Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 271 Golden Osmanthus Enters the Mansion
Since ancient times, girls have been known for their many thoughts, as evidenced by the saying "four people in one dormitory room and six group chats".

Chen Siyuan, being an experienced person, naturally wouldn't feel offended by Baochai's little schemes. On the contrary, he found Baochai even more adorable.

He couldn't help but tease her, saying, "They are a match made in heaven, and we also have a perfect union." As he spoke, he reached out and took her soft hand.

Baochai blinked, then suddenly remembered that Chen Siyuan still had a 'Spirit Jade' on him, and she was immediately at a loss for words. Turning her head to glance around, she saw an old woman walking around outside, and quickly pulled her soft hand back and scolded, "Someone is watching."

Chen Siyuan felt a surge of interest and said, "How about I come find you tonight?"

Although Baochai was tempted, she was afraid that she would not be able to resist and would really give herself to him... So she bit her lower lip and coaxed, "You can see him every day, so why come at night... It's only a matter of two or three years, so why are you in such a hurry?"

Chen Siyuan immediately feigned dejection and said, "Easy for you to say. It will take three years and nine months in the next moment, which is more than 1,350 days... Haven't you heard that a day apart feels like three autumns?"

Baochai was even more amused and exasperated, and said with a smile, "You're quick to calculate. It's a good thing that the Mingjing exam is no longer held, otherwise wouldn't you have come back with the top score?"

Chen Siyuan curled his lip and said, "The Mingjing examination... Nowadays there are indeed Mingjing Jinshi (a refined term for Gongsheng), but I am not fortunate enough to enjoy it."

Baochai teased, "Yes, yes, you are now a distinguished scholar named Chen Xiaolian."

After laughing for a while, seeing that Chen Siyuan was still in a daze, Baochai glanced outside and, seeing that no one was around, quickly got up and kissed Chen Siyuan on the cheek. Then, blushing, she hurriedly returned to her seat.

By the time Chen Siyuan came to his senses, Baochai was already sitting back down, blushing.

He immediately complained, "What is this? This is a sneak attack!"

Baochai pouted and said, "Stop fooling around... You only have three people in your room. If it really doesn't work, I'll ask Ying'er to come and keep you company."

Chen Siyuan immediately became alert. Last time, when he was eating melon seeds with Ying'er, Baochai had seen them. Although it was Ying'er who was trying to smooth things over, such intimacy was bound to make Baochai jealous.

Chen Siyuan asked in surprise, "What does Guan Ying'er want?"

Baochai smiled and shook her head, then said, "I've been here for quite a while, so I can't stay any longer. If you're bored, why don't you go play around near the Dripping Green Pavilion—" Seeing that she didn't understand, Baochai added, "Lin Daiyu and the others have brought a boat, and they're playing in the Fragrant Stream right now."

"how about you?"

Sister Bao sighed, "I didn't go yesterday, but I must make a trip to Qixianzhai today." After a pause, she smiled and said, "It'll only take about the time it takes to drink two cups of tea. If I try to persuade you to study, Brother Bao will definitely chase me away."

Chen Siyuan was overjoyed. After lingering for a while, Chen Siyuan finally got up to see Baochai off.

After pausing for a moment at the gate, Chen Siyuan couldn't contain himself and finally moved towards the Dripping Green Pavilion. But as soon as he reached the Fragrant Pavilion, he heard someone calling to him from afar. He stopped and looked around, and saw a black-awning boat emerging from under the Emerald Smoke Bridge. The person punting the boat with a bamboo pole waved to him; it was Xueyan, Daiyu's attendant.

Inside the cabin, another slender figure sat askew, holding a book in her hands. She was looking this way too; it was Daiyu.

Chen Siyuan stopped on the shore and, seeing the awning boat approaching, said with a smile, "Xueyan can row a boat?"

Xueyan smiled smugly and said, "I'm a girl from a water town, so this skill was innate. Watch closely, Master Yuan!"

As she spoke, Xueyan fiddled with the bamboo pole, and the awning boat steered sideways toward the steps below Qinfang Pavilion. Perhaps because she hadn't rowed a boat in a long time, her skills were a bit rusty, and the awning boat bumped into the steps at an angle.

