Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 277 Buddhist Sutra
As soon as Ying'er pushed open the window, she saw Madam Xing leading Miao'er and Tiao'er into the ceremonial gate. She quickly said to Baochai, "Miss, the First Madam has arrived."

Although Baochai looked down on Madam Xing, she was always very respectful to her whenever she saw Chen Siyuan. Upon hearing this, she hurriedly went out to greet her and met Madam Xing at the door.

Baochai curtsied, and Madam Xing said, "I was afraid that Yuan-ge'er would be left without someone to take care of him. If I had known you were coming, I wouldn't have rushed here so quickly."

Baochai said calmly, "I just got back too. Please come in, Madam. Brother Yuan is still asleep."

Madam Xing stepped inside and casually said, "Still asleep? Don't sleep too much during the day and then not be able to sleep at night."

Baochai, walking beside him, replied, "This morning, Physician Wang prescribed a tonic to replenish qi and blood. One of the ingredients in it has a calming effect, which is why I slept a little longer."

Madam Xing smiled and nodded, then her expression changed drastically. The doors and windows had only just been opened; how could the strange smell inside have completely dissipated? Madam Xing wasn't some naive Baochai; she could tell what the smell was just by smelling it. Not only Madam Xing, but Miao'er and Tiao'er also wore strange expressions.

Without making a sound, Madam Xing went straight into the west wing room and saw Chen Siyuan fast asleep, covered by a brocade quilt. Madam Xing sat down on a stool, and while Baochai was preparing tea, she quietly pinched Chen Siyuan's hand. The sleeping Chen Siyuan only frowned slightly, then turned his head and fell asleep again.

Madam Xing understood immediately. Had the little thief fallen asleep and been taken advantage of? What a Baochai! She always acted so demure, but who knew she was such a vixen... Wait, Madam Xing suddenly remembered that she and Baochai had arrived almost at the same time, with only a half-cup of tea's time between them.

"Please have some tea, Madam." At this moment, Sister Bao personally brought over the teacup.

Madam Xing took the teacup and secretly glanced at Baochai. Seeing that there was nothing unusual about Baochai's face, she was certain that this matter had nothing to do with Baochai.

Since the matter involved a petty thief, Madam Xing naturally wanted to protect him. This couldn't be made public, so she could only investigate discreetly. Taking a sip of tea, Madam Xing asked, "Where is your mother?"

Baochai said, "They must be resting in the back."

Just then, Ying'er turned around and said, "Madam is talking to Auntie."

Madam Xing frowned inwardly. Aunt Xue and Madam Wang were both there... Could it be that the two girls had bullied Chen Siyuan together? It seemed highly unlikely.

So Madam Xing asked again, "Back then, I saw that your mother and you were both there, and I was worried that Yuan-ge'er would be left unattended. Why weren't the maids from Qingtang Thatched Cottage there?"

Sister Bao sat down beside her and said with a smile, "It's quite a coincidence. Xiangling's mother came, and Xiangling went to the new house. Hongyu was chasing cicadas on a stool early in the morning, but she accidentally stepped into a hole and hurt her ankle. She had to stay in the thatched cottage in Qingtang to recover. Liu Wu'er is not feeling well and stayed up all night. I saw that she was not good, so I let her go back to rest."

However, no one was missing from the room; Tongxi had been left there to look after it.

Madam Xing smiled and nodded, saying, "Who doesn't know that Bao'er is a thoughtful girl? It's just that I was really worried, so I asked her out of turn... Yes, what about Tongxi? I ​​must reward her for taking care of her for half a day."

Baochai didn't see Tongxi at all, so she quickly turned to look at Ying'er. Ying'er also shook her head and said, "Perhaps when she saw Miss return, Tongxi went to Ningguo Mansion to watch the play?"

Madam Xing said in surprise, "It seems that Tongxi is also feeling quite stifled."

After exchanging a few more casual words, seeing that Chen Siyuan still hadn't woken up, Madam Xing got up to take her leave. Baochai got up to see her off, but Madam Xing stopped her, saying, "We've been visiting often, and besides, you're not an outsider. Stay and look after Yuan-ge'er. I'm leaving."

