Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 269 A mess

Madam Xing got up happily and said to Chen Siyuan, "I need to go see the old lady. You should study hard first. We can discuss other things when he comes back."

He was naturally referring to the patriarch. Chen Siyuan was speechless and instructed, "Auntie, just watch the show, don't get involved."

Madam Xing smiled and rolled her eyes at him, saying, "Do you need to tell me? I know what I'm doing."

Chen Siyuan thought to himself: When have you ever known your place? If it weren't for my help, you'd probably still be being bullied by Grandmother Jia, Lady Wang, and Sister Feng.

After seeing Madam Xing off, Chen Siyuan returned to his study, picked up a book, and began to ponder. Fu Shi had already helped his sister get involved with Jia Zheng; why the rush?

Jia Zheng is currently only a fifth-rank official, and at most he can take two concubines. With Aunt Zhou and Aunt Zhao already in the household, Fu Qiufang would have no official status even if she entered the family. If they wait patiently for a while, and then follow Jia Zheng south to become the educational commissioner, and he returns with a child, then Grandmother Jia will not be able to object because of the child, and even if Lady Wang is furious, she will have to accept it.

This incident has caused the Jia family to lose face, and Jia Zheng will likely take heed... The Fu family's actions were extremely unwise.

After thinking it over, Chen Siyuan shook his head inwardly. This matter was none of his concern, so there was no need to pay attention to it. He picked up his book and finally calmed down, but then Hongyu came over with a strange expression and said, "Master, Aunt Zhao has brought Third Master Huan here."

"Huh?" Chen Siyuan was puzzled. What was Aunt Zhao doing here all of a sudden? Did she want to make a fortune again?
Chen Siyuan never hesitated to show respect, so he got up and went to the door to greet them. He saw Aunt Zhao pulling Jia Huan along with a beaming smile.

"Did I disturb Yuan-ge'er's studies?"

Chen Siyuan cupped his hands and said, "It's alright, please come in, Auntie."

Aunt Zhao responded, then turned and slapped the sullen Jia Huan on the back of the head, scolding, "Don't you know how to greet people?"

Jia Huan reluctantly cupped his hands and said, "Greetings, Brother Yuan."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "It seems that Huan-ge'er has grown an inch taller?"

As Aunt Zhao walked inside, she said, "Isn't that right? The clothes that were made last year are already a bit too short this year. Compared to last year, they're probably more than two inches longer."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "They say a son resembles his mother. I think Huan-ge'er is seven parts like his aunt. He'll definitely be handsome in the future. I wonder how many girls will be crying and begging to marry him into our family."

Aunt Zhao was immediately pleased and smiled as she flicked the handkerchief in her hand: "Look, Yuan-ge'er knows how to talk. But it's too early to say now, let's wait and see in a few years."

After everyone was seated, Hongyu served tea and snacks. Aunt Zhao asked Chen Siyuan a few questions about his daily life before bringing over a small bundle.

"What's wrong, Auntie?"

Aunt Zhao frowned and said, "Nonsense! These shoes were originally made by Tan'er for Huan-ge'er, but she brought the wrong style. How could Huan-ge'er wear them? I thought and thought, and it seems that only Yuan-ge'er in the mansion can wear them, so I hurriedly sent them over. Yuan-ge'er, try them on and see if they fit."

"Huh?" Chen Siyuan was both amused and exasperated, completely at a loss for words. Had they really gotten the wrong shoe style? How could they be so blatantly wrong? What's Jia Huan's foot size, and what's Chen Siyuan's? Even if the Third Miss Tan Chun were completely blind, she wouldn't make such a ridiculous mistake, would she?

A thought flashed through his mind, and he vaguely guessed what Aunt Zhao was thinking, but Chen Siyuan didn't expose her. He took the bundle, unfolded it, glanced at it, and praised, "Excellent needlework."

Aunt Zhao smiled and said, "Don't let Tan'er's straightforward personality fool you; she's incredibly meticulous when it comes to needlework. Look at these stitches; even ordinary needleworkers can't match them. Yuan-ge, why don't you give it a try?"

