Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 414 Chen Shenggui's Name on the Apricot List

Leaving aside what Baochai was thinking, let's talk about Chen Siyuan and Liu Wu'er enjoying the flowers and fish that day. They went straight to around 3 PM before You Sanjie returned first.

Upon seeing Chen Siyuan, Sister You was overjoyed. She called out "Brother" sweetly and took his arm.

Chen Siyuan smiled and asked in surprise, "Seeing how happy you are, little sister, is there some good news?"

Sister You said happily, "The craftsman we hired from the south at a high price is really skilled. At the end of last month, he made several new styles of glass hairpins. Today, a merchant from the sea came to our door to buy them. After chatting for a long time, he settled on a deal for 1,500 taels of silver."

As she spoke, Sister You San stretched out her small hand and gestured, then whispered, "After deducting the cost of food for people and horses, we can easily save five hundred taels."

Chen Siyuan also said happily, "Now that my sister's glass workshop is on the right track, I can finally relax."

Sister You knew his thoughts, for Sister You had vowed never to enter the Chen family and was content to remain a stay-at-home wife. Chen Siyuan felt indebted to her and had always wanted to find a business for her to manage. Unexpectedly, Sister You, after a period of struggling in the business world, had actually mastered the art of business. Last year, she chose a glass workshop, and now it was thriving.

Suddenly, Sister You San remembered Sister You Er. She immediately stopped and frowned, saying, "If Sister Er begs to come into the family, I, your brother, must not agree. My sister is a troublemaker. If she really comes into the family, she will definitely cause chaos in the household."

Chen Siyuan smiled nonchalantly and said, "Second Sister and Bao Sister are both kind of people who are gentle on the outside but sharp on the inside. Second Sister won't get any good luck after she enters the family."

Third Sister You pouted, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated. Chen Siyuan immediately understood what Third Sister You was thinking—she was afraid that Second Sister You would cause trouble, and she was also afraid of being punished by the mistress of the house.

After Old Lady You passed away, Third Sister You only had Second Sister You as her own sister. Even if she disliked her, she couldn't bear to see her without a place to live.

After a moment's thought, Chen Siyuan said, "I understand. Second Sister will never give up the wedding shop business. I will tell her that once she enters the family, it will be difficult for her to go out and manage the business. I'm sure Second Sister will refuse."

Sister You's worry turned to joy, and she covered her mouth and giggled, saying, "With her personality, she's extremely stingy. Once she says that, she definitely won't come home."

As the two walked along the covered corridor, they were about to reach the main house when a servant woman from the ceremonial gate caught up with them and said, "Master, Third Madam, Miss Miao from the Rongguo Mansion's First Madam's side has sent a message. She says she has something to say to you."

Chen Siyuan stopped, puzzled. You Sanjie released her grip on his arm and went into the room on her own, saying, "It's almost summer, and you've been sweating a lot. I'll go wash up. Brother, you can answer the questions yourself."

Chen Siyuan agreed and stopped to wait a moment. The old woman then led Miao'er to him.

Miao'er curtsied, glanced at Chen Siyuan, and blushed. Before she could speak, Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "When did your aunt send you to the Second Miss's place?"

Miao'er said shyly but happily, "Madam has already given the order. In a few days, Tiao'er and I will move to serve the Second Miss."

Chen Siyuan nodded and then asked, "What message did your aunt ask you to deliver?"

Miao'er said, "Madam is worried about the new house that Master has purchased, so she sent me to ask if Master is free tomorrow. If he is, Madam would like to go and take a look at the new house."

Chen Siyuan pondered for a moment, thinking to himself that Madam Xing was not really looking at the new house; she was clearly afraid that Jia She would embezzle the betrothal gifts, which was why she was so eager to confront him.

Thinking that the two would not be able to meet again after marriage, Chen Siyuan's heart softened and he said, "Go and tell Aunt that I will go to pick her up at Chenshi tomorrow, and we will go to Faxiangfang together then."

Miao'er obediently agreed, then whispered, "In that case, I'll head back now."

Despite saying this, Miao'er hesitated to turn around. Chen Siyuan knew exactly what the girl was thinking. Immediately, as if performing magic, he stretched out his hand, and a hibiscus flower appeared in his palm.

Miao'er blinked and exclaimed happily, "Grandpa... is this for me?"

