Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 321 Fortunately, I planted pine and bamboo nearby, and my blossoms did not bloom all at once like peach and plum trees.
Zhuijinlou.

A chessboard was laid out on the table. The second daughter, Yingchun, picked up a black piece and was about to place it, but after thinking for a moment, she placed it aside.

Looking up, she heard Xing Xiuyan sigh and say, "Even if there is no obvious effect, it is better to hide one's shortcomings; if there is success, it is better to wait patiently. How long does Second Sister intend to hide? I'm afraid if you keep hiding, you will miss out on a good marriage again."

Yingchun blushed immediately, turned her head to glance back, and seeing that Xiuju and Siqi were far away and probably hadn't heard, she whispered back, "Where did I hide anything? Sister Xing, don't talk nonsense."

Xing Xiuyan smiled and said, "Whether she hid it or not, Second Sister knows for herself."

Yingchun pouted and said with difficulty, "You know my family situation. I am not liked by my father and mother, and the old lady treats me indifferently. I have no support at all. If I don't honestly keep to myself, what else can I do?"

Xing Xiuyan then said, "Watching chess is like watching a person. Second sister is skilled in the art of black and white, but every time she is about to make a move, even though she knows how to do it better, she hesitates because she thinks too much." She paused and said, "Second sister, do you know that a person's fate in this life is predetermined? Some things, once missed, can never be recovered."

This time it was Yingchun's turn to sigh. She lowered her head and didn't bother to look at the chessboard. She got up and went to the window, slightly pushed it open, and saw that the garden outside was full of snow, with snowflakes falling softly.

Xing Xiuyan also got up and came over, whispering, "The Xue family has suffered such a terrible thing, and the eldest branch has no one to carry on the family line. I'm afraid they will have to follow in Sister Lin's footsteps."

Yingchun turned to look at Xing Xiuyan and asked, "Where did you get this information, Sister Xing?"

Xing Xiuyan looked at Yingchun and smiled without saying a word. Yingchun pursed her lips and said nothing more. Although there was no definite news in the manor about this matter, they had never heard Aunt Xue arrange for adoption. For the sake of the family line, the only feasible option besides adoption was to have a secondary lineage.

With the main wife's position left vacant, wouldn't that be the perfect opportunity for the second daughter to welcome spring?

Xing Xiuyan turned around with a smile, casually messed up the chessboard, and said to Yingchun with a smile, "Second sister saw through the plan long ago, so I should resign. I'm leaving now, Second sister, you should think it over carefully."

After saying that, Xing Xiuyan drifted away. Yingchun saw her off to the stairwell, then turned back, her brow furrowed with worry.

At this moment, Siqi went down to give instructions to the maids and servants, leaving only Xiuju, the maid, in the room. As Yingchun's personal maid, Xiuju naturally knew what Yingchun was worried about.

There had been rumors about Grandpa Yuan and their daughter before, but luckily the daughter managed to persuade the old lady to speak up, which silenced the gossip. If Yingchun were to try to compete now, it would be fine if she succeeded, but if she failed... her reputation would be completely ruined.

Xiuju leaned closer, unsure how to begin, so she started talking about something else, saying, "Miss, ever since the old lady bestowed the mandarin ducks upon Miss Lin, Zijuan in Miss Lin's room has become quite restless."

The second young lady, Yingchun, looked over in surprise, and Xiuju said, "Someone saw Ziju walking with Master Yuan earlier, and she deliberately bumped into Master Yuan's arms. It's just that she's still in Miss Lin's room right now, otherwise, I'm afraid she would be climbing into Master Yuan's bed in a few days."

Yingchun frowned and said, "This kind of thing shouldn't be spread around."

Xiuju pouted and said, "It wasn't me who spread it, a lot of people are saying it."

Yingchun remained silent, deep in thought. At that moment, Siqi stormed upstairs, shouting, "That good-for-nothing old hag! Just because he nursed a few girls, he comes to Zhuijinlou every day to bully everyone!"

