A Dream of Red Mansion

by Cao Xueqin

  “You’re making fun of me, cousin, and I’ve guessed the answer,” he told her with a smile. “Don’t be annoyed if I break your taboo by saying your own name chai—’hairpin.’

  Asked what he meant he explained, “When she said ‘precious’ she naturally meant ‘jade’; so I answered ‘hairpin.’ An old poem has the line ‘The jade hairpin is broken, the red candle cold.’ Isn’t that the answer?”

  “You’re not allowed topical references,” Xiangyun cried. “Both of you should pay a forfeit.”

  “It’s not just topical,” objected Xiangling. “There are classical sources too.”

  “Not for ‘precious jade,’“ retorted Xiangyun. “Only New Year congratulatory couplets pasted on gates may use it, but you won’t find it in any classical records. This conundrum won’t do.”

  Xiangling insisted, “The other day reading Cen Shen’s poems I found the line ‘There is much precious jade in these parts.’ How could you have forgotten that? And then in one of Li Shangyin’s poems I found another line, “The precious hairpin daily gathers dust.’ I remarked at the time that apparently both their names appeared in Tang poetry.”

  “This will silence her!” the others laughed. “Drink up, quick!”

  Xiangyun having no more to say had to drain her cup.

  So they went on dicing and playing finger-guessing games. And as there was nobody to control them in the absence of the Lady Dowager and Lady Wang, they enjoyed themselves just as they pleased, shouting different numbers, the hall a scene of wild merriment filled as it was with the fluttering of red and green silk, the flashing of jade and pearl trinkets.

  When at last the feast ended and they prepared to leave, they suddenly discovered that Xiangyun was missing. Thinking she had gone out to relieve herself and would soon be back, they waited and waited, but there was no sign of her. A general search was made, but she could not be found.

  Presently the wife of Lin Zhixiao arrived with several old nannies. For fearing that the young ladies might want something, and that in the absence of Lady Wang the young maids might get out of hand or become tipsy and obstreperous, they had come to ask if they were needed. Tanchun realized the reason for their coming.

  “So you’ve come to check up on us, being worried again!” she chuckled. “We haven’t drunk much; we were just having fun together on the pretext of drinking. You nannies can set your minds at rest.”

  Li Wan and Madam You also said, “Go and rest. We wouldn’t dream of letting them drink too much.”

  “We know that,” answered Mrs. Lin and the others. “Even when the old lady wants them to drink they won’t, much less so now that the mistress is away; of course this is just in fun. We came to find out if you need anything. The days are long now, and after amusing themselves all this time the young ladies ought to have some extra snack. They don’t usually eat between meals, but unless they have something after a few cups of wine it may not be good for them.” Tanchun smiled.

  “You’re quite right. We were thinking of asking for something.”

  She turned to order some cakes. The maids standing on both sides assented and went off quickly to fetch them, while Tanchun urged the old women, “Go and rest or have a chat with Madam Xue. We’ll send you some wine.”

  Mrs. Lin and the others politely declined and after a while withdrew.

  As soon as they had gone Pinger felt her cheeks.

  “My face is so hot I didn’t like to let them see me,” she said. “I suggest we wind up now to stop them from coming again—that would be awkward.”

  “Never mind,” said Tanchun. “It’s all right as long as we don’t get really drunk.”

  As she was speaking a young maid came in, smiling.

  “Go and have a look quick, miss, at Miss Xiangyun,” she cried. “She’s drunk, and she’s picked a cool spot on a stone bench behind the rockery to sleep it Off.”

  The rest laughed to hear this.

  “Let’s not make a noise,” they said.

  With that they went out to look, and sure enough found Xiangyun lying on a stone bench in a quiet spot behind an artificial mountain. She was sound asleep and covered with peony petals, which had floated over from all sides to scatter, red and fragrant, over her face and clothes. Her fan, dropped to the ground, was half buried in fallen blossoms too, while bees and butterflies were buzzing and flitting around her. And she had wrapped up some peony petals in her handkerchief to serve as a pillow. They all thought she looked both sweet and comical. As they crowded round to wake her, Xiangyun was still mumbling lines for forfeits in her sleep:

  “Sweet the fountain, cold the wine

  Gleaming like amber in a cup of jade;

  The drinking lasts till the moon rises over the plum trees,

  Then the drunkards help each other back—

  An appropriate time to meet relatives and friends.”

