Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 338 The Golden Key's First Touch: The Musk Calamity (Part 2)
"Then I'll thank you in advance, young lady."

Yu Chuan'er curtsied and looked at Xia Jingui with a smile but said nothing.

Xia Jingui pondered for a moment, then smiled, got up and went to the chests and found the money box. She counted the money and took out thirty taels of silver. She turned and handed it to Yu Chuan'er, saying, "Take this money first. I will reward you handsomely after the matter is done."

Yu Chuan'er accepted the silver, smiled, and leaned closer to whisper, "Miss Xia, do you think that even if nothing had happened today, you would definitely be able to become Bao Er's wife in the future?"

Xia Jingui raised an eyebrow and asked, "What do you mean?"

Yu Chuan'er said, "Our Madam is very shrewd. Two years ago, she was already searching for Second Mistress Bao. The Old Madam invited Miss Lin back, but she didn't please Madam, so Madam found Miss Bao to compete with her. Miss Bao's background is probably even better than Miss Xia's. If Madam hadn't gone to the palace and pleaded with the Empress several times, the story of the perfect match wouldn't have been circulating in the mansion for so long."

Ah, and look at the present, does anyone in the household still mention the "golden and jade marriage"? If Miss Bao is like this, who knows if Miss Xia will be the same in the future?

Xia Jingui sneered, "Does Madam really think of Bao Erge as the Emperor's brother-in-law?"

Yu Chuan'er said, "Madam's mind is far too big for me to fathom... But Miss Xia is full of cunning and scheming. Even if Master Bao marries someone else in the future, as long as you stay by her side, who knows, in three or five years, once that Second Mistress of Bao is gone, you might become Second Mistress of Bao?"

Xia Jingui frowned and pondered, "You mean..."

Yu Chuan'er rose and curtsied again, saying, "That's all I have to say. The choice is entirely up to you, Miss. Even if I don't say anything more, I'm sure you can guess." With that, she took out a small packet of powder from the handkerchief at her waist and gently placed it on the table, saying, "Put this in the incense burner, and it will take effect within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Madam is waiting for my reply, so I'll take my leave now."

Xia Jingui nodded and said, "Baochan, please deliver Yuchuan'er for me."

With a creak, the door opened, and Baochan entered to see Yuchuan off. Only Xia Jingui remained inside, holding a teacup, her brow furrowed in deep thought.

Her family had only been imperial merchants for generations; in terms of lineage, they couldn't compare to the Jia family, let alone the Xue family, which was at the bottom of the four great families of Jinling. Although she harbored desires for the position, after being in the household for some time, she gradually realized that she probably wouldn't become the principal wife. If that happened, wouldn't all her plans of the past six months, and that ten thousand taels of silver, have been for nothing?

Yes, and there's also that old hag Hu, who breathes more than she breathes! Just because of old hag Hu, she won't leave the Rongguo Mansion easily.

Just as she was pondering this, Baochan came from outside and said, "Miss, Second Master Bao has arrived."

As soon as he finished speaking, Baoyu led Musk Moon around the screen and quickly walked towards Xia Jingui.

“Sister, why did Granny Hu get involved with Brother Lian all of a sudden…” Baoyu approached and immediately saw that Xia Jingui’s eyes were red and she was wiping away tears with a handkerchief.

Baoyu was taken aback, and quickly came over and put his arm around Xia Jingui's shoulder, saying, "Good sister, she's just a wet nurse, why are you crying? Did Madam punish you?"

Xia Jingui, with tears in her eyes, shook her head and said, "Granny Hu was set up. Madam isn't stupid, so why would she blame me? It's just that I don't have much contact with the old lady. I'm afraid she already thinks that we, master and servant, are a bunch of people who can't be brought to the table. She just sent word that she wants to kick me out."

Baoyu said angrily, "Grandmother is getting old. How can you not distinguish right from wrong in such matters? Even if Granny Hu wasn't framed, you can't judge a book by its cover. What does her evil deed have to do with you, sister?"

Xia Jingui cried and said, "It's too late to say anything now. I'll get ready today and go home tomorrow... Second brother, I'm afraid we'll never see each other again."

Xia Jingui spent more than half a year with Baoyu and gradually figured out his preferences. So she usually acted coy and was good at playing the victim and wiping away tears.

She looked even more pitiful than Daiyu, and Baoyu was immediately heartbroken. He said, "Grandmother only said that my sister should go home for the New Year and come back after the New Year. When did she say that my sister is not allowed to come again?"

Xia Jingui said, "Second brother, why pretend to be stupid? Who can't understand the old lady's unspoken meaning?"

"This... I'll ask the old lady; I promise I won't let my sister suffer."

