Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 285 Bee and Butterfly Love
Lost in thought, Madam Wang returned to her own courtyard. As she entered, she saw Aunt Zhao and Jia Huan exchanging words. When they saw Madam Wang glancing over, Aunt Zhao and Jia Huan froze, quickly offering awkward smiles and greeting her.

With a mountain of worries on her mind, Madam Wang had no time to discipline the mother and son. She simply snorted and returned to the main room.

As soon as they sat down, Madam Wang called to Yu Chuan'er and instructed her, "Go to the back and see if Jin Gui is free, have her come to my place."

Yu Chuan agreed and turned to go find Xia Jingui. But as soon as she stepped out of the room, she saw Tan Xin leading Feng Jie and Ping'er in.

Yu Chuan hurriedly relayed the message: "Madam, Second Mistress has arrived."

Caixia's family was sent to the estate, and her elder sister Jinchuan went to Madam's silk shop. Madam Wang only had two head maids by her side, and Caiyun was still a servant born into the household. Madam Wang had no choice but to trust Yuchuan even more.

In comparison, Yu Chuan'er is now just like Yuan Yang, the old lady's head maid. Yu Chuan'er can distinguish between what is important and what is urgent, and she is not in a hurry to find Xia Jingui. Instead, she quickly leads Feng Jie'er and her party inside.

Madam Wang smiled and said, "Now that Feng'er is in charge of the household, why is she still coming here to see me?"

Sister Feng waved her handkerchief and laughed, "Oh dear, Madam, I can't accept such a title. What do you mean by managing the household? At my age, I can manage to meddle in other people's business, but when it comes to dealing with the ladies of the court, I need Madam to step in to keep things in order."

The old lady only said that because she saw her daughter-in-law was overworked. If I were to say, "From now on, if I'm unsure about something, I'll ask more often, what's the difference between that and before?"

As she spoke, she smiled and sat down at the head of the table. Just then, Yu Chuan brought over a teacup. Feng Jie took it, sipped it, and said, "I was just about to tell Madam that yesterday's inventory check of the storeroom revealed that quite a few items were missing. We discovered that they were gone when Dai Liang was still alive. The register needs to be changed..."

Madam Wang's face darkened, and she said, "Really? It's a shame that Dai Liang complained back then. I think sending him to the estate is too good for him!"

After the aunt and niece discussed it for a while and made some changes to the book of rare treasures, Sister Feng finally took her leave.

Madam Wang felt a little more at ease, thinking to herself that she now held two important positions, so what if the old lady forced Feng Jie to take on the challenge? Without her approval, how could Feng Jie smoothly take on the responsibility of managing the household?

Then he felt uneasy. He had been the rightful head of the household before, but now he had to let Sister Feng handle things. No matter how he thought about it, it felt awkward.

Madam Wang held her teacup, frowning in thought. A moment later, Yu Chuan'er led Xia Jingui inside and announced, "Madam, Miss Xia has arrived."

Madam Wang snapped out of her daze and quickly smiled and waved to Xia Jingui: "My child, you've finally come."

Xia Jingui remembered Hu Mama's instructions and greeted them properly before smiling and stepping forward. Madam Wang scolded, "You child, you're always so polite."

Xia Jingui smiled demurely and said, "My mother said that etiquette should not be disregarded."

Madam Wang smiled and shook her head, feeling very pleased. When Xia Jingui stepped forward, Madam Wang pulled her to sit down and carefully inquired about her food, clothing, and daily necessities, to which Xia Jingui responded with complete satisfaction.

When asked about Baoyu, Xia Jingui frowned and said, "Second Brother Bao seems to be angry with me. It's because I advised him to study more yesterday, and he didn't come to see me today. Baochan saw him go to Longcui Nunnery a while ago."

Madam Wang couldn't help but frown and said, "He is that wretched child! What was your eldest son, Zhu, like before? And what was Baoyu like? Now that the old lady dotes on him, if I speak too lightly, it won't make a difference, and if I speak too deeply, the old lady will stop me..."

Xia Jingui then smiled and said, "I think Brother Bao is quite clever. Yesterday, he even wrote a poem about pear blossoms, and Second Sister and Third Sister praised it highly. If he puts his mind to the Four Books and Five Classics in the future, he might even pass the imperial examinations."

