Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 352 A Plan to Capture the Golden Crow

Chen Siyuan feigned surprise and said, "Uncle, what you're saying... I really don't understand. What explanation do you have for me?"

Jia She feigned anger and slammed his hand on the table, saying, "Hmph, what about that latex workshop? Ever since you came to the manor, I have treated you with great care, but what have you done? You actually gave such a lucrative business to Feng'er! I heard... in just two or three months, she has already received three to five thousand taels of silver in profits before the New Year?"

These words were clearly meant to bluff Chen Siyuan, but Chen Siyuan feigned fear and said, "Not three or five thousand, just three thousand taels of silver. After that, the profits have to be split between the two families, so I'll only get fifteen hundred taels."

In reality, profits were kept in the accounts for expansion; otherwise, it would have been common for each family to receive three thousand taels.

Jia She was dumbfounded, thinking to himself, "Good heavens! I only intended to bluff, but I didn't expect to actually get it. In just a few months? In just two or three months, I can get three thousand taels of silver in profit sharing. Wouldn't that be twenty thousand taels of silver a year? Even if I only get half a share, that's still ten thousand taels of silver!"
If we had known the workshop was so profitable, we should have taken it when we first discussed it. Now that it's in Feng'er's hands, the master can no longer forcibly take his daughter-in-law's livelihood.

Jia She gritted his teeth inwardly, growing increasingly angry, and said, "You know perfectly well that the East Wing is short of funds, so why did you give such a good business to someone else?"

Chen Siyuan feigned surprise and said, "Uncle, what you're saying... Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law are not outsiders. Besides, it was Second Sister-in-law who strongly promoted this workshop. I figured that Sister Lin didn't have any livelihood, so I helped her out and got her half a share. To be honest, I never expected that this workshop would be so profitable."

Jia She gritted his teeth in anger, picked up his teacup, and stood there silently, ignoring Chen Siyuan. Chen Siyuan thought to himself, "Is he trying to scare me? Jia She is the one begging me for a living, yet he's acting like a superior, putting on airs. Who is he trying to impress?"
Chen Siyuan then picked up his teacup and took a small sip.

After a while, Jia She gradually became impatient and was about to speak when a servant outside said, "Madam is here."

As soon as she finished speaking, the tinkling of jade pendants could be heard, and Madam Xing led Miao'er and Tiao'er through the screen.

Madam Xing glanced at them and saw that the two looked cold and tense, so she said, "Today, Zhu Ge's wife is hosting a dinner party. I was just about to go to Daoxiang Village when I heard that Master had called Yuan Ge over to talk. So I thought I would go with Yuan Ge after Master finished speaking."

He paused, then stepped closer and said, "Oh, why does the master seem angry?"

Jia She said irritably, "Isn't it all because of your good nephew? He has such a good business that makes 20,000 taels of silver a year, but he has completely forgotten about us, and it's all going to Feng'er for nothing."

Madam Xing, preoccupied with Xing Dequan's marriage and notoriously greedy, was utterly astonished upon hearing this. She glanced at Chen Siyuan, who shook his head slightly, seemingly wondering if the thief was closer to her after all, and if he had simply used words to intimidate the master.

So he smiled and said, "Master, you're wrong. Ever since Yuan-ge came to the manor, whenever there's a need for him, has he ever refused? Besides, for both port openings and the Baicaotang, Yuan-ge always consulted you first." He turned to Chen Siyuan and said, "Brother, is there some misunderstanding? Quickly explain it to your uncle."

Chen Siyuan cupped his hands and said, "I already explained it to you earlier. I didn't expect the workshop to be so successful. The workshop is profitable because my second sister-in-law ran around trying to secure the Beijing garrison order. I only gave some pointers on the craftsmanship; I didn't manage anything else."

Madam Xing pondered, "So even the young master hadn't expected this, then we can't blame him for this. Master, in this world, every business has its profits and losses; even the most seasoned shopkeepers have their downfalls. Since the young master didn't anticipate this, I think we should forgive him this time."

With an air of composure and a face ashen, Jia She stared at Chen Siyuan for a few moments before exhaling a breath of stale air and saying, "Alright, I'll let this matter go for now. I heard before the new year that you've been frequently visiting the Prince of Yanping's residence, and the servants there said that Brother Yuan is planning to start a business again. Is that true?"

Chen Siyuan's acting skills were becoming increasingly refined. Upon hearing this, his expression changed drastically. He first glanced suspiciously at Madam Xing, then hurriedly stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "Nonsense! I don't know which good-for-nothing is spreading rumors. My nephew's visits to the Prince of Yanping's residence are only because of Wan Kelai—"

Jia She glared at him and interrupted, "I advise Yuan-ge'er to think it over carefully before speaking!"

