Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 436 Jia She, greedy for profit, and Xue's daughter, tenderly presenting her dowry.

In the three small halls in front of the main house in Grandmother Jia's courtyard, Chen Siyuan, Jia Lian, and Jia She were sitting down drinking tea.

Master Lian didn't care much about official matters; at the moment, he was only listening to Jia She's pronouncements on the state of affairs, with Chen Siyuan occasionally chiming in.

After a brief chat, Jia She's eyes darted around, and he suddenly said, "My dear son-in-law, I overheard the other day that someone in the capital has come up with a method for digging sweet water wells? Upon closer inquiry, I discovered that it originated from your household?"

Chen Siyuan smiled outwardly, but inwardly he was amused, knowing that Jia She had fallen into his old habit again. Unfortunately, the method for the deep well had already been given to Prince Yanping, so even if Jia She obtained it, it would be useless.

He frankly admitted, "Indeed, my father-in-law knows that my house is good in every way except for the lack of a sweet water well. Every month, just the water alone costs more than twenty taels of silver, which is not a small amount in the long run. I took half a year off and had nothing to do, so I searched through ancient books and finally found a record that said that as long as you dig deeper, you will definitely find sweet water."

"Oh?" Jia She rubbed his hands together inwardly, almost openly asking Chen Siyuan for the method.

Chen Siyuan deliberately kept everyone in suspense, recounting the well-digging story with dramatic twists and turns, like a storyteller. After rambling on for a while, he took a sip of fragrant tea before saying, "...It was just like this, after digging down three or four zhang (approximately 10-13 meters), the sweet water suddenly gushed out. Haha, I thought it was just luck, so I found another place to try it, and to my surprise, I also found sweet water there. Knowing that the common people in the capital have difficulty getting water, I presented this method to the Imperial Household Department."

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian laughed and said, "Brother Yuan, your actions are truly a blessing to all families."

Jia She glanced at him sideways, giving him a cold look, before turning away and saying with a pained expression, "Since my son-in-law is an official of the court... it is only reasonable for him to present this law to the court. I just wonder if there will be any reward afterward?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "I just couldn't bear to see the people eating that alkaline water. How could I care about such things? I didn't even ask about any rewards."

Jia She frowned and clicked his tongue, feeling even more regretful. He pondered how to ask for it back, and for a moment he remained silent, lost in thought.

Chen Siyuan, understanding the unspoken meaning, said, "Does Your Excellency intend to learn this method? Luo Siliang has already returned to my residence. If Your Excellency is interested, please send someone to learn it."

Jia She was overjoyed and said, "Really?" Before Chen Siyuan could explain, he glanced at Jia Lian and laughed, "Look at him, even Shuliang still has filial piety. If you, you beast, had even a little bit of Shuliang's qualities, I could live a few more years!"

Jia Lian shrank back, looking embarrassed.

Chen Siyuan quickly tried to smooth things over, saying, "Second brother, managing household affairs is no easy task. On such a joyous occasion, why be so harsh on your father-in-law? Besides, to be honest, don't be fooled by how mysteriously I described the well-digging matter. In reality, any craftsman who knows how to dig a well can understand seventy or eighty percent of it at a glance. After a little trial and error, he can figure out the remaining two or three tenths."

How could Jia She believe it? Ever since the news spread, high-ranking officials and nobles have been coming to the inner court every day. So far, only about ten families have dug sweet water wells, and who knows when the others will be able to get theirs?

If he were to obtain this method now, whether he used it to amass wealth or to curry favor, it would all be obtained for nothing!

Jia She smiled even more kindly and said, "Shuliang, don't worry about it. Tomorrow I will send someone to your house to learn the well-digging method."

Chen Siyuan smiled and nodded in agreement. With the matter settled, Jia She was naturally in high spirits.

If it weren't for the fact that only tea is available now, I'm afraid I would have to drink three cups of tea from Chen Siyuan before I could calm down.

