Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 336 Turbid Waves Burn the Heart, Repaying the Sinful Debt
At Sister Feng's command, a maid brought forward Hu Mama, whose clothes were half undone, whose hair was disheveled, and whose face was covered in the smell of cooking.

Enraged, Sister Feng stepped forward and kicked Granny Hu to the ground. Ping'er then grabbed Granny Hu's hair and slapped her across the face several times.

Because Sister Feng and Madam Wang had long been locked in a bitter struggle, Sister Feng rarely went to Madam Wang's courtyard or Yihong Courtyard, so she naturally didn't recognize who Hu Mama was.

She stared at it for a few moments, vaguely recognizing it, and then cursed, "Where did this slut come from?"

Jia Lian coughed for a while, then turned his head and saw Hu Mama's face clearly. He was immediately shocked and said, "How come it's you?"

Seeing that there were people all around, Granny Hu was truly speechless and felt like dying.

Then Tan Chun took a closer look and exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't this Hu Mama, who serves Xia Jingui?"

When Sister Feng saw that Granny Hu was around forty years old and looked quite old, she couldn't help but laugh in exasperation. Pointing at Jia Lian, she said, "Second Master really has a good appetite. He wants to gather around everything, whether it's fragrant or foul!"

Jia Lian said urgently, "No, please let me explain. I don't know this woman. Today, today..."

Jia Lian stopped himself from speaking. He couldn't very well say that he had heard people making suggestive noises in the side room and then couldn't help but have the urge to have a flirtatious thought.

Chen Siyuan seized the opportunity and stepped forward, saying with a pained expression, "Second brother, it's come to this, and your wife is furious. Why don't you quickly apologize?"

"I—" Jia Lian felt extremely wronged. He originally thought he had stolen from the beautiful Qiao Dajia, but who knew it would turn out to be the plain-looking Hu Mama. Where could he go to reason with this?

Seeing Jia Lian's behavior, Feng Jie felt her blood boil and couldn't help but grit her teeth and say, "Jia Lian! I don't think I've ever wronged you. Ever since I married you, I've had to serve my parents-in-law, be filial to the old lady, manage the household, and raise the children. You wanted to take a concubine, and not only did you get Ping'er, you also secretly married Zhang Jinge! Now that Zhang Jinge has only been in the mansion for a few days, you can't help but revert to your old ways and get involved with such a good-for-nothing. How can you face me?"

At this moment, Granny Hu finally calmed down a bit and spoke up to protest, "Second Madam, this old servant is innocent..."

Before Granny Hu could speak, the old woman who had drugged her earlier stepped forward and slapped her across the face, yelling, "Well, so that's why you left so early today! Turns out you've already hooked up with Second Master Lian this morning. You wicked servant from the outer mansion, causing trouble outside and still not behaving yourself here! Second Mistress, this kind of servant who sneaks into his master's bed should be killed right now!"

Just as Jia Lian was at a loss for words, and filled with hatred for Granny Hu, he pointed at her and said, "It's all her fault! She seduced me! Beat this wicked servant to death!"

Sister Feng said angrily, "Slap him! Slap him a hundred times first, then lock him in the woodshed. We'll leave him for the old lady, the master, and the mistress to deal with tomorrow!"

As soon as she finished speaking, two old women twisted Hu Mama's arms, one of them pulled her hair to make her tilt her head back, while a burly woman grabbed a wooden stick and began to slap Hu Mama's face repeatedly.

After only a dozen or so blows, Granny Hu coughed up blood, and her face was covered in sores. Ping'er couldn't bear to watch and advised from the side, "Madam, she's not a servant of the manor after all. We should keep her alive for interrogation tomorrow. It's not good to beat her too badly."

Sister Feng vented her anger slightly, waved her hand to stop them, and ordered, "Lock her in the woodshed!"

The two old women responded with shouts and dragged Granny Hu towards the woodshed at the back.

Sister Feng glanced coldly at Jia Lian again, snorted, and turned to leave.

As soon as she left, Jia Lian hurriedly got up, and a servant brought him a cotton coat to wrap him up. Then the servant escorted Jia Lian to the study at the front.

Some embers remained in the fire, and Yingchun, Tanchun, and Chen Siyuan worked hard to extinguish them. The servants returned to their posts, and the three of them then entered the Grand View Garden through the west corner gate.

There was no need to rush at this point, so there was no need to take a shortcut across the ice. Instead, the group detoured north, only turning back when they reached the vicinity of the cave.

Today's events were truly distressing, as neither Yingchun nor Tanchun knew how to bring it up. Just as they had taken a few steps, Siqi suddenly called out, "Miss, what's wrong?"

