A Dream of Red Mansion

by Cao Xueqin

  Xifeng knew that her mother-in-law was a stupid, weak-minded woman who, to save herself trouble, always humoured Jia She, finding her sole pleasure in life in amassing property and money. All decisions great or small in their household she left to her husband; but when money passed through her hands she was extraordinarily tight-fisted, alleging that she had to economize to make up for his extravagance. Not one of her children or servants did she trust, nor would she listen to their advice. It would be futile to reason with her now, seeing that she was so stubborn.

  So with a pleasant smile Xifeng replied, “You’re quite right, madam. What can I know, young as I am? After all, she’s his mother and would surely never refuse him the rarest treasure, not to say a maid. Whom else would she give her to if not the Elder Master? I was silly to take what she said in private so seriously. Even in Lian’s case, for instance, the master and you may threaten to beat him to death when he displeases you, but the moment you see him your anger melts away and you still give him things you treasure. Of course, that’s how the old lady will treat the Elder Master. As she’s in high spirits today, it seems to me now’s the time to make this request. Would you like me to go first to coax her into a good humour? Then when you come I’ll make some excuse to leave, taking everyone else there with me, so that you can broach the subject. If she agrees, so much the better. If she doesn’t, no harm will be done as no one else will know.”

  Mollified by this, Lady Xing told her, “My idea was not to approach the old lady first, for if she refused that would be the end of the matter. I was thinking of telling Yuanyang first in private. She may be bashful, but when I’ve explained it all to her she naturally won’t say anything. And that can be taken to mean consent. Then I’ll go and ask the old lady, and she’ll find it difficult to refuse even though she doesn’t want to part with the girl. For as the proverb says, ‘There’s no holding someone who wants to leave.’ It’s sure to work out all right.”

  “After all, you know best, madam.” Xifeng smiled. “This is bound to work. Every girl, not to mention Yuanyang, wants to rise in the world and become someone of importance. Who would refuse to become a semi-mistress and remain in service instead, with no prospect but that of marrying some servant in the end?”

  “That’s what I think,” agreed Lady Xing. “Not to say Yuanyang, even those senior maids in responsible positions would jump at the chance. All right, you go over first, but don’t let a word leak out. I’ll come over after dinner.”

  Meanwhile Xifeng had been thinking, “Yuanyang is a sharp customer. Still she may refuse. If I go back first and Yuanyang agrees, all right; but if she refuses my mother-in-law’s so suspicious she’s sure to think I told her and encouraged her to hold out. Seeing me proved right and herself made to look a fool, she may vent her temper on me and that would be no joke. Better if the two of us go over together, for then whether Yuanyang agrees or not no suspicion can fall on me.”

  So she said cordially, “As I set out just now, my maternal uncle’s house sent over two baskets of quails which I told the kitchen to have deep-fried and sent over for your dinner. And as I came through your main gate, I saw some pages carrying off your carriage for repairs— they said it was cracking up. Why don’t you come back now, madam, with me in mine? Then we can go together.”

  Lady Xing called for her maids to change her clothes, assisted by Xifeng, after which they both mounted the carriage.

  Then Xifeng said, “If I accompany you to the old lady’s place, madam, she may ask what I’ve come for and that would be awkward. Suppose you go first, and I follow after changing my clothes?”

  Lady Xing thought this reasonable, and went on first to call on the Lady Dowager. After chatting with her for a while, she left on the pretext of going to see Lady Wang. Instead, however, she slipped out through the back door to Yuanyang’s bedroom. The girl, who was sitting there doing some needlework, hastily rose to her feet at her approach.

  Lady Xing asked with a smile, “What are you making? Let me have a look. I’m sure you’re doing finer work than ever.” So saying she entered the room, inspected the embroidery and praised it loudly. Putting it down then, she subjected Yuanyang to a careful scrutiny.

  The maid was wearing a light purple silk tunic, none too new, a black satin sleeveless jacket with silk borders, and a pale green skirt. She had a supple wasp-waist, slender shoulders, an oval face, glossy black hair and a finely arched nose, while her cheeks were slightly freckled. This close inspection embarrassed and puzzled her.

