Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 90: Miaoer Tiaoer Wuer
Perhaps Baochai was really tired and listened to what Chen Siyuan said. The next day, the sound of banging and clanging began in the Lixiang Courtyard next door.

The little maidservant Yunxiang was clinging to the wall to watch, then she turned around and ran in, saying, "Master, there's a swing in Lixiang Courtyard!"

Chen Siyuan, who was studying the book, was stunned, then smiled in relief. Even if it was "heartless, yet still moving," so what? Baochai wasn't a living being. It was simply because she carried so much that she kept her emotions of love, hate, and resentment hidden within her heart, never letting them show.

Chen Siyuan couldn't help but think to himself with pride, he didn't know how Sister Lin was doing over there, and Baochai had been distracted by him several times, and he didn't know what the situation would be like tomorrow.

The little maid came bouncing over to deliver a message, naturally thinking of building a swing in the yard, thinking it would be great to swing on it in her spare time. However, Chen Siyuan didn't respond, so she had to leave with a pout.

The next afternoon, the two younger sisters, Tanchun and Xichun, arrived together. When they met, they forced a smile and said, "Brother Yuan, my fourth sister and I are here to return a book and borrow a few more."

Aunt Zhao had been beaten, and Tanchun had gone to see her, which inevitably led to a quarrel between mother and daughter. The girl was heartbroken, and Tanchun could vaguely see that her eyes were swollen.

Chen Siyuan smiled and invited the two children in. "I don't have much here, but I have plenty of books. But you have to hide them, or the mistress and the old lady won't get angry with you."

Tanchun whispered with red and swollen eyes, "It's well hidden. Second sister doesn't even dare to bring it back to her room to look at it. She only looks at it for a while in my room every day."

Yes, why didn't Yingchun come? Oh, in February of the following year, Yingchun would be coming of age, and according to the rules, she would be staying at home waiting to be married, so it would be difficult for her to go out again.

Chen Siyuan's words were like gentle spring rain, and soon he soothed Tanchun's sorrow. At this time, Tanchun was in her teens, and Xichun was only six. It was the most joyful time for girls, and because of the endless chattering, the originally quiet courtyard was suddenly filled with joy.

Chen Siyuan watched with a smile, occasionally commenting, feeling that the moment was incredibly wonderful. After a few years, he was afraid that Tanchun and Xichun would learn the rules and no longer be so carefree.

The two children went into the study, muttered to themselves, picked out two books, and then left, satisfied. Chen Siyuan smiled and saw them off, and just as they were leaving, they heard a creaking sound.

"what sound?"

Tanchun murmured in surprise, then turned her head to look over. She saw the cloaked figure on the swing swinging freely, sometimes leaping high to let out a burst of laughter, and sometimes falling to make the maid Ying'er exclaim in surprise.

Chen Siyuan was slightly surprised, then smiled and looked over with his hands behind his back. The two younger ones beside him were even more stunned!
Is this Sister Bao? She is usually dignified and elegant, how could she have been like this?
Xichun was young and thought little, so she immediately exclaimed, "It seems to be Sister Bao!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the pretty figure that had just swung up immediately glanced over. Tanchun, Xichun... and Chen Siyuan, whose eyes were filled with ill intentions!

Sister Bao suddenly became panicked. When she fell, she didn't know why, but her hands couldn't hold the rope anymore. She screamed and fell down.

"Hey, girl!"

Ying'er screamed and shouted, "The girl has fallen down! Help!"

Sister Bao was sitting on the ground in a daze at the moment, feeling numbness on both her buttocks, and then dull pain spread throughout her body, causing her to frown and gasp.

Ying'er came over to support her: "What's wrong, young lady? Do you need to see a doctor?"

Sister Bao was in a state of confusion, wondering what had happened to her. She had been so captivated by that man time and again that she had become obsessed with him, not only had he chosen the swing, but she had actually started swinging on it.

Hearing Ying'er clamoring to go find the imperial physician, Sister Bao hurriedly stopped her, saying, "It's just a fall, what's the big deal? No need to go find the imperial physician, just help me in and let me rest."

Looking for a doctor? What are you thinking?

Tanchun, Xichun, and the other person saw themselves fall from the swing, and they feared it would become a joke someday. Baojie had painstakingly cultivated her image for two years, always impeccably portraying virtuous, dignified, and elegant, and now, suddenly mischievous, she had fallen from the swing... How would others view her?

Suddenly remembering that it was Chen Siyuan next door who had been responsible, Bao-jie became furious. She thought to herself, "I shouldn't have trusted Chen Siyuan. Why was I swinging on the swing for no reason?" Now, instead of venting her frustration, she'd only added to her annoyance. Who knows, maybe Tanchun and Xichun will be here soon...

The maids Tongxi and Liu Yaner came out and hurriedly helped Sister Bao up. Sister Bao endured the pain and limped towards the main room, trying to reassure everyone, "It's nothing. I was distracted just now and fell down."

