Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 301 Autumn Breeze Studio's Accidental Connection with the Begonia Society
That day, Chen Siyuan packed his bags and bid farewell to Xiangling's mother, Zhen Fengshi. He returned to his thatched cottage, and within a day, Chunxi, You Sanjie's maid, came looking for him.

Chen Siyuan quickly realized that it must be a reply from Madam You, so he went back to the new house at noon. At this time, both Second Sister You and Third Sister You were there. After Chen Siyuan sat down, Second Sister You said eagerly, "Eldest Sister only hesitated for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before finally nodding."

This is perfectly reasonable. Madam You is willing to sacrifice her dignity to borrow a son, hoping to have a boy to inherit the Ningguo Mansion's business. If she gets a girl this time, wouldn't it be all for nothing?

Sister You, standing to the side, said with a displeased expression, "She's quite willing to do this, only asking that we raise her child well."

Chen Siyuan's face immediately turned embarrassed. Regardless, the child was still his own; perhaps this could be considered a return to its rightful owner?

Seeing that his expression was off, Sister You realized this as well, so she gave Chen Siyuan a reproachful look and didn't say anything more.

Chen Siyuan comforted the third sister for a few words, then looked at the second sister with surprise and asked, "How much benefit did Jia Zhen give you this time?"

Upon hearing this, Sister You Er couldn't help but laugh. She glanced at Sister You San before saying, "It's nothing... it's just that we gave up one-tenth of Baicaotang's shares."

Chen Siyuan understood immediately and said with a smile, "Then he really went all out."

Now, the business of Baicaotang's pills has spread among the powerful and wealthy in the capital. Chen Siyuan's 25% share earns him over a thousand taels of silver every month. Jia Zhen's share is equal to Chen Siyuan's, and by giving up 10% of his share, You Erjie earns an extra five thousand taels of silver every year. No wonder she is so enthusiastic about it.

Second Sister You quickly added, "It's not mine alone," glancing at Third Sister You, and said, "It's half Third Sister's."

Sister You was about to speak sarcastically, but she swallowed the words back. After all, she had grown older. Although Sister You was still certain that Chen Siyuan would not skimp on her expenses even if she did nothing, she now wanted a child and naturally had to plan for the future.

We don't know how long we can keep this business going, but it's good for our children to have more opportunities to make a living and leave them a better future.

Just then, Chunxi rushed in and said, "Master, Second Madam, Third Madam, Jin'e, the maidservant of the First Madam, has arrived."

The group exchanged glances, wondering if they were about to launch an attack.
Sure enough, when Jin'e entered, she curtsied and said, "Our grandmother has gone into labor."

Chen Siyuan knew it was inappropriate to get involved in such matters, so he simply got up and left. After discussing it with Jin'e, You Erjie, You Sanjie, and You E, Erjie led Xia Zhu to Ningguo Mansion.

After Chen Siyuan returned to the main room, the third sister said that they had already discussed it and that if it was indeed a girl, she would be brought over that night. Because they were in such a hurry and could not find a suitable wet nurse, they used the one that You Shi had prepared beforehand.

Knowing that Third Sister was feeling wronged, Chen Siyuan decided not to return to Rongguo Mansion and instead stayed in his new house to keep Third Sister company.

That night, as expected, Sister You Er returned with a child in her arms, and then took the sleeping Chou'er to Ningguo Mansion.

Having lived two lives, Chen Siyuan was a father for the second time. Looking at the child's wrinkled appearance, he felt a strange unease. He thought to himself, "How can I be considered to have both a son and a daughter?"

You Sanjie was a woman with a sharp tongue but a kind heart. Although she resented You Shi, she knew that the child was Chen Siyuan's flesh and blood, so she took great care of him.

Chen Siyuan was moved and talked to You Sanjie for a long time that night. In the heat of the moment, the two of them had a wild and unrestrained affair.

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

Suddenly, it was the 20th of August. On that day, after Jia Zheng paid his respects at the ancestral hall and Grandmother Jia got up, Bao Yu and his brothers saw him off to the Pavilion of Tears.

Although Chen Siyuan did not go to see her off, he heard rumors in the afternoon that a painted carriage was waiting in front of the Tears-Shedding Pavilion. He knew without asking that it must be Fu Qiufang.

