by Cao Xueqin
At once Yuanyang set this dish before her. Baoqin and the other girls after deferring to each other took seats too. And Tanchun, told by the old lady to join them, after first declining the honour sat down opposite Baoqin, Shishu then brought out a bowl and chopsticks. Pointing at two dishes in a hamper Yuanyang remarked:
“We don’t know what these are, they’re from the Elder Master. This bowl of bamboo-shoots with chicken marrow is from Lord Zhen.” She placed it on the table.
The old lady simply tasted a couple of dishes, then ordered those two to be returned to the senders.
“Tell them I’ve tried them,” she said. “In future there’s no need to send over every day. If I fancy anything I’ll ask for it.” The matrons assented and went off with the dishes. “Is there any congee?” the Lady Dowager asked. Madam You, who had a bowl ready, remarked that it was made of special red rice. The old lady took it and ate half a bowl, then had some sent to Xifeng. She also had a bowl of bamboo-shoots and a dish of salted raccoon sent to Daiyu and Baoyu, and another bowl of meat sent to Jia Lan. Then she urged Madam You to come and eat. The latter assented but waited till the old lady had washed her hands, rinsed her mouth and left the table to chat with Lady Wang. And as she took a seat, Tanchun and Baoqin got up and asked to be excused.
“What, leave me all alone at this big table!” cried Madam You. “I’m not used to it.”
“Yuanyang and Hupo!” called the old lady, chuckling. “Here’s your chance to tuck in. Come and keep her company.”
“Fine, fine.” Madam You smiled. “Just what I was hoping for.”
“It’s great fun watching a whole lot of people eating together.” The old lady pointed at Yindie. “That’s a good child too. Come and join your mistress. You can stick to the rules again after leaving me.”
“Come on, quick,” Madam You cried. “No need to put on an act.”
The Lady Dowager, her hands behind her as she looked on with amusement, noticed one of the maids offer Madam You a bowl of the ordinary white rice for the servants.
“Are you out of your mind, serving your mistress that rice?” she demanded.
“Your rice is finished, madam,” said the maid. “And as there’s an extra young lady today, we’re short.”
“We have to cut our coat according to our cloth,” Yuanyang put in. “Nowadays there’s no margin at all.”
Lady Wang explained, “The last couple of years, what with floods and drought, our farms haven’t been able to produce their quota, especially of the rice of the finer kind. So we only issue as much as we think will be needed, for fear of running out. The rice you buy outside isn’t to our taste.”
The old lady chortled, “As the proverb says: ‘Even a clever wife can’t make congee without rice.’“
Amid general laughter Yuanyang asked the servant, “In that case, why not fetch Miss Tanchun’s rice here to make up? Wouldn’t that be the same? Why be so stupid?”
“No, I’ve had enough,” said Madam You with a smile. “There’s no need to fetch more.”
“You may have had enough, but what about me?” Yuanyang parried.
Then the serving-women hurried off to fetch more. Presently Lady Wang went off to have her meal leaving Madam You to chat with the old lady till about nine, when she was told:
“It’s late now. You’d better go back.”
Madam You took her leave then and went out to the gate to mount her carriage. Yindie took a place at one side of the carriage. The serving-women, having let down the curtain, led the young maids to wait at the Ning Mansion’s gate; for as the two mansions were less than a bowshot apart, no elaborate preparations had to be made when the members of both exchanged visits, especially at night when many of them went out and returned. So the old nurses just led the young maids the short distance over, the men-servants at both gates having already cordoned off the east and west ends of the street. Madam You’s carriage was not drawn by a mule. Instead, seven or eight pages pulled it gently along to the steps of the Ning Mansion, then withdrew behind the stone lions flanking the gate while the serving-women raised the curtain and Yindie alighted to help her mistress down. Seven or eight lanterns large and small shed a bright light, and noticing four or five carriages drawn up by the stone lions Madam You inferred that visitors had arrived for another gambling party.
