Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 402 Poplar Catkins Rolling On

The next day, Jia Lian suddenly woke up. He was in high spirits when he got up in the morning, but when he turned his head, he saw Feng Jie next to him.

Jia Lian was startled and immediately lost all interest in anything. Just then, Feng Jie woke up. Jia Lian was thinking of trying to coax her a little, but Feng Jie was very disgusted and scolded him rudely. Jia Lian didn't even bother to eat breakfast and hurriedly tidied himself up before running to Zhang Jinge's place.

Feng'er came in to help Feng Jie wash up, while Ping'er stood guard by her side. After Feng'er left, Ping'er whispered to Feng Jie, "Madam, yesterday the Second Master spoke the truth after drinking, and even promised me a set of jewelry. I guess he got a lot of money from Ping'an Prefecture this time."

Sister Feng snorted coldly, absentmindedly patting her lower abdomen, and said, "I can't be bothered with his own money. Don't come to me for it when he runs out. From now on, keep a close eye on my private treasury, and make sure it's not fooled by Second Master."

Ping'er obediently agreed, but looking at Feng Jie's pregnant belly, her mind was in turmoil. If Ping'er gave birth to a boy and Feng Jie had a girl, wouldn't the Jia family's title fall into her child's hands? But if that happened, the child would probably have to be raised under Feng Jie's name. In the future, not only in public, but also in private, the child would only be able to call her aunt.

Ping'er was reluctant to give birth to a girl, thinking that it would be better if she had given birth to a girl. At least she would have Qiao Jie'er. Even if she were raised under Feng Jie'er's name, she would probably spend more time in her own room in the future.

Feng Jie put on the jade bracelet and gold filigree bracelet, glanced at Ping'er sideways, and said, "You're still in your early stages of pregnancy, so you don't need to stay by my side all the time... By the way, have you been feeling unwell lately?"

Ping'er came to her senses and said, "Grandma, I can eat and sleep well now, and I have no reaction at all. If it weren't for Physician Wang's certainty, and since my period hasn't come yet, I would have wondered if I was pregnant."

Sister Feng laughed and teased, "You're so lucky. Unlike me, when I was pregnant with Qiao Jie, I was so nauseous. While other women would gain weight after getting pregnant, I actually lost a few pounds."

Ping'er quickly smiled and comforted her, "Practice makes perfect. Maybe everything will go smoothly for you this time, Grandma."

Sister Feng replied calmly, "I hope so."

After the mistress and servant chatted for a while, Ping'er went to the main kitchen to fetch a food box. After serving Feng Jie her breakfast, Ping'er had a moment to stroll around the garden when she bumped into Xue Ke heading northeast to the small courtyard.

Ping'er was pondering why Xue Ke had come, when no sooner had she entered the Grand View Garden than Baoqin and Xue Ke came looking for her at the thatched cottage in the Qingtang.

Ping'er stopped and observed for a while, when suddenly someone tapped her on the shoulder, startling her so much that she hurriedly turned around. Seeing that it was Xiren, Ping'er patted her chest and said angrily, "You servant scared me to death, why didn't you say a word?"

Xiren smiled and said, "I've called you several times from afar, but you haven't made a sound." She paused, then gave a playful curtsy and said, "I almost forgot to congratulate Aunt Ping."

Ping'er smiled and replied, "What's the joy?"

Xiren tilted her head and said, "Second Master Lian just went to Rongqing Hall to announce the good news that you are pregnant. Second Madam not only granted you a free status, but also wants to properly elevate you to the status of a concubine." She paused, then pretended to be annoyed and said, "Well, you already knew, but you kept it from me. I suppose your affection for me has faded."

Ping'er laughed and quickly grabbed Xiren, saying, "How can we be sure about such a matter until it's settled? Good sister, don't tease me with your words."

Xi Ren said with no small amount of envy, "Now you've finally made it big, but I don't know when I'll ever have any hope."

Seeing the sorrow on Xiren's face, Ping'er couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Master Bao has always trusted you, so you must have a bright future ahead of you."

Xiren bit her lower lip and remained silent for a long while before saying, "Don't mention it. Ever since we went to the Prince of Beijing's mansion a few times, Baoyu has become more and more... strange."

"Strange? I see nothing strange about it."

