The Red Chamber: Starting from Saving Xue Baochai

Chapter 22 Sister, be careful not to catch a cold

Shen Yuan and his entourage of three ships will, after leaving Yingtian Prefecture, first sail down the Yangtze River to Yangzhou, and then take the Grand Canal northward.

Jiang Qiuer and Shi Xiangyun, dressed in men's clothes, stood on the terrace on the second floor of the boat, leaning on the railing and looking around.

The two girls were looking at the mountains and rivers along the river in the distance, both very excited and chattering non-stop.

"Xiangyun, when you went to Shenjing before, did you also take a boat all the way? Is there any difference between what you saw then and what you see now?"

"Yes, we also took a boat, but I was still young at that time, so I don't remember much."

"If I had known it was so fun, I should have asked my brother to take me out earlier." Jiang Qiuer seemed to have opened the door to a new world. She looked left and right, full of freshness.

Then he looked forward again and asked curiously, "Who is in the ship ahead of us?"

"Didn't Brother Shen tell you?"

"No, he just said that there are other people going to Beijing together, but he didn't elaborate." Jiang Qiuer looked at Xiangyun and asked suspiciously, "You seem to know? Tell me quickly. Tell me!"

Xiangyun knew her friend was impatient, so she didn't keep him in suspense and said with a smile, "I only know that there was Fairy Hengwu on that boat, and I didn't ask any more questions."

In order to avoid unnecessary complications, Shen Yuan did not tell them that they were traveling with family members from the Xue family.

"Fairy Hengwu?" Jiang Qiu'er was stunned for a moment, and then the scene of the Mid-Autumn Festival poetry gathering on the boat emerged in her mind. Suddenly, surprise appeared on her face, and she murmured in a charming voice: "It's her."

After thinking about it carefully, it suddenly dawned on me that Shen Yuan and Fairy Heng Wu were on the same ship that day. They must have a special relationship. Even if they were not in love, they were close friends.

Thinking of this, the girl felt inexplicably lost, and she herself didn't realize where this feeling came from.

After a moment of silence, he looked at Xiangyun again and said, "Have you ever seen this Fairy Hengwu before?"

"Nope."

"Humph, I didn't realize it before, this Shen Yuan is really good at hiding her beauty!"

The two girls suddenly became more curious about the fairy Hengwu.

Yangzhou is more than a hundred miles away from Yingtian Prefecture. Because it is downstream, we arrived at the Yangzhou ferry in the evening.

Shen Yuan decided to rest here for one night and then take the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal early tomorrow morning.

After the boats had stopped, Jiang Fan came over and said to Shen Yuan, "I'm going to the market to buy some things for the next few days. I'll leave this to Brother Shen first."

"Brother Jiang, don't worry, just go ahead."

Not long after Jiang Fan left, Qiu'er and Xiangyun each brought their maids down from the boat.

Seeing Shen Yuan, Jiang Qiuer pretended to be indignant and said, "You said we were brothers, but you didn't even tell me that Fairy Hengwu was traveling with us." As the girl spoke, she glanced at the building ship next to her.

Shen Yuan had a strange look on his face when he heard that. He didn't know if the girl was really confused or just pretending. Could she be his brother just because she was wearing men's clothes?
If she had been a little more sensitive, she would have known that he already knew about her daughter's identity.

If Jiang Qiuer is willing to pretend to be a brother, then let her do it. Shen Yuan won’t say much.

At this moment, what he was thinking about was how to make it convenient for him to meet Baochai along the way?
Shen Yuan glanced at Shi Xiangyun beside him, and suddenly his eyes moved.

This matter is actually not complicated. Baochai and Xiangyun are acquainted, and Aunt Xue also knows it. Why not just invite Baochai to a gathering in the name of Xiangyun?
Moreover, they had already left Yingtian Prefecture, so there was no need to hide the fact that the Xue family was going to Beijing.

Thinking of this, Shen Yuan said to Xiangyun: "In fact, Miss Shi also knows this Fairy Hengwu."

Xiangyun was stunned when she heard this, and a look of surprise appeared on her beautiful face. She asked in a coquettish voice: "Do I know him? Who is he?"

Shen Yuan said in a clear voice: "The people on the boat next to them are from the Xue family, and Fairy Hengwu is Miss Xue, Baochai."

Hearing this name, not only Xiangyun was stunned, but even Qiu'er beside her was stunned for a moment, as if she had heard it wrong.

"Brother Shen, are you saying that the Fairy Hengwu on Taiping Lake that day was Sister Bao?" Xiangyun confirmed.

Shen Yuan nodded.

After getting the confirmation, Qiu Er became a little uneasy and asked in surprise: "How did you know Sister Bao?"

Because of Shi Xiangyun, Jiang Qiuer and Xue Baochai had met several times. Although they were not close friends, they were familiar with each other.

