Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 227 Parting on bad terms
Not to mention the mixed feelings that Aunt Xue and Baochai, mother and daughter, felt, but Jin Chuan'er took the order and came out. In a moment, she entered the garden and went to the thatched cottage.

As soon as they arrived at the place and looked through the open courtyard gate, they saw Hongyu and Wu'er sitting under the shade of a tree, knitting lace.

Jin Chuan'er laughed and said, "You are so lucky. Now that you have moved into the garden, you are free from all constraints and can do whatever you want."

Hongyu and Wu'er looked up at the same time. Seeing that it was Jin Chuan'er, they hurried forward to invite her in. Hongyu smiled and said, "How can you be free? You have been cleaning for two days and just took a break today. Is there something wrong, Madam?"

Jin Chuan'er said, "My cousin also loves poetry. She wrote a poem herself. My aunt is not sure if it is good or not, so she thought of asking Master Yuan to come over and give it a review. Is your master here?"

Hongyu smiled and said, "He was here an hour ago. He was bored from writing and said he was going to take a walk in the garden. Who knew he wouldn't be back yet?" After a pause, she continued, "Why don't you go and tell the mistress first? Wu'er and I will go look for him. When we find him, we'll ask him to go to the mistress's courtyard?"

Jin Chuan'er agreed and said, "Okay, then I'll go and reply first."

Jin Chuan'er turned and left, Hongyu and Wu'er came out to look for Chen Siyuan, and soon they ran into the little maid Yunxiang who was wandering around, so everyone went to look for her separately, but they couldn't find her after searching for a long time, so they couldn't help but call out "Master" and "Master" everywhere.

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Jade Emperor Temple, in the quiet room.

Madam Xing lay across the kang, her gown half-lifted, revealing a large area of ​​her neck and snow-white arms. Her hair, which had been carefully styled before her arrival, was now disheveled, with a few strands scattered across her cheeks and neck. Her eyes were half-open, a hazy look in them, and her eyelashes trembled slightly.

The blush on her face revealed the lingering feeling that had not yet faded after the pleasure. Her lips parted slightly, her breathing still a little rapid, and the clothes on her chest rose and fell with it. In a moment, the clothes slid off, opening most of the way, revealing the underwear underneath, and a large area of ​​skin as delicate as snow was exposed.

After a while, Madam Xing opened her eyes, their expression filled with satisfaction and contentment. She glanced at Chen Siyuan and said angrily, "I wonder where you learned all those tricks to torture people..." Who else could it be? It must be the seductive sisters in the new house. Madam Xing knew she shouldn't say this to herself, so she bit her lower lip and said, "I'm almost falling apart right now!"

Chen Siyuan smiled complacently and said, "Pick up your things quickly. I can't stay long. I'll just chat with you for a while and then I have to go back."

Madam Xing agreed, rose lazily, and slowly put on her clothes. She then fixed her hair and said, "How's your lotion business going? Last time, the second wife said that Lord Wang praised you highly and said that business is sure to be successful."

"Hmm?" Chen Siyuan frowned and asked, "There's this?" He was at a loss for words, thinking to himself that Mrs. Xing was truly simple-minded. If it were anyone else, how could she have let this slip? But she only remembered Wang Ziteng's intention to marry off his daughter, and completely forgot about the praise for the latex business.

Mrs. Xing, however, didn't take it seriously. It wasn't until Chen Siyuan asked her about it that she finally explained the situation. Finally, she said, "Even he's so optimistic about it, so this business has great potential."

Chen Siyuan knew Madam Xing's personality, so he didn't argue with her. He smiled and said, "If I can't make any money, why would I bother with all this? I can just keep looking after Baicaotang, and I'll earn over a thousand taels of silver every month."

"Hmm," Mrs. Xing nodded admiringly, and then asked eagerly, "When will this lot be sold?"

"No rush. It needs to ferment a bit before it can be sold. Now only a few people know about it, so even if we sell it, it won't fetch a high price." After saying this, Chen Siyuan suddenly frowned and touched his chin in thought, "Oh no! Now that Wang Ziteng knows about it, I'm afraid the master will know about it soon."

