Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 308 The Broken Wings of the Azure Phoenix
Sister Feng and Ping'er called out to the maidservant ten times, but the maidservant could only turn back with her head down. Sister Feng, still wielding considerable power, threatened her with a few words and then poked the maidservant with her hairpin. The maidservant then burst into tears, crying uncontrollably.
"Second Master just came to the room. He woke up after sleeping for a while and sent someone to check on Grandma, saying that the banquet had just started and he would be back in a while."

Second Master opened the chest, took out two silver coins, two hairpins, and two bolts of satin, and told me to secretly deliver them to Bao Er's wife and call her in. She accepted the things and came into our room. Second Master told me to watch over Grandma, and I don't know what happened after that.

Upon hearing this, Sister Feng was so angry that her whole body went limp. She stood up and dragged Ping'er towards her own courtyard. As soon as they entered, a little maid shrank back and ran away. After running a couple of steps and realizing she couldn't escape, she had no choice but to turn back and say, "I was just about to tell Madam, but Madam just happened to arrive."

Feng Jie heard the maid repeat it again, and became even angrier. She raised her hand and slapped the maid across the face. As she walked down the corridor, she heard a woman inside laughing, "It would be so good if your devilish wife died sooner or later."

Jia Lian said, "If she dies and I marry someone else, it'll be the same. So what?"

The woman said, "If she dies, it might be better if you made Ping'er your official wife."

Jia Lian said, "Now even Ping'er won't let me get involved. Ping'er has a bellyful of grievances but dares not say them. Why am I destined to be cursed by the 'Yaksha Star'?"

Upon hearing this, Fengjie was so angry she trembled all over. Hearing them both praise Ping'er, she suspected Ping'er had been harboring resentment behind her back. Her anger flared even more, and without further thought, she turned and slapped Ping'er twice before kicking open the door and going inside.

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The main hall behind Rongqing Hall.

Seeing the magician conjure a pair of doves, Xiao Xichun couldn't help but clasp her hands in admiration. Even Daiyu, who was beside Chen Siyuan, watched with rapt attention.

Daiyu then said, "It's strange, I can't figure out where that gentleman came from."

Baochai smiled and said, "The master relies on this skill to make a living. If you find out about it, he might not have anything to eat or wear." She paused, then, remembering her earlier stroll with Chen Siyuan on the street, she added, "The master at home is inevitably a bit too crafty. It's much more fun to stroll around on the street."

Daiyu couldn't help but yearn for it, saying, "It's a pity I can't see it."

Chen Siyuan had been thinking about Feng Jie'er's condition. Now that he had come to his senses, he turned to Daiyu and whispered, "It's cold today. When it gets warmer next year, I'll take my sister to see her."

Having obtained a share in the latex workshop, Daiyu naturally had a pretext to leave the mansion. After hearing what Chen Siyuan said, she first glanced at Baochai, and seeing that she seemed not to have heard, she then responded softly.

Chen Siyuan felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. Just as he was about to find an excuse to leave his seat, he saw Su Yun rush in with a tense face. She whispered a few words to Li Wan, and Li Wan's expression immediately changed.

Li Wan suddenly stood up, looked around, and immediately spotted Chen Siyuan. She quickly nodded to him and then walked out.

Chen Siyuan grumbled angrily to those around him, then immediately left his seat and followed Li Wan.

The two women, leading their maids and servants, turned into the corridor and Li Wan said urgently, "Feng'er and Lian'er are fighting. I'm afraid I can't control them. You must come with me to take a look."

Chen Siyuan responded and quickly rolled up the books in his sleeve and wrapped them around his arm.

After a short while, they arrived at the large, pink-painted screen wall and immediately saw a young maid kneeling inside. Chen Siyuan and Li Wan stepped into the courtyard, and from afar they could hear Jia Lian shouting, "No need to seek death, I'm also in a hurry, kill them all, I'll pay with my life, and everyone will be clean."

As soon as she finished speaking, Sister Feng staggered out, followed by Jia Lian, disheveled, chasing after her with a gleaming sword in hand.

Li Wan's face changed drastically in fright. She reached out to help Feng Jie up and said, "What's going on? Everything was fine just now, and now you're making a scene?"

