Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 368 Three Jade Trees in Full Bloom Before the Steps
Chen Siyuan remained suspicious and quickly sent Yunxiang to inquire further. Yunxiang left as instructed, and Hongyu brought over tea, whispering, "Master, now that the Second Miss is in charge of the household, nothing, big or small, can be kept from her. If you want to know, why don't you send someone to ask the Second Miss?"

Chen Siyuan then realized and said with a smile, "Oh right, I had completely forgotten about this. But Second Sister's situation isn't very good either, so please help me inquire about it when you have time."

Hongyu smiled and agreed. She remembered that Chen Siyuan had brought two packets of Houkui tea from the Prince's Mansion when they visited during the New Year. After asking Chen Siyuan, she took one packet and headed to the Furen Yude Hall ahead.

At that moment, the second young lady Yingchun was in the hall with Li Wan, sorting out accounts. When the commotion at the front was reported by the head maid, and it was learned that it was only a few maids from the Zhen family, the second young lady sent Lin Zhixiao's wife to go forward to greet them.

After a while, Lin Zhixiao's wife returned with a message: "The Zhen family from Jiangnan arrived in the capital yesterday and are going to the palace to offer their congratulations today. They have sent someone to deliver gifts and pay their respects."

The second young lady glanced at Lin Zhixiao's wife and thought to herself that Lin Zhixiao's wife was indeed good at talking. She was clearly going to the palace to serve the sick, but in her mouth she made it sound like she was paying homage to the emperor.

The head maid Siqi received the list, and Yingchun glanced at it and saw that it read: twelve bolts of imperial brocade and python satin, twelve bolts of imperial multicolored satin, twelve bolts of imperial gauze of various colors, twelve bolts of imperial palace silk, and twenty-four bolts of official satin, gauze, and damask of various colors.

Yingchun knew that her family had a close relationship with the Zhen family, as the master's first wife came from the Zhen family. So she said, "Use the best red envelope as a reward."

Li Wan spoke up from the side, "The Zhen family is different from others. They mostly use the best red envelopes to reward their servants. I think Second Sister should prepare some for the reward."

Yingchun thought about it and agreed. She nodded repeatedly and looked up at Li Wan with a smile, saying, "Sister-in-law, you are indeed very thoughtful." She was about to say something else, but when she saw Li Wan smiling and stepping aside, she knew perfectly well that her sister-in-law was intentionally hiding her true abilities.

Thinking of the quarrels at home, Yingchun chuckled. Hadn't she been hiding her talents herself? If she hadn't wanted to miss out on a good marriage with Chen Siyuan, and instead waited for an arranged marriage, she probably would have remained hidden until her wedding day.

Composing herself, Yingchun repeated the instructions as Li Wan had suggested, and Lin Zhixiao's wife curtsied to greet her. Just as she was about to give the instructions, Amber, the head maid from the old lady's room, came looking for her and said, "The old lady has instructed that some rulers be prepared for the old women of the Zhen family."

Lin Zhixiao's wife smiled and said, "The Second Miss and the Old Madam are on the same page. Miss Amber doesn't know, but that's exactly what the Second Miss instructed just now."

Amber was quite surprised and couldn't help but glance at Yingchun before smiling and saying, "When the old lady gave the instructions earlier, Sister Yuanyang stopped her, saying that the second young lady would definitely handle it. Now it seems that she really did!"

Yingchun remained noncommittal, but smiled and asked, "Did the Zhen family go to Rongqing Hall to pay their respects?"

Amber laughed and said, "Nothing can be hidden from Second Miss. Those four old women went to Rongqing Hall, and the old lady sent someone to invite Second Madam, Miss Bao, and Third Miss to accompany them. She also urged the little maid to go and find Second Master Bao."

Yingchun smiled and said, "Please keep an eye out. If the old lady says she wants us to stay for dinner, I'll have the kitchen prepare a feast."

Amber readily agreed and then took her leave with Lin Zhixiao's family.

Since it was already February, Li Wan resumed her duties of teaching her sisters-in-law. Yingchun was older and naturally didn't need to learn anymore; Tanchun and Xichun were still young and needed her guidance as their sister-in-law.

Li Wan only came to visit when she had some free time. Seeing that Yingchun had handled the situation very efficiently, she said goodbye and left.

As soon as Li Wan left, Hongyu entered with a smile, carrying a bottle of Houkui tea. After a short while, she presented the Houkui tea and said with a smile, "This was brought back from the Prince's mansion by the eldest master. Let the second young lady have a taste of its freshness."

Yingchun was clever and noticed the hidden meaning in Hongyu's words. She smiled and let Siqi take over, saying, "We can't pretend we don't know when we've gotten a good deal. Siqi, go and get one of the handkerchiefs I just embroidered a few days ago, and have Hongyu take it back to Brother Yuan as well."