Daiyu cried out "Ouch!" and bumped her head against the awning. She then covered her head and scolded, "Be careful, don't capsize the boat again!"

Xueyan stuck out her tongue and chuckled awkwardly, "Well... the current suddenly picked up, and I lost my grip for a moment." She then quickly asked Chen Siyuan, "Brother Yuan, are you coming?"

Chen Siyuan looked at Daiyu, and seeing that she was looking at him without speaking, he replied, "Alright. I've been sailing many boats in Yangzhou, from the south to the north, and I might be even more reliable than Xueyan."

"Huh? Yuan-ge'er can do that too? That's perfect!"

Then Xueyan emerged from the awning, handed the bamboo pole to Chen Siyuan, jumped ashore, rubbed her arms, and said, "I've been wandering around for a while, and now I'm tired, so I'll have to trouble you, Brother Yuan!"

Daiyu immediately scolded, "Xueyan!"

Xueyan didn't care at all. With a grin, she put her hands together and pleaded with Daiyu, "Good girl, please let me rest for a while."

Chen Siyuan would never refuse Xueyan's kind offer, and immediately smiled and said, "If you don't mind, sister, I'll come and ferry you by boat, shall I?"

Daiyu pouted and said shyly, "Since you're going to have to work hard, just focus on rowing the boat. I won't have to lift a finger."

Chen Siyuan used a bamboo pole to jump onto the side of the boat, and with a gentle push, the awning boat moved in the opposite direction. In a moment, the small boat turned around and headed back towards Cuiyan Bridge.

Chen Siyuan said, "Why is it that only my little sister is playing in the water by herself today?"

Daiyu said, "Just now, Second Sister, Third Sister, and Sister Xing were all there, but the sun was too strong, and Second Sister looked like she was going to get heatstroke, so she went back."

"I see," Chen Siyuan said with a smile as they approached the Cuiyan Bridge, which was low to the ground. "Sister, you've been to Suzhou and Yangzhou, do you know how boatmen cross bridges?"

Daiyu recalled her childhood trips with her parents and said, "Of course I've seen it, ah—"

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Siyuan used the bamboo pole to leap up and land lightly on the bridge. He then walked a few steps, lowered the bamboo pole, and landed lightly on the boat.

Daiyu gasped in surprise, then laughed and said, "Yes, that's how you cross the bridge." She looked him up and down and teased, "With your stature, if you didn't study, you'd be perfectly suited to be a boatman."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "If I could take my sister boating on the lake every day, that would be wonderful."

Daiyu blushed instantly, and said sarcastically, "You can give Sister Bao a ride, why do you have to take me along?"

Chen Siyuan was shameless. His face remained expressionless, and he only vaguely said, "Bring them all."

Daiyu gave a soft snort and simply picked up her book, ignoring him.

Chen Siyuan didn't mind. He rowed the boat across the Bee Waist Bridge, turned past the Brocade Pavilion, and arrived at the water surface next to the Dripping Green Pavilion.

The waters here are wide open, with a dock to the southwest and the Dripping Green Pavilion to the northeast. Although it is flowing water, the current is slowed down due to the wide surface area.

Chen Siyuan simply picked up the bamboo pole, climbed into the awning boat himself, and sat down next to Daiyu.

Daiyu gave him a reproachful look, and he shamelessly said, "The sun is too strong, I'm going to get heatstroke, sister, please let me hide from it."

Such a lame excuse naturally aroused Daiyu's disdain. She thought Chen Siyuan would say something strange, but to her surprise, he sat with his knees drawn up, just smilingly observing the scenery around him, and then simply lay down.

Turning his head to look, he saw an indescribable sense of satisfaction on Chen Siyuan's face.

Daiyu, being the most perceptive, was relieved by his ease. Recalling what Baochai had said a few days earlier, she said, "I owe you a lot for last time."

Chen Siyuan gave a muffled reply, then asked, "Which time?"

Daiyu didn't reply, but said softly, "Tell me... if I had been born into an ordinary family, would I have had so many troubles?"

Chen Siyuan pondered and said, "There are ways to live a rich life and ways to live a poor life. Perhaps if you were born into an ordinary family, you wouldn't have the troubles you have now, but you wouldn't be able to avoid other troubles." He raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight and said, "Hmm... I'm afraid you'll be even more frail then."

