by Cao Xueqin
‘You’re a religious person,’ said the old lady. ‘Tell me: am I going to get better or not?’
‘A person as charitable and virtuous as yourself, Lady Jia, will surely live to a ripe old age,' replied Adamantina. ‘You’ve just caught a slight chill, and I’m sure a few doses of medicine will put it right. At your age the important thing is to relax and not worry so much.’
‘But you know I’m not the worrying type,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘I’ve always been one for my bit of fun. There’s not much the matter with me, I just feel a little uncomfortable and have this bloated feeling in my stomach. The last doctor I saw said it was because I was letting myself get too overwrought. But you know perfectly well that no one dares to rub me up the wrong way! I don’t think that doctor really knew what he was talking about. I told Lian the first doctor was right – I’ve just got an upset stomach and a cold. Lian should send for him again tomorrow.’
She called Faithful over:
‘Tell the kitchen to prepare some vegetables so that Sister Adamantina can have something to eat while she’s here.’
‘I’ve already eaten,’ said Adamantina. ‘I won’t have anything now.’
‘Even if you are not going to eat,’ said Lady Wang, ‘stay and chat with us a little.’
‘Very well. It’s so long since I’ve been here. I wanted to see how you all were anyway.’
She talked with them a little longer, and then said she must be going. As she looked around she caught sight of Xi-chun.
‘Why are you looking so thin, Xi?’ she asked. ‘You mustn’t wear yourself out so with your painting.’
‘I haven’t painted for ages,’ said Xi-chun. ‘The room I’m living in now is not so light. And besides I don’t feel like painting nowadays.’
‘Where are you living now?’ asked Adamantina.
‘In a room to the east of the gate you’ve just come through,’ replied Xi-chun. ‘It’s very close, if you ever feel like dropping in.’
‘One day I will,’ replied Adamantina. ‘When I’m feeling in the right frame of mind.’
Xi-chun and the others saw her out, chatting as they went. By the time they returned, the maids informed them that the doctor was closeted with Grandmother Jia, and they all left and went their separate ways.
Contrary to everyone’s cheerful prognostications, Grandmother Jia gradually deteriorated. None of the treatment she received had any beneficial effect, and she started suffering from diarrhoea. Jia Zheng realized that her condition was becoming critical, and grew extremely concerned. He sent a messenger to the Board to say that he would be taking leave and staying at home, and he and Lady Wang waited on the old lady day and night, personally preparing and administering her medicines. One day they had just watched her eat and drink a little and were feeling slightly more optimistic, when they saw an old serving-woman poke her head round the door. Lady Wang sent Suncloud out to see who it was, and she discovered it to be one of the women Ying-chun had taken with her on her marriage.
‘What have you come for?’ she asked.
‘I’ve been waiting an age!’ replied the old woman. ‘I couldn’t find a maid anywhere and I didn’t want to come barging in. I’ve been worried silly!’
‘What’s the trouble?’ asked Suncloud. ‘Don’t tell me Mr Sun has been bullying our Miss Ying again!’
‘She’s past hope!’ said the old woman. ‘He had one of his fits the day before yesterday, and she was crying all that night, and then yesterday she had a bad attack and could hardly breathe. They wouldn’t send for a doctor, and today she’s even worse!’
‘Her Old Ladyship’s ill herself!’ said Suncloud. ‘For goodness’ sake don’t go making a lot of noise!’
Lady Wang had heard this conversation from inside, and afraid that Grandmother Jia would react badly to this latest turn of events, she ordered Suncloud to take the serving-woman away and talk to her somewhere else. But Grandmother Jia still had her wits sufficiently about her to overhear and understand a great part of the conversation.
‘Is Ying dying?’ she cried.
‘Certainly not,’ protested Lady Wang. ‘These women lose all sense of proportion. She’s just been a little poorly these past few days and they were concerned for her and came here to ask for a doctor.’
‘They’d better have mine,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘Tell him to go and see her at once.’
Grandmother Jia began to grow very distressed.
