Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 427 How fortunate Xiao Gui was to have a skill

Around 3 PM, Qingyu turned back and found Chen Siyuan, saying, "Aunt Xiangling must have mistaken me for someone else. I looked around and didn't hear anyone call out to Yuguan."

Chen Siyuan turned to Xiangling and said, and the girl breathed a slight sigh of relief.

By evening, Chen Siyuan and his party were traveling back to the capital by horse-drawn carriage. By the time they returned to Faxiangfang, the sun was already setting.

After their outing, everyone from Yingchun down to the maidservant was in high spirits, and even after returning home, they chattered on and on.

The young couple returned to the inner quarters, and soon Wu Jun's wife came to report: "This morning, the eldest madam sent someone to look for the master. I heard that the master took the madam to Tongzhou, leaving only a message that he would go to the Xing family's old residence the day after tomorrow to discuss the marriage of his maternal uncle."

Chen Siyuan nodded slightly, and after seeing Wu Jun's wife off, he couldn't help but mused to himself. It seems Madam Xing is quite attached to this... But the Xing family has more than just Xing Dequan; there's also Xing Erjie at home now. How could the two of them possibly find time for a clandestine rendezvous?
No sooner had Wu Jun's wife left than Li Cai's wife came to see Yingchun, requesting advance payment for the purchase of sweet water next month.

Chen Siyuan didn't say anything to Li Cai's face, but after Li Cai's family left, he asked in surprise, "There's a well in the back garden, why do we need to buy water from outside?"

Yingchun smiled and said, "My husband doesn't know that water has always been scarce in the capital. This is because the capital is an ancient capital of past dynasties. People eat, horses chew, drink, and excrete, and over thousands of years, all of this water has seeped into the ground. Even if you draw well water, it is mostly bitter. My husband didn't know before because the Rongguo Mansion has two wells with sweet water, so we don't have to buy it from outside."

Chen Siyuan then realized what was going on, and frowned as he asked, "The cost of buying water bottles must be quite high, right?"

Speaking of this, the thrifty Yingchun frowned and said, "Even a small family needs two or three taels of silver a month. For a family as big as ours, we need more than ten taels a month. When Bao-mei and Lin-mei come into the family, we might need more than twenty taels a month."

At that time, most of the sweet water sold in the capital was drawn from the Sweet Water Well, while some was spring water transported overnight from Yuquan Mountain. Chen Siyuan and Yingchun used spring water from Yuquan Mountain, and the rest of their water was drawn from the Sweet Water Well.

After a quick calculation, Chen Siyuan exclaimed in astonishment, "If you calculate it this way, wouldn't the annual cost of drinking water alone be two or three hundred taels of silver?"

Yingchun pouted and nodded.

Chen Siyuan frowned in deep thought. His memories of his past life were mostly scattered, and after a long while, he could only vaguely recall that the groundwater was divided into shallow and deep layers. The reason the well water was bitter was probably because it was from the shallow layer. If they continued to drill deeper, wouldn't that be detrimental to the country and its people?

After thinking it over, Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Second sister, please be patient for a while. I'll find a way. Maybe in the future we won't have to buy water anymore, and we can even make a little money."

The second girl smiled and agreed, thinking to herself, "Could it be that Chen Siyuan can turn bitterness into sweetness?"
After dinner, the young couple took a bath together. The second daughter was in high spirits and rarely showed any charm. However, she was too weak to stand alone, and after only a short while, she ended up with her limbs sprawled out, her head lying on her side, her face pale, and her hair disheveled.

Miao'er, who was in the next room, thought she could get a good deal, but Chen Siyuan called it a day early, washed up briefly, and then fell asleep in his arms with Yingchun.

The next day, Chen Siyuan went to the You sisters' place again.

The second young lady got up a little after 5 a.m., found Xiuju and Hongyu, and took four bolts of Shu brocade and four bolts of Huzhou silk from the storeroom, as well as two sets of kingfisher feather and gold filigree headdresses. She sent Hongyu with a servant to deliver them to the Xing family.

The term "dowry" was an insult to Xing Xiuyan, but the "bride price" was meant to enhance her reputation.

