Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 191: Even if you can find it, you can’t escape

In the garden.

Tongxi led the way with a lantern, while Chen Siyuan and Baochai walked side by side, half a step apart. Because Tongxi was also there, the two of them were reluctant to say anything.

After they had passed the sluice gate, Baochai said, "Brother, at least you've stopped making such a fuss. I just hope this marriage will be settled soon so that I can discuss other matters with Mother."

Chen Siyuan naturally knew Baochai's thoughts. Thinking back to his past life, he would always mention Baochai and Daiyu when mentioning the Red Mansion, because they were two sides of the same coin.

Baochai, equally intelligent, was able to see through the underlying cause, but knew she could not resist, so she took Lengxiang Pills and simply sacrificed herself for the Xue family; Daiyu was different, she did what she knew was impossible.

Although Baochai had a rebellious heart, she did not dare to commit any rebellious act. She only wanted to influence Aunt Xue subtly. Only when she found an opportunity and changed her mind did she dare to reveal the affair between herself and Chen Siyuan.

Chen Siyuan was now in a dilemma. He didn't know how to explain the matter to Aunt Xue, so he could only procrastinate and leave it for later.

Because he just turned his head to glance at Baochai, and said with a smile: "Sister Bao, don't worry. After Wenlong gets married, he will definitely make some progress."

"Ah."

Baochai agreed, and the two of them said nothing more as they walked straight through the back gate of the garden. Chen Siyuan finally stopped and said, "It's just ahead. It's a cold night, sister Bao, please go back."

Baochai agreed and ordered Tongxi to light a lantern to illuminate the way. She waited until Chen Siyuan waved at the gate of the courtyard before she took Tongxi back.

After a moment, he turned northeast and went up to the small courtyard. When he entered, he saw Aunt Xue frowning for a long time.

Sister Bao was puzzled and asked, "Why is Mother looking at me like that?"

"Oh, oh... has Brother Yuan been sent back?"

Baochai waited for Ying'er to take off his cloak and then said with a smile, "I sent you straight home. Brother Yuan drank a little too much and seems to be stumbling a little."

Aunt Xue agreed, and when Baochai came to sit beside her, she took her hand and said, "Thank you for your concern for your brother. I noticed that you haven't been playing with Baoyu these past few days."

Baochai casually replied, "Yun girl has just arrived, and Brother Bao is very happy. Why should I go over and join in the fun now?"

Aunt Xue smiled and nodded, then said, "My son, you needn't worry. You don't know Baoyu's character. He may just be in a good mood for a few days, but he will come looking for you again soon."

Baochai responded calmly.

After a while, Baochai went to wash up, and Aunt Xue called Tongxi over to ask her about it in detail. Since the two of them had not said anything just now, how could Tongxi say anything else?
Seeing that Tongxi was talking about ordinary things, Aunt Xue secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that she was just worrying too much, and put the matter aside for the time being.

The next day came in a flash. Aunt Xue had just finished her breakfast and was about to go look for her sister, Lady Wang, when a maid brought her a letter. It was Lady Cao who invited Aunt Xue to come over for a chat when she was free.

Aunt Xue thought she was going to discuss the future marriage arrangements, but who knew that in the afternoon of that day, Mrs. Cao actually came to her house.

Aunt Xue hurried forward to greet them. When she saw Mrs. Cao, she noticed that her eyes were red and swollen. She didn't know where she had been wronged.

Mrs. Cao forced a smile and followed Aunt Xue to the northeast courtyard. She dismissed everyone and had a nice talk with Aunt Xue behind closed doors.

However, the girl from the Cao family was smart and virtuous since childhood, but she had not had her period until she was twelve or thirteen years old. Mrs. Cao called a doctor and asked for medicine, only then did she find out that her daughter was a barren girl.

Mrs. Cao was a Buddhist and thought it was just karma from a previous life. She often took her daughter to the temple to burn incense and seek Buddha's mercy.

Perhaps it was the Buddha's blessing, but within the past two years, Miss Cao's menstruation had indeed begun. Although it was sporadic, it had come nonetheless.

Mrs. Cao invited a gynecologist to examine her, but the doctor said it was an "external stone" and that "marriage might be possible." With this advice, the Cao family began to arrange a marriage for their daughter.

