Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 421 Ink Debts as Heavy as Mountains, Paper as Gold, Nights of Beauty, Good Things Approaching

At this moment, the mother and son are in very different situations. Grandmother Jia is sighing and very worried; on the other hand, Jia She seems indifferent and unconcerned.

The eldest master is perfectly clear-headed! The garden was built for the Empress's visit home, which is ultimately a matter for the second branch of the family, so naturally, it was the second branch that misappropriated the Lin family's property. As for him, the eldest master... how much did he actually embezzle?

The mother and son were undecided and had to consult with Lady Wang, Jia Lian, and Feng Jie.

When Lady Wang and the others first heard that Jia Yucun was demanding the Lin family's property, they were immediately taken aback and at a loss. Lady Wang was not one to be quick-witted, and after thinking it over, she couldn't come up with a solution. For a moment, she sighed and lamented, just like Grandmother Jia.

Feng Jie, six months pregnant, felt a surge of joy upon seeing Lady Wang's distressed expression. She suddenly recalled Chen Siyuan's earlier words: "The Jia family is currently only enjoying a period of prosperity and luxury. With the old lady still alive, she will never let you manage the family business. Since that's the case, why should you take on the role of manager, exhausting yourself and offending everyone? Instead of being so preoccupied, why not secretly manage that workshop? It's your own private property. To put it bluntly, even if the Jia family's fortunes decline in the future, with this workshop, you'll never lack for anything."

Previously, Sister Feng thought Chen Siyuan was just spouting nonsense, but now she realized it made a lot of sense. As the saying goes, "It's better to have your own than to have your own parents' wealth." Sister Feng's workshop business was growing bigger and bigger, earning her at least several hundred taels a month, and sometimes even over a thousand taels in profit sharing. She had no shortage of money and expenses, so wherever she went, she always maintained a respectable image.
Even if there were some clueless servants in the house, Sister Feng would turn around and give Ni Er a few melons and dates. Ni Er would use some tricks to make sure that servant would turn around and kowtow to admit his mistake.

Feeling comforted, Sister Feng simply pretended to be a gourd with its mouth sawed off—remaining completely silent.

Rongqing Hall fell silent for a moment.

While everyone else was feeling down, Jia Lian was leisurely sipping his fragrant tea, his face full of carefree joy. This was because Zhang Jinge had given birth to a daughter, and Feng Jie and Ping'er were pregnant, so they hadn't been properly disciplined, and Jia Lian had become increasingly unrestrained.

Having previously saved two or three thousand taels of silver, he frequented brothels every day. Recently, for some reason, he had taken a liking to Yun'er, Xue Pan's former lover. Yun'er, considering that she was already too old to stay in Jinxiang Courtyard, did her best to flatter Jia Lian each time, just to get him to take her out.

Jia Lian was enjoying the pleasures of the world and was thinking about spending five hundred taels of silver to redeem Yun'er from her servitude. He had no time to care about such a serious matter.

Unexpectedly, a smile inadvertently appeared on his face as he recalled something, which was noticed by the master Jia She.

Jia She was known for being lenient with himself but strict with others. Seeing Jia Lian's frivolous behavior, he flew into a rage, pointing his finger at him and yelling, "You beast! The old lady and I are so distressed, and you dare to laugh out loud! Alright, I bet you've come up with a brilliant idea. Come, come, tell me your plan carefully. If you don't give me a clear explanation, I'll skin you alive today!"

Jia Lian cried out "Oops!" and accidentally knocked over a teacup.

Grandmother Jia offered a few words of advice, but Lady Wang frowned and remained silent. Jia Lian, seeing Jia She's expression, knew that he was just using this as an excuse to vent his anger.

He looked to Sister Feng for help, but she remained indifferent, her eyes closed. Jia Lian felt a chill run down his spine. After some hesitation and thought, a brilliant idea suddenly came to him.

He was no longer flustered. He stood up, gave a graceful bow, and said with a smile, "Father, please don't worry. I do have a clumsy plan. I'll ask you and Grandmother to assess its effectiveness."

Grandmother Jia then said, "Since Lian'er has an idea, then tell me quickly."

