Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 372 Apprenticeship
Hearing what Sister You said, Chen Siyuan frowned slightly, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

Sister You glanced at them and immediately knew what they were thinking. Children born out of wedlock weren't included in the family genealogy and had no right to inherit the family property; by any measure, they were at a huge disadvantage. But Sister You had her own plans.

Firstly, Chen Siyuan is pursuing the path of imperial examinations and will become an official in the future, so it is not advisable for him to easily engage in business. Secondly, Chen Siyuan plans to marry one principal wife and two concubines, and he will have countless other concubines. In the future, he will surely have many children and grandchildren. Even if she enters the family with Chen Siyuan, how much of the future benefits will her children receive?

Rather than that, it would be better to stay outside; at least she would be in charge of this three-courtyard house. Besides, after Chen Siyuan's wedding, he might give her some shares in the Baicaotang business.

As the saying goes, a wife is not as good as a concubine, and a concubine is not as good as a stolen lover. Rather than struggling and shamelessly trying to establish rules with the mistress, it's better to stay outside and live a carefree life. In the future, Chen Siyuan might feel a bit guilty and perhaps remember me a little more.

Sensing the arms wrapped around her tighten, Sister You pressed her head against Chen Siyuan's chest and said thoughtfully, "How about we buy three separate houses? As the saying goes, 'Even a ladle can bump into a pot,' getting too close can easily lead to conflict."

Chen Siyuan knew that You Sanjie's words were just comforting words because she was short of money. As he was responsible for three households, Chen Siyuan was overwhelmed with work. If he really bought three houses, he would have to spend a lot of time traveling between them.

He smiled and said, "Second Sister, Bao Sister, and Lin Sister have known each other well over the years. Unlike those outsiders who love to stir up trouble, it's more appropriate to buy them all together." After a pause, seeing the girl in his arms turn her head and frown, Chen Siyuan added, "The three houses are connected by a passageway. If they really can't get to one place, we can simply seal off the passageway."

Sister You was deeply worried and counted on her fingers, saying, "The broker said that the General of the State's mansion has been in disrepair for many years, and it will probably cost tens of thousands of taels of silver to repair it. And that's just the house; who knows how much it will cost to renovate the garden in the back. My brother is getting married next year, and Miss Bao is about the same age, so I'm afraid we'll have to hold two weddings in one year."

The residence of the Assistant General of the State is, after all, a member of the imperial family. Following the Ming dynasty system, the buildings and ceremonies are very particular. The main gate alone would have to be renovated. Chen Siyuan estimated that it would probably cost more than ten thousand taels of silver.

Chen Siyuan added, "I plan to marry Lin Daiyu next year."

Sister You was taken aback and said, "That means three sessions. The betrothal gifts cannot be taken lightly. Each session should be at least five thousand taels of silver, so three sessions would be fifteen thousand taels."

After deducting living expenses, Chen Siyuan is currently short at least 32,000 taels of silver. Leaving aside the railway and houttuynia cordata extract, the income from Baicaotang and latex alone would be good if he could earn 12,000 to 13,000 taels of silver a year.

If you calculate it that way, we're still short 20,000 taels of silver.

Seeing that Sister You was frowning, Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Don't worry, I've made two more ventures." He then mentioned the houttuynia cordata extract and the railway, and added, "When Xue Wenlong went there, the Xue family was in chaos. The aunt was afraid that the family property would be seized by others, so she handed over all her banknotes to me. If things really don't go well, I can just borrow some money from them and make up the difference later."

Sister You's expression softened slightly, and she smiled, "So there was such a thing. I was worried for nothing."

Afraid that You Sanjie would feel sad, Chen Siyuan's hands, which were wrapped around her soft body, slipped inside her clothes and began to act improperly. He then asked, "How much silver did Second Sister take from Ningguo Mansion?"

A blush rose on You Sanjie's face as she muttered, "She has her own money box, and over the years, she must have saved up close to a thousand taels."

Chen Siyuan calculated in his mind that he gave You Erjie two hundred taels of silver every year, and she lacked nothing in terms of food, clothing and daily necessities. You Erjie only occasionally bought some rouge, face powder and palace flowers, spending a maximum of one hundred taels of silver every two years. If he calculated it this way, wouldn't the remaining seven hundred taels of silver all come from You Shi?

It's true what they say, "A horse won't get fat without night grass, and a person won't get rich without windfall gains." No wonder Sister You Er went to Ningguo Mansion every few days.