Chen Siyuan raised his hand and tucked the palace flower into her hair, saying casually, "I saw some palace flowers for sale when I was strolling around the other day, and I thought this one would suit you perfectly. I was just thinking of sending it to you when I had time, but I didn't expect you to come here."

Miao'er was overjoyed. She glanced shyly at Chen Siyuan before smiling and taking her leave.

After Miao'er left, Chen Siyuan turned and went into the main room. At that moment, You Sanjie was changing clothes behind the screen. Hearing Chen Siyuan enter, You Sanjie said, "That's right, today Xue Ke sent a servant to say that he will come to settle accounts with you in a few days."

What Sister You was referring to was Xue Ke's undertaking of the expansion of the capital to the north. Xue Ke had been ordered by the Imperial Household Department to be in charge of purchasing bricks, stones, and beams. He had already paid Chen Siyuan 20,000 taels of silver before the new year, and now he would pay again, which would certainly not be less than 20,000 taels. In this way, Chen Siyuan could immediately repay the money he had embezzled from the Xue family and be free of debts.

Chen Siyuan agreed briefly, and after a short while, You Sanjie changed her clothes and came over to chat with Chen Siyuan. After another half a day, You Erjie and Qingwen returned, chattering noisily, and the house immediately came alive.

Chen Siyuan was extremely relaxed and carefree. Since he had an appointment with Madam Xing the next day, he spent the night sleeping with only Qingwen and Xiangling, who were both plain-looking.

The next day, after breakfast, Chen Siyuan drove straight to the Rongguo Mansion. Upon arrival, the car was parked outside, and Chen Siyuan entered through a side gate to pick up Madam Xing, who was already prepared. The two then traveled in separate cars to the new residence in Faxiangfang.

Arriving at the new residence a little past midnight, Madam Xing looked at the newly renovated courtyard with its three lanes and four courtyards, clicking her tongue incessantly, and feeling a pang of jealousy welling up inside her.

Of all the people in the Jia family's east and west mansions, only Madam Xing knew the details of the petty thief. When Chen Siyuan's whereabouts were exposed, it was only through force that Madam Xing was silenced. Recalling the initial incident and based on his subsequent words, Madam Xing was certain she had been the first to be caught!
Not only that, but she also gave birth to a son afterward. If it weren't for the age difference and the vast disparity between them, this three-courtyard, four-section mansion should rightfully be managed by Madam Xing!

Now that times have changed, Chen Siyuan is no longer the petty thief he once was. Madam Xing can only have secret and ambiguous dealings with him, which only benefits the second young lady.

Madam Xing strolled along, her thoughts growing increasingly tingly with jealousy. She gritted her teeth and vowed: she would find a pretext to come here more often. If that drug worked on the eldest master, how could the second young lady escape its effects? She would drug him and then let herself and Yuan-ge enjoy themselves.
Thinking this, Madam Xing's frustration gradually subsided. Having already toured the three-section, four-courtyard mansion, she entered the back garden through the side gate next to the rear building.

The flowers here are irregularly shaped because they are near Houhai Lake; they are roughly an irregular oblique triangle. When the former residence of the Assistant General of the State was built, skilled craftsmen designed it. After many changes, it was renovated by Chen Siyuan. Inside, there are only two pavilions, a Xuan Hall, and a three-story building.

Madam Xing's passion grew even stronger. Once inside the back garden, she instructed Miao'er and Tiao'er, "You two just go and play. I'll keep Yuan-ge company."

Miao'er and Tiao'er obediently went to relax in the bamboo grove.

Chen Siyuan and Madam Xing walked along the cobblestone path. Madam Xing said, "I was giving you all sorts of meaningful glances that day, and you clearly saw it. Why did you pretend not to know? He was only thinking about Er Ya's betrothal gifts at that time!"

Chen Siyuan smiled nonchalantly and lightly waved his folding fan, saying, "It's only five thousand taels of silver in total. Even if the master is scheming, how much can he possibly take? What's two or three thousand taels? It's really not worth it to upset the master over two or three thousand taels and then have him keep finding fault with me."

Madam Xing was annoyed and said, "You make it sound so easy. Two or three thousand isn't a lot of money? Did you get that money from the wind?"

Chen Siyuan chuckled and said, "More or less. You know my abilities. I'm not short of money now."