  “What brings you here at this hour, madam?” she asked with a smile. Lady Xing signed to her attendants to leave, then sat down and took Yuanyang’s hand. “I’ve come specially to congratulate you,” she announced.

  This gave Yuanyang some inkling of what was afoot. She blushed and lowered her head without a word.

  “You know, the Elder Master has no one reliable to wait on him,” Lady Xing continued. “He could buy a girl, of course, but those one gets through brokers aren’t clean and there’s no knowing what mayn’t be wrong with them; besides, after two or three days they’re liable to get up to monkey-tricks. So he’s been trying to choose one in our household. At first there seemed to be no one suitable. One was ugly, another bad-tempered, and some had certain good points but other shortcomings. After keeping his eyes open for the past six months, he’s decided that of all the girls here you’re the best—pretty, well-behaved, dependable and sweet-tempered. So he wants to ask the old lady to let him take you into his chambers.

  “Your position will be quite different from that of a girl bought from outside, for as soon as you enter our house we shall go through the ceremonies and give you the rank of a secondary wife, treated with all respect and honour. Besides, you’re a girl with a will of your own. As the proverb says, “True gold will find its price.’ Now that the Elder Master has picked you, you’ll be able to realize your highest ambitions, and this will stop the mouths of those who dislike you. So come along with me to tell the old lady.”

  She took Yuanyang’s hand to lead her out, but the girl coloured and shrank back.

  “What’s there to be so bashful about?” asked Lady Xing, seeing how embarrassed she was. “You won’t have to say a word. Just come with me.”

  Yuanyang simply hung her head and would not budge.

  “Don’t tell me you’re unwilling!” cried Lady Xing. “You’re a very silly girl if that’s the case, turning down the chance to be a mistress and choosing to remain a maid instead. All you can look forward to then is marrying some servant in two or three years’ time—you’ll still be a slave. Far better come to us. You know I’m much too good-natured to be jealous, and the Elder Master will treat you well. In a year or so, when you give birth to a child, you’ll be on the same footing as me with the whole household at your beck and call. If you let slip this chance to better yourself, you’re going to regret it—but then it’ll be too late.”

  Still Yuanyang simply hung her head and said nothing.

  “You’ve always been a straightforward girl,” persisted Lady Xing. “Why are you being so sticky about this? What’s worrying you? Just tell me, and I’ll see that your wishes are met.”

  Yuanyang remained silent.

  “I suppose you’re too shy to say ‘yes’ yourself and would prefer to leave it to your parents,” Lady Xing smiled. “Quite right and proper too. I’ll speak to them and get them to speak to you. You can be frank with them.” This said, she went off to find Xifeng.

  Xifeng had long since changed her clothes, and since no one else was in the room but Pinger she disclosed this news to her.

  Pinger shook her head. “I don’t see this working out,” was her verdict. “From the way she’s spoken when we were chatting on our own, she’s not likely to consent. But we shall soon see.”

  “The mistress may bring Yuanyang here to discuss it,” said Xifeng. “If Yuanyang’s willing, all right; if not, she’ll be feeling put out, and it would be embarrassing for her to have you others
here. Tell the rest to go and deep-fry some quails and prepare a few other dishes to go with them. Then you can go off and amuse yourself somewhere else till you think she’ll have gone.”

  Pinger passed on these instructions to the other servants, then sauntered off to enjoy herself in the Garden.

  Meanwhile Yuanyang had guessed that Lady Xing would be going to discuss this business with Xifeng, and that other people were sure to come to sound her out again. Thinking it wisest to make herself scarce, she told Hupo:

  “lithe old lady should ask for me, tell her I’m not feeling well and I had no breakfast. I’ve gone for a stroll in the Garden but shan’t be long.”

  Hupo agreed to this, and Yuanyang went out. While walking in the Garden, to her surprise she met Pinger, who seeing that they were alone cried teasingly:

  “Here comes the new concubine!”

  Yuanyang flushed scarlet, “So that’s it!” she exclaimed. “You’re all in league against me. Wait till I go and have this out with your mistress.”