‘Of my three granddaughters,’ she said, ‘the eldest spent her share of good fortune and died; Tan, my third, is married and has gone to live at the other end of the world, and I shall never see her again; and now Ying – I knew life was hard for her, but somehow I thought she would live to see better days. Now she’s going to die, and she’s so dreadfully young! And I shall be left here, a useless old woman with no reason to be alive!’
Lady Wang and Faithful did what they could to console her. Bao-chai and Li Wan were not present that day, and Xi-feng had been too ill to attend for several days. Lady Wang was afraid that Grandmother Jia’s illness would be aggravated by all this mental distress, and she sent at once for the other ladies, while she returned to her own apartment and called Suncloud to her.
‘That stupid old serving-woman!’ she grumbled. ‘In future when I’m with Her Old Ladyship, you’re not to disturb me, no matter what the trouble is!’
Suncloud promised to obey this injunction, and said no more. The old woman meanwhile had just reached Lady Xing’s when the news arrived that Ying-chun had died. Lady Xing burst into tears. In Jia She’s absence she had to send Jia Lian to the Suns to represent the family. Grandmother Jia was so ill that no one dared break the news to her.
Alas! What a cruel end for such a gentle creature, her flowerlike beauty crushed within a year of marriage!
None of the Jias could leave home with Grandmother Jia as she was, and the Suns gave Ying-chun a predictably makeshift funeral.
Grandmother Jia continued to deteriorate steadily, but still her only thought was for her granddaughters and great-nieces. On one occasion Xiang-yun was in the forefront of her mind, and she sent a maid to see how she was. The maid returned and tiptoed in to find Faithful. Faithful was at the bedside, as were Lady Wang and the other ladies; and the maid, not wishing to disturb them, went round to the back to find Amber.
‘Her Old Ladyship sent me to fetch news of Miss Xiang-yun,’ she told Amber, ‘and I found her crying her heart out! Her husband has suddenly been taken ill, and the doctors say there’s no hope for him. At the best it will turn into a consumption and he may last another four or five years! You can imagine how badly Miss Xiang-yun has taken it! She’s already heard about Her Old Ladyship’s illness, but now she simply can’t leave home. She told me not to mention her husband’s illness to Her Old Ladyship. If she does ask after Miss Xiang-yun, you must think of some way to explain her absence.’
Amber heaved a deep sigh, and after a long silence dismissed the maid. She too thought it unwise to inform Grandmother Jia, and went to her bedside with the intention of telling Faithful to invent some story. She found Grandmother Jia deathly pale, and everyone in the room whispering among themselves:
‘You can see she’s going!’
Amber did not dare utter a word. Jia Zheng discreetly called Jia Lian over to whisper something in his ear, and Jia Lian tiptoed off to do his bidding. Outside he assembled the remaining household staff.
‘Her Old Ladyship will soon be gone. You must make sure that everything is in order. First fetch out the coffin-boards for inspection, and measure them up for a lining. Go round all the apartments, take everyone’s measurements, and give the tailor a complete list, with instructions to make everyone a set of mourning clothes. Arrange for the funeral awning to be constructed in the courtyard and for coffin-bearers to be hired. And have extra staff put on duty in the kitchen.’
‘Mr Lian,’ replied Lai Da, on behalf of the others. ‘You don’t need to worry about these things. We have already thoug
ht of everything. But where is the money coming from?’
‘We won’t need to borrow,’ said Jia Lian. ‘Her Old Ladyship has made provision herself. The Master told me just now that he wants no expense spared. It must be done in style; we must put on a good show.’
‘Yes, sir.’
Lai Da and the others went about their business at once, and Jia Lian returned to his own apartment.
‘How is Mrs Lian?’ he asked Patience.
Patience shot her mouth out towards the inner room:
‘Go and see for yourself.’
Jia Lian went in. Xi-feng was struggling to dress herself, but was too weak to do so. She had collapsed on the kang, and was leaning on the little kang-table.
‘It’s no good hoping to snatch some rest now!’ exclaimed Jia Lian. ‘Grandmother is sinking fast and you must be there. Hurry up and tell them to tidy things up in here. And pull yourself together! If the worst happens, we won’t be able to get away for quite a while.’