I had kept this secret, but who knew that the young monks in the temple had heard about it and spread the news everywhere. The girl from the Cao family didn't react, but Mrs. Cao couldn't stand it. Knowing that if the Xue family broke off the engagement, the girl would never be able to marry again, she had no choice but to shamelessly confront the Xue family.

Aunt Xue, having received Chen Siyuan's explanation, was so focused on securing the Cao family's protection that she didn't care whether her future daughter-in-law was an "inner stone" or an "outer stone"? She immediately answered Mrs. Cao's question, saying that the Xue family had confirmed the marriage and would not cancel it.

Mrs. Cao was naturally grateful and said a lot of nice things, which made both the host and the guests happy. After Mrs. Cao left, the Xue family spread the rumor that it was a playboy who had failed to get married and was causing trouble.

So they asked for the name, agreed on the wedding date, accepted the betrothal gifts, and asked for the date, waiting for the Xue family to personally welcome her in October.

Aunt Xue and Baochai had been busy with Xue Pan's marriage recently, so Chen Siyuan had only been able to see each of them once. He had spent the rest of the day at the new house near Nengren Temple, spending two of the three days. After several months of separation, Second Sister You was still okay, but Third Sister needed to be comforted.

But that night, Master Jia Zheng stayed overnight in Aunt Zhao's room again.

After a tender moment, Aunt Zhao put on her small clothes and went to wash herself, then she found a dry towel and wiped Jia Zheng.

After his round of censure, Jia Zheng now sat back against the head of the bed, his eyes closed, lost in thought. Aunt Zhao waited on him attentively, whispering, "Master, Brother Yuan... is he really going to have a bright future?"

Recently, rumors have been circulating in the palace that Madam Wang is trying to match Chen Siyuan with Wang Yunping, and that the eldest master is planning to marry Yingchun off. Aunt Zhao has noticed this, but initially didn't care. However, her brother Zhao Guoji came this afternoon to offer his nephew to Chen Siyuan as a servant.

Aunt Zhao was puzzled. Her nephew was only two years older than Huan'er, and she had agreed to it a long time ago. When her nephew was old enough, she asked the master Jia Zheng to send her nephew to Huan'er as a servant. Why did Zhao Guoji change his mind now?
After repeated inquiries, Zhao Guoji finally confessed. It turned out that the Baicaotang, founded by Yuan Ge'er, had received a full four thousand taels of silver in profit distribution this month, with Aunt Xue alone receiving a full one thousand taels!

Aunt Zhao was astonished. If someone else could share four thousand taels of silver, how much would Yuan'er keep for himself? Even if he only kept two thousand taels, that would be twenty-four thousand taels for the whole year! How much did the Rongguo Mansion, a huge place, spend in a whole year?
She originally thought that although Chen Siyuan was capable, he would have to pass the imperial edict before he could make a breakthrough, and then remain silent for another ten years, maybe even until he was over thirty. Who would have thought that he would make a breakthrough right now!

Not only did he have fame and honor, but he also had plenty of money. No wonder both Lady Wang and the eldest master were vying to be the matchmaker.

Aunt Zhao was filled with regret. How could that wooden guy and Miss Wang compare to her own maid?
Although Aunt Zhao was slow to realize the situation in the mansion, she had a rough idea of ​​it. In the previous six months, Yuan'er had been traveling between the East Cross Courtyard and the Taiwain Courtyard. First, the Wu brothers from Liaodong Village had suffered misfortune, and then Dai Liang from the storeroom had suffered misfortune.

Looking at the successors, even if Aunt Zhao was stupid, she now realized: it was obvious that the eldest master had benefited, and the mistress had placed people in place, and the two families were teaming up to deal with the old lady.

She looked down on Madam Wang, wondering if she was so capable, why had she been suppressed by the old lady for over twenty years without daring to fight back? Perhaps it was because of that Yuan brother's counsel.

During the day, he pondered this, and then thought to himself, if Yuan-ge'er became his son-in-law... wouldn't it be natural for him to help him deal with Madam Wang? Even if Yuan-ge'er stood by and watched, he was still his son-in-law after all. If he didn't care about the monk's face, he would have to consider the Buddha's. How could he ignore Huan-ge'er in the future?