Daiyu was intelligent and knew that Chen Siyuan was just being polite. With her frail health, she would probably have died long ago in an ordinary family. Putting aside everything else, just the cordyceps tea she drank every day was something that ordinary people couldn't afford.

She turned to him sideways and said reproachfully, "Are you saying I don't know the suffering of people?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and asked in return, "Does your sister know?"

Daiyu frowned slightly and shook her head, saying, "I've only seen it in books; I've never actually seen it in person."

"Isn't that it? In life, sometimes you have to look up, and sometimes you have to look down."

Daiyu asked, "When does it go up, and when does it go down?"

Chen Siyuan said: "When things are going well and the trees are full of flowers, it is easy to become complacent. At this time, you should look up; when bad luck comes one after another and you feel sorry for yourself, you should look down."

Daiyu said, "Wouldn't that be deceiving ourselves?"

"No, it is the act of looking up that makes one humble, and the act of looking down that makes one compassionate." Sunlight filtered through the gaps between his fingers, dappling Chen Siyuan's face and highlighting his carefree yet somewhat solemn demeanor.

"Holding a humble heart and doing compassionate deeds is the greatest virtue." Chen Siyuan turned over, reached out and grabbed Daiyu's fan, raised it to block the sunlight, propped his chin with one hand, looked at Daiyu and said, "And with more experience, some things will naturally become less important."

He pointed around with his round fan: "Just as some people only have this one world in their eyes, while others have this picturesque landscape in their hearts."

This naturally refers to the fact that, in Madam Wang's limited perspective, she only focuses on petty gains.

Daiyu frowned and said, "Alas, I am now like a caged bird, and these four walls are my world."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "It's just that the time hasn't come yet. When it does, my sister will definitely have a lot of freedom."

Daiyu pondered, "Freedom? What kind of freedom?"

Chen Siyuan didn't want to say more, only saying, "You'll know when the time comes, little sister."

Daiyu frowned and pouted, clearly annoyed that he had left things unfinished, but her mind was wandering. Her nature was unconventional; she certainly didn't want to be a pampered, traditional, and sheltered wealthy woman confined to her home. She longed for close friends, to share wine and tea, to compose poetry and paint; she wanted to travel far and wide, to see all the famous mountains and rivers of the world; she wanted… and so much more.

Chen Siyuan, who was standing beside her, made grand promises but didn't say a word about what would actually happen, which made Daiyu ponder deeply.

The awning boat was quiet for a moment, with only the sound of flowing water and pairs of mandarin ducks playing. When Daiyu looked at Chen Siyuan's handsome face again, the last bit of dislike in her heart vanished.

She thought to herself that this was perfect; if she had been married to a husband as rigid as her uncle, she didn't know how she would have suffered in the future.

puff-

Startled awake, Daiyu turned around and saw that the bamboo pole hanging on the side of the boat had somehow fallen into the water. Daiyu got up to retrieve it, but watched as the pole drifted away with the current.

Daiyu quickly said, "The bamboo pole has fallen into the water."

"Um……"

Daiyu looked up and saw that Chen Siyuan's eyes were narrowed, his head resting on his arms, showing no intention of getting up at all. Daiyu pouted in annoyance, snorted softly, and simply lay down herself.

He doesn't even care about the bamboo pole, so why should I worry about it?

After a while, the awning boat drifted downstream to the west bank of Xiaoxiang Pavilion. Daiyu got up and looked around. Seeing that there was only mudflats all around and no place to step, she immediately frowned and became worried.

Unexpectedly, Chen Siyuan sat up with a yawn, reached under the boat, and picked up the bamboo pole from before.

He turned and smiled at Daiyu, then, without saying a word, rowed the awning boat back towards the Dripping Green Pavilion.

Daiyu couldn't stand his smug look and couldn't help but roll her eyes. She secretly chuckled to herself, wondering if this was some kind of "marking the boat to find the sword" strategy.

After docking at the Dripping Green Pavilion, Chen Siyuan let Daiyu disembark first. He then instructed an old woman to take the awning boat back to the dock. He bid farewell to Daiyu and leisurely returned to the thatched cottage in the Qingtang. He didn't want Baochai to see him boating with Lin Daiyu.

