Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 406 Baochai Leaves the Garden
Outside Wang Jiayi's gate, as Madam Wang boarded her carriage, she suddenly noticed Baochai's pale face. She smiled and waved, saying, "Baochai, why do you look so pale?"

Baochai forced a smile and said, "Aunt, perhaps I'm dressed a little too lightly today."

Madam Wang nagged, "It's only the beginning of the first month of the lunar year, so it's not good to dress too lightly just because you're young."

Baochai nodded obediently, watched Madam Wang wait, and then, suppressing her inner turmoil, bid farewell to Wang Yunping before taking her first steps and boarding the carriage.

The carriage rumbled as it left the Wang family's gate. Inside, Ying'er couldn't help but exclaim, "Miss, what... what should we do?"

Sister Bao sighed softly, "I didn't have a choice about my relatives."

Leaving aside Xue Pan's case in Jinling, she had harbored doubts and hadn't obtained concrete evidence. But how could Baochai accept overhearing her uncle and aunt plotting against her?

While she felt grief and indignation, after the initial shock, Baochai began to devise a plan. She had originally intended to stay peacefully in the Jia family, waiting for her mother to return from the south, to discuss the marriage with Chen Siyuan, and then move to the Xue family's old residence. Now, however, it seemed she could no longer remain in the Jia family.

Leaving the Jia family is also readily available. The old house is occupied by only her sister-in-law, who inevitably feels lonely during the holidays. It would be common for Baochai to stay with her for a while. As for what happens afterward, whether Cao Shi falls ill or she herself relapses into her old ailment, it can always be delayed.

Furthermore, I must write a letter and send it to Nanjing so that my mother will be informed. Perhaps then she will set off northward a little earlier.

The only regret is that now that I'm leaving, I'm afraid I'll never be able to spend every day with Chen Siyuan again. But thankfully, there's still the latex business, so I can still see him once or twice a month.

Once the carriage entered the Rongguo Mansion, Baochai had already made up her mind. After getting off the carriage, she casually accompanied Madam Wang all the way to Madam Wang's main room, where they talked for a while before she led Ying'er back to Hengwu Garden.

Xiangyun, that girl, had gone off to play somewhere, so Baochai quickly found a pen and ink and wrote a letter to Aunt Xue.

No sooner had the letter been written than Xiangyun returned to Hengwu Garden, her voice trembling with rage, before the ink had even dried.

Upon entering, she glanced inside and, grinning, leaned closer, saying, "Sister Bao, have you written any poems? Let me see them!"

Baochai moved the paperweight, stood up and blocked Xiangyun's way, laughing, "You went to Qin'er's place again? Look at you, all sweaty from all this madness, be careful you don't catch a cold."

With a few words, Baochai diverted Xiangyun's attention. Xiangyun said with a smile, "Baochai, you don't know, but today Xue Ke came to our door and brought a basket of grapes and a basket of tangerines. The grapes are fine, the Rongguo Mansion has its own way of storing them. As for the tangerines, I don't know where they got them from, but they are all as sweet as honey." As she spoke, she spread out her hands for Baochai to see, saying, "Look, my fingernails are all dyed yellow."

Baochai smiled and reached out to poke Xiangyun's forehead, saying, "You're such a glutton. You're always eating such good things. Be careful not to hurt your stomach. Besides, you have a personal maid, so why do you have to peel them yourself?"

"Hehe, I can't wait."

Baochai pulled Xiangyun towards the bedroom, saying, "It's chilly in the hall, let's talk inside." As they walked, she gave Ying'er a look, and Ying'er quickly gathered up the letter she had written.

Baochai pulled Xiangyun to sit down in the warm pavilion, and then said, "You've grown another year older since the New Year. Has the Marquis of Baoling's mansion mentioned the wedding arrangements yet?"

Her smiling face froze instantly. She said, "Don't bring up those upsetting things! The old lady was saying today that the Chen family is really outrageous. How can they not send New Year's gifts? Seeing that I was unhappy, she even said that she would have a good talk with my second aunt in a few days."

Xiangyun frowned slightly, but spoke in a relaxed tone. In reality, how could she be relaxed? The old lady was just her great-aunt, and there was still a distance between them. How could she be any different from her second uncle and second aunt?

Xiangyun had long given up on marriage and now only wanted to enjoy herself as long as possible. So she immediately changed the subject and said, "Since Sister Bao is not here today, Third Sister and Fourth Sister said that they have been feeling stifled for a year and that the poetry club will be re-established in March so that we sisters can have a good time."

Baochai smiled and agreed, reaching out to smooth the stray strands of hair from Xiangyun's forehead, a pang of pity rising in her heart. Xiangyun was a pitiful girl; her parents had died early, she lived under the roof of others, and her unreliable uncle and aunt had arranged this marriage for her.

As the saying goes, even humans aren't plants or trees; how can they be without feelings? Baochai and Xiangyun had been together for a long time, so she naturally had some genuine feelings for each other. Baochai was afraid that if she moved away one day, Xiangyun would suffer again, so she kept nagging and offering her advice.

