Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 272 Leaked news
After resting for a while, Baoyu and Xia Jingui came down from the main mountain and first admired the koi at the Aojingxi Pavilion. When they arrived at the Qinfang Gate Bridge, Baoyu hesitated.

The reason is that once you cross the sluice bridge, there are Qingtang Thatched Cottage and Longcui Nunnery on the other side, and he doesn't want to see either Chen Siyuan or Miaoyu right now.

Unexpectedly, Xia Jingui then asked, "Why isn't Brother Bao leaving?"

Baoyu chuckled and said, "Over there are only nunneries and temples; I don't see anything worth visiting."

Xia Jingui, who was in high spirits, said, "In that case, let's hurry up and leave."

Unable to find a reason, Baoyu could only grit his teeth and lead Xia Jingui along the path. After turning past the flower-decorated gate, the thatched cottage was already in sight, but to his surprise, the doors were tightly shut and the inside was completely silent.

Xia Jingui glanced around and said with a smile, "Why is the door closed here?"

Baoyu stammered, "This place... is Brother Yuan's residence. Perhaps he has gone out right now."

"Which Brother Yuan?"

"That was Chen Ci... Chen Siyuan."

After Baoyu finished speaking, he glanced at Xia Jingui, only to see that she merely responded listlessly before turning and walking towards the Jade Emperor Temple. Baoyu was secretly delighted, thinking to himself, "Back then, the whole city was abuzz with the news of Chen Siyuan's passing, and the sisters gossiped about him privately. Even at the private school, people were still asking about him. But this Xia sister seems to have no interest in fame or fortune; she truly is a pure and innocent young lady!"

Little did she know that Xia Jingui, having seen so-called talented men for so long, had lost all her enchantment and now regarded Chen Siyuan as nothing more than a poor scholar with a reputation for talent, and naturally looked down on him.

Baoyu was in high spirits and pointed around, leading Xia Jingui to the side of Longcui Nunnery in no time. After passing through the long corridor and winding tunnel, and crossing the white stone bridge, Baoyu was about to breathe a sigh of relief when he suddenly felt something and turned his head to look at the square building and round pavilion behind him. He saw Miaoyu looking at them coldly.

Baoyu was taken aback, cupped his hands in greeting to Miaoyu, but Miaoyu turned and left.

Xia Jingui, observing this, asked in surprise, "Who is that?"

Baoyu awkwardly mumbled, "The nun who was invited to practice Buddhism at home has stayed at the Longcui Nunnery because her divination through spirit writing is quite accurate." He paused, then quickly gestured, "Sister, come quickly, the Yihong Courtyard where I used to live is just ahead."

After a short while, the two arrived at Yihong Courtyard. After strolling around inside, Xia Jingui secretly admired the Jia family's extravagance, but couldn't help but wonder, "I think this place is quite elegant, but I don't know why Brother Bao moved out."

Just as Baoyu was wondering how to answer, Xiren, who was accompanying him, said, "Miss Xia, you don't know, but Second Master is getting old now and it's no longer appropriate for him to stay in the garden. It was only because Madam informed the Old Madam that Second Master was able to move back to Qixianzhai."

Seeing Baoyu's embarrassed expression, Xia Jingui seemed to be deep in thought. She thought to herself that although Baoyu was a fool, he had not lacked proper upbringing.

Just then, Zhou Rui's wife came looking for them and reported, "A feast has been set out in Madam's room, and she is inviting Master Bao and Miss Xia to take their seats."

Baoyu then went with Xia Jingui to Lady Wang's courtyard at the front. Besides Lady Wang, Aunt Xue and Baochai were also present at the banquet. Baochai remained quiet and composed, only stealing glances at Baoyu and Xia Jingui's cheerful conversation. Around noon, the Xia mother and daughter took their leave, and Baoyu reluctantly saw them off at the ceremonial gate. Only after their carriage had left through the side gate did he return to Qixianzhai, looking somewhat lost.

Baochai chuckled to herself and couldn't resist heading towards Qingtang Thatched Cottage. But when she arrived, she found the cottage still closed and shut.

Ying'er stepped forward and knocked on the door. After a while, Hongyu opened the door. When she saw that it was Baochai, she hurriedly invited her in, saying, "Miss Bao, please come in quickly. Our master has instructed that we should close the door and study carefully today. Apart from Miss Bao and Fourth Miss, we will not entertain the rest."

