Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 107: Bao Tianwang's Attack

Chen Siyuan secretly swallowed his saliva and looked at Mrs. Xing's belly. Perhaps because it was still a short time, he couldn't see any changes for a while.

He then asked in a low voice, "Have you seen the imperial physician? Has the master heard the news?"

Madam Xing said, "It's only been a few days. Even if I take his pulse, I can't tell. Let's find the imperial physician next month to take his pulse, and then we can tell him."

Seeing Chen Siyuan hesitate to speak, Madam Xing frowned and said, "I'm just letting you know. I don't want you to do anything. Why do you look like that?"

Chen Siyuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He stepped forward and pulled Madam Xing's hand, saying, "Yudie, you don't know, but this is the first time I've been a father in my two lifetimes combined. I don't know how to feel for a moment."

Mrs. Xing said angrily, "Where do you mean two lifetimes?" After a pause, she added, "Yes, you were just a petty thief before, but now you can go to the school gate prison, which can be considered two lifetimes."

Chen Siyuan didn't explain. He thought back to his past life's parenting experience. But when had he ever paid attention to this? He could only pick up what he had heard and give a few brief instructions.

A pregnant woman's mood is very unstable. Chen Siyuan was gentle and considerate to her for a long time before Mrs. Xing's anger turned into joy.

Chen Siyuan then asked, "Did the master spread the news?"

Mrs. Xing said proudly, "It just so happened that Wang Shanbao came back today, so I sent her to do it."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "I'm afraid the old lady is very angry. You should stay away from her these few days, otherwise you will be the one to suffer the consequences."

Madam Xing snorted, "The eldest master instigated this, what does it have to do with me? Even if I get scolded, it's on his behalf." After a pause, she added, "Now that it's known everywhere, it really suits your wishes."

This was a mixed blessing. It was obvious that even if Grandmother Jia couldn't chase him away, she wouldn't be happy about it. But at least she could put a thorn in Baoyu's heart, preventing him from teasing Sister Lin all day long.

He smiled but said nothing, so Madam Xing said, "Yes, I've invited a consultant to come today to take a look and decide on the design of the villa for the imperial visit. I'm afraid construction will begin in a few days. Do you want to find a job?"

Chen Siyuan said nonchalantly, "What does the Jia family's garden building have to do with me? Besides, I still have to review my studies, so let's just forget about it."

Mrs. Xing refused to listen. She reached out and slapped his shoulder, frowning and scolding him, "You are stupid! The master said that building the garden this time would cost at least two or three hundred thousand taels of silver! Zhen'er sent Rong'er to take Jia Chang to ask for the job of buying women from the south. With twenty thousand taels of silver, we can save at least three or two thousand taels of silver after we handle it!"
There are so many things to supervise here, and the master needs you right now, so if you don't take advantage of it now, when will you?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Money is good, but fame is better. Tsk, is Yudie short of money again?"

Madam Xing squinted her eyes and said, "Of course, the more money, the better. I can't spend it myself, so at least I can save it for my little one." As she spoke, she stroked her belly, her face turning kind as she said, "I don't know if it's a boy or a girl. If it's a girl, I'll save up a dowry for her. If it's a boy, he won't be eligible for the title in this family, and he might have to move to another mansion someday. I'll have to save up the house and the betrothal money."

Chen Siyuan was deeply moved and pulled her hand, saying, "Is my father dead? Don't worry, I may be just ordinary in other aspects, but earning money... Oh, I'm not afraid of you thinking I'm talking nonsense. As long as I have fame and achievements, money will be easily available."

Mrs. Xing refused to believe it and just said perfunctorily, "It's yours. I want to save some for myself anyway."

Seeing that his persuasion was futile, Chen Siyuan suddenly had an idea and said, "In the past, there was a boy named Yun who followed me around everywhere. Recently, since I have nothing to do, I sent him home to wait. This man seems to be a capable person. I think it would be better to ask the master to find him a job. Your filial tribute will definitely be indispensable in the future."

"Brother Yun? Is this person suitable?"

"It seems alright."

"You really don't want to find a supervisory job?"

"It's not nice to say it, my last name is Chen, not Jia. If I get close to them, they might look down on me behind my back."

Mrs. Xing thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "That's it. I'll talk to the Master about it later."

Chen Siyuan instructed, "Just tell the master what fan he likes and have Jia Yun present it to him as a gift."

"Do I need to tell you this?"

After a while, Chen Siyuan came out of the room. Mrs. Xing was now focused on her unborn child. He approached her and tried to get close to her, but she pushed him back and he almost fell.

Tsk, don't you think you've become a tool? Are you just going to use it and forget about it?

He was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, but then he saw Tiao'er from the porch approaching, with a look on his face that seemed to want to say something but hesitated.

"Does Tiaoer have anything to say?"

