Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 306 Discord Begins
On this day, people were coming and going in Madam Wang's courtyard. This was because Sister Feng had been relieved of her duties as housekeeper, so she was reporting all matters, big and small, to Madam Wang.

Any shortage of needles, thread, rouge, or face powder had to be reported to Madam Wang. Madam Wang was quite pleased a few days ago, but unfortunately, she was getting on in years and had never managed the household affairs before.

With all these big and small matters piling up at once, Madam Wang was overwhelmed.

They were busy until almost noon before they finally sent the two old women away, and then Zhou Rui's wife came in.

Madam Wang frowned immediately, displeased, and asked, "What is it now?"

Zhou Rui's wife bowed and replied, "Madam, the second day of the month is when Second Madam will give birth, so we need to come up with a plan."

Madam Wang laughed in exasperation, saying, "She managed to hide away in peace and quiet, but now I have to make all the arrangements for her birthday celebration?"

Zhou Rui's wife remained silent, while Madam Wang rubbed her arms and said, "These household affairs are really tedious. I'm afraid if I work like this for a few more days, I'll fall ill myself."

Zhou Rui's wife said, "It's a pity that the concubine isn't here, otherwise we could have helped out."

This was just a casual remark, but to everyone's surprise, Madam Wang first nodded, then suddenly realized what she meant. After a moment's thought, she slapped the table and laughed, "Isn't that right? Since I'm too busy, I need to find a few suitable people to help me out."

Because of the previous incident where Tan Chun temporarily took over as the housekeeper, Zhou Rui's wife said, "Does Madam want to find the Third Miss to manage the household again?"

Madam Wang was slightly taken aback. She had been planning to bring Xia Jingui over to help her in the future, but after hearing Zhou Rui's words, she suddenly felt it was inappropriate. After all, Xia Jingui had never married into the family, so how could she possibly manage the Rongguo Mansion?
Madam Wang readily agreed, saying, "That's exactly what I was thinking."

Zhou Rui's wife hurriedly said, "This... Madam, I'm afraid it's not quite appropriate." After a pause, she said, "Third Miss has always been upright, but the affairs of the household are very complicated. It is said that governing a large country is like cooking a small fish, and the same principle applies to the affairs of the household. If Third Miss speaks based on reason without asking about the reasons, I'm afraid it will cause the servants to outwardly comply but inwardly defy her."

Lady Wang knew that Tan Chun had long since distanced herself from her. Although she paid her respects to Tan Chun every morning and evening, she secretly favored Aunt Zhao more.

Madam Wang pondered for a moment, then also became troubled: "But besides Tan Yatou, where else can we find someone else?"

Zhou Rui's wife said, "If you ask me, the Third Miss is still a bit too young, and she's bound to be a bit indecisive. I think it would be better to ask Miss Bao for help, and then ask Miss Xia to help out as well. One person's plan is short-sighted, but three people's plans are long-sighted. Miss Bao and Miss Xia are both very thoughtful. With two people watching over her, I'm sure the Third Miss will be able to manage the household affairs well."

After thinking it over, Madam Wang realized that Zhou Rui's wife meant to use Tan Chun as a shield, with Baochai and Jingui acting as overseers, so that she would naturally have the final say in the end. So she smiled and said, "Your idea is excellent. After Feng'er's birthday, I will send someone to bring Jingui over. In the next few days, when you have some free time, take good care of Yihong Courtyard."

Zhou Rui's wife quickly smiled and agreed.

Suddenly, Yu Chuan'er came from outside and said, "Madam, Miss Bao, Third Miss, and Fourth Miss have arrived."

Zhou Rui's wife hurriedly stepped aside, and soon Baochai, Tanchun, and Xichun turned around the screen and entered with smiles to greet her.

Madam Wang smiled and said, "Why are you all here?"

Baochai said, “Auntie doesn’t know, the other day the old lady mentioned that Fourth Sister should draw a garden, but the items are not complete. Yesterday we went to Feng’er’s place to ask for them. But she said that all the keys had been given to Auntie long ago. We had no choice but to come and ask Auntie for help.”

Madam Wang smiled and said, "Since it was the old lady's instruction, just take whatever you have."

