Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 279 Mustard Greens Stew
Did Lady Wang intend to keep Jia Lan in her room to raise him?

Chen Siyuan sighed, "Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you."

Li Wan seemed puzzled and quickly looked up at Chen Siyuan. When she met his clear eyes, she immediately lowered her head again.

Chen Siyuan said calmly, "Sister-in-law, don't panic. Let's sit down and talk."

Li Wan nodded in agreement, but dared not look up at Chen Siyuan. Ever since her outburst that day, Li Wan had been reciting Buddhist scriptures for several days. Although she personally prepared her meals and medicines every day, she had two maids deliver them to her, and she refused to see Chen Siyuan again.

Upon hearing the devastating news, he was at a loss and immediately came to find Chen Siyuan. Although they had been apart for several days, and his heart had already calmed down, he was still shaken to the core upon seeing him again.

Chen Siyuan led Li Wan to her seat, glancing at her and noticing that she wore a light blue double-breasted cloak with a lilac-colored satin collar and a white cross-collar jacket underneath, paired with a blue horse-face skirt. Her hair was adorned with a gold hairpin and palace flowers, and while she looked simple and elegant, she still appeared as old-fashioned as ever.

Chen Siyuan remained calm, lifted his robe and sat down. After Xiangling served him fragrant tea, he smiled and said to Li Wan, "Sister-in-law, you are just worried. If it were up to me, this matter would just be idle gossip, and you don't need to pay any attention to it."

Li Wan frowned immediately and said, "Brother Yuan knows that Lan'er is my only child. If she is really raised in Madam's room—"

Chen Siyuan waved his hand to stop Li Wan from speaking, leaned slightly forward, and lowered his voice, saying, "Sister-in-law didn't understand... I thought that even these idle rumors were probably not directed at you, but rather—"

Chen Siyuan pointed upwards.

Li Wan, intelligent and perceptive, pondered for a moment and then said, "Is it...the old lady?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and nodded, and Li Wan then understood why Chen Siyuan had said "Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you" earlier.

Lady Wang disliked Li Wan and even her own grandson Jia Lan, so why would she suddenly want to raise him in her own room?

Based on Prince Yanping's personal promise? Lady Wang only cherishes Baoyu. If she really wanted to do this, she might as well have secretly killed Jia Lan instead of bringing him to her own room to raise him personally.

This move was clearly imitating Grandmother Jia, raising her grandson in her own room. When this reached Grandmother Jia's ears, what would she think? She couldn't stop her—after all, that's what she did; nor could she not stop her—what if Lady Wang raised Jia Lan astray? He was the Jia family's hope for transformation.

Thus, they were caught in a dilemma, which was tantamount to pointing fingers at Grandmother Jia and cursing her in the street, but Grandmother Jia dared not utter a sound.

Ultimately, it comes down to the different expectations that Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang had for Baoyu.

As for Lady Wang, since she was able to raise Jia Zhu well, she was naturally confident that she could raise Bao Yu well as well. It's just that she probably already deeply resented Grandmother Jia for raising Bao Yu astray; otherwise, if she had personally taught him, he might have been even more outstanding than Jia Zhu.
As far as Grandmother Jia was concerned, the old lady was shrewd and experienced. How could she really believe in that nonsense about being born with a jade in one's mouth? Baoyu was the second son of the second branch of the family. The Rongguo Mansion was inherited by Jia Lian, and the second branch of the family business was inherited by Jia Lan. In any case, it was not Baoyu's turn to inherit the family business.

In that case, what use is Baoyu, the second son of the legitimate wife?

Since he was born with a jade in his mouth, why not take advantage of the situation and raise him in a world of women from a young age, so that he can understand the thoughts of young ladies and find a suitable marriage in the future to make up for the deficit of the Rongguo Mansion!

The conflict between Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang, which started with the custody and marriage rights of Baoyu and eventually led to the control of the Rongguo Mansion, ultimately stemmed from a clash of their differing ideologies.

Having thought it through clearly, Chen Siyuan didn't point it out, but just smiled and nodded, saying, "Sister-in-law, you've just been caught in the crossfire, so there's no need to pay attention to those gossips... Hmm, if you're really worried, why don't you let Lan-ge visit the old lady more often?"

