by Cao Xueqin
“If I’d known that would be all right, I could have saved this trip.”
“We’ve nothing to do at home, so this is a good chance for a stroll,” said the old woman. “Only you’re not used to much walking, and after going to so many places today I daresay you’re tired out, miss. Still, after delivering this we shall be through, and then you can have a rest.”
Still chatting they reached Xifeng’s place and delivered the gift.
On their return, Baochai asked, “Did you see Madam Lian?”
“No, we didn’t,” Yinger answered.
“I suppose she wasn’t back then?”
“She was back, but Fenger told me,’ Since coming back from the old lady’s place she hasn’t looked her usual cheerful self—her face is black as thunder. She called Pinger in for a whispered consultation which the rest of us weren’t allowed to hear—she even sent me out. So you’d better not go in. I’ll report that you’ve come.’ Then Fenger took the present in. When she came out again she said, ‘Our mistress sends her thanks to your young lady.’ And she gave us a string of cash. Then we came back.”
Baochai was puzzled by this account, unable to think why Xifeng should be so angry.
But let us return to Baoyu. When Xiren saw him come home she asked:
“Why didn’t you amuse yourself outside a bit longer? You said you were going with Miss Lin to thank Miss Baochai. Did you do that?”
“Of course that’s what I intended to do,” said Baoyu, “but when I got there I found her in her room weeping over those things. I understood the reason, but I couldn’t very well ask her about it or scold her, so I pretended not to understand and chatted for a while about this and that so as to cheer her up; and as soon as she felt better I took her with me to thank Cousin Baochai. We chatted there for a bit, then I saw Daiyu back before coming home myself.”
“Did you notice,” asked Xiren, “whether Miss Lin got more things than we did or the same amount?”
“Her share was two or three times bigger.”
“That shows real understanding and tact,” approved Xiren. “Miss Baochai knows that all her other cousins have close relatives at hand to send them presents; besides, she and Miss Lin aren’t simply relatives but half-sisters too, for, as you know, last year Miss Lin became Aunt Xue’s god-daughter. So it was only right to give her a bigger share.”
Baoyu chuckled, “You sound like an old judge reviewing a case.” He called a young maid then to fetch him a pillow as he wanted to lie down for a while.
“If you’re not going out,” said Xiren, “there’s something I want to ask you.”
“Well, what is it?”
“You know how good Madam Lian’s always been to me. Now she’s just getting over a serious illness and for some time I’ve been meaning to call on her, but it wasn’t convenient while Master Lian was at home, so I never went. Now I hear he’s out and you’re not going over there today; besides, this early autumn weather is neither too hot nor too cold; so I’d like to go and pay my meet. And this is a good excuse to take a stroll while you and the other girls keep an eye on things here. I shan’t be going long.”
“Yes, that’s what you should do,” agreed Qingwen, “as you happen to be free now.”
“I was just saying what a good judge she was in her appraisal of Miss Baochai,” Baoyu remarked. “Now in this case she’s showing real thoughtfulness too.”
“There’s no need to heap praise on me, my good young master,” replied Xiren with a smile. “Just amuse yourself with them here, but whatever happens don’t go to sleep and catch a chill, or the blame will fall on me again.”
“I know,” he said. “You can go.”
Xiren went to her room to change into new clothes, then picked up the mirror to tidy her hair and dust her face with powder. Coming out, she gave Qingwen and Sheyue some further instructions before leaving Happy Red Court.
At Seeping Fragrance Bridge, she paused to look round and enjoy the early autumn scene. Cicadas were shrilling in the trees, insects chirping in the undergrowth; the pomegranate flowers were fading, the lotus leaves withering, but the hibiscus on the river bank had put out clusters of red buds which looked enchanting against the vivid green leaves. Crossing the bridge then she soon saw Li Wan’s maid Suyun approaching, followed by an old serving-woman with a lacquer hamper. Xiren asked where they were taking the hamper and what was in it.
“These are caltrops and lotus seeds our mistress is sending Miss Tanchun,” Suyun told her.
