Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 290 Sister Feng Succeeds

By evening, Jia Zheng led his men back to the Rongguo Mansion. Not only Jia Qin, but also every single bandit from the Shuiyue Nunnery was captured.

On that day, Jia Qin and others were confined in the Ningguo Mansion. The next day, all eight branches of the Jia family in the capital gathered, and as expected, they expelled this son from the family genealogy. Afterwards, Jia Zhen of the Ningguo Mansion personally escorted him to the Shuntian Prefecture. Master Jia Zheng submitted a memorial to plead guilty and was then kept in the mansion to await investigation.

Two days later, the emperor first issued an edict to encourage them, and then Yuan Chun sent Eunuch Xia to deliver a reward.

The Rongguo Mansion was in a state of constant alarm. When Grandmother Jia heard that Jia Zheng had sent off Eunuch Xia, she hurriedly ordered Yuanyang to invite him to Rongqing Hall to inquire about the matter.

Jia Zheng breathed a sigh of relief and bowed, saying, "With the Holy Emperor on the throne, he would not wrong my son. The Empress has bestowed rewards and offered many words of encouragement, so I suppose this ordeal is over."

Grandmother Jia, Lady Wang, and the others all breathed a sigh of relief. Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "A fall into a pit, a gain in your wit. In the future, when selecting members of the clan to manage affairs, loyalty, character, and competence are all indispensable. We must not allow another Jia Qin to emerge."

Everyone readily agreed, creating a harmonious atmosphere, but Sister Feng felt extremely uncomfortable.

That day, Sister Zhou knocked on the door again and made a fuss. Sister Feng patiently answered her questions, but Sister Zhou was completely unreasonable and kept saying that Sister Feng had tricked Jia Qin.

Sister Feng was never one to have a good temper, so how could she possibly tolerate it? In her anger, she simply ordered someone to throw Sister Zhou out of the mansion.

Within a few days, the Shuntian Prefecture swiftly and decisively handed down a severe verdict in the Shuiyue Nunnery case. The two men responsible for the murder were, of course, executed immediately in the autumn; the ringleader, Jia Qin, was sentenced to three days in cangue and exiled three thousand li; the three accomplices were each exiled two thousand li.

Chen Siyuan observed coldly. He had been staying in Qingtang Thatched Cottage to study for the past few days. During that time, he only secretly strolled around with Sister Bao and had a secret rendezvous with Madam Xing at the Jade Emperor Temple.

After receiving confirmation of the Jia Qin case, he returned to his new residence and told You Sanjie about it.

Perhaps because her mind had calmed down in recent days, when she heard that Jia Qin had been exiled three thousand miles away, she simply nodded in agreement without expression. She burned a piece of yellow paper at the entrance of the alley at night, and then went back to taking care of A Chou and managing the affairs of the new house, which I will not go into detail about.

It's already mid-July in the blink of an eye.

On this day, Sister Bao arrived at Qingtang Thatched Cottage early in the morning. The two sat down and exchanged a few words. Ying'er, Hongyu, and the others then tactfully withdrew, leaving only the two of them inside.

Chen Siyuan, seeing Baochai, felt an irresistible urge and quietly moved his chair closer. Baochai, seemingly oblivious, continued her rambling: "—Feng'er has really lost face this time, and she's been in a bad mood these past few days. Just this morning, a maid made a mistake, which infuriated her, and I heard she even had that old woman beaten thirty times."

With Xiao Baba Yunxiang around, Chen Siyuan naturally knew quite a bit of the inside story. He immediately grabbed Rou's hand and said with a smile, "I'm afraid it's not just that, is it?"

Baochai covered her mouth and laughed, "Fengya only has four households of maids, and the only people she can rely on are Laiwang and his wife. Now that there is a vacancy in the job of managing the monks and Taoists, Xia Jingui suggested to Aunt that it would be better to send Laiwang to manage the monks and Taoists."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Madam, that was a really ruthless move!"

The lending business relied entirely on Laiwang and Ni Er from outside. Now that Laiwang has been sent to Shuiyue Nunnery, not only is Sister Feng lacking capable hands, but the lending business may also be unable to continue.