Madam Wang smiled and shook her head, saying, "It's hard to say now, let's wait and see." After a pause, she sighed and said to Xia Jingui, "My child, today the old lady said she was worried that I would get tired, so she handed over the job of managing the household to Sister Feng."

Xia Jingui immediately turned her attention to her words and said with a stern face, "How old is Second Sister-in-law? I'm afraid it's inappropriate for the old lady to handle things this way. Putting aside everything else, Second Sister-in-law doesn't even have an official title now. How will she deal with the ladies of noble families in the future?"

Madam Wang immediately agreed, saying, "That makes sense."

Xia Jingui continued, "Previously, Madam was in charge of the household, and Second Sister-in-law was said to be in charge of the household, but didn't Madam make all the decisions, big and small? To put it bluntly, with Madam in charge, those unruly servants didn't dare to cause trouble... Without Madam's supervision, I think something bad will happen sooner or later."

Madam Wang's heart skipped a beat. Although Xia Jingui did not say it outright, she was subtly encouraging her to make things difficult for Feng Jie.

Xia Jingui added, "The old lady probably hasn't figured it out either, and doesn't know whose bewitching potion she's been given. Madam, don't worry, when Second Sister-in-law runs into a wall, she'll come begging Madam to come out of retirement."

Lady Wang smiled and said, "I would rather save myself some trouble and focus on taking care of and raising Baoyu and Lan'er."

Xia Jingui then said, "Furthermore, the old lady was worried that the madam would be too overworked in managing the household, so she kept Bao Er in her own room to raise him... Now that the madam is no longer in charge of the household, shouldn't it be the madam's turn to take care of Bao Er?"

Madam Wang was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly realized: How could I not have thought of that!
The task of managing the household is something she can't avoid no matter what, so there's no need to rush. As for Baoyu, he's already thirteen or fourteen. If we don't keep him close by our side soon, I'm afraid the old lady will have to make the decision about his marriage again!

As Xia Jingui said, she was able to take the opportunity to reclaim the responsibility of raising Baoyu... but she was afraid that the old lady would bring up Lan'er again, so she had to figure out a way to cover for Lan'er.

Thinking of this, Madam Wang couldn't help but smile, and patted Xia Jingui's hand even more enthusiastically, saying, "My child, thanks to your reminder, I almost forgot about this!"

Xia Jingui smiled and said, "Madam just didn't remember for a moment, but I'm sure she'll remember it later."

The two chatted and laughed, and Madam Wang felt even more that Xia Jingui was considerate. After a long while, as noon approached, Xia Jingui finally took her leave.

A moment later, Zhou Rui's wife came in and said, "Madam, Lan'er just finished school and went to Daoxiang Village."

Lady Wang was preoccupied with Baoyu at the moment and had no time to pay attention to Jia Lan. She simply said, "I understand. From now on, Lan-ge'er can go wherever he wants. You don't need to tell me everything."

Zhou Rui's wife was quite surprised, wondering why her wife had changed her mind, so she could only silently agree.

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

Meanwhile, Sister Feng led Ping'er back to her own courtyard.

Upon entering the room, Fengjie slumped onto the kang (heated brick bed), her brows immediately furrowing. Ping'er served her with a damp handkerchief, saying softly, "Madam, Madam just nodded in agreement, so why are you worried?"

Feng Jie glanced sideways and said coldly, "What do you know?" She paused, then looked into the distance and said quietly, "My aunt has been even more impatient than me since she was a child. Over the years, she has been battling with the old lady, which has worn her down to the point that she has to eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist scriptures. But have you ever shown any mercy to the mistress when she deals with those little hussies in Baoyu's room?"

Even though she knows I was just an old lady used as a scapegoat, how could she not have some suspicions? Just wait and see, I'll be dealing with a lot of trouble later.

"That……"

Ping'er wanted to say that since that was the case, it would be better to decline the assignment, but then she remembered Feng Jie'er's personality, and the words she was about to say suddenly wouldn't come out.

After a short while, Sister Feng said to herself, "Fine, we'll deal with whatever comes our way. I don't believe a living person can be suffocated by a bird." She paused, then looked at Ping'er and asked, "Where has your second master been gallivanting off to again?"

