Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 89 Playing with Baochai Again
The Miaofeng Mountain Niangniang Temple is the most effective place to pray for a child, and Mrs. Xing’s intention is self-evident.

Chen Siyuan asked, "Have you made an agreement with the Master?"

Madam Xing said, "He's only thinking about the Lin family's wealth now. How can he care about me?"

After the plan was finalized, the two of them couldn't help but talk to each other for a while. Mrs. Xing didn't want to stay for long, so she quickly called her maid to return to the east wing.

Chen Siyuan retreated to his study, musing on his own. Jia Lian had lost his marriage certificate, and to cover up his loss, he had simply lied, claiming he had never received one. After hearing about his life story, he had actually made his lie real.

I think Sun Guangcheng must have taken the real thing in his hands, got the token and killed the person to silence him, and then found me to impersonate Chen Siyuan?

Perhaps the extermination of the Chen family was also linked to Sun Guangcheng... Could it be that all this was orchestrated by Liu Xifu, the eunuch from the Princess's Mansion? But what was his motive?
However, Liu Xifu was already dead, and Sun Guangcheng's whereabouts were unknown, leaving this case as an unsolved mystery. Thinking about it carefully, it seemed that the only person who knew his details and might leak them was Liu Yan'er.

This woman, a member of the Swallow Clan, was accustomed to using her beauty to seduce wealthy gentry, engaging in schemes like setting up fire pits and setting up honey traps. It was previously reported that she was lured to the capital by Sun Guangcheng with a three-thousand-tael bill. Now that she was Xue Pan's concubine, she was probably even more afraid of being exposed than she was.

Thinking about it this way, isn't this matter foolproof?
Chen Siyuan pondered for a while, but still couldn't find any mistakes. He breathed a sigh of relief and felt relaxed.

In this way, his fake dream would become real, and he would be able to enter the Imperial College and obtain a good reputation in the future. And with the forged marriage certificate... He didn't expect to marry Lin Daiyu, but Bao Daiyu, the second sister, the third sister, the fourth sister, or at least his cousin Xing Xiuyan would be fine.

The more Chen Siyuan thought about it, the happier he became, and a smile appeared on his face. Hongyu came over several times to serve him tea, and Chen Siyuan always smiled and looked pleasant.

Then he thought about Xiangling's journey to Ruzhou, about 30 to miles away. Even if she traveled two post stations a day, it would probably take two months to return. (A mile is about meters, and a carriage's speed is not much faster than walking, so in ancient times, a post station was usually every miles.)
Chen Siyuan sighed inwardly, feeling a pity. Xiangling had been genuinely willing to take him in, but he had been hesitant to accept her as his wife. Now that his worries were largely relieved, and with the possibility of remaining in the capital, Chen Siyuan naturally wanted to spend some time with Xiangling... but it was too far to reach him.

While he was pondering, he saw Hongyu come in and cut the wick of the lamp with scissors. She then said, "Master, it's late. You might as well review this lesson tomorrow to avoid hurting your eyes."

Chen Siyuan came back to his senses and responded. He glanced at Hongyu, and saw Hongyu smiling and turning her head away, then she found a rag and wiped around.

Yes, Hongyu is a girl who can let go easily, and you can decide for life with just one glance. Before coming here, she pretended to meet me by chance and glanced at me. After that, she was also very gentle and considerate in my room...

Chen Siyuan simply closed the book, stretched his body, and said, "Forget it, let's talk about it tomorrow. I'll get some water later so I can rest early."

Hongyu agreed. Chen Siyuan strolled into the hall and found some warm water to drink. Hongyu brought in a basin of water and helped him wash up while she said, "Thank goodness the eldest wife sent someone to build a stove, otherwise we'd have to go to the East Courtyard to get hot water. It's freezing outside, and I'm afraid the water we get will be boiling and lukewarm by the time it gets to the room."

Chen Siyuan said, "Having a small stove is convenient, whether it's for boiling water or cooking. Most of the food you guys eat is just a bunch of shoddy big pot meals. It looks like there's meat and vegetables, but the soup is bland and tasteless."

Chen Siyuan took the handkerchief and wiped his face, then continued, "It's inconvenient in winter, so let's try cooking our own meals next spring. If rice, grain, meat, and vegetables are expensive in the East Courtyard, you can just buy them from outside and cook them here."

Hongyu was immediately delighted when she heard this and said, "Master is indeed considerate. The cooks in the East Courtyard are the most snobbish. They cook for their masters and themselves, so they should do their best. But when it comes to a maid like me, they cook with mixed results and just mess around."

Seeing the water stains on Chen Siyuan's neck, Hongyu raised her handkerchief to wipe them, then said with a smile, "It's great to cook your own food, but it will cost more money every month."

After washing his face and taking off his coat, Chen Siyuan went to rest on the bed in the east room. After a while, Hongyu brought some water for washing feet, took off Chen Siyuan's shoes and socks, and soaked and scrubbed his feet in the warm water.

Chen Siyuan continued, "There are only a few people in my household, so even if I throw it away, how much more can I spend? You guys enjoy your meal, and I'll gain a good reputation. Who knows, you might even work harder in the future."