Little did Xiangyun know that she was still young and thought that Baochai was just repeating the same old thing. She pouted and said, "Sister Bao, please stop nagging. My ears are going to get calluses if you keep nagging."

Baochai scolded her, saying, "Zhenzhen'er is taking kindness for granted. If you don't pay attention, you'll suffer the consequences sooner or later."

Xiangyun giggled and leaned against Baochai's chest, saying, "If I suffer a loss, I'll just ask Sister Bao to stand up for me. With Sister Bao's nagging skills, she can get back even the biggest grievance for me."

Baochai hesitated, but ultimately said nothing.

Nothing more was said that night. The next morning, Baochai went to Xiaoxiang Pavilion first. The two sisters dismissed the maids and whispered among themselves behind closed doors for a long time.

Upon hearing that Prince Teng and Lady Wang were plotting to harm Baochai, Daiyu's eyes immediately reddened: "I thought such a thing would only happen to me, but I never expected it to happen to Sister Bao now."

Baochai had long since lost all resentment and was only thinking about leaving the Jia family as soon as possible. She said, "People's hearts are unpredictable, so I shouldn't stay any longer. It's easier for me to leave, but you'll have to be more careful."

Daiyu sighed and nodded.

Baochai then comforted him, saying, "I didn't want to tell you much before, but he had been on guard against this for half a year."

"half year ago?"

Baochai nodded and whispered in his ear what Chen Siyuan had said that day.

Daiyu felt a little more at ease after hearing this, but then she heard Baochai say, "Back then, he was thinking about getting you married sooner."

Daiyu blushed immediately. After all, she was still a young girl, and she would only be fourteen when she gave birth in February.

Baochai, observing Baochai's expression, said, "Sister, don't be shy now. I have to ask you about this. If you agree, I'll talk to him later. He's always full of clever ideas and will surely find a way to get you married."

Daiyu had long been unable to bear the daily hardships at home, and after a moment's thought, she nodded and said, "Liang Garden is nice, but it's not a place to linger."

Baochai smiled and said, "You're right to think that way. In the past, the old lady treated you this way because she cared about family ties. Now that the old lady is getting old and gradually stops caring about family affairs, how can she care about her younger sister?"

Besides, he wasn't that reckless. His younger sister was frail and needed to recover before they could consummate their marriage.

Daiyu blushed with embarrassment, shoved Baochai, and said angrily, "What do you mean we're about to share a room? If you keep talking nonsense, I'll ignore you!" Baochai covered her mouth and laughed, teasing Daiyu a few more times, which made Daiyu play with her for a long time before she stopped.

As the room quieted down, Daiyu felt a pang of reluctance and her eyes reddened as she said, "There are many sisters in the garden, but few are as considerate as Sister Bao. Once you leave, we sisters don't know when we will see each other again."

Baochai also felt sad and stayed with Daiyu for a long time. After having afternoon snacks together, she got up and went to the thatched cottage in the quiet hall after Daiyu had taken a nap.

Who would have thought that after yesterday, Chen Siyuan returned to the You sisters' place, leaving only two maids to guard the simple thatched cottage.

Without asking any further questions, Baochai sent Ying'er to deliver the letter to the post office first, and then told Chen Siyuan that she wanted to return to the old house.

Unfortunately, on this day, Chen Siyuan went to his teacher's house to pay New Year's respects. Because they got along well, he was invited to stay for a meal. During the meal, they drank and chatted, and Chen Siyuan, as a junior, could not refuse. By the time he returned to his new residence at Nengren Temple, he was already drunk.

Yu Sanjie answered Ying'er correctly, and seeing that Chen Siyuan was about to pass out drunk, she had no choice but to keep the matter quiet. The next day, when Chen Siyuan woke up, Yu Sanjie finally told him what had happened.

Chen Siyuan was astonished and asked, "Why does Sister Bao want to go back to the old house all of a sudden?"

If it were just a casual stay, there would be no need for Ying'er to inform me so solemnly. I recall that Baochai went to the Wang family with Lady Wang the other day. Could it be that something happened during that time?
Chen Siyuan was still worried, so he hurriedly ate breakfast and returned to the Rongguo Mansion. But he was too late; Cao Shi had already sent a carriage to pick up Baochai.

At this time, apart from Daiyu, all the sisters in the garden thought that Baochai was only staying at the old house for a short while, since she and her servant only carried a small bundle when they left.

Just as Chen Siyuan was hesitating, he suddenly heard someone calling from behind. He turned around and saw Zijuan walking quickly towards him.

Upon approaching, he curtsied and said, "Master Yuan, our young lady invites you in."

Chen Siyuan thought to himself that Baochai must have given instructions to Daiyu before she left. He nodded and followed Zijuan to Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

Zijuan lifted the curtain, and Chen Siyuan went around the screen and entered. He glanced inside and saw the female doctor sent by Jia Yucun taking Daiyu's pulse.

So Chen Siyuan nodded slightly to Daiyu on the bed, then found a chair and sat down to wait. After a while, the female doctor smiled and said, "Miss is much better now; it must be due to the effects of the houttuynia cordata."