Granny Hu and Baochan had long since compiled a complete list of all the outrageous things Baoyu had done over the years. Xia Jingui knew that Baoyu was both passionate and heartless. When someone was in his presence, he would naturally cherish them; but once they left, he would probably forget them within three to five days.

Just like Jin Chuan and Qing Wen, or even Daiyu and Baochai. If this is how they treat maids, how can they not treat young ladies in the same way?
Xia Jingui secretly pondered that without Baoyu, she feared she would find it difficult to find a good marriage in the future. She had been staying at the Rongguo Mansion for half a year, and everyone knew about it. If she didn't marry Baoyu, where else could she find a good family to marry into?

In this world, men can find a way out through education, martial arts, or business; as long as they are capable, they can find success in any of the 360 ​​professions. In contrast, women generally only have one path: marrying up!
One may seek a prestigious family to serve as a stepping stone for advancement; or one may choose a good man and wait for him to rise in status.

Xia Jingui gritted her teeth and thought to herself, "The Virtuous Consort suffered a miscarriage earlier. Perhaps she can be promoted to Imperial Consort after giving birth to a son. In that case, Baoyu will be a true brother-in-law of the Emperor."

When that time comes, Lady Wang and Jia Zheng will bestow upon him the title of Marquis of Cheng'en. Given Baoyu's character and appearance, he might even be granted an official position in the future. Wouldn't that be a hundred times better than randomly selecting a candidate for the imperial examination or a candidate for the juren examination?
Having made up her mind, Xia Jingui stopped her tears and said, "It's over. Now that things have come to this, I'm afraid the old lady will have no chance to take back her decision. I don't have much time left in the manor. I'm only reluctant to part with my second brother and my wife. I just hope that my second brother can spend a few more words with me."

Baoyu said with heartache, "Good sister... never mind, you go home first, and I will ask the old lady for permission later. The old lady has always been kind to me, and I will pester her for some time to make sure she sends someone to the Xia family to bring you back."

Xia Jingui nodded in agreement, then stood up and said, "I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Second Brother. I'll go wash up a bit, and we'll talk again later."

Baoyu nodded in agreement.

Xia Jingui got up and went inside, calling Baochan from the outer room to come in. After wiping away her tears and applying a little powder, while Baoyu was drinking tea, she secretly poured a packet of medicine powder into the incense burner.

"Miss?" Baochan was taken aback.

Xia Jingui glanced at her coldly and said in a low voice, "Shut up. Wait until the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, then you can leave..."

Upon hearing this, Baochan bit her lip and hesitated. Seeing Xia Jingui glaring at her, she finally nodded and replied, "Yes."

After tidying up Xia Jingui, Baochan, despite feeling dizzy, hurriedly left the house.

After about half a cup of tea's time, Xia Jingui felt dizzy and her heart was burning. She got up and swayed, calling out, "Second brother, I... I feel a little dizzy. Please help me."

"What's wrong with my sister?" Baoyu put down his teacup and went inside, quickly helping Xia Jingui up.

Smoke billowed from the incense burner, wisps of it entering Baoyu's mouth and nose. He had already inhaled some in the hall earlier, and now, having inhaled quite a bit of smoke, he suddenly felt hot and restless.

As Baoyu helped Xia Jingui to the bed, he couldn't help but breathe heavily. Xia Jingui's appearance suddenly changed, sometimes as Xiren, sometimes as Sheyue, and then back to Xia Jingui.

Unable to contain herself, Xia Jingui called out "Second Brother," and Baoyu was immediately captivated and pounced on Xia Jingui.

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

Mrs. Wang’s courtyard.

Madam Wang sat sullenly in her chair, her prayer beads spinning rapidly in her hand. The maids and servants below all wore worried expressions.

Wu Xingdeng's wife said, "Madam, that old woman Hu was tormented all night yesterday, and then she was given thirty lashes this morning. Her health was not good to begin with, and I heard that she died as soon as she was taken back to the Xia family."

Madam Wang merely nodded, inwardly filled with disgust. She had spoken up for Hu Mama that morning, incurring the wrath of the Old Madam and Madam Xing, and coupled with her poor communication skills, she had been seething with resentment. Therefore, she secretly wished Hu Mama would die!

Wu Xingdeng had been getting close to Xia Jingui these past few days. After a pause, he tentatively asked, "Madam, do you really intend to send Miss Xia home?"

Madam Wang sighed, "What can I do now that the old lady has spoken?"

Wu Xingdeng's wife said, "Granny Hu is always cautious in her actions. If someone hadn't deliberately plotted against her, how could she have fallen into their trap? Madam, do you think it might be Third Miss taking revenge?"

"Tan Yatou?" Madam Wang frowned in thought, then shook her head and said, "She's just an illegitimate daughter. Even if she manages the household for a while, how many people can she possibly gather to work for her?"