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

Rongqing Hall.

Feng Jie entered, looking travel-worn. After greeting Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang, she glanced at them briefly and noticed that Lady Wang seemed rather displeased. She smiled and said, "I have not failed you... The Duke of Liguo's mansion is quite reasonable. The mistress of the house said that the money is not readily available, but it should be able to be raised in about ten days."

Grandmother Jia breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That's good. We can't all rush to contribute when it comes to distributing money, but then ignore it when it comes to making up for the deficit, can we?" After a pause, she smiled at Madam Wang and said, "What did I tell you? We can't do without Sister Feng in all the things here, inside and out."

Madam Wang nodded with a stiff smile.

Grandmother Jia then said to Feng Jie, "Feng Jie, you know that Madam's health is not very good. You will have to handle the Zhen family's affairs. We have already agreed with Auntie to find several pawnshops to handle the matter properly."

Sister Feng was taken aback, then exclaimed with surprise and delight, "Me? I'm still young, how could I dare to handle such a big matter?"

Grandmother Jia said, "If it wasn't you, who else could it be? Besides, Lian'er will inherit the title one day, so shouldn't you be in charge of managing the Rongguo Mansion?"

Feng Jie glanced at Madam Wang and, seeing that her expression was becoming increasingly unpleasant, quickly said, "What are you saying, Madam? Madam is still here, how can it be my turn to manage the household?"

"It's only a matter of time," said Grandmother Jia. "Madam is getting on in years. She can still manage things now, but once Baoyu gets married, how will she have the mind to attend to the household affairs?"

While secretly pleased, Sister Feng also realized that this was probably a ploy by the old lady to sow discord, which had unfortunately struck a nerve with Sister Feng.

She and Lady Wang were aunt and niece, but belonged to two different branches of the family. No matter what Jia Lian was like, he would eventually inherit the title of Rongguo Mansion. Logically speaking, shouldn't the Rongguo Mansion fall into the hands of Sister Feng?
Unfortunately, the second branch of the family has now surpassed the first branch in influence. Not only is Baoyu extremely favored by the old lady, but the eldest daughter, Yuanchun, has also been made a concubine. Now, Fengjie only hopes that Yuanchun will be promoted to Imperial Noble Consort as soon as possible, so that the second branch can move out and live in another mansion.

Otherwise, once the old lady passes away, it will likely be the time when she and Madam Wang turn against each other.

Now that the old lady has entrusted such an important matter as mutual pawning to Sister Feng, the pawn tickets will naturally remain in Sister Feng's hands. In this way, wouldn't all the public land, shops, and houses of the Rongguo Mansion fall into Sister Feng's hands? Even if the old lady suddenly passes away, with this support, Sister Feng is confident that she can compete with Madam Wang.

Fengjie immediately said, "If that's the case, then I, your granddaughter-in-law, will reluctantly accept the task. If I don't do it well, please feel free to teach me, Grandmother and Madam."

Grandmother Jia laughed and said, "Feng-ge, just go and do it. Even if something goes wrong, I won't blame you." She paused and then added, "Just keep this to yourself. Don't spread it around. I see you've only just returned. Go back and rest. You don't need to come here tonight to establish rules."

Sister Feng smiled and agreed, not daring to look at Madam Wang's expression. She curtsied and turned to leave.

Only Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang remained. Grandmother Jia then said, "Madam, please don't blame me for being biased. Baoyu's future does not lie in the Rongguo Mansion, but in the Imperial City."

This naturally refers to the eldest daughter, Yuan Chun.

Madam Wang replied indifferently, "That may be true, but it's not easy for the eldest daughter either."

Grandmother Jia sighed, "Who isn't having a hard time these days? What was the state of the household like when you first married into it? And what is it like now? If there weren't truly no other options, why would the eldest daughter have gone to those shady places?"

Lady Wang sighed and remained silent.

Grandmother Jia continued, “Baoyu was born with a jade in his mouth, so he is blessed with good fortune. I don’t think Baoyu is cut out for studying, so don’t push him anymore. It’s more appropriate to find him a suitable marriage in a few years.”