Baochai smiled and nodded, then stepped forward and handed the list to Zhou Rui's wife. Zhou Rui's wife glanced at the spread out and immediately frowned, saying, "Miss Bao, the various writing brushes, inks, and pigments are fine, but why are there two ounces of ginger and half a pound of soy sauce here?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Tan Chun and Xi Chun both covered their mouths and laughed. Xi Chun said, "Just now, Sister Lin was joking that she wanted to add an iron pot and an iron spatula to cook a pot of delicious food."

Baochai shook her head and said, "That coarse-colored plate can't be protected from being roasted over a fire. If you don't spread ginger juice and sauce on the bottom before roasting it, it will explode once it's on the fire."

Madam Wang was also hearing this for the first time. After sighing repeatedly, she instructed Zhou Rui's wife, "Are all the items on the list present?"

Zhou Rui's wife replied, "We'll have to ask the storekeeper to find out."

If it were Sister Feng asking at this moment, she would surely be able to answer clearly. Madam Wang also knew that she couldn't force the issue, and she became even more determined to remain a hands-off manager in the future.

So he said, "Just open the warehouse and check. If there is any shortage, just send someone to buy it back."

Baochai, Tanchun, and Xichun were all delighted and thanked Madam Wang before taking their leave. Madam Wang went to Rongqing Hall to discuss Fengjie's birthday arrangements, but that's another story. The three young ladies chattered away, and in the blink of an eye, they returned to Xiaocui Hall.

Li Wan, Xing Xiuyan, Daiyu, and Xiangyun were all present.

Seeing the three of them return, Xiangyun hurried over and asked, "What did Madam say?"

The three of them smiled and nodded in unison, saying, "If Madam says it's a good thing, then of course we agree."

Daiyu pulled Xing Xiuyan aside and said, "Look at this, she needs all these water jars and boxes again just to paint a picture. She must have been confused and wrote down his dowry list as well."

Xing Xiuyan immediately covered her mouth and burst into laughter. Although Daiyu spoke softly, everyone heard her clearly. Tanchun laughed so hard she almost fell over, urging Baochai, "Baochai, why don't you pinch her mouth?"

Baochai pretended to be angry and said, "You can't expect anything good to come out of a dog's mouth. I'll teach you a lesson today!"

As they spoke, they rounded the table and tried to grab Daiyu. Daiyu pulled Li Wan and Xing Xiuyan aside to dodge, while pleading for mercy, "Good sister, please spare me! I'm young and only know how to talk, not how to be careful. You've taught me, sister. If you won't spare me, who else can I turn to?"

Baochai herself was short of breath because she couldn't stand Daiyu's tickling, so she only chased after half a circle before stopping, her face still full of smiles.

The remaining Xing Xiuyan, Tan Chun, Xi Chun, and others kept joking around, but when Li Wan looked at Baochai, her eyes were full of envy.

Just then, the second young lady arrived.

As soon as she entered, Xichun asked, "Why did you take so long, Second Sister?"

Yingchun said, "I went to the east courtyard and stopped by to see the old lady on my way back."

Everyone hurriedly asked about Grandmother Jia's condition, and Yingchun shook her head and said, "After a day of tenderness and taking one or two doses of medicine to relax, she was fine by last night."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and then began to discuss how Xiao Xichun should paint.

Just then, Xiangling walked in smiling. Everyone saw her and quickly asked, "Why are you only arriving now?"

Xiangling smiled and said, "The master told me to wait at home early this morning. He just delivered the items, so I had some free time to come over."

As he spoke, he waved his hand, and two old women carried a basket inside.

Everyone was puzzled. Sister Bao stepped forward and lifted the cloth covering it, revealing a variety of things inside, including all kinds of writing brushes and inks.

Tan Chun, standing to the side, began to count: "Number one brush, number two brush, number three brush, large dye, medium dye, small dye, large crab claw, small crab claw, beard and eyebrow, large coloring, small coloring, openwork, willow twig, arrowhead vermilion, southern ochre, orpiment, azurite, malachite, tube yellow, Guanghua, clam powder, rouge, large red flying gold, lapis lazuli, Guangyi glue, alum... Hmm? Doesn't that make it complete?"

