Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 207 Annual Gift
The backyard of Rongguo Mansion.

Hongyu and Liu Wu'er were waiting at the door, eagerly anticipating the return of Xiangling. Seeing Chen Siyuan bringing Xiangling back from afar, Hongyu's face lit up with joy, and she exclaimed, "Here he comes! Master is finally back!"

The two women immediately stepped forward eagerly, bowed from a distance, and were both overjoyed.

Chen Siyuan had a smile on his face. He looked at this one, nodded to that one, and then was surrounded by the girls and returned to his own courtyard.

Hongyu then asked, "Why did you come back in the twelfth lunar month? I was arguing with Wu'er earlier, and I told you that you might as well wait until the canal is open before returning."

Chen Siyuan smiled but did not answer. He was anxious to return because of his latex business, which he would have to sell after the New Year. He always had to negotiate with King Ping of Yan beforehand.

When they reached the gate, Chen Siyuan suddenly remembered something and said to Hongyu, "The cart carrying goods is coming to the back door. You take the maid to look after it. Then sort the local offerings into categories and send them over one by one tomorrow."

Hongyu agreed, turned around and instructed two servants to go to the back door.

Chen Siyuan entered the main room, and Xiangling picked up her bag and went to put it down. Liu Wuer came over with a smile and helped Chen Siyuan take off his coat, and then hurriedly brought him warm tea.

After not seeing each other for two months, Chen Siyuan glanced at her, picked up his teacup and said with a smile, "Wu'er seems to have grown taller, and his face looks plump."

Liu Wuer smiled and said, "After almost a whole winter of raising it, it finally has some meat on it."

Chen Siyuan took a sip of tea and praised, "It's just right for drinking. Did you let it air dry beforehand?"

Liu Wuer smiled and said, "When I heard that the master had arrived, I quickly made some tea."

Chen Siyuan nodded and asked, "You haven't been sick this winter, have you?"

Liu Wuer smiled and nodded, hung up her coat and turned back, stopping beside Chen Siyuan with a smile on her face. She couldn't help but look at Chen Siyuan with her sidelong glances.

After a moment, she couldn't help but say, "Master seems to have grown an inch too."

In reality, it was more than just his stature. Fine hairs appeared under Chen Siyuan's lips, his eyebrows and eyes gradually grew, and his face lost its childishness. He no longer looked like the young man he used to be.

After finishing his cup of tea, Chen Siyuan sighed, "No matter how good the outside world is, it's still not as good as home." He looked around and saw Liu Wu'er staring at him intently. He smiled and said, "Why are you looking at me?"

Liu Wuer immediately turned her head away shyly, and then she heard Hongyu's voice coming from outside, and hurriedly moved over and said, "I'll go help Sister Hongyu."

After saying that, Liu Wuer walked out quickly.

Chen Siyuan watched the girl walk away, feeling secretly pleased. He thought to himself, "Next year, Wu'er will be fourteen too...will she be ready to eat soon?"

In the outer room, five or six maids carried boxes and crates into the side rooms one by one. There were more than a dozen boxes and crates in total, and it took them a moment to finish. Hongyu quickly took out the money box, rewarded the maids who helped, and then went back inside to talk to Chen Siyuan.

Chen Siyuan then instructed, "Send it to your aunt, madam, and concubine's place today. Send it to your second sister-in-law and your sisters and younger sisters as well when you have time."

Hongyu was surprised and asked, "What did the grandmother say?"

Chen Siyuan said, "I'll deliver it myself tomorrow."

Hongyu was puzzled, but did not ask any further questions. She thought that the Li family had made other preparations. She immediately looked for Liu Wuer's gift list and prepared the gifts for the other ladies.

Hongyu was in a dilemma. There were quite a few gifts prepared, and she couldn't let the master carry them all by himself. She glanced at Liu Wu'er, thinking that Wu'er was too weak to carry anything, so she frowned and asked, "Why hasn't Yunxiang returned yet?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "She has been away from home with me for two months, and has braved the wind and snow all the way. I asked her to go home and rest for a day and come back tomorrow."

Just then Xiangling came out of the side room after finishing her tidying up. She saw through Hongyu's thoughts at a glance and said with a smile, "I'll see the Second Madam off to the girls, and you can follow the master to the ladies."

