Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 307 Sister Feng's Jealousy

Qingfan was indeed older than him, and for a moment he couldn't quite figure it out.

Just then, Miaoyu came to call, so Qingfan went inside to answer her. When it was time for bed, Qingfan went to the side room to talk to Granny Han.

"The old woman just said... that young lady can only be someone's mistress?"

Granny Han sighed and said, "Our young lady is naturally very beautiful, but unfortunately her personality is too eccentric... Besides, given the master's reputation, let alone a prominent family, even an ordinary wealthy family, which one would dare to marry our young lady as their principal wife?"

She paused, then continued, "At first, the young lady had some possessions to rely on, and perhaps some down-and-out man would have gritted his teeth and married her for her wealth. But now? All her possessions are gone, and the young lady has nothing to live on. Where will she get a dowry in the future?"

Qing Fan gritted his teeth and said, "Those scoundrels! Yes, it might just be Jia Chang who did it!"

Granny Han said, "So what if we know? Jia Chang might have been instructed by Madam. It's already good enough that they haven't gone too far. I'll just say one thing: if Madam Jia colludes with the government, and they just disrupt the burial grounds and find an unclaimed corpse to throw into the courtyard, our young lady will be in trouble with the law. Not to mention the valuables, the government might even take everything from her!"

Qingfan sighed, realizing what was going on. It seemed that, as Granny Han had said, the young lady had no other way out but to rely on her looks to become someone's mistress.

only……

Qingfan looked up and said, "I'm afraid the young lady won't agree."

Granny Han immediately got up and said to Qingfan, "Now that things have come to this, it's certainly right to consider the young lady's well-being, but you also need to consider yourselves. Have you thought about what will happen to you and me if the young lady has no means of support?"

Qingfan shook his head, unsure whether he had never thought about it or simply didn't want to.

Granny Han said, "I'm old and my looks have faded, so I'm just a maid who does washing and cleaning. You're only fourteen or fifteen, and you're pretty. You'd be perfect if someone bought you to be a concubine. If things don't go well... you'll end up in a destitute place, and your life will be ruined!"

Qingfan couldn't help but recall the tragic death of Bihen, and was immediately horrified, shaking his head repeatedly.

Then, with tears welling up in her eyes, she said, "Granny, please teach me... what should I do from now on?"

Granny Han said, "That Master Yuan is not short of money. If we can catch him, we will be able to live a life of comfort and security with the young lady. This matter... cannot be handled according to the young lady's wishes any longer."

Qingfan was so shaken that he nodded repeatedly.

Granny Han then said, "If you trust me, give me two taels of silver first. After I make some preparations, I guarantee you will have no worries about food and clothing in the future."

Qingfan hurriedly searched for her purse, fearing that she wouldn't be able to complete the task if she didn't have enough money, so she gave Granny Han five taels of silver.

The two whispered and discussed it for a while before parting ways.

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

Meanwhile, Chen Siyuan leisurely returned to the Rongguo Mansion. As soon as he entered the inner hall and thatched cottage, Hongyu greeted him and said, "Master, the master sent someone to ask twice this afternoon, saying that he was looking for you in the east courtyard."

Having already received Miao'er's message, Chen Siyuan secretly wondered if Jia She was about to ask him for money. However, he was already engaged to Baochai and could not marry her. If he borrowed money from Jia She, he feared it would be a waste.

Chen Siyuan's money didn't come from thin air, so why would he lend it to someone for no reason?
He readily agreed and didn't go to the east courtyard. He talked to a few maids for a while, and when he heard that "gathering money to celebrate a birthday" had offended someone, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

The old lady brought it up, but Lady Wang took it seriously. Fengjie returned the money to everyone, and it's likely that the three sisters and others will also harbor resentment towards Lady Wang.

Nothing else happened that day.

The next day, sure enough, someone came looking for them.

Knowing he couldn't avoid it, Chen Siyuan slowly tidied himself up before following Tiao'er to the east courtyard.

After leaving the Grand View Garden and turning into the alley, Tiao'er couldn't help but say, "Young master, that fellow surnamed Sun came again this morning. The master saw him once, but dismissed him with just a cup of tea. He's got a dark face now. Young master, you must be careful."