  Laughing, they nudged her.

  “Hurry up and wake up! We’re going to eat. You’ll make yourself ill if you sleep on this damp bench.”

  Xiangyun slowly opened her eyes then and saw them all, then looked down at herself and realized she was tipsy. She had come here in search of coolness and quiet, but as she had drunk so much wine by way of forfeits, overcome by dreamy inertia she had dozed off. Rather sheepishly, she hastily sat up, straightened her clothes and went back with the others to Red Fragrance Farm. There she had a wash and two cups of strong tea, and Tanchun sent for the “pebble to sober drunkards” for her to suck. Presently she made her drink some vinegar soup too, after which Xiangyun felt better.

  Now they picked some sweetmeats and dishes to send to Xifeng, who sent them some food in return. After Baochai and the others had eaten some cakes, some of them sat or stood about in the hall while others went outside to enjoy the flowers or lean over the balustrade to watch the fish, laughing and chatting or doing whatever each pleased. Tanchun and Baoqin played draughts, with Baochai and Xiuyan looking on, while Daiyu and Baoyu engaged in a conversation under a flowering tree.

  Then Lin Zhixiao’s wife and some other matrons brought in another woman looking most upset, who would not venture to enter the hall but knelt down at the foot of the steps to kowtow.

  Now one of Tanchun’s positions on the draughtboard had been threatened, and although after putting up a struggle she had managed to win two spaces she was still losing the game. Her eyes intent on the board, she was thinking hard, toying with one hand with the draughtsmen in the box. When she finally turned her head to ask for tea and noticed Mrs. Lin, the latter had been standing there a long time. Asked her business, Mrs. Lin pointed at the woman.

  “This is the mother of young Caier who works for Miss Xichun,” she reported. “She’s one of those looking after the Garden, and a fearful gossip. Just now I overheard her saying something which I dare not repeat to you, miss. She ought to be dismissed.”

  “Why no report this to Madam Zhu?” asked Tanchun.

  “I met her just now on her way to the Council Hall to see Madam Xue, and told her about it. She sent me to tell you.”

  “Why not go to Madam Lian?”

  “There’s no need for that,” interposed Pinger. “I’ll just tell her when I go back.”

  Tanchun nodded.

  “In that case, dismiss her now and wait until the mistress comes back to make a final decision.” This said, she went on with her game, while Mrs. Lin took the woman away.

  Daiyu and Baoyu standing under the blossoms had watched this from a distance.

  “Your third sister’s rather smart,” remarked Daiyu. “Although she’s been put in charge of things, she never oversteps her authority. Most people would have given themselves big airs long ago.”

  “You don’t know that while you were unwell she did quite a few things, putting different people in charge of various parts of the Garden, so that now you can’t pick one extra blade of grass. She scrapped a few things too, taking me and Xifeng as her main targets. She’s very calculating, not simply smart.”
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  “So much the better,” said Daiyu. “This household of ours is too extravagant. Though I’m not in charge, when I’ve nothing to do and reckon things up I can see that the expenditure here exceeds the income. If expenses aren’t cut down now, a time will come when there’ll be nothing left.”

  Baoyu chuckled. “Never mind. Whatever happens, the two of us won’t go short.”

  Daiyu hearing this turned and went to the hall to join Baochai.

  Baoyu was about to leave too when Xiren came along carrying a small carved, double-circle foreign lacquer tray on which were two cups of newly brewed tea.

  “Where has she gone?” she asked. “I noticed that the two of you had had no tea for a long time, so I specially brought you two cups—only to find her gone.”

  “She’s over there; take it to her.”

  With that he took one of the cups. Xiren, going off with the other, found Daiyu with Baochai.

  “I’ve only the one cup of tea,” she said. “Which ever of you is thirsty can drink this first, and I’ll go to fetch another.”

  “I’m not thirsty,” answered Baochai. “I’ll just take a sip.”

