Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 430 A Feast for the Eyes, Amidst Red and Green.

With the Crimson Pearl Herb in hand, Chen was in high spirits. After practicing his stance training twice, he leisurely returned to the main room of the west courtyard. After Xueyan helped him clean himself and he changed his clothes, he had breakfast with Daiyu.

Daiyu was by nature mischievous, and because her wrist was still sore, she gave Chen Siyuan quite a hard time. Chen Siyuan, not one to take a loss lying down, couldn't help but wink at her.

At one point, Chen Siyuan stared intently at Daiyu's wrist, which angered Daiyu, who then stomped on his foot. Unexpectedly, Chen Siyuan reacted extremely quickly, not only trapping Daiyu's foot but also taking off her embroidered shoe and scratching it repeatedly.

Daiyu was afraid of losing face in front of the maid, so she frowned and pursed her lips, trying very hard to hold back her anger. She repeatedly tried to wink at Chen Siyuan with her eyes, but Chen Siyuan just smiled and wouldn't let go. Helpless, Daiyu had to keep putting food on his plate until Chen Siyuan finally stopped.

Thankfully, the tablecloth hung low, completely concealing what was under the table; otherwise, wouldn't it have been incredibly embarrassing?

After finally getting through breakfast, Daiyu dawdled and quietly put on her shoes, glaring at Chen Siyuan resentfully. She was about to get her revenge when Chen Siyuan brought up serious business again.

"What are your plans for today, little sister?"

Since Daiyu was an orphan, she naturally did not need to return to her parents' home; the Chen family was small, so they did not need to serve their elders.

Daiyu then said, "I'll go to the central courtyard to see my second sister later, and when I come back, I'll go to the Lin family ancestral hall to offer my respects."

After all, there is an order of seniority, and going to see the second young lady first was merely out of sisterly affection, but it did not mean that Daiyu was inferior to Yingchun. Besides, on this trip to find the second young lady, Daiyu had many things to discuss with Yingchun.

This residence is divided into three sections, originally one, but now they are all connected. Putting aside other matters, the outer courtyard and the back garden are all one, and who is responsible for their maintenance, how they are maintained, and how the expenses for each area are calculated, all need to be clarified with the Second Miss.

Daiyu was never stingy with money, but she also didn't like to take advantage of her second sister.

Furthermore, her close friend Baochai will be marrying into the family next month. Daiyu knows Baochai's temperament well and knows that if they wait until she's married before discussing the matter, it will likely turn into a messy affair. Rather than that, it's better to set the rules before Baochai arrives.

At this moment, Xueyan and Zijuan served fragrant tea. Chen Siyuan used pre-rain Longjing tea, while Daiyu used roasted barley tea, which is good for the stomach.

The young couple sat together on the daybed in the second room of the banquet hall, separated by a small square table. Chen Siyuan then said, "Second sister has been sleeping a lot lately. I think it wouldn't be too late for us to go over at Chenshi (7-9 AM)."

"Mmm," Daiyu responded.

Chen Siyuan suddenly glanced at her sideways and said with a smile, "I heard that you locked yourself in your room yesterday to take stock of your valuables?"

Daiyu blinked and said reproachfully, "Who was the gossip who told the whole story?"

Xueyan's pretty face immediately turned red, and she quickly shrank her neck like a quail, hoping in her heart that her fiancé would not sell her off.

Chen Siyuan did not sell, but smiled and said, "From now on, I will have to trouble my sister to manage the family business. I am not good at handling affairs, so I will not interfere."

Daiyu rolled her eyes. He was blatantly lying. Who would believe that Tao Zhu was incompetent in managing affairs? He was probably just lazy.

Chen Siyuan paused for a moment, then chuckled and pulled a sandalwood box from his sleeve, saying, "Since you're not good at household affairs, it wouldn't be right not to make a gesture. Please accept this money, sister, for your household use."

Daiyu paused in her teacup, gently set it down, took the sandalwood box that was pushed towards her, opened it and glanced at it, then reached out and pinched it, exclaiming in surprise, "Ten thousand taels?"

