“You said you wished to make an end quickly,” said Bojue, “but it is not so easy as all that. Things have to reach a certain pitch first. You were afraid someone would come and catch you, and here I am. I shall have to come to an understanding with you.”
“You funny dog,” said Ximen, “be off at once. Don’t play tricks and let all the servants know.”
“You must talk to me nicely, you little whore,” Bojue said, “or I shall shout at the top of my voice, and all the ladies will know. They have accepted you as a daughter, and have been good enough to let you stay here. Now, here you are stealing their man, and, if it comes out, I don’t know what will happen to you.”
“Go away, you beggar,” Guijie said.
“I will go when you have given me a kiss,” said Bojue. He kissed her and went out.
“Come back, you dog. Why don’t you shut the door?”
Ying Bojue came back and shut the door. “Strike hard, my son,” he said to Ximen Qing, “and if you demolish her bottom, it will not worry me.”
He went as far as the pine trees and came back again. “Where are the fragrant tea leaves you promised me?”
“I will give them to you later,” Ximen said. “Why do you need to come back again now?”
Bojue went off laughing. “Really,” said Guijie, “the man does not know how to behave.” For a full hour she sported with Ximen, and then they ate a red date that allowed them to reach a climax. They set their clothes in order and came out of the Cavern of Snow. Guijie took some fragrant tea leaves from his sleeve and put them in her own. Ximen Qing was bathed in sweat. He was puffing and blowing. He went to a blooming lantana and piddled. Guijie took a small mirror from her girdle, dressed her hair by the window and went to the inner court. Ximen Qing went to the rooms of Li Ping’er, washed his hands, and rejoined his friends. Ying Bojue again asked for the tea leaves.
“You beggar,” Ximen Qing said, “you might be going to die if you didn’t get it. What makes you such a nuisance?” He gave a pinch to each of them.
“Is this all?” Bojue said. “Well, never mind, I’ll ask the little whore for some.”
Li Ming came and kowtowed to them. “Where have you come from?” Bojue said, “and how is that business of yours going?”
“Thanks to Father’s kindness,” Li Ming said, “the officers have not interfered with us for the last day or two. We are waiting to hear from the Eastern Capital.”
“Has that little wench Qi Xiang’er come out yet?” Bojue asked.
“No,” said Li Ming, “she is still at Wang’s place. Guijie is safe here. No one would dare to come to this house for her.”
“It would have been very awkward,” Bojue said, “but fortunately, I and Uncle Xie won over your father. We told him that if he did nothing to help your sister, no one would.”
“Oh,” Li Ming said, “without Father’s help, it would have been hopeless. The old lady is not very bright, and, besides, what could she do?”
“If I am right, it is the old lady’s birthday some time now,” Bojue said. “I must persuade your father to go with me to congratulate her.”
“Pray do not put yourself about,” Li Ming said. “When this matter is settled, she and Guijie will invite you, of course.”
“Then we will congratulate her afterwards,” Bojue said. “Come and drink this cup of wine for me. I have been drinking all day and I can’t drink any more.” The boy took the silver cup and knelt down to drink it. Xie Xida told Qintong to give him another cup.
“I feel sure you have not had anything to eat,” Bojue said to Li Ming. “Here is a plate of cakes.” Xie Xida took two plates of roast pork and duck and handed them to Li Ming. With his chopsticks, Ying Bojue helped the boy to half a shad fish. “I can see you haven’t tasted any of this fish this year,” he said. “Here is something seasonable for you.”
“You funny dog,” Ximen Qing cried. “Why don’t you give him all the fish and be done with it?”
“I will eat the rest myself when I feel hungry again, after I have had some more wine. Don’t you realize that fish of this sort is only to be had once a year? Why! When you pick your teeth, it still tastes sweet. This is no ordinary fish. I very much doubt whether you could even find it at Court. Certainly I could not get any anywhere else but here.”
