Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 434 Willing to be like two birds flying wing to wing, branches intertwined

Words: With eyes conveying affection, with glances exchanged frequently. Their love lingers, like willows swaying in the gentle breeze; their unspoken feelings are like dewdrops on a flower at dawn. Though their bodies have not met, their spirits have long been connected.

After a while, the spring breeze penetrated her very being, making her graceful and charming, her face radiant with happiness. She gave up the battle, tidying herself up and getting up.

Inside the side room, Xueyan and Yuanyang, already aware of the aroma of meat, were tantalizingly aroused. They exchanged glances, both smiling. Just then, an old woman brought over some cloth, and Yuanyang stopped her, saying, "Madam has retired for the night. Sister-in-law, is there anything urgent?"

The old woman said, "Madam Zhongluyuan called the shopkeeper of the cloth shop today to make winter clothes. She saw that some of them were new Suzhou styles, so she asked me to show them to Madam Lin."

Yuanyang took the fabric and said, "Thank you for your trouble, sister-in-law. I will ask Madam to make a decision after she wakes up."

The old woman smiled and agreed, then praised Yuanyang a couple more times before turning and leaving gracefully.

As Yuanyang turned around with the fabric, she saw Xueyan gesturing towards the inside. Yuanyang listened intently, and seeing no further sound, knew it was over. She glared at Xueyan, thinking to herself that her mistress was too sensitive to joke about such things. Otherwise, she'd be in for a world of trouble!
In the next room, Daiyu was relaxed and carefree, her eyes half-closed, half her body pressed against Chen Siyuan, her hands clasped over his chest, and her face pressed against him. Below her knees, her feet, clad only in silk stockings, were also restless, constantly caressing Chen Siyuan's calves.

Feeling drowsy, Daiyu felt lazy and didn't want to get up, but she couldn't fall asleep for a while.

Listening to Chen Siyuan's heartbeat, Daiyu suddenly chuckled and said, "Why don't you go and find those two outside?"

Chen Siyuan said quietly, "Sigh, I don't dislike my sister, but she dislikes me."

Daiyu chuckled and said, "Those two don't mind you, so just go and find them."

Chen Siyuan feigned a lack of interest, sighed, and stopped pressing her. Knowing that Daiyu was easily frightened, he changed the subject, saying, "Oh, right, just now Second Sister said that the Marquis of Baoning's manor is planning to sell some estates in Liaodong. Second Sister intends to buy one, and asked me to ask if you want to buy some, little sister?"

Daiyu asked in surprise, "The Marquis of Baoning's mansion? Isn't that the husband's family of Cousin Baochai? Why are they selling off their estates?"

After Emperor Taizong established his rule over the Central Plains, he deeply felt the calamity of annexation at the end of the Ming Dynasty, so he set a rule that strictly prohibited annexation within the Great Wall, but left an exception outside the Great Wall.

As a result, many wealthy and powerful families in the capital owned estates in Liaodong. After Emperor Taizong, the Emperor Taishang, in order to expand Liaodong, issued an edict allowing families to acquire land there and promised a 20-year tax exemption on newly acquired land. At that time, wealthy and powerful families recruited many farmhands, and ordinary people brought their families to the area beyond the Great Wall.

Nowadays, good farmland near the capital costs only six taels of silver per mu, while ordinary dry land costs only around four taels. In remote areas outside the Great Wall, the price is naturally even lower; even the best paddy fields cost only about four taels of silver.

Don't be fooled by the low prices of land outside the Great Wall; the yield is quite high. Near Fengtian, one mu of land can produce two and a half shi of sorghum, while in Shandong, with the same amount of effort and fertilizer, the yield is only around one shi.

Seeking a safer option, Yingchun planned to take a gamble and buy two thousand mu of prime paddy fields. Assuming one mu of paddy field could yield two shi of rice per season, that would amount to one tael of silver. After deducting labor costs for processing and the proceeds from selling, each mu would yield at least three qian of silver.