Jia She was a man who would squeeze every last drop of oil out of a stone he passed through his hands, so how could he let go of such an advantage? Who knew he would use Yingchun to taunt him when the time came?

Seeing that Mrs. Xing was puzzled, Chen Siyuan explained briefly. Mrs. Xing was confused and said, "Isn't that perfect? ​​Yingchun is now living in my room, and as her mother, I must find a suitable marriage for her. She has a very soft personality. If you really marry her, you can do whatever you want in the future."

Chen Siyuan recalled what Xiao Xichun had said earlier and said meaningfully, "That's hard to say... Maybe Second Sister is just pretending to be dull? Some people are powerful in public, while others are powerful in their bones... They're especially good at withholding knowledge."

"She?" Madam Xing said in disbelief, curling her lips. "No matter what, she still calls me mother. Filial piety is the most important thing. How could she possibly rebel against heaven?"

Chen Siyuan smiled but said nothing. What about filial piety? Didn't the three sisters of the Yu family force Old Lady You to marry?

Just then, Yunxiang's voice suddenly called out from outside. Chen Siyuan said, "I'm afraid she needs me for something. Please pack up quickly. I'll leave first."

Although Mrs. Xing was reluctant to let him go, she had no choice but to watch him dress neatly and slip out the door.

Chen Siyuan slipped to the side room of the Jade Emperor Temple, which was much lower than the main room. He stepped on the wall and grasped the pillars, and in a moment he climbed onto the roof. He saw the little maid Yunxiang, holding her hands and shouting. He looked around carefully, and seeing no one else except Yunxiang, he jumped into the peach forest.

The fluttering sound startled Yunxiang. She turned around and saw Chen Siyuan. She asked in surprise, "Master? Where did you come from?"

"Ride the clouds and mist...what do you want to see me for?"

Yunxiang said, "Sister Jin Chuan'er came up to tell me that the Madam wants to see you. Sir, please hurry up... Uh, why are your clothes so wrinkled? I'm afraid you need to change clothes before you go."

Chen Siyuan didn't explain and quickly returned to the Qingtang hut. Because Hongyu and Wu'er hadn't returned yet, he changed his clothes, gave them some instructions, and headed forward.

In the quiet room of the Jade Emperor Temple, Madam Xing spent a long while tidying up. She then hurried out and asked Miao'er, "Why did I just hear... someone calling 'Brother Yuan'?"

Miao'er said, "It's Yunxiang from my brother's room. She said that the mistress in front asked my brother to go and show the poems to Miss Wang." After a pause, she lowered her voice and said, "Madam, the mistress and Miss Wang are here. Doesn't this mean that my brother was asked to go and take a look?"

Madam Xing blinked, then frowned unhappily and said, "Although my brother's parents are gone, I, as your aunt, am still alive! Let's go and take a look!"

In the absence of his parents, such a major matter as marriage would naturally require the approval of the clan elders. But now that Chen Siyuan was residing in the Rongguo Mansion, how could he not consult with Madam Xing about such matters? Yet, neither Aunt Wang nor Madam Wang had ever considered the matter, demonstrating their complete indifference to Madam Xing.

Although Mrs. Xing was a simple person, she hated being looked down upon the most. She was very angry and took two maids with her to go to Mrs. Wang's courtyard.

Unexpectedly, Tiao'er was sharp-eyed. Seeing that one side of Madam Xing's dress was wrinkled and the hem of her skirt was wet, he said, "Madam, your dress is wrinkled from kneeling. Why don't you go change your clothes first?"

Madam Xing was startled, and then she covered it up casually, "I was a little sleepy just now, so I lay on the kang for a while, and I didn't expect my clothes to get wrinkled."

As for the wet hem of her skirt, she covered it with her own hands to prevent herself from screaming out loud in joy. Since it was difficult to explain, she just pretended not to see it.

At that moment, Madam Xing went to the east wing first and did not mention it anymore.

But Chen Siyuan arrived at Lady Wang's courtyard and ran into Yuchuan'er. Seeing Chen Siyuan, she smiled and said, "Master Yuan is finally here! My aunt couldn't wait and sent me to the back to look for Master Yuan."

"Aunt?" Chen Siyuan was very puzzled. Yunxiang didn't mention this just now... Maybe Hongyu and Wu'er didn't mention it before?

