Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 128: The Story of Xi Hongfu

Her crab-shell-green satin bodice with an embroidered collar had been ripped open, revealing a moon-white, round-necked, quilted jacket. Her frosty skirt had been lifted up, revealing her trouser legs. Her pale calves kicked back and forth, her eyes becoming increasingly hazy. One hand tugged at her own clothes, the other reached out to grab Chen Siyuan's chest.

Chen Siyuan was in a dilemma. If he carried her out now... it would be embarrassing. Besides, if something like this happened, regardless of whether Siqi was at fault or not, she would inevitably be expelled from the mansion. Chen Siyuan had a flexible mindset, but he hadn't considered harming anyone who had nothing to do with her.

A closer look revealed disheveled hair that obscured her oval face, narrow brows and eyes, and a rather cold expression. She was tall and muscular, probably half a head taller than Chen Siyuan, yet at this moment, she was radiantly charming, truly possessing the image of 'a complexion of dark clouds, cheeks rosy and rouge-filled, a figure as graceful as a flower, skin as delicate as jade and fragrant'.

Although Chen Siyuan has no shortage of women now, he was just teased by You Erjie and his heart was burning with desire. Although he was slightly tempted at this moment, he managed to suppress it.

It's still the first month of the lunar year, and if we hang out in the cave for a while, we might catch a cold. Besides, there are so many people coming and going outside, and if we get caught, we'll be in big trouble.

He immediately stood up and was about to call the maid, but as soon as he stood up, he was pulled down again by a huge force.

Chen Siyuan was speechless for a moment, then tried harder... and was pulled so hard that he staggered again.

I couldn't help but think to myself, he is indeed tall and strong, if he had this strength in his previous life, wouldn't he have become a muscular Barbie?

At this moment, Siqi had already come over, shouting "hot", and her lips opened and closed, pecking at Chen Siyuan's face randomly.

Chen Siyuan thought to himself that this person might have been drugged.

After a brief thought, and seeing a pair of plump legs twisting and turning, Chen Siyuan let Siqi peck at them randomly, and put one hand down, but Siqi immediately moaned.

Chen Siyuan smiled bitterly and said, "We agreed. I'm here to save you, so please don't hurt me."

Without saying anything else, he just followed Siqi's breathing and started to act.

An unknown amount of time had passed before Siqi felt herself floating up into the clouds again, then falling down from the sky. She was then left feeling bewildered for a long time.

The breath bounced back, and the warmth hit her cheek. She looked over with misty eyes, and saw that Chen Siyuan had retreated to the side, squatting and looking at her.

Siqi turned her head away, feeling extremely embarrassed!
After a moment, Chen Siyuan said, "Huh? Is it okay?"

Siqi sobbed twice, wiped the tears from her face, tidied her clothes, stood up and knelt down, kowtowed to Chen Siyuan repeatedly.

"Eh? What are you doing?"

Siqi cried, "Thanks to Master Yuan for saving me, otherwise, otherwise I——"

Chen Siyuan sighed and said, "Do you recognize that person just now?"

Siqi nodded hesitantly, but said nothing. The man was her cousin Pan Youan, a man of elegant appearance and good manners, and accustomed to sweet talk.

Siqi, Yingchun's head maid, hadn't interacted much with Pan Youan in recent years. Although she had a vague feeling that Pan Youan had feelings for her, she remained true to her duties. Today, Pan Youan sent someone to deliver a message, saying he had some Poria cocos cream and wanted to treat Siqi to it.

Siqi came to the unfinished garden to wait. When the two met, she saw Pan Youan holding a small porcelain bowl with Poria cocos cream mixed with milk in it.

The two of them went to the stone cave to enjoy the meal. Unexpectedly, Siqi felt dizzy after eating half a bowl, and then her whole body became hot uncontrollably.

Later, when Siqi saw Pan Youan undressing, how could she not know what he was thinking?
Siqi tried to shout, but her voice was weak. She felt a sense of desolation, fearing she would have to commit herself to her cousin Pan Youan. But then, with a roar, Master Yuan appeared and rushed out, chasing Pan Youan away.

