Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 309 Tan Chun, the Butler
Rongguo Mansion.

Yuanyang blushed instantly as she wrung out her handkerchief. As the saying goes, "Which young girl doesn't yearn for love?" Yuanyang was already eighteen and knew about matters of the heart; naturally, she harbored some subtle thoughts. However, having always stayed by the old lady's side, busy with chores, she had concealed even those fleeting thoughts, thus preventing them from showing.

At this moment, when Sister Feng mentioned Chen Siyuan, Yuanyang naturally felt shy. As the saying goes, "Comparison is the thief of joy," and being skilled in household affairs, she knew the old lady's thoughts and naturally looked down on Baoyu. If Chen Siyuan hadn't come, Yuanyang would have had some thoughts about Jia Lian, who had the habits of a young master.

However, once Chen Siyuan arrived, Jia Lian was no match for him in terms of character and talent, and Yuanyang naturally developed some vague feelings for Chen Siyuan.

She was very shy and quickly said, "Why is Second Grandmother bringing up Uncle Yuan again?"

Seeing the blush rise on her face, Sister Feng thought to herself, "Indeed, 'the young lady loves beauty, and the madam loves money.' That Yuan brother is not only handsome, but he also has a bright future and the abilities of Tao Zhu. Not to mention Yuanyang, if Sister Feng had not been married, she would probably also be eager to find such a suitable husband."

Sister Feng smiled and said, "Did you listen to what I said earlier? Now there are only two options, the worst one is to marry Baoyu or the Second Master. If you choose one to marry, he will naturally protect you."

Yuanyang quickly shook her head and said, "Master Bao is still too young. I'm not really keen on it either. Second Madam, please stop trying to match us up."

Leaving aside Baoyu, Fengjie has been making a huge fuss these past two days because of Jia Lian's affair with Bao Er's wife. Yuanyang also knows that Fengjie is jealous; even Ping'er only meets with Master Lian a few times a year. If she were to marry into the family, she'd probably be worse off than Ping'er.

Sister Feng said, "If you won't agree to the worst option, then isn't the best option all that's left?"

Yuanyang blushed and stammered for a long time, but couldn't say a word.

Sister Feng smiled and coaxed, "In terms of looks, talent, and ability, Brother Yuan is the best in every way. If you marry him and become his concubine, you'll be living in a honey pot, and you'll have a life of luxury for the rest of your life."

Yuanyang bit her lower lip, pondering to herself. How could Second Madam be so easily dealt with? She was ostensibly here to offer guidance, but there was also a hidden intention to test her. If she didn't follow her advice, she would surely be on her guard in the future.

Upon careful consideration, the Second Madam's words were not wrong. If the Old Madam were to pass away, she would have no one to rely on and might not survive.

Seeing that she remained silent, Feng Jie was not in a hurry. She took a sip of her tea and said to the outside, "Ping'er, come in and try to persuade her."

Ping'er agreed, lifted the curtain and went inside. She went up to Yuanyang and said, "Our mistress means well. Don't you think about how many people you've offended by relying on the old lady's power? To put it bluntly, even if you become a concubine in the future, who knows how many people are waiting to take advantage of you and trample you into the mud?"

Yuanyang couldn't stay silent any longer, so she quickly said, "I, I didn't say I was unwilling... it's just that someone as virtuous and talented as Master Yuan is someone I can't possibly be worthy of."

Sister Feng immediately laughed and said, "Isn't this simple? The old lady has always doted on Lin Daiyu. You can talk to her privately later and tell her that you are willing to go to Lin Daiyu's place in the future. I don't think the old lady will refuse."

That's a good idea. Yuanyang has been very attentive to the old lady, serving her for several years. The old lady can't just stand by and watch her go home without a future.

Yuanyang couldn't help but blush and said, "I'm not comfortable asking myself."

Fengjie smiled and said to Ping'er, "She's learned to be shy now. Well, I'll go all the way and talk to the old lady later."

Yuanyang quickly curtsied, but couldn't bring herself to say thank you.

Just then, the little maid Feng'er outside said, "Sister Ping'er, Sister Amber is looking for Sister Yuanyang."

Yuanyang quickly wiped away her shyness, cupped her face in her hands, and said, "It must be the old lady looking for me. I'll go now."

