Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 439 Undercurrents Rise During the Homecoming Visit; Mid-Autumn Festival Couplets Bring Joy

Meanwhile, Baochai, dressed in her finest attire, left the main room with Chen Siyuan. As they walked along the covered corridor, they unexpectedly saw Baoqin standing prettily in front of the east wing door.

The girl, with her beautiful face and delicate makeup, was also meticulously dressed. Upon seeing the two, she quickly curtsied and said, "Sister, Master."

Baochai asked in surprise, "What's this, sister?"

Baoqin stood up and said with a charming smile, "Sister, have you forgotten that it's my turn to return to my parents' home today?"

That makes sense, but the main house is in the outer city, while Xue Ke's new house is in the inner city. We can't just send Baoqin to him based on the distance, can we?

Chen Siyuan glared at Baoqin, but the girl tilted her head slightly, her smiling almond-shaped eyes filled with a playful glint.

After a moment's thought, Chen Siyuan said, "In that case, I'll send my sister back first, and then go find my sister after I've seen Qin'er off."

Baochai couldn't think of any other solution for the moment, so she nodded in agreement. After giving Baoqin a deep look, she gracefully walked out.

After a short while, the three of them split into two carriages, accompanied by maids and old women, and led by servants, and headed ahead of the Xue family's old residence in the outer city.

As the time approached, they were about to arrive at their destination. The Xue family's doorman had been waiting at the alley entrance since early morning. Upon seeing the young master and mistress arrive, he quickly informed them inside.

Since there were no male members in the main branch of the family, a steward was stationed at the door, and another woman surnamed Cao was waiting inside the ceremonial gate.

Before long, the carriage stopped. Chen Siyuan got off first, then turned around and helped Baochai down. After giving her a few brief instructions, he got into the carriage behind.

The steward was completely baffled and hurriedly asked, "Miss, what's wrong with the young master...?"

Baochai smiled and said, "Master has other matters to attend to, he will be here in a little while."

"Oh, please come in, young lady."

The steward wasn't stupid. Xiao Luo and Xiao Dian, who were accompanying the carriage, were Bao Qin's maids. Even a pig-brain would know that the young master was escorting the second daughter back to her parents' home.

As Baochai entered the ceremonial gate, Cao Shi greeted her with a smile. Upon seeing Baochai, Cao Shi immediately exclaimed, "Oh my, they say that a scholar should be looked at with new eyes after three days of separation, and the ancients were indeed right. Look at her, in just a few days, she has changed so much, truly possessing the demeanor of a great lady!"

Sister Bao blushed and tugged at Cao's hand, saying, "Sister-in-law, please stop teasing me. Where is Mother?"

"Madam is waiting in the main room... Eh? Where's the son-in-law?"

Baochai repeated the story again, and Caoshi didn't mind. She said, "Madam has been looking forward to it since early morning. We can't keep Madam waiting."

They pulled Baochai along, and the two sisters-in-law walked along the covered corridor, soon passing the screen and entering the main room. Aunt Xue, who was holding Baoyan, had already stood up anxiously upon hearing the commotion.

When Aunt Xue caught sight of Baochai alone, she was slightly taken aback. But seeing that Baochai's expression was normal, she knew there must be a reason. She didn't ask, but instead hugged Baochai with tears in her eyes, calling out "My darling" and "My child" repeatedly.

Baochai was deeply moved, and her eyes welled up with tears. Perhaps Cao Shi was recalling her own wedding day, she also wiped away her tears with her handkerchief, sniffed for a long time, and held back her tears before persuading the mother and daughter to sit down.

After a while, all the unrelated people withdrew, and Cao went to the back to deal with matters in the west, leaving only the Xue family mother and daughter.

Aunt Xue then asked about Chen Siyuan, and Baochai didn't hide anything and explained the reason.

Aunt Xue frowned in annoyance and said, "This Baoqin is no pushover. My son, you'll have to be more careful from now on."

