Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 281 Hidden in the Heart

The Buddha appears when the flower blooms!

Chen Siyuan was partially hidden behind the jade Buddha. He was tall and straight, his face slightly haggard, yet a smile played on his lips. His bright, starry eyes looked at her, piercing Li Wan's heart like a knife.

Li Wan's heart pounded wildly, and she stared intently at Chen Siyuan, completely forgetting where she was and what time it was.

She married into the Rongguo Mansion in her early years, but only lived as husband and wife with Jia Zhu for a few years. After that, Jia Zhu became unrestrained and indulged in women, rarely visiting Li Wan's room. Moreover, because of a maidservant of the mistress, she was severely beaten by the master Jia Zheng in the winter, and unexpectedly fell ill and died after several months on her sickbed.

At that time, Li Wan had no time to grieve, she only carefully took care of Jia Lan. From then on, the orphan and the widow depended on each other for survival, and after a few years, she became the 'withered and lifeless' eldest mistress of the mansion.

Because of her frequent interactions with Chen Siyuan these days, Li Wan's once dormant heart had become more active. Now, after experiencing such a situation, her heart began to pound, completely disregarding all worldly taboos.

Amidst the commotion outside, Chen Siyuan nodded slightly to Li Wan and then drifted away.

Seeing that the figure had disappeared without a trace, Li Wan felt a sense of loss. Just as she came to her senses, Su Yun and Bi Yue ran in excitedly, tugging at Li Wan's arms and shouting, "Grandma really has a connection with Buddhism! Now we can get Chen's mustard greens brine!"

Li Wan smiled, but her mind was in turmoil. She glanced at the jade Buddha seated on the lotus platform and immediately felt disdain. Chen Siyuan's words resurfaced in her mind: "Seeking help from gods and Buddhas is not as good as relying on oneself—"

Yes, those gods and Buddhas are nothing but clay and wood carvings, how can they compare to Brother Yuan?
Just then, a young novice monk arrived, puzzled. He glanced at the blooming lotus petals, then looked behind the jade Buddha a few more times, and immediately scratched his head. Judging from the size of the water tank, the lotus should not have bloomed and revealed the Buddha until the afternoon. The young novice monk couldn't understand how something had gone wrong.

A short while later, another novice monk brought Zen Master Zhishan to the temple. Zen Master Zhishan remained calm and composed, only saying that his cultivation was too shallow and he had misjudged the situation. Since it was the Buddha's will, Fayuan Temple would fulfill any request Li Wan had.

Li Wan then asked for a jar of aged mustard green brine. She secretly wondered whether the brine was something she had asked for herself, or something her brother Yuan had obtained on his own…

For a moment, she couldn't quite make sense of it, but she couldn't hide the smile on her face. Regardless of how she acquired it, surely Brother Yuan's injuries could finally be healed?

Meanwhile, Chen Siyuan quietly slipped out from the back hall. The little novice monk Yuan Kong, who had been anxiously pacing around, rushed up to Chen Siyuan and cried out in distress, "Young master, where have you been?"

Chen Siyuan casually made up a story: "Didn't you hear?" He pointed behind him and said, "Someone has appeared with a flower in bloom, so I'm going to go and see what's going on."

The young novice monk said with a stern face, "This is not appropriate. What if we offend the female devotee?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "The Buddha appears when the flowers bloom. The main hall is full of people now. One more or one less makes no difference."

The young novice thought about it and realized it made sense, so he stopped arguing about it. After asking Chen Siyuan, who had indeed collected penicillium, the young novice led Chen Siyuan back.

Chen Siyuan paced back and forth, feeling weaker than ever before. He tightened his grip on the brocade box in his sleeve and carefully recalled his memories of his past life. This penicillium mold contained too many impurities; he dared not even apply it to his wounds, let alone take it orally. He needed to find a way to purify it first.

Upon returning to the guest courtyard, he saw Xiangling scolding the servant Qingyu. When Qingyu saw Chen Siyuan return, he hurriedly ran up and said, "Master, I just saw Steward Pang and went up to talk to him for a while. I then learned that the eldest mistress also came to Fayuan Temple today, only about half an hour after you."

Chen Siyuan feigned surprise and said, "Oh? Is that so?"

