The Golden Lotus, Volume 1

by Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng

  “Chunmei, Sister, please help me,” Jinlian cried, “he is going to beat me again.”

  “Don’t worry about her, little oily mouth,” Ximen said. “Give me the whip. I am going to beat the strumpet.”

  “How can you be so shameless, Father?” Chunmei cried. “What has Mother done wrong? You seem to listen to anything any bad woman likes to tell you, making a storm in a teacup all the time. Mother is one heart and mind with you. What makes you so changeable? I shall not do what you say.” She shut the door and went out. Ximen Qing could only burst out laughing.

  “I won’t beat you this time,” he said to Jinlian. “Come here. I want you to give me something. Will you give it me or not?”

  “My precious darling,” Jinlian said, “I belong to you, heart and soul. Whatever you ask, it is yours. What do you want?”

  “I want some of your hair,” Ximen said.

  “Heavens!” Jinlian cried, “if you had asked me to set myself on fire, I would have done it. But to cut off my hair... that is too much. You must wish to frighten me to death. From the day of my birth, twenty-six years until this very day, I have never done such a thing. And lately my hair has been falling out of its own accord. Do, please, spare me that indignity.”

  “You are always complaining about my bad tempers,” Ximen Qing said, “yet you won’t do a single thing I ask you.”

  “If I don’t obey you, I don’t obey anybody. But tell me, why do you want my hair?”

  “I am thinking of having a hairnet made,” Ximen said.

  “If you want a net, I will make one for you, but you must not take my hair to that strumpet to lay a spell on me.”

  “I won’t give it to anybody,” Ximen said, “but I must have your hair to make the foundation for a net.”

  “Very well,” Jinlian said, “in that case I will let you cut some off.” She parted her hair. Ximen took a pair of scissors and cut a large tress from the crown of her head. He wrapped it in paper, and put it in his sleeve. Jinlian pressed close to him and wept quietly.

  “I will do anything you wish,” she said. “The only thing I ask is that you love me always. You may play with others as much as you please, but you must not forget me.”

  That night their joy in each other seemed more glorious than ever. The next morning, when Ximen Qing got up, she served him with tea; then he mounted his horse and rode to the bawdy house.

  “Where is the hair you were going to cut off?” Guijie cried.

  “Here you are,” said Ximen. He took the hair from his sleeve, and handed it to her. She opened the packet. It contained a tress of beautiful hair, as black as the blackest coal. She put it into her sleeve.

  “You have seen it now,” Ximen said. “Give it back to me. She was terribly upset because I insisted on cutting off that hair, and, until I changed countenance and frightened her, she wouldn’t hear of my cutting it off. I told her I wanted it to make a net. You see, I have brought it to you. Perhaps now you will believe that I always do what I say.”

  “I don’t see why you should be so alarmed,” Guijie said. “There is nothing so very extraordinary about it. I’ll let you have it before you go. You shouldn’t have taken it, if you are so frightened of her.”

  “What makes you think I’m afraid of her?” Ximen Qing said, laughing. “If I were, I shouldn’t tell anybody.”

  Guijie asked her sister to take wine with Ximen Qing, and, going to a quiet place, put some of the hair into her shoe, that she might tread it underfoot every day. She kept Ximen a prisoner for several days and would not allow him to go home.

  Jinlian was very unhappy for several days after her hair had been cut. She refused to leave her room and seemed too languid to take food or tea. Yueniang sent one of the boys to bring old woman Liu, an old favorite of hers, to see what was the matter.

  “The lady is suffering from some secret grief,” the old woman said, “and because the trouble is insistent and she can’t free herself from it, she has headaches and gnawing pains at the heart, and does not feel inclined to take her food.”

  She opened her medicine box, and, taking out two black pills, told Jinlian to take them in the evening with some ginger water. “I will bring my husband tomorrow,” she said. “He will tell your fortune for the coming year and see whether there is any bad luck in store.”