Sister Feng smiled and agreed, and Ping'er then brought out the mandarin ducks.

Not to mention that Sister Feng felt very pleased and secretly smiled to herself in her room. Meanwhile, Yuanyang left Sister Feng's courtyard and hurried towards Rongqing Hall.

Fortunately, it was already late autumn, and the north wind was biting. The cold wind caused the blush on her face to fade. After passing through the hall and turning to the front of Rongqing Hall, Amber was supervising the little maids who were busy with their work. When she saw Yuanyang, she said, "The old lady said it's already late afternoon, why haven't the young ladies come to join in the fun?"

Yuanyang said, "Then I'll go look for it in the back."

Amber agreed, and Yuanyang turned around and came back. After a while, she entered the Grand View Garden, found an old woman and listened carefully. She learned that the young ladies were all in Xiaoxiang Pavilion at the moment, so Yuanyang moved towards Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

As soon as she entered the courtyard, Yuanyang heard continuous laughter and chatter from inside, and she asked in surprise, "Is there some good news?"

Zijuan, who came to greet them, smiled without saying a word and said, "You'll know once you go in and listen for yourself."

Yuanyang smiled and gave him a reproachful look before entering the room. She then heard Xiangyun tease her, "—Lin Daiyu will be a rich lady from now on. In my opinion, Lin Daiyu should host the next round."

Tan Chun immediately chimed in, "Exactly! We've finally caught a big spender. Next time, we'll not only have a banquet, but also a theatrical troupe."

Daiyu covered her mouth and laughed, "It's only the tip of the iceberg, yet you all took it seriously."

Sister Bao also smiled and said, "Once is enough, and that workshop is now a unique business. As the saying goes, if you are ahead of the curve, you will always be ahead. Now it only makes a few thousand taels of silver a year, but who knows how many tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands it will be in the future."

Daiyu laughed nonstop and said generously, "Alright, alright, just tell me how you're going to host next time, and I'll treat you even if it means going bankrupt."

Yuanyang stepped forward and asked, "Miss Lin, are you going to host the dinner?"

Xiao Xichun said with a smile, "Sister Yuanyang doesn't know, Sister Lin has grown up now, and one day she will be one of the three richest women in the Grand View Garden!"

Yuanyang asked with a smile, "What does that mean?"

Then Ruhua began to recount the story. Upon hearing that the workshop had received an order from the Ministry of War, Yuanyang clasped her hands together and stepped forward to offer her congratulations: "Congratulations to Miss Lin."

Daiyu blinked and said reproachfully, "Are you asking for a reward?"

Yuanyang said, "Let it go this time. When Miss Lin really earns tens of thousands of taels of silver in the future, I will come back to ask for a generous red envelope."

Everyone laughed nonstop. After a while, Yuanyang said, "So this is such a wonderful thing. Just now, the old lady was wondering why the girls didn't go."

Yingchun suddenly realized, "Oh right, I was so busy teasing Lin Daiyu that I forgot to go to the old lady's place."

Without hesitation, the girls got up and headed towards Rongqing Hall.

As the group of beautiful women arrived at the gate of the Grand View Garden, Yu Chuan'er came to greet them. After exchanging greetings with everyone, she said, "Madam, Third Miss, please wait. Madam has something important to discuss with you two."

Everyone was puzzled, but Baochai had gotten a whistle from it and secretly thought it must be about the steward's affairs.

So Li Wan and Tan Chun bid farewell to everyone and followed Yu Chuan'er to Lady Wang's courtyard.

Right now, in Madam Wang's main room, Xia Jingui is talking to Madam Wang.

Madam Wang suddenly realized and laughed, "It's a good thing you reminded me, otherwise I would definitely have been targeted."

Xia Jingui said, "I was just being foolish. Even if I don't say it now, Madam will realize it in the future."

Madam Wang shook her head and said, "I've been so busy these past few days that I'm completely overwhelmed. I'm afraid I won't be able to figure things out for another three to five days."

Xia Jingui then feigned a calm smile.

Lady Wang originally intended to use Baochai and Xia Jingui to control Tanchun, but Xia Jingui immediately pointed out the problem upon arriving at the mansion, because neither Baochai nor she were considered members of the Jia family.