What happened next... Siqi didn't dare to think about it anymore, she just wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Seeing that he just nodded and didn't mention the man's name, Chen Siyuan didn't bother to bother anymore. He stood up and said, "You're fine now, so go back early. If you need my testimony in the future, just come find me."

Siqi's heart hardened, and she raised her delicate head and said, "That man is Pan Youan, yes, he is my cousin."

Chen Siyuan asked, "What do you want to do?"

Siqi bit her lower lip, wanting to be ruthless, but for a moment she couldn't bring herself to do it. Seeing this, Chen Siyuan said, "Then wait until you've made up your mind before you speak."

Siqi then nodded and looked at Chen Siyuan pitifully.

Chen Siyuan said: "Forget it, then I will go back first...this matter caused a stir."

Without stopping, Chen Siyuan skirted the winding mountain path and emerged from the back garden gate, his own courtyard directly opposite. Hongyu, Xiangling, Liu Wu'er, and Yunxiang came out to greet him. It was New Year's Day, and the maids in the mansion rarely relaxed, occasionally gathering together to play leaf games.

Yunxiang was sharp-eyed. After a quick glance, she suddenly asked in surprise, "Huh? Why is there a large wet spot on Master's clothes?"

Chen Siyuan lowered his head to look and saw that there was indeed a large wet spot on his lapel... Yes, it seemed that it was Siqi who did it in the second episode?

This matter was not to be publicized, so Chen Siyuan said, "Don't mention it. I don't know which naughty kid used firecrackers to blow up the snow and splashed all over me."

Snow? Hongyu thought to herself, the weather has thawed now, how could there be any snow?
Inside, Chen Siyuan washed his hands and changed his clothes, quickly changing into a new set. Hongyu, diligent, filled a wooden basin with clothes and sent them off for washing. As they left the courtyard, Hongyu felt a faint odor, and leaning down to sniff the dampness, a strange expression suddenly crossed her face.

She was no novice, so how could she not sense something fishy? She immediately assumed that those two little rascals, Miao'er and Tiao'er, were flirting with her master again. Then she began to complain that her master, having indulged himself once on New Year's Eve, was now always looking for opportunities to drag Xiangling into her mischief.

The master is only a few years old, and even a strong body can't bear it, but he doesn't even realize it. Hongyu made up her mind and decided to settle the score with Xiangling later. It was time for her to persuade the master.

East Cross Courtyard.

Siqi walked into the side room with a cold face. Xiuju saw that her hair was disheveled and her clothes were dirty, so she asked, "Sister, what's wrong?"

Siqi only said, "I fell down."

The second young lady, Yingchun, was playing chess with Tanchun. She glanced over at the sound, frowning slightly but not saying a word. Tanchun was still pondering the chess game, and when she finally made a move, she looked up again. Siqi had gone into the inner room to change her clothes.

Siqi sat on the kang, thinking about what happened today, feeling both sad and relieved.

It was sad that my cousin Pan Youan was so heartless that he actually took the medicine and tried to take my body away! Fortunately, that old man Yuan saw me and... he even helped me to get rid of the drug.

Siqi was furious at first, wishing she could find Pan Youan and beat him up. But a moment later, all she could see was Chen Siyuan's pitying eyes.

Siqi gradually became obsessed with it, her right hand stroking the collar of her clothes, feeling very strange in her heart - it turned out there was such a strange method, and she wondered how Mr. Yuan learned it.

While he was thinking, someone knocked on the door and said, "Is the Second Miss here? I came to talk to Siqi."

Xiu Ju went to open the door, and it turned out to be Pan Danian's family.

Siqi glanced over and saw Pan Danian's panicked expression. He exchanged glances with Siqi and immediately smiled awkwardly, waving, "Come quickly, Auntie wants to talk to you."

Siqi became angry again, threw away her dirty clothes, stood up and walked out of the wing room with Pan Danian's wife. This inner courtyard was not a place for talking, so Pan Danian's wife led Siqi to the secluded wing room outside the third-floor ceremonial gate.

Pan Danian's wife closed the door and looked around. Seeing that no one was moving around, she turned around and bowed hurriedly, saying, "Siqi, I'm sorry for An'er. He also admires you in his heart--"

"Shut up!" Siqi said angrily, "Is this how much you admire me? There's a drug in the Fuling Cream, ugh! What a Qingmu!"