Jia Lian then said, "Since this debt arose from the construction of the garden, why not just pledge the garden to Jia Yucun in writing?"

Upon hearing this, Madam Wang immediately frowned and said, "How can we mortgage this perfectly good villa for the family visit to outsiders? No, absolutely not."

To everyone's surprise, as Jia She lowered his head to ponder, Grandmother Jia's eyes lit up, and she smiled and nodded, saying, "Not bad, Lian'er has come up with a good idea."

What's so good about this idea? Excluding the land, the construction of the Grand View Garden alone would cost over 300,000 taels of silver. Giving this to Daiyu in black and white is something no one, inside or outside the family, could complain about. Some even, compared to the two, might praise the Jia family's generosity.

In reality, the Grand View Garden was a villa for the emperor's family visit. As long as Yuan-chun was alive, Dai-yu could not take it back!

Even if Yuan-chun were gone, as long as the Jia family's title remained, could Dai-yu still sever ties with her family and take back the Grand View Garden?

Furthermore, Jia Yucun, having been entrusted with Lin Ruhai's care, often used this matter to enhance his reputation. This time, he might not be genuinely pressuring him, but rather putting on a show for outsiders. With the Grand View Garden pledged in black and white, Jia Yucun's prestige would be secure, and he would naturally not press further.

While Daiyu could not take control of the Grand View Garden for her own use, the Jia family continued to use the garden just fine, which can be described as killing two birds with one stone!
After Grandmother Jia explained the plan briefly, Lady Wang and the others understood its brilliance, and the gloomy atmosphere in the room dissipated.

Seeing all this, Fengjie felt a chill run down her spine. She had witnessed firsthand how, when her uncle Lin was seriously ill, the old lady, eager to marry Daiyu, would send a letter to Yangzhou every few days, urging Jia Lian to obtain Daiyu's marriage certificate as soon as possible. Back then, Fengjie had thought the old lady truly loved her granddaughter Daiyu; now, it seemed…

My beloved granddaughter, whom I raised for several years and received over 100,000 taels of silver for raising her, was almost murdered by Madam Wang. In the end, she was given a worthless contract and sent away.

If Feng Jie were Daiyu, she would be more than just disgusted. She thought to herself, "It's fortunate that Chen Siyuan appeared halfway through and stopped Daiyu's marriage. Otherwise, if Daiyu had really married Baoyu, who knows how he would have squeezed her dry and drained her marrow!"

After the plan was finalized, Jia She wrote a document and sent it to Xinglong Street that same day. Jia Yucun knew he couldn't recover the Lin family's property, but he was still astonished by the Jia family's shamelessness. However, since Daiyu was still with the Jia family, he couldn't openly confront them. He also felt that having this document was at least an explanation to the female student, so he temporarily put the matter aside.

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

After taking leave, Chen Siyuan stopped studying the Four Books and Five Classics. He spent his days either reading history books or stretching his muscles, and occasionally taking a boat trip on the lake with his beauties. He was indeed keeping a low profile and cultivating his talents. Naturally, he indulged in passionate lovemaking at night, truly living a life of blissful companionship.

That day, Chen Siyuan went out early in the morning to attend a banquet hosted by his classmates at the Imperial College, and his residence was unusually quiet.

Wu'er was flipping through a book of poems under the eaves when she suddenly heard a surprised sound from the main room. Then a small figure stumbled out, followed by Qingwen, whose face was pale and frosty, chasing after her with a feather duster.

Wu'er couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh. The small figure was none other than Luan'er. This little girl had grown a year older and her temperament had become even more mischievous, often provoking her older sister Qingwen to fly into a rage.

"You run, let's see where you can run!"

"Waaaaah, murder!"

"If you dare to let your elder sister talk nonsense again, I'll skin you alive!"

With her short legs, how could Luan'er outrun Qingwen? In no time, she was caught up with in front of the moon gate in the side garden. Qingwen grabbed her by the back of the neck with one hand and beat her wildly with a feather duster with the other, making Luan'er scream and cry until she admitted her mistake before she stopped.

A moment later, Qingwen turned around, caught sight of Wu'er, and immediately frowned angrily, saying, "The older she gets, the more unruly she becomes. What will become of her in the future?"