Xiuju hurried over and asked, "Sister Siqi, what's wrong with Granny Wang again?"

Siqi said, "The young lady only used a tiny bit of her lip rouge, and this old bastard snatched it away the moment she turned around!"

Xiuju cursed along with Siqi for a couple of minutes. Seeing Yingchun sit down at the chessboard again, she came over and said, "Miss, you've been without support in the mansion since you were little. If you could marry Master Yuan, that would be great. Then someone would protect you, and those weaklings wouldn't dare to take advantage of you."

While wiping the vase, Siqi pouted and said, "I think you shouldn't try to persuade her anymore. The girl's temperament is like dough; she wouldn't dare to fight for it herself."

Unexpectedly, before she could finish speaking, Yingchun said, "Who said I don't compete? I'm just thinking about how to compete in the best way."

Xiuju and Siqi were overjoyed upon hearing this. Siqi said, "What's there to think about? Now that the young lady is being raised in the First Madam's room, we can just have the First Madam pass on a message and ask Master Yuan what he thinks."

That's what she said, but in reality, Siqi was thinking that she would mention it to Chen Siyuan when she went to that courtyard to meet him in secret, in order to test Chen Siyuan's feelings.

Yingchun said, "That's not appropriate. Don't you all think about what Mother's condition was before Brother Yuan came, and what her condition was after he came?"

Xiuju pondered for a moment and said, "I hadn't thought much about it until you mentioned it, Miss. Ever since Master Yuan came, not only has the First Madam gained more respect, but she also gave birth to Fourth Brother, and she has some face in front of the Old Madam." She paused, then suddenly realized, "You mean, Miss, the First Madam also has to listen to Master Yuan?"

Yingchun said, "Brother Yuan is a man of his own mind. Why not go directly to Chen Siyuan instead of going to find Madam Xing?"

Siqi asked in astonishment, "What do you mean, young lady?"

Yingchun smiled, went to the window to look out, and saw that the snow was already heavy, with Xiaoxiang Pavilion appearing and disappearing in the snow. After a moment's thought, she said, "Bring the tea for the girls that was allocated yesterday. I'm going to have tea and enjoy the snow with Sister Lin."

Although Siqi didn't understand, she still nodded in agreement. After finding the tea for the young lady, Yingchun thought for a moment, then found the apricot-red crepe cloak that had been delivered a few days ago, and then led her maid to Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

They soon arrived at Xiaoxiang Pavilion, where Zijuan and Xueyan hurriedly welcomed them inside. Yingchun asked as they walked, "Where is Lin Daiyu?"

Xueyan replied, "Second Miss, you don't know, but while enjoying the snow scenery today, you caught a cold."

Yingchun paused slightly and said, "If you ask me, Lin Daiyu is being reckless. She had only just recovered from her illness when she went to admire the snow for several days in a row, and she ended up making herself sick."

After passing around the screen and entering the room, one sees Daiyu sitting alone in the study, holding an embroidery frame and embroidering a handkerchief.

Yingchun glanced around, and Daiyu quickly got up to greet her: "Second Sister, what brings you here?" She then coughed twice.

As Yingchun walked over, she saw that a corner of the moon-shaped window was open, indicating that Daiyu had just opened the window to admire the snow.

Yingchun turned around and found the apricot-red crepe cloak that Xiuju was holding, and put it on Daiyu. She then took two steps forward and closed the moon window.

After doing all that, she turned around and scolded, "You're being silly. You've caught a cold, yet you still want to brave the cold wind to enjoy the snow. Just a few days ago, Sister Feng sent some new fabric, and I made two pieces, one big and one small. After thinking it over, I'm afraid only Sister Lin can fit into the smaller one."

Daiyu reached out and grasped the cloak, feeling the fine stitches on it. She knew it must have been made by Yingchun, and said with a smile, "Thank you for your trouble, Second Sister. The fabric is so bright and beautiful, it's truly the best. It's just a pity that I haven't dressed up yet today, and I feel like I'm made of paper."