Ping'er said, "They said they were going to find Master Xue this morning."

Sister Feng immediately said resentfully, "He's so carefree. He's probably already in those brothels by now."

Ping'er hesitated to speak, then seized the opportunity to ask, "Grandma, what did Grandpa Yuan say?"

Sister Feng paused for a moment, then realized, "That's right, I should at least give Brother Yuan a reply. We can talk about other things another day!"

He immediately jumped off the kang (heated brick bed), and led Ping'er back to the Grand View Garden.

As luck would have it, as Sister Feng turned past the large, painted screen, she bumped into Xia Jingui, who was leading Baochan back.

Sister Feng smiled and asked, "Where have you come from, little sister?"

Xia Jingui scolded, "I've met Second Sister-in-law... Please don't mention it. Yesterday I was too talkative and advised Brother Bao to go to school, but he got angry with me... I had no choice but to go and talk to Madam."

Sister Feng immediately laughed and said, "If Baoyu's temperament could be persuaded, why would we have to wait until today? Sister, you'll have a lot to suffer in the future."

Xia Jingui said resentfully, "Who says it isn't true?"

The two entered the garden together. After passing through the green hills, Xia Jingui returned to Yihong Courtyard, while Fengjie led Ping'er past Qinfang Pavilion to Qingtang Thatched Cottage.

Seeing that no one was around, Ping'er pondered and said, "This Miss Xia... has indeed learned Miss Bao's methods perfectly."

Sister Feng sneered, "I'm afraid she'll be even worse than Baochai... Just you wait and see, she'll definitely be a handful in the future!"

There was nothing else to say on the way, and soon we arrived at the thatched cottage.

Seeing that Hongyu had not yet recovered, Fengjie chatted with her for a while. When Chen Siyuan came out to greet her, Fengjie stepped forward and asked, "Brother Yuan, are you much better now?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "Thanks to Second Sister-in-law, I look fine now. I recuperate for another five or seven days. Oh, Second Sister-in-law, please come in."

As they entered, Wu'er busied herself pouring tea, but Feng Jie waved her hand and said, "No need for that. I'll just say a few words and then leave. Brother Yuan, your second brother has seen that workshop and said it's quite..."

"shallow?"

Sister Feng was taken aback, then quickly laughed and said, "It is a bit simple, but my partnership with Brother Yuan was not for that workshop." She paused, then added, "Your second brother is just going through the motions and taking a look around. What can he possibly learn from those machines? Not to mention him, even if I went, I'd probably be in deep trouble."

Chen Siyuan laughed heartily, feeling that Sister Feng's words were like a gentle breeze.

After exchanging a few jokes, Sister Feng got down to business, saying, "Today, Brother Xunyuan wants to discuss how to open this workshop."

Chen Siyuan had already made up his mind and said, "The purchase of equipment should cost about five or six hundred taels of silver. The rest will be needed to hire manpower and stockpile latex. If we want to get things running smoothly, we're afraid we'll need at least three or five thousand taels of silver."

Sister Feng pondered and said, "Then let's calculate it as four thousand taels. I'll contribute two thousand five hundred taels, Brother Yuan will contribute one thousand five hundred, and the workshop will also contribute as a share. In this way, we can split the profits fifty-fifty in the future, how about that?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and raised his teacup, saying, "Second sister-in-law is so generous, then I'll take advantage of you this time!"

Sister Feng said with a smile, "Brother Yuan could have handled it all himself, but I shamelessly insisted on investing. In the end, I still benefited from Brother Yuan's investment."

The matter was settled, and there was no rush to sign the contract. Both of them were now respectable individuals and would naturally not break their word. Sister Feng excused herself, saying that she had some official business to attend to in the garden, and then got up to take her leave.

Chen Siyuan got up and saw Feng Jie out of the courtyard before leisurely turning back.

The three maids chattered incessantly, all saying that the workshop would surely make money in the future.

Xiangling was indifferent to worldly affairs, and Wu'er was also preoccupied with romance and poetry. Only Hongyu was somewhat concerned, so she came over and said, "Master, should we hand over this workshop to Third Aunt to manage in the future?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Her Baicaotang is busy enough... If you're interested, why don't you take care of it?"