Leaving aside Lady Wang's distress for several days, with Jia Zheng gone, Baoyu was suddenly free from supervision and wandered around the garden at will every day, truly wasting his time and adding years to his life in vain.

On this day, Jia Yun brought two pots of white begonias. Chen Siyuan thought to himself that Baochai never liked to tend to flowers and plants, so he carried them to Xiaoxiang Pavilion himself.

Since Chen Siyuan came to remind them that day, everyone in Xiaoxiang Pavilion has become more cautious. Every day, Daiyu's food and drink are carefully checked, for fear that Madam Wang might have malicious intentions.

Chen Siyuan arrived leisurely in front of Xiaoxiang Pavilion. At that moment, Zijuan was talking with the head maid Yuanyang in front of the door. When she saw Chen Siyuan arrive, Yuanyang smiled and said goodbye. Zijuan hurriedly stepped forward to greet him and said with a smile, "Master Yuan has arrived? Our young lady is reading in the room."

Upon seeing the white crabapple in Chen Siyuan's hands, Zijuan quickly took it from him and led Chen Siyuan inside.

Chen Siyuan casually asked, "How has Lin Daiyu been these past few days?"

Zijuan said, "Everything else is fine, but I got so engrossed in reading the other day that I caught a chill last night and had a stuffy nose when I woke up yesterday morning."

Qia Xueyan also came out to greet them and chimed in, "It scared Granny Wang so much that she called the imperial physician early this morning. Later, she drank a bowl of ginger soup to induce sweating and then stayed in her room to sleep for a whole day. Unexpectedly, she recovered today. Granny Wang even said that it must be the cordyceps that the young master brought."

Chen Siyuan laughed and agreed. The parrot under the eaves then called out, "Xueyan, the young lady is here! Quickly lift the curtain!"

Xueyan scolded the parrot for being too talkative, then lifted the curtain and let Chen Siyuan inside.

Daiyu had already come to greet them at the door. Perhaps because she had been reading too much, her eyes were now moist and misty, making her look exceptionally lovely.

Chen Siyuan stared at her for a moment, then suddenly realized that Daiyu had grown taller and was now no shorter than Baochai. He smiled and said, "Sister seems to have grown taller again."

Daiyu smiled and said, "Why are you here?" She replied, "I've grown more than two inches this year, but I just can't seem to hold my weight up."

As they spoke, she invited Chen Siyuan to sit down and said, "Sister Bao said yesterday that it's not good to grow any taller, otherwise it will become a big bamboo pole."

"Hahaha—" Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "My sister is growing too fast now, so she can't hold on to her flesh. She'll be fine in two years."

Daiyu nodded with a troubled expression. She had indeed grown quite a bit this year; not only her height, but even her toes had grown longer. Yesterday, she found some thick shoes made last year, but they were already too small for her. Daiyu began to worry: what if she grew into a tall, imposing figure like Siqi?

At this moment, Zijuan presented two pots of white begonias to her, saying, "Look, young lady!"

Daiyu looked at it with delight and asked with a smile, "Where did you get this?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Yun-ge'er is now learning to do errands, and I don't know where he got two pots of white begonias. Sister knows that I don't have time to take care of them, so after thinking about it, she simply sent them over."

Daiyu reached out and stroked the flowers, then couldn't help but stand up and say, "Place them in the study, on the windowsill in front of the zither."

Zijuan smiled and agreed, then hurriedly made the arrangements in the study. Xueyan served fragrant tea and then quietly withdrew.

Chen Siyuan asked, "What book were you engrossed in the other day, little sister?"

Daiyu was momentarily speechless, because she had been reading *The Story of the Western Wing*. Such romantic tales of talented scholars and beautiful women were generally disliked by the old lady; she had only managed to get them from Baochai through persistent pestering.

It was not easy to talk about such things with Chen Siyuan, so she said, "It must be those two girls who are being nosy again." Slightly annoyed, she then covered up her grievances and said vaguely, "It's just an ordinary storybook, and I find it quite interesting."

Chen Siyuan pondered and said, "My sister is exceptionally talented. If you like this kind of writing, why don't you write one yourself sometime?"