The phrase "not an outsider" delighted Baochai, and in her joy, she escorted him to the courtyard before turning back to her room after being scolded by Madam Xing.

When Madam Xing arrived at the gate of the small courtyard in the northeast, she saw that the old woman guarding the gate was still dozing off, so she stopped and asked, "Who has come to see Yuan-ge'er this afternoon?"

Just as the old woman was about to reply, Madam Xing gave her a wink, and Miao'er slipped her a handful of copper coins. The old woman was overjoyed and hurriedly said, "Reporting to Madam, everyone went to the East Mansion to watch the play today, except for Madam herself who came once in the afternoon."

Grandma? Zhu Ge's daughter-in-law, Li Shi?

Madam Xing stared in astonishment, but upon closer examination, it seemed to make perfect sense.
Otherwise, why would they lend such a large sum of money to the thief for no reason? Otherwise, why would the thief protect the mother and son time and time again? What's more, this time, the thief almost lost his life because of Jia Lan!

The more she thought about it, the more sense it made. Madam Xing was filled with hatred, but at the same time, she was also very puzzled, wondering how these two had gotten together. It was not convenient to find out now, but she would have to wait until the thief moved back to Qingtang Thatched Cottage and then interrogate him to find out the truth!
After pondering for a while, she left the small courtyard in the northeast. The servant, still angry, couldn't help but say, "Madam, are we just going to let it go like this?"

Madam Xing glanced sideways and said, "What's it to you? Keep this to yourself and don't gossip and ruin Yuan-ge's reputation!"

Tiao'er reluctantly agreed, while Miao'er gritted her teeth and said, "If I find out which good-for-nothing is behind this, I'll definitely skin her alive!"

With nothing more to say, the three of them, master and servants, returned to the east courtyard in a huff.

Meanwhile, Baochai was so delighted that she didn't notice why Madam Xing's expression was so strange. Once the smell had dissipated, she quickly instructed Ying'er to close the doors and windows tightly. Seeing that Chen Siyuan was sweating profusely, she sat down by the bed and fanned him.

Soon, Baochai remembered to go see Aunt Xue. But as soon as she got up, she saw Aunt Xue and Lady Wang heading towards the ceremonial gate.

A moment later, Aunt Xue indeed entered the main room at the front. As soon as she entered, Sister Bao complained, "Didn't you leave Tongxi to look after things? When I came back, there was no one in the room."

Aunt Xue stammered, "I sent Tongxi and Tonggui to watch the fun. I was planning to look after Yuan'er for a while, but then your aunt came."

Seeing the strange expression on Aunt Xue's face, Baochai quickly asked, "What did Aunt Xue say?"

Aunt Xue said, "It's nothing... it's just that Miss Xia is coming to the garden the day after tomorrow."

Aunt Xue's eyes darted away as she stole a glance at Chen Siyuan, who was still unconscious. Her heart was filled with mixed emotions.

"Miss Xia?" Baochai frowned slightly, and as expected, stopped dwelling on the matter of Chen Siyuan being left unattended. She couldn't help but ask, "Why is she here? And where is she staying?"

Baochai was extremely displeased with Xia Jingui's arrogant and willful nature. Although the two had known each other for a long time, they were only superficially sisters.

Aunt Xue said, "Madam Xia is going south to do business, and it will take at least two or three months for her to come and go. There is no one to take care of Miss Xia, so she asked your aunt for help. Now that Baoyu has moved to Qixianzhai, Yihongyuan has become vacant, and Miss Xia can move in there."

Upon hearing this, Baochai couldn't help but sneer, "Indeed, distance makes things better and closer proximity makes things worse."

Aunt Xue was initially puzzled, but after some thought, she realized that the person was referring to her own family. Because of their close relationship, and because she had lent a lot of money to Baochai, Baochai could only live in Hengwu Garden; while Xia Jingui, on the other hand, could live in Yihong Courtyard after borrowing only ten thousand taels of silver. Wasn't this a perfect example of "familiarity breeds contempt"?
Aunt Xue was preoccupied and had no interest in arguing with Baochai's words. She sat for a short while before going to rest in the back.