Li Wan's brows immediately relaxed, knowing that it was more effective for Lan'er to say certain things than for her to say them herself.

Li Wan breathed a sigh of relief and felt a little more at ease. Now that she had a clearer understanding of the situation, she stopped thinking about the gossip. However, she still felt awkward around Chen Siyuan.

She couldn't just leave right away, so she patiently changed the subject, saying, "Thanks to Brother Yuan's guidance, otherwise I really wouldn't know what to do."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Sister-in-law is just too caught up in the situation to think clearly. She's just too anxious to consider things properly. Once she thinks it over carefully, she'll definitely figure it out."

Li Wan shook her head and said, "I've always been short-witted, and I'm afraid I won't be able to figure things out afterward." She glanced at those starry eyes, and her heart skipped a beat at their clear gaze. She quickly covered it up and said, "Yes, Lan'er has been planning to go to Brother Yuan's new house to study these past few days... I thought that since all the villains have been brought to justice, it would be fine for Lan'er to go to study now?"

Chen Siyuan said, "To be on the safe side, sister-in-law, why don't you mention it to the old lady? I'm sure she'll make all the necessary arrangements."

Li Wan smiled and agreed. After asking about Chen Siyuan's health, she hurriedly got up to take her leave after drinking a cup of tea.

Chen Siyuan escorted her to the courtyard, watched her hurriedly leave the gate, shook his head inwardly, and then went back into the house with his hands behind his back. Everyone has a love of beauty, and it would be a lie to say that Chen Siyuan wasn't tempted. However, things were different now than before, and he had to weigh the pros and cons.

If Li Wan upsets Baochai and Lin Daiyu, then it would be a loss for them.

After some deliberation, Chen Siyuan felt itchy to do it, but he was also afraid of causing a stir, so in the end he couldn't make up his mind and just thought he would let things take their course.

Now, Li Wan emerged from the thatched cottage, her brows no longer furrowed with worry, and she once again appeared serene. Bi Yue, who was accompanying her, said, "It really is Master Yuan who has a way. Madam was so anxious, but Master Yuan hit the nail on the head in just a few words."

Su Yun also said, "Do you need to tell me? Who doesn't know that Master Yuan is capable?"

Upon hearing this, Li Wan smiled and thought to herself, "Isn't Brother Yuan a capable and competent man? We are a widow and her child, and it is thanks to his repeated care that we are in such a situation now."

Suddenly, Chen Siyuan's face flashed before her eyes, and Li Wan immediately frowned, silently reciting Buddhist scriptures in her heart, and quickly returned to Daoxiang Village.

Seeing that Li Wan was looking worried again, Su Yun and Bi Yue, who were accompanying her, wondered what their mistress was thinking and could only keep quiet and follow closely behind.

When they arrived at Daoxiang Village, Jia Lan ran out to greet them, his brows furrowed as he asked Li Wan, "Mother, what's the story behind Uncle Yuan?"

Li Wan shook her head, indicating that they should go inside to talk.

However, Jia Lan misunderstood and said angrily, "Uncle Yuan can't do anything either? Fine, I'll go and beg the old matriarch. Anyway, I don't want to go to Madam's room!"

Su Yun, who was behind, covered her mouth and laughed, "Young master is indeed a filial son. Grandma's love for him was not in vain."

Biyue said, "Young master, don't worry. Master Yuan has already given his advice and said there's no need to worry."

Jia Lan paused for a moment, then looked up at Li Wan. Seeing Li Wan nod, he silently followed her into Daoxiang Village. Li Wan briefly recounted Chen Siyuan's words, and upon hearing that the matter was not directed at them, mother and son, but at the old lady, Jia Lan immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Upon hearing that he would soon be able to study at Uncle Yuan's new house, Jia Lan's face lit up with joy.

Boys his age are usually very active and playful. Now that he has all his worries gone, he sits for a short while and then goes outside to play.

Su Yun exclaimed, "Grandma, I think the young master is now ambitious and might just be as successful as Uncle Yuan in the future."