Upon hearing this, Madam Xing's eyes darted around, and Chen Siyuan quickly said, "If Dequan takes a good liking to the girl, I'll secretly scrape together two thousand taels for you."

Madam Xing's anger turned to joy. She glanced back and, seeing no maids accompanying them, slightly shifted her body and nudged Chen Siyuan with her shoulder. "At least you have a conscience."

Chen Siyuan had been clean and quiet all night. At his age, he was invincible. When Madam Xing gently bumped into him, he faintly smelled a fragrant breeze, and his mind immediately became restless.

Just then, the two arrived downstairs. Madam Xing glanced around and saw the three gilded characters "Listening to the Moon Pavilion" on the plaque above the entrance. She asked, "Why is it called that?"

Chen Siyuan closed his folding fan and pointed to the distance, saying, "There is a poem to prove it: The Listening to the Moon Pavilion is high and reaches the heavens, the higher the pavilion, the clearer the moon is; fragrant breezes waft from the celestial street, and the laughter of Chang'e can be heard."

Madam Xing, who was not good at judging poetry, only heard the words "fragrant breeze" and "Chang'e" and immediately felt that the poem was inappropriate. She spat and said, "I knew you were thinking about those flowers and plants."

Chen Siyuan smiled and gestured, saying, "The scenery here is superb, and we can see the lake in the distance. Why don't we go up and take a look?"

Seeing the burning intensity in his gaze, Madam Xing knew exactly what he meant. Her body went weak, and she hummed in agreement. She followed Chen Siyuan inside, and the two immediately embraced.

The scene is tender and enchanting, as evidenced by the poem: "A romantic rendezvous is arranged under the flowers and the moon..."

Afterwards, the two sat together, enjoying the lake view and the scenery, being very affectionate, which I won't go into detail about.

Madam Xing returned in the afternoon, feeling refreshed and radiant. Upon arriving at the Rongguo Mansion, she didn't rush back to the east courtyard, but instead went to the Zhuijin Tower at the back to find the second young lady, Yingchun, praising the mansion as something unparalleled in heaven and earth.

Yingchun, unaware that Madam Xing's visit was a deliberate show of force, listened patiently and couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope. Madam Xing, seeing this, chuckled inwardly, thinking that she was the only one who had gotten the perfect match for Erya.

After bidding farewell to Yingchun, Madam Xing left the Grand View Garden and was nearly bumped into by an old woman.

Madam Xing said angrily, "You blind fool, where are you wandering off to?"

The old woman was annoyed and said, "Please forgive me, Madam. It was just that Madam was in a hurry to urge me to go to Rongqing Hall to report the news. I dared not delay, which is why I almost offended Madam."

Madam Xing asked, "Has something happened?"

The old woman replied honestly, "It was Madam Xue who sent a message, saying that she arrived in the capital yesterday at noon and sent another message today, saying that she will come to visit the day after tomorrow."

Madam Xing muttered to herself, "Aunt Xue's return now is naturally for Baochai's marriage." She sneered inwardly, "Even if it's not Baochai, so what if it's the principal wife, Yingchun? She'll still have to drink her own foot-washing water, won't she?"
He scolded them a few times and led Miao'er and Tiao'er back to the east courtyard.

The old woman hurriedly reported the news to Rongqing Hall. Grandmother Jia responded indifferently, only instructing that a banquet be prepared the day after tomorrow to welcome Aunt Xue.

Before long, the sisters in the garden received the news and were all overjoyed. When Aunt Xue came to visit, Baochai naturally wanted to go with her. Tanchun, Xichun, and the others were a little less eager, but Daiyu was overjoyed. She had only ever had one close friend, Baochai, and the two had been separated for several months. Daiyu was naturally thinking of finding Baochai the day after tomorrow to have a good chat.

That day, nothing more was said, and the next day arrived in the blink of an eye.

Chen Siyuan got up early and had breakfast. Because he was thinking about Aunt Xue, he made an excuse to go out to visit a friend. Before dawn, he rode his horse alone to Da Gezi Alley.

They arrived at the place in no time. Because no one had lived there for over a year, only an old woman was hired every month to clean and sweep, the place was quite dusty. Chen Siyuan patiently fetched water and swept and cleaned the place. He opened the chest and saw that the bedding inside was relatively clean, so he quickly laid it out neatly.

