Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 392 Embroidered Curtains with Double-Knotted Mandarin Duck Belts

Chen Siyuan pondered for a moment, but his feet never stopped. He arrived at Qinfang Pavilion in no time. Then, pretending to have just seen Sister Feng, he greeted her with a smile and a meaningful expression.

Sister Feng bit her lower lip lightly, her mind drifting into a daze, and she unconsciously recalled the two previous intimate encounters. Her gaze drifted down to Chen Siyuan's waist before she quickly looked away.

Chen Siyuan's heart skipped a beat, and he felt a thrill. He quickly lowered his voice and said, "Aren't you afraid of being seen?"

He looked up and examined her closely, and saw that Sister Feng was wearing a honey-colored jacket over her clothes, which faintly revealed her fair and tender skin underneath. With her delicately painted eyebrows, lightly applied powder, her hair in a wisp of smoke, her red lips and slender waist, she truly looked like a goddess!

Feng Jie stubbornly insisted, "What's done is done, so what if someone sees us?" Her voice trailed off as she spoke, and after a pause, she looked around and said, "This is not the place to talk. I... I'll wait for you in front of the Yi Hong Courtyard."

Chen Siyuan agreed, and Feng Jie hurriedly turned and left. Not wanting to follow closely, Chen Siyuan wandered around for a while, leaning on the railing to watch the flowing water beneath Qinfang Pavilion.

After what seemed like half a cup of tea had passed, just as he was about to set off to find Sister Feng, he suddenly heard footsteps approaching. Turning around, he saw Baoqin approaching with a frown.

"Oh, Brother Yuan?" Baoqin's eyebrows relaxed instantly, revealing a hint of joy.

Chen Siyuan laughed and asked, "Where are you going?"

Baoqin laughed and said, "I was feeling bored, and I didn't want to disturb you while you were studying, so after thinking about it, I decided to go find Sister Lin and Second Sister to play around for a while."

Last time, Baochai sent Ying'er to deliver a bolt of Shu brocade, which made Baoqin quite upset for some time. Chen Siyuan's three wives then sent two bolts of shimmering brocade and two bolts of Shu brocade, and sent three maids from their respective households to deliver them. The meaning behind this was self-evident.

As a result, Xiangling and Qingwen each received a piece of Shu brocade, and Wu'er received a reward from Yingchun, which implied that she was recognizing her mistress.

When Baochai turned around, she sent Ying'er to deliver Shu brocade to Baoqin, clearly comparing her to Xiangling, Qingwen, and others. No matter how carefree Baoqin was, she couldn't stand it!
These past few days, Baoqin had been pondering the matter carefully, feeling troubled and unable to find a way out. Today, a sudden inspiration struck her, and she suddenly understood: she had only agreed to Aunt Xue marrying Chen Siyuan as a concubine, but she had never said that she necessarily had to be a concubine in the Xue family's branch!
Once you understand this, the world seems so vast!
Yes, both her second sister and Lin sister doted on her. So why should she try to get close to her cousin whom she had been so wary of?
If she could win the favor of these two and become sworn sisters in the future, then Baoqin would at least be considered a concubine—a rank even higher than a concubine.

Furthermore, Baoqin had traveled extensively with her father since childhood, gaining far more experience than ordinary women, and her business acumen was no less than that of others. Take Lin Daiyu's situation, for example: first, there was the capable Zijuan, and then the Old Madam sent Yuanyang over; these two were excellent at managing household affairs, but they were much less adept at handling external business. Baoqin joining them would perfectly fill that gap.
As for Second Sister, if Brother Yuan hadn't sent Hongyu over, I'm afraid there would be no one to help her after Siqi left. That elusive Sister Xing is too otherworldly, with an air of indifference to worldly affairs. Wouldn't it be more appropriate for her to go over there herself, with Hongyu managing the internal affairs and herself managing the external affairs?
Upon realizing this, the little girl was overjoyed. She had just been frowning and pondering how to please her two kind older sisters when she unexpectedly bumped into Chen Siyuan.