Chen Siyuan smiled and agreed, then couldn't resist teasing Tiao'er a few times, which made Tiao'er's eyes sparkle. She only managed to stop because of the people coming and going around them.

Upon arriving at the east courtyard, Chen Siyuan went into the outer study. As he entered, he saw Jia She, whose face was indeed dark, pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back.

Chen Siyuan greeted him respectfully, and Jia She forced a smile, waving his hand and saying, "Brother Yuan, please sit down. It's been a long time since I've looked for you. Have you been studying hard?"

Chen Siyuan patiently answered correctly, and Jia She couldn't hold back any longer. He circled his hand around the teacup and looked at Chen Siyuan, saying, "Brother Yuan... you'll be sixteen next year, it's time to talk about marriage."

The drama is coming!

Chen Siyuan bowed solemnly and said, "Thank you for your concern, Uncle. However, the autumn examination is approaching, and I have not yet achieved fame and success. How can I settle down? I think we should wait until after the autumn examination."

"Eh?" Jia She drew out his words and pursed his lips, lecturing, "You are the only son of the Chen family now. Of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is to have no descendants. You must always strive to have more offspring. As for officialdom... how old are you? Yu'er's father passed the imperial examination early on, and he only became a third-ranked scholar when he was over thirty."

Chen Siyuan said, "Uncle, you don't know, but I think one should strive for success in the imperial examinations in one go. If one gets married, I'm afraid that being tied down by household affairs will make one lazy."

Jia She immediately retorted, "No, no, haven't you heard that marrying a virtuous wife brings prosperity to three generations? If a virtuous wife encourages you, I'm afraid the young master will surely pass the imperial examination in the future."

Chen Siyuan smiled vaguely and said there was no rush.

Chen Siyuan was not in a hurry, but Jia She was anxious and said, "Alright, young master, you're not an outsider, I won't beat around the bush with you. I intend to betroth Yingchun to you, I wonder what you think?"

They finally came. Chen Siyuan had no choice but to stand up, frown, and bow, saying, "Uncle, you don't know, but my nephew and Miss Bao have long been in love. Even my aunt knows about this. Uncle, you have good intentions, and my second sister is virtuous and dignified. However, since our marriage is already arranged, I have to politely decline your offer."

Jia She knew perfectly well that the two had a secret affair, and calmly said, "Marriage between young men and women has always been about matching social status... Yuan-ge'er is already a scholar at such a young age, and his future is limitless. The Xue family is just a merchant family, how can they compare to my daughter?"

Chen Siyuan said, "What my uncle says is certainly true, but I have already made a promise to him, how can I go back on my word?"

Seeing that Chen Siyuan was unyielding, Jia She became furious and slammed his fist on the table, saying, "I think you don't know what's good for you!"

Just then, Madam Xing rushed over and, upon hearing this, said, "Master, why are you angry now?"

Madam Xing hurried over, glanced at Chen Siyuan, and waved her hand, saying, "Master is in a bad mood, young master, don't take it to heart, go back first."

Chen Siyuan glanced at Jia She, saw that he was stiff-necked and silent, then cupped his hands in greeting to the two of them, turned around and walked away quickly.

As soon as he left, Master Jia She immediately became enraged and shouted, "You scoundrel, you don't know what's good for you!"

Madam Xing rolled her eyes inwardly, thinking to herself, "Marrying Yingchun would cost me money, while marrying Baochai would bring me a generous dowry. If it were Madam Xing, she would choose Baochai too. Only those fools would lose face for the sake of saving face."

She quickly advised, "I've already spoken to the master. Everyone in the household knows that the two young ones are getting together. If it weren't for the fact that they see each other all the time, they would probably be engaged already. But now the master is interfering. No matter how filial Yuan-ge is, how can he go back on his word?"

Master Jia She was so anxious that he kept scratching his head. Chen Siyuan was not falling into the trap. Where would the five thousand taels of silver come from? That Sun Shaozu was really a scoundrel. Today, his words contained a hidden threat, saying that if the money was not repaid, he would go to Prince Bei Jing and others to have a word with them.