Baojie said calmly, "It's just a little bit of cleverness, nothing to worry about, Mom."

Given her relationship with Chen Siyuan, how could Baoqin, a mere bean sprout, possibly cause any trouble?
Aunt Xue was still not entirely at ease and went on and on about a lot of things. Baochai didn't really care, but she nodded and agreed on the surface.

After this matter was discussed, Aunt Xue felt uneasy for a long time before asking, "My son... how does Yuan'er treat you?"

Baochai knew that her mother was about to inquire about matters of the bedroom, so her pretty face flushed red, and she lowered her head and whispered, "Yes, yes, it's very good."

Aunt Xue was about to ask a few more questions, but after a long pause, she simply said, "That's good then."

Baochai was puzzled, but little did she know that Aunt Xue had other thoughts in mind—what Chen Siyuan could do, others might not know, but how could Aunt Xue not know? Every time, wasn't his fragrant skin falling and his beauty captivating the heart?
Fortunately, the two of them had only managed to meet once in a while. If they had been together day and night, Aunt Xue would probably have started arguing about finding a concubine for him within two days.

At this moment, Aunt Xue mentioned the cash that Baochai had on hand. Baochai composed herself, thinking that her mother was afraid that she was having morning sickness, which was why she didn't ask about it carefully.

When the topic of reproduction came up, Sister Bao's eyes immediately lit up, and she began to count the items on her fingers.

Aunt Xue was originally a woman confined to the inner quarters of the household. If Baochai's father hadn't passed away, how would she have had the opportunity to manage the main family's business? Seeing that Baochai's words were so detailed and convincing, she couldn't tell right from wrong for the time being.

Upon seeing this, Baochai said, "I have already discussed this matter with my husband, and he also said that he can do it."

Aunt Xue nodded instinctively and said, "Since Yuan-ge'er agrees, then you can just go ahead and do it."

Baochai smiled and agreed, but Aunt Xue suddenly felt uneasy. She didn't know when it started, but Aunt Xue only trusted Chen Siyuan. She would think twice about what Baochai said, but she would always agree to what Chen Siyuan said without hesitation.

Fearing that Baochai would notice, Aunt Xue quickly took a sip of tea and then asked, "Why hasn't Yuan-ge returned yet?"

Baochai smiled and said, "The second branch is located in the inner city. Wouldn't it take some time to travel back and forth? But there's no rush. The East Courtyard is now owned by the Xue family. Mother can come and stay for a few days when she has time. No one else will say anything."

Aunt Xue was tempted, but said, "Why should I join in the fun? You two are newlyweds, the important thing is to give birth to a son soon."

Baochai choked, wanting to say something but holding back. She thought to herself, "She's practically falling apart already, what more do you want from her?"

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

Xue Ke's Residence.

Chen Siyuan took his seat at the head of the table, and a maid immediately served him fragrant tea. As Chen Siyuan sipped his tea, Xue Ke addressed him as "Hanlin" and briefly explained the matter of expanding the city.

Chen Siyuan put down his teacup and said, "In that case, it should be completed by next year at the latest?"

“That’s right. Recently, we’ve only made occasional purchases of materials. Also, many officials in the capital have moved to the new city, which has caused rents in the outer city to drop by more than 10%.”

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "The capital is the most desirable place. Even if housing prices drop temporarily, they will gradually rise back up."

Xue Ke then said, "Hanlin, the other day I was summoned by Yan Langzhong of the Imperial Household Department and given a job procuring iron materials."

"Iron materials?" Chen Siyuan asked carefully, and when he found out that they were buying iron pipes, he knew that they were here for the deep well.

At this critical juncture, it wasn't just the capital that was facing a water shortage. Cities in the north, such as Chang'an, Taiyuan, and Tianjin, were also struggling to obtain drinking water.

