Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 358 A Brocade-Covered Pavilion, A Home

Xiangyun's marriage was arranged long ago, and since she was still unmarried, she rarely visited Chen Siyuan's humble abode alone. Today's visit was also out of gratitude for Chen Siyuan's repeated protection yesterday.

Chen Siyuan entered the room, and Xiangyun quickly rose and curtsied. The young girl had grown taller and thinner the following year, and looked almost as beautiful as Daiyu.

After a brief exchange, Xiangyun took the bundle from Cuilu's hand, unfolded it to reveal a pair of boots with latex soles inside, and said, "These boots were made a couple of days ago, and I was planning to send them over in the next couple of days. Brother Yuan, please try them on and see if they fit."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Making shoes is very hard on the hands, why bother, Sister Yun?"

Xiangyun forced a smile and said, "Although we don't interact much, Brother Yuan is very much like an older brother. He has always taken good care of me. I have no other skills, so I can only express my gratitude by making this pair of boots. Besides, I am very grateful to Brother Yuan for protecting me yesterday, otherwise I don't know what kind of mess it would have been."

Chen Siyuan smiled and agreed, took the boots and tried them on. They fit perfectly, so he said with a smile, "They fit very well, thank you very much, Sister Yun."

Xiangyun nodded, her brows furrowed slightly, her face bitter.

Hongyu refilled his teacup, and Chen Siyuan took a sip before finally asking, "Sister Yun, what exactly is going on with your marriage to the Chen family?"

Chen Yejun is truly a scoundrel. Not to mention respectable families in the capital, even ordinary families would find such cold treatment unbearable. Moreover, Marquis Zhongjing is very angry about this, but Lady Baoling insists on bringing them together.

Xiangyun raised her eyes and shook her head, saying, "Before my parents passed away, they entrusted me to my second uncle. From now on, my marriage, funeral, and other matters will all be decided by my second uncle."

Chen Siyuan pondered for a long time, thinking to himself that it was no wonder that even when Marquis Zhongjing got angry, he couldn't change the marriage. It turned out that the marriage was decided solely by Marquis Baoling and his wife.

"Now that you two are a bitter couple, I wonder what Sister Yun herself thinks?"

Xiangyun pouted and said, "I feel disgusted just looking at him now, so I don't want to marry him. But alas... what alas..."

As she spoke, Xiangyun's eyes reddened. At that time, a woman's marriage was arranged by her parents and matchmakers, and she had no say in the matter. It could be said that everything was predestined and she had no control over anything.

Chen Siyuan thought to himself, even the anger of Xiangyun's third uncle, the Marquis of Zhongjing, was of no use, and the words of Grandmother Jia were even less effective. Since the Marquis of Baoling and his wife had decided on this marriage, there must be some collusion involved, which was not something he, as an outsider, could interfere with.

Thinking that the marriage would take another three to five years and there was no need to rush, she said, "Sister Yun, don't worry too much. Perhaps things will turn around in the future?"

Xiangyun smiled bitterly, "I hope so."

As he spoke, he stood up and curtsied, saying, "Brother Yuan, I still need to accompany Sister Bao, so please excuse me."

Chen Siyuan got up to see him off. After seeing him to the door, he watched his thin figure hesitate and leave. He turned around and couldn't help but sigh.

A person's thoughts vary with time and place. When he first entered the Rongguo Mansion, Chen Siyuan was obsessed with women and lust, taking them all to his side regardless of whether they were attractive or not.

Now that he has achieved fame and success, with a bright future ahead and surrounded by beautiful women, he will naturally cherish his reputation. He originally thought that if Xiangyun married well, he would no longer care. But now it seems he was wrong. Anyone who isn't blind can see that Yun'er has met the wrong person, and her later life will probably be difficult.

Chen Siyuan, who had always admired Xiangyun's forthright nature, was naturally unwilling to let such a delicate young woman end up with a miserable life. He immediately made up his mind that no matter what, he had to ruin this marriage.

