Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 396 Not troubled by spring fever

(Something came up, that's all for today)
With a rustling sound, Li Wan fastened her clothes, her face still damp with sweat and her hair still sticking to her disheveled hair.

Chen Siyuan picked up a piece of watermelon, ate it in a few bites, and discarded the rind. Li Wan then handed him a handkerchief to wipe his face.

Chen Siyuan smiled, reached out and brushed a strand of hair from Lan Ge'er's head, and said, "I just saw Lan Ge'er. I saw that Boli was very attentive, following behind him and trying to wipe his sweat."

Li Wan frowned and said, "The glass is good, but it won't last long. In two years, it will have to be released and married off." She paused and then said, "Suyun and Biyue are both twenty years old. I've been thinking of putting a maid in Lan'er's room, but I don't have any suitable people."

Chen Siyuan chuckled and said, "I see that the old lady is very fond of Lan Ge'er now. You don't need to worry about this. The old lady will take care of it."

Li Wan hesitated, then finally let out a soft sigh. Let the old lady decide? Look at what she'd raised Baoyu to be! She didn't want Jia Lan to be so immersed in women at such a young age.

However, she couldn't do anything about it, and Chen Siyuan was even less capable. So she could only find Jia Lan to give her some advice when she had free time, hoping that Jia Lan wouldn't change her ways.

It was May 24th. Early in the morning, the Ningguo Mansion set off for the funeral procession. Jia Lian and Feng Jie, along with Jia Zhen and You Shi, went to the Iron Threshold Temple. The coffin would be kept for a few days before being sent to the ancestral grave for burial.

These past few days, Sister Feng has been arguing with Chen Siyuan, speaking in a sarcastic and sarcastic tone, yet the two still meet secretly every few days. Once, Sister Feng even tried to take the initiative, but she ran out of energy in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, and ended up letting Chen Siyuan do as he pleased, calling her things like "good brother" and "father," before turning on her and cursing him afterwards.

Chen Siyuan knew that Feng Jie was a stubborn and strong-willed person, so he did not force her to obey. He only asked Cui Langzhong of the Imperial Household Department to pass on a message when Feng Jie asked to buy bonds.

Laiwang may have told Fengjie about this, because although Fengjie was still sarcastic last time, she didn't scold Chen Siyuan again.

Seeing Li Wan's displeasure, Chen Siyuan searched his sleeve and then pulled out a pearl the size of a pigeon's egg, handing it to her: "Here, this is the one that Prince Yanping gave me last time."

Li Wan immediately curled up the corners of her mouth, suppressing her joy as she said, "Since you've given it to me... I can't very well give it away. Why don't I keep it and give it to Yingchun, Baochai, and Daiyu?"

Chen Siyuan said casually, "They already have them, this one is just for you. Even if it's not good to show it off, it's fine for you to keep it in your trunk."

Li Wan hesitated slightly, but obediently accepted the pearls. She felt a sweet, delighted feeling in her heart, and her eyes shone with even more affection as she looked up. She assumed the four pearls were given to Yingchun, Baochai, Daiyu, and herself, unaware that they were given to her, Fengjie, Madam Xing, and You Sanjie.

As for Yingchun, Baochai, and Daiyu, aren't there still six sets of headdresses? We can send them over later as additional dowry.

Li Wan came over and carefully tidied Chen Siyuan's clothes. Seeing that it was getting late, she urged him, "You should go back quickly. You don't need to worry about me. You should focus on your studies. The competition is not far away. The more effort you put in now, the more confident you will be in the future."

Chen Siyuan nodded in agreement, embraced Li Wan tenderly for a while, then got up and said goodbye to Li Wan. He found a side room, climbed over the Jade Emperor Temple, and, using the lush vegetation as cover, wandered back to the Qingtang Thatched Cottage.

As they entered, they saw Hongyu whispering something to Wu'er. When they saw Chen Siyuan enter, the two of them quickly greeted him with smiles.

Seeing that it was getting late, Wu'er went to the small kitchen to get the food box. Hongyu, however, was in no hurry to leave. She poured Chen Siyuan a cup of refreshing plum soup, but hesitated to speak.

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "What's wrong? You've become distant from me since you went to my second sister's place?"

Hongyu shook her head and said, "I don't know where to begin..." She paused, then said in a low voice, "Does the master know that Miss Qin has been going to Zhuijin Tower these days?"

Chen Siyuan had heard about it before, and after listening to Hongyu mutter for a while, he finally understood the reason. It turned out that Baoqin was dissatisfied with Baochai, and realized that she didn't need to stay in Baochai's room, so she went to Zhuijin Tower every day to befriend Yingchun.

At first, Yingchun was happy to be close to Baoqin, but as soon as Baoqin began to show some of her feelings, the second young lady immediately became worried. She was pleased with Baoqin's personality, but since it involved the conflict between the eldest and second branches of the Xue family, how could she, an outsider, get involved?

Everyone in the household knew that Chen Siyuan and Baochai were deeply in love. If Xue Pan hadn't died a violent death, Yingchun probably wouldn't have become the principal wife. The second young lady was still planning to gradually get closer to Chen Siyuan, so naturally she dared not offend Baochai... Otherwise, if she were to be sidelined by Baochai's whispers in her ear, what would become of her?