"He also mistakenly believed Mingyan's lies, so he went to Ma Dao Po to buy the drugs."

How could Siqi believe it? She just snorted coldly and turned away.

Pan Danian's family came forward and whispered, "Everything is An'er's fault. How about you tell me how to deal with it?"

Siqi was just getting angry when she glanced at her aunt and said, "Deal with him? There's no need to deal with him. Master Yuan has recognized him and has already told Second Madam. He can just wait to go to the farm from now on!"

The Rongguo Mansion had only a few ways to deal with its servants: fining them monthly wages, beating them with a stick, sending them to the farm, driving them out of the mansion, and the most serious punishment was simply killing them.

There are countless tasks to do on the farm, and they are busy all year round without any rest. They only get a monthly salary and not even any bonus money. For the servants in Rongguo Mansion, it is simply hell!
Pan Danian's face suddenly changed, and he said, "You, you told Master Yuan?" Seeing Siqi didn't say anything, Pan Danian's face suddenly changed, and he said, "You are trying to force An'er to death!"

Siqi glared at Pan Danian's family and said, "I forced him to death? He almost forced me to death!"

This is no joke! The maidservants around the young lady must remain virgins, ready to be used as companions when she marries off. If the young lady becomes pregnant, the maidservant will have to take over, just in case some seducing woman outside tries to seduce the young lady.

If Siqi really lost her innocence, she would no longer be able to be a maid in the emperor's room.

That would be fine, but if word got out that Siqi was having an affair, she'd be kicked out of the mansion. The indenture is still in the Rongguo Mansion, and how could a maid who was kicked out end up like that? Just look at Qianxue, and then look at Bihen, who was crying non-stop today. With these two in front of her, Siqi's heart sank just thinking about it!
The Pan Danian family had a different idea. Their son had been drugged; this wasn't just adultery; it was seduction! According to the rules of the aristocratic families, anyone who dared to commit adultery in the harem would be killed!

Pan Danian's wife suddenly became anxious and said, "You are alive and well now, but your cousin is dying. Let me ask you, when did Grandpa Yuan go to look for Second Grandma?"

Siqi just turned her head away and said, "No theory!"

Seeing that she could get nothing out of him, Pan Danian's wife stamped her foot in anger, turned around and hurried away. Siqi felt sad and only burst into tears after he left.

After a while, a quarrel broke out outside. Siqi wiped her tears and came out to see what was happening. She saw her mother, Qin Yujia, pulling Pan Danianjia's hair and the two of them started fighting.

The maids nearby didn't dare to take action and quickly sent for Wang Shanbao. Siqi felt a surge of satisfaction as she watched her mother slap Pan Danian's wife several times.

In a moment, Wang Shanbao's wife rushed over and shouted twice, and the maids came forward to separate the two. Wang Shanbao's wife asked, "What happened? The flood washed away the Dragon King Temple, and why are family members fighting?"

Qin Yujia sneered: "Who says she is family?"

Pan Danian's family knew they were in the wrong, so they just kept silent.

Wang Shanbao, the housekeeper, was also an old and shrewd man. Seeing these two men, one sneering and the other lowering his head, and his granddaughter Siqi with tears in her eyes, he felt that the inside story should not be known to outsiders.

He then ordered the maids to go about their business, and took the two women and Siqi back to the side room.

As soon as he entered, Qin Yujia started cursing, "You heartless bastard! You deserve to have your Pan Youan killed!"

The Pan Danian family and the Qin Yu family are cousins, so Pan Youan is Siqi's cousin.

Wang Shanbao, the housekeeper, was confused and hurried over to inquire about the situation. Upon hearing that Siqi was nearly raped by Pan Youan, Wang Shanbao's anger immediately surged: "Great, great! I knew Pan Youan was no good! He was pestering Siqi all the time before, and I just thought he was looking for a job, but who knew he had such ulterior motives! I'm going to find the first wife right now. He can't stay at home anymore, send him back to the farm!"

Pan Danian's wife panicked and quickly pulled Wang Shanbao's wife aside, saying, "Aunt, don't judge by the monk, but by the Buddha. He...he was just confused for a moment!"

"You were so confused that you even prepared drugs? You're just trying to fool people!"

