Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 325: Setting a Trap
Rongguo Mansion, Furen Yude Hall.

Snapped--

The account book was slammed onto the table. Tan Chun smiled coldly and said, "Fine, I thought that after selling off a few old women, the atmosphere in the whole household would be straightened out. Come here! Tell me, how did this perfectly good styrax incense turn sour?"

The old woman kneeling below stammered, "Third Miss, this old servant didn't know. This styrax is all purchased by the purchasing office and stored in the central storeroom. I... I took it back from the storeroom!"

Tan Chun said, "She won't shed tears until she sees the coffin. Men, search her room!"

The old woman retorted, "Third Miss, this old servant is not convinced. There are neither witnesses nor physical evidence. On what grounds can you search my room?"

Tan Chun sneered, glanced at Xia Jingui who was silent beside her, and then said to Li Wan, who was fiddling with her prayer beads, "Sister-in-law, she said I can't search her room?"

Li Wan chuckled, "What a joke! A mere servant dares to rebel?" Staring at the old woman, she said, "You've probably forgotten that back then, when the capital region suffered a drought, your family couldn't survive. The old lady took pity on you and let you into the household. You signed a contract of indenture back then! Even if they just searched your room or beat you to death, according to the law, they would only have to pay some silver to the yamen."

Third sister, I don't think we need to interrogate this unruly servant; just kill him.

The old woman immediately fell silent, only staring intently at Wu Xingdeng's wife.

The head maid outside received the news and led two maids and other servants to search the old woman's room. After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the head maid returned and placed all the items on the table.

Tan Chun frowned and winked at Cui Mo, who then unfolded the bundle, revealing the various items inside.

The items around here were quite ordinary, except for a hundred-tael silver note.

Tan Chun glanced at the old woman, picked up the silver note and scanned it, saying, "One hundred taels? Your monthly allowance only increased by one tael a year ago, and it was less than one tael before. I'll just calculate it as one tael for now. Eighty months is only eighty taels. Where did you get one hundred taels?"

The old woman retorted, "Yes, it was because I had good luck; I won it back by gambling with someone."

Tan Chun said, "Even now, you still won't confess?"

The old woman glanced at Wu Xingdeng's wife again, and Wu Xingdeng's wife stepped forward and said, "Third Miss, gambling is a serious crime, but you said before that you would not punish it. To convict someone based on a single silver note is not convincing to the public."

Xia Jingui immediately chimed in, "Yes, Third Sister, there must be a reason and evidence to convict someone. Besides, since Third Sister said she would not hold the past against her... it would be a bad idea to go back on her word."

Tan Chun secretly gathered her anger, her eyes blazing with fury. Li Wan, fearing Tan Chun would become enraged, quickly stepped forward, grabbed Tan Chun's arm, and shook her head at her.

The woman with the frosty expression on her face suddenly chuckled, moved gracefully to the old woman's side, and stared at her silently for a long while. Then, she turned and sat down, smiling, "Fine, since there's no evidence, consider yourself safe. I'm thirsty; could you please bring me a cup of tea?"

The old woman hurriedly agreed and cautiously got up to serve tea. As she moved closer to Tan Chun, she saw Tan Chun's hand seem to slip suddenly, and the tea saucer fell to the ground and broke in two.

Tan Chun covered her mouth and exclaimed in surprise, "Oh dear, my hand slipped. It doesn't matter that there's no teacup. What are you standing there for? Quickly serve me tea."

The old woman agreed and was about to pick up the teapot when Shishu snatched it away and handed her a freshly brewed teapot: "This tea is cold, let's change it to this one."

The old woman took the teapot and immediately felt that the handle was quite hot. She poured a cup of tea and was about to step back when Tan Chun said, "You want me to take it myself?"

"No, no, I wouldn't dare." The old woman gritted her teeth and picked up the teacup, immediately feeling a burning pain in her hands. So she endured the pain and respectfully handed it over, saying, "Third Miss, please have some tea."

Tan Chun looked at the cunning old woman with a cold smile, reached out and touched her briefly before withdrawing her hand, saying, "It's too hot, let it cool down first."

The old woman knew perfectly well that Tan Chun was deliberately messing with her. Even with her calloused hands, she couldn't withstand the scalding teacup. After only a couple of breaths, she couldn't take it anymore. With a cry of "Ouch!", the teacup fell to the ground, soaking Tan Chun's skirt.

Tan Chun slammed her hand on the table and cursed, "You unruly old scoundrel, are you trying to scald me on purpose! Guards, take him away and give him twenty lashes, then find a slave trader to sell him off!"

The old woman was so frightened that she immediately knelt down and begged for mercy, banging her head on the ground like garlic. Soon after, two burly men rushed in, grabbed her shoulders and back, and dragged her to the outside of the Furen Yude Hall. They pulled down her pants and started beating her with a board.