Qingyu immediately began to speak animatedly, spitting as he went, when a servant rushed in, shouting, "Great news! The eldest mistress has appeared out of nowhere and has already obtained that mustard green brine!"

Xiangling, Wu'er, and the others all exclaimed in surprise, their faces beaming with joy.

Everyone congratulated Chen Siyuan and praised the good fortune of his wife, Li Wan. After returning to his meditation room and taking his seat, Chen Siyuan listened with a smile, but Li Wan's affectionate peach blossom eyes kept appearing in his mind's eye.

The guest house was divided into about ten small courtyards. Although they were all in the same place, they never met. After a while, Su Yun came in carrying a jar of aged mustard greens brine. She went inside and happily said to Chen Siyuan, "Uncle Yuan, our grandma got her wish on the first try. We finally have this aged mustard greens brine."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said gratefully, "Thank you for your trouble, Sister Lao and Sister-in-law."

Su Yun smiled and said, "That's quite a coincidence. That's exactly what our grandmother said."

Chen Siyuan laughed and thanked her again. Suyun said, "Our grandma can't stand the heat, so she has to go back now. She asked me to ask Uncle Yuan for her permission."

Chen Siyuan knew exactly what Li Wan meant, so he said, "I am not strong enough right now, so please go back first, sister-in-law, and I will return shortly."

Su Yun smiled and agreed, then took her leave.

As soon as Su Yun left, Xiang Ling and Wu'er stepped forward with concerned expressions and asked, "Master, what's wrong?"

Chen Siyuan mumbled, "I'm just a little weak, I'll be fine after resting for a while."

Wu'er was about to ask more questions when Xiangling suddenly remembered something and quickly stopped Wu'er from speaking. She then helped Chen Siyuan lie down to rest and went to the outer room to keep watch.

On the other hand, Li Wan received a reply, and she couldn't quite describe the feeling in her heart. She was no longer a young lady confined to her chambers, so how could she not understand Chen Siyuan's gaze?

She had just borrowed Buddhist scriptures from the meditation room, but no matter how many times she turned them, she couldn't concentrate on reading them. The smiling face of Chen Siyuan kept flashing through her mind. Li Wan had been reckless just moments before, but now she was filled with anxiety and unease, feeling as if she had violated moral principles. In her anxiety, she truly didn't know what to do.

Upon hearing Su Yun's reply, Li Wan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She thought to herself, "This is for the best. Although we both know what's going on, our feelings remain within the bounds of propriety. Besides, Brother Yuan has a bright future ahead of him; he's already engaged to Lin Daiyu and Baochai. I anticipate that once he's married in a few years, he'll give up on the idea, and I'll gradually forget about it too..."

Without hesitation, Li Wan ordered a carriage to be prepared and then got up to return to the Rongguo Mansion.

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In the meditation room, Chen Siyuan rested for an hour or so, and his spirits improved slightly before he got up and returned to the Rongguo Mansion.

The carriage rumbled along, and Xiangling served him closely. Seeing that pus and blood were seeping from his left shoulder again, she frowned and said, "Master, why don't you use that mustard green brine right away? Maybe it will get better tomorrow?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "I have my own plans."

Xiangling then said, "Then, why don't we change into another set of clothes?"

"Forget it, even if we change it now, it'll probably be dirty by the time we get home. Let's save the trouble."

Xiangling sighed and agreed, still deeply worried. Suddenly the carriage stopped, and Chen Siyuan lifted the curtain to look ahead. He saw a carriage stopped in the middle of the road, with a beggar child in front of it clutching his legs, wailing and rolling around.

They were already close to Ningrong Street when Chen Siyuan noticed that the carriage looked very similar to the Rongguo Mansion's carriages. He immediately called Qingyu over and instructed him, "Go and take a look ahead."

Qingyu agreed and had just turned to leave when Chen Siyuan saw several thugs surround the carriage. With a lift of the curtain, a young nun with hair still attached started chattering and arguing with the thugs.

Wu'er, standing to the side, remarked, "Doesn't he look just like Qingfan, who serves Master Miaoyu?"

Chen Siyuan asked in surprise, "You recognize it?"

Wu'er said, "It's just across the Jade Emperor Temple. We'll bump into each other every now and then, so how come we recognize each other?"