Zhou Rui's wife also said, "What Madam says is absolutely right. Everyone in the manor knows that the Third Miss will get married sooner or later. Why would anyone offend Madam for the sake of the Third Miss? If you ask me, it must be the First Branch who did it."

The eldest son's family consisted of only three people: Jia She, Madam Xing, and Feng Jie. Jia She was busy accumulating wealth, and Madam Xing was known for her stupidity; how could she possibly plot such a scheme? Only Feng Jie seemed capable of such a thing. However, Wu Xingdeng's wife said, "This matter involves Second Master Lian; how could it be Second Madam's doing? In my opinion, it's more likely that Third Miss asked that Master Yuan for help. Madam, don't forget, that Master Yuan is a ruthless and cunning man!"

Madam Wang slammed her hand on the table, thinking to herself: "That's it! How could I have forgotten about Yuan-ge'er? This man is incredibly cunning. He devised a plan and subtly seized power from the old lady. Now he's alienated from me and is wholeheartedly supporting the eldest son's family. Plus, with Madam Xing providing manpower, it's quite possible that this is the one plotting against me behind my back!"
Zhou Rui's wife said, "Sister Wu is right, but Madam must not act rashly again, lest she fall into the villain's trap again!"

Madam Wang quickly nodded, knowing that she was no match for Chen Siyuan's cunning and that acting rashly might lead her into his trap. So she asked, "Then what do you suggest we do now?"

Zhou Rui's wife said, "Putting everything else aside, the Third Miss has resigned from her job as housekeeper for several days now. With the end of the year approaching, the most urgent thing for Madam is to find someone to manage the household as soon as possible. Otherwise, no matter how capable Madam is, she may not be able to handle everything if she has to do everything herself."

That makes perfect sense. The twelfth lunar month is a busy time, with visits to relatives and celebrations for the New Year. Just dealing with these social obligations can be a real headache. The Rongguo Mansion has many relatives and friends, so there are naturally many places to visit. Things need to be arranged, and visits need to be made. To maintain the Rongguo Mansion's dignity, there can be no mistakes or oversights.

Putting everything else aside, the gift must be carefully chosen; under no circumstances should the Jia family's belongings be returned to the Jia family, otherwise it would be a huge joke.

After thinking for a moment, Madam Wang said, "Very well, Yuchuan, go to Zhuijin Tower and invite the Second Miss here."

Yu Chuan'er outside the door agreed and hurriedly went to Zhui Jin Lou.

After a short while, they arrived at Zhuijin Tower and entered Yingchun's boudoir, saying, "Second Miss, Madam requests your presence."

At that moment, Yingchun was playing chess with Xing Xiuyan. Upon hearing this, Yingchun paused in her hand, looked up, and saw Xing Xiuyan smiling and nodding at her.

Yingchun put down the chess piece and said, "Alright, Sister Xing, go back first. I'll go to Madam's place first."

Xing Xiuyan smiled and agreed. Yingchun got up and let Siqi help her put on a cloak. She thought to herself: They've finally arrived!

As Yu Chuan'er descended the stairs, they went straight to Madam Wang's main room. Ying Chun went around the screen and greeted Madam Wang. Madam Wang forced a smile, beckoned Ying Chun forward, and then took her hand, saying, "I heard you caught a cold a while ago? Are you much better now?"

Yingchun smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Madam. I'm much better now."

Madam Wang said, "You know I'm a straightforward person and I don't like to mince words. I've come to you today because I have something to tell you."

Yingchun asked in a low voice, "But I wonder what brings you here, Madam?"

"As you know, Tan'er fell ill from the strain of managing the household. She's still young, and her actions are too harsh, causing resentment throughout the household. I originally wanted to let Madam Li manage the household affairs, but she has to take care of Lan'er. After considering everything, there's really no one else in the household to take over... I invited you here today to ask you if you'd be willing to take on the management duties?"

Yingchun feigned surprise and asked in astonishment, "Me? Why does Madam want me to manage the household?"

Madam Wang smiled broadly and said, "I'm looking for you to manage the household affairs so you can learn how to run the family business. Didn't Yu'er's mother manage the family business for two years before she got married? All the young ladies in this household have to go through this experience, otherwise, when they get married and are in charge of the household affairs, won't they be completely clueless?"

Yingchun said with difficulty, "My wife knows my situation. How can I possibly manage the household business?"

Madam Wang wanted Yingchun to be a puppet, and upon hearing this, her smile grew even wider. She stroked Yingchun's hand and said, "The specific matters will be handled by the stewards below. You just need to take charge and make sure they don't slack off."

Yingchun suppressed her excitement and said in a low voice, "Upon hearing this, I really don't know what to do. May I have a couple of days to think about it, Madam?"