Ying'er had been brought up by Bao-chai since she was little, so naturally she would agree to whatever Bao-chai said. Tong-xi, however, had not yet reacted. He only said, "The young lady looks like she's had a pretty bad fall. I think we should call in the imperial physician."

Liu Yan'er was very good at observing people's expressions and said with a smile, "These bumps and bruises are inevitable. Why do we need to call a doctor? Putting aside other things, the first thing to do is to help the young lady into the house."

Let’s not talk about the commotion in Lixiang Courtyard for now, but talk about the courtyard next door.

Tanchun and Xichun stared at each other, and Chen Siyuan had an amused look on his face, trying hard to suppress his smile.

After a while, Xichun heard the noise in Lixiang Courtyard quiet down and said uncertainly, "Hmm, it seems like Baojie fell down just now. Third sister, should we go over and take a look?"

Tanchun was a bit older after all, so she was thinking too much at this moment. She frowned and said, "Where did I fall? I was just a little unsteady when I came down..."

If I go over to see Sister Bao making a fool of herself, who knows if she will hold a grudge against me later.

"But..." Xichun wanted to say something.

Tanchun said, "No but... If you don't believe me, ask Brother Yuan."

Chen Siyuan suppressed a smile and nodded, "Yes, how could Fourth Sister see Sister Xue fall even though they were two walls apart? Could it be that Fourth Sister is born with clairvoyance?"

"Is that so?" Xichun always felt something was wrong.

But when she saw that her third sister was serious and frowning, and that her eldest brother Yuan also said so, she no longer insisted.

Tanchun took Xichun's hand and said to Chen Siyuan, "Brother Yuan, my fourth sister and I will go home first. We'll return the book after we finish reading it."

"it is good."

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

There is no wall that is impenetrable in this world. As soon as Sister Bao fell, the news spread to the whole house.

But in the east wing, Mrs. Xing was holding her chin with her hand, a little absent-minded, while the old man from Wang Shanbao's house was talking about Baochai's embarrassing stories.

Mrs. Xing was absent-minded, wondering, "Why is Nanny Wang back again? My third sister is getting married next year, so Nanny Wang would be more helpful if she has nothing to do." Housekeeper Wang Shanbao smiled and said, "She was very busy the past few days. Since you see nothing to do today, I came to the mansion to see if Madam needs any help."

Where did Wang Shanbao's kindness come from? He was just thinking that he could take advantage of his seniority in the Rongguo Mansion and take advantage of others. Third Sister Xing was not a good-tempered person. She would lash out at any sarcasm. Not only would she not be able to take advantage, but she would also be in trouble. It was not Madam Xing's order that she would not be willing to visit the Xing family.

Mrs. Xing didn't care about that. She was looking at Wang Shanbao with increasing displeasure. Upon hearing this, she simply said, "In that case, Madam, you should go back and rest. Who knows, Third Sister will need your help in the future."

"Um... that's what the madam said."

Madam Xing continued, "I don't have much to do here, so I don't need Nanny to come often. Miao'er, take two taels of the Laojunmei that Master gave me the other day and give it to Nanny to take back."

Nanny Wang got what she wanted and immediately smiled. "Oh, thank you for the reward, madam! Don't worry, madam, I'll take care of you and make sure everything goes smoothly for your third sister's wedding."

Miao'er then brought a small bag of tea leaves, which Wang Shanbao happily put in his pocket before saying goodbye and leaving.

As soon as she left, Mrs. Xing began to think again. She had already told Jia She about going to Miaofeng Mountain to pray for a child. Jia She only frowned slightly and said, "Let Mrs. Xing do what she wants."

Mrs. Xing also said that there was no need to mobilize a large number of troops, and that they could return in three or four days with just a few servants and Yuan'er to look after them.

Jia She agreed vaguely and nonchalantly, finally giving Madam Xing two pounds of Laojunmei tea sent by her subordinates. With her departure imminent, Madam Xing had a plan in mind, but it wasn't going to work in the long run... Why would she keep arguing with a nephew who was almost grown up behind closed doors? And any argument would only last a cup of tea.

If the news got out, it would be bad news. Besides, Miao'er and Tiao'er were personal maids, so one or two times would be fine, but they would definitely notice some clues after a while.

She had to find a way to silence the two personal maids... Suddenly, she remembered that Xiangling from the little thief's house had gone to Ruzhou to look for her relatives, and no one knew when she would be back. Madam Xing immediately came up with a plan.

Looking up, I saw Miao'er taking care of the vase, and Tiao'er standing on a stool sweeping the door and window frames.

Mrs. Xing sighed and said, "There's one thing I've been thinking about that I don't think is right."

Miao'er put down the vase and looked over.

Mrs. Xing seemed to be talking to herself, "Which of the young men in this mansion has grown old enough to be left without servants? Aunt Zhao's Huan has two maids, Cong has the same. As for Baoyu, there's no need to mention him. He has over a dozen maids waiting on him inside and outside. But now that Xiangling is gone, there are only Hongyu and Yunxiang left on Yuan's side."