In this way, the estate alone could yield six hundred taels of silver each year. The number of people in the central courtyard was not large, and six hundred taels of silver was enough to support them, not to mention that Yingchun also owned other shops and land.

Chen Siyuan chuckled and said, "Otherwise, why would the dignified Marquis of Baoning insist on marrying that ugly woman Wang Yunping? Isn't it because he's after the Wang family's dowry?" He paused, then added, "However, I've heard that Wang Yunping and her husband have a small argument every three days and a big argument every five days. She also frequently takes her maids to the Wang family. Tsk tsk, these two don't seem like they can make it work."

Daiyu frowned and said unhappily, "The world is full of scheming and scheming." But she realized her mistake as soon as she said it, so she quickly looked at Chen Siyuan and pouted, "I wasn't talking about you."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Sister, just say what you want. I don't really care." He paused and said quietly, "I'm so busy and calculating every step of the way because I want my sister to not have to worry about those troublesome things anymore."

Daiyu deeply agreed, and suddenly remembered what Chen Siyuan had said earlier: There is no such thing as a peaceful life, it's just that someone is carrying the burden for you.

In Yangzhou's salt administration office, just like the western courtyard here, there were people to shelter Daiyu from the wind and rain. In front of her was her father, Lin Hai, and now it was her husband, Chen Siyuan.

Daiyu experienced the bitterness of being left unattended quite often. Like the Rongguo Mansion, it was truly a place where, 360 days a year, she was constantly besieged by harsh winds and frost.

Thinking that the person beside her was only three or four years older than her, Daiyu felt a little sorry for him and said, "From now on, my husband doesn't need to push me so hard... Anyway, my husband will probably get most of what he wants."

Chen Siyuan reached out and gently pinched her rosy cheek, saying, "You still need to be ambitious, otherwise how can you protect me?"

While feeling comforted, Daiyu felt even more sorry for Chen Siyuan, but knowing that she couldn't help him, she turned her face to him and pressed it tightly against his heart.

Ercai then said, "Forget it. Liaodong is remote. Even if we follow your method, it's hard to guarantee that the villagers won't collude to deceive their master. I might as well buy more houses in the north of the city and rent them out."

Chen Siyuan didn't take it to heart. Having lived two lives, he naturally didn't yearn for land like the people here.

The young couple chatted for a while, when a maidservant entered the hall and said, "Master and Madam, would you like some extra food for lunch?"

Daiyu slowly rose and called out, "Er," and Yuanyang moved her lotus-like steps inside. Daiyu pondered, "If there's okra, then add a cold okra salad..." She glanced at Chen Siyuan and added, "Did you soak sea cucumbers yesterday? Then add a braised sea cucumber with scallions dish, and the rest will be the same as usual."

Yuanyang obediently agreed, but before she could turn around, Daiyu instructed, "Is Xueyan outside? Tell her to come in."

The mandarin ducks responded and flew away, and a short while later, the snow geese entered.

Daiyu asked her, "With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, go to the central courtyard and ask Second Sister if she has any mooncake molds. If not, then find someone to make a few sets so we can bake mooncakes ourselves in a few days."

Xueyan said happily, "Please wait a moment, Madam, I'll be right there!"

After saying that, she turned and ran away. Daiyu chuckled and said to Chen Siyuan, "Xueyan loves sweets the most, but every time she eats them, her teeth hurt."

Chen Siyuan laughed heartily.

Daiyu smoothed the strands of hair that fell from her temples and said, "Sister Bao will be entering the family at the beginning of next month. It will be quite lively from then on."

Chen Siyuan said, "You and Bao Mei are very close friends, so you naturally look forward to her coming soon."

Daiyu pursed her lips and said, "That's hard to say... Sister Bao is sincere to me, but she always has some little schemes that make people both laugh and cry."

Isn't Baochai just like that? Chen Siyuan laughed a few times, then pulled Daiyu into his arms again. The two cuddled for a long time before getting up at noon.

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

In the Rongguo Mansion, in Sister Feng's courtyard.