Lady Wang suddenly realized what was going on, and then changed her strategy to use Li Wan and Xia Jingui to control Tan Chun.

Tan Xin, from outside, said, "Madam, the eldest mistress and the third young lady have arrived."

Upon hearing this, Xia Jingui quickly stood up and said, "Madam, I'd like to go inside and find some peace."

Madam Wang nodded, and Xia Jingui moved gracefully into the inner room.

A moment later, Yu Chuan led Li Wan and Tan Chun inside. After exchanging greetings, Madam Wang inquired about the situation over the past few days and then said, "I called you here today because I am overwhelmed with other matters. As you know, I now have to manage the household and oversee all the affairs, big and small. I am getting old and really can't manage everything. I called you here today because I wanted to entrust the household management to Tan Chun. Zhu Ge's wife is older and can also help out when she has time."

Before Tan Chun could say anything, Li Wan quickly declined, saying, "Madam, I'm afraid this is inappropriate. How can I, a widow, show my face in public?"

Lady Wang said, "You don't need to worry about the front; just take good care of the Grand View Garden."

Li Wan glanced at Tan Chun and then fell silent.

Tan Chun was well aware that Lady Wang and Sister Feng were locked in a fierce battle, but she was determined to mend the Jia family and didn't want them to perish. Although she knew that Lady Wang intended to use her, she still wanted to show her skills and properly manage the Grand View Garden.

So she rose and curtsied, saying, "Since Mother trusts me, I have no reason to refuse."

Madam Wang immediately smiled and said, "Very well, I knew I hadn't misjudged you. You all go back first, and I'll have Yuchuan deliver the keys to all the places later."

Li Wan and Tan Chun agreed, and Madam Wang added, "Zhu Ge's wife still has to teach Lan'er, so I'm afraid she won't have much free time. It's just right that Jin Gui is here. She's always been very considerate. Starting tomorrow, I'll have Jin Gui come and help out as well."

Tan Chun knew perfectly well that this was a military supervisor sent by Lady Wang. However, she had already agreed, so she couldn't go back on her word now and had no choice but to grit her teeth and agree.

After the two men took their leave, Xia Jingui came out from inside.

Madam Wang then took Xia Jingui's hand and said, "Good child, you're the best. Tan'er is too sharp-tongued and inevitably doesn't think things through. You'll have to work hard for a while and look after her for me. If anything unexpected happens, come and tell me. Don't wait until the old lady asks and I have nothing to say. If anyone is being disrespectful, just tell me. If they don't listen, come and tell me. Let's make sure nothing serious happens."

Xia Jingui smiled and agreed, saying, "Since Madam trusts me, I will have to come and bother you every day."

Inside the main room, the soon-to-be mother-in-law and daughter-in-law got along well, while in the outer room, a pair of sisters-in-law hesitated several times before speaking.

Li Wan tried to speak several times, but didn't know how to begin. When she looked at Tan Chun again, their eyes met.

Before Li Wan could speak, Tan Chun said, "Is Sister-in-law trying to persuade me?"

Li Wan had been teaching the three sisters for several years, and she couldn't bear it, so she whispered, "Third sister... you shouldn't have agreed."

Tan Chun laughed and said, "How could I not know that this matter is a trap? But if you don't care and I don't care, are we just going to watch this family business fall into ruin? Putting aside everything else, the old women in this garden are useless. They spend their free time drinking and playing cards, sleeping during the day and playing cards at night. It's really not a good thing. Someone has to keep an eye on them."

Li Wan sighed and remained silent, thinking to herself that Tan Chun would surely be discarded by Lady Wang one day after she had served her purpose.

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

Moonlight streamed through the window lattice, casting flickering shadows inside.

The white porcelain cup held in her delicate hands was already empty three times. A blush rose on her fair cheeks, and her usually cool eyes gradually became hazy.

Qingfan, who was standing to the side, bit her lower lip and stepped forward, picking up the wine pot and saying, "Miss, would you like to have another cup? Master Yuan hasn't had his fill yet."

Miaoyu shook her head, staring at Chen Siyuan opposite her. For some reason, she usually felt disgusted by him, but now, under the lamplight, he seemed exceptionally handsome. If she could have such a good man by her side for life, it would be wonderful.