A person lives for their reputation, just as a tree lives for its bark. How could a lord like you lose face and ruin your reputation for five thousand taels of silver?
Fearing that he would not let go of Chen Siyuan, Madam Xing said, "In my opinion, instead of trying to take advantage of Yuan-ge'er, you should ask the old lady for advice."

Jia She said angrily, "You know how my mother treats me. Even if I opened my mouth, I'm afraid she wouldn't allow it."

Madam Xing didn't care at all, but she pretended to sigh and then fell silent.

Jia She frowned, pondering for a moment, then suddenly paused, looked up and asked, "How old is that little hussy Yuanyang?"

"Huh?" Madam Xing was taken aback at first, but then she realized what she meant and immediately laughed, "She's eighteen now. I hadn't thought about it until you mentioned it, sir. In another two years, Yuanyang will have to be released. It's such a pity that such a beautiful and talented girl is paired with such a young man."

"Yes, it's a real pity." Jia She couldn't help but stroke his beard and laugh as he looked at Madam Xing.

Madam Xing covered her mouth and laughed. Then, a thought struck her: That's right! The little thief had said that Madam Wang was now powerful, and they needed to join forces to deal with her. Targeting Yuanyang like this was undermining the old lady's position!

Madam Xing, not one for quick wit, couldn't think of anything to persuade Jia She to abandon his idea. She could only force a smile while her heart pounded. After parting from Jia She, Madam Xing thought to herself that she needed to quickly find Chen Siyuan and discuss the matter further!
It wasn't until the afternoon of that day that Madam Xing, under the pretext of discussing the matter of Feng Jie's childbirth, left the east wing. She first pretended to talk to Feng Jie for a while before heading to the Grand View Garden.

It was already late autumn, and the Grand View Garden was desolate. Before long, Madam Xing arrived at the Qingtang thatched cottage, where Hongyu and others came out to greet her.

Madam Xing asked with a smile, "Where is Yuan-ge'er?"

Hongyu replied, "I was bored with reading earlier, so Master said he wanted to take a stroll in the garden. It's been quite a while now. Madam, please come in and sit down. Master will be back soon."

Madam Xing smiled and agreed, and was about to step inside when she suddenly heard the sound of jade chimes being struck behind her. Madam Xing stopped, turned around, and asked, "Is someone in the Jade Emperor Temple?"

Wu'er glanced at it before saying, "Madam doesn't know, but Madam often goes to the Jade Emperor Temple to recite Taoist scriptures."

Madam Xing responded with a sound of agreement, feeling a bit strange. She was only worried that Li Wan might catch her having a secret rendezvous with the thief in the future, but she didn't think much of it.

So they went inside, took their seats leisurely, and Wu'er served them fragrant tea. Madam Xing then spoke with Hongyu, while Wu'er and Yunxiang went outside to look for Chen Siyuan.

After inquiring about Chen Siyuan's daily life, Madam Xing mentioned that it would be Sister Feng's birthday in a couple of days. She said, "You just mentioned Brother Zhu's wife. I heard from Sister Feng that she will need Brother Zhu's wife to arrange the birth of her child."

Hongyu said with a smile, "Madam is too busy to arrange birthday celebrations for the younger generation, and Madam Zhen is in her postpartum period. After counting, we can only ask Madam Zhu."

Madam Xing smiled and nodded, about to say something else, when she suddenly heard the jade chime being struck haphazardly twice. She couldn't help but laugh and said, "What kind of Taoist scripture is Zhu-ge's wife chanting? Why is she striking it like that?"

Hongyu then said, "Perhaps you didn't hold the jade hammer steady for a moment?"

Madam Xing nodded again before asking, "Why hasn't the young master returned yet?"

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

Inside the alchemy room of the Jade Emperor Temple.

Li Wan leaned against Chen Siyuan's chest, her face still flushed, with stray strands of hair clinging to her cheeks. Her lips parted and closed incessantly, her body heaving gently, her peach blossom eyes closed, and her arms wrapped weakly around Chen Siyuan's waist.

After a while, Li Wan opened her eyes, glared at Chen Siyuan, and said reproachfully, "How can you be like this... There are quite a few maids in the room, yet you act as if you're starving."

