Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 344 The Snowstorm Sows the Seeds of Trouble

On one side, Chen Siyuan carried Feng Jie'er into his carriage, while on the other side, Ping'er instructed the servants to move the stuck carriage to the side of the road. After a brief inspection, the driver said that the axle was broken and needed to be replaced before they could continue their journey.

Ping'er instructed the coachman and two servants to stay behind, and then returned to Chen Siyuan's carriage at the back. Lifting the curtain and entering, she saw Chen Siyuan fiddling with the bump on Feng Jie'er's forehead.

There are priorities, and Ping'er assumed that he was checking on Feng Jie'er's injuries, so she hurriedly asked, "Master Yuan, how is our mistress?"

Chen Siyuan said, "She was just knocked unconscious. We need to go back to the manor and ask the imperial physician to examine her."

Ping'er quickly went over and hugged Feng Jie'er. Chen Siyuan moved aside, said a few words to the servant Qingyu outside, and instructed the group to set off back to the capital.

The carriage rumbled along, and seeing that Sister Feng had not yet woken up, Chen Siyuan frowned and thought to himself that this time the impact was probably too severe, and she might have suffered a concussion.
Just as she was thinking this, she heard a soft moan and Feng Jie slowly opened her eyes.

Ping'er caught a glimpse and exclaimed with delight, "Thank God, Grandma has finally woken up!"

Sister Feng opened her mouth, then suddenly covered it and gagged. There was a spittoon in the carriage, and Chen Siyuan quickly picked it up and handed it to her. Sister Feng snatched it, gagged twice, and then vomited.

Ping'er kept patting Feng Jie's back. After vomiting, Feng Jie became weak and leaned against Ping'er, complaining of a headache.

This is definitely a concussion!

The carriage was cramped, and Sister Feng vomited, filling the room with a sour smell. Ping'er quietly opened the window and added more incense to the incense burner. After a long while, Sister Feng felt a little better and weakly said, "Damn it, the collision made me dizzy, and now my head is throbbing!"

Chen Siyuan said, "Second sister-in-law was seriously injured; she should recover after some rest."

Ping'er then said, "Grandma startled me just now. I thought Grandma... Grandma..."

Sister Feng, rubbing her forehead and frowning, stood up and said, "Alright, I know you're a good person, stop whispering in my ear, it's giving me a headache." She paused, looked around, and then said, "This is... we're in Brother Yuan's carriage?"

Ping'er said, "Grandma's carriage has a broken axle, so we have to move it to Grandpa Yuan's carriage."

Sister Feng then looked at Chen Siyuan, who bowed slightly and said, "In urgent situations, we must act expediently. I will get off the carriage first in a while."

Sister Feng said, "It's not just the two of us, Ping'er is here too. If I were to say, Brother Yuan, there's no need for you to be so discreet."

Chen Siyuan smiled and then said, "I had a friend in Yangzhou who also hit his head while riding in a carriage. Afterwards, he suffered from headaches and nausea, and it took him more than a month to recover. I think your condition is similar to mine, and you will probably need to rest for quite some time as well."

Since I have nothing to do lately, I'll temporarily take over the workshop's business. Once my second sister-in-law is fully recovered, she can look after it then, how about that?"

"Is that really true?" Sister Feng was hardly convinced.

Ping'er said worriedly, "Grandma, you mustn't be careless. Just now, Grandma was unconscious. It was really scary!"

Upon hearing this, Sister Feng sighed and said, "In that case, I'll have to trouble Brother Yuan."

Chen Siyuan smiled and nodded, saying nothing more. Despite the curtains and blinds, the carriage remained dimly lit. Only the glow of the charcoal fire in the incense burner allowed Feng Jie'er to clearly see Chen Siyuan beside her.

She was feeling dizzy and nauseous, so she only glanced around before leaning on Ping'er's shoulder and closing her eyes to rest.

After an unknown amount of time, Qingyu from outside said, "Master, we're almost at Ningrong Street."

"Stop the carriage," Chen Siyuan ordered, then bid farewell to Feng Jie, lifted the curtain, and got off the carriage.

After the carriage started moving again, Feng Jie gagged for a while before saying to Ping'er, "Was it you who helped me into Brother Yuan's carriage back then?"

Ping'er bit her lower lip and said, "Grandma knows my strength. When Grandma fainted, how could I possibly move her? It was Uncle Yuan who acted quickly and carried Grandma to this car."

"This..." Sister Feng was immediately embarrassed.