Thinking this, I was suddenly startled and wondered what was wrong with me.
Qingfan was pouring wine, and Miaoyu, thinking she was just having too much to drink, raised her hand to stop him. But as she swayed, she accidentally pushed the white porcelain cup against it. With a clang, the white porcelain bottle fell to the ground, spilling clear wine all over her clothes.

"You've soiled my clothes," Miaoyu murmured, her brows furrowed. Her voice, usually cold, had lost its usual coolness and instead possessed a gentle grace.

Qingfan knew that his young lady had been tricked, so he quickly said, "I'll take care of it. The young lady is probably drunk..." He looked up at Chen Siyuan and said, "I'll trouble you, Master Yuan, to take our young lady back to her room."

Chen Siyuan had already eaten and drunk his fill, and didn't think much of it, assuming that Miaoyu was just too drunk and that the maid Qingfan was deliberately creating an opportunity for the two of them.

He responded and got up to help Miaoyu up.

Unexpectedly, Miaoyu subconsciously took a step back, then turned and staggered into the interior.

Inside, lamps were lit, and incense burners were used for warmth. Qingfan even threw in all the remaining styrax incense, and at this moment, the smoke curled up and the fragrance was pleasant.

She watched the smoke rise in wisps, then suddenly reached out to catch it. Her slender fingers clenched in mid-air for a long while before finally falling and gently resting on the back of the hand of the person beside her.

The back of his hand was slightly cool to the touch, and Miaoyu shivered instantly. She turned her head, biting her lower lip, and looked at Chen Siyuan, her breathing becoming increasingly heavy.

Chen Siyuan pulled his arm and made him sit on the bed, and couldn't help but laugh, "If you can't drink, then drink less. Are you drunk now?"

Miaoyu just shook her head blankly, staring at Chen Siyuan and said, "You are really handsome, even more handsome than that Liu Erlang... Heh, are all handsome men villains?"

Chen Siyuan frowned immediately. Even a fool could see that something was wrong with Miaoyu after hearing those words. Just then, Chen Siyuan heard the sound of the door being locked. His mind raced, and he instantly realized that Miaoyu had been tricked by the maids and old women.

Previously, Miaoyu had family property to rely on and the Rongguo Mansion to protect her, so she was free from worries about food and clothing. Now that her family property is gone and the Rongguo Mansion is no longer there to protect her, Miaoyu still refuses to bow her head because of her stubbornness. But how can the maids and old women care about these things?

Seeing Miaoyu blushing and already starting to tug at her clothes, Chen Siyuan was immediately filled with lust. Now that things had come to this, he couldn't very well disappoint Granny Han and Qingfan's good intentions. As for what Miaoyu thought, he had never considered winning her heart.

Besides, as for women, didn't Madam Xing hate him to the bone at first? But now she's completely obedient to him. Chen Siyuan made up his mind, pulled Miaoyu into his arms, and rolled onto the bed.

In an instant, they were inseparable, like fish in water. Miaoyu fell for their charms, and the romance in her bedside was boundless. She naturally flattered them in every way.

Poems as proof:

In the quiet, cool room, the mat and pillow are damp with the fragrance of orchids; how long must the thoughts of the beautiful woman and the talented man remain?

Just now, I poured red candle water on my pillow, and suddenly I stole fire through the wall.

Butterflies flutter to explore the fragrance of the flowers, while dragonflies flit about in the water.

Our love is so deep and our joy is still lingering; cherish your beloved and never forget him.

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

Suddenly it was the second watch of the night.

Chen Siyuan rustled as he dressed himself neatly. He turned to look at the bed and saw Miaoyu wrapped up in a brocade quilt, motionless. He went over and nudged her a couple of times, but Miaoyu's eyes were tightly closed and her eyeballs were moving around. He knew that she was pretending to be asleep out of embarrassment.

Chen Siyuan chuckled twice and stepped out of the room.

Qingfan and Granny Han, who were in the other room, had been keeping a close eye on the main room. When they heard the door open, they quickly came out to greet them.

Qingfan bit her lip and frowned, feeling uneasy; Granny Han, however, had no such reservations and stepped forward with a smile, saying, "Master Yuan, are you... going back?"

