Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 443 A Misguided Plan Leads to Disaster

Musk Moon cried out in alarm and rushed to Xi Ren, who was lying on the kang (a heated brick bed). She saw that Xi Ren's face was ashen, her forehead was covered in cold sweat, and her soft hands were ice-cold.

Physician Wang hurriedly entered with his medicine box, and Musk Moon pleaded, "Please, Physician, quickly examine Xi Ren."

Physician Wang nodded in agreement, disregarding the difference between men and women, and took the pulse. After a short while, he couldn't help but stroke his beard and exclaim in surprise.

He looked Xiren up and down and said, "Please, miss, extend your left hand."

Musk Moon asked with great concern, "Imperial Physician, how is Xi Ren?"

Although this Imperial Physician Wang was not a famous doctor, he was well-versed in traditional Chinese medicine. How could he not see that Xiren's pulse was strange?

Xi Ren bit her lower lip, knowing she couldn't hide it from Physician Wang, and said to Musk Moon, "I would like to trouble you, I would like to have a sip of hot tea, my throat is very dry."

Musk Moon agreed and got up to pour water.

As soon as he left, Xiren reached into the quilt with her other hand and slipped a gold hairpin into the hands of Physician Wang.

Physician Wang was taken aback and said, "Young lady, what's wrong with you...?"

Xiren pleaded, "Please trouble the imperial physician, I only wish to live now."

Having spent a long time in the Rongguo Mansion, Physician Wang was used to such sordid affairs. Seeing Xiren on the verge of tears, he felt a pang of pity and sighed, "That young lady has contracted a condition called 'bleeding,' which is a sign of metrorrhagia. Is that alright?"

With tears welling in her eyes, Xiren nodded and said, "Thank you very much, Physician Wang."

At this moment, Musk Moon returned with a bowl of warm tea. She had just served Xi Ren a couple of sips when Physician Wang said, "This is a case of bleeding, and it has the potential to cause metrorrhagia... It's not easy to treat. I'll prescribe a formula for you to try. Don't overwork yourself for the next two months. It's best to go home and rest."

Musk Moon, without suspicion, readily agreed. When Physician Wang was about to take his leave, Musk Moon hurriedly caught up with him, rummaged through her handkerchief, found a small piece of silver, and, after much persuasion, stuffed it into Physician Wang's handkerchief.

After a while, Musk Moon turned around, glanced at Xi Ren's haggard appearance, and sighed heavily. Then she said, "You rest first, I'll go and send a maid to brew the medicine. This kind of thing can't be kept secret, we have to tell Madam."

Xi Ren calmly agreed, her face ashen.

Musk Moon gave a few more instructions, then turned and left, finding a young maid to take care of Xi Ren. Musk Moon didn't hide this matter from anyone; no sooner had she gone to report to Madam Wang's courtyard than Bao Chan came to the side room to take a look.

Seeing Xiren's haggard appearance and pale face, Baochan was terrified. She didn't know that Xiren had taken the medicine herself, and assumed that the medicine given by Madam Wang was very potent. She immediately felt a sense of apprehension.

Baochan thought to herself, "I thought Madam was indecisive, but I never expected that once she had a plan, she would act so ruthlessly! If she treats Xiren, her former confidante, this way, who knows if she won't treat me the same way in the future?"
Thinking this, Baochan felt uneasy and lost her previous smugness.

Meanwhile, Musk Moon hurriedly informed Lady Wang, who was also taken aback. Upon hearing that Xi Ren had suffered from spotting, Lady Wang's disappointment in Bao Yu deepened. What was spotting? It meant miscarriage!

Then I thought, could it be that the medicine from Physician Hu was not good for having children, which caused Xiren to miscarry?

A fleeting sense of regret crossed Madam Wang's mind. Knowing there was no turning back now, she said, "It's pitiful. Since Physician Wang says she needs to rest, then go to the Hua family and tell Xiren's brother to take her back first. Yes," Xiren then called over Yuchuan, took out twenty taels of silver from the silver box, and said, "These twenty taels are for Xiren to buy medicine. If she needs anything, just come to the mansion to get it."