At 1:15 AM, a noise came from outside. Chen Siyuan jumped up and looked through the window. Sure enough, he saw a plump figure moving gracefully towards him.

The two looked at each other through the window, their eyes sparkling. One hurried inside, while the other rushed out to greet him, and they met in the hall.

Chen Siyuan grabbed Aunt Xue's hands, looked her up and down, and then breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "The capital and Jiangnan are thousands of miles apart, and I haven't received many letters from you. How have you been these days?"

Aunt Xue's eyes shimmered, her eyes reddened, and she nodded repeatedly.

Chen Siyuan led him inside and they sat down on the bed together, whereupon he repeatedly inquired about the past.

Aunt Xue recounted everything, saying that after returning to Jinling, while her pregnancy was still in its early stages, she first met with the various branches of the Xue family, relatives, and old friends. Then, she excused herself to pray for Xue Pan's well-being and moved to the countryside.

Within a month or so, Aunt Xue replaced most of the maids and servants around her, and even married off Tongxi and Tonggui, leaving only two observant servants by her side.

She then rested in the countryside to prepare for childbirth, and gave birth to a daughter in early October. At first, she was always called "Second Sister," but after the baby was over 100 days old, Aunt Xue named her Baoyan.

Chen Siyuan spoke words of pity repeatedly, and Aunt Xue's eyes welled up with tears. Chen Siyuan embraced her and used every trick in the book to finally arouse Aunt Xue's desire.

One is someone who has long neglected old desires and feels a strong urge to enjoy spring; the other is someone who is fortunate enough to see something new and realizes that springtime feelings are at their peak.

Thus, her beautiful face was left unattended, and the fragrance of flowers was trampled upon. When the wind and rain subsided, Aunt Xue's strength was completely exhausted, and she could only close her eyes for a short rest. Chen Siyuan got up and tidied himself up. When he turned around to look at her, he saw that Aunt Xue's hair was half-undone, and she was drowsy, just like a crabapple tree that had not yet had enough sleep or a willow tree that had just been cleared of mist.

After a while, Aunt Xue finally caught her breath, glanced at Chen Siyuan with a smile, and then raised her hand to hit him.

Chen Siyuan, feigning surprise, dodged with a series of "Hey hey" sounds, while shouting "murdering her husband!" Aunt Xue grew increasingly angry and whispered, "You're doing this again! What if you get pregnant again?" Chen Siyuan said, "How about... you go back to Jinling again?"

Aunt Xue raised her foot to kick him, but Chen Siyuan dodged it with a laugh. A pregnant woman carrying a pearl is extremely difficult to conceal, and Aunt Xue was unwilling to go through that again. Moreover, after giving birth last year, a gynecologist examined her and said that Aunt Xue's body had been injured this time and that she should never have another child, otherwise it would damage her very foundation.

Firstly, Baochai was still unmarried, and they needed to see her give birth to a boy to continue the Xue family's main branch; secondly, Baoyan was still young, and Aunt Xue needed to raise him to adulthood... How could she dare to have another child? After making up her mind, she secretly drank the contraceptive soup, scolded herself a bit, and then leaned against Chen Siyuan's chest to talk to him.

After saying goodbye, the two discussed marriage. Chen Siyuan, having accepted their hospitality, readily agreed to the marriage. Aunt Xue, feeling somewhat relieved, then brought up the matter of her trip to the Rongguo Mansion the next day.

Chen Siyuan frowned immediately and asked, "Did Baochai tell you?"

Aunt Xue's face changed drastically, and she said coldly, "I never knew my dear sister could be so vicious!" She paused, then added, "Luckily, Baochai overheard us, otherwise I would have made her my mortal enemy!"

Chen Siyuan knew Aunt Xue's temperament well, and knew that she was indecisive. Since she said so, it meant that she did not want to break ties with Madam Wang for the time being.

Sure enough, Aunt Xue said, "Tomorrow is just a formality. Since Baochai is going to discuss marriage anyway, it's not appropriate for her to stay at the Rongguo Mansion. After the banquet tomorrow, I will take Baochai back to the old house. From now on, unless there's something important, I will never go to the Rongguo Mansion again."

Chen Siyuan said, "You seem to have forgotten about Wang Ziteng's side."

"The Wang family—" Aunt Xue frowned and said, "—I am only nominally related to the Wang family now. We visit each other when there is something to discuss, but otherwise, we should not bother each other. I thought my sister-in-law was the one stirring things up, but I never expected that my brother would be so vicious!"