"This... let me compare them." Chen Siyuan lifted his foot and compared the sole of his shoe with the sole, then nodded with a smile and said, "I must say, it fits perfectly. In that case, I've actually gotten the better deal on my third sister."

Aunt Zhao smiled and said, "We're all family, so why be so particular?" She paused and quickly added, "However... I do have a request for Yuan-ge'er."

Chen Siyuan thought to himself that the real show was about to begin, and said with a smile, "Auntie, just say the word. If I can do it, I will do my best."

Aunt Zhao said, "It's not a difficult matter. Yuan-ge'er knows what the private school at home is like. Huan'er goes there every day to mess around and doesn't seem to have learned anything. I heard... Yuan-ge'er found a suitable teacher for Lan-ge'er outside? As the saying goes, you can herd one sheep or two sheep. Do you think it's possible to let Huan'er go and learn from him as well?"

Chen Siyuan thought to himself, "Does Huan Laosan still have such thoughts? Stop fooling around. If he goes, he might corrupt Jia Lan."

After a moment's thought, Chen Siyuan said with difficulty, "In theory, this matter is easy, and I have no objection. However, since Huan-ge'er is leaving the manor to study, shouldn't we ask for the master and madam's approval? If the master and madam agree, I will send Huan-ge'er to my new house to study tomorrow."

"This..." Aunt Zhao choked for a moment, then said, "What about Lan-ge'er?"

Chen Siyuan said, "Auntie, you don't know this, I originally wanted to go and talk to the master about this matter, but the master has been leaving early and returning late these days... cough cough, so when my sister-in-law saw this, she privately asked the old lady to make the decision. The old lady nodded, and that's how I took Lan'er to the new house."

Aunt Zhao immediately looked embarrassed. No one knows a son better than his mother. How could she not know what kind of person Jia Huan was? In short, he was not cut out for studying! Not to mention Madam Wang for now, she was afraid he wouldn't even get past Jia Zheng.

Furthermore, Aunt Zhao never intended for Jia Huan to study properly... With the Duke's mansion surrounded by gold and silver, why would he have to study so hard by burning the midnight oil? Wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse?
Aunt Zhao then said, "Master certainly agrees, but I'm afraid he won't be able to get past Madam. Yuan-ge also knows that Madam is guarding her precious little darling, afraid that my Huan-er will surpass her, so she's naturally on guard all around."

Chen Siyuan said, "Actually, Auntie doesn't need to go to such lengths... Don't forget that there is a teacher at Qixianzhai. Since Brother Bao doesn't need him now, why doesn't Huan go and listen to his lessons for a few days?" After a pause, seeing the conflict on Aunt Zhao's face, Chen Siyuan immediately lowered his voice and said, "Master already favors Huan. If he sees Huan making progress in his studies, he might be even more pleased."

Aunt Zhao paused, her eyes darting around, then slapped her thigh and exclaimed, "That's it! How come I didn't think of that? Yuan-ge'er is so clever... um, so many good ideas!" She chuckled a few times, then turned to Jia Huan with a wicked look and said, "Did you hear that? This afternoon I'll beg the master to let you go to Qixianzhai to study starting tomorrow. You better watch out, if you dare to slack off, not only the master, but even I won't let you off the hook!"

"Ah?" Jia Huan was on the verge of tears. He thought to himself, "Wasn't it agreed that I'd give her the shoes to set up Third Sister and Brother Yuan? How did they end up dragging me into this? What did I do to deserve this?"
Chen Siyuan said meaningfully, "Master is upright and honest. There's no need for Huan-ge'er to produce results in just a few days. As long as his attitude is correct, I'm sure he will be overjoyed."

"Absolutely, absolutely!" Aunt Zhao knew this all too well. Why had she been favored all these years? Wasn't it because she served Jia Zheng wholeheartedly? So no matter what mistakes she made, Jia Zheng would reprimand her, but he would always make excuses for her afterward. It was only because this incident had become so big that the master was disheartened and gave that vixen outside an opportunity to take advantage of him.