Hongyu immediately smiled and said, "After not seeing each other for two months, Sister Xiangling has become more considerate."

After the girls chatted for a while, Chen Siyuan stood up and took Hongyu to the east wing.

Just as they entered the garden, they hadn't gone far when they saw a tall, sturdy figure approaching from Ao Jingxi Pavilion. Catching a glimpse of Chen Siyuan from afar, Siqi's eyes lit up. Then, seeing Hongyu beside him, Siqi paused, biting her lower lip. When Chen Siyuan glanced over, Siqi quickly bowed, her heart overflowing with joy.

Hongyu, who was accompanying her, was watching Siqi's behavior. Seeing her master couldn't help but look over there, Hongyu asked, "What are you looking at, Master?"

Chen Siyuan turned his head and said seriously, "Look... am I half an inch taller than Siqi?"

Hongyu blinked, suddenly feeling both amused and helpless, and said, "Master, you are already quite tall. You look an inch taller than Master Lian, so why would you bother to compare yourself with Siqi?"

"You don't understand." Chen Siyuan shook his head and smiled.

He naturally admired Siqi's stature, but he couldn't stand having to look up every time they stood together. Now that he was taller, he thought it was Siqi's turn to look up at him, right?

Thinking this way, the master and the servant walked out of the garden and turned onto the alley. In a moment, they left the Rongguo Mansion through the corner gate and entered the black oil gate.

When the doorman Yu Si saw Chen Siyuan, he hurriedly greeted him with a flattering smile, saying that Madam Xing was currently talking with Xing Zhong's family. Chen Siyuan, remembering they hadn't seen each other for a long time, tossed him a golden bean, prompting Yu Si to bow profusely and thank him profusely before escorting him to the ceremonial gate.

After passing the ceremonial gate, Miao'er happily led a master and a servant to the inner courtyard.

At this moment, in the main room of the east wing, Xing Zhong and his wife had just talked about the difficulties they had faced over the years, and Xing Xiuyan just sat there with her head down.

Although Mrs. Xing was still talking to Xing Zhong and his wife, she would occasionally glance at Xing Xiuyan. She couldn't help but feel happier and happier. She felt that her niece was indeed quite remarkable, and had a gentle and good temper. She thought it wouldn't be a disgrace for her to marry that little thief.

Mrs. Xing didn't care whether the little thief would marry the second lady or that damn Miss Wang in the future. She just wanted to avoid delaying her interactions with the little thief.

At this time, word came from the front that Chen Siyuan had arrived. Madam Xing suppressed her joy and hurriedly sent Miao'er to greet him. She then said to Xing Zhenshi, "It's not good to be wandering around like this forever... Besides, my niece is old enough. She needs to find a husband within the next two years, otherwise she'll become an old maid. In my opinion, you two can stay at the mansion for now. I'll report to the eldest master later and find a job for you and your wife."

He then looked at Xing Xiuyan and said with a smile, "Speaking of which, the young lady in the mansion and Xiuyan are of similar age, so it would be appropriate for us to be close friends. The second young lady has recently moved to the back building of Rongqing Hall. Does Xiuyan want to live with her parents, or should she be settled in the second young lady's room first?"

Xing Xiuyan hurriedly said, "Aunt, I'll just stay with my parents first."

Mrs. Xing thought for a moment and said, "There's a row of side rooms behind the master's study. I'll have them vacated later, and you and your family can move in first."

Xing Zhong's family was naturally very happy and hurried to express their gratitude.

Xing Zhong and Xing Zhen were still trying to talk about Xing Xiuyan and Chen Siyuan, but Madam Xing was so eager to see Chen Siyuan that she had no patience for anything else. She immediately stood up and said, "We're family, so we shouldn't talk about our differences. Since that's the case, Nanny Wang, please take my brother and his wife to their homes first. We can discuss other matters later."

Wang Shanbao, the housekeeper, quickly agreed and led Xing Zhong and his family out.

When they arrived at the courtyard, they happened to meet Chen Siyuan walking in the opposite direction. Chen Siyuan bowed to the others from a distance, but his eyes were fixed on Xing Xiuyan.

More than a month later, on the return journey, the two of them sometimes rode in the same car, and their relationship became even more intimate. Because it was Xing Xiuyan, she couldn't help but smile at him.

