One man told ten, and ten told a hundred, and so the news spread like wildfire.
When Xue’e had run away, her maid discovered that the most valuable ornaments had been taken away and that clothes were strewn about the floor. She went to tell Yueniang.
“You slept with her,” Yueniang said, in astonishment: “how was it you didn’t notice when she went away?”
“She said she wished to be alone,” the maid said. “She went out quietly and then came back. I had no idea what she was doing.”
Yueniang sent for Laizhao. “You are in charge of the gate,” she said to him. “Why didn’t you know that somebody was running away?”
“I have locked up the gate every night,” Laizhao said. “She must have flown.”
Then they discovered that some of the tiles were broken on the roof, and realized that Xue’e had escaped that way. They did not wish to send anybody to find out where she had gone, and made no fuss about the matter.
In his court, the magistrate tried the case. First, he had Qu Dang beaten, and that young man gave up four gold ornaments, three of silver, a pair of gold rings, a silver cup, five taels of silver, two suits of clothes, a handkerchief, and a box. From Laiwang the magistrate took thirty taels of silver, a pair of gold pins, a gold figurine, and four rings. From Xue’e, he took a gold ornament, a pair of silver bracelets, five pairs of gold buttons, four pairs of silver pins, and some silver. From old woman Qu, he took three taels of silver. His verdict was that Laiwang had stolen these things and abducted a woman, and Qu Dang had stolen the stuff from him. The two men were sentenced to imprisonment for five years and the property confiscated. Xue’e and old woman Qu were beaten and the old woman confessed. The magistrate sent to Ximen’s house to ask them to take Xue’e away.
Yueniang sent for Uncle Wu and discussed the situation with him. They decided that, since everybody had heard about the matter, they would not take Xue’e back. She had disgraced the family and done injury to the reputation of her dead husband. So they gave something to the runners and asked them to get the magistrate to hand Xue’e over to the official go-between to sell.
Chunmei heard that Xue’e had been carried off by Laiwang and all that had happened afterwards. She made up her mind to buy the woman and set her to work in her kitchen. Thus she would have her revenge.
“This woman is a very good cook,” she said to her husband. “She is clever at getting tea and meals ready, and I think we might buy her.”
Major Zhou sent Zhang Sheng and Li An to the magistrate with a card. When Li learned who it was who wished to buy the woman, he asked for only eight taels of silver. The men paid the money and took Xue’e to Zhou’s house. First they presented her to the first and second ladies, then they took her to Chunmei.
Chunmei was in her room, getting up from a gilded bed with silken curtains. The maids took in Xue’e. She recognized Chunmei, bowed her head, and kowtowed four times. Chunmei opened her eyes wide. Then she sent for the chief of the serving women. “Pull down this strumpet’s hair,” she cried, “and take off those clothes. Then let her serve in the kitchen, keeping up the fire, and cooking.”
Xue’e could only swallow her resentment. It has always been possible for one who begins by sweeping up the rice to become the governor of a granary. Xue’e realized her position. How she was standing beneath low eaves and must perforce bow her head. She took off her headdress and changed her clothes, and went to the kitchen sadly and bitterly.
CHAPTER 91
Meng Yulou Marries Again
One day, Chen Jingji heard of this business of Sun Xue’e from old woman Xue. He sent the old woman with a message to Wu Yueniang.
“Your son-in-law says he does not mean to have anything more to do with your daughter. He is going to the Provincial Governor to say that, when your husband was alive, he had a number of chests of gold and silver left with him by old master Chen.”
This was one more worry for Yueniang. Xue’e had run away with Laiwang; the boy Laian had run away; Laixing’s wife had died and the funeral was only just over. When she heard the message old woman Xue had brought, she was alarmed, sent at once for a sedan chair, and told Ximen Dajie to go to Chen’s house. Daian and other servants carried all the things belonging to her to Chen Jingji.
“These things were her dowry,” Jingji said. “The things I am asking for are those I gave into their keeping.”
“Your mother-in-law told me,” old woman Xue said, “that in her husband’s time these were the only things they had. She has never seen anything else.”
Then Jingji claimed his wife’s maid. Old woman Xue and Daian went back to Yueniang and told her. She refused to give up the girl. “She was Li Jiao’er’s maid,” she said, “and now she is looking after my baby. If he must have somebody, he may have Zhongqiu. She has been my daughter’s maid.”
Jingji refused to have Zhongqiu, and old woman Xue was kept going backwards and forwards between the two houses. At last Jingji’s mother said to Daian: “Brother, go and tell your mistress that she has several maids. Why does she insist on keeping that particular one to look after her baby? And I don’t see why she should keep Zhongqiu either, since Zhongqiu was my daughter-in-law’s maid and was made a woman by my son.”
Daian went and told Yueniang. Then she gave way and sent Yuanxiao. Jingji was very pleased with himself. “It is settled on my own terms after all,” he said.
* * *
We now return to Magistrate Li’s son. He had seen Wu Yueniang and Meng Yulou outside the city at the Festival of Spring. They were both beautiful and dressed alike, and he knew that they had been Ximen Qing’s wives. He liked Yulou because she was tall. Her face was like a melon seed and she seemed charming and gay.