Feng Jie was dressed in her undergarments, her black hair greasy and disheveled, only casually tied in a bun. She sat cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed), the baby in her arms sleeping soundly with its eyes closed, while Feng Jie gently rocked and patted it.

The wet nurse stood up and glanced around, saying, "Grandma, Second Sister is asleep."

Feng Jie agreed and handed the baby to the wet nurse to take away. Just as she was about to stretch her limbs, the little maid Feng'er came in and said, "Madam, Uncle has arrived. Second Master greeted him in the front hall, and after having a cup of tea, he went to Madam's courtyard."

Sister Feng frowned and replied, muttering, "What does he want now?" After a pause, she instructed, "I know. Help me change my clothes."

Feng'er agreed and busied herself helping Feng Jie change her clothes. A short while later, Ping'er, who had just finished her postpartum confinement, came looking for her.

Remembering her earlier instructions, Sister Feng sent Feng'er away.

"How is it?"

Ping'er felt a mix of emotions, but she just nodded silently.

Sister Feng breathed a sigh of relief, gave a cold laugh, and then said to Ping'er, "Don't pretend to be kind. If the new girl gives birth to a child, do you think it's a good thing? Rather than causing trouble later, it's better to nip her in the bud."

A few days ago, Sister Feng was so angered by Jia Lian that she went into premature labor, so this matter would not be easily forgotten. This time, the old lady was also furious and simply refused to see Jia Lian, letting the eldest master, Jia She, beat Jia Lian until his skin was torn and bleeding.

After giving birth to her second daughter, Feng Jie spent several days in confinement and couldn't help but miss Chen Siyuan more and more. So she came to a realization—let Jia Lian do whatever he wants, as long as he doesn't hand over the inheritance to someone else.

After Ping'er finished her confinement period, Feng Jie secretly instructed her to use the convenience of the kitchen to secretly add seasonings to Yun'er's food.

Ping'er was initially reluctant, but after meeting Yun'er a few times, she realized that this woman was indeed a courtesan with a seductive look and mannerisms. For the sake of her offspring, she gritted her teeth and obeyed Feng Jie.

Ping'er quickly replied, "Don't worry, Grandma, I understand."

Just as Sister Feng was about to say something, a maidservant from outside replied, "Second Master has arrived."

Sister Feng stopped talking and turned to look at the beaded curtain. A moment later, Jia Lian entered, covering his mouth and nose and frowning.

It's difficult to open the windows in this postpartum room; it's not only stuffy inside, but the smell is also mixed and unpleasant. Jia Lian rarely comes here; this is only the second time.

Sister Feng raised an eyebrow and said coldly, "Oh, what wind blew Second Master here?"

Jia Lian asked with an awkward smile, "How is Second Sister?"

Sister Feng said sarcastically, "Thanks to Second Master, Second Sister can eat and sleep well, and is healthy and without any illness or disaster!"

Jia Lian became increasingly uneasy. After sitting down, he rubbed his hands slightly and said, "My brother went to Madam's courtyard. I came to talk to you about something."

Sister Feng just hummed in response and didn't say anything.

Jia Lian said to himself, "Now that Yun'er has arrived, our courtyard is cramped, but there are many vacant houses in the garden, whether it's Xiaoxiang Pavilion, Yihong Courtyard or Qingtang Thatched Cottage. Do you think we should let Yun'er move there? That way we can avoid seeing each other all the time and causing friction."

Sister Feng sneered and said with a sidelong glance, "Second Master, you've probably asked the wrong person. Even if I were still in confinement, the steward is still my sister-in-law. What's the point of you telling me this, Second Master?"

Jia Lian said with a smile, "The old lady is most proud of you. If you just mention it, this matter will be settled."

Feng Jie said, "What? I'm not even in my postpartum confinement period, and you're rushing to beg the old lady for some Yun'er?"

Jia Lian's face stiffened, clearly having forgotten about this matter.