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "I'm not just a bookworm. It's so hot right now, so I came out to cool off."

Baoqin was preoccupied with pleasing her two older sisters and had no interest in answering Chen Siyuan. She simply smiled and said, "In that case, Brother Yuan, you can stay here and cool off. I'll go find my second sister first."

After saying goodbye to Chen Siyuan, she hurriedly left, leaving Chen Siyuan to ponder in a daze. He thought to himself, "This Qin girl always acts alluring and seductive whenever she sees me. Why is she suddenly avoiding me like the plague?"

Chen Siyuan was eager to explore, but Sister Feng was still waiting for him, so he had to keep his thoughts to himself. Seeing that no one was around, he quickly headed towards the Yihong Courtyard.

Chen Siyuan walked along the passageway, passing the mountain that blocked the way, heading south. With a casual glance, he suddenly noticed that the moon window of the side room of Yihong Courtyard was slightly open. Since Xia Jingui returned home, no one had lived here anymore, so the maid must have forgotten to close the window after cleaning.

After a short while, they turned to the south side of the Grand View Garden. The passageway gradually widened, and there was a Taihu stone as a landscape feature at the front. Looking up, Chen Siyuan saw Sister Feng hiding under the willow tree next to the gate.

Seeing that no one was around, Chen Siyuan quickly approached.

Sister Feng pursed her lips and looked at him, perhaps unsure how to speak, or perhaps feeling a mix of emotions, and thus remained silent.

Chen Siyuan thought to himself that although he had gained an advantage, it was passive. Feng Jie looked like she had suffered a great loss. Who was she trying to impress?

Just as she coughed and was about to speak, Sister Feng said, "Do you...do you have a way to help me?"

"what?"

Sister Feng's face was filled with sorrow and hidden anger. She then recounted everything that Lady Wang had done. Chen Siyuan listened, secretly astonished, and a thought began to form in his mind. He quickly asked, "Your father and Prince Teng..."

Sister Feng frowned slightly and then recounted the story between her father and Wang Ziteng. It turned out that the Wang family had three brothers in the previous generation: Wang Ziteng, Wang Zisheng, and Sister Feng's father, Wang Zizun, with Wang Zizun being the eldest.

During the reign of Emperor Taishang, Prince Zhun entered the court with a noble title and served as the Vice Commander of the Central Army.

After the current emperor seized the throne, Prince Zhun simply resigned from his official post and returned to his hometown to focus on managing the maritime trade. His younger brother, Prince Teng, seized the opportunity and first became the commander of the Jia family's Beijing garrison. Over the next ten years, he rose rapidly through the ranks, becoming increasingly extravagant.

Several years ago, the two brothers were relatively amicable. When dealing with Xue Pan's case in Jinling, Wang Zizhun even visited Jia Yucun on behalf of Wang Ziteng (Note 1). However, this year, the situation has reversed, with the second branch gradually gaining more influence than the first branch, naturally leading to a more tense relationship between the two.

Chen Siyuan couldn't help but wonder, "That's strange. Since your father is in charge of the ancestral lineage and has the contracts of service for the servants in the house, he really has the power of life and death over them. How could he have fallen into your uncle's trap?"

Sister Feng frowned and said, "You make it sound so simple. Although my father is the clan head, how can family matters be decided with just a few words? There are many elders and uncles in the Wang family, and recently many of them have been won over by my uncle. The servants of the Wang family are all connected, either by marriage or old friends. With their intentions, they can easily fall into a trap."

Chen Siyuan nodded, somewhat understanding. He frowned slightly, pondering for a moment, and said, "If I were to suggest it, you would be better off lying low for now."

It's ridiculous. Three of the four maids have been won over. Besides Ping'er, the only people they can do anything with are Laiwang's family. How can they possibly fight against Madam Wang?
Upon hearing this, Sister Feng immediately became angry and said, "I came to you for advice. If you don't have any, fine. But why are you advising me to let things go?"