Pan Danian's wife hurriedly said, "Family disgrace should not be made public. Auntie, please consider Siqi."

Wang Shanbao finally stopped moving. This was indeed true. If word got out, Siqi would probably have to find a husband for him immediately.

Wang Shanbao's family had finally managed to place his granddaughter with the second young lady. Who knows, she might become a concubine in the future. How could he be willing to give up all his efforts?

Pan Danian's wife pleaded again, "No matter how wrong it is, it's all An'er's fault. I'll let my aunt decide how to deal with it later. But we have to cover this up first."

Wang Shanbao's wife was unwilling to care. She just said, "If you want to cover it up, you should do it. Don't involve us."

He then took Qin Yu's family and Siqi and left.

Pan Danian's wife thought about it over and over again, muttering "disaster", and after thinking for a while, she stamped her feet and had to bite the bullet and go to Chen Siyuan to plead for mercy.

But at this moment Chen Siyuan was listening to the little maid Yunxiang gossiping.

Yunxiang said, "Today, Madam Bao went to Second Master Bao's room and remembered the fan pendant that Baolinghou had given her on the fifth day of the first lunar month. She asked Second Master Bao to find it. But she couldn't find it even after searching through all the boxes and cabinets. Madam Bao then said there had been a thief in Qixianzhai. She also called Second Madam in and searched every maid's personal belongings. Who knew she would find it in Bihen's box?" Chen Siyuan thought to himself, would Bihen steal the fan pendant? Was there such a thing in the original text? Why didn't he remember it?
"and then?"

Yunxiang described it vividly: "Second Madam was so angry that her face turned pale. She sent a maid to bring Bihen over and slapped her several times. Bihen kept crying and kept saying that she didn't steal it, but she couldn't tell me where the pendant came from."

"Later, the Madam got annoyed and said to hand it over to Second Madam for disposal. Second Madam first locked Bihen in the woodshed, and then sent the maid to chase Bihen out in the afternoon. Tsk tsk—"

Chen Siyuan was amused and asked, "What do the last two sounds mean?"

Yunxiang raised her little face and said, "In my opinion, Bihen was most likely murdered. Master, don't you know that the dozen or so maids in Master Bao's Qixianzhai come and go, and leave and come again? How can those without roots want to stay? Even the maids in the room have to be careful, otherwise they may be murdered at any time." After a pause, she continued, "Although Sister Qingwen has a sharp tongue, she has good intentions. Now that Bihen has been driven out, I think Qingwen will be next."

Hongyu scolded, "Shaohun said that if this gets out, people will laugh at you."

Yunxiang was used to it. She stuck out her tongue, winked at Chen Siyuan, and then turned away and said, "I'm going back to my room to write some calligraphy."

Chen Siyuan asked Hongyu, "How many characters have you learned in the past two days?"

Hongyu was suddenly choked and said in embarrassment, "Master, you really want me to learn? I thought the pen holder was no different from chopsticks at first, but who knew it would be so difficult."

Chen Siyuan laughed heartily and said, "It's indeed a little difficult to get started when you're just starting out... But if you don't want to be a literary calligrapher in the future, then you can learn some hard pen calligraphy. It's easier to get started with than a brush."

Charcoal pencils and pencils have long been available in this area, and in recent years, due to the increasing trade, many accountants have simply used hard pens to keep accounts for convenience. As a result, the hard pen has become popular.

Hongyu heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing this and said, "I should have learned hard pen writing first."

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Hongyu dropped her feather duster and went to take a look. After a moment, she returned and said, "Master, Pan Danian's family wants to see you."

"Pan Danian's family?" Chen Siyuan pondered briefly, knowing it must be about Pan Youan. Annoyed, Chen Siyuan frowned and said, "No! Tell her to go find whoever she wants!"

This was extremely impolite. Although Hongyu was puzzled, she still followed the instructions and sent Pan Danian's family away.

When he turned back, he couldn't help but ask, "Master, what happened?"

Xiangling brought over a cup of tea and looked over in surprise. Chen Siyuan sighed and said, "After catching Pan Youan doing something evil, he ran away on his own, and now he's asking me to beg for mercy... What a jerk!"

