Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 287 A Tethered Love, a Tragic Fate, and a Tragic End

After seeing the old woman off, Suyun turned back and said, "Madam, such a fine hairpin... it would be such a waste to ruin the longevity lock. Perhaps I could go looking for one myself on the street tomorrow? After all, it was left behind by the master—"

“No need—” Li Wan said softly, “Since it belongs to Lan’er’s deceased father, it should be left to him.”

Su Yun smiled and agreed.

Li Wan sat by the bedside, embroidering a handkerchief, her hands still busy, but she would pause for a long time with each stitch. This woman had changed her mind and no longer thought of past affections. So even though Li Wan had tried desperately to remember Jia Zhu's good qualities recently, what she remembered was Jia Zhu's indiscriminate flirting during her pregnancy.

When she thought of Chen Si's arrival, besides the many times he helped and cared for her, she remembered the two romantic encounters they had shared. Li Wan knew she couldn't suppress her burning desire, and she also knew that the two of them had already crossed the line. To think about that so-called confidante was nothing but self-deception.

She had been lonely for years, and her heart had long since dried up. Now that this fire had been lit, it could not be extinguished. So now, her heart and eyes were filled with Chen Siyuan.

However, this was against etiquette, and Lan Ge'er's future also needed to be considered. Li Wan was in a dilemma at this moment, wishing she could find Chen Siyuan immediately and ask for a solution that would satisfy both parties.

The lamp flame burst open, and Li Wan couldn't help but sigh softly, wondering if Brother Yuan was thinking of her at this moment.

Big Grid Lane.

The candlelight was dim. Xiren, dressed in a small undergarment, lowered her head and meekly fetched water. Chen Siyuan, on the other hand, sat on the bed like a lord, his undergarment haphazardly open, revealing a hideous scar the size of a pigeon egg on his left shoulder.

Xi Ren dampened her handkerchief and carefully wiped his body. Chen Siyuan looked up and examined him, finding a unique pleasure in gazing at a beauty under the lamplight. After her pleasure, Xi Ren's skin was truly rosy, and her eyes were full of alluring charm.

Chen Siyuan then said, "No need to trouble yourself, I'll be leaving in a bit. Oh, do you want me to take you home?"

After thinking it over, Xiren realized that Chen Siyuan was no longer around, and there was no point in her staying any longer. So she nodded and said, "Then I'll have to trouble Master Yuan to take a message with him."

As she spoke, Xiren carefully wiped his chest, deliberately avoiding the wound, and then obediently nestled in his arms.

Chen Siyuan was feeling refreshed and invigorated at this moment. The pent-up frustration of the past ten days had been dispelled in one day. Anyone who has experienced this feeling knows what it's like.

Seeing that she was in a good mood, Xiren tentatively said, "Oh dear, that Miss Xia seems to be intolerant of others. Who knows when I'll be kicked out of the manor..."

Chen Siyuan glanced at him sideways and couldn't help but laugh, "Baoyu is the kind of person who gets bored easily... but it's just a passing fancy. I don't believe you can't handle him."

Xi Ren frowned and said, "Right now, Bao Yu's mind is completely occupied by Miss Xia. Even if I say something, he won't listen to it."

"Oh, what's this? You're thinking of... changing jobs?"

Xiren's face immediately changed, but she dared not say anything. "Changing jobs" was not a good thing at this moment; it was used in the Yuan Dynasty to describe fickleness, and now it specifically referred to courtesans in brothels changing their allegiance.

Xiren quickly retorted coquettishly, "Why must you say such unpleasant things, Master Yuan? I am just a maidservant. I don't want to be married off to a young man in the future. I only ask that you, Master Yuan, give me a meal someday."

Chen Siyuan mumbled, "If that's all there is to it, just come find me in the future."

He had thought it through clearly: a woman as skilled in domestic intrigue as Xiren was absolutely not someone he could bring home. Considering that Xiren served him quite well, he figured he could simply keep her outside the home.

However, Xiren has big ambitions. Unless absolutely necessary, why would she give up her position as Bao Er's concubine?