Baochai then said, "Fengyatou is too impatient... How old is she? Anyone with eyes can see that she's just someone the old lady brought out to compete with the madam. She has no one to rely on, and she can't outdo her aunt. Now she's in a bind."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Does my sister still remember what I said that day?"

Baochai pondered for a moment, then lowered her voice and said, "Flowers adorn brocade, and oil is poured over a raging fire?" Seeing Chen Siyuan nod, Baochai immediately frowned and said, "Who says otherwise? I was arguing with Mother yesterday, saying that the Rongguo Mansion is so powerful and wealthy, but now it seems... the whole mansion is now relying on the Empress in the palace!"
To put it bluntly, if anything were to happen to Her Majesty, not only would the Rongguo Mansion be ruined, but the entire Jia family would likely be destroyed.

Chen Siyuan said, "The saying 'When things reach their peak, they decline' applies to everything."

Baochai nodded, sighing with lingering fear, "Thank goodness—" She glanced at Chen Siyuan, the unspoken meaning being 'thank goodness we didn't gamble on that perfect match,' otherwise the Xue family would be in a dilemma right now, and might have to suffer in silence.

Her slightly plump palm was warm, and Chen Siyuan's caresses made her feel a little itchy. She tried to break free several times but couldn't, so she angrily grabbed Chen Siyuan's hand in return.

Not wanting to hurt Baochai, Chen Siyuan stopped moving and instead reached out to poke Baochai's embroidered shoes.

Baochai gave him a reproachful look, then glanced back and, seeing that no maids were looking over, stuck out her feet and grabbed Chen Siyuan's shoes.

The two of them were constantly bickering and making a ruckus, and it didn't stop for quite a while.

After a short while, Baochai herself found herself at a loss for words, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Seeing Chen Siyuan still winking and making faces, she couldn't help but think to herself, she had seen Baoyu and the maids in the room fooling around like this before, and at the time she only thought that Brother Bao was still childish... who knew that she herself would be fooling around with him like this now.

Baochai felt a warmth in her heart, and a vague realization dawned on her: perhaps she had chosen the right person, which was why she could act so foolishly with him.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew into the hall, bringing with it an overwhelming, foul stench that made Baochai frown immediately. She asked, "Where is that smell coming from?"

Chen Siyuan was taken aback, then immediately let go of Bao Jie and said with great enthusiasm, "Little sister, do you still remember Chen's mustard greens stew?"

"I remember."

Chen Siyuan gestured and said, "I think the reason why that mustard brine is so effective is because of the mold inside. To be honest, my injury improved last time not because of that mustard brine, but because I picked out the mold inside myself."

"Oh..." Sister Bao was a little puzzled.

Chen Siyuan suddenly stood up, grabbed Baochai, and said, "Sister, come with me quickly."

Baochai was being pulled along, and just as they were about to leave, she quickly broke free, blushing, and said, "Someone will see us!"

Chen Siyuan chuckled and invited Sister Bao to come out with him. They then stopped in front of a water vat near the second room.

Chen Siyuan pulled back the quilt covering it, immediately revealing the scene inside. A foul stench filled the air, and Baochai couldn't help but cover her mouth and nose with a handkerchief before glancing inside: she saw murky rice water with a layer of green mold floating on top. (Keep reading, don't rush to criticize.)
"You... want to make braised mustard greens?"

"No, no, this is for preparing penicillin."

Unable to bear the pungent smell any longer, Baochai took a few steps back before saying, "Where did you find this folk remedy? Did you perhaps find it in some ancient book hidden by Lin's maid?"

Just then, Hongyu came out of the room. Her ankle was much better now, and although she walked with a limp, she no longer needed a cane.

Hearing this, he laughed and said, "More than that? Miss Bao doesn't know, not only did the master get a vat of swill, but he also had someone buy two piglets, saying that he would keep them to test the efficacy of that damned green mold soup."

"It's penicillin!"

"Good, good, penicillin... This is good. It's only autumn now, and the whole place smells so bad that neither Miss Biao nor Fourth Miss dare to come to our door."

Baochai immediately covered her mouth and laughed.

Chen Siyuan frowned and said with his hands behind his back, "If this thing is made, it will save countless lives and bring immeasurable merit." Most importantly, it will be able to make a fortune, and perhaps we will never have to worry about money again.