A short while later, the old woman passed by the small hall and said to the three of them, "Aunt Wang and Aunt Xue arrived one after the other."

Today is Grandmother Jia's seventy-ninth birthday, but it doesn't count as a full birthday, because the people who come to visit are all family members.

Without needing Jia She and Chen Siyuan to do anything, Jia Lian got up and went ahead to greet them together with Li Wan, who had followed later.

No sooner had Jia Lian left than Jia She raised an eyebrow and sneered, "Baoyu's aunt dares to come knocking; she's really having a hard time."

Chen Siyuan was puzzled and asked, "What does Taishan mean by that?"

Jia She curled his lip and said, "Shuliang probably doesn't know that the Wang family's daughter and the Baoning Marquis's mansion have been causing quite a stir, and now they're arguing about her return home."

"Huh?" Chen Siyuan said in surprise, "Isn't the Wang family girl a bit too spoiled?"

The Wang family were related to the second branch of the family by marriage, and Jia She looked down on them, so naturally he had nothing good to say about them.

He said, "It's one thing that she's of average appearance, but she's also unruly. I heard that the young master of the Baoning Marquis's mansion only exchanged a few words with a maid in the mansion, and the Wang family's daughter seized that maid and beat her to death. Take the matter of Da Gui for example, she's only been married for a short time, and she's already caused trouble three times! This time, the Baoning Marquis's mansion really couldn't stand it anymore, and the other day they simply sent several carriages back to the Wang family along with her dowry. Baoyu's aunt even went to the Baoning Marquis's mansion to have a big argument the other day. Tsk tsk... I think this time they won't be in-laws, but will become enemies instead."

After a pause, he said meaningfully to Chen Siyuan, "Therefore, as the saying goes... marrying a wife who is not virtuous will ruin three generations."

Chen Siyuan scoffed inwardly. His second sister was indeed excellent, but what did this have to do with Jia She? Before the second daughter was married, his master didn't care about her at all. Now that she's married to him, he wants to take credit? He didn't know where this man's logic came from.

Chen Siyuan didn't know how to respond, so he could only hum and haw to brush it off.

As they spoke, the commotion outside grew closer; it was Aunt Xue and Aunt Wang who had arrived together. The two walked through the hall, and Jia She, seated in his chair, merely gave them a brief greeting. Chen Siyuan, being the younger generation, rose and bowed respectfully.

A moment later, Aunt Xue and Aunt Wang walked in together. Aunt Xue was dressed simply and lightly made up, and looked relaxed. She seemed to have lost some weight since I last saw her.

When old lovers meet, though their eyes meet only briefly, their hearts are filled with unspoken thoughts.

As for Chen Siyuan, he simply disliked that Aunt Xue had cut ties with him completely. Now that he had married Yingchun first and then Daiyu, he was surrounded by beautiful women every day and had no time to think about Aunt Xue.
Aunt Xue, however, had a different thought. She was already feeling remorseful, and when their eyes met, Chen Siyuan's heart remained calm, but his clear eyes seemed to speak volumes, making Aunt Xue feel heartbroken and numb all over.

If it weren't for the fact that there were other people around, Aunt Xue would probably have burst into tears!
Even so, Aunt Xue couldn't help but glance back at the hallway before heading towards the main room with Aunt Wang.

Aunt Wang, unaware of the situation, jokingly remarked, "You see, this is what it means for a mother-in-law to be more and more satisfied with her son-in-law."

Li Wan echoed her words a few times and led the two into the main room.

Meanwhile, Chen Siyuan, who was watching Aunt Xue leave, vividly remembered the sorrow on her face. Having spent his life wandering among women, how could he not know Aunt Xue's thoughts?
He remained outwardly calm but inwardly extremely pleased with himself, already plotting to give Aunt Xue a good beating in the future.

Around noon, Chen Siyuan was invited to watch a play in the main room at the back.

A screen was still erected in the middle, and men and women sat on the left and right respectively. After the women selected the play, a gong was sounded, and the Anhui opera troupe took to the stage to perform.