Hongyu was delighted, but then shook her head and said, "I'll pass. Not to mention I'm lame now, I'll have to take care of the courtyard in the future. How will I have time to manage the workshop?" After a pause, she added, "Miss Hongyu is quite free. Why don't you let her manage the workshop, sir?"

Chen Siyuan simply said, "We'll see."

Every now and then, Xing Zhong and his wife would cause some trouble. Cousin Xing Xiuyan was right. If she were in charge of the business, wouldn't it be like a rat falling into a rice jar?

Besides, with Sister Feng looking after this business, I only need to offer suggestions, and I won't be cheated on the accounts, so I don't need to rely on others.

Several days passed quickly, and Chen Siyuan remained concerned about Li Wan and her son.

The little trumpet-wielding maid, Yunxiang, would come to report every day. At first, Jia Lan would only return to Lady Wang's courtyard before going to bed, but yesterday, he simply stayed in Daoxiang Village and refused to leave. Lady Wang didn't even send a maid to call him.

Not to mention Li Wan, even Chen Siyuan was puzzled and couldn't figure out what Madam Wang was up to.

On this day, to celebrate Jia Zheng's promotion to the position of Academic Director, the Rongguo Mansion opened its main gate to welcome guests from all directions and held a grand banquet in Rongxi Hall.

Chen Siyuan, being a distant relative, sat at the very end of the table, focusing solely on eating and drinking, while Jia Lian and Jia Rong were busy welcoming and seeing off guests.

By late afternoon, Chen Siyuan, impatient with the strained Kunqu opera, excused himself, saying he had drunk too much, and left the table. But as soon as he entered the Grand View Garden, he saw Madam Xing leading Miao'er, her brows furrowed, approaching from afar.

After the two had met, Madam Xing dismissed Miao'er and pulled Chen Siyuan to the shade of a tree, saying, "Zhen's daughter-in-law has really had a lot of troubles. Before, she had difficulty conceiving due to cold uterus. Now that she has finally gotten pregnant, she has to take care of the pregnancy."

Chen Siyuan was worried, but he didn't want to go and visit him, so he quickly asked, "Has the imperial physician found out the cause?"

Madam Xing frowned and shook her head, saying, "She gave a long, rambling explanation and prescribed two doses of medicine to help with the pregnancy. She seems to be doing a little better these past two days." She paused, then added furtively, "Do you know that Old Lady You is also about to give birth?"

Chen Siyuan said, both amused and exasperated, "Second Sister has been frequently visiting Shuiyue Nunnery these past few days. Do you think I knew that?"

Madam Xing secretly blamed herself for being foolish, and immediately said, "It's alright now, but after the child is born... who knows how this lawsuit will go!"

After rambling on about the matter, Madam Xing finally murmured, "I've been really busy these past few days... I see that the Jade Emperor Temple is unguarded, so I'll go there in a while."

Chen Siyuan understood immediately, exchanged a few glances with Madam Xing, and then they parted ways.

Who knew that after saying goodbye to Madam Xing near Cui Zhang, they had only walked a few steps when they saw Zhou Rui's wife leading Miaoyu and Qingfan out of the passageway in the direction of Yihong Courtyard.

Chen Siyuan nodded from afar, ignoring Miaoyu, and went straight past Qinfang Pavilion, heading towards his own thatched cottage.

Just as he was passing by the Qinfang Gate Bridge, he saw the maid Yunxiang playing with Jia Hui. After a moment's thought, Chen Siyuan stopped and beckoned to her.

Yunxiang gave a brief instruction, then left Jia Hui behind and ran over excitedly.

"Does the master have any instructions?"

Chen Siyuan said, "I just saw Master Miaoyu about to leave the mansion... Go ahead and listen to where Master Miaoyu is going."

"Yes, ma'am!" Yunxiang replied immediately and ran off in a flash.

A short while later, Chen Siyuan had just washed his hands and was holding a warm cup of tea to sober up when Yunxiang came back and went inside to report: "I asked Yu Liusao to tell him that Miaoyu is going to the Muni Temple to copy the palm-leaf scriptures."

Chen Siyuan thought for a moment and then let out a cold laugh. Copying scriptures? Who are you trying to fool?
It's almost late afternoon now. The Muni Temple is in western Beijing, and it takes half a day to go there and back. How could he possibly make it back in time? He's probably off having a secret rendezvous with someone.