Baochai was in a good mood. She exchanged a few words with Hongyu with a smile, and then looked up through the window and saw Chen Siyuan getting up from behind his desk in the study.

The two met in the hall, and because of their intimate relationship, they skipped the formalities. Sister Bao laughed and said, "I just told you not to ruin Brother Bao's good time, but who knew you'd actually shut the door... Are you feeling stifled now?"

Chen Siyuan pretended to be a bookworm and chuckled, "Fortunately, there are golden houses and beautiful women in books. The ancients were right."

Just as Baochai was about to speak, Chen Siyuan said, "Look, as you read, Yan Ruyu appears."

Baochai blushed instantly, but she was secretly pleased. She glanced at Hongyu, who was covering her mouth and laughing, and scolded her, "They're all here, why did you have to talk nonsense?"

Chen Siyuan laughed heartily, lifted his robe and sat down, asking with a smile, "Has the Xia family left?"

Sister Bao also sat down, took the warm tea offered by Wu'er, and said with a smile, "When he left, Brother Bao saw him off all the way to the ceremonial gate. He looked like he was waiting for him with bated breath. After he came to his senses, he was dejected and lost his spirits. I think these two have hit it off."

This was unexpected by Chen Siyuan, who quickly inquired about the details. Although Baochai had not accompanied them the whole way, she had seen the two chatting and laughing during the meal, and immediately recounted what had happened.

Chen Siyuan secretly pondered that the Xia family, being mere merchants, would naturally be filled with awe and reverence for the Jia family's status upon entering the Rongguo Mansion, hence Xia Jingui's restraint. Furthermore, the Jia family was different from the Xue family; the Xue family was of low social standing and had fallen into decline, making a marriage alliance with the Xia family almost a form of deception, which Xia Jingui would naturally object to. But even in its decline, the Jia family was still a Duke's mansion, and even for the sake of its status, the Xia family would probably be willing to empty their coffers.

But old habits die hard, so what will happen in the future... there's plenty of fun to be had.

At this moment, Baojie lowered her voice and said, "Mother just told me that Aunt has made an agreement with Madam Xia. Tomorrow, the Xia family will send 10,000 taels of silver as a loan to Aunt."

That's it. In the eyes of the Xia family, the Rongguo Mansion is unattainable, so why would they rush to give them money? On the surface, it sounds like a loan, but let alone interest, the Xia family probably hopes they won't get the principal back, so it can be considered as part of their dowry!
Chen Siyuan then laughed and said, "The Xia family has really gone all out."

Sister Bao said, "Madam Xia comes from a prominent family in the inner court. Several of her brothers hold positions in the inner court. As the saying goes, it's easier to get a job if you have connections. The same applies to doing business. Madam Xia's business has actually become more prosperous than when Master Xia was alive."

"Let alone ten thousand taels, if one could curry favor with the Duke's mansion, even thirty or fifty thousand taels would be enough for Madam Xia to part with without batting an eye."

Chen Siyuan pondered, "So Mrs. Xia is quite something. No wonder she can support such a business."

Sister Bao said with self-pity, "If it weren't for this, the Xia family mother and daughter would probably have been taken advantage of long ago."

Hearing that her tone was off, she was clearly thinking about the gourd case from before. Chen Siyuan reached out and took her soft hand, and said in a low voice, "Don't think about it, little sister. I'll take care of you from now on."

"Mmm." Baochai smiled gently in response, feeling even more at ease. She gazed at Chen Siyuan, her almond-shaped eyes filled with tenderness and sweet affection, which need not be elaborated upon.

Meanwhile, the Xia family mother and daughter left Ningrong Street in a carriage.

Only then did Madam Xia have a moment to ask, "My son, what do you think of that Baoyu?"

Xia Jingui smiled contemptuously and said, "He really is a fool." The implication was that Baoyu was easy to fool, and Xia Jingui could easily win him over with a little trickery.

Mrs. Xia immediately took it to heart and couldn't help but laugh, "That would be wonderful. His sister is now an empress, and who knows, she might become a noble consort someday. When that happens, you can become the emperor's wife, which would be quite respectable."

Xia Jingui, shameless, immediately said, "I don't expect anything from the imperial brother-in-law, but Mother must be careful and settle this matter as soon as possible, lest the money go down the drain."