Biyue covered her mouth and laughed, "Do you think the young master goes to Master Yuan's new residence just to study? I overheard the servant mention that Master Yuan has set a rule that the young master can play freely after he has memorized his lessons each day. The young master is also very clever, and he can memorize his lessons in half a day each time. So, he can spend the other half of the day playing around."

Li Wan frowned slightly, feeling that indulging Jia Lan like this was somewhat inappropriate. But considering that Chen Siyuan had passed the imperial examination at such a young age, perhaps there was another reason behind it? So she didn't say anything else.

Just then, Xiangling arrived from outside. After Suyun welcomed her inside, Xiangling smiled and said, "Madam left in such a hurry that our master forgot about it for a moment. Today, Miss Bao brought back this month's share of the latex business, and the master only just remembered and hurriedly sent me to deliver it to Madam."

Li Wan asked in surprise, "You're already getting your share of the profits today? Didn't you say that Brother Yuan only took over that business this month?"

Xiangling smiled and said, "I don't really understand either, but I've heard the old man mention something about pre-sales. It's roughly about selling the latex from later months in advance so that you can get a share of the profits."

Li Wan agreed, and when Su Yun handed over the silver notes, Li Wan glanced at them and was immediately filled with mixed feelings. This four hundred taels of silver was equivalent to two years' worth of her monthly salary. Calculating it up, the earnings in just two months were comparable to her annual income; it was indeed a fantastic business.

If you do the math, three or four thousand taels of silver a year, wouldn't you make it back in five years, doubling your earnings?

Once saved up, this sum of money alone would be enough for Lan'er's future expenses.

Coming to her senses, Li Wan got up and invited Xiangling to have some fruit, but Xiangling declined, saying that the Qingtang Thatched Cottage couldn't be left unattended, and hurriedly took her leave.

That night, Li Wan picked up Buddhist scriptures several times, but her mind was always filled with distracting thoughts, and she tossed and turned all night, which I won't go into detail about.

The next day, those gossips indeed reached Grandmother Jia's ears.

After Yuanyang whispered the story, Grandmother Jia frowned and pondered for a while, then suddenly sneered. She had been fighting with her daughter-in-law, Lady Wang, for over thirty years, and had always been able to manipulate her at will. It was only after the Xue family entered the Rongguo Mansion that they were caught off guard.

Now that the old lady was already familiar with Aunt Xue's ways, how could she not see that this was a veiled attack?
After some thought, the old lady realized that this was a difficult situation to handle, but she didn't take the rumors seriously at all. At her age and in her position, she was already a titled lady of the highest rank, so why should she need to explain herself to her daughter-in-law?

Grandmother Jia knew that Lady Wang was ambitious but narrow-minded, and still hadn't seen what kind of person Baoyu was. If he were truly capable, why would Grandmother Jia stop him from making progress?
On the contrary, Lan Ge'er not only knew how to improve himself, but also received a tremendous opportunity.

Just as she was pondering this, the head maid, Amber, replied, "Grandma, Lan-ge'er is here."

Grandmother Jia snapped out of her reverie and exclaimed with delight, "Quickly, bring him in! It's been two days since I last saw him. What has Lan'er been up to these past two days?"

As they were talking, Jia Lan entered Rongqing Hall and respectfully bowed to Grandmother Jia, addressing her as "Grandmother." Grandmother Jia glanced at him and saw that he was composed and mature at such a young age, possessing the wisdom of Jia Zhu but without his arrogance. She immediately realized that Chen Siyuan was right, and the Jia family would truly have to rely on this Lan-ge in the future.

Thinking this, Grandmother Jia immediately smiled broadly and said affectionately, "Alright, alright, Lan'er, please sit down. Why haven't you come to see me these past two days?"

Jia Lan said with distress, "My mother has been urging me to memorize the texts, but I really haven't had the time, which is why I couldn't come."

Grandmother Jia immediately frowned and said, "Your mother is also... How old are you? Even if you want to study hard, there's no reason for you to put in so much effort right now."

Jia Lan said, "Grandmother, I came here to ask you, now that all the thieves have been brought to justice, may I go to Uncle Yuan's new house to study?"

"Oh?"

Jia Lan said shyly, "Grandpa doesn't know, Uncle Yuan has set a rule that as long as I can recite what the teacher teaches me every day, I can play around as I please."