The more Aunt Zhao thought about it, the more it made sense to her, so she spent money to prepare a banquet, coaxing Jia Zheng into a state of confusion. After they had some intimacy, she mustered up the courage to ask.

Jia Zheng, being old and tired, mumbled a reply. He said, "A scholar of fifteen or sixteen would be a man of talent even in Jiangnan. And he hasn't become arrogant after his success. He knows his learning is insufficient, so he's just concentrating on studying hard and will try again in four years."

This boy has a patient nature and I believe he will have a bright future."

Aunt Zhao's heart grew more and more delighted, and she asked with a charming smile, "Well, then, Master, tell me, what future will Brother Yuan have?"

"That's hard to say. If he's been selected as a Hanlin, given his age, he might even be appointed as a prime minister at the age of forty. If he's just an ordinary second-class scholar, he could definitely become a governor."

It goes without saying that if he enters the cabinet and becomes a prime minister, he is a super-ranking official; even if he becomes a governor of a region, he is also an official of the first or second rank!
Jia Zheng is only a fifth-rank official, but in Aunt Zhao's eyes, he is as powerful as the sky. If he gets a first- or second-rank official as his son-in-law, wouldn't Aunt Zhao be able to do whatever she wants in the mansion?
Aunt Zhao could no longer contain herself and said, "Master, there's been talk in the mansion these days that the mistress and the eldest master are both acting as matchmakers for Yuan-ge'er."

"Hmm." Jia Zheng had of course heard this before, so he just responded in a muffled voice.

Aunt Zhao said, "If that's the case, then Brother Yuan is truly a rich son-in-law... Master..." She reached out her hand and pushed Jia Zheng on the chest, whispering, "-you said Tantan girl..."

"Hmm?" Jia Zheng opened his eyes and glanced at Aunt Zhao. He frowned and scolded her, "Nonsense! How old is that girl?"

Aunt Zhao smiled wryly and said, "She'll be eleven next year, so she's not young anymore." After a pause, she added, "Besides, I see that Tan's daughter is very proud of Yuan'er. She often takes Xichun with her and runs off."

Jia Zheng was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, and scolded her, "Don't get involved in this matter, you won't make a fool of yourself! Tanchun is only a little old, and I will make the final decision on her future marriage."

Aunt Zhao didn't dare to refute him directly, but she rolled her eyes inwardly. Ever since the doctor at the Construction Department was replaced, Master Jia Zheng hadn't secretly given her any headgear for some time.

The eldest branch of the Rongguo Mansion inherited the title. Even if something happened to the eldest master, the family would be under the management of Jia Lian and Feng Yatou.

Although the second house had a virtuous concubine, what did that have to do with Aunt Zhao? She was really hoping that Yuanchun would be left alone in the palace.

Tanchun is still young now, but if she doesn't find a rich husband quickly, what kind of marriage can her master Jia Zheng find for her?
At most, he is the son of some minor official. If a girl marries him, he may not be able to help her and may suffer instead.

Aunt Zhao knew that it was not a good idea to argue with Jia Zheng any further, so she kept the matter to herself for the time being.

The next day, Aunt Zhao thought for half a day and then sent her maid Xiao Que'er to look for Tanchun.

After a long time, Tanchun came reluctantly with her maid.

The third girl knew that Aunt Zhao would not do anything without profit, and that she would definitely come to ask for money from her again. But when they met, she saw Aunt Zhao greet her warmly and asked about her well-being.

Tanchun became more and more uneasy, and answered carefully, fearing that she would fall into Aunt Zhao's trap again.

After a while, Aunt Zhao smiled and said, "Tan'er, why haven't I seen you go to Brother Yuan'er's place these days?"

Tanchun didn't think much of it and simply said, "Brother Yuan stayed away two out of three days. The rest of the time Xichun went to learn the flute from him, and I was busy with Yun, so how could I have time to go?"

Aunt Zhao frowned and said, "What's the big deal, little girl Yun? If it were up to me, you'd better go to Brother Yuan's place more often." After a pause, she continued, "Your brother is currently in private school, and I see he's in such a mess, so I thought of asking Brother Yuan to teach him. If your brother could learn even a little bit of what Brother Yuan does, wouldn't it bring honor to us mothers and daughters in the future?"