Madam Wang said, "The end of the year is approaching, and there are many things to do. How can you have time to think about such matters? Why don't you think about it for half a day and come back to report first thing tomorrow morning?"

Yingchun opened her mouth as if to argue, but after a brief glance at Madam Wang, she swallowed her words and simply lowered her head and obediently agreed.

Lady Wang was overjoyed and took off another jade bracelet to put on Yingchun's head. She then had her drink a cup of tea before sending her away.

As Yingchun emerged from Madam Wang's courtyard, Siqi, who was accompanying her, seeing that no one was around, could no longer contain herself and hurriedly asked in a low voice, "Miss, what did Madam say?"

Yingchun smiled and breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "Just as I expected, Madam has assigned me the job of housekeeper."

Siqi immediately clasped her hands in praise: "I never thought that I would have a day when I could hold my head high with you, Miss! Let's see how those little hussies who used to make things difficult for us will fawn over us from now on!"

Yingchun frowned slightly, knowing that Siqi was just like that. Unfortunately, Siqi had been hiding her talents all these years, and hadn't even managed to win over her own maids. Now that they needed capable people, Yingchun couldn't very well dismiss Siqi, so she thought of ways to make the best use of everyone's talents.

While pondering, he entered the Grand View Garden and bumped into Chen Siyuan, who was walking briskly towards him.

Yingchun's heart skipped a beat. That day, he carried her around half the garden and returned to Zhuijin Tower. That night, the second young lady tossed and turned and finally fell asleep after a long while.

She was an unmarried young woman; how often had she been held in someone's arms like this?

Half a day later, when they met again, Yingchun's heartstrings were stirred once more. So, when she looked at Chen Siyuan, her gaze was filled with tender affection.

Chen Siyuan caught sight of his second sister, Yingchun, and a smile immediately spread across his face. After exchanging greetings, Chen Siyuan asked, "Second sister, where have you come from?"

Before Yingchun could return, Siqi couldn't help but say, "Master Yuan, you don't know, our young lady was just summoned by Madam, who said she wanted to—"

"Siqi!" Yingchun called out to stop her.

Siqi covered her mouth and laughed, "Anyway, it's a good thing."

Chen Siyuan immediately understood that Madam Wang must have assigned the household management duties to Yingchun. Chen Siyuan then cupped his hands and said, "Then I look forward to Second Sister displaying her talents."

Yingchun smiled and nodded, then asked, "Brother Yuan, are you going to the east courtyard?"

Chen Siyuan had a medicine bottle hidden in his pocket. He was about to ask Madam Xing to add some seasoning to Jia She's medicine when he said, "I haven't been there for two days. I should go and see my aunt."

There were many people coming and going in this place, so it wasn't appropriate to talk too much. Just as the two were about to part ways, Baochan suddenly stumbled and ran from the direction of Yihong Courtyard.

Upon seeing the two, Baochan cried out in panic, "Help! Help!"

Chen Siyuan turned his head and was startled. His mind raced, and he immediately knew what had happened. He hadn't expected Yu Chuan'er to deliver the message so quickly; Xia Jingui was truly efficient—had she already succeeded?
As the toad rushed closer, Chen Siyuan frowned and asked, "Aren't you Miss Xia's maid? Has something happened?"

Baochan cried out in a panic, "Oh no! Help! Master Bao just sent us away and stayed in the room to talk to the young lady. I and a few maids and servants were tidying up outside, but after a long while we went to knock on the door, there was no sound at all. I'm afraid... I'm afraid he's passed away from the smoke!"

It was the dead of winter, and although the Yihong Courtyard had underfloor heating, they still needed incense burners and braziers for warmth. Chen Siyuan secretly praised Xia Jingui for her clever idea; she had found a good excuse in such a short time.

He exclaimed in astonishment, "Is that so? Lead the way at once, and tell the maid to break down the door!"

Yingchun, not understanding, also said, "Maybe the smoke really did get to us. If someone dies, we might not be able to celebrate the New Year properly. Siqi, quickly go and get someone to break down the door!"

The group hurried to the Yihong Courtyard. Upon entering, they saw several maids and servants hesitatingly surrounding the door.

Upon seeing Chen Siyuan and Yingchun, everyone hesitated, unsure of how to begin.

Chen Siyuan knew what was going on and immediately frowned, saying, "What are you hesitating for? Why don't you break down the door?"

An old woman tried to stop him, saying, "No, Uncle Yuan, this..."

"If someone dies, do you think you can take responsibility? Get out of my way!" With a flick of his hand, Chen Siyuan shoved the old woman aside, took two quick steps forward, kicked open the front door, and rushed inside first.

(End of this chapter)