Upon seeing this, Sister Bao jokingly said, "If you can't be a good prime minister, then be a good doctor?"

Chen Siyuan was taken aback, then waved his hand and said, "It won't delay me, I haven't missed studying."

Baochai then said, "In that case, I'll wait for your... penicillin." After laughing for a while, she added, "Mother is going to the old house later, I'll go see her off."

Chen Siyuan blinked, his face immediately filled with resentment. He thought to himself, "I've only been here a short while, and I'm already leaving? I haven't even gotten a single advantage yet. Today they cede five cities, tomorrow ten; who knows when I'll be sharing a romantic relationship with Baochai? And every time Baochai loses a city, she raises a truce, and it takes quite a while for things to return to normal."

Chen Siyuan thought to himself, "Isn't this situation like a toad climbing a well? It climbs three steps today and retreats two steps tomorrow... Tsk, there is progress, but it's still too slow."

Baochai knew that he had ill intentions, so she didn't say anything more, took Ying'er and left.

Chen Siyuan felt a pang of disappointment. After seeing Baochai off, he was about to return to his study when he suddenly heard the sound of jade chimes being struck.

Chen Siyuan, who was standing at the door, turned around very smoothly, put his hands behind his back, and walked out of the courtyard.

Hongyu was puzzled and asked, "Where are you going, sir?"

Chen Siyuan casually said, "I feel stuffy, I'll go for a walk to clear my head."

Hongyu was puzzled, but since her master had done many strange things in his life, she was used to it and didn't bother to think about it.

As Chen Si walked away from the thatched cottage, he heard the sound of jade chimes again, and his heart leaped with joy.

Li Wan was a recluse and a widow, so Chen Siyuan usually couldn't go to Daoxiang Village to pick her up. Since their last intimate encounter, the two had only bumped into each other twice in the garden, and had barely exchanged a few words.

All of this made Chen Siyuan mutter to himself several times in private, wondering if Li Wan was having second thoughts again? Unexpectedly, Li Wan came to the Jade Emperor Temple again today!

Chen Siyuan walked slowly, circling the Jade Emperor Temple briefly. After confirming that it was Biyue guarding the gate, he climbed over the tree and the wall when no one was around. A short while later, he arrived at the alchemy room. Li Wan gently tapped the jade chime, and upon hearing footsteps, she stood up and turned to look at him.

Chen Siyuan stopped in his tracks, momentarily unable to fathom Li Wan's thoughts. Just then, a smile bloomed in her peach blossom eyes, and a soft voice escaped from her lips: "I...missed you a little."

Chen Siyuan felt a great weight lifted from his heart and immediately stepped forward to embrace the figure in his arms...

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

Sister Feng's children's courtyard.

Fengjie sat sullenly on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), one hand resting on the kang table. Laiwang's wife and Ping'er both kept their heads down, not daring to say a word.

Laiwang's wife glanced at it and whispered, "Grandma, what do you think of this job—"

She was naturally referring to Laiwang's new job. For Sister Feng, Laiwang's departure was like losing an arm, but for Laiwang, wasn't it a golden opportunity?

Although Laiwang is now in charge, he doesn't have any specific duties and simply follows Fengjie's orders. Taking this step, it will be natural for him to be transferred to another room as a manager in two years.

Sister Feng understood this as well. While inwardly cursing Madam Wang for her ruthlessness, she also knew she couldn't afford to lose people's hearts. So she smiled and said, "Since it's Madam's good intention, then let Laiwang do his job with peace of mind."

Laiwang's wife was secretly pleased, but said, "This... my husband said he'll obey Grandma's orders. If Grandma doesn't want it, my husband—"

“Why would I be unwilling? Just tell Laiwang to do his job well. If he does it well, I will find a way to get him transferred back.”

Laiwang's wife was overjoyed and quickly curtsied, saying, "Oh, then we'll do as Grandma says."

He thanked them profusely and left without further ado.

After Ping'er brought over Wang's wife and then returned, Feng Jie sneered, "Madam's moves are getting more and more ruthless. It seems she won't stop until she forces me to back down. I thought it was Auntie who was devising another scheme, but now I realize I was wrong... Ha, Auntie could never come up with such a vicious method!"

Ping'er said, "Grandma, that Xia family girl... should not be underestimated."