Those vixens outside are not to be trifled with. Look, they've come knocking on our door! Aunt Zhao thought to herself, "Perhaps after this, the master will change his mind. If Jia Huan studies hard and gains the master's favor, then by extension, his own past mistakes will be forgiven."
Aunt Zhao was overjoyed, thinking to herself that visiting Yuan-ge'er had indeed brought benefits, and it seemed she would have to keep in touch more often. Even if the master changed his mind this time, she couldn't forget about visiting the maid. If she had a son-in-law like Yuan-ge'er to back her up, even the madam wouldn't dare to touch her in the slightest, would she?

Having made up her mind, Aunt Zhao stood up and said, "Yuan-ge'er's idea is excellent. I'll go back and think about it, and then I'll go and tell Master this afternoon."

Chen Siyuan smiled and got up to see her off. Aunt Zhao then instructed, "You can wear those shoes as long as you want. If they get worn out, I'll have Tan'er make you another pair."

Chen Siyuan laughed and didn't respond, then immediately saw Aunt Zhao and her son out of the courtyard.

As soon as she turned around, Hongyu couldn't help but ask, "Master, is this Aunt Zhao... perhaps she's trying to push the Third Miss over here?"

Chen Siyuan knew perfectly well what was going on, but he didn't say it aloud, so he only said, "Who knows what she's thinking? Just answer her correctly."

Hongyu covered her mouth and laughed, "I think so too... Third Miss cares about her reputation, she definitely doesn't know about this. When she finds out later, she'll be so embarrassed."

Before he could finish speaking, a voice came from outside: "Is Grandpa Yuan home?"

Hongyu turned around and glanced over, quickly responding, then turned to Chen Siyuan and said, "It's just like speaking of the devil, the Third Miss is here!"

Since they were already familiar with each other, Chen Siyuan greeted them at the door. From afar, he saw the Third Miss Tan Chun approaching in a huff, her eyes red, indicating that she had just finished crying.

"Brother Yuan."

The little girl looked aggrieved, so Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Who bullied Third Sister? Tell me, and I'll avenge her."

Shi Shu sighed from the side, "Who else in this mansion can anger our young lady? Never mind, Master Yuan can't interfere in this matter."

Chen Siyuan laughed and led Tan Chun inside, saying, "Your aunt just left, is it because of these shoes, Third Sister?"

Tan Chun hurriedly said, "Those shoes were originally made for Master... but she said Master's feet were a little wide, so she took a larger shoe pattern. I stayed up all night to finish them, but who knew... who knew... if Sister Bao finds out, I don't know what she'll think of me!"

Chen Siyuan said, "In that case, Third Sister can take these shoes back."

Tan Chun bit her lower lip and said, "Since it's been delivered, how can I take it back? I... I just wanted to talk to Brother Yuan about it, so you wouldn't think I'm on the same page as Aunt."

Chen Siyuan suddenly asked with a playful tone, "What is Third Sister thinking?"

"I—" Tan Chun opened her mouth to speak, but seeing Chen Siyuan's face full of teasing, she immediately said angrily, "—Speak properly to Brother Yuan, why do you have to tease me!"

"Haha, that's more like it. If I spoke to my third sister in a serious and formal manner, wouldn't it seem like I was trying to hide something?"

Tan Chun thought about it and realized it made sense. She breathed a sigh of relief, feeling less ashamed and annoyed than before, but for some reason, she also felt a sense of loss.

Which young girl doesn't dream of love? In the prime of her youth, as she gradually comes to understand the ways of the world, which girl hasn't fantasized about her ideal man in her dreams?

Tan Chun is as straightforward as any man, and naturally admires such a great man who can take things on and let them go. Chen Siyuan is tall, handsome, has amazing literary talent, and is also very good at strategy. Such a man is hard to find even with a lantern, so how could Tan Chun not have feelings for him?
Unfortunately, due to her age, by the time she had feelings for him, Chen Siyuan was already taken. Knowing that there was no hope, Tan Chun simply kept her feelings to herself.

The two chatted for a while, and Tan Chun asked for some advice on how to conduct herself in the world. She felt that it was very helpful, and seeing that it was getting late, she took her leave.

Upon leaving the thatched cottage, the maidservant, familiar with her young mistress's temperament, saw her silent and kept quiet as well; Cui Mo, however, was lively and suddenly said, "What a pity."