He turned to look at Xiao Xichun and said, "Brother Yuan really cares about you. Look, he sent it over without even saying a word."

Xichun just kept smiling foolishly, burying her head in flipping through various inks and paints.

Xiangyun couldn't help but tease, "There's no need for Fourth Sister to say hello; I'm afraid someone already gave us a heads-up."

As soon as she finished speaking, everyone looked at Baochai, only to see her looking completely astonished. She then turned to look at Daiyu. The two stared at each other, and Baochai said, "It wasn't me who said it. I suppose he asked the shopkeeper of the calligraphy and painting shop, right?"

After a few jokes, everyone gathered around to watch. Baochai quietly moved closer to Xiangling and whispered, "Has he returned?"

Xiangling said, "Master said he hasn't found a suitable congratulatory gift yet, so he went to the Imperial Workshop again. He only sent Qingyu to bring these items back first."

Baochai couldn't help but say, "It's not like we're having a baby. Just make sure each word and stroke is appropriate for the occasion. Why go to all this trouble?"

Xiangling smiled and said, "Miss Bao knows my master very well. He may not care about anything else, but he is extremely attentive to the birth of each child."

Baochai thought about it and agreed with a smile.

At this moment, Xiao Xichun flipped through this and looked at that, overjoyed. She said to herself, "Brother Yuan is so concerned. If I don't paint well, not only will I fail the old lady, but I'm afraid I will also feel sorry for Brother Yuan."

Just then, Ying'er, Baochai's maid, entered with a smile and took the opportunity to tell everyone, "It's very lively up front. The old lady insisted that everyone should contribute to celebrate Second Mistress's birthday, just like we do in humble families. Second Mistress couldn't refuse, so she had to agree. The old lady herself contributed twenty taels of silver. Since Madam and First Madam were both there, they naturally didn't dare to go over the old lady's head, so they each contributed sixteen taels."

Hehehe... I don't know how this news got to the East Mansion. Madam You is still in her postpartum period and can't come over, so she sent Silver Butterfly with twelve taels of silver.

Li Wan was taken aback upon hearing this, and said, "Even Sister-in-law You has contributed money, so I will follow suit and contribute twelve taels as well."

Ying'er said, "I haven't finished yet. Master Bao is here too. Seeing that Madam You has already contributed money, he was not willing to be left behind and ended up contributing eight taels of silver."

As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell silent.

If it were just those who were getting married and starting a family contributing money, that would be fine. But why does the younger generation also need to contribute? With Baoyu joining in, should the three sisters, Daiyu, Baochai, Xiangyun, and Xing Xiuyan also contribute money?

Baochai was precocious, so she naturally didn't feel comfortable speaking up at this moment. But Xiangyun didn't think much of it and blurted out, "Luckily, I still have some savings, so I'll contribute eight taels of silver as well."

Once these words were spoken, no one could avoid it any longer, and they all had no choice but to take out their silver. In no time, a tray was filled, and Zijuan was sent to deliver it to the front.

The others still wore smiles, but Xiao Xichun's face was already drooping. She claimed to have a stomachache and dragged Tanchun away. Yingchun was worried and hurriedly followed after them after giving some instructions.

As soon as the three springs left, Baochai immediately pulled Xiangyun aside and scolded her, "Why did you start that just now?"

Xiangyun was puzzled, and said, "Since Brother Bao has already gone out, I figured I couldn't avoid it, so I went out too."

Baochai was both amused and exasperated, and could only sigh, "You should think carefully before you speak in the future. Second Sister, Third Sister, and Fourth Sister all receive a monthly allowance of two taels of silver, and they also have to make money from all sides. I'm afraid they might not be able to save up eight taels of silver in a year."

Xiangyun suddenly realized that Baochai and Daiyu, needless to say, were living in the Jia family and had their own savings. Even Xiangyun herself had received some money from her aunt during her visit. All things considered, weren't the three spring ladies the poorest?
No, there's also Xing Xiuyan... but with Brother Yuan helping her, she probably doesn't need ten or eight taels of silver.

Xiangyun realized she had said the wrong thing and immediately said dejectedly, "I didn't expect that I would offend my second sister, third sister, and fourth sister with just one sentence. I, I'll go and tell them I'm angry."