Tiao'er looked around and pulled Chen Siyuan out of the porch. When they reached the second room, he whispered, "Brother, what happened between you and Miss Lin..."

Chen Siyuan raised his index finger to his lips and said, "Shh, the old lady has said that this is not to be spread outside."

Tiaoer's eyes widened: "It's actually true!"

Chen Siyuan just shook his head: "It's hard to say now."

Tiao'er bit her lower lip, her heart in turmoil. The boy in front of her was good in every way and was extremely generous to his subordinates. At first, thinking that they were not engaged, she was not anxious.

But now it is different. My brother has been engaged, and the girl will have a maid to accompany her in the room when she gets married. If I don’t take the initiative, how can I have the chance to enter his room?
Tiao'er's mind turned, and he pulled Chen Siyuan and said, "Brother, do you want to hear about Miss Lin's past few years?"

"Ok?"

"Come to the side room, I'll tell you quietly."

Without giving Chen Siyuan a chance to refuse, Tiaoer pulled Chen Siyuan into the second room.

These side rooms consisted of only two rooms, slightly lower than the main room, and had a kang (a heated bed) for warmth. Tiaoer led Chen Siyuan inside and seated him, then attentively poured him some tea. Then he too, slid onto the kang, leaned forward, and began to talk about Daiyu's past.

Tiao'er had been staying in the East Wing Courtyard, and even though she often went to Rongqing Hall with Mrs. Xing, how many times had she seen Daiyu? Therefore, Chen Siyuan learned most of what she said from Yunxiang and Hongyu.

As Pian Tiao'er spoke vividly, her left embroidered shoe slowly shifted, finally rubbing against Chen Siyuan's leg. Tiao'er was well-proportioned, and the delicate honey-colored koi embroidered shoes she wore were exquisite. Chen Siyuan, already feeling depressed, understood immediately upon seeing this. He immediately grabbed the diamond-shaped shoe in his hand and teased, "Sister, your embroidered shoe seems to be out of control. Why does it keep rubbing against me? Let me see if there's a trick inside."

Tiao'er exclaimed, then covered his mouth and chuckled, "Where is the mechanism hidden? If you don't believe me, come and take a look."

Chen Siyuan raised his hand to take off the embroidered shoes. Tiao'er suddenly remembered something and quickly retracted them, saying anxiously, "No... I've been standing there all day and haven't washed them yet..."

Chen Siyuan just reached out and scratched the soles of his feet. He couldn't say the following words. He shrank his body, his face covered with a red cloth, and looked at Chen Siyuan expectantly: "Brother~"

Chen Siyuan dropped his embroidered shoes, reached out and held Tiao'er in his arms, tasted her rouge carefully, and then let go of Tiao'er, who was breathing unevenly.

Noodles seemed to soften in his arms, and after a while, he started to chuckle again. He looked up and said, "A few times before, I thought you were ignorant of human nature."

Chen Siyuan argued, "I don't know what my sister is thinking. But after all, we are in my aunt's house, so we must act with caution."

Tiao'er said, "Madam sent Miao'er and me to help out in the young master's room whenever we have time. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."

Suddenly, there was a noise outside. Tiao'er was so frightened that he quickly separated from Chen Siyuan. He put on his shoes before looking outside. He immediately breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's Miao'er who's back."

Chen Siyuan brushed off his robe, stood up and said, "I'll be back first. Sister, remember to visit me more often."

"Ah."

Tiao'er watched Miao'er enter the main room, then hurriedly sent Chen Siyuan out. When he returned to the side room, he saw Miao'er glance at him with a bad look.

Tiao'er pretended not to see it. Madam Xing had said that whether one could enter Master Yuan's room was a matter of merit. Being a sister or having a good reputation was no match for being a concubine. If she didn't seize the opportunity, in a few years she would marry a boy, and even if she had children, they would still be slaves, and would have to serve others when they grew up.

Being a concubine is different. At least you are half a master. Every month you get two taels of silver for powder alone, and you have maids to serve you. Isn't it a hundred times better than now?
Miao'er saw that Tiao'er ignored her, and immediately she was filled with hatred. She said sarcastically, "Hey, you're dragging me to the side room now? Aren't you afraid that the lady will see us?"

Tiao'er laughed and said, "Sister, what nonsense are you talking about? I'm happy to listen to what I say, and I haven't done anything. Why should you be afraid of the lady seeing it?"

"Oh, it's too late today. I'm afraid if it's still in time, you vixen will give up everything!"

Tiao'er sneered, "You're talking as if I never treated you to rouge... We're evenly matched, so let's not criticize each other. From now on, it's all about our own abilities!"

Miao'er paused and simply went back to the main room. Tiao'er gathered her clothes and followed her with a smile.

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

East Courtyard.