After Yingchun gave birth, Chen Siyuan and Yingchun officially became lovers, and the exchange of gifts between them could no longer be considered a private transaction.

Siqi responded and left. Yingchun then had Xiuju guard the door before beckoning Hongyu to come forward, smiling as she asked, "Brother Yuan, is there something you need?"

Hongyu smiled and said, "Our master is also concerned about the arrival of people from the Zhen family."

Yingchun was puzzled. Her stepmother was from the Zhen family but had already passed away. Chen Siyuan was the nephew of Madam Xing, who was a second wife. Why was the Zhen family sending people?
Hongyu, being quick-witted, noticed Yingchun's confusion and lowered her voice, saying, "My master is worried about the political situation."

Yingchun blinked, then nodded and said, "The imperial court is connected to the harem, and the officialdom is connected to the inner quarters. I understand. Go and tell them that today it was just a few old women coming to pay their respects to the matriarch. If there is anything else, Sister Feng will definitely handle it. If I get the news, I will definitely send someone to inform them."

Hongyu smiled sweetly and curtsied, saying, "Then I'll go and inform the master in a bit."

Just then, Siqi turned around, and Yingchun's heart skipped a beat. She quickly said, "It just so happens that I need to have my measurements taken these two days. I'd better go with you."

Hongyu was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Yingchun got up and let Xiuju and Siqi wrap her in a cloak. She instructed the old women who accompanied her to do their own thing, and then she led Hongyu, Siqi and Xiuju out of Furen Yude Hall and headed to Qingtang Thatched Cottage.

In early spring, when the chill of spring was just beginning to fade, the shrubs near the verdant peaks had already turned green. The second young lady's demeanor had lost its former timidity and gained more of the spirited air of a young lady in charge.

Along the way, we encountered several groups of maids and old women. Although some of them looked down on us, most of them bowed from a distance and avoided us.

After passing Qinfang Pavilion, Xiuju went to the needlework room at the back to find the needleworker, and then caught up with Yingchun who was walking slowly, and together they arrived at Qingtang Thatched Cottage.

At this moment, Chen Siyuan had no interest in reading and was repeatedly pondering the impact of the Zhen family's trip on the Jia family.

As the saying goes, "Humans are not plants or trees, how can they be without feelings?" Chen Siyuan naturally did not care about Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang, but he would have to protect his close relatives such as Lady Xing, Fourth Brother, Li Wan, Tan Chun, and Xi Chun.
If the Jia family is implicated by the Zhen family and ends up with their property confiscated and their clan exterminated, then perhaps only by begging Prince Yanping can they protect everyone.

Just as he was pondering this, Wu'er lifted the curtain and said in surprise, "Master, the Second Miss and Sister Hongyu have come together."

Chen Siyuan snapped out of his daze and hurriedly got up to greet them. Just as he stepped out of the main room, he saw Hongyu leading Yingchun into the courtyard.

Looking up, one could see that Yingchun was wearing a satin cloak, an apple-green satin round-necked robe with light gold trim and scattered flowers, a white cross-collar jacket underneath, and a dark green silk horse-face skirt.

With a shy expression and eyes that showed a mixture of embarrassment and joy, he mustered up the courage to look at himself before stepping forward, bowing slightly, and making a curtsy with his right hand over his left: "Greetings, Brother Yuan."

"Second sister."

Perhaps it was because she had gotten used to hiding her talents over the past ten years, or perhaps it was because the two of them had already made their relationship public, and she couldn't help but feel shy when they met again. As a result, Yingchun was so embarrassed that she couldn't say a word.

Xiuju wasn't very eloquent, and Siqi was staring intently at Chen Siyuan. Hongyu noticed something was wrong and quickly said with a smile, "Master, the second young lady has come to our room to take her measurements."

The Jia family was large and had many rules. According to the rules, second-class maids received eight sets of clothes per year, first-class maids received headwear as a reward in addition to their clothes, and third-class maids only received four sets per year.

In the thatched cottage, Hongyu, Wu'er, and Yunxiang, all of whom were contracted to be third-class maids in the Rongguo Mansion, were entitled to a set of clothes each season.

Naturally, Chen Siyuan would even subsidize the money, and he would also subsidize the clothes, jewelry, and cosmetics.

The second daughter manages the household, and such trivial matters are handled by the needleworkers; why would she need to come herself? Chen Siyuan instantly realized that his second sister had come to check on him.

With a smile, Chen Siyuan quickly offered, saying, "I just brewed a pot of Pu'er tea. Second Sister, your arrival is just in time. Please come in and have a chat."

Yingchun nodded shyly and followed Chen Siyuan to the main room. Hongyu first gave Wu'er a wink, then quickly stopped Siqi and Xiuju and said, "I learned how to make a five-blessing knot from Ying'er a few days ago. Come and see for yourselves."