Chen Siyuan offered a few words of comfort, but secretly thought to himself that if it weren't for his own fault, Baochai would probably still be bound by that damned "golden and jade marriage." It was probably Wang Ziteng who exerted his influence, and that's how this matter came about.

As it approached the end of the day, Aunt Xue, though reluctant to part with Chen Siyuan, had no choice but to bid him farewell and hurriedly return to the Xue family's old residence.

The next day, Aunt Xue led Baochai to the Rongguo Mansion. The pretense and insincerity during the meal are not worth mentioning. Baochai, impatient with Baoyu's entanglement, simply took a break and went to the back to find Daiyu for a long and intimate conversation.

Another day, Xue Ke came to visit and indeed brought 30,000 taels of silver. Chen Siyuan was greatly relieved. Not to mention that the expansion of the capital to the north would take a long time, and there would probably be another 10,000 to 20,000 taels of silver to be shared later, this 30,000 taels alone was enough for him to have more than 20,000 taels of silver left after settling accounts.

As the saying goes, money gives heroes courage. Chen Siyuan was confident that he had performed well in the imperial examination and had a feeling that he would definitely pass this exam. Therefore, he was not in a hurry to find a matchmaker to propose marriage.

For the remaining ten days or so, he spent his time either entwined with the You sisters, Qingwen, Xiangling, and others, or playing with cats and dogs. When Grandmother Jia sent someone to inquire, Chen Siyuan simply said that everything would be discussed after the results of the imperial examination were released.

Before they knew it, it was the ninth day of the fourth month. Since Chen Siyuan's residence for the imperial examination was the Rongguo Mansion, he leisurely led Qingwen, Xiangling and others back to the Qingtang Thatched Cottage that afternoon.

Nearly a month has passed since we parted. The humble cottage is now cleaned and tidied by maids, and everything inside remains as it was before.

Perhaps fearing that Chen Siyuan might overthink things, the Second Miss, Daiyu, Tanchun, Baoqin, and others didn't come over to speak that day. Even when they bumped into each other in the garden, they only talked about the poetry club and never mentioned the imperial examination. Chen Siyuan found it amusing, but he couldn't help feeling uneasy.

He spent the night passionately entwined with several maids until he was completely exhausted before finally resting.

Nothing happened that night, and before they knew it, it was the tenth day of the fourth month. Qingwen and the others got up quietly at the end of the Yin hour. Perhaps because he had something on his mind, Chen Siyuan woke up immediately, and even after pulling the covers over his head, he could not fall back asleep.

Chen Siyuan found it amusing, thinking that he had been as steady as an old dog in his two lifetimes, but who knew that when the time came, he would still be restless and uneasy.

Unable to sleep, Chen Siyuan simply got up. After breakfast, he practiced his stance training twice in the garden, only returning home when he was covered in sweat.

After a quick wash, Chen Siyuan found it increasingly difficult to calm his mind, so he simply strolled into his study and found a calligraphy model to practice copying.

Qingwen, Xiangling, and the others dared not disturb them, but whispered among themselves behind Chen Siyuan's back. Regardless of whether they believed in gods or Buddhas, Qingwen, Xiangling, Wu'er, and even the little maid Yunxiang all put their hands together and chanted, praying that the gods and Buddhas would bless Chen Siyuan to pass the imperial examination.

There's no need to elaborate on the matter of checking the results; arrangements were made yesterday for Jia Lian to lead a group to see them. At dawn, a commotion erupted in the front courtyard as eight servants shouted and jeering, escorting Jia Lian on horseback straight towards the outside of the examination hall.

Upon arriving outside the examination hall, Qingyu, who was accompanying him, looked up and saw that the area was already packed with people. The gates of the examination hall remained tightly closed, and groups of three or five scholars were gathered together, some talking loudly, others looking dejected. There were also luxurious carriages around, with burly servants guarding in front of them, and inside the carriages sat either stewards or even the masters of the household.

Needless to say, these people were there to find a husband for their daughters. Some of them, who considered themselves to be from less privileged backgrounds, were now trying to sell their daughters to the young scholars.

So it was bustling and lively.

At 1:45 AM, the gates of the examination hall suddenly opened, and eight minor officials carrying the list of successful candidates emerged from within. The crowd erupted in a commotion, jostling and pushing as they surged forward to surround the hall.