“Were they picked in the stream in our Garden or bought outside?”
“Mother Liu who works in our house asked leave to go and visit some relatives, then brought these back as a present for our mistress, and Miss Tanchun saw them as she happened to be in our place. Our mistress had some peeled for her to taste, but she refused as she’d just been drinking hot tea and said she’d try some later. So now we’re taking these to her house.”
Then they went their different ways. In the distance Xiren now saw someone flicking a whisk under a trellis of grapes, but as the sun was in her eyes she could not make out who it was. Drawing nearer she discovered it was old Mrs. Zhu, who came forward, beaming, to greet her.
“How is it you have time to come out for a stroll today, miss?” she asked. “Where are you going?”
“I’ve no time to stroll about, I’m on my way to call on Madam Lian. What are you doing here?”
“Tin chasing away the wasps. This has been such a dry summer, all the trees are infested by insects who’ve been boring into the fruit so that lots of it has dropped—what a wretched waste! Look at the grapes, just forming such pretty clusters, but the wasps and bees keeping swarming round to bite them. Worse still, magpies and sparrows come to steal grapes too. The trouble is that once a sparrow or insect has made a hole in three of four grapes in one cluster, the juice dripping on to the good ones rots them too. These sparrows and wasps are such a pest, I’m here to shoo them away. Just look, miss, because I stopped for one minute to talk, another swarm of wasps has come.”
“Even if you keep waving that whisk you’ll never keep them all away. As soon as you drive one lot away from here, another will come over there. Better tell the purveyors to have a whole lot of small gauze bags made. If you put one bag over each cluster of grapes, the birds and insects won’t be able to spoil them; and as gauze lets through the air, that won’t hurt the grapes.”
“That’s a good idea,” agreed the old woman. “This is my first year at this job, so I don’t know these clever dodges.”
“We have many different kinds of fruit in the Garden,” remarked Xiren. “Which kind ripens first?”
“This is the start of the seventh month. The grapes are only just turning red. They won’t be really ripe and good to eat until the end of the month. If you don’t believe me, miss, I’ll pick one for you to taste.”
“Even if they were ripe, the first fruits have to be sacrificed to Buddha and the next sent to the mistresses. How can we taste them first? As an old hand here, surely you know this rule?” The old woman smiled sheepishly.
“You’re right, miss. I only said that because of the question you asked.” But while saying this she was thinking, “Drat it all! It’s lucky I was chasing wasps just now. If I’d happened to pick a grape to taste and been spotted, what a to-do there’d have been!”
“Put in a request to Madam Lian for those bags I told you about,” Xiren advised her. “She’ll get the stewards to have them made.”
This said she left by the Garden gate and went straight to Xifeng’s place.
Xifeng and Pinger were discussing Jia Lian’s secret marriage. As Xiren was a rare visitor and they did not know her errand, they broke off their conversation on her arrival.
With a forced smile Xifeng asked, “What wind’s blown such a noble visitor to our humble place?”
Xiren replied with a smile, “I knew you’d tease me when I came, madam, but never mind. While you were unwell I kept wanting to come and pay my r
espects, but when Master Lian was at home it wasn’t convenient, and I didn’t like to disturb you while you were ill, so I didn’t venture to come. As you’ve always been so kind to me, I knew you’d overlook it and not be offended.”
“Cousin Bao has plenty of maids in his place, but you’re the only responsible one,” said Xifeng. “Of course you couldn’t get away. Pinger often told me that you were thinking of me and asking after my health, so I felt very pleased. Now that you’re here it’s I who should be thanking you for your concern. How could I tease you, my dear Miss Xiren?”
“If you put it like that, my dear madam, you’re really too kind.”
Xifeng took Xiren’s hand and urged her to sit on the kang, but only after declining several times did she take a seat on a stool by it, while Pinger herself fetched in tea.
“Let the young maids attend to that,” urged Xiren. “I don’t like to trouble you, miss.”
As she stood up to take the tea, turning her head she noticed in a needlework basket on one side of the kang a small crimson apron of imported satin.