Ping'er quickly replied, "Grandma, don't worry. I just gave you careful instructions, and there will be no rumors."

Feng Jie silently agreed, and Ping'er added, "Everyone says that Master Yuan is a womanizer, but he was very well behaved towards you just now, so the rumors are not very reliable."

Feng Jie, enduring her headache, laughed and said, "Stop talking nonsense. I am a married woman. If Brother Yuan wants to flirt, he should flirt with unmarried girls, not me."

Ping'er gritted her teeth, wanting to speak but ultimately remaining silent. As the saying goes, there are no secrets that stay hidden forever. No matter how well Chen Siyuan concealed his secret rendezvous, it would eventually be exposed. Last month, Ping'er went to the East Mansion and returned through the east corner gate near the Qingtang Thatched Cottage. By sheer coincidence, she saw Chen Siyuan climb over the wall and enter the Jade Emperor Temple.

It was only later that she heard that it was Madam Li Wan who was chanting sutras and praying for blessings at the temple that day. Ping'er was a clever and quick-witted person, so how could she not know that the two of them were having an affair? However, Ping'er never gossiped about such private matters, and for more than a month, she had never mentioned it to anyone.

While she was lost in thought, she was unaware that Sister Feng was harboring a different ambition.

Because of the ghee cake mixed with cottonseed oil, Sister Feng thought that Jia Lian might have no more children. If this continued, and she had no children to rely on, wouldn't the family fortune all go to Lady Wang?

Feng Jie was a strong-willed woman, and she was unwilling to suffer such a great loss in silence! Perhaps because she had hit her head, a fierce thought suddenly arose in Feng Jie's heart—if Jia Lian was no good, then she should find someone else!

The moment this thought arose in her mind, the image of Chen Siyuan suddenly appeared before Feng Jie's eyes, startling her!
For a moment, Sister Feng's heart trembled, and she rubbed her temples, gasping for breath. She thought to herself, "I'm truly bewitched! How could I possibly have designs on Brother Yuan?"

Suppressing her emotions, Sister Feng thought of Jia Lian again and said, "Find a few careful people to keep an eye on your second master."

Ping'er said, "Grandma, don't worry. I've replaced all the crispy fried cakes that the main kitchen sends. I just hope that once we get rid of that poison, Second Master can recover soon."

Sister Feng recalled Ding Daojian's words and sighed sadly, "I'm afraid it's difficult."

A short while later, the carriage entered the Rongguo Mansion. Ping'er got off the carriage first and hurriedly called for a servant to help Feng Jie back to her room. She then went to find the imperial physician to treat Feng Jie.

When Ping'er returned to Feng Jie'er's room and lifted the curtain, she saw Feng Jie'er lying on the kang (a heated brick bed). The nanny serving nearby asked, "Miss Ping, has the imperial physician arrived?"

Ping'er frowned and said, "It's just bad luck. Cong-ge'er in the east courtyard sprained his leg, and Physician Bao is setting his bones. Second Master Bao is also feeling dizzy and nauseous, so Physician Wang was called over. I saw that only Physician Hu was left, so I came to tell you, Grandma, that after Physician Wang has treated Second Master Bao, he will come to examine you in a little while."

Sister Feng suddenly opened her eyes, frowned, and said, "Is Baoyu sick?"

Ping'er quickly glanced sideways at the nanny beside her. Feng Jie was rubbing her temples and complaining of pain. She instructed, "Nanny, you may leave now. Ping'er will take care of things here."

The old woman, unaware of anything amiss, acknowledged the order and withdrew.

After everyone left, Sister Feng immediately got up and asked carefully. Ping'er said, "I listened carefully and everyone said that Master Bao was not unusual today. He just spent the afternoon at Qixianzhai. I don't know why, but he suddenly fell ill."

Sister Feng sneered, knowing that the lip rouge must be working. She had carefully investigated the effects of cottonseed oil. The first use would definitely cause dizziness and nausea. After a while, as one gradually got used to it, these symptoms would disappear, but it would render a man infertile!

Ping'er wanted to persuade her, but when she remembered how Feng Jie had gritted her teeth in hatred that day, she stopped herself from saying anything.

Sister Feng said, "It's fortunate that the old lady raised him into a philanderer, otherwise I wouldn't know how to make a move."

Just then, a maid named Feng'er called out from outside, "Second Master is back!"

The master and servant exchanged a suspicious glance. Ping'er pondered, "With the year-end approaching, perhaps the old lady took pity on us and let the second master return?"