  She took the cup and drank one mouthful, leaving half a cup which she handed to Daiyu.

  “I’ll get you some more,” Xiren offered.

  But Daiyu said, “You know the doctor won’t let me drink too much tea on account of my illness, so this half cup is plenty. Thank you for bringing it.”

  She drained the cup and put it down, after which Xiren went to collect Baoyu’s cup.

  He asked her, “Where’s Fangguan? I haven’t seen her all this time.”

  Xiren looked around as she answered, “She was here a moment ago. A few of them were playing the ‘matching-herbs’ game, but I don’t see her now.”

  Then Baoyu hurried back to his compound and found Fangguan lying on the bed with her face to the wall.

  “Don’t go to sleep,” he said nudging her. “Let’s amuse ourselves outside. It’ll soon be time for dinner.”

  “You were all drinking and ignoring me; so having nothing to do all that time naturally I came to lie down,” Fangguan retorted.

  Baoyu pulled her up.

  “We’ll have another drink later at home, and I’ll tell Sister Xiren to bring you to the dinner table. How’s that?”

  “If Ouguan and Ruiguan aren’t there, only me, that’s no good. Besides, I don’t like noodles. I didn’t have a proper meal this morning and I’m hungry, so I’ve told Mrs. Liu to prepare me a bowl of soup and half a bowl of rice and send them here. I’ll eat here. If we’re drinking tonight you mustn’t let anyone stop me—I mean to drink my fill. At home, in the old days, I used to be able to drink two or three catties of good Huiquan wine; but after I learned this wretched singing they said drinking might spoil my voice, so for the last few years I haven’t so much as smelt a whiff of wine. I shall take the chance today to break my fast.”

  “That’s simple,” he said.

  Now a maid arrived with a hamper from Mrs. Liu. Xiaoyan took it and opened it, then put on the table one bowl of chickenskin soup with shrimp balls, one bowl of steamed duck with wine sauce, one of salted goose and another of four pine-kernel cream puffs, as well as a big bowl of hot green rice. She then fetched pickles, bowls and chopsticks, and filled one small bowl with rice.

  “Who wants such greasy stuff?” complained Fangguan, just ladling some soup on the rice and eating a bowlful with two pieces of goose.

  To Baoyu, the food smelled more appetizing than his usual fare, so first he ate one cream puff, then asked Xiaoyan for half a bowl of rice which he ate with soup and found delicious, exactly to his taste, much to the two girls’ amusement. After he had finished, Xiaoyan prepared to take back what was left.

  “You may as well finish it off,” proposed Baoyu. “If it’s not enough ask for some more.”

  “There’s no need for that; this is plenty for me,” she answered. “Just now Sister Sheyue brought us two plates of cakes. After eating this I’ll have had enough and shan’t need any more.” So standing there by the table she finished all the food except two cream puffs, saying, “I’ll keep these for my mother. If you’re drinking tonight, give me a couple of bowls.”

  “So you like wine too?” exclaimed Baoyu. “Wait till this evening then, and we’ll have a good bout of drinking. Your sisters Xiren and Qingwen have a good capacity and enjoy drinking too, only normally they don’t feel they should. Well, today everyone can break her fast. There’s another thing I meant to tell you which I’ve only just remembered. In future you must take good care of Fangguan, and tell her if she does anything wrong. Xiren hasn’t time to look after so many girls.”

  “I know all that,” said Xiaoyan. “You don’t have to worry. But what about Wuer?”

  “Tell Mrs. Liu to send her here tomorrow. I’ll inform them about it later and that will be that.”

  Fangguan hearing this exclaimed, “Now that’s something really important!”

  Xiaoyan called in two young maids then to wait on them while they washed their hands and to pour them tea while she herself cleared the table, gave the dishes to a serving-woman, washed her hands and went to see Mrs. Liu.

  Baoyu started back then to Red Fragrance Farm to rejoin the girls, followed by Fangguan carrying his handkerchief and fan. As they went out of the gate they met Xiren and Qingwen, coming back hand in hand.

  “What are you two doing?” Baoyu asked them.

  “The meal’s on the table waiting for you,” Xiren said.

  Smiling, Baoyu told them what he had just eaten.