Chen Siyuan ignored Jia She, so he held his teacup and shook his head as if he were watching a play attentively, but in reality, most of his attention was on the other side of the screen.

Unfortunately, amidst all the chatter and laughter, Chen Siyuan could only make out a few words occasionally, and sometimes he couldn't even figure out why they were laughing.

By midday, the feast was laid out, and for a time, there was a lively exchange of toasts and a colorful array of food, which I won't go into detail about.

The place was bustling with activity. Hongyu, Zijuan, and the others didn't need to serve her personally, so they watched the play from the side room corridor. After a while, a little maid came over and whispered a few words in her ear. Hongyu complained angrily, then excused herself to relieve herself and went to the back of the main room.

After a short while, passing through the hallway and around Sister Feng's courtyard, Hongyu entered the Grand View Garden. Just as she stopped and looked around, she heard someone calling from the green hills: "Sister Hongyu!"

Hongyu glanced over there and saw the little maid Jia Hui emerging from the green hills. She smiled, stepped forward, and took Jia Hui's hand, saying, "If you wanted to talk to me, why didn't you come to my house to find me?"

The maids of the Chen family have two days off every month. Xueyan, whose family lives in another place, only spends one day of her free time wandering around aimlessly, while Hongyu always chooses one day to return to the Rongguo Mansion to visit Lin Zhixiao and his wife.

Jia Hui pouted and said, "By the time I got the news, my sister had already gone back. Besides, the Rongguo Mansion is not like the Chen family; a little maid like me doesn't get two days off."

After a pause, he pulled Hongyu along and said, "There are too many people here, let's go over there to talk."

Hongyu agreed and followed Jia Hui to Yihong Courtyard. After a short while, they arrived at the rose trellis and found a place to sit and talk.

After a brief conversation, Jia Hui hesitated and said, "The reason I came to find my sister is to ask if the Chen family is still short of maids?"

Hongyu laughed and said, "What? Could it be that you're also coming to seek refuge with me?"

Jia Hui said with distress, "I would like to, but my parents won't allow it. The last time they hired maids for the mansion, apart from the two hired for Master Bao's household, the mistress didn't inquire about the rest, only saying that each master could choose for themselves. The eldest mistress was short of maids, but after thinking it over, she decided not to hire any more."

A few days ago, she issued another statement, saying that if any servants didn't want to wait for a job, they could just inform the eldest mistress, and then their contracts would be released, and they could fend for themselves.

Hongyu was astonished and said, "Why does it have to be like this?"

I still remember a few years ago when there weren't enough servants in the household, so we had to buy good-looking maids from outside. Now, instead of keeping people, they're kicking people out?

Jia Hui muttered, "Since my sister left the manor, she naturally doesn't know the inside story. I heard that Madam had Zhou Rui's wife distribute the monthly allowances, but something went wrong last month, and the allowances haven't been paid yet. Second Master Lian went to plead with Sister Amber several times in private, but Sister Amber wouldn't agree. Madam had no choice but to secretly pawn some jewelry, saying that it would be paid out together with this month's allowance in a few days."

Hongyu sighed deeply, thinking to herself, "No wonder when they came back last time, they were so evasive and vague when they asked about the situation in the mansion. It turns out things are already this bad!" She made up her mind that she would have to go and find her parents to find out the truth later. If things were hopeless, where would she find a safe place in the Rongguo Mansion?

Perhaps we should use the master's name to bring my parents out first.

After Jia Hui finished her rambling, she finally got down to business, saying, "I'm not doing this for myself, but for Aunt Hu's second daughter. She's grown up to be very outstanding and is now twelve years old. She was originally determined to get a job as a second-class maid in the mansion, but now there's been no news from her."

"Aunt Hu who manages the bamboo grove?" Seeing Jia Hui nod, Hong Yu said, "I can't say for sure about this. I'll talk to Madam about it later and see how she responds."