Yingchun quickly said, "Pah, pah, pah, Lin sister, stop talking nonsense. You, you are so lucky now. Brother Yuan thinks of you in every way and takes care of everything for you. Even Yun girl has been envious of you in private."

Xueyan, who was standing to the side, said with a smile, "Second Miss is absolutely right. Yesterday, when I heard that our young lady was sick and had a relapse of her cough, Master Yuan found some loquat syrup to stop the cough and delivered it to her right at night."

Yingchun smiled and said, "You see, I told you my sister is blessed now."

Daiyu was intelligent and quick-witted. Although she did not have much contact with Yingchun, she had heard Chen Siyuan talk about the current situation. How could she not know that Baochai would also be a successor in the future?

Yingchun arrived carrying gifts, and observing her roundabout words, she knew perfectly well that she intended to curry favor. She immediately smiled and said, "Second Sister, if I were to say you've come to the wrong place, you should visit Baochai more often when she returns."

Previously, aside from not having formally agreed to the marriage, Baochai had always considered herself Chen Siyuan's legal wife. Now, barring an unexpected event, if Yingchun were to marry Chen Siyuan as his legal wife, the one who would feel most frustrated would probably be Baochai.

To everyone's surprise, Yingchun said, "My Zhuijin Tower is close to my sister, so it's convenient for me to come to Xiaoxiang Pavilion."

Yingchun understood Daiyu's unspoken meaning, but she knew that even if she took the initiative to befriend Baochai, Baochai would likely harbor resentment afterward. So why should she lower herself to try and ingratiate herself?

Daiyu smiled and pulled Yingchun to sit down, saying, "It's rare for Second Sister to come to my place. Xueyan, quickly brew a pot of Lu'an tea."

Yingchun said, "It's quite a coincidence. I brought a packet of Daughter Tea. I think we should have Daughter Tea instead."

“Alright,” Daiyu agreed.

Siqi handed the tea bag to Xueyan, who then went to brew a pot of tea.

Yingchun picked up the embroidery frame and saw that it was embroidered with a pair of mandarin ducks. She smiled and said, "Sister Lin will be a teenager next year. Look at your needlework, it's not bad at all."

Daiyu pouted and said, "Second Sister, please don't mention it. I've been embroidering this handkerchief for over twenty days, and it's getting harder and harder to embroider now. I only dare to put one stitch after half a day."

Yingchun pointed and said, "This part is difficult to embroider? How about I help you embroider a few stitches, sister?"

Daiyu smiled and agreed, then saw Yingchun lower her head and begin to embroider earnestly.

The second young lady and Daiyu sat for quite a while, drinking tea, chatting, and embroidering handkerchiefs. Just as they were about to leave, a servant came running back: "Miss, something terrible has happened! The master has bolted the door and gone to Master Lian's room! He says... he says... he's going to beat Master Lian to death!"

Yingchun and Daiyu were shocked to hear this. Yingchun quickly got up and asked the old woman for the reason, but the old woman shook her head repeatedly and said she knew nothing.

Given this situation, Daiyu couldn't go forward, but Yingchun, being Jia Lian's sister, naturally wanted to go and offer some advice. So, she quickly bid farewell to Daiyu and headed towards Jia Lian's study.

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

Mrs. Wang’s courtyard.

Madam Wang looked worried, and Xia Jingui pouted angrily.

Lady Wang then said, "Don't you know what kind of person Baoyu is? He's angry with you now, but he'll come back to complain about it tomorrow. Why bother arguing with him?"

Xia Jingui said, "Madam, other things are one thing, but he's out fooling around with the maids in broad daylight... I don't expect him to study hard or inherit a title, but at least he shouldn't keep doing such outrageous things. I think that Xiren is a vixen too; I caught her red-handed, and she didn't even blush!"