Lady Wang was extremely resentful! Even if Yuan Chun was promoted to Imperial Concubine, the rewards would go to Jia Zheng and Lady Wang, and what would it have to do with Bao Yu? Although he had the title of the Emperor's brother-in-law, he had neither a noble title nor any official rank; he was nothing more than a wealthy idler.

Once Jia Zheng and she left, they immediately became a poor, destitute family with no resources.

Why should her own Baoyu be relegated to a life of idleness and a tool for the Jia family's marriage alliances? If Baoyu had even half the ambition of Zhuge'er, would she have to endure such humiliation?

Lady Wang gave a vague reply on the surface, but she had other plans in mind. She wanted to try to get Baoyu to study diligently first; if that didn't work... it was still uncertain who would inherit the title.

Turning to the topic of the Xia family mother and daughter's visit to the mansion the next day, Grandmother Jia frowned and declined, saying, "Since they are guests invited by Madam, Madam can host the banquet herself. Besides, Baoyu and the Xia family girl are still young, and the marriage cannot be decided in a short time. I don't think it's necessary to make a big fuss about it."

Madam Wang was speechless for a while, and then, without saying anything more, she got up and returned to her own courtyard, her mind heavy with worry.

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

That night, Lady Wang called Xiren over and gave her some instructions. When Xiren returned to Qixianzhai, she said to Baoyu, "It's a pity you're not better yet, otherwise you could have seen your new sisters tomorrow."

Baoyu couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Where did this new sister come from?"

Seeing that he had perked up, Xiren felt contempt in her heart, but smiled and said, "Tomorrow, Madam Xia and Miss Xia will be visiting the mansion. Miss Xia is about your age, so wouldn't she be the new little sister?"

"The Xia family? Which Xia family?"

"The Xia family of Guihua has had many dealings with the concubine. This time, the mansion needs the Xia family's help, so the madam asked the concubine to invite the Xia family mother and daughter to the mansion." She paused, then added, "I heard that the Xia family's daughter is as beautiful as a flower and as delicate as a willow, and is no less beautiful than the young ladies in the mansion."

Baoyu didn't bother to find out the reason behind it; he was just overjoyed. He immediately got up, walked around for a bit, and said happily, "It was just a minor injury; I'm all better now. How can I not go and greet Miss Xia when she comes to our house tomorrow?"

Seeing that Baoyu, the little monkey, seemed restless, several maids teased and joked with him. He paid no attention to them, and turned to instruct Xiren to find the newly made clothes. After picking through several, he finally chose a moon-white straight robe with intertwined floral patterns and was satisfied.

The day passed quickly, and before we knew it, it was past midnight the next day.

Baoyu had finished getting ready early in the morning, but he was getting impatient waiting in Qixianzhai. After a while, he sent a maid to go to the front to see if the Xia family girl had arrived yet.

Just as he was getting anxious, a maidservant suddenly replied with a smile, "Second Master, Madam Xia and her daughter have arrived. Madam, concubines, and several young ladies have all gone to the ceremonial gate to greet them. Madam specifically sent me to urge you to hurry up."

Baoyu repeatedly said "good," and, disregarding the injury on his buttocks, quickly left Qixianzhai and headed towards the Yimen Gate.

After passing through the main hall to the south, they saw Lady Wang, Aunt Xue, Sister Feng, Li Wan, the three sisters (Daiyu, Baochai, and Xing Xiuyan) all gathered near the left side of the ceremonial gate, craning their necks to look out. Sister Feng exchanged a few words with Lady Wang and then hurried out to greet them.

A moment later, Zhou Rui's wife led the Xia family mother and daughter through the side gate.

Baoyu craned his neck to look, and from afar he saw a pretty figure in a pale yellow gauze dress with lotus patterns and a red osmanthus hairpin in her hair, helping her maid into the room. Judging from her height, she was no more than twelve or thirteen years old, in the prime of her youth; judging from her face, she had a beautiful face and delicate eyebrows, and her pride was mixed with curiosity, but when she glanced over, her expression immediately softened.

Baoyu felt a surge of relief, realizing that his expectations had indeed been worthwhile.

He saw Xia Jingui, and Xia Jingui naturally saw him too.