Daiyu was both amused and exasperated, saying, "I'm not like you... It's fine if I'm just filling in lyrics or composing poems, but I can't write stories like this."

In order to continue writing Chen Siyuan's "Fleeting Life Like a Dream," Daiyu searched far and wide for help and finally found Xing Xiuyan. However, Xing Xiuyan was a Buddhist-like person, working on it only sporadically, and had only written about ten chapters so far, far from completing the entire work.

Daiyu had no intention of urging her, but every time Xing Xiuyan finished writing a chapter, she would study it with great interest and write annotations in her delicate handwriting.

The two talked for a while. Since Chen Siyuan had been visiting every few days recently, the two had become much closer and were no longer as unfamiliar as before.

After a while, Daiyu suddenly remembered something and said, "Oh, you know that Granny Wang is a Buddhist."

"Mm," Chen Siyuan replied.

Daiyu whispered, "Yesterday, the old woman took the medical record to Henian Hall, and on her way back she went to the nunnery, but unexpectedly the nunnery had a new abbess."

"Oh?"

"When Wang Mama returned, she said that the new abbot was actually an acquaintance."

Chen Siyuan's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "Where did this acquaintance come from?"

Daiyu said, "It is Miaoyu who used to live in Longcui Nunnery."

Upon hearing this, Chen Siyuan frowned inwardly. He thought to himself that Miaoyu really didn't understand human relationships at all. Even if she cut her losses to survive, how could he be sure that Madam Wang would let it go? Even if Madam Wang let her off the hook, without the protection of the Rongguo Mansion, how could she withstand the wolves and tigers outside?
Before Daiyu could finish speaking, she said, "Granny also said that Miaoyu seems to have gotten into a lawsuit. Yesterday, when she returned from offering incense, a group of monks and nuns blocked the Sansheng Nunnery and kept shouting and cursing, saying they wanted to go to the yamen to argue."

Chen Siyuan appeared indifferent, but inwardly he was hatching a plan. He originally wanted nothing to do with Miaoyu, who had a strange personality. However, given her repeated mistreatment of Xing Xiuyan, Chen Siyuan felt he had to vent his anger on Miaoyu. As for how to do it… perhaps he could have Miaoyu disguise herself as a maid and serve Xing Xiuyan?

Thinking of this, Chen Siyuan's mind immediately wandered. With his current abilities, it might be an exaggeration to say that he could have women come to him with a flick of his finger, but there would certainly be many good girls who wanted to marry into the Chen family as concubines.

Chen Siyuan had no shortage of women, so he naturally didn't bother to seduce them. But the thought of making the aloof Miaoyu willingly submit to him greatly excited him.

He then realized how wicked the thought was, and quickly changed his mind. He was just an ordinary man, and ordinary men have only two great interests: to corrupt virtuous women and to persuade prostitutes to reform themselves.

Besides, given Miaoyu's personality, without the protection of the Rongguo Mansion, she might be taken advantage of at any time. Rather than letting someone else benefit, why not benefit herself? At least with her own protection, Miaoyu will have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of her life, and she won't have to worry about ending up as someone who "desires purity but has never been pure."

Daiyu, always perceptive, noticed Chen Siyuan's strange and absent-minded expression and immediately frowned, saying, "You must be plotting something wicked."

Chen Siyuan was startled and quickly protested, "Sister, you are really wronging me. I was distracted just now because if it weren't for my help several times, I'm afraid Miaoyu would still be unable to leave the manor right now."

"How is this any of your business?"

Seeing that Daiyu didn't believe him, Chen Siyuan simply explained the whole story. When he heard that Miaoyu had her flesh cut off by Lady Wang before leaving the Rongguo Mansion, he immediately felt empathy and frowned, becoming listless and silent.

Chen Siyuan could tell at a glance that she was hesitant, so he quickly said gently, "Don't worry, sister, I will always protect you."

"Hmm." Daiyu looked at him and forced a smile.

Just as the two were about to start talking about something else, Xueyan hurriedly entered and said, "Miss, someone has arrived. The old lady wants you to go and join in the fun."

Daiyu asked in surprise, "Could it be that Yun'er has arrived?"

Xueyan smiled and said, "No, it's Baochai's cousins ​​who came."

