Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 432 The struggle for favor and beauty remains largely uncharted.

Xueyan was still a novice in matters of the heart, and Chen Siyuan was not the kind of reckless man who didn't know how to cherish a beautiful woman. So he only lingered with her for a while and comforted her with gentle words before returning to his bedroom.

Daiyu was perhaps truly exhausted, for she slept soundly without noticing anything amiss. Chen Siyuan scratched his head inwardly, thinking that he should avoid such matters in the future. Lin Duidui's temper was no joke; if she were truly upset, it would probably take a great deal of effort to coax her back to her senses.

Nothing happened that night. The next day, Chen Siyuan got up early, claiming he was practicing stance training, and went to the back garden wearing only a short-sleeved shirt.

Daiyu slept soundly all night, but when she woke up, she felt a dull ache and numbness in her wrists and legs. Unable to sleep any longer, she called Xueyan to help her with her washing and grooming.

To everyone's surprise, Xueyan, who had agreed so readily, dawdled for quite a while before finally coming over.

At first, Daiyu did not realize it, but when she got out of bed, she saw that both the mistress and the servant were weak and timid and could not move their lotus feet. She also saw that Xueyan's eyes were full of spring affection. How could she not know that she had been stolen by Chen Siyuan?
"you……"

Before Daiyu could speak, Xueyan hurriedly knelt down and begged for forgiveness, saying, "Miss, it's...it was my lack of self-control—"

Daiyu was both amused and exasperated. She said, "You still want to speak up for him? Do you think I don't know what kind of person he is?" After a pause, she added, "You should get up. I married into this family early and it's not easy for me to serve you. You'll have to take care of me. Now that you've been accepted into the family, you'll receive two taels of silver a month, according to the rules."

Xueyan blushed deeply, kowtowed to express her gratitude, and then stood up properly.

Seeing that she was frowning as she got up, Daiyu sighed and said, "Never mind, you go and rest. Let Zijuan and Yuanyang help me with my toilette."

Xueyan agreed, then blushed and parted from Daiyu, taking small steps out of the main room.

A moment later, the head maid Yuanyang entered with a smile. While combing Daiyu's hair, she said, "Madam, should we call Granny Wang to come and perform the facial makeup on Xueyan later?"

"Hmm," Daiyu responded, raising her eyes to observe the expressions of the mandarin ducks in the mirror.

Seeing that she looked normal, Daiyu was slightly relieved. Of the maids around her, apart from Ouguan who was still young, Xueyan, Zijuan, and Yuanyang were all around eighteen or nineteen years old, nearing their twenties. At this time, a personal maid had only two paths: one was to be married off to a young man and slowly wait it out, perhaps one day becoming a head maid's wife; the other was to be taken as a concubine, whether as a maidservant or a mistress, which would give her a secure future.

If ordinary wealthy families are like this, how much more so should she, who is married to a young and talented man like Chen Siyuan?
Daiyu wasn't blind; she knew perfectly well that Xueyan and Yuanyang had somehow acquired an object and treasured it like the back of their hand, their desire to become concubines practically written all over their faces.

After quickly finishing his practice, Chen Siyuan returned to the main room. As expected, Daiyu didn't give him a good look, and Chen Siyuan felt embarrassed. He tried his best to please her by telling several funny jokes.

Daiyu wasn't truly jealous, so she couldn't help but laugh after being teased a couple of times. In Lin Daiyu's mind, taking something without permission was theft. And to steal Xueyan from the side room while she was sound asleep—no wonder she wouldn't be happy.

Chen Siyuan was always a flexible person. Seeing that he had made Daiyu smile, he continued to pester her for a long time after breakfast. He swore that he would never do such a ridiculous thing again, and Daiyu's anger quickly subsided. Knowing that he was always a womanizer, she gave him a few words of advice and let the matter drop.

Newlywed, Chen Siyuan naturally stayed in the West Courtyard at night, but he didn't want to neglect his second sister and Xing Xiuyan in the Central Courtyard. After spending some more time talking with Daiyu, Chen Siyuan went to the Central Courtyard.

To his surprise, he bumped into Hongyu when he arrived at the courtyard in the middle of the road. Hongyu said, "Master, have you come to see Madam?"

"good."

