Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 415 Stop getting carried away!
Zhuijinlou.

Upon hearing the good news, the second daughter, Yingchun, was overjoyed! For her, this marriage was half planned and half a stroke of luck.

Her husband is of excellent character and appearance, and exceptionally talented. Even more rare is his understanding and sensitivity; he is always tender and considerate, and though sometimes a little flirtatious, he never loses his respect. He always thinks of her and considers her needs. Yingchun has suffered for over a decade; to have such a husband, what more could she ask for?

Originally, the second daughter thought that since Chen Siyuan was already a successful candidate in the imperial examinations, even if he wasted his life, she would be willing to accept it. Unexpectedly, "a good man is not destined to remain in a pond; once he encounters wind and clouds, he will transform into a dragon," and in the next imperial examination, he passed with flying colors on the first attempt!

According to the system of the Great Shun Dynasty, those who were listed on the Xingbang list would not be removed from the palace examination. This meant that at the very least, they would be Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest level of the imperial examination), and if they did well, they might even be ranked as Jinshi in the first class!
Hongyu smiled and offered her congratulations, while Xiuju, standing to the side, said, "Oh, Second Madam was right! The young lady will probably receive an imperial decree in less than seven or eight years!"

"Don't talk back." The second young lady couldn't help but chuckle, then quickly became serious and said, "Such a joyous occasion, the old lady must have made arrangements. Hongyu, go to Rongqing Hall and inquire. If the old lady has made arrangements, send the purchasing agent to buy fruits and vegetables."

Hongyu smiled and agreed, saying, "For such a joyous occasion, we might as well invite an opera troupe to come and liven things up."

As soon as Hongyu left, a commotion erupted downstairs again. Xiuju was quite surprised and hurriedly went downstairs to take a look. When Xiuju returned, she smiled and said to Yingchun, "Miss, you're going to lose money. That old bastard Wang Shanbao and his two daughters just asked for a reward at Qingtang Thatched Cottage, and now they've come to our Zhuijin Tower to ask for a reward again."

Yingchun blushed and pretended not to know, scolding, "Why are you asking me for a reward all of a sudden?"

Before she could finish speaking, Wang Shanbao's wife led Qin Xian's wife and Qin Yu's wife upstairs. Upon seeing the second young lady, they bowed and greeted her with a smile, saying, "Young lady, you have met a good man. You will surely be granted an imperial title in the future. How can we not reward you for such a joyous occasion?"

The second young lady was overjoyed to hear this, but she suppressed her laughter and scolded him a few times before instructing Xiuju to open the chest and take out the silver box, and rewarded each of them with two silver coins worth four qian each.

No sooner had the mother and her two daughters been sent away than the garden maids, having received the news, arrived in droves. The second young lady then proceeded to give generously, distributing over a hundred taels of silver in the midst of the commotion.

No sooner had the maids and servants left than Xiangyun and Baoqin, the two young girls, started clamoring for a reward. The second young lady was both amused and exasperated, so she had to find two red envelopes to shut them up.

Aunt Zhao’s courtyard.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned that day. Perhaps he was offending the Grand Duke Jupiter, but when Jia Huan went to the private school that morning, some mischievous kid threw a pebble, which hit him squarely on the back of the head.

Jia Huan fainted for a moment, and the servants carrying him back hurriedly carried him back. Jia Huan already disliked studying, so he groaned and refused to get up, only complaining of a headache.

Aunt Zhao was heartbroken and burst into tears. She turned around and cursed loudly. She was suspicious and paranoid. One moment she suspected that it was Madam Wang who did it, and the next she suspected that Sister Feng had a black heart.

Seeing that things had gotten out of hand, Xiao Jixiang hurriedly went to find Tanchun. At that time, Xichun was also at Qiushuangzhai, and since the two sisters were sisters, they came to see Jia Huan together.

When the third and fourth young ladies arrived at the room, they saw that Jia Huan only had a bump the size of a fingernail on the back of his head. How could they not know that Jia Huan was just making a fuss over nothing? They tried to persuade and scare Zhao Yiniang, and finally managed to calm her down.

Upon hearing the firecrackers exploding outside, Aunt Zhao paused for a moment, then immediately exploded, pointing at the door and cursing, "You heartless wretch, Third Girl, just listen to this! Huan'er was just injured, and those idiots have already started setting off firecrackers. They wish Huan'er were dead!"