The Imperial Household Department has developed a low-cost tap water system. If it generates revenue in the capital, it will soon be available in all major northern cities. Chen Siyuan then gave Xue Ke some pointers. Upon hearing that there was more to this than met the eye, Xue Ke became very interested and asked a few more questions, then was overjoyed!

He thought to himself, if this matter is handled well, the benefits may not be less than those from expanding the city.

Just then, a burst of laughter came from behind the screen in the side room, drawing Chen Siyuan's attention.

Through the screen, I could vaguely glimpse a graceful figure hurriedly retreating into the room.

Xue Ke hurriedly apologized, saying, "The maids in my household have been neglected; please forgive me, Hanlin."

Ordinary maids wouldn't dare to peep like that. She must have been taken as a concubine by Xue Ke.

Remembering Li Wan's previous request, Chen Siyuan was preoccupied with marriage and indulging in pleasures, and had not investigated in detail for a while. However, Xue Ke was a steady and measured person who knew how to assess the situation, so he was a good match.

Chen Siyuan pondered for a moment, then briefly mentioned it. Xue Ke frowned and thought for a while, then cupped his hands and said, "I dare not agree at this moment. How about I give Hanlin a reply after I bring my mother here next spring?"

Chen Siyuan understood immediately, fearing that Xue Ke had other plans, so he smiled and said, "It was just a casual remark, you don't need to take it to heart."

After drinking a cup of tea, he got up, bid farewell to Xue Ke, and took a carriage to the Xue family's old residence.

It was nearly noon when Chen Siyuan finally returned to the Xue family's old residence. He and Baochai first offered sacrifices at the Xue family ancestral hall, and then a banquet was set up. Because the Xue family was small, only one table was set up for the feast.

During the meal, Chen Siyuan remained silent, and Aunt Xue also kept quiet. One was deliberately keeping them in suspense, while the other was afraid of being discovered by Baochai.

Before returning home, Baochai invited Aunt Xue and Madam Cao to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival together at Faxiangfang. Madam Cao smiled but remained silent, while Aunt Xue pondered for a moment and finally declined.

On the way back, they had to pick up Baoqin. Baochai was worried about Aunt Xue and leaned against Chen Siyuan, saying worriedly, "Although the East Courtyard is also surnamed Xue, Mother is still uncomfortable, which is why she declined."

Chen Siyuan comforted her, saying, "Taishui just wants her to have some peace and quiet... Once she has a child, I'm sure Taishui won't have any excuse to refuse."

My child...

Baochai reached out and touched her lower abdomen. After a moment, she realized that Chen Siyuan was up to something. Baochai's face stiffened, and she quickly bit her lower lip and said, "Please forgive me this time... I almost couldn't get up this morning. I feel like my whole body is falling apart. Today... why don't you go and find Xiangling?"

Chen Siyuan reluctantly withdrew his hand, sighed, and felt a sense of loneliness as cold as snow.

That night, as expected, Baochai raised the white flag, and Chen Siyuan had no choice but to go to the west wing to find Xiangling. Xiangling was so frightened that she turned pale. After thinking it over, she finally sought help from Hongyu and Qingwen. After several rounds of lovemaking, the matter was finally resolved.

The next day was the thirteenth day of the first lunar month.

Early in the morning, Chen Siyuan and Baochai had breakfast. Seeing that he wouldn't leave, Baochai said with a mix of laughter and tears, "We have a long future ahead of us, so why be greedy for momentary pleasure? Although my husband has requested to stay home, it's not good to waste his time. Why don't you go to the study and read some books? I'll take care of the household affairs."

Chen Siyuan was not very happy and hummed a few times. Baochai came over and kissed him a few more times before coaxing him to go to the study at the back.

The East Courtyard was newly built, and Li Cai was still managing the affairs of the outer residence, so Baochai didn't have much to do. She was about to go to the Central Courtyard to find her second sister Yingchun and Daiyu when she saw her maid Ying'er tiptoe over and whisper, "Madam, yesterday Master and Aunt Zhen went to the study in the back... Should we send them a bowl of contraceptive soup?"