Hongyu smiled and said, "Madam was so engrossed in reading a storybook last night that she didn't go to bed until four in the morning, and she hasn't gotten up yet."

Chen Siyuan was speechless. Seeing that no one was around, he reached out and pinched Hongyu's cheek before entering the main courtyard and heading to the west wing to find Xing Xiuyan.

When he entered, Zhuan'er was helping Xing Xiuyan with her makeup.

Chen Siyuan asked in surprise, "Why did you get up so late, cousin?"

Xing Xiuyan smiled but did not answer. Zhuan'er frowned and complained, "Master, please don't mention it. Some night owl came from somewhere and kept making noise until the middle of the night. Not to mention the concubine, even I didn't get a good night's sleep." As she spoke, she pointed to the bloodshot eyes and said, "Look, if you don't believe me, Master, look for yourself."

Chen Siyuan pondered, "There are many stray cats in the capital. Not to mention the residences everywhere, there are also many imperial cats in the imperial city, which inevitably makes some noise. Hmm... cats and dogs don't get along by nature. If my cousin finds it noisy, she might as well get a dog. I think those stray cats won't dare to come and make noise then."

Xing Xiuyan laughed and said, "Stop it! If you have a dog, it will bark incessantly at the slightest noise, even more annoying than a night owl."

Chen Siyuan remained noncommittal, leaned closer to examine the person in the mirror, casually placed one hand on Xing Xiuyan's shoulder and back, and pointed at the mirror, saying: "Her eyebrows and eyes are beautiful, her skin is fair and her face is lovely, her hair is like clouds and mist, she is truly a beauty of heaven and earth."

Xing Xiuyan chuckled and covered her mouth, then looked up and said, "You ate honey this morning? Did you do something wrong again?"

Chen Siyuan looked embarrassed, but thought to himself that Xing Xiuyan was indeed exceptionally intelligent and understood him very well.

Xing Xiuyan smiled and rolled her eyes at him, not pressing for details, but instead asked, "What do you think of the person in the mirror?"

"The person in the mirror?"

Chen Siyuan was initially puzzled, but when he saw Xing Xiuyan slightly tilt her chin to the west, he immediately knew she was referring to Daiyu.

Xing Xiuyan then explained, "Those reflected in the mirror have elegance, while those outside the mirror have charm. Let alone my cousin, with all the different types of women, even I, a young lady, wouldn't know how to judge them."

Chen Siyuan then realized that the person outside the mirror was Baochai.

He laughed and said, "Why bother deciding? We've already married them all."

Xing Xiuyan said, "Even ten fingers are of different lengths. Even if you insist on holding the water, there will always be times when you are biased."

Chen Siyuan asked in surprise, "So, does my cousin think I'll side with the image in the mirror, or the image outside the mirror?"

Xing Xiuyan laughed and said, "If it were an ordinary person, they would definitely think you would be biased towards what is outside the mirror, but I am convinced that my cousin will be biased towards what is inside the mirror."

How could Chen Siyuan believe it? One was the Crimson Pearl Fairy Herb, a source of longing in his past life and a dream he yearned for in this one; the other was his equal, a match made in heaven in this life, a pair of bickering lovers. In Chen Siyuan's heart, they were equally important; how could he possibly distinguish between them?
After exchanging a few words of riddles with Xing Xiuyan, I planned to accompany her for breakfast and then take a stroll in the garden. However, Xing Xiuyan said shyly that she was not feeling well at the moment.

Just then, Chen Siyuan saw Zhuan'er pouring hot water into a hot water bottle, and realized that his cousin had started her period.

So he sat for a while, then went to the main room to talk with his second sister for a while before going to the study at the back to look through history books.

Leaving aside Chen Siyuan's lazy and leisurely lifestyle, let's talk about the situation at the West Road Academy.

Xueyan took a nap, and although she felt slightly different when she got out of bed, she wasn't unable to walk properly. After washing up, she suddenly remembered what happened last night, and was blushing as she stared blankly at herself in the mirror when she suddenly heard footsteps approaching from outside.

When he came to his senses and turned around, he saw Granny Wang walking in with a smile.

Xueyan hurriedly stood up to greet her, but was pulled back by Granny Wang, who said with a smile, "Good child, Madam is still young, and you will need to help her more in the future."