Huatong brought more dishes, water chestnuts, lotus roots and Ioquat fruits. Before Ximen Qing had time to eat any of them, Ying Bojue had emptied the plate into his sleeve. “You must leave some for me,” said Xie Xida, taking another dish and leaving only the loquats on the table. Ximen Qing took one and put it into his mouth, then gave the rest to Li Ming. He told Huatong to go to the kitchen and bring two Ioquat fruits for Li Ming, who, when he had eaten them, sang a song for which Ying Bojue specially asked. The three men drank until evening. Then rice gruel with dried peas was brought for them. When they had eaten it, Bojue and Xie Xida made ready to go.
“Brother,” Bojue said, “I understand that you are taking wine with his Excellency An tomorrow. I will tell Li and Huang to come about their business the day after tomorrow.” Ximen Qing nodded. They did not wait for him to take them to the door, but went away by themselves. Ximen Qing told Shutong to clear the table and went to Yulou’s room.
The next morning he did not go to the office, but dressed immediately after breakfast and, with Shutong and Daian, rode to Eunuch Liu’s place. It was distant from the city about forty li.
Jinlian took advantage of Ximen Qing’s absence to ask Li Ping’er to spend the three qian of silver that Chen Jingji had lost, adding another seven qian to them. They asked Laixing to buy a roast duck, two chickens, a jar of Jinhua wine, a bottle of white wine, fruit pastries and other things, and arranged for his wife to prepare them. Then Jinlian said to Yueniang: “The other day, Ximen Dajie was playing cards with her husband, and won three qian of silver from him. The Sixth Lady has added some more to it, and we have arranged to have a little feast. We should be glad if you would come and enjoy it with us in the garden.” So Wu Yueniang, Meng Yulou, Li Jiao’er, Sun Xue’e, Ximen Dajie and Li Guijie all went to the arbor and joined in the feast. They took some of the food to the artificial mound. There, some of them played chess and some played darts.
“Why has our host not come?” Yueniang said.
“Father sent him to Xu’s for some money,” Ximen Dajie said, “but I don’t think he will be long.”
Chen Jingji soon came. He made a reverence to the ladies and sat down beside his wife. He told Yueniang that he had brought two hundred and fifty taels from Xu and given them to Yuxiao. The wine was passed around, and they all enjoyed themselves immensely. Yueniang, Li Jiao’er, and Guijie played chess, Yulou and the others strolled about the garden admiring the flowers. Jinlian, alone, fanning herself with a white silk fan, went in search of coolness to the deepest part of the banana palm glade behind the artificial mound. She saw on the grass a wild purple flower that was very delightful and went to gather it. She did not imagine that when he saw her go, Chen Jingji would quietly follow her by impulse. Suddenly he spoke from behind her. “What are you looking for, my lady? The grass is slippery, and I shouldn’t like you to fall. It would hurt me if you did.”
Jinlian glanced at him over her shoulder. Half smiling, half reproving, she said: “Why should it hurt you if I fell, you young scamp? I don’t need you to look after me. What are you doing here? Aren’t you afraid somebody will see us? What about those handkerchiefs you were to buy for me?”
“Here are the handkerchiefs,” Jingji said, smiling. He took them from his sleeve. “What will you give me for them?” He drew nearer, but she pushed him away. Just then, Li Ping’er with Guan’ge in her arms came through the pine alleys with the nurse. They could see the movement of the white fan in Jinlian’s hand, but not that she was pushing Jingji aside with it. They thought she was catching butterflies.
“Fifth Mother,” Li Ping’er said, “catch a butterfly for my baby.”
Jingji hurriedly slipped behind
the artificial mound. Jinlian wondered whether Li Ping’er had seen him. She said: “Has our brother given you any handkerchiefs?”
“No, no yet,” Li Ping’er said.
“He has brought them,” Jinlian said, “but he did not like to give them to us in front of his wife, so he gave them to me secretly.” They sat down in the shade of the plantains, opened the packet, and divided them.
After a while Li Ping’er said to Ruyi’er: “It is very cool and pleasant here. Go and tell Yingchun to bring the baby’s pillow and bed, and also a set of dominoes. I will have a game with the Fifth Lady. You stay in my room.”
The nurse went away, and Yingchun came with the things. Li Ping’er spread out the bed and put the baby upon it. While the baby was playing, she had a game of dominoes with Jinlian. Then she told Yingchun to bring a pot of tea. Yulou, who was in the smaller arbor, caught sight of them. She beckoned to Li Ping’er. “Come here,” she said, “I have something to tell you.”
