Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 98 This Life is Too Short
It's really one thing after another. Chen Siyuan originally thought that Jia Lian was the most difficult to deal with, but who would have thought that Jia Lian was a playboy and only relied on hearsay without any real investigation; on the contrary, it was Jia Yucun... This man later became the Grand Marshal of the Ministry of War, so how could he be a simple person?
I'm afraid that with Chen Siyuan's ability, he will reveal everything when he meets Jia Yucun.

"Ah? How could this be?" Mrs. Xing became panicked upon hearing this.

She had finally fulfilled her wish after much trepidation the previous time, and although her pulse was weak now, as long as this little thief stayed in the mansion, she would get what she wanted sooner or later. Now that she saw him about to leave, Mrs. Xing was naturally reluctant to let him go.

Since it was Mrs. Xing, she said, "How about...how about I go find the master later and have a closer look?"

"You? Forget it." Chen Siyuan sighed, holding Madam Xing's hand and saying, "You lack cunning and sophistication. I'm afraid the more you say, the more mistakes you'll make. Don't let Jia Yucun show up before you even arrive. If that arouses the Master's suspicion, I can just walk away, but what will you do then?"

Mrs. Xing thought about it and sighed along with Chen Siyuan.

They say, "A wise man makes a mistake even in his careful considerations," and "A fool makes a mistake even in his careful considerations." Mrs. Xing pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "Huh? You're saying... Lin Ruhai didn't reply, so that's why you didn't tell Jia Yucun—can you get away with that?"

"Uh-huh?"

Yup!

How could he forget this? Lin Ruhai wrote a letter to the Chen family, but it was secretly withheld by his "cruel stepmother." It was normal for Lin Ruhai not to mention this matter to Jia Yucun without receiving a reply from the Chen family.

After careful consideration, there is nothing wrong!

Besides, as soon as Jia Lian returns, I'm afraid Jia She will start a fight with Lady Jia over Daiyu's marriage. If they both had marriage certificates, it would be fine. Filial piety is paramount, and Jia She can't go against Lady Jia no matter what. But Jia Lian has lost the marriage certificate, so I'm afraid there's still room for maneuver.

Even if Jia Yucun came to visit, I'm afraid the Jia family wouldn't dare mention this matter and would definitely try to cover it up vaguely! Anyway, Daiyu and Baoyu are still young, so there's no need to rush into a marriage.

Chen Siyuan was so overjoyed when he realized this that he couldn't help but step forward, cupped Madam Xing's face and gave her a big kiss. Then he laughed and said, "From now on, if anyone says you're stupid, I'll be angry with them!"

Mrs. Xing was smiling at first, but her expression suddenly changed when she heard this: "Huh? Who said that?"

Chen Siyuan hurriedly said vaguely, "You always obey the eldest master, but you always get humiliated in front of the old lady. Don't the maids below gossip about you?"

This remark naturally caused Mrs. Xing to curse loudly.

Chen Siyuan was in a good mood and took the opportunity to take advantage of her. Mrs. Xing was annoyed by his harassment and pushed him away, saying, "Don't be so silly."

After a pause, he continued, "There are still seven or eight days left. Let's see if the menstrual period comes first."

Chen Siyuan feigned loss, but Madam Xing couldn't bear to see him through. She smiled and said, "From now on, you can come every few days and go look for those two little rascals. I told them today that Xiangling is away, and the new arrival, Liu Wu'er, is sickly and delicate, unable to carry anything. So, let them help out in your room when they have free time."

Chen Siyuan wasn't a straight man, so he sighed and said, "Even if ten or eight maids were put together, how could they compare to one of your fingers?"

Although she knew that this was just a joke, Mrs. Xing still smiled sweetly.

The two of them tussled for a while, and Mrs. Xing's eyes became seductive, but thinking of what was going on in her mind, she finally drove Chen Siyuan out.

That day, Chen Siyuan wanted to go see his good brother Ma Panlong, but he did not return to the courtyard. Instead, he went straight to the stable to get his horse and headed towards the outer city.

When we arrived at the place before noon, we saw Xu Dabiao playing with a stone lock in the yard.

The two brothers were naturally very cordial when they met. Ma Panlong, hearing the noise, came out to greet them, followed by Qianxue, still wearing a gauze-covered bamboo hat.

Everyone entered the main room, Qianxue served tea and went back to the bedroom, leaving the three brothers alone to chat.

Chen Siyuan asked, "When did Fifth Brother come back?"

"Yesterday afternoon," Xu Dabiao said with a grin, "the girl insisted on going south and didn't want to join another business, so I simply waited in Tianjin for a few days and finally got her on the cargo ship."

Xu Dabiao picked up the teacup and drank it all in one gulp. Suddenly, he said with a serious expression, "Yes, there is one strange thing."

"Fourth brother, tell me."

Xu Dabiao frowned and said, "When I entered the city yesterday, I seemed to see Liu Xifu from twenty steps away."