“Look at all those carriages,” she said to Yindie. “And how many more came on horseback we’ve no means of knowing, as their horses will all be tethered in the stables. How much money can those young fellows’ parents give them to throw away like this?”
By now she had reached the front hall, where Jia Rong’s wife was waiting to welcome her at the head of serving-women and maids with candles.
“I’ve always wanted to take a peep at them,” remarked Madam You. “Here’s our chance at last! Suppose we walk past their windows?”
The matrons assented and led the way with lanterns, one of them going quietly ahead to warn the pages in attendance not to make any commotion. When Madam You and the rest tiptoed up to the windows they heard quite a noise inside—jokes and compliments interspersed with complaints and curses.
The fact is that Jia Zhen, being in mourning and unable to go out to amuse himself or listen to operas or music, had thought of a way to while away the time. In the day-time, under the pretext of practising archery, he invited young lordlings and other wealthy relatives and friends to archery contests. Arguing that shooting at random could not improve their skill and might even spoil their style, he imposed certain penalties and set stakes as an incentive to all to do their best. They had set up a target in the shooting-range under Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion and made it the rule to assemble there every morning after breakfast. Jia Zhen, not wanting his name to be used, made Jia Rong act as the banker.
The young hereditary nobles from wealthy families whom they invited were a set of profligates who enjoyed cock-fights, dog-racing and playing about with singsong girls and young actors. They agreed to take it in turn every day after the shooting contest to stand treat, so that Jia Rong need not defray all the expenses. And so day after day they had pigs, sheep and poultry killed and vied to show off their wealth, the skill of their chefs and the sumptuousness of their feasts.
Jia She and Jia Zheng did not hear about this until it had gone on for a fortnight or so, and not realizing what was involved they judged it quite right and proper for these young men not versed in literature to practise military arts, the more so as they belonged to families of hereditary generals of noble ranks. They even ordered Jia Huan, Jia Cong, Baoyu and Jia Lan to come over too after breakfast every day to practise archery with Jia Zhen for a while.
But since Jia Zhen had other ends in view, alleging the need to relax after their exertions he soon started arranging card games in the evenings and they laid wagers while drinking. So little by little these turned into gambling parties. Now, after three or four months, gambling had priority over archery and they played cards, diced and gambled quite openly day and night. The servants, getting more perks, encouraged this and so it was now routine—quite unknown to people outside the family.
Recently their group had been joined by Lady Xing’s younger brother Xing Dequan, an inveterate wastrel, as well as the confirmed prodigal Xue Pan who naturally thought this a splendid scheme.
Xing Dequan although Lady Xing’s brother had totally different interests, being a credulous fool who spent money like water and found all his pleasure in drinking, gambling and debauchery. He liked good drinkers and shunned those who did not drink, no matter whether they were high or low, making no distinction between master and slave; hence everybody called him Foolish Uncle.
Xue Pan, who had long been dubbed the Stupid Lordling, naturally found Xing a man after his own heart. As both of them liked dicing because it was fast, they had got two fellows to dice with them on the kang in the outer room where a few other men were playing cards at a big table, while in the inner room a less uncouth party were in the middle of a game of dominoes. Most o
f their attendants were pages of less than fifteen, all grown men-servants being debarred from the place. This was why Lady You dared peep through the window.
She saw that wine was being served by two young actors of seventeen or eighteen, strikingly handsome in their fine clothes and make up. Xue Pan was scowling after a losing throw, but now with a lucky toss he recouped his losses and won, which restored his good humour.
“Let’s stop for a while,” proposed Jia Zhen, “and have some refreshments before going on.”
He asked how the two other tables were getting on. The domino players in the inner room had also finished and were waiting for supper, but the card players were in the middle of a game and reluctant to stop. Without waiting for them they had one table set first, and Jia Zhen sat down to dine with those who were ready, instructing Jia Rong to wait for the rest. Xue Pan, in exuberation, fondling one of the actors as he drank, ordered him to toast Foolish Uncle. But Xing was in a bad mood, after losing. Tipsy after two bowls of wine, he complained that the actors simply made up to the winners, ignoring the losers.