Musk Moon thanked Madam Wang on behalf of Xi Ren, took the silver, and went forward to find a servant to go and deliver the message to Hua Zifang's house.

Before 3 PM that day, Hua Zifang hired a donkey cart to pick up Xiren and take her home, which I won't go into detail about.

It is said that Baoyu went to the private school early that morning, and after noon he went to find Jiang Yuhan and others to hang out with.

Around 3 PM, he returned home tipsy and saw Hua Zifang passing by a donkey cart.

Baoyu dismounted and said to his servant, "That man looks familiar."

The servant hurriedly replied, "Second Master, that is Xiren's brother, Hua Zifang."

Baoyu responded and asked in surprise, "Why is he here?"

Several servants who accompanied them shook their heads, chattering amongst themselves, saying that they had probably come to visit Xiren.

Baoyu, unsuspecting, dropped the reins and headed towards the Qixianzhai at the back.

Upon entering the main room, only Musk Moon and Bao Chan were guarding it. Bao Yu washed his hands, sat down, and, after receiving some fragrant tea, said with a smile, "It's quite a coincidence, I just saw Xi Ren's brother. He must have come to visit Xi Ren. By the way, where is Xi Ren?"

Musk Moon pursed her lips and remained silent, while Bao Chan said listlessly, "Xi Ren is ill, and thanks to Madam's kindness, the Hua family has taken her back."

Baoyu asked in surprise, "Why did you suddenly fall ill? Have you summoned the imperial physician to examine you?"

Musk Moon nodded.

Baoyu pressed on, "What did the imperial physician say?"

“They say it’s a condition of bleeding… with the potential for a major hemorrhage.” Musk Moon said, glancing sideways at Bao Yu with a hint of resentment in her eyes.

Baoyu was taken aback by these words, and immediately felt uneasy, fearing that Lady Wang would blame him. So he asked again, "Mother... what did you say?"

Musk Moon shook her head and said, "They didn't say anything else, only that Xiren should go home to recuperate, and they also gave her twenty taels of silver for medicine."

Baoyu frowned and responded faintly, holding his teacup in a daze for a long while, seemingly pondering something. That night, Baoyu went to bed early, but unlike usual, he did not seek out Musk Moon or Baochan to share his bed.

For the next two days, Baoyu remained listless and dispirited, not even going to the Prince of Beijing's residence. He either spent time at a private school or simply shut himself in his room and lost in thought.

The maids at Qixianzhai all knew what kind of person Baoyu was. When he was in a good mood, everything was fine with him, but whenever he lost his temper, only his master could control him; even the Heavenly King himself wouldn't be able to stop him.

Everyone in Qixianzhai was careful with their words and actions, fearing they might offend Baoyu. Several maids whispered amongst themselves, but none of them knew what Baoyu was thinking.

Baoyu's condition could not be hidden from Grandmother Jia. The old lady hurriedly sought out Baoyu to inquire about his well-being, but no matter how she asked, Baoyu would not say anything. Lady Wang was afraid that the matter of Xiren's bleeding would displease Grandmother Jia, so she said, "Xiren has gone home to recuperate these past few days, and Baoyu is just a little worried about her."

Upon hearing that it was Xiren who had returned home, Grandmother Jia only frowned slightly and then stopped asking questions.

Let's leave that aside for now and talk about Xiren's situation.

Xiren returned home to recuperate, and her brother and sister-in-law didn't care much for her. Apart from brewing her medicine on time, her meals were often worse than usual. Moreover, her sister-in-law would occasionally make sarcastic remarks.

Three days later, the effects of the pill wore off, and the hemorrhage gradually stopped. Xi Ren secretly rejoiced, thankful that she hadn't swallowed too many pills, otherwise she was truly afraid that she would have died.