Madam Xia had her own plan. She smiled and said, "No matter what, they are from the Duke's family. They can use threats and inducements to act like scoundrels with their relatives. Would they dare to act like scoundrels with our family? If they ruin their reputation and damage their image, it won't just be a matter of tens of thousands of taels of silver. So, if the Jia family wants to borrow money, I'm willing to lend them any amount. If they can't repay it, then consider it part of your dowry."

Xia Jingui was immediately delighted and snuggled her head into Mrs. Xia's arms, saying sweetly, "Mom is so good."

Mrs. Xia reached out and stroked Xia Jingui's hair, laughing, "I only have one daughter, you. Besides leaving you all that gold and silver, do you expect me to take it to my grave?"

Xia Jingui giggled and laughed, and the carriage rumbled along the road to the outer city.

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

Several days passed quickly. Chen Siyuan was focused on his studies and could only spare a few moments to chat with Sister Bao and Sister Lin.

After the Xia family mother and daughter visited, the Rongguo Mansion returned to normal. Only Sister Feng was busy every day, dealing with household affairs in the morning and visiting various nobles or going to Aunt Xue to discuss mutual pawning matters in the afternoon.

Hearing that a maid sent by the Princess of Beijing would accompany him every day, Chen Siyuan had only heard of her name but never seen her in person.

To avoid suspicion, Aunt Xue temporarily moved back to the Xue family's old house and did not see Chen Siyuan for more than ten days.

One day in June, Chen Siyuan was enjoying the three-ingredient steamed buns sent by his sister-in-law Li Wan when Aunt Zhao arrived with her maids. Ostensibly, she was there to express her gratitude for Chen Siyuan's advice the previous time. Now that Baoyu was unwilling to study, Jia Zheng simply set aside a room in front of the house for the old gentleman to instruct Jia Huan.

Jia Huan only studied for a few days before complaining endlessly. He turned around and went to Aunt Zhao to throw a tantrum, refusing to go anymore. In the past, Aunt Zhao would have felt sorry for Jia Huan and might have given in. But times had changed. Jia Zheng's heart had changed, and Aunt Zhao had fallen out of favor. She was hoping her good son Jia Huan would perform well and win back Jia Zheng's favor, so how could she allow Jia Huan to renege on his promise?

He immediately grabbed a shoe sole and beat Jia Huan severely. Jia Huan ran around in all directions for a while, and the next day he went back to the front of the class to study diligently with a droopy face.

After expressing his gratitude without expecting anything in return, he also subtly praised Tan Chun.

Chen Siyuan listened with a smile, but seemed not to understand, and even echoed Aunt Zhao's praise of Tan Chun. Aunt Zhao was extremely anxious, but she didn't want to point it out to her face, so she left with a heavy heart.

Around noon, Chen Siyuan went for a stroll in the garden and bumped into Madam Xing, who had come looking for him.

When the two met, Madam Xing's face showed no sign of resentment... because Chen Siyuan was afraid of leaking the news, so he had not gone to the Jade Emperor Temple these days.

Now that Madam Xing has eaten meat, how could she possibly resist after being vegetarian for twenty days? Her words were inevitably a bit sharp, which made Chen Siyuan waver. He thought to himself, "Now that Madam is keeping a close eye on things, I'm afraid we can't go to the Jade Emperor Temple for the time being... However, since Baoyu has moved to Qixianzhai, Yihongyuan is now empty."

Madam Xing was immediately delighted and said, "Then I'll wait for you near the Yihong Courtyard tonight when I have some free time?"

Chen Siyuan nodded, and Madam Xing covered her mouth and smiled smugly before leading Miao'er and Tiao'er away.

Chen Siyuan stood on the Qinfang Gate Bridge, intending to go west to find his sisters to chat with for a while, when an old woman came from the direction of the small kitchen. Upon seeing Chen Siyuan, she hurriedly greeted him, "What a coincidence! I was just looking for Master Yuan."

The old woman approached and said, "Master Yuan, there's a man at the back gate who claims to be named Ma Panlong. He says he wants to see you right now."

Ma Panlong? My dear brother? What brings you here?

It is said that Chen Siyuan had previously intended to befriend Ma Panlong and his two companions, spending money on them, with the intention of recruiting assassins. However, despite numerous setbacks, things eventually took a turn for the better, allowing Chen Siyuan to stay at the Rongguo Mansion.