Baochai quickly pulled Xiangyun back, saying, "You're so blunt; you're only making things worse." She glanced outside and whispered, "Let's wait a little longer. Feng'er will probably bring the money back soon."

Sure enough, after a short while, Feng Jie led Ping'er and Zijuan to Xiaocui Hall.

Before she could even speak, people were already laughing. She went inside, waved her handkerchief over her mouth, and said with a laugh, "Oh dear, my birthday isn't even here yet, and I'm already suffering terribly. I can't spare a single penny, and I'm really uneasy disturbing these people."

"I managed to scrape together some silver from the old lady, the first wife, and the third wife to spend, but who knew Brother Bao would insist on joining in? I don't know how it got out. Quickly, whoever's silver it is, take it back. How many of you have you saved? If you really want to spend money, you can do it after you get married."

Li Wan smiled and said, "Since Sister-in-law You has already paid, I won't take my share back."

To everyone's surprise, Sister Feng picked up twelve taels of silver and insisted on giving them to Li Wan, saying with a smile, "I know you're a rich woman now, but the old lady was just joking. Who would have thought that the word would spread and everyone would take it seriously? My son's salary will still be paid from the public funds as usual. This time, no one will have to pay anything."

Upon hearing this, Li Wan retrieved the silver. After exchanging a few words, seeing that Sanchun was not there, Fengjie hurriedly led Ping'er to the back to look for her.

The matter seemed to have been handled amicably, but in reality, the three sisters were not very happy. However, they could not blame Sister Feng, as it was close to mealtime and they soon dispersed.

After leaving Xiaocui Hall, Baochai gave Xiangyun a few words of advice, and then followed Daiyu to Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

Once inside, Daiyu laughed and said, "Sister Feng has gotten herself into trouble this time, and now she's making herself apologize to everyone. Where can you even begin to reason with her?"

Baochai glanced at her and whispered, "The old lady and the madam are having a power struggle. Feng'er has just been used as a pawn."

Daiyu didn't understand the reason for a moment, so Baochai said, "Don't forget that my aunt is in charge of the household now."

Even if she swallowed half of Miaoyu's family property, it would only last until March or April of next year. Now that Madam Wang is in charge of the household, she is naturally thinking about saving money everywhere.

In previous years, when everyone was approaching the time to give birth, Sister Feng would have already started making arrangements for the birth. But this year, since it was Lady Wang's turn to take charge of the household, there has been no news of anything happening.

The old lady went to find Madam Wang and started making sarcastic remarks, but Madam Wang didn't react at all. It wasn't until things got out of hand that she finally realized what was happening.

If it were truly a matter of scraping together money from all sides for a birthday celebration, it would be fine if others had their own savings, but what about Sanchun, Xing Xiuyan, and Xiangyun? Just scraping together money for a birthday celebration would cost at least a hundred taels of silver every year. Their monthly allowance is only twenty-four taels, yet they have to take out a hundred taels. I'm afraid it won't be long before they have to pawn their belongings to make ends meet.

Daiyu, indifferent to the matter, smiled and said, "She is still your aunt, yet you still dare to say such things now."

Baochai said, "You can't see into someone's heart." What does it matter if she's your aunt? When Lady Wang was scheming to seize the Xue family's property, she didn't care about any kinship.

Leaving aside the conversation between Bao and Dai, let's talk about how Lady Wang lost face and angrily returned to her own courtyard, thinking to herself that experience is indeed the best teacher.

Unfortunately, she lacked quick wit and, without realizing it, fell into a trap. Remembering the daily chores that kept her so busy, she felt a terrible headache coming on. She immediately sought out Zhou Rui's wife and sent her to deliver a message to the Xia family.

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

North of Nengren Temple.

Another sigh escaped Qingfan's lips, and she looked up to see Granny Han casting a resentful glance her way. Qingfan frowned, then sighed as well.

At noon, the girl lost her appetite again, and since the cook had already resigned, Qingfan and Granny Han discussed it for a while and then bought some food from a nearby ordinary restaurant.