Spoiled by her mother since childhood, she was always the first to obey. Although she knew she should observe etiquette as a guest, she couldn't hide her arrogance from earlier. She had long heard of Baoyu's "good reputation," and if her mother hadn't coaxed her for days, she certainly wouldn't have come to the Rongguo Mansion. But as she observed him, she saw that Baoyu had a face as bright as the Mid-Autumn Moon and a complexion as beautiful as a spring flower, with a gentle and refined air about him. He was even more outstanding than the talented men she had met before.

I thought Bao Yu was 'foolish' and would surely be rough in appearance, but who would have thought he would be a gentleman as beautiful as jade! Xia Jingui was secretly delighted and became more attentive.

When she stepped forward to greet everyone, she couldn't help but appear shy, lightly raising her handkerchief to cover half her face, looking every bit the refined young lady.

While exchanging polite words with Mrs. Xia, Madam Wang kept glancing at Xia Jingui. She found her fair skin, beautiful face, and dignified manners quite satisfactory, though it was a pity that the Xia family's social standing was too low.

After a flurry of chatter, Sister Feng said, "Madam, the old lady is still waiting. Should we greet her first before discussing anything else?"

"Yes, yes, yes."

Madam Wang then invited the Xia family mother and daughter to go to Rongqing Hall first. Although the Xia family was wealthy, it could not compare with the Xue family, which had a century-old heritage. Because they met regularly, Madam Xia would always unconsciously lower her head to Aunt Xue.

Now that I've arrived at the Rongguo Mansion, all I see is overwhelming wealth and luxury. I'm a little more cautious now, so I speak very carefully and flatteringly.

Madam Xia was a merchant, so she naturally had the ability to speak to people in a way that suited them, and thus, upon entering Rongqing Hall, she began to fawn over Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang.

As the saying goes, one doesn't hit a smiling face. Although Grandmother Jia looked down on the Xia family, she was extremely polite on the surface. She invited them to have a cup of tea, talked for a while, and praised Xia Jingui a few times before saying, "I should have hosted a banquet for Madam Xia, but I haven't been feeling well lately. So I'll have to entrust the banquet to you, Madam. Please don't think I'm being impolite."

Mrs. Xia quickly replied, "What are you saying, Madam? It's already a stroke of good luck to be able to see you today. Perhaps I'll even live a few more years thanks to your good fortune."

Grandmother Jia smiled and said a few words, then had Yuanyang and Amber help her back to the side room, as if she were really not feeling well.

The group respectfully saw the old lady inside before leaving Rongqing Hall and sitting for a while in the large flower hall at the back. Aunt Xue, who was sitting with her, said, "Let's have a private chat. I think the children are restless; why don't we let them go into the garden to play?"

Lady Wang smiled and said, "That makes sense." She then called to Baochai, "Baochai, take good care of Jin Gui—" As she spoke, she glanced at Baoyu.

Baochai understood immediately and replied with a smile, "Don't worry, Aunt." She turned and tugged at Xia Jingui's hand with a smile, saying, "Sister, come with me?"

Xia Jingui smiled and agreed, then got up and went into the garden with the others.

After a short while, Xing Xiuyan entered the garden and said, "It's unfortunate, Mother was looking for me just now, and I have to go to the east courtyard now."

After giving a few words of explanation, Xing Xiuyan drifted away.

The remaining three sisters, including Daiyu, were not fools. How could they not know that Xia Jingui's visit was subtly intended to take a liking to Baoyu? They also noticed that Baoyu kept staring at Xia Jingui, and whenever Xia Jingui said something, Baoyu would show off by pointing around and speaking eloquently. So they each found an excuse to disperse.

Sister Bao led Xia Jingui westward, and when they arrived near Hengwu Garden, Sister Bao said, "Brother Bao knows the situation in this garden best. I'm tired now, so why don't you lead your sister around?"

Xia Jingui, who was looking forward to spending some time with Baoyu in private, readily agreed: "In that case, Sister Bao, go and rest." She glanced at Baoyu sideways and then said shyly, "I'll go for a walk with Brother Bao and then come back."

Baochai quickly agreed, and watched the two of them head towards the cave before shaking her head with a smile and returning to Hengwu Garden.

Meanwhile, Baoyu and Xia Jingui arrived at Tubi Villa. Baoyu pointed out the surrounding scenery and talked about the couplets. Seeing that Xia Jingui was a little tired, he invited her to sit down for a while.