Li Ping’er left the baby in Jinlian’s care and went to speak to Yulou. But Jinlian was thinking about Chen Jingji who was still hiding in the grotto, and she forgot about the baby. She hurried into the cave and said to Jingji: “There is nobody about now. Come out at once.” Jingji asked her to go and look at a huge mushroom that he said was there. She went in. Then Jingji knelt down and begged Jinlian to grant him her favors. They kissed.
When Li Ping’er came to the arbor, Yueniang said to her: “Yulou has been playing darts with Guijie. She was beaten. We want you to play for her.”
“But there is nobody to look after my baby,” Li Ping’er said.
“Jinlian is there,” Yulou said. “There is no reason why you should worry.” Yueniang asked Yulou to go and look after the child.
“Bring him here,” Li Ping’er said. She told Xiaoyu to bring the baby’s bed. Yulou and the maid went to the grove of plantains. The baby was screaming upon his bed, and there was no sign of Jinlian. A big black cat stood beside the child. It ran away when they came near.
“Where is the Fifth Lady?” Yulou said. “She has left the baby here, and the cat has terrified him.”
Jinlian hurried out of the grotto. “I have just been to wash my hands, that’s all. Where is this cat that is supposed to have frightened the baby? What are you so excited about?”
Yulou did not look into the grotto. She picked up the baby and went back to the arbor, trying to pacify him. Xiaoyu brought the bed, and Jinlian, afraid that they would tell the true story, went with them.
“Why is the baby crying?” Yueniang said.
“When we got there,” Yulou said, “there was a big black cat standing near his head.”
“He must have been frightened,” Yueniang said.
“But the Fifth Lady was looking after him,” said Li Ping’er.
“She had gone into the grotto to wash her hands,” Yulou said.
“How can you say such a thing!” Jinlian said. “And where is this cat of yours? The baby is hungry and wants some milk. That’s all.”
Yingchun brought tea, and Li Ping’er told the nurse to feed the child.
Chen Jingji, now that there was nobody about, came out of the grotto and slipped away between the pine hedges. Yueniang, seeing that the baby refused to feed and would do nothing but cry, told Li Ping’er to take him to her room and put him to sleep. The party broke up. Chen Jingji, who had been disappointed in his hopes of enjoying Jinlian, went sadly to his own room.
CHAPTER 53
Pan Jinlian Is Unfaithful
In the little courtyard the jade steps are deserted
At the corner of the wall a few orchids put forth new shoots.
Lilies and pomegranates blossom there
The flowers beloved by those who long for children.
Let not the wind and rain beat down those flowers
May Heaven foster them.
May they not turn into the cuckoo flowers
Whose colors quickly change
And whose fragrance fades away.
Ximen Qing went to take wine with the two dignitaries An and Huang. With the serving boys, he came to Eunuch Liu’s place. The two gentlemen came out to welcome him. Eunuch Liu was acting as host, and he, too, came out to meet Ximen, taking him by the hand as soon as he dismounted. “We have been waiting for you for a long time,” he said. “You are late.”
“You are very kind,” Ximen said, “but I had some trifling business to attend to at home and this caused me to keep you waiting. I am very, very sorry.” They all bowed profoundly and went into the hall. Ximen Qing again made reverence to them. They asked him to take the seat of honor and Eunuch Liu to take the second place. Eunuch Liu declined.
“This is my house,” he said, “and you are my guests.”
An insisted: “It is your proper place,” he said. Ximen Qing supported him.
“On the score of age alone,” he said, “you should take it, most noble sir.” Liu could protest no more.
“Then,” he said, “I must be presumptuous enough to take the second place.” Huang and An sat in the hosts’ seats. Some young actors came and kowtowed. Tea was served and then wine.
When the tables had been laid, the young actors took their instruments, string and wind, tuned them and sang the song “In Springtime, the Gentle Rain Falls Softly.” When the song was done, Liu raised his cup and asked the company to drink.