Xiuju responded cheerfully. Siqi was unwilling, but she knew her place, so she forced a smile and greeted her, urging the needleworker to go into the side room with her.

In the thatched cottage, Chen Siyuan and Yingchun took their seats as host and guest, respectively. Wu'er served warm Pu'er tea, glanced at the two of them, and then covered her mouth and laughed as she withdrew.

"I--"

"you--"

The two started speaking at the same time, then stopped simultaneously, exchanged a glance, one smiling and the other shy. The second sister, Yingchun, then said, "Brother Yuan, you go first."

Chen Siyuan said, "The Rongguo Mansion is a high-ranking family, and it's not easy for ordinary matchmakers to propose marriage. We'll have to wait a while. I need to find a lady of high rank to propose marriage." Yingchun was very shy and stammered in agreement. Remembering what Siqi had found out, she suppressed her embarrassment and asked, "Have you promised my father any benefits?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and asked, "How did you know, Second Sister?"

Yingchun said in a low voice, "My father often looks for you. He's the kind of person who won't do anything without a reason. I imagine he's made things difficult for you a lot because of the marriage."

Chen Siyuan raised an eyebrow, clearly not failing to detect the concern in Yingchun's words. He couldn't help but feel secretly delighted, thinking to himself that this daughter-in-law was already on his side even before the marriage, and that she would surely be able to distinguish between her own family and her husband's family after they were married.

He then smiled and said, "It's alright, I can handle this small matter myself. As long as you're comfortable."

Yingchun, however, wouldn't listen and frowned with concern, saying, "I'll always worry about you if you don't tell me."

Before she even entered the family, her father had already extorted money from her. Even if Brother Yuan is magnanimous, he might still feel resentful about it in the future. She was already behind Baochai and Daiyu, and if Chen Siyuan harbored any resentment, even the most tender and affectionate gestures in the future wouldn't be able to resolve it.

Meeting those clear, bright eyes briefly, Yingchun couldn't help but feel shy, blushing as she turned her head away.

Chen Siyuan found it amusing and said with a smile, "It is indeed a small matter." After thinking for a moment, he picked out the things he could talk about and talked about them.

Yingchun was very worried after hearing this and said, "That's your prescription, how can you just give it away for nothing?"

Chen Siyuan said, "I was forced by Prince Zhongshun, and I figured that distributing this prescription would benefit the country and the people, so I sold it for two thousand taels of silver."

Yingchun frowned, about to mention Prince Yanping, but seeing Chen Siyuan's indifferent expression, she swallowed back the words that were on the tip of her tongue. Her concern clouded her judgment, and after careful consideration, she realized that Chen Siyuan probably had other plans. So she smiled in relief and said, "Very well, since you don't care, I won't say anything more."

She paused, then, remembering what Chen Siyuan had just said, blushed and said, "As for proposing marriage, a regular matchmaker is fine; there's no need to make a big fuss."

Chen Siyuan smiled but did not answer, only staring intently at Yingchun.

Yingchun's heart fluttered at the sight of her, but fearing that staying too long would cause gossip, she hurriedly drank half a cup of tea and then stammered as she got up to take her leave.

Chen Siyuan smiled as he saw Yingchun off at the door, but when they arrived in the courtyard, he realized that the needleworker had not yet finished measuring everyone.

Yingchun blushed deeply again, so she left Xiuju to look after them and hurriedly led Siqi back to Zhuijin Tower.

As soon as she stepped out of the thatched cottage, Siqi couldn't help but turn around to look, and saw Chen Siyuan standing in front of the courtyard gate, watching her go.

Siqi smiled and said, "Miss, Master Yuan has been standing in front of the door watching us leave."

Yingchun responded with a sound as faint as a mosquito's buzz, but kept her head down, not daring to turn around and look.

Siqi gritted her teeth inwardly, feeling extremely annoyed. She couldn't help but say, "If you ask me, since you've already made your relationship public with Master Yuan, you might as well be bolder. Don't forget that Miss Bao and Miss Lin have already taken the lead. If you back down now, even if you marry into the family in the future, you'll just be a figurehead mistress."

For a woman to live a respectable life, she must always please the head of the household.

Yingchun knew this principle perfectly well. Upon hearing this, she smiled bitterly and said, "You've been with me the longest, so you know what kind of person I am. I had a lot on my mind before I came here, but I forgot it all as soon as I saw you."

Siqi pondered, "Miss is still too shy, this won't do..." She paused, then suddenly had an idea, and said with a smile, "...I do have a method, but I don't know if it will work."

Yingchun paused slightly, glancing up at Siqi. Siqi then clasped her hands together and whispered something in her ear. After she finished speaking, Yingchun looked astonished, blinking as if about to refuse, but then, upon reflection, it seemed... useful? She moved aside and pondered for a while before tentatively asking, "Will... will it work?"