Chen Siyuan smiled bitterly and said, "Hidden dormancy? I didn't say to let things settle. Think about it yourself. There's the Empress in the palace, and your good uncle outside. As long as these two don't fall, even if Madam makes a huge mistake, at most she'll just get a lot of complaints. What can anyone else do to her?"
"Haven't you seen that even old ladies have to give way these days?"

Sister Feng said with distress, "If that's the case, won't the Rongguo Mansion fall into the hands of the second branch of the family?"

Chen Siyuan thought to himself, with Jia She's reckless and self-destructive tendencies, the Rongguo Mansion might be gone in a few years.

Thinking this, he said aloud, "The Rongguo Mansion is just an empty shell. All those pawn tickets are in your hands, so what are you afraid of?"

Sister Feng thought about it and realized it made sense, and then her brows relaxed slightly.

Chen Siyuan, observing the situation, added, "Besides, Madam is now single-mindedly focused on getting Her Majesty to be promoted to Imperial Noble Consort."

If Yuan Chun were to be promoted to Imperial Noble Consort, Jia Zheng would become the Emperor's father-in-law. According to the rules of the current dynasty, the second branch of the family should be separated and establish their own residence.

Sister Feng knew this too. She secretly hoped that the eldest daughter would be made a concubine soon, but said aloud, "That's all just wishful thinking. It might take several years."

Chen Siyuan remained silent, because there was no way to persuade him about such a matter.

Sister Feng pondered for a long time, as if she had figured it out herself. She looked up at Chen Siyuan, then turned her head away and said, "You...I..." She stammered for a moment, and finally said, "Ping'er moved to Longcui Nunnery yesterday."

"Yes, I've heard about it."

When do you plan to go?

Chen Siyuan scratched his head and said, "It can't be now, can it? It's broad daylight... How about tonight?"

Sister Feng then said, "Then it's settled. I'll be waiting for you."

Seeing the awkwardness on her face, and that she was about to leave, Chen Siyuan hurriedly said, "I do have something to say... Lin Meimei has been feeling homesick lately, and I just went to comfort her once, but I don't know how things turned out. Could you help me find an excuse to secretly take her out for a stroll later, so she can relieve her boredom?"

Sister Feng was extremely disgusted. She had already given herself to him, and now he was helping her arrange secret rendezvous with Lin Daiyu... Where could she possibly reason with this?

She gave a vague reply, but Feng Jie was in a bad mood. With a cold face, she said goodbye to Chen Siyuan and returned to her own courtyard.

Chen Siyuan was both amused and exasperated, thinking to himself: You seduced me, do you expect me to have romantic moments with you under the moon and flowers?
Then, thinking about Sister Feng's temperament, he considered it for a while and decided that he should try to coax her properly later to avoid her getting jealous and causing trouble again.

After pondering it over, he walked around the Yihong Courtyard, crossed the White Stone Bridge, and returned to the Qingtang Thatched Cottage. On the way, he passed the Longcui Nunnery and peered inside through the courtyard wall. Chen Siyuan was distracted for a while before quickly turning back.

Nothing much happened during the day, and before we knew it, it was past midnight.

In the afternoon, Tan Chun and Xi Chun arranged a game of handball, and Wu'er and Qing Wen, both covered in sweat, moved their bath tubs to the west wing for a bath. In the main room, Chen Siyuan was so engrossed in his book that he sought out Xiang Ling to chat and relieve his boredom.

Xiangling's personality became increasingly carefree, and she kept giggling. After recounting the amusing things that happened during the day, she turned to say, "Yes, today I overheard some maids talking badly about the Third Miss in private."

Chen Siyuan asked, "What happened to Tan Chun again?"

Xiangling pouted and said, "It's all because of the matter of subcontracting the work to the old women. Today, a maid saw that the lotus leaves were fresh and tender and planned to pick a couple of leaves, but she was immediately scolded by the old women. The maid was angry and took it out on the Third Miss."