Xueyan blushed instantly.

Granny Wang pulled her to sit down on the edge of the kang (heated brick bed), and after exchanging a few intimate words about young women, she found a cotton rope.

Xueyan blinked, initially puzzled, and asked, "What is Granny trying to do?"

Granny Wang laughed and said, "Silly girl, Madam sent me to perform the facial ritual for you."

After saying this, Granny Wang held one end of the rope in her mouth and the other end in her hand, and then tied the cotton rope into a triangle with her right hand before opening Xueyan's face.

As the cotton rope twisted, Xueyan endured the pain, and all the fine hairs on her face and the messy black hair at her temples were twisted away, instantly making her look radiant and her skin as smooth as jade.

Granny Wang loosened Xueyan's hair and recombed it, covering her bangs, which made Xueyan even more beautiful.

Granny Wang clicked her tongue in praise a few times, and after putting away the cotton rope, she suddenly said meaningfully, "Now that you've been accepted into the family, it goes without saying that you should serve the master well, but you must remember the kindness of the mistress... Should I go and get a bowl of contraceptive soup?"

At this time, the most taboo thing is to confuse the legitimate and illegitimate sons. In families with an eldest son born out of wedlock and a second son born of the legitimate wife, there is very little chance of things not turning out chaotically.

Xueyan hesitated upon hearing this, thinking to herself that if she were to order contraceptive soup, wouldn't she have wasted two cups of tea rinsing her mouth yesterday?

However, seeing that the usually kind Granny Wang's gaze had turned sharp, Xueyan nodded and said, "Then I'll trouble Granny Wang. I was going to go and call her myself anyway."

Only then did Granny Wang smile again and say, "Alright, alright, from now on you will serve me well and I will certainly not be shortchanged."

Sure enough, a maid brought over a bowl of medicine shortly after. Xueyan hated bitterness the most, but she pinched her nose and drank it all in one gulp. Granny Wang said a few more intimate words before leisurely leaving.

Watching Granny Wang leave, Xueyan turned back and sat down on the edge of the kang (heated brick bed). Her mind was a jumble of thoughts, and after a moment of rambling, she couldn't help but think of Chen Siyuan's visit. Yesterday, she had her first taste of pleasure, but it was only a fleeting experience. She wondered when her master would come looking for her again.

As she thought about it, the girl blushed with embarrassment and then threw herself into the blankets and kicked around for a while.

Without mentioning Xueyan's relief, let's talk about Daiyu in the main room of the West Courtyard. After handling the general affairs, she went to the study and picked up an ancient book to copy.

With Ou Guan staying by her side to grind ink and serve her, Zi Juan and Yuan Yang were able to relax and left the main room together.

Zijuan was preoccupied. She was naturally intelligent and hadn't seen Xueyan's figure that morning, so how could she not know that something was amiss? As soon as the two passed through the hall, Zijuan said with a smile, "Sister Yuanyang, where is Xueyan? Even if she has been made to look beautiful, she should still kowtow to Madam."

Yuanyang smiled on the surface, but she didn't care at all. Now, the lady has five maids by her side. Not to mention Ouguan, she is so engrossed in the play that she only recognizes the character in the play as her wife. She sometimes misses her and worships her on festivals. Now, she is also thinking about Ruiguan.

As for the rest, Qingwen is unparalleled in beauty and has been with the master since childhood, so she won't be affected if anyone else loses their place; Xueyan came with the mistress from Yangzhou, and with so many years of master-servant relationship, the mistress should promote her just for her loyalty.

Then it was just me and Zijuan. It was fortunate that Zijuan had harbored selfish thoughts about the marriage certificate and offended the madam. Otherwise, I, the later arrival, would probably have been left behind by Zijuan!

Now that Xueyan has opened her face, it's not appropriate for the madam to lose her virginity too early. But the master is strong and vigorous, and Xueyan alone is not enough.
Yuanyang knew she couldn't hope to become a concubine anytime soon, but even among concubines, there was a proper order of arrival. If she fell behind Zijuan, she would have to be subservient to her in the future.

Knowing full well that Zijuan was testing her, she still laughed and said, "She's only just experienced this, so she needs to rest a bit. Besides, Madam has already instructed that Granny Wang be sent to perform the facial initiation for Xueyan. Don't be impatient, sister, you'll have this day sooner or later."