  “Can your husband really see what is in one’s life?” Jinlian asked.

  “He is blind,” the old woman said, “but there are three things he can do. He can tell fortunes and read the Yin-Yang, and so save people from misadventure. He can bleed the sick, cauterize, and cure wens. The third thing is only to be mentioned with discretion, but, as a matter of fact, he can make philters to change people’s hearts.”

  “What are these philters for?” Jinlian said.

  “Well,” old woman Liu said, “suppose father and son do not agree as well as they might, or there is a slight misunderstanding between brothers, or a quarrel between wives, if my husband is told the true state of affairs, he will make a spell and write a charm. This is put in water, and the people concerned are given it to drink. Three days after drinking this water, father and son will love one another again, brothers will reach a perfect understanding, and wives will live in harmony together.

  “Again, when a man is unsuccessful in business, or his lands and family are not doing very well, my husband can produce the necessary money and increase profits. And when it comes to curing illnesses and making people immune, praying to the stars and invoking the planets, my husband is absolutely a master. People call him Liu the Master of the Stars. I remember the case of a household where there was a new wife who came from a family that was none too well off. She was inclined to be light-fingered, and was always stealing things from her mother-in-law to give to her own people. When her husband found her out, he beat her. My husband exercised his art on her behalf, made a charm, and when it had been burned to ashes, the ashes were put into the cistern. The whole family drank the water from this cistern, and afterwards, even if they actually saw her stealing, they didn’t seem to realize what she was about. He also put another charm under her pillow, and when her husband had once slept on that pillow, his hands might have been tied, for he could not beat her any more.”

  Jinlian listened to this and stored it away in her mind. She told the maid to give the old woman some tea and cakes, and, when she was about to take her departure, she gave her not only three qian of silver for her fee, but five more to buy the materials needed for making a charm. She told her to bring the blind man early the next day so that he could burn the charm. The old woman went home, and next morning very early she brought the blind old rascal to the gate, and was about to go to the inner court. Ximen Qing was standing in the courtyard, and the gatekeeper asked the blind man what his business was.

  “We have come to burn some papers for the Fifth Lady,” the old woman said.

  “Very well, in you go,” the boy said, “but mind the dog doesn’t bite you.”

  The old woman led her husband to Jinlian’s apartments, and they waited some time for her. When she came, the blind man made a reverence to her; then they sat down, and Jinlian told him the eight characters of her destiny. The blind rascal reckoned for a while on his fingers, and said; “Lady, I will now interpret the eight characters of your destiny. They are Gengchen for the year, Gengyin for the month, Yihai for the day, and Jichou for the hour of your birth. The eighth of the month is the Spring Day, we must reckon your fate as from the first month. According to the admirable doctrine of Zi Ping, though your eight characters are indeed both clear and remarkable, you will never have the husband star in a favorable conjunction. The question of children, too, does not seem to be decided in your favor. The Yi tree grows in the first month and, though this would seem to show that you will enjoy good health, you must be careful lest you overdo things. Geng gold appears twice, and the Yangren star is unduly prominent, while the husband star is very troublesome. I should say that you will only reach contentment
when you have outlived two husbands.”

  “I have already outlived one,” Jinlian said.

  “I beg you to excuse me, Lady,” the blind rascal went on, “but though your life appears to be of the type known as Shayin, you are handicapped by the fact that there is the water of Gui in the Hai as well as in the Chou. This is decidedly a superabundance of water, and it rushes out of a single Ji earth. The stars Guan and Sha are confused. In the case of a man, if the influence of the Sha star is predominant, he will attain to dignity and prominence, but, in the case of a woman, such a state of affairs indicates that she will be dangerous to her husbands. The fact that you belong to this class shows that you know very well what you’re about and that you attract men.

  “With regard to your fortune for the present year, this year is Jiachen in the cycle, and this is a sign of coming calamity. The two stars Xiaohao and Goujiao are influencing you, and, though this does not indicate any real catastrophe, you will have trouble from friends and relations, and backbiters will prove a nuisance.”