Having pondered this for several days, Yingchun decided to speak frankly, dismissing all the maids and having a heart-to-heart talk with Baoqin. Baoqin was greatly disappointed and returned to the small courtyard in the northeast, feeling dejected.

Chen Siyuan was taken aback, then laughed and said, "This little devil actually has such thoughts? No wonder she hasn't been causing trouble in my room lately."

Seeing her overjoyed expression, Hongyu fanned her attentively while laughing and saying, "I only heard bits and pieces, not the whole story. But... I don't think Miss Qin will give up. Who knows, if one plan fails, she'll come up with another."

Chen Siyuan chuckled, "Then we'll have to fawn over Lin Daiyu?"

Hongyu laughed and said, "That's right. But Miss Lin is always surrounded by crowds, so I'm afraid Miss Qin won't get any favors if she's too attentive."

Chen Siyuan shook his head and sighed, "I've already explained everything to this girl Qin, but I still don't know why she's acting this way."

Hongyu smiled without saying a word.

Just then, the chattering and commotion outside grew closer, and soon a maidservant announced, "Miss Qingwen is back."

Early that morning, Qingwen went to check on the wedding shop outside again, and only returned at this time.

No sooner had she finished speaking than Qingwen burst in, nodded to Hongyu, then grabbed the half-finished plum juice Chen Siyuan had drunk and gulped it down in one go.

"Ah... I'm so thirsty. Please, sister, bring me another cup of plum soup."

Hongyu scolded playfully, "Grandpa, look at this! Now that you have a job, you've gained confidence and can even order me around."

Despite saying this, Hongyu still poured Qingwen a cup.

Qingwen chuckled and downed the drink in one gulp, then wiped her mouth and said with a smile, "If you don't try to please me properly, I might secretly whisper sweet nothings in the master's ear."

Hongyu laughed, "Oh my, you little vixen, you've even learned some seductive magic now! I'll teach you a lesson!"

Qingwen was in a great mood at the moment, giggling and dodging around. After a while, she circled behind Chen Siyuan and made a face at Hongyu.

Hongyu scolded him a few times, and seeing that it was getting late, she smiled and took her leave, heading towards Zhuijin Tower.

As soon as he left, Chen Siyuan asked, "How is the wedding shop business?"

Qingwen said happily, "Thanks to Master's introduction, I now have a job embroidering for the Imperial Household Department, so I won't lose money. There's been some income these past two days, and Second Aunt said that by the end of the month, we should have at least ten or eight taels left."

Chen Siyuan nodded and said, "For the two of you doing business for the first time, not losing money is a win."

Qingwen smiled and nodded repeatedly. After a moment, she said with a playful tone, "Master, guess what I heard today?"

Chen Siyuan said, "I didn't crawl inside your stomach, how would I know what you heard?"

Qingwen sneered, "Tch, you haven't drilled enough yet..."

Chen Siyuan was astonished. Qingwen could actually drive? Just as he was about to make a joke, Qingwen said seriously, "As you know, my wedding shop is very close to Second Madam's cloth shop. Today I heard Granny Sun from the teahouse gossiping that Jin Chuan has found a match and they're probably getting married before the New Year."

"Oh? Do you know which family the matchmaker is from?"

"I heard it's a business, and Jin Chuan's parents aren't very happy about it, but Jin Chuan herself is determined to be that young master."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "It's good that Jin Chuan has chosen her. We have some history with Jin Chuan, so remember to send her a twenty-tael silver wedding gift on my behalf if she really gets married."

"I remember." Qingwen nodded in agreement, then picked up her round fan and fanned herself. She then frowned and said, "I feel all sticky, sir. I'll go wipe myself off first. I'll have Wu'er serve you your meal later."

Without waiting for Chen Siyuan's reply, Qingwen slipped away to the side room.

Chen Siyuan was both amused and exasperated. Qingwen was becoming less and less like a maid; she seemed more like a mistress than he did. Chen Siyuan knew that Qingwen had no ill intentions, and since this girl was indeed his favorite, he had always spoiled and indulged her.

Although she was somewhat spoiled, Qingwen was not stupid. Whenever she faced Yingchun, Baochai, and Daiyu, this girl, though occasionally overstepping her bounds, never lacked manners.

While she was pondering, Wu'er had already returned with the food box.

After entering and putting down the food box, Wu'er came over and said, "Master, I just met Sister Ping'er."

"Ah."

Wu'er said in surprise, "Sister Ping'er said that it was thanks to Master's intervention that Second Mistress was able to buy that damn coupon. She also said that Second Master Lian has been going to see Sister Yuanyang these past two days, but I don't know why."

Chen Siyuan pondered for a moment and then said, "You don't need to serve me. Just take a walk around the garden. If you see Yuanyang, invite her over and tell her I have something to tell you."

Wu'er was confused, but she obediently agreed and turned to look for Yuanyang.

Chen Siyuan spread out the food box and ate a quick meal. After putting down his bowl and chopsticks, Qingwen, who had just washed the food, came in to serve him first, followed by Wu'er leading Yuanyang inside.