Wu'er then laughed and said, "Master is kind-hearted, and my elder sister is a wealthy woman. What's wrong with Luan'er being a little spoiled? In the future, why not open the door and take in a son-in-law, a poor scholar or a failed candidate for the imperial examination? With a wealthy sister to support her, wouldn't she live a peaceful and prosperous life?"

Qingwen nodded at first, but then shook her head repeatedly, saying, "No matter what, her temperament is not good. From now on, you should keep an eye on her and not spoil her anymore!"

Wu'er smiled and agreed. Just as Qingwen was about to say something, a maidservant came out of the side garden with a happy expression, holding a South Sea pearl in her hand.

Upon catching sight of Qingwen and Wu'er, the maidservant was startled. She quickly curtsied, called out "Miss" twice, and explained, "Miss Siqi saw that I was diligent and rewarded me with a South Sea pearl."

Qingwen frowned and gave a curt reply, waving the maid away. Turning her head, Qingwen curled her lip in disdain and said, "I don't know what Master... what's on his mind that he insisted on bringing that Zhang Qing into the family. She's as thin as a door panel, what's so good about her?"

Wu'er's face stiffened. She clasped her hands together and whispered something to Qingwen for a long time. Qingwen listened with a look of surprise and said, "Sitting in a vat? What use is that?"

Seeing that he indeed did not know, Wu'er said, "I have heard that the girls in brothels have to sit on vats from a young age. Once they have mastered this skill, they can sit on the ground and suck up the soil."

"Huh?" It took Qingwen a moment to realize what she meant. Her face flushed red instantly, and she spat out, "She really is a vixen who uses witchcraft!"

As the saying goes, "birds of a feather flock together," and these women, born into humble backgrounds, may have their own disagreements within the family, but they will surely band together in public. Hongyu disliked Siqi before, and now Qingwen does the same. As for Wu'er, she will naturally share the same hatred as the two of them.

The two had been arguing about Siqi's faults for a while when suddenly an old woman from the ceremonial gate brought over a few pieces of scrap fabric, which looked like they were from a wedding shop, and asked You Erjie to make a decision.

Qingwen was in a bad mood, so she said, "Good Wu'er, I'd like to trouble you to go to the back. I'm really tired right now and I'm about to doze off."

Wu'er laughed and said, "Where are you tired? You're obviously trying to slack off." Knowing that Qingwen also looked down on You Erjie, Wu'er took the scraps of cloth and went to the back.

After passing through the passageway on the east side of the main house, Wu'er arrived at the backyard and then climbed the steps to You Erjie's room in the east wing.

The back courtyard here is a two-story embroidered building, with six rooms on each floor. The lower floor is for the servants and maids to live in, while the upper floor is divided into two halves and reserved for Sister You Er and Sister You San.

The maid Xia Zhu was playing cat's cradle when she told Wu'er to go find Sister You Er on her own.

Wu'er, being gentle and compliant, didn't mind Xia Zhu's arrogance and went inside after lifting the beaded curtain. Little did she know that You Erjie's residence was quite different from You Sanjie's!
At Sister You San's place, the innermost room was the bedroom, the middle room was used for banquets, and the outermost room was the hall. But when they arrived at Sister You Er's place, the banquet area was right inside the door, the bedroom was in the middle, and the innermost room was a completely different world.

Wu'er called out, and then heard You Erjie panting heavily inside, who ordered her to come in and talk.

Wu'er followed her instructions and entered. The first thing she saw was a rack nailed to the wall, on which were tanned leather handcuffs and leg irons. Looking to the side, she saw a full set of handcuffs and leg irons, all made of tanned leather and connected by thin silver chains. Next to the box was a wooden cangue attached to a erotic bench. On one of the three walls was a large mirror, and on the other hung various erotic paintings. There were also many other unfamiliar objects, too numerous to list.

Looking closer, two red ribbons hung down, and You Erjie struck a strange pose, her arms wrapped around the ribbons, her feet pressed together on them. In Wu'er's eyes, this pose was exceptionally frivolous and alluring.

At this moment, Sister You glanced sideways and saw that it was Wu'er who had come. She quickly got off Hongling with a smile and said, "So it's Sister Wu'er. I thought it was that little hussy Xia Zhu."