Yuchuan'er's eyebrows curved, with a hint of teasing in her eyes, and she urged: "Master Yuan, please come in quickly. There is something good going on."

After Yuchuan'er said this, how could Chen Siyuan not know that the Wang family was interested in seeing her? He was slightly unhappy and thought to himself that this girl must find her own. This kind of meeting always reminded him of the blind date in his previous life.

Jin Chuan'er in the porch caught sight of Chen Siyuan and hurried inside to pass on the message. Soon, Yu Chuan'er led him inside.

Chen Siyuan walked in and took a quick look. He saw a woman of about fifty sitting on Mrs. Wang's right, with Aunt Xue sitting below her. There was a swaying figure behind the screen. Could it be the daughter of the Wang family hiding?

He stepped forward and greeted her politely, and Madam Wang smiled and introduced her to Aunt Wang. Chen Siyuan stepped forward again and saluted, saying, "Junior greets Madam Wang."

Wang Ziteng was a high-ranking official of the third rank at that time, and his aunt Wang was his first wife, so naturally she was granted the title of a virtuous woman.

Aunt Wang had been watching Chen Siyuan since he entered. Seeing his tall stature, graceful figure, and ethereal beauty, and his steady demeanor, she couldn't help but secretly admire him: "A great reputation is truly worthy of its reputation. This Chen Shuliang is well-deserved!"
Aunt Wang couldn't help but smile and nodded, saying, "Shuliang, please don't be so polite. I feel bad for bothering you with such a small matter."

Chen Siyuan didn't know the reason, so he didn't know how to answer. After they sat down and the maid brought tea, he held the teacup and observed the other person's expression, not wanting to speak easily.

Aunt Wang said, "My daughter is about the same age as Shuliang. She also likes to write poems and couplets. Even when she's alone behind closed doors, I don't know if her writing is good or not..."

Before she could finish her words, a figure appeared from behind the screen. She wasn't short, but she had a flat head and a straight face, and her appearance was even less impressive than that of the maid Yunxiang. As she emerged, she stared intently at Chen Siyuan and said with a smile, "Mother, you're so long-winded. I'd better let me do the talking myself."

Mrs. Wang and Aunt Xue were stunned, but Aunt Wang seemed accustomed to it. She waved and said, "Why did you come out? Well, I was just at a loss as to how to start. Why don't you come and ask for help?"

The girl strode over to Chen Siyuan, took out a piece of paper from her sleeve, handed it to him, and said, "I have heard of your great reputation, Chen Ci. I have also written a poem privately. I would like to ask Brother Yuan to comment on it."

Chen Siyuan frowned inwardly. He had seen too many girls like this in his past life. What was that phrase? An ordinary girl? Ordinary yet confident. Otherwise, why would she still be single at her age?
Even though she is ugly, she still dreams of beauty, insisting on having a 1.8-meter-tall Yanzu; even though she earns 3,000 to 5,000 yuan, she insists on being the accountant for someone who earns 30,000 to 50,000 yuan...

This girl from the Wang family behaves just as she did in her previous life. It would be strange if Chen Siyuan could be happy about it!
Yin Shi frowned and took over and said, "Poetry is originally written from the heart, how can we tell whether it is good or bad? Since Miss Wang asked me to comment on it, I can only do it reluctantly. Hmm -"

Looking down, I see a painting of spring: Gazing out the window, I see the fading spring, spring knocking at the tightly closed door. Dressed in a plain, colorful dress, I am breathtakingly enchanting. Tang and Song dynasty winds drift by, enchanted by the ancient text. With you, I journey through the world of mortals, the rhythm of spring accompanies me.

It's out of rhyme, okay? Just looking at the lines, it's full of "forced sorrow to write new words", so how does Chen Siyuan comment on it?
Chen Siyuan pondered for a long moment before saying, "Miss Wang's piece, 'Hua Tang Chun,' is a little off-beat, but it has a subtle touch of the style of the famous Tang Dynasty artist Li Jilan. It's quite rare."

