Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 326 Good Things Are Coming Soon for Baocha

Then, in the afternoon, another heavy snow fell.

The carriage rumbled along, and Feng Jie and Ping'er sat inside. Inside, an incense burner was lit, upon which sandalwood incense was placed. Feng Jie held a hand warmer as the carriage swayed.

Ping'er said, "Grandma, the shopkeeper just said that two new workshops are opening nearby, and they're going to make our things too. I heard that both workshops have powerful backers. Isn't that going to steal your business?"

Sister Feng sneered, "It's just that the Rongguo Mansion is not what it used to be. Twenty years ago, how could it have tolerated such a petty and arrogant person?"

Ping'er said worriedly, "This month is alright, but once the first month comes and those two workshops open, I'm afraid..."

Sister Feng frowned with worry, then sighed and said, "I'll ask Brother Yuan for advice later. He has a stake in this workshop, so it's not right to just ignore it."

Ping'er smiled and said, "Grandma has probably forgotten that Brother Yuan transferred his shares to Miss Lin a long time ago."

Sister Feng glanced at her sideways and said with a smile, "Isn't it the same? It's just a matter of transferring money from one hand to the other. It's a pity that Lin's health isn't quite up to par yet, otherwise she would have company every time she comes."

Ping'er silently poured Feng Jie a cup of tea, which Feng Jie took and drank in one gulp. Suddenly, she thought of Jia Lian and asked, "Why has your second master been missing again these past few days?"

Ping'er scolded, "Grandma, you still say that? Yesterday, Second Master came in high spirits, but Grandma poured cold water on him. How could he dare to come here and risk bad luck?"

Feng Jie frowned and remained silent, because she had indeed had a stomachache yesterday, and the thought of Jia She and his son Jia Lian sharing Qiu Tong made her feel quite nauseous. She tried to make amends, saying, "Didn't I tell him to go find you?"

Ping'er pursed her lips and remained silent. Feeling that continuing the conversation would only make things more awkward, Ping'er changed the subject and said, "Yes, it's strange, Second Miss has been traveling around a lot these days, I don't know why. Yesterday afternoon, she gave me a pair of red gold filigree bracelets in just a few words."

Sister Feng said, "She's had a hard time too. The master doesn't care for her, the mistress doesn't like her, and she has no one to take care of her in the mansion. Pass on the message that our people shouldn't make things difficult for Second Sister in the future."

Ping'er said, "No need for Grandma to tell me, I already gave the order this morning."

As they were talking, the carriage suddenly stopped, and a servant from outside said, "Grandma, Master Yuan has fallen!"

The mistress and servant exchanged a glance, and Ping'er quickly lifted the curtain to go out and check. Feng Jie'er also lifted the carriage curtain to observe. By this time, they had already entered the inner city, and Feng Jie'er could see a group of people gathered ahead, and a lame horse rolling around.

A moment later, the curtain was lifted, and Chen Siyuan, looking disheveled and covered in dust, entered the carriage.

Sister Feng asked in surprise, "Brother Yuan, what did you do?"

Chen Siyuan, both amused and exasperated, bowed and said, "Don't even mention it. It's true that everyone makes mistakes. I was riding my horse back from the Prince of Yanping's mansion, and I was doing just fine when I suddenly fell down."

Sister Feng asked, "Is it serious? Are any bones broken?"

Chen Siyuan rubbed his right arm and right hip and said, "I don't think I'm injured, but it hurts a bit."

Sister Feng breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Brother Yuan, what kind of horse are you riding in the snow? From now on, you should take a carriage."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "That was the original plan, but Madam went to the Wang family early this morning, and we don't have enough carriages in the mansion."

Feng Jie didn't say anything then, but then she noticed a large patch of skin torn on Chen Siyuan's right hand, with blood gushing out. She immediately frowned and said, "How did you hurt your hand? Ping'er, quickly bandage it for Brother Yuan."

Chen Siyuan raised his hand to look at it, and said with a smile, "It's just a minor flesh wound, nothing to worry about, it will be fine in a few days."

Sister Feng said, "You can never be too careful. Brother Yuan probably doesn't know, but a few days ago a butcher accidentally injured his hand and died of illness a few days later."

Tetanus, these days it's truly incurable.

Ping'er tore off a clean handkerchief and first wiped away the snow and dirt from Chen Siyuan before finding another handkerchief to bandage him.

Then Sister Feng began to talk about the workshop's business. Upon hearing that two new workshops had been built, Chen Siyuan frowned slightly and said, "They're just jealous and have come knocking on our door."