After Hongyu left to carry out her orders, Yingchun led Xiuju to the back garden to escape the summer heat. Before long, the mistress and servant sat in the Deyue Pavilion, chatting idly for a while. Suddenly, Xiuju frowned and said, "Miss, it seems your period started the day before yesterday?"

Yingchun was taken aback. These days, she had been living a life of blissful bliss, and even when she had free time, she was thinking about how to stop Chen Siyuan from tormenting her. She had completely forgotten about her period.

Now, Xiuju reminded her, and Yingchun thought back briefly, "Where was the day before yesterday? Counting the days, it should have been four days ago."

Her period is always very punctual, never a day early or late. Considering it hasn't come yet, doesn't that mean…

Xiuju covered her mouth with delight and asked, "Miss, could it be that you're pregnant?"

Yingchun was secretly delighted, but said aloud, "Don't say that, it's not certain yet."

Embroidered oranges also bring joy to Yingchun. Although her master was a womanizer, he was a sensible man. He would never allow his concubines or maids to become pregnant before his wife gave birth to a boy. So, whenever the time came, he would either take a shortcut like Xiangling, Qingwen, and Hongyu, or he would leave and change the way he served them.

As for the contraceptive soup, the master said that it was harmful to women's bodies and never allowed them to use it.

Xiuju was hoping her wife would give birth to a boy this morning, so that she would have a son or daughter in the future, and her life would be complete.

Yingchun was initially happy but then worried. The reason for her happiness was obvious, but the worry was that things couldn't be settled yet, and Chen Siyuan was making many demands... Having heard that one should be most careful during the first three months of pregnancy, how could she politely refuse Chen Siyuan?
Xiuju vaguely knew what Yingchun was thinking, and immediately suggested, "Miss, why don't you pretend to be sick? When the master asks about it later, just be vague and cover it up. I'll mention it to the master again, and I guarantee he won't suspect anything."

So, as evening fell, Chen Siyuan returned. After the couple had dinner, Yingchun sought out Chen Siyuan and said, "My husband treats me with great affection, but it's not right to favor one over the other. The Chen family is already small, and it's time to have more children. Besides, Qingwen, Xiangling, and Wu'er in the second courtyard have all been with you for a long time, so you should give them a place to live."

Regardless of which courtyard they go to in the future, since they are currently staying in the central courtyard, they should be assigned a shift.

Chen Siyuan was secretly delighted, but on the surface he was extremely impatient, and said vaguely, "I have my own plans, let's talk about this another day."

Having said that, he was about to pull Yingchun into the bedroom. The second young lady was so frightened that her heart trembled, fearing that she would harm the unborn child in her womb. She hurriedly said, "Wait, I am not feeling well today. Husband, why don't you go find Hongyu today?"

Chen Siyuan had been engaged in a fierce battle during the day, and now he had no energy left. However, he scolded her, "What are you saying, Second Sister? We are husband and wife. Even if we didn't have that kind of thing, we should still share a bed."

Having said that, he ignored everything and dragged Yingchun to bed. The poor second young lady spent half the night in fear, and only after seeing that he had indeed done nothing wrong did she cautiously fall asleep. At dawn, fearing that Chen Siyuan would torment her, she got up early and busied herself with errands.

Chen Siyuan was very surprised and was about to go find Yingchun to ask her when Xiuju came over and whispered about Yingchun's late period.

Upon hearing this, even Chen Siyuan, with his composed nature, was stunned for a moment. He thought to himself, "Second Sister is a fertile field!"

So that day, Chen Si treated Yingchun with even more tenderness and affection. That night, without Yingchun having to say anything, he went ahead to find Qingwen and the others.

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The next day, at dawn, Chen Siyuan took a carriage to the Xing family's residence in the outer city.

Upon arrival, only Sister Xing and Xing Dequan were present. After waiting for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Madam Xing finally arrived, albeit late.

Chen Siyuan selected the third-ranked scholar, and not only did Sister Xing flatter him even more, but even the scoundrel Xing Dequan became more respectful.

All the relatives sat down in the hall. Chen Siyuan glanced around and felt that even though Xing Erjie had recovered, she still looked older than Xing Madam.

After drinking a cup of tea and finishing their casual conversation, Madam Xing brought up the important matter.