Upon seeing the person, Jia Lian became even more "three-tenths drunk," and began to show off his power, raising his sword to strike: "Sister-in-law, get out of the way! Today I will definitely kill this shrew!"

Feng Jie exclaimed in surprise, pushed aside Li Wan, and stumbled to Chen Siyuan's side. Chen Siyuan helped her up, handed her to Su Yun who was standing nearby, and stepped forward to shield Li Wan.

He smiled and said, "What do you mean by that, Brother Lian? Why did your quarrel turn into a fight?"

Jia Lian became even more excited and said, "Brother Yuan, step aside and watch me—"

He brandished his sword, but Chen Siyuan, taking advantage of the wide-open door, stepped forward and snatched the hilt. Chen Siyuan had practiced stance training for years, and was half a head taller than Jia Lian. How could Jia Lian, who indulged in eating, drinking, and merrymaking, possibly match Chen Siyuan's strength?
At that moment, he felt as if Chen Siyuan's hands were clamped, and in the intense pain, he immediately withdrew his hands.

Chen Siyuan snatched the sword, twirled it haphazardly, and tossed the weapon onto the roof. He grinned and said, "Second Brother Lian, don't say such hurtful things. Everything can be discussed and resolved. There's no need for a life-or-death struggle."

"you--"

Chen Siyuan's meddling instantly extinguished Jia Lian's manic energy. Chen Siyuan turned his head and glanced around, only to find that Feng Jie was no longer there, and Ping'er was sobbing incessantly beside him. He then gestured towards Li Wan.

Li Wan sighed, instructed Suyun and Biyue to take Ping'er and leave. Only Chen Siyuan and two old women were left inside to look after the family. Jia Lian tried to leave, but Chen Siyuan stopped him.

Jia Lian got annoyed and said, "Brother Yuan, can't I even go to the front study?"

Chen Siyuan chuckled and said, "Second Brother Lian, you should wait a bit. Second Sister-in-law has gone to the Old Madam's place, and the Old Madam might come to get you soon. If I were Second Brother Lian, I might as well think about how to explain things later."

Jia Lian was immediately disheartened, his head drooping, unsure of what to say.

A short while later, as expected, Yuanyang led a servant and an old woman to take the man away, and Chen Siyuan led Jia Lian to the main hall.

Chen Siyuan dropped the person off at their destination, then turned around and came out again, leisurely entering the Grand View Garden.

Chen Siyuan casually pulled out a scroll from his sleeve and smiled with relief. In the original text, it was You Shi who stopped Jia Lian, but You Shi was currently in confinement after childbirth, so he might have to replace her with someone else. Therefore, after some thought, Chen Siyuan prepared a scroll.

The book was thick, and even with Jia Lian's strength, he probably couldn't cut it. Sure enough, it was Li Wan who had to stop him this time. Although the book wasn't ultimately used, it was better to be prepared.

He had just returned to his thatched cottage when Xiangling also came back, saying that the old lady had given Jia Lian a good scolding, and then everyone dispersed.

Immediately afterward, Yunxiang came running in, saying, "Grandpa, Grandpa, Bao Er's wife was carrying clothes when two old women chased her home!"

Seeing Chen Siyuan looking over, Yunxiang chuckled and said, "The Second Madam and her maids went to Bao Er's house right after, and they're blocking the door and yelling at him right now."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Not bad, I'll give you an extra string of cash next month."

"Hehehe, thanks a lot, sir. I'll go listen again!" Yunxiang, having gotten her wish, skipped off happily.

As for Bao Er's family, they brought it upon themselves. Chen Siyuan was not a great philanthropist, so how could he care about their life or death?
As evening approached, Baochai arrived with Ying'er.

After all the maids had left, Baochai breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Chen Siyuan, saying, "Thank goodness you're here."

Chen Siyuan asked in surprise, "What makes you say that, sister?"

Baochai shook her head, smiling but saying nothing. In the afternoon, she also went to Daoxiang Village and, following the lead of the conversation, offered Ping'er a few words of advice. Soon after, Baoyu arrived, and seeing that Ping'er's clothes were torn, Baochai went back to Hengwu Garden to fetch some of her own clothes for her.