At this moment, Yunxiang said, "That's right, this morning, Master Bao led a young master Liu to Longcui Nunnery for tea. That young master Liu is really handsome... well, only slightly less handsome than Master Bao."

Chen Siyuan laughed heartily and said readily, "Speak more of these honest truths in the future, I love hearing them. I'll give you an extra string of cash next month!"

"Hehehe, thank you so much, sir!" Yunxiang, having received the reward, scurried away with a silly grin.

Apart from Hongyu, who had difficulty walking, only Wu'er remained among them. Xiangling, along with Baochai and the others, was at the front eating and watching the play.

Chen Siyuan then said, "I have nothing to do here either. There's quite a lively scene ahead. If you're interested, just go and join the fun."

Even the Rongguo Mansion, a prestigious and wealthy family, could only afford to hire a theatrical troupe a few times a year. Hongyu was very tempted. After whispering something to Wu'er, she smiled and bid farewell to Chen Siyuan, then went to the front to watch the excitement.

After drinking a cup of tea, Chen Siyuan couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness... He always thought he could leave one behind and coax them properly, and maybe they would get their wish... Who knew that the two of them would die together.

He had been feeling really stifled these days. He wouldn't let the three maids in his room touch him, and even the third sister in the new house was keeping an eye on him... Then Madam Xing was busy taking care of Madam You, and Aunt Xue had just returned from the old house today. Chen Siyuan felt restless and hot right now, afraid that he would explode from being so stifled in a few more days!
Just as I was pondering this in a daze, I suddenly heard a faint sound of a chime.

Chen Siyuan was taken aback at first, then his face lit up with joy. He wondered to himself, "Is this Madam Xing or Aunt Xue who has come to the Jade Emperor Temple?" Hmm... Madam Xing just returned, so it must be Aunt Xue?
Unable to contain his wicked desires, Chen Siyuan got up and quickly left the courtyard. Afraid of misjudging the situation, he circled around the Jade Emperor Temple, using the bamboo fence as cover to peek into the temple. He saw only Biyue squatting in front of the temple gate, poking at the insects on the ground with a blade of grass.

Chen Siyuan was surprised, but then overjoyed. If it was Biyue guarding the gate, then who else but Li Wan could be the one striking the chime inside?
Chen Siyuan hurriedly circled around, only calming down after reaching the west side of the Jade Emperor Temple. He thought to himself, Li Wan is not like others; she has only come to the Jade Emperor Temple after many days. He must not be as abrupt as last time... If he frightens the beauty, he fears there will be no more opportunities for a secret rendezvous in the future.

Having made up his mind, Chen Siyuan suppressed his inner turmoil and moved his left shoulder slightly. Now that his injury was gradually healing, it wouldn't prevent him from climbing over the wall and crossing the courtyard.

He climbed the old tree onto the wall, then gracefully landed in the courtyard. Looking up at the gate, he saw it was wide open, which immediately made Chen Siyuan inwardly grumble. But when he heard the direction from which the chime sounded, he was even more dumbfounded.

It would have been fine if the main gate hadn't been closed, but now Li Wan had gone into the main hall to actually recite Taoist scriptures. How was Chen Siyuan supposed to meet with her?
A little thought reveals that Li Wan is probably also very conflicted right now, which is why she is so conflicted.

Seeing that Biyue was focused on playing with the insects, Chen Siyuan tiptoed and slipped into the main hall in the blink of an eye.

She wore a light purple long robe with pale yellow floral embroidery, a red cross-collar jacket underneath, and a peach-red long skirt. Her hair was adorned with simple palace flowers. Her graceful figure knelt before the statue of the deity, with the Taishang Ganying Pian (Treatise on the Response of the Supreme Being) at her side and a jade chime hanging to her right.

Chen Siyuan slowed his pace, his ears twitched, and in an instant, a blush spread from his ears to his neck.

Chen Siyuan couldn't help but smile, slowing his pace as he approached Li Wan, glancing around. He saw that the bronze incense burner on the altar was covered with half an inch of incense ash, with three sticks of incense lying crookedly in the cold ashes, the wisps of smoke being cut into discontinuous strands by the beams of light shining through the latticed window.