To everyone's surprise, Miaoyu only took one bite before knocking over the entire table of food, exclaiming, "Pig swill!" After much coaxing, everyone had no choice but to find a Huaiyang cuisine restaurant and buy a few more dishes.

As the saying goes, when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter; and when disaster strikes, everyone flies away. After a short rest in the afternoon, Qingfan got up and found that Granny Li was nowhere to be seen.

When Qingfan asked Granny Han for details, she hesitated and refused to speak for a long time. When Qingfan became anxious, she finally said, "It's good that she's gone. With one less person to support us, we can last a few more days."

Qingfan asked in surprise, "Where did she go?"

Granny Han only shook her head and remained silent. Qingfan didn't press further, only sighing repeatedly along with Granny Han.

After a short while, Miaoyu took a nap and noticed that someone was missing. She went to ask Granny Han for directions. Granny Han came in and replied, "Li Shi bumped into a distant relative on the street and went to visit him. She will be back in a few days."

Miaoyu frowned slightly, but said nothing.

After Granny Han left the room, she found Qingfan and asked, "What exactly did that Master Yuan say? Is he coming today or not?"

Qingfan was so anxious she was almost in tears, but could only shake her head and say, "I can't say for sure. He just said he'll come when he has time."

Granny Han frowned and sighed, "That's probably just an excuse... To tell you the truth, Madam Li and the owner of that inn have taken a liking to each other, and she became his stepmother."

"Huh?" Qingfan was taken aback. Then she thought about it and realized that Granny Li was only in her early thirties, so it was not unreasonable for her to become someone's second wife.

Granny Han said in a low voice, "As the old saying goes, husband and wife are like birds in the same forest; when disaster strikes, they fly away separately. If this is the case for husband and wife, how much more so for master and servant? She has found a good place. The inn is busy all year round, and there is always thirty or fifty taels of silver. She won't be tired or hungry, and she doesn't have to serve anyone."

"It's just that I'm too old; otherwise, if such a wonderful place existed, I probably would have gone too."

Qingfan was young and kept quiet, keeping his head down.

Granny Han then advised, "You are young, I advise you to make plans early. If that Master Yuan doesn't come, I'm afraid we will really have to part ways."

Qingfan's eyes reddened, and he said, "The young lady has treated us very well. Besides, the indenture is still in the young lady's hands."

Granny Han said, "The indenture is dead, but people are alive. If you find a good place, just hide in your room for a year or two, spend some money to re-register, and that's it. Do you think the young lady will keep looking for you forever?"

Qingfan then asked, "What are your plans, Granny?"

Granny Han shook her head repeatedly with a bitter smile, saying, "What else can I do? I'm getting old, and I can only wait for the young lady to run out of options and sell me off to work as a maid."

"It's not that bad, it's not that bad..." Qingfan kept saying it was not that bad, but in his heart he knew that if things continued like this, he really couldn't go on.

After the two parted, Qingfan couldn't stop crying. Not wanting Miaoyu to see, she stayed under the eaves and cried incessantly.

Just as despair was setting in, Granny Han glanced left and right outside the door, then turned and ran back. As she ran, she shouted, "Qingfan, come quick! A carriage is coming into the alley. Is that carriage Master Yuan's?"

Qingfan was startled upon hearing this. She wiped away her tears, got up, and ran to the door. She glanced to the east and saw a green carriage slowly approaching. The servant leading the way was Qingyu, who was beside Chen Siyuan.

Qingfan was immediately overjoyed and hurriedly said to Granny Han, "There's no mistake, it's Master Yuan's carriage, Master Yuan has arrived!"

A smile appeared on Granny Han's face, and she quickly whispered, "Go and help the young lady change her clothes. Also... talk to the young lady carefully. We are counting on this Master Yuan."

"Mm." Qingfan nodded vigorously, then turned and ran inside.

He entered the room shortly after and saw Miaoyu lying listlessly on the bed. He quickly went over and urged her, "Miss, please change your clothes quickly, Master Yuan is here!"

Miaoyu glanced at him and asked, "Why is he here?"

Qingfan bit her lower lip and said, "To tell you the truth, Miss, the money last time was given by Miss Xing. Miss Xing only receives a few months' salary. If I go and beg again, even if she pawns her belongings, how much money will she have left? She might have to ask Master Yuan for help. In that case, why not just ask Master Yuan directly?"