Before he could react, a delicate hand gently patted his shoulder. Chen Siyuan first turned his head to the left, but couldn't see anyone. Then he heard a soft laugh from the right, and Chen Siyuan turned his head back to see clearly.

But Daiyu leaned forward, tilting her head back, covering her face with her sleeve, her eyes full of smiles. Their eyes met, and Daiyu stood up and said, "Silly boy, where are you looking?"

Chen Siyuan's face immediately broke into a smile, and he said, "I went to look for you early this morning, but you said you went to Rongqing Hall."

Daiyu said, "I just got back and heard about it from Granny Wang."

It was cold outside, so Chen Siyuan reached out and invited Daiyu inside. Upon reaching the door, they realized that neither Zijuan nor Xueyan were there.

Chen Siyuan lifted the cotton curtain and asked, "Where are Zijuan and Xueyan?"

Daiyu slipped inside and said, "The two of them are sleepy now, so I'll let them stay at Xiaoxiang Pavilion."

As they spoke, the two sat down. Daiyu noticed the teacups that hadn't been cleared away and smiled, "Yun'er was here just now?"

Chen Siyuan nodded and said, "Yesterday's commotion must have hurt Yun'er. Perhaps out of gratitude for my protection, she made a pair of boots and sent them to me." He sighed as he spoke, then frowned and said, "They say that once a stepmother is born, a stepfather will follow. Yun'er's parents died early, and she was entrusted to my second uncle's family, but she was mistreated and schemed against like this."

Upon hearing this, Daiyu also dropped her playful demeanor. Feeling empathetic, she frowned and said, "I just heard Grandmother mention it. I wonder what Yun'er's second uncle's family is thinking." She paused, tilted her head slightly, and whispered, "Grandmother's words seemed to have a hidden meaning, as if she intended to bring up the old matter again."

"what?"

Bringing up old news again? Doesn't that mean...Grandmother Jia is still thinking about having Baoyu marry Xiangyun?
Before Chen Siyuan could dwell on his thoughts, Daiyu said, "Yun'er is quite pitiful. I just hope she will have a different fate in the future... Oh, I didn't have time to explain in detail yesterday. Did Prince Zhongshun make things difficult for you?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "This man is used to taking things by force and robbery. All he wants is a prescription from me."

Daiyu said, "You have a lot of dealings with Prince Yanping, so why don't you tell him about this? I'm sure the prince will protect you."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "I have a plan in mind. Originally, I would have had to go through more trouble, but now that Prince Zhongshun has delivered himself to my door, isn't that exactly what I wanted? Don't worry, sister, I will definitely not suffer any losses."

Daiyu glanced at her sideways and said, "Yes, yes, you have eight hundred thoughts in a breath, who can outsmart you? But as the saying goes, if you stand by the river long enough, you're bound to get your shoes wet. You'd better be more careful in the future."

Chen Siyuan felt a little strange and said, "Why does it sound like my sister doesn't dislike me, a wicked and wicked person, much?"

Daiyu pouted and remained silent, only scrutinizing him from head to toe before saying, "Although your intentions are not pure, you are not entirely wicked. Besides..."

In addition, Chen Siyuan treated her with sincerity, and after spending more time together, and with the matter of marriage, Daiyu naturally could no longer feel disgusted by him.

"Add what?"

Daiyu rolled her eyes at him, kept quiet and didn't answer. She just took a small sip of tea before saying, "However, you must act with integrity and uprightness in the future. It's best to use fewer of those insidious methods... lest you end up with nothing after all your scheming and plotting."

"I've learned a lot." Chen Siyuan smiled and cupped his hands in thanks, saying, "I haven't thanked you yet, sister. I specially invited Lord Shao to come and save the day yesterday."