"Xiren?" Madam Wang thought to herself. She had already privately granted Xiren the status of a concubine, and Baoyu was already this age, so it was only natural for her to get involved with her. Xiren was always a woman of good judgment; if it weren't for Baoyu's entanglement, she probably wouldn't have started arguing with him in broad daylight.

Lady Wang then said, "I think you shouldn't blame Xiren for this. I've seen that child; she's a good one. It must have been Baoyu who made her foolish."

"Mrs--"

Before Xia Jingui could finish speaking, Madam Wang laughed and said, "Alright, alright, Xiren is just a maid by birth. How could she possibly surpass you in the future? Don't worry, before you marry into the family, I will definitely not allow any other maid to give birth to a son born out of wedlock."

Xia Jingui knew she couldn't persuade Madam Wang at this moment, so she could only pitifully nod in agreement. In her heart, she had long considered Xiren, Baoyu's attendant, a thorn in her side, and wished she could get rid of her immediately. Since Madam Wang was making such a fuss about protecting her, she would have to find another opportunity.

Madam Wang quickly changed the subject, saying, "Jin Gui, my eldest daughter-in-law, Li, is unwilling to take over the household management. What should we do?"

"She's unwilling?" Xia Jingui was quite surprised. Having stayed at the Rongguo Mansion several times, she knew that Lady Wang disliked Li Wan intensely. She had originally thought that Li Wan kept to herself because of Lady Wang's dislike. Unexpectedly, this great benefit was offered to her, yet Li Wan refused to accept it.

Xia Jingui, not being a member of the Jia family, knew that she was not qualified to manage the household. However, in the second branch of the Wang family, Tan Chun was estranged from Lady Wang, and Li Wan had stayed far away, leaving no one else to rely on. Xia Jingui couldn't think of anyone else to manage the household.

Then Madam Wang frowned and said, "Tan Yatou is becoming more and more domineering. Wu Xingdeng's family said that Tan Yatou has her eye on the purchasing agent's house."

Xia Jingui said, "Didn't Madam mention Third Sister before?"

"It's said, but it's done."

Xia Jingui frowned and pondered deeply. Hu Mama, who was standing beside her, said, "Madam, if you ask me, now that you are in charge of the household, who can manage the household better than you? Since the Third Miss is disobedient, just find any girl to manage the household."

Xia Jingui turned around and exchanged a glance with Granny Hu. Seeing the latter give her a meaningful look, she immediately understood and said, "That's right, isn't there a second young lady in the mansion? Why doesn't Madam let the second young lady manage the household?"

"Yingchun?" Madam Wang frowned, turning her prayer beads. After pondering for a while, she gradually realized what was going on. That's right, Yingchun's temperament was the most gentle, and she probably couldn't control the stewards in the mansion. If it were Yingchun as the steward, naturally few people would listen to her.

Now that most of the stewards in the mansion have pledged allegiance to him, wouldn't it be that whatever he says goes in the future?

Madam Wang said, "Yingchun is a good girl, but she comes from the first wife's family. Is that appropriate?" Xia Jingui smiled and said, "Sister Feng also comes from the first wife's family. Didn't she manage the household for several years before? Besides, with my sister-in-law helping me, things won't be any more chaotic than they are now."

Madam Wang was very tempted and said, "Very well, I'll talk to Yingchun about it later and see what she has to say."

Just then, Yu Chuan'er rushed in and said, "Madam, something terrible has happened! The master has grabbed the door bolt and is heading towards Master Lian's study, shouting and yelling!"

Madam Wang said, "We just fought a few days ago, why are we fighting again? Do you know what happened?"

Yu Chuan shook her head and said, "I don't know. I just saw Master Yuan advising him from the side, and the master's concubine Cuiyun leading the way."

Xia Jingui and Granny Hu exchanged a glance, then were overjoyed. Baoyu was the second son of the second wife, and although his elder brother Jia Zhu had long since passed away, he had left behind an eldest grandson, Jia Lan. By all accounts, Baoyu was merely a wealthy idler.

