Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 310 Yarta

Chen Siyuan was completely baffled and couldn't figure out what Yuanyang was thinking. He suppressed his thoughts for the time being and went straight to the front. He found a steward and inquired. It turned out that Shan Pinren lived outside the city and was indeed related to the Shan family.

It wasn't appropriate to personally visit him for such a matter; after all, forcing someone to do something isn't a good deal. After some thought, Chen Siyuan simply contacted his doorman, Yu Liu, and sent someone to deliver a message to Shan Pinren's home, inviting him to come over for a chat the next day.

Turning back to the Grand View Garden, Chen Siyuan had just passed the Qinfang Pavilion when he heard someone calling him from the west. Chen Siyuan stopped, turned around, and saw Xiao Xichun running towards him.

Chen Siyuan said with a smile, "Why does Fourth Sister have time to come looking for me instead of helping Third Sister?"

Xiao Xichun said reproachfully, "No matter how many nice things I said, Third Sister just wouldn't listen. She insists on dealing with this family properly. It's her business if she wants to, and I shouldn't interfere." She paused, then smiled and said, "I was just about to go to Qingtang Thatched Cottage to find Brother Yuan. Come with me quickly."

After saying that, he grabbed Chen Siyuan's sleeve and started walking back.

Chen Siyuan was dragged a few steps, and said with a smile, "Fourth Sister, you must give me a reason, right?"

The maidservant Ruhua said, "Master Yuan, you don't know, ever since our young lady got the job of painting, she has been restless every day, wanting to paint the Grand View Garden. It's alright that the scenery is easy to do, as there are already some base pictures that can be copied, but she doesn't know how to start with the figures. So, our young lady asked Master Yuan to make a model so that she can paint the figures properly."

Has he become a model?
Little Xichun suddenly stopped, looked up at him, and asked, "Am I delaying Brother Yuan's studies?"

Chen Siyuan shook his head and said, "It won't delay anything. I'm just bored with studying anyway, so I'll set an example for my fourth sister."

Xichun giggled and said, "I'll just draw a little bit today, it won't take long."

As they spoke, the two crossed the Emerald Smoke Bridge. Chen Siyuan could vaguely hear a lively chatter inside, guessing that Tan Chun was discussing household management matters with everyone. He had a vague feeling that he had forgotten something, but he couldn't remember it for the moment, so he had no choice but to follow Xi Chun to the Warm Fragrance Pavilion.

Without mentioning how Xichun and Chen Siyuan painted, let's talk about how, as soon as the two of them left, a servant led Ping'er into Xiaocui Hall.

Ping'er peered around the screen and saw all the maids and servants waiting for orders under the window. Tan Chun, Li Wan, and Xia Jingui were sitting together inside.

When she saw her arrive, Tan Chun told her to sit on the footstool, and said, "I invited you here because I was thinking that in addition to our two taels of silver a month, the maids also have their own monthly allowance."

Yesterday someone came back asking for our monthly supply of hair oil powder, another two ounces each. This is just like the eight ounces we just learned about – a double burden. It's a small matter, but with limited funds, it doesn't seem appropriate. Why didn't your grandmother think of this?

Ping'er's heart skipped a beat. Everyone knew that the Third Miss Tan Chun was a quick-witted person, but she never expected that her first move after taking office would be to target the comprador's office.

Because of the power struggle between the wife and the second wife, both of them tried to win over the comprador's house. As a result, the people in the comprador's house became more and more unruly. I'm afraid these people never expected that a Cheng Yaojin would suddenly appear out of nowhere.
Ping'er quickly replied with a smile.

After Ping'er finished speaking, Li Wan laughed and said, "You noticed it too. There is no such thing as 'free from emptiness,' nor would we dare to. It's just that if things get urgent, we might get some from somewhere, but it's just a name. In reality, it's useless, and we still have to buy it on the spot."

"Using these two taels of silver, we had to ask someone else's wet nurse or a brother's son to buy them, and that would be enough. Even if we used officials, it would be the same. I don't know what method they used, but they collected all the broken and unwanted items from the shops, specifically preparing them for us."