Li Ye, courtesy name Jilan, was a truly uninhibited Tang Dynasty woman. Baochai and Lin Daiyu would surely have been furious upon hearing this. Unfortunately, Wang Yunping was an uneducated man who had no idea who Li Jilan was and simply thought Chen Siyuan was complimenting her.

Then he said embarrassedly: "It's just a doodle, it doesn't deserve your praise... By the way, have you been writing poetry recently?"

Chen Siyuan was suddenly at a loss whether to laugh or cry. He did curse, but the person being cursed didn't understand. How could he continue?

Aside from Wang Yunping, none of the others, be it Lady Wang, Aunt Wang, or Aunt Xue, had ever been to school, so how could they possibly understand the intricacies of the situation? Only Sister Bao, still hiding behind the screen, could not help but burst into laughter.

Although she felt that Chen Siyuan's words had gone too far, Sister Bao couldn't help but feel pleased. Seeing her cousin still tangled up in confusion, Sister Bao pursed her lips and thought for a while. Although she still had some concerns, she finally came out from behind the screen.

She said to Wang Yunping, "Cousin, please let Brother Yuan go. He's about to take the imperial examination, so how could he have the energy to write poetry?"

Wang Yunping turned around and saw Sister Bao approaching with a quiet smile. She immediately frowned and asked, "Why are you out too?"

Sister Bao scolded her, "We were hiding behind the screen together, but you came out. How can I continue hiding? Wouldn't that be like trying to cover up one's own fault?" Then she bowed again and said, "Greetings, Brother Yuan."

Chen Siyuan returned the greeting with a bow: "Sister Bao."

Baochai was now facing Aunt Xue and the others. She had always followed the rules and never dared to make a single mistake. Now, suddenly so bold, she felt a certain pleasure in her heart. As she stood up, she boldly raised her eyes and met Chen Siyuan's gaze for a moment, full of affection.

Aunt Xue and the others didn't see this, but Wang Yunping saw it all. The girl wasn't quick-witted, and it took her a while to realize something was wrong.

Just as she was about to say something, Sister Bao reached out and took the paper. After glancing at it for a few seconds, she said, "Cousin, you are really fooling around. This Huatangchun poem has already come out in rhyme, yet you still insist on asking Brother Yuan to appreciate it. Even those who understand a little bit would be disgusted by such a poem if it fell into the eyes of a famous scholar like Brother Yuan. If I had known this, I should have stopped you."

Wang Yunping was immediately annoyed and stepped forward, saying, "You, you're talking nonsense! He just said it was great and even praised me for having the demeanor of Li Jilan."

Sister Bao immediately covered her mouth and laughed, gave Chen Siyuan a look of displeasure, then pulled Wang Yunping aside and said, "Cousin, please stop making trouble."

Aunt Xue, who was sitting upright, saw Aunt Wang's expression change and quickly scolded her, "Baochai, what are you doing with your cousin? Come back quickly!"

Sister Bao murmured her agreement, ignoring Aunt Xue's puzzled look and obediently walking to her side. Mrs. Wang saw this and her heart suddenly became clear.

Yes, she had been trying to bring them together repeatedly before, and I thought they had little contact and nothing had happened. Now it seems that Baochai has been good at covering it up, isn't it? When Wang Yunping arrived, Baochai immediately became anxious.

Mrs. Wang doesn't care whether the marriage is with Wang Yunping or Baochai. As long as she can get Chen Siyuan's help in the future, what does it matter if the marriage is with Tanchun?
Aunt Wang was secretly annoyed, and her words were tinged with sarcasm. She said, "Baochai was always playful with Yunping when she was little. I didn't expect she'd still be like this now that she's grown up. But there has to be a time limit for this playfulness. We shouldn't let Shuliang see and laugh at us."

Chen Siyuan was just wondering how to respond when Jin Chuan'er suddenly entered and said, "Madam, Madam, Madam, the eldest lady from the east wing sent Miao'er here to tell you that she has something urgent to tell Master Yuan."

Chen Siyuan secretly praised him for coming! He immediately stood up and said, "Yes, I forgot that I had to go help my aunt with something this afternoon. Madam, concubine, and ladies, please forgive me, I must go first." Aunt Wang was about to speak to persuade her to stay, but Mrs. Wang said, "In that case, brother Yuan, go quickly."

