Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 31 Hypocrisy
Seeing that Mrs. Xing's eyes were three parts false affection and seven parts gloating, Chen Siyuan couldn't help but secretly criticize her. No wonder Mrs. Xing was always outshined by Mrs. Wang. Her acting skills were so poor that even a fool could see it. How could she hide it from Lady Jia?

Chen Siyuan said in a deep voice, "Aunt, my second sister-in-law just came over and has taken care of everything. Let's go in and talk."

"Ah? Is everything ready?"

Mrs. Xing also knew that the courtyard was not a place to talk, so the two of them went inside and sat down as host and guest. Xiangling served them fragrant tea, and then the two of them began to talk.

Why is Madam Xing here? Just now, Chen Si left the outer study, and the master and Madam Xing had a quarrel. Madam Xing couldn't help but reflect that her nephew had become a rare commodity, and she had been indifferent to him for a while, so it was unpleasant that he suddenly became so enthusiastic.

Having returned to the rear quarters to discuss matters, he found some fruit he had saved some time ago and, with his maids and servants, headed for Chen Siyuan's residence. Once inside, he inquired with Xiangling and learned that Chen Siyuan had led his men to look for Zhao Yihua, the unlucky figure.

When these words reached Wang Shanbao's mouth, it became that Mrs. Xing heard that Chen Siyuan was quarreling with someone and rushed over to help out.

Mrs. Xing was both surprised and delighted. She was worried that if the incident got to the old lady, Chen Siyuan would no longer be able to stay in the mansion, which would ruin her and the master's relationship. But she was happy that she had caught Zhao Yihua in the act. This man was the lady's chambermaid, and if he was to leave in the future, it would definitely embarrass the lady!

I pretended to be sincere for a while, then went back to ask the master for advice. Unexpectedly, the matter was resolved completely.

After hearing what Chen Siyuan said, Mrs. Xing could not find any fault with Feng Jieer. She had beaten her and punished her, but it was a pity that she did not drive Zhao Yihua out of the house.

The servants and maids in Rongguo Mansion generally come from three sources: one is the sons born in the family, the second is the beautiful maids bought from outside, and the third is the companions who come with the mistress when she gets married.

For these married ladies, the more chores they have to take care of, the higher their status will be.

Over the years, Madam Wang, relying on her position as head of the household, has been placing her own maids everywhere. Madam Xing, not only married later, but also came from a poor family. Among the maids, only Wang Shanbao and his family were of any use. Every job was assigned to a specific position, and Madam Wang's people had already taken them. If she didn't send them out, how could Madam Xing place her own people?
Mrs. Xing spoke up and said, "Everyone says Sister Feng is cruel, but I think she's just that way. All talk and no action. A slave like that should be beaten with a stick and driven out of the house. There's no room for him in the house." After a pause, she whispered, "I'm afraid Lian'er's wife is more inclined towards her aunt."

Chen Siyuan was not sure what to say, so Madam Xing continued, "Brother Yuan, you haven't thought about it enough. Next time you encounter a slave who rebels against his master, just send someone to find me. I will take care of everything for you."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "I'm also afraid of troubling my aunt..."

Before he could finish his words, Madam Xing said angrily, "Brother Yuan, what are you talking about? You're my nephew, and you're right. How can I not make the decision for you?" After a pause, Madam Xing's eyes flickered, as if she herself was a little unconvinced. Her words weakened, "Even if I can't make the decision, don't we still have the eldest master?"

Chen Siyuan thought to himself, if he really believed what Madam Xing said, he would be deceived to death one day. Even so, he smiled and said, "Yes, nephew, I'll take note of it."

The two talked for a while, and then Mrs. Xing caught sight of Xiangling standing by the side. She immediately called her over, took her hand, and praised her, "This girl has such beautiful features that I am delighted just by looking at her." She looked at Xiangling and said, "Since you have followed Brother Yuan, you must be diligent and careful in the future. When Brother Yuan has a promising future, I will make the decision for him to marry you."

Xiangling responded in a low voice, her pretty face flushed.

Mrs. Xing gritted her teeth again, took off a bracelet from her wrist, and put it on Xiangling's hand. She then praised: "You should wear this bracelet. Wow, look at your arm. It makes you look even whiter with this bracelet on."

Xiangling quickly bowed and said, "Thank you, Madam, for the reward." Madam Xing glanced at Hongyu and Yunxiang with a generous look and said, "Madam, here are two strings of money for you. You should take good care of my brother from now on. I will definitely be grateful for your kindness!"

Hongyu and Yunxiang bowed their heads in thanks, and then Madam Xing stood up and said, "It's getting late. My dear, please rest first. I have to go see the old lady."

Chen Siyuan stood up to see her off: "I'm seeing my aunt off."

Mrs. Xing and her group left in a hurry. Chen Siyuan turned around and sent Hongyu and Yunxiang to rest. When he entered the room, he saw Xiangling had already set up the teacups. Seeing Chen Siyuan come in, Xiangling smiled and called out, "Master!"

Seeing that he didn't look worried, Chen Siyuan smiled and asked, "Aren't you afraid that I might get into trouble?"

Xiangling nodded first, then shook her head, looking up at Chen Siyuan and saying, "It's okay, so what? At most, the Rongguo Mansion can't accommodate me anymore, so I'll just leave with you."

What a good girl!

Chen Siyuan reached out and lifted Xiangling's chin, then, without waiting for a reaction, pressed his lips against hers. Xiangling was stunned and bewildered at first, then panicked and collapsed like mud. If Chen Siyuan hadn't reached out to support her, she would have collapsed to the ground.

Suddenly, Chen Siyuan let go of Xiangling and said with a bright smile, "I'm in a good mood today. Come, come, I'll teach you to read."

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

Sister Feng's children's courtyard.

Wang Xifeng was now reclining on the kang. Ping'er had returned and said, "Madam, I have chosen a four-panel rosewood screen for Master Chen. It is the one sent by Prince Beijing's palace last year. It has a painting of the Four Beauties on it. I think it will suit Master Chen's taste."

"Hmm." Wang Xifeng rested her hands on the table, obviously frowning and thinking.

Ping'er didn't dare to speak out loud, so she stood aside and waited.

After a moment, Wang Xifeng came to her senses and said, "Brother Yuan is a man who doesn't tolerate any injustice. My elder brother asked me to take care of the affairs of Ningguo Mansion. I thought about it and there are only five problems in total: the first is the mixed population and the loss of things; the second is that there is no one in charge and people shirk responsibilities at the last minute; the third is that expenses are excessive and people embezzle money; the fourth is that there is unequal distribution of happiness and hardship regardless of rank; and the fifth is that the family members are arrogant and unruly, those with dignity refuse to obey their orders, and those without dignity cannot make any progress."

After a pause, he continued, "It's easy for me to take charge of the situation myself, but someone needs to be in charge outside. I was thinking of asking Jia Qin to help, but now it seems that Brother Yuan is more suitable than Jia Qin."

　Please read, collect, and recommend on Monday~
　　

(End of this chapter)