So she's finally showing interest? Zijuan and Xueyan had been eyeing each other for years, but she'd finally fallen behind. Frustrated, she bid farewell to Yuanyang and went inside to vent her anger.

After a while, Zijuan bit her lip and thought to herself, this matter is beyond saving. The important thing for the master is who to marry next. So what if Yuanyang was a first-class maid before? The Lin family is not the Jia family. How can she, a newcomer, surpass me?
Lying on the bed, Zijuan pondered aimlessly for a long time before gritting her teeth and making up her mind: things are not like the Rongguo Mansion now. If she doesn't swallow her pride now, it may be too late!

As noon approached, Zijuan quickly tidied herself up and went to the main room to serve Daiyu.

Since Baochai has not yet married into the family, the kitchen is not yet separate. According to the agreement between Daiyu and Yingchun, both courtyards will take food from the kitchen, and the expenses will be settled together at the end of the month.

Zijuan got the errand and went to the central courtyard to fetch the food box.

As luck would have it, Xiu Ju was also there. Seeing that it was Zi Juan who had come, Xiu Ju smiled and said, "Why is it you now? Isn't it usually Xue Yan who brings the food box?"

Ziju smiled, but inwardly she was jealous, so she said, "Xueyan has had a stroke of luck; perhaps she won't have to work so hard anymore." Xiuju was slow to react and pressed, "What kind of luck?"

Zijuan smiled without saying a word, but then the old woman in the kitchen, quick-witted, laughed and said, "Oh my, Miss Xueyan must have been officially adopted, right? She's really lucky. She might be promoted to a concubine soon."

While Xiuju was slightly taken aback, Ziju took the food box and returned to the West Courtyard. After Xiuju received the food box, she felt quite envious.

Now that Baochai is not even married yet, there are already too many men and not enough women in the family. Xiuju doesn't consider herself to be the best, but she is about the same as Miao'er and Tiao'er. In terms of appearance, let alone Hongyu and Qingwen, even Xueyan, Zijuan and Yuanyang are better than her.

The second young lady had mentioned these past two days that once Baochai married into the family, the month would be divided into three ten-day periods, with each household receiving one ten-day period. Based on this calculation, the main household would receive five days, and the remaining five days would be distributed among the other households.

Only five days? That depends on the master's mood. If the master is bewitched by some vixen, I'm afraid even five days won't be enough!

Xiuju was already anxious, hoping that the second young lady Yingchun would give birth to a son this morning, so that they, as concubines, could have a legitimate lineage—without bearing children, even if they held the title of concubine, they were nothing more than servants.

Hearing that Xueyan had already shown interest in food after only a few days, she naturally became even more anxious. Carrying the food box, she frowned and returned to the main room, putting down the food box and letting out a soft sigh.

Yingchun glanced at him curiously and saw that he was frowning and looking distressed, so she smiled and asked, "What trouble have you encountered?"

Hongyu was clever, and as they spent more time together, the second young lady trusted her more and more. She had gone to find Wu Jun's wife to manage the household affairs. Only Miao'er and Tiao'er remained.

Xiuju couldn't help but get angry and said, "Madam, I just received news that Xueyan from the West Courtyard has had her face opened."

The second young lady disagreed, saying, "Sister Lin is still young, so of course she needs others to serve her."

The logic was sound, and Xiuju couldn't say anything else, so she could only try to soothe the situation by saying, "Madam, the madam of the West Courtyard is young and doesn't usually manage the maids much. I think those maids in the West Courtyard are starting to have their own ideas, and who knows how chaotic things will get in the future."

Yingchun's smile faded, and she sternly rebuked, "If you gossip again, go out and get your punishment."

Xiuju was a little dumbfounded and quickly said, "Madam, I was only thinking of you."

Yingchun sneered, "Since when judging others by your own standards means you're thinking of me?"

Embroidered Orange blushed crimson, unsure how to refute, and could only lower her head and admit her mistake. Miao'er and Tiao'er didn't dare utter a sound, their eyes meeting, thinking to themselves, "Don't let Madam's usual gentleness fool you, she can be truly frightening when she gets angry!"
In the study in the back garden.

Embracing the fragrant quilt with joy, I entered a blissful state.