The soldiers in front of the examination hall cursed and, in desperation, even used their scabbards to stab people. After a long string of curses, they managed to stop the crowd. Then they turned around and urged the clerk to post the notice as soon as possible.

The minor officials, however, were in no hurry. They applied paste and leisurely posted the notice. The onlookers all craned their necks in anticipation.

Qingyu was literate and agile, so he darted and weaved to the front. He quickly glanced at each page, and if he didn't see one, he would move on to the next. The happier he was, the colder he felt, because he still couldn't find Chen Siyuan's name.

"I won! I won!"

"Oh, how embarrassing! Congratulations on your high school entrance exam, brother, while I'm stuck in undergraduate studies—"

"Brother, why belittle yourself? If you fail the special imperial examination, there will be a regular one next year."

"That's right, that's right. If you don't pass, there's always the next exam."

The high school student was laughing loudly when he was suddenly surrounded by a group of burly servants.

"Greetings, sir. My family is the Zhang family from outside the city. Our young lady is sixteen years old and exceptionally beautiful..."

Ignoring the chaos behind him, Qingyu craned his neck and stood on tiptoe to look at the last list of successful candidates. He glanced at it from bottom to top, then his gaze returned, his wide eyes blinked, and he exclaimed with delight, "Hooray! My master passed! He passed!"

Qingyu jumped three feet high, turned and ran through the crowd towards Jia Lian. Reaching him, he shouted joyfully, "He passed! He passed! My master passed!"

Jia Lian asked with a smile, "Did you see clearly? What place did you get?"

"Eighty-third!"

Just then, Qing'er ran back, giving the same explanation. Jia Lian was overjoyed and waved his hand, saying, "Let's go back to the manor. You can all go and ask Brother Yuan for your reward!"

The servants responded in unison, and bustling around, they ushered Jia Lian back.

As the saying goes, it's easy to come but hard to get out. Right now, the area around the examination hall was packed with people. Jia Lian grumbled and struggled for a long time before he was halfway out. By the time he finally managed to squeeze out, the good news from Shuntian Prefecture and the city patrol corps had already been sent to Rongguo Mansion.

If one were to ask who in the Rongguo Mansion was most concerned about the imperial examination results, Madam Xing would undoubtedly be one of them. Early that morning, Madam Xing first went to Rongqing Hall to pay her respects, then went to Furen Yude Hall to have a long chat with the second young lady. With the time for the results to be posted approaching, Madam Xing hurriedly went to the South Hall.

Just then, Miao'er and Tiao'er were exchanging auspicious words, while Madam Xing was frowning with worry. Suddenly, she heard the sound of a gong approaching from outside.

Madam Xing was slightly taken aback, but then she stood up with delight and exclaimed, "Quick, go and see if it's a message of good news being sent to our mansion!"

Tiao'er agreed and quickly went out of the side gate to meet them.

Just then, Yu Liu was looking out from the door when he spotted a messenger approaching on horseback. Yu Liu quickly ordered, "Quickly, go and get some firecrackers. They look like they're coming to our Rongguo Mansion!"

His companions dared not delay and quickly hung the firecrackers high. A moment later, four messengers arrived, and with three gongs, the four shouted in unison, "Good news! Good news! Congratulations to your esteemed lord, Chen Siyuan, for passing the Ministry of Rites' examination in the year of Ji-Mao in Yankang, ranking eighty-third among the successful candidates!"

Lai Da did not show himself in the room, so another steward came out to greet him and invited a group of reporters inside for tea. He then turned around and hurriedly ordered people to prepare red envelopes.

The girl who had run out saw this, turned around and ran back into the ceremonial gate. At that moment, firecrackers were exploding outside, making it impossible for everyone to hear what they were saying.

The boy rushed into the south-facing hall, excitedly announcing, "Madam, what wonderful news! Master Yuan has indeed passed! The messenger said that Master Yuan ranked eighty-third in the imperial examination!"

Madam Xing felt a surge of warmth in her heart. Overjoyed, she waved her hand and said, "A reward! A great reward! Quickly, go and tell Yuan-ge'er the good news. Also, tell the Old Madam and the Master! Hahaha, Heaven has eyes, Heaven has eyes!"