Baochai glanced at Ying'er and knew exactly what the girl was thinking.
Xiangling had been by her husband's side for three years, but he hadn't conceived, and there was no news of him sending any contraceptive medicine to the hut. Her husband wasn't stupid; he, as the first wife, hadn't even conceived yet, so why would he let Xiangling get pregnant first?
It was only because Ying'er was feigning loyalty that she did this.

Baochai said, "No need, Xiangling knows what she's doing." She paused, then added, "You don't need to rush. Once I'm pregnant, you'll definitely need to help me." Ying'er was secretly delighted, but blushed and said, "Madam! I... I don't have that intention."

Baochai teased, "So you don't have such thoughts? Then I'll have to let Wenxing serve my husband in my place."

Ying'er was stunned for a moment, stammering and unable to speak.

Baochai smiled gently and took his hand, saying, "You are loyal to me, so I will not let you lose your place. You don't need to worry about Xiangling. Just keep an eye on the east wing."

Ying'er readily agreed, and after she left, Baochai sighed and shook her head.

A short while later, Wenxing excitedly entered and said, "Aunt... Madam, the ladies from the Central Courtyard and the West Courtyard have come together."

Upon hearing this, Baochai hurriedly stood up and said, "Second Sister is pregnant, how can she do any strenuous work?"

Having said that, he hurriedly came out to greet them.

As soon as Baochai entered the hall, she saw Daiyu helping Yingchun, chatting and laughing as they approached. Baochai quickly greeted the second young lady, playfully scolding, "I was just taking a short break and was about to head to the central courtyard when you arrived, Second Sister?"

The second young lady laughed and said, "I don't know why, but I ate too much rice porridge this morning and I'm feeling a bit bloated, so I just invited Lin Daiyu to come and see Baochai."

Daiyu smiled and said, "It just so happens that the weather isn't very good today, otherwise we sisters could have taken a stroll in the garden."

As they spoke, the three sisters had already taken their seats as host and guest. The second sister said regretfully, "It's a pity that I got pregnant so soon after I married into the family, otherwise I would have liked to go for a stroll on the lake." After saying that, she turned to look at Daiyu and said, "Sister Lin is so lucky."

Daiyu said mischievously, "Oh, I'm not envious of Second Sister for being pregnant so early, but Second Sister is envious of me? Sister Bao, tell me, what's the reason for this?"

Baochai said with no small amount of envy, "Indeed, Second Sister is truly blessed."

The second young lady mumbled a few words, then hurriedly said, "Today is the thirteenth, and the day after tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival. I had previously discussed with Lin Daiyu that this Mid-Autumn Festival must be a grand celebration."

Just then, Xiangling entered and, upon hearing this, asked, "Is it time for another folk dance?"

The three ladies were all taken aback. When they looked up and saw Xiangling's bewildered face and hopeful eyes, they immediately covered their mouths and laughed.

Baochai said, "Even if Xiangling is a bit slow, Lin Daiyu just won't believe me."

Daiyu covered her mouth and laughed, replying, "Mid-Autumn Festival is just around the corner, and winter will soon be here. Second Sister is also pregnant, so we won't be participating in the poetry club this year. But how about we compose poems together on Mid-Autumn Festival?"

Yingchun and Baochai were both interested and agreed. Since the second young lady now preferred quiet, it was decided that only a Kunqu opera troupe would be invited, and no other Anhui opera troupes, storytelling female immortals, or acrobatic performers would be invited.

After everything was settled, Daiyu smiled and said, "It's just lively now, but I'm afraid it will be too busy during the New Year. Should the three courtyards host a banquet for each other then?"

Baochai chimed in, "My family has few relatives in the capital, so we must invite Mrs. Lin to our home during the New Year."