Tan Chun didn't quite understand what was going on, and Xiao Xi Chun was speechless. Unable to bear it any longer, she retorted, "Even if Huan-ge'er only injured the back of his head, and even if he were really badly hurt, what's the point of setting off firecrackers?" As she spoke, her anger turned to joy, and she clasped her hands together, saying, "This time, it must be that Brother Yuan has passed the imperial examination!"

Upon hearing Xichun's words, Tanchun happily clasped her hands together and said, "Absolutely, absolutely! It must be that Brother Yuan has passed the imperial examination!"

The two sisters grabbed hands and ran outside. Aunt Zhao got up and called out a few times, but ultimately didn't stop them. Seeing that Tan Chun and Xi Chun had already left the courtyard, she immediately spat out, "Now you know how to fawn over them? What were you doing before?"

Tan Chun was already in her teens, with bright eyes and white teeth, and she was becoming increasingly beautiful. However, Chen Siyuan, that wealthy and eligible bachelor, had already made a betrothal to the second young lady, and they would be getting married soon. Aunt Zhao was willing to send Tan Chun to him as a concubine—with her cousin Ying Chun around, Tan Chun would at least be considered a secondary wife—but she couldn't get past not only the master Jia Zheng's approval, but also the madam's.

Feeling increasingly regretful, Aunt Zhao turned and glanced at Jia Huan, who was lying on the kang (a heated brick bed) fiddling with an amber toy. She was instantly enraged. She stepped forward and slapped Jia Huan on the forehead, yelling, "You heartless brat! You crawled out of my guts, do you think I don't know what you're up to? You only got a bruise, get up right now!"

Jia Huan started whimpering again, but this time Aunt Zhao was ruthless; if he didn't respond, she would slap him. Jia Huan couldn't take the beating, so he had no choice but to get up listlessly, dress properly, and go to the back to congratulate Chen Siyuan.

The thief was initially full of resentment, but after entering the garden, he suddenly thought to himself, "Maybe I'll be able to catch a glimpse of Sister Lin this time." So, he was instantly overjoyed.

However, when Jia Huan arrived at the thatched cottage, he only saw Tan Chun, Xi Chun, Xiang Yun, and Bao Qin. Not only was Dai Yu absent, but even his second sister Ying Chun had not come to offer her congratulations.

At this moment, Chen Siyuan was naturally full of pride and high spirits, with a hearty smile on his face, and his every move was more graceful and charming.

Truly, he was: his aura soared to the clouds, as if Pan An had been reincarnated; his beauty was like jade, as if Wei Jie had been reborn!

When Jia Huan didn't see Daiyu, he became impatient. He hastily bowed and offered his congratulations, then received the red envelope and ran off to play.

At this moment, the courtyard of Qingtang Thatched Cottage was bustling with activity, as maids and old women from all walks of life came to offer their congratulations. Qingwen and Xiangling, beaming with joy, carried baskets filled with silver coins and distributed them to everyone who saw them.

Then a servant named Qingyu delivered a message, and Xiangling quickly distributed half of her silver coins as a reward to the servants in the outer courtyard.

Tan Chun, Xi Chun, Xiang Yun, and Bao Qin chattered on and on, one after another, and Chen Siyuan answered them all with a smile. After a while, he said, "I must go to Rongqing Hall and the East Courtyard to avoid being complained about or being impolite."

Baoqin's interest changed after Chen Siyuan secured a job for Xue Ke in purchasing materials for the city's expansion last year. She was slightly younger than Tanchun and was also approaching the age of budding youth. And what young girl doesn't yearn for love? Perhaps it was because she had reached the right age; Baoqin was still somewhat naive last year, but when she looked at Chen Siyuan again this year, she felt that everything about him was inappropriate.

The second branch of the Xue family were just ordinary merchants. If it weren't for the violent death of Xue Pan, the eldest son, how could Xue Ke have gotten the job as an imperial merchant? However, the jobs assigned by the Imperial Household Department were always unprofitable. If there was no one to take care of him, he was afraid that the job would not last long.