Tan Chun was taken aback, and immediately turned to look at Cui Mo in annoyance. But Cui Mo pointed to the crane in the water and said, "That crane just carried a big fish in its mouth, but the fish broke free."

Tan Chun observed carefully and indeed saw ripples on the water's surface, with a large koi carp darting away beneath the surface.

Tan Chun felt a pang of regret and echoed, "Yes, it's a pity."

Shi Shu knew Tan Chun's thoughts best. Seeing the crane looking around blankly, she also sighed.

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

“My niece is a perfectly innocent young woman, and she has gone off with your esteemed master in such an unclear and ambiguous way! In fact, my nephew is your master’s protégé! Tell me, old lady, is there any justice in this world?”

Inside Rongqing Hall, a woman was spitting everywhere, and from Grandmother Jia down to Lady Wang, Aunt Xue, Lady Xing, and Sister Feng, none of them knew how to respond.

No matter how you look at it, it's all Jia Zheng's fault; what the elders of the Fu family said makes sense.

Madam Xing suppressed a laugh and couldn't help but say to Grandmother Jia, "Grandmother, I think what they said makes sense. Why don't we... bring Miss Fu into our home? Keeping her outside isn't a good solution."

Madam Wang gave Madam Xing, who was always eager to stir up trouble, a venomous glance and said, "Sister-in-law, you make it sound so easy. If Miss Fu were to enter the family, how would Aunt Zhou and Aunt Zhao be expected to conduct themselves?"

Madam Xing got excited and said, "This is easy. Anyway, Aunt Zhou has no children and is getting old. I think we should just send her to a temple to be supported."

Grandmother Jia couldn't stand it anymore and scolded, "Stop talking nonsense!"

If they really send Aunt Zhou to the temple, where will the Jia family put their face?
Then Aunt Fu below said, "Everyone says that the old lady is a compassionate person, and the madam is a vegetarian and a Buddhist. After this incident, I don't know how the neighbors will talk about my niece. It was only because your master promised that he would bring my silly niece into the family soon that she didn't kill herself."

Who knew they'd drag it out day after day, until I was at my wit's end and had no choice but to come to your door demanding an explanation. Old lady, please, for the sake of our long-standing friendship, save my poor niece.”

As she spoke, the woman stood up and was about to kneel down.

Startled, Grandmother Jia hurriedly said, "Quickly, help him up!"

Lady Wang was so angry that her chest heaved, but she couldn't say anything in front of the old lady. As for Fu Qiufang, she was a woman from an official family; what was she thinking, rushing to become Jia Zheng's concubine like this?
And then there's Aunt Fu in front of me; I'm afraid that besides coercing me, she's also harboring resentment towards me!
Even though she knew what the other party was thinking, Madam Wang couldn't help but feel angry. She, the legitimate wife, whose daughter was now an imperial concubine, was being bullied by such a lowly family, and yet she couldn't even retaliate! Where could she find justice?
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Seeing Yuanyang and Hu Po forcibly help the woman up, and then the woman giving her a cold, sidelong glance, Madam Wang felt her blood rush to her head. In an instant, the world spun before her eyes, and she swayed as if about to fall to the side. Fortunately, Yu Chuan was right beside her and quickly cried out in alarm, rushing forward to support her, exclaiming, "Madam has fainted!"

Aunt Xue, Sister Feng, and others hurriedly came forward to examine the patient. Tongxi and Tonggui fanned the patient, and Ping'er went to the front to find the imperial physician without being told what to do.

Grandmother Jia was so angry that she slammed her dragon-headed cane on the ground repeatedly, frowning as she said, "What a tragedy!" After a pause, she hurriedly ordered, "Quickly stop crowding around and take Madam to the front for treatment."

Having learned from experience this time, Sister Feng sent her maid to find a bridal bench and called a maid to carry Madam Wang to the front hall.

Most of the people in Rongqing Hall had left, leaving only Grandmother Jia to deal with Aunt Fu.

Grandmother Jia's expression turned cold. In her heart, she was secretly hoping that someone would lose face to Lady Wang, but she would not allow the Jia family's reputation to be affected as well.