The kitchen was very close by, so Baoyu sent Xiren to fetch some warm tea.

After a short while, tea was served, and Baoyu boasted, "Sister Xia, please try this. This is the daughter's tea I brewed this morning. It has been brewed three times, and the color is at its best now."

Xia Jingui took a sip and smiled, "It really tastes good, it's just a pity that it's missing osmanthus flowers."

Baoyu asked in surprise, "Does the young lady put osmanthus flowers in her tea?"

Xia Jingui said playfully, "My family is the Xia family of Osmanthus. Since I was a child, everything I eat, wear, and use has been inseparable from osmanthus."

Baoyu pondered for a moment, then immediately showed off, saying, "Last year I did write a silly poem, something about 'the cold dew silently wets the osmanthus blossoms, the fragrant breeze intentionally chases the flowing rosy clouds,' but it was just childish nonsense, and I hope Sister Xia will forgive me."

Upon hearing this, Xia Jingui was secretly delighted, thinking that Baoyu was indeed as fond of literature as rumored. She then wanted to show off her own learning: "Brother Bao, you are too modest. Although I am not well-versed in literature, I know that the phrase 'silent dew' is most fitting. The other day, I was reading the *Collection of Flowers* and saw Wei Zhuang's line, 'Sorrowful dreams linger, the mountain moon slants; a lonely lamp illuminates the wall behind the window screen,' which I found a hundred times better than those poems that merely pile up flowery language."

She had never actually read "The Collection of Flowers Among the Flowers," but had only heard her tutor mention it a few times. Yet, she spoke with feigned seriousness, her fingers tapping lightly on the table.

“Since you love Wei Zhuang’s poems, do you know the story behind his line, ‘I urge you to get drunk tonight, and not to speak of tomorrow’s affairs before the wine cup,’” Baoyu asked, delighted. He shook his head and said, “When Wei Zhuang was a guest in Shu, he witnessed the chaos of war in the Central Plains and was filled with sorrow. He could only drown his sorrows in wine. The helplessness in his poem is more poignant than the superficial romance.”

Xia Jingui was speechless for a moment. She had no idea about these allusions; she only remembered that her tutor had said Wei Zhuang was a representative of the Huajian School, and that his lyrics were beautiful and elegant.

When Baoyu asked about it, she felt a little embarrassed and just chuckled, saying, "Brother Bao, you are very learned. I was just speaking casually; how could I understand such profound meanings?"

Xia Jingui's smile was truly captivating, and Baoyu was immediately mesmerized, finding her innocent and unrestrained, far from ordinary.

Xia Jingui said coquettishly, "Why are you staring at me like that, Brother Bao?"

Baoyu then came to his senses, coughed lightly, and, unwilling to see such a pure and innocent girl become one of those who seek fame and fortune, changed the subject and asked, "What is your opinion on establishing oneself and making a name for oneself, Sister Xia?"

"To establish oneself and make a name for oneself?" Xia Jingui had seen countless talented men who wanted to establish themselves and make a name for themselves, but none of them had caught her eye. Therefore, her words were inevitably tinged with sarcasm. She said, "They are nothing but petty scoundrels."

Baoyu was overjoyed and clasped his hands together, saying, "That's right! I also find those teachers who encourage people to study and make progress extremely disgusting. Haven't you heard that apart from the Four Books, most of the rest are forgeries?"

I am convinced that this is always the work of our predecessors, who, without cause, created these words and phrases to guide future generations into corrupt and degenerate ways. Yet, even the most virtuous women in their chambers have been tainted by this trend, truly betraying the blessings and virtues bestowed upon them by heaven and earth! They have even joined the ranks of traitors and corrupt officials!

Xia Jingui inwardly despised those talented men who wanted to marry into the Xia family, and secretly thought that Baoyu might become the emperor's brother-in-law in the future. How could a dignified emperor's brother-in-law have to study hard and make progress?

He nodded repeatedly and said, "Brother Bao is absolutely right!"

Baoyu was overjoyed, feeling that he had finally met a refined and elegant younger sister, and he couldn't wait to drag Xia Jingui to Qixianzhai for a heart-to-heart talk!
(End of this chapter)