As he pondered this, his hands kept fidgeting. Just then, he heard You Sanjie in his arms call out sweetly, "Brother!" Looking down, he saw her face was as beautiful as a peach blossom, and her eyes were bright and clear. Chen Siyuan was still thinking about going to find Daiyu in the afternoon, so how could he dare to do anything else?
He then gave an awkward smile, withdrew his hand, coughed, and said, "I'll talk to Second Sister later and then send her to Ningguo Mansion. I'm afraid she'd be capable of murder and robbery for money."

Sister You murmured in agreement and nestled in Chen Siyuan's arms, refusing to get up.

Since You Sanjie was still in mourning, the two lingered for a while before Chunxi asked from behind the screen where the meal would be served, at which point they parted ways.

Now that Chen Siyuan has returned to his new house, the meal should naturally be served in the main room.

After a short while, Third Sister You's complexion returned to normal. Only then did Second Sister You come in with her head bowed and eyes lowered. Although Qingwen was a maidservant, the You sisters dared not underestimate her. As soon as she entered, she served Chen Siyuan rice and then sat down next to Third Sister You.

Chen Siyuan stared intently at You Erjie, who looked embarrassed and said with her eyebrows drooping, "Master, it was just something my eldest sister mentioned casually. I never agreed to it."

Chen Siyuan said, "Your eldest sister... is a bit obsessed. Since you plan to run an embroidery workshop with Qingwen, then run it properly. In the future, you should go to Ningguo Mansion less often to cause trouble."

Sister You breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Qingwen spoke to the master? That's great. I'll ask someone to hire an embroiderer from Jiangnan later."

Chen Siyuan couldn't help but remind her, "Qingwen is only responsible for teaching the embroiderers; don't take on so many jobs for her in private."

Sister You immediately gave her her assurances, feeling that the wedding shop business had great potential.

After lunch, Chen Siyuan privately sought out You Erjie to inquire about the legal trouble Jia Rong had gotten into in Jinling.

Sister You Er shook her head and said, "Eldest sister doesn't know the inside story either. She only said that when Rong came back that night, her brother-in-law talked with him in the outer study for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Then he got angry and picked up a whip to beat Rong to death. Later, it was Lian Er's wife who came to stop him, and Lian Er's master and the eldest master came to persuade him, and that's how Rong was spared."

Chen Siyuan thought to himself, "Since there has been no gossip in the days since the incident, and they are keeping such a tight mouth, I'm afraid Jia Rong has gotten herself into a lot of trouble."

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

She wore a light gold and peach-red floral-patterned jacket, with a vermilion square-necked stand-up collar jacket underneath, and an apricot-red cloak with pomegranate-red floral patterns over it. She wore a peach-red horse-face skirt. Her hair was loosely tied in a bun, adorned only with a gold hairpin and a large red pomegranate-shaped palace flower.

Daiyu's face was serene, her delicate brows furrowed slightly as she turned away, and soon she entered the Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

Zijuan, who was accompanying Daiyu, remained silent as she helped Daiyu change her clothes. Xueyan, however, was indignant and said, "Auntie usually seems reasonable, but when it comes to Master Bao, she becomes utterly biased!"

Zijuan said in a low voice, "Say less."

Xueyan refused, pouting and frowning, "Your teacher is now the Grand Marshal. Before your master passed away, he prepared your dowry early in the morning. Now, not only have we fed the wolves to the trees, but he's also humiliating you like this. I don't think you need to endure this. At worst, you can ask the Grand Marshal to let you live independently. It will only take two years, and when you come of age, you can marry into the family. There's no need to insist on going back to your maternal family!"

Daiyu sighed, found a chair and sat down, propping her elbow on her cheek and looking utterly miserable.

The day before, Baoyu had lost his composure during his birthday celebration, which naturally displeased Daiyu. Without Daiyu needing to complain, Xichun hurriedly explained the situation to the old lady early in the morning.

Because Yingchun was about to be engaged, Grandmother Jia thought that Daiyu would also be of marriageable age in two years, and felt sorry for her. She sent Yuanyang to invite Daiyu to Rongqing Hall for a chat.

The old lady harbored resentment towards Baoyu, and she talked to Daiyu for a long time. Although she didn't express anger, her words were full of appeasement. She thought the matter would be dropped, but then Lady Wang from the neighborhood arrived around 9:00 AM.

He immediately apologized to Daiyu, then turned around and said that Baoyu was simple-minded and that he had only felt something at the time, not that he had any ulterior motives. He also said that now that the young master and young lady are getting older, there is no need for them to be together in the future.

Daiyu was furious. She hadn't sent Baoyu an invitation yesterday; it was Baoyu who had come to her door, insisting on celebrating her birthday. How had it come to be her fault in Lady Wang's eyes?
Seeing Daiyu angrily wringing her handkerchief, Grandmother Jia quickly smoothed things over and changed the subject. After Lady Wang left, Grandmother Jia invited Daiyu to stay for afternoon snacks.