Tan Chun nodded and said, “That’s why I feel uneasy. We’ve spent money twice, and half of our things have been lost for nothing. All things considered, we’ve ended up wasting money twice over. It would be better to just cancel the monthly payment for the purchasing agent. That’s one thing. The second thing is, when we go to Brother Chen’s new house at the end of the year, you should go too. What do you think of his little garden? How does it compare to ours?”

Ping'er said, "I'm afraid it's not even half as good as our family."

Li Wan said, "It would be good if it were 20% as big as possible."

Tan Chun smiled and said, "I paid attention last time and vaguely heard that the third sister of the You family is very capable. She has leased out all parts of the garden and not only did she not break the rules in a year, but she also made a surplus of several tens of taels of silver. According to my sister-in-law, our garden is five times bigger. If we lease it out, wouldn't we be able to make four or five hundred taels of silver a year?"

Li Wan and Ping'er were full of praise. Tan Chun, seeing that Xia Jingui hadn't said anything, turned her head and asked with a smile, "What does Sister Xia have to say?"

Xia Jingui smiled and said, "It sounds good to me, but ultimately it's up to Madam to make the decision."

Tan Chun made the decision in one sentence, saying, "Then let's leave it at that for now, and I'll tell Mother about it later."

The group dispersed. Ping'er and Xia Jingui returned to their rooms, while Li Wan lagged behind, glancing at Tan Chun with a hesitant expression, but ultimately said nothing.

Tan Chun smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, please don't try to persuade me anymore. Now that I've taken charge of the household, I have to do something."

Li Wan shook her head regretfully and said, "It's a pity you weren't born into Madam's womb."

After saying this, he hurriedly covered his mouth, nodded slightly to Tan Chun, and left quickly.

Shi Shu was very worried. She frowned and went forward to call out to Tan Chun, who was somewhat lost in thought. Tan Chun came back to her senses, shook her head, and said, "Brother Yuan's parents passed away early, but didn't he still make a name for himself on his own? Even if I hadn't been born into the Madam's womb, I would still be the third young lady of the Rongguo Mansion. I want to see who dares to look down on me!"

Leaving aside Tan Chun's determination to manage the family business, Ping'er watched Xia Jingui go to Madam Wang's room, then turned and went through the passageway into Feng Jie's courtyard.

Once inside, he repeated what Tan Chun had just said.

Sister Feng laughed and praised repeatedly, "Good, good, good Third Miss! I said she was good. It's just a pity that she was born with a short life and wasn't born into the Madam's womb."

Ping'er pondered for a moment and said, "Grandma, if Third Miss uses the purchasing agent's house as a starting point, she might incur public wrath. Besides, Grandma has been secretly trying to win her over... if..."

Sister Feng glanced at them with her phoenix eyes and said with a smile, "What do you know? Those guys that my wife and I can win over are probably all hiding something wicked in their hearts."

Today I've won him over, but who knows if tomorrow his wife won him over? Now everyone's watching what's in front of them, loyalty and conscience are meaningless, it's all about 'profit first'.

The two middlemen are now wavering and indecisive; it's time for our third sister to teach them a lesson. Only after Sun Wukong wreaked havoc in Heaven can we clearly distinguish who is useful and who is not.

“So that’s what Grandma was planning,” Ping’er said with a smile. “Yes, that Miss Xia didn’t say a word today. As soon as everyone left, I saw her go straight to Madam’s room.”

Sister Feng sneered, "She's just a military supervisor. What can she do? She's only relying on Madam's power."

As soon as she finished speaking, a little maid named Feng'er came from outside and said, "Grandma, I just saw Wang Shanbao's wife go to Rongqing Hall. Now she's gone there cursing and swearing again. She followed Sister Yuanyang into the garden."

Feng Jie and Ping'er, mistress and servant, exchanged a glance, and Ping'er said, "Could it be that the master really intends to force Yuanyang to marry him?"

Sister Feng couldn't help but say disdainfully, "Master is getting old now, and he has a whole bunch of brothers, nephews, sons, and grandsons. How can he face people when he's still making such a fuss?"

Ping'er then said, "I think they're probably eyeing the old lady's private savings."

Sister Feng spat, "You've got him blinded!"

Ping'er thought for a moment and said, "No matter what, Yuanyang is not feeling well right now. I'll go to the garden to check on her."

Sister Feng agreed, and Ping'er then headed to the Grand View Garden.

