating too little. That's not good."

Daiyu smiled and said, "It's much better than it was a few years ago."

Xueyan chimed in, "That's true. In previous years, the young lady would fall ill from time to time, unable to swallow any food, and relying entirely on medicine to survive. Fortunately, Master Yuan sent cordyceps, and now the young lady is much better."

Daiyu glared at Xueyan again, but Xueyan didn't care at all, and just smiled and stuck out her tongue.

Baochai teased, "I see. Then Rong'er should thank Brother Yuan."

Daiyu raised an eyebrow and said, "What makes you say that, Luo'er?"

The moment the words were uttered, Xueyan asked in surprise, "Luo'er?"

Baochai blushed instantly, reached out and poked Daiyu's forehead, and said reproachfully, "I've treated you so well, and all you do is tease me."

Daiyu turned her head away, covered her mouth, and laughed, saying, "Good sister, tell me quickly how you've been treating me well this time?"

Baochai breathed a sigh of relief and said to the maids, "You all go and have some fun. I want to have a private chat with Lin Daiyu."

Zijuan, Xueyan, and Ying'er all agreed and left in no time.

Once only the two of them remained inside, Baochai recounted the events of the previous day at Rongqing Hall, how Chen Siyuan had sought Baochai's advice overnight, and how Baochai had gone to find Aunt Xue early the next morning.

Daiyu's face immediately showed a mocking expression. She glanced at the bookshelf and said, "These are supposed to be elegant items, but I didn't expect them to be considered filthy in my aunt's eyes."

Baochai patted Daiyu's hand and said, "Auntie only had a sudden thought and has other ideas. She certainly won't have any designs on you. Besides, isn't there Grandmother?"

Daiyu smiled, neither confirming nor denying. She was becoming increasingly unclear about how her maternal grandmother truly viewed her.

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A simple thatched cottage.

At this moment, Madam Xing was also talking to Chen Siyuan. She was by nature a simple and honest person, and after sending the maid away, she spilled everything.

Before leaving, he couldn't resist taking credit, saying smugly, "If I hadn't told him you didn't have any money either, he probably would have come looking for you to ask for advice right then and there."

Chen Siyuan stroked his chin thoughtfully and said, "Eight thousand taels... that means a loss of forty percent. Doesn't that mean the master has lost all his own money?"

Madam Xing pouted and said, "More than that? This morning I heard from Xiuyan's mother that her second uncle came over yesterday, wanting him to put the matter aside for the time being, until the Ministry of Works' deficit is covered."

Chen Siyuan immediately laughed and said, "How could the master possibly agree? I think this matter is going to cause quite a stir."

Madam Xing also smiled and said, "Look, he went to see the important person first thing this morning. If you ask me, if you don't have the ability, why pretend to be something you're not? He managed to cover it up this time, but let's see how he'll refuse next time the important person comes looking for him."

Chen Siyuan smiled without saying a word. Jia She wanted to borrow money? He was delusional. Chen Siyuan didn't want his hard-earned savings to go down the drain.

Just as the two were about to start talking about something else, Wang Shanbao's wife suddenly said from outside, "Madam, this is terrible!"

Because the doors and windows were open, the two were talking enthusiastically, but they were separated by a step, so it was not uncommon for outsiders to see them.

Madam Xing frowned slightly, muttered "that old rascal," and then asked from inside the room, "What happened? Come in and tell me!"

Wang Shanbao's wife responded and went inside without even bothering to bow. She said excitedly, "It's terrible! A young lady from the Fu family has come and is clamoring to have a word with the old lady. The steward couldn't make up his mind, so he hurriedly invited the second mistress. The second mistress has brought her into the ceremonial gate, and she might be heading to Rongqing Hall soon."

Madam Xing blinked, then said with a delighted smile, "Great! The Fu family has come knocking on our door. The second branch of the family is in for a good show!"

(End of this chapter)