Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 323 The Fragrance of Tea
Another nun practicing with her hair still intact? Lady Wang couldn't help but think of Miaoyu from before, and her brows furrowed slightly. Then she relaxed her brows, thinking to herself, "It's all for Jia Lian's eldest son anyway, so what if she practices with her hair still intact?"

Madam Wang pondered for a moment and then asked, "What is Zhang Jinge's temperament like?"

Seeing that she had succeeded, Xia Jingui immediately laughed and said, "Madam, you don't know, Zhang Jinge is the most virtuous and chaste. Before, when Young Master Li coveted her, Zhang Jinge refused to marry him even at the cost of her life. After Young Master Li was imprisoned, Zhang Jinge married into the garrison commander's family. Who knew that the garrison commander's son... already had a mistress outside and had even given birth to a boy. After the marriage, he would drug Zhang Jinge's food every day, thinking that since Zhang Jinge had no children, he would adopt the child from outside into Zhang Jinge's family in the future."

Madam Wang exclaimed in surprise, "Is that so?"

Zhang Jingge laughed and said, "It's not over yet. Zhang Jingge has a fiery temper and is also very clever. Even with such a rare talent, he learned about the garrison commander's son's plot. Madam doesn't know that back then, Zhang Jingge caused a huge scene at the garrison commander's mansion and pushed the garrison commander's son off the artificial hill, causing him to be crippled and bedridden for three months before passing away."

The garrison commander's family was reasonable enough to know they were in the wrong at the time, so they only gave Zhang Jingge a letter of release from his wife and did not force him to remain as a widow for his son.

Lady Wang couldn't help but marvel. She thought to herself, "If Sister Feng is so fiery, and then there's Zhang Jinge with such a strong personality, won't Jia Lian's room be in complete chaos? No matter how strong-willed Sister Feng is, she probably won't have the will to fight with me then."

So Madam Wang smiled and said, "Then what should we do about this?"

Xia Jingui said, "The old lady will give Second Sister-in-law face and will not force her. I heard that Second Brother Lian and Jia Heng from the back street often play together. If Jia Heng can bring them together, why should we worry about it not going to work out?" After a pause, seeing that Madam Wang was puzzled, Xia Jingui whispered, "Madam, I heard that Jia Heng has always wanted to find a job in the imperial court."

Lady Wang's eyes lit up immediately. Her brother, Prince Teng, was on the verge of a meteoric rise in his career, so promoting Jia Heng would be a piece of cake. Using this as bait, she wasn't worried that Jia Heng wouldn't lend a hand.

Having understood this, Madam Wang smiled and patted Xia Jingui's hand lightly, saying, "My child, thanks to you for giving me this idea, otherwise I wouldn't know how to break this deadlock."

Xia Jingui grasped Madam Wang's hand in return and said, "Madam, you are being too polite. Since I came to the manor, I have received much care from you, so it is only natural for me to side with you."

"Good boy, good boy."

After a short while, Xia Jingui's eyes darted around, and she suddenly said, "Madam, is the public treasury sufficient now? If not, I will send a letter to Mother and ask her to send some more money for you to borrow."

Upon hearing this, Madam Wang immediately felt a headache coming on. She said with distress, "My son, even if you hadn't brought it up, I'm afraid I would have had to tell your mother about it someday. As you know, something happened to my sister's family, and she transferred all her businesses to my household. This matter has taken a toll on the public funds, and I'm afraid it will be next year before those businesses can be sold off."

Xia Jingui smiled and said, "Madam is just having a temporary cash shortage. I'll write to Mother tomorrow." She paused and then added, "However, I heard from Qin's maid today that... it seems that Madam has transferred all the land deeds and house deeds to Chen Siyuan? It's worth at least seventy or eighty thousand taels of silver."

Madam Wang was taken aback and said, "Is that so?" She was already ninety percent convinced, and then asked, "Who told you this?"

Xia Jingui said, "Xiao Luo, who serves Miss Qin, has a special condition. She gets tea drunk after drinking just a little tea, and then she will answer any question asked. It seems that what Xiao Luo says must be true."

Lady Wang frowned, secretly fuming, naturally displeased with Aunt Xue and Baochai. Then she felt a pang of regret; if she had known Xue Pan was destined for a short life, she should have risked everything to accept the marriage proposal. If she had, wouldn't the Xue family's fortune have all gone to Baoyu?

With these seventy or eighty thousand taels of silver, the Rongguo Mansion can at least survive for a few more years.

Xia Jingui glanced at Madam Wang's expression and, seeing that she had taken it to heart, secretly smiled with delight. She then stood up and said, "Madam, it's getting late, I... I'll head back now."