After a moment's delay, Chen Siyuan led Hongyu inside. When he walked around the screen, he saw Madam Xing sitting upright on the couch, with an expression of indescribable joy in her eyes.

Chen Siyuan suppressed his emotions and bowed respectfully, then quickly presented the gift.

The four kinds of brocade, dark flower satin, gold woven satin, embroidered satin and old soft satin, are nothing special, as they are Suzhou specialties; the rest are two kinds of white tea, Baihao Yinzhen and Shoumei, a box of South pearls, a pair of golden ruyi, and a pair of golden locks and golden necklaces.

Even though Mrs. Xing only had eyes for the little thief at the moment, she was still dazzled by the gift.

After chatting for a while, Mrs. Xing couldn't wait to send all the maids and servants away. Only two of them were left. Then she asked angrily, "Why did you send so many things?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "You can keep it for yourself and give it to the children for their expenses. By the way, how has Fourth Brother been these past two months?"

When Mrs. Xing mentioned the little one, she smiled brightly and said, "He's doing fine. He can eat and drink. I don't know who taught him to do this yesterday, but he can lift his head on his own." After a pause, she said, "Shall I bring him here for you to see?"

Chen Siyuan was quite tempted, but then shook his head and said, "I'm feeling cold, so forget it this time. I'll wait until the weather warms up."

Madam Xing nodded and jokingly said, "Well? No wonder the whole family praises her so much. I think Xiuyan is indeed a beautiful and talented woman. It wouldn't be a big deal for her to be the principal wife, right?"

Xing Xiuyan was naturally excellent, but her family background was humble. She wouldn't even be able to subdue Second Sister You and Third Sister You, let alone Sister Lin. Furthermore, Xing Xiuyan was a recluse by nature, and her deep affection for Chen Siyuan was the reason she interacted so frequently. She wouldn't have bothered with anyone else.

If she is forced to be the principal wife, it is hard to say whether she will take good care of the family business. I am afraid that Xing Xiuyan herself will be extremely impatient.

Besides, how could Chen Siyuan not know what kind of personality Madam Xing had? If he praised her in person, she would probably feel resentful.

Because he said, "I'm not in a hurry, why should you be in a hurry?"

As he spoke, he stood up and moved to sit beside Madam Xing. He reached out and hugged her plump body in his arms, and said with a low laugh, "Have you missed me these days?"

Madam Xing groaned twice, her body going limp. Afraid of being heard in the porch, she quickly grabbed the mischievous hand and said angrily, "Stop misbehaving! There are people outside."

Since they had a child, they hadn't been close. Mrs. Xing missed him so much that she couldn't help but say, "I'll come back in a few days. You, you can come too."

After saying that, she couldn't resist the big man and let him capture Yingrou and play with her.

Chen Siyuan replied with a "good" and continued, "I think I've found a way to make a living. I'll have to ask the prince about it first."

Every month, Baicaotang gave Madam Xing one or two hundred taels of silver. In six months, she had earned nearly seven hundred taels, which was equivalent to several years' worth of her monthly allowance. Hearing that there was a new business, Madam Xing's eyes lit up, and she said, "I can scrape together a thousand taels."

Seeing Chen Siyuan's teasing expression, Mrs. Xing thought he was disliking her greed, so she said angrily, "I'm not doing this for myself, but for Fourth Brother."

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "I didn't say anything... You can keep the silver for your own use. This time, the initial cost is over 100,000 silver coins. What can you do with your 1,000 taels?"

Mrs. Xing was startled and said, "What? Hundreds of thousands?" Realizing her voice was too loud, she quickly covered her mouth and whispered with concern, "You, you better seize this opportunity. We'd rather not make any money than lose it."

Chen Siyuan said leisurely, "After this experience, I will study hard to prepare for the next spring exam. How can I have the energy to make a living? So this time I must make enough money to cover my losses..." He paused, then kneaded his fingers and said, "...Besides, when have I not seized the opportunity?"

Mrs. Xing snorted twice, her eyes almost filled with tears. She just hoped that the second day of the new year would come soon so that she could continue her relationship with the little thief.

After a while, Chen Siyuan felt it was inconvenient to stay any longer, so he stood up and said goodbye. He left the room, took Hongyu who was waiting in the porch, and went back to Rongguo Mansion.