After a pause, seeing Miaoyu frowning in annoyance, Qingfan quickly advised, "We are old acquaintances, and Master Yuan has helped you twice. I went to great lengths to ask Master Yuan to come, so please treat him like a friend like Master Bao, have some tea and chat."

Seeing the anxious look on the little maid Qingfan's face, Miaoyu couldn't help but sigh. She thought back to her previous travels through the capital, frequenting the homes of powerful figures; when had she ever been so subservient? Truly, when one is under someone else's roof, one has no choice but to bow one's head.

After sighing, Miaoyu said, "Alright, you can help me change my clothes."

Qingfan happily agreed and hurriedly helped Miaoyu get dressed. After a while, voices could be heard from outside. Miaoyu had changed into a water-field robe and put on a Miaochang crown before leading Qingfan to the door to greet her.

After a while, Granny Han smiled and lifted the curtain. Miaoyu bowed her head and put her palms together, saying, "This outsider greets Young Master Chen."

Chen Siyuan, with one hand behind his back, carefully examined her and saw that Miaoyu's skin was neither rouged nor powdered. Her eyes, like autumn waters, held countless hidden emotions; her eyebrows, like spring mountains, exuded boundless elegance. She truly lived up to the saying: "Her fragrance surpasses that of jade, her words are more genuine than those of flowers."

Granny Han had been observing from the side, and when she saw Chen Siyuan slightly lost in thought, she breathed a sigh of relief.

He quickly smiled and said, "Uncle Yuan, please come in. I'll go boil some water right away. Today, Uncle Yuan, please also try the tea brewed by our young lady."

Chen Siyuan bowed slightly and said, "Miss Miaoyu."

This time he didn't make any jokes. He greeted them briefly before entering the room and then sat down with Miaoyu.

Miaoyu patiently said, "We are neighbors, and I have received a lot of help from you before. This tea... I should have treated you to it, but alas..." She paused, then added, "Please wait a moment, I will go and brew some tea."

"Okay," Chen Siyuan replied calmly.

Miaoyu drifted away, while Qingfan stayed behind to talk with Chen Siyuan.

"I was thinking that Grandpa Yuan would come in a few days, but I didn't expect him to come today."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "I was just buying a gift nearby and had nothing else to do, so I came over to take a look."

Qingfan nodded, then bit her lower lip and said with difficulty, "Master Yuan, you don't know, our young lady has been suffering lately." She then recounted her experiences over the past few days.

After a while, Qingfan stopped talking when he heard the curtain being lifted. The two turned around and saw Miaoyu carrying a tray with only a plain white porcelain teapot and teacups inside.

Miaoyu approached and personally poured Chen Siyuan a cup of tea, saying, "It's a pity you were robbed, otherwise I wouldn't have used such mundane things to entertain you."

Chen Siyuan smiled nonchalantly and said, "You've been pretending for half your life, have you even come to believe it yourself?"

Miaoyu was stunned and asked in astonishment, "What do you mean by that?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and picked up the white porcelain teacup, took a sip, and praised, "Laojunmei? Fine tea." As he spoke, he glanced at Qingfan, who, as if struck by a sudden inspiration, quietly withdrew.

Chen Siyuan extended his hand in invitation, saying, "As the host, why are you standing here?"

Miaoyu sat down, suppressing her anger, and said softly, "I want to hear what Young Master Chen has to say."

Chen Siyuan smiled. If he hadn't heard Xing Xiuyan mention it and hadn't had a few personal interactions with her, Chen Siyuan probably would have truly believed the original text's description of "the higher one's stature, the more envy one attracts; the more pure one is, the more disliked one becomes."

Miaoyu was the daughter of a corrupt official. She fled to a monastery to avoid trouble, but she couldn't let go of the secular world, so she continued to practice Buddhism while keeping her hair. In the original text, she wanted to smash the teacup that Granny Liu had used; but when it was Grandmother Jia's turn to drink tea, she flattered her in every way.

It is evident that her aloofness was directed towards those below her, not those above her.