Chen Siyuan responded, then stopped and rummaged in his sleeve. After a moment, he found two hundred taels of silver notes and handed them to Granny Han, instructing, "She's tired too. Buy her some good food to help her recover tomorrow."

Granny Han readily agreed, then quietly waved to Qing Fan before escorting Chen Siyuan out of the courtyard.

Having received his instructions, Qingfan silently entered the main room and saw Miaoyu wrapped in a quilt and sobbing on the bed.

Qingfan sighed and leaned forward to whisper, "Miss...try to think more positively."

Miaoyu didn't answer, and cried even louder. Just then, Granny Han rushed in excitedly. Seeing this, she stepped forward and advised, "Why is the young lady like this? That Master Yuan is a responsible man. Although he didn't say it outright, he still left two hundred taels of silver. In my opinion, he will definitely not abandon the young lady in the future."

Miaoyu was so ashamed she wanted to die. She struggled to get up, glanced coldly at Granny Han, and with her hair disheveled, grabbed a pair of scissors used for trimming lamp wicks from the table and was about to stab herself in the neck.

This frightened Qingfan and Granny Han, who rushed forward and snatched the scissors.

Granny Han frowned and said, "Now that things have come to this, it's only a matter of time before the young lady has to go through this. It'll be either Master Yuan or some other master. Without the protection of the Rongguo Mansion, how can the young lady return to Suzhou unscathed? Even if she does return to Suzhou, with her looks, how can she escape the clutches of those纨绔子弟 (playboys)?"

"The girl hates me now, but who knows, in a few years she might thank me!"

Miaoyu could no longer hold back and shouted, "Get out! All of you, get out!"

Granny Han gave Qingfan a wink, then looked around and put away all the sharp objects before sighing and leaving the room.

Qingfan didn't know how to persuade her, so he stayed by Miaoyu's side without leaving her side. Strangely enough, after crying and making a scene for a long time, smashing everything in the room, Miaoyu suddenly calmed down. She sat slumped on the bed, her face turning pale and then red, biting her lip and remaining silent, her thoughts unknown.

As night deepened, Miaoyu rolled up her quilt and went to sleep again, while Qingfan stayed by her side without leaving for a moment, fighting off sleep to watch over her all night.

The next day, although Miaoyu didn't say much, she ate and drank the food prepared by Granny Han early in the morning. Then, as if her soul had been taken away, she returned to her room listlessly.

Qingfan and Granny Han discussed the matter for a while, concluding that Miaoyu was simply feeling awkward due to her inexperience. Little did they know that Miaoyu's mind was in turmoil. One moment she was mortified, hating the maids and servants for forcing her into this state of semi-sexual activity for the sake of their livelihood; the next moment she recalled the events of the previous night, the rowing and the bobbing, her shame gradually fading, replaced by an irresistible surge of passion…

Around noon, there was a commotion outside, and then Qingfan entered with a smile, saying, "Miss, Master Yuan really cares about you. He's already hired a cook. Granny Han asked around, and the cook will be paid five taels of silver a month!"

Miaoyu glanced up, then lowered her head again, remaining silent. Qingfan had long known Miaoyu's stubborn nature, and seeing that she was no longer threatening suicide, he didn't interfere further. The new cook prepared several Huaiyang dishes, and Miaoyu ate some of them as well.

Seeing this, Granny Han felt relieved and said to Qingfan with a smile, "Miss is just feeling awkward right now, but she will get better with time."

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

That day, Chen Siyuan didn't get up until the sun was high in the sky. As Qingwen helped him get up, she couldn't help but say, "Sir, you shouldn't act on a whim. Who would run over here in the middle of the night? Although the world is peaceful now, there are always villains who target lone people at night. Haven't you heard that a wise man doesn't stand under a dangerous wall?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Qingwen has started to spout erudite quotations now?"

Qingwen proudly raised her chin and said with a smile, "Even if you're not very ambitious, you'll still know a few allusions from being around Wu'er all day long."

Chen Siyuan laughed and praised, "Not bad, Qingwen will be a well-educated and reasonable person in the future."

Qingwen immediately retorted, "What you're saying makes it sound like I was one of those unreasonable people before?"