Madam Xing chimed in, "Yes, Yuan'er. Your uncle has taken good care of you; you should repay his kindness, shouldn't you?"

"This..." Chen Siyuan hesitated.

Jia She paused for a moment, then said, "Originally, you and Bao'er were about to finalize your marriage, but then the Xue family encountered a misfortune, and the perfectly good marriage became a joint succession. As a result, Yuan'er will inevitably have to marry someone else to continue the Chen family line. If he brings back someone who is jealous and resentful, there will definitely be unrest in the household, and the future will be turbulent. How can he achieve anything in his official career?"

He paused, then continued, "I have been thinking about this for a long time and am considering betrothing Yingchun to you. Yingchun comes from the same family as Bao and Lin, and she is easy to talk to. If you marry her, I guarantee you will have no worries."

"Hmph, and what about you? You always try to hide good things, clearly showing you don't respect me, your uncle. Fine, since you don't want to talk about it, let's just leave it at that!"

Madam Xing wondered how Yingchun had gotten involved in this matter again. However, she had long wanted to matchmake Yingchun and Chen Siyuan, and now that she had noticed that Chen Siyuan had not refused, she was tempted to do so.

He said, "Brother Yuan, you've been in the household for two years now, so you must know my daughter's character. Since the master has spoken up, if you continue to conceal anything, you might miss out on a good marriage!"

Chen Siyuan had been pondering this for a while, and immediately went along with it, cupping his hands and saying, "It's not that I'm trying to cover it up, but that business involves Prince Yanping, and I can't just reveal it casually."

Upon hearing that Prince Yanping was also involved, Jia She immediately perked up. He waved for Chen Siyuan to sit down, leaned forward, and whispered, "Brother Yuan, even though Prince Yanping has immense power, he is still an outsider. How can outsiders benefit at the expense of their own family?"

Madam Xing chimed in, "That's right, that's right, young master, tell us quickly, what kind of business is it?"

Chen Siyuan hesitated for a moment, then said, "Alright, please don't tell anyone, Aunt and Uncle. This business is something I found and prepared using a special method. It can clean wounds and reduce inflammation, and it can also treat various inflammations. If it becomes popular in the future, I'm sure I can make a fortune."

Jia She asked suspiciously, "There's such a miraculous medicine?"

Remembering what had happened earlier, Madam Xing said, "Oh, could it be that 'vegetarian' thing that the young master gave the fourth young master in the twelfth lunar month?"

"That's right, it's houttuynia cordata extract."

Madam Xing immediately smiled and said to Jia She, "Master, you don't know, last time Fourth Brother caught a cold, it was thanks to Yuan-ge that he brought some houttuynia cordata extract. After taking just two bottles, Fourth Brother recovered completely. Otherwise, he might have gotten whooping cough."

Jia She thought to himself, if this thing really has such an effect, it will surely make a fortune if it spreads throughout the world. He just wondered what kind of deal Chen Siyuan and Prince Yanping had made.

He immediately asked, "How did you and Prince Yanping discuss this?"

Chen Siyuan made up a story: "Last time, my nephew presented medicine and cured Princess Shou'an. The prince has decided that houttuynia cordata extract is a good medicine, so he plans to have my nephew partner with the Imperial Household Department to set up a pharmaceutical workshop."

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

Jia She squinted, stroked his beard, and asked thoughtfully, "Was there an agreement to keep the medicine formula a secret?"

"Huh?" Chen Siyuan was slightly taken aback, then hurriedly said, "Uncle, you mustn't! If the medicine formula is leaked, Prince Yanping will definitely not let his nephew off the hook!"

Jia She said, “Yuan’er, there’s no need to panic. This matter was originally a trick by Prince Yanping to seize the prescription. If you pass the prescription on to me, even if Prince Yanping finds out later, he won’t be able to say anything. If Prince Yanping is really petty, I will take care of things for you.”

At first, Madam Xing thought this was Chen Siyuan's scheme, but upon hearing Jia She's words, she immediately became concerned, fearing that they had truly offended Prince Yanping. So she hurriedly went to look at Chen Siyuan, and for a moment she was speechless.

Chen Siyuan feigned a worried expression, frowned and pondered for a long time, and then said, "Is my uncle really going to betroth my second sister to me?"

Jia She was only interested in money and had no concern for Yingchun's life or death. He immediately said with certainty, "When have I ever lied? If you don't believe me, wait until Yingchun gives birth, and I will arrange a marriage between the two of you!"