The second daughter also said, "Now that I'm married out of the family, I can't be considered a member of the Jia family anymore. But I'll be counted in when the time comes."

The sisters chatted and laughed, feeling both familiar and excited. It was quite a strange story that sisters from the inner chambers had become neighbors and shared a husband.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and it was already Mid-Autumn Festival.

In the afternoon, a banquet was set up in the central courtyard. In the main hall, only Chen Siyuan, Yingchun, Daiyu and Baochai sat at one table. The others, such as Xiangling, Baoqin, Qingwen, Hongyu, Miao'er, Tiao'er, Xiuju, Zijuan, Xueyan and Yuanyang, sat at a table in the side room. The other maids, such as Ying'er, sat at another table.

Xing Xiuyan had to stay in her room that day because she was menstruating.

The gate was wide open, and the air inside was filled with the steam of incense. A Kunqu opera troupe had set up a stage in the courtyard and began to sing.

After several acts of singing, the troupe leader presented the playlist and asked everyone to choose their songs. Yingchun, Daiyu, and Baochai all made their choices, and then the others were asked to choose their songs.

The opera booklet landed in Xiangling's hands. Her slender fingers slid across it, and she suddenly pointed to one of the acts and said, "This act is quite novel, but I wonder what 'The Scoundrel Liu' is all about?"

The troupe leader's expression changed, and he stammered, "This... please forgive me, Auntie, this piece cannot be performed."

Qingwen frowned and said, "If you can't sing it, why is it listed in the memorial?"

The troupe leader was drenched in cold sweat, repeatedly bowing and scraping, saying he couldn't sing anymore.

Everyone wasn't stupid; Chen Siyuan and the others quickly realized something was amiss. Turning their heads to observe, they saw that whether it was Second Sister, Sister Bao, or Sister Lin, their expressions had all changed.

Yingchun slammed her hand on the table, neither too hard nor too soft, and said, "You've ruined my good mood!"

Sister Bao also said, "Master Wang, you should go to the back to collect your reward. That's enough for today."

Wang, the troupe leader, hurriedly kowtowed and begged for forgiveness. Daiyu then sneered, "It's our fault for not recognizing Jin Xiangyu. We didn't know your troupe was just a bunch of actresses performing operas!"

The phrase "Diao Liushi" is a play with the full name "Diao Liushi the Adulterous Woman Riding a Wooden Donkey Around the Four Gates," which immediately sounds like a pornographic play.

As the song began, the female lead, dressed only in a small outfit, rode on a fake wooden donkey, carried around by yamen runners. The female lead hummed incessantly, and the scene was quite unpleasant.

In the capital, any respectable family would never invite a troupe to perform opera if they heard of it... otherwise, wouldn't that be a disgrace to their family reputation?

Chen Siyuan and his masters, mindful of their status, didn't dare to say too much, but Yuanyang and Hongyu were not so easy to talk to.

Hongyu's face turned ashen with anger. She said, "What a bunch of spineless opera troupes! Do they think my master is easy to bully?"

Yuanyang sneered, "You're too filthy to waste your breath on such a worthless piece of trash. Come on, get out of here!"

The troupe leader was utterly despondent, and the group of actors trembled with fear, bowing and scraping repeatedly, before being driven out of the inner courtyard by the old woman. As for the reward money, given the festival, it was already a favor that Chen Siyuan didn't beat them to a pulp.

After the opera troupe left, Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "There's no need to get angry over such people. The Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for family reunion. Let's just enjoy ourselves behind closed doors." Seeing that it was still early, Chen Siyuan said, "How about we make a martial arts contest, and the loser has to perform?"

Qingwen immediately became anxious upon hearing this and said, "That won't do. Sister Xiangling can write poems and such, but I can't do anything. I can't very well embroider a fan on the spot, can I?"

Baochai laughed and said, "How about this, the loser either performs a talent or accepts the punishment."