Siqi, however, was quite bold. She confidently declared, "Whether it works or not, it's always good to give it a try, just in case it might be effective."

Yingchun responded with a muffled sound, it was unclear whether she agreed or not.

Regardless of anything else, Siqi made up her mind. She would wait a few days to rest and then go to the stall that sells storybooks to look for them.

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

A few days passed in the blink of an eye, and it was the day Daiyu gave birth to her son.

A few days ago, the women of the Zhen family came to the capital, and upon hearing this, they entered the palace the very next day. After leaving the palace, they rested at the Prince of Beijing's residence, and the next day they returned to the palace to attend to the ailing prince. Apart from the few old women who came that day, no other members of the Zhen family came to bother them.

In addition, Lady Wang had just entered the palace two days ago, and it is unknown what Consort Xiande said, but Lady Wang returned with a gloomy face and a preoccupied look.

Daiyu, with her keen insight, noticed that even the usually carefree Jia Lian had become somewhat restrained, and thus knew that the Dowager Empress was seriously ill and unlikely to recover. Moreover, when the titles of the noble ladies were demoted years ago, it was the Dowager Empress and the Emperor Dowager who intervened to save the Ning and Rong mansions. The Dowager Empress's passing inevitably caused anxiety among the Jia family.

Therefore, a day in advance, Daiyu told Grandmother Jia that it was just a small birthday celebration and there was no need to make a big fuss. She suggested simply setting up two tables of food and drink as usual to celebrate with her sisters.

Grandmother Jia initially refused, but Baochai and Baoqin persuaded her together, finally getting the old lady to relent. This time, the event wouldn't be held at Rongqing Hall; Grandmother Jia allocated one hundred taels of silver, allowing Daiyu to organize it at her own Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

There's no need to hire a storyteller or an opera troupe. How much money would it cost to prepare two tables of food? Twenty taels would be just right. The remaining money was intended to help Daiyu out.

Regardless of what Grandmother Jia thought, Daiyu was overjoyed to be able to organize the baby's birth banquet herself, so much so that she tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep soundly.

So when the day of her childbirth arrived, Daiyu woke up in a daze, offered incense and prayers, paid her respects to the elders, received the congratulatory gifts, and then returned to Xiaoxiang Pavilion with yawns all over her face.

As soon as she took off her cloak, Baochai, Tanchun, and Xichun came looking for her.

Seeing Daiyu's weary face, Baochai exclaimed in surprise, "How did you become like this?"

The head maid, Xueyan, covered her mouth and laughed, "Ever since Miss came back from Rongqing Hall yesterday, she's been thinking about how to make today fun. She's been making menus and planning games, and she's been up until late at night. Of course she's going to be sleepy now!"

Xichun couldn't help but feel envious and said, "I really envy Sister Lin for being able to organize her own baby shower."

Tan Chun nudged her fourth sister with her elbow and said, "In these extraordinary times, this is just a temporary measure. We're only doing this for the sake of novelty. Didn't you see that even the old lady feels indebted to Sister Lin?"

Xichun said, "Storytelling and opera are the same old things, happening several times a year. I'm already tired of them. It's better this way, letting Sister Lin figure it out herself." As she spoke, she leaned over and pulled Daiyu, asking, "Sister Lin, have you thought about how to organize it?"

Daiyu laughed and said, "It's still cold outside at this time of year. We're just playing with some games that we've all played before." As she spoke, she yawned again. Because she was already familiar with the sisters, she leaned back on the bed and said, "Let me take a short nap. I'm so sleepy that I can't keep my eyes open."

Baochai, Tanchun, and Xichun all covered their mouths and laughed, about to say something, when Zijuan lifted the curtain and came in, saying, "Miss, Hongyu has come to deliver a congratulatory gift on behalf of Master Yuan."

Daiyu, who had been lying on the bed, quickly got up. Baochai, Tanchun, and Xichun looked at each other, and little Xichun said with a smile, "Brother Yuan's congratulatory gifts are always unique. I think Sister Lin should take a look before resting."

Daiyu scolded her a couple of times, and Hongyu then took the brocade box and went inside with a smile.

Hongyu handed the brocade box to Xueyan, gave a neat curtsy, and said, "Master originally wanted to come by himself, but then an invitation was sent to invite you to the residence of Minister Li. Master dared not neglect it, so he sent me to deliver the congratulatory gift to Miss Lin."

Before Daiyu and the others could even finish speaking, Baochai raised an eyebrow and asked, "Grand Secretary Li? Which Grand Secretary Li?"

Hongyu smiled and said, "The master said it was Li Tangfu, the Grand Secretary."

Before Daiyu could finish speaking, Baochai was already beaming with joy, exclaiming, "How did Brother Yuan get to know Grand Secretary Li? This is truly a joyous occasion!"

(End of this chapter)