Looking at Miao'er, Madam Xing said, "Yunxiang is a third-class maid and cannot enter the room. She is also too young... Now that she is about to turn nine, I am afraid she will not be able to keep watch at night."

Tiao'er said, "Madam really cares about Master Yuan."

Madam Xing said, "If I don't take care of my own nephew, who will?"

Miao'er also laughed and said, "Master Yuan is capable, knowledgeable, and talented. Not only did he earn a lot of money for the mistress, but I heard that he also writes excellent poetry. The maids below all say that Master Yuan is the reincarnation of Wenquxing."

What Wenquxing? He is just a lustful little thief!
Madam Xing spat inwardly and then said, "My cousin treated me very well, but unfortunately she passed away young... I must take good care of Brother Yuan. I'm thinking about finding a maid I like and sending her there. You two know many maids, but are there any who are as good as her?"

Tiao'er said, "My wife asked this all of a sudden, and I can't think of anyone suitable right now."

Miao'er also said, "That's right, I think it's better for Madam to pay more attention to it, and we can observe more and find the right one."

"Oh, that's true. But we can't put this off for too long. We should find a suitable place to send it as soon as possible."

After Mrs. Xing finished speaking, she said nothing else.

Miao'er and Tiao'er went back to their own work, but they were both somewhat distracted. Master Yuan was handsome, kind to his servants, and his character and talent were first-rate. Who wouldn't want to be with him?

Tiao'er was more reserved. Miao'er had almost recommended herself just now. The two maids thought that it was not good to speak up on their own about such matters. Instead, they needed to put more thought into Master Yuan. Otherwise, if a vixen was sent to them one day, where would they be able to stay?
While thinking, they glanced at each other again, secretly treating each other as their biggest rival, thinking that Miao'er (Tiao'er) must think the same way. Such things must be fought for, as they are related to their future, and they don't care about sisterhood.

Seeing Miao'er and Tiao'er speechless and absent-minded, Mrs. Xing suddenly felt proud. Little did she know that she had unintentionally used a trick to kill three people with two peaches.

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

The cook, Mrs. Liu, came out of the East Courtyard, walked east along the alley for a while, and finally arrived at her door.

When I pushed the door open and walked in, I heard two light coughs coming from the side room.

As Sister Liu pulled the curtains aside and entered the small room, she saw a young girl of twelve or thirteen sitting sideways on the kang, holding a scroll of poetry. The girl had beautiful eyebrows and eyes, and although she hadn't fully grown, she already looked like a beauty to be found in a million. She was slender and pretty, with a hint of melancholy between her brows, a striking resemblance to Xi Shi holding her heart.

When Sister Liu saw her daughter, she immediately asked with concern, "Why are you coughing again? Did you catch a cold breeze today?"

Liu Wuer frowned and shook her head, saying, "Maybe it's a bit dry. I'll just drink more water this afternoon."

"That's good, that's good." Sister Liu also stepped onto the kang, but fearing that her daughter would be infected by the coldness of her body, she moved to the edge of the kang and said with a smile, "Wu'er, do we really have to go to Master Yuan's room? He's just a distant relative, and he might leave the house soon. I think Master Bao is a hundred times better than that damn Master Yuan. Mom will go around later, why don't you take you to Master Bao's room?"

Liu Wu'er frowned and said, "Mother, what you said is not right. Even if they are distant relatives, they are still the master. Besides, with so many sisters in Master Bao's room, how can I have a chance to stand out? Even if I go, it will only delay me for a few years, and I will find a young man to marry me in the future."

After a pause, a flicker of hope in the girl's eyes as she spoke, "Master Yuan is different. I heard he treats his servants very well. Even when Yunxiang made a mistake, he only made her write big characters as punishment. And as for Xiangling, Master Yuan hired an escort agency to escort her all the way to Ruzhou to find her relatives. How can this kind of friendship be compared to Master Bao's?"

"This..." Sister Liu was speechless. One look at her daughter, who looked like a sickly Xi Shi, filled her with reluctance to leave. Her daughter had been frail since childhood, always falling ill with the changing seasons of spring and autumn. That was why she hadn't been able to get a job in the past few years. This year, Sister Liu felt anxious and wanted to find a good place for her daughter.

I had been intent on sending her to Master Bao's room, but just as I had a clue, my daughter turned around and said she wanted to go to Master Yuan's room. But Sister Liu had previously declined Ping'er's invitation, and now she was going back on her word and sending Wu'er there...

Losing face was a small matter, but the Second Mistress came back in a bad mood this time, and Sister Liu was so proud to ask for Xiang's approval twice but she refused.

As if she could see that Sister Liu was in trouble, Liu Wuer asked, "Mom, but Second Madam hasn't given in yet?"

Sister Liu smiled awkwardly and said, "Yes, but don't worry, Wu'er, I'll go talk to Second Madam later. After all, I'm also the elder in the family, so I have to give her some respect."

Liu Wu'er said, "Mom, why don't you talk to the people around Master Yuan in private? It might be more helpful."

(End of this chapter)