Sister Feng glanced sideways and said, "It's still uncertain who will become Bao Er's wife in the future, but she's already completely devoted to me. Fine, since she's already bullying me, if I don't retaliate, she might think I'm a pushover!"

Ping'er had her own little schemes, but she always shared the same fate as Feng Jie on important matters. So she bit her lower lip and suggested, "Grandma, if I may say so... Grandma, why don't you go for a walk in the east courtyard?"

Feng Jie naturally knew that Ping'er was referring to Madam Xing, and immediately frowned and said, "Her? You want me to humble myself and act like a concubine? I can't bring myself to do that."

Ping'er advised, "Now that Madam is powerful, even with the old lady's support, I'm afraid you can't defeat Madam. It would be better to ease the tension with Madam and join forces to deal with the situation."

Sister Feng frowned and shook her head. After pondering for a while, she suddenly smiled and said, "You're right... but if I just want to ease the tension with the First Madam, why should I go to the east wing?"

Ping'er frowned, puzzled, when she saw Feng Jie point northeast. Ping'er pondered for a moment, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration and said, "Master Yuan?"

Sister Feng laughed and said, "The First Madam and the Madam don't get along either. Wasn't it because Brother Yuan mediated that they joined forces to seize the Old Madam's power? Once something like this happens, it will happen again... It just so happens that the workshop's manpower and equipment are almost ready. I'll go find Brother Yuan and have a talk with him later."

Ping'er pondered for a moment, then smiled and praised, "Grandma has a good mind. I suppose Master Yuan doesn't want to see Madam dominating too much either."

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

Meanwhile, inside the Jade Emperor Temple, it was truly a scene of: mandarin ducks frolicking in the water, phoenixes flitting among the flowers; joyfully intertwined branches; and sweetly bound together hearts.

One pressed her crimson lips close, the other nestled her rosy cheek against her. Her silk stockings billowed high, revealing two crescent moons on her shoulders; a golden hairpin dangled askew, a dark cloud piled beside her pillow. Vows of eternal love, a thousand kinds of allure played with; shy clouds and timid rain, a myriad of enchanting charms wrought.

The warbling of orioles never leaves my ears. Sweet saliva drips from the tip of my tongue.

Her willow-like waist sways gently in the spring breeze, her cherry lips barely moving. Her starry eyes are hazy, her eyes shimmering like fireflies. Even if they were to be a perfect match, their union would be a truly blissful and delightful experience.

Li Wan's back was pressed against the window, her willow-leaf eyebrows were tightly furrowed, her peach blossom eyes were tightly closed, and she covered her mouth with one hand. Her body slumped down like dough.

After a short while, she calmed down a little, reached out and hugged Chen Siyuan's neck, pressing her hand against his heart without saying a word.

Before long, Li Wan's blush had faded, and she hurriedly pushed Chen Siyuan away. She then glanced outside guiltily, and seeing that the door was not open, she was slightly relieved.

Chen Siyuan then said, "I can hear the noise."

Li Wan shook her head and said, "Everyone makes mistakes, and even horses can slip up. You can never be too careful in this kind of matter."

If word gets out about their affair, Chen Siyuan, with his thick skin, could survive even if his future was ruined, but Li Wan would not survive.

Chen Siyuan knew this, but he didn't know what to say. Even Aunt Xue didn't dare to come to the Jade Emperor Temple anymore, so she could only ask Chen Siyuan to go to Da Gezi Alley. Only Madam Xing was a foolishly bold woman who came to the Jade Emperor Temple again and again.

He thought for a moment and said, "This can't go on forever... How about I find you a job? That way you'll have a reason to go out."

Li Wan smiled and shook her head, saying, "I'm a widow and unemployed now, how can I show my face in public?" As she spoke, she reached out to straighten Chen Siyuan's clothes, gazing at him with affection, and said, "Although I know it's inappropriate, I just can't help wanting to see you."

Chen Siyuan had ignited a fire in her heart, and now the fire was raging, already shaking Li Wan's mind. That's why she knowingly came to the Jade Emperor Temple to strike the chime, even though she knew it was inappropriate.