Tanchun agreed deeply and nodded, saying, "My aunt has finally changed her mind. I see that Huan'er is not in good shape now."

Last time he almost knocked someone into the water, although he covered it up, but who didn't know that Jia Huan was facing Baoyu at that time?

He has evil intentions at such a young age. What will happen to him when he grows up?
Although Tanchun never said it explicitly, she was certain that Aunt Zhao had instigated this. Huan'er was only a young man, and right now he should be just playing around and having fun. Where did such hatred come from?

Aunt Zhao felt disgusted upon hearing this, but she suppressed her discomfort and echoed Tanchun's words, saying, "Isn't it true? Your brother is a concubine's son, and cannot compare to Baoyu, the legitimate son. If he doesn't have some ability, I'm afraid he will just be living a life of idleness and waiting to die."

Tanchun nodded, thought for a moment, and said, "It's a pity that Brother Yuan will be heading south soon. I'm afraid he won't be back until next year."

Aunt Zhao said, "Good food is never too late. I've been thinking that we should always visit each other so that we don't have to wait until we need it in the future to ask for help... How will Brother Yuan think of us?"

Tanchun nodded again and said, "Then I'll go ask Brother Yuan when I have time... I don't ask for Huan'er's knowledge or talent, but I just hope he can learn a little about how to behave in society. That would be great too."

Aunt Zhao rolled her eyes at this, thinking her daughter had been born in vain. So she tried to cover it up vaguely, spoke some caring words for a while, and then sent Tanchun away.

After Tanchun left Aunt Zhao's courtyard, she felt relieved and the world seemed far away - her mother had finally made up her mind.

The attendant beside her hesitated to speak. After a while, she looked at the large painted screen and couldn't help but ask, "Young lady, why do I feel that the concubine has other thoughts?"

Tanchun stamped her feet and asked in surprise, "What could Auntie be thinking?"

The secretary was two years older than Tanchun, so she naturally had more thoughts. Upon hearing this, she said, "There's been a lot of talk in the mansion these days. One moment it's Miss Yunping, the next it's the Second Miss... Miss, are you thinking, Auntie, would you like to take this opportunity to..."

"Hmm?" Tanchun was stunned. She couldn't help but think carefully in her heart, and then she smiled bitterly.

She was blinded by a single leaf and actually believed Aunt Zhao's lies! With Aunt Zhao's personality, she was obsessed with the Rongguo Mansion's family business and wanted to eliminate the second brothers Bao and Lian. In this way, the Rongguo Mansion would belong to Huan'er from now on. Why would she bother to force Huan'er to make progress?
How old is she now? Why would she even think about getting married?
Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, he said to the secretary, "You are overthinking it."

"But--"

"Oh," Tanchun said with a smile, "whatever your thoughts may be, since she is talking about serious matters, I shall just do my best to follow the serious matters."

As soon as the words fell, a figure came running out from the hall ahead. Seeing Tanchun, he hurriedly slowed down his pace, raised a bow and saluted from a distance: "Third Aunt."

"It's Brother Lan, where did you get this?" Jia Lan's face lit up with excitement, raising the bow in his hand. "I've been bored studying at home, so I wanted to stretch my legs. I just happened to run into Uncle Bao, and he gave me the bow he used when he was a child."

When Jia Zhu died, Tanchun was still too young to remember much, and all she knew about him was what the elders in the mansion had told her. She immediately warned him, "There are so many people coming and going here, so don't just randomly shoot at them."

Jia Lan agreed with a smile, saying, "Don't worry, Third Aunt. I'll go play in the garden when no one is around."

After a few words, the aunt and niece said goodbye. Tanchun was about to enter the corridor when she suddenly stopped and looked back. She saw Jia Lan jumping away with a bow in his hand.

Suddenly, he felt relieved and said with a smile, "One sheep is fine, and two sheep are fine. It's a plea anyway. I think we should take Lan'er and Cong'er with us as well."

The secretary thought about it and smiled, "Third Miss is very thoughtful. If she asks Madam later, she won't have to come forward herself."