Baochai sat with him for a while, and seeing Chen Siyuan's eyes moving under his eyelids, she knew he was about to wake up. Sure enough, after a short while, Chen Siyuan opened his eyes drowsily, and only after recognizing Baochai sitting by the bed did he smile.

Baochai asked with a smile, "Did you sleep well... It's almost noon now, are you hungry or thirsty?" As she spoke, she brought over the teacup that had been sitting aside and served Chen Siyuan half a cup. She then instructed Ying'er to go to the small kitchen and fetch some food that he liked.

After Ying'er left, Baochai noticed that Chen Siyuan was slightly frowning as he leaned back, and quickly asked, "What's wrong? Did you aggravate your wound?"

Chen Siyuan asked in surprise, "Strange, why does my lower abdomen hurt so much?"

Baochai asked tentatively, "Could it be that you got up too quickly just now?"

Chen Siyuan couldn't think of any other reason, so he just assumed it was as Baochai said, and frowned and said, "Once the injury heals, we must pick up that skill again."

Baochai smiled without saying a word. Chen Siyuan, seeing that Ying'er was not there, quickly reached out and grabbed her soft hand. The lovers spoke tenderly, which need not be mentioned further. After a while, Baochai suddenly said, "My aunt just said that the Xia family's daughter will be entering the garden the day after tomorrow and will be staying in Yihong Courtyard."

Chen Siyuan was stunned. Xia Jingui was going to move into the Yihong Courtyard? This... was going to be quite a spectacle.

Just as he was about to make a joke, he suddenly heard a clear, bright voice calling out from outside: "Brother Yuan, I've come to see you!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Fourth Sister Xichun came running in with a box in her hands, beaming.

Yingchun and Tanchun might still have some concerns, but Xichun, relying on her young age, had no taboos and went straight inside. After greeting the two, Xichun opened the box, which contained the animation box that Chen Siyuan had given her earlier.

Baochai smiled and said, "Wasn't this the gift from Brother Yuan before? Why did Fourth Sister bring it back?"

Xichun said, "I brought it to Brother Yuan to cheer him up. Don't be fooled by the fact that it looks the same on the outside; I've replaced all the paintings inside."

Caiping laughed and said, "Our girl has been working tirelessly these past two days, and we don't know how many sheets of paper she has torn up. Today, she has finally finished it."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Fourth Sister still cares about me the most. Quickly, let me see it."

Xi Chun responded and leaned over to crank the handle herself. Chen Siyuan leaned closer to examine it. Because there was no light source indoors, it was a bit dim, but it was still clear that Xi Chun had put a lot of thought into it. The painting depicted a little girl who went up a mountain, encountered a crane, received an elixir from it, and ascended to heaven in broad daylight.

Although it was somewhat hasty and some parts were not very coherent, it still drew high praise from Chen Siyuan. He looked at it himself and then invited Baochai to see it, and Baochai also praised it highly.

Xi Chun blushed with pride at the praise, but she looked very pleased with herself.

Chen Siyuan smiled as he looked at Xichun, thinking to himself that since the painting reflected her inner feelings, Xichun probably already harbored the idea of ​​retiring from the world...

Feeling a pang of pity, Chen Siyuan said, "I was just talking to Bao-mei about how a sister will be coming to the garden in a couple of days."

Xichun asked in surprise, "Could it be that Sister Yun is coming back?"

Baochai said, "It's the Xia family's daughter."

"Her?" Xi Chun frowned upon hearing this. With Baochai present, the young girl simply said, "That makes things even more lively."

Chen Siyuan and Baochai both noticed that Xichun was not happy. Just as they were about to ask her, Suyun brought over a food box, so they decided to let the matter drop for the time being.

Two days passed in a flash.

Early that morning, Madam Wang sent a carriage to fetch Xia Jingui. Earlier that morning, Baochai came to see Chen Siyuan, who said with a bitter face, "I'm moving back today no matter what."

Baochai asked in surprise, "Why the rush?"

Chen Siyuan said, "Perhaps it's because I'm not used to sleeping in this bed? I don't know why, but these past two days, not only has my lower abdomen hurt, but now my back is also aching."

Baochai then said, "This is not something you can decide on your own. Let's ask Physician Wang later."