Turning around, she saw Baoyu applying makeup to Ping'er in front of the mirror.

This situation disgusted Baochai, for Ping'er was Jia Lian's concubine! She threw off her clothes and hurriedly returned to Hengwu Garden. Remembering what Chen Siyuan had said about Baoyu's virtue, she was immediately filled with joy.

Luckily, I bumped into Chen Siyuan, otherwise I'd probably still be agonizing over that perfect match.

Chen Siyuan asked a few questions, but Baochai wouldn't answer. Instead, she said, "I'm afraid Bao Er's wife won't survive."

Chen Siyuan was puzzled, so Baochai said, "If she were alive, I'm afraid Bao Er would also be kicked out of the mansion."

Chen Siyuan was startled and thought to himself, "Since Bao Er's wife dared to have an affair with Jia Lian, she must not be a chaste and virtuous woman. How could she have hanged herself in the original text?"

When Baochai said that, Chen Siyuan suddenly realized that it made sense: Maybe Bao Er's wife was hanged!
That day, Sister Bao stayed for a short while before returning to Hengwu Garden.

The next day arrived in a hurry, and Xiao Baba Yunxiang came to report that several members of Bao Er's family had blocked the door and made a scene. Chen Siyuan then knew that Bao Er's wife had indeed hanged herself.

Afterwards, Jia Lian stepped in to appease him, giving him two hundred taels of silver and promising to find a wife for Bao Er in the future. He then sent someone to ask Wang Ziteng to hire a coroner to report a suicide, and the matter was thus considered closed.

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Two days passed in the blink of an eye. Early that morning, Xiangling returned from Xiaoxiang Pavilion and went to find Chen Siyuan to say, "Second Madam invited Miss Lin to go to the workshop outside the city."

Chen Siyuan put down his book, startled, and said, "The weather is cold today, why is Lin Daiyu still going outside the city?"

Xiangling smiled and said, "Wang Mama, Zijuan, and Xueyan all tried to persuade her, but Miss Lin just couldn't hold back any longer and ended up going with Second Madam."

After thinking it over, Chen Siyuan realized that thanks to the effects of cordyceps, Daiyu's cough had improved considerably, so it was probably alright for her to go out occasionally. Although he thought so, Chen Siyuan couldn't help but worry.

In the afternoon, upon hearing that Sister Feng and Daiyu had returned safely, Chen Siyuan finally felt relieved. Soon after, Xueyan came smiling and curtsied upon seeing him, saying, "Congratulations to Master Yuan."

Chen Siyuan smiled and asked, "What's the joy?"

Xueyan said, "Today, a senior official from the Ministry of War came and inspected the workshop. He also discussed with Second Madam that they need to purchase 200,000 pairs of latex shoe soles before the end of the year."

Indeed, it was a joyous occasion. Chen Siyuan immediately smiled and said, "It's clear that Second Sister-in-law and Sister Lin are skilled at managing their business."

Xueyan said, "Our young lady is just joining in for fun; the second mistress is in charge of all the answering."

Just then, Yunxiang called out from outside, "Master, Second Madam is here!"

Chen Siyuan dared not be negligent and hurriedly got up to greet them. From afar, he saw Feng Jie leading Ping'er, smiling as they approached. It seemed that the mistress and servant had already put aside their past grievances, but he wondered how Feng Jie and Jia Lian were doing.

She led Feng Jie inside, and when Feng Jie saw Xue Yan there, she pointed at her and laughed, "You're quite clever; it makes me look like I'm a step late."

Xueyan laughed and said, "Second Madam, what are you saying? I'm just paving the way. As for the details... well, we still have to listen to Second Madam."

Sister Feng covered her mouth and laughed as she said to Chen Siyuan, "Look at her, a couple of years ago the old lady said she wasn't very useful, but now she seems to be quite eloquent, not much worse than Zijuan."

Chen Siyuan laughed heartily, quickly found Hongyu, and rewarded Xueyan with a piece of silver. Xueyan then thanked him with a smile and left.