Tanchun smiled and shook her head: "Since it's my idea, I should at least tell Brother Yuan first... I don't want to delay Brother Yuan's studies."

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

Nengren Temple is near the Chen family's new house and has a side garden.

It was just past noon when laughter and playfulness could be heard throughout the garden. Chunxi and Xiazhu watched from afar, each covering their mouths with their hands in disbelief. In the pavilion, their master, his eyes covered with red silk, was busy groping around, following the sound.

The Second and Third Aunts tiptoed away, but they were still playing tricks on each other. At this moment, the Third Aunt picked up a stone and threw it at the Second Aunt's feet.

With a crackling sound, Chen Siyuan stopped and listened attentively, and said with a smile: "Little hoof, let's see where you can run this time!"

He swayed left and right, and You Erjie didn't know where to hide, so she was held in his arms.

He then pressed her shoulders down, rolled up her sleeves and counted her ribs.

You Erjie was extremely ticklish, and she laughed so hard that she kicked her legs wildly, lifting them up, revealing her scallion-green trouser legs from beneath her clothes, and kicking her thin soles toward the sky. She muttered breathlessly, "Master, please spare me a moment."

Chen Siyuan pulled the red silk cloth and said, "Since it's Second Sister, I will punish you by making you a foot-warming maid for a day."

You Erjie agreed without hesitation, and was then let go.

Just then, Qingwen came in from the moon-shaped gate. Seeing this, she curled her lips and called out from a distance, "Second Aunt, Third Aunt, Old Lady An and Grand Madam Zhen are here."

The three of them stopped laughing and looked at each other. Third Sister You bit her lower lip and frowned. "Why are you here again? Last time, I listened to my brother and secretly gave her an extra ten taels of silver. Thirty taels a month is not a small amount." After a pause, she said, "Forget it. Second Sister and I will go and answer the question first. Brother Yuan, why don't you go back to Rongguo Mansion first?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "This is my home. Can I hide here forever?"

Third Sister You was reluctant to let Chen Siyuan see Old Lady You, so she said, "Brother, please go back to your room and wash and change your clothes first."

Seeing Chen Siyuan agreed, he frowned and went forward with You Erjie to greet him.

As soon as the two of them left, Qingwen came over, stood on tiptoe, and wiped the sweat from Chen Siyuan's forehead with a handkerchief, whispering, "I see Old Lady You is smiling like a flower. I wonder what she's thinking."

Chen Siyuan reached out and pinched Qingwen's cheek, saying with a smile, "Why are you paying attention to her? But Sister-in-law Zhen is here too, for some reason."

Qingwen had grown accustomed to his intimacy these days, so she simply glared at him, wiped her cheek, and then frowned, saying, "I hate seeing her act like a lapdog. The words 'begging for money' are practically written on her face."

Chen Siyuan smiled again and said, "When we get back this time, I'll ask Wu'er to come over often so you can learn to read. Xiangling is already learning to write poems and couplets. Maybe if you study hard for a few years, you can also become a dilettante."

Qingwen pouted and said, "What's the point of me, a servant girl, learning those useless characters?"

Although he said this, he was extremely happy in his heart. Seeing that there was no one around, he hugged Chen Siyuan's arm and walked towards the moon cave gate together.

There is no need to mention the two of them going to the main house, but it is said that You Erjie and You Sanjie went to the front, greeted You Laonian and You Shi, and then came to the back.

When they reached the main courtyard, Old Lady You looked around in the corridor and said, "Is Brother Yuan not here?"

Third Sister You glanced over immediately and said coldly, "So Mom is here to look for Brother Yuan?"

Old Lady You said with a wry smile, "I come here all the time, so how could I not see the real master?"

As she spoke, she looked at You Erjie. But You Erjie had been tricked out of a hundred taels of silver by You Lao Niang the previous time, and You Lao Niang would give her another thirty taels of silver every month, much richer than her, so how could she be willing to be a villain in vain?

So You Erjie remained silent, and You Sanjie said, "Mother is a little late. Brother Ziyuan just returned to Rongguo Mansion a while ago."

"Oh, that's unfortunate." Old Lady You felt disappointed. She knew she couldn't get any more out of her two daughters, so she decided to go find Chen Siyuan and have a fight with him.