Now, Yuanyang, though she had already received a message from Fengjie, was still feeling very frustrated, so she went to stroll around the Grand View Garden.

Just then, she bumped into Ping'er, who teased, "The new concubine has arrived!"

Yuanyang was both ashamed and angry upon hearing this, and pointed at Ping'er, saying, "Be careful or I'll tear your mouth off!"

Ping'er giggled and quickly pulled Yuanyang to the maple tree, where they sat on a rock. She whispered to her, "Our grandmother has received the news, but she can't bring herself to tell you right now. She'll have to wait until later to talk to the old lady. You'll just have to wait to become a concubine."

Yuanyang blushed without realizing it, mumbled a few words, and then began to recount what had just happened. She said, "She came to my room and talked non-stop, as if taking me in as a concubine was a huge favor to me!"
I'm making this clear: even if the master wanted me to be his concubine, and even if the first wife died right now and he went through all the proper courtesies to marry me as his first wife, I still wouldn't go.

Ping'er covered her mouth and laughed, "They didn't start arguing?"

Yuanyang spat with a straight face, "I made that old bastard stick his cunt out and roll back to the east wing!" After saying that, she laughed at herself.

Ping'er was about to reply with a smile when she heard a loud laugh from behind the rocks: "What a shameless girl! You're not afraid of gritty teeth."

The two were startled and turned around to see Xiren smiling as she walked out from behind the rocks. She sat down on a rock and asked, "What is it? Tell me about it."

Since the marriage between the two was already arranged, Ping'er told Xiren about it as a joke. Xiren clicked her tongue and said, "It's true, we shouldn't be saying this. This master is too lecherous. He won't let go of anyone who is even slightly decent-looking."

But then someone behind the rocks said, "Don't talk badly about your master behind his back, or someone will overhear you!"

Ping'er, Yuanyang, and Xiren were all startled, and when they turned around, they saw that it was Hongyu who had returned.

Xiren immediately clutched her chest and said, "You're really scaring people, you'll scare them to death! You came without saying a word."

Hongyu laughed, "I've only just arrived and I've already spoken, but you didn't hear a sound." She paused, then, as if in a mischievous gesture, curtsied to Yuanyang, "Congratulations to the new concubine!"

Yuanyang was both amused and exasperated. Pointing at the three of them, she said, "None of you three little vixens are any good!"

After laughing for a while, Xiren said, "How about I teach you a way to get the old lady to say that you have already been betrothed to Baoyu, and then the master will give up."

Ping'er chimed in, "If you don't like Master Bao, how about changing it to Master Lian?"

Yuanyang was angry, ashamed, and anxious all at once. She cursed, "You two hussies, you'll die a horrible death! When I'm in trouble, I treat you like respectable people and ask you to help me out. Instead, you take turns making fun of me. You both think you've got your lives settled and will become concubines in the future. In my opinion, things in this world don't always go as planned. You should tone it down and not get too carried away!"

The two men smiled and apologized, but Xiren unexpectedly said, "It seems you look down on Baoyu and Master Lian. Could it be Master Yuan? Hehehe..."

Upon hearing this, Yuanyang blushed with embarrassment, while Ping'er, though smiling, remained silent. Xiren, after laughing for a while, sensed something was amiss, and even Hongyu, standing nearby, noticed something was off.

Yuanyang sensed something was wrong and quickly changed the subject, saying, "That old man couldn't argue with me, so he said he'd have Madam go find my parents."

Ping'er quickly chimed in, "Your parents are looking at houses in Nanjing and didn't come up, but they eventually found one. Now your brother and sister-in-law are here too. It's a pity you're a 'house-born' daughter here, unlike the two of us who are living alone."

Yuanyang retorted angrily, "So what if I'm born a daughter? Are you trying to force a cow to drink water? If I don't want to, are you going to kill my parents?!"

As they were talking, they saw Jin Wenxiang's family coming towards them from afar. Hongyu didn't hear what the others were saying; she was only focused on observing Yuanyang and Ping'er's expressions.

Hongyu was a clever girl who was good at handling interpersonal relationships, so how could she not notice something was wrong? Sure enough, as soon as Jin Wenxiang's wife came over, Yuanyang started cursing loudly. After cursing Jin Wenxiang's wife away, Yuanyang didn't even look in her direction.