He said, "My third sister's in-laws have something to attend to, so they can't come today. We'll have to discuss Dequan's marriage behind closed doors."

Sister Xing said, "That's only right. Dequan is of marriageable age. To be honest, I've been worried about him every day for the past year, constantly reminding him to be careful. But if I'm not careful, Dequan will cause trouble. It's a good thing I didn't dare to give him any money, otherwise who knows what kind of trouble he would have gotten into!"

When Xing Dequan saw Madam Xing, he was like a mouse seeing a cat; he was now dejected and silent.

Chen Siyuan asked, "Auntie, tell me, what kind of families did you choose?"

Madam Xing laughed and said, "It's quite a coincidence. The other day, the matchmaker, Aunt Zhu, came to our door to arrange a marriage for Baoyu, but she was turned down. Just as she was leaving, she bumped into me. I mentioned it to Aunt Zhu, and unexpectedly, the next day she sent over several portraits of young ladies."

After inquiring about their family backgrounds and character, and after some further private investigation, he actually took a liking to two of them.

Aunt Zhu proposed marriage to Baoyu? That's interesting, but it's not appropriate to say more now. We'll ask Madam Xing about it when we have time.

Then Madam Xing continued, "The first one is from a family that runs a general store outside the front gate. They are a respectable family. Their surname is Cheng. Their eldest daughter married a scholar last year, and now it's their second daughter's turn to get married. This girl is nineteen years old and is very capable in both domestic and international affairs."

As soon as Madam Xing finished speaking, Second Sister Xing frowned and said, "Our family is, after all, an official family. It seems inappropriate to choose a commoner as a husband."

Madam Xing smiled and said, "The second one is Aunt Zhu's niece, who is nineteen years old now. She was engaged to a man years ago, but the man fell off his horse and died. People outside say that Miss Zhu was the culprit, which ruined her reputation, and she has not been married to this day."

Xing Dequan was displeased upon hearing this and said, "Big sister, you're trying to fool people like this. That girl has already caused the death of one person. Aren't you afraid that she will cause the death of me in the future and make our Xing family line end?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Madam Xing immediately became angry and spat out, "Bah! Children's words are just that—words! They're just bastards!" After a pause, she continued, "What do you know? They're willing to offer eight thousand taels of silver as a dowry! If you marry a girl like that, you, a penniless nobody, can live a life of idleness and debauchery!"

Xing Dequan remained silent.

Sister Xing then asked, "Dequan, do you have someone in mind?"

Xing Dequan blinked and asked in a deep voice, "Which one looks better?"

Even Sister Xing couldn't take it anymore. She got up, grabbed a feather duster, and gave Xing Dequan a good beating, finally driving him out.

This guy ran into the yard and complained to himself, "Second sister beat me so unfairly. She asked me what I liked, but she wouldn't let me tell the truth?"

Chen Siyuan couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Sister Xing made a move to chase after him, and Xing Dequan then ran out in a flash.

Once only three people remained inside, the two sisters scolded the unreliable Xing Dequan before asking Chen Siyuan what he meant.

Chen Siyuan pondered and said, "Then let's forget about Miss Zhu. I think the Zhu family's real intentions are not what they seem."

Madam Xing was very surprised and quickly pressed for details. Chen Siyuan then recounted how Aunt Zhu had previously sought to help her nephew by offering him a tribute.

Madam Xing was taken aback upon hearing this, thinking to herself, why should she turn down such a great opportunity that has been delivered to her door?
Although she didn't understand, Chen Siyuan was now the third-ranked scholar in the imperial examination, so she figured there must be a reason for his actions. Therefore, Madam Xing said, "Since Brother Yuan says it's not appropriate, then the Zhu family should give up."

Sister Xing said, "In that case, wouldn't only the Cheng family be left? Sister, have you inquired about the character of Miss Cheng?"

Madam Xing said smugly, "I didn't just eavesdrop; I witnessed it myself." She then recounted how she had secretly gone to see Miss Cheng the other day, just as some thugs came to the Cheng family's general store to extort money. Miss Cheng the other came out with two kitchen knives and chased after the three thugs, hacking them down the street! Sister Xing was astonished and asked, "With that kind of temperament… I think she could handle Dequan, but… what about her appearance?"