Just as Ping'er had said, Jia Lian lifted the curtain and went inside, saying that the old lady had given permission for him to go to the family temple to reflect on his actions after the New Year.

Jia Lian knew he was in the wrong and intended to grovel before Feng Jie. However, Feng Jie was not only disgusted with him, but also had a headache, so he just mumbled and hawed to get through to her. Just then, Physician Wang finished treating Bao Yu and came to examine Feng Jie. Jia Lian felt he had been given the cold shoulder, and remembering that there was a newly taken-in maid, Zhang Jinge, in the back courtyard, he said goodbye to Feng Jie and went to the back courtyard.

After examining Sister Feng's pulse and the blisters on her forehead, Physician Wang prescribed a decoction and a plaster.

There's no such thing as a concussion these days, but Physician Wang did instruct Sister Feng to rest carefully and avoid mental or physical exertion.

Upon reflection, Sister Feng realized that this explanation was exactly the same as what Chen Siyuan had said in the carriage. She immediately became anxious and said, "Does it really require such a long period of rest?"

She was locked in a fierce battle with Madam Wang. If she were to fall, wouldn't that be giving Madam Wang an easy advantage? Her blood rushed to her head, causing Feng Jie a terrible headache.

So much so that he had been thinking of asking Physician Wang about Baoyu's condition, but now he couldn't care less.

Ping'er quickly helped Feng Jie lie down and then took the imperial physician Wang to her. After returning to the bedside, she said to Feng Jie, "Grandma, your health is the most important thing. You can put everything else aside for now."

Feng Jie said, enduring her headache, "You make it sound so easy. I can let it go, but would my aunt let it go? If Madam Wang takes the opportunity to seize the purchasing room, wouldn't it all be for nothing?"

Ping'er then advised, "Grandma, you should just rest and recuperate. It's only right and proper that the old lady won't sit idly by. Who knows, this illness might actually bring some benefits in the future."

Although Sister Feng was unwilling, she knew it was not the right time to show off, so she sighed and agreed.

Ping'er tucked her in, and Feng Jie drifted off to sleep, her dreams hazy and indistinct. Suddenly, she dreamt that Chen Siyuan was holding her in his arms. The light flickered, snowflakes fell, and she looked up to see Chen Siyuan gazing resolutely ahead, occasionally looking down with concern…

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A simple thatched cottage.

Chen Siyuan walked two miles through the wind and snow, and was covered in snow. As soon as he entered, Hongyu, Xiangling, and Wu'er rushed over. One took off his cloak, one brushed away the snow, and one brought him warm water to wash his hands.

Then, fragrant tea was served again. Hongyu was worried that she had caught a cold, so she instructed Wu'er to go to the small kitchen to prepare ginger soup to dispel the cold.

Master Chen Siyuan, reclining in his chair, felt utterly content. He pondered, what he sought after all his busy life was nothing more than a beautiful wife and maids, and the company of a lovely lady.

On a whim, they cuddled and kissed one after another, having a great time. Xiangling, Hongyu, and Wu'er blushed from being teased and were scolding each other when Yunxiang called out from outside, "Master, Master, Miss Bao and Miss Lin are here."

Yunxiang's shout startled Xiangling and the others, who quickly tidied their clothes before opening the door to greet her.

Soon, Sister Bao and Sister Lin came hand in hand around the screen. Daiyu was much better today, and her face only showed a slight trace of illness; on the other hand, Sister Bao, a cold had made her face look sickly, and she looked even more like Sister Lin than Sister Lin.

Chen Siyuan greeted the two women and couldn't help but scold them, "You're both sick, why are you walking around? Be careful not to catch a cold and get even sicker."

Daiyu coughed lightly and said in a hoarse voice, "I'm much better now, but Sister Bao is much more ill."

As they were talking, Chen Siyuan led the two to sit down. Baochai smiled bitterly and said, "Well, I've always been strong inside, but I don't know why, I got so sick from just a cold."

Chen Siyuan asked in astonishment, "So powerful? Why didn't you send Ying'er to say it?"

Baochai coughed a few times and couldn't speak, so Ying'er said, "I wanted to come yesterday, but Miss stopped me. She said that the end of the year is approaching and Master Yuan has a lot of things to do, so it wouldn't be good to delay his studies."

Chen Siyuan frowned and said, "Nonsense, missing a day or two of reading won't matter, how is that a delay?"

Baochai stopped coughing, gave Ying'er a reproachful look, and ordered, "You two, go and play."

Ying'er agreed, led Xueyan away, and went to the side room to find Xiangling and the others to play.