Chen Siyuan nodded, and Wu'er said worriedly, "Master, it seems that Master Miaoyu is being harassed by some thugs. Shouldn't you do something about it?"

Xiangling then said, "Master is still recovering from his injuries, how can he care about so many things? I think it would be better to take a detour and turn back as soon as possible, and then tell the person in charge."

Chen Siyuan smiled and nodded, clearly agreeing with Xiangling's words. He, Chen Siyuan, wasn't a sycophant; Miaoyu hadn't given him a friendly look to begin with, so why should he rush over to her?

He was about to give instructions to the driver when he suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure, and a playful expression immediately appeared on his face. Seeing the man storm off, he couldn't help but chuckle, "No rush, there's going to be some fun!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the man pushed through the crowd, brandishing his pair of swords, and stepped forward, shouting, "In broad daylight, under the clear sky, do you think I don't know what you villains are up to? If you know what's good for you, disperse quickly, or you'll have to ask the sword in my hand if it will allow it!"

The thug glanced at him and immediately sneered, "Where did this gentleman come from who dares to talk big in the street? Come, come, let me see what you're capable of!"

The woman carrying the Mandarin Duck Swords had a fair complexion, red lips, sword-like eyebrows, and a delicate nose. She was even more beautiful than most girls. She was none other than Liu Xianglian, whom Chen Siyuan had met once before.

Upon hearing this, Liu Xianglian immediately roared in anger, "You scoundrel! Today I'll show you what I'm capable of!"

As soon as he finished speaking, without drawing his sword, he used only the scabbard to meet the enemy. In an instant, the scabbard flew, and the group of thugs fell to the ground crying for their parents. The beggar who had been rolling around clutching his leg saw that things were not going well, got up, and disappeared into the alley.

Liu Xianglian was about to give chase when he heard Miaoyu inside the carriage say, "Young master, don't pursue a desperate enemy!"

Liu Xianglian, holding his sword, bowed to the inside and asked, "Have I disturbed the young lady?"

Miaoyu simply replied, "No."

Liu Xianglian nodded, kicked the leader of the thugs again, and said, "In that case, I'll take my leave."

He turned and left gracefully, but after only a few steps, Qingfan lifted the curtain and asked, "Please, young master, leave your esteemed name!"

Liu Xianglian stamped his foot, turned around, and laughed heartily, saying, "My humble name is nothing to boast about. We'll meet again if fate allows. Goodbye!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Xianglian indeed drifted away.

Seeing him leave, the few green-skinned thugs on the ground quickly got up and slunk away. The surrounding people pointed and whispered, and one busybody exclaimed, "Well done, Leng Erlang!"

Someone asked, "Brother, do you know that handsome young man?"

A busybody exclaimed, "This is the second son of the Liu family, named Liu Xianglian."

The man then said, "Oh, it's him—"

These words were spoken without being spoken, and the carriage entered. Miaoyu inside was lost in thought. In a short while, the carriage continued on its way.

Chen Siyuan watched with great interest, and Wu'er said from the side, "So that person was Leng Erlang."

Xiangling asked, "You know that too, little sister?"

Wu'er said, "I heard from the maids in the manor that the man often came to the manor looking for the Second Master's treasure, and they all praised his good looks. But now that I've seen him, he's just ordinary... Compared to the First Master, he's a bit too effeminate."

Chen Siyuan thoroughly enjoyed it and burst into laughter.

Wu'er then said, "Why did you say there was a good show to watch, sir? It's just about standing up for the weak, there's nothing else going on."

Chen Siyuan sneered, "It's because you're not very clever. If you were a little more clever, how could you have been fooled by Leng Erlang?"

Xiangling blinked, seemingly lost in thought, and said, "Master, are you saying... that Liu Xianglian was just putting on an act this time?"

Chen Siyuan said, "Those thugs seem ruthless, but they attack one by one. Why don't they attack them all at once?"

Xiangling and Wu'er thought about it and agreed. Xiangling said, "So, the one who revealed Liu Xianglian's background earlier... was also in cahoots with him?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Otherwise, how can Leng Erlang's carefree spirit be highlighted?"

Wu'er asked in surprise, "But what is he after?"