Xia Jingui frowned as she watched, and said to Tanchun, "Third sister's behavior will probably ruin her reputation."

Tan Chun smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Sister Xia. It's rare for an outsider like you to worry about the Jia family. By the way, I heard that Madam Xia is ill again. When will you return home to visit her?"

Xia Jingui suppressed her embarrassment and anger, and gritted her teeth, saying, "No need for Third Sister to worry. My mother just caught a cold, and she's already much better these past two days."

Tan Chun smiled and said, "This is truly a cause for celebration! We must congratulate Sister Xia."

The two exchanged a glance, and Xia Jingui stood up abruptly, saying, "This matter is settled. I will go and report back to Madam."

"Please do as you please, Sister Xia."

Watching Xia Jingui lead Baochan and Granny Hu away quickly, Tanchun sneered, lifted her skirt and stood up, saying to everyone, "That's enough for today. If there are any more cunning people in the future, they will all be beaten and kicked out of the mansion!"

All the managers agreed in unison, then left quickly without saying a word.

Li Wan quickly came over and grabbed Tan Chun's hand, saying, "Xia Jingui might become your sister-in-law someday, so why bother getting angry with her?"

"Sister-in-law? Could it be that Second Brother Lian doesn't want Sister Feng anymore and has married someone with the surname Xia instead?"

The maidservant covered her mouth and laughed, "Miss, your mouth is getting more and more sharp."

Su Yun said, "Third Miss, our grandmother is referring to Bao Er's grandmother."

Tan Chun said, "What kind of family background does the Xia family have? If she wants to become Bao Er's wife, Xia Jingui will probably have a long way to go!"

Li Wan smiled and shook her head, saying nothing more. She had already offered those words of advice earlier, but the third girl was too stubborn and wouldn't listen to anyone.

No matter what, the Madam is still the legal mother. Tan Chun's marriage will depend on the Madam's decision in the future. If she continues to resist like this, how can she expect to get away with it? We can only hope that the old lady can live a few more years so that she can make arrangements for Tan Chun's marriage. Otherwise, Tan Chun's suffering is likely just around the corner.

At this moment, an old woman arrived at the front of the hall. Shi Shu caught sight of her and quickly came out to answer her. The two went to the side and whispered to each other for a while. After Shi Shu answered the old woman, she turned around and went back.

Tan Chun saw this early in the morning and asked, "Is something the matter?"

The maidservant said, "Miss, Master Heng from the back street has come looking for Master Lian again. A few days ago, I heard from the old women in the mansion that Master Heng's concubine has been going to the outer city these days. I wonder what she's up to."

Tan Chun said, "We won't concern ourselves with matters concerning the outer quarters. From now on, you can just inquire about things happening in the garden."

Shi Shu smiled and agreed.

Just then, an old woman came from outside to report, saying, "Miss, the old lady from the Ning'an Marquis's mansion has sent a visiting card, saying that she is asking Master Yuan to send medicine."

Tan Chun frowned and asked in surprise, "Medicine? What medicine?"

Li Wan had just met with Chen Siyuan in secret yesterday, and now, vaguely recalling what Chen Siyuan had said, she smiled and said, "Previously, Lan'er had a high fever that wouldn't go down, and it was thanks to Brother Yuan that he sent over that garlic extract. Could it be that the old lady from the Ning'an Marquis's mansion came to ask for garlic extract?"

Tan Chun clasped her hands together and smiled, saying, "That must be it. Brother Yuan is truly capable. Not only are his writings outstanding and his appearance excellent, but he also always does things that surprise people. Just like this allicin, who would have thought that garlic, which we eat so often, could be made into a miraculous medicine?"

He immediately handed the invitation to Shishu and said, "Go and quickly deliver it to Brother Yuan."

Shi Shu quickly curtsied and, holding the invitation, hurried to the back of the garden. A light snow had fallen that day. Shi Shu strode into the Grand View Garden, bypassing the verdant peaks, passing the Qin Fang Pavilion, and heading straight for the Qing Tang Thatched Cottage.

When they arrived at the door shortly after, they saw Yunxiang and two old women sweeping. Upon seeing Shishu arrive, Yunxiang immediately dropped the broom and greeted her with a smile, saying, "Sister Shishu, what brings you here?"

The servant handed over the invitation, saying, "I've brought this invitation to your master."

After receiving the invitation, Yunxiang said, "My master is studying right now, so I'll take it to him. I won't take it to you, sister."

Shi Shu called out to Yun Xiang with a "Hey!" and took out a piece of malt candy from her purse, stuffed it into Yun Xiang's mouth, and pinched her chubby little face, saying, "You little devil, you're always trying to slack off."