"Then I-"

Before Chen Siyuan could say anything, Li Wan extended her slender, jade-like finger and touched his lips, her peach blossom eyes full of laughter as she said, "You don't owe me anything... I was holding back my anger earlier, and I only survived because of Lan'er. In reality, which night did I ever sleep peacefully?"

On the contrary, I should thank you, not because of your repeated help, but because of you... I've been given a second chance at life.

After saying this, she pressed her head against Chen Siyuan's chest, listening to his pounding heartbeat and saying in a sweet, melodious voice, "It's so good to be alive."

Having no other choice at the moment, Chen Siyuan said, "You... just bear with it for now. Perhaps in two or three years there will be a chance to turn things around."

Li Wan looked up in surprise and said, "The old lady can only live for two or three years?"

The two stared at each other, and Li Wan spoke first: "I have been married into the Rongguo Mansion for more than ten years and have watched it decline day by day. The masters in each household are extravagant and do not know how to be frugal. How can it be maintained like this? I am afraid that once the old lady dies, something will happen."

Chen Siyuan thought to himself, Li Wan is indeed a clever woman. She has closed the door early on and is raising Jia Lan by herself. She is also very frugal, so that she will have enough money to support her and her son after the Rongguo Mansion falls into ruin.

Since she was so intelligent, Chen Siyuan was able to reveal some of the secrets of heaven. He then whispered, "Not only that. How could the Emperor forget the hatred of the struggle for the throne back then? It's just that the Emperor Emeritus and the Empress Dowager are still alive, so he is only holding back now. Once those two are gone, and the old lady is gone... based on the things the two families have done in the past, I'm afraid they will not be able to escape disaster."

Li Wan frowned and said, "Why is it like this? Isn't Her Majesty still here?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "It is because of Your Majesty that the Jia family is about to be doomed." He then recounted how Jia Zheng had gone to the Eastern Palace after meeting the Emperor, and how Jia She and Jia Zhen had been sending money to the Eastern Palace.

Li Wan was intelligent to begin with, but upon hearing this, her face turned deathly pale. She said, "How could the entire Jia family be so unwise?"

Having already offended the current emperor and relinquished military power, he should have lived a quiet life from now on. Why would he want that damned merit of following the emperor? At this point, the emperor probably already knows, but he hasn't taken action because of the face of the emperor's wife and concubine.

Chen Siyuan scoffed, "It's nothing more than greed for wealth that has blinded him to reason."

When the old Duke was still alive, he wanted the Jia family to transform its fortunes, but a power struggle for the throne caused this transformation to fail. The Jia family members, accustomed to a life of pleasure, were unwilling to continue their studies diligently after seeing the transformation fail. They were better off taking a gamble and hoping for a lucky break. If successful, they might be able to maintain their wealth for generations to come.

Li Wan frowned and said, "Grandma..."

"Ha, if the old lady could really control her sons and grandsons, why would she be hiding in Rongqing Hall having fun? It's just a helpless move."

Upon hearing this, Li Wan immediately became anxious and said, "Then, what about Lan'er and me?"

Chen Siyuan put his arm around her shoulder and stared into her peach blossom eyes, saying, "Don't worry, I'm here. No matter what, I can protect you and your child."

Li Wan was deeply grateful and nodded repeatedly. She nestled against Chen Siyuan's chest for a while, then suddenly said, "You can keep the money, lest it be taken away when disaster strikes in the future."

A true man has principles of conduct, and Chen Siyuan, no matter how lowly he may be, could not possibly embezzle the money of a widow and her orphan. The two then spent a tender time together, while Li Wan felt uneasy. Seeing that it was getting late, she hurriedly bid farewell to Chen Siyuan and left.

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

Chen Siyuan waited a moment before climbing over the wall and landing outside.

Just as he turned out of the path, he bumped into Wu'er, who was hurrying towards him. Upon seeing Chen Siyuan, Wu'er quickly said, "Where did you go, Master? Second Mistress and Sister Ping'er have been here for quite a while. If you don't come back soon, Second Mistress will be leaving."

Chen Siyuan made up a story to cover it up, then laughed and said, "It's strange, Second Sister-in-law, do you not know that I transferred that workshop business to Lin Daiyu?"

Wu'er said, "Miss Lin may be able to manage it, but how to run this business is still up to Master to decide."

Chen Siyuan thought about it and agreed, so he followed Wu'er back to the Qingtang Thatched Cottage.