Chen Siyuan turned his head and, by the light of the lantern, saw that Yingchun was dragging her right leg as she walked.

Yingchun replied, "It's nothing. I twisted my ankle while crossing the ice in my haste."

Siqi quickly came over to help, saying, "Then I'll help you, Miss."

Just as Yingchun was about to agree, Chen Siyuan came over and asked, "Was your sprain badly?"

When Yingchun met Chen Siyuan's face, she blushed and shook her head shyly.

Ever since their frank conversation that day, Chen Siyuan knew that Yingchun was indeed a suitable candidate for his wife. She came from a pitiful background, and although she seemed to be hiding her shortcomings, she wasn't the type to be jealous or possessive. Now that he had made up his mind, he naturally wanted to take good care of her.

The silver notes had already been sent, so why would we ignore them now?

Before Yingchun could say anything, he bent down and scooped her up in his arms. Yingchun gasped in surprise, quickly wrapping her arms around Chen Siyuan's neck. Her heart pounded wildly, and she was too ashamed to look up at him.

Chen Siyuan said, "In urgent situations, we must act expediently. Siqi only has a little strength left, so I will take Second Sister back."

Yingchun shyly agreed in a muffled voice, while Tanchun blinked in disbelief, wondering when the two had developed feelings for each other.

A slight pang of sadness shot through Tan Chun, but she quickly regained her composure. She thought to herself that she was destined to be apart from Chen Siyuan, so why not let her second sister have her wish fulfilled?

Tan Chun took a deep breath and said with a smile, "Going north is too far, I'll just walk on the ice. Brother Yuan, Second Sister, farewell."

After saying this, he took the maid and headed straight east across the ice.

Siqi was quick-witted. Suppressing her laughter, she stuffed the lantern into Yingchun's hands, clutching her stomach and saying, "Oh no, I'm in terrible pain right now. Miss, you should go back with Master Yuan first. I need to hurry and find a latrine."

"Hey, you—" Yingchun reached out her hand, only to see that Siqi had already vanished in a flash.

The north wind howled, and for a moment only the two of them remained. Yingchun glanced at Chen Siyuan, then quickly lowered her eyes and murmured, "If you, if you are tired, put me down. I, I can walk slowly by myself."

Chen Siyuan smiled, tightened his embrace around the person in his arms, and strode towards the stone cave.

Yingchun's heart was in turmoil, so she made conversation by asking a question she already knew the answer to: "It's hard on Sister Feng, that you didn't fall out with Second Brother just now."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "I heard that Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law are childhood sweethearts, and Second Sister-in-law has lived in Ningguo Mansion since she was a child?"

"Yes, Brother Yuan also knows?"

"I've heard someone mention it," Chen Siyuan said. "Second sister-in-law has a strong personality, while second brother has the habits of a playboy. If these two had only just met, their days spent in romantic moments would have been wonderful; but after marriage, they had to deal with the mundane realities of daily life. One is fiery and strong-willed, while the other is lazy and unambitious, so it's not surprising that things have come to this."

I think that my second sister-in-law is probably already completely disappointed in my second brother, and is only now adhering to the proper duties and decorum of a husband and wife.

"Being dutiful and respectable" naturally implies a complete lack of affection. Yingchun had only said it casually, but upon hearing Chen Siyuan's words, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy, saying, "I've watched Second Brother and Sister Feng's relationship since I was a child. When Sister Feng first entered the manor, she and Second Brother were always deeply in love and trusting of each other, but I never imagined they would become so estranged today."

He paused, then looked up at Chen Siyuan and asked, "What about Brother Yuan?"

"Me?" Chen Siyuan glanced at Yingchun and was moved to see her staring at him timidly yet boldly.

The second daughter was originally a nobody, never favored, and because Jia She and Madam Xing ignored her, she, despite her intelligence, hid her talents every day and lived a cautious life.

Yingchun must have been hoping to find a good man someday, win his favor, and live a happy life.

Chen Siyuan then smiled and said, "Whatever Second Sister thinks of me, that's what I'll do."

Yingchun silently agreed, thinking to herself that she could never compare to the affection between Brother Yuan and Baochai. She didn't covet too much; she only hoped to receive some affection in the future and retain nine-tenths of her dignity. It was better than staying in the mansion, living in constant fear and unease.

After passing through the stone cave, Chen Siyuan felt a bit heavy, so he lifted Yingchun up on his wrist. Yingchun exclaimed in surprise, then said shyly, "Am I... a little heavy? Why don't you put me down?"

"No need, just don't move around."

After walking for a while, Yingchun changed the subject again, saying, "The fire today was strange, as if someone was deliberately plotting against Second Brother Lian." Chen Siyuan paused and asked, "Why do you say that, Second Sister?"