Yunxiang chuckled and said, "Sister, you're talking nonsense. I'm clearly thinking about my master all the time."

Having said that, he left Shishu behind and darted into the room. Shishu smiled and shook her head before turning back. As soon as Yunxiang entered, she called out, "Master, Master, someone has delivered an invitation outside."

Chen Siyuan put down his book, responded, and took the invitation. He glanced at it and saw that it was from the Ning'an Earl's residence. He frowned slightly. The Ning'an Earl and Xiangyun's third uncle, the Zhongjing Marquis, were both former officials in the current emperor's former residence. They were granted the title of Ning'an Earl because of their contributions in the struggle for the throne.

As the saying goes, "A new emperor brings a new court," just as the nobles of the former Ming dynasty who fought the Jingnan Rebellion looked down on the old nobles, the Ning'an Marquis's family naturally looked down on the Rongguo Mansion. They wouldn't have sent out this invitation unless they had no other choice.

He immediately unfolded the post and glanced at it. It was from the old lady of the Earl's mansion, asking for medicine for her young master. She specifically asked for houttuynia cordata extract.

After reading this, Chen Siyuan smiled and instructed, "Hongyu, fetch two bottles of houttuynia cordata extract and give them to Yunxiang to return to the front."

Hongyu agreed and went to the small storeroom in the side room. Chen Siyuan then picked up his brush and wrote down the usage instructions. After the ink dried, he handed it to Yunxiang as well.

The little trumpet took the item and skipped away happily, which goes without saying.

Chen Siyuan, however, seemed to be deep in thought. Ever since he caught Jia Lian and Qiu Tong having an affair, Chen Siyuan had been plotting to set a trap for Jia She.

The green hat might not anger Jia She, but I wonder if money could. I recalled previously offering medicine to Prince Yanping's mansion, and I expected the matter to spread far and wide. I never imagined that so much time would pass before someone, desperate for a cure, would actually seek it out.

I just hope this time it's exactly what I'm looking for, so I can make a name for myself.

After seeing Yunxiang off, Hongyu turned to Chen Siyuan and said, "Didn't you say that you didn't want to associate with nobles?"

Chen Siyuan said, "I previously wanted to join the Qingliu faction, but the Prince said that this path is blocked."

Hongyu frowned and said, "Even if you're not a member of the 'pure stream,' you're still a civil official."

"Oh? You actually know a bit about the rules of officialdom? Not bad, not bad." Seeing Hongyu's coquettish refusal, Chen Siyuan said, "Don't worry, I'm just here to ask for medicine, it's nothing to do with business."

After a moment's thought, Chen Siyuan simply stood up and said, "I haven't been to the east courtyard for a few days, I'll go and see my aunt."

To plot against Jia She, it would be best to first have a showdown with Madam Xing.

Before long they arrived at the east courtyard, where Chen Siyuan and Madam Xing closed the door and discussed the matter.

Upon hearing that Chen Siyuan planned to plot against Jia She, Madam Xing was overjoyed and offered several terrible suggestions. Only after Chen Siyuan refuted them all did she obediently listen to him.

After a brief moment of tenderness, the two began talking about other things.

Madam Xing said, "It's strange. Yingchun has been coming to my room often lately, either to pay her respects or to tease Fourth Brother. She also often talks to that old hag from Wang Shanbao's family."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "What's strange about it? Second Sister has just been coming more often lately."

As Chen Siyuan's wife, Madam Xing knew his temperament well. Upon hearing his words, she immediately frowned and said, "No, you're definitely not telling the truth."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "This matter should not be publicized for the time being. You should wait a while longer. Perhaps we will get a definite answer next year."

Madam Xing was slightly taken aback and guessed, "Are you the one who wants to settle down with Er Yatou?"

Chen Siyuan was dumbfounded. Although he hadn't guessed the process at all, the result was correct. It's true that Madam Xing, though not very clever, was incredibly lucky. How could an ordinary family have the chance to marry into a high-ranking family like the Jia family as a second wife?

Thinking back to the original book, I wonder if the last forty chapters are accurate. If we follow the original text, after the Jia family's property was confiscated, the emperor pardoned them and returned their property within a few years. Was Madam Xing a case of foolish good fortune?
Chen Siyuan gave a vague reply, then reminded Madam Xing not to forget to pass on the message before hurriedly taking his leave.

Madam Xing was overjoyed, convinced that Chen Siyuan would marry the second daughter, Yingchun, someday. She quickly found a piece of jewelry and sent Miao'er to deliver it to the second daughter.

After thinking about it, it wouldn't be right to give only to Yingchun and not to Xing Xiuyan, so he found a few other things that would do, wrote them down in a letter, and sent them to Xing Xiuyan.