Chen Siyuan smiled but remained silent. Hongyu, Xiangling, and the others were certainly good, but they couldn't compare to the excitement of these clandestine meetings. Since it was difficult to say such things, he instead blamed Li Wan, saying, "It's all your fault! You only come once every half month!"

Li Wan laughed and said, "Why would I come here all the time? If I arouse suspicion, how can I live?"

Chen Siyuan sighed and remained silent.

Li Wan pressed her hand to his chest and said, "It's good as it is now. I can see him on ordinary days and get together occasionally. I have no other requests."

Chen Siyuan responded and couldn't help but reach out and put his arm around Li Wan.

After a short while, Li Wan suddenly said, "Lan'er... has grown up too. I was thinking, should we let him live in the front house after the New Year?"

Chen Siyuan hurriedly pressed for the reason, and Li Wan awkwardly explained. It turned out that a few days ago, Jia Lan had been bathing, and because of an unusual sensation in his lower body, Su Yun had gasped in surprise. Such a thing was hard to hide, so Su Yun told Li Wan about it privately.

Upon hearing this, Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "It's a common thing, why are you making such a fuss? Don't forget the saying that children under seven shouldn't sit together. This applies not only to children, but also to mothers and sons."

Li Wan said, "But I just can't bear to part with it."

Chen Siyuan advised, "I think it's better to move out, so that Lan-ge'er won't get all tainted by the smell of women."

Li Wan immediately thought of Baoyu, and frowned slightly in displeasure, fearing that Jia Lan might also imitate Baoyu's behavior. So she gritted her teeth and said, "Very well, then next year I will ask the old lady to find an outer study for Lan'er."

After a brief moment of tenderness, Li Wan hurriedly got up to tidy herself up. Chen Siyuan leaned lazily to the side and said, "Biyue didn't urge you, so why are you in such a hurry?"

Li Wan said, "I still have an errand to run—the old lady has given the order, and I must take charge of arranging Feng Jie's birthday celebration."

Chen Siyuan was taken aback, then suddenly realized: That's right, Madam You is in confinement after childbirth, and it's not appropriate to let Madam Xing or Madam Wang make arrangements, so this task will fall to Li Wan.

Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly heard Wu'er calling out. Chen Siyuan hurriedly got up, and after he had tidied himself up, he said goodbye to Li Wan, climbed over the wall through the side room, and circled around for a while before finally arriving at the gate of Qingtang Thatched Cottage.

Wu'er had just entered the courtyard when she heard footsteps behind her. She quickly turned around to look. Seeing that it was indeed Chen Siyuan, she asked in surprise, "Where did you come from, sir? Yunxiang and I have been looking for you but we haven't seen you anywhere."

Chen Siyuan spotted Miao'er outside and asked, "Is Auntie here?"

"Yes, Madam has already drunk a cup of tea."

Chen Siyuan hurriedly went inside, greeted Madam Xing with clasped hands, and said, "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, Aunt."

Madam Xing responded and invited Chen Siyuan to sit down, saying, "I haven't been here for a while, so I thought I'd take this opportunity to catch up on your daily life, young master. Hongyu said you've been quite focused on your studies lately, which is a good thing, but you shouldn't overwork yourself; you need a balance between work and rest." Chen Siyuan smiled and agreed. After exchanging a few casual words, Madam Xing dismissed the maid and whispered to Chen Siyuan, "He's got his eye on Yuanyang again!"

"Yuanyang?" Chen Siyuan thought to himself, it seems that after Sister Feng's birthday celebration, the master wanted to force Yuanyang to marry him.

Madam Xing said, "He couldn't bring himself to speak up, so he urged me to do it. This is undermining the old lady's reputation, and she might get angry."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "You know what kind of person he is. You can just go back and tell your second sister-in-law."

"Tell her?" Madam Xing couldn't help but ask in surprise, "How did this get involved with her again?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "To put it bluntly, Yuanyang is like the old lady's eunuch, managing her personal finances and dowry. To put it bluntly, if she dies before the old lady, that's fine, but if she's still around after the old lady's death... let alone the eldest master, I'm afraid even the second wife wouldn't let her go."

Those mandarin ducks weren't stupid; knowing that disaster was imminent, wouldn't they have considered their own fate?