“Busy as you are every day, madam, do you still have time to do needlework?” she asked.
“I’m no needlewoman,” said Xifeng. “And now that I’ve just got over my illness there are so many family affairs to see to I’ve naturally no time for such things—I’ve even given up doing what’s most urgent. But when I went to pay my respects to the old lady, I saw the gay materials Aunt Xue had sent her, which would look cute made into little clothes for children; so I asked the old lady for some. That provoked our Old Ancestress into baiting me. She declared I was the bane of her life, the way I demanded and grabbed everything I saw in her place. She had everyone laughing at me. You know I’m too thick-skinned to mind being scolded, so I just let our Old Ancestress rattle on and pretended not to hear. I’ve given that material to Pinger to first make a small apron for Qiaojie. With what’s left, when I’ve time, I’ll make some other things.”
“You’re indeed the only one, madam, who can keep the old lady happy,” rejoined Xiren laughingly. She picked up the sewing to examine it, then commented admiringly, “It’s really pretty with all these different colours. A good material needs someone with skilful fingers like this to embroider it. Especially for Qiaojie. Why, when she’s carried out wearing this, people won’t be able to take their eyes off her. Where is Qiaojie?” she added. “Why haven’t I seen her all this time?”
Pinger told her, “Just now Miss Baochai sent over some toys, and she was so tickled with them that she went on playing with them till her wet-nurse carried her off. She must have gone to sleep now, tired out.”
“Qiaojie must be growing more and more of a romp.”
“Her plump little face is like a round silver plate. She smile at everybody she sees and never offends anyone. She’s truly a little darling who keeps our mistress amused.”
“What is Cousin Bao doing at home?” Xifeng inquired.
“I begged him to keep an eye on things there with Qingwen and the others, so that I could ask leave and come out,” Xiren told her. “But I’ve been so engrossed in talking, a long time’s slipped by and I must be getting back now. I don’t want to have him complaining that I’m so lazy, wherever I go I stay sitting there and won’t move.” With that she got up, took her leave of them, and went back to Happy Red Court.
After Pinger had seen Xiren out, Xifeng called her back to cross-examine her further. The more she heard, the more furious she became. “You say you heard from the pages at the inner gate that your Second Master had secretly married another wife outside. Who told you that?”
“Lai Wang.”
At once Xifeng sent for him.
“Did you know that your Second Master had bought a house and married a concubine outside?” she demanded.
“I’m on duty all day long at the inner gate,” stammered Lai Wang. “How could I know about the Second Master’s business? I heard this from Xinger.”
“When did Xinger tell you?”
“Before the master left on that trip.”
“Where is Xinger now?”
“He’s working in the new mistress’ house.”
In a furious temper Xifeng spat at him.
“You contemptible son of an ape,” she swore. “Who are you to talk about a new mistress or an old mistress? How dare you confer the title of mistress on her. The nonsense you talk, you deserve to be slapped.” Then she asked, “Isn’t Xinger supposed to wait on the Second Master? Why didn’t he go with him?”
“He was specially left here to look after Second Sister You; that’s why.”
Xifeng at once ordered him to fetch Xinger.
Lai Wang rushed off on this errand and, when he found Xinger fooling about with some other pages outside he simply told him that Xifeng wanted him. When Xinger heard this, without asking why he was wanted, he hurried with Lai Wang to the inner gate, where he announced his business and was admitted. Having bowed to Xifeng he stood respectfully to one side. At sight of him she glared.
“What fine goings-on have you, master and slave, been up to outside?” she snapped. “Did you take me for a fool who wouldn’t know? As Second Master’s personal attendant, you must know the whole story. I want the true facts from you. Any attempt to cover up or lie, and I’ll have you beaten till your legs are broken!” Xinger fell on his knees to kowtow.
“What goings-on are these, madam, that you’re asking about?”
“How dare you stall, you little bastard! I’m asking how your master fixed things up outside with Second Sister You. How did he buy the house and furnish it? How did the marriage take place? Tell me all these things clearly, you dog, and I may spare your life.”