Chen Siyuan shook his head without speaking, already understanding. He guessed that Baoyu must have mentioned Miaoyu to Liu Xianglian and praised her elegance. Little did he know that to those with discerning ears, Miaoyu was hardly an elegant nun; she was clearly a walking goddess of wealth!

If Liu Xianglian were to marry such a nun, he would no longer have to worry about food, clothing, or other necessities. Moreover, Miaoyu is beautiful; even if he couldn't marry her, it wouldn't be a loss to at least have a taste of her beauty.

There was no further conversation on the way, and soon they entered the Rongguo Mansion through the side gate. Chen Siyuan was too lazy to pay attention to Miaoyu, and waited in the carriage for a long time. After the two of them entered through the side gate, he was helped down from the carriage by Xiangling and Wu'er.

Dongmei was going back to the new house to deliver the news, so she handed the jar to Xiangling and returned home. The three of them, mistress and servant, strolled back towards the thatched cottage in the main hall, only to bump into Fengjie as soon as they entered the side gate.

After the two had met, Chen Siyuan said apologetically, "Because my injuries have not yet healed, I have been a burden on my second sister-in-law's business."

Sister Feng immediately scolded, "Brother Yuan, what are you saying? Even if that business is important, can it be more important than your life? Besides, we can just send someone to check on that workshop outside the city. By the way, Brother Yuan, this time—"

Upon catching sight of the jar in Xiangling's hand, Fengjie exclaimed with delight, "Oh, did you manage to get it back?"

Xiangling laughed and said, "It's quite a coincidence. I didn't expect that Madam would also go to Fayuan Temple. Our master met with Zen Master Zhishan, but the Zen Master only said that there was no affinity. Who knew that Madam would actually get her wish and finally obtain this mustard green brine." Fengjie then laughed and said, "That's wonderful. I was thinking that if Brother Yuan returned empty-handed this time, I would send him the Western medicine that your second brother got from the foreign monk."

Chen Siyuan asked in surprise, "Western medicine?"

Sister Feng pondered, “The foreign monk said it was called something like calomel. Doctor Wang examined it and said it was just some light powder. Although it works for the symptoms, it will cause endless trouble.”

Chen Siyuan was startled. It was called calomel, so it must be a mercury compound? How could he dare to eat such a thing?
He showed no outward expression, thanked Sister Feng, and then slowly walked towards the thatched cottage.

Upon returning to the thatched cottage in Deqing Hall, Hongyu, leaning on her cane, inquired about the situation. When she caught sight of the jar in Xiangling's hand, she immediately bowed and thanked everyone, saying "Amitabha."

Xiangling and Wu'er helped Chen Siyuan change his clothes and carefully bandaged his wound. Then Xueyan came over first, asked about the details, and left happily. Then Baochai came with Ying'er, who was carrying a food box.

Upon entering, she glanced inside and saw that Chen Siyuan was barely clothed. Baochai immediately turned her head away, blushing with embarrassment.

So he stood outside the side room and said, "I just heard Xueyan say that you really did get Chen's mustard brine this time?"

Chen Siyuan said, "It was obtained by my sister-in-law."

Sister Bao breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Thank God, we finally got what we asked for. I'll go and fetch Physician Wang right away. We must make sure you take the medicine."

“Sister, you’re not in a hurry,” Chen Siyuan said. “I have other ideas on my mind and I need your help.”

Baochai was very surprised, and asked with concern, "Putting that aside, you went out early this morning without bringing any snacks. Are you hungry now? I just sent Ying'er to fetch some snacks. Why don't you have some to eat first?"

"Alright."

Upon hearing this, Baochai gave Ying'er a look, intending for Ying'er to hand the food box to Wu'er. However, Wu'er took the food box and went straight inside. When she caught sight of Chen Siyuan, who was shirtless with a bandage wrapped around his shoulder, she blushed with embarrassment.

As Baochai's personal maid, she naturally knew that mistress and servant were of one mind. If Baochai got married and became unwell or pregnant, she would have to take over the bedroom duties.

Ying'er initially looked down on Chen Siyuan, considering him a poor, pedantic scholar. But after Chen Siyuan passed the imperial examination and became a successful candidate in the provincial examination, and with his physique improving and his appearance becoming more handsome and dashing, Ying'er's opinion of him naturally changed.