But how can these wealthy idlers compare to the hereditary nobles of the Rongguo Mansion?

Although Lady Wang is currently in charge of the household, with Yuan Chun's support in the palace and the Wang family's assistance, it's impossible for Bao Yu to inherit the title. Xia Jingui then thought that it would be better if all the male members of the eldest son's family died out, so that Bao Yu could inherit the title.

Unable to contain herself, Madam Wang stood up and said, "Let's go take a look."

Xia Jingui leaned over and helped Madam Wang up, saying, "Madam, we don't even know the reason. Even if we go, we'll probably just be confused. I think we should wait a while before going."

Seeing Xia Jingui's strange smile, Madam Wang pondered for a while before realizing her thoughts and became wary. This Xia Jingui was far too vicious; today she first wanted to get rid of Xiren, and then she was plotting against the eldest son's family. Who knew if she would turn on Madam Wang in the future?

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

Rongqing Hall.

Baoyu and Xia Jingui had been arguing for a long time, and now he was pacing around angrily with his brows furrowed.

Grandmother Jia said, "Stop spinning around, it's making me dizzy."

Baoyu stopped, opened his mouth, and then sighed sadly.

Grandmother Jia said anxiously, "What exactly happened? Tell me!"

Sister Feng laughed and said, "Grandmother, if it were really something difficult, Brother Bao would have come to you for help long ago. I think he probably had another quarrel with Miss Xia."

Grandmother Jia frowned in displeasure, thinking to herself: "She is, after all, a daughter of a merchant family. She doesn't know manners and throws tantrums every few days."

Now that Daiyu and Chen Siyuan's marriage was already arranged, and Baochai had also developed a secret affair with Chen Siyuan, and Xiangyun was engaged in May, there were still no suitable suitors left. Grandmother Jia had originally intended to keep Li Wen and Li Qi for a few more days to observe them, but Li Wan's aunt only stayed for three days before hurriedly leading the two sisters out of the mansion. This left Grandmother Jia's hopes dashed.

After counting and counting, only Xia Jingui remained.

Grandmother Jia secretly regretted that if she had known Lady Wang would seek out a girl like Xia Jingui, she should have agreed to her son-in-law Lin Ruhai's request and allowed Baoyu and Daiyu to undergo the joint adoption ceremony. Now, she couldn't find a suitable girl anywhere, which was truly frustrating.

Observing Grandmother Jia's expression, Sister Feng added, "I think you shouldn't interfere, Grandmother. The two of them are used to bickering. They're good today and bad tomorrow. Who knows, they'll make up tomorrow."

Grandmother Jia smiled and nodded: "You are also a sister-in-law, how can you tease Baoyu like that?"

Just as Sister Feng was about to reply with a smile, her head maid, Amber, rushed in and said, "Grandma, Second Madam, something terrible has happened! The Master has bolted the door and is shouting and threatening to kill us. He's heading straight for Second Master Lian's study!"

"what?"

Both Grandmother Jia and Sister Feng were startled. Grandmother Jia quickly asked, "Do you know what happened?"

Sister Feng was also very anxious. Seeing that Amber was shaking her head, she hurriedly said, "Grandmother, I'll go to the outer study to take a look!"

"Hurry, hurry! Stop those lords! We can't let them hurt Lian'er again!"

"I understand." Sister Feng frowned slightly and led Ping'er hurriedly to the outer study.

Grandmother Jia was worried and quickly called Yuanyang over to help her up, saying, "Quick, help me to go and see!"

Yuanyang and Hupo came over to help, and the group followed behind Fengjie and her servants, hurrying towards Jia Lian's outer study.

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

Chen Siyuan tried to stop and persuade him, but this angered the master so much that he dared not say anything more.