Hearing these explicit questions Xinger reflected: Both mansions know about this business; the only ones kept in the dark were the old lady, Lord She, Lady Xing and Madam Lian. As the truth’s bound to come out in the end, why should I try to cover it up? I may as well come clean to get off a beating and worse punishment. For one thing, I’m too young to be expected to know how serious this was; for another, I’ve always known that Madam’s such a firebrand that even Master Lian’s half afraid of her; and, besides, this business was arranged by Master Lian, Lord Zhen and Master Rong between them—it had nothing to do with me. His mind made up, he screwed up his courage. “Have mercy on me, madam!” he begged on his knees. “I’ll tell you everything. It started during our mourning for the Elder Master of the East Mansion. Second Master happened to meet Second Sister You there a few times, and I suppose he took a fancy to her and wanted to make her his concubine. So he first discussed it with Master Rong, asking him to act as go-between and arrange the match, and promising him presents if he pulled it off. Master Rong agreed readily and told Lord Zhen, who broached it to Madam You and old Mrs. You.
“Old Mrs. You was quite willing but she said, ‘Second Sister was engaged as a child to the son of the Zhang family; so how can I marry her to Master Lian? If the Zhangs hear of it there may be trouble. ‘
“‘That’s nothing serious,’ said Lord Zhen. ‘Leave it to me. That fellow Zhang’s family has been beggared. If we just give him a few extra taels of silver, we can make him write a document canceling the engagement and there’ll be no further trouble.’
“Later they did fetch that man Zhang and put it to him. When he’d written the document they paid him and off he went. Then Second Master felt safe enough to go boldly ahead. Only, for fear lest this came to your ears, madam, and you stopped him, he bought and furnished a small house outside at the back, then took her over. And Lord Zhen gave him a married couple to work there.
“Often, when he says he has business to attend to for Lord She or Lord Zhen, that’s a lie an excuse for him to stay outside there.
“Originally the mother and the two sisters lived there, and they wanted to arrange a match for Third Sister You too, promising to give her a handsome dowry; but now Third Sister You’s dead, so there’s only old Mrs. You keeping Second Sister You company.
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“All this is the truth, I haven’t dared hide a thing.” With that he kowtowed again.
This account had left Xifeng transfixed with rage, her face livid, her almond eyes squinting. For a while she trembled convulsively, unable to get a word out for stupefaction. Then, looking down suddenly, she saw that Xinger was still kneeling there.
“You’re not the one most to blame for this,” she said. “But when Second Master carried on like that outside you ought to have told me about it earlier. For not doing that you fully deserve a beating. Still, since you’ve told me honestly now, without lying, I’ll let you off this time.”
“I deserve death, madam, for not telling you before.” Again he thumped his head hard on the ground.
“Be off now.”
As he rose to leave she added, “Next time I send for you, mind you come at once. Don’t go far away.”
Assenting repeatedly, Xinger withdrew. Once outside he stuck out his tongue in dismay.
“That was touch and go!” he exclaimed. “I only just escaped a good beating.” He regretted having passed on the news to Lai Wang, and was scared stiff for worrying what to say when Jia Lian returned. But no more of this.
After the page had left, Xifeng turned to Pinger and asked, “Did you hear what Xinger said?”
“Yes, I heard it all.”
“How can there be such a shameless man in the world? Guzzling what’s in the bowl, he has his eyes on what’s in the pan. He wants every woman he sees, the greedy dog. Talk about off with the old love and on with the new! It’s a pity to give a lecher like him the insignia of the fifth or sixth rank. He may believe in the saying that the flowers at home aren’t as sweet as flowers growing wild; but if he thinks that, he’s “making a big mistake. Sooner or later he’ll cause such a scandal outside, he won’t be able to face relatives and friends; and then only will he give up.”
To mollify her Pinger said, “Of course you’re right to be angry; but you’ve only just got over your illness, madam, you shouldn’t let yourself be carried away. After that affair with Bao Er’s wife, the master seemed to be restraining himself and behaving much better. So why is he having affairs of this sort again? It must be Lord Zhen’s fault.”