Just after passing the corner gate beside the stable, they saw Liu Wu'er and Yunxiang waiting there with gifts in their hands. However, the little maid Yunxiang went home to show off for a while, and was then driven out by her parents. Then they urged Liu Wu'er to come here and wait with the gifts for Madam Wang.

This saved Chen Siyuan and Hongyu the trouble of going back and forth. He praised the two of them and then went to Lady Wang's courtyard with the gift.

But as the visit was approaching, Mrs. Wang and Sister Feng were busy every day. Recently, the New Year was approaching, so they had been busy for half a day and only now had some free time.

Word had arrived that Chen Siyuan had returned, and Mrs. Wang had no intention of bringing him and Baochai together; she was preoccupied with the family's visit. Unexpectedly, just as she was resting, her maid, Jin Chuan'er, came in with the message, "Madam, Master Yuan has arrived with a gift."

Because of Chen Siyuan, Madam Wang had been able to snatch two good jobs. She naturally had a very good impression of Chen Siyuan, so she smiled and said, "Brother Yuan, we are all family. Now that you're back, why don't you take a rest first? Why don't you come to see me someday? Go and invite him in!"

Jin Chuan'er agreed and brought Chen Siyuan in a moment.

Chen Siyuan politely greeted her and presented her with various gifts. The gifts were similar to those from Mrs. Xing, especially the box of South China pearls, which showed her thoughtfulness. Mrs. Wang's face became even more kind when she saw him.

After he sat down, Madam Wang ordered tea and snacks, then scolded him, "You've been so tired after such a long journey in the wind and snow, and you didn't take a rest first. It's the same as when I came here."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Madam, you don't know, but I happened to receive some guidance from a Taoist master during this trip and learned a method to strengthen my body. Now I am not as weak as before." As he spoke, he raised his arm mischievously.

Mrs. Wang treated him like her own nephew. She covered her mouth and smiled as she examined him carefully. She said, "Yes, Brother Yuan looks a little fatter than before."

Then she asked about the situation in Nanjing. Chen Siyuan answered all the questions correctly, and said that all the gifts sent by the Wang family had been collected by Feng Jieer. Mrs. Wang then said, "Feng Jieer just told me that it was difficult for you. I heard that you brought back several carts of gifts."

Excluding what Chen Siyuan had bought himself, the gifts from various families filled four large carts.

After drinking a cup of tea, Chen Siyuan stood up and said, "Madam, please rest. I have to go to the concubine's place."

Mrs. Wang smiled and said, "Brother Yuan, you can save yourself the trouble this time." Seeing Chen Siyuan's confusion, the maidservant beside him, Jin Chuan'er, said with a smile, "Master Yuan, you don't know. The concubine has taken Miss Bao back to the old house to celebrate the New Year. She said she won't be back until after the tenth day. Now, Tonggui is the only one left in the Northeast Upper Guest House to look after the door."

Yes, Xue Pan married a girl from the Cao family, so wouldn’t Aunt Xue and Baochai have to go to the old house to celebrate the New Year?

"I see. Then I'll send someone to the Xue family's old house to deliver it tomorrow."

Mrs. Wang smiled and nodded, then hurriedly said, "Brother, go back and rest."

Chen Siyuan agreed and left immediately.

As soon as he left, Jin Chuan'er quickly spread out the South Pearl and other items on the table for Mrs. Wang to examine. Mrs. Wang smiled and praised, "Brother Yuan is very thoughtful, but it's not good that I always suffer the loss. When it's Brother Yuan's birthday, please remind me that I must make it up to him."

Jin Chuan'er responded and said with a smile, "Master Yuan is very wealthy now."

Mrs. Wang then thought of the three or four hundred silver coins that Baicaotang sent her every month, and her smile suddenly became even wider.

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On the other side, Xiangling led two maids holding various gifts and went to Fengjie'er first.

At this time, Feng Jieer had just gathered the local rituals brought by Chen Siyuan from various families and had just taken a short rest. Then Feng'er led Xiangling in.

Sister Feng smiled and asked in surprise, "Xiangling, why are you here?"

Xiangling smiled and said, "Second Madam, I'm here to give Grandma a gift on behalf of our uncle."