That afternoon, feeling that she was no longer seriously ill, Xiren dressed herself, slipped on her shoes, and went outside to use the restroom. But as soon as she reached the side room, she overheard her sister-in-law whispering with the neighbor's old woman.

"...I thought she could become a concubine, but who knew she was so unlucky!"

The old woman said, "What do you mean? Didn't you say that your sister-in-law is trusted by the Lady of Rongguo Mansion and receives two taels of silver a month?"

His sister-in-law scoffed, "That's all ancient history! This time, they only gave us twenty taels of silver for medicine. Have they taken care of the rest? Besides, it's been three days, and we haven't seen him even once."

"Tsk tsk, what kind of family is the Rongguo Mansion? It's a Duke's mansion! Master Bao has over a dozen maids serving him, what beautiful women don't they have? I think the young lady is getting old, and Master Bao is inevitably getting a little tired of her."

The old woman sighed, "That's true. What man doesn't get tired of the old and crave the new? As for the Hua family, what are your plans? You can't keep supporting your sister-in-law forever, can you?"

His sister-in-law pursed her lips and said, "We'll see. If we can go back to the Rongguo Mansion, that would be best. If we can't go back... then we'll just have to find someone to marry into."

The old woman sighed, "It's a pity that your sister-in-law has contracted the Blood Mountain Collapse. Otherwise, with her looks, she could have married a wealthy man from outside, and the dowry alone would have been several hundred taels of silver. But with this Blood Mountain Collapse, if she can't lay eggs, she'll probably be worthless."

His sister-in-law frowned and pondered for a while, then said, "Aunt, you must keep this a secret. It's not good to spread it around. Even if my sister-in-law can't return to the Rongguo Mansion, I'm still hoping to get a few hundred more taels of betrothal money."

The old woman laughed and said, "I know you well enough. You know me; I'm always tight-lipped."

Xiren, who was outside the side room, turned pale upon hearing this. She turned back and went into the main room to find a chamber pot to relieve herself. She had already given up hope on her brother and sister-in-law.

When her mother was alive, her elder brother and sister-in-law arranged for her to marry a wealthy man; later, when her mother contracted diabetes, her brother and sister-in-law exploited her in every way. At that time, Xiren had nowhere else to turn but to seduce Chen Siyuan, and only with his financial assistance was she able to afford her mother's medical treatment.

She had hoped that her brother and sister-in-law would treat her better after this ordeal, but who knew they would be plotting to sell her off! She is a living, breathing person, not some prostitute in a brothel. How come her sincere heart can't earn her even a little bit of tenderness?
And that Baoyu… what a load of rubbish, Second Master Bao! He's always so tender and affectionate towards women, but now that he's ill, he hasn't come to visit even once. No wonder the maids in the mansion gossip behind his back, saying that Second Master Bao seems affectionate, but is actually heartless.

Isn't his appearance heartless?

After much thought, he realized that although Master Yuan was a womanizer, he still had some affection for him. He was always generous with money, and once he asked for something, he would never go back on his word.

She was bound to the Rongguo Mansion by contract, and running away meant she was a runaway slave. Besides, the outside world wasn't peaceful; she was all alone and might just be escaping one danger only to fall into another. Rather than waiting to be sold by her brother and sister-in-law, it was better to go and seek refuge with Master Yuan.

Now, Xiren no longer hopes to become a concubine; she only hopes that Chen Siyuan can give her a place to stay.

Having made up her mind, Xiren took advantage of her sister-in-law still being in the side room to rummage through the chests and trunks, finding only a little over two taels of loose silver. There were clothes, but no jewelry or ornaments.

Xiren was always quick to take things in stride. She simply found a coat and hid it under the covers, waiting for her chance to escape.

As dusk approached, the old woman next door returned home. Her sister-in-law, seeing that there was no water in the house, gave her a scathing scolding and then counted out a string of copper coins before heading to the alley entrance to buy water.

As soon as Xiren saw her sister-in-law leave, she immediately jumped down, wrapped herself in her coat, and went outside.