After holding it in for a long time, Xiren finally uttered a sentence: "You, a man of male love, are like glue mixed with lacquer; when you encounter a woman, you're like pulling a snake out of its hole."

Ping'er pondered for a while before realizing that this line was from a play. Upon recalling its meaning, her expression changed immediately, and she asked, "This... does Madam/Grandma know?"

Xiren complained, "Who dares to say it? I certainly wouldn't dare to say it."

From the Wei and Jin dynasties onward, prolonged periods of peace in each dynasty inevitably led to the rise of unorthodox practices. These included the wearing of demonic robes and the preference for male homosexuality. In this dynasty, powerful and wealthy families like the Jia family, with their military achievements, would send two beautiful maids to their sons' rooms when they reached a certain age, the intention of which was self-evident. Some families, deliberately particular about appearances, would not provide maids but rather handsome young servants.

These families have a good plan: no matter how handsome the servant is, he can't have children, so he won't cause any trouble in the future. As for whether the sons in the family are homosexual, these families don't care at all, as long as the sons can carry on the family line.

But if one despises the front and regards the back as honey and sweetness... then there's a big problem!
Xiren was a clever girl. She had heard that some wealthy young men would marry and then abandon their wives, spending their days just hanging out with their servants. In addition, Xia Jingui would send her a letter every ten days. Xiren felt that Baoyu's room was definitely not a safe place to live, and her determination to escape grew stronger.

Xiren was unwilling to say much to Ping'er, so she only revealed a few words before hurriedly bidding farewell to Ping'er and leaving.

Ping'er strolled around the garden for a while and, upon seeing Yuanyang who had come looking for her, naturally told her about the matter. Yuanyang was quite surprised, knowing that Ping'er intended for her to pass on a message to the old lady, but Yuanyang was thinking about how she would be getting married next year with the second young lady, and didn't want to cause any trouble at the moment, so she put the matter aside for the time being.

Meanwhile, Baoqin and Xue Ke came together to Qingtang Thatched Cottage.

This time, it was just the two of them, brother and sister; they didn't even bring their maid, Xiao Luo. Seeing that no one was around, Xue Ke slowed his pace.

Baoqin knew that her brother had something to say, so she slowed down.

After thinking for a moment, Xue Ke said, "Sister, Brother Yuan..."

Before anyone could finish speaking, Baoqin said, "Brother, there's no need to say more. I know our second branch of the family can't do without Brother Yuan's help."

Xue Ke sighed, "The decline of our family is a burden on my sister."

Baoqin shook her head and laughed, "Brother, there's no need for that. If it weren't for my cousin's untimely death, this imperial merchant position wouldn't have been available to our second branch of the family. In that case, our second branch is just a merchant family with some wealth. If we want to find someone to cover our tracks, I might have to become someone's concubine."

She paused, then added, "Besides, Brother Yuan is handsome, and his character and talent are top-notch. He is also favored by the Emperor. Who knows if he won't become a prime minister in twenty or thirty years? It's not a bad thing for me to become his concubine."

Xue Ke assumed Baoqin was just trying to comfort him, and sighed.

Baoqin hesitated slightly, then lowered her voice and said, "Actually, Brother Yuan has treated me very well." She muttered to herself, then mentioned Chen Siyuan's earlier words that he wanted to keep her for a year before letting her go far away.

After speaking, Baoqin exclaimed, "With such a magnanimous heart, he probably won't treat me too restrictively in the future. It doesn't matter who I marry, I'll be fortunate to be a concubine if I receive his favor; if I don't receive his care, I'll be lonely and helpless as a wife."

Xue Ke stared at Baoqin and, seeing that she didn't seem to be faking it, breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "It's just right that you think that way, sister."

After the brother and sister walked for a while, Xue Ke couldn't help but rub his hands together and said, "I wonder what kind of good thing Brother Yuan is talking about."

Baoqin smiled and said, "Brother, don't be impatient. We'll know soon enough by asking." A moment later, the brother and sister entered the thatched cottage, where Qingwen came to greet them. Qingwen led the two siblings inside, where they saw Chen Siyuan already waiting at the front of the hall.

After a brief exchange, the three took their seats as host and guest. After Qingwen served fragrant tea, Chen Siyuan asked Xue Ke a few questions before getting down to business.