Daiyu smiled in surprise, "Oh, then I'll go and see. By the way, has Sister Bao gone to greet her?"

Xueyan shook her head, not knowing.

Daiyu then looked at Chen Siyuan, who was now preoccupied with his own thoughts. He had a very close relationship with Aunt Xue, so Aunt Xue naturally told him about some of the messy things that had happened in the family.

Back when the Xue family's eldest branch moved north to the capital, the second branch's uncle was still alive, and he had been managing the imperial merchant business. After the second uncle passed away, the Xue family's businesses all plummeted. Baochai and her daughter, believing Chen Siyuan's words, simply sold off all the unprofitable businesses.

The second branch of the family had a stake in that business. Xue Ke and Xue Baoqin's visit this time was clearly ill-intentioned; firstly, they were after the imperial merchant assignment, and secondly, they wanted to get back the money from the second branch of the family.

Tsk, Aunt Xue is in for a headache now.

Chen Siyuan was always one to side with his own people regardless of right or wrong, so how could he help outsiders to frame Sister Bao? He immediately stood up and said with a smile, "Since you want to go and see the excitement, then I'll head back first."

Without thinking of anything else, Daiyu instructed, "You shouldn't stay cooped up in your room reading all the time. You should move around more to avoid harming your health."

Chen Siyuan agreed and briefly exchanged glances with Daiyu. Perhaps feeling that her words were somewhat embarrassing, and seeing Xueyan covering her mouth and laughing, Daiyu blushed and turned her head away.

Chen Siyuan did not linger and went straight back to Qingtang Thatched Cottage.

After changing her clothes, Daiyu heard that Sister Bao had gone ahead, so she hurriedly led her maid to Rongqing Hall.

Upon entering, Daiyu saw a man and a woman talking to Grandmother Jia.

Looking up, Daiyu saw Baochai's face was ashen, devoid of joy or sorrow. Puzzled, Daiyu quietly stepped forward and tugged at Baochai. Baochai glanced back at her, then smiled and shook her head.

At this moment, Xue Ke cupped his hands and said, "This junior has come to the capital for my younger sister's marriage. My father had arranged a marriage with the Mei family before his death. Now my mother is not in good health and is afraid of delaying my sister's marriage, so she urged me to come to the capital."

Hearing this, Daiyu was quite surprised. She looked up at the old lady and saw that the girl was only eleven or twelve years old, with almond-shaped eyes, a delicate nose, and skin as white as snow. She was graceful and beautiful. She looked somewhat like Baochai, but with less solemnity and more liveliness.

The second branch of the Xue family is not a small or insignificant household, so why would they need to rush into marriage like this?

Even Daiyu didn't quite believe this, but Grandmother Jia did, and she grabbed Baoqin's hand and kept saying, "Poor thing."

Grandmother Jia then said, "Since you've come to my house, I think you and your brother can stay here together." Xue Ke quickly bowed and thanked her, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Grandmother, but I have to travel around a lot, and staying in the mansion would be inconvenient. It would be better to go back to the old house."

Grandmother Jia then laughed and said, "I can't control what you do, but I really like Baoqin, so she has to stay in the mansion."

Upon hearing this, Baochai had no choice but to speak, so she said with a smile, "It just so happens that my Hengwu Garden is in a remote place, and it's inconvenient for me to talk to the other sisters. Why don't you come and stay at my Hengwu Garden for a while, Second Sister?"

Xue Baoqin smiled and said, "I can do anything."

Unexpectedly, Grandmother Jia said, "How big is Hengwu Garden? Although you two sisters are close, it's not good for you to squeeze together." After a pause, she added, "I think Auntie only comes back to stay for one night every few days, and spends more time at the old house. Why don't we let Baoqin stay in the small courtyard in the northeast? That way, it will be more convenient for her to come and go." She glanced at Xue Ke and said, "It will also be more convenient for you siblings to see each other."

Baochai felt a lump in her throat. The old lady's words were practically a direct challenge to kick her mother out!

The brother and sister exchanged a glance, and Baoqin smiled and said, "Then we'll do whatever the old lady says."

"Alright, alright, you two have traveled a long way, I shouldn't keep you any longer. There will be a welcome feast tonight, you two should go and settle in."