Afterwards, her young mistress secretly pledged her life to him, so Ying'er didn't think about anything else and just waited to become his concubine. At that moment, she caught a glimpse of Chen Siyuan's bare upper body, and blushed as soon as she glanced at him, but she couldn't help but secretly steal glances at him again.

Xiangling didn't take it seriously, but Wu'er inside was displeased. So she stepped forward without making a sound to block Ying'er's view, and took the food box, saying, "I'll do it."

Ying'er mumbled her agreement, and when she came out of the small room, she saw that Baochai's expression was not good, so she stuck out her tongue.

After a short while, Chen Siyuan changed his clothes, and then Baochai entered the room. She chatted with him about the day's events, and seeing that Chen Siyuan had eaten two horseshoe-shaped pastries, she asked, "What do you need me to do?"

Chen Siyuan reached out and grabbed the brocade box from the bedside, pulled it open to reveal green velvet inside, and said, "This is it. I thought it wasn't pure enough, which is why it's poisonous."

Baochai asked in surprise, "Then how can it become pure?"

"On the way back, I thought about it and realized that I had to dissolve it in distilled water and then boil it dry. I thought that the resulting material would be a bit purer."

Baochai didn't know what distilled water was, so Chen Siyuan explained it to her again. Baochai was very concerned about Chen Siyuan, fearing that he might die from his injuries. After hearing the explanation clearly, she hurriedly sent Ying'er to find a servant and a blacksmith shop outside to make various items immediately.

As the saying goes, "money makes the world go round," so the generous reward was thrown out, and by evening the servant had returned with the items.

Baochai was still worried, so she personally supervised the maids to boil water and found a glass cup to catch the distilled water dripping from the tin pipe.

Afterwards, the penicillium was dissolved in water and repeatedly heated until it was boiled dry.

It wasn't until nightfall that the mold in the brocade box was boiled down into a thin layer of yellowish-white powder, about the size of a fingernail.

Chen Siyuan scratched his head, wondering why penicillin was yellowish-white.

It was obvious without asking that there were still impurities inside, but Chen Siyuan's wound was infected and he couldn't wait any longer, and he didn't know how to further purify it.

Fearing he might die from an allergic reaction, Chen Siyuan instructed Xiangling to fetch an embroidery needle. He first soaked it in strong liquor, then burned it, before picking out a few specks of powder to prick the skin on his arm. After waiting a full half hour and seeing no abnormalities on his arm, he divided the powder into three portions and ate one portion first.

Whether it was due to his weak constitution or because the mold was indeed impure, Chen Siyuan felt extremely tired after using it and fell into a deep sleep without even taking it later.

After giving Xiangling and the others careful instructions, Sister Bao returned to Hengwu Garden with trepidation.

As soon as Baochai left, Madam Xing rushed over in a hurry. She also questioned Xiangling at length before sitting for a while before leaving.

After Madam Xing, Su Yun sent over a food box, but I won't go into details.

Perhaps it was good fortune, but Chen Siyuan slept soundly all night and did not develop a fever again. Xiangling and Wu'er took turns keeping watch over him all night, and were overjoyed when dawn broke.

Chen Siyuan moved around a bit and saw that there was nothing wrong with him, so he felt relieved and took the remaining two doses in several portions.

In just a few days, the pus on his shoulder had completely healed and the wound had scabbed over. Doctor Wang examined him twice and praised the mustard green brine highly, completely unaware that Chen Siyuan had never used that damn mustard green brine.

From Madam Xing and Aunt Xue to Lin Daiyu, Baochai, Xing Xiuyan, and even the three sisters and Xiangling, everyone smiled and breathed a sigh of relief.

Li Wan, however, never came to Qingtang Thatched Cottage. She usually sent Suyun to deliver food boxes twice a day. But when she heard that Chen Siyuan had indeed recovered, she stopped sending food boxes altogether the next day.

Chen Siyuan wanted to see Li Wan, but everyone was watching him closely. However, since he had come out from behind the Jade Buddha that day, he had no intention of going back. As for his relationship with Li Wan, he would wait until she recovered before making a decision.