After that, Chen Siyuan would go outside the city to look for the three men whenever he had time, but ever since one of them became a Juren (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations), the four of them had clearly become estranged.

Although the three men didn't say anything, they couldn't help but feel ashamed of their own status. The saying "wealth makes it easy to find a wife, and status makes it easy to find friends" isn't always something they wanted; it's simply because the difference in their social standing was too great.

Chen Siyuan came out through the back door and saw Ma Panlong dressed in black clothes and wearing a net on his head, standing solemnly with his hands clasped beside the back door.

Chen Siyuan stepped forward to greet him, cupping his hands and smiling, "Brother, you are a rare guest. What brings you here today? Oh, and how are your two elder brothers?"

"All is well, Brother Chen... Please, let's talk in private for a moment."

Ma Panlong led Chen Siyuan into the alley. Seeing that no one was around, he said, "I shouldn't have bothered Brother Chen, but this matter is of great importance... Brother Chen, do you know where I am running around right now?"

Chen Siyuan asked, "This...is not the inner palace?"

Ma Panlong pondered for a moment and said, "Because of my skill, I was transferred to the Censorate at the beginning of this year."

No wonder Ma Panlong looks so gloomy; he's become a spy for the Censorate!
"I see."

Chen Siyuan casually agreed, and Ma Panlong said, "A few days ago, we were clearing out the sorcerers of the Burning Lamp Sect who had infiltrated the capital. Who knew that we would overhear a piece of news? Since it concerns the Rongguo Mansion, I came here to inform Brother Chen."

"Oh? Brother Ma, please speak."

Ma Panlong asked, "Is there a Madam Li in the Rongguo Mansion?"

Seeing Chen Siyuan nod, Ma Panlong lowered his voice and said, "I don't know where those wicked people found out, but they said that this Granny Li has about 100,000 taels of silver in cash, so they plotted to find an opportunity to kidnap her son and extort money from her."

How did this news leak out? Was it someone from the inner court who knew the inside story? No, if it were someone from the inner court, how could they not know that the Diamond Sutra only gave 70,000 taels of silver? This kind of wild speculation... Hmm, it's probably Li Wan's elder brother, Li Xinchong!
Seeing his wide-eyed expression, Ma Panlong waited a moment before saying, "We only caught a few henchmen this time, but the fortress leader escaped. Originally, we were going to continue the investigation, and I and my brothers could keep an eye on that young man in private. However, the doctor gave the order to transfer us to handle another case..."

Chen Siyuan solemnly cupped his hands towards Ma Panlong and said, "Thank you for informing me, elder brother! My sister-in-law's son, Lan'er, goes to my new house to study every day. If something happens to him, I really don't know how to explain it."

"Brother Chen, are your two brothers available now?" Ma Panlong replied, "Qian Feihu and Xu Dabiao alone probably can't handle it. Brother Chen, why don't you recruit more skilled men and set up a tight net to capture that thief in one fell swoop? Otherwise, this thousand-day vigil against thieves... is unacceptable."

"Yes, yes, yes."

After giving a few hurried words, Ma Panlong, who had other important matters to attend to, bid farewell to Chen Siyuan and left in a hurry.

Chen Siyuan sighed inwardly, "This time, there's going to be more trouble!"
If outsiders are plotting against Jia Lan, they can simply stay cooped up in the Rongguo Mansion and not go out. The real concern is that news of Li Wan's vast wealth might reach the ears of the Jia family.

Jia She is alright, since they live in separate rooms and he has to consider Grandmother Jia's feelings. He can only feel envious but has no other choice. As for Lady Wang, who is in charge of the household, she is currently embroiled in a huge dispute over money... who knows, she might have to resort to the tactic of leaving the mother behind and keeping the son.

Fearing that Jia Lan might fall into a trap, Chen Siyuan did not return to the Rongguo Mansion and hurriedly went to his own new residence.

On this day, Second Sister You went to visit Old Mother You outside the city, while Qingwen and Granny Qu went to the street to buy needles and thread, leaving only Third Sister You at home.

Seeing Chen Siyuan arrive so hastily at this hour, Sister You hurriedly came to greet him, and asked in surprise, "Brother, why have you come at this hour?"

"It's a long story." Chen Siyuan quickly glanced into the school next to the gate and saw Jia Lan reciting her lessons with her head swaying. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Without hiding anything from Sister You, he briefly explained the reason.