Even though Chen Siyuan wasn't a good man, having coerced and bribed Madam Xing, wasn't Madam Xing still a good person to him? If Pan Youan had come personally, Chen Siyuan would have considered him a man, but he didn't show up himself and only urged his mother to come... This man is really hard to describe.

Another exclamation was heard from outside. Chen Siyuan and Hongyu looked over in surprise. Hongyu hurried out to take a look. A moment later, before Hongyu returned, the little maid Yunxiang came running in.

"Master, master! A woman came looking for Aunt Pan. She whispered a few words, and then Aunt Pan yelled and ran away." After a pause, he said proudly, "It's a good thing I have sharp ears, otherwise I wouldn't know what it was."

Chen Siyuan was happy: "Did you hear that?"

Yunxiang nodded without falling, and Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Okay, okay, I'll give you an extra string of money at the beginning of next month."

Yunxiang said with a smile, "The old woman said Pan Youan rushed out with a bundle."

Ran?

Chen Siyuan thought to himself, this makes sense. This person has no sense of responsibility at all. If something goes wrong, won't he just run away?
Chen Siyuan didn't care about Siqi and Pan Youan for the time being, but just speculated that at this time, the group of old servants in Rongguo Mansion and even in the Jia family had become too powerful to be eliminated.

Grandmother Jia relied on these old servants to maintain control of the Rongguo Mansion, which in turn accelerated the Rongguo Mansion's decline. First, the Xue family set up gambling, then Pan Youan tried to seduce Siqi... Yeah, it seems there are also Baoyu's servants Mingyan and Wan'er?

Since ancient times, traitors and thieves have been inseparable. If the servants are so unscrupulous, how could they not secretly embezzle the master's wealth?
The collapse of every dynasty has always been characterized by economic decline followed by military failure, with few exceptions. Now that the Jia family has lost the business of the Construction Department and is lavishly building villas for their relatives, I'm afraid Grandmother Jia has placed all her hopes on Yuanchun.

Oh, but the current Emperor Yankang is known for his forbearance. He has been on the throne for over a decade and has gradually gained control of government and military power. Not to mention the Imperial Concubine Wu in the palace, this Emperor Yankang is a power-hungry creature who tolerates no injustice. How could he treat the Jia family well just because he favors Yuanchun?
After thinking it over, Chen Siyuan went back to his study to review his lessons. When he had time, he also wrote a few poems, which he would show to others in his leisurely abode in the future.

Since he was not well-known and his talent was not well-known, Tao Jiancheng did not dare to take the business worth 500 taels.

He was reading in the east room, with only Liu Wu'er serving him. He didn't notice Hongyu quietly pulling Xiangling to the west room and whispering to her for a long time.

Before she knew it, the night had deepened. Although Liu Wu'er was preoccupied with something, she was too embarrassed to admit it. When the time came, she went back to her room to rest without Hongyu urging her to leave.

Chen Siyuan was so dizzy from reading that he let Xiangling and Hongyu help him wash up, and then went to the warm room in the west corner.

Only then did Chen Siyuan come to his senses and realize that Hongyu hadn't left yet. Just as he was about to ask, Xiangling leaned over and whispered, "Master, why don't you let Hongyu stay inside from now on? The kang in the west wing is already narrow, and Yunxiang isn't a very comfortable sleeper, so Hongyu always gets a restless sleep."

Yunxiang is restless in her sleep? Why haven't I heard of this before?
Chen Siyuan glanced at Hongyu and saw her affectionate expression. How could he not know what she was thinking? He was already eager for this, so he smiled and said, "I told you to just stay in the room, but you two insisted on living separately. In that case, we can just squeeze in at night."

Hongyu bit her lower lip and pondered for a while. She washed up with Xiangling and returned to Chen Siyuan, saying, "Master's body hasn't grown up yet... so it's better for us to have less sex."

Chen Siyuan had been teased by You Erjie that day, and then helped Siqi a few times. He was so itchy that he wouldn't listen to any advice. He didn't know if it was an illusion, but despite his frail frame, he was incredibly skilled at such things. It was only after his last fight with Madam Xing that he sprained his back, otherwise he'd never met a match—not even Xiangling and Hongyu tied together could defeat him.

Chen Siyuan pulled Hongyu and whispered, "Do you know why it hurts your body?"