Chen Siyuan smiled without saying a word. After washing up, he had breakfast with Sister You Er and Sister You San. He was about to return to Rongguo Mansion when a servant came to report: "Miss Qingwen, the maidservant from the Third Miss of Rongguo Mansion is looking for you."

Not to mention Chen Siyuan, even Qingwen was astonished. She immediately uttered a sound of annoyance and went to the front to answer.

After breakfast, Qingwen returned and smiled as she approached, saying, "I was wondering why Shishu, whom I don't know very well, came looking for me at this time."

Sister You asked, "What is the reason for that?"

Qingwen smiled and said, "So you've come to find out how Third Aunt manages her household."

Chen Siyuan held up his teacup and looked at You Sanjie, saying, "Third Sister's virtuous reputation has spread far and wide; even the Third Sister of Rongguo Mansion wants to send someone to learn from her."

Sister You burst into laughter, and after a while she said, "How could I know how to manage a household? I also have to take care of Baicaotang, and I'm not entirely comfortable leaving it all to Second Sister. Luckily, the new old woman who came at the beginning of the year gave me a suggestion, so I leased out all the parts of the small garden. Who knew that when I calculated it now, not only did I not lose money, but I even had a surplus of several dozen taels."

Chen Siyuan was astonished and hurriedly asked, "Which old woman came up with this idea?"

Sister You couldn't quite put her finger on it, but Qingwen said from the side, "Master, it's Granny He... I've met her once before, she's also at the Lai family's place now."

Chen Siyuan suddenly realized that Sister You had learned the Lai family's methods.

At this moment, Sister You said, "I didn't expect this matter to get out. Chunxi often visits the Rongguo Mansion, it must be that little hussy who's being nosy!"

Just then, Chunxi brought in tea and snacks. Upon hearing this, she scolded, "What are you saying, Aunt? If it were a shameful matter, it would naturally be difficult to spread. But you manage the household so well, and I'm not even allowed to talk about such a great thing with others?"

After a few playful exchanges between the mistress and servant, Sister You asked, "Why is the Third Miss of Rongguo Mansion inquiring about this matter all of a sudden?"

Before Chen Siyuan could speak, Qingwen said, "Shishu said that Madam has asked the Third Miss to manage the household."

Third Sister You nodded, and Second Sister You smiled and said, "Speaking of the Rongguo Mansion, there is a precedent of a young lady managing the household... Oh? It just so happens to be Third Sister."

Chen Siyuan knew that You Erjie was referring to Daiyu's mother, Jia Min, who was ranked after Jia She and Jia Zheng, and was none other than the Third Miss.
After speaking for a while, Chen Siyuan excused himself and said he was going back to his thatched cottage to study, and got up to leave. Seeing that the situation outside had changed, You Sanjie quickly ordered a carriage to take Chen Siyuan back to the Rongguo Mansion.

Chen Siyuan entered the Grand View Garden, but was in no hurry to return to his thatched cottage. He sent an old woman to find the servant Qingyu and gave him two instructions: first, to find a cook who could cook Huaiyang cuisine; and second, to inquire if there were any nunneries for sale in the vicinity of the inner city.

Qingyu had been following Chen Siyuan for a long time and knew that his master was the type who wouldn't act until he saw a clear benefit. The fact that he was hiring a cook and buying a nunnery meant that he must have already taken Master Miaoyu into his lap.

He secretly grumbled to himself, but verbally agreed repeatedly, and went to take care of it without saying more.

After giving the instructions, Chen Siyuan walked back to his own courtyard with his hands behind his back.

To everyone's surprise, just as they reached the vicinity of Qinfang Bridge, they bumped into Tongxi, who was returning from Daqingtang Thatched Cottage.

When Tongxi saw him, he was overjoyed and stepped forward to greet him, saying, "Master Yuan, you've finally returned."

Chen Siyuan asked, "Is the concubine back?"

Tong Xi nodded and said, "I came back early this morning because I had something to ask Master Yuan. I had been sent away several times before, but it just so happens that Master Yuan is back this time."

Chen Siyuan thought to himself, Aunt Xue is gradually becoming estranged from Madam Wang. She never returns to Rongguo Mansion unless there is something going on. Could it be that the Shan family girl has been contacted?

Not daring to delay, they followed Tongxi to the small courtyard in the northeast.