Chen Siyuan bowed and said goodbye, then turned around and followed Jin Chuan'er.

As soon as he left, Aunt Wang complained to herself, "We finally got to see each other for a while, but he only sat for a cup of tea and then left—"

Although Aunt Xue hadn't severed ties with Wang Ziteng's family because of the Jinling case, she was still resentful. Upon hearing this, she said, "Sister-in-law had the audacity to invite Brother Yuan to see me. What will the First Madam think? The First Madam herself didn't come because she didn't want to upset the relationship."

Aunt Wang curled her lips and said, "She's just my aunt. How can she be the master of Shu Liang?"

Aunt Xue smiled and said, "Brother Yuan has always been respectful to the First Madam. I heard that the First Madam was planning to marry the second daughter of the family to Brother Yuan a while ago. Do you think Sister-in-law can make the decision for Brother Yuan?"

"Is there such a thing?" Aunt Wang frowned in surprise and couldn't help but look at Madam Wang.

Mrs. Wang said, "There was such a thing... but there was no further development after that, and I don't know what the story was."

Aunt Wang was frowning in thought, but Wang Yunping, unable to contain herself any longer, pointed at Baochai and said, "I knew you were a vengeful person. Well, you pretended to be demure to coax me, and now you're ruining my marriage. I'm telling you, dream on!"

Sister Bao complained, "Cousin, what are you talking about? Didn't you see that Brother Yuan was hesitant to speak just now, and he really didn't know what to say to you? Your poem... is really not worth reading."

"you--"

Mrs. Wang quickly scolded, "Why are you two sisters quarreling again?"

Wang Yunping, however, didn't even look at Madam Wang. He just said to Aunt Wang, "Mom, let's go. I don't want to see her even for a moment right now!"

Aunt Wang responded and said goodbye to Mrs. Wang. Before leaving, she glanced meaningfully at Aunt Xue and Baochai, mother and daughter, and then led Wang Yunping forward.

Mrs. Wang, Aunt Xue, and Baochai escorted Aunt Wang and her companions to the ceremonial gate. When they returned, Aunt Xue frowned and said, "You have always been a considerate and polite person. Why did you quarrel with your cousin again just now?"

Baochai whispered, "Mother doesn't know the real story. I'm afraid if cousin keeps asking, Brother Yuan might get disgusted and start saying hurtful things... This marriage won't happen, and we'll become enemies instead."

Aunt Xue asked in confusion, "Could it be Brother Yuan?"

She thought to herself, although the young man was a little rough in bed, he was always considerate and caring towards her...even what he said just now could be considered an appropriate response, right?

Baochai didn't understand what was going on. After thinking for a while, she just said it out loud, "I'm afraid mother and aunt don't know who Li Jilan is." She then briefly mentioned Li Ye, which immediately made Aunt Xue and Mrs. Wang stare in amazement.

Only then did the two of them recall that Yuan Ge'er was a man with a bad temper. As soon as he entered the mansion that day, he had a fight with the Xue family, forcing Aunt Xue to take Xiangling to apologize.

Wang Yunping is a proud and unruly person. If he really makes Yuan Ge'er dislike him, he might even say bad things to him.

Mrs. Wang said, "Amitabha, I think Baochai was right. If she hadn't stopped it, who knows how it would have ended."

Aunt Xue was horrified, thinking that her young lover hadn't even passed the imperial examination, and now he had made such a great enemy, how could he achieve anything as an official in the future? She nodded repeatedly and stopped blaming Baochai.

Sister Bao's face was calm, and she breathed a sigh of relief, secretly feeling very proud. She thought that since she had saved him from this predicament, she would definitely make him thank her sincerely in the future.

After a while, the three of them walked around Mengpo Zhai. Mrs. Wang returned to the courtyard, and the Xue family mother and daughter walked a few more steps and entered the small courtyard in the northeast.

Aunt Xue suddenly realized something was amiss. She glanced suspiciously at Bao-chai and said, "My dear, why haven't I seen you go out to play with Bao-yu lately?"

Baochai frowned and covered up, saying, "Stop talking now. I've been there twice, and each time the old master gave me instructions. Brother Bao is very busy now."