Hongyu chuckled and raised her eyes, saying, "Master, you are being considerate, but when you say it like that, you sound like a harsh and stern rich man in the countryside." After a pause, she added, "Speaking of population, the Second Mistress is back today."

"Second sister-in-law is back?"

Hongyu said, "It seems that because of the incident with Second Master Bao, Second Mistress seemed very upset. As soon as she came back, she went to the mistress and had a private argument with her. I don't know what was decided in the end."

Chen Siyuan then asked, "Did Qin Zhong come back with us?"

Hongyu shook her head and said, "I didn't see it."

How was Qin Zhong doing at this moment in the original novel? Chen Siyuan couldn't recall it for a moment.

Hongyu continued, "Perhaps because they see that Master is now in such good shape, Mrs. Liu from the kitchen went to see Second Mistress today. She said that Wu'er from her family is now old, and Xiangling, who is with Master, has gone out to visit relatives and won't be back for a while. Mrs. Liu suggested that we move Liu Wu'er to Master's room first."

"Huh?" Such a thing actually existed? It was true that the rich in the mountains had distant relatives, while the poor in the city had no one to care for them. Where did his dignity come from? He had only been hanging around Jia She's study more often, and had heard Sister Feng's instructions to assist with the funeral arrangements at Ningguo Mansion... Oh, and he had also been handling the opening of the port.

Besides, I will go to the Imperial College to study in the future. So, in the eyes of Mrs. Liu, although I am not as good as Baoyu, I can still be considered a popular person, right?
Chen Siyuan observed Hongyu's expression and asked, "Second sister-in-law, have you agreed?"

"No," Hongyu said proudly, "I heard that Sister Ping'er mentioned it twice last time, but Sister Liu just wouldn't give in. Now she's eager to send her daughter over, and the Rongguo Mansion isn't named Liu, so what can she say?"

Chen Siyuan laughed heartily and said nothing else. He thought to himself, perhaps Hongyu was also wary of Liu Wu'er?
After washing her feet, Hongyu poured water, washed herself, and then added charcoal to the incense burner. Then she went to the warm room. Halfway through, she said, "Master, it's so cold today. How about... you move to the warm room tomorrow?"

Hongyu bit her lower lip as she spoke, full of childishness. Chen Siyuan was no ordinary person, so how could he not know Hongyu's thoughts?
He then said, "It's a bit chilly at night. I think there's no need to wait until tomorrow. You can just move the bedding to the warm room."

Hongyu happily agreed and quickly moved the bedding and pillows to the warm room. She also thought about moving Chen Siyuan's bedding to the head of the kang.

According to the rules, the maids on night duty were required to take a nap in the warm room, but they were not allowed to actually sleep. In winter, the order was reversed: the maids went to the bed, while the mistresses went to the warm room. But Hongyu never moved her own bedding. After she had spread her bedding, she clutched the corner of her clothes and mused shyly.

Chen Siyuan, however, ignored everything else and went up to the bed and got into bed. He then called out to Hongyu, saying, "Go to sleep quickly. You can have a good sleep today."

"Yes," Hongyu agreed shyly. She turned around, unbuttoned her outer garment, and slipped into bed in her undergarment, her back facing Chen Siyuan, her heart pounding. A moment later, an arm passed under her neck, and to her surprise, she felt herself being embraced.

Chen Siyuan whispered in his ear: "Go to sleep."

"Ah."

The night dragged on, and all was silent, save for the occasional crackling of the silvery charcoal burning in the incense burner. Hongyu's heart felt as if it were about to burst from her chest, and it took a long moment for it to settle. She pursed her lips again, turned around, and slipped her arms around Chen Siyuan's waist, burying her head in his neck. Suddenly, she felt a deep sense of security.

Hongyu slept soundly all night without saying a word. When she heard a noise and opened her eyes, she saw that Chen Siyuan had already woken up.

Hongyu was startled and quickly looked outside to see the sky. Then she said in panic, "Oh no! I got up too late! I'm afraid it's almost past breakfast now!"

Chen Siyuan smiled nonchalantly and said, "I'm not hungry right now. If you're feeling very sleepy, why don't you sleep a little longer?"

How could Hongyu dare to sleep? She knew her duty best, so she quickly got dressed and helped Chen Siyuan get dressed.

There was nothing to do in Japan, so Chen Siyuan lazily ate breakfast and then went into his study to write and draw. If he could really survive with this body, he would have to seek fame and fortune.

At his peak, he had saved no less than ten thousand taels of silver. He gave Madam Xing two thousand taels to cover the dowry for Third Sister Xing, a hundred taels to Xing Dequan, and several hundred taels more for his three brothers' daily expenses. Into the brocade bag Xiangling received before her departure, Chen Siyuan had stuffed five thousand taels of silver.

So, he only had a little over two thousand taels on hand. Because of the remaining memories from his past life, he was quite knowledgeable when it came to writing poetry. If he wanted to pass himself off as a child of an aristocratic family, he might have dabbled in the Four Books and Five Classics. But when it came to actually writing an essay, he had no confidence at all.