Feng Jieer immediately covered her mouth and laughed: "How can you say that——"

Ever since Xiangling came to Chen Siyuan's house, she has been very happy because Chen Siyuan has a kind personality and dotes on her. In addition, she has found her mother Zhen Fengshi. Her temperament has become more cheerful and she has also tried to be as eloquent as Hongyu.

So he smiled when he heard this and said, "Firstly, Master is well taken care of by Second Madam, so he always visits during the New Year holidays; secondly, Master went south and bought a lot of good things from Suzhou, so he always picks out some rare things for Second Madam to see."

Sister Feng sighed and said to Ping'er, "Look, is this still Xiangling? Two years ago, when I ran into her, I would just call her 'Second Madam'. I don't know how Brother Yuan trained her, but now she's become even more promising."

Xiangling covered her mouth and laughed, "Second Madam, please stop teasing me."

Various gifts were immediately presented. Compared with Mrs. Xing and Mrs. Wang, Fengjie's gifts were naturally of lower quality, so there were two pieces of brocade, half a box of South Pearls, and a gold lock for Qiaojie.

The others were fine, but Sister Feng pointed at the Nanzhu and asked in astonishment, "Brother Yuan, did you give too much?"

Xiangling followed Chen Siyuan to Jiangnan and said with a smile, "Grandma, you don't know that Jiangnan has discovered a new method of pearl cultivation. The price of South Pearls has dropped by more than half compared to before. The South Pearl shops are selling them by the bushel."

Feng Jieer knew that even if the price was half off, the pearls would still cost at least twenty taels. She wanted to invite Xiangling to tea, but Xiangling said she had to go somewhere else and left.

After Feng Jieer sent Xiangling back, she sighed and said, "Brother Yuan has really grown up."

Ping'er said, "Madam, aren't you asking even though you already know the answer? Apart from other things, I wonder how much money the Baicaotang sends to the mansion every month."

Feng Jieer immediately frowned and said, "Stop talking, there's no one in the world as wasteful as your Second Master!"

Ping'er covered her mouth and remained silent. Fengjie complained inwardly for a while, then said, "Let's see if Brother Yuan has any other livelihood in the future. If he does... this time, we can't let your Second Master mess around."

Ping'er said, "Madam, you're right. If you had made the decision last time, I would have invested all my money. The monthly interest would have been quite a lot, so why would I have lent money out?"

Sister Feng gave him a sidelong glance and said, "These are two different things."

Naturally, she had to make a living from her own money, but the money she lent was from the public, and both the old lady and the wife had approved of it, so what did it have to do with her?

Without mentioning what happened in Fengjie's room, it is said that Xiangling walked around the large painted screen wall and went straight into the back yard of Rongqing Hall. In a moment, she arrived in front of the back building.

I was going to go to the second girl's room first according to the order of seniority, but I didn't expect that the third girl, Tanchun, and the fourth girl, Xichun, were also in Yingchun's room.

When Xiu Ju led Xiang Ling inside, Xiang Ling glanced around and immediately said with a smile, "Oh, that saves me some trouble. It just so happens that all three girls are here."

Little Xichun was the most impatient. She took two steps forward and pulled Xiangling over, saying, "How is Brother Yuan? I wanted to go see him earlier, but Third Sister said he had just returned and it would be inappropriate to disturb him after his long journey."

Xiangling leaned forward slightly and said with a smile, "Then the fourth young lady can come tomorrow. Master has even prepared a lot of fun things just for her."

Xiao Xichun agreed with a smile.

Xiangling summoned the maid and presented the three gifts as agreed: each consisting of two rolls of brocade, a pearl ornament with southern pearls, and a Su-style hairpin and hairpin inlaid with kingfisher feathers.

The brocade and pearls were fine, but the hairpins and hairpins were crafted with great care. The second girl received a hairpin in the shape of a winter jasmine flower, the third girl, Tanchun, received a gold hairpin in the shape of a bright red rose, and the fourth girl received a gold hairpin in the shape of a daffodil.

Tanchun and Xichun were young, so they tried them on and compared them jokingly, and urged Yingchun to try them on as well.

The head maid Siqi stood by, feeling jealous, but then she thought that Master Yuan would never forget her, but she wondered what gift he brought her this time... Unfortunately, the New Year was approaching, and it was the fifteenth day of the lunar month when she had to visit her parents, so she couldn't take leave for most of half a month, which was really distressing.