Upon leaving home, he immediately went in the opposite direction from his sister-in-law, and soon reached the street. He found a donkey cart and ordered, "Go to Shajing Hutong!"

The driver agreed, cracked the whip, and headed straight for Nengren Temple. Xiren knew perfectly well that going to Faxiangfang would only lead to trouble. Not to mention Daiyu's dislike for her, as a servant of the Jia family, she couldn't even get past Yingchun alone.

Rather than that, it would be better to go to Shajing Hutong and seek refuge with the You sisters.

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

The Chen Residence in Faxiangfang.

After receiving Yingchun's instructions, Xiuju went out of the main house in the central courtyard and asked an old woman, "Where did the master rest yesterday?"

The old woman chuckled and said, "It should be in the study at the back."

Xiuju agreed, turned around and went through the main room, then entered the garden through the side gate next to the back room. At this time, the autumn wind was blowing, and withered leaves were falling from time to time. Before long, she arrived at the study, pushed open the door and entered. She immediately felt a familiar scent carried in the hot wind that rushed towards her.

Xiu Ju glanced over and saw that Hong Yu, Miao Er, and Tiao Er were all weak in the waist and legs. One had spring in her eyes and was in high spirits, while the other's heart was trembling and her heart was pounding. Xiu Ju had been through a few times before, so she knew that the three of them must have had another fierce battle with the master early in the morning.
At this moment, Miao'er came over and said with a smile, "You've come at the right time. Master is in the room. I was just about to forget about you, which is not good."

Embroidered Orange blushed and spat, "You little hussy, how come you didn't break your back from exhaustion!"

She immediately left Miao'er behind and Xiuju moved gracefully into the inner room.

Inside, Chen Siyuan sat slumped behind his desk, holding only a copy of the Spring and Autumn Annals for study.

Xiuju stepped forward and curtsied. Only then did Chen Siyuan put down his book and ask, "Did Second Sister send you?"

Xiuju replied, "When I went to visit the master of Rongguo Mansion last time, the madam promised Miss Yun that she would invite the ladies of the mansion to a small gathering at home soon. The madam wrote the invitation yesterday, but she was a little unsure about the date, so she sent me to ask the master to make a decision."

Chen Siyuan nodded in agreement and said, "You go back first, I'll go in a bit."

Xiuju agreed, then turned around and saw Miao'er and Tiao'er whispering and giggling, covering their mouths. Xiuju rolled her eyes and left the study.

Chen Siyuan stretched his body unhurriedly, called Hongyu to help him change his clothes, and then leisurely headed towards the central courtyard.

They entered the main room in no time and saw Yingchun get up to greet them again. Chen Siyuan quickly took two steps forward to help her up and said, "Madam, why be so polite? Please sit down and let's talk."

Yingchun smiled and sat down, saying to Chen Siyuan, "Yesterday I wrote an invitation, intending to invite Yun'er, Third Sister, and Fourth Sister to the manor for a small gathering on the Double Ninth Festival. But then I thought, my husband might have other plans for the Double Ninth Festival. Besides, the autumn wind is chilly now, and the scenery in the back garden is desolate. A gathering like this would spoil the mood. So I thought, why not invite the sisters for a small gathering after the Double Ninth Festival, after the first snow?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Second sister has thought things through very well, I have no objection." He then took Yingchun's slightly plump hand and showered her with concern.

Feeling comforted, Yingchun said, "Everything else is fine, but I dare not eat too much. Morning sickness is bad enough, but every time I feel nauseous, I can't stop burping."

Chen Siyuan said solemnly, "The kitchen is right in the central courtyard, which is very convenient. From now on, Second Sister, you can eat smaller meals more frequently. Just tell the kitchen when you want to eat."

Yingchun hesitated and said, "Isn't this a bit too much trouble?"

"What trouble have you caused me?"

Seeing Chen Siyuan's seriousness, the second young lady finally smiled and agreed. When she was in the Rongguo Mansion, she ate two meals and three snacks every day. After arriving at the Chen family, she changed to three meals a day, which she was naturally not used to.