"Well, this is a long story that cannot be explained in a few words. I will explain it when I have the chance."

Although Shen Yuan said this, it was impossible for him to really tell others the details of his relationship with Baochai.

Seeing that the young man was unwilling to say more, Xiangyun and Qiu'er could probably guess something. After all, the two girls had read a lot of storybooks when they had nothing to do, and they knew a lot about the dramas of talented men and beautiful women.

After the two of them digested this information, Shen Yuan said in a clear voice: "Can you please help me, Miss Shi?"

When Xiangyun heard that the person on the boat next door was Baochai, she also wanted to meet her, so she happily agreed to Shen Yuan's request.

She took the initiative to visit Aunt Xue, sat there and chatted for a while. When she came back, Baochai and Ying'er were already around her.

Baochai came over and saw Shen Yuan at a glance. She smiled with dimples and said sweetly, "Brother Shen Shen."

There is still someone here. The word 'Shen Lang' almost came out of her mouth. Men and women in love can never suppress their emotions, and their bright almond eyes express their longing for each other.

Shen Yuan smiled and nodded. Under the moonlight, Sister Xue looked particularly gentle, quiet and charming at this moment.

"Sister Bao." Jiang Qiuer confirmed that it was Baochai and greeted her with a smile.

"Sister Qiu'er." Baochai nodded her head lightly in response.

Jiang Qiuer: “.”

The girl thought that Shen Yuan was still by her side, and suddenly her female identity was exposed by Sister Bao, and she couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed.

She turned her head to look at Shen Yuan again, and seeing that the young man was not surprised at all, she realized belatedly that Shen Yuan had already recognized her as a girl.

After thinking it through, Jiang Qiuer felt even more embarrassed. At the same time, she felt a little ashamed and annoyed. She secretly drew a small circle around Shen Yuan and was determined to make it up to him someday.

Xiangyun still had a lot to say to Baochai, so she stepped forward and took Baochai's hand, saying in a coquettish voice, "It's easy to catch a cold in the evening breeze, Sister Bao, let's go upstairs and talk."

Upon hearing this, Baochai glanced at Shen Yuan, as if hoping to stay with her lover for a while longer.

Seeing this, Xiangyun smiled and said, "Brother Shen, come up with us."

Brother Shen's eyes were clear and he was a gentleman like a knight. He should not have any other thoughts about her and Qiu'er, and they were both wearing men's clothes at the moment.

Xiangyun just admired Shen Yuan and didn't have any other complicated thoughts. She thought Qiu'er should be the same.

Shen Yuan hesitated for a moment, but still followed him upstairs.

At this moment, he really had no other thoughts about Jiang Qiuer and Shi Xiangyun. In his eyes, these two girls were just two tomboys. All his thoughts were now on Sister Xue.

There is only one room on the second floor of the ship, which is quite spacious. The room is divided into two areas, the front hall and the inner room.

The inner room was separated by several screens and had several beds as bedrooms. When they arrived at the front hall on the second floor, the maid prepared tea and cakes, and they drank tea and chatted.

Xiangyun and Qiu'er asked Baochai many questions, such as the meaning of the poem "Linjiangxian·Wulin", the origin of her nickname "Hengwu Fairy", etc.
Baochai answered them one by one with a smile, but her words were almost always about Shen Yuan, which made the two of them even more curious.

In Baochai's view, the finishing touch of the last line of the poem was given by Shen Lang, and the elegant nickname was also given by Shen Lang.

When seeing Sister Bao's eyes full of tenderness when she talked about Shen Yuan, Xiangyun and Qiu'er couldn't help but envy her. This is the love that women in the world should pursue, romantic and peaceful.

"It turns out that in Sister Bao's heart, only Brother Shen is the most perfect man in the world." Xiangyun was envious and did not forget to joke.

"Sister Bao, you are saying that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. You make it sound like there is nothing like her in heaven or on earth." Qiu'er said this, inadvertently glancing at Shen Yuan again.

Baochai looked at the two ignorant girls and said with a smile, "Perhaps, you two sisters will be able to find that person in the future. He will be unique to you."

Is this the person they are looking for? Xiangyun and Qiu'er pondered over Sister Bao's words, and stole a glance at Shen Yuan beside them.
Shen Yuan: “.”

Why are these two looking at him?
He couldn't help but have a strange thought. Why did he feel that Baochai had embarked on a path of self-depreciation? Was it really appropriate for her to praise him like this in front of these two girls?

After chatting for a while, Xiangyun and Qiu'er left the room and went to the terrace, giving Shen Yuan and Baochai some time alone so that the couple could talk to each other.

After Xiangyun, Qiu'er and a group of maids left, the room suddenly became quiet, and Baochai became a little nervous.

Even though she had had many intimate contacts with her lover, every time they were alone together, the girl's heart would beat very fast, and the golden lock would rise and fall quickly accordingly.