Sister Feng sneered, "Isn't that right? I heard that those two companies used to make tires, but they didn't sell well, so they switched to making our stuff."

Chen Siyuan said, "That's simple. I just gave the prince a plan today, and I guarantee that it won't be long before the tire business is even more booming than before."

Sister Feng was immediately delighted and pressed for more information. Chen Siyuan briefly explained the wheel hub matter, which immediately pleased Sister Feng.

With no one scrambling for food, they can naturally earn more money.

"That's good, that's good." Sister Feng smiled and said to Ping'er, "See, what did I just say? Brother Yuan will definitely have a plan."

Ping'er also laughed and said, "Grandpa Yuan thought of that first, so Grandma didn't even need to tell him."

Sister Feng turned to Chen Siyuan and said, "Brother Yuan, it's almost the end of the year. If we follow your suggestion, we'll have a half-month holiday during the first month of the lunar year, and then the bonus—"

Chen Siyuan waved his hand and said, "If Second Sister-in-law needs money urgently, she can take some of the profits. I'm thinking of taking this opportunity to expand the workshop. Only when the scale is large will the cost be reduced. If there are any fools in the future, we can use our capital to hurt them."

Sister Feng calculated that she still had over a thousand taels of silver on hand, enough to live on. With the workshop expanded, she would naturally earn back several times that amount in the future; it was better to invest the profits back than keep them. So she smiled and said, "No problem, I'm not short of silver either. Let's do as Brother Yuan suggests and expand and hire more people first?"

The matter was settled, and after a while, a servant came to report. Ping'er then said, "Grandma, we're almost at Ningrong Street."

It wouldn't be good if word got out that the uncle and sister-in-law were sharing a room, so Chen Siyuan simply bowed and took his leave, got off the carriage, and entered the garden through the back gate of the Rongguo Mansion.

They went straight back to the thatched cottage and heard laughter and cheerful voices coming from inside. They went inside, walked around the screen, and saw Baoqin and Wu'er playing cat's cradle.

Upon seeing Chen Siyuan, the two hurried over to greet him.

Baoqin wore a light purple satin round-necked jacket with pink and purple trim and a plum blossom pattern, over which she wore a white cross-collar jacket and a beige long skirt. Her hair was styled in a small bun, with butterfly hairpins adorning her temples, making her look exceptionally charming.

Chen Siyuan cupped his hands and smiled, saying, "What brings you here, Sister Qin?"

Baoqin smiled and said, "Yesterday I borrowed a manuscript from Sister Xing. I originally thought Brother Yuan was good at poetry, but I didn't expect him to write such a good storybook as well." As she spoke, she leaned forward slightly and pointed to the whites of her eyes, saying, "Look, I stayed up half the night and found it very enjoyable. Today, my brother brought some venison jerky, so I brought some to Brother Yuan and asked him what happened next."

Chen Siyuan invited him to sit down, saying, "It's just a doodle. I was thinking of continuing it, but I don't have the time now."

Baoqin added, "That's not all. The other day I heard my sister say that Brother Yuan wrote a book called 'The Annals of the Four Continents'?"

The Chronicles of the Four Continents is being written intermittently; it would be good if it could be finished next year.

Chen Siyuan said, "Bao-meimei even mentioned this."

Baoqin, the little fox, smiled and said, "We're cousins ​​after all. My sister is gentle and open-minded, so she wouldn't hide anything from me."

Only then did Wu'er notice the tear in the cloak and see that half of Chen Siyuan's body was dirty. She immediately frowned and asked, "What happened to you, sir?"

Baoqin quickly glanced over and covered her mouth, asking, "Did you fall?"

"Don't even mention it, the horse had a limp and tripped and fell while walking."

Baoqin and Wu'er came over to inquire carefully. Upon hearing that Chen Siyuan had some pain in his hip and arm, Wu'er hurriedly went to find the imperial physician to ask for ointment.

As soon as Wu'er left, perhaps because Ping'er hadn't tied it tightly enough, the handkerchief wrapped around Chen Siyuan's right hand fell off. Baoqin grabbed Chen Siyuan's hand and, seeing the scrapes and abrasions all over it, frowned and asked, "Even your hand is injured? Does it hurt?"

This witty little girl is putting on an act for me again. It's a bit strange, though. Usually, Qin-mei only uses such witty talk when Bao-jie is around. Why has she changed her tune and is now coming at me?

Chen Siyuan then said, "It's just a minor scratch; it'll be fine in a few days."

Baoqin said, "Brother Yuan is really amazing. I'm terrified of pain. Even a small cut would make me cry for ages when I was little." She then pulled Chen Siyuan's hand to her face, puffed out her cheeks, and blew on it. Chen Siyuan asked in surprise, "Are you trying to coax a child?"