Hearing his casual agreement, Xiren smiled and thanked him, though it was merely a casual remark. As for the bedroom… Baoyu was certainly no match for Master Yuan, but Master Yuan had too many maids around him. Hongyu, Xiangling, Wu'er… and Qingwen, and who knows, the maids from Baochai's and Lin Daiyu's sides might also come forward.

Xiren is now Baoyu's head maid, but even if she enters the household, she'll likely be ostracized and have nowhere to go. Besides, Miss Xia is intolerant of others, and Miss Bao is equally unforgiving!

In that case, it's probably better to stay in Baoyu's room as we are now; at least there's still some hope. If we really did go with Master Yuan, I'm afraid there would be no hope at all.

After exchanging words, Xiren helped Chen Siyuan get dressed. Seeing that it was only past midnight, they hired a carriage together. Chen Siyuan first took Xiren home before making his way back to his new residence.

As soon as they entered, Qingwen came to greet them with a frown. Upon seeing them, she asked, "Where did Master go? Just now, Sister Xiangling sent Qingyu to ask, saying that Master had eaten dinner and then disappeared. We thought he had come here."

Chen Siyuan casually covered up the situation, saying, "I haven't seen an old friend in a long time, and I've been looking for him for quite a while. Where are Third Sister and Second Sister?"

Qingwen, who was walking beside her, said in a low voice, "In the afternoon, a young nun came looking for Second Aunt. Second Aunt must have received some news, because she rushed off to Shuiyue Nunnery; Third Aunt followed behind, but she wasn't feeling well."

Chen Siyuan quickly calculated and realized that it was the time when his third sister was menstruating.

That's right, according to the gestation period, Old Lady You is eight or nine months pregnant. Could it be that she's starting to move now?
Such private matters of the You family were not something that could be discussed with Qingwen.

Chen Siyuan nodded and instructed Qingwen, "You've worked up a sweat. Take a bath later. Tell someone to prepare it. I'll go to the back and talk to you for a bit and then I'll be right back."

Qingwen agreed and went to find Granny Qu to give instructions.

Chen Siyuan then went to the back building and went straight to You Sanjie's room. After showing concern for You Sanjie, Chen Siyuan sat down and began to talk to her.

"In the afternoon, Silver Butterfly came to deliver a message, saying that Sister-in-law Zhen had a miscarriage and that this item had been found in her room."

As she spoke, she handed over the sachet. Sister You, reclining on the bed, frowned as she took it and glanced at it. She immediately exclaimed in surprise, "Musk?"

Seeing Chen Siyuan nod, Sister You sneered, "He only has himself to blame!"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Still angry?"

Third Sister You snorted coldly and turned her head away. She was by nature a fiery and passionate person, and if it weren't for Old Madam You's interference, she might have already been engaged to Chen Siyuan. How could she not hate him? And that Madam You, knowing that Third Sister's heart was with Chen Siyuan, still shamelessly clung to him. How could Third Sister not resent her?
"Alright, I'll talk to Second Sister about this later."

Sister You frowned and said, "Then we'll have to wait... She might start labor in the next few days."

Chen Siyuan asked in surprise, "Did it upset the baby? It's not full term yet, is it?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Siyuan saw that Sister You's fair face looked disgusted, as if she had swallowed a fly... Ugh, no way? Even after sending Old Lady You to Shuiyue Nunnery, there was still no peace?
"Tch!" Sister You San was so angry that tears streamed down her face. She said, "Brother, please stop talking! If you keep going, I'll really be ashamed to death! I... I don't have this mother! From tomorrow on, I'm born of heaven and earth!"

Chen Siyuan quickly stepped forward and embraced You Sanjie, asking in a low voice, "There must be some reason, right? Old Madam... wasn't so unaware at first..."

What do you not know? It's your lack of self-restraint.

Sister You wiped away her tears and said, "What else could it be? It's all because of that black-fragrant pill!"

As she cried, Sister You recounted the whole story. It turned out that Old Lady You had never given up those black-fragrant pills. Even when she was with the Guo family, she had to pawn her jewelry to secretly buy them.

After the Guo family sent the person back, Jia Zhen arranged for her to go to the Shuiyue Nunnery. Although she received a monthly allowance, it was hardly enough for Old Lady You's expenses.
Moreover, neither Madam You nor the Third Sister visited her; only the Second Sister visited her once every month or so. When Old Madam You's addiction kicked in, she naturally stopped caring about anything else.