  Pinger hearing this regretted her tactlessness. Drawing Yuanyang over to sit on a rock under a maple, she told her frankly all that Xifeng had said since her return.

  Still blushing, Yuanyang answered bitterly, “What good friends we were, the dozen or so of us—Xiren, Hupo, Suyun, Zijuan, Caixia, Yuchuan, Sheyue, Cuimo, Cuilu who went with Miss Xiangyun, Keren and Jinchuan who’ve died, Qianxue who’s left, and the two of us. We worked together from the time we were young and never had any secrets from each other. Now that we’ve grown up we’ve gone our different ways, but I haven’t changed—I don’t hide anything from you. So I’ll confide something to you, but mind you don’t tell Madam Lian. Quite apart from the fact that the Elder Master only wants to make me his concubine, even if Lady Xing had died and he sent matchmakers in style to make me his principal wife, I wouldn’t agree to it.”

  Before Pinger could reply they heard laughter behind the rock.

  “For shame!” someone cried. “Such talk’s enough to set one’s teeth on edge.”

  Startled, they jumped to their feet to see who was there. It was Xiren, who emerged laughingly from behind the rockery.

  “What’s up?” she asked. “Let me into the secret.”

  The three of them sat down again and Pinger retold her story.

  “Of course, we shouldn’t say this, but what an old lecher the Elder Master is!” was Xiren’s comment. “He can’t keep his hands off any girl who’s not bad-looking.”

  “Since you’re unwilling,” said Pinger, “I’ll tell you an easy way to fob him off.”

  “What’s that?” asked Yuanyang.

  “Simply tell the old lady you’ve already given yourself to Master Lian,” Pinger giggled. “The father can hardly take what belongs to his son.”

  Yuanyang spat in disgust. “What rubbish! Your mistress was raving the other day. How can you go repeating that today?”

  “If you don’t want either of them,” teased Xiren, “get the old lady to tell Lord She you’re already promised to Baoyu. Then he’ll have to give up.”

  Frantic with rage and embarrassment, Yuanyang swore, “You two bitches, you won’t come to a good end! I turn to you in trouble, thinking you’ll have the decency to help me, but instead you take it in turns to make fun of me. You think your own futures are assured and you’ll both end up as secondary wives. I’m not so sure. In this world, things don’t always turn out the way you want. So don’t start counting your chickens before they’re hatched.”

  Seeing how frantic she was, the two others did their best to soothe her.

  “Don’t take it the wrong way, dear sister,” they cried. “We’ve been like real sisters since we were small and were only having a joke among ourselves. But, seriously, tell us your plan, so that we can stop worrying.”

  “Plan? What plan do I have? I just refuse to go.” Pinger shook her head. “Then he may not give up. You know what Lord She’s like. Though he won’t dare do anything now while you’re with the old lady, you won’t be in her service all your life, will you? Some day you’ll be leaving. If you fell into his clutches then, that would be worse.”

  “Pah! As long as the old lady lives, I shan’t leave this house. If she passes away, he’ll have to observe three years’ mourning anyway: he can’t take a concubine the moment his mother dies. And in those three years anything might happen. Time enough to worry then. If the worst comes to the worst, I can shave my hair off and become a nun. Failing that, I can kill myself. I don’t care if I never get married. Then life would be simpler.”

  “What a shameless slut!” laughed Pinger. “The wild way she runs on!”

  “Things have gone too far for modesty,” Yuanyang retorted. “If you don’t believe me, wait and see. Lady Xing said just now she means to speak to my parents. She’ll have to go to Nanking for that.”

  “Your father and mother are looking after properties in the south,” said Pinger. “So even though they’re not here, they can still be found. Besides, your elder brother and sister-in-law are here. It’s too bad you’re a house-born servant. It’s worse for you than for us who are here on our own.”

  “What difference does it make? You can’t force an ox to bend its head to drink. Would he kill my parents if I refuse?”

  Just then they saw her sister-in-law approaching.

  Xiren remarked, “As your parents aren’t on the spot, they must have spoken to your sister-in law.”