Chen Siyuan already had a close relationship with Prince Yanping, who was in charge of the inner palace. Now that he had passed the imperial examination with top honors, when would be a better time to cling to his powerful backer? Moreover, Chen Siyuan was only four years older than Baoqin and was so handsome. Baoqin was not naive and felt that missing out on such a marriage opportunity would surely lead to lifelong regret.

Because Baoqin didn't cause any trouble, she just pulled Xiangyun and said, "This matter is the right thing to do. Brother Yuan, you go ahead. Sister Yun and I will go ask Second Sister for a reward."

Having said that, he grabbed Xiangyun and left. Xiangyun was still confused, and asked in bewilderment, "What does Brother Yuan's success in the imperial examination have to do with Second Sister?"

Baoqin muttered, "Fool, with Brother Yuan passing the imperial examination, Second Sister will receive an official title in seven or eight years at most. How can such a great thing not be rewarded?"

Xiangyun suddenly realized and laughed loudly, "That's right, that's right, it's only right that Second Sister rewards us!"

The two younger ones whispered and left, leaving only Xichun and Tanchun. Xichun, who was always close to Chen Siyuan, didn't hold back this time and tugged at Chen Siyuan's arm, saying coquettishly, "Passing the imperial examination is certainly a good thing, but Brother Yuan, you'll be moving away soon, won't you?"

Chen Siyuan felt sorry for Xichun and reached out to rub her little head, saying, "All good things must come to an end. I have to settle down and start a family eventually... But don't worry, Fourth Sister, your Second Sister and I will visit you often in the future, or invite you to our home to play."

Xichun didn't joke around. Hearing him say that, she smiled and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Since you say so, then my third sister and I will definitely come to bother you often."

Tan Chun tugged at Xi Chun and scolded, "Hurry up and let go! If we're late, the old lady might think that Brother Yuan is being pretentious."

Xi Chun laughed and let go of his hand. Chen Siyuan bid farewell to the two of them, straightened his robes, and walked leisurely towards Rongqing Hall.

The two younger ones followed behind. Xichun chattered about the celebration, while Tanchun watched Chen Si's figure disappear into the distance, becoming increasingly absent-minded.

She had always kept her little thoughts well hidden, never revealing them. Now, witnessing Chen Siyuan's success in the imperial examinations, she felt both joy and a touch of loss. But such things were difficult to express, and she couldn't blame Chen Siyuan, nor could she blame her second sister, Yingchun.

After much thought, Tan Chun could only blame herself for being born two years too late.

Chen Siyuan strode out of the Grand View Garden, nodding frequently to the people who came to congratulate him. Unexpectedly, as soon as he left the Grand View Garden, he was stopped by a woman.

"Congratulations, Yuan-ge! Congratulations, Yuan-ge! Oh my, a seventeen-year-old Jinshi (successful candidate in the imperial examination)! Where can we even begin to explain this?"

Chen Siyuan looked closely and recognized her as Xing Xiuyan's mother, Xing Zhenshi. Chen Siyuan didn't put on airs, and smiled, cupping his hands in greeting, "Auntie, please don't tease me."

The word "aunt" was like sweet rain to Xing Zhenshi, making her feel refreshed all over!

Madam Xing smiled broadly and said, "Is Yuan-ge going to tell the old lady the good news? Then go quickly, I'm going back too, your cousin is waiting for your good news."

Chen Siyuan knew that this was a subtle dig at him, so he smiled and said, "Auntie, please go back first. I will go see my cousin after the palace examination."

"That's good, that's good." Xing Zhenshi readily agreed. After Chen Si had gone far away, the old women from the tea room swarmed around him.

One person praised Chen Siyuan's bright future, another said Xing Xiuyan was lucky, flattering Xing Zhenshi so much that she was practically floating on air without realizing it. After reminiscing for a while about their time in Suzhou with the old women, she finally left the Rongguo Mansion. Once outside the side gate, Xing Zhenshi thought to herself that now that she had a nephew who had passed the imperial examinations, even though her own daughter could only be a concubine, given their previous kinship, this marriage would make Chen Siyuan practically her son-in-law!
Xing Zhenshi immediately straightened her back, thinking that since her son-in-law was already a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), how could she possibly walk back? So she gave three qian of silver and took a carriage back to Dongtaiping Lane.