Jia Hui said with a smile, "Everyone knows that you have the most face. If you're willing to say it, then the matter is already half settled."

The two chatted for a while longer. Jia Hui happily went to the back to report the news, while Hong Yu hesitated for a long time before turning around to find Lin Zhixiao's wife.

As luck would have it, she had just arrived home when Lin Zhixiao's wife, who had forgotten something, was rushing back to retrieve it. The mother and daughter greeted each other warmly. Once inside, Hongyu said, "Mother, is life in the household so difficult these days? I heard Jia Hui say that many servants have been released and are now allowed to fend for themselves?"

Lin Zhixiao's wife's face stiffened, and she said, "You know Madam, she's good at managing things, but when it comes to managing every little detail, how could Madam possibly be capable of it? Although the eldest mistress was in charge of the household at first, Madam was in charge of the money herself. Later, I don't know who slandered her, but Madam had Zhou Rui's wife take the money out to lend out."

Everything was fine for the past few months, but last month someone spread a rumor that Songjiang had suffered a disaster and that cotton cloth prices would rise. My wife gritted her teeth and stocked up on a lot, but the situation took a sharp turn for the worse. Not only did cotton cloth prices not rise, they actually dropped by more than 30%.

This time alone, we've lost nearly two thousand taels of silver. And with the summer grain still unsold, how can the household's finances not be stretched thin?

He paused, then reassured her, "My son, don't worry about it. Your mother has suffered a loss and will never dare to act recklessly again."

Really? Hongyu was somewhat skeptical, but after thinking for a moment, she said, "Mother, you and Father should keep a close eye on things. If... if things aren't going well in the household, I have some influence with Master and Madam, so I can definitely take you two to live a life of comfort."

Lin Zhixiao's wife was not even forty years old, how could she give up such a good job? She sneered and said, "Don't talk nonsense. How could the Duke's mansion, a prestigious family, possibly bring shame upon itself? You just need to serve Master Chen well, and it would be best if you could have a son or daughter soon. That way, we can have hope for the future and your father and I can rest assured."

Knowing she couldn't persuade them, Hongyu sighed and could only nod in agreement. Lost in thought, she returned to Grandmother Jia's courtyard and, glancing around, discovered that Zijuan, Xiuju, and Yuanyang were all gone.

A good while passed before the three women returned one after another. They exchanged glances, all feeling a chill run down their spines. Yuanyang whispered a few words to the other two before going to find Hongyu and asking, "Has someone come to you asking for connections?"

Hongyu, being quick-witted, asked, "Could it be that you also asked Sister Yuanyang for help?"

Yuanyang nodded with a wry smile and said, "It hasn't been that long... it feels like a lifetime ago."

How could a noble family like the Duke's Mansion have fallen into such a state of disrepair?

For the rest of the time, when the four maids heard that acquaintances were coming to see them, if the relationship was not serious, they would say that their mistress could not be left alone; if the relationship was close, they would say that they would talk about it when they had a holiday.

Before long, it was late afternoon. The Anhui opera troupe finished their performance, and Grandmother Jia was in a very good mood. With a shout of "Reward!", her head maid, Emerald, brought out a tray of silver coins and scattered them out.

The troupe leader and others kowtowed to express their gratitude for the reward, then quickly tidied up their costumes, dismantled the stage, and left happily.

After the table was cleared away, everyone chatted over tea. First, Aunt Wang and Aunt Xue took their leave. Seeing that it was getting late, Chen Siyuan also led Yingchun and Daiyu to take their leave.

Li Wan and Jia Lian saw them off again. When they arrived at the ceremonial gate, Daiyu and Yingchun got into their carriages. This time, Chen Siyuan, the master of balance, got into Daiyu's carriage. Then, in a grand procession, they went out of the side gate and headed back to Faxiangfang.

Lin Daiyu drank a few more cups, her pretty face flushed, and as soon as the carriage curtain was lowered, she pressed half of her body against Chen Siyuan.