After breakfast, Ying'er invited Physician Wang to treat her. After taking her pulse and changing the dressing on her wound, Physician Wang stroked his beard and smiled, saying, "Master Yuan is strong and healthy. Not only has the remaining poison been eliminated, but the wound has also scabbed over. Just be careful not to agitate the wound in the future, and it will be fully healed in about a month."

Chen Siyuan said happily, "Then I might be able to move back?"

Physician Wang smiled and nodded. Baochai, who was standing nearby, was also overjoyed and quickly gave Physician Wang two silver coins. She then politely saw Physician Wang off. When Aunt Xue returned from Madam Wang's courtyard, she brought up the matter of Chen Siyuan returning to Qingtang Thatched Cottage.

Aunt Xue breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this and said to Baochai, "Since there's nothing seriously wrong, we should let Yuan-ge move back. After all, you haven't finalized your engagement with Yuan-ge yet. It's fine for you to stay for a few days in this emergency, but if you stay for too long, there will inevitably be gossip."

Baochai smiled and said, "I suppose he has the same thought."

After the mother and daughter finished their discussion, they turned around and found a maid and a servant. Because they were afraid of aggravating Chen Siyuan's wound, they made him lie on the bench and let the two rough servants carry him back to the thatched cottage.

As the saying goes, there is no place like home. Perhaps because he was used to it, as soon as he returned to his humble abode, Chen Siyuan felt refreshed and his lower abdomen didn't hurt as much.

Now that Xiangling is still in the new house and Hongyu has gone back to her own home to recuperate, only Liu Wu'er and the little maid Yunxiang remain in this quiet thatched cottage.

Baochai was considering leaving Tongxi to take care of Chen Siyuan, but then Madam Xing arrived and, after a few words, decided that Miao'er would stay to take care of Chen Siyuan.

Seeing Miao'er's smug delight and Tiao'er's pouting annoyance, Baochai knew what Madam Xing was thinking. To Baochai, there was a difference between mistress and servant; even the most favored maid was nothing more than a plaything. Therefore, she didn't care and chatted with Miao'er for a long time, making Miao'er feel flattered and determined to be more attentive to Baochai in the future, lest she offend the future mistress of the house.

Once everything was settled, Sister Bao led Ying'er away.

As soon as Baochai left, Madam Xing immediately dismissed all the maids and approached Chen Siyuan, about to speak. Chen Siyuan then grinned and put his arm around her waist, saying, "Goddess of Goddess, please save this humble monk!"

Madam Xing was taken aback, then frowned in surprise and said, "You have quite a few people in your room, do you still need me?"

Chen Siyuan complained, “How can things be any better? Xiangling went to the new house, Hongyu injured her ankle, and Wu’er is still young… I don’t know how I’ve managed to get through these past few days, my lady.”

Madam Xing covered her mouth and laughed, "But there's also Bao'er."

"You can look at it but not eat it." "Bao'er is useless, but there's still Zhu's daughter-in-law."

Chen Siyuan was taken aback, and frowned, saying, "How did this all get involved with my sister-in-law?"

Observing his expression, Madam Xing saw that he did not seem to be faking it, and became even more suspicious, saying, "You... really have nothing to do with Zhu Ge's wife?"

Honestly, Chen Siyuan did have some wicked intentions, but he's already injured someone, so where would he find the time to flirt with Li Wan?

So Chen Siyuan pointed to the sky and cried out, "Heaven and earth bear witness, if I really had an affair with my sister-in-law, may I be struck by lightning as soon as I step out the door." He paused, then said angrily, "I only helped my sister-in-law because I thought of her hardship as a widow and her children, and I lent her a lot of money before... Who knew you would think of me like this?"

Madam Xing quickly smiled apologetically and said, "I was just joking, but you took it seriously."

Chen Siyuan sneered and said, "No, you didn't sound like you were joking just now."

Madam Xing choked, turned her head to look around, and then lowered her voice to say, "There is one thing..." She then recounted what had happened that day.

Chen Siyuan was stunned, but finally realized why his lower abdomen hurt... It must have been from Aunt Xue hitting him.
However, it was not easy to explain this to Madam Xing, so he changed his mind and said, "Where is that strange smell coming from? You probably smelled the medicine, right? There is a photinia flower in that prescription. You can find it and smell it yourself to know if it is real or fake."