  “It is kind of you to have gone so carefully into all this for me,” Jinlian said, “and now I should like you to make a spell for me. Here is a tael of silver to spend on a cup of tea. All I want is that backbiters shall leave me in peace, and that my husband shall have a high esteem for me.” She went to her room, found a couple of hair ornaments, and gave them to the blind man. He put them in his sleeve.

  “If you would like me to make a spell,” he said, “I shall take a piece of willow wood and fashion it into two figures, one male and the other female. On one I shall write your husband’s eight characters and on the other your own. Then I shall bind them together with forty-nine red threads. I shall cover the man’s eyes with a piece of red cloth and stuff him with the leaves of artemisia. I shall put a needle through his hands and stick the feet with gum. You must put the figures under his pillow, secretly. I shall also write a charm in red ink, and the ashes of this you must put into his tea. Then providing he sleeps on this pillow, you will see the result in three days at the utmost.”

  “What is the meaning of all this?” Jinlian said.

  “I will explain,” the old rogue replied. “The covering of the eyes with cloth will make you appear to him as beautiful as Xi Shi. Stuffing the figure with artemisia will make him love you. If I put a needle through the hands, that will ensure that, whatever your faults, he will not be able to raise his hand against you. Finally, the sticking of the feet with gum will prevent his wandering away from you.”

  Jinlian found this extremely satisfactory, and she wasted no time in getting candles and paper to burn the charms. The next day old woman Liu brought them, with water and the spell figures. Jinlian did with them as she had been told. She burned the charm to ashes, and prepared some of the best tea. When Ximen Qing came back, she told Chunmei to give him some of the tea. That night they slept on the same pillow. Two or three days passed, and their happiness was as great as that of fishes sporting in the water.

  Readers, every household, no matter whether it be great or small, should make a rule that nuns, priests, nurses, and procuresses like these should always be kept at a distance.

  CHAPTER 13

  Li Ping’er

  One day, when Ximen Qing went to Wu Yueniang’s room, his wife told him that Master Hua had sent a boy to invite him to take wine that day. Ximen looked at the message. It said: “Come and talk with me this afternoon at Wu Yin’er’s house. Call for me, and we will go together. I greet you heartily.”

  He dressed quickly and, summoning two boys to attend him, set off upon a fine horse to call on Master Hua. He was surprised to find that Hua was not at home, but Li Ping’er was standing on the steps that led to the inner part of the house. She wore a silken hairnet, with golden earrings set with amethysts, a coat with white trimmings, and an embroidered skirt, beneath which peeped forth a pair of dainty little feet. Ximen had entered hurriedly, and they bumped into one another.

  Although he had seen her once before, in the country, he had not paid any particular attention to her, but she had made some impression upon him. Now they met face to face. She was pale and clear-skinned, rather short, with a face as oval as a melon seed, long, with two finely arched eyebrows. He was enraptured. Quickly he went forward and made a reverence to her, and she as quickly returned his greeting. Then she turned and went to the inner court. She sent to him a maid whose name was Xiuchun, a girl who had just grown out of childhood, and told her to ask Ximen to take a seat in the hall. She herself stood at the door of the courtyard, so that only half her charming face was visible.

  “Pray sit down for a while, my lord,” she said. “My husband has gone out, but he will be back in a few moments.”

  The maid brought Ximen a cup of tea.

  “My husband has asked you to take wine with him today,” Mistress Hua said, “but please, for my sake, persuade him to come home early. The two boys will be with him, and there will be nobody here but the two maids and myself.”

  “You have every right to speak as you do,” Ximen Qing said. “The claims of a man’s household should have his first attention. Since you wish it, we will not only go together, but come back together.”

  At that moment Hua Zixu returned, and his wife retired to her own room. The two men exchanged greetings.

  “It was very good of you to come,” Hua said. “I had to go out for a moment on business, and I hope you will forgive me for not being here to welcome you.”