“A few days ago, the Prince of Yanping summoned me, saying that the capital was overcrowded and could no longer bear the burden. Therefore, the Emperor intended to expand the city to the north by ten miles… The Prince of Yanping remembered my contribution in offering the plan and also heard that I was short of money recently, so he entrusted me with the task of purchasing timber, bricks and stones.”

Xue Ke wasn't stupid; he knew exactly what Chen Siyuan meant. Overjoyed, he slammed his hand on the table and said, "Expand the city? Don't worry, Brother Yuan, I'll follow your instructions on how to handle this matter."

The city was expanded by ten miles, with the city walls made of rammed earth and encased in brick and stone, mostly undertaken by the Ministry of Works. However, the market and wards within the city were also a massive project, likely costing several million taels of silver. Xue Ke didn't need to handle everything; if he could get a tenth of it, that would be an income of over ten thousand taels of silver!
A loud drum doesn't need a heavy hammer. Don't underestimate Xue Ke just because he's young; he's a thoughtful and sensible person. Chen Siyuan nodded, gave him a few brief instructions, and then told him to go to the inner palace in the next few days to find Physician Zhai and receive the imperial envoy.

Xue Ke didn't linger. The stone and timber had to be transported from outside, but the bricks needed to be purchased from nearby capital cities. He needed to find several brick kilns and reserve them before the news got out.

As for how to share the profits, Chen Siyuan believed that Xue Ke would not disappoint him.

Xue Ke was overjoyed to receive the confirmation and left. Bao Qin glanced at Chen Siyuan several times with a knowing look, leaving Chen Siyuan feeling quite puzzled.

Sure enough, Baoqin was up to her old tricks again. Before long, her sister Bao came to visit.

Chen Siyuan didn't hide anything and said whatever came to mind. Seeing that Baochai was still a little jealous, he couldn't help but send the maid away and give her a good lewd look. Afterwards, although Baochai didn't say anything strange again, she made up her mind that she would definitely detain Baoqin in the future and would never let the second branch of the Xue family bypass the first branch.

In just a few days, the master's condition gradually improved, and he could now move around on his own with the help of a cane, although his speech was still somewhat slurred. Seeing this, Madam Xing suggested that they go to Fragrant Hills to offer incense.

Unaware of any trickery, Grandmother Jia and the others assumed that Madam Xing was praying for Jia She's recovery from his misfortune, and naturally agreed. On the third day of the ninth month, Chen Siyuan escorted Madam Xing to Fragrant Hills to offer incense. The trip took three days. No one knew how the monk's rituals went, but Madam Xing was radiant and felt refreshed.

Some time later, the Jia family had another happy event: Feng Jie was found to be pregnant. Due to the mourning period for the Dowager Empress, Grandmother Jia dared not hold a banquet, so she opened her private treasury and generously rewarded Feng Jie.

Since Wang Xifeng was pregnant, it was naturally inappropriate for her to bother Chen Siyuan any longer. As a result, Chen Siyuan had some rare free time, spending his days reading and practicing his stance training at home. Every few days, he would visit Miaoyu, sometimes looking for You Erjie and You Sanjie, sometimes You Erjie and You Shi, sometimes You Sanjie and You Shi... well, the latter was out of the question for the time being.

Time flies, and the end of the year is fast approaching.

That day, Lin Zhixiao wrote a bill, which his wife took to Furen Yude Hall to report to the Second Miss Yingchun.

In recent years, the second young lady, with her gentle and meticulous approach, has managed to keep the household in perfect order. Following Tan Chun's custom, the garden had over five hundred taels of silver left over at the end of the year. Although Madam Wang didn't say anything, the old lady praised her highly and, in front of everyone, rewarded Ying Chun with a pair of mutton-fat jade bracelets.

Nearly a year had passed, and the servants had come to understand the Second Miss's capabilities. Don't let her gentle nature fool you; she was actually quite cunning. If anyone tried to cheat or be sly, the Second Miss didn't even need to intervene; that old shrew from Wang Shanbao's household would have already dealt with them beforehand.

When Lin Zhixiao's wife entered, she quickly lowered her head, gave a respectful curtsy, and presented the list before softly saying, "Second Miss, this is a list compiled by my husband. There are eight single servants aged twenty-five in the entire household, waiting for their masters to release their maids for assignment."

The second young lady glanced at it, smiled and agreed, saying, "I understand. I'll ask the old lady and madam about this later, and I'll send someone to deliver the message once I've made a decision."