You Sanjie'er's face immediately turned pale with fright, and she whispered, "This is terrible! Lan-ge'er is the apple of my sister-in-law's eye. If anything happens to him, I'm afraid she'll have someone fight to the death." She paused, then added, "Besides Jiang Wu, there are four or five other capable servants in the house, all young and strong. Brother, you'll gather your men later and escort Lan-ge'er back to the Rongguo Mansion. He shouldn't go out for the next few days."

Chen Siyuan nodded in agreement, and then said, "It's not convenient to explain the reason right now. After I take Lan Ge'er away, you can talk to the teacher and explain it to him clearly."

Sister You said, "That's how it should be."

Chen Siyuan then moved to the front of the school, greeted the teacher for a while, and beckoned to Lan Ge'er, saying, "Quickly pack up your books, there's something going on at home, you need to go back soon."

Jia Lan jumped up in a panic, causing a clattering sound as she moved the tables and chairs. She frowned and asked intently, "Is Mother unwell?"

Chen Siyuan simply said, "Let's go back first and talk about it later."

Jia Lan disregarded everything else, hastily gathered her books, and followed Chen Siyuan outside.

Sister You had already arranged a carriage, and four servants with sticks stood guard on either side. They then headed straight for the Rongguo Mansion in a grand procession.

The journey took only a short while, but Chen Siyuan felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. When they finally arrived at their destination, Chen Siyuan pushed Jia Lan through the back door before finally letting out a sigh of relief.

After sending the servants away, Chen Siyuan turned around and led Jia Lan into the Grand View Garden, then headed towards Daoxiang Village.

It was just past noon. Li Wan had just finished instructing her three younger sisters-in-law and was now taking a nap in her room. Her maid, Su Yun, replied, "Madam, Master Yuan has brought Lan-ge'er back."

"Huh?" Li Wan was puzzled and quickly got up to greet her.

Seeing that Chen Siyuan had indeed brought Jia Lan back, and that Jia Lan was carrying a book box on his back, Li Wan immediately put on a stern face and said, "Brother Yuan, has Lan'er been naughty?"

Jia Lan hurriedly said, "Mother, I didn't!"

"shut up!"

Chen Siyuan quickly whispered, "There's a reason for this. Please, sister-in-law, let's talk in private."

Li Wan glanced at the aggrieved Jia Lan, and at first breathed a sigh of relief, but then became even more puzzled. She thought about inviting Chen Siyuan inside, and sent Suyun to take Lan Ge'er to the side room to settle down.

Only Chen Siyuan and Li Wan were in the hall. Before they could even sit down, Chen Siyuan said, "This time, trouble has come. I was told by a friend in the Censorate that a group of thieves have their eyes on Lan Ge'er."

Li Wan asked in surprise, "Why are you targeting Lan'er all of a sudden?"

Chen Siyuan said meaningfully, "I don't know where the rumor came from, but it says that my sister-in-law has over 100,000 taels of silver in cash."

Li Wan was startled, then felt dizzy and swayed, clutching her forehead. Chen Siyuan, seeing the situation was not good, quickly reached out to support her. Unexpectedly, Li Wan's blood rushed to her head, and she staggered and fell into Chen Siyuan's arms.

With a soft, fragrant body in his arms, even though Chen Siyuan had no other thoughts, the scent of magnolia blossoms filled his nostrils and the soft body pressed against him made him feel a surge of blood rushing to his head.

Fortunately, Chen Siyuan still remembered that Jia Lan and Su Yun were in the other side room. He quickly put his hands on Li Wan's shoulders and whispered, "Sister-in-law, please sit down and rest for a while."

After helping Li Wan to sit down, Li Wan had already recovered her senses. Her peach blossom eyes instantly filled with tears, and she said in a sobbing voice, "What, what should we do?"

What Chen Siyuan could think of, Li Wan could naturally think of as well. Putting aside the thieves outside, if the family knew that Li Wan had a large fortune and Daiyu's situation was still fresh in their minds, who knew how the Rongguo Mansion would treat them, a widow and her orphan?

She wore a light green satin cloak with ivory white floral trim, lined with a beige stand-up collar jacket, and a frosty-colored horse-face skirt. She only wore a kingfisher feather headdress. When she cried, she truly looked like a pear blossom in the rain.