The shrewd and experienced Grandmother Jia was well aware of Aunt Fu's intentions. She immediately said, "You've seen the situation in the mansion. The master has two concubines. If your niece doesn't want a title, I'll send someone to bring her into the mansion tomorrow. If she doesn't want to come in yet, the mansion will send her all her allowances. You can decide for yourselves."

Aunt Fu kept her head down and didn't say a word, only pretending to cry.

Grandmother Jia continued, "I suppose you'll want to discuss this with Miss Fu before making a decision. In that case, I won't keep you any longer. There's only one thing: if you've made up your mind in the future, just come and complain quietly. There's no need to make a big fuss. What good will it do your niece if the Jia family's reputation is tarnished? Yuanyang, see her off for me!"

Yuanyang walked over with a stiff face and said, "Grandma, please."

When Aunt Fu opened her mouth to speak, she met Grandmother Jia's cold gaze and immediately fell silent, unable to utter a word. She could only follow Yuanyang out of Rongqing Hall.

After a while, another maid came to report that Physician Wang had examined her carefully and concluded that Madam Wang had simply suffered a sudden attack of anger. Physician Wang prescribed two doses of medicine, and now everyone escorted Madam Wang back to her room to rest.

Grandmother Jia nodded with a bitter expression. Even though she favored her youngest son, she still gave Jia Zheng a thorough dressing-down. The four great families of Jia, Shi, Wang, and Xue were all interconnected, but in reality, one had to determine who came first and who came later.

For the past few decades, the Jia family has been the dominant force. But ever since the Jia family transferred the position of military governor of the capital to the Wang family, Wang Ziteng's influence has grown, and he is now the leader of the four major families.

With her brother's backing, even if Jia Zheng kept a mistress, he would find one who was respectable and wouldn't cause trouble, so that everyone could save face. This kind of threatening behavior, coming to their door like this, is clearly an attempt to drive Lady Wang to her madness. How could Prince Teng, behind her, possibly let it go so easily?
The eldest son, Jia She, was an incompetent fool; the younger son, Jia Zheng, appeared upright but was inept at handling affairs. Further down the line, Jia Lian had the habits of a spoiled young master, and Bao Yu was an even more mischievous and dissolute playboy. Counting them all, after the old Duke, the Jia family had no heirs for the next two generations.

Grandmother Jia felt a pang of bitterness in her heart. Now, she could only hope that the eldest daughter in the palace would live up to her potential. Otherwise, she feared that the Jia family would be completely ruined after she passed away.

Around noon that day, Jia Zheng hurriedly returned to the mansion. Upon entering Rongqing Hall, he immediately knelt down, his face full of sorrow, and begged for forgiveness, saying, "Your unfilial son has disturbed your mother's peaceful life; I deserve to die a thousand deaths."

Grandmother Jia was about to scold him, but seeing Jia Zheng's distressed look, she didn't say anything. In the end, she just sighed and said, "Forget it, I can't interfere in your marital affairs now. You should appease Madam first... Also, that Miss Fu outside is a troublemaker. We must not bring her into the family!"

Grandmother Jia spoke resolutely, and Jia Zheng raised his hand and opened his mouth, but in the end he could only nod in agreement. Grandmother Jia said she was tired, so Jia Zheng took his leave and slowly walked towards Lady Wang's courtyard.

No one knows what Jia Zheng and Lady Wang said. All that is known is that Jia Zheng stayed in the main room for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before hurriedly going to Mengpo Studio in the front. Afterwards, Aunt Zhao followed, but she too only stayed for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before leaving sheepishly, clearly having been kicked out by Jia Zheng.

No sooner had Aunt Zhao left than Master Jia She returned from outside.

Madam Xing had found something amusing earlier that morning and was eager to tell the master about it.

The patriarch, whose face had been ashen, raised an eyebrow upon hearing this and said, "Absurd! My second brother is truly becoming more and more despicable! What is this called? This is called favoring a concubine over one's wife! No, I must go and talk to Mother about this!"

He got up and left immediately, arriving at Rongqing Hall shortly afterward.

Then the head maid Yuanyang blocked his way and said to Jia She, "Master, you don't know, there was a commotion this morning, and the old lady was exhausted. She just got up and had a late snack, and now she's rested. If it's not urgent, why don't you come again tomorrow?"