Daiyu thanked her, and Doctor Lu smiled and nodded. She carried her medicine box out, only to be stopped by Chen Siyuan.

Knowing that the two had already arranged their marriage, Doctor Lu smiled and said, "It's nothing serious, but Miss Lin's health is still a bit weak. I'll go back and prescribe some medicinal diet recipes. Also, Miss Lin needs to move around more."

Chen Siyuan smiled and thanked her, quickly handing her a red envelope. The female doctor, Lu, didn't refuse, thanked her in return, and then carried her medicine box back to her side room.

Chen Siyuan strolled into the bedroom. Daiyu got off the bed, slipped on her shoes, and said to Zijuan, "Zijuan, go and guard the door."

Zijuan obediently pulled Xueyan along, and they stood guard outside like door gods.

Chen Siyuan sat down next to Daiyu and asked anxiously, "Did Baochai give any instructions before she left?"

Daiyu nodded: "Of course there is."

He then revealed all the secrets that Baochai had overheard that day. The more Chen Siyuan listened, the darker his face became. If he hadn't been somewhat shrewd, he probably would have slammed his fist on the table and stood up.

But then I thought, with the competition just around the corner, it's really not a good idea to stir up trouble. Besides, Lin Daiyu is still in the garden. Who knows if that foolish woman will be blinded by greed and make another stupid move?
Seeing that her face looked very pale, Daiyu said, "Sister Bao originally wanted to tell you, but you've gone to the new house. Besides, it's the New Year now, and relatives are visiting frequently. We can't hold big banquets, but we can't avoid small ones. It would be bad if Aunt took the opportunity to cause trouble."

Chen Siyuan nodded and said, "Sister Bao made a good decision and left in time."

Daiyu then said, "If you have some free time, you might as well go to the Xue family's old residence in the next couple of days." Although Daiyu had agreed to get married soon, she was still a young lady and it was not appropriate for her to say it out loud.
Seeing that he seemed hesitant to speak, Chen Siyuan knew something was amiss. He didn't press the matter, so he spoke briefly with Daiyu before hastily taking his leave.

Now that he was back at the Rongguo Mansion, it wouldn't be right not to go to the east wing. So he patiently answered questions with Jia She for a while, and seeing that it was almost noon, he didn't bother to have lunch. He went to the front and took a carriage to the Xue family's old residence.

Upon arriving at their destination, the Xue family's gatekeeper hurriedly informed the family. Cao Shi, being a widow, was not inclined to receive guests, so a servant led Chen Siyuan through the ceremonial gate, where they saw Baochai, looking charming and beautiful, waiting to greet them in the courtyard.

Chen Siyuan quickly took two steps, grabbed Baochai's hand, and said with concern, "Sister, you've been frightened. Don't worry, since she has evil intentions, I will definitely give you an explanation in the future."

Baochai blushed. Luckily, there weren't many servants in the old house, and she only had Ying'er by her side at the moment. Baochai said, "This matter is not urgent. Besides, I've already hidden myself away, so what can she do to me? The imperial examination is just around the corner, so you should focus your attention on the examination."

But as soon as she finished speaking, Chen Siyuan's face grew even more gloomy. Since the outside wasn't the place to talk, Baochai pulled Chen Siyuan into the main room. As soon as they sat down, a head maid, Suijin, came to report: "Madam isn't feeling well, so she sent me to tell Master Yuan that she's upset and asks for your hospitality. Madam won't come to the front."

Chen Siyuan and Baochai agreed, exchanged a few more greetings with Cao Shi, and then sent Suijin away.

Only then did Baochai relax, and she said reproachfully, "Why do you seem so unhappy?"

Ying'er had already slipped away to the east wing early on, and Chen Siyuan simply pulled Baochai into his arms, frowning as he said, "I know you're virtuous, but there's a limit to virtue. It's normal to throw a little tantrum over something like this, so why keep it all bottled up inside?"

Feeling comforted, Baochai smiled and wrapped her arms around Chen Siyuan's neck, saying, "My aunt is neither good nor bad. If no one had misled her, how could she have such a wicked thought? Besides, she took us in a few years ago, so she has done us some favors."

Every wrong has its perpetrator, every debt its debtor; even if revenge is to be taken, it must be sought out from the rightful owner.

“Wang Ziteng?” Chen Siyuan sneered, “He’s been jumping around lately, still thinking about staying in the capital… Ha, dream on. Yesterday, the teacher said that the Emperor has made up his mind and is just waiting to send him to Jiangnan to govern the army after the New Year.”

Baochai asked in surprise, "Is this to continue forcing my uncle to be the scapegoat?"

"When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked. Just you wait, this man will surely fail in less than three years."

Baochai nodded, and after a brief moment of intimacy, she recounted what she had said to Daiyu that day.

Chen Siyuan was overjoyed upon hearing this and said with a smile, "That's good. Since Sister Lin has made up her mind, I will take care of this matter after the New Year and make sure she gets married as soon as possible."

(End of this chapter)