This young man’s wife had died sometime before, and he had been looking about for a wife but could find no one who pleased him sufficiently. He was greatly taken with Yulou but did not know how to approach her. Besides, he did not know whether she wished to remarry.
Then he heard that Xue’e had been brought before his father’s court. She was one of Ximen’s wives also. He succeeded in persuading his father to return all the stolen property to Ximen’s people. But Yueniang was afraid to have anything to do with the courts and would not send a man to claim the things. The young man was disappointed. The stolen goods were confiscated and Xue’e was sold. Then he talked over the situation with one of the officers called Yu.
“Why don’t you send old Tao, the go-between, to Ximen’s house to arrange the matter?” Yu said. “Tell the old woman that, if she brings the matter off, she shall have five taels of silver and be freed from her official work.”
The young man spoke to old woman Tao, and the old woman was so delighted that she ran to Ximen’s house as if she had had wings. Laizhao was at the door. The old woman made a reverence to him. “May I know if this is Ximen’s house?” she said.
“Who are you?” Laizhao said. “What do you want? My master is dead.”
“Will you kindly go and tell the lady that I am Tao, the official go-between. My young master tells me that one of the ladies is thinking of remarrying, and I have come to see about it.”
“Old woman,” Laizhao shouted, “you seem to have lost your manners. My master has been dead more than a year now. There are two ladies here, and neither of them wishes to remarry. You know the proverb: Howling wind and driving rain do not beat upon a widow’s door. You are trifling and talking nonsense about marriage. Be off with you, and quickly. If the ladies hear of this, you may get a beating.”
The old woman smiled. “The governor may be wrong,” she said, “and his deputy too, but the messenger is always right. I should not have come if my young master had not sent me. Whether they wish to marry or not, kindly go and tell them. Then I will go back and let my young master know what they say.”
“To do something for others is sometimes advantageous to oneself,” Laizhao said. “Wait here, and I will go and tell them. One of the ladies has a baby. The other has not
. I have no notion which it is you want.”
“My young master told me that he saw her in the country at the Spring Festival. She has a few marks on her face.”
Laizhao went and told Yueniang that the official go-between wished to see her. Yueniang was startled. “Nothing that is said here ever goes beyond these walls,” she said. “What do they know of us?”
“The woman says they saw a lady with a few marks on her face, at the Festival of Spring.”
“That is Sister Meng,” Yueniang said. “I shall never remarry.”
She went to Yulou. “Sister,” she said, “I have something to tell you. A go-between has come, and she says Magistrate Li’s son saw you at the Festival of Spring. She says you would like to remarry. Is that true?”
Now, as chance would have it, Yulou had noticed the young man that day and thought how gay and handsome he seemed. He was about the same age as herself, a good horseman, and skilled with the bow. When they looked at each other, they seemed to establish an understanding. But she had not known whether he was married or not. She had said to herself: “My husband is dead, and I have no child of my own. The Great Lady has a son, but, when he grows up, he will do his duty by his own mother and I shall be like a fallen tree that gives no shade, or as if I drew water in a bamboo basket. Since Yueniang has had this child, she does not behave to me as she used to do. It will be well for me to take a step forward and make sure of a home in which to spend my old age. Why should I be so foolish as to stay here? There is nothing here for me, and I am wasting my time.”
She was thinking exactly this when Yueniang came and spoke to her. The man whom Yueniang mentioned was the very young man she had seen at the Festival of Spring. She was pleased but also a little ashamed. She said to Yueniang: “Don’t believe a word of it. I have never even thought of remarrying.” But she blushed.
“It is a matter entirely for you to decide,” Yueniang said. “I have no authority over you.” She told Laizhao to bring the go-between to the inner court.
Old woman Tao made a reverence to Yueniang and sat down. A maid brought tea, and Yueniang said: “What can I do for you?”
“I should not come to such a magnificent palace as this unless I had something of great importance to say,” the old woman said. “I was ordered to come by his Lordship. It is said that there is a lady here who would like to marry again.”
“It is possible that the lady may care to remarry,” said Yueniang, “but she has never spoken of the matter to anyone. How did your young master come to know of it?”
“He only told me that he saw a lady at the festival. She was tall and had a face shaped like a melon seed, with a few white marks upon it. I think this must be the lady.”
Then Yueniang understood that it must be Yulou. She took the woman to Yulou’s room. There they sat down and, after a while, Yulou came out to them beautifully dressed. The old woman made a reverence to her.
“This is the lady,” she said. “She is unusually beautiful and well worthy to be my young master’s first wife.”
Yulou smiled. “Don’t be silly,” she said. “Tell me how old the gentleman is. Has he been married before? Has he any women in his household? What is his name and what his position? Don’t waste time. Tell me the truth.”