The couple chatted for a while, enjoying their sweet moments, when suddenly Yunxiang arrived. She sneaked inside, glanced at Chen Siyuan with pleading eyes, opened her mouth as if to speak, but then swallowed back the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

Chen Siyuan found it amusing and asked, "What is it?"

Yunxiang glanced at Yingchun discreetly and said, "My third sister has arrived. She says she has something to ask the master."

Yunxiang's third sister was a maidservant of Sister You San, named Dongmei... Well, Yunxiang's surname was Ma.

The second daughter, Yingchun, was very perceptive and immediately said, "It must be something important. Husband, you can go ahead and answer the questions. I'll go and discuss it with Baochai and Linchai."

Chen Siyuan agreed and got up to go to the front hall with Yunxiang.

After a short while, they entered the hall. Na Dongmei curtsied and, before Chen Siyuan could sit down, said, "Master, yesterday evening a young lady knocked on the door. She said her surname was Hua and her given name was Xiren. She said she had your permission and came to ask for your protection."

Xi Ren? How did she get out here?

After a moment's thought, Chen Siyuan recalled: That's right, Baochan went to Baoyu's side, and Xiren realized that she had no hope of becoming a concubine, so she hurriedly withdrew.

After a short while, Chen Siyuan nodded and said, "Now that she has arrived, let her settle in for the time being."

Dongmei agreed, then hesitated and said, "Also, before my aunt left, she asked me to ask if Master would like to stay overnight in Shajing Hutong if he has any free time."

Chen Siyuan said, "I understand. I'll go whenever I have time in the next couple of days."

Having nothing else to do, Dongmei excused herself and took a carriage back to the You sisters' place.

Chen Siyuan had a leisurely day and planned to visit the You sisters the next day, and also to see Xiren. However, the next morning he felt dizzy and listless, and when Qingwen touched him, she found his forehead burning hot.

This was quite alarming. Yingchun, Daiyu, and Baochai rushed to the bedside and hurriedly summoned Ding Daojian of Henian Hall for a consultation. Only after the diagnosis that it was just a cold did the three women feel somewhat relieved.

After sending Yunxiang away, who was both amused and envious of Ding Daojian, Chen Siyuan said in a deep voice to the three women, "I've always been healthy, but it's not good to always be like this. Catching a cold once in a while might actually be a good thing. Rong'er is frail, so she shouldn't stay with me, lest she catch a cold."

Daiyu pointed to the mask covering her face and said reproachfully, "Putting aside the fact that this covers my face, as for my health, I've only lost some weight, but I'm not as weak as I used to be—"

She was stopped halfway through her sentence by Baochai, who said, "Sister Lin, stop right now. You can't just say whatever comes to mind. Otherwise, the good things might not come true, but the bad things might."

Daiyu choked for a moment, then smiled and said it didn't count.

After catching up with Daiyu, Chen Siyuan then caught up with Yingchun. The two women had no choice but to return to their rooms first.

Only Baochai remained in the study. Chen Siyuan was about to hurry up, but Baochai smiled and said, "I'm usually very strong inside. If I'm careful, I won't catch any illness."

Unable to refuse, Chen Siyuan thought for a moment and simply put on a mask.

Chen Siyuan spent most of the day in a daze, and it wasn't until the afternoon that he regained some energy. He made up his mind that he would not drag Qingwen and the others to Tingyue Tower to fool around again before the flowers bloomed in spring next year. He was just about to tell Wu'er to pick up a history book to pass the time when Yunxiang came again.

Baochai got up and went to the outer room to ask a few questions. Then she led Yunxiang inside and said, "Husband, it seems that something has happened in Rongguo Mansion again. First, they kicked out Xiren, and then the old lady's head maid, Amber, committed suicide."

Chen Siyuan was taken aback and said, "Suicide? Why would someone commit suicide out of the blue?"