Perhaps because he was in a very good mood, he started chatting with Chen Siyuan.

He said, "The Wang family's daughter has actually returned home; it's truly unexpected!"

Chen Siyuan chimed in, "Who says otherwise? But this girl is spoiled and arrogant. Thinking about it carefully, it's understandable that she's in this situation today."

Daiyu sighed and said, "Although she has married into the family, she chose it herself, and at least she still has the love of her parents. The Wang family is now very prominent, so even if she stays as a young lady for the rest of her life, it is not necessarily a bad thing."

Chen Siyuan knew why Daiyu spoke this way. If it weren't for his own actions, which led Daiyu to accept the marriage contract so early, she would likely never have escaped the Jia family's control. Even without Baochai's vying for her attention, what difference would it make if Daiyu had actually married Baoyu?
Grandmother Jia is getting old and may pass away at any time. After that, her mother-in-law, Lady Wang, will not like her, and Baoyu is so affectionate that he becomes heartless. With Daiyu's sensitive nature, she will probably be worn down to death within a few years!

The newlyweds were deeply in love, their happiness boundless. Knowing her concerns, Chen Siyuan held Daiyu close and whispered, "Sister, don't worry. I'll take care of you from now on."

"Mmm," Daiyu responded, feeling as if the shackles that had bound her since leaving her home had vanished.

Although her husband was a womanizer, he treated her with great care and consideration. He thought of things that others would think of before they did, and he could even think of things that others would not think of.

A few days ago, Daiyu had her period. Chen Siyuan found it inconvenient to use a hand warmer, so he slapped his forehead and decided to tinker with some kind of "menstrual care device." As a result, he burned two big blisters on his hands with quicklime.

Although the artifact was not completed, the thought alone was enough to comfort Daiyu.

In addition, she is humorous and witty... Perhaps Daiyu had some regrets before her marriage, but now she is all relieved.

Upon noticing the blister marks on the back of Chen Siyuan's hand, Daiyu was moved and couldn't help but raise her face and kiss Chen Siyuan.

Chen Siyuan was, after all, human and not a god. Seeing Daiyu's sparkling eyes, he immediately misunderstood and rubbed his hands together, saying, "Sister, what is this... Hehe, alright, I'll go find you tonight."

Daiyu's face immediately changed color! Ever since the last time, Chen Siyuan had been presenting facts and reasoning, demanding that the two be treated equally. Daiyu tried it and almost vomited up her dinner from the night before, but Chen Siyuan persisted relentlessly.

Now she's scared, how could she dare to provoke her?

He immediately said, "No, no, the rules must not be broken."

Chen Siyuan exclaimed in surprise, "When did my sister start following the rules?"

"Can't it start from today?"

"Oh well, I'll just go look for Xiangling in the first half of the night and come back in the second half..."

"Don't come!"

"Tsk tsk, why is Madam blushing?"

"Stop talking nonsense! You're asking for trouble..."

They played and joked around, laughing and rustling, until the carriage entered the Chen family's house, at which point the two inside stopped.

As they alighted from the carriage, Hongyu helped Yingchun down. Yingchun glanced at her and saw that Daiyu's face was redder than a peach blossom, her waist slender and weak, her figure graceful and delicate, exuding a unique spring-like charm. She immediately knew that the two of them must have been secretly exchanging pleasantries in the carriage.

However, Yingchun knew Chen Siyuan was just that kind of mischievous person, so she didn't mind. Today was Jia Mu's birthday celebration, and Yingchun was the center of attention.

For the past ten years or so, he had been virtually unknown, but now he was the center of attention. Grandmother Jia showered him with praise, Lady Wang echoed her sentiments, and Lady Xing awkwardly added a few words of praise as well.

Especially Aunt Wang, whose eyes always held a complex look when she looked at her. Yingchun wasn't stupid; she knew that Wang Yunping had taken a liking to Chen Siyuan, but Chen Siyuan had rejected her... well, she learned that phrase from Chen Siyuan.