A moment later, Baoyu started causing trouble again, coaxing the group to go to Qixianzhai ahead. Hongyu had her doubts and naturally wouldn't go. She grumbled a few times and hurriedly returned to Qingtang Thatched Cottage.

Upon entering, they saw that their master had indeed returned and was talking to Wu'er.

Upon seeing Hongyu enter, Chen Siyuan smiled and asked, "I just saw you talking with Ping'er and Yuanyang under the tree, but I didn't greet you as I walked by."

Hongyu nodded, then whispered something to Wu'er, who left the study in surprise. Once only the two of them were inside, Hongyu asked, "Master, has the old lady promised Yuanyang to you?"

"Huh?" Chen Siyuan was taken aback and asked, "What makes you say that?"

Hongyu then recounted what had just happened, and finally said, "Ever since she said that, neither Yuanyang nor Ping'er dared to look at her. They must be hiding something!"

After thinking for a moment, Chen Siyuan clicked his tongue and said, "No matter what, I'm still an outsider. It wouldn't be right for the old lady to force a maid over, would it?"

Hongyu, however, was quick-witted. She immediately said, "That's easy! Just slip Yuanyang to Miss Lin, and she'll be in Master's room tomorrow, won't she?"

Chen Siyuan blinked, thinking to himself, "Is there really such a good thing?"
Seeing that Chen Siyuan was lost in thought, Hongyu knew that he had indeed fallen into his old habit again, so she pouted and tugged at Chen Siyuan, saying, "Grandpa~"

"Don't shake it, don't shake it, it'll fall apart." Chen Siyuan laughed and pulled Hongyu into his arms. Seeing her puffy appearance, he pondered for a moment and figured out what she was thinking.

To put it simply, Hongyu is a few years younger than Yuanyang, and the two don't know each other well. Also, because Yuanyang relies on Grandmother Jia's influence, there might be some friction between them. To put it more deeply, both of them are thoughtful and quick-witted, and Hongyu has always been trying to win over Daiyu. If Yuanyang goes, wouldn't Hongyu be unable to go?
Chen Siyuan then reassured her, "You know that Baochai and Lin Daiyu are good friends. I'll persuade them later and have Yuanyang go directly to Baochai's place, won't that solve the problem?"

Hongyu's thoughts were exposed, and she no longer tried to hide them. She wrapped her arms around Chen Siyuan's neck and said coquettishly, "Anyway, I'm not going to Miss Bao's place. If she really goes to Miss Lin's place, I'll just stay by your side and be at your beck and call, and I don't need any title."

Chen Siyuan laughed and pinched Yingrou, saying, "Nonsense, you were the first one to follow me, how could I let you be left without a place to live? Don't worry, I have a plan."

Hongyu hummed and whined for a while, then left satisfied. Meanwhile, Wang Shanbao's wife, having been thoroughly scolded by Yuanyang, could only return to the east courtyard, cursing all the way.

Madam Xing was not in a hurry when she received the news. She comforted Wang Shanbao's wife with a few words and then went to Jia She to deliver the message at dinner time.

Jia She said angrily, "Why didn't you go and tell them this yourself?"

Madam Xing made up a story: "Fourth Brother fell this afternoon, and I was busy taking care of him. How could I have time to go to the Old Madam's place?"

Jia She snorted coldly, not wanting to argue with her. He pondered for a moment, then returned to his study and sent someone to summon Jia Lian.

The matter became common knowledge, and Jia Lian naturally heard the news as well. Upon hearing that Jia She had ordered him to summon Jin Cai to the capital, the Second Master Lian felt disgusted and said, "Last time a letter came from Nanjing, Jin Cai was already delirious with phlegm? They even gave her money for a coffin. I wonder if she's alive or dead now. Even if she is, she's unconscious, so there's no use calling her. Besides, her old woman is deaf."

Upon hearing this, Jia She shouted and cursed, "You lowly prisoner! How dare you know all this? Why don't you leave my side!"

Jia Lian waited awkwardly outside, and after a while, Jin Wenxiang was summoned. After a long time, Jin Wenxiang finally came out crouching down and went to talk to Yuanyang.

Jin Wenxiang had been chatting with Yuanyang for a while when Amber came in and said, "Yuanyang, the old lady is calling for you!"