"Oh," Madam Wang said, coming to her senses, and quickly said, "Then you should go back and rest well. Yuchuan, please see Jin Gui off for me."

"Yes."

A voice responded from outside, and Yu Chuan'er came in, leading Xia Jingui away gracefully.

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

A simple thatched cottage.

Chen Siyuan sat down in the study, picking up a book but his mind was restless, and he kept thinking about the situation between himself and Yingchun.

Second Sister is indeed intelligent, but she will likely encounter obstacles everywhere if she tries to manage the household. Third Sister Tan Chun at least has Lady Wang openly supporting her, but as for Ying Chun... all she will have left is a burden.

After pondering for a while, Chen Siyuan couldn't sit still any longer. He got up and made an excuse to go for a stroll in the garden, so he left the thatched cottage. After wandering around for a while, he bumped into Siqi carrying a food box from the small kitchen.

When Siqi saw Chen Siyuan, half of her body went limp. Even though she was tall and robust, she softened completely upon approaching him, calling out sweetly, "Brother..."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "I was just looking for you, and we just happened to run into each other."

Siqi thought Chen Siyuan wanted to invite her to the courtyard outside, and immediately blushed and said, "Brother, it's not time yet."

Chen Siyuan raised an eyebrow, pulled out a stack of silver notes from his sleeve, and secretly stuffed them into Siqi's sleeve when no one was around.

Before he could speak, Siqi was startled. She pulled out half of the silver note and glanced at it, secretly estimating that it was at least a thousand taels of silver. She looked up at Chen Siyuan, her eyes immediately welling up with tears, and said, "Brother...do you not want me anymore?"

"Huh? What are you talking about!" Chen Siyuan whispered, "Secretly give this silver note to your second sister, and don't say a word about it... Oh, and remember not to let anyone see it."

Siqi forcibly held back the tears that were about to fall from her eyes. After a long while of astonishment, she said, "Young master, are you... planning to marry our young lady?"

Chen Siyuan coughed lightly and said, "Keep it to yourself, don't spread it around."

Tears welled up instantly, but Siqi wiped them away with great joy, smiling as she said, "Don't worry, brother, I remember."

Siqi secretly thought to herself that she would only have a chance to enter Chen Siyuan's room after she was released from the manor, and that she would probably never be able to be a dowry maid in this lifetime. Unexpectedly, things took a turn for the better, and she didn't know what methods her young lady had used to win back Chen Siyuan's heart.

This... is incredibly joyous news!

Siqi hastily wiped away her tears, glanced around to make sure no one was watching, and then quickly nodded. She replied, "I understand, I definitely won't let anyone see."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Then go quickly."

Siqi responded, glared at Chen Siyuan for a moment, then covered her face and smiled as she turned away.

Siqi walked briskly and soon returned to Zhuijinlou. As soon as she went upstairs, she heard rustling sounds of people rummaging through drawers and cabinets.

Upon arriving at Yingchun's boudoir, they found Yingchun sitting to one side, frowning in deep thought, while Xiuju rummaged through all sorts of objects.

Siqi put down the food box and asked in surprise, "What are you going to do with this?"

Xiuju replied, "Sister, you don't know. As soon as the young lady came back, she said she wanted to pick out all the jewelry and ornaments she didn't like and sell them for some money in the future." She paused, then muttered, "I don't know what's wrong with the young lady."

Siqi fiddled with the silver notes in her sleeve, suddenly lost in thought. The young lady said she was selling off the jewelry she didn't like, but what young lady would complain about having too much jewelry? Perhaps the young lady was selling off her jewelry to raise money? That's why Master Yuan secretly sent her to deliver these silver notes?
Seeing that Xiuju was pouting and not very willing to work, Siqi said, "Alright, I'll take care of things here. You go to the storeroom and get some silver frost charcoal."

Xiuju said, "Sister, the young lady doesn't have much money left in her room."

"Go quickly."

Siqi glared at her, and Xiuju stopped talking, got up and went downstairs.

Seeing that there was no one else in the room, Siqi came over and took out the silver notes from her sleeve and handed them over.

Yingchun snapped out of her daze, glanced at it, and, having already made up her mind, asked, "Where did this come from?"

"It was just now that Uncle Yuan asked me to secretly give it to the young lady."

Yingchun immediately felt relieved. All the servants in this household had eyes for wealth and status; even if they wanted to use someone's help, they always needed money to pave the way. Yingchun was different from Tanchun; she wanted to manage this household gently and carefully.

Yingchun took it and counted it; it was indeed a thousand taels. She took out two hundred-tael silver notes and handed them to Siqi, saying, "Find someone to exchange them for gold beans in secret, and don't let anyone see it."