“You pansies are all the same,” he swore. “We’ve been together all these days and you’ve had favours from us all, but now as soon as I lose a few taels of silver you start cold-shouldering me. Do you think you’ll never need my help again?”
Seeing that he was half drunk, the others tried to humour him. “Quite right, quite right,” they said. “That’s a bad way they have.” They sternly ordered the two boys, “Hurry up and offer him wine to apologize.”
The two young actors, accustomed to such scenes, knelt down to offer Xing a drink.
“In our profession our masters train us all, no matter how generous or close our patrons may be, just to make up to the rich and powerful. A man may be a living Buddha or saint, but so long as he has no money or influence we have to ignore him. Besides, sir, we’re young and in this low profession, so please overlook it this time and let us off.”
They raised a cup of wine and fell on their knees.
Though Foolish Uncle was mollified he kept up a show of anger.
“They’re telling the truth, that’s how it is,” said the others. “You’ve always had a soft spot in your heart for actors; why be like this today? If you refuse to drink how dare they get up?”
Xing gave in at that and growled, “If it weren’t for all these gentlemen interceding, I’d have nothing more to do with you.” Then only did he take the cup and drain it.
Another bowl was poured. And now the wine went to his head, making him hark back to earlier grievances. Pounding the table he said to Jia Zhen with a sigh:
“We can’t blame these boys, my worthy nephew, for being so grasping. Why, where money and power are concerned, many people from big official families will forget even their own flesh and blood. Did you hear about the row I had yesterday with your respected aunt?”
“No, I didn’t,” was Jia Zhen’s reply.
Xing Dequan sighed again.
“It was all over filthy lucre.”
Jia Zhen knew he was on bad terms with Lady Xing, who thoroughly disapproved of him and often complained about him.
“You’re rather too improvident, uncle,” he said. “If you go on spending at this rate, you’ll never have enough.”
“My dear worthy nephew, you don’t know how it is in our family,” Xing retorted. “At the time of my mother’s death I was still small and knew nothing of affairs. Of my three sisters your respected aunt is the oldest. She grabbed all our family property and brought it over with her at the time of her marriage. Now my second sister’s married too, but also in straitened circumstances. My third is still at home, all our expenses are doled out to us by your aunt’s personal maid here, the wife of your steward Wang Shanbao. When I come to ask for money I’m not cadging from you Jias. Our Xing family has quite enough for me to spend —if only I could get my hands on it. It’s grossly unjust, but what can I do about it?”
Afraid this maudlin talk would make a bad impression on their guests, Jia Zhen tried to change the subject. But Madam You outside had heard all this clearly.
“Hear that?” she whispered to Yindie. “That’s Lady Xing’s younger brother complaining about her. If she treats her own brother so badly, no wonder other people complain of her too.”
She was eager to hear more, and just then the card players who had finished their game came over to join the feast.
“Who offended Uncle Xing just now?” one of them asked. “I didn’t quite get it. Tell us, and let us arbitrate.”
Xing told them then how the two actors cold-shouldered losers and made up to winners.
“In that case,” said the young man, “you had good reason to be angry, uncle. Let me ask you two boys this: Uncle Xing has only lost some money, not his prick, hasn’t he? So why cold-shoulder him?”
At this everyone roared with laughter, including Xing, who guffawed so hard that he sprayed rice all over the floor.
Madam You outside spat in disgust.
“Listen to those shameless young scoundrels,” she swore softly. “Barely lost their milk-teeth yet spewing out such dirt. If they go on swilling that yellow wine, who knows what they’ll come out with next!”
She retired to her own room to bed.
Jia Zhen kept the guests company until the fourth watch when at last the party broke up, then went to spend the night with his concubine Peifeng. The next day when he got up, some servants reported that the watermelons and mooncakes for the festival were ready for distribution.