Chen Siyuan will be only seventeen after May. At this age, he's already passed the imperial examinations, so passing the provincial examinations is a given. Even if he doesn't become a junior official, with Chen Siyuan's abilities, he could easily become a high-ranking official in twenty or thirty years. And if he gets the top rank, becoming a prime minister is practically guaranteed!
The master is completely unreliable, but fortunately, Fourth Brother still has Chen Siyuan as his father. When Fourth Brother grows up, how could the little thief not take care of him? If Fourth Brother follows Chen Siyuan, he might at least have some academic ability, and perhaps even pass the imperial examinations!
Madam Xing gave the order, and the maids and servants inside each obeyed. Some ran to the east courtyard; in fact, the servant didn't need to say much, as a doorman had already informed the master in the outer study.

Master Jia She was overjoyed. His son-in-law had made something of himself; he might even benefit from his son-in-law's success in the future. He dressed neatly and walked with an air of grandeur towards the Rongguo Mansion.

Firecrackers exploded outside the main gate, the noise already known to everyone. Inside Rongqing Hall, Grandmother Jia was talking with Lady Wang when she suddenly heard the commotion outside. She sent her head maid to investigate. Before the head maid had even left the hanging flower gate, a nanny came running in with good news.

They went straight into Rongqing Hall and were told that Chen Siyuan had passed the imperial examination with flying colors. Grandmother Jia was so pleased that she immediately rewarded him with two silver coins.

Turning around, she sent a group of maids out to watch the excitement. Once there was no one else inside, Grandmother Jia said to Lady Wang, "It is a joyous occasion that Yuan-ge'er has passed the imperial examination. Madam, do you think we should increase Er-ya's dowry a bit more?"

People outside say that a successful candidate in the provincial examination is as valuable as a gold-plated scholar, but in reality, a successful candidate in the imperial examination is extremely precious, far superior to an ordinary successful candidate. Now that Chen Siyuan has passed the metropolitan examination, his status is extraordinary, and the Jia family may need to rely on him in the future.

Madam Wang, understanding the implication, knew that the old lady was forcing her to spend money. After a moment's thought, remembering that the second young lady had always been raised in the second branch of the family, she decided to befriend her. She immediately smiled and said, "What the old lady says is true, but unfortunately, the public funds are insufficient... How about I open my private treasury and give the second young lady a large estate?"

Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "Now that you are in charge of the household, you should just make the decisions yourself."

Sister Feng's children's courtyard.

The two pregnant women, mistress and servant, were chatting intimately when their maid, Feng'er, entered to announce the good news. Both women were overjoyed, but afterwards, they each had their own thoughts.

Ping'er was afraid her shameful affair would be exposed, so she avoided seeing Chen Siyuan these days; Feng Jie'er, on the other hand, was conflicted and became more convinced that Chen Siyuan was the right match for her. Alas, her love was unrequited, and even though she was pregnant with his child, he didn't seem to have much sincerity towards her.

Because of her sorrow and resentment, Sister Feng became even more jealous of the second daughter, Yingchun.

Jade Emperor Temple.

That day, Li Wan was again offering prayers for Chen Siyuan when she faintly heard the sound of firecrackers exploding. Ignoring the numbness in her legs, Li Wan staggered out and instructed Su Yun to inquire about the news. Before long, Su Yun returned, beaming with joy, and delivered the good news. Li Wan was overjoyed.

But after the initial joy came emptiness and confusion. Chen Siyuan had failed the imperial examination; even without a marriage, he would likely have to move out of the Rongguo Mansion. How would she ever see him again?

Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

At this moment, Daiyu also received the news. After hearing Yuanyang and Zijuan talking about it, Daiyu smiled and said, "This is great news! You two hurry to Qingtang Thatched Cottage. Xiangling said that she has prepared a lot of red envelopes. If you go early, you might get double the amount!"

Yuanyang and Zijuan were quite interested, but too shy to go first. Xueyan, however, didn't care about that, got up and ran outside, leaving behind only the words, "In that case, I'll go first!"

Zijuan and Yuanyang then abandoned their reserve, laughing and bidding farewell to Daiyu before chasing after Xueyan.

After the three maids left, Daiyu smiled but then felt a pang of worry, fearing that Chen Si would follow in his father Lin Ruhai's footsteps. However, on such a joyous occasion, she would not say anything that would spoil the mood.

(End of this chapter)