Siqi smiled and agreed. She thought to herself, "Now look how good this dowry maid is! She's a hundred times better than an ordinary servant. When my young lady becomes Master Yuan's principal wife, I, a mere maidservant, won't even be as good as an ordinary concubine."

Overjoyed, they naturally developed a greater sense of loyalty.

A few days passed quickly. Besides reading in his study, Chen Siyuan also visited the new house twice when he had free time. Qingwen took houttuynia cordata extract, and her cold was cured in a couple of days. You Sanjie thoroughly searched the new house, but still couldn't find the person who pushed Qingwen into the water.

However, it was discovered that someone saw Granny Qu in the side garden that day, and she hurriedly left the vicinity of the incident.

You Sanjie privately approached Chen Siyuan and said, "Brother, do you think it might be that Qingwen... accidentally fell into the water?"

You Sanjie's words were subtle, but she was clearly implying that Qingwen had deliberately jumped into the water to win favor.

Chen Siyuan shook his head and said, "Qingwen isn't that kind of scheming person. You're overthinking it, little sister."

Sister You sneered, "Since it wasn't Qingwen, then it must have been that old hag Qu who came up with this scheme."

Chen Siyuan said, "Luan'er is still young. From now on, let Granny Qu take care of Luan'er. If there is a next time, you can deal with it as you see fit, sister."

Sister You knew that Granny Qu was a wicked woman who had been pushing Qingwen to rise in rank. However, Granny Qu had always protected Qingwen, and Chen Siyuan, out of affection for Qingwen, couldn't bring himself to punish her.

He smiled and agreed, but secretly made a mental note of the debt owed to Granny Qu.

The Rongguo Mansion was peaceful and quiet. The maids came and went every day, talking only about trivial matters. Today, the second young lady, Yingchun, went to the east wing, and tomorrow, Fengjie will visit Qiutong.

Sister Feng was furious for two days. Not only did she take meticulous care of Qiu Tong, but she also went to visit her personally. The First Wife acted with great poise, and for a time everyone in the household was amazed, wondering why Sister Feng had changed her temperament.

Even after being bolted twice, Jia Lian was restless. Before his injuries had healed, he would go out with Jia Heng every day to play, often returning home in the middle of the night.

Feng Jie was probably heartbroken and stopped caring about Jia Lian's affairs.

The day was bright and sunny. The snow that had been falling for several days had stopped, and the servants had already cleared the remaining snow from all the passageways. Chen Siyuan, feeling bored with his studies, was about to take a stroll in the garden.

Then a maid named Yunxiang came to report that Aunt Xue and Baochai had returned together.

Ever since Xue Ke escorted the coffin south, Chen Siyuan has not been able to go to the Xue family's old residence. It has been quite some time since he last saw Baochai and her daughter, and he naturally misses them dearly.

Upon hearing this, he quickly sent his maid, Yunxiang, away to find out more information.

After returning to the Rongguo Mansion, the Xue family mother and daughter naturally went to Rongqing Hall to speak with Grandmother Jia first, and then went to Lady Wang's courtyard. It wasn't until after dinner that evening that the mother and daughter went to the small courtyard to the northeast.

Chen Siyuan couldn't contain himself and paced back and forth in the room. He knew that it would be fine if Aunt Xue and Sister Bao met alone, but if they met together, it was hard to guarantee that things wouldn't start to go wrong over time.

Xiangling, Hongyu, and Wu'er couldn't help but chuckle when they saw Chen Siyuan fidgeting.

Around 3 PM, after Chen Siyuan had finished dinner, Hongyu happily entered and said, "The Miss Bao that Master has been longing for has arrived."

Chen Siyuan suddenly stood up and went outside to greet them, ignoring the teasing of the maids. He quickly stepped out of the room and saw Baochai leading Ying'er, moving gracefully towards them.

After not seeing her for many days, Baochai had indeed lost even more weight. Her once round face looked haggard, and she had become noticeably thinner with prominent cheekbones and a pointed chin.

Chen Siyuan felt even more distressed. Forgetting that they were still outside, he took two steps forward, grasped Baochai's hand, and said, "Why have you lost weight again, little sister?"

Bao-jie smiled bitterly, shook her head, and said, "I've been feeling a bit feverish these past few days and haven't been able to eat much."

"How can that be?" Chen Siyuan pulled Baochai inside, frowning as he said, "Is it because the food at home doesn't suit your taste? A couple of days ago, I had Qingyu order a copper pot and froze some of the best lamb. I'll have some with you later, sister."

Baochai looked up and saw the affection in Chen Siyuan's eyes, which warmed her heart slightly, but then filled her with bitterness. She thought to herself, "Before, as the principal wife, I naturally had to be more discreet... but now that I can only be the secondary wife, what is there that I can't give up?"