Chen Siyuan smiled without saying a word, thinking to himself that even a small place like the Grand View Garden had incurred the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people simply by changing the rules. One could only imagine how difficult it must be for Wang Anshi and Zhang Juzheng. Coincidentally, the current emperor was about to implement reforms again, and it was likely that Prince Yanping had already spoken to the emperor about his abilities.

Chen Siyuan knew he couldn't avoid it, but at least there was still room for maneuver. Even if he did enter officialdom in the future, he would only focus on adding to his position, as for subtraction... let whoever wants to do it do it. He was determined to stay as far away from it as possible.

After Xiangling finished speaking, Chen Siyuan asked, "Did she scold Second Sister?"

Xiangling shook her head and said, "No, but I heard a few complaints before, saying that Second Miss is good in every way, but she cares too much about sisterly affection, which is why I didn't refute Third Miss's method."

Well, Tan Chun got the blame, while Ying Chun benefited.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the room gradually grew dark. Strangely enough, while there had been a gentle breeze during the day, it had completely disappeared by nightfall. The room became increasingly stuffy and hot, and even ice could not cool it down in the slightest.

As Xiangling spoke, she kept fanning herself with a round fan, and most of the breeze ended up on Chen Siyuan. Xiangling's jacket had already been opened, revealing only a beige undergarment underneath. With each movement, her soft, pink breasts seemed about to emerge.

Chen Siyuan had been fasting all night, and he was in the prime of his life. After glancing at the place a few times, he became increasingly aroused. Then he remembered that Ping'er was waiting for him at the Longcui Nunnery, and his mind began to wander.

Just then, Wu'er entered with her loosely tied hair bun and greeted, "Sister Xiangling, Qingwen has finished washing and the water has just been changed. Sister, please go and take a bath."

Chen Siyuan also got up and said, "It's stuffy in the room, I'll go for a walk around."

Wu'er hurriedly asked, "When will you prepare a bathtub for Master?"

Chen Siyuan didn't stop walking. As he passed by, he casually said, "Let's get ready. It's not cold anyway."

Before he finished speaking, he had already strode out of the thatched cottage.

Wu'er and Xiangling exchanged glances and both pouted. They knew perfectly well that their master had gone off to find some wild food again. They just didn't know whether it was a seedling or a strip this time.

Meanwhile, Chen Siyuan hurriedly went to look for it. He first secretly went up the artificial hill to observe, and seeing that there were no maids waiting at the gate, he passed through the mountain gate and the temple gate and quickly went inside.

The east and west wings of the Longcui Nunnery are meditation rooms. The main building in front is called Longcui Nunnery. The side room on the west side is called Damo Nunnery. The side room on the east side is enclosed by a corridor, forming a small courtyard with flickering candlelight inside. Presumably, Sister Feng and Ping'er are in this room.

Chen Siyuan strolled over and, seeing the door slightly ajar, simply pushed it open and went inside.

With a creak, the pretty figure inside trembled, and before she could turn around, she called out "Grandma." But when she turned around, she saw Chen Siyuan and froze on the spot.

As the saying goes, a beauty is seen under the lamplight. Ping'er was already quite beautiful, and now she appeared even more charming in Chen Siyuan's eyes.

She truly possessed willow-leaf eyebrows, eyes as clear as autumn waves, a face as radiant as the autumn moon, and a countenance more beautiful than spring flowers; her beauty was like a peony shrouded in mist, and as graceful as a lotus intoxicated with dew.

"Uncle Yuan."

Ping'er was already feeling uneasy, and seeing that it was Chen Siyuan who had come, she became even more anxious.

Chen Siyuan nodded, unsure how to begin. He walked to the side and sat down, then asked in a low voice, "Where...where is Sister Feng?"