Aunt Xue thought about Ying'er's silence and wondered if she was just being overly suspicious. So she warned, "I heard Baoyu often visits the Rongcui Nunnery, and Miaoyu is just a nun with her hair uncut. Even though their ages are not comparable, we still have to be on guard."

Sister Bao agreed with a gloomy expression, then simply pleaded sleepiness and returned to her room. She lay on the bed, her hand on her cheek, and a wave of melancholy washed over her. She wondered when these days of shame would end. And she wondered if he even remembered her now...

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"A-choo——" Chen Siyuan rubbed his nose.

At this time, he and Madam Xing were the only two people in the main room. Madam Xing asked with concern, "Did you catch a cold? I asked you to cover yourself up just now, but you refused."

Chen Siyuan took a sip of the hot tea and said, "Thank goodness you came to my rescue, otherwise I really wouldn't know how to respond."

Madam Xing then spat, "The Wang family has always been arrogant and look down on people like us from a humble family. That girl from the Wang family has a flat head and a straight face, how can she have the nerve to look at us?" After a pause, she continued, "If it weren't for someone from the Xiuguo Mansion, I would have gone over and given her a good beating!"

"Xiu Guo Gongfu?"

Mrs. Xing's eyes lit up instantly, and she couldn't help but smile as she said, "As you said, a maid has come to the Duke Xiu's mansion, asking on behalf of the lady Shu whether the latex can be sold."

The four kings and eight dukes are of the same blood. Even Wang Ziteng can see that the latex business has great potential. How could the other noble families not see it?
Then Madam Xing lowered her voice and said, "I tried to resist, saying that you didn't need money now, but I didn't insist. The maid then said that the lady had spoken, and with just one word, she would send ten or twenty thousand silver coins within a day."

As she spoke, she saw Chen Siyuan frowning unhappily, and Mrs. Xing asked curiously, "Did I say something wrong?"

Chen Siyuan sighed and shook his head, saying, "Even the Duke Xiu's Mansion knows about this, so how could the Master not know about it? This time we have to think of a way to cover it up."

It's tens of thousands of taels of silver. Chen Siyuan has grown strong and his marriage with Daiyu is finalized. Why should he let Jia She get away with it?
After the two of them whispered to each other for a while, Chen Siyuan got up and returned to Qingtang thatched cottage.

When they entered, Hongyu, Wu'er and Xiangling came to greet them. The little maid Yunxiang had gone off to play around again, and no one knew where.

Xiangling said, "Master, this month's Cordyceps has been sent to Miss Lin."

"Oh?"

Xiangling smiled and said, "Miss Lin didn't say anything else, she just asked what you have been doing these days. She also taught me how to write poetry."

Chen Siyuan nodded in agreement. As soon as he sat down, Hongyu brought him some tea and asked, "How do you think of me, sir?"

Chen Siyuan rolled his eyes at her angrily and said, "That girl from the Wang family is not a good-tempered person. Fortunately, I look down on her, otherwise you will have a hard time in the future!"

Hongyu chuckled and said, "I'm not worried... Don't we know what kind of girl the master likes? No matter what, it won't be Miss Wang's turn to be the mistress."

After saying this, Hongyu turned around and took the dirty clothes out for washing. How could Hongyu not smell the lingering scent on the clothes? Earlier, she had seen Miao'er's little hoof with her seductive eyes, so she just thought Chen Siyuan and Miao'er had just had a little fun. Miao'er hadn't come to the room recently, so Hongyu didn't bother to care.

After dinner, Chen Siyuan was reading in the study when another maid came to invite him in, saying that the master wanted to see Chen Siyuan.

Chen Siyuan thought to himself that if it is a blessing, it will not be a disaster, and if it is a disaster, it cannot be avoided. It is likely that the master has found out that there is great potential in the latex business.

He immediately stood up and went to the east side of the courtyard. In a moment, he entered the outer study and greeted Jia She. After they sat down, the eldest master could not wait to say, "Brother Yuan, I have thought carefully about it. I must help you with your latex business."

Chen Siyuan curled his lips in his heart. Picking peaches could be called helping others. Only a shameless person like Jia She could say that.

But he said with joy: "It would be great if my uncle could help me."