Chen Siyuan felt sorry for him, and remembering Li Wan's previous loan of money, he said, "It's just a matter of dealing with whatever comes our way... So I brought Lan'er back first. Let Lan'er stay at home for the next few days, and don't send him to the private school."

Li Wan knew that it was not a good idea to ask the old lady for help, and the only person she could rely on was Chen Siyuan. So she nodded repeatedly and let Chen Siyuan give her instructions.

Chen Siyuan frowned and said, "As for the future, there is no such thing as being a thief for a thousand days but not being able to guard against thieves for a thousand days. Let me find some good men and set up a net to capture those thieves in one fell swoop, thus eliminating future troubles."

Li Wan sighed, "But what about my family... how am I supposed to deal with this?"

"This..." Chen Siyuan was also at a loss, and for a moment he was at a loss for what to do.

Li Wan sobbed twice, then suddenly looked up and said, "How about... how about Yuan-ge keeps those silver notes and bank notes for now?"

"Ok?"

Li Wan thought about it more and more and said, "Lan-ge'er and I don't need much money in the mansion. Keeping it in our hands would only bring trouble. In that case, it would be better for Yuan-ge'er to keep it for now."

If Lan-ge'er becomes successful in the future, there will be no need for Brother Yuan to add to his glory; if Lan-ge'er fails in the future, I only ask Brother Yuan to take care of him for a while.

Chen Siyuan asked in astonishment, "Sister-in-law, why did you go to such lengths?"

Li Wan wiped away her tears and shook her head, saying, "You have no idea what Madam's temperament is like!"

Indeed, Jia Zhu was as dashing as Bao Yu when he was alive, but now he is left with only Li Wan as a widow and orphan, while the remaining concubines have either been beaten to death or sold off. This shows just how ruthless Lady Wang is!
Because of Jia Zhu's death, Lady Wang and Jia Zheng lost their marital affection, and she also began to dislike Li Wan out of hatred for her. If things get really tough, she might spare Jia Lan for Jia Zhu's sake, but as for others... it's hard to say.

"Brother Yuan, please wait a moment!"

As they were talking, Li Wan hurriedly got up, not bothering to avoid Chen Siyuan. She rummaged through the chests and found a sandalwood box at the bottom. She opened it and found stacks of bank notes inside.

He turned around and handed it to Chen Siyuan, pleading, "Brother Yuan, please help me this time. I really have no other way."

Chen Siyuan could not refuse, and took it in his hand, wondering, "The old lady always takes care of my sister-in-law, why don't you talk to her about this?"

Then Li Wan gave a bitter laugh and said, "The old lady has been in charge of the household for decades, and her temperament... is probably even worse than that of the madam. How could I dare to go and talk to the old lady about it?"

Yes, Chen Siyuan had always thought that Grandmother Jia was a muddle-headed person, but how could such a muddle-headed person not have ruthless methods to manage the Rongguo Mansion for decades?

Considering that Daiyu is Jia Mu's own granddaughter, wasn't she treated coldly and warmly in the original text? Take the golden unicorn that Zhang Daoshi presented during the Ping'an Festival, for example; how could it not have been orchestrated by Jia Mu behind the scenes?
This shows that Grandmother Jia was constantly wavering. Before, everything seemed perfect, but after the Grand View Garden was built, the Lin family's fortune was swallowed up, and even her granddaughter, Daiyu, lost her value. How could she compare to Shi Xiangyun, the legitimate daughter of the Shi family?

In the original text, the Shi family reacted very quickly, immediately arranging a marriage for Shi Xiangyun. Grandmother Jia's plan failed, and she then began to treat Daiyu somewhat better again.

Therefore, it is reasonable to consider that Grandmother Jia should not be regarded as an ordinary matriarch, but rather as a political figure. Such a person would not be swayed by personal feelings. Not to mention Daiyu, even Baoyu, if it were a matter of life and death for the Jia family, Grandmother Jia would abandon him without hesitation.

On second thought, no wonder when I went to see the old lady last time, although she only said a few empty words, her expression was much better... Did she feel that I would be useful to the Jia family in the future?
After finishing his thoughts, seeing Li Wan's pitiful appearance, Chen Siyuan frowned and sighed, holding the box and saying, "Sister-in-law, don't worry, if Lan'er needs this money in the future, I will give it all to him."

Li Wan nodded with tears in her eyes, about to say something, when Chen Siyuan said again, "To be honest, this matter is not without hope... Let me think it over and then come to discuss it with my sister-in-law."