Xiangling handed over the gift and said, "I have some other things to deliver. You three girls, please rest. I'm leaving first."

The three sisters were not shy and hurriedly stood up to see Xiangling off. After seeing Xiangling off, little Xichun said happily, "Tomorrow I'm going to look for Brother Yuan. Do you want to come with me, sister?"

Tanchun smiled and said, "Of course I will go."

Siqi approached Yingchun, wanting to speak but hesitant. The second girl knew what she was thinking and hurriedly shook her head. Unexpectedly, Siqi whispered, "Miss, Master Yuan is always thinking about you, so you should think about him, too."

Yingchun couldn't help but scold in a low voice: "Stop talking nonsense."

Siqi didn't care, just smiled and stepped aside. The two sisters inside chattered, but Yingchun was lost in thought. Brother Yuan had sent her gifts time and again, and she couldn't pretend she didn't know. She had to return the favor...

Besides, Yingchun would be sixteen next year, the perfect age for a married woman. Siqi had always been a talker, and with time running out, how could Yingchun not be tempted?
Without mentioning the second young lady's hesitation, we will say that Xiangling came down from the building and soon came to Daiyu's building with gifts.

Xueyan was already waiting downstairs. When she saw Xiangling, she chirped and greeted her, then led her upstairs, saying, "Our young lady just came back from the second young lady's room. She's feeling a little tired and is resting on the bed."

When they arrived at the room a little later, Xiangling bowed mischievously and said, "My humble disciple greets the master!"

Daiyu, who had been lying on the bed, saw her acting so strangely and immediately covered her mouth with her hands and laughed: "Where did this funny creature come from? Return my honest disciple to me!"

Xiangling stood up and came over, saying with a smile, "My dear Master, you don't know how much I've been obsessed with writing poetry. Now that I'm finally back, Master, you must teach me carefully from now on."

Daiyu rolled her eyes at him and said, "It's not a difficult thing. Brother Yuan has already laid a good foundation for you. After half a year, I guarantee you will be able to recite poems and write couplets."

"Really?" Xiangling was immediately overjoyed and hurriedly presented the gift.

Since the marriage was promised, the gifts sent to Daiyu were naturally much more substantial: four rolls of brocade, four boxes of Suzhou-style pastries, a box of South China pearls, a set of eleven-piece gold-thread headpieces embroidered with the pattern of "Butterfly Love Flower", a set of sixteen embroidered handkerchiefs embroidered with the Eight Scenes of Suzhou and Yangzhou, and a letter.

Xueyan said, "This satin is bright in color. It's perfect for making a few clothes for you someday."

Nanny Wang also said, "Brother Yuan is a thoughtful person. Even when he's away, he still thinks about the young lady."

Daiyu was too embarrassed to bear it, so she pretended not to hear and pulled Xiangling's hand to ask about the situation in Jiangnan.

Xiangling said, "Master went to Suzhou first and visited Miss Lin's parents' grave. Strangely enough, it started snowing right after he finished."

Daiyu was worried and her eyes turned red.

Xiangling then continued, "What's going on inside? Master has written a letter to Miss. You'll know when you read it later... Well, it's good news."

Daiyu was puzzled when she heard this, but Xiangling stood up and said, "Master, please read the letter first. I will go ahead to deliver the gifts and will come back to ask for your advice when I have time."

Daiyu stood up, and without her being told, Zijuan rushed to see Xiangling off.

As Xiangling descended the stairs, Nanny Wang urged her, "Young lady, please take a quick look at what's in the letter."

"Hmm." Daiyu responded, took the letter, sat down at the table, spread it out and examined it carefully.

It doesn't matter if you don't watch it, but after watching it, tears will come to my eyes.

In his letter, Chen Siyuan briefly mentioned the tomb-sweeping and the meeting with Jia Yucun, and then emphasized that Jia Yucun swept through Yangzhou with the force of a storm and put half of the officials of the Salt Administration and half of the salt merchants in jail.

The rest of what he said was Chen Siyuan's speculation. He said that the eight major salt merchants in Yangzhou had always been the money bags of the Supreme Lord, and had many connections with King Zhongshun. Daiyu's father, Lin Ruhai, had been in charge of Yangzhou for more than ten years, and he was fighting with these people.