Chen Siyuan crossed his legs smugly and said, "I'm not some incompetent son-in-law. I have plenty of ways to make money. It's just a mere ten thousand taels. From now on, every year... well, even if it's not ten thousand, I'll still make two or three thousand."

Seeing Chen Siyuan initially exuding an air of authority and commanding the world, but then becoming timid and withdrawn in the end, Daiyu, though knowing he was deliberately teasing her, still couldn't stop laughing.

After the laughter subsided, Daiyu couldn't help but ask with concern, "Where did you get so much money? Didn't you empty your savings just to buy this house?"

"Originally, I had spent all my money, but later the Emperor and the Prince bestowed upon me a sure-fire way to make money, which allowed me to save up some more."

Unfortunately, the expansion of the capital to the north was a rare occurrence, and Xue Ke was not the only imperial merchant with connections to the inner court. Chen Siyuan estimated that after one more round of profit sharing, this business would be over.

Daiyu was surprised. Because of her young age, she hadn't had much contact with Chen Siyuan before, but she knew he was good at handling favors. Since he had given her ten thousand taels, she figured her second sister and Baochai must have ten thousand taels as well.

Adding in the money spent on this house, even Daiyu was secretly astonished. It was truly a modern-day Tao Zhu! How could ordinary people possibly amass such a vast fortune in just one year?
"Marry a man for food and clothing." Daiyu's decision to sign the marriage contract and make the bet was simply because she realized that her situation as a guest in the Rongguo Mansion was precarious, and that Baoyu was not a good match, so she had no choice but to gamble with Chen Siyuan.

They never expected that they would fall in love, but unexpectedly, things took a turn for the better. Not only was her husband very capable and accomplished, but he also won the heart of the third-ranked scholar in the imperial examination. Moreover, he treated her with great care and affection, and was quite amusing.

Perhaps because her expectations were low, Daiyu felt extremely satisfied at this moment.

She wasn't one to be coy about money, so she smiled and accepted the sandalwood box, saying, "It's a good thing I married Tao Zhugong, otherwise I would have been thinking of selling those rare and valuable books to acquire some property in the capital."

Chen Siyuan paused upon hearing this, and asked in astonishment, "My sister is planning to sell her books?"

Daiyu replied matter-of-factly, “Father left those books to me only in the hope that I could live a good life. Books are just inanimate objects. After they are copied, the originals can be sold to buy some food and other necessities. The family’s collection will remain intact, and we will have more money. It should be a win-win situation.”

Yes, it is unrestrained by form and unconcerned with external things; this is the true essence of the Crimson Pearl Immortal Herb.

Seeing Daiyu's cherry lips move as she finished speaking, Chen Siyuan felt an even greater sense of cuteness towards her. He couldn't resist reaching out and grabbing her soft hand without a second thought.

Daiyu looked over strangely, noticing his intense gaze, and assumed he was up to no good again. Recalling the enchanting moments of the previous night, Daiyu blushed and tried to pull her hand away, but couldn't break free.

She glanced sideways and saw Xueyan, Zijuan, and the others covering their mouths and laughing as they looked over. Daiyu felt extremely embarrassed and quickly whispered, "They're all watching, why don't you let go?"

Chen Siyuan chuckled, kneaded the dough for a while, and then let go.

As the hour of Chen approached, Qingwen came back and forth, saying that the Second Miss, Aunt Xing, and others had all received the news and were now waiting in the main room.

Chen Siyuan and Daiyu got up together, went around to the second courtyard at the front, and passed through the side hall to the central courtyard. To their surprise, Yingchun, Xing Xiuyan, and others were already waiting for them in the central courtyard with their maids and servants. The sisters were naturally very affectionate and warm when they met.

Daiyu stepped forward with a smile and took Yingchun's hand, saying, "How can I trouble Second Sister to greet me?"

Yingchun teased, "Lin Daiyu is now a lady, shouldn't we commoners greet her?"