After she left, Sister Feng began to recount the events of the day. Sister Feng had used her connections with Jia Zhen, who held a hereditary position in the Ministry of War. Through several banquets, she had smoothed things over with the Ministry of War. It was also because while workshops everywhere were rushing to manufacture tires, Sister Feng's work in making shoe soles and raincoats was unique to her. Latex soles were also much more durable than ordinary soles. After much discussion, the Ministry of War decided to purchase 100,000 pairs of shoes to replace the shoes with latex soles for the soldiers of the Beijing garrison.

"That Manager Liao is quite difficult to deal with. At first, he wouldn't accept the money I sent him, but he only relented after I sent him a pocket watch made in the imperial palace." Sister Feng took a sip of tea and said, "Manager Liao let slip that these 100,000 pairs of shoe soles are just the beginning. In the future, the Ministry of War might have to purchase some raincoats, shoe soles, and even latex pipes."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "That's great! This business is inherently low-profit, and it relies on high volume and low margins. If you manage it carefully, Second Sister-in-law, once the scale is up, you can work hard to reduce costs. How can others compete with you when they set up workshops in the future?"

Sister Feng pondered for a moment, not quite understanding, and asked, "What does this mean?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "In this kind of business, the cost always decreases as the scale increases. Right now, a pair of latex soles might cost two cents in capital, but in the future, it might be reduced to one and a half cents. In this way, if others set up workshops, Second Sister-in-law can break even and sell a pair for two cents a pair, which can sustain her for a year or two."

"Other people's shoes cost two and a half cents to make, and they lose half a cent for every pair they sell. How can they compete with my second sister-in-law?"

“That makes sense!” Sister Feng nodded repeatedly.

Chen Siyuan added, "And this is just the beginning. The Beijing Garrison alone has 100,000 soldiers. Shouldn't the border troops and garrisons be replaced as well? When my second sister-in-law is in the capital, her business will be all over the north. Who knows, she might earn tens of thousands of taels of silver a year in a few years."

Sister Feng immediately covered her mouth and laughed, saying, "Oh dear, Brother Yuan, I dare not hope for what you're saying. I'm quite free these days, so I'm thinking of tinkering with some things to do." She paused, then added, "That's right, Brother Yuan, you probably don't know, but Madam sent a carriage to pick up Miss Xia today."

"Oh?"

Is Xia Jingui coming again? Chen Siyuan thought to himself that this woman was quite good at pretending, and had not yet let Madam Wang see through her true colors.

Fengjie looked around and said to Hongyu, "You and Ping'er go out and play. I want to have a word with Brother Yuan."

Hongyu agreed and left the room with Ping'er. Once only the two of them remained inside, Fengjie said, "Just as Brother Yuan said, Madam is unable to handle household affairs and has had to ask Miss Xia to help."

Chen Siyuan said, "Her? It's not her turn no matter what, she doesn't even have the surname Jia."

Sister Feng said, "How could Madam not know? Xia Jingui is just a military supervisor; the real housekeeper is Tan Niu."

Chen Siyuan thought to himself, "Wouldn't the position of Steward Tan Chun be brought forward?"
Then Fengjie said, "Tan'er has long been estranged from her. Even if she takes charge of the household, she will definitely act impartially as before. I think it would be good for Tan'er to take charge. It would be a good opportunity to eliminate the bad practices in this mansion and prevent the masters from not being masters and the servants from not being servants."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Second sister-in-law is right to think that way. Just wait and see, after Third Sister's antics, Madam herself might not be able to stand it."

"That's exactly right." Sister Feng was secretly pleased with herself.

Previously, it was Sister Feng who managed the household affairs. When Madam Wang pointed out mistakes, Sister Feng was naturally cautious and dared not offend anyone, even though she knew about the shortcomings in the household. Now, the situation has changed. The old lady secretly gave the job of managing the household affairs to Sister Feng, and Sister Feng has relinquished her job. Now she can turn around and point out Madam Wang's mistakes.

Putting aside the ebb and flow, now that Lady Wang can still find Tan Chun to manage the household, who will she be able to find to manage the household if she dares not use Tan Chun in the future?