So he nodded and said, "Alright, it's been a long time since I've had a copper hot pot."

Chen Siyuan quickly gave Hongyu a look, and Hongyu nodded in understanding, then hurriedly ordered people to prepare.

Chen Siyuan pulled Baochai inside. Xiangling served fragrant tea, then told Ying'er and the others to leave, leaving Chen Siyuan and Baochai alone in the room.

Chen Siyuan held Baochai in his arms and whispered, "Is my little sister still heartbroken over Wenlong's matter?"

Baochai shook her head. Not out of sadness, but out of despair. She had finally found a good man, and her heart was full of hope that they would live in harmony, with her managing the household so that he could focus on his studies without distractions. She hoped that one day her husband would rise to prominence and earn her a title of nobility.

Who would have thought that the world would collapse in an instant, and with the death of her elder brother Xue Pan, for the sake of the Xue family's main branch's lineage, no matter how unwilling she was, Baochai could only become the head of the lineage's wife.

Who knows the bitterness in my heart?
“I know what my sister is thinking. Don’t worry, if I enter officialdom in the future, I will definitely make many contributions and earn a title for my sister.”

Baochai looked up, her almond-shaped eyes brimming with tears that fell like short pearls. She tilted her head slightly and nestled in Chen Siyuan's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

After Chen Siyuan coaxed and persuaded her for a long time, Baochai finally calmed down.

Then, recalling the previous situation, she said, "Today, my mother and I went to my aunt's room to talk. Xia Jingui kept stirring things up. Although my aunt didn't say anything, she looked at my mother and me with great annoyance."

Chen Siyuan sneered, "Is it because you think you haven't taken enough money from my family?"

Baochai didn't reply, but continued, "Auntie said she wanted to borrow money to make ends meet, and Mother gritted her teeth and agreed to take out three thousand taels, but Auntie turned around and said there was no rush."

Chen Siyuan pondered, "This is deliberately trying to sow discord. I suspect that Xia Jingui already agreed to your aunt's request."

Baochai nodded and said, "I see that my aunt has already decided to take advantage of my misfortune, but she is hesitant to do so because my brother has just left and has recently taken over our family's business. My aunt is the most ruthless person, so you... you must be careful. It's hard to guarantee that she won't come after me, but she might come after you."

Chen Siyuan gasped. He had always thought that he was outstanding and not deeply involved in the Jia family's troubles, so he would never be targeted by Madam Wang.

Now that Xue Pan is dead, whoever marries Baochai can seize the Xue family's main branch's assets. The Rongguo Mansion is running a deficit, and to maintain her control over the household, Lady Wang indulges her servants in extorting money and favors, leading to increasingly extravagant spending. With no money to spend, Lady Wang may have to subsidize the expenses herself.

Even with Lady Wang's generous dowry, how could she possibly support the expenses of such a large family?

Who knows, someone with ulterior motives might stir things up and even try to kill you!

If I die, Baochai will have a hard time getting married in the future. This is because the whole household knows that I have a secret affair with Baochai. If this gets out, what respectable family wouldn't have reservations?

When Lady Wang brings up the "golden and jade marriage" again and agrees to let the Xue family take over the inheritance, won't that bring them a fortune?

After thinking it over, Chen Siyuan quickly said, "My sister is right. It seems I need to be more careful in the future."

Baochai looked up at Chen Siyuan again and whispered, "I have no other wish now, I only wish that the two of us are safe and sound. No matter whether you pass the imperial examination or not, I will marry you after the spring examination."

"Okay," Chen Siyuan readily agreed.

The two looked at each other for a moment, and Baochai's breathing became heavier. Chen Siyuan reached out and stroked Baochai's face, and was about to cover her lips with his own when Hongyu from outside said, "Master, Miss Qin has brought tea and snacks."

Chen Siyuan and Baochai exchanged a glance. Baochai quickly got up and sat down to the side. Soon after, a figure turned past the screen, and Xue Baoqin entered with a smile.

Upon seeing the two, Baoqin curtsied and said, "Brother Yuan, Sister Yuan, it's so dry this winter. The other day, Hongyu told me that Brother Yuan was so dry that he had a nosebleed, so I made some matcha and mung bean cakes." She paused, then, as if realizing something belatedly, covered her mouth in surprise and said, "Oh dear, I came so abruptly. Did I disturb Brother Yuan and Sister Yuan's conversation?"

Chen Siyuan noticed that Baochai frowned slightly, clearly displeased. He couldn't help but think to himself, "This Qin-meimei's actions are truly full of 'tea flavor' (a Chinese idiom for being overly sarcastic or manipulative)."

(End of this chapter)