Without mentioning how Xing Zhenshi explained things to Xing Xiuyan after returning home, let's talk about how Chen Siyuan walked through the corridor, circled around to the front, passed through the side hall, and entered Rongqing Hall.

At this moment, Jia She, Madam Xing, Madam Wang, Sister Feng, Li Wan and others arrived. The head maid, Amber, announced their arrival and led Chen Siyuan inside.

Chen Siyuan's smile remained unchanged as he respectfully greeted Grandmother Jia and the others. Whether his greeting was genuine or not was unclear. Grandmother Jia smiled broadly and praised, "Good, good, good! Sit down and speak, Yuan-ge'er. I originally thought you were too young, and this exam was just a formality. I figured you'd have to wait until the next exam to pass with flying colors. But Yuan-ge'er actually passed with flying colors!"

Madam Xing was overjoyed and said, "Old lady, you don't know, who in this world doesn't know Yuan-ge's talent? Even if Yuan-ge is truly devoted to literature and no longer writes poems, people outside will still sing his old lyrics from time to time."

Grandmother Jia glanced at Madam Xing, but didn't say anything to spoil the mood; she simply smiled and nodded in agreement.

Master Jia She stroked his beard and said, "Although the provincial examination is over, there is still the palace examination on the 21st. Yuan-ge'er must not lay down his sword and let his horse graze freely. You must know that there are different kinds of Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), and there are different kinds of ladies. Now that you have passed the provincial examination, you should at least get a second-class Jinshi." Chen Siyuan smiled and bowed in agreement. His gaze swept over Li Wan, who was feeling proud, and Feng Jie, who was lost in thought. He quickly looked straight ahead and spoke to Grandmother Jia for a while before getting up, bidding farewell to everyone, pointing to his servant Qingyu, and getting into his carriage to head to his new residence at Nengren Temple.

Presumably, Sister You Er and Sister You San must have received the news early on, and there would be a banquet in the afternoon, so Chen Siyuan took the time to have a good time with the two sisters.

The Xue family's old residence in the outer city.

The sound of firecrackers could be heard from afar. The Xue family's old residence was located outside the city. In the past, it would take the servants of the Imperial Examination Hall half an hour to make a round trip to check the list of successful candidates.

At this moment, both mother and daughter were absent-minded, with only Madam Cao constantly comforting Baochai.

“I think my brother-in-law is a lucky man. Even if he doesn’t pass the special imperial examination, he will definitely pass the next one. My sister’s good fortune is yet to come.”

Baochai smiled and agreed, then playfully scolded her sister-in-law for her teasing words, her heart in turmoil. She understood the道理 (principles/reasoning), but when it came to matters concerning herself, who wouldn't feel anxious and conflicted?
Baochai has always harbored lofty ambitions, which is why she and Chen Siyuan are so compatible. Now that Chen Siyuan is taking the imperial examination, she naturally hopes he will soon be listed on the imperial register. In that case, a seventeen-year-old Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) would be extremely young, even by the standards of the previous dynasty. With twenty or thirty years of experience and meritorious service, he might indeed earn Baochai an official title.

At that time, who among the Jia family, the Wang family, and even the Xue family wouldn't praise Baochai for being so dignified?

Amidst this anxiety and uncertainty, they suddenly heard a commotion outside. The mother and daughter looked up together and saw their maid, Ying'er, running in happily.

He entered and gave a hasty curtsy, saying, "Congratulations to Madam and Miss! Master Yuan has passed the imperial examination with flying colors, ranking eighty-third. He will soon be entering the palace to participate in the palace examination!"

Aunt Xue was overjoyed and couldn't help but exclaim, "Really? Did you look closely?"

Ying'er said, "Zhang Zhu'er is always meticulous, he would never be wrong. He said he looked at it repeatedly, and Master Yuan is indeed eighty-third, he saw it very clearly!"

Madam Cao had already stood up and was smiling as she offered her congratulations: "Congratulations, sister."

Baochai felt her heart, which had just settled into her stomach, suddenly begin to pound wildly again. A surge of warmth coursed through her limbs, making her muscles tingle, her hair stand on end, and bringing her an indescribable sense of comfort!