“What an exquisitely beautiful song that was. Quite incomparable!” An said. “It must have been written by a true scholar. And the singers’ voices are so sweet. One can imagine them holding back the floating clouds. You will agree with me, I am sure, when I say that, in both respects, we have here an example of absolute beauty.”
“With regard to that,” Ximen Qing said, “I can express no opinion. But I certainly would call this a marvelous party, with you two gentlemen as hosts and noble Liu here as the master of the house.”
“That is not quite a true statement of the case,” Huang said. “This party is remarkable because of the presence at it of noble Liu, who has gone daily in and out of the purple forbidden city, and witnessed the appearance of the Dragon. Is he not an illustrious chamberlain? And here, too, is noble Ximen, whose gold is as a mountain and whose jade is beyond price. We may well compare him with Tao Zhu, a wealthy man indeed. We have here two men, one of unusually exalted rank, the other extremely rich. This is indeed cause for admiration.”
They laughed heartily and drank together. One of the actors took a long flute and played a melodious tune. The others sang a new song, “Where the Peach Flowers and Willows Blossom beside the Stream.” This song too, met with approval.
Chen Jingji was driven to desperation by the foiling of his desire to possess Pan Jinlian. Ximen Qing did not return, and Jingji went quietly backwards and forwards, continually peeping in at the inner court. Jinlian herself, after the advances the young man had made to her, was ill at ease. There was nobody about, and she pondered the matter, resting her cheeks upon her hands. Suddenly, in the darkness, Chen Jingji came in. It seemed as though he would have devoured her. Desperately, he came up behind her and took her in his arms. “Woman mine,” he said, “it nearly killed me when Meng Yulou came and disturbed us.”
Jinlian was startled, for she had not noticed his coming. When she turned her head and saw who it was, she was half frightened, half pleased. “You young thief,” she said, “let me go. Someone will see us.” But Jingji would not let her go. He fumbled at her trousers, trying to unloose them. Jinlian half yielded, half resisted, but he had already torn the ribbon that held them. She pretended to be alarmed. “You thief,” she said. “Are you so ignorant of the laws of propriety that you dare thus to approach your mother?”
“Mother,” Jingji said earnestly, “should you ask for my heart and liver that you might make them into soup, I would gladly cut them out of my body for you. You must be kind to me.”
As he spoke, he brought forward that which was below his waist. It was firm, and he pushed it forward against
the single garment Jinlian was wearing. The touch of it made her cheeks as rosy as the peach blossom. She still made a show of refusal, but, as he persisted in his entreaties, she could not keep her hand from touching him. Jingji pulled up her skirt and shoved with all his might. At the first thrust he gained access, for she had long been aroused and was already wet, so there was nothing in their way. They stood up against the railing and sported furiously. Jingji was not satisfied. “Lie on the ground,” he said, “and I will give you all you want.”
Jinlian feared that her hair would be disordered or that someone might come. “Not this time,” she said. “Let us be content for now. We shall meet again.” They called each other many tender names and played together for a long time. Then they heard voices on the other side of the wall and were compelled to separate. They were still unsatisfied. The noise they heard was that of Shutong and Daian coming in with Ximen’s hat, girdle, and boxes. The two boys were tipsy and made a great deal of noise.
Yueniang heard them and thought that Ximen had come. She sent Xiaoyu to make sure. The boys told her he was on his way, that they had come before him. When Ximen came, he was drunk. He went to Yueniang’s room and carried her to her bed. But it was the next day, which happened to be a renzi day, on which she wished him to come to her. So she said: “I am not very well. Go somewhere else tonight.”
Ximen laughed. “Oh, I know,” he said, “you don’t want me because I am drunk. Very well. I won’t upset you. I’ll go away and come tomorrow.”
Yueniang smiled. “Really I am not very well,” she said. “It isn’t that I do not want you. Do please come tomorrow.”
Ximen Qing went to Jinlian. She was resting on the bed after her bout with Chen Jingji. She rose hastily and said: “I suppose you have just come back from the party?”
Ximen did not answer. He took her in his arms and kissed her. Then he touched her cunt. “You wicked little strumpet. Of whom have you been thinking that you are as wet as this?”
The Golden Lotus, Volume 1 Page 86