"So that's how it is? You're not so good at fooling me."

Chen Siyuan scoffed and remained silent. Seeing his resolute expression, Madam Xing's suspicions lessened somewhat, and she quickly smiled and said, "Perhaps I was overthinking it."

Chen Siyuan stayed in the small courtyard in the northeast for four days, and felt utterly stifled for all four days. He was young and strong to begin with, and with Li Wan constantly sending him nourishing foods these past two days, his energy and blood were inevitably becoming even more abundant.

Seeing that Madam Xing was no longer dwelling on the matter, he chuckled and said in a low voice, "How could I let you suspect me for no reason?"

After saying that, she gestured downwards with her lips. Madam Xing scolded, "The maids are all outside... who knows, someone else might come later."

Chen Siyuan said, "Xia Jingui will be here soon, and no one has come to check on things for a while. In the time it takes to argue with me, everything might be over by now."

Madam Xing couldn't resist him, so she rolled her eyes at him. Seeing that the maids were talking outside, she finally bent down and did as he pleased...

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

At noon that day, Zhou Rui's wife came happily to report to Madam Wang: "Madam, Miss Xia has arrived."

Madam Wang snapped out of her reverie, twirled her prayer beads, and said with a smile, "Baoyu has been talking about it for days. He'll be overjoyed to know. Have Feng'er take Jin Gui to see the old lady first, and then go to Yihong Courtyard to settle in. There's no rush for her to come see me."

Zhou Rui's wife smiled and agreed, then turned to find Feng Jie to deliver the message. Feng Jie smiled and welcomed Xia Jingui into the ceremonial gate, but inwardly she was full of complaints. Before her marriage, she was a noblewoman of the Wang family; what kind of person was Xia Jingui that she needed Feng Jie to take care of her?

However, since Madam Wang now controlled most of the household, it was really difficult to offend her, so Sister Feng forced herself to comply despite her discomfort.

Upon entering the ceremonial gate, only Baoyu, Sanchun, and Baochai came to greet them. Xia Jingui, however, only had eyes for Baoyu. After a brief nod to Sanchun and Baochai, she sidled up to Baoyu, addressing him as "Second Brother Bao" repeatedly.

Baochai and Yingchun were both rather shrewd, so they didn't say much at the moment. Xichun was young, and Tanchun had recently become increasingly indignant at evil, so her expression immediately changed.

What gives a merchant's daughter the audacity to look down on people? It's truly laughable!
As Sister Feng was making arrangements to go to Rongqing Hall, Tan Chun said directly, "Sister Feng, my fourth sister and I have other matters to attend to, so we won't go."

Yingchun also said, "Sister Xing is not feeling well, I need to go back and take care of her."

Although none of the three sisters went, Baochai couldn't avoid it. She had no choice but to suppress her emotions and follow behind Baoyu and Xia Jingui to Rongqing Hall.

Although Grandmother Jia had given her approval for Xia Jingui's matter, the old lady didn't even think much of Baochai, so how could she possibly think much of Xia Jingui? Helplessly, she had to exchange a few pleasantries before urging Xia Jingui to go and make arrangements.

It has been said that those who bully their inferiors will inevitably flatter their superiors, and Xia Jingui was just like that. She believed that Yingchun and Tanchun were both born out of wedlock, and Xichun was a girl from the East Mansion, so she looked down on them; but she dared not be disrespectful to Baoyu, Lady Wang, and Grandmother Jia.

Therefore, even though Madam Wang spoke first, Xia Jingui obediently went to Madam Wang's place first.

Lady Wang was naturally delighted and gave her a long list of instructions before ordering Sister Feng to lead her to settle in.

Without further ado, after the maids and servants had packed all the belongings into the Yi Hong Courtyard, Bao Yu couldn't help but say with his hands behind his back, "This place was originally where I lived, but I didn't expect my sister to move in now... I only hope that my sister won't find me to have defiled this place."

Xia Jingui looked around and found the place exceptionally pleasing. Her smile became even more amiable as she said, "Brother Bao's place is certainly excellent, how could I possibly complain?" She paused, then asked, "By the way, why are so many sisters missing today?"