Only three people remained. Baochai said, "I didn't want to come, but you sent two maids today." Baochai frowned slightly and said, "Why does the Rongguo Mansion need such precautions?"

Chen Siyuan opened his mouth, but with Daiyu present, he couldn't say certain things. So he changed the subject and said, "One should always be wary of others... If I hadn't intervened in time last time, Third Sister would probably have been in trouble."

He thought to himself, Daiyu comes from a noble family, and although her parents are deceased, she has her teacher Jia Yucun as her backer. Even if Lady Wang is blinded by greed, she wouldn't dare to openly harm Daiyu. On the other hand, with Xue Pan's death, the imperial merchant's job has fallen to Xue Ke of the second branch of the family. Considering that Baochai's family background is just that of a merchant, even if Lady Wang is scheming, she probably won't have anyone to stand up for her except herself.

How would they scheme? The most vicious plan would be to find an opportunity to drug Baochai, then force Baoyu to consummate their relationship. Baochai would then lose her chastity and, no matter how unwilling, would have to become Baoyu's concubine. In this way, wouldn't the entire Xue family's fortune fall into Lady Wang's hands?

Chen Siyuan has never hesitated to assume the worst of his adversaries. Having committed such heinous acts so many times, instead of repenting and becoming ruthless, he has become even more cunning!

He had a very close relationship with Baochai, so how could he allow her to suffer even the slightest mishap?

Across from her, Baochai coughed as she observed Chen Siyuan's expression. Having known each other for a long time, Baochai could tell that Chen Siyuan's words had been somewhat insincere. However, the concern in her clear eyes was undeniable.

Baochai, being precocious, quickly grasped the source of his worry. While initially terrified, her heart softened instantly, feeling an overwhelming urge to repay Chen Siyuan's kindness by immediately dedicating herself to him.

Daiyu was also clever and quick-witted. Seeing that Baochai's almond-shaped eyes, misty with tears, were staring at Chen Siyuan, she covered her mouth and laughed, saying, "It's fine that you found two maids for Baochai, but why did you find two for me too?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "What does Lin Daiyu think?"

Daiyu said playfully, "I thought this meant I had to learn some farming skills to keep my body healthy?"

Chen Siyuan laughed heartily and said, "That's right, that's exactly what I was thinking." He paused and then added, "I went to the workshop today and gave the order that the item for my sister should be finished in a few days."

Daiyu smiled and said, "You've kept this a secret for several days, and I'm getting more and more curious. I wonder what kind of rare thing it is."

"I'm sure my sister hasn't seen her before."

Bao's symptoms worsened; she managed a couple of forced laughs before coughing incessantly. Chen Siyuan asked with concern, "Did you take the houttuynia cordata extract I sent you?"

Baochai said reproachfully, "It's strange. Ying'er caught a cold before and was cured after taking half a bottle. But when it comes to me, even two bottles haven't worked."

Chen Siyuan thought to himself, "This is probably not a viral cold, so houttuynia cordata extract is ineffective."

After a pause, Baochai continued, "Today, Physician Wang prescribed some Xiao Chai Hu Tang, and it has been somewhat effective for me."

"Then let's stop taking houttuynia cordata. There are different types of colds, and this one might not be the right treatment."

The three talked for a while longer, until Ying'er knocked on the door and entered. She whispered something in Baochai's ear. Baochai was surprised and asked, "Is Feng'er injured?"

Daiyu was quite surprised and quickly looked at Chen Siyuan, saying, "Oh right, you went with Sister Feng today, what happened?"

"It's a long story." Chen Siyuan sighed and then recounted the events of the day.

Upon hearing that Sister Feng had hit her head, the two women assumed it was a severe blow and didn't suspect a concussion. They simply agreed to send someone to Sister Feng's room later to inquire about her condition and to deliver some tonics as a token of their concern.

Instead, Baochai pressed on with Steward Yao, saying, "Feng'er's maids are all born into the Wang family. It's hard to guarantee that some of the less capable ones won't be bribed. You... should be more careful."

Chen Siyuan nodded and said, "I suppose Second Sister-in-law is well aware of this. Today, she sold Steward Yao and said she would hire a suitable steward next year." After a pause, he smiled and cupped his hands to Daiyu, saying, "Congratulations, Sister. Second Sister-in-law has decided to give out three thousand taels of profit. You've really struck it rich this time."

Daiyu coughed and laughed, "Cough cough... I, cough... am quite generous. I'll host the next gathering."

(End of this chapter)