Jia She was unwilling to wait. He frowned and asked, "Has Mother really gone to rest?"

He knew that Grandmother Jia disliked him, and probably had been preparing for him to come knocking on her door long ago.

The mandarin duck laughed and said, "Is this fake? If you don't believe me, sir, just go to the window at the end of the room and take a look."

This completely denied him, the master, any chance to speak ill of him! Filial piety is paramount, and since Yuanyang had already spoken so earnestly, how could Jia She possibly take it seriously? He merely glanced at Yuanyang with annoyance, then stamped his foot and turned away.

After leaving Rongqing Hall, Jia She was still unwilling to give up. After some thought, he went to Mengpo Studio.

Upon entering and seeing Jia Zheng's haggard appearance, he was immediately heartbroken and exclaimed, "Second brother, you've been foolish!"

Jia Zheng, being of an upright character, couldn't bring himself to say anything sarcastic, so he could only listen silently to Jia She's tirade. He felt deeply resentful... How long ago was it that Jia Zheng used to say these things to Jia She? Now, how had it turned out the other way around?

After a long while, Jia She had his fill of pleasure and finally escaped a calamity.

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

Leaving aside the two brothers for now, let's talk about the thatched cottage in Qingtang.

Suddenly, a disturbance arose outside, and Yunxiang, a small trumpet-like creature, relayed the news. The messenger returned every half hour, reporting everything that had happened outside to Chen Siyuan.

One moment the mistress was so angry she fainted, the next the master went to Rongqing Hall to apologize, then Aunt Zhao was kicked out of Mengpo Studio, and then Jia She was teaching his younger brother.

Not only Yunxiang, but all the maids and servants in the mansion, when they gathered in twos and threes, would gossip about each other.

They then split into two factions: one was certain that Fu Qiufang would not be able to enter the family, while the other was betting that Fu Qiufang might become the future mistress of the house. There were many other opinions as well.

Chen Siyuan chuckled at the news but paid it no mind, continuing to bury himself in his books. After dinner, just as he was about to stroll in the garden, Ping'er hurried over.

After they had met, Ping'er sighed and said, "Grandma sent me to tell Master Yuan that I'm afraid I won't be able to visit the workshop tomorrow."

Chen Siyuan knew the reason, and immediately smiled and said, "It's alright, as long as it's Second Sister-in-law. Whenever Second Sister-in-law is free, we can go and see her."

Ping'er nodded in agreement, said a few words, and hurriedly left.

Chen Siyuan had been reading all day, and now his eyes were sore and tired, so he took a short rest before strolling around the garden.

Just as they passed the Qinfang Gate Bridge, they could see in the distance that flowers were in full bloom and clothes were fluttering in the open space near Xiaocui Hall, with laughter and cheerful voices filling the air. Upon closer inspection, they saw that it was Tanchun and Xichun leading a group of maids playing shuttlecock.

Suddenly, the scissors flew high overhead, and Tan Chun simply leaped up and used her fan to knock the shuttlecock back.

This naturally provoked Xichun to tease him quite a bit, and they chattered and made a lot of noise.

Chen Siyuan smiled, then a thought struck him. The latex was readily available; could he then make badminton shuttlecocks? Upon careful consideration, it seemed easy enough; he could even use it to play with Baochai and Lin Daiyu later.

Having made up his mind, Chen Siyuan couldn't resist joining in the fun, seeing how lively it was. Xichun caught sight of Chen Siyuan from afar, suddenly made a face, and then winked at Tanchun, who hadn't seen him. Chen Siyuan immediately understood.

He slowly stepped forward, intending to startle Tan Chun from behind, but at that moment the shuttlecock flew over. Tan Chun called out and leaned forward, her right foot suddenly spinning backward.

Startled, Chen Siyuan hurriedly crossed his arms to block, but Tan Chun kicked his hands, causing him to cry out and stagger. Chen Siyuan reacted quickly and pulled Tan Chun up.

Tan Chun blinked and then saw that it was Chen Siyuan who had come. She quickly scolded, "Brother Yuan, you didn't even say you were coming... Did you kick me just now?"