Grandmother Jia immediately smiled and said, "Yes, what were you playing around with?"

At this, Jia Lan immediately perked up, temporarily putting aside Li Wan's instructions, and counted on his fingers, "There are so many! Riding horses, shooting arrows, catching frogs in the pond, catching cicadas in the trees, and sometimes even leading Luan'er to dig for earthworms and fish."

Grandmother Jia nodded in delight, praising, "That's more like it! You're always so gloomy and listless, not like a child at all! Boys should be a bit rough around the edges. Yuan-ge'er's arrangement is just right for balancing work and rest. I bet Lan-ge'er really wants to go!"

Jia Lan nodded repeatedly, looking embarrassed.

Grandmother Jia then said, “In that case, we can continue as before. There’s just one thing: you must take more men with you, lest you be targeted by thieves outside again.”

Then he called Yuanyang and instructed her, "Tell Feng to arrange a few more capable servants to accompany Lan-ge'er starting tomorrow, so that Lan-ge'er can be well protected."

Yuanyang agreed, saying, "I'll go find Second Mistress and explain."

Grandmother Jia smiled and nodded. Seeing Yuanyang walk away quickly, she said to Jia Lan, "Is this arrangement acceptable?"

Jia Lan nodded happily and agreed repeatedly.

Grandmother Jia was even more delighted. Looking at Jia Lan, she could vaguely see a resemblance to the old Duke. She then sent Amber to fetch some rose dew and coaxed Jia Lan to drink a cup. He thoroughly enjoyed being pampered by her side before sending Jia Lan out to play.

In high spirits, Grandmother Jia, out of affection for Yuanyang, couldn't help but think of Chen Siyuan. Seeing Yuanyang return, she asked, "I forgot to ask these past two days... how is Yuan-ge'er feeling?"

Yuanyang replied, "I heard he's much better now and even dares to walk around in the courtyard. However, the hidden arrow had barbs, and Physician Wang said the wound isn't healing well."

Grandmother Jia immediately said with concern, "It's the height of summer, how can this not be good?" After a moment's thought, she suddenly remembered something and asked, "Is there still a jar of aged mustard brine in the mansion?"

Yuanyang, on the other hand, knew the details like the back of her hand. After thinking about it carefully, she laughed and said, "Old Madam must have misremembered. When Master Zhen beat Master Rong, didn't you send someone to deliver that mustard green sauce to him?"

"Oh, right, I completely forgot." Grandmother Jia said with distress, "In that case, when you have time, mention it to Yuan'er that Fayuan Temple has obtained the secret recipe from Tianning Temple and now has aged mustard brine, which is most effective for wound inflammation. If he doesn't get better, you might as well go to Fayuan Temple and ask for a jar of aged mustard brine."

Yuanyang smiled and agreed, saying, "After serving the old lady breakfast, I'll go to Qingtang Thatched Cottage to mention it." Amber, standing to the side, smiled but felt very strange—this old lady has never liked Master Yuan, so why is she suddenly thinking about him now?
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After the hour of Chen (7-9 AM) had passed and the old lady had eaten breakfast, the head maid Yuanyang went to the thatched cottage in Qingtang.

Upon reaching the courtyard, one sees Hongyu leaning on her cane, instructing a maid to tidy up the path in front of the courtyard.

Seeing Yuanyang arrive, Hongyu quickly smiled and said, "Sister Yuanyang, what brings you here?"

Yuanyang said in surprise, "Let's not talk about how I got here... Since you've injured your foot, how can you move around like that?"

Hongyu complained, "I did want to rest, but staying at home meant I was all alone. My parents are busy from morning till night, so they don't have time to take care of me. These past few days, it's only because Wu'er and Jia Hui have had time to come and see me that I haven't gone hungry. Yesterday, I discussed it with my parents, and since it's just a foot injury and it won't interfere with anything else, I came back."

Yuanyang joked, "You must be worried about your husband too, right?"

Although Hongyu blushed, she quickly nodded in agreement and whispered, "With my master like this, I wonder how many vixens in the mansion are eyeing him. So we have to keep a close eye on him."