Upon careful consideration, where did Miaoyu's aloof nature come from? Chen Siyuan thought to himself, it was probably because of her greedy father... In other words, in a way that was easier to understand in his previous life, it was called her 'family of origin'.

Master Chang was dismissed and investigated. Miaoyu, who cared about her reputation, was afraid of being looked down upon, so she pretended to be aloof and acted as if she were an outsider.

Chen Siyuan then said, "I don't have any profound theories to share. If I'm wrong, just take it as a joke; if I'm right... you know I'm not one of those pretentious types who like to pat themselves on the back, so let's skip the old lady's act."

“You—” Miaoyu’s face immediately turned red.

Before she could say anything, Chen Siyuan silently poured himself another cup of tea. Just as he was about to take a sip, he suddenly frowned and asked, "Is this rainwater collected last year?"

Miaoyu said coldly, "This is snow I collected from plum blossoms five years ago when I lived in Xuanmu Panxiang Temple. I got one jar of it, a blue-faced flower jar, and I couldn't bear to eat it, so I buried it underground. I only opened it this summer. I've only eaten it once before, this is the second time."

Upon hearing this, Chen Siyuan frowned, put down his teacup, and said, "I'll just have tea. I'm hungry after wandering around all day." He then turned and called out, "Qingfan."

With a flick of the curtain, Qingfan agreed and went inside.

Chen Siyuan reached out and beckoned him closer, took out a twenty-tael silver note from his sleeve and handed it over, instructing, "Select some delicious food to buy, and also buy a pot of chrysanthemum white wine."

Qingfan was overjoyed to receive the silver note. Without even glancing at Miaoyu, he agreed and left.

Miaoyu gritted her teeth inwardly, muttered "what a waste," and poured herself a cup to drink.

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "It's a bit late today... I'll find something for you tomorrow, and I'm afraid you'll never dare to drink this kind of water again."

Miaoyu snorted coldly and simply turned her head away. Chen Siyuan ignored her, simply sitting down with an air of nonchalance, leisurely looking around.

After a long while, Qingfan ordered a table of food and returned the loose silver coins.

Chen Siyuan waved his hand dismissively and said, "It wouldn't be right to trouble you for nothing, so the rest is yours."

Qingfan was overjoyed and thanked him profusely, secretly thinking that this Mr. Yuan was indeed quite wealthy. It was a pity that his marriage was already arranged; otherwise, wouldn't it have been a wonderful thing to pair him with his daughter?

Chen Siyuan invited Miaoyu to join him at the table. Although Miaoyu kept a straight face, she didn't refuse him. During the meal, the two ate and drank separately. Chen Siyuan would occasionally bring up a topic, and Miaoyu would only occasionally retort. Chen Siyuan was expected to be annoyed, but to his surprise, he didn't seem to care at all. After they had finished eating and drinking, he took his leave.

When training a hawk, you have to keep it alive, but you can't let it starve to death.

As soon as Chen Siyuan left, Miaoyu put down her chopsticks and went into her room in a huff. Qingfan and Granny Han ate the leftovers and shared half a pot of chrysanthemum wine.

After everything was tidied up, Granny Han quietly pulled Qingfan into the side room to talk.

Granny Han said, "Master Yuan has finally come to visit, but you, young lady, have to give him a hard time. If you continue like this, why would Master Yuan ever come again?"

Qingfan sighed, "The old woman knows what kind of person the young lady is, and I'm afraid I can't persuade her." After a pause, she added, "But I think Master Yuan is a broad-minded person and hasn't held a grudge against our young lady."

Granny Han sneered and said, "If you didn't have ulterior motives, would Master Daoyuan tolerate our young lady?"

"Thoughts?" Qingfan frowned, puzzled.

Granny Han said, "What cat in this world doesn't steal fish?"

Qingfan blinked and quickly shook her head, saying, "No, no, Master Yuan has already arranged a marriage for you. How could you possibly become someone's concubine?"

"A concubine?" Granny Han said coldly, "It would be good if she could become a concubine. I'm afraid that man only sees our young lady as a plaything!" After a pause, before Qing Fanyan could speak, Granny Han lowered her voice and said, "You might as well think about it, given our young lady's current situation, what else can she do but become someone's mistress?"

(End of this chapter)