Feng Jie became even more disdainful and said, "This matter has nothing to do with me. I advise you, Second Master, either go and ask Madam or Old Madam for help, or..." Suddenly remembering Daiyu, Feng Jie said, "Or you could go and beg Lin Daiyu, and maybe this matter will be settled."

Jia Lian then said, "Never mind, there's no rush. Let's wait until you've finished your confinement period before discussing it."

In reality, where is there no rush? Fengjie's courtyard isn't large to begin with. There's no front building, two side rooms on each side, three main rooms without side rooms, and five rear rooms. Qiaojie, being older, has moved to the west wing; Ping'er, having been promoted to a concubine, has long since occupied the east wing. Zhang Jinge already lived in the back, and now Yun'er has arrived. The two have opposite personalities, so of course, some friction is bound to arise.
These past few days, Yun'er had been constantly whispering in Jia Lian's ear, eagerly anticipating moving into the garden, while Zhang Jingge also treated Jia Lian with cold indifference. Jia Lian, at his wits' end, finally sought advice from Feng Jie. But to his dismay, he was met with a rebuff.

He got up and left awkwardly. Ping'er saw him off for a few steps, then turned back and said to Feng Jie, "Oh right, I almost forgot. This morning Qingyu brought some cordyceps. I got one ounce, and you got two ounces, Madam."

Sister Feng's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly asked, "Is there something you want to say?"

Ping'er shook her head and said, "Qingyu left his things and left without saying a word."

Sister Feng felt a pang of jealousy, but then she thought for a moment and said with a hint of resentment, "That's right, he's newly married, how could he possibly have time to care about us?"

Ping'er broke out in a cold sweat, fearing that someone might overhear her words, and said, "Grandma, you should know that walls have ears!"

Sister Feng snorted and then gave up.

Unlike Feng Jie, Ping'er is not so impulsive. Now she is only focused on raising her child and is afraid that her shameful affair will be exposed and she will be kicked out of the mansion one day.

She was afraid that Sister Feng would bring it up again, so she only sat for a short while before hurriedly returning to the east wing.

After a long period of melancholy, another maid came to report that her uncle, Wang Ren, had come to visit.

The two were siblings, so there was nothing to hide. After a short while, Wang Ren entered, enduring the unpleasant smell, and casually greeted Feng Jie. Before leaving, he frowned and said, "It's a pity you gave birth to another girl this time... Fortunately, Ping'er is capable. When the child is a little older, you might as well raise her in your own room."

Feng Jie remained noncommittal and asked, "How did you find the time to return to the capital, brother?"

Last time, Sister Feng used every trick in the book and with Chen Siyuan's help, she finally managed to send Wang Ren back to Jinling.

Wang Ren then smiled and said, "With my father's permission, I am now working under my uncle. This trip to the capital is also to make arrangements for my uncle."

Sister Feng was quite surprised. Her father and Prince Teng had a secret feud, but for some reason, her father had taken the initiative to make amends with Prince Teng this time?
After a moment's thought, Sister Feng hurriedly asked, "Has something happened at home?"

Wang Ren nodded with a bitter face and said, "The Maritime Trade Office is investigating the outstanding customs duties in Fujian and Zhejiang. The man surnamed Mei is unyielding and determined that our family owes more than a million. Father has tried everything, but to no avail. Alas..."

Sister Feng was immediately dumbfounded. During the reign of the Emperor, the Wang family controlled half of the maritime trade in Jiangnan, and their wealth was truly immense. However, there was one thing to note: this wealth did not belong solely to the Wang family. A portion was distributed to the Emperor to build his garden, and another portion was given to the Jia family to win over court officials. In reality, only about 20-30% actually ended up in their hands.

Now that the accounts have been settled, the imperial envoy has placed all the outstanding debts on the Wang family!

Sister Feng pursed her lips and asked anxiously, "What did Uncle say?"

Wang Ren was unwilling to say more, only saying, "Don't worry about it, your uncle has his own plans." After a pause, he rubbed his hands and said, "I came in a hurry and spent some money on errands. Now I'm short of money, so I came to ask my sister for help."