What's more, now that two more people know about their relationship, the girl has a different feeling in her heart, and her hidden love has finally been witnessed by others.

Shen Yuan felt Baochai's emotional change and took the initiative to move closer, holding the girl's delicate hand. He cherished every warm moment with the girl.

"My sister smells really good. Is that the scent of the Lengxiang Pills?"

"Ah."

The girl hummed softly and lowered her head slightly, not daring to meet her lover's burning gaze.

Shen Yuan hugged the girl's shoulders and let her lean her back against his arms.

The young man had already tasted the sweetness of love, and he had no intention of going to the final step before the two got married. This was a respect for both parties.

But there are many other ways to find comfort.

"Where did you get this golden lock, sister?"

As he spoke, he reached out to untie the knot, and now his movements were as nimble as a butterfly.

"I don't know. I've had it since I was very young and have been wearing it ever since I can remember."

Baochai leaned in the warm arms, listening to Shen Yuan's words. Her heart couldn't help but tremble slightly, and her breathing became heavier.

At this time, the golden lock had been pushed to who knows where by the young man, and had no way to complain about the grievances he had suffered.

Shen Yuan felt the slight trembling in his palms.

As far as the eye can see, there is a dazzling white light, with mountains and hills rising and falling. Looking more closely, the eyes stagger and fall into the abyss.
"Then, sister, do you know the origin of the words on the lock?"

As Shen Yuan spoke, he exerted a little force on his hands, and the shape of his palm changed.

"Um"

Baochai's originally fair and plump face was already covered with blush, her eyes were dreamy, her eyelashes were trembling, and her voice was a little unstable.

"It is said that he is looking for a lame Taoist priest."

Shen Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly when he heard this. A lame Taoist priest and a bald monk were playing tricks and stirring up trouble in the Red Mansion.
He continued to move his hands, and gently fiddled with it, but saw that the white thing kept shaking.

"When my sister came over tonight, did Auntie get suspicious?"

Baochai was speechless at this moment. She bit her teeth lightly and tried to calm her mind.

Shen Yuan flipped his palm and swam to the top of the peak.

"Hmm~"

Baochai couldn't help loosening her teeth in the end. Her lips slightly opened, her pearly teeth exuding a soft fragrance, and she responded to her lover's words in a voice as soft as a mosquito.

"No, no, sister Youyun came forward to invite me, mother, mother won't have any doubts--"

Shen Yuan looked at the girl's rosy face. Her beautiful eyes, as clear as water, had a hint of charm, making her look even more beautiful.

He was quite satisfied with the results of his hard work, and looked quite happy.

Shen Yuan stopped what he was doing, held the girl's shoulders, turned her around, and looked at her face to face.

Baochai felt the young man's burning gaze, and shyly turned her almond-shaped eyes slightly away, still not daring to look him straight in the face. Suddenly, she let out a sweet groan.

"Well"

Shen Yuan said nothing more, leaned over and held those pink lips, grabbing the sweetness.
Baochai closed her eyes tightly, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, and responded awkwardly
When their lips parted, the girl suddenly felt herself being gently picked up. She suddenly woke up, opened her watery almond eyes, and said in surprise, "Shen Lang."

The young man didn't know when he was alone facing the snowy peak, sometimes rolling in the snow piles, sometimes on the snow ridge. There was no more words in response.

After a while, Baochai closed her eyes again, raised her slender white neck, and let the snowball be gnawed. She did not dare to make a sound, but just breathed softly.

Soon, a slurping sound was heard. The boy might be hungry and was no longer satisfied with chewing slowly, so he started to eat with big mouthfuls.

Baochai's eyes were wide open, with an expression of disbelief, and her heart could not stop trembling.
The boy who whipped his horse and rode and shot bravely in the military field, the boy who beheaded hundreds of enemies in the bandit's lair and stained his blue shirt with blood, the boy who wrote a masterpiece for all time on Taiping Lake, now buried his head in the snow-capped mountains like a child.
The extreme contrast can create a different kind of interest. This is how men look at women, and it is also how women look at men.

At this moment, Baochai looked at the young man in her arms, and an indescribable strange feeling surged in her heart, as well as a sense of security and satisfaction.

Suddenly, the snow began to shake again.

The girl was already numb from the boy's endless actions.
Is Shen Lang born omnipotent and self-taught? Why does he know so much about this?

When everything calmed down, Shen Yuan gently helped Baochai tidy up her front and smoothed her messy hair.

"Sister, be careful not to catch a cold."

Baochai was already in a daze at this time. She just subconsciously hummed lightly to calm her thoughts.

At this moment, there was a knock on the door.

Soon, Xiangyun's voice was heard.

"Brother Shen, Sister Bao, it's time for dinner. Shall we eat together in the room?"

Shen Yuan heard this and thought to himself, this timing is really accurate, just right
(End of this chapter)