  “That whore!” swore Yuanyang. “She’s a regular camel-dealer. She won’t let slip this chance to suck up to them.”

  By now her sister-in-law had come up to her.

  “I’ve been looking for you everywhere,” she said smiling. “So this is where you’d run off to. Come with me. I want to have a word with you.”

  Pinger and Xiren asked her to sit down.

  “No thank you. Don’t stir,” said the woman. “I just want to have a word with my sister-in-law.”

  “What’s the hurry?” they asked, pretending not to know. “We’re guessing riddles here and making bets. We must hear her answer to this one before she goes.”

  “What do you want?” demanded Yuanyang. “Out with it.”

  “Come with me,” the other insisted. “I’ll tell you over there. It’s good news for you, anyway.”

  “Your mean what Lady Xing told you?”

  “If you know, why keep putting me off? Come along, and I’ll give you the details. It’s simply the most wonderful piece of good fortune.”

  Yuanyang sprang up and spat hard in her face. Pointing an accusing finger at her she swore.

  “Shut your foul mouth and clear off, if you know what’s good for you. What’s all this talk of ‘good news’ and ‘good fortune’? No wonder, though. You’ve always envied those families who start throwing their weight about once their daughters are concubines, as if every one of them was a concubine too. You can’t wait to pitch me into that fiery pit. Then if I get given face you can bully people outside, calling yourselves relatives of the Jia family; if I lose face and land in trouble, you turtles can shrink back into your shells and leave me to my fate.”

  She wept and stormed while Pinger and Xiren restrained her and tried to calm her.

  Her sister-in-law was goaded to retort, “Whether you’re willing or not, you might at least explain properly instead of slinging mud at other people. The proverb says, ‘One doesn’t talk about midgets in front of dwarfs.’ Your abuse of me I won’t presume to answer. But these girls haven’t offended you, why embarrass them with all this talk about concubines?”

  “That’s no way to speak,” protested the other two. “She wasn’t referring to us. Your’re the one trying to drag us into this. Which master or mistress has made us concubines? Besides, we’ve no parents or brother in service here who could make use of our position to bully others. There are people of that kind. Let her swear at them—it doesn’t worry us.”

  “I put her to shame and she didn’t know how to cover up,” said Yuanyang. “That
’s why she tried to provoke the two of you. It’s a good thing you understand. Being carried away, I didn’t choose my words carefully enough; then she saw her chance and grabbed it.”

  Her sister-in-law flounced off in a huff while Yuanyang went on fulminating against her. When at last they had calmed her Pinger asked Xiren:

  “Why were you hiding there? We didn’t see you.”

  “I went to Miss Xichun’s apartment to fetch Master Bao, only to be told I’d just missed him—he’d gone back. I doubted that, for in that case I would have seen him. I decided to see if he was with Miss Lin, but I ran into some of her people who told me he wasn’t there either. It had just occurred to me that he might have left the Garden, when you happened to come along. I dodged out of sight, and then Yuanyang came along too. I slipped from behind that tree to behind this rockery; but you were so busy talking that even with two pairs of eyes you didn’t see me.”

  “Even with two pairs of eyes they didn’t see you?” Someone behind them laughed. “Even with three pairs of eyes you didn’t see me!”

  With a start they turned and saw Baoyu approaching them.

  “What a chase you’ve led me,” Xiren exclaimed with a smile. “Where have you been all this time?”

  “After I left Xichun, I spotted you coming and guessed you were looking for me, so I hid myself to tease you. I watched you sail straight past into the courtyard, then come out again and question everyone you met. I was laughing up my sleeve, ready to pop out and frighten you when you reached me. But then I saw you dodge into hiding too and knew you were playing a trick on someone else, I peeped out and saw these two. So I crept behind you, and after you came out I hid where you’d been hiding.”

  “We’d better go and have another look in case another couple’s hiding there,” proposed Pinger with a laugh.

  “No, there’s no one there now,” he assured her.

  Aware that Baoyu must have overheard everything, Yuanyang laid her head on her arms on the rock and pretended she was dozing off.