Madam Xing choked and mumbled, "The nose is a nose, the eyes are eyes, it's quite neat."

Chen Siyuan suppressed a laugh, silently mourning for his uncle Xing Dequan. Only a shrew like Miss Cheng Er could control a scoundrel like Xing Dequan.

After further discussion, they decided to propose marriage to the Cheng family.

Despite Xing Erjie's constant talk of her family being officials, her life in the political arena was fraught with ups and downs, a place where stagnation meant regression. Even with Madam Xing maintaining appearances, the Xing family had long since fallen in social standing. To them, being from a humble family like the Cheng family, was a fitting match.

Xing Dequan's wedding was mainly handled by Xing's second sister. Chen Siyuan immediately gave a thousand taels of silver and said he would come over to help when he had time, so there was nothing more for him to do.

After a short while, Xing Dequan disappeared without a trace. Xing Erjie went to play mahjong at the neighbor's house, and Madam Xing immediately perked up.

He then only spoke privately with Chen Siyuan before sending Hongqu and Lü'e away.

She leaned in slightly, intending to tease Chen Siyuan. Knowing he couldn't avoid it, Chen Siyuan simply picked up Madam Xing and carried her into the inner room.

A moment later, the moon waned, the flowers withered, and the pink faded to a resentful yellow.

Fearing that someone would discover his scheme, Chen Siyuan hastily tidied himself up and casually inquired about the matchmaker's marriage proposal for Baoyu.

Madam Xing frowned and recalled, "It seems to be the daughter of a wealthy man from Shanxi. Her father bought his way into the position of a fourth-rank prefect, and I heard he's even opened a bank in the capital." She paused, then pursed her lips and said, "Tsk tsk, the second wife really treats Baoyu like the emperor's brother-in-law. She wants his wealth but doesn't want to lower her status by marrying into a merchant family. You don't know, there was even a salt merchant who wanted to marry Baoyu last time."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "That's only natural... The Xia family of Guihua is very wealthy, so they don't lack money here. Wouldn't the second branch of the family have to consider their reputation?"

Madam Xing remained noncommittal. After their lovemaking, she felt completely refreshed, and the strange thoughts that had been lingering in her mind, such as "the new bride is married into the family, and the old one is discarded," were no longer uttered.

She sat languidly in her chair, her fair face rosy and still retaining an undeniable charm. Having discussed Baoyu's marriage, Madam Xing remembered something and added, "Oh yes, Xing Zhong and his wife came by the other day and said some very strange things. I overheard them implying they were after your money, so I gave them a thorough dressing-down!"

"Are you kidding? Chen Siyuan's money is meant for his fourth son someday. What right do Xing Zhong and his wife have to scheme against Chen Siyuan?"

If Chen Siyuan hadn't been so sure about Xing Xiuyan, Madam Xing wouldn't have bothered with those two good-for-nothings!

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "No wonder my uncle didn't say anything when I sent the betrothal gifts yesterday. It turns out you played a part in this."

"That's right." Madam Xing raised her pretty face proudly, and then said, "Yes, now the job of managing the household has fallen on Zhu Ge's wife. Zhu Ge's wife is also sending Lan Ge'er south to Jinling to study. It seems that they have decided to set off on the third day of next month."

Li Wan acted on Chen Siyuan's advice. He secretly thought that with the flourishing literary culture in Jiangnan, Jia Lan might become successful even earlier than in the original story after a few years of study. Besides, Chen Siyuan was afraid that once Li Wan left the Grand View Garden, she would devote all her attention to Jia Lan again, and eventually become exhausted and worn out.

Therefore, upon hearing that Jia Lan would soon be heading south, Chen Siyuan was secretly delighted for quite some time.

After a long chat, Xing Erjie returned first, followed by Xing Dequan, who also went back to the Xing family home looking dejected. The group finished their dinner together and then went their separate ways.

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When Chen Siyuan returned home, he was greeted by Yingchun and her retinue of Yingying and Yanyan as soon as he passed through the ceremonial gate. Chen Siyuan stepped forward, took his second sister's soft hand, and whispered, "Since we are husband and wife, there is no need for such formalities."