Yuanyang glanced coldly at Jin Wenxiang, then got up and followed Amber into Rongqing Hall. Passing the screen, Yuanyang looked up and saw Grandmother Jia sitting regally on the soft couch with a cold face, while Fengjie smiled and scanned her from the side. Yuanyang immediately felt relieved, knowing that Fengjie must have spoken to the old lady.

Yuanyang stepped forward to greet him with a pitiful expression, but Grandmother Jia waved her hand, her face cold and her brows furrowed, and said, "Let me ask you, is the master pressuring you to take her into his family?"

Grandmother Jia was so angry that she trembled all over and said, "I only have this one reliable person left, and they still want to scheme against me!"

Grandmother Jia was a shrewd old woman, and she knew perfectly well that the eldest master was eyeing her private savings. Madam Wang was powerful and already controlled most of the household. If the eldest master stole her private savings, the old lady would have nothing left.

Let alone arranging marriages for his grandchildren, he's afraid he won't even be able to enjoy his old age in peace.

Upon realizing this, Grandmother Jia became even angrier. Seeing Yuanyang sobbing and remaining silent, she said, "You've always been so clever. Why didn't you tell me about this?"

Feng Jie quickly interjected, "Yuanyang didn't want to put the old matriarch in a difficult position. Besides, today's visit is about Wang Shanbao's wife, and the First Madam hasn't shown her face..."

Grandmother Jia sighed and looked at Yuanyang, shaking her head repeatedly. After a while, she said, "Just now, Feng-ge mentioned that you are eighteen now. In two years, you will have to be released, otherwise you will become an old maid."

Yuanyang cried, "I'll stay with the old lady and I'm not going to get married."

"What a joke! Men should marry when they are of age and women should marry when they are of age. No matter how much I like you, how can I keep you here forever?" Grandmother Jia glanced at Feng Jie and said, "Feng Jie said that you want to go to Yu'er's place in two years?"

The mandarin ducks remained silent, their heads bowed in shyness.

After thinking it over for a moment, Grandmother Jia said, "That's fine. I'll call Yu'er over tomorrow, and you can kneel down and serve her tea, acknowledge her as your mistress, and then you can follow her for two years."

Yuanyang quickly knelt down and kowtowed.

Grandmother Jia then said to the person outside, "Go and call the First Madam here. Humph, she is indeed virtuous and obedient, but she is a little too virtuous!"

Yuanyang quickly stepped aside, and Fengjie, knowing it was not good to linger, simply took her leave. After a while, Madam Xing arrived, only to be thoroughly scolded by the old lady.

Madam Xing felt wronged. She had believed Chen Siyuan's words and hadn't really gotten involved. It was Wang Shanbao's wife who was relaying the messages, so why was she being blamed for this?

Madam Xing didn't want to argue with Grandmother Jia, so she turned around and went back to the east wing. She found Jia She and said, "Master, please give up that idea. Grandmother got angry and gave me a good scolding. She also said that if you want to take a concubine, just go outside and buy a courtesan. No matter how many, Grandmother will pay for it, even if it costs eight or ten thousand taels of silver."

Jia She was naturally furious and embarrassed, blaming Madam Xing for sending Wang Shanbao's wife to mediate, which led to the misunderstanding. As for seeking out the old lady to reason with her, Jia She certainly didn't dare.

On second thought, things had escalated to this point, and the whole household knew he intended to take a concubine. If he didn't find a virgin, he feared he wouldn't be able to explain himself. Besides, since the old lady had said she would pay, why should Jia She be polite? Naturally, he would choose the most attractive one.

The next day, after breakfast, Amber invited Daiyu to Rongqing Hall.

Daiyu was puzzled, and led Zijuan and Xueyan to Rongqing Hall.

Once inside, Grandmother Jia warmly beckoned and pulled Daiyu to sit beside the soft couch, smiling as she said, "I haven't seen you for two days. Why didn't you think of coming to see me?"

Daiyu smiled and said, "I would like to come, but I'm afraid I'll disturb the old lady's peace and quiet."

Grandmother Jia laughed and said, "Besides Baoyu, who else can disturb the peace and quiet? I heard that Yuan-ge'er transferred that workshop business to you?"