"It's always good to blow on it." Baoqin didn't look up, but leaned forward and put the wound in her mouth.

A small, delicate tongue licked the wound, causing Chen Siyuan both pain and itchiness. A moment later, Baoqin raised her almond-shaped eyes and stared at Chen Siyuan.

Oh my gosh! Who could resist this?
After a moment, Baoqin let go of Chen Siyuan's hand and said with a smile, "Alright, now you don't have to worry about the wound getting infected."

Chen Siyuan snapped out of his daze, frowned, and said, "Sister Qin, what's wrong—"

"Hmm?" Baoqin stared at Chen Siyuan and said, "Brother Yuan asked me why I'm so eager to get closer to you?" Before Chen Siyuan could reply, Baoqin said, "The betrothal contract has been signed, and I will naturally come to Brother Yuan's side with my sister in the future. In that case, what's wrong with getting to know each other a little earlier?"

That's true, but what you're doing—

“What does Brother Yuan want to say? Is it recklessness or shamelessness?” Baoqin said with a smile, “My aunt is afraid that my family will build a larger house, so she forced me to marry into your family as a concubine. The betrothal letter has been signed, and I am now your concubine. At most, it’s just recklessness, but it can be considered shamelessness.”

Chen Siyuan said, "Judging from what Sister Qin said, it seems that she is unwilling to marry into this family?"

Baoqin said frankly, "I have no one I like. Brother Yuan is good in every way, so I'd like to get to know you and see. If you suit my taste, I'll stick to you from now on."

"What if it doesn't suit your taste?"

After Chen Siyuan finished asking, Baoqin said, "If it doesn't suit my taste, I hope that after a year of marriage, Brother Yuan can let me leave. I was first a concubine, and then I was kicked out of the house. I will definitely not be able to find a good family in the future. In this way, Aunt can rest assured."

The clever and quirky little girl, who is even younger than Tan Chun, where did she get such a righteous idea?
Chen Siyuan teased, "Sister Qin, you're really joking. Now that you're in my home, how could I let you leave?"

Baoqin replied, "If you won't let me go, I'll just run away on my own. The world is so big, where can't I go? I'll change places every month, travel around and enjoy the scenery, and I guarantee you won't be able to find me. I'm still young, and although I've read some storybooks, I don't really understand the feelings between men and women. In my opinion, a woman doesn't necessarily have to get married; she can live more freely on her own."

Looking at her hopeful little face, Chen Siyuan couldn't tell whether Baoqin was telling the truth or not.

After pondering for a while, she finally said, "Since Sister Qin's heart is set on the distant world of martial arts, why does she constantly try to outdo Sister Bao?"

Baoqin snapped out of her daze, turned to look at Chen Siyuan, and suddenly smiled like a little fox, saying, "Who told you that everything your older sister has ever had is the best since we were little?"

Just as Chen Siyuan was about to speak again, Wu'er returned with the ointment. Baoqin stood up and said, "Then Brother Yuan, please treat your injuries first. I'll head back now." When she reached the screen, she stopped and turned her head, saying, "It's too formal to keep calling you Brother Yuan. How about I call you brother from tomorrow? It's settled then."

Without waiting for Chen Siyuan's reply, he happily drove off.

Chen Siyuan scratched his head inwardly. He followed Wu'er into the bedroom, took off his inner and outer clothes, and let Wu'er apply medicine to him.

As the ointment was applied to the side of his palm, Chen Siyuan winced in pain and gasped.

Wu'er quickly stopped: "Did you hurt the master?"

"It's alright," Chen Siyuan said thoughtfully, "Wu'er, what do you think of Sister Qin?"

Wu'er didn't even look up, focusing on applying the medicine, and said, "Miss Qin is indeed very good. She is calm and composed, neither humble nor arrogant, sincere and understanding, and also intelligent, worldly-wise but not cynical."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Fifth Brother speaks so highly of you, how does that compare to Bao-mei?"

"Miss Bao?" Wu'er frowned and said, "Miss Bao is naturally very good, but every time she comes, I'm on tenterhooks."

Chen Siyuan pressed for an explanation, and Wu'er gave a rambling account, which finally made sense to Chen Siyuan. It was probably because Baochai loved to lecture; whenever someone made a mistake, Baochai wouldn't scold or beat them, but would gently reason with them. Over time, this naturally made Wu'er instinctively anxious, afraid that she might make a mistake again.

After the medicine was applied, Wu'er tidied up the ointment and casually asked, "Why did you ask me all that earlier, Master?"