Now that the clouds have dispersed and the rain has stopped, one is left sprawled out with his limbs outstretched and his head resting on his side; the other's face has changed color and his hair is disheveled.

Wu'er was weak and frail, and now she was lying on the couch, completely useless. Qingwen put on her undergarments and helped Chen Siyuan wash up before sitting on her side in his lap, hugging his neck and saying, "Xueyan's face has been opened?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and asked, "How did you know that?"

Qingwen said, "I overheard it last night, but I didn't see her this morning. I guess the master must have taken her as a concubine."

Chen Siyuan raised her hand and pinched her delicate nose, then laughed, "You little rascal, I knew I couldn't hide anything from you."

Qingwen swung her pair of slender legs and hummed smugly before laughing, "It's good that we haven't opened yet, but I'm afraid that once we do, there will be plenty of excitement to come."

"What's the excitement?"

"Master, have you forgotten the story you told me? One monk carries water to drink, two monks carry water together, three monks have no water to drink. Xueyan is the least cunning, but the other two are not to be underestimated."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "That's because they don't know my abilities."

Qingwen choked, thinking about it, and realized it made sense. Just now it was just her and Wu'er, and Wu'er was useless; she was so exhausted that she felt weak all over, and walking felt like walking on clouds. Her master's body was truly becoming more and more robust; probably few women in the world could withstand it alone.

The mistress and servant teased each other for a while. After Wu'er woke up and they tidied themselves up, Qingwen went ahead first.

Wu'er hesitated several times before finally approaching Chen Siyuan.

Chen Siyuan put down his book and asked, "Do you have something to say?"

Wu'er pursed her lips and nodded, saying, "Master, perhaps I should stay in the study from now on and not go to the East Courtyard."

Chen Siyuan was about to press for more information, but then he thought again. Wu'er was a bit arrogant and weak. Baochai in the East Courtyard was manageable, but Ying'er was a real handful. If Wu'er left, she might end up sulking with Ying'er.

Since it was Chen Siyuan, he nodded and said, "Alright, then you can stay in the study."

Wu'er immediately smiled and let out a long sigh. Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "So happy?"

Wu'er smiled and replied, "I'm not very familiar with Miss Bao and Ying'er, and I don't know how to answer them. Just thinking about it makes me nervous. Rather than that, I might as well stay in the study and be a personal maid for the master."

Chen Siyuan laughed heartily. Just then, Qingwen returned and said, "The two ladies have come to the back garden together."

Upon hearing this, Chen Siyuan hurriedly got up to greet them. From afar, he saw Daiyu and Yingchun walking side by side, accompanied by Xing Xiuyan, Hongyu, and others. Chen Siyuan approached, but Daiyu said, "Husband, you just go and study. I want to have a private chat with my second sister."

Having been rebuffed, Chen Siyuan had no choice but to return to his study in embarrassment.

Leaving aside Chen Siyuan, let's talk about Daiyu, Yingchun, and Xing Xiuyan's stroll. Daiyu was in a very good mood. When they stopped at Tingyue Tower, she smiled and looked eastward at the lake. Daiyu said, "This garden, though small, is exquisite. It must be like this: 'In spring, apricot blossoms in the light rain, willows in the gentle breeze; in summer, bamboo shade letting in the sun, paulownia shadows supporting the clouds; in autumn, frost red and mist purple, adorning the forest; in winter, after the snow has cleared, the sparse woods are refreshing.'"

Yingchun smiled and praised, "Look, only someone with Lin Daiyu's talent can come up with such a reason. If it were me, I'm afraid I would just randomly pile up lines from old poems."

Daiyu said with a playful laugh, "If you tease me again, Second Sister, I'm going back."

“No rush, no rush,” Yingchun said. “It’s just a pity that I can’t travel around right now. Otherwise, I would invite my sister to go boating on the lake. The autumn air is crisp and refreshing now, and I’m sure it would be a wonderful experience.”

These words gave Daiyu a glimmer of hope. Yingchun then suddenly slapped her forehead and said, "That's it! We can have my husband take my sister there another day. Why should I go and cause trouble?"

The two wives strolled around for quite a while before dispersing. Daiyu returned to her room for a short rest, and Chen Siyuan followed her there.