When they reached the small corner door, Chen Siyuan realized that Baoqin was now living here.

So he asked, "Miss Qin seems to live here too?"

As Tongxi opened the door, he said, "Miss Qin will stay in the front, while the back rooms will remain for our mistress."

Chen Siyuan agreed and then followed Tongxi into the back room.

Tong Gui announced this, and Chen Siyuan turned around the screen to see Aunt Xue sitting diagonally in a chair, her brows furrowed with worry.

Upon seeing Chen Siyuan arrive, Aunt Xue breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help but complain, "Why did you take so long to come back, sir? I had something to discuss with you about."

Chen Siyuan said, "I was resting at the new house yesterday and just returned. Madam, what happened?"

Aunt Xue dismissed the maid and then spoke to Chen Siyuan: "I asked around and inquired for several days before finally finding an old acquaintance to speak with the Shan family. But the Shan family's daughter never mentioned Mei Chong... Are you sure Mei Chong has an affair with her?"

Chen Siyuan blinked, inwardly wanting to curse. Yes, Mei Chong has always been…incredibly arrogant? The Cao family girl was the same last time, declaring she wouldn't marry anyone else after just one glance. And what was the result? That Cao family girl is now married to Xue the Fool.

Given this precedent, Mei Chong's words should be taken with a grain of salt. Mei Chong claims the two had an affair; could it be that they've met a few times and exchanged a few words?

Chen Siyuan then said, "He spoke with such conviction, but who knows what the truth is?"

Aunt Xue immediately said with concern, "This won't do! If Ruoqin really marries him, and Xue Ke gains Mei Hanlin's influence, the imperial merchant job might fall into his hands."

Chen Siyuan couldn't help but advise, "Now that things have come to this, why are you still clinging to that imperial merchant job? Don't forget that the timber job is still unresolved."

The task of purchasing large timbers for the repair of the main hall in the imperial city fell to the Xue family, who were estimated to lose at least twenty or thirty thousand taels of silver.

Unfortunately, Aunt Xue was stubborn and insisted that the imperial merchant position was a legacy of the Xue family, and she was determined not to give it to Xue Ke from the second branch of the family.

Seeing that he couldn't persuade him, Chen Siyuan scratched his head, at a loss for what to do.

The two remained silent for a long while before Aunt Xue spoke again: "Oh, right, does my brother-in-law have a man named Shan Pinren by his side?"

Chen Siyuan looked up at Aunt Xue, who said, "I overheard something, and it seems that the Shan family's daughter is related to Shan Pinren."

Chen Siyuan's eyes lit up, and he immediately smiled, saying, "That makes things easier. Shan Pinren loves money the most. If we find him and give him some money, we might be able to arrange the marriage."

"As expected?" Aunt Xue was immediately overjoyed and muttered to herself, "Thank goodness, we don't have to take that step."

Chen Siyuan sensed the hidden meaning in his words and asked, "Which step?"

Aunt Xue looked embarrassed and covered it up with a few vague words, then kept urging Chen Siyuan to go find Shan Pinren.

Chen Siyuan was puzzled, but didn't take it seriously. He got up and left the small courtyard in the northeast, heading to the front to find Shan Pinren.

Now that Jia Zheng has been sent away to teach, guests like Shan Pinren have lost their patrons and rarely come to the Rongguo Mansion. To find him, one might have to ask the steward at the front for information.

Stepping out of the Grand View Garden, I unexpectedly bumped into Yuanyang.

Chen Siyuan called out, "Where are you going, Sister Yuanyang?"

"Ah?" Yuanyang was startled when she saw Chen Siyuan. Her face turned red instantly, and she stammered for a moment before greeting him: "Greetings, Master Yuan... I... The old lady sent me to fetch some rose dew."

"In that case, sister, go quickly."

Yuanyang gave a mumbled reply and walked past Chen Siyuan with her head down. Chen Siyuan was even more confused. He turned his head to look at Yuanyang's figure and saw that she had walked about ten steps away when she suddenly turned her head to look back. She let out a soft moan and covered her face with her handkerchief, looking extremely shy.

Chen Siyuan was both amused and exasperated, wondering to himself that he had never flirted with Yuanyang before, so what was the meaning of her reaction?

(End of this chapter)