Wu'er was trembling with fear and didn't want to say anything more. She immediately offered up a few pieces of material, turned around, and quickly left.

After leaving the embroidered tower, Wu'er couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, thinking to herself that it was no wonder that the master spent more time with Siqi and You Erjie; those two had certainly put in a lot of hard work behind the scenes.

Wu'er felt anxious, but she was too shy to admit it and couldn't bring herself to do what the other two did.
Because of a sudden wave of sorrow, she walked sullenly through the passageway to the front. Just as she was about to return to her room for a rest, the old woman from before came looking for her again.

"Miss Wu'er, have you seen Miss Xiangling? A Miss Ying'er has come from outside, specifically asking to see Miss Xiangling."

Wu'er dared not delay and said, "Mother, please wait a moment. I will go and find Sister Xiangling. Please trouble you to invite Ying'er in first."

The old woman smiled and agreed, then turned to fetch Ying'er. Wu'er passed through the moon gate into the side garden, and soon found Xiangling reading by the bamboo grove. Hearing that Ying'er had come to visit, Xiangling hurried to greet her. Upon arriving in the courtyard, she saw Ying'er chatting idly with Qingwen.

When Ying'er saw Xiangling arrive, she quickly got up, took Xiangling's hand, and pulled her aside to chat.

Xiangling asked with a smile, "Why are you here?"

Ying'er smiled and said, "Miss gave me a day off, so I bought some flowers near Nengren Temple and came to visit you on the way."

Xiangling then asked, "How has Miss Bao been all along?"

Ying'er winked playfully and said, "Good, very good! Ever since I saw Master Yuan riding through the streets, I've been so happy that I haven't been able to sleep well for the past two nights. I even call out to Master Yuan twice every night."

Xiangling looked around hurriedly, her face flushed, and said, "Tch, you shameless little hussy, how dare you spread Bao-guniang's lies?"

Ying'er, all smiles and unafraid, chatted idly with Xiangling, occasionally probing into their private affairs. Xiangling dared not speak, only blushing and stammering to cover it up.

Ying'er observed this and knew that Xiangling was doing very well, and that she must be enjoying herself in bed as well. Ying'er's mind wandered, thinking that in the previous dynasty, there were maids who could test their young mistresses on behalf of their husbands, but unfortunately, such good fortune no longer existed in this dynasty.

After a while, Ying'er suddenly said casually, "Oh right, our young lady is going to settle accounts the day after tomorrow."

Xiangling understood immediately, knowing that Ying'er's words were her true purpose, and said, "I remember, I will definitely tell Master when he returns."

Ying'er laughed and said, "Sister, you can say it or not, but there's one thing: don't say that I leaked this."

Having finished her errand, Ying'er didn't linger. She got up, bid farewell to Xiangling, hired a donkey cart, and headed back to the Xue family's old residence in the outer city.

Nothing happened in the afternoon, and before long it was almost dusk when Chen Siyuan returned home, tipsy.

Sister You was heartbroken. On one hand, she ordered someone to prepare a hangover soup, and on the other hand, she pressed him for an explanation. Chen Siyuan only claimed that he had invited a friend from the Imperial Academy to be his best man, which was why he had drunk a few more cups. In reality, he had also secretly met with Aunt Xue in the afternoon, and only drank half a bottle of strong wine before leaving.

Qingwen, being observant, immediately noticed the hickeys hidden under Chen Siyuan's collar and secretly gave You Sanjie a wink. You Sanjie was naturally quite puzzled, wondering if Chen Siyuan had other girls he hadn't brought back yet?
Seeing Chen Siyuan's dejected expression, You Sanjie thought for a moment and decided to pretend not to know. She just kept being tender and caring, coaxing Chen Siyuan to have dinner and then serving him to bed.

Why was Chen Siyuan so disappointed? It was because he had been intimate with Aunt Xue that day, and afterwards Aunt Xue said that this was the last time, and that after Baochai married into the family, the two of them should no longer have any contact.

At first, Chen Siyuan thought that Aunt Xue was just being stubborn and tried to comfort her gently. But Aunt Xue was determined. On one hand, she said that she was nearing forty and might not be able to continue her menstrual cycle; on the other hand, she said that she already had Baoyan as her child and was content with that, and should not ask for anything more.