Yuanyang felt a little envious, so she changed the subject and said, "You keep busy. I have to go back to tell the old lady."

Hongyu agreed and called out inside. Miao'er came to greet her. Yuanyang was taken aback for a moment, then turned her head to glance at Hongyu, wondering to herself if this vixen was referring to Miao'er.
Upon entering, Yuanyang cheerfully relayed Grandmother Jia's instructions, which naturally earned Chen Siyuan's repeated thanks. Not only was Baochai present, but also young Xichun.

Yuanyang exchanged a few words, then got up and headed back to Rongqing Hall without lingering. However, as she left the garden, she overheard the tea server gossiping that, for some reason, the Madam had once again found fault with Aunt Zhao and was now punishing her by making her learn some rules.

Yuanyang shook her head and hurried back to Rongqing Hall.

Meanwhile, back in the thatched cottage, with Yuanyang gone, both Baochai and Xichun were deeply concerned. They had just witnessed Physician Wang change the dressing on the wound, and the wound showed signs of festering, so they were both extremely worried.

Xichun said, "That mustard green brine is extremely useful. When I was a child, I caught a cold with a persistent high fever and cough. I only drank it twice and I felt much better."

Baochai also said, "Tianning Temple's mustard green brine is famous far and wide, I didn't expect that Fayuan Temple would also obtain the secret recipe. Since it works, I will go and ask for it later."

Chen Siyuan had never even heard of that so-called "Chen Mustard Greens Stew," so how could he believe it? Unfortunately, he wasn't a medical student, but he vaguely remembered that during World War I, someone used maggots to eat away the rotten flesh from wounds. But where could he find clean maggots in a short time?
Having no other choice at the moment, Chen Siyuan had no choice but to agree, saying, "In that case, I'll trouble you, sister."

Baochai gave her a reproachful glance, then left without lingering, taking Ying'er with her.

Little Xichun chattered away for a long time around Chen Siyuan, but when the maid came to urge her to go to the three small side rooms in front for her needlework lesson, she immediately pouted and left dejectedly.

As soon as she left, Chen Siyuan was wondering if his cousin Xing Xiuyan would come, but to his surprise, only Zhuan'er came. Zhuan'er entered and pouted, saying, "Yihong Courtyard got some new tea and is showing off by holding a tea party. Our young lady couldn't avoid it, so she had to go to Yihong Courtyard. Even if she could come, it would probably be afternoon. The young lady specially sent me to tell Master Yuan."

Chen Siyuan thought to himself, "Xia Jingui has won over the servants and is now trying to win over her master."

But old habits die hard, and no matter what she does, she can't change her arrogant and willful nature. She can pretend for now, but who knows when she'll be exposed. It's interesting to think about what will happen then.

Zhuan'er left with his head down, thinking there was nothing else to do that day. Xiangling brought a book to read to Chen Siyuan, but Yunxiang from outside said, "Master, the concubine has arrived!"

Aunt Xue is back?

Chen Siyuan landed to greet her, but before he even reached the door of the side room, Aunt Xue had already hurried inside. Upon seeing Chen Siyuan, Aunt Xue's face darkened, and she said, "Why are you out in bed? Quickly lie down and rest."

Before Chen Siyuan could speak, Xiangling chided, "Auntie, please say a few words of advice! My master has been restless these past few days, always on the move. Just now, when Physician Wang came to examine him, his wound was already festering!"

"Oh dear, this is no good!"

After Aunt Xue gave him a few words of advice, Chen Siyuan had no choice but to obediently lie back down on the bed.

After Wu'er brought over a chair, Aunt Xue sat down by the bedside and carefully inquired about Chen Siyuan's situation these past few days. Upon hearing that Baochai had gone to Fayuan Temple to request Chen's mustard greens, Aunt Xue was relieved and said, "So that's how it is. That explains why Tongxi couldn't find Baochai when she went to look for her earlier."

Because of Xia Jingui's matter, Chen Siyuan naturally had questions for Aunt Xue; Aunt Xue felt the same way. However, she couldn't bring herself to say what had happened that day, but she could grumble about other things.

After a while, Aunt Xue made an excuse to discuss business matters with Chen Siyuan and sent all the maids away.