Sister Feng felt a chill in her heart and retorted, "I don't manage the household anymore, and I only receive a few taels of silver a month. Where would I get any more money?"

To everyone's surprise, Wang Ren scoffed and said, "Sister, you're lying. Jia Lian just said that you and Chen Siyuan have started a workshop together, and you earn at least eight thousand a year, if not ten thousand. I don't need much; a thousand or eight hundred is enough for me. Why would you lie to me, sister?"

Feng Jie choked on her words, unable to speak. In her heart, she cursed Jia Lian mercilessly, and could only say, "My workshop is doing very well, and I've expanded to another piece of land. Not only have I spent the profits, but I've also gained a lot of personal savings. You asked me for money? If you really can't, I have two gold necklaces. You can take them."

Wang Ren didn't mind and smiled, "Then thank you very much, sister."

Faced with her brother's shamelessness, Sister Feng had no choice but to call Feng'er over and instruct him to open her private treasury at the back and retrieve two gold necklaces.

Feng'er agreed, went to the west wing to ask Ping'er for the key, and then hurried to the back. Unexpectedly, upon entering the Grand View Garden, she bumped into Li Wan, who was heading towards Rongqing Hall.

Feng'er curtsied and then passed by Li Wan.

Leaving aside Feng'er's situation, as Li Wan turned the corner gate, Su Yun, who was accompanying her, said, "If Madam wants to go to the estate to inspect it, I'm afraid she'll have to set off in the next day or two. The third day of next month is the old lady's birthday, so Madam needs to come back early to take care of things."

Li Wan responded lightly, glancing sideways at Su Yun beside her, seemingly lost in thought. It was almost August, and Jia Lan had traveled by sea; he must have already arrived in Jinling, and the reply should be on its way.

Without Jia Lan by her side, Li Wan was constantly worried, and the loneliness at night only intensified her longing for Chen Siyuan. However, such an intimate affair, no matter how secretive, could not be hidden from those close to her. Li Wan had noticed the unusual expressions on Su Yun and Bi Yue's faces when they left the Taoist temple that day.

She began to think to herself that she had to find a proper solution.

Suddenly, a thought struck Li Wan, and she said, "Su Yun is twenty-one too?"

Su Yun agreed, saying, "It will be twenty-one in October."

According to the rules of the Jia family, maids of this age should be released.

Su Yun quickly said, "Grandma, please don't send me away. I don't want to marry this boy yet."

Li Wan laughed and said, "Men should marry when they come of age and women should marry when they come of age. Even if I forced you to stay, how many more years could I keep you?" She paused, then added, "How about I find you a good match later?"

Su Yun smiled and said, "Grandma would never harm me, so I'll wait and see."

Li Wan smiled and nodded, immediately understanding the situation.

Upon returning from Rongqing Hall, Li Wan picked up her brush and wrote a letter. Taking advantage of the absence of the two maids, she quickly hid it close to her body, intending to check it in the countryside the next day and secretly send it to the post station.

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

A few days passed in the blink of an eye, and it was already August.

That day, Chen Siyuan accompanied the two ladies to enjoy themselves in the garden. Hongyu came back and said that the custom-made mooncake molds had been delivered.

Yingchun and Daiyu were overjoyed, so they left Chen Siyuan behind and went ahead to see.

Just as Chen Siyuan was about to return to his study, Yunxiang came back again, saying that a letter had been delivered by the post station.

Chen Siyuan was puzzled. He unfolded the letter and scanned it, only to find that it was written by Li Wan. It mentioned that she had gone to the countryside to inspect the farmland on the 27th of last month, but unfortunately, the damned postman had only delivered it today. No wonder Yunxiang said that the postman didn't even ask for a reward and just left the letter and ran off.

Regretful at missing the chance to meet Li Wan, and seeing her repeated references to Su Yu in her letters, Chen Siyuan quickly guessed Li Wan's thoughts. He was both amused and exasperated; it was exactly the same thing! Wasn't that how Miao'er and Tiao'er from the Central Courtyard came about?