Yingchun said, “When things happen by chance, it becomes a sinister thing. The fire just happened to reach that room without hurting Brother Lian. When I arrived, the door was blocked by firewood. It’s clear that someone blocked the door from the outside, wanting to embarrass Brother Lian.”

She paused, then continued, "And that Granny Hu, she's Xia Jingui's wet nurse. I've heard she's a vicious woman with many schemes... Maybe the incident that happened to Third Sister last time was her doing." She looked up at Chen Siyuan and said, "So, is Brother Yuan avenging Third Sister today?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and asked, "Why is Second Sister so certain that I was the one who did it?"

Yingchun smiled and said, "It's because Brother Yuan hates evil like poison... and he always seeks revenge. Third Sister acts with dignity and would never resort to such framing methods. Only Brother Yuan would be so unconventional as to achieve his goal."

Chen Siyuan pondered, "Does Second Sister think I'm a despicable person?"

Yingchun shook her head and said, "I think we should treat gentlemen as gentlemen and petty people as petty people. Ever since Xia Jingui and her servant entered the mansion, Madam has become increasingly unscrupulous. If we don't stop this trend, who knows what Madam will do in the future."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Second sister is also a very adaptable person."

Yingchun hugged Chen Siyuan's neck tightly and pressed her face against his chest, saying, "Then what do you think I should do, Brother Yuan?"

They had already crossed the Bee-Waist Bridge, and the Zhuijin Tower was brightly lit. Chen Siyuan left Yingchun at the door and saw Siqi peeking in from inside. He first told Yingchun, "It's late, Second Sister, you should rest early." Then he beckoned to Siqi, "Quickly help your young lady back."

Siqi agreed and then moved over.

Chen Siyuan bowed in farewell, but Yingchun tugged at his sleeve. He looked up and saw Yingchun's eyes glistening as she stared at him and said, "Then... be careful."

This was out of fear that Madam Wang and Xia Jingui would become enraged and turn around to harm Chen Siyuan again.

Chen Siyuan pondered and said, "I asked someone to find some female servants earlier. They are so strong that two or three strong men can't get close to them. When they arrive in a few days, I will send two to my second sister."

"it is good."

Chen Siyuan cupped his hands in greeting again before turning and walking away quickly.

Yingchun stopped at the door, watching Chen Siyuan disappear into the night. When she came to her senses, Siqi smiled and said, "I was feeling quite uneasy before, but now that I've seen him... I feel much more at ease. Miss, when exactly did you and Master Yuan... make this arrangement?"

Yingchun glanced at Siqi, silently shook her head, and said, "Help me upstairs. I'm afraid there will be another commotion tomorrow."

She knew that her relationship with Chen Siyuan was not deep, far less than that of Baochai and Daiyu. The reason why Brother Yuan could accept her was because he valued that she was clear-headed, could handle the affairs of the household well, and would not be jealous or petty.

She had long admired Chen Siyuan, but knew she couldn't expect too much for the time being. Her immediate priority was to take over Tan Chun's housekeeping job and demonstrate her abilities before considering the next step.

Siqi helped Yingchun turn around. Suddenly, Yingchun felt something and looked up to see that the window of Xing Xiuyan's room on the north side of the building was open, revealing a blurry figure inside.

Yingchun smiled and nodded at the figure. Then, with a creak, the window closed.

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

Yihongyuan.

Xia Jingui had already gone to bed. When she heard about the fire earlier, she simply sent her maid Baochan to investigate, while she herself curled up in her blanket and slept soundly.

While sleeping soundly, Xia Jingui was suddenly greeted by a gust of cold air. She groggily opened her eyes and saw her maid Baochan, wearing a cloak, rushing to her bedside and whispering, "Miss, something terrible has happened! Something has happened to Granny Hu!"

Xia Jingui blinked, startled, and quickly scrambled to her feet, staring wide-eyed, "What's wrong, Granny Hu?"

Baochan hurriedly recounted the news she had just overheard.

Xia Jingui was even more astonished and said, "Jia Lian is a man who doesn't discriminate between meat and vegetables, but Granny Hu is a woman of principle. Even if she really had an affair with him, she would never let herself be caught in the act!"

Baochan frowned and said, "What you say is true, Miss. Today, when Granny Hu gathered people for a gathering, I never heard of any connection between Granny Hu and Second Master Lian. How did these two seemingly innocent people end up together? Miss, I'm afraid Granny Hu has been tricked by someone else!"

Xia Jingui, with her violent temper, slammed her hand on the bed in anger and frowned, saying, "This is bad! Go and inform Madam immediately, or something terrible might happen!"