Xue Ke and Baoqin both agreed. Grandmother Jia looked around and couldn't help but wonder, "Why hasn't Fengfeng arrived yet?"

As they were talking, Ping'er hurriedly entered, curtsied, and said, "Reporting to the old lady, our grandmother has caught a cold and cannot leave the house. She sent me here to serve you."

Grandmother Jia's face changed upon hearing this. She quickly asked a few questions, and only after hearing that it was just a common cold did she order Ping'er to take care of Baoqin.

The three sisters, Daiyu, Baochai, and others in the hall did not linger, bidding farewell to Grandmother Jia before returning home. The three sisters chattered away without a care, remarking that their younger sister Qin seemed to possess excellent character. Baochai, however, remained silent, her head bowed.

Upon arriving at Xiaoxiang Pavilion, after bidding farewell to the three springs, Baochai felt increasingly uneasy and said to Daiyu, "The debt collectors have come to our door. I'll go and ask them for advice."

Daiyu asked in surprise, "It's only right to pay back debts. Why don't you just pay back your debts, Sister Bao?"

Baochai shook her head, both amused and exasperated, and said, "If it were that simple, that would be great. But it's all so complicated and complex that I don't know where to begin. I'll come back to talk to you about it later."

Daiyu agreed and watched as Baochai hurried towards the thatched cottage in the Qingtang.

Xueyan, standing nearby, remarked, "Miss Bao doesn't seem very happy."

Daiyu suddenly remembered the unreliable relatives of the Lin family when Lin Ruhai was seriously ill, and sighed, "Everyone says blood is thicker than water, but many times you can choose your friends, but not your relatives."

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A simple thatched cottage.

When Baochai came to find Chen Siyuan, Chen Siyuan was teaching Hongyu to write large characters.

Hearing Wu'er mention it from outside, the two hurried to greet her. Baochai glanced at her and teased, "You're quite the leisurely one, enjoying the company of your lover."

"Ha, taking a break from your busy schedule, little sister, please sit down."

Having lived here for a long time and knowing the Mei family, Chen Siyuan naturally knew that Xue Baoqin's marriage had long been called off. Recalling the various events in the original text, he realized that there was a deep-seated discord between the eldest and second branches of the Xue family.

After they sat down, he asked about what had happened to Baochai earlier. Baochai gave a brief explanation, which made Chen Siyuan seem thoughtful.

I still remember that in the original text, Baoqin was immediately favored by Grandmother Jia. Firstly, the old lady really liked girls with good character. Secondly, she also wanted to spite Baochai. Because the old lady's plans in the book had failed several times, and even Yuanchun had agreed to the marriage between the golden and jade maidens, the old lady was at a loss. So she promoted Xue Baoqin from the second wife to compete with Baochai.

Baochai was usually quiet and gentle, and she had the Cold Fragrance Pill to suppress her temper, but even so, she broke down in anger and said to Xue Baoqin, "I don't believe that I am inferior to you in any way."

Things are different now than in the book. The marriage between the golden and jade was called off long ago. Although Grandmother Jia liked Baoqin's character, she would not make trouble by keeping Baoqin in the gauze-covered cabinet.

Upon hearing that Xue Baoqin had been settled in a small courtyard in the northeast, Chen Siyuan immediately laughed and said, "Is the old lady trying to get rid of her?"

“Isn’t that right?” Baochai said angrily, “Grandma is holding a grudge.”

Chen Siyuan then advised, "That's a good idea. Your mother only comes back once every few days anyway, and Wenlong... isn't exactly a worry. Why not make room for your cousin to stay?"

Baochai frowned and said, "It's one thing for my mother to agree, but it's another for her to try and take it away." She paused, then lowered her voice and asked, "Have you been to the Mei family recently? What exactly is the story behind that marriage?"

Chen Siyuan said, "I haven't been there recently, but I heard that Mei Hanlin is about to be sent out after he finishes his term as tutor. Besides, Mei Chong has never thought much of your cousin."

Baochai said worriedly, "It would be best if the marriage didn't happen, otherwise Mother will be in a difficult position."

Chen Siyuan roughly knew the inside story, so he said, "Your mother still values ​​that imperial merchant job so much?"