Daiyu blushed and pouted, saying, "How embarrassing! If you keep saying that, Second Sister, I'm turning around and going back."

Yingchun laughed and said, "It's just a joke between sisters, but you took it seriously. Come with me, it's been more than a month since we last saw each other."

After greeting Xing Xiuyan and the others, Daiyu followed Yingchun to the main house at the back.

Chen Siyuan followed behind, touching his nose and feeling something was off... Why did his second sister leave him aside as soon as Daiyu arrived?
Upon arriving at the main house in the central courtyard, the situation was even more pronounced. Yingchun and Daiyu were so engrossed in their lively conversation that they completely ignored Master Chen.

Seemingly noticing Chen Siyuan's strange expression, Xing Xiuyan quickly came over and said, "After all, you are from two families, and there are many things to discuss. If you are impatient, you might as well go for a walk around."

Chen Siyuan hesitated, partly because he was afraid that his second sister would be in a bad mood because Daiyu had received an imperial title, and partly because he wanted to act as a CEO and make swift and decisive decisions on household affairs.

Little did anyone know that the second young lady had been keeping this in mind all along. At this moment, she turned her head and said, "I haven't seen Sister Lin for many days. I'm afraid we'll have to talk for quite a while. If my husband finds it boring, you may leave."

Daiyu looked over and said, "That's right. If you have nothing else to do, why don't you help me copy some books?"

Well, it seems I really won't need to do anything here. Chen Siyuan got up awkwardly, sighed deeply, and left.

Chen Siyuan was about to stroll around the back garden when Wu Jun's wife caught up with him at the side gate, saying, "Master, Luo Siliang sent someone to say that they have indeed dug another sweet water well!"

"Oh?" Chen Siyuan was overjoyed.

The saying goes that a single piece of evidence does not constitute a precedent. The You sisters already had a sweet water well, and now they have managed to dig another one. This shows that Luo Siliang has mastered the method of digging deep wells.

Chen Siyuan originally intended to go to Nengren Temple to take a look, but then he thought that Daiyu had just married into the family yesterday, and it would be a shame to leave the beautiful young lady aside. So he instructed, "Let Luo Siliang wait for a day, and I will go over to see what's going on tomorrow."

Wu Jun's wife agreed and turned to give instructions, which she didn't elaborate on. Chen Siyuan then excitedly entered the back garden and happened to run into Xiangling and Qingwen admiring the flowers in the pavilion. Chen Siyuan went up and put one in each arm, pressing one's face against the other's and kissing her fragrant lips. He was quite unrestrained, which made the two girls playfully complain.

Meanwhile, in the main room of the central courtyard, the Second Miss and Daiyu, upon witnessing Chen Siyuan's earlier behavior, both covered their mouths and laughed. They then whispered to each other, and it is unknown what Daiyu said, but it made the Second Miss feel a pang of sympathy, and she nodded repeatedly, saying, "He is just that kind of lazy person."

Hongyu served fragrant tea, and the two sisters reminisced about their old times before starting to talk about household affairs.

Daiyu then said, "After all, it's a house divided up from the same courtyard, with the front and back connected. The reason I came to find Second Sister today is to discuss a plan. Firstly, so that if something happens, we'll know who to turn to, and secondly, so that we can avoid unclear responsibilities."

The second young lady laughed and said, "Even if Sister Lin doesn't say anything today, I will find her and talk to her about it tomorrow." The second young lady calculated and said, "Sister Lin also knows the way to manage the Grand View Garden. I will also take a shortcut and simply follow the third young lady's method."

Tan Chun's method originated from Chen Siyuan, who in turn learned it from the Lai family in the original book. This method simply involved subcontracting all the land with produce, such as ponds and bamboo groves, to local women. A fixed amount of silver was set for each year, and even without considering the cost of hiring servants, this alone would generate a profit of two hundred taels.