At first, her relationship with the worshippers was ambiguous, but later, when Jia Qin gathered a group of hooligans at the Shuiyue Nunnery, Old Lady You ended up having an affair with Jia Qin!
The last time she heard that Old Lady You was unwell, Second Sister You tried her best to comfort her, and Third Sister You reluctantly went to visit her. But when she was changing clothes, she overheard the two young nuns talking about it, and immediately turned away in embarrassment.

Upon hearing that Old Lady You was about to go into labor, Third Sister You declared she would rather die than go see her, and in her anger, her period even started two days early. Left with no other choice, Second Sister You went to the Shuiyue Nunnery outside the city by herself.

Chen Siyuan tried to comfort her for a long time, but eventually he didn't know what to say. Having such a mother was truly a misfortune for the family.

After a long while, You Sanjie finally calmed down after venting her anger and said, "I was worried about Second Sister, so I sent a few more maids and servants. Brother, let's not talk about the Ningguo Mansion matter. As for Jia Qin—I will definitely kill him with a sword one day!"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "We are one, why bother my sister? I'll find a way to send this person away as soon as possible."

Third Sister You nodded in agreement, then frowned and clutched her lower abdomen. Chen Siyuan dared not delay and quickly rubbed his hands together to warm them before massaging her abdomen. Perhaps she was exhausted from crying, for after a while, Third Sister You actually fell asleep.

Chen Siyuan summoned Chunxi and helped the third sister to sleep before heading forward.

In the main room, Qingwen was dozing off in a chair. Hearing footsteps, she quickly rubbed her eyes and got up, saying, "Does Master want to take a bath? I'll have the nanny bring some hot water right away."

Chen Siyuan asked, "Tired?"

Qingwen pouted angrily and said, "I don't know where Luan'er picked up this bad habit from. She gets up and makes a fuss before dawn every day, takes a deep nap after noon, and stays up very late at night. If it weren't for Aunt Zhen and Granny Qu coming today, I would have given her a good scolding!"

Chen Siyuan laughed and made a few jokes, then let Qingwen call for hot water and let her help him undress.

This time, Luan'er didn't cause any trouble, presumably because she was trapped by Granny Qu. After bathing, Chen Siyuan and Qingwen naturally went to bed together. Qingwen said with a stern face, "Master, Third Madam has given orders that these few days..."

Chen Siyuan had just vented his desires on Xiren, so he was now free of any other thoughts. He simply said, "I know, I know, humph, I'll give in to your desires when you've made me feel pent up."

Qingwen giggled for a while, carefully covered Chen Siyuan with a brocade quilt, and then snuggled into his arms to sleep.

The next day, Chen Siyuan had breakfast with You Sanjie first. During the meal, You Sanjie said, "We are sisters after all. Now that she has encountered trouble, and Second Sister is busy... I might as well go to Ningguo Mansion to take a look later."

Chen Siyuan smiled but remained silent.

Then Sister You frowned again and said, "This whole affair must have involved those concubines... Maybe Rong was involved too. I don't care about anything else, I'll just keep chasing after Jia Zhen and scolding him! If he has any shame, he'll have to give me an explanation; otherwise, I'll spread all the good things he's done, and then I'll drown him in spittle!"

Chen Siyuan couldn't help but burst into laughter. If someone else had acted like this, it might have backfired. But who was this Sister You San? She always kept her word. Jia Zhen felt indebted to her because of Old Lady You's affair, so he sent her to make a scene. Perhaps the matter of the musk could be thoroughly investigated.

So he said, "You're currently menstruating, so you shouldn't get angry with yourself."

Sister You smiled and said, "Brother, don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

After breakfast, Sister You San tidied herself up and led her maids and servants in a grand procession toward Ningguo Mansion, while Chen Siyuan went to the side garden to see Xiangling's mother, Zhen Fengshi.

Zhen Fengshi went on and on, saying that she had narrowly escaped death on the journey and would never dare to come again. Chen Siyuan comforted her, fearing that she might miss Xiangling, and promised to send Xiangling to Suzhou to see her the next day.