"Liu Xifu? Did Fourth Brother see it right?" Chen Siyuan frowned. That nobleman had said that Liu Xifu would die in the future. Could he have been mistaken?

Xu Dabiao seemed unsure as well, shaking his head, "It's hard to say... I only caught a glimpse of him from a distance. I wanted to chase him, but he disappeared in the blink of an eye."

Chen Siyuan's heart sank, and he suddenly thought, what if Liu Xifu was also that nobleman's man? In other words, what if everything from beginning to end was that nobleman's plan?
I know so little, I'm completely trapped in an information cocoon. It's already been a relief for that noble man to let me off the hook, so I can't afford to cause myself any more trouble.

Since it was Chen Siyuan, he said confidently, "I think Fourth Brother must have made a mistake."

"Well, I can't say for sure."

The three of them didn't mention the matter anymore, but just joked that when Xu Dabiao came back, they would definitely have a good wedding banquet.

At noon, Qianxue fried some side dishes and brought a jar of old wine. The three brothers ate and drank their fill and did not leave until noon.

A few days passed in the blink of an eye, and it was already the seventeenth day of the winter month.

Chen Siyuan had made an appointment to go to the lake with You Sanjie that day. In the morning, he heard the little maid Yunxiang gossiping that the emperor was grateful for the concubines and talented women who had entered the palace for many years and had requested the Supreme Lord to allow their relatives to enter the palace for his visit on the 26th of every month.

The Supreme Emperor deeply agreed with this and allowed those with separate houses and courtyards to invite concubines and talented women to return home to visit their families.

As soon as this matter was spread, Concubine Zhou took the lead in building a villa for her relatives to visit, and Concubine Wu's family also chose a site outside the city.

In terms of family background, the eldest daughter of the Jia family, Yuanchun, was even higher than Concubine Wu. How could the Jia family be willing to lag behind in such a matter? So the whole family spread the news, and it was likely that the family would also build a villa for the visit.

Chen Siyuan thought to himself, "Even if a villa is built for the imperial visit, after Yuanchun comes home, the sisters will naturally move into the Grand View Garden. What kind of scenery will it be when all the beauties gather and the gentle breeze blows? I'm afraid the breeze will be filled with the scent of the golden hairpins, which is really something to yearn for."

He casually agreed with a few words, but Chen Siyuan knew that such a distant relative of his might have nothing to do with the renovation of the garden, so he simply ignored it. When a maid came to deliver the message, Chen Siyuan wrapped himself in a cloak, borrowed a horse from the front, and followed Yu Sanjie's carriage straight to Shichahai.

With him gone, the maids naturally had some free time. Yunxiang, the young servant, was free, and soon she was gone, listening to gossip. Liu Wu'er had been here for a few days, and it was clear she had been spoiled since childhood. She'd found work on her own without Chen Siyuan's orders. Hongyu took the opportunity to pull Liu Wu'er aside and teach her.

"As maids, we must always have our eyes on the work and try to be ahead of the master in everything. We can't wait until the master is thirsty before we think of making tea; and we can't wait until the master has cleaned the table before we go over to clean it."

Liu Wuer said embarrassedly, "Sister Hongyu is right." After a pause, she said, "This is my first time as a maid, and I really don't know what to do."

Hongyu smiled and said, "Being a maid isn't difficult. You just need to be attentive. Sister Wu'er even knows how to read poetry books. You only need to be attentive to these little things. You'll be able to master them in a few days."

Liu Wu'er nodded in agreement, thinking that Hongyu was really teaching her with all her heart, but she had no idea that Hongyu was rolling her eyes in her heart.

This Liu Wu'er is probably even more delicate than the other girls in the mansion. She trembles even when holding a teacup, which scares her master so much that he dares not order her around anymore. If she's not around, the master would rather pour the tea himself than order Liu Wu'er around. How can this go on? Liu Wu'er didn't really come to the courtyard to be a girl.

Unfortunately, Liu Wu'er herself had no good eyesight and was only focused on looking at the poetry book. When she saw her master pouring tea by himself, she didn't say a word and turned around to read the book attentively again.

Hongyu observed her for several days, and the more she looked, the more she gritted her teeth. After all, she had brought Liu Wu'er here herself. If she turned out to be useless, how would she explain it to her master?
Seeing Liu Wu'er's eager agreement, Hongyu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, hoping that this time she would listen to him. Otherwise... Hongyu would really become Zhu Bajie looking in the mirror, neither of them a human being!

While he was thinking, he suddenly heard the maid outside screaming, and then the servant shouted, "Hongyu, come and take Master Yuan back!"

Hongyu quickly stood up, turned around the screen and pushed the door open to look, and saw Chen Siyuan shivering and walking quickly in a big red cloak that belonged to someone unknown. Not only was there ice on his hair, but the area under the cloak was also wet.

Hongyu was startled and ran over quickly, asking, "What, what happened?"

Chen Siyuan's face turned pale and he was trembling and unable to speak.