Feng Jie was increasingly impressed, feeling that Chen Siyuan had indeed come up with a brilliant idea. This strategic retreat had forced Madam Wang into a flustered state, far superior to her previous insistence on being assertive at every turn.

After chatting for a while, Sister Feng decided not to linger any longer and got up to take her leave. Chen Siyuan saw her off to the outside of the courtyard. As she turned around, Hongyu said to Chen Siyuan, "Master, it seems that Second Mistress is still estranged from Second Master Lian."

"How to say?"

Hongyu whispered, "Ping'er just let it slip that Second Mistress is still recovering from her illness, and Second Master Lian has moved to the front study."

Chen Siyuan responded with a sound of agreement, feeling quite puzzled. He thought to himself, "If we follow the original text, shouldn't Feng Jie and Jia Lian have reconciled as before? Why does it seem so different now?"
He was unaware that it was because Madam Xing had relayed his own speculation that he assumed the two were outwardly friendly but inwardly at odds at this point in the original text.

The first command is followed by the second command and the third command is followed by the third command. At first, Jia Lian listened to Feng Jie'er's every word. The second command together form the character "cold". Now that the couple lives in separate rooms, doesn't that just prove the character "cold"?

After sitting in his study for a while, Chen Siyuan realized that he hadn't visited Miaoyu for several days and figured that the dozen or so taels of silver were probably gone. He got up, made an excuse to go to the new house, and took a horse from the front to head north of Nengren Temple.

Leaving aside Chen Siyuan, let's talk about Fengjie returning to her room. Suddenly, she recalled what Madam Xing had said that day. Before the second day of the month, although Fengjie suspected that Jia Lian had long coveted Yuanyang, for the sake of the bigger picture, she might have gone along with it. But now, things were completely different!
Firstly, Jia Lian drew his sword and attacked on the day of the birth, and although she was furious the next day, how could Feng Jie not harbor resentment? Secondly, even if the old lady had a lot of personal money, it was still limited. Today, with the Ministry of War order and Chen Siyuan's encouragement, Feng Jie's ambitions were high. She thought that it was only a few tens of thousands of taels of silver, and if she managed the workshop diligently, she might be able to earn that much in a few years.

With these two factors in mind, why would Sister Feng go along with it?
However, she frowned and pondered for a long time, but couldn't come up with a solution. Just then, Ping'er brought over a teacup. Feng Jie glanced at her and realized that she had indeed wronged Ping'er that day, and couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

Seeing that he was about to leave, he said, "Please sit down. There is something I can't decide on."

Ping'er sat down at the other end of the kang table as instructed, and couldn't help but say, "Grandma, I can't make decisions about this business."

Sister Feng rolled her eyes at her and said, "Why would I need your help with business matters? There is such a thing—" Then she recounted what Madam Xing had said.

Ping'er was astonished and asked, "Does the master want to take a pair of mandarin ducks as concubines?"

"Shh!" Sister Feng gave him a reproachful look and said, "Keep your voice down, or others will hear."

Ping'er frowned and said, "Master is really daring. The old lady would never allow such a thing."

Sister Feng casually remarked, "The old lady is getting on in years; how many more years can she protect Yuanyang?" She paused, then deliberately probed, "I think it would be better if she were to benefit your second master... What do you say?"

Ping'er felt a jolt of fear. She thought to herself, "My own mistress has already made a huge scene over Bao Er's wife. If it were Yuanyang, she might go completely mad." So she said, "I haven't heard that Second Master has any dealings with Yuanyang. Besides, Yuanyang might have her own ulterior motives. It's not appropriate for you to make decisions for her."

“That makes sense,” Sister Feng said, frowning. “Yuanyang is eighteen now, isn’t she?”

"That's right. She's also getting old. Otherwise, the old lady would definitely have put Yuanyang in Bao Erye's room."

Sister Feng smiled, then suddenly her face stiffened. She thought to herself, "Brother Bao and Yuanyang's ages don't match, but is there anyone who could?"
The more Feng Jie thought about it, the more suitable it seemed. After pondering for a while, she said to Ping'er, "Now that I know, it's not right to pretend I don't know. Go and call Yuanyang over, and I'll give her an idea."

Ping'er had no suspicions, and after responding, she got up to look for Yuanyang.