Baochai hadn't asked in detail earlier, but now she looked at Yunxiang.

Yunxiang felt a pang of sympathy and said, "I heard that Sister Amber's death... is related to Master Bao."

"what?"

Yunxiang pondered for a moment and said, "My mother heard it from the old woman. It seems that the day before, Amber went to Qixianzhai to look for Musk Moon, and somehow she got drunk. Just then, Second Master Bao came back from Madam's courtyard, saw Amber, and was tempted... Afterwards, Madam received the news and saw Amber crying her heart out, so she gave her a good talking-to."

The matter was supposed to be over, but yesterday afternoon, the old lady sent Amber to fetch two cat's-eye stones from the private treasury, saying they were for Miss Yun to use as cloves. Amber went to the treasury, and for some reason, she became distraught, found a well, and jumped in… By the time the servants discovered her, Sister Amber was already dead.

Upon hearing this, Chen Siyuan and Baochai exchanged a suspicious glance. Firstly, Qixianzhai was a place teeming with beautiful women, and although Amber was of decent appearance, she wasn't particularly outstanding. How could Baoyu have taken advantage of her vulnerability to take Amber?

Secondly, even if a maid like Amber is not a virgin, it does not prevent her from getting married. Why would Amber seek death after losing her virginity?

Thirdly, Amber was the head maid who managed Grandmother Jia's private treasury, so why was it her?
Chen Siyuan was a man of many minds, and Baochai was also a thoughtful person. The young couple exchanged a glance and immediately sensed that there was something fishy about the matter.

After Yunxiang left, Baochai nestled close to the head of the bed and whispered to Chen Siyuan, "Brother Bao, although you are a passionate man, you would never do such a foolish thing. My aunt... is probably eyeing the old lady again."

"That's to be expected," Chen Siyuan nodded and sighed. "Let's see. The old lady is getting on in years. I'm afraid there will be a lot of trouble after this." He paused and then added, "Sister, when you have time, go back to the old house and tell her, lest you be tricked by the madam again."

Baochai was slightly surprised, but then she realized that with Amber's death, Grandmother Jia must have noticed something. Her aunt, Lady Wang, had failed in her plan and might even turn her attention to her own family... So she had to remind her mother to be more careful.
Baochai readily agreed, then quickly found Ying'er, gave her some instructions, and sent her to the outer city to deliver the message.

When Baochai returned to her study, she saw Baoqin, the maid, holding a soup bowl and feeding Chen Siyuan his medicine spoonful by spoonful. Baochai frowned slightly and quietly withdrew. Wenxing, who was with her, said, "Why did Madam leave without a word? Won't this let the second branch of the family gain power in the future?"

Baochai laughed and said, "How old is she? It's no use trying to curry favor with her. If I go there now, Qin'er will definitely be sarcastic and sharp-tongued. If I talk back, I'll seem petty; if I don't talk back, won't I just be taking a beating for nothing? It's better not to argue with her. Don't worry, my husband knows what he's doing."

Two days passed quickly, and Chen Siyuan's cold gradually improved, but Baoqin, who had come by chance, caught a cold instead. Chen Siyuan was both amused and exasperated, so he went to the east wing of the east courtyard to check on Baoqin.

Seeing the girl lying pitifully on the kang, sneezing incessantly and speaking in a muffled voice, Chen Siyuan said, "What did I tell you? You just had to show off."

Baoqin said, feeling wronged, "I'm sick, and Brother Yuan doesn't even try to comfort me. Instead, he blames me. Achoo~"

Chen Siyuan sat down with a smile, rubbing Baoqin's little head and saying, "Alright, alright, I don't blame you. Now tell me, how do you want me to comfort you?"

Baoqin's eyes darted around, and she suddenly smiled and said, "I don't need anything else, as long as Brother Yuan can stay in my room once next month."

"That's it?"

"Well, that's it."

Chen Siyuan pinched Baoqin's cheek and said, "Alright, I agree to this."

(End of this chapter)