Hongyu was talking with Fengjie when she saw Chen Siyuan return. She quickly came out to greet him and said reproachfully, "It's a good thing that you're back, Master. It's been about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. If you hadn't come back soon, I'm afraid Second Mistress would have left."

Chen Siyuan smiled and entered, cupping his hands in greeting, saying, "I really didn't know Second Sister-in-law was coming. I should have been waiting in the room."

Sister Feng smiled and rose to return the greeting, saying, "Brother Yuan, you must be feeling stifled by your studies, so it's only right that you take a stroll around. I've come uninvited, so I'm quite an uninvited guest."

After exchanging words, the two took their seats as host and guest.

Chen Siyuan then said, "These past few days, my second sister-in-law has been busy with household affairs, and I dared not disturb her. There is something I need to tell her... about the workshop's business—"

Sister Feng immediately covered her mouth and laughed, "I know, I know. I knew you were giving money to Lin girl. The old lady praised Brother Yuan for being loyal and righteous." She paused and then said, "I don't care what you and Lin girl said. I just want to ask you for advice."

Chen Siyuan smiled and agreed, instructing Wu'er to fetch a thick stack of papers from the study, which contained the workshop's intricacies written over the past few days.

Sister Feng wasn't in a hurry to look. She first said some random things before turning to Chen Siyuan and saying, "Brother Yuan, there are some things I shouldn't tell outsiders."

Hongyu, understanding the implied meaning, said to Ping'er, "I just happened to ruin a handkerchief I was embroidering. Sister Ping'er is very skillful, please come and help me see if there's any way to salvage it."

Ping'er, Hongyu, Wu'er, and the others withdrew, and Chen Siyuan began to ponder the matter.

Sure enough, Feng Jie said, “Brother Yuan, you know that I am not in a good situation. I only had one capable man, Lai Wang, by my side, but now he has been sent to manage the affairs of monks and Taoists... If it weren’t for Brother Yuan’s help, I’m afraid I would no longer be able to take on the job of managing the household.”

Chen Siyuan said with a half-smile, "What are you saying, Second Sister-in-law? I'm just an outsider, so what—"

Before he could finish speaking, Sister Feng said, "Brother Yuan, why pretend to be ignorant? If it weren't for Brother Yuan's involvement, how could the First Madam and the Madam have conspired to seize the Old Madam's power? I don't ask for anything else now, I only ask to protect myself." She paused, then added, "It's a matter that benefits both parties, Brother Yuan, why don't you give me a straight answer!"

Chen Siyuan slowly picked up his teacup, took a sip, and after a moment's thought, said, "Second sister-in-law, you really believe me?"

Sister Feng retorted, "If I didn't trust Brother Yuan, why would I have bothered to come all this way to him?"

“Hmm,” Chen Siyuan nodded, and then said, “When I first came to the manor, I was greatly taken care of by my second sister-in-law, and I have always been grateful to her. The following words are rather profound since we are not old friends. If my second sister-in-law believes me, she may think about them carefully; if she does not believe me, she can just listen and have some fun.”

Sister Feng said, "Brother Yuan, just tell me."

Chen Siyuan stared into those phoenix eyes and said, "Second sister-in-law, you're putting the cart before the horse. If I were you, I would rather retreat to advance."

Sister Feng frowned and asked in surprise, "What do you mean by that?"

Chen Siyuan counted on his fingers and said, "There are rumors circulating in the mansion that my second sister-in-law is using her monthly allowance to lend money out... Is there any truth to this?"

Sister Feng was stunned and speechless for a moment before finally asking, "Brother Yuan, who told you this?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Why do we need to hear it from others? Second sister-in-law, why don't you ask around? Who in this household doesn't know about this?"

Sister Feng sighed, wanting to protest, but when she met Chen Siyuan's clear eyes, she immediately lost her confidence and said dejectedly, "That is true."

Chen Siyuan said, "If I may ask a question, Second Sister-in-law has never been short of money, so why is she lending it out?"

"Of course—" Feng Jie opened her mouth but couldn't finish her sentence. The household was short of funds and couldn't think of a way to increase revenue, so Feng Jie had no choice but to lend money... At this time, she had the tacit approval of Madam Wang and had secretly asked Lai Wang to handle the matter without the old lady's knowledge.