Finally, he added that illicit affairs are ultimately not something to be discussed openly, and even if not for oneself, one must consider Baochai and Chen Siyuan.

Humans aren't plants or trees; how can they be without feelings? Even if Chen Siyuan initially harbored romantic intentions, which led him to befriend Aunt Xue, how could Chen Siyuan have amassed such a substantial fortune over the years without Aunt Xue's support?
Furthermore, with the precious inkstone still in his possession, Chen Siyuan felt reluctant to part with it, and a touch of sadness inevitably crept in. Since it was their farewell, the two drank together, and it was through the wine that they became intoxicated, their spirits soaring even without the alcohol.

The next day, Xiangling mentioned Baochai's accounting for the next day, and Chen Siyuan only responded indifferently, without showing much joy.

Such an anomaly, in the eyes of the beauties, was naturally amiss. After some consideration, they concluded that it must be a case of 'the king is willing, but the goddess is indifferent,' and while they found it amusing, they treated Chen Siyuan with even greater tenderness.

So, during the day, passion surged and they both broke out in a sweat; day and night, the rain subsided and the clouds dispersed, and they embraced each other on the Jade Mountain, sleeping soundly together under the covers.

In just one day, Chen Siyuan was already at a loss, and he had no time to feel sorry for Aunt Xue.
The next day, Chen Siyuan forced himself to cheer up, tidied himself up, and went to see Sister Bao.

He arrived early, but Baochai was already there. When Chen Siyuan entered the accounting room, he saw Ying'er standing to the side, while Baochai was fiddling with the abacus, calculating the latex accounts for the month.

Hearing the commotion, Baochai raised her almond-shaped eyes to look at her, and was immediately astonished, saying, "You, how come you look so haggard?"

Chen Siyuan stammered for a long time, only saying some incomprehensible things like, "It should have been a time of calm and ease, but now it's a rush and a scramble." Baochai and Ying'er covered their mouths and laughed, and the air was instantly filled with a joyful atmosphere.

A moment later, Ying'er smiled and went away, and Chen Siyuan came over and hugged the slightly plump Baochai in his arms.

Baochai playfully scolded, "There are still some days before the wedding, but you're in such a hurry."

Chen Siyuan smiled without saying a word, only reaching his strange hands inside her clothes to capture Yingrou and play with her properly. Baochai hummed for a while before suppressing her odd reaction and saying, "Oh, right, I heard you took leave to visit your family?"

"That's right, and each invitation lasts for half a year."

I thought Sister Bao would be displeased, but to my surprise, she nodded and said, "That's how it should be. You are the youngest among the successful candidates in this imperial examination, and you have been selected as the third-ranked scholar. I wonder how many people are jealous and resentful of you, so it would be better to keep a low profile."

Chen Siyuan felt comforted and smiled, "My sister understands me best. At my age, even with great talent and ability, I am still considered lacking in composure in the eyes of the Emperor and the officials of Yanzhou. I expect that I will need to be tested and refined in the future, and it may take ten years before I can be given an important position."

Baochai laughed and said, "You've started much faster than others. Most of the successful candidates in the imperial examinations throughout history were around thirty years old. How old are you? Even if you waste ten years, you'll still be faster than others."

Chen Siyuan stopped his mischief, raised his face and kissed Baochai's cheek, then buried his head in Baochai's neck and whispered, "Be careful, be cautious, be careful."

Baochai felt even more affection for Chen Siyuan, so she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

This is the ideal husband she chose herself. He was originally just an outstanding man, but he turned out to be just as outstanding! In just a few days, at only seventeen, he has already achieved the highest rank in the imperial examination! If nothing unexpected happens, in twenty or thirty years, he will undoubtedly become a high-ranking official or general!

So what if the second young lady got the better deal? Given her friendship with Chen Siyuan, if she achieves great merit in the future, he will surely secure an official title for her. At that time, she will no longer be inferior to the second young lady.

Her heart was stirred, her emotions were stirred, and she unconsciously felt a surge of lust. Her hands began to caress Chen Siyuan's back.