Cuiyun, who was leading the way, added fuel to the fire, making Jia She increasingly angry. When he entered the Rongguo Mansion through the side gate, he simply grabbed a door bolt, intending to beat Jia Lian to death as soon as he discovered their affair.

Chen Siyuan thought to himself that this was good, so that he wouldn't have to stir things up from the sidelines, and that Cuiyun would do all the work.

However, upon closer observation, it became clear that Jia She was merely annoyed, not to the point of being consumed by rage.

As they approached Jia Lian's outer study, Jia She, though still stern-faced, was no longer as angry as before. Chen Siyuan thought to himself, "Qiu Tong is just a maid; could it be that Jia She isn't so angry because of her low rank?"
Yes, I vaguely remember that in the book, Jia She rewarded Jia Lian with Qiu Tong because of Jia Lian's efficient work. A mere maidservant wouldn't cause a rift between father and son.

The master was angry earlier, probably because Jia Lian took it without asking.

What's that saying again? What I give you is yours; what I don't give you, you can't take!

Chen Siyuan sighed inwardly, knowing that his scheme had failed and that it would be difficult to anger Jia She again by using the scandalous affair.

It was winter, and the doors and windows were tightly closed. Only faint sounds of intimacy could be heard from inside. Jia Lian's servant was guarding the door.

Seeing Jia She leading his men in a menacing manner, the servant was immediately terrified and trembled with fear.

Jia She raised the door bolt and pointed: "Which eight-year-old dares to go and report this? I'll beat him to death today!"

The gatekeeper immediately froze.

Concubine Cuiyun pointed to the door: "Master, listen, that little hussy Qiutong is inside!"

Jia She waved his hand: "Bump it aside for me!"

The burly servant who was following them dared not delay and kicked open the door. The master and his entourage strode in. Chen Siyuan followed closely behind Jia She and entered the room. He saw two people in the bedroom in the west wing of the study, looking panicked and hurriedly fastening their clothes.

The one who only had time to put on a pair of trousers was Jia Lian; the one holding the clothes by the bedside and pounding her head like garlic was none other than Qiu Tong.
Jia Lian turned pale with fright and hurriedly knelt down to beg for mercy, saying, "Father, you, you listen to me—oh dear!"

Before he could finish speaking, Jia She kicked him over, and the door bolt flew up and down, quickly turning Jia Lian into a rolling gourd.

Knowing that his scheme would fail, what use would it be even if he killed Jia Lian? Jia She was about to strike again when Chen Siyuan quickly stepped forward to stop him, saying, "Uncle, a couple of blows to vent your anger is enough. You can't really kill Second Brother, can you?"

Cuiyun pointed at Qiutong on the bed and said, "Master, if it weren't for this vixen seducing you, how could the Second Master have done such a shameless thing?"

Jia She turned his head and gave Qiu Tong a sinister look. With a clang, he threw down the door bolt, pointed at Qiu Tong, and cursed, "Beat this slut to death!"

No matter what, Jia Lian was still his own son. Even tigers don't eat their cubs, so how could Jia She kill him over a maid? On the contrary, Qiu Tong was even more hateful—her affair with Jia Lian clearly showed that she felt the master's days were numbered and was seeking a better match elsewhere. That's why Jia She was even more furious with Qiu Tong.

Qiu Tong banged her head like garlic, and several servants, fearing they might displease the master, pounced on her like wolves and tigers, pulling her to the ground and grabbing the door bolt to beat her mercilessly.

Qiu Tong, dressed in her undergarments, was both begging for mercy while rolling around in agony.

Jia Lian had already gotten up, huddled in the corner trembling like a leaf, not daring to utter a single word of pleading, for fear of angering Jia She. When he caught Chen Siyuan looking over, Jia Lian quickly nodded gratefully.

Chen Siyuan chuckled inwardly. He had tricked someone, and now that person was supposed to thank him for pleading for them—what kind of saying is that?

Hearing the chaotic footsteps behind him, he turned around and saw Feng Jie and Ping'er running towards him with their hair disheveled.