At first, Zhen Fengshi was delighted, then frowned and shook her head, repeatedly declining, afraid that she would be a burden to Xiangling. Chen Siyuan didn't try to persuade her further, saying that such a matter could be settled with Xiangling another day.

Because he was worried about Sister You San and feared that this incident would cause a great commotion, Chen Siyuan hurriedly returned to Qingtang Thatched Cottage.

The celebration of Jia Zheng's promotion to the rank of scholar was not a one-day affair, and there were distinguished guests who needed to be entertained separately. Coincidentally, the Rongguo Mansion was hosting a banquet for the two marquises of the Shi family that day, and the scene was no less grand than the previous day.

As soon as Chen Siyuan arrived at the thatched cottage in Deqing Hall, an old woman sent by Jia She came to invite him to the front. Chen Siyuan was worried about You Sanjie, so how could he go? He made an excuse and then saw the old woman hurrying over from the east corner gate.

After a while, the old woman led Jia Zhen back quickly. When they passed the thatched cottage, Jia Zhen frowned and stopped. After thinking for a long time, he finally stopped, sighed, and left.

Yunxiang, who was guarding the door, secretly ran over and told Chen Siyuan what had happened. Chen Siyuan thought to himself, no matter what Jia Zhen did in Ningguo Mansion, he still had to save face in front of outsiders... Just now, he was afraid that You Sanjie would throw a tantrum and wanted to ask him to help, but then he thought that You Sanjie would expose his secrets, so he left with a sigh.

Chen Siyuan immediately understood the situation. He thought to himself that as long as Third Sister didn't grab a weapon, no matter how much she scolded him, Jia Zhen would have to endure it.

Without mentioning his inner thoughts, let's talk about Jia Zhen's journey out of Huifang Garden. After walking a few steps along the archery path, he could hear You Sanjie's shouts and curses coming from afar.

"...You heartless old bastard, you've ruined my sister like this, and now you're hiding away. So, you finally have a sense of shame? Bah! If you don't come to see me soon, I'll rip all the gallstones and urinary tract stones out of your belly!"

An old woman advised, "Third Madam, please shut up. It won't look good if word gets out. They've already sent someone to invite the Master back—"

"Shut up! My sister is in such a state now, you might be responsible for it!"

"Oh dear, what kind of saying is that..."

Jia Zhen had been drinking with the two Lord Shis earlier, and now, hearing the curses, his head throbbed with pain. He sighed again and hurried out of the side gate. In the distance, he saw You Sanjie dressed in bright red, her eyebrows raised, holding a gleaming sword in her hand. The tip of the sword pointed at her, frightening all the maids and servants into not daring to approach.

Jia Zhen blinked, his headache intensifying. He quickly stepped forward with a forced smile, "Third Sister, what are you saying? I was just with Marquis Baoling—"

"Tch! So you dare show yourself? Putting aside my mother's affairs, what about my sister's current state? What do you have to say about that?"

Jia Zhen looked embarrassed and said, "It's just a minor miscarriage scare. Didn't I call the imperial physician to treat me earlier?" "Ha," You Sanjie took out a musk sachet from her sleeve and tossed it over, "Then what about this?"

"This……"

Musk was found in You Shi's room, which she had obviously told Jia Zhen about. Jia Zhen wasn't stupid; he knew that the musk was either from one of the concubines or Jia Rong. Not wanting to air their dirty laundry in public, Jia Zhen replaced the head of the kitchen and gave You Shi two more capable maids, thus covering up the matter. But now, You Sanjie had come to cause trouble again.

"Third sister..."

"Who is your third sister? I'm telling you right now, if you don't give me an explanation, I'll risk everything and take my older sister away today, so that the Ningguo Mansion can have a good time in the future!"

Jia Zhen was immediately distressed and said with a forced smile, "Alright, Third Sister, just wait and see. I will definitely give you an explanation for this matter."

Sister You squinted and said, "Don't even think about fooling us sisters, or we'll fight to the death!"

After saying that, Cang clattered his sword back into its sheath and turned to return to Madam You's courtyard.

Just as Jia Zhen breathed a sigh of relief, Lai Sheng approached with a worried look on his face and said, "It's a good thing that Master Rong isn't here today. Just now, Third Aunt was carrying a sword and said she was going to chop Master Rong up..."