The second young lady gave a brief introduction and said with a smile, "It looks like it's worth two hundred taels, but after deducting the monthly allowances for the maids and servants, there's not much money left. Since Sister Lin has said so, then let's go with it. This back garden will be under the name of the Central Courtyard. From now on, Sister Lin and Sister Bao can just play in the garden without having to say anything else."

Daiyu didn't argue, and said with a smile, "In that case, I'll gladly accept Second Sister's kindness."

The back garden was now under the jurisdiction of the central courtyard, but the front garden couldn't be handled the same way. So the two sisters discussed it and decided to split the expenses in half this month, with each contributing half, and then recalculate the costs once Baochai entered the household.

With the business settled, the two chatted idly for a while. As they were about to part ways, the second young lady smiled and said, "Sister, you've only just arrived, so it'll probably be a bit of a novelty for a few days. I, on the other hand, arrived a while earlier, and now that I don't have my sisters to play with, I feel a little bored. When you have some free time in a few days, please come over to my place more often. Although we're not good at adorning ourselves with flowers or engaging in poetry contests, playing dominoes would be quite fun."

Daiyu smiled and agreed. After drinking another cup of tea, she rose, bid farewell to the Second Miss, and led several maids back to the West Courtyard. No sooner had she entered than Chen Siyuan followed. He entered with a smile and asked, "What did you discuss with Second Sister?"

Daiyu was in a very good mood. After speaking briefly, she and Chen Siyuan went to the ancestral hall to offer sacrifices. When they returned to the front, seeing that it was still early before lunch, Daiyu said, "You don't need to stay with me. Just keep yourself occupied. I have some things to think about."

But Chen Siyuan was shameless and refused to leave. Daiyu ignored him and simply called over Zijuan and Yuanyang. They went to the back of the treasury to count the dowry against the list, and then whispered and discussed with the two maids for a long time.

Chen Siyuan grabbed a book and eavesdropped, only to hear the three of them, master and servant, discussing how to use their money to buy more land in the northern part of the city so that they could build houses and rent them out to officials in the capital who couldn't afford to buy houses.

In the afternoon, Yuanyang was sent out to find a matchmaker, who questioned them carefully for a long time.

Chen Siyuan thought that was the end of it, but unexpectedly Daiyu turned around and discussed with Zijuan about visiting the two estates that were part of her dowry in the near future.
Since there were not many servants and they were not very capable, and Li Cai was in charge of the front yard, the farmland and shops outside all needed someone to take care of them. So Daiyu invited Hongyu to inquire whether the Jia family had any loyal and reliable servants who did not have any proper jobs.

Chen Siyuan initially complained, but after careful consideration, he realized what Daiyu was thinking.

Daiyu, an orphan, had a falling out with the Lin family relatives when she came to the capital with Jia Lian. The Jia family was also scheming in various ways, and even Grandmother Jia, who had always protected Daiyu, had different thoughts on her. Daiyu was sensitive, which led to the line, "Three hundred and sixty days a year, she is relentlessly assailed by wind and frost."

Having finally left her family home, she was already tasked with inheriting the Lin family lineage at such a young age; in other words, it was Daiyu who was now the head of the household.

Living in the capital was not easy. Most of the dowry given by Grandmother Jia was inanimate and had little output. So Daiyu had to plan to use her dowry to start a business and at least keep the family business going.

Knowing what she was thinking and feeling the hardship she was going through, Chen Siyuan saw that Daiyu was busy but still full of energy, so he quietly stayed by her side.

Seeing beads of sweat on his nose, he quietly came over and fanned him; seeing that his mouth was dry, he casually ordered some warm pear soup.

Daiyu was a perceptive woman, and she was well aware of Chen Siyuan's actions. Whenever she had a spare moment, she would glance at him with a smile. But Chen Siyuan would wink and make her laugh... Daiyu was both angry and exasperated, and at the same time, she was at a loss for what to do with him.

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Rongguo Mansion.

Because of Daiyu's marriage, Grandmother Jia was overcome with emotion and thought of Jia Min that night. She tossed and turned, not knowing when she finally fell asleep, as she had gotten up a little late that day.