That day, both the Second Miss and Xing Xiuyan received a reward from Madam Xing. They were all puzzled, unable to figure out what Madam Xing was up to this time.

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

Outer city, jewelry shops.

Zhang Jingge led his maid inside and asked a shop assistant, "Young man, do you buy jewelry?"

The shopkeeper agreed and invited the manager to examine the jewelry. Zhang Jingge then opened her handkerchief, revealing a pair of pure gold bracelets inside. Having left the garrison commander's residence, she had no spare money and could only survive by selling her dowry.

The shopkeeper glanced at it a few times, then suddenly heard a cough from behind him. He said, "Please wait a moment, madam. My old eyes are failing, and I can't tell whether it's gold-wrapped silver or not right now. Let me cut it open and examine it carefully."

Without much thought, Zhang Jinge nodded in agreement.

The shopkeeper went around behind the counter, hid the bracelet, replaced it with a similar pair, found some scissors, cut the gold bracelet open, and then feigned surprise, saying, "It really is gold-plated silver, madam, come and see for yourself!"

The maidservant became angry and said, "You heartless wretch! This bracelet was made by the madam for the young lady when she got married. It was made with a gold ingot. How could it be some kind of gold-wrapped silver?"

Zhang Jingge also stood up and frowned, saying, "Shopkeeper, are you sure you're not mistaken?"

The shopkeeper stroked his beard and said, "If you don't believe me, come and see for yourself."

Zhang Jingge and her maid glanced at the counter, and Zhang Jingge sneered, "This is too much! Try to replace it with another bracelet, do you think I can't tell?"

The maidservants also started cursing, but the shopkeeper argued vehemently, "My family has been in business for thirty years, and we've never cheated anyone, young or old. You've tried to deceive people with gold and silver, and instead of showing remorse, you're trying to turn the tables on us. Come on, throw them out!"

Several waiters immediately surrounded the maid and began arguing with her.

Zhang Jingge's face turned ashen. He secretly pulled out a pair of scissors from his sleeve, ready to fight to the death. Suddenly, someone inside shouted, "What's all this commotion? Why is it so lively?"

As they were talking, a young man lifted the curtain and entered the room.

Zhang Jingge glanced up and saw that the young man was in his early twenties, handsome, and dressed in fine clothes, clearly a nobleman's son.

Zhang Jingge remained silent, head down. The maidservant cried and spoke anxiously, while several shop assistants kept interrupting. The young man sneered and said to the manager, "Manager Liu, your accounts were never right to begin with, and now you've done something so heartless! Do you really think I'm blind? Come on, take him back to the manor and interrogate him thoroughly. Find out all the details of his embezzlement and corruption!"

The shopkeeper was so frightened that he cried out that he was innocent, and two servants came forward and took him to the back.

The spoiled young man went behind the counter again, found a pair of bracelets belonging to Zhang Jinge, and immediately ordered the shop assistant to cut them open and weigh them again. The bracelets were worth two taels of pure gold, which was equivalent to twenty taels of silver.

But when the accounts were tallied, the纨绔哥儿 (a spoiled, dissolute young man) decided to give twenty-five taels.

Zhang Jingge accepted the money in astonishment, then quickly returned the extra five taels, saying, "Young master, you gave me too much."

Unexpectedly, the playboy unfolded his folding fan and said with a smile, "Consider the extra as an apology to the young lady. I hope you will accept it and not publicize what happened today."

The maid, who had been struggling with Zhang Jinge, quickly whispered, "It was their fault after all. It's only natural to offer some compensation. Madam, you should accept it."

Zhang Jingge sighed, then thanked him and accepted the gift. The lawsuit was over, and the shop assistant and onlookers dispersed. Before leaving, Zhang Jingge glanced back at the young man one last time before leading his maid away.

The young man waving his fan watched for a while, and only came to the back after everyone had disappeared from sight.

After lifting the curtain and entering the back room, Manager Liu, who had been about to be dragged back to the mansion, was waiting there, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Upon seeing the young master, he couldn't help but cup his hands and say with a wry smile, "Second Master, if Second Madam finds out about this, she'll definitely break my legs."

Jia Lian laughed and said, "You're patting Second Madam, are you not afraid of your Second Master? Don't worry, your Second Madam is busy running to the workshop whenever she has free time, how could she possibly come to this jewelry shop?"

Just then, someone else came in through the back door; it was Jia Heng, who had come with him. Jia Lian quickly stepped forward and asked, "Brother, what did you say?"

Jia Heng laughed and said, "Don't worry, my concubine will come to visit soon. We'll get used to it after a while. With your abilities, brother, I'm not afraid that Zhang Jinge won't agree."

(End of this chapter)