Chapter 392

After work, Chen Guanlou declined his colleagues' invitation to drink with courtesans, bought a jug of yellow wine, and strolled home lazily.

His elder sister, Chen Xiaolan, was tidying up his room.

"Sister, why are you here today? My room doesn't need cleaning—don't bother."

"It's filthy. A house without a woman is just a mess."

"Where's it dirty?" Chen Guanlou protested. "It's perfectly clean."

He was one of the rare men who cared about cleanliness, but conditions limited him: most outside roads were unpaved, just muddy dirt paths, and every time he came and went, he tracked in heaps of mud and dust.

Even with daily sweeping using a feather duster, dust still accumulated.

Especially when he slacked off and stayed away for days—the tabletop clearly had a layer of dust.

"Everywhere is dirty," Chen Xiaolan said with clear disgust. "You need to find a woman to manage the household—stop making excuses to delay."

"Every time we meet, it's always this same topic. Can't you change the subject?"

"You're tired of me, aren't you? I can't control you, so I'll let our deceased parents do it. Tomorrow I'll burn paper money and ask them to visit you in a dream."

"Dreams won't help—they can't control me either," Chen Guanlou said with the indifference of a dead pig unafraid of boiling water.

Chen Xiaolan's eyes turned red with anger. "Say you don't like women, yet you're constantly visiting brothels and spending most of your earnings on those courtesans. Say you do like women, yet every matchmaker you meet, you reject. So what kind of woman do you actually want?"

Chen Guanlou paused, a faint image flickering in his mind—he shook his head slightly and said, "When I want one, even a street shrew is acceptable. When I don't want one, even a refined lady standing before me means nothing to me."

"You're trying to drive me to death!" Chen Xiaolan threw the rag down and sat on the bamboo chair, sulking.

Chen Guanlou immediately felt guilt, pity, and a twinge of shame. He soothed his sister: "Sister, stop worrying about me—live your own life well, that's all that matters. If you're short on money, tell me. Yaya's a girl, but she still needs a tutor—she should study properly for a few years. Only then will she understand principles and learn how to manage her life. Don't listen to Su Pozi's nonsense that 'a woman without talent is virtuous.' A blind illiterate has no virtue at all."

"I've already decided—I'm sending Yaya to Su Fuzi's private school next month."

"Will Su Fuzi accept female students?"

Chen Guanlou hesitated, then added a warning: "Sister Su seems hard to get along with. If all else fails, send Yaya to the clan's private school—Master Du will look after her, no problem."

Chen Guanlou hesitated, then added, "Su Shi-mother seems hard to get along with. If it really doesn't work, send Yaya to the clan's private school—Du Fuzi will look after her, no problem."

"You have a prejudice against Su Shi-mother."

Chen Xiaolan continued: "We're both surnamed Su—if I don't send Yaya to Master Su's private school but to the Chen family's instead, the Su family will object. I'm caught in a bind—do you understand?"

Chen Xiaolan continued: "We both share the surname Su. If I don't send Yaya to Su Fuzi's school but instead send her to the Chen clan's, the Su family will object. I'm caught in the middle—do you understand?"

"Understood. If it really comes to it, just pay more tuition. I'll cover the cost."

"I have money. All the money you've given me—for the two children—I've saved it all, hardly spent any. This past half-year you haven't visited the Su household, and my in-laws have been asking me when you'll come over for a visit."

"They're thinking of your gifts," Chen Guanlou bluntly exposed the truth—each time he visited the Su household, to save face for his sister, he always brought generous gifts, food and essentials alike.

Chen Xiaolan didn't argue. Her father-in-law was reasonable, but her mother-in-law—words failed to describe her.

Chen Guanlou added, "I'm busy—so busy I don't even have time to stand still. Since I was promoted to jail clerk, I've had no rest. Every tiny matter, the subordinates come to me for decisions—I simply can't get away."

"Fine, I'll tell your in-laws you're swamped with official duties—we'll wait until the New Year holiday."

"Sister, are you hiding something? Tell me—I'll fix it for you."

Chen Xiaolan hesitated, lips parting but words stuck.

Chen Guanlou gave her reassurance: "As long as the sky hasn't fallen, just relax—I'll handle it."

"It's not a big deal," Chen Xiaolan finally said. "My mother-in-law wants to introduce her nephew's daughter to you. I've turned her down several times, but she got angry, so I have no choice but to go through the motions."

"Tell her this: her nephew's daughter isn't a refined lady—I won't have her. Forget it. You're caught in the middle too much—I'll handle this myself."

"How will you handle it?" Chen Xiaolan wasn't convinced.

Chen Guanlou grinned. "It's simple."

"Don't do anything reckless."

"Don't worry—I won't do anything reckless."

To prevent Su Pozi from causing trouble for his sister again and again, Chen Guanlou planned a decisive strike—once and for all. Others couldn't handle it, but Lu Datou was perfect for the job.

Small households couldn't withstand intimidation. Scare them twice, and they'd give up.

He didn't tell Chen Xiaolan his plan—she'd never agree, and might even stop him.

Chen Xiaolan didn't press further. She trusted her brother completely—in her eyes, there was nothing he couldn't accomplish. This trust wasn't just from sibling affection—it was built over years, through countless deeds.

"Just be sensible!" Chen Xiaolan was about to nag again about marriage, but seeing Chen Guanlou's impatient expression, she gave up.

The siblings shared a rare quiet dinner, undisturbed, chatting about home. When she learned Chen Guanlou's recent trip was ordered by the Hou Fu, she urged: "Build ties with the Hou Fu. Even a drop leaking from their fingers would be enough for you to live comfortably for life."

Chen Guanlou nodded politely, but inwardly dismissed it. If Chen Xiaolan found out he'd refused the chief steward's proposal to arrange him a seventh-rank official post, she'd instantly turn into a tigress and scold him to death.

So he stayed silent, speaking only of home, avoiding official matters—and especially avoiding the Hou Fu.

But Chen Xiaolan insisted.

"In a few days, it's the eldest daughter-in-law's birthday—should I send a gift?"

"Did they invite you? If not, don't send one," Chen Guanlou said bluntly.

"You don't understand social customs. You must act proactively—how can you wait for the Hou Fu to send an invitation? We're family—some things you just have to sense."

"Who's family with you? The Hou Fu is the Hou Fu, we're us. Don't forget—we're already five generations removed from them. Technically, we're not even clan members."

"Shut up," Chen Xiaolan snapped. "How aren't we clan members? Have we been disowned? No! The Hou Fu hasn't cut us off—we're still part of the Beijing Chen clan, descended from the same ancestor. Never say that again. When it's time for benefits, you never separate yourself from the Hou Fu. Now when you're asked to send a gift, suddenly you do? When did you become so calculating?"

"I'm not calculating—I'm being realistic," Chen Guanlou argued.

"You're just lazy, avoiding social obligations. But you must do this. If you're too busy, I'll prepare the gift—you deliver it yourself."

Chen Guanlou couldn't argue further, so he handed his sister two hundred taels to buy a proper gift.

"Two hundred taels? Isn't that too much?"

【57】 "Not too much. Everyone knows I earn a lot—if I send too little, they'll gossip." So while he disliked social obligations, he often ignored invitations he never received.