Hongyu was unable to explain, so Xiangling said, "They say he's had kidney problems since he was young. I'm afraid he won't be well in the future."

Hongyu suddenly remembered something and said, "That's right, that's right. I heard that Master Zhu died young because of this."

Chen Siyuan was puzzled and asked, "Did Brother Zhu die in a woman's belly?"

It doesn't make sense. Li Wan only had two maids in her room, and no other concubines. How could she die like this? Could it be that Li Wan was truly ecstatic? I can't tell.

Hongyu pondered for a moment and whispered, "In the early years, the old lady sent away two maids to Mr. Zhu's side. Later, when Mrs. Zhu came into the family, the lady was afraid of making Mrs. Zhu unhappy, so she simply sent those two away.

Later, when Grandmother Zhu became pregnant with Lan, Grandfather Zhu somehow fell in love with Huilan, a girl close to his wife. Unexpectedly, the master caught him in the act, and immediately became furious. He scolded Grandfather Zhu for being unmotivated and only caring about pleasure, and beat him according to the family rules.

It was the twelfth lunar month, and Grandpa Zhu fell seriously ill. Although his wounds had healed, he caught a cold. He endured for several months and passed away in February.

That's it!

No wonder Grandmother Jia protected Baoyu from Jia Zheng; she had learned from previous experience. Upon closer inspection, Huilan must have been exceptionally beautiful, perhaps even one of Lady Wang's carefully cultivated companions to be placed beside Jia Zhu. And yet, Jia Zheng, the old man, also took a liking to her, and upon discovering his son's affair with Huilan, he was furious.

This beating was so brutal that Jia Zhu was beaten to death!
But why did Mrs. Wang dislike Li Wan? Could it be that because Li Wan had prevented Huilan from entering the house that day, Mrs. Wang simply took her anger out on Li Wan?
Recovering his thoughts, Chen Siyuan then discussed the similarities and differences between sex and ordinary activities, and then explained that a sudden end to sex could harm the body. Finally, he offered a solution: "I'll just stop moving from now on."

As soon as these words were spoken, Xiangling and Hongyu both spit out loud. One of them laughed and refused, while the other teased Chen Siyuan for his debauchery.

Chen Siyuan was not annoyed. He hugged her left and right and did what he wanted. One girl tasted her rouge, the other girl rubbed her soft lips. In the end, he got what he wanted.

After a chaotic night, when they woke up the next day, not only Chen Siyuan, but also Xiangling and Hongyu were full of energy. Their faces looked rosy and fair without any makeup, which made the maid Yunxiang repeatedly question them, asking if the two sisters had secretly changed their rouge.

That morning, Chen Siyuan had just had his breakfast when suddenly a maid from the back door came to look for him and said that someone named You Sanlang wanted to see her.

Chen Siyuan looked at the time and thought to himself, this is too early. Could it be that Third Sister You is in trouble?

He drank the porridge in one gulp, stood up, dressed himself, and hurried to the back door.

As soon as I walked out of the back door, I saw Sister You San, dressed as a scholar with a small bag on her back and a worried look on her face.

Chen Siyuan was startled and hurried over to ask, "What happened?" Suddenly a cold wind blew, and Third Sister Yu was not wearing a coat, so she shivered with cold.

Chen Siyuan looked around and saw that the mutton shop was open. He pulled You Sanjie away and said, "This is not the place to talk. Let's go to the shop and talk."

"it is good."

Third Sister You agreed and followed Chen Siyuan into the mutton shop diagonally opposite. She said a few words to Sister Guan, and then a pot of Gaosui was served to her.

Chen Siyuan poured her some hot tea and said, "Don't be anxious, Third Sister. Just take your time and tell me what you have to say."

"Yes." Third Sister You felt a little relieved after drinking the hot tea. She immediately looked up and said, "I, I ran away from home. It was already dark last night, so I found an inn in the inner city to stay overnight. There were strange noises at night, so I didn't dare stay any longer, so I just came to find you early in the morning."

"Ah?" Chen Siyuan was shocked and asked in detail.

After taking a few sips of hot tea, Third Sister You calmed down a little and then began to tell the whole story.