Sister Bao hesitated for a moment, then finally said softly, "My cousin is quite capable. If he gets a job as a royal merchant, he might try to make a fortune. It's never been a good thing for a collateral branch to overtake the main branch... Mother is also worried that she won't be able to face the ancestors of the Xue family in the future."

He paused, then added, "Mother has received the news and will probably return tomorrow. Let's see what she has to say."

Chen Siyuan didn't know how to persuade her, so he could only hold Baochai's soft hand and say, "Don't worry, little sister, I'll take care of you from now on."

Baochai softly agreed, and couldn't help but squeeze Chen Siyuan's hand in return. Her almond-shaped eyes were moist, and she pinned all her hopes on Chen Siyuan. What else could she do? After all, she was a young woman, and it wouldn't be appropriate for her to step into the public eye and manage the family business.

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Sansheng Temple.

The plaque above Cihang Nunnery was broken in two, and a group of nuns blocked the entrance, cursing loudly.

Qingfan and two old women blocked the doorway. How could three mouths possibly out-argue a dozen? Just as the group of nuns were about to rush in, Bihen ran over, ripped off her face mask, and pounced on the group of nuns.

The nuns screamed in fright and immediately scattered in all directions.

Syphilis!

The old nun who was leading the group ran faster than anyone else. Seeing that Bihen had stopped chasing, she turned back and said, "Amitabha, it's written in black and white that I also paid a deposit of one thousand taels. Even if we go to court, this Sansheng Temple should belong to this poor nun."

Qingfan spat, "Pah! You only paid a deposit. Our young lady actually spent three thousand taels of silver to buy it."

The old nun said, "Forget it, I can't reason with your maid. Let's talk inside the yamen!"

Miaoyu, who had been hiding in the back of the nunnery, was really impatient with going to court, so she called out to the old nun and her party, and also asked Qingfan to pass on a message.

It took Qingfan a long time before he reluctantly turned back and said to the old nun, "Our young lady said that as long as you don't bother us, she will compensate you with a thousand taels of silver."

The old woman standing nearby immediately became anxious upon hearing this. She called out, "Wait a minute!" and hurriedly ran to Miaoyu's side, saying, "Miss, you can't set this precedent. Those nuns only received a deposit deed, and they don't have the land deed for the Sansheng Nunnery. How can you give them money? If someone comes to ask for it back in the future, are you going to give it to them too, Miss?"

Miaoyu suddenly realized that she had almost fallen into a trap again. She then frowned and asked, "In that case, where is the land deed?"

The old woman said, "It must have been that thieving nun Jingyue who took it. Who knows who she'll sell it to tomorrow!"

Miaoyu pondered for a while, then said, "Well, it seems we can't avoid going to court."

The old woman advised, "Young lady, you've been tricked by that wicked nun. If I had to say, you really shouldn't stay here any longer."

Miaoyu asked in confusion, "Where can I go?"

The old woman said, "Rather than staying here and getting entangled in lawsuits, why not find another nunnery..."

Miaoyu had been living a life of luxury since childhood and had never lacked money. She also secretly thought that if she sold her belongings, she could get a few thousand taels of silver, so she didn't really care about the previous three thousand taels. She disliked trouble by nature, so she said, "Alright, then tell those nuns to give us a few days so we can find a place to move."

The old woman breathed a sigh of relief, quickly agreed, and turned to speak to the nun outside the mountain gate.

Miaoyu returned to the nunnery and resumed studying Buddhist scriptures. Soon after, Bihen and Zhineng came to plead with her, saying, "Please, young lady, have mercy. If the nunnery changes hands, we fear we will have nowhere to live."

Miaoyu, being young, had only just learned to help stop them, and Bihen had driven away those wicked nuns. So she agreed, "From now on, you will all follow me."

Both Zhineng and Bihen thanked them and then left with peace of mind.

Miaoyu picked up the Buddhist scriptures again, thinking to herself that it was only a mere three thousand taels of silver. Once she found another place to stay and started visiting the private residences of high-ranking officials and nobles, she could earn it back in just over a year.

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

The next day arrived in the blink of an eye.

That morning, Aunt Xue hurriedly returned home, met Xue Baoqin briefly, and then her spirits plummeted. She only managed to exchange a few words with Sister Bao before rushing back to the old house.