Feng Jie's room was very far from Rongqing Hall. She left the courtyard, went west through the passageway, and circled around to the front, where she saw Yuanyang instructing several maids to do their work.

Ping'er called out from afar, and Yuanyang turned around and saw it was her. She gave a few instructions and then came over with a smile, saying, "Why are you here?"

Ping'er pulled him to a corner, her face stern, and said, "It's amazing you can still laugh. Do you know you're about to be in big trouble?"

"Huh?" Yuanyang was quite surprised.

Ping'er said, "Come with me to see our grandmother first, and you'll know when we get there."

Yuanyang felt uneasy. She knew Ping'er was always prudent and would never speak without reason. She quickly turned and gave a brief explanation, then realized that something must have happened to her brother and sister-in-law's family.

Turning back to Ping'er, he asked, "Has something happened to my brother?"

Ping'er shook her head without saying a word, then pulled Yuanyang and headed towards Feng Jie'er's courtyard. Once inside, Yuanyang hurriedly greeted Feng Jie'er, and only then did Feng Jie'er explain the reason.

"Master... wants to take me as a concubine?" Yuanyang was both amused and exasperated. She had thought of this countless times, but never had she considered it.

Ping'er was guarding the door, and Feng Jie said, "Don't take this lightly. Even if you are someone close to the old lady, you still have to respect the orders of your parents and the words of the matchmaker. What are you going to say when the master takes your parents' documents?"

Yuanyang was annoyed and said coldly, "Let whoever wants to be a concubine be one. I'll just serve the old lady. Once the old lady is gone, I'll simply cut off my hair and become a nun!"

Sister Feng laughed and said, "Who are you trying to hear with such angry words? You're as young as a tender shoot, why are you becoming a nun?"

Seeing that Yuanyang was gritting her teeth and unable to speak, Fengjie said, "You and Ping'er grew up together, and I consider you a sister. Now that you're in trouble, I can't just stand by and do nothing. I've been thinking about it for a while and I have an idea."

Yuanyang raised her eyes and said, "Thank you for your consideration, Second Madam, but..."

"Let's not talk nonsense. Just think about it: you're currently in charge of the old lady's private funds. If I may say something unpleasant, once the old lady passes away, I'm afraid you'll be the first person in both branches of the family who won't tolerate you!"

With Yuanyang around, the accounts of Grandmother Jia's private funds were kept, making it difficult to tamper with them. Moreover, although Grandmother Jia's private funds were accounted for separately, they were mixed with public funds and stored in the storeroom. Over the years, how could the accounts possibly reconcile completely?
Yuanyang gave a wry smile and said, "Fine, once the old lady is gone, I'll just go after her."

"Stop talking nonsense!" Sister Feng scolded, got up and pulled Yuanyang away. Seeing that her eyes were red, she said, "I just came up with this idea, and I don't know if it's appropriate. Why don't you listen to it?"

Yuanyang sniffled and nodded, saying, "Please teach me, Second Madam."

Sister Feng smiled and whispered, "What do you think of Brother Yuan?"

"Huh?" Yuanyang stared in disbelief, wondering how they had started talking about Chen Siyuan.

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"Achoo—" Chen Siyuan rubbed his nose and pulled his cloak tighter around himself, pretending it was just the cold north wind.

He came alone, turned his horse around, and entered the alley. Thinking of how Miaoyu clearly disliked him but had to suppress her feelings to answer him, he couldn't help but smile.

If you don't train the eagle to lose its wildness, how can it be expected to flatter you in the future?

Lost in thought, Chen Siyuan came to his senses and found himself already at the gate of the courtyard. He dismounted, and before he could knock, the gate creaked open by itself.

Inside, Granny Han poked her head out and glanced around. Her face immediately lit up with joy, and she said, "Master Yuan is here?"

Chen Siyuan nodded in agreement, casually tossed the reins to Granny Han, and said, "I went out to visit a friend today, and on my way back I happened to be passing by nearby, so I came to check on you... How has your young lady been these past few days?"

"Okay, okay, everything's fine, it's just that I miss Grandpa Yuan every now and then."