Jia Zhen told his concubine, “Ask your mistress to share them out as she thinks fit. I have other things to attend to.”
Peifeng reported this to Madam You, who had shares sent over to the different households.
Presently the concubine came back to inquire, “The master wants to know whether you’re going out today or not, madam. He says since we are in mourning we can’t celebrate the Moon Festival on the fifteenth of the eighth month, but we can have a family party tonight to mark the occasion with melons, fruit, cakes and wine.”
“I don’t want to go out,” replied Madam You, “but Madam Zhu over there is unwell and Xifeng is laid up too. If I don’t go, there’ll be no one to see to things. Besides, as he’s so busy, why have a party?”
“The master’s not receiving visitors today and won’t be at home to them till the sixteenth. He’s set his mind on inviting you to a feast.”
“AH right then, but I can’t return this favour.”
Peifeng went off laughing, returning soon to report, “The master hopes you’ll come home early in time for dinner, madam. And he’s told me to go with you.”
“In that case he’d better hurry up and have breakfast, so that I can make a start.”
“He says he’ll have it outside, and wants you to breakfast without him.”
“Whom has he got out there?”
“I hear two men have just arrived from Nanjing, but I don’t know who they are.”
As she was speaking Jia Rong’s wife, having finished her toilet, came in to pay her respects. Soon they sat down to breakfast together, Madam You in the higher place, her daughter-in-law in the lower. Then Madam You changed her clothes and went over to the Rong Mansion.
On her return that evening, Jia Zhen had indeed prepared a feast: a whole pig and sheep together with other dishes and sweetmeats too many to enumerate. Peacock-feather screens and lotus-patterned cushions were set out in the Hall of Green Shrubs in the Garden of Concentrated Fragrance, and there he and his wife and concubines dined, then drank together to enjoy the moon.
By the time of the first watch the breeze was fresh and the bright moon silvered everything high and low. Jia Zhen proposed playing some drinking games, whereupon Madam You made Peifeng and the three other concubines join them, sitting in a row in the lower seats at their table to play the finger-guessing game and drink. Then Jia Zhen, in high spirits after wine, sent a servant to fetch a purple bamboo flute and asked Peifeng to play it while Wenhua s
ang. Her voice was so clear and tender that the listeners were entranced.
After that they played more drinking games until nearly midnight, by when Jia Zhen was eight-tenths drunk. Tea was served, and they had just been brought fresh wine cups when they heard long-drawn-out sighing from the direction of the garden wall. Everyone heard it distinctly and they were fearfully startled.
“Who is there?” demanded Jia Zhen sternly. But though he called out several times there was no answer. “It may be one of our servants behind the wall,” suggested Madam You. “Nonsense,” her husband retorted. “The servant’s quarters are nowhere near the wall. Besides, that part is just by the ancestral temple. Who could be there at this hour?”
That same instant they heard a gust of wind on the other side of the wall and the sound as if of partition windows slamming inside the temple. The air struck them as colder, and the moon just now so bright and clear seemed suddenly dimmed. All the girls and women shivered. Jia Zhen half sobered up, but though more in control of himself than the women he was most amazed and apprehensive too. This cast a gloom over the party. Still, they felt constrained to sit there a little longer before retiring to their rooms to rest.
The next morning being the fifteenth, Jia Zhen rose early and led the whole family to open the ancestral temple to perform the usual rites for the first and the fifteenth of every month. Looking round carefully, he observed that everything in the temple was undisturbed with no sign of anything amiss. He therefore made no mention of the strange occurrence the previous night, thinking he must have imagined it in his cups. The ceremony at an end, he had-the temple locked up as before.
After supper Jia Zhen and his wife went over to the Rong Mansion. He found Jia She and Jia Zheng sitting chatting with the Lady Dowager while the younger men and boys of the family stood around in attendance. Jia Zhen greeted each in turn, and after a few remarks the old lady invited him to take a seat, which he did on a stool near the door.
“How is your cousin Baoyu getting on with his archery these days?” she asked him.