Ha, ugly rejection! My husband is truly witty, he even invented words to criticize Wang Yunping.

In short, Yingchun felt that this occasion was even more glamorous than her wedding day, and she was in a great mood.

He stepped forward and glanced at Daiyu with interest before heading towards the ceremonial gate with Chen Siyuan.

After a long day, Chen Siyuan first escorted Yingchun back to her room, chatted with her for a few moments, and then went to the west courtyard. Daiyu, who had just been subjected to some rather frivolous behavior, was afraid that Chen Siyuan would come again that night, so she simply pretended to be drunk and rolled up her blankets to rest.

Chen Siyuan's persistent nagging went unanswered, so he had no choice but to go to the courtyard in the middle of the road to find Xiangling and the others.

Nothing happened that night. The next morning, several maids told the two ladies about the situation at Rongguo Mansion.

Yingchun was utterly astonished. Although she was somewhat inept at managing the household, her monthly allowance had never been short. How could the family be in such dire straits after only two months?
They then went to the west courtyard and spent a long time discussing things with Daiyu. Zijuan, Hongyu, Yuanyang, Xiuju, and others chimed in, giving a general account of the Jia family's situation.

The second sister felt her mind was in turmoil. Daiyu sighed and comforted her, "Second sister, you don't need to worry. Throughout history, which family hasn't risen to prominence and then declined? I did some accounting for the Jia family a while ago, and I was shocked. All sorts of expenses are too much! Although I don't manage the affairs, whenever I have free time, I do the math for you. You're spending more than you're earning. If you don't cut back now, you'll definitely run into trouble later."

He paused, then added, "If it were up to me, it would be better to reveal this sooner rather than later. We should increase revenue if we can, and cut costs if we can, so as not to drag it out until it becomes unmanageable, which would be truly terrible!"

Yingchun sighed and agreed, saying, "I know what you mean, sister. But I feel a little sad that our family has fallen into ruin so quickly." After a moment, she added, "Next time I see the old lady, I'll at least give her a heads-up."

Daiyu hesitated, thinking to herself that her grandmother probably already knew about this and was just pretending to be confused.

After the two sisters finished talking, Wu Jun's wife came to report that the master had sent two servants to learn the method of digging a sweet water well.

Yingchun asked carefully, and when she heard that it was Chen Siyuan who had agreed, she was afraid that her own father would use her to blackmail her. At that moment, she could no longer sit still and hurriedly got up to go to the back to find Chen Siyuan.

Chen Siyuan was both amused and exasperated. He comforted his second sister at length and personally escorted her back to her room before finally letting the matter rest.

Just as Luo Siliang was given instructions on this matter, another steward came to report that the Xue family had sent a dowry.

Not to mention Daiyu and Yingchun, even Chen Siyuan was completely baffled. It had been agreed long ago that the dowry would be brought along on the day of the wedding, so how could such a settled matter change so suddenly?
When Chen Siyuan looked ahead and caught sight of Xue Ke delivering the dowry, he immediately realized that he had probably misunderstood.

This time, the gift is the Xue family's dowry, but it's not for Sister Bao, but for that girl Baoqin!

Looking around, a total of sixty-four dowry bearers filled the front yard, and servants were still carrying the dowry into the back.

Upon seeing Chen Siyuan, Xue Ke hurriedly stepped forward to greet him, saying, "I was afraid that my sister would have a hard time after marrying into the family, so I secretly prepared some dowry for her. Please forgive me, Hanlin."

As they spoke, they presented the dowry list. Chen Siyuan took it with amusement, and after a glance, he knew that Baoqin's dowry was probably no less than Baochai's. The estates in Baoding alone numbered three thousand mu, which, if properly managed, could be worth over ten thousand!
Chen Siyuan thought to himself, Xue Ke wasn't worried about Baoqin being wronged at all; he was clearly using this as an opportunity to show off to Baoqin!
(End of this chapter)