The women all agreed, and then asked how to carry out the martial arts order.

Chen Siyuan stood up, picked up a spoon, placed it in the center of the table, and laughed, "There's no need for all that trouble. Just spin the spoon and rely on luck."

The women all agreed. Since the banquet was no longer necessary, Yingchun ordered the table to be cleared away and Xiangling, Qingwen, and the others to sit at this table.

Ying'er volunteered to be the one to run the game, and with a slight flick of her wrist, the spoon spun around and around. After a while, it stopped and pointed right at Qingwen.

Qingwen continued to play dumb, sidling up to Xueyan and pointing at Hongyu, saying, "It clearly refers to Hongyu, it doesn't count."

Hongyu smiled and poured a bowl of wine, then told Xueyan to twist Qingwen's arm and force her to drink a bowl.

Strangely enough, apart from Chen Siyuan who drank two bowls, Baochai, Daiyu, and Yingchun didn't drink any. On the contrary, Baoqin was the first to get drunk, followed by Qingwen, Xiangling, and the others. By nightfall, after the masters had left, the remaining concubines were all slumped over.

This prompted Baochai to scold, "They've already gotten drunk before we've even had a chance to admire the moon. Who knows how they'll scold Master tomorrow?"

Chen Siyuan scratched his head and hurriedly ordered someone to brew a hangover soup. After a while, the concubines slowly woke up, and everyone went to the garden to enjoy the moon and flowers.

A colorful rope swing had been set up in the back garden at some point. People like Qingwen, who had no interest in appreciating the moon, ate some mooncakes and then came to swing on the swing.

Before long, many concubines gathered around, sometimes fighting one-on-one, sometimes in pairs, truly like a colorful phoenix flying diagonally, or two luan birds dancing together.

In the Moonlit Pavilion, Xiangling's pretty face was flushed and her eyes were blurry with drunkenness. She waited patiently for a long time before urging, "Didn't Madam say we were going to compose a couplet? I wonder how long we'll have to wait?"

Everyone laughed at Xiangling's foolishness, and Chen Siyuan said with a smile, "Alright, let's have some fun composing a couplet. I'll start." After thinking for a moment, he said, "On this Mid-Autumn Festival, the flowers are fragrant and the willows are charming."

The second elder sister, Yingchun, pondered and said, "The two ponds already contain water; how difficult is it for the two lotuses to grow together?"

Daiyu blurted out: "The wind blew it open last night, making it seem as if it came from heaven."

Baochai continued, "For you, I ascended the pavilion by the pond, and thus I floated on a cherry blossom boat."

While Xiangling was still deep in thought, the tipsy Baoqin said, "Pan Fei remained silent, hand in hand with the Xiangjiang girl."

Xiangling paused briefly, then, after some thought, said, "We are delighted to meet again at Wu Bi, with the two Qiao sisters side by side."

Upon hearing this, Baochai and Yingchun both praised it. Baochai then said to Daiyu, "What a wonderful Lin sister! You have now graduated as a female disciple."

Unexpectedly, Baoqin then added: "The bright sand flows on the water, and the lotus leaves float gracefully together."

Baochai glanced sideways and said, "The Queen Mother of the West is rewarded at the Jade Pool, where her cloud chariot stops on the water."

Baoqin's couplet reads: "Spring has already flowed through the auspicious universe, and the heavenly gates are beginning to open their splendor."

Baochai then added: "One should recognize the lotus's purity, for it cannot rival the phoenix's cry."

Baoqin had just opened her mouth when Chen Siyuan suddenly interrupted, "If the Grand Master of Ceremonies can record this, then we can send it to the capital."

Baoqin blinked, pouted and glared at Chen Siyuan, then silently started eating grapes.

That night, the bridge was filled with magpies, spring floated on the spirit raft, the jade water clock dripped at midnight, and the two stars reflected each other's shadows... I won't say more.

(End of this chapter)