"it is good."

With so many people around, Chen Siyuan closed the box, tucked it into his sleeve, bid farewell to Li Wan, and hurriedly returned to his thatched cottage. After sitting for a short while, he felt that this place was not safe either, so he simply turned back to his new residence.

Qingwen returned, but Third Sister went to Baicaotang to check the accounts. Chen Siyuan always trusted Qingwen, so he simply called her to his room alone.

Qingwen came in coyly, and as soon as she entered, she scolded, "Master, it's broad daylight... who knows, Luan'er might come and cause trouble again in a little while."

Chen Siyuan was both amused and exasperated. He quickly pulled Qingwen over, reached in and pulled out the box, saying, "Find a place to hide this box."

Qingwen then realized she had misunderstood. Without asking what was inside, she thought for a moment and said, "Pry open a brick under the cabinet in the side room, dig out some soil, and stuff this box inside." After a pause, she added, "Wrap it in a raincoat to prevent it from getting moldy and infested with insects. Wouldn't that be better?"

Chen Siyuan was overjoyed and readily agreed. The master and servant then moved the cabinet, pried open the floor tiles, and carried out the operation accordingly. After moving the cabinet back to its original position, even a close inspection revealed no flaws.

Chen Siyuan praised Qingwen's quick wit for a long time, making her beam with delight. If Luan'er hadn't come to cause trouble, she probably would have taken the opportunity to consummate their relationship with Chen Siyuan.

Remembering his promise to Madam Xing, Chen Siyuan did not linger and returned to the Rongguo Mansion after a short while.

He walked slowly and carefully considered his options, and soon he had a rough plan in mind. Now that Lady Wang was in charge of the household, if he wanted to compete with her, Lady Xing alone would probably not be enough; he would have to bring out the formidable Lady Jia.

Humans naturally have desires. What did Grandmother Jia seek? Nothing more than to maintain the Jia family's wealth and prosperity, hoping that future generations would inherit the glory of their ancestors.

Not to mention that Jia Lan is naturally talented and extremely diligent, even if he is just of average talent, with a word from the Prince of Yanping, how could his future be anything but bright?
If Grandmother Jia knew about this, she would definitely protect Li Wan and her son even more. In this way, at least Li Wan and her son would be safe while Grandmother Jia was alive. After Grandmother Jia passed away... it's uncertain whether the Rongguo Mansion could be saved. How could Chen Siyuan possibly see that far ahead?

Today, I only had time to meet with Madam Xing in secret tonight. But as soon as I returned to the Rongguo Mansion, I ran into the Third Miss, Tan Chun, who was looking for me with a frown.

The two met at Qinfang Bridge. Tan Chun asked anxiously, "Brother Yuan, Aunt came looking for you again this morning?"

Having made up his mind, Chen Siyuan was now calm and composed. Hearing this, he couldn't help but smile and say, "Yes, I've been here once—"

Before he could finish speaking, Tan Chun interrupted, "Brother Yuan, you, you shouldn't listen to Aunt's nonsense."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Third sister, you're overthinking it. I'll just let what Aunt says go in one ear and out the other."

Tan Chun pouted and said, "I've already told Auntie about this several times, but she still insists on talking nonsense!"

Seeing the little girl's sullen appearance was quite adorable, Chen Siyuan habitually raised his hand, then realized that Tan Chun was not Xi Chun, so he scratched his head and comforted Tan Chun for a couple of words before returning to the Qingtang Thatched Cottage.

Little did they know that the conversation between the two on the bridge was being observed by Ying'er. Ying'er had been instructed by Baochai to keep an eye on Tanchun's situation. Upon returning to Hengwu Garden, she told Baochai, "Miss, the Third Miss went to see Master Yuan again just now."

Baochai frowned immediately. She had long known that a suitable husband was hard to find, but by sheer chance, she had found her ideal man in the Rongguo Mansion. However, this ideal man was simply too outstanding; not only were the girls outside longing for him, but even the sisters in the mansion were also eyeing him.

Last time, it was because the First Madam acted foolishly that she thwarted the Second Miss's ambition to embrace spring. Unexpectedly, after driving away the Second Miss, now the Third Miss has followed suit.

Despite her worries, Baochai's fighting spirit grew stronger, and she was determined to find a way to put an end to Tanchun's feelings for her in the future.

(End of this chapter)