Daiyu retorted, "The Shao family sent an old woman this morning who went on and on about your deeds... especially that erotic poem!" Chen Siyuan gave an awkward smile, and Daiyu couldn't help but frown, saying, "Although you meant well by standing up for Yun'er, it's not right to use another woman as a scapegoat. If that woman is a kind person, wouldn't this have harmed her?"

It was rare for Daiyu to reprimand someone, so Chen Siyuan didn't argue, but just smiled and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Sister is right, it was my oversight in this matter."

Daiyu felt her face burning under his gaze, and for some reason, she felt flustered. She tried to cover herself up as if she had only drunk half a cup of tea, but she could no longer bear it and hurriedly got up, saying, "Since you are alright, then, then I will go back first."

Unexpectedly, in her haste to turn around, Daiyu tripped over a chair leg, cried out in surprise, and fell to the side. Chen Siyuan was about to get up, but luckily he was quick-witted and darted over, grabbing Daiyu's arm and pulling her sharply, causing her to lean back against him like a swallow.

Her waist was so slender it could be encircled by one hand, and her pretty face flushed rapidly. Their eyes met, and Daiyu was initially stunned and at a loss for words. When she came to her senses, she was so shy that she turned her head away and dared not look at anyone.

"you you……"

Chen Siyuan asked with concern, "Is your sister alright? Is she hurt anywhere?"

"I, I'm fine, please let go."

Having spent a long time with Baochai and Lin Daiyu, Chen Siyuan felt that the two were like opposites. Baochai seemed reserved and followed the rules in daily life, but she was not averse to being with them in private; on the contrary, Lin Daiyu always seemed to do unconventional things, but she was shy to death when touched... It was really quite interesting.

Chen Siyuan helped Daiyu to her feet, and Daiyu immediately darted out two steps, tidied her hair slightly, glanced at him reproachfully, then gave a hasty curtsy and said, "I'm going back now, you, you stay."

Having said that, she turned and strode away, only to throw herself into Xiangling's arms as she rounded the screen, who had brought tea and snacks. She was furious and ran off in a panic, clutching her head.

Xiangling was quite surprised. After turning around the screen, she scrutinized Chen Siyuan and asked, "What was Master doing just now?"

Chen Siyuan was taken aback and said, "Sister Lin tripped and fell, and I just helped her up. What kind of look is that to me?"

Xiangling looked suspicious, but smiled and said, "I see... Miss Lin is still very young, sir, you must not be too hasty."

Chen Siyuan was both amused and exasperated, and said, "Where is it that we're being too hasty?"

At this moment, Hongyu also went around the screen and laughed when she heard this: "Why are you in such a hurry, sir? Sister Xiangling was clearly joking, but you took it seriously."

Chen Siyuan shook his head and waved his hand, naturally not wanting to argue with the two maids. Unexpectedly, Hongyu came over and said, "Master, I don't know why, just now, Second Master Lian led Aunt Zhang to Second Madam's room. After a cup of tea, Second Madam sent someone to throw Second Master and his bedding out, but kept Aunt Zhang to talk."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "I suppose it's because Brother Lian didn't come home last night."

Hongyu frowned and said, "Second Master, you've only been married to Concubine Zhang for a few days, why are you making such a fuss again?"

Xiangling said, "The mansion is becoming more and more chaotic. We should just close the door and live our lives behind closed doors. Let's avoid getting involved in unnecessary trouble."

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

Chen Siyuan went to the east courtyard at noon, intending to find Jia She to complain, but Jia She had gone to the east mansion, leaving Chen Siyuan empty-handed. So he only played with the fourth brother for a while before returning to the thatched cottage.

At dusk that day, a maid came to invite Chen Siyuan to a Lantern Festival banquet prepared in Rongxi Hall.

Chen Siyuan tidied himself up and headed towards Rongxi Hall. Upon entering, he immediately saw Aunt Xue there, though she looked rather haggard. He guessed that she must have suffered quite a bit at the Buddhist temple during the New Year holidays.