Unexpectedly, when Jia Lan returned home from school that day and visited Chen Siyuan, she said, "Uncle Yuan is much better now! Otherwise, Mother would probably still be reciting Buddhist scriptures to pray for Uncle Yuan."

Xiangling and the others praised Li Wan for being grateful, but Chen Siyuan seemed to be lost in thought... Was Li Wan simply reading Buddhist scriptures at night just to pray for herself?
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When Jia Lan returned to Daoxiang Village that day, Li Wan naturally sought him out to inquire about his whereabouts. Only after Jia Lan recounted everything did Li Wan feel relieved.

Seeing that Jia Lan was restless again, Li Wan said, "Alright, since your Uncle Yuan has already given instructions, I won't say anything more. But it's not good to let your mind wander."

Jia Lan readily agreed, then turned and ran out in a flash.

Looking at her son's mischievous appearance, Li Wan frowned and shook her head.

Just then, Suyun entered and said, "Grandma, the books have all been dried. I need to ask you how to put them away."

Li Wan was the only daughter of Li Shouzhong. Born into a scholarly family, her dowry naturally included many books, plus the ones left by her deceased husband Jia Zhu. There were probably a couple hundred books in total, which she would air out every year.

Because the bookshelves couldn't hold them all, some items had to be put into boxes and cages, so she got up and came out to personally guide them.

As the books were being put away one by one, Biyue suddenly picked up the Diamond Sutra and asked, "Grandma, should we leave these two Buddhist scriptures outside or put them away in the box?"

Looking at the Buddhist scriptures, Li Wan immediately thought of Chen Siyuan standing proudly behind the jade Buddha. A smile appeared on her face as she said, "It's better to rely on yourself than to pray to gods and Buddhas. Let's put these Buddhist scriptures away."

Biyue was puzzled. She exchanged a glance with Suyun. Although she was confused, she still followed Li Wan's instructions and put the Buddhist scriptures into the box.

Li Wan then went inside and instructed two maids to arrange the books neatly before going to rest in a side room. Su Yun and Bi Yue came out directly, and Bi Yue said, "Last time when the flowers bloomed and the Buddha appeared, even Zen Master Zhi Shan praised you for your deep affinity with Buddhism. Why have you changed your mind now?"

Su Yun was also puzzled, shook her head, and then smiled and said, "Who knows what Grandma is thinking? But these past few days, Grandma has been smiling, which is always a good thing."

Biyue then said, "Perhaps it's because Lan-ge'er has made progress recently. Yesterday, even the master praised Lan-ge'er as the Jia family's unicorn."

The two maids chatted and laughed as they went to tend the fields, which goes without saying.

Meanwhile, Li Wanxian sat on the bed, slowly and absentmindedly embroidering a handkerchief. When she finished embroidering a green bamboo, she suddenly remembered that she had left her old handkerchief in the thatched cottage in Qingtang in a moment of panic.

Li Wan blushed slightly, her peach blossom eyes suddenly becoming lively. She thought to herself, "Brother Yuan hasn't returned it to this day, so he must have been hiding it secretly… How embarrassing!"

The Jia family was a prominent and wealthy family, and the Li family was a scholarly family. Both of these factors compelled Li Wan to become a virtuous widow. From then on, she dressed simply, lived a frugal life, was respectful to her elders, kind to her younger siblings, and strictly disciplined Lan Ge'er.

If that were all, Li Wan would only feel a little lonely, but with Lan Ge'er by her side, she wouldn't be too miserable. However, her mother-in-law, Lady Wang, treated her with great dislike, and her sister-in-law, Feng Jie, was extremely wary of her. With the two of them working together, how many hardships and obstacles had she faced over the years?
Li Wan silently endured, hoping only to raise Lan Ge'er to adulthood and one day achieve success in the imperial examinations, so that she could finally vent her anger. From then on, her heart became as still as water, and she grew increasingly like a withered tree.

She was still young, not much older than Sister Feng. When she was a young lady, she was also a refined and elegant young lady, skilled in poetry and literature and fond of playing around. How could she have been so indifferent to worldly affairs?
I'll live out the rest of my life here, waiting for Lan Ge to become successful before I can change my way of life a little. But by chance, due to my repeated interactions with Brother Yuan, I've developed feelings that I shouldn't have. And Brother Yuan is exactly the same!
Li Wan was initially terrified, then tried to escape, but when they unexpectedly met in the Jade Buddha Hall that day, she knew she had no way to avoid it. Buddhist scriptures could no longer suppress her thoughts; she hesitated, but looking back, she was astonished to find that her heart, which should have died long ago, had been revived because of her brother.