The day she witnessed Chen Siyuan parading through the streets on horseback, Baochai was so overwhelmed with emotion that she inexplicably lost her mind. Afterwards, she hurriedly returned home to change her clothes, but she still couldn't sleep soundly that night.

At first, she couldn't sleep, but when she did fall asleep, she would always dream of being intimate with Chen Siyuan. For two nights in a row, even Ying'er couldn't help but tease her a few times.

Baochai recalled the memories and became even more aroused. She took the initiative to kiss Chen Siyuan and blush, and they had a long and tender time together before she stopped.

After a while, the two started talking again. Baochai said, "My cousin is getting married tomorrow, and my mother and I need to go to the Wang family to help out. That's why I asked Ying'er to invite you here today."

On the tenth day of the fifth lunar month, Wang Yunping got married.

Chen Siyuan knew that Baojie was implying something, so he said, "His Majesty is going to Haidian to escape the summer heat, and Princess Rongchang, being a member of the imperial clan, has also been granted permission to go with him. Sister, don't worry, the small engagement has been made, and the large engagement will be made by the beginning of next month at the latest."

"I... I wasn't in a hurry!" Bao-jie retorted, quickly adding, "I recently discussed a date with Mother, and she plans to search for it in July."

It wouldn't be appropriate to marry Yingchun and Baochai in the same month, since the second daughter, Yingchun, is getting married in June.

Chen Siyuan was taken aback when he heard this, and said, "July 12th is considered an auspicious day, but the old lady picked it first."

Sister Bao felt slightly awkward, but smiled and said, "That's perfect. I'll discuss it with my mother when we get back and choose a good date in August."

She and Daiyu were close friends, and she had always felt sorry for Daiyu. She would not quarrel with Daiyu at this time. In her heart, she only blamed Grandmother Jia for being old and not dead, which was a crime!

Chen Siyuan knew that Baochai was upset, but he pretended not to know and only said that he had decided to move to the new house in the middle of the month.

After saying a few words, Baochai added, "Yes, Second Sister has four maids to accompany her in her dowry, so Mother let me choose a few as well. But as you know, my family left home and came to the capital, and we don't have many maids available, so I just randomly picked a few that are useful."

Baochai's ulterior motives were fully revealed; she couldn't wait to cling to Chen Siyuan and never let go. If Ying'er hadn't been with her for so long, she probably would have sent Ying'er away as well. Therefore, when choosing maids this time, Baochai only selected those who were reasonably good-looking, and rejected any who were charming and clever.

Chen Siyuan knew perfectly well what was going on, but he didn't take it to heart. The girl's jealous little thoughts weren't annoying; on the contrary, he found them extremely amusing.

The two spent half a day together, during which Baochai lost her footing twice, and was also tricked by Chen Siyuan into serving him barefoot. Before parting, Baochai gave him a handmade purse as a congratulatory gift for the birth of her son, and then they parted ways like the threads of autumn water.

Wang Yunping got married on the tenth day of the month. This matter had nothing to do with Chen Siyuan, so we will not mention it.

The thirteenth day arrived in the blink of an eye; it was Chen Siyuan's birthday.

Sister You took on all the responsibilities, not only preparing several tables of fine food but also hiring an opera troupe to perform. The day's festivities are well-documented, but by nightfall, Sister You had become deeply attached to Chen Siyuan, embracing him tenderly and unable to let go.

Zhenzhen'er was truly "as slender as a willow in the wind, as graceful as a boat on surging waves," swaying and moaning indescribably. The battle raged from the fourth watch until the fifth, like sweet rain extinguishing a raging fire, like starving people finding food.

Chen Siyuan knew that the relocation was imminent, which was why Sister You was acting so erratically. Because they were deeply in love and affectionate, he didn't say much.

After a night of debauchery, the two did not get up until noon.

Just after lunch, Yunxiang came to report that a servant from the Grand Marshal's residence had delivered a letter.

Chen Siyuan dared not delay, and hurriedly put down his chopsticks to take the letter and read it. But when he unfolded the letter, he found only a contract inside.

Upon recognizing the inscription as belonging to the Grand View Garden, Chen Siyuan immediately began to ponder it…

(End of this chapter)