Chen Siyuan gritted his teeth, stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "In that case, once the marriage is settled, I will definitely present you with the method of making medicine."

Jia She was overjoyed and laughed loudly, "Good, then it's settled. Don't worry, you are my nephew, and from now on we'll be even closer. If anything happens, I will definitely protect you."

Chen Siyuan agreed with a worried expression, while Madam Xing was even more uneasy.

Having achieved his goal, Jia She said a few more polite words and then urged the two to go to Daoxiang Village for a banquet.

Chen Siyuan and Madam Xing bid farewell to Jia She, and their carriage exited through the main black-lacquered gate, soon turning into the side gate of the Rongguo Mansion. After alighting from the carriage near the stables and passing through the side gate again, Madam Xing, seeing that no one was around, asked worriedly, "Are you really going to offend Prince Yanping?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "What? Afraid that if I die... no one will protect you and Fourth Brother anymore?"

"You know perfectly well why you're asking! I think we should just forget about it. How can we offend the Prince for the sake of a second young lady?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Don't worry... Who said there's only one formula for making medicine?" Madam Xing blinked, and after a moment's thought, she realized what Chen Siyuan meant. She immediately covered her mouth and laughed, "You acted so convincingly, you made me worry for so long."

Chen Siyuan then whispered, "That medicinal wine... has he been taking it all along?"

Madam Xing replied in a low voice, "I added some seasoning to it. After drinking it, he becomes very energetic. Now he drinks two cups every day without fail, so you can rest assured."

Chen Siyuan nodded with a smile, secretly hoping that the old man Jia She would be unable to move soon, so that... after the emperor vented his anger, he should let the Jia family go, right?
The two arrived at Daoxiang Village together, where they drank, watched plays, played cards, and passed around flowers, thoroughly enjoying themselves. During the meal, Chen Si kept his eyes closed and his mouth shut, only occasionally exchanging glances with Baochai, Daiyu, and Xing Xiuyan. As for Madam Xing and Li Wan, he dared not look at them at all, for fear that others would notice his behavior.

As evening approached, the banquet ended. Tan Chun and Xi Chun, slightly tipsy, clamored to play pitch-pot and guess-the-cover games. Dai Yu, however, was too drunk and, feeling unwell, rose to take her leave.

At this moment, Sister Bao said, "It's dark and the road is slippery. It's not good for Sister Lin to go back by herself... I think it would be better to let Brother Yuan take her."

Yingchun looked up and glanced around, feeling envious in her heart, but on her face, she covered her mouth and smiled foolishly, just like Xichun and Tanchun.

Several maids teased her, and Daiyu, feeling embarrassed, retorted, "I wasn't drunk, so why would I need someone to take me? You're all making fun of me; you must have ulterior motives. I'll tear your mouths off!"

After saying that, he turned away and hurriedly pulled Xueyan outside.

Baochai gave Chen Siyuan a look and said, "Why aren't you going after them?"

Chen Siyuan smiled, stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, turned around silently, and ran out. But when he reached the door, he suddenly stopped, turned around and gave Yingchun a meaningful glance before quickly chasing after her.

Yingchun felt a pang of sadness, but Chen Siyuan's gaze made her heart flutter. She panicked and, fearing that her sisters would notice, quickly pretended to be a quail and quietly began arranging the dominoes.

After a short while, Yingchun raised her head and saw Xing Xiuyan smiling at her from the opposite side.

Yingchun felt extremely embarrassed and couldn't understand why Chen Siyuan was acting this way.

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Chen Si, having left Daoxiang Village, caught up with Daiyu and her party in just over ten steps.

Zijuan and Xueyan, being quick-witted, hurriedly took their lanterns and went ahead.

She wore a light gold and peach-pink floral-patterned jacket, lined with a vermilion square-necked stand-up collar jacket, and covered with an apricot-pink trimmed pomegranate-red floral-patterned open-front fur cloak, with a Guanyin-style hood covering it, and a peach-pink horse-face skirt underneath.

The following year, Daiyu grew even taller and thinner. Although she was somewhat frail, she had caught up with her second sister, Yingchun, in terms of height.

Chen Siyuan caught up and called out to her. Daiyu responded shyly, then silently continued walking forward.

Chen Siyuan walked with his hands behind his back and said, "I met with Doctor Ding before the New Year. Doctor Ding looked at my sister's medical records and planned to make medicinal wine to help her recover."

Daiyu said in a low voice, "I am much better now. I only coughed twice this winter and was fine in a couple of days. There is really no need to bother with any medicinal wine."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Could it be that my sister has become a skilled doctor after being ill for so long, and thinks she is more reasonable than Doctor Ding?"