After listlessly finishing her dressing, her head maid, Amber, entered with a beaming smile and curtsied, saying, "Great news, Madam! His Majesty has been so kind as to bestow upon Miss Lin the title of a seventh-rank lady yesterday!"

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia perked up and quickly asked for the reason with a smile. Amber then recounted what she had overheard outside, which made Grandmother Jia nod with tears in her eyes and keep muttering, "Poor Yu'er, now she finally has a place to settle down."

With the imperial decree issued, Daiyu, though the wife of the ancestral head, shall be treated with the respect due to a principal wife. If this gets out, who knows how many women in the world will feel disgusted?

At this moment, Grandmother Jia was thinking of her daughter Jia Min and was happy for Daiyu, but she forgot all about her granddaughter Yingchun.

Soon, Lady Wang, Lady Xing, Li Wan, Tan Chun, Xi Chun, Xiang Yun, and others gathered together to congratulate Daiyu. The atmosphere was lively and cheerful.

Grandmother Jia forgot about Yingchun, while Lady Wang and Lady Xing were completely indifferent to Yingchun's situation. One was secretly jealous, hoping that Chen Siyuan's family would suffer misfortune; the other was plotting to take advantage of the opportunity to use the Second Miss's good husband.

The remaining few were either forgotten by Xiangyun due to her carefree nature, or by Li Wan even though she did think of them, she didn't dare to say anything.

The two younger sisters, Tan Chun and Xi Chun, were both happy for their second sister but also worried about her.

The concubines both received imperial titles, while the principal wife was a commoner. It's fortunate that Sister Lin wasn't the type to be competitive and ambitious, otherwise, who knows what kind of discord would have arisen between the two families.

Even though the two older sisters were very close, they couldn't withstand the instigation of those petty and unscrupulous people below them. So after they dispersed, the two sisters whispered and sighed for a while.

Tan Chun said, "There's no point in saying more now. I just hope that Second Sister will receive an imperial decree soon."

Xichun nodded and said, "Brother Yuan is good at comforting people. I'm sure he'll persuade you, and Second Sister won't hold it in."

The young women were worried about Yingchun, unaware that someone else was experiencing the same mixed feelings.

Around the same time that day, Aunt Xue and Sister Bao received the news at the same time.

After Ying'er finished recounting everything in detail, the mother and daughter looked at each other and frowned.

"My son..." Although she was reluctant, Aunt Xue still broke off all contact with Chen Siyuan and now devoted all her attention to Bao Yan.

Seeing Aunt Xue's concerned expression, Daiyu quickly smiled and said, "This is a good thing. When I get married, I will definitely ask Lin to treat me to a drink."

Aunt Xue said, "If Lin'er gets an imperial title, Er'er will get one too someday. But my son, you..."

The second daughter only needs to wait patiently; she will surely be granted an imperial title one day. Of the three branches of the family, two have already received titles, yet only Baochai is left out. What will outsiders think of this?
Although Baochai felt a little jealous, she was a sensible person. She immediately said, "Lin Yatou is favored by His Majesty because of her family's influence and because His Majesty is grateful for the death of Salt Commissioner Lin in office."

Besides… he already promised me, and once I've rendered meritorious service, he'll definitely ask for an official title for me. Mother, there's no need to rush. Lin is only a lady-in-waiting now; if I wait a few years, I might be able to get her a title of madam, a high-ranking lady, or even a full-fledged lady.”

Hearing this, Aunt Xue said nothing more, only saying, "Alright, I was just afraid you were getting stuck on this. Since you've come to terms with it, what can your mother say?" She paused, then pondered, "It's already autumn, why hasn't Princess Rongchang returned yet?"

No sooner had she finished speaking than an old woman rushed in excitedly, saying, "Madam, the princess has returned to the city with the Emperor. She'll probably be coming to deliver the betrothal gifts in a few days!"