Yingchun had just returned from Li Wan's three-room anteroom. She had rested for a while, stretched her fingers that were sore from being wrapped in thimbles, and was about to go to Rongqing Hall according to the time. She was called out from outside, and immediately Tanchun and Xichun came to find her.

Yingchun stood up and said with a smile, "You're here, are you going now?"

But Xichun was stunned, and Tanchun had a strange look on her face. She stepped forward and pulled Yingchun aside, saying, "Second sister, don't you know yet?"

Yingchun was puzzled and asked, "Me? What? Something happened again?"

In the past few months, Qin from the East Palace passed away, Baoyu and Qin Zhong had an affair with Zhineng, and then Qiang'er died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Then the eldest sister was named Consort Xian De, and the family wanted to build a villa for the visit of relatives. So many things happened one after another, it was really dizzying.

Tanchun glanced at Siqi and Xiuju and whispered, "The maids outside are gossiping, saying that Brother Yuan and Sister Lin are already engaged."

"Ah?" Yingchun exclaimed and asked hurriedly.

Tanchun briefly mentioned the rumor, then said, "There's no smoke without fire. Second sister, do you remember that Hupo asked Sister Lin to go to Rongxi Hall yesterday? I heard that Brother Ziyuan was there at the time. Maybe they're arguing about this matter."

Yingchun thought for a moment, then frowned and said, "Well... it's not a good idea to go to Rongqing Hall right now."

Yingchun was well aware that Baoyu had been pestering Daiyu constantly, and if he heard about this, he would surely make a scene. Furthermore, Baoyu was a man who could be persuaded if there were only a few people around, but with a large group, his temper became even more unrestrained, and there was no telling what kind of a scene he would cause.

Tanchun was puzzled and said, "Brother Bao will definitely make a fuss when he gets the news. How can I not go? We should at least go and persuade him."

Yingchun glanced at Tanchun, and there were some things she couldn't say directly. These illegitimate girls were nominally Baoyu's sisters, but in reality, had he ever looked them in the eye?

After Yingchun's mother passed away, she moved to the East Courtyard; Tanchun, raised by Lady Wang since childhood, also moved to the East Courtyard. Although the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children was not clear at that time, with their mother's family incomplete, how could these illegitimate girls compare to legitimate brothers and sisters?
In Baoyu's eyes, they were probably no different from the maids like Qingwen and Xiren. How could they compare to Daiyu and Baochai?
Yingchun's heart was as clear as a mirror; she had seen all these things clearly from the beginning. However, her third sister, Tanchun, perhaps because she had been raised by Lady Wang, was too young to see them, or perhaps she didn't want to see them.

At this time, Xichun said, "Third sister, with the old lady and the mistress here, even if Second Brother Bao gets angry, there will be people to take care of him. We are small and powerless, so why should we go and join in the fun?"

Tanchun frowned and said, "What are you talking about, Fourth Sister? They are all brothers and sisters. If we don't go and persuade them now, when will we wait?"

Tanchun thought to herself, although there are differences between legitimate and illegitimate children, after all, we all have the surname Jia, so it's only natural for us to support each other. Even if it's just a pretense, it's better than feigning ignorance. Otherwise, wouldn't the huge Rongguo Mansion fall apart in the future?
Besides, if I don't pretend now, how can I attract the old lady's attention?
The servants in the Rong Mansion are all obsessed with wealth and luxury. If one day it gets out that the old lady doesn't care about them, I'm afraid that all their expenses will be embezzled by those black-hearted people the next day!
Seeing Tanchun's insistence, Yingchun felt helpless and could only nod and say, "Third sister is right. Let's go and persuade her then."

At that moment, Sanchun packed up her things and hurried to Rongqing Hall.

After exiting the East Courtyard and passing Li Wan's room, I headed west through the corner gate, past the large painted screen wall, and through the east-west corridors to the backyard of Rongqing Hall. Here, there was a newly built large flower hall, and behind it, a rear pavilion. I passed through the east corridor, which consisted of two rooms, and followed the winding corridor into the main hall, where the head maid, Amber, came to greet me.

With a greeting, Amber led the three sisters into Rongqing Hall. As soon as they pushed open the door, they heard Baoyu shouting, "What kind of person is Sister Lin? And what kind of person is that Chen? One is in heaven, the other is on earth. There's a huge difference between them. How could Uncle Lin promise Sister Lin to him?"

The three girls looked at each other and turned the screen to see Baoyu in tears, Daiyu hiding in the green gauze cabinet sobbing, Jia's mother sitting upright on the soft couch with a sad face, and Mrs. Wang sitting at the top, just frowning and staring at Baoyu.

The head maids Yuanyang, Xiren and Qingwen surrounded Baoyu, fearing that he would become upset and throw the magical jade away again.

Baoyu took a few quick steps and knelt before Lady Jia, saying, "Grandmother, please tell me something. Is the marriage certificate real or fake?"

(End of this chapter)