The second young lady replied with a smile, "I didn't come to greet you specially. I just happened to be learning how to make knots with Qingwen at that time. When I heard that my husband had returned, I came out to greet him."

Whether Yingchun's period was late or she was pregnant was still unclear, and Chen Siyuan didn't want to bring it up. Just as they were about to walk inside hand in hand, Li Cai's wife caught up from behind and said, "Master, my husband has been inquiring for half a day, and coincidentally, there's a servant named Luo Siliang in the manor. His family used to dig wells. My husband asked him carefully, and Luo Siliang said that digging a well isn't difficult, but you need enough manpower, and it can be done in two or three days."

Chen Siyuan raised an eyebrow and, instead of rushing to the back, simply called Li Cai and Luo Siliang to meet in the front hall. He then instructed them to choose a spot in the back garden to dig a well.

The two readily agreed, and Chen Siyuan then added, "My well is a bit different. It's not enough to just get water out; if the water is bitter, we'll find a way to block it and continue digging. Do you two have any ideas?"

Li Cai blinked, at a loss for what to do. Luo Siliang, eager to curry favor with his master, frowned and pondered for a long time before saying, "Master, if that's the case, we must use yellow mud to block the bitter water seepage. But..."

However, sweet water wells are scarce in the capital, so who can guarantee that the water drawn will definitely be sweet water?

Chen Siyuan didn't care about such things. He vaguely remembered that the deep groundwater in the capital was only a little over ten meters deep, so he ordered, "The bitter water has been blocked. Just dig down three or four zhang (about 10-12 meters) and see what happens. If you do a good job, I will reward you handsomely."

The two men accepted the order and left. They then spoke to Wu Jun's wife, the steward of the inner quarters, and sealed off the back garden. They then led five or six burly servants, carrying shovels and picks, to a designated spot to set up a frame before they began digging the well.

The well-digging would take some time, and Luo Siliang was rather incompetent. The spot he initially chose was too close to the stream in the garden, and after two days of digging, the stream overflowed, so he had to fill it in and find another place. But let's leave that aside for now.

The second young lady, suspecting she was pregnant, naturally refused to engage in any further activity. Chen Siyuan then indulged himself, frequently summoning several concubines from the back hall to linger with him. Though a scoundrel as he was, he at least went back to the main room to sleep with Yingchun.

The second daughter felt very comforted and waited for him to be even more attentive and meticulous. The two of them were naturally very happy together.

Before they knew it, it was the 28th. As Chen Siyuan had done, Xing Xiuyan was different from his other concubines, so he naturally had to give her more face. He was even thinking of inviting his classmates, fellow graduates, and fellow students to a lively banquet to celebrate.

Unexpectedly, the day before, Xing Xiuyan sent her maid Zhuan'er with a message saying that everything should be kept simple and that she didn't really care about these things.

After reading it, Chen Siyuan couldn't help but sigh. Firstly, his cousin Xing Xiuyan was indeed a gentle and unassuming person, who had never sought fame or fortune. Her ability to get along with everyone in the Grand View Garden, calling everyone she met "sister," was simply because she didn't want to offend anyone.

Secondly, she probably had some reservations. Her second sister had only been married for less than a month, and she had already entered the family—those who knew this knew that she and her second sister had a deep sisterly bond, and that Yingchun owed her current success to her sister's planning and encouragement, and that the second sister was grateful and eager to repay the kindness, which was why she had so quickly welcomed her into the family; those who didn't know this would surely think that Chen Siyuan didn't like Yingchun and was going to do the deed of favoring a concubine over his wife.

To avoid outside noise, following Xing Xiuyan's wishes, they simply had to be brought in by a sedan chair, and the whole family could have a lively time behind closed doors.

Chen Siyuan knew that although Xing Xiuyan was not competitive or aggressive, she was extremely stubborn. Once she made up her mind, nothing could change it. If he didn't go along with her this time, she would inevitably complain. Therefore, he had no choice but to comply with Xing Xiuyan's wishes.

On the afternoon of the 28th, two tables of food were prepared at home. To show respect, Chen Siyuan personally rode to greet her, and after picking up Xing Xiuyan at the Xing family's house, he led a small sedan chair back to his own home.