Li Wan was both uneasy and extremely fond of this lively atmosphere, like a withered tree sprouting new branches, and she was extremely reluctant to give it up. After some thought, she finally made up her mind—to act according to propriety and follow the rules of etiquette. She knew that she was destined to be separated from her distant brother in this life, so it would be better to remain confidants without ever meeting him.

Remembering how Yuan-xiong recovered so well thanks to that jar of aged mustard greens, Li Wan smiled. Forgetting about the lost handkerchief, she hummed a childhood tune and began embroidering the handkerchief stitch by stitch.

A commotion broke out outside, and soon Suyun entered, saying, "Grandma, judging by the time, it's time to go to the old lady's place."

If it weren't for Grandmother Jia's care, Li Wan and her son would probably be in even more difficult circumstances now. Therefore, Li Wan dared not neglect her duties. She responded and put away her needlework, got up and changed into plain clothes, and led her maid to Rongqing Hall.

After a short while, they turned from the back of Rongqing Hall to the front and entered the room. They heard laughter coming from inside. Grandmother Jia pointed at Feng Jie and said, "I knew Feng Jie was a joker. I don't know where she heard the story and is trying to fool this old woman!"

Sister Feng retorted, "It's absolutely true. If you don't believe me, Grandmother, just send someone to the Wang family in Jinling to find out."

Grandmother Jia laughed and said, "You think I wouldn't dare? Tomorrow I'll send Lai Da with some men to Jinling to gather information."

Sister Feng feigned surprise and quickly waved her handkerchief, pleading, "Oh dear, the old lady is being serious again. Never mind, it's all just my fabricated stories. There's no need to send someone two thousand miles away just for this."

Grandmother Jia slapped her thigh and laughed loudly again.

Li Wan entered, greeted everyone, and then obediently sat down at the lower end of the west side.

Seeing her mother-in-law, Madam Wang, scrutinizing her, Li Wan quickly lowered her head and remained silent.

After Grandmother Jia finished laughing, Lady Wang asked, "Zhu'er's wife, how has Lan'er been these past few days?"

Li Wan was puzzled and quickly replied, "Reporting to Madam, Lan'er is doing well, and he has made some progress in his studies these past few days."

Madam Wang smiled and said, "That's right. I heard from the master that Lan'er's talent is no less than Zhu'er's. It's clear that the son resembles the father. If he is properly raised, he might bring glory to the family in the future."

As soon as she finished speaking, Aunt Xue chimed in with a couple of words, and then Sister Feng and Grandmother Jia both praised Jia Lan highly.

Li Wan looked at Madam Wang and felt a sense of unease. Then she heard Madam Wang say with a smile, "Lan-ge'er goes to and from Yuan-ge'er's new residence every day. Although the journey is not far, Lan-ge'er is still young, and I see that he is quite frail. It's alright now that it's hot, but I'm afraid it won't be good when the coldest days of winter come."

"

He turned to Grandmother Jia and said, “Grandmother, if you agree with me, why don’t we invite that teacher into the house? That way, we can save Lan’er from the trouble of working so hard.”

Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "What Madam says makes sense."

Madam Wang added, "There is one more thing I need to tell the old lady."

"Oh?"

Lady Wang said with a smile, "I don't know which good-for-nothing spread this nonsense, saying that I only care about Baoyu and have forgotten about my own grandson Lan'er. When I first heard this, I was naturally angry for a long time, but after thinking about it, there is some truth to it."

The old lady knows that Baoyu is a troublemaker, always causing trouble every few days, which makes me worry about him constantly. Now that he's getting older, he seems a bit more settled, so I'm thinking of bringing Lan'er to my room to raise him for a while.”

Li Wan frowned and looked up at Madam Wang, but Madam Wang only stared at Grandmother Jia. Li Wan then turned to look at Grandmother Jia with sorrow, but although Grandmother Jia's smile was stiff, she could not speak for a long time.

(End of this chapter)