Once only the two of them remained inside, Chen Siyuan asked, "Why have you been going back to the old house these past few days?"

Aunt Xue had no words to express her suffering, and could only frown and say, "What else can I do? It's just about that pawning matter... My sister said that my family takes too much commission, but out of consideration for our sisterhood, I redid the accounts and returned the commission in the end."

Chen Siyuan said in surprise, "Huh? You're quite generous... wait, you didn't say that before, did you?"

Aunt Xue was afraid that Chen Siyuan would discover her secret, so she stared at Chen Siyuan and frowned as she said, "After all, we are sisters. Since she has complained and lowered her head, I can't be ungrateful. Besides, it's only a few thousand taels of silver. Baochai and I will be staying in Rongguo Mansion for several more years. It's not good to ruin our relationship over this."

In reality, Aunt Xue knew that denying it was useless that day, and fearing that it would implicate Chen Siyuan, she simply admitted it silently. Afterwards, she was given a good scolding by Madam Wang.

These two women had been sisters for over thirty years; even if they occasionally schemed against each other, it wouldn't damage their sisterly bond. Aunt Xue was certain that Madam Wang wouldn't expose the matter, and having already offered many benefits, the matter was thus dropped. (IF scenarios are shown in the table, so I won't elaborate here.)
Chen Siyuan considered this to be reasonable and didn't notice anything unusual about Aunt Xue. After discussing this matter, Chen Siyuan said, "By the way, did you teach the Xia family to do those things?"

Aunt Xue asked in surprise, "What did the Xia family do?"

Chen Siyuan then whispered about Xia Jingui's attempt to win people's hearts. Aunt Xue immediately frowned and said, "Although I have dealings with Madam Xia, how could I tell her about this? I'm sure it was either my sister who secretly told the Xia family girl, or Madam Xia who instructed me before she left."

He paused, then added, "Jin Gui has a formidable old woman by her side; it's possible that person gave her the idea."

Having said that, Aunt Xue then asked, "Did Baoyu cause you trouble again yesterday?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "You even know about this?"

Aunt Xue snorted and said, "I just came from my sister's place, how could I not know?"

"Oh? Could it be that Madam found out?"

Aunt Xue said disdainfully, "With a mother who has no good intentions, it's no wonder she gave birth to a bad child! That whole thing was Huan Laosan's way of putting Baoyu in a difficult position!"

Chen Siyuan was speechless for a while, thinking to himself that Aunt Zhao still knew something of value, and even though he was injured, she still brought a lot of food... Although she was tricked by the kitchen, at least she did her best, right? Looking at Jia Huan, he was really not even as good as Aunt Zhao.

When he was criticizing Baoyu, did he ever think he would end up selling himself out?

Aunt Xue added, "Right now, my sister has found fault with Aunt Zhao and is punishing her by making her learn some manners. Once Huan Laosan finishes school, he'll be in for a good time!"

Chen Siyuan couldn't be bothered with the dogfighting. Aunt Xue showed some concern, but knowing it wasn't good to stay any longer, she hurriedly took her leave.

That afternoon, Sister Bao returned home dejectedly.

Upon entering, he couldn't help but feel annoyed, saying, "Those monks at Fayuan Temple are really unreasonable! I begged them and even gave them 500 catties of sesame oil, but the abbot said that the mustard green brine is only for those with Buddhist affinity, and that he would have to see me before deciding whether to give it to me or not."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Those big monks are good at pretending to be gods and ghosts. Since he won't give it to us, we don't need to beg for it."

Sister Bao gritted her teeth for a moment, then shook her head and said, "I still insist. That mustard green brine is very effective for wounds. Who knows, you might be completely healed after using it a few times?"

"It actually worked?"

Baojie rolled her eyes at her and then went on to explain how to make the mustard greens brine.

When Chen Siyuan heard that "sun exposure and night dew caused the mustard greens to mold and grow green mold that was three or four inches long," he was immediately horrified.

He thought to himself, "Isn't this penicillin? Good heavens, so penicillin was already available at this time!" As for dissolving it in the brine later, Chen Siyuan thought it was completely unnecessary.