Upon entering, he said, "The daylight is just right today, why don't I take my sister for a stroll on the lake tomorrow?"

Daiyu asked in surprise, "You just went to see Second Sister?"

Chen Siyuan shook his head.

Daiyu frowned and asked, "How did you find out?"

Chen Siyuan mumbled incoherently, "I was just calculating with my fingers... Hey? Why is there a pillow missing? I saw my sister staring at the lake from upstairs, and I figured she probably wanted to go boating, so I said that."

Daiyu felt comforted and smiled as she playfully scolded, "I'm afraid you've used all your energy to figure out what girls are thinking."

That's what they say, but what woman wouldn't like a husband who is romantic and charming?
They immediately decided to go boating on Houhai the next day, and Chen Siyuan hurriedly sent his servant Qingyu to hire a painted boat.

That night, seeing Chen Siyuan coming over to pester her again, Daiyu was afraid she couldn't hold back, so she struggled to break free and said, "If you feel really stifled, just take Zijuan to the side room."

Zijuan, who was in the next room, felt her heart pound.

Unexpectedly, Chen Siyuan gave in, muttered something to himself, and then fell into a deep sleep with Daiyu in his arms.

Zijuan tossed and turned all night, and when she woke up early, her eyes were red. When she looked at Chen Siyuan, her eyes couldn't help but show a hint of resentment.

The sky was still bright that day. Chen Siyuan hired a painted boat and, at 9:00 AM, led Daiyu and the others to go boating on the lake. They enjoyed the day and did not return until close to dinnertime.

After dinner that day, Daiyu said to Chen Siyuan, "I've just married into the family, so it's not right for me to keep you here and neglect my second sister. Why don't you go to the central courtyard today?"

Chen Siyuan mumbled a few words, but finally agreed. However, he wasn't in a hurry to leave. He lingered with Daiyu for a while after nightfall, and seeing that Lin Daiyu was about to get angry again, he hurriedly left the main room.

Xueyan was on night watch again tonight, and seeing that Chen Siyuan had indeed left, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Little did she know that after leaving the main house, Chen Siyuan didn't rush to the central courtyard, but instead sneaked towards the east wing.

Zijuan was sitting listlessly in the side room, idly making a knot, her mind wandering. Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door. Zijuan snapped out of her reverie and quickly asked, "Who is it?"

Seeing no movement from outside, she curiously went to open the door. To her surprise, when she opened it, she saw Chen Siyuan standing in front of her.

"Master...Master?" Zijuan's mind raced, and she was both surprised and delighted.

Chen Siyuan asked with a smile, "What are you busy with?"

"I fiddled with the knot for a while... Please come in, sir."

Zijuan hurriedly welcomed Chen Siyuan inside, tidied up the kang (heated brick bed), and quickly brewed him a cup of tea.

She was feeling uneasy when her soft hand was pulled to sit down beside her by Chen Siyuan, who said gently, "You sit down too. I haven't spoken to you much these past few days."

"Hmm." Zijuan had already guessed what was going on. Her face was flushed, and she lowered her head, letting Chen Siyuan pull her with one hand while she nervously twisted her clothes with the other.

Chen Siyuan was about to ask a few questions when the door opened again. He heard Yuanyang say from outside, "Sister, are you resting? I can't seem to get this swastika knot right. Could you help me take a look?"

Looking at Zijuan again, her fair face turned deathly pale in an instant, and she probably hated the couple who had come to disturb their good time.

Chen Siyuan couldn't help but chuckle, thinking to himself that this was just right, saving him the trouble of searching for lovebirds later. These maids wanted to compete for favor? What was there to compete for? With his abilities, Chen Siyuan could easily handle not only these few, but even Ouguan.

So he simply instructed, "Go open the door."

Zijuan agreed and awkwardly got up to open the door. Yuanyang, used to this, rushed in as soon as she opened the door. She glanced at Chen Siyuan and was taken aback. She quickly said, "Master is here too? Oh, I've come at an inopportune time."

To everyone's surprise, Chen Siyuan had already stood up, stepped forward and grabbed one of them with each hand, and whispered, "Who said that? I thought it was just in time for you to come, sister."

Yuanyang was taken aback, but when she understood what he meant, her pretty face flushed red, just like Zijuan's.

(End of this chapter)