Chen Siyuan waited at the thatched cottage for half a day without seeing anyone. He then listened carefully and learned that Aunt Xue had gone back. Just as he was wondering about this, Cui Mo came looking for him.

Chen Siyuan then asked, "Is Third Sister feeling any better?"

The Mid-Autumn Festival has passed, and Tan Chun, who is usually in good health, has also caught a cold.

Cui Mo said, "Miss is better now, and doesn't need to take medicine today. She just caught a chill." As she spoke, she handed over a letter.

Chen Siyuan unfolded it and saw that it read: "Respectfully presented by your younger sister: Brother Yuan, the night before last the sky cleared and the moonlight was as clear as if it had been washed. I regret that such a beautiful scene is rare and I could not bear to go to bed... If you would be so kind as to come by boat in the snow, I will sweep flowers to welcome you. Respectfully presented."

Chen Siyuan closed the letter and immediately smiled, "Third sister has finally formed a society. By the way, are you short of money?"

Cui Mo smiled and said, "Last time, Master Yuan gave us a lot. Our young lady said that even if we held different events for a year, it would be enough."

Chen Siyuan nodded and said, "That's fine then, I'll go join in the fun later."

Cui Mo smiled and agreed, then took her leave.

After tidying himself up and changing into a slightly worn set of clothes, Chen Siyuan headed to Qiushuangzhai. Upon entering, he found Yingchun, Daiyu, Baochai, and Li Wan all there, chatting animatedly with Tanchun.

Upon seeing Chen Siyuan, they all laughed and said, "Look, another one has arrived."

Chen Siyuan cupped his hands in greeting, suppressing his emotions and not scrutinizing Li Wan closely, and said, "Third Sister said she wanted to start a poetry club a long time ago, but I didn't expect it to only happen today."

Tan Chun's voice was slightly hoarse, probably because she had just recovered from a cold. Upon hearing this, she smiled and said, "My master just set off a couple of days ago, and I was about to start the literary society, but who knew I would catch a cold. I'm only feeling better today, so I quickly sent out the invitations."

Daiyu smoothed her hair and said, "You all just start your own literary societies, but don't count me in. I wouldn't dare."

Yingchun laughed immediately and said, "If you don't dare, who will!"

After Yingchun finished speaking, even Baochai made a joke, which made Daiyu first pout, but then she laughed.

Li Wan didn't dare to look at Chen Siyuan, and only said, "That's very elegant. I just don't know what kind of poetry club this is, Third Sister? It doesn't matter what kind of club it is. I'm not very good at writing poetry, but fortunately, my monthly allowance is quite good. How about I contribute fifty taels to cover my expenses?"

Upon hearing this, everyone except Chen Siyuan was quite surprised. Li Wan was always frugal; although her monthly allowance was the highest, Tan Chun and the others had never thought of taking advantage of her. Unexpectedly, she had come to their door herself, wanting to contribute money to start a club.

If we're going to start a club, it's not good to just let Chen Siyuan be the only one to fleece. The more money the better. Tan Chun was overjoyed and quickly agreed.

But Li Wan was still not satisfied and said, "I'm afraid I alone won't be enough to cover the expenses. I think it would be better to bring Feng'er along as well. Wouldn't that be enough for our future needs?"

Tan Chun thought about it and agreed, saying, "Good idea. Once we've discussed the arrangements, we'll go ahead and invite Sister Feng."

Tan Chun then remembered what Chen Siyuan had said earlier, and said that this club was not limited to poetry and songs, but also included handball, cuju, and shuttlecock.

Everyone applauded, saying that this way everyone could participate in the fun.

Just then, Cui Mo lifted the curtain and said with a smile, "Look who's here?"

Chen Siyuan turned around with a smile and saw a pretty young woman enter with a smile. She had the same pair of almond-shaped eyes and her face resembled that of Baochai in three parts. However, her eyes lacked the maturity of Baochai's and had more of an innocent and carefree look. She looked to be no more than eleven or twelve years old. When she approached, she curtsied and said happily, "Is this the start of a poetry club? I've come at just the right time. I didn't expect to have such an elegant event so soon after settling in."

(End of this chapter)