Her face flushed, and after a moment of stunned silence, she hurriedly returned the greeting to Madam Cao. She then exchanged glances with Aunt Xue, and both mother and daughter felt that this was a turning point in their fortunes. Chen Siyuan had passed the imperial examination! Even thirty years later, he would only be forty-seven. By then, even if he didn't become a high-ranking official, he would at least be a regional governor. Baochai's title of nobility would be secure!

Aunt Xue was overjoyed for the young master and teased Baochai a few times. Then she pointed to Ying'er and said, "Go and tell Zhang Zhu'er to go to the Chen family when he has time and ask Yuan'er to come to our house when he has time."

Before she could finish speaking, Baochai said, "Mother, there's no rush... The palace examination is on the 21st, and I'm afraid we'll be busy until the end of the month."

Aunt Xue then smiled and said, "That's true. In that case, let's wait until Yuan-ge'er passes the imperial examination."

Cao Shi teased Baochai again, and Baochai, unable to bear it, blushed and went back to her room. After Cao Shi also left, Aunt Xue thought it over and over, and couldn't help but feel a stirring of spring in her heart. She found a pen and ink, wrote a letter, and told a servant boy, "Go and send it to Yuan-ge'er."

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

On this day, Chen Siyuan returned to the You sisters' residence and celebrated with them. Because a banquet was being held at the Rongguo Mansion in the afternoon, Chen Siyuan leisurely returned to the Rongguo Mansion after noon.

Around 11 PM, several tables were set up in Rongxi Hall, separated by screens, with men on the left and women on the right. After a few rounds of drinks, the screens became mere decorations. Madam Wang and Madam Xing, for the sake of being elders, did not want to make things difficult for Chen Siyuan.

Those who had private dealings with Chen Siyuan, such as Li Wan and Feng Jie, or those who were engaged to Chen Siyuan, such as Ying Chun and Dai Yu, should not come to disturb him.

The others, such as Tan Chun, Xi Chun, and Xiang Yun, naturally had no more reservations and came over to offer their toasts. After the masters had finished, all the head maids also came over to offer their toasts.

Chen Siyuan was overjoyed and drank every drop of wine in his cup. Even when people are happy, they can't resist raising their glasses so often. Before the end of the day, Chen Siyuan was drunk and passed out at his table.

Grandmother Jia scolded everyone for a while before ordering a maid to help Chen Siyuan back to his thatched cottage.

As soon as the maid left, Xiangling and Qingwen, their handkerchiefs dampened, were about to come and serve him when Chen Siyuan suddenly opened his eyes and scrambled to his feet.

Qingwen's eyes widened in shock, and she asked in astonishment, "Master, were you pretending to be drunk just now?"

Chen Siyuan laughed heartily and said smugly, "If I hadn't pretended to be drunk, I'm afraid this drinking session would have gone on until dawn. Enough said, my head is throbbing right now, quickly brew some hangover soup."

Qingwen covered her mouth and laughed as she agreed. As soon as she came out, she bumped into the old woman who had brought the letter. Qingwen turned back and presented the letter, saying, "The mistress has brought a letter."

Chen Siyuan took the letter and, behind Xiangling's back, read it carefully. Perhaps afraid of being seen by others, Aunt Xue's letter was vague, seemingly inviting Chen Siyuan to her residence for a chat, but in reality urging them to meet again the day after tomorrow.

Chen Siyuan, his mind elsewhere, immediately put away the letter. When Qingwen brought him some hangover soup, he gulped it down and then lay down to sleep soundly.

He slept until dusk, and even though Chen Siyuan was young, he felt groggy and disoriented when he got up, unable to tell whether it was morning or night. After having a strong cup of tea, Chen Siyuan finally felt a little more awake.

Recalling the faint worry he had glimpsed between Daiyu's brows when he left the table in the afternoon, he had the idea of ​​going to Xiaoxiang Pavilion to explore.

So, tidying themselves up, they headed towards the Xiaoxiang Pavilion as the evening glow set in. A short while later, they crossed the Cuiyan Bridge and arrived at the pavilion, where several maids were playing with red ropes. Seeing Chen Siyuan, they quickly announced, "Master Yuan has arrived!"

Soon after, Yuanyang and Zijuan came to greet them, and Daiyu's wet nurse, Granny Wang, also happily came out from behind to observe.