Daiyu nodded, her head bowed slightly, a little embarrassed, and said in a low voice, "He insisted that he had taken a fancy to an ancient book, but he didn't ask me anything. He just took the workshop shares and exchanged them with me."

Grandmother Jia said, "It's clear that Yuan-ge'er is a thoughtful person. I can rest assured when you marry him. Besides, like Er-ya-tou, San-ya-tou, and Si-ya-tou, I've already saved your share, just waiting to give it to you when you get married."

Daiyu gave a vague reply. This matter couldn't be discussed in detail, as further discussion would involve the Lin family's assets.

Grandmother Jia quickly changed the subject, inquiring about Daiyu's daily life. Seeing that Daiyu's health was improving day by day, she was indeed overjoyed. Finally, she changed the subject again, saying, "I am getting old now, and I don't know when I will pass away. I can rest easy knowing that you have found such a place for yourself. However, my beloved Yuanyang is still unsettled."

Although the matter of the master forcing Yuanyang to marry hadn't caused a big stir, it had become common knowledge yesterday. Daiyu's heart stirred, and she slightly furrowed her delicate brows.

Sure enough, Grandmother Jia said, "Of the two maids by your side, Xueyan is a bit naughty, and although Zijuan is docile, she is too soft. I think if Yuanyang were to come to your side, I guarantee she wouldn't let you suffer any losses." She paused, then added, "This also depends on Yu'er's wishes. Yuanyang will stay by my side for another two years. If you agree, I will have Yuanyang come and kowtow to you."

Daiyu looked up and saw a hint of old age on that once kind face. She had always been compassionate towards the poor and weak, and seeing this, she felt a pang of heartache. She sighed and said with a smile, "Since Grandmother has said so, how could I refuse such a good thing? Back when I was in the Green Gauze Chamber, Sister Yuanyang took good care of me."

Grandmother Jia breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Good, good child." She turned her head and beckoned, "Yuanyang, come and kowtow!"

The mandarin duck below, who had been bowing her head and blushing, hurriedly stepped forward and bowed deeply to Daiyu upon hearing this. After she kowtowed once, Daiyu quickly stood up and stepped aside, saying, "It's enough to show respect. I'm too young to accept such a grand gesture."

Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "You've kowtowed, that's enough. From now on, you should visit Xiaoxiang Pavilion more often. If there's anything you haven't done properly, just come back and tell me."

Yuanyang smiled and agreed. Grandmother Jia then talked to Daiyu for a long time before letting her go back to Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

As soon as the three of them had passed through the passageway, Xueyan said with a smile, "That's good. Sister Yuanyang is coming over too. From now on, no one will dare to give Miss a hard time."

Zijuan glanced at her and was speechless for a while. She thought Xueyan was simple-minded, and since Xueyan had come to Yangzhou with her young lady that morning, she should have Xueyan as a concubine, so she didn't need to worry.

But things got complicated with Zijuan. Firstly, Zijuan was a newcomer, and she and Daiyu had become estranged because of the debate over whether to choose Master Yuan or Master Bao. It wasn't until she also sided with Chen Siyuan that their relationship improved. Secondly, both of them were head maids from the old lady's side, but in terms of rank, how could Zijuan compare to Yuanyang?
Zijuan couldn't help but feel worried, wondering if Yuanyang would come, wouldn't she have to take a backseat?

She remained silent and went straight to Xiaoxiang Pavilion before saying to Daiyu, "Miss, why did the old lady think of sending Yuanyang here?"

Daiyu smiled and said, "She can survive here, but if she continues to stay in the Jia family, I'm afraid she will—"

Zijuan frowned and said, "If we consider their ages, wouldn't it be perfect for her to stay in Second Master Lian's room? Yuanyang is actually two or three years older than Master Yuan."

Daiyu didn't answer. Xueyan, who was helping Daiyu take off her cloak, said, "The old lady has already asked for the word. How can you refuse, young lady?"

Zijuan was speechless after hearing that one sentence.

Zijuan was sullen for half a day, and only when it was almost noon did she go to the small kitchen to fetch a food box for Daiyu.

As luck would have it, when they arrived at the small kitchen, they bumped into Ying'er and Hongyu, who had also come to collect their food boxes.

Seeing the two of them talking so animatedly, Zijuan stepped forward and asked in surprise, "Why are you the one who came to fetch it today? Where is Wu'er?"