When they entered the room, Hongyu took charge and Liu Wu'er added to the commotion. The two maids hurriedly took off Chen Siyuan's clothes and moved the fumigation cage to roast him.

Chen Siyuan recovered slightly, then smiled bitterly and said, "Don't mention it. I didn't check the almanac today, and I just got to Yinding Bridge. I don't know which naughty kid lit a firecracker, and it startled my horse! I was caught off guard and fell into the lake."

Third Sister You was terrified at the time. She jumped up and down, begging for mercy everywhere, and even offering money, she finally persuaded a few idle men to fish Chen Siyuan out. Afterwards, she drove the carriage all the way to take Chen Siyuan back to Rongguo Mansion.

Hongyu frowned and cursed, "Where did this joking ghost come from? Yinding Bridge is the narrowest, how can you just let off firecrackers without permission?"

At this time, Chen Siyuan only had a pair of underwear left. Hongyu found a clean handkerchief and wiped it carefully. Liu Wuer on the side was too embarrassed to open her eyes. She just turned her head away and wiped Chen Siyuan's shoulders repeatedly with the handkerchief in her hand.

Hongyu couldn't bear to watch and ordered, "Wu'er, go ahead and ask the maid to bring the tub, and then find Yunxiang to light the fire and boil some water. It's almost the twelfth lunar month, and the master has been soaking in the lake for quite a while. If he doesn't work up a sweat, he's going to catch a cold."

Liu Wu'er responded, dropped her handkerchief, and went out to look for the maid. She walked quickly, but her mind was bewildered. She could barely read, having read many stories about talented men and beautiful women. She had always believed herself to be the young lady in those stories, but now she suddenly realized that she was just a servant.

Cui Yingying only had one maid, Hongniang, and Master Yuan was just a distant relative. Not counting Xiangling who went to look for her relatives, there were three maids around her including herself.

Thinking of Hongyu's teachings just now, Liu Wuer felt that the previous dreams were shattered like a bubble, and what hit her face was a cold cruelty that was even colder than the northwest wind.

"I'm just a maid—"

Muttering to himself and laughing at himself, Liu Wu'er stopped thinking about it and went to find the maid first, and then found Yunxiang, who was gossiping in the East Courtyard.

Smoke rose from the kitchen in the courtyard. After more than half an hour, Hongyu, Yunxiang and Liu Wuer finally filled the bathtub with hot water.

Seeing Chen Siyuan undressing again, Liu Wu'er shyly left the room, leaving Hongyu to wait on him alone. When she reached the side room, she saw the maid Yunxiang staring at her strangely.

Liu Wuer was annoyed by being stared at and couldn't help asking, "Why are you always staring at me?"

Yunxiang asked, "Sister, have you already decided on someone?"

"Ah? No."

Yunxiang glared and said, "That's strange. If there isn't one, then why did Sister hide out when there was such a good opportunity? When Sister Xiangling was around, it wasn't even Hongyu's turn to serve Master."

Liu Wu'er smiled bitterly, shook her head, and said nothing. She knew that her pride was playing tricks on her again. She was clearly a child born in a family, a natural servant, yet she treated herself like the young lady in the storybook.

Things in this world are easier said than done. Even if she knew her own faults, how could she change them in a short time?

Without mentioning the situation in the wing room, it is said that Chen Siyuan inside had no other thoughts and was just soaking in the hot water to relax his body.

After brewing two cups of tea, he wrapped himself in clothes and went into the warm room. As soon as he lay down, Chen Siyuan felt something was wrong. He felt cold all over and was afraid that he might have a fever.

He fell into a deep sleep, and Hongyu was watching over him. An hour later, Chen Siyuan woke up from the cold.

"Ruby…cold."

Hongyu reached out and touched it, saying, "Master's forehead is burning hot. I'm afraid he has a fever."

She bit her lower lip and walked out quickly. She found a handkerchief, wet it with warm water, wiped Chen Siyuan's body with it first, and then found a quilt to cover him.

This quilt is thick, and you can stretch your legs and feet out just by stretching them slightly.

Chen Siyuan said weakly, "Hongyu, this...quilt...is too short."

I don't know what Hongyu heard, but her eyes suddenly turned red. She couldn't help but raise her hand to rub her eyes and said, "Master, what nonsense are you talking about! It's just a cold and a fever, why should I die?"

Chen Siyuan blinked and simply stretched out his foot to shake it: "I said the quilt... is too short."

"Uh..." Hongyu chuckled and said angrily, "So it's a quilt. I thought... Master, wait a minute. I'll go look through the boxes and find a quilt to press your feet."

Chen Siyuan reflected on his words and realized they were inappropriate. What was the point of living or dying? The best part of his life was just beginning, and he hadn't even seen the Grand View Garden yet. How could he bear to leave like this?

After a while, Hongyu found a quilt and returned. Seeing Chen Siyuan had fallen into a deep sleep again, his body curled up, she pursed her lips, unbuttoned her clothes, and stuffed the feet into her arms...

(End of this chapter)