Jia Zhen was startled and, thinking of You Sanjie's temperament, immediately felt as if he were facing a formidable enemy. He immediately threw the sachet to Lai Sheng and said, "Investigate carefully where this thing came from! If we don't give the mistress an explanation today, I'm afraid the whole mansion will never have peace."

Lai Sheng knew that Jia Zhen was serious, so he dared not delay and hurriedly questioned the various stewardesses.

As the saying goes, people leave their names behind and geese leave their calls behind, so how could such sinister and harmful acts be truly flawless?

The head of the kitchen, as well as the maids and servants who frequented Lady You's quarters, were all brought to Ning'an Hall for questioning. Jia Zhen, with a stern face, had everyone identify them one by one, but those who had doubts or could not explain themselves were immediately served by Sanmu.

First, a cook was dragged out, then two stewards, two maids, one nanny, and one concubine without a title were implicated... Seeing that the case was pointing to Jia Rong, Jia Zhen was naturally furious, but he dared not go to court again.

He then summoned Sister You San, personally took up his cudgel and beat the concubine to death, and severely punished the others. Only then did he glare at Sister You San and ask, "Is Sister You San satisfied now?"

Yu Sanjie stared blankly at the concubine's splattered brains, speechless. Jia Zhen dropped his cudgel, slammed his weight onto his chair, and said, "Even tigers don't eat their cubs. I'll send Rong-ge'er to the Imperial Academy someday. What do you think?"

Sister You forced a straight face and said, "You can handle it yourself."

Having said that, she turned and strode away, her heart pounding with fear. Only then did Sister You realize that Jia Zhen was truly a wolf in sheep's clothing. No matter how strong-willed she was, if Jia Zhen really got serious, she would be willing to pay a price even if there were ten of her!
After informing Madam You, Third Sister You led her maids and servants away from the Rongguo Mansion. She then sent Chunxi to the Grand View Garden to inform Chen Siyuan before hurriedly returning to her new residence.

Upon receiving the news, Chen Siyuan, fearing for You Sanjie's safety, hurriedly went to the new house. When he arrived at the back building, he indeed found You Sanjie terrified.

Chen Siyuan felt heartbroken and couldn't help but regret, saying, "If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have let you go to Ningguo Mansion."

You Sanjie nestled in his arms and shook her head, saying, "This time it was only because of our past sisterly bond... I owe you nothing now, elder sister. Brother, that Jia Zhen is no human being; he kills people without batting an eye. You... you must stay away from him from now on."

Chen Siyuan nodded in agreement and then coaxed her to sleep. Sister You was startled twice while sleeping, but gradually felt at ease when she saw Chen Siyuan staying by her side.

By midday, Sister You was fast asleep, and Chen Siyuan also began to doze off. Just then, a commotion broke out in front, and soon Qingwen led Xia Zhu upstairs.

Chen Siyuan gently placed You Sanjie, whom he was holding, on the bed and hurriedly came out to ask, "Is something wrong?"

Xia Zhu hurriedly glanced at Qing Wen, gritted her teeth, and said simply, "The young lady sent me back to ask the master to quickly find a suitable doctor, saying... saying that Old Madam is not a good match."

Chen Siyuan immediately understood; Old Lady You had gone into premature labor.

He immediately went downstairs and instructed someone to call his servant, Qingyu, and wrote another letter, ordering him to take the letter and go to Henian Hall to invite Ding Daojian.

Ding Daojian was both amused and exasperated upon receiving the letter. He was not skilled in gynecology, so how could he treat premature birth or difficult labor? He immediately sent someone to find a gynecologist, and Qingyu then led the doctor to Shuiyue Nunnery outside the city.

By noon the next day, Sister You's fear had indeed subsided because Chen Siyuan had stayed with her all night. As the two ate and drank, Chen Siyuan mentioned the difficult childbirth that had befallen Old Lady You.

Sister You was taken aback, then said angrily, "She brought this on herself, so even if she dies, it has nothing to do with me!"

No sooner had she finished speaking than the old woman in front announced, "Second Madam is back!"

Chunxi, who was serving inside, hurriedly went to greet her and soon invited You Erjie inside.