Lin Zhixiao's wife agreed, took a few steps back out of the Furen Yude Hall, and then turned and walked away quickly.

After finishing her household chores, Yingchun took the list and went to find Lady Wang. Unfortunately, Lady Wang had caught a cold that day and was too lazy to deal with matters like the marriages of the servants, so she told Yingchun to ask Grandmother Jia instead.

Yingchun came to Rongqing Hall again. Grandmother Jia asked her a few questions with a smile, then told Yingchun to handle the situation. Yuanyang in Rongqing Hall already had a place to stay, so we won't go into details. Amber was of age, but unfortunately, she was now in charge of the old lady's private treasury. The old lady made it clear that she wanted to keep Amber for another two years.

Yingchun then went to each household to take stock, visiting Qixianzhai, Fengjie'er's place, and Li Wan's place. She found that only a few maids from Li Wan and Fengjie'er's places needed to be released. The remaining maids were underage, and their parents asked Yingchun for permission to marry them.

Yingchun was about to return to Furen Yude Hall when her head maid, Xiuju, said, "Miss, have you forgotten there's still one place we haven't visited?"

Yingchun looked up and gazed westward. Under the pure white snow, the distant Qingtang Thatched Cottage became increasingly indistinct. Yingchun's pretty face flushed red, and she said, "You didn't know what Qingtang Thatched Cottage looked like before, but Hongyu probably knows now. Where would you put any maids outside?"

But Xiuju laughed and said, "This morning, Miss sent Hongyu to deliver a cup of cheese to Master Yuan, but she hasn't returned yet. Why don't you go and look for her?"

Yingchun was naturally very tempted. However, since they both lived in the Grand View Garden and had already made a betrothal, the two of them couldn't easily interact. They would consider it difficult to bump into each other even once every three to five days.

Yingchun didn't want to be a mere clay or wooden statue of a mistress, so she had always wanted to associate with Chen Siyuan. Therefore, she smiled and said, "Alright, let's go and look for one, so that we don't lose another capable maid."

The master and servant immediately headed towards the thatched cottage, but as soon as they entered the courtyard, they heard a constant commotion coming from the side room of the main house.

The only person who came to greet them was a young maid named Yunxiang. After they had exchanged greetings, Yunxiang said, "Master said he's gone to stretch his muscles and bones and will probably be back in a while. Second Miss, why don't you come in and have a cup of hot tea?"

Yingchun nodded in agreement, then asked in surprise, "What's going on inside?"

Yunxiang said with a grin, "It must be Qingwen and Xiangling who are humiliating Hongyu."

As they spoke, Yunxiang opened the door and lifted the curtain. Yingchun entered and glanced around. Sure enough, she saw Qingwen wearing only a light green silk jacket, a red undergarment, and red slippers, her hair loose, riding on Hongyu's back. Xiangling, wearing a red silk bodice and old clothes, was grabbing Hongyu's ribs. Hongyu couldn't resist and could only lie on the kang, wearing a floral tight-fitting top, red pants, and green socks, kicking her legs wildly and laughing so hard she could hardly breathe.

He kept begging for mercy, saying, "Please forgive me this time...hehehe...I'll never dare to do it again!"

"Oh, Second Miss!" Fifth Sister, being small and weak, dared not join in and was watching the fun from the sidelines. Seeing Second Miss Yingchun arrive, Fifth Sister quickly called out and turned around to stop the three of them from playing around.

Qingwen, Xiangling, Hongyu, and the others couldn't stop laughing. Yingchun asked the reason with a smile, and all three of them blushed and stammered, unwilling to answer.

Yingchun pondered to herself, "It must be some private matter between the bedchamber, which is indeed not something I can say out loud."

Xiangling brewed some tea for her daughter, and Yingchun asked a few questions in a pretentious manner. Just then, the door opened, and Chen Siyuan, radiating a chill, strode in.

He couldn't see Yingchun from outside the screen for a moment, and sighed, "Fragrant snow flies in the twelfth month, willow catkins roll on the ground... How is it? Is Hongyu alright... Oh? Second Sister?"

Yingchun put down her teacup, stood up, curtsied, and raised her head, saying gracefully, "Brother Yuan."

Their eyes met, each harboring a different thought. The year was drawing to a close, and their wedding was not far off.

(End of this chapter)