“Heaven!” the old woman cried. “I am the official go-between. I’m not like the rest of them. I never tell lies. I say what I know and nothing else. The magistrate is over fifty, and this is his only son. The young gentleman’s animal is the Horse, and he is now thirty-one. He was born at the hour of the Dragon on the twenty-third day of the first month. He is a student at the Imperial Academy of Learning and will shortly take his degree. He has a bellyful of literature, and is very skilled at archery and horsemanship. There is nothing about philosophy he doesn’t know. His wife died two years ago, and now he has only a young girl to look after him. She is quite a common sort of girl, and he wants a wife to manage things. He has sent me here especially to ask you to marry him. If you are willing, my master says you shall be excused from paying taxes on your land, houses and property, and if anyone harms you in any way, you have only to point to him and he will be arrested and punished at once.”
“Has the young gentleman any children?” Yulou asked. “And what is his native place? I ask this because when their term of office here expires, they will probably go away, and I do not wish to go very far. All my people live here.”
“He has no children,” old woman Tao said, “and his home is in the Zaoqiang district of Zhengdingfu. It is about six or seven hundred li on the other side of the river. They own miles and miles of land, have herds of mules and horses, and a host of people. The Imperial sign stands over all the arches. It is a splendid and glorious place. If you become his first wife, and he gets an official appointment, you will wear ceremonial dress and drive a carriage like a lady. Is that not good enough for you?”
Yulou made up her mind. She told Lanxiang to bring the old woman tea and cakes. “I must apologize for asking so many questions,” she said, “but really go-betweens are such clever liars, and I did not wish to be deceived.”
“Lady,” the old woman said, “you should look carefully. Then you would see that the pure are pure and the foul, foul. Only too often the bad ones bring disrepute upon the good ones. I never lie, I have always set out to be an honest go-between. If you have made up your mind, please write a note and I will give it to the young master.”
Yulou found a piece of scarlet silk and told Daian to take it to the shop and get Clerk Fu to write her eight characters upon it.
“When you came here,” Yueniang said, “old woman Xue acted as your go-between. We will send for her, and then she and Madam Tao together can take your eight characters. That will look more dignified.”
After a while, old woman Xue came. She made a reverence to old woman Tao. As they belonged to the same profession, it was arranged that they should take the note to the Town Hall together.
On the way, old woman Tao said to her companion: “Did you arrange this lady’s marriage on the previous occasion?”
“I did,” old woman Xue said.
“What family did she come from? Was she a virgin?”
“She is a Yang,” old woman Xue said.
Then old woman Tao noticed that the characters on the silk showed that Yulou was born at the hour of the Rat on the twenty-seventh day of the eleventh month, so she was now thirty-seven years old.
“I am afraid my master will think she is rather old,” she said. “He is only thirty-one, and she is six years older. Had we not better go to a fortune-teller and find out whether the parties are suited to one another? If the dates don’t work out, we will make her a little younger. I shan’t consider that anything wrong.”
The two women went on, but they did not meet any fortune-tellers in the street. But from a distance they saw a black tent to the south of the road. Outside it were two signs. They bore the inscriptions: “I foretell good and evil fortune as Zi Ping. With an iron pen, I determine whether honor or ill-fame will come. To all who come to have their fortunes told, I tell the truth without fear and without favor.” In the tent there was a table, and beside it sat a man who could write and tell fortunes. They went to him and he asked them to sit down.
“We have come to ask about the destiny of a woman,” old woman Xue said, taking from her sleeve three fen of silver. “This is only a trifle, but please take it. I have very little money with me.”
The man asked the eight characters. Tao gave him the card, on which the eight characters were written.
“I see this is a marriage,” the man said. Then he began to calculate on his fingers and set out the counters on the abacus. “The woman is now thirty-seven years old,” he said. “She was born at the hour of the Rat, on the twenty-seventh day of the eleventh month. The month is Jiazi, the day Xinmao and the hour Gengzi. She is an honorable woman. Working backwards, as one does with the life of a woman, we find that she is now at the period Bingshen. Bing comes in c
onjunction with Xin, which shows that she is destined to enjoy power and dignity and to be a lady. She has several husband stars, yet her influence is always happy for her husbands and they will love her. In these two years there seems to be an adverse influence. Has anything happened?”
“Two husbands have died already,” old woman Xue said.
“That is good,” the man said.
“Will she bear a child?” old woman Xue asked.
“Not yet. She will not have a child until she is forty-one. Then she will have a son who will comfort her declining days. Her fate seems to be excellent. She will be very rich and of high rank.” He took a brush and wrote four lines.
Her charm is worthy to be compared with the beauty of the plum.
Three times the red silk is taken away, and twice she paints her brows.
We shall see the day when the horse’s head is raised in victory
Then she will cast aside the covering of Yin and be free.
“Master,” old woman Xue said, “what do you mean by those two last lines? We don’t understand. Would you mind explaining?”
“I spoke of the ‘horse’s head’ because the lady is going to marry a man whose animal is the Horse. Afterwards, she will live a life of ease. By ‘the covering of Yin’ I make reference to the man whose animal was the Tiger. That man is dead, and though he loved her, she was only a concubine in his household. From now onward, she will have a happy life. She will live to be sixty-eight and her son will close her eyes. Husband and wife will live together till they die.”
The Golden Lotus, Volume 2 Page 69