But then Sister Feng realized something was wrong. At that time, she was just a housekeeper, not the head of the household. If there was a shortage of money, Madam Wang would be the one to worry about it. Why should she bother with something that would be thankless?
Seeing that Sister Feng had come to her senses, Chen Siyuan continued, "Putting that aside, Second Sister-in-law has been married for many years, but now she only has one daughter, Qiao'er... Of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is to have no offspring. If I may say something unpleasant, what will Second Sister-in-law do if something happens to Second Brother Lian in the future?"

Sister Feng immediately felt ashamed and hurriedly explained, "This... it's not that your second brother and I didn't want to have children, it's just... a coincidence."

Since giving birth to Qiao Jie'er, Feng Jie'er has never been pregnant again, and she has secretly investigated this. At first, there were no abnormalities, but last year some lesions were found. She asked Chen Siyuan for cordyceps to recuperate until now, and last month she consulted the imperial physician, who said that she still needs to recuperate until the end of the year before she can be considered to have recovered.

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "If it's up to me, Second Sister-in-law, you might as well raise a son first and let Madam manage the household for a few years. Madam is getting old and her energy is waning. How long do you think Second Sister-in-law can keep up? She might even want to retire when she's overwhelmed with work."

Sister Feng scoffed and shook her head, saying, "Now that the old lady has me on her heels, how can I back down?"

Chen Siyuan thought about it and realized it made sense. Grandmother Jia was an old and shrewd woman; how could she possibly hand over power to Lady Wang?

So he laughed and said, "Then Second Sister-in-law should go and talk to the Old Madam first. How can someone be promoted without any real power?"

"Hmm?" Sister Feng thought for a moment, then said, "Brother Yuan, you mean... the steward's office and the purchasing office?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and nodded, saying, "To be honest, Madam only manages one household. The other household's steward, Lin... dares not offend Madam, nor does he dare offend Second Sister-in-law. If Second Sister-in-law were to take over the stewardship and procurement offices, how could she not surpass Madam?"

He paused, then added, "Besides, it's not easy to manage the heads of the accounting office and the warehouse, but the people who do the work are all assigned by the steward's office, aren't they?"

Upon hearing this, Sister Feng's eyes lit up, but then dimmed again. She couldn't help but shake her head and say, "Grandma... I'm afraid she won't agree."

Seeing Chen Siyuan smile without saying a word, Feng Jie made up her mind and said, "But what Brother Yuan said is right. How can someone be given an official position but not given troops? I'll go and talk to the old lady about it."

After saying that, he got up to leave, but then suddenly stopped and looked at Chen Siyuan, asking, "What about the east wing?"

Chen Siyuan said, "I'll talk to my aunt about it later, and I promise I won't be a burden to my second sister-in-law."

Sister Feng was overjoyed and said with a smile, "Good, with Brother Yuan's words, I feel much more at ease."

When Sister Feng took her leave, Chen Siyuan escorted her to the door.

After turning around, Chen Siyuan called Hongyu over and whispered, "Now that Madam and Second Sister-in-law are fighting, what do your parents say?"

Hongyu said with a bitter face, "What's the point of saying this? We can't afford to offend either side. My father sighs and complains every day. We're caught in the middle and really don't know what to do."

Chen Siyuan then said, "How about we let your parents quit? I'll beg the old lady to let them leave the mansion."

Hongyu said, "I was thinking... I did mention it last time, but who knew that Father and Mother both..." Hongyu sighed and couldn't continue.

Hongyu had mentioned to her parents the other day that they might consider becoming stewards at Chen Siyuan's new residence. To their surprise, Lin Zhixiao and his wife immediately looked at Hongyu as if she were a fool. The implication was clear: the accountants and stewards of the Rongguo Mansion were far superior to those of ordinary residences.
As the saying goes, even a seventh-rank official is superior to a prime minister. The steward of the Rongguo Mansion is considered a cut above the rest, and even ordinary officials have to give him some respect.

Chen Siyuan already knew this, since Lin Zhixiao and his wife had become godparents to Feng Jie in the original text, which showed that they were also power-hungry. So he said, "Fine, then let your parents act impartially and not take sides."

(End of this chapter)