"It was just a casual question." That's what he said, but Chen Siyuan always felt that Baoqin did it on purpose both times, and her goal was... to force him to let her go?

Most girls who don't want to get married throw tantrums and threaten suicide, but Baoqin does the opposite. When she ends up being disliked by her husband, it's not her fault.

Upon realizing this, Chen Siyuan chuckled and muttered, "That little devil."

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

With a creak, the door opened, and Zhang Jingge looked up into the hall. Her personal maid, Nongyue, said with a stern face, "Miss, Aunt Zheng is here again."

Zhang Jingge sighed and put down her work. She now lives away from home, living off her dowry. Knowing she couldn't just sit around doing nothing, she took on some needlework jobs from her neighbors.

While she was thinking, Nongyue led Aunt Zheng, who was dressed in gold and silver, into the room. Zhang Jingge got up to greet her and said, "Sister, you've come again?"

Aunt Zheng glanced at them, then stepped forward and took Zhang Jinge's hands in her hands, saying, "Look at these hands, they're covered in needle marks. It's heartbreaking to see. You still have some dowry to rely on, but what if you run out of food and supplies in the future? Won't you suffer until your hands rot and your eyes go blind? We've been friends since we were little, and I'm only two years older than you. I just can't bear to see you like this."

Zhang Jingge led her to sit on the kang (a heated brick bed), and said with a wry smile, "Sister, are you trying to persuade me to remarry again?"

Aunt Zheng said, "Sister, you've lived alone for so long, you know how difficult it is to make a living. I also know you're strong-willed and can survive without a man. But you were a wealthy young lady before you got married, are you really going to live such a hard life from now on?"

Zhang Jingge sighed, looked down at his hands covered in needle marks, and remained silent.

Aunt Zheng continued, "A woman marries a man for food and clothing. How old are you? Are you going to live a life of widowhood? Besides, the young man my master knows comes from a wealthy family. He is excellent in both character and appearance. It wouldn't be a disgrace for you to become his concubine."

After a pause, seeing that Zhang Jinge didn't react, Aunt Zheng probed again, "Could it be that you, sister, still want to marry him as the principal wife?"

Zhang Jinge raised her head and shook her head, saying, "Sister, please stop joking. How could I possibly marry into a good family? Now I don't ask for anything else, I just want to find someone who can truly treat me well."

Hearing that she had relented, Aunt Zheng smiled and said, "With your looks and character, that young master is sure to dote on you." She paused, then added, "Since you say so, I'll let you both see each other tomorrow."

Zhang Jingge gripped the hem of his clothes, remaining silent. Aunt Zheng quickly gave Nongyue a meaningful look. Nongyue had also suffered quite a bit these past few days, so she immediately stepped forward and advised, "Miss, whether it's possible or not, just take a look. Don't let Aunt Zheng's good intentions go to waste."

Zhang Jingge sighed, "Fine, I'll do as my sister says."

Aunt Zheng was overjoyed and said with a smile, "Good. In that case, I will send a carriage to pick up my sister tomorrow. You can come to my house and I will let you two peek at each other through the curtain."

"Ah."

A blush rose on Zhang Jinge's face, and he responded softly.

Aunt Zheng was overjoyed and chatted with him for a long time before hurriedly taking her leave. Upon arriving home, she told Jia Heng about it. Jia Heng was immediately delighted and rushed to the Rongguo Mansion to find Jia Lian, agreeing to visit Jia Heng's house together the following afternoon.

Jia Lian felt both apprehensive and hopeful, and whenever he was lost in thought, he would recall Zhang Jinge's beautiful face.

Without further ado, the next day arrived in the blink of an eye.

Early that morning, Jia Lian found an excuse to leave the mansion and rushed into Jia Heng's house. Seeing his eager expression, Jia Heng chuckled and teased him. At noon, Jia Heng sent a carriage to the outer city to fetch Zhang Jinge.

An hour later, the carriage brought the person over, and Jia Lian hurriedly went to the window to take a look. However, Zhang Jinge was wearing a Guanyin-style veil, which completely covered him up. Jia Lian looked for a long time and could only vaguely make out some eyebrows and eyes. He was so anxious that he couldn't wait to see what was going on.

After Zhang Jingge entered the room, he first went to the east side room and talked with Aunt Zheng and Jia Heng's wife for a while before coming out when the banquet started.

Meanwhile, Jia Heng led Jia Lian out, and the two walked towards each other through a thin gauze screen. Jia Lian saw that Zhang Jin Ge was graceful and beautiful, with exquisite features. With the thin gauze covering her, she looked even more captivating than before.

(End of this chapter)