"You mean... Lian'er?"

Chen Siyuan clasped his hands together and laughed, "That's right, think about it, besides Second Brother Lian, where else in this household is there a suitable person?"

Madam Xing was skeptical. After pondering for a while, she suddenly frowned and shook her head, saying, "Impossible! If there really was something, how could these two not have let out a single word?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Isn't that simple? The one who's been running around in the middle is Second Sister-in-law. Only Yuanyang and Second Sister-in-law know about this. I'm afraid Second Brother Lian is completely kept in the dark."

Why was Jia Lian kept in the dark? Because Grandmother Jia was a shrewd and experienced woman, and if she wanted to keep things under wraps, this was exactly the kind of thing she had to do.

As Madam Xing pondered Chen Siyuan's words, they seemed to make more and more sense. After a while, she couldn't help but sneer, "What a shameless little hussy! I thought she was loyal, but I didn't expect her to have ulterior motives."

Chen Siyuan said, "No one is perfect. The old lady is getting on in years. No matter how loyal she is, she still has to plan for her future."

Madam Xing agreed wholeheartedly. After a moment's thought, she said, "If the old lady passes away, the dowry should remain in the public funds. How can it be allowed to benefit only Feng'er?"

Chen Siyuan quickly advised, "Even if Second Sister-in-law gets the money, most of it will be spent on public funds. You shouldn't cause any trouble with such a good thing that's already going to happen."

Madam Xing thought about it and realized it made sense. Even if she asked for money herself, Feng would probably only give her a pittance at most, which was really not worth it. Now that she had Chen Siyuan to rely on, she naturally wouldn't care about such a small benefit.

After the two finished their discussion, Madam Xing didn't linger and hurried off to find Sister Feng.

Meanwhile, Sister Feng, feeling carefree and relaxed, was sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed) talking with Ping'er.

Ping'er then said, "Madam must take what Physician Wang said seriously. This woman's illness could be serious or minor. It would be better to take advantage of the peace of mind now to get her well, so as not to cause a miscarriage in the future."

Sister Feng laughed and said, "I'm not pregnant yet, why should I be in such a hurry?" Seeing Ping'er frowning and opening her mouth, she quickly said, "Never mind, I'll go and ask Brother Yuan for some more cordyceps later."

Ping'er then relaxed her brows and said with a smile, "Grandma is right to think that way."

Just then, the old woman outside replied, "The First Madam has arrived."

The mistress and servant exchanged a glance, both utterly astonished. This first wife had only sat for a short while earlier; why was she here again now?
Sister Feng dared not delay and hurriedly landed to greet her.

As soon as the curtain was lifted, Madam Xing rushed in. Feng Jie led Madam Xing inside, and Madam Xing glanced at Ping'er and instructed, "Everyone, please step back. I have some private words to say to Feng Jie."

Ping'er was very worried. She glanced at Feng Jie and saw her nod before leaving the room with Miao'er and Tiao'er.

Once only the two of them remained inside, Madam Xing frowned and said, "I've thought about it a lot, and this matter... I still need to mention it to you."

Sister Feng asked in surprise, "But what is it about?"

Madam Xing beckoned, and when Sister Feng came close to her ear, she told her about the master's plan.

Sister Feng was utterly astonished! In the original text, Sister Feng had been managing the household, but seeing that the public funds were insufficient to cover expenses, she set her sights on Yuanyang. This time, however, things were different. Firstly, she had been managing the household for over a month and had already resigned from her position as manager; secondly, she had partnered with Chen Siyuan to set up a latex workshop, and who knew when she might be able to secure a procurement contract from the Ministry of War.

In this way, whether for public or private reasons, Sister Feng has no shortage of money to spend, so naturally she has not yet set her sights on Yuanyang.

After a moment's hesitation, Sister Feng said, "Yuanyang is the old lady's apple, how dare you, sir?"

“Who says otherwise?” Madam Xing complained.

Sister Feng frowned and sighed, saying, "The old lady would never allow such a thing; I'm afraid she'll lose face again."

"That's right."

Seeing that Madam Xing was not responding, Sister Feng could not hold back any longer and said, "But... why are you telling me this?"