Baoyu said, "I suppose Lin Daiyu's health isn't quite right... As for Sister-in-law Zhu, these past few days she's been busy supervising Lan-ge's studies and delivering food to Brother Yuan, and she's even had to temporarily stop the sisters' studies, so I'm afraid she won't have any free time either."

Xia Jingui asked in surprise, "Why would Sister-in-law Zhu send food to Chen Siyuan?"

Baoyu said, "Sister, you don't know, but some time ago there were thieves outside who were eyeing Lan-ge'er. Luckily, Brother Yuan saw them, otherwise I don't know what would have happened."

He sighed and talked for a while, and Xia Jingui listened with curiosity, but after listening, she showed no intention of going to see Chen Siyuan. Baoyu was overjoyed and felt that this Xia family sister was indeed extraordinary.

So Baoyu pestered Xia Jingui for a long time to show off, until it was almost noon when Musk Moon urged Baoyu to go back for lunch, and he left reluctantly.

At this time, everything in the Yihong Courtyard had been tidied up. When the maid Baochan came to report, Xia Jingui said, "Let's not talk about anything else for now. Have you remembered what Mother told you?"

Baochan smiled, took a purse from her waist and shook it. The loose silver coins inside jingled. She said, "Don't worry, Miss. I'll take care of this matter of scattering silver coins perfectly."

Xia Jingui nodded with a smile. Just then, an old woman stepped forward and said, "Miss, Madam has repeatedly warned you not to be too ostentatious in the future."

Snapped--

The old woman screamed and covered her face, only to see Xia Jingui sneer and say, "Do I need you to tell me what to do? If you dare to say another word, I'll sell you off tomorrow!"

The old woman was so frightened that she dared not speak, and the rest of the people kept their mouths shut and their mouths closed, none of them daring to provoke her.

A short while later, Baochan, carrying a purse, went to the small kitchen first. Once inside, she smiled at everyone she met and said to Sister Liu and the others, "Our young lady just arrived and said that she would have to trouble you all in the future. She didn't know what you all liked, so she asked me to give you some money as a token of her appreciation for your drinks."

From Sister Liu to the cooks and servants, everyone clasped their hands in praise of Miss Xia's generosity.

Baochan returned triumphantly with the food box, only to bump into Li Wan, who was without makeup. Baochan quickly stepped aside, and after Li Wan hurried past, she asked a passing old woman, "Granny, that lady looks familiar?"

The old woman said, "That's Madam Zhu... she looks like she's going to deliver food to Qingtang thatched hut again."

Baochan kept it in mind, bid farewell to the old woman, took the food box, and returned to Yihong Courtyard without mentioning it.

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

When Li Wan arrived at the small kitchen, Sister Liu came to greet her with a smile and said, "Madam, the cordyceps and ginseng chicken soup is ready. I'll fetch it for you right away."

Li Wan smiled and nodded, saying, "Thank you for your trouble."

A moment later, Sister Liu brought over a bamboo basket containing an earthenware pot for holding soup. Li Wan lifted the lid and glanced inside, then was immediately taken aback.

Because Jia Lan was thin, Li Wan would ask the kitchen to stew some nourishing food for him every now and then. But each time, the food was always a little less. This time, however, not only was the food not less, but the ginseng looked even better than the ones she had sent herself.

Li Wan seemed to be deep in thought, then suddenly remembered that Sister Liu's daughter, Liu Wu'er, was in Chen Siyuan's room, and she felt relieved. She thanked Sister Liu and, carrying her bamboo basket, headed towards the thatched cottage in Qingtang.

After circling over the Qinfang Gate Bridge, we soon bumped into Madam Xing, who was coming out with a smile.

After exchanging a few words, Madam Xing, feeling refreshed, no longer harbored any suspicions. She simply thanked Chen Siyuan on his behalf and then took the note to return to the east wing.

When Li Wan arrived at the thatched cottage in Qingtang, she saw Miao'er waiting for her at the door.

He couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Did the First Madam leave you to look after Brother Yuan?"

Miao'er smiled and said, "Our mistress said that the young master is short-handed for a while, so she left me to look after him. Madam, please come in and talk to us. Yunxiang just got the food box, and the young master is about to eat."