Chen Siyuan chuckled and said, "I was just trying to scare you, but I almost got kicked by you."

Tan Chun glanced at Xi Chun, her pretty face immediately turning red. She turned and glared at her, saying, "It must be Fourth Sister's doing!"

As she spoke, she hurriedly broke free from Chen Siyuan's hand and lunged at Xichun with bared teeth and claws.

Xichun giggled and circled around the group of maids, but unfortunately, she was small and had short legs, so Tanchun eventually took her away and teased her for a while before letting her go.

Just then, Chen Siyuan caught a glimpse of a graceful figure out of the corner of his eye, and looking up, he saw Baochai coming out of Xiaoxiang Pavilion. Chen Siyuan smiled, said a few words to Tanchun and Xichun, and then crossed Cuiyan Bridge to look for Baochai.

Sister Bao's expression was strange. She scrutinized Tan Chun for a moment, and only when Chen Siyuan approached did her expression return to normal. She smiled and said, "Have you been reading all day?"

Ying'er, standing to the side, said, "Miss was originally going to look for Master Yuan, but after hearing from Sister Xiangling that Master Yuan was studying hard, she gave up the idea."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Yes, I've been studying so much that my head is spinning. I'm just getting out for a walk now."

Baochai responded and pointed westward with her fan, saying, "The vegetables that my sister-in-law planted are now bearing fruit. Why don't we walk over there?"

"it is good."

Lady Wang was so angry she fainted. Baochai went to check on her and, seeing that Lady Wang was alright, bid farewell to Aunt Xue. But as soon as she entered the Grand View Garden, she saw Chen Siyuan and Tanchun playing together.

In the past, Baochai wouldn't have thought much of it. But since Ying'er had already told her about what happened earlier that morning, she couldn't help but ponder it more now.

The two walked side by side across the Bee-Waist Bridge and began to talk about what had happened that day. A woman in love is bound to be suspicious, and given Chen Siyuan's reputation for attracting attention, Baochai couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Moreover, when celebrating Chen Siyuan's birthday some time ago, Baochai had met the You sisters. Those two sisters were just as beautiful as each other. The second sister, You, was cunning and always tried her best to flatter herself; the third sister, You, however, didn't care at all, clearly relying on Chen Siyuan's doting affection to be fearless.

Today's events concerning Jia Zheng served as a reminder to Sister Bao, so she pondered and asked, "What are your plans for the You sisters going forward?"

Chen Siyuan was taken aback, but immediately understood what Baochai was thinking. He then smiled and said, "How to handle it is up to you, sister. However, Third Sister likes to be free, so I suppose she doesn't want to come in."

Sister Bao said, "That's hard to say. People's thoughts can change in an instant. If they don't want to come in now, who knows if they won't want to come in tomorrow?"

Chen Siyuan was startled, thinking to himself, "If Third Sister wants a child, could it be that she's planning to bring her eldest son into the family one day?" He then shook his head inwardly, "Whether it's a boy or a girl isn't up to Third Sister. Besides, given her personality, she says what she thinks; she would never scheme like that."

Then he smiled and said, "Even after you enter the house, you must serve tea to your younger sister... What are you worried about, younger sister?"

Baochai thought about it and agreed, and immediately laughed, "Why am I worried? It's just that it's not appropriate to keep them outside. I think it would be better to bring them in."

Just as they were about to arrive at Li Wan's Daoxiang Village, they suddenly saw Li Wan leading Jia Lan out. Although the two secretly shared feelings for each other, and everyone knew it, it was still best not to let others see them.

Feeling embarrassed, Baochai hurriedly bid farewell to Chen Siyuan and returned to Hengwu Garden. Upon entering the house, Baochai suddenly stopped and instructed Ying'er, "Go and walk around the thatched cottage in the main hall, and find out what Aunt Zhao and the Third Miss were doing today."

Ying'er agreed and went to find her maid, Yunxiang, to listen.

Nothing else happened that day. They were expecting the house to be quiet for a few days after all three incidents, but the next day, Chen Siyuan was studying diligently in the afternoon when Yunxiang rushed in and said, "It's terrible! The old lady is furious and is sending someone to look for the master right now!"

(End of this chapter)