  They sat down in the places appointed for host and guest, and Hua ordered a servant to bring tea. When they had drunk it, he said to the boy: “Ask your mistress to prepare some refreshments for us. I should like to drink some wine with Master Ximen before we go.” He turned to Ximen and said, “It is Wu Yin’er’s birthday today. That is why I asked you to come and have a little amusement.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Ximen said. He told Daian to go home at once and bring five qian of silver. The servants were setting the table, but he said, “Don’t let us stay any longer. We might as well take our wine at the bawdy house.”

  “I will keep you a very short time,” Hua Zixu said, “but stay for a minute or two.”

  In a few moments refreshments were brought, and they drank a few cups of wine together. The cups were of silver with long stems like a sunflower. They ate some little buns, and gave what were left to the servant. When Daian had brought the silver, they went out and, mounting their horses, rode to Wu Yin’er’s house to celebrate her birthday. There was singing, dancing, and music, and they were as happy as the flowers in a posy, drinking wine together till the first night watch. Ximen Qing deliberately made Hua very drunk, and then took him home, as Li Ping’er had asked him. The boys called for the gate to be opened, and they helped Master Hua to a chair in the hall. Li Ping’er and one of the maids brought a lamp, and took him to the inner part of the house.

  Ximen Qing told her all that had happened, and was going away when she thanked him again.

  “My foolish husband,” she said, “has very little sense. He is too fond of wine, and I am afraid you must have found him a nuisance. It was out of kindness to me that you brought him back. Please, my lord, do not be too scornful of him.”

  “Not at all,” Ximen said, bowing politely, “it was your desire. How could I do other than set your words in my heart and engrave them on my bones? If I had not brought him back, not only would you have been uneasy, but I should have shown myself no gentleman. My brother went to the bawdy house and they tried to keep him there, but I made him come home. When we were passing the Hall of the Joyful Star, he saw one of the girls standing outside. She was a very pretty girl and he would have liked to go in, but I would not let him. I told him that you were waiting anxiously for his return, and we came on together. If he had stayed there, he would not have come back tonight. Sister-in-law, it is not for me to say that my brother is a fool, but you are so young, and this is such a large house to be in. He ought not to leave you here alone at night
. It is not right.”

  “No, indeed,” Li Ping’er said. “He is always roaming about and making a fool of himself. I have reproached him till I have made myself quite ill. I do beg of you, my lord, if you meet him at the bawdy house, do, for my sake, persuade him to come home early. I shall always be grateful to you.”

  There never was a man more clever in the ways of women than Ximen Qing. He had spent many years pursuing them, and there was very little about such matters he did not know. It was perfectly clear to him that the woman was making overtures, and he appreciated the situation admirably. He smiled.

  “Sister-in-law,” he said, “there is really no need for you to say this. What are friends for? I cannot help feeling that my brother is very much to blame, but do not worry about it a moment longer.”

  Li Ping’er made a reverence to him, and told a maid to bring tea and fruits. Ximen drank the tea. “I must go home now,” he said. “I hope you will see that all the doors are shut safely after me.” Then he said good-night and went home.

  From that day Ximen Qing racked his brains for a plan whereby he might make this woman his own. Several times he got Ying Bojue, Xie Xida, and the others to take Hua to the bawdy house to drink and pass the night, but he himself escaped from them and went home. He used to stand outside his own gate, and Li Ping’er, with her two maids, would stand outside hers. When he saw her, he would cough affectedly and walk up and down, or he would stand outside his gate and look towards her. When she saw him, Li Ping’er used to hide inside her gate, and put the door between them, but, as soon as he went away, she would put her head out to look after him. They longed for each other in their hearts, but showed their feelings only with their eyes.

  One day Ximen Qing was standing outside the gate when Xiuchun brought him an invitation.

  “Why does your lady invite me?” he said, pretending not to know. “Is your master at home?”