Why not just dissolve all the penicillin in the brine? No, it seems not all penicillin is non-toxic? The monk dissolved all the penicillin in the brine, seemingly to dilute it? In this way, although the efficacy is lower, the toxicity is naturally also lower.

Chen Siyuan's thoughts wandered again, wondering if he could select a Penicillium strain, cultivate it carefully, and eventually produce real penicillin.

It seems I should make a trip to Fayuan Temple myself.

So he agreed, "Alright, if it doesn't get better in a couple of days, then I'll go to Fayuan Temple."

Baochai breathed a sigh of relief, her face showing considerable satisfaction, which immediately made Chen Siyuan both amused and exasperated. At this moment, Baochai was acting more like a senior wife than a senior sister.

Just as Chen Siyuan's wicked thoughts were beginning to stir, a maidservant outside reported, "Miss Lin has arrived!"

As they were talking, Xueyan lifted the beaded curtain, and Daiyu stepped inside. She glanced up at the side room and immediately said with a smile, "Oh dear, I've come at an inopportune time."

Sister Bao immediately retorted angrily, "Lin girl, if you keep talking nonsense, I'll tear your mouth off!"

Daiyu immediately covered her mouth and giggled. After entering and meeting Chen Siyuan, she didn't waste any words and said, "I heard that Brother Yuan's wound has become infected and Physician Wang was at a loss, so he consulted medical books. Surprisingly, he found a prescription, but I don't know if it will work."

As they were talking, a piece of paper was handed over. Baochai glanced at it, looking quite surprised, and then handed it to Chen Siyuan to look at.

Chen Siyuan saw that the delicate handwriting on it read: "One ounce of white sugar, one mace of borneol. Fry the white sugar in a clay pot until it turns black and forms a block, then add borneol, grind it into a fine powder, mix it with sesame oil, and apply it to the wound."

Chen Siyuan pondered, was this a way to seal the wound with white sugar and speed up healing? But now it had become infected and it was too late.

He didn't say anything at the moment, but simply smiled and thanked Daiyu. Just then, Suyun came to deliver a food box. After asking a few questions inside, she frowned and turned back upon hearing that Chen Siyuan's wound had become infected.

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Daoxiangcun.

Li Wan had just finished instructing her three younger sisters-in-law, and now she was dressed in simple clothes and wearing a plain hairpin, weeding in the fields. There were Buddhist scriptures in a bamboo basket by the edge of the field. Li Wan was weeding idly, glancing at the scriptures every now and then.

Just then, Su Yun returned, and Li Wan finally came to her senses, asking, "Did you send the food box? How was Brother Yuan's day?"

Su Yun said with a sullen face, "Grandma, it seems that Master Yuan is not doing well. I heard that his wound seems to have become infected, and even Physician Wang is helpless."

"Ah?" Li Wan was immediately worried. She frowned and thought for a moment before saying, "Isn't there still some mustard greens in the mansion? I'll go and ask the old lady for some."

Su Yun quickly pulled Li Wan aside and said, "Grandma, you must have forgotten. The last time Master Rong was beaten, the old lady sent that jar over."

Li Wan was immediately distressed. After thinking for a while, she said, "It all started because of Lan'er. Now that Brother Yuan is suffering, how can I stand aside? I will go and ask the old lady for help later. It just so happens that Lan'er's birthday is coming soon. I will go to Fayuan Temple to make a request."

Suyun and Biyue exchanged a glance. Like master, like maid. Knowing that Li Wan was determined and wouldn't change her mind, they didn't try to persuade her. They simply followed Li Wan as she weeded and helped her change her clothes before heading to Rongqing Hall.

Once inside, Li Wan found a moment to plead with Grandmother Jia.

Grandmother Jia then said, "The rules of Fayuan Temple are strange. The jar we had before was obtained by Master three years ago. I wanted to ask Master to go and ask for it again, but Master has been too busy with official duties lately and really doesn't have the time."

Li Wan said, "Grandma, it's all because of Lan'er, I can't just ignore it. Please allow me to go to Fayuan Temple to plead for help."

Grandmother Jia then said, "Alright, I'll send a few more people to accompany you the day after tomorrow, and you can go on the trip yourself."

(End of this chapter)