Madam Xing glanced at her, then smiled wryly, "Do you think I don't know what you and Lian'er are thinking? If you don't want to tell me, fine. Anyway, I've told you about this matter, so you can decide for yourself."

Without waiting for Sister Feng to see him off, he got up and left, leaving Sister Feng puzzled.

After seeing Madam Xing off, Sister Feng turned around and pondered to herself.

Ping'er asked, "Grandma, what difficult thing did the First Madam say just now?"

The more Sister Feng thought about it, the more something seemed amiss. Although she had tried to win over Yuanyang, she hadn't mentioned anything else. Could it be...?

Sister Feng's phoenix eyes narrowed instantly as she looked at Ping'er and said, "Let me ask you, has your second master gotten involved with Yuanyang?"

Ping'er frowned in alarm and quickly shook her head, saying, "I haven't heard anything about it. Where did you get this information, Grandma?"

Seeing that Ping'er's words did not seem to be false, Feng Jie thought that Madam Xing would not have mentioned it for no reason, so she concluded that Jia Lian must have been having an affair with Yuanyang in private.

He immediately sneered, "Since you don't know, it must be something your second master did in private!"

He sullenly sat down on the kang (heated brick bed), thinking to himself that Jia Lian was good at covering up and deceiving people. If he couldn't get real evidence, he might even complain.

Having understood this, Sister Feng suppressed her anger and decided to settle things with Jia Lian another day.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and it was already the second day of the ninth month.

Everyone, from top to bottom, eagerly awaited the event, for they had heard that Li Wan was organizing a very lively affair, complete with not only plays but also male and female performers of various acrobatics and storytelling, all prepared for their own amusement and entertainment.

The society was originally scheduled to start that day, but it happened to be Sister Feng's birthday, and Li Wan had to make arrangements everywhere, so the girls discussed it and decided to cancel the event for a day.

At 1:45 AM, the opera troupe entered the Rongguo Mansion. The young ladies were chatting in Fengjie's courtyard when Yuanyang came to invite them.

Just as Sister Feng was about to head to the main hall, Xiangling arrived carrying congratulatory gifts.

Daiyu glanced at Xiangling and laughed, "I was wondering why I hadn't seen you around."

Xiangling smiled and said, "Early this morning, the master sent us to rummage through chests and cabinets, looking for boxes to wrap the congratulatory gifts. But these two bolts of Western wool were really difficult to wrap, so we had no choice but to bring them here like this."

Ping'er quickly came over and took it. Feng Jie glanced at it and was immediately overjoyed. What Chen Siyuan had given her was no ordinary gift, but a bright red woolen cloth, perfect for making a cloak to block the wind and rain.

Sister Feng smiled and said, "Go back and tell Brother Yuan that I am very pleased with this gift. By the way, why didn't Brother Yuan come?"

Xiangling smiled and said, "Master said that the main hall is the inner quarters, so he shouldn't go there to join in the fun."

Sister Feng said, "Brother Yuan has already moved into the garden, so why should we keep quiet? I'll mention it to the old lady later and see what she says."

Xiangling smiled and agreed, then followed Fengjie, Daiyu, Baochai and others to the main hall.

A stage had already been set up in front of the main hall, with several tables inside. As soon as Sister Feng and the others arrived, Grandmother Jia greeted them, "The birthday girl has arrived; we've been waiting for you."

"What kind of birthday star am I? Please stop teasing me, old lady."

Amidst laughter and chatter, everyone took their seats. Grandmother Jia glanced around and couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Where's Baoyu?"

Madam Wang was also unaware, and could only look at Xiren who had come with her. Xiren hurriedly said, "The Second Master went to the Prince of Beijing's residence early this morning, saying he would be back in a while."

As soon as he finished speaking, the head maid Amber replied, "Master Bao is back."

Grandmother Jia looked up and, sure enough, saw Baoyu hurrying towards her. She immediately gave him a lecture, saying that if he continued to leave the mansion without a word, she would let his father beat him.

Baoyu awkwardly agreed, and then went to talk to Xiangyun.

At this moment, Sister Feng said, "Grandma, everyone in the household is here. It wouldn't be right to leave Brother Yuan out, would it?"