‘We’ve got nothing left to tidy up!’ said Xi-feng bitterly. ‘Only a few odds and ends, nothing worth bothering about. You go on ahead, Sir Zheng may want you. I’ll come as soon as I’m properly dressed.’
Jia Lian returned to Grandmother Jia’s apartment and reported discreetly to Jia Zheng that all had been seen to and the various duties assigned. Jia Zheng nodded. The Imperial Physician was announced, and Jia Lian went out to receive him. Grandmother Jia’s pulses were taken and then the physician emerged to inform Jia Lian in hushed tones:
‘Lady Jia’s pulse-rate is very poor. You must be prepared for the worst.’
Jia Lian understood and passed the message on to Lady Wang and the others. Lady Wang beckoned Faithful with a meaningful glance and told her to prepare Grandmother Jia’s funeral clothes. Faithful went to fetch them.
The old lady opened her eyes and asked for a drink of tea. Lady Xing brought her a cup of ginseng tea, and she put her lips to it.
‘Not this!’ she protested. ‘Give me a proper cup of tea!’
They dared not deny her this request, and promptly brought her a cup of real tea. She took one gulp, and then another, and then announced that she wanted to sit up.
‘Mother,’ pleaded Jia Zheng on behalf of the others, ‘whatever you want, you have only to tell us; but please don’t exhaust yourself by trying to sit up.’
‘I’ve had a drink and I feel a bit better now,’ she replied. ‘I’d like to sit up and chat for a bit.’
Pearl and the other maids gently supported her with their hands. She seemed momentarily revived. Whether she was to live or die will be told in the next chapter.
Chapter 110
Lady Jia ends her days, and returns to the land of shades
Wang Xi-feng exhausts her strength, and forfeits the family’s esteem
Grandmother Jia sat up in bed and began to speak:
‘I have been part of the Jia family for over sixty years. I have had a long life and enjoyed my full share of happiness. I think I can say that all my children and grandchildren from Zheng downwards have turned out well. As for Bao-yu: I have loved him so dearly and …’
Her eyes searched the room for Bao-yu, and Lady Wang pushed him towards the bed. Grandmother Jia extended one hand from beneath the bedcovers and took hold of him:
‘My boy, you must promise to do your very best for the family!’
‘Yes, Grandma,' choked Bao-yu, his eyes brimming with tears. He struggled to contain his weeping and stood listening to her, as she continued:
‘I want to see one of my great-grandchildren, and then I think I can set my heart at rest. Where’s my little Lan?’
Li Wan pushed Lan forwards. Grandmother Jia let go of Bao-yu and took Lan by the hand.
‘You must be a good boy and always do your duty to your mother. And when you’re grown up, you must win her honour and glory! Now, where’s Fengie?’
Xi-feng was standing by the side of the bed and hurried round to face Grandmother Jia.
‘Here I am, Grandma.’
‘My child,’ said Grandmother Jia, ‘your trouble is that you’re too clever! Try to be more charitable in future and to make your peace with fate. I know I’m not much of a one to talk; the most I’ve done in my life is try to be honest and to bear my misfortunes with patience. I’ve never been the sort for fasting or prayer. The only good work I ever did was to have those copies of the Diamond Sutra made a year or so ago. I wonder if they’ve all been distributed yet?’
Xi-feng informed her that the copies had not yet been distributed.
‘The sooner that act of devotion is completed the better,’ said the old lady. ‘I know my elder son She and Cousin Zhen are detained in exile, and cannot be here: but how could that little devil Xiang-yun be so heartless? Why has she not come to see me?’
Faithful and her fellow maids knew the reason only too well, but said nothing.
Grandmother Jia looked next at Bao-chai. As she did so, she sighed and a flush began to spread across her face. Jia Zheng knew this to be a sign of imminent death. He came forward with the ginseng broth, but Grandmother Jia’s teeth were already tightly clenched. She closed her eyes, then opened them once more and gazed round the entire room. Lady Wang and Bao-chai came forward and supported her gently, while Lady Xing and Xi-feng dressed her. The old serving-woman prepared the bed where she was to be laid out, and arranged the coverlet. There was a faint rattle in her throat, a smile stole across her face, and she was gone. She was eighty-two years old. The serving-women hurried forward to lay her on the bed.