Upon hearing the good news, Aunt Xue finally smiled and coaxed the noisy Bao Yan in her arms, saying with a smile, "That's great! Quickly give the order to clean and sweep the area carefully, so that the princess won't be caught off guard when she comes to visit."

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

The spinning top seemed to be busy all day, until Daiyu finally stopped spinning at night.

After dinner, the young couple cleared away the square table and lay down together on the daybed to rest.

At this moment, Daiyu was wearing a Hangzhou silk undergarment, her hair was haphazardly tied in a bun, and she was barefoot, humming as she leaned against Chen Siyuan's chest. Chen Siyuan massaged her shoulders, neck, and wrists, and couldn't help but say, "Why are you in such a hurry, sister? Besides, I'm not really a live-in son-in-law. I'll take care of the household affairs."

Daiyu, her face tense, said, "Back in the Rongguo Mansion, even if I had a thousand thoughts in my mind, I could only keep them to myself. Now that I'm out of the mansion, I'm ready to put them to use. I know you won't abandon me, but there are some things I should do."

He paused, then added, "Yes, those books need to be carefully preserved, so let's sell them."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Aren't you afraid that your sisters will laugh at you for burning the zither and cooking the crane in the future?"

Daiyu disagreed, saying, "There's no need to worry about these things in the boudoir. Now that you're married, you naturally have to think about the mundane things like firewood and rice." As she spoke, she suddenly rolled over and nestled against Chen Siyuan's chest, tilting her little face up and saying, "You know those scholars and gentlemen, why don't you ask them for me if they have any interest in ancient books?"

Chen Siyuan couldn't help but reach out and pinch Daiyu's nose, laughing, "You've got your hands on me now? Fine, but don't bother me for nothing, you have to give me plenty of benefits."

Daiyu chuckled and said, "Does Chen Hanlin lack those few measly things?"

Chen Siyuan whispered something in Daiyu's ear, which made Daiyu feel embarrassed and annoyed. She raised her hand and gently slapped it, then cried out and rubbed her wrist.

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Look at you, so frail and weak, you don't even take care of yourself."

Daiyu was annoyed: "Don't you know why I injured my wrist?"

Chen Siyuan shamelessly embraced the warm and soft woman and whispered something in her ear, which made Daiyu's pretty face turn red, and she couldn't help but think of the situation last night.

I have no idea where Chen Siyuan learned these tricks!

Chen Siyuan, playing among the beauties, saw that she remained noncommittal, but how could he not know that she was secretly interested?

Fortunately, it was only nighttime, otherwise Chen Siyuan would probably have already taken Daiyu inside for a passionate kiss.

After washing up, and finally getting to the watchman's quarters, Chen Siyuan quickly sent the maids away and led Daiyu inside.

The details are too numerous to mention, but Chen Siyuan used all his skills, and Daiyu indeed ended up with "the rain dissipating over Gaotang and the clouds returning to Chuxiu".

When I woke up early, my legs felt like they weren't my own; they ached so much that I had to frown if I moved them.

Daiyu's condition startled Zijuan, Yuanyang, and the others. Xueyan, not being very shrewd, took advantage of Chen Si's absence while he was practicing his stance training outside, and stammered out a few words of advice.

Daiyu was both amused and exasperated. "Stop talking nonsense! It's all untrue. I... I just—" she tried to explain, but couldn't find the words. She simply frowned and brushed it off, saying, "Oh well, it's not what you think!"

The more Daiyu acted this way, the less the maids believed her. It was only because they saw the displeasure on Daiyu's face that they swallowed their words of advice.

Daiyu, observing all this, knew exactly what they were thinking. She gritted her teeth inwardly, her hatred for Chen Siyuan burning. She made up her mind: no matter how he tried to coax her, she would not fall for his tricks!

She had been waiting for a chance to give Chen Siyuan a piece of her mind, but after breakfast, he gave her a quick order and hurriedly left. Daiyu felt like she had punched a cotton ball; she had nowhere to vent her anger, so she had no choice but to suppress it for the time being and wait until night to confront Chen Siyuan.

(End of this chapter)