Sister Feng cried out, "Master, please have mercy! Let's talk this out. Second Master is already well, so please don't hurt him again!"

Behind Ping'er, Madam Xing, leading two maids, hurried over. Madam Xing shouted, "Master, please stop hitting her! Lian'er only stole a maid; you can't just beat her to death!"

Chen Siyuan wanted to cover his face, thinking to himself that Madam Xing was truly incompetent, not even good at trying to win him over!
As she spoke, Sister Feng rushed to the bedroom door. She glanced up and saw Jia Lian rolling on the ground with Qiu Tong, and was speechless with astonishment. She had thought Jia Lian had angered the master, but who knew he had stolen Qiu Tong from the master's side!

Chen Siyuan observed Feng Jie'er's expression and saw that although she was angry, she calmed down in an instant. Chen Siyuan couldn't help but marvel. He thought to himself, "Feng Jie'er is usually very jealous, so why isn't she angry now?"

He quickly realized the truth. In the original text, Feng Jie became jealous twice: once because Bao Er's wife threatened to kill her, and once because You Erjie genuinely threatened her. Ironically, when the master bestowed Qiu Tong upon Jia Lian, Feng Jie remained completely silent.

It's clear that Sister Feng's jealousy is a facade; her true nature is to covet power.

If Sister You were replaced by a courtesan from a brothel, Sister Feng would probably never have harbored any intention to harm her.

While they were pondering, Madam Xing arrived. Upon seeing the situation inside, she paid particular attention to Jia She's appearance. Seeing that he showed no signs of having a stroke, she was immediately disheartened.

Just as he was about to step forward and stir things up, Chen Siyuan quietly stepped in front of him and stopped him.

A short while later, Grandmother Jia and the second young lady Yingchun arrived together. Chen Siyuan stepped forward and said, "Uncle, just vent your anger. You can sell the maid later. Why make a scene and cause a death?"

Jia She thought about it and agreed, then waved his hand to order the servants to stop.

When Grandmother Jia arrived, she gave Jia She a thorough dressing-down. Seeing that the situation inside was truly dire, and that Qiu Tong was on the verge of death, she tried to smooth things over by saying, "What a tragedy! The master has already beaten and scolded her; he's just vented his anger. Why make such a fuss over a maid?"

Jia She snorted coldly and remained silent.

Grandmother Jia scolded Jia Lian again, and finally said, "After such a thing happened, it's not good to just send him away. Since Lian'er is greedy, I'll take the liberty of sending Qiu Tong to Lian'er's room, and that'll be the end of it!"

Upon seeing this, Madam Xing quickly looked at Chen Siyuan and saw him shake his head slightly. Only then did she join Grandmother Jia in advising Jia She.

Knowing he couldn't go against Grandmother Jia's wishes, Jia She simply turned and left, with Madam Xing chasing after him.

Sister Feng glanced coldly at Jia Lian, who was grinning smirk. She snorted and turned to leave. Ping'er, being kind-hearted, quickly instructed the maids and servants to carry Qiu Tong to Sister Feng's courtyard and ordered someone to quickly find the imperial physician for treatment.

Chen Siyuan didn't want to go to the east wing again, so he simply headed towards the Grand View Garden. The second young lady, Yingchun, was originally walking with Grandmother Jia, but when Chen Siyuan arrived at the gate of the Grand View Garden, he bumped into her again.

The two had met before, and it was not appropriate to mention Jia Lian's scandalous affairs. Just as Chen Siyuan was about to say something else, Yingchun suddenly said, "Today, while flipping through a book of poems, I happened to come across a poem that I quite liked."

Chen Siyuan said, "Oh? I wonder what poem Second Sister saw?"

Yingchun paused, her watery eyes fixed on Chen Siyuan's clear eyes, and said, "Fortunately, I am planted near pine and bamboo, not blooming at the same time as peach and plum."

(End of this chapter)