Daiyu choked, looked up at Chen Siyuan, and said, "Then I'll trouble you to do it."

“That’s more like it,” Chen Siyuan said. “I heard that His Majesty will open Anlan Garden for several days of lantern festivals during the Lantern Festival. If you have some free time, sister, would you mind taking me there for a stroll?”

"The Lantern Festival at Anlan Garden?" Daiyu repeated, her heart filled with anticipation. Ever since arriving at the Rongguo Mansion, Daiyu had rarely left the inner quarters. When she did venture out, it was usually to accompany the old lady to offer incense.

It was thanks to Chen Siyuan that he was able to get a job in a latex workshop, which allowed him to go out every now and then.

Daiyu was naturally clever and quick-witted, so how could she be content to be a caged bird? Moreover, when the Emperor was in power, he would hold a lantern festival every year, which was said to be extremely lively. Daiyu was in the prime of her youth, so she naturally wanted to go.

After a moment's thought, she said discouragedly, "The family will be holding a reunion banquet during the Lantern Festival, so I'm afraid it won't be appropriate for me to go out."

Chen Siyuan said, "It's going to be held for several days in a row. We'll go on the 14th and 16th. My sister said she's going to the workshop outside the city. The return trip will take longer than expected. I think even if the old lady knows the truth, she won't say anything."

Daiyu thought about it and realized it made sense. The marriage between the two had long been a public affair, so what could her grandmother do even if she knew?

The young girl's desire grew stronger. After crossing the Bee-Waist Bridge, with the Xiaoxiang Pavilion in sight, Daiyu stopped and said, "I've heard the lantern festival is very lively... so... shall I go and take a look?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Thank you for your graciousness, sister. Otherwise, I would have had to wander around aimlessly on my own."

Daiyu covered her mouth and laughed, saying, "I've arrived. You should go back early too."

Chen Siyuan nodded in agreement, bowed goodbye to Daiyu, and headed north towards the back gate. Daiyu watched Chen Siyuan's figure disappear into the twilight, and then happily entered Xiaoxiang Pavilion with Zijuan and Xueyan.

Once inside, Xueyan helped her remove her coat while saying worriedly, "Miss, if you're going to the lantern festival, you should find a suitable excuse."

Zijuan said, "Isn't that easy? Second Madam is still recuperating and can't do much work, so it's best for you to go to the workshop. I heard that in order to rush the orders from the Beijing Garrison, those craftsmen haven't had a single day off during the first month of the lunar year."

Daiyu then instructed, "Tomorrow, find Siqi and exchange some copper coins for us to use as rewards at the workshop."

Suddenly, a screeching sound came from the study, making the three of them frown. Zijuan asked, "Wen'er, what's going on now?"

A moment later, a maidservant speaking with a Shandong accent cheerfully replied, "The toy that Master gave to the young lady has proven to be very useful! Sister Zijuan, come and see! I wrapped it around a whetstone, and now it can be used to sharpen swords!"

The three of them, master and servant, looked at each other in bewilderment, wondering if this object could be used like this.
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For the next two days, the Rongguo Mansion's respected old servants hosted New Year's banquets. Chen Siyuan only showed up briefly with Hongyu when Lin Zhixiao's family hosted a banquet; the rest of the time, he focused on studying at the new residence.

On the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, Chen Siyuan was feeling bored while studying and was holding Qingwen's hand, teaching her to write large characters. Suddenly, Granny Qu came to report: "Master, a naughty child has come outside, saying that someone invites you to meet at the teahouse in front of Nengren Temple."

Chen Siyuan frowned and asked, "Do you know who invited you?"

Granny Qu shook her head and said, "That naughty boy only said that she was a girl, and he knew nothing else about her."

"I understand." Chen Siyuan was still puzzled, and seeing the suspicion in Qingwen's eyes, he coughed lightly and said, "Perhaps Bao-meimei has something to ask me. You continue practicing by yourself, I'll go out and take a look."

Qingwen had no suspicions and could only pout as she practiced calligraphy on her own.

Chen Siyuan, dressed neatly, went out to find Nengren Temple. He arrived at the teahouse in no time and stopped to look around when a waiter came up to him and said, "Are you Master Yuan? There is a pretty young lady waiting for you in the private room upstairs."

Flower Girl? Xi Ren?

Chen Siyuan casually tossed a gold melon seed aside and went upstairs. After turning around the screen, he looked up and saw that it was indeed Xiren who had come looking for him.

Xi Ren had already stood up to greet him, and before Chen Siyuan could speak, she hurriedly said, "Master, two important matters have occurred."

(End of this chapter)