Jia She smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Family members don't talk behind each other's backs. Your parents have passed away, and since you've come under my wing, how can I not help you? Furthermore, I also have some ideas about your marriage."

Chen Siyuan became even more delighted and said, "Thank you, uncle."

"Eh? You're being polite to me again." Jia She came over with a smile and said, "I have eight thousand taels of silver ready. How about exchanging them for eight thousand shares?"

"Ah?" Chen Siyuan's expression suddenly changed, and he gritted his teeth in embarrassment.

"No?" Jia She asked with a frown.

Chen Siyuan sighed and bowed, "I can't hide it from you, uncle. Last time, due to a shortage of money, I had to borrow tens of thousands of taels of silver. I agreed to return it in three months with 50% interest. This... I've already spent all my family's money on this latex business. If you want to buy 8,000 shares, I'm afraid it will cost 12,000 taels. Otherwise, I'm afraid I'll have to go into new debts before I can even pay off the old ones."

This is the skill of speaking. He agreed with Li Wan to return the money in March, and also agreed with Aunt Xue on a 50% interest rate. Taken together, the meaning changed.

"Hmm?" Jia She pondered. Chen Siyuan's Baicaotang had only been open for half a year. How much money could he earn each month? Even if he had been corrupt, he would be lucky to have saved 10,000 taels of silver.

As for the latex business, apart from the 30% taken by the imperial court, the remaining 70% was all raised by Chen Siyuan himself. Lending money and paying interest was a matter of course.

But if this interest were included in the cost of the shares, Jia She would think that the gains were not worth the losses. Yes, today at the Fifth Army Headquarters, I heard the four kings and eight officials all praising the rubber business, saying it was turning waste into treasure. But if it was turning waste into treasure again, could the price of rubber still rise to the sky?
Even if you still make money after deducting the interest, it's really not worth it to only make a few thousand or eight hundred silver in a few years.

At this time, Chen Siyuan said, "But since it's so rare for my uncle to ask for money, how about I only charge him 11,000 taels for the 8,000 shares? I really can't give him any less."

Jia She's mood suddenly soured. He said, "Forget it, forget it. It's not easy for you either. How could I take advantage of you like this? I'll go to the Fifth Army Headquarters and spread the word that I'll sell this thing for Brother Yuan."

Chen Siyuan was immediately grateful and burst into tears. He insisted on selling the eldest master's eight thousand shares for 11,000 taels. Jia She was so scared that he quickly found an excuse to hide in the backyard.

After a long while, Chen Siyuan left the study and watched the master rushing towards the third-floor ceremonial gate. He couldn't help but feel secretly happy. He thought to himself, "No matter how cunning you are, you still fell into my trap, didn't you?"

He then exited the black-oiled gate and was in the Grand View Garden in a moment. He was about to wander around, thinking it would be nice to run into Sister Bao and Sister Lin.

As soon as he passed Qinfang Pavilion, he heard someone shouting from the side, "Mr. Chen!"

Chen Siyuan stopped and turned his head to look, then saw Zhuan'er jogging towards him.

The girl came closer and opened her mouth, then suddenly remembered something. She hurriedly bowed and stood up before saying, "Master, have you just returned?"

"Just got back from the East Cross Courtyard. By the way, is my cousin okay?"

"Not good!" Zhuan'er frowned and complained, "That second young lady is a pushover, always at the mercy of the wet nurse. The wet nurse takes the lead, and the maids below follow suit. They look down on my sister, who comes from a humble family, and always demand some money for any orders she gives her.

"Master, you know that my sister's gold melon seeds were secretly taken away by the master and lost all. It's only been two days, and my sister has very little money left. I'm afraid she will have to pawn her jewelry in the future!"

Chen Siyuan thought to himself, this second girl, pretending to be Maitreya Buddha, has caused her cousin Xing Xiuyan to take the spotlight. He rummaged through his sleeves and pulled out a silver note, handing it over. "Give this note to my cousin. Tell her not to be frugal. Even if she has to spend silver, she can crush those unopened ones into submission and worship her like an aunt."

Zhuan'er was immediately overjoyed, and said with a smile, "I said I should have come to look for you earlier, but my sister kept stopping me."

(End of this chapter)