Then Sister You San glanced around and was immediately stunned. She saw Sister You Er dressed in mourning clothes and holding an infant in her arms.

Chen Siyuan's expression changed, and he opened his mouth, but since he really didn't know what to say, he let out a long sigh.

Sister You said bitterly, "Mother... is gone. Third Sister, quickly find a wet nurse. This child is weak and frail; I don't know if she can endure it."

"Yes, yes... Someone, go find a wet nurse quickly, no price required!" Sister You San stood up dejectedly, leaned forward to look at the wrinkled baby in Sister Er's arms, then looked up and met Sister You Er's eyes, and suddenly burst into tears.

"You, you heartless bastard, you won't even let me rest in peace even in death!"

As soon as she started crying, Sister You Er started crying too, and the baby in her arms also began to cry. Chen Siyuan knew that the two sisters had lost their composure, so he quickly instructed Chunxi to take the baby, sent someone to find a wet nurse at a high price, and also told the steward to inform the Ningguo Mansion.

With no male heirs in the You family and Madam You herself being six months pregnant, the responsibility of handling the funeral arrangements will likely fall to the second and third daughters.

After a flurry of activity, Chen Siyuan finally had a moment to call Xia Zhu over to inquire.

Xia Zhu replied in a low voice, "Doctor Ding is not good at treating women's diseases, so he found Doctor Zheng instead. Unfortunately, the child was born feet first... As night fell, the old lady was on her deathbed, so they finally operated on her."

Chen Siyuan sighed, ignoring Xia Zhu's evasive words. He thought to himself that in the original book, Old Lady You disappeared after Third Sister You committed suicide, so Old Lady You was not seen when Second Sister You swallowed gold, so she must have passed away during that time.

Because of her own actions, she died a year earlier than in the original story. However, her second and third daughters no longer had to die with resentment and grief as before. As the saying goes, every sip and every bite is preordained. If it were someone who firmly believed in Buddhism, they might have thought that Old Lady You had used a year of her lifespan to change the fate of her two daughters.

Since his second and third daughters were not currently in use, Chen Siyuan stayed at the new house to oversee the funeral arrangements. He purchased coffins, hired a high-ranking monk to perform Buddhist rites, and found beggars to impersonate filial sons and grandsons—a whole host of tasks.

Without further ado, Old Lady You simply laid her body to rest at Shuiyue Nunnery, and three days later found a propitious burial site. Second Sister You and Third Sister You wept and wailed, lamenting that Old Lady You was utterly wrong, having raised them both to adulthood.

Now that he has passed away, even Sister You only remembers the good things he did in the past and no longer holds a grudge against the evil he committed in the past few years.

After the funeral arrangements were completed, Chen Siyuan remembered to ask, "By the way, was the child a boy or a girl?"

Sister You said, "It's a boy."

Sister You wiped away her tears and said, "That's fine, let him take the surname You, and tell the outside world that he was adopted, so that he can inherit the family business in the future."

The You family has long since declined. Apart from the old You family mansion, where else do they have any other family property? Besides, the biological father of the second and third sisters of the You family did not have the surname You. The one who should be truly moved by this is Madam You.

After a pause, You Sanjie sneered again: "The Ningguo Mansion only sent a few stewards to join in the fun. It's fine that she's pregnant and can't leave, but what about Jia Zhen and Rong boy?"

Sister You Er had visited Ningguo Mansion twice in the past two days. Upon hearing this, she whispered, "I heard that... he was furious and beat Rong boy up badly. He sent him to the Imperial Academy the next day."

Third Sister You frowned and asked, "What did the child say?"

Sister You was speechless.

What else can be said? Such an illegitimate child is naturally something that cannot be brought into the light of day, and Jia Zhen would not dare to bring him back to Ningguo Mansion unless absolutely necessary.

After a short while, Sister You said again, "They did slip me five hundred taels of silver... saying there would be more later."

As they were talking, Sister You Er handed over the silver note. Sister You San took it, sneered, and tore the silver note to shreds with a flourish of her hands. She lifted the bamboo curtain and threw the shredded paper out the window, where it drifted away in the wind.

"What a joke! My brother needs him to support him? Who does he think he is! Bah!"