But they had a quarrel yesterday afternoon, and at night Third Sister You and Old Lady You had another big quarrel!
Old Lady You kept repeating the following: First, Second Sister You was the elder, so she should marry first. The You family's current situation meant they couldn't even afford one dowry, let alone two; second, if Third Sister You didn't want to marry, the two sisters should marry together so they could look after each other in the future.

In between, she also talked about Daiyu's extraordinary family background, and how the sisters must work together to reverse the decline.

Third Sister You was not a good-tempered person to begin with, and upon hearing this, she immediately exploded! First, she had a big fight with Old Lady You, and then she turned on Second Sister You, scolding her for being shameless and seducing the man her younger sister had fallen in love with. Third Sister You was so angry that she simply started a fight with Second Sister You.

Old Lady You was busy trying to break up the fight, and in a moment of desperation she slapped Third Sister You. Third Sister You uttered a harsh word, gathered her belongings, picked up a small bag, and ran out that very night.

Chen Siyuan was dumbfounded. He had never expected such a turn of events to happen.

Seeing him in a daze, Third Sister You was at her most vulnerable moment. She immediately frowned and said, "If, if you don't care about me, then I will go find a nunnery and have my hair cut off."

Chen Siyuan quickly pulled her hand and said, "How could I not care about you? I was just thinking about this. Third sister, don't you want to go home now?"

Third Sister You sneered, "What can I say? She only has eyes for her sister, not me. Second sister always listens to her, but when it comes to me, she contradicts me. If I were in her place, I wouldn't like that either."

Chen Siyuan said, "Well, let's rent a house first and let Third Sister settle down there for the time being. Let's not talk about other things for now. Maybe after some time, this situation will be resolved."

Third Sister You was furious and threatened, "Even if she begs me, I won't go back!" She paused, wiped her tears, and looked at Chen Siyuan with red eyes, saying, "Brother Yuan, you have a bright future, and I know I'm not worthy of you. Today I'm going to throw my skin away and stick to you. No matter if you're my servant or my concubine, I'll stick with you for the rest of my life!"

Chen Siyuan was overjoyed, but he frowned and scolded, "Stop talking nonsense! I'm afraid you haven't had breakfast yet?" Seeing her shake her head, Chen Siyuan hurriedly called out, "Sister Guan, two bowls of mutton soup. I see they have fried cakes? Bring me a plate as well."

Mrs. Guan responded, and Chen Siyuan tightened his grip on her, soothing her: "Don't worry, I'm here. I'll take care of you no matter what time it is."

Yu Sanjie immediately got the opportunity to vent, and cried like a tearful person. She kept wiping her tears with one hand, and held Chen Siyuan's big hand tightly with the other hand, refusing to let go.

After a while, mutton soup and fried cakes were served. Third Sister You calmed down and ate some with Chen Siyuan. When the sun rose to mid-afternoon, Chen Siyuan went to the stables to borrow a carriage, then took Third Sister You to look for a house to rent near Ningrong Back Street.

As luck would have it, there was a house for rent in Xiaohuazhi Hutong. It was a small three-sided courtyard with nine rooms, including the main house, side rooms, and ear rooms. The owner was renting it out for twenty-seven taels a year.

Chen Siyuan readily paid the money and settled You Sanjie in on the spot.

The house had been meticulously swept, but since there was no fire to keep it warm, it was freezing cold. Chen Siyuan let Third Sister You rest while he borrowed a basket of charcoal from a neighbor and lit a brazier, which finally warmed up a bit.

Chen Siyuan smiled and called to Third Sister You: "Come and warm yourself by the fire. You must be feeling cold now, right?"

"Yeah." Sister You San came over with a smile, squatted down like Chen Siyuan, and put her hands to warm the fire.

Chen Siyuan continued, "I'll go find a human trafficker and buy two little girls, and then hire two maids, and buy the rest of the stuff as well. You can stay here, don't be afraid, I'll take care of everything."

Third Sister You couldn't help but hold Chen Siyuan's hands across the brazier. She wanted to say some sweet words, but suddenly she thought of her mother and second sister. She frowned and said with disgust, "If my mother comes looking for you, just say you've never seen me."

Chen Siyuan blinked and thought to himself, this Third Sister You is really going to imitate Hong Fu and run away at night.

(End of this chapter)