Jia Zheng and the other menfolk knelt in the outer room, Lady Xing and the womenfolk knelt by the bed; from both rose the first chorus of lamentation. The servants outside had all made their preparations, and as soon as word came from the inner quarters, every gateway was thrown open, from the main entrance to the inner gate leading to the ladies’ apartments, and white paper was pasted on every door. The funeral awning was raised over the courtyard, and a memorial archway erected outside the main entrance. Every member of the household immediately put on their mourning clothes.
Jia Zheng reported his bereavement and the commencement of his three-year period of mourning to the Board of Rites, who submitted a memorial requesting the Emperor’s instructions in the matter. His Majesty, being a person of the profoundest compassion and kindliness, in consideration of the services rendered and distinctions obtained by previous generations of the family, and especially in view of the relationship of the deceased to the Imperial Jia Concubine, authorized a bounty of one thousand taels of silver and instructed officers from the Board of Rites to make offerings and do reverence before her coffin. Jia household servants were despatched to notify all relatives and family friends of Lady Jia’s death, and they all came to condole; for while they knew that the Jias had come down in the world, they also saw that the family continued to enjoy the Emperor’s favour. An auspicious day was chosen for the encoffinment and subsequent lying-in-state.
Since Jia She was away from home, Jia Zheng was acting head of the family. Two of Grandmother Jia’s grandsons, Bao-yu and Jia Huan, and her great-grandson Jia Lan, all of whom were too young to take part in the reception, mourned by the coffin. Her other grandson, Jia Lian, was busy organizing the servants, with the help of Jia Rong and various male and female relatives. Ladies Xing and Wang, Li Wan, Xi-feng and Bao-chai were supposed to be chief mourners and therefore in constant attendance on the coffin. Strictly speaking, one of the other ladies had to be chosen to orchestrate the reception. There were three immediate possibilities: there was You-shi, who ever since Cousin Zhen’s departure and her installation in Rong-guo House as a dependant had kept very much in the background, and was anyway unfamiliar with the workings of this side of the family; there was Jia Rong’s new wife, who was even less confident of her abilities in this respect; and there was Xi-chun, who was still too young, and though she had grown up with the Rong-guo branch had remained totally ignorant of family practicalities. None of these was really a
plausible candidate.
The only person for the job was Xi-feng. With Jia Lian in charge of the ‘outside’, it would make good sense for her to run the ‘inside’ and look after the lady guests. She had always had great confidence in herself in the past and had assumed that Grandmother Jia’s funeral would be the culmination of her career, an opportunity for her to prove how indispensable she was. Ladies Xing and Wang remembered how well she had coped with Qin Ke-qing’s funeral, and thought they could rely on her to repeat her success. When therefore they absolved her from her duties as a mourner and asked her to take over full responsibility as manageress once more, she could hardly refuse.
‘After all,’ she thought to herself, ‘I’ve always been in charge here. The servants are used to taking orders from me. It was Lady Xing’s servants and You-shi’s who were hard to handle before, and they’ve all gone. It will be less convenient settling bills without tallies, but I shall have cash available from Grandmother’s fund, so there should be no problem. It will help having Lian in charge of his side of the reception, too. Even though I’m not well, I think I should be able to get by without discrediting myself. It’s bound to be easier than Qin Ke-qing’s funeral.’
She waited until the morning after the Third Day, during which ceremonies were held welcoming back the spirit of the deceased. Then she told Zhou Rui’s wife to summon a general assembly of the staff and to bring the registers. When she scrutinized them, she found that altogether there were only twenty-one men, nineteen serving-women, and a dozen or so maids. It would not be enough.
‘Why, we have fewer servants for Lady Jia’s funeral than we had for Qin Ke-qing’s!’ she thought to herself with dismay. Even after calling in extra hands from the country estates, there would still be a serious shortage.
She was turning this problem over in her mind when one of the junior maids came in:
‘Miss Faithful would like you to go over and see her, Mrs Lian.’