Ping'er lowered her head and bit her lower lip, saying, "Grandma sent Feng'er away, saying he'd be back in a little while." Seeing Chen Siyuan remain silent, she quickly got up, shakily poured a cup of tea, and handed it to him, saying, "Uncle Yuan, please have some tea." Chen Siyuan acknowledged, but when he took the teacup, he slightly touched Ping'er's hand, causing her to tremble and quickly take a step back.

Chen Siyuan looked up in surprise and saw the girl biting her lower lip and getting conflicted again.

He wondered to himself, "Does this mean they agree or disagree?"
Just as she was about to ask, Feng Jie's voice came from outside: "Oh, that saves me the trouble of going to invite her... I'll go and keep watch at the front, Ping'er... hurry up."

Ping'er wrung her hands and stood there stunned for a long time, not daring to look up at Chen Siyuan. She simply turned her head and went to the inner bedroom to make up the bedding.

Chen Siyuan took a sip of the warm tea, knowing that Ping'er had tacitly approved. At that moment, he couldn't care less about anything else. He got up and went to the bedroom.

Hearing the commotion, Ping'er turned around to look. Just as she was about to call out, Chen Siyuan suddenly embraced her tightly.

She gasped in surprise, and then her lips were pressed firmly against hers again.

Dazzled and mesmerized, Ping'er found herself rolling around on the bed with Chen Siyuan without even realizing it...

Meanwhile, outside, Sister Feng quietly locked the nunnery gate, turned around and saw that the candlelight was flickering in the east wing room, and the silhouettes inside were intertwined and lying down.

Sister Feng spat inwardly and immediately stopped under the eaves of the East Zen Hall. Before long, tender and seductive sounds drifted over from inside, arousing Sister Feng's heart and making her unconsciously recall the scene of their previous encounter.

Feeling increasingly restless, Sister Feng couldn't contain her curiosity and tiptoed towards the east side room.

Quietly pushing open the door and sneaking inside, she peeked out from behind the gauze curtains and saw a shy, languid beauty with a hint of spring in her eyes. Her voice was sweet and melodious, and her face seemed to be half asleep, half drunk.

Feng Jie'er took in the sight and her heart skipped a beat. Remembering Ping'er's conflicted expression these past two days, Feng Jie'er cursed inwardly: "That pretentious little hussy! She acted so proper before, but now she's clearly enjoying herself!"

Thinking that there was no risk of being exposed after this, Sister Feng dared not peek anymore. She quickly found a chair and sat down. Seeing a half-cup of tea in front of her, which she guessed belonged to Chen Siyuan, she didn't mind and drank it all in one gulp. Afterwards, the alluring sounds she heard became even more seductive, and she drank two more cups, but it didn't quell the heat in her heart.

After an unknown amount of time, the sounds from inside gradually subsided. Feng Jie untied her crossed legs, breathed a sigh of relief, and hurried to her bedroom. But she bumped into Chen Siyuan right at the door!

"you--"

Before Feng Jie could say anything, she was suddenly lifted up by Chen Siyuan.

"what are you up to?"

Chen Siyuan chuckled and said, "Ping'er is already exhausted. Now that you're here, it wouldn't be right to show favoritism."

Sister Feng was deeply ashamed. She threw a tantrum for a while, then gradually fell silent. Only the candlelight in the east wing flickered on...

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

Several days passed in the blink of an eye, and it was already May.

That night, after Feng Jie and Ping'er, mistress and servant, shared a bed and became like sisters, an awkward situation inevitably arose afterward. Who knew that Chen Siyuan was shameless? A day and a half later, he coaxed and seduced Feng Jie, making her come again.

They say there are four iron pillars in life, so I suppose it's the same for women to become sisters in the same bed? In any case, after several nights in a row, not only did Feng Jie and Ping'er return to normal, but they also seemed even closer than before.

Ping'er couldn't stay at Longcui Nunnery any longer, so after the seven-day prayer period, she immediately moved back to Fengjie's courtyard.

That day, Sister Feng went to the Ningguo Mansion early in the morning to help out. After returning home and having her afternoon snack, she took a short nap. Although it was hot in May, she could bear it by staying indoors in a cool place.