She complained about being poor and struggling, and then she kept saying how difficult it is to raise two daughters. Would anyone with any dignity let her make the trip in vain?
Who knew that the third daughter would guard against her as if she were a thief, and all her efforts were in vain.

After a few words with You Sanjie, Old Lady You lost her patience and turned to You Erjie, chatting endlessly. She would mutter, "How many times has Chen Siyuan come to see me at night?" Then she would ask, "It's been so long, why is there still no sign of pregnancy?"

Even if You Erjie was as uninhibited as she could be in bed, she couldn't help but blush. Old Lady You thought her second daughter was just being naive, so she took her to the next room to question her.

Only Third Sister You and Mrs. You were left inside.

Third Sister You had a cold expression on her face. She crossed her legs and her bright red embroidered shoes kept shaking.

Yu Shi then said, "I got some mountain products a few days ago, so I brought some here for my third sister." As she spoke, she waved her hand, and the maid Yin Die brought a small bamboo basket.

When they put it on the table and lifted the cover, they saw inside the four kinds of grass treasures: bamboo fungus, bird's nest, mushrooms, and white fungus; there were also dried fruits such as pine nuts, chestnuts, Chinese torreya, and ginkgo.

Third Sister You didn't like anything else, but she loved the delicious taste of Torreya grandis. So her expression softened slightly, and she smiled, "It's amazing that Eldest Sister still thinks of me."

Yu Shi smiled bitterly and said, "Third sister, you also know my situation. I really didn't dare to think about you and Second Sister before."

Third Sister You immediately understood what Youshi was up to. It was because Old Lady You was constantly taking her and her second sister to the Ningguo Mansion to collect bribes, and she deliberately sent Youshi away, leaving her and her second sister alone to answer Jia Zhen's questions. Not to mention that Youshi was a living person, even a clay figurine would have been furious.

As the second wife, Youshi was in charge of the Ningguo Mansion's household affairs, but her humble background meant she had no confidence. Jia Zhen was a man of his word, and without the support of her family or children, she could only agree to his orders.

At this moment, her stepmother brought her two younger sisters to plot again. Third Sister You thought to herself, if it were her, she would probably explode early in the morning. How could she have the good temper of her eldest sister?

Thinking about this, knowing that her eldest sister was having a hard time, Third Sister You couldn't help but relax a little and sighed, "You know what Mom is like, eldest sister. I felt something was wrong that day, but I couldn't make up my mind... It's a good thing I met Brother Yuan, otherwise I would be so confused and ignorant, and I might as well--"

It's no wonder that he was coaxed away by Jia Zhen!

Feeling deeply saddened, Third Sister You frowned and said, "How can we sisters ever sit down and have a good chat?"

Yu Shi felt relieved upon hearing this, and with a smile on her face she said, "That's right. I've always been grateful to my third sister and Brother Yuan." After a pause, she added shyly, "But I came here today because I vaguely heard that Brother Yuan would be heading south soon. I, I do have a favor to ask."

Third Sister You was bold and daring, and her life was going smoothly, so she was naturally open-minded. Upon hearing this, she promised, "Just give me your instructions, sister. I'll ask Brother Yuan for help later."

Yu-shi glanced around and then lowered her voice and said, "I don't ask for anything else. I just want Brother Yuan to go to Suzhou and visit Hechun Hall and ask for more uterine-warming pills on my behalf."

Third Sister You blinked and couldn't help but ask, "Big Sister, your body...hasn't recovered yet?"

Youshi's face was filled with bitterness. She had been married to the Ningguo Mansion for over ten years, and in the first two years she had been extremely favored by Jia Zhen. Unfortunately, her pregnancy was still not moving, so she asked the imperial physician for a consultation. Unexpectedly, he diagnosed her with a cold uterus, a symptom that made pregnancy difficult.

Since then, Youshi has consulted doctors and tried countless prescriptions, but her uterine coldness has never subsided. Some time ago, while visiting the families of nobles, she happened to hear that Suzhou Hechuntang had a uterine warming pill that was miraculously effective for this condition. She also happened to hear that Chen Siyuan would soon be leaving for the south. After some consideration, Youshi decided to visit him today.