Don't think the scholars are poor. How many scholars were there in the Ming Dynasty? Just over 600,000. For just under 300 years, that's an average of only about 2,000 new scholars per year. So, if you compare it to the number of scholars at Peking University and Tsinghua University, they're probably no worse off.

This is just a scholar, and there are also juren and jinshi. Jinshi are divided into different grades, and only one in ten can enter the imperial court. The admission rate is even lower than that of academicians!

No matter how conceited Chen Siyuan was, he wouldn't dare underestimate the heroes of the world. At his age, if he studied hard, how many years would it take to get on the list?
At fifty, one can become a Mingjing scholar, and at sixty, one can become a Jinshi scholar. Haven’t you heard that Fan Jin studied the classics until he was in his fifties before he passed the imperial examination?

To put it bluntly, even if Chen Siyuan devoted himself to studying and endured for twenty years, he would be in his thirties at the right time. But time waits for no one. If he endured for twenty years, could the sisters of the Jia family wait for another twenty years?
Since the right path was difficult and Chen Siyuan's moral bottom line was extremely flexible, he thought he had to find a shortcut.

But right now, I'm completely clueless and don't know where to start. Maybe I'll look for an opportunity after I enter the Imperial College.

Time was of the essence, so Chen Siyuan, thinking it was a last-minute cramming exercise, simply flipped through articles on craftsmanship. Knowing that a good memory is no match for a good pen, he found a ruby ​​​​ruby inkstone and began copying the articles himself. In half a day, he had copied half a volume of contemporary literature.

After dinner that day, another maid came to call him, saying that the master wanted to see him. Chen Siyuan thought to himself that this time he guessed it was about the marriage certificate.

Sure enough, when Chen Siyuan arrived in front, the eldest master Jia She tried to test him vaguely, but he did not have any suspicion. Chen Siyuan just said, "It's up to my uncle." Jia She was happy and had to encourage him. He also said that they would set a date and take Chen Siyuan to the Chen family to register in the middle of next month.

Chen Siyuan was secretly delighted. With his nationality changed, as long as it wasn't discovered someday, he would be completely cleared of all charges. Naturally, he thanked the master profusely and left.

Entering Rongguo Mansion through the corner gate, Chen Siyuan felt so happy that his feet could not help but feel peppy. He entered through the corner gate in front of the stable and walked a short distance before he saw Baochai leading Ying'er out from the hall.

When Sister Bao heard the noise, she glanced at Chen Siyuan and saw him frowning before bowing.

Chen Siyuan was secretly happy, thinking that it was because of the two previous teasings that made Sister Bao feel on guard.

He stepped forward with a smile and bowed, "It turns out to be Sister Xue."

"Brother Yuan."

Chen Siyuan extended his hand and led Baochai along, then walked side by side, half a step away. With his hands behind his back, Chen Siyuan lowered his head and said, "Sister Xue, are you tired?"

Baochai glanced at him and said, "That's strange. Why does Brother Yuan always ask me if I'm tired?"

Chen Siyuan said, "If it's hard to meet you, then you must be a man of the world. I've had a rough life and have seen many ups and downs, so I'm inevitably used to it." He paused and added, "Besides, I can see that Sister Xue is indeed a little tired."

Are you tired? I just went to visit Baoyu again. It was clearly Baoyu's fault, but he was still throwing a tantrum and trying to throw Yu away, making everyone in the mansion wary, afraid that if they said anything harsh, the devil would get angry again.

What kind of person is Qin Zhong, who went to hang out with Zhineng during his sister's death? As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together. So, what kind of person is Baoyu?
But Sister Bao couldn't show even a hint of disgust on her face, and had to pretend to be dignified and virtuous, comforting him with gentle words and encouraging him to make progress.

Oh, are you tired? Perhaps because she asked too many questions, Sister Bao couldn't help but lose her guard. She didn't say whether she was tired or not, but just said: "So, Brother Yuan was also tired in the past?"

"People live for a lifetime, just as plants and trees only last for a spring. We don't live for ourselves. There are always tangled relationships that can't be severed, and there are complicated and unavoidable things that cannot be done. Who wouldn't be tired?"

Baochai thought it made sense, and then she asked, "I see that Brother Yuan is in a very good mood. I don't know how he got through it."

"That's easy," Chen Siyuan said, pacing with his hands behind his back. "Find a deserted place and unwind for a while. Let go of all the fatigue in your heart, and you'll feel relaxed tomorrow. Otherwise, if you keep carrying it in your heart, you'll easily become overly worried."

After hearing what he said, Bao-jie suddenly thought of the swing in her old home in Jinling. When she was little, still her father was alive, she had been carefree. Every evening, she would swing on the swing, watching the setting sun rise high over the wall, taking this opportunity to catch a glimpse of the world outside the mansion, feeling extremely happy.

Sister Bao couldn't help but smile at this, and suddenly she couldn't help wanting to swing. Then her smile faded, and she said solemnly to Chen Siyuan, "Thank you, Brother Yuan, for your guidance."

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(End of this chapter)