Chen Siyuan didn't stand on ceremony with Yuanyang and led her into the study. He then asked in a low voice, "Second Brother Lian has been looking for you several times. What's the matter?"

Yuanyang's pretty face immediately turned pale. Afraid that Chen Siyuan would misunderstand, she hurriedly said, "Master Yuan, please understand. Second Master Lian said that he didn't have enough money and coaxed me into opening the old lady's private treasury to borrow some of the dowry. I'm just a maid. How could I dare to open the old lady's private treasury without any proof?"

I refused outright the first time, but Second Master Lian persisted... He's the master, and I'm just a maid; even if I felt disgusted, I couldn't say anything harsh.

As she spoke, Yuanyang's eyes reddened, clearly showing how anxious she was.

Chen Siyuan smiled and took Yuanyang's hand, saying, "I have never doubted you, so why are you in such a hurry? To tell you the truth, I plan to marry Lin Daiyu next year."

"Ah?" Yuanyang was startled. Her eyes, which had been glistening with tears from her eagerness to defend herself, blushed after her initial shock. The old lady had already assigned her to Daiyu as a maidservant, and if Daiyu were to marry, she would naturally marry along with her.

Chen Siyuan lowered his voice and said, "That's why I'm in a hurry to talk to you. You're currently managing the old lady's private treasury, which is really a thankless task. Why don't you find an opportunity to hand over this job to someone else, so as not to be caught off guard in the future?"

Yuanyang pursed her lips and pondered for a moment before saying, "Amber's actions are extremely appropriate. I'll talk to the old lady about it later, and hand over the key to the private vault to Amber in a few days."

Chen Siyuan nodded and said, "That's fine, that way Second Master Lian won't bother you anymore."

Yuanyang blushed and dared not look at Chen Siyuan. She let him capture her tender hands and play with them for a while before she left in a hurry, feeling ashamed.

Qingwen watched from afar, her face full of mockery. Chen Siyuan, however, was thick-skinned and pretended not to see anything. He leisurely sat down in the study, picked up a book, and his mind was temporarily scattered.

Who is Yuanyang? She is Jia Mu's personal maid, in charge of Jia Mu's private treasury. Therefore, in the original text, Yuanyang is extremely influential, and Feng Jie and Jia Lian do everything they can to win her over and please her. Although it is not explicitly stated in the text, it is safe to say that the couple had already privately promised Yuanyang that they would take her as a concubine as soon as the old lady passed away.

Otherwise, how could Yuanyang have opened a private treasury and allowed Jia Lian to take Jia Mu's dowry?

Things are different now. Yuanyang's future is already set, so she doesn't need to worry about the future or submit to Jia Lian and Feng Jie. But Chen Siyuan knows Yuanyang's temperament. In Jia Lian's words, she'd rather "strike a golden bell once than beat three thousand cymbals."

What does this mean? It probably means that Yuanyang is very good at judging the situation and has a sense of responsibility and composure.

Chen Siyuan was afraid that because of her temperament, Jia Lian or Lady Wang might find some serious pretext to open Grandmother Jia's private treasury. Yuanyang would naturally marry into the family next year along with Daiyu, and the worst fear was that if the matter came to light, she would be unnecessarily embroiled in trouble again.

In that case, it would be better to have Yuanyang hand over the key to the private vault as soon as possible.

The head maid, Amber, was cold-blooded and stubborn. She managed the dowry of Grandmother Jia, and no matter how much Lady Wang and Jia Lian pleaded, it was to no avail.

Just as he was pondering this, he suddenly heard footsteps thumping. Looking up, he saw Yunxiang sneaking in.

"Huh? Where's the old man?"

Qingwen smiled and teased, "Oh, is the whistleblower here again to ask for a reward? The master is in the study."

Yunxiang chuckled and turned to go to the study. When she got to Chen Siyuan's side, she muttered, "Master, Master, the old woman at the back gate came looking for me just now, saying that someone was looking for me. I thought it was my third sister, but when I went out to look, it turned out to be... it was Siqi."

"Hmm?" Why is Siqi here all of a sudden? Could it be that Miaoyu is causing trouble again?
Sure enough, Yunxiang said, "Siqi wants to see you, sir, because she has something important to discuss."

Chen Siyuan nodded, then stood up without saying a word, told them to "stroll in the garden," and quickly headed towards the back gate of Rongguo Mansion.

A moment later, after exiting through the back door, I looked up and sure enough, I saw that tall and robust figure standing near the back door.

When Siqi caught sight of Chen Siyuan, she immediately looked as if she had seen a savior, muttered "Amitabha," and hurriedly came to greet him.

"uncle--"

Chen Siyuan waved his hand to signal silence, then raised his hand to lead Siqi a short distance away before stopping and asking, "Has something happened?"

"This...I...I feel that Miaoyu is a bit strange."

Chen Siyuan asked her to tell the story in detail, and Siqi rambled on for quite a while. Finally, she asked hesitantly, "Master... I've heard storytellers say that some women don't like men. Do you think Miaoyu might be like that too?"

What is this all about?

(End of this chapter)