This wet nurse had an affair with someone else and was caught red-handed. How could Xia Jingui, an unmarried young lady, have the face to continue staying in the Jia family?
If it weren't for Xia Jingui and her servants offering advice and strategies these past few days, how could Madam Wang have withstood Feng Jie's aggressive advances?

"Go quickly!" Xia Jingui urged again.

Baochan agreed and turned to run outside again. After a while, Baochan returned and said, "Miss, Second Mistress has ordered the inside and outside to be sealed off. No one is allowed to go in or out now, so I can't get out."

Xia Jingui raised her hand and slapped Baochan over, cursing, "You filthy hussy, can't you even leave the house? Can't you climb over the wall?"

Baochan cried, "The garden wall is over ten feet high. Even if you beat me to death, Miss, I still can't climb over it!"

Xia Jingui threw the quilt and pillow on the ground and said angrily, "Go and find out who is the blind fool who dared to scheme against me!"

The night passed quickly.

The next day, Baochan and Xia Jingui were about to leave the garden early to find Madam Wang, but Fengjie got up late and it wasn't until Chenshi (7-9 AM) that she ordered the opening of all the side gates and garden gates.

Xia Jingui and Baochan rushed to find Madam Wang, but found no one there. They asked Yuchuan, who was left behind, and learned that Madam Wang had been summoned to Rongqing Hall by the old lady just a short while ago.

Xia Jingui was furious, her face turning ashen. How could she not know that she was being targeted again? However, the Xia family had borrowed ten thousand taels of silver from Madam Wang, and Xia Jingui had been scheming and plotting since entering the mansion. She was gaining more and more of Madam Wang's trust, so how could she let her efforts fail?

After saying goodbye to Yu Chuan'er, the mistress and servant walked to the alleyway, where Bao Chan stopped and asked, "Miss, what should we do now?"

Xia Jingui was ruthless, but usually Hu Mama helped her come up with ideas. Faced with this situation, she was at a loss for what to do. She bit her lower lip and shook her head, saying, "Since it's too late, there's no point in doing anything now. But Madam trusts me and I'm sure she knows we've been tricked. With Madam's protection, it's just a matter of damaging our reputation. The New Year is coming soon, so we should go back and celebrate with Mother first. We can figure out what to do after the New Year."

Baochan sighed and said no more.

Leaving aside the fact that the mistress and servant returned to Yihong Courtyard in trepidation, let's talk about what happened at Rongqing Hall. Madam Wang, Madam Xing, and Jia She all arrived. Li Wan frowned with worry, while Feng Jie sat at the lower end with a cold face.

Below the hall, Jia Lian knelt on the ground, head drooping, muttering to himself, "Grandson was confused for a moment. Grandmother, please punish me as you see fit."

"You wretched child!" Master Jia She flicked his sleeves, his face stern and his brows furrowed, displaying an air of righteous indignation.

Chen Siyuan, sitting diagonally across from her, quickly gave Madam Xing a look. Madam Xing, who was watching the commotion, hurriedly said, "I'm not saying this to be mean, Lian'er, you—" She glanced at Granny Hu, whose head had been beaten into a pig's head, and immediately frowned, "You really went too far this time. You really can bring yourself to bite anyone."

Jia Lian, kneeling on the ground, was almost in tears. He could only sigh heavily, as he simply didn't have the courage to look at Granny Hu.

Grandmother Jia, sitting on the soft couch, frowned and said, "I told you before, which young master doesn't have a few pretty maids in his room? I don't know what you're thinking, insisting on having ambiguous relationships with some wives. You just secretly married Zhang Shi a few days ago, and now you're already having an affair. Lian'er, have you completely ignored what I said before?"

Jia Lian stammered and dared not speak.

Grandmother Jia then said, "I see that your mind is becoming more and more crooked, so I'm punishing you to go to the family temple to copy Buddhist scriptures a hundred times. You'll be released when you finish copying them! Come here, take Lian'er to the family temple!"

Jia Lian got up dejectedly, bowed to the crowd, and followed the two rough old women away, looking utterly dejected.

Grandmother Jia then looked at Hu Mama, who had been gagged, and angrily pointed at her, saying, "Come here, drag this wicked servant who seduces her master out and give her fifty lashes. If she doesn't die, throw her out of the mansion!"

Granny Hu was so frightened that she shook her head repeatedly and stammered incoherently. Madam Wang, forgetting all about her prayer beads, hurriedly said, "Old Madam, Granny Hu always comes to my room. She is always careful in her actions and has never seduced anyone. How could she possibly be involved with Lian'er? I think there must be more to this than meets the eye. Why don't we listen to what she has to say?"

(End of this chapter)