Grandmother Jia had previously disliked Chen Siyuan, but because Lady Wang was now powerful and difficult to deal with, she had long intended to reconcile with Chen Siyuan. So she smiled and said, "Who wouldn't invite him? Besides, it's your treat today. Can I stop you from inviting whoever you want?"

Sister Feng smiled and joked for a moment before giving Ping'er a wink.

Ping'er curtsied and, smiling, went to invite Chen Siyuan.

After a while, Chen Siyuan arrived as expected. He greeted everyone and then casually moved his chair to sit between Sister Bao and Sister Lin.

Daiyu smiled and scolded, "I left you a place to sit, but you insisted on squeezing in here."

Chen Siyuan said in a low voice, "It's not easy to get a chance to join in the fun, so who else can I be near if not you guys?"

Daiyu recalled how Chen Siyuan had always been absent from the birthday celebrations of others, but had never attended in person because he had offended the old lady. She felt a pang of heartache.

Baochai then said from the side, "The old lady just said that there will be exciting things to do in the future, so just come along."

Chen Siyuan smiled and agreed, but unexpectedly, his sleeve loosened, and a scroll fell to the ground. Baochai and Lin Daiyu glanced at it, both quite surprised. Daiyu said, "Even watching a play requires bringing along current affairs literature?"

Baochai also said, "Even if you study hard, you can't use it like this!"

Chen Siyuan didn't know how to explain, so he just said, "I was in such a hurry when I came out that I forgot to put it back, so I just stuffed it in my sleeve."

Sister Bao and Sister Lin were relieved. Daiyu joked, "If you get so engrossed in reading, you'll really become a bookworm someday."

Chen Siyuan smiled without saying a word, thinking to himself that this book was meant to be used against Jia Lian, and how could he tell Baochai and Lin Daiyu such things?
On the stage, one act after another was performed, and after noon, a feast was served.

While Chen Siyuan was talking to the two men, Grandmother Jia, as if struck by childlike fun, insisted that Fengjie sit in the seat of honor. Fengjie declined slightly, but emboldened by the alcohol, she simply sat down. Immediately, many people came to offer toasts, and Fengjie accepted them all, emptying her cup in one gulp, creating quite a lively scene.

Chen Siyuan glanced at Madam Wang, only to find that her face had already darkened. How could Madam Wang not see through Grandmother Jia's subtle intention to hand over the family business to Feng Jie?

Grandmother Jia insisted that Li Wan make Feng Jie drink, and Feng Jie, unable to refuse, had to drink two cups. Then, the other sisters came to offer their toasts, followed by various old women and maids, and even Yuanyang and others who served Grandmother Jia came to offer their toasts.

Sister Feng really couldn't take it anymore, and hurriedly begged, "Good sisters, please spare me, I'll drink again tomorrow."

Yuanyang laughed and said, "Really? Have we lost all face? Even in front of Madam, she would still give us the honor of being here. We usually have some dignity, but today, in front of these people, we're acting like masters. I shouldn't have come. If we don't want to drink, we'll leave." With that, she really went back.

Sister Feng quickly caught up and pulled her away, laughing, "Good sister, I'll drink it." Saying that, she took the wine, poured a full cup, and drank it all in one gulp. Only then did Yuanyang laugh and disperse.

Sister Feng felt the wine was too strong, her heart was pounding, and she wanted to go home to rest. Just then, she saw the acrobats coming up and quickly looked for Li Wan and said, "Prepare some reward money, I'm going to wash my face."

Li Wan nodded in agreement and said in a low voice, "You've probably had too much to drink. Why don't you sneak back and rest for a while?"

Sister Feng said, "That's exactly what I was planning to do."

Li Wan smiled and went to prepare the reward money. Taking advantage of the moment when no one was watching, Feng Jie quickly slipped out. Ping'er, who had been watching Feng Jie closely, also hurriedly followed her out.

Ping'er helped Feng Jie walk towards her home, but as soon as they reached the corridor, they saw a little maid in her room turn around and run away!

Because of what Madam Xing had said earlier, Sister Feng already had doubts, and seeing the little maid's behavior, she immediately became angry.

"stop!"

(End of this chapter)