Hongyu smiled and said, "Wu'er went to the new house to teach Qingwen and her sister to read."

Zijuan's heart skipped a beat, and she quietly pulled the two aside, saying, "The old lady has said that in two years Yuanyang will come to our young lady's room to serve her."

Ying'er was astonished when she first heard this. Hongyu, however, had already guessed and couldn't help but sneer, "I sensed something was off about her last conversation. She might have been planning this all along, but when the master forced her to marry, she asked the old lady for a place to live." She paused, then looked at Zijuan and smiled, "You two grew up together. Now that she's here, you'll have someone to talk to. It's a really good thing that you couldn't ask for more."

Ying'er, standing to the side, also laughed and said, "Miss Lin is so lucky. I'm the only one our young lady can rely on, and we're short-handed. Why doesn't the old lady think of sending a suitable person to our young lady's room?"

Zijuan pouted and looked at Ying'er, saying, "That's easy to handle. Miss Bao is like a sister to our young lady. I'll go to Hengwu Garden to help out later."

Ying'er covered her mouth and laughed, saying, "I couldn't be happier! You've promised, I can't refuse!"

Zijuan rolled her eyes at him, went inside, picked up the food box, and returned to Xiaoxiang Pavilion, which was not mentioned again.

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

The front side hall of Rongguo Mansion.

Chen Siyuan and Shan Pinren exchanged erudite remarks for a while before finally getting to the point.

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Speaking of which... there is some good news I have to tell Mr. Shan."

"Oh? I wonder what good news it is?"

Chen Siyuan asked, "Does Mr. Shan have a cousin who is the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review?"

Na Shan Pinren stroked his beard and said proudly, "That's right, to be honest, my cousin and I have been like brothers since we were young. A few years ago, my cousin wanted to find me a job as a clerk, but as you know, I am not good at handling trivial matters, so I had to decline his offer."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Mr. Shan has quite refined tastes and naturally looks down on the mundane affairs of clerks."

"I didn't know this was such a good thing—"

"Oh, Mr. Shan, do you know that your cousin's neighbor is the Mei family, the family of Hanlin scholar?"

Shan Pinren nodded and said, "I have heard about it."

Chen Siyuan said, "I have had many dealings with the Mei family. The last time I heard Brother Mei mention that someone had taken a liking to your cousin's daughter."

"Second Sister?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and nodded, saying, "The Mei family has produced three generations of Hanlin scholars, truly a family tradition of poetry and literature. Brother Mei is so young; if it weren't for Hanlin Mei keeping him from taking the exam, he would probably have passed the provincial examination by now. Tsk, do you think this is a good thing, sir?"

Shan Pinren stroked his beard with great joy and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Of course, this is a very happy occasion."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "There's only one thing, Brother Mei is a bit...shy, it's not appropriate to bring up such a matter in person—"

Shan Pinren, understanding the unspoken meaning, immediately smiled and said, "Of course, I'll go to my cousin's house later. Whether it works out or not, I'll have to hear what my cousin has to say."

Chen Siyuan laughed loudly and said, "Good, sir, you are a man of few words. I have a long-standing friendship with Brother Mei. If this matter is successful, I will certainly prepare a generous gift to thank you."

Shan Pinren said repeatedly, "Of course, of course."

After the two finished their discussion, Shan Pinren took his leave with an air of nonchalance. Chen Siyuan watched him go, secretly relieved, hoping that Shan Pinren's trip would go smoothly. He turned back into the Grand View Garden with his hands behind his back, only to bump into Yunxiang, who was skipping and hopping towards him.

Yunxiang's eyes lit up when she saw Chen Siyuan, and she quickly came over and said, "Grandpa, Grandpa, the old lady has said that Yuanyang will be following Miss Lin from now on."

Chen Siyuan was first taken aback, then frowned deeply. He thought to himself, the master is furious right now. If he finds out about this, won't he take his anger out on me? He turned and left, instructing Yunxiang, "Tell him I'm going to the new house and will be back in a couple of days."

"Huh?" Seeing Chen Siyuan stride away, Yunxiang was dumbfounded. She thought for a long time, still not understanding why the old man had turned and left. Everything else was fine... but what about the reward?

(End of this chapter)