  “I always say you’re as bad as a cat,” Xiren laughed. “Whatever you smell takes your fancy. Other people’s food tastes better to you than your own. Still, you’d better go and keep them company and make a show of eating.”

  Qingwen stabbed at Fangguan’s forehead with her finger.

  “You vamp!” she cried. “When did you sneak off to have a meal? How did you two arrange it? Why didn’t you let us know?”

  “They just happened to meet,” said Xiren soothingly. “They certainly didn’t arrange it in advance.”

  “If that’s how it is, he doesn’t need us,” said Qingwen. “Tomorrow we’ll all clear out, leaving just Fangguan here to wait on him.”

  Xiren chuckled, “All the rest of us can go, but not you.”

  Qingwen retorted, “I should be the first to go, lazy, stupid, bad-tempered and useless as I am.”

  “Supposing that peacock-feather cape gets burned again, who can mend it if you’re gone?” asked Xiren. “Don’t give me that silly talk. When I ask you to do anything, you’re too lazy to thread a needle. And I never trouble you with sewing for me, only with things for him, yet you still refuse. How come then that when I was away for a few days and you were laid up, practically at death’s door, you mended that cape for him with no thought of your health? What made you do that? Come on, speak up! Don’t pretend not to understand and just keep on smiling.”

  While talking together they had reached the hall. Aunt Xue had already come, so all took their seats and started the meal, Baoyu just eating half a bowl of rice steeped in tea to keep them company. Afterwards they sipped tea and chatted or amused themselves as they pleased.

  Xiaoluo, Xiangling, Fangguan, Ruiguan, Ouguan and Douguan had been romping all over the Garden and picking flowers and herbs. Now they sat down on the grass holding these on their laps to play the game “matching herbs.”

  One said, “I’ve bodhisattva-willow.”

  This was capped by “I’ve arhat-pine.”

  Another said, “I’ve gentleman-bamboo.”

  Yet another answered, “I’ve lovely-lady plantain.”

  “I’ve starry-green.”

  “I’ve monthly-crimson.”

  “I’ve the peony of Peony Pavilion.”

  “I’ve the loquat of the Romance of the Lute.”

  Then Douguan said, “I’ve a sister-flower,” and nobody could match that until Xiangling said:


  “I’ve a husband-and-wife orchid.”

  “I’ve never heard of such an orchid,” Douguan protested.

  “A stem bearing one flower is the lan orchid, and a stem bearing several flowers is the hui orchid,” Xiangling told them. “When there are flowers above and below that’s brothers-orchid; when two flowers bloom side by side that’s a husband-and-wife orchid. This one of mine is like that, with two flowers side by side. How can you deny it?”

  Unable to refute her, Douguan rose to her feet and teased, “In that case, if one flower is large, the other small, it should be a father-and-son orchid. Two flowers confronting each other should be an enemy orchid. Your husband’s been away for nearly a year and you’re longing for him, so you dream up a husband-and-wife orchid. For shame!”

  Blushing, Xiangling got ready to spring up to pinch her.

  “You foul-mouthed bitch!” she swore, laughing. “What drivel you talk!”

  Seeing she was about to spring up, Douguan promptly stooped to hold her down, turning to appeal to Ruiguan and the rest:

  “Come and help me pinch her foul mouth!”

  The two of them rolled over on the grass while the others laughed and clapped.

  “Look out!” cried one. “There’s a puddle there. It would be a pity to dirty her new skirt.”

  Douguan turned and saw just beside them a puddle of rain water which had already muddied half Xiangling’s skirt. Disconcerted, she let go of her and ran off. The others could not help laughing, but afraid Xiangling might vent her annoyance on them they too scampered away giggling-

  Xiangling got up now and started cursing when she looked down and saw water dripping from her skirt. Just at this moment, along came Baoyu with some herbs and flowers he had picked, intending to join in their game. He saw the rest running away leaving Xiangling there, her head lowered, fingering her skirt.

  “Why have they all gone?” he asked.

  “I had a husband-and-wife orchid,” she told him. “They’d never heard of it and said instead I was cheating, so we started squabbling and I’ve spoilt my new skirt.”