Ping'er brought a bottle of rose dew from Rongqing Hall and tiptoed into the bedroom. She saw Feng Jie lying on the kang (a heated brick bed), with only her lower abdomen covered by a brocade quilt and her upper body covered by a bright red bodice, revealing a pair of fair arms. Her undergarments reached only to her thighs, and her feet were crossed, with her toes painted with nail polish, making her look extremely charming.

Ping'er had just quietly put down the rose dew when she suddenly heard Feng Jie mutter in her sleep, "Wild buffalo..."

Ping'er hurriedly turned around to look and saw that Feng Jie'er had already opened her eyes in a daze.

Ping'er knew who Feng Jie was calling, so she bit her lower lip and leaned over to fan her, saying, "Grandma, you—"

Sister Feng glanced at him sideways and said, "Even your second master doesn't dare to come now, so what are you afraid of?"

Ping'er, upon hearing this, could not say anything more, and only said, "The Princess of Nan'an sent some rose dew, and the old lady rewarded Grandma with a bottle."

"Ah."

Feng Jie mumbled an agreement, her mind still replaying the scene from her dream. That Chen Siyuan was a heartless man... He treated Feng Jie like a monster in bed, relentlessly thrusting like a wild bull. Every time, Feng Jie felt like she had lost half her life, yet the next day she would feel refreshed and relaxed. It was truly bizarre.

Even so, afterwards he became tender and affectionate again, calling "Feng'er" softly in her ear, making Feng Jie's heart flutter, and she secretly regretted that she was born a few years too early.

Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. Sister Feng frowned slightly, reached out and touched it, and saw some faint traces of blood.

Ping'er blinked and quickly asked, "Grandma, is your period starting?"

Sister Feng immediately frowned in displeasure... After working so hard these past few days, how come she's having her period?
Ping'er got up and busied herself, finding a white cloth bag to wrap the ashes and helping Feng Jie change into it. Then she sent Feng'er to instruct the kitchen that no cold food should be eaten today.

As he turned around and sat down on the kang (heated brick bed), he saw Sister Feng staring straight at him and asking, "You should be here these next few days, right?"

The master and servant spent every day together. When Jia Lian went to the outer study, the two simply shared a bed and pillow. Before they knew it, his period was approaching.

Ping'er felt a little strange. Before her period, she would always feel a dragging sensation in her lower abdomen. Her period was due two days ago, but she hadn't felt anything yet.

Knowing what Sister Feng was thinking, she dared not tell the truth, so she vaguely said, "Perhaps it will be in the next couple of days."

Sister Feng couldn't help but complain, "Wouldn't all that work have been for nothing?"

Ping'er also sighed. After a while, Ping'er peeked at Feng Jie's face and saw a hint of joy on her face.

As Ping'er was pondering in surprise, Feng Jie suddenly looked over. Ping'er's heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly said, "Grandma, the thing that Master Yuan mentioned last time... Grandma hasn't done it yet."

Sister Feng chuckled and said, "You're always good at playing the good guy." After a pause, she added, "Fine, while I can still walk, I'll bring it to Rongqing Hall later."

Ping'er obediently agreed and dared not stay any longer, so she quickly found an excuse to leave.

Little did she know that Sister Feng had been staring at his back for a long time, and had already begun to suspect: she herself was not pregnant, could it be that little hussy Ping'er was pregnant?

Just as I was pondering this, a commotion suddenly broke out outside.

"Ping'er, take me to see Second Madam quickly, I have something urgent to discuss!"

When Sister Feng heard that it was Qiu Tong who had come, she immediately rolled her eyes. Then she thought about it and realized that Qiu Tong and Zhang Jinge were always at odds. Could it be that Qiu Tong had something important to discuss with her?

Therefore, he instructed, "Ping'er, let Aunt Qiu in."

As they spoke, Sister Feng got up, put on her clothes, and covered herself with the brocade quilt. A moment later, Ping'er led Qiu Tong inside.