Faded crimson curtains hung on either side of the shrine, and the Jade Emperor's clay sculpture with gold was coldly gazing down at the empty hall with a pair of gilded phoenix eyes.

Chen Siyuan stepped forward, and suddenly felt a playful thought. He moved the prayer mat to the shade and knelt down in the same manner as Li Wan.

Reaching out, he picked up the jade hammer in front of Li Wan and struck the chime once; *ding*—

The melodious sound of the chime attracted Li Wan's coquettish glances.

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "What a coincidence, I didn't expect Lan Tiao to be here too."

Li Wan glanced back in a panic and saw Bi Yue still fiddling with insects in front of the gate. She then lowered her voice and asked, "You...you...how did you get in?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "I have a brilliant plan. By the way, did Lan-ge sleep in Daoxiang Village yesterday?"

Li Wan nodded and murmured, "Lan'er didn't want to go to Madam's room. She pretended to be asleep as soon as it was past 7 PM. I couldn't wake her up, so I had to let her sleep." She paused and then said, "It's strange. Madam didn't send anyone to look for her. I asked Suyun to go and tell her, and Madam just said she knew. You... what do you think Madam is thinking?"

Chen Siyuan pondered for a moment and said, "Regardless of what you're thinking, I'm afraid you won't be able to take care of Lan Ge'er anymore. However, Madam is probably too proud to say that she'll let Lan Ge'er go back to Daoxiang Village. In that case, you might as well pretend to be confused and send Lan Ge'er to Madam's room every three to five days to deal with her."

Li Wan had been thinking this way all along, and now that she heard Chen Siyuan shared the same idea, she breathed a sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly to Chen Siyuan.

Chen Siyuan then said, "That's right, my second sister-in-law asked me to set up a latex workshop a few days ago. Would you like to get involved?"

Li Wan quickly said, "The money I have is making me uneasy. I've been keeping it from Lan'er. If there's more money in the future, I'm afraid it will only bring misfortune... I know you mean well, but... it's not necessary."

Chen Siyuan thought about it and agreed.

The two glanced at each other without realizing it, and Li Wan immediately turned her head away, blushing again.

After a moment's thought, Chen Siyuan fumbled in his sleeve and found a folded paper square knot, which he quietly tossed in front of Li Wan.

Li Wan glanced at the commotion, then looked at Chen Siyuan with surprise.

Chen Siyuan coughed and said, "Last time I received your Fang Sheng, I didn't know how to reply. I thought about it for a long time before replying with Fang Sheng."

Li Wan was immediately embarrassed and turned her head away. After a long while, she finally picked up the paper strip. She spread it out slightly and saw the following words written inside: "Years of separation have caused me much longing, and now I receive this small book. For the sake of our lingering love, I have read it a hundred times by lamplight."

After reading it, Li Wan was at a loss for words, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. The words were full of a woman's resentment, making it seem as if she were the unfaithful man who had been away for a long time.

She gave Chen Siyuan a reproachful look and said in a low voice, "Where did you get this 'years' from?"

"A day apart feels like three autumns; it's not just a matter of years."

Li Wan felt a surge of tenderness, then scolded him playfully, "You're so glib."

Chen Siyuan smiled without saying a word. Li Wan immediately recalled the scene after the Peony Pavilion that day, and couldn't help but steal a glance at Chen Siyuan's lips, then secretly swallowed...

Having been widowed for several years, she had long forgotten the pleasures of sex. Yet, Chen Siyuan aroused her to the point of losing control, and last night, in a daze, she even took care of herself…

When Li Wan woke up early in the morning, she secretly hid her undergarments and couldn't help but think of Chen Siyuan. After drinking at the banquet, she overheard noblewomen talking about a happy newlywed couple, and Li Wan felt melancholy, thinking of Chen Siyuan even more.

She then left the banquet and rested briefly in Daoxiang Village before anxiously arriving at the Jade Emperor Temple. However, upon arriving, she regretted her decision and opened the main hall to kneel. The clay statue of the deity did not quell her inner turmoil; instead, she longed to see Chen Siyuan even more, and thus struck the jade chime several times.

Then, he appeared in front of him without anyone noticing.