First, Jia Min died, then Daiyu's half-brother died young. Daiyu herself was frail, and even Lin Ruhai died young. Anyone would know something was amiss. Jia Yucun's actions were undoubtedly orchestrated by a sage, partly to vent his anger and partly to avenge Lin Ruhai.

However, since the matter involved the Supreme Lord and King Zhongshun, it was not easy to make it public, so it remained silent.

Daiyu was naturally intelligent and had already made some assumptions. She naturally agreed with Chen Siyuan's thoughts. Thinking that her teacher had personally avenged her family, Daiyu felt her depression disappear, and she burst into tears.

Her crying was not a big deal, as it immediately attracted Nanny Wang and Xueyan to come over and show their concern.

One asked, "What's wrong with the girl?", and the other said, "Didn't Xiangling say it was a good thing?"

Daiyu burst into laughter as she cried, and then she cried and laughed again, saying, "Yes, it's a good thing... Heaven has eyes, Heaven has eyes!"

Nanny Wang was extremely puzzled. She hugged Daiyu and asked, "Miss, please tell me what's going on."

Daiyu smiled and shook her head with tears in her eyes, saying, "I can't say it, I can't say it."

She was relieved for her late father, who had served the king his entire life and died in office. The sage hadn't forgotten her, and she had finally avenged him. Although she couldn't publicize this as a revered person, with the Supreme Lord still around, what more could she ask for?
After a while, Daiyu calmed down and stood up and asked Xueyan and Zijuan to grind the tea.

In a moment, he picked up his brush and wrote in one breath: "The waves have changed several times, the red palace is heavy with clouds and fog. Blood and tears have solidified a thousand years of hatred, but my heart still holds a branch of wisdom. Who will pity the guest wearing a hairpin under the moon, half offering sacrifice to his strict parents, half silent."

As she paused, Daiyu felt her heart had been fully expressed, and her thoughts returned to Chen Siyuan. After a moment's hesitation, she gritted her teeth and said, "Xueyan, please take the lace I made a few days ago to Brother Yuan later."

Xueyan blinked and immediately agreed happily. Zijuan, standing by, thought to herself, "That's not just any ordinary string; it's clearly a love knot." The girl had already received a letter from her teacher, agreeing to the engagement, and there was no changing the matter. Zijuan was thinking about making amends... or else, would she really end up marrying the boy someday?
............................................................

But Xiangling came out from the back building and walked back to the front.

Soon she ran into the head maid, Amber, and was led into the inner chamber. Baoyu and Xiangyun were both present, so Xiangling bowed to Lady Jia according to etiquette, then stood up and said with a smile, "Madam, our master has handed over the earthenware gifts for you to Second Madam. The remaining items, which are easy to take, have been sent to me to deliver to Second Master Bao and Miss Yun."

Xiangyun was right beside Lady Jia, and upon hearing this, she exclaimed with delight, "I'm also getting a share? It's a good thing we're not leaving until tomorrow, or else I'd have missed it."

As the saying goes, one shouldn't hit someone who smiles, and Lady Jia didn't need to give Xiangling a bad look, so she smiled and said, "I'm sorry, Brother Yuan." After a few more pleasantries, she urged the two younger children, "Go and have a look."

Baoyu and Xiangyun happily agreed. Xiangyun rushed in first, not even glancing at the brocade and pearl flowers. She picked up the crabapple-flower hairpin and toyed with it in her hand. After examining it for a while, she put it in her hair and turned to Jia's mother, smiling, "Take a look, Aunt. Does this style suit you?"

"Okay, okay, Yun girl looks good in anything she wears."

Xiangyun turned around and said, "I'll thank Brother Yuan after I get back to you. I'll definitely give you a gift in return." The little girl moved briskly, and the two jingle bracelets on her wrists jingled when they collided.

Baoyu came over at this time and said, "I have it too?"

Xiangling nodded, and signaled the accompanying maid to present a large brocade box. Baoyu opened it and took a quick look, and was immediately disappointed. Inside was nothing but brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone - four Hu brushes, a She inkstone, a piece of Hui ink, and a stack of Kaihua paper.

Although it was expensive, it was perfunctory in every way. Baoyu couldn't find any fault with it, so he could only express his thanks perfunctorily.

(End of this chapter)