After exchanging a few words with the others, Yuanyang laughed and said, "It's fortunate that Master Yuan arrived a moment early, otherwise the young lady would have had to rest."

Chen Siyuan caught a glimpse of the bath tub under the eaves and knew perfectly well that resting was just an excuse; Lin Daiyu was actually busy preparing for a bath.

He immediately said, "I'm sorry to have bothered you, young lady. Don't worry, I'll just say a few words and then leave."

Yuanyang then said, "In that case, please come in, Master Yuan."

Chen Siyuan moved forward and followed the two into Xiaoxiang Pavilion. The parrot under the eaves flapped its wings and cried out, "The son-in-law is here! Xueyan, quickly lift the curtain!"

Chen Siyuan smiled and entered the room, where he saw Lin Daiyu angrily crumpling up a piece of paper and throwing it at the parrot. Upon seeing Chen Siyuan, she scolded, "It's all those girls' gossip! Who knew this little rascal would pick it up like that? He just can't seem to get rid of it!" She paused, then asked warily, "What brings you here now?"

It was early summer, and the weather wasn't yet so hot. Daiyu wore a light green gauze jacket over a pale blue bodice, and a white gauze skirt underneath. The gauze was thin and sheer, revealing glimpses of her fair, jade-like skin beneath.

While casually looking around, Chen Siyuan said, "After sleeping for a while, I suddenly felt uneasy when I woke up, so I thought I'd talk to my sister."

Daiyu scolded him for his unrestrained gaze, and wrapped her arms around herself to cover her figure, saying in surprise, "That's strange. You just passed the imperial examination today, you should be full of pride and joy, so why are you feeling so down and out?"

"I do not know either."

Daiyu pondered and invited Chen Siyuan to sit down, then inquired about his situation again. Chen Siyuan simply frowned and said, "I don't know why, but when I heard the good news earlier, I felt so elated that I thought it would be easy for me to not only be second-class or even first-class. But after I woke up, I felt that it was all a bit unreal."

Daiyu smiled teasingly and said, "The good news is still on display. If you're afraid it's fake, why don't you go over and take a closer look?"

Chen Siyuan, however, said seriously, "This was truly a stroke of luck. If it weren't for my sister predicting a question correctly before the exam, I might not have even made it onto the list. Since it was a stroke of luck, I must guard against arrogance and complacency, and not be so... cocky again." He paused, and seeing the admiration in Daiyu's eyes beneath her delicate brows, he continued, "If I become cocky again in the future, someone will have to pour cold water on me. After thinking it over, only my sister would do that."

"Me?" Daiyu laughed. "I'm good at splashing cold water, but I don't know how you want me to do it?"

Chen Siyuan said, "Then my sister will say, 'Chen Shuliang, you're just a lucky opportunist, don't get too cocky!'"

Upon hearing this, Daiyu couldn't help but chuckle. After laughing for a while, she suddenly became serious and said, "Chen Shuliang, stop getting carried away!"

After they finished speaking, their eyes met, and Daiyu couldn't help but giggle. Chen Siyuan was distracted and couldn't resist reaching out to grab her soft hand.

With several maids present, Daiyu immediately blushed deeply and scolded, "Quickly, let go! What will people think if they see this!"

Chen Siyuan gently squeezed her cool, soft, and boneless hand before reluctantly letting go. He then stood up and said with a flourish, "That's how it is. Sister, rest now. I'll head back first."

Daiyu rose to see him off, watching Chen Siyuan stride out of Xiaoxiang Pavilion before smiling and returning to her room.

Xueyan was puzzled and leaned closer to ask, "Did Grandpa Yuan really only say a few words?"

Daiyu retorted, "Otherwise what? Do you expect me to serve him while he washes up?" But as soon as she said it, she realized it was inappropriate and immediately started laughing to herself.

Lin Daiyu couldn't help but admire Chen Siyuan even more after this experience. Unyielding in the face of power and unmoved by wealth, a man of such unwavering resolve as her father, Lin Ruhai, was truly a man she could entrust her life to. Even more remarkable was Chen Siyuan's ability to discern her thoughts from time to time.

Thinking this way, the anxiety in my heart about getting married soon lessened a bit.

(End of this chapter)