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

Chen Siyuan stayed at the new residence for two more days. Because his second and third daughters had to observe mourning, and their emotions gradually calmed down, Chen Siyuan returned to the Rongguo Mansion.

The Rongguo Mansion had been holding banquets for several days, and this day the banquets had ended. Jia Zheng was to be transferred to the position of Education Commissioner, and naturally he would have to go to the Ministry of Rites. Grandmother Jia was worried about her youngest son, so she asked Miaoyu to perform a divination by spirit writing, and they chose August 20th as the date for his departure.

During the funeral arrangements, Xiangling, Hongyu, and even Yunxiang went to help out once, but Hongyu stayed at home because of her leg problems. On this day, when Chen Siyuan returned to Qingtang Thatched Cottage, Hongyu said in detail, "Second Madam came twice, saying it was about the workshop. Seeing that Master was too busy, she went back first."

Chen Siyuan nodded.

Hongyu added, "Miss Bao and Miss Lin both came once, inquired about the funeral, and then sent their maids to check on things."

"Yes, I saw Ying'er and Zijuan."

"The three young ladies from the manor arrived shortly afterward, so it wasn't appropriate to send someone to check on them."

None of the three sisters were married yet, and Old Lady You had little to do with them, so it wasn't appropriate to send anyone over. On the contrary, it was Madam Xing who caused trouble a few days ago... Chen Siyuan couldn't stand it anymore, so he sent Madam Xing away.

Hongyu poured tea for her and continued, "That's right, the Third Miss originally wanted to start a society, but upon hearing about the funeral, she put it off for the time being, saying she would start the society when Xiangling had time."

Chen Siyuan smiled and nodded. Hongyu was about to leave when she suddenly remembered something and turned back to say, "I almost forgot, Madam brought Lan-ge'er here too."

After speaking with Li Wan, Hongyu limped away.

Holding his teacup, Chen Siyuan couldn't help but think of Li Wan again. It was a pity about what happened with Old Lady You; otherwise, they might have struck while the iron was hot and already made it work. Now, ten days or so have passed, and he wondered if Li Wan's mind would waver again.

As he sighed inwardly, he suddenly heard the sound of a jade chime being struck, and Chen Siyuan was immediately startled.

He was afraid he had misheard, so he waited a moment, and when he heard another sound, he could no longer sit still.
He got up and walked out, just in time to see the little maid Yunxiang pacing around in front of the door.

He reached out and beckoned, "Did I vaguely hear the sound of a jade chime?"

Yunxiang then said, "That must be the eldest mistress. Master, you don't know, the eldest mistress seems to have become obsessed with Taoist scriptures. These days she often comes to the Jade Emperor Temple to strike the chime and recite Taoist scriptures. It frightened the old lady, who thought the eldest mistress had something on her mind. Yesterday she called her over and asked her a lot of questions."

Chen Siyuan laughed and asked, "What did your sister-in-law say?"

Yunxiang shook her head and said, "I forgot, but the old lady breathed a sigh of relief, so it seems she's alright now?"

Chen Siyuan was delighted. He bid farewell to Yunxiang and strolled out with his hands behind his back. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, he turned and disappeared into the woods, arriving at the foot of the west wall of the Jade Emperor Temple in no time.

Ten days or so later, Chen Siyuan's shoulder injury had fully healed, and he picked up his martial arts again, his skills returning to normal. He then leaped up a large tree, quickly vaulted over the wall, and landed, crouching low to look around.

Seeing that the main gate was tightly closed, but the door to the alchemy room on the east side was half open, Chen Siyuan breathed a sigh of relief.

Those closed doors and half-closed alchemy room doors—aren't they also reflections of Li Wan's thoughts?
Chen Siyuan stepped forward and pushed open the door shortly afterward. He saw Li Wan sitting cross-legged at the table, just as she had done that day, striking a jade chime and holding a Taoist scripture.

Hearing footsteps behind her, Li Wan turned around and looked around, then quickly got up.

"Brother Yuan... Brother Yuan—"

Chen Siyuan smiled and leaned closer, opening his arms. Li Wan leaned back slightly, but then stopped herself, and was immediately embraced by Chen Siyuan.

Then, gentle words rang in Li Wan's ears: "Lanqiao, I've been thinking of you these past few days."

(End of this chapter)