It's unclear whether Lady Wang's words struck a chord with Grandmother Jia, but the old lady also gave instructions before leaving, saying that Daiyu should not be so close to Baoyu in the future!
Daiyu shed tears as soon as she left Rongqing Hall! She was living under someone else's roof, and Baoyu was a lawless person. How could it be his fault that he forced his way into Xiaoxiang Pavilion?
Besides, her marriage was arranged long ago, and she had kept her distance from Baoyu for the past few years. It was only in the last six months, seeing that Baoyu and Xia Jingui were getting closer, that she started to treat them like ordinary cousins. Who knew that Baoyu would lose his composure after drinking a few cups of wine!
Hearing the two maids arguing back and forth endlessly, Daiyu was extremely annoyed. She frowned and scolded them, "Shut up! It'll only be two years anyway. I can bear with it."

Xueyan opened her mouth, exhaled a sigh of annoyance, but ultimately dared not say anything more. Zijuan also sighed inwardly, but because her indenture was still with the Jia family, she really couldn't comment on the matter.

Just then, Granny Wang entered. Turning the screen, she saw the situation was amiss and asked, "What's going on?" Zijuan knew that Daiyu was living under someone else's roof, and the idea of ​​her moving out as a separate household was pure nonsense. With her maternal family still alive, if Daiyu were to truly move out, it would be tantamount to slapping the Jia family in the face!

It wouldn't be appropriate for Grand Marshal Jia Yucun to take her in either. A male teacher and a female student living in the same courtyard would certainly cause gossip. That's why Jia Yucun never offered to take Daiyu in.

Although Granny Wang was wholeheartedly protective of Daiyu, what else could she do besides asking Jia Yucun and Chen Siyuan to speak up for her young lady in the Jia family?
Chen Siyuan is still a scholar who has passed the imperial examinations, so let's not dwell on that; but if Jia Yucun were to visit, who knows how the Jia family would view their daughter?

Zijuan, wanting to avoid trouble, said tactfully, "It's nothing. Miss, I just can't find your pair of cat-eye lilacs. I'm checking accounts with Xueyan right now."

Wang Mama, unsuspecting, went inside and said with a smile, "Miss, you don't know, Yuan-ge'er came early this morning, but when he saw you weren't there and another old woman came looking for you, he left. I just saw Yunxiang wandering around nearby. Miss, please wait, Yuan-ge'er will definitely be here in less than half an hour."

Upon hearing this, Daiyu's expression softened slightly. Xueyan, being quick-witted, immediately smiled and said, "I suppose it's because of yesterday's delay that you've come to complain to me, Miss."

Zijuan also smiled and said, "Uncle Yuan really put a lot of thought into this congratulatory gift. I think the tortoise and crane longevity ornament is only the size of a palm and is exquisitely carved. It would be enough to be considered a dowry!"

Daiyu's pretty face immediately flushed red, and she scolded, "Zijuan, watch your skin!"

Zijuan, however, was not afraid and said with a smile, "Look, the young lady is blushing."

Daiyu was furious. She got up, grabbed a pillow, and threw it at Zijuan. Zijuan caught it in her arms and giggled incessantly.

Daiyu seemed annoyed for a while, but then she suddenly remembered Chen Siyuan and her icy expression softened, and she burst into laughter.

Seeing this, Zijuan and Xueyan quickly stepped forward and said some words to cheer Daiyu up. Just then, a maidservant announced from outside that Chen Siyuan had arrived.

The group of people inside were taken aback, and then Granny Wang smiled smugly and said, "What did I tell you? Yuan-ge'er is here now!"

Seeing Daiyu blush, Granny Wang pulled Zijuan away, muttering, "Come on, come on, the young lady's shoes aren't finished yet."

Xueyan went out to greet them, and after a moment led Chen Siyuan around the screen.

Daiyu stood quietly in the hall, and when their eyes met, she saw a smile suddenly bloom on Chen Siyuan's face. Chen Siyuan bowed and apologized, then stepped forward and said, "I apologize to you, sister. I was really delayed by something yesterday. I was planning to congratulate you in person, but when I returned, Xiangling said that everyone had already left."

Daiyu blushed slightly, curtsied, and led Chen Siyuan to a seat before saying, "I heard from Sister Bao that Brother Yuan has become an apprentice?"

"Yes," Chen Siyuan agreed and then recounted what had happened yesterday.

Upon hearing this, Daiyu frowned and said, "If one's character is indeed flawed, then no matter how high one's learning, one will only mislead the younger generation... This matter cannot be avoided."