Li Wan nodded in agreement, and Miao'er took the bamboo basket from her and followed her into the room.

Upon entering, Li Wan was startled to see Chen Siyuan sitting in the hall. She exclaimed, "Brother Yuan, your injuries haven't healed yet, how come you're already walking around?"

Chen Siyuan said, both amused and exasperated, "Sister-in-law, I only injured my left shoulder, not both legs. Why can't I walk?"

Li Wan said seriously, "Even so, moving around might aggravate the wound..."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "I'll be more careful... but it will only trouble my sister-in-law again. If Lan-ge sees how hard she's working, he might complain about me."

Li Wan said, "You almost lost your life for Lan'er, so I'm doing this... just to put my mind at ease. There's nothing else I can do."

Seeing that Li Wan was full of guilt, Chen Siyuan really didn't know how to persuade her, so he could only let her be.

Miao'er carefully placed the earthenware pot on the table, and when she lifted the lid, a fragrant aroma immediately filled the air.

Chen Siyuan glanced at it and immediately sighed inwardly. It was such a nourishing food again... If he ate any more, he would get a belly.

Just then, Yunxiang called out from outside, "Sister Wu'er, Sister Miao'er, the storeroom has allocated new gauze curtains and ice blocks. I can't carry them by myself. Please come and help me, sisters."

Miao'er and Wu'er responded and hurriedly went out to help.

Li Wan hadn't left yet when she saw that Chen Siyuan was having difficulty using only his right hand, so she went forward to spread out the food box for him, found a soup bowl, and used a spoon to scoop a bowl of cordyceps and ginseng chicken soup from the earthenware pot.

The soup had been sitting on the stove, so it was scalding hot. Li Wan was able to bear it, but when she looked up and met Chen Siyuan's eyes, she suddenly felt flustered, and the soup spilled from the bowl. In an instant, the pain made her let go of the bowl.

With a crash, the soup bowl was overturned. Chen Siyuan, who was sitting behind the table, quickly got up to avoid it. Li Wan, who had just dropped the bowl, was afraid of burning Chen Siyuan, so she cried out and rushed forward. By sheer coincidence, the two of them bumped into each other.

"Brother Yuan—uh—"

Chen Siyuan was quite tall, and Li Wan's lunge landed her squarely in his arms. Besides the strong smell of medicine, there was also a faint, almost imperceptible, masculine scent. Li Wan had been reading Buddhist scriptures every night before bed these past few days, and the emotions she had so painstakingly suppressed were instantly stirred up again.

"Is your sister-in-law burned?"

As Chen Siyuan spoke, their breaths mingled, and Li Wan blushed instantly. She cursed herself inwardly for her lack of self-control, quickly took two steps back, and stammered, "You, are you burning yourself?"

"It's nothing, just a little soup on my clothes, nothing else."

"me……"

Chen Siyuan looked up and saw that Li Wan's ears were red. He wasn't a virgin, and he was immediately taken aback. Li Wan looked up and met his gaze, then became even more flustered, turned around and left, leaving only the words, "I'm leaving first."

In her panic, Li Wan was at a loss. She tried to pull out a handkerchief from her waist to wipe her hands, which were stained with soup, but she was too clumsy and the handkerchief fell to the ground as soon as she pulled it out. As if possessed, Li Wan only wanted to escape from this place, and she ignored the fallen handkerchief and hurriedly walked away.

Chen Siyuan frowned slightly, picked up the handkerchief at the door, and saw that it was only embroidered with green bamboo. He immediately scratched his head – what was going on? He did have some wicked thoughts, but he hadn't made any moves yet, so how did he scare Li Wan like this?

Leaving aside Chen Siyuan, let's talk about Li Wan. As she left the thatched cottage, she couldn't hide the blush on her ears. She walked quickly, and luckily it was midday, so there were only maids and old women in the garden, no other women.

She went straight to Daoxiang Village, where her expression finally calmed down. She greeted Jia Lan, who was playing at the gate, and then, upon entering her room, immediately picked up the Buddhist scriptures from the table. Without even opening the cover, she muttered, "All phenomena are illusory..."

(End of this chapter)