Qiu Tong gave a hasty curtsy and, before Feng Jie could ask, hurriedly said, "Second Madam, something terrible has happened! Aunt Zhang is probably pregnant!"

"Ah?" Sister Feng was taken aback and hurriedly asked, "Is this really true?"

Qiu Tong sneered, "She can fool others, but how can she fool me? Her maid always collects her menstrual belt on time every month, but this time she threw it away, and it's covered in ants. I endured the filth and took a sniff, and guess what, Second Madam? That's not menstrual blood at all, it's clearly brown sugar water!"

Sister Feng gritted her teeth, and Qiu Tong urged, "Second Mistress, it's not good to let that slut give birth to the child. What if it's a boy this time..."

Sister Feng nodded slightly and said vaguely, "I understand, you can go back now."

"Second Madam?"

"I have my own ideas, let's go back first."

Qiu Tong curled her lips, snorted coldly, and turned away.

Ping'er was very worried. As soon as Qiu Tong left, she hurriedly came over and said, "Grandma, Aunt Qiu is using you as a pawn."

Sister Feng sneered, "Do you think I don't know what she's thinking? Let them fight like dogs, I can't be bothered with them."

Ping'er pursed her lips and said, "Then Grandma... Aunt Zhang's place—"

“It’s alright,” Feng Jie said. “I have Qiao Jie here anyway. At worst, I can just adopt her after she’s born.”

Ping'er breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "That's right, Grandma is right to think that way."

Sister Feng smiled and said nothing more, only glancing at Ping'er's lower abdomen. Ping'er was immediately terrified and stammered, "Grandma?"

Sister Feng beckoned and pulled Ping'er to sit down, laughing, "She has it, but who knows, we might have it too this time."

Ping'er smiled bitterly to herself, hoping that she was really pregnant and would at least give birth to a girl, otherwise she would have to be separated from her child and raised by Feng Jie'er.

After the two had been talking for a while, Ping'er helped Feng Jie get up and go to Rongqing Hall.

After a long while, Ping'er returned and, having received instructions, went to the Grand View Garden again.

She went to Qingtang Thatched Cottage first. Because Qingwen was guarding Chen Siyuan, Ping'er did not dare to stay long and only timidly looked at Chen Siyuan twice. After informing Chen Siyuan, she hurriedly went to Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

She went straight to Xiaoxiang Pavilion and saw two maids pulling ropes, with Zijuan and Xueyan dancing gracefully on the double ropes.

Ping'er was quite surprised, and went inside laughing, saying, "Where did this trick of yours come from now?"

Xueyan smiled and said, "Sister Ping'er, you don't know, this is called a rubber band. Master Yuan was worried that our girls would be bored, so he specially sent us a pair. Sister Ping'er, come and try it out. We've figured out quite a few ways to play with it!"

Ping'er waved her hands repeatedly, declining, "How can I compare to you young ladies? Is Miss Lin in her room? Then I'll go find Miss Lin and have a chat."

Without needing two maids to lead the way, Ping'er entered Xiaoxiang Pavilion with a smile. Seeing that Daiyu was reading, she quickly stepped forward and said with a smile, "I'm sorry to trouble Miss Lin, but our mistress is not feeling well today and is afraid she won't be able to go to the workshop to check the accounts in a couple of days. I'm afraid I'll have to trouble Miss Lin to make the trip."

As she spoke, a smile played on her lips. Daiyu blinked, and immediately understood. The accounting was likely a pretense; the real purpose was to travel. She knew without asking that it must be Chen Siyuan's idea.

Daiyu blushed and said shyly, "Since Sister Feng is too busy, it's only natural for me to go in her place." Seeing Ping'er's increasingly teasing smile, Daiyu was immediately annoyed and got up to grab Ping'er: "If you tease me again, you'll regret it!"

Ping'er giggled and dodged aside, jokingly saying to herself, "Miss Lin has gone mad! She got angry before I even said a word!"

(End of this chapter)