Chen Siyuan laughed, but he didn't believe it at all. He might be faking it, but he was probably really cursing.

Granny Han quickly tied the reins, turned around, and trotted after them. At that moment, the main room door opened, and the maid Qingfan came out to greet them.

Seeing that it was indeed Chen Siyuan who had arrived, a smile immediately bloomed on her face. She quickly lifted the curtain to invite him in. Chen Siyuan bowed his head and entered the room, where he saw Miaoyu biting her lower lip to greet him in the hall.

"You came?"

Chen Siyuan nodded, secretly wondering. Although Miaoyu wasn't very enthusiastic this time, she was much better than before. He wondered what had happened to her in the last two days.

Miaoyu instructed, "Han Mama, go boil water. I'll make tea in a little while."

Granny Han responded and turned to leave.

Miaoyu clasped her hands together, pondered for a moment, and then sat down next to Chen Siyuan.

She hadn't been having a good time these past few days. Last time, Chen Siyuan left her more than ten taels of silver. Since it was approaching late autumn, she needed to change her padded jacket, so the three of them each made a new set of clothes.

Miaoyu knew she didn't have much money, so she consulted with her maids and servants about cooking for herself. They bought rice, flour, and cooking oil, and naturally, it was Granny Han who did the cooking.

To everyone's surprise, while Qingfan and Granny Han were enjoying their meal, Miaoyu only took one bite before frowning, and after two bites, she turned around and vomited.

She had grown up in luxury since childhood, and had never eaten such ordinary food before. She could say she wasn't hungry the first day, but the next day she was so hungry that she felt dizzy. After some discussion with Granny Han, Qingfan had no choice but to go to the Huaiyang restaurant and buy two more dishes, and Miaoyu was finally able to have a proper meal.

The Huaiyang cuisine restaurant was expensive; just two dishes cost seven or eight hundred copper coins. With three meals a day, Miaoyu herself would have to spend two taels of silver a day! In the following days, the three of them tried to be as frugal as possible, but food accounted for the majority of their expenses. Even with their frugality, they were now almost out of money.

Seeing that they could not continue, Qingfan and Granny Han hoped that Chen Siyuan would come soon, and they also implied that Miaoyu had been too rude to them last time.

Although Miaoyu remained silent, she did not want to suffer the injustice of going hungry any longer, so although she was not very enthusiastic this time, she was still quite amiable.

Chen Siyuan sat down, glanced at Miaoyu, and said, "I'll pass on the tea; I'm hungry right now." He turned and called out, and Qingfan came over.

Chen Siyuan handed over another twenty taels of silver and instructed, "Go to a Huaiyang restaurant and buy a banquet. Remember to order a pot of chrysanthemum liquor."

Qingfan readily agreed, turned around, lifted the curtain, and went out. Granny Han, who was tending the stove in the east wing, saw Qingfan come out smiling and quickly wiped her hands to greet her, asking, "Are you ordering a feast again?"

Qingfan nodded in agreement, and Granny Han breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Amitabha, Master Yuan is a magnanimous man and has never held a grudge against our young lady. This time, when you go to order the banquet, remember to order a bowl of Wensi Tofu for the young lady."

Qingfan, unsuspecting, smiled and said, "Yes, Miss loves Wensi Tofu the most, then please order it."

Qingfan left happily, and Granny Han returned to the east wing kitchen. She boiled water and kept it warm over a low flame. She turned and went into the courtyard, glancing inside every now and then, and then looking out longingly.

After a while, Qingfan returned carrying a food box, and Granny Han stepped forward and snatched the food box away.

Qingfan quickly said, "Granny, please be careful. There's a deposit of one tael of silver left on this food box."

Han Mama ignored her, glanced at the main room, gave Qing Fan a look, and then went into the east wing with the food box.

Qingfan's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly followed her into the room. Inside, she saw Granny Han spread out a food box, find a bowl of Wensi Tofu, fumble in her sleeve for a paper packet, and pour all the white powder inside into it.

Qingfan's expression immediately changed, and she said, "Granny, what's wrong—"

"Silence!" Granny Han whispered. "If you want someone to rely on in the future, just pretend you didn't see anything!"

(End of this chapter)