Their eyes met briefly, and Aunt Xue, not daring to look any longer, quickly turned her head away. Chen Siyuan secretly thought to himself that he would invite Aunt Xue for a small gathering a few days after the sixteenth.

The Rongxi Hall was divided by a screen. At one table on the left were Jia She, Jia Lian, Chen Siyuan, and Baoyu; at the other two tables on the right were Grandmother Jia, Madam Xing, Madam Wang, Aunt Xue, Li Wan, and Feng Jie. At the other table were the three sisters, Baochai, Daiyu, and Xiangyun.

As in previous years, the Lantern Festival banquet was filled with delicacies, twelve young actors took turns singing, and female storytellers were also prepared to entertain the guests.

As soon as the banquet began, Baoyu couldn't contain himself and sneaked around the screen to find Grandmother Jia and act silly. Jia Lian had been humiliated by Fengjie and Zhang Jinge earlier that morning, and was in a bad mood, so he just kept drinking in silence.

On the contrary, Jia She was preoccupied with the pharmaceutical business and frequently raised his cup to invite Chen Siyuan to drink.

Chen Siyuan drank two cups, then claimed he couldn't hold his liquor. Seeing Jia Lian's absent-mindedness, Jia She slammed his hand on the table and said angrily, "Lian'er, it's the Lantern Festival, who are you trying to impress with this dispirited look? Aren't you going to have a few drinks with your brother Yuan?"

Startled, Jia Lian hurriedly raised his cup to invite Chen Siyuan to drink. Unable to refuse, Chen Siyuan had no choice but to drink another cup.

After the wine cup was refilled, Jia She asked, "Yuan-ge'er, how have you thought about that matter?"

Chen Siyuan thought to himself that the real show was about to begin, and frowned as he said, "Uncle, don't you know your nephew? If there were no other entanglements, let alone a partnership, even if I were to hand over the formula, I would have no objections. It's just that I haven't been to the Prince of Yanping's residence recently, and... this matter has also encountered some twists and turns."

"Oh? What do you mean by that, Yuan-ge'er?"

Chen Siyuan said, "It's all that bastard Chen Yejun's fault!"

Jia She was taken aback and asked, "What does this have to do with the Marquis of Xiangcheng's mansion?"

"Uncle, please let me tell you the whole story..." Chen Siyuan then embellished the account of yesterday's events, and finally said, "That Chen Yejun was seeking revenge out of personal motives. If it weren't for his slander, why would Prince Zhongshun have targeted my nephew? Prince Zhongshun has given my nephew an answer within three days. Uncle, how do you think we can cover this up?"

Jia She was immediately at his wit's end. Not to mention that the Jia family was already at odds with Prince Zhongshun because of the succession struggle; even last year when he went to Tianjin to resell latex, if it weren't for Prince Zhongshun's interference, how could he have lost money?

At this moment, Jia She both hated and feared Prince Zhongshun, yet he was reluctant to give up the fat meat that was already in his mouth, so he vaguely said, "Prince Zhongshun has long lost his power, but he still acts tyrannically because he relies on the arrogance of the old emperor. But don't worry, Yuan-ge'er, Prince Zhongshun wouldn't dare to offend our Jia family easily."

"Just give me the recipe. When Prince Chungshun asks for it later, you... you... you can sell him a copy as well."

Chen Siyuan sneered inwardly, thinking that Jia She wanted to gain benefits without offending anyone. Where in the world could one find such a good deal? So he feigned surprise and said, "Uncle, what Prince Zhongshun seeks is a unique business. If the recipe were given to you—"

Jia She curled his lip and said, "Let me ask you, did Prince Zhongshun ever say that this matter was off the table? No, he didn't either. He also didn't say that the prescription couldn't be passed on to others, did he? Since that's the case, how can it be considered deception? Don't worry, my Jia family is not to be trifled with. I don't believe that Prince Zhongshun would really dare to turn his back on us!"

(End of this chapter)