Thinking that although Lady Wang had not yet given her consent, she had tacitly allowed Jia Lan to return to Daoxiang Village to stay, she said gratefully, "Thanks to your efforts, otherwise... I really don't know how I would survive."

Chen Siyuan, observing Li Wan's relaxed demeanor, took advantage of her and leaned in to take her hand, saying gently, "Lan-ge'er is of course important, but you also need to think more positively. Lan-ge'er is still young now. In seven or eight years, he might achieve fame and fortune and start his own family. Will you still be able to stay with Lan-ge'er then?"

Li Wan was immediately bewildered and frowned, saying, "This... I hadn't thought about it much."

Chen Siyuan said, "Then why don't you think about it now?"

Li Wan did indeed remember, and after thinking about it, she became even more lost. Yes, Lan-ge'er would eventually get married and start a family. What should she do then? Should she simply live out her remaining years in solitude? Or should she become like other widows, spending her days in seclusion with only a lamp and a Buddhist temple?

Just as she was feeling bewildered, a hand suddenly waved in front of her. Li Wan gradually came to her senses and saw Chen Siyuan's clear eyes staring at her.

"You have remained chaste for the Jia family for years, obeying your parents-in-law, teaching Lan'er, and instructing your three sisters-in-law every day... You have been fair to everyone else, but you have been unfair to yourself. I really can't bear it... I just want you to have a shoulder to lean on when you are lonely."

These words brought tears to Li Wan's eyes again, and Chen Siyuan took the opportunity to put his arm around Li Wan's shoulder and gently stroke her back.

Li Wan's body stiffened slightly, but she relaxed when she saw that Chen Siyuan made no further moves.

He said, "What could I do? Lan'er was still young then, and Father... wouldn't allow me to remarry for the sake of the Li family's reputation."

Chen Siyuan sighed, “It’s a pity that some people have obtained a treasure but treat it like trash… I hate even more that I can’t take their place, otherwise—” Looking down at those watery peach blossom eyes, Chen Siyuan frowned and said seriously, “—would I have let Lan Tiao suffer such injustice?”

Thinking of her deceased husband, Jia Zhu, Li Wan couldn't hold back her tears. Before, Li Wan would have at least held onto a sliver of marital affection, thinking that if Jia Zhu were still alive, she and her daughter wouldn't be in such a state of misery. But as the saying goes, comparisons are odious!

With Chen Siyuan's masterpiece as a precedent, Li Wan now thought of Jia Zhu and could only recall how Jia Zhu acted recklessly when she was pregnant with Jia Lan, which led to his current state. Thus, she couldn't help but feel a secret resentment towards Jia Zhu.

At this moment, Chen Siyuan reached out to wipe away her tears and said gently, "I'm here for you from now on. I will never let you suffer any injustice."

Upon hearing this, Li Wan felt half of her body go limp. She struggled slightly in her heart, then suddenly reached out and wrapped her arms around Chen Siyuan's neck, leaning in to gently kiss his cheek with her cherry lips.

Their eyes met, and Li Wan's gaze flickered. Just as she was about to back away, Chen Siyuan suddenly pulled her close, leaned down, and pressed his lips to hers. Li Wan stammered for a moment, then became intoxicated by the kiss.

It is said: Her playful teasing was initially met with a slight refusal, but tender feelings had already been secretly conveyed. Her lowered head stirred like a cicada's shadow, and her turning steps veiled the dust of jade.

A moment later, Li Wan let out a soft moan, jolting awake from her reverie, only then realizing that her robes were half undone. She cried out in a panic, "No, no—"

Chen Siyuan whispered in his ear, "Just like last time... Don't worry."

Li Wan said, "Biyue, Biyue is still outside."

Chen Siyuan got up, picked up Li Wan horizontally, and seeing that there was nowhere to hide, he simply put Li Wan down near the window.

Before she could say anything, the two embraced again. Chen Siyuan used every trick in the book, and in no time Li Wan was trembling, her tongue was cold, her eyes were fixed, and her mouth was agape. A moment later, her body went limp against Chen Siyuan's, as if she had stopped breathing…

Chen Siyuan had been holding back his frustration for a long time, and now he could no longer contain himself. Just as he was about to draw his bow and nock an arrow, he suddenly heard Biyue say from outside, "Grandma, Lan-ge'er has finished school!"

(End of this chapter)