Xing Xiuyan was a proper concubine, so she couldn't be placed in the side room. Following Yingchun's wishes, she was placed in the west wing of the main courtyard.

The young maid, Zhuan'er, led Xing Xiuyan, dressed in a pink wedding gown and with her head veiled, to the west wing to sit on the bed; meanwhile, Chen Siyuan went to the front hall to have a brief meal with the others. As soon as it got dark, Chen Siyuan went to the west wing.

At this moment, Hongyu and Xiuju were talking with Xing Xiuyan in the room. When they saw Chen Siyuan enter, they smiled and pulled the little maid Zhuan'er away with them.

After a while, Chen Siyuan stepped forward and lifted the veil, only to see a pretty face, both charming and cheerful, smiling at him.

Truly, she is: rosy cheeks, as if just awakened from a dream; pale green eyebrows, as if newly painted in the evening. A stolen glance reveals a hint of shyness; a hint of spring's allure, an outward display of boundless charm. The lilacs, unopened in the spring rain, and the cardamom buds, just beginning to bloom on the branches.

Chen Siyuan's heart skipped a beat, and he felt ashamed, saying, "With such a character as my cousin, it would be a real injustice for her to be my concubine."

Xing Xiuyan chuckled and said, "How many girls do you plan to say such things to?"

Chen Siyuan smiled awkwardly, quickly took the ladle, drank it first, and then handed it to Xing Xiuyan, saying, "We can't have a formal marriage, but we still have to drink this nuptial wine."

Xing Xiuyan smiled sweetly and drank the remaining wine in one gulp.

Chen Siyuan then said, "I suppose my cousin is still hungry. Why don't I accompany her for some food and wine?" He pointed to a small table already set in the room.

Unexpectedly, Xing Xiuyan shook her head and said, "There's no rush." ​​As she spoke, she nestled into Chen Siyuan's arms, her starry eyes filled with affection, and stared straight at Chen Siyuan, saying, "I'm not very hungry right now."

Even Chen Siyuan, who was used to mingling with women, was captivated by the charm inside!
Although he was puzzled as to why Xing Xiuyan, who had previously been seducing him without offering any benefits, had suddenly become so bold, Chen Siyuan didn't care about such things anymore. He immediately pulled her body into his arms and lay down on the bed, saying to himself, "My cousin isn't hungry, but I'm starving!"

There was a rustling sound, and the candlelight flickered.

After the matter was settled, Chen Siyuan was surprised, not expecting his cousin to be able to reach such blissful heights on her first experience. Needless to say, he showered her with tenderness and affection.

After a long while, Xing Xiuyan's starry eyes relaxed, brimming with tears, and she stretched out her arms to hug Chen Siyuan. Her pretty face was full of smiles, and she kept saying, "That's so nice."

Chen Siyuan gently patted her back and suddenly said, "It's strange, I thought my cousin would be timid and hesitant this time."

Xing Xiuyan chuckled, rolled her eyes at him, and said, "I'm already married into the family, why should I still act like a little girl?"

Chen Siyuan exclaimed "Huh?" and asked, "Then why did you always tease me before, but only kill me and never bury me?"

Xing Xiuyan chuckled and hummed twice, too embarrassed to reply.

After a moment's thought, Chen Siyuan realized the truth: his cousin always started the fire but never put it out because she was afraid she couldn't keep it going herself!

He had previously thought that his cousin Xing Xiuyan only pursued a deep connection and spiritual understanding, and didn't care much about sexual pleasure.

Amidst the mix of amusement and exasperation, I felt a profound sense of relief. The affections between men and women are largely born of desire. When two people are truly together, how can they resist tender intimacy? Therefore, those who only seek 'compatibility' and constantly spout nonsense about 'Platonic' relationships are mostly just deceiving people!

Nothing happened that night. The next morning, Xing Xiuyan dressed neatly and came to serve tea to Yingchun.

The second young lady respected Xing Xiuyan, so she slightly bowed to accept the teacup, took a symbolic sip, and quickly said with a smile, "Sister Xing, please get up."

Xing Xiuyan's mind raced, and she stood up with a smile, saying, "You're too kind, Madam."

They exchanged a glance, both smiling, their unspoken understanding unspoken.

(End of this chapter)