However, Li Wan was ultimately inconsiderate. If her personal maid had an affair with her, their scandalous affair would likely become the talk of the town. This matter must not be allowed to go her way!

After finding a charcoal brazier and burning the letter clean, Chen Siyuan pondered Li Wan's escape plan and then headed forward.

At this moment, Daiyu and Yingchun were in the main room of the west courtyard, examining the newly made mooncake molds. Xueyan, who loved sweets the most, chattered incessantly, and as she spoke, she seemed to smell the mooncakes, making her mouth water.

Upon seeing Chen Siyuan enter, the second sister joked, "Master, you've come at the perfect time. Xueyan has been asking us when we're going to bake mooncakes."

Chen Siyuan said, "It's just a seasonal treat, why worry about it so much? Now that the mold has arrived, let's bake some over the next couple of days and see if the mold works."

Xueyan was indeed delighted, but then she counted on her fingers and said sadly, "Even if we roast it tomorrow, I'm afraid we won't be able to eat it until the day after tomorrow."

Chen Siyuan's eyes lit up with a sudden idea, and he laughed, "What's so difficult about that? I can make sure you get to eat mooncakes today, with the best filling in the world!"

Xueyan didn't believe her and leaned closer to ask, "What kind of filling could it be? Five-nut filling? Jujube paste? Red bean paste? Egg yolk filling is fine too!"

Yingchun couldn't stand it anymore and said, "Master was just joking with you, but you took it seriously."

These words immediately roused Chen Siyuan, who said, "Could it be that Second Sister doesn't believe her husband? Very well, let me show you my skills, and you'll get to eat mooncakes today!"

Just then, as dinnertime approached, this fellow grabbed a mold and went to the kitchen.

At noon, a lot of steamed buns were steamed, and at dinner time there were all sorts of dishes. This guy cut open the steamed buns, stuffed them with braised pork or leek and egg, and then forcibly stuffed them into a mold to make a mooncake shape. He then urged the dumbfounded cook to bake them until the outer skin was crispy, and then hurriedly carried the tray back to the main room of the west courtyard.

Xueyan was eagerly waiting, and when she saw Chen Siyuan carrying a tray from afar, she hurriedly went to greet him.

Upon getting closer, they were immediately dumbfounded, exclaiming in astonishment, "It really is a mooncake! Huh? Why does it taste a little strange?"

Chen Siyuan said, "Go, go, Madam hasn't eaten yet. You can talk to her later."

Xueyan swallowed hard, snatched the tray, and followed Chen Siyuan into the main room.

The second young lady was about to return to the central courtyard when she saw that Chen Siyuan had indeed baked mooncakes. She was equally surprised and said, "Usually, baking takes quite a while, but... my husband only came and went in a short time. If you calculate it, he didn't even have time to mix the filling. How did he actually bake mooncakes?"

Knowing that his second sister liked braised pork, Chen Siyuan picked up a piece and handed it to her, saying, "It was just a little trick, second sister, please try it."

The second girl hesitated before taking it, sniffed it, and immediately sensed something was wrong. But after taking a bite, she burst into laughter, exclaiming, "It's filled with braised pork! Hehehe..."

Daiyu was so happy she almost fell over. She quickly came over, picked one up, tasted it, and laughed so hard she almost fell over. Everyone looked and realized it was filled with leek and egg!

Among the group of women, the more astute ones mostly guessed Chen Siyuan's method, while the less astute ones followed Chen Siyuan to investigate.

After finally managing to find out what was going on, Qingwen, Xueyan, and Xiuju rushed to the kitchen like madmen, and a couple of quarters later they baked several more plates of all sorts of strange mooncakes.

So the Chinese and Western courtyards were filled with laughter and chatter, and they ate a lot of strange mooncakes, while no one bothered with the proper dinner.

As night fell, the girls gathered together and started guessing the fillings of the mooncakes.

Daiyu and Yingchun were both overjoyed, feeling that having married such an interesting person, they had something to look forward to in the future.

(End of this chapter)