Third Sister You showed pity on her face and said, "Big Sister, do you want to try again?"

Yu Shi sighed and said, "We must try again... The aunt in the east wing of Rongguo Mansion has also given birth to a son."

Over the years, with doctors and medicines to no avail and Jia Zhen's unruly behavior at home, none of the concubines had become pregnant, and so Youshi had gradually given up on the idea over the past two years. But this year, new buds sprouted from the old tree of Lady Xing, and she actually gave birth to a son. How would Youshi, who was of the same age as Lady Xing, feel? Naturally, she couldn't help but become interested again.

She could see through it but couldn't escape it, so Youshi was now thinking that at least she had a son to support her, so that her future would be better.

As they were talking, Youshi took out her purse and tried to stuff the banknotes in.

Third Sister You was not short of money now, so she quickly refused, saying, "Sister, what are you doing? Take it back!"

Yu Shi said, "That palace-warming pill is quite expensive. How can I take advantage of Third Sister for nothing?"

Third Sister You said angrily, "Sister, what are you talking about? We have relied on you for support in the past few years. I am not short of money now, I just want to buy some pills, how dare I take your money? Sister, you should save some money for yourself, so keep it for yourself."

The two sisters pushed and pushed for a while, but seeing that Third Sister You firmly refused to accept it, Youshi felt relieved, but her eyes couldn't help but turn red.

Third Sister You couldn't stand this, so she stood up and said, "I'll go talk to Brother Yuan right away. Please wait a moment, eldest sister."

Yu Shi said, "There's no need to rush now. We can wait until Brother Yuan comes to talk about it."

Third Sister You smiled playfully and lowered her voice, "I was just trying to comfort Mom. Brother Yuan is in the main room right now."

Yu Shi immediately suppressed her laughter, exchanged glances with Yu Sanjie, and then watched her go away.

A moment later, another maidservant, Xia Zhu, came in anxiously. Seeing that Third Sister You was nowhere to be found, she told Youshi, "My dearest lady, Anren found a bottle of Fengyaohuachuan wine in Second Miss's room and was clamoring to drink it. Second Miss couldn't stop her. Anren got drunk herself, and even Second Miss drank a few cups. She's now taking a nap in her room."

Yu Shi was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, thinking that dog meat was indeed not suitable for banquets, and she looked down on her stepmother even more.

After waiting for a long time, Third Sister You still didn't come back. Youshi couldn't help but wonder in her heart, could it be that Brother Yuan doesn't approve?
The maid Yindie noticed that Youshi was a little anxious, so she said, "Grandma, can I go take a look ahead?"

"Alright."

Yu-shi agreed, and Yin-die went downstairs to the main room in front to look for her. After a while, she saw Yin-die returning with a red face and ears.

Yu Shi couldn't help but wonder, "What happened?"

"This..." Yindie bit her lower lip and couldn't speak, so she leaned close and whispered a few words in the ear.

Yu Shi blinked, her face flushed, and she couldn't help muttering, "It's still sunny and bright, Third Sister is really too——"

Too wanton! How could someone leave their own sister alone and go have sex with their lover in broad daylight?

After waiting for about two cups of tea, I heard the sound of footsteps, and in a moment, Sister You San came over with a rosy face and graceful figure.

Seeing Youshi, Third Sister You smiled and said, "Thank you for waiting for a while, elder sister. Brother Yuan just agreed as soon as he heard it, but he was delayed for a while by other things."

Because she was now somewhat close to her third sister, You Shi could not help but frown and said, "Third sister, at least you concealed your expression when you said this!"

Unexpectedly, after Third Sister You sat down, she crossed her legs again and said with a charming look, "Brother Yuan and I are very close friends, so we just joined in the fun for a while."

Yu Shi was secretly complaining about this, and spent a full three quarters of an hour thinking to herself, was this really just to please people?

Seeing her disbelief, Third Sister You giggled and whispered a few more words in her ear. Mrs. You was both ashamed and frightened after hearing this. It would have been fine if the two sisters had fought together at night, but they couldn't stop from the first half of the night into the second half... Could it be that Brother Yuan was the reincarnation of a wild bull?
(End of this chapter)