Chen Siyuan shook his head, and Daiyu frowned and sighed, "We're forced by circumstances and have to rely on others... If all else fails, you'll have to go through the same thing in the next exam. Since this person is just trying to gain fame and reputation, who knows if he won't cause trouble in the future?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Thank you for your trouble, sister. But don't worry, I have my own plans."

Daiyu pondered and said, "You are always good at taking shortcuts, but you should know that the main road is the only smooth path. If you always take shortcuts, you will inevitably run into ghosts if you walk on the dark road too much."

Chen Siyuan nodded in agreement, then said, "Yesterday... Baoyu caused a scene again."

Daiyu's face immediately turned cold.

Chen Siyuan then asked, "I heard you went to Rongqing Hall this morning. Did the old lady have any comments?"

Daiyu sneered, "What explanation could there be? It's nothing but muddying the waters."

Chen Siyuan, annoyed, said, "They say distance makes the heart grow fonder, and I thought the old lady was someone who could distinguish right from wrong, but now it seems she's no different from any other woman. If you ask me, sister, you don't need to put up with this anymore—" He pointed around and said, "—Who in the manor doesn't know that you took the lion's share of the money for building this garden? Now that Jia Sima is about to enter the cabinet, if the Jia family dares to bully you again, I will definitely find Jia Sima and demand an explanation!"

Daiyu hesitated, saying, "It's not good to always trouble you, Teacher. Besides, you can't always look after me..."

Chen Siyuan knew that Daiyu's concerns stemmed from her long-term dependence on others. He chuckled and said, "Sister, you're probably overthinking it. Jia Sima rose to prominence through Lin Yansi's connections, and his subsequent meteoric rise was also due to Lin Yansi's influence. Back when Lin Yansi entrusted his son to Jia Sima, Jia Sima escorted you to the capital in such a high-profile manner, just for show. If he were to learn that the Jia family had mistreated you, Jia Sima would undoubtedly be the first to stand up for you."

If my sister continues to give in, not only will she estrange herself from Jia Sima, but she will also cause Jia Sima to lose sight of his original intentions... Wouldn't that hurt those close to her and please her enemies?

Daiyu was indeed intelligent. Although Chen Siyuan did not say it explicitly, he could tell from her words that Jia Yucun was using Daiyu as a living advertisement. Although he felt slightly disgusted, he quickly became happy again.

Just as he was about to say something, Chen Siyuan gave an awkward smile and said, "Yesterday, after I left the Yanping Prince's Mansion, I went to Xinglong Street. When he learned that I was going to marry my second sister, the Grand Marshal glared at me several times, as if he wanted to tear me apart alive."

Seeing Chen Siyuan's apprehensive and fearful expression, Daiyu covered her mouth and smiled. Considering their kinship, she said, "Alright, let it go this time. But if it happens again, I'll send Granny Wang to find the teacher and demand an explanation."

"That's how it should be."

Daiyu felt more confident and her mood improved considerably.

Chen Siyuan was about to get closer to them when Xiangyun arrived first, followed by Tanchun and Xichun. Knowing that the two could no longer have a private conversation, Chen Siyuan had no choice but to take his leave.

A few days passed quickly. While Sister You was still haggling with the General of the State's Mansion, Chen Siyuan sent a visiting card to Liao Shiwei's residence early on, agreeing to visit and become his apprentice on his day off.

Before long, it was the day off. Early in the morning, Chen Siyuan took his tuition and, with two servants, rode his horse straight to Liao Shiwei's residence.

The Liao family's residence consisted of only three courtyards. The gatekeeper had already received instructions and, upon learning that Chen Siyuan had come to become an apprentice, immediately led him into the main hall for tea.

After a short while, a steward came to lead them through the hanging flower gate, and then a stewardess came to lead them along the covered corridor, leading them straight into the main room.

In the main hall, Liao Shiwei sat high up, stroking his beard with a smile. His subordinates and staff accompanied him. Chen Siyuan presented the tuition fee, then lifted his robe and slowly knelt down, solemnly kowtowing to acknowledge him as his master.

Liao Shiwei hurriedly told Chen Siyuan to get up, and then a maid brought over a tray. Chen Siyuan picked up the teacup inside and stepped forward to serve tea.

Liao Shiwei took the teacup, symbolically drank a sip, then returned two volumes of ancient books to Chen Siyuan before instructing Chen Siyuan to sit down.

After his subordinates and staff offered their congratulations and tactfully withdrew, Liao Shiwei then looked at Chen Siyuan and asked, "Shuliang, do you have a way to break the deadlock in the Burma matter?"

(End of this chapter)