A Dream of Red Mansion

by Cao Xueqin

  At least he was spared his father’s constant reproofs and admonitions to study. So during these hundred days he and his maids rampaged as they pleased, getting up to mischief never heard of before and stopping short only of pulling down Happy Red Court. We can draw a veil over the details.

  Xiangling after scolding Baoyu that day decided that he had been deliberately rude to her.

  She thought, “No wonder Miss Baochai dared not get too close to him. I lacked her foresight. And no wonder Miss Lin keeps quarrelling with him and crying for rage. He must keep teasing her too. I’d better steer clear of him.”

  So after that she seldom went into the Garden. Xue Pan’s marriage kept her busy every day. She imagined his new wife would protect her and share her responsibilities, enabling her to lead a quieter life. And having heard that this young lady was talented as well as beautiful, she assumed she must be refined and gentle too. She was therefore ten times more eager even than Xue Pan for her arrival. Finally the day came when the bride arrived, and she began waiting hand and foot on her new mistress.

  Now this Miss Xia, who had just turned seventeen, was quite good-looking and had some education. As regards ability and craftiness, she took after Xifeng. In one respect only had she been unlucky. Because her father had died when she was a child, and she had no brothers either, her widowed mother had spoilt this only daughter, doting on her and falling in with all her whims. Inevitably, this over-indulgence had made her like the brigand Dao Zhi of old: she had as high an opinion of herself as if she were a goddess, and treated others like dirt. In appearance pretty as a flower, at heart she was a termagant. At home she had vented her temper on her maids, for ever cursing them or beating them. Now that she was married, she felt it incumbent on her to behave as the mistress of the house, not with the gentle shyness befitting a girl—she must show her authority to keep others under her thumb.

  In view, moreover, of Xue Pan’s pig-headed pride and extravagance, she decided she must strike while the iron was hot and tame him completely, or she would never be able to have her own way. Moreover, the presence of such a charming and talented concubine as Xiangling had filled her with the same resolve as the First Emperor of Song when he decided to wipe out the Prince of Southern Tang, demanding, “How can I let another sleep alongside my bed?”

  As her family owned so many osmanthus trees, she had been given the pet name Jingui—Golden Osmanthus; so she forbade the whole household to use these two words. Any maid careless enough to slip up and do so was severely beaten and punished. Then, realizing the impossibility of banning any reference to osmanthus, she decided to give the flower a new name; and recalling the story of the osmanthus and the Moon Goddess, she changed the name of the flower to ‘moon-goddess flower’ to add to her own dignity in this way.

  Now Xue Pan was a man who would discard the old as soon as he had something new, and one who looked tough but lacked stamina. Pleased with his new wife at the start, he humoured her. And Xia Jingui observing this tried to control him more strictly step by step. For the first month they were on equal terms; after two months Xue Pan began to give ground. One day after drinking he consulted her on something he wished to do and, when she would not hear of it, losing his temper he made an angry retort then went ahead and did it. Then Jingui cried as if she were demented, refused all food and pretended to be ill.

  The doctor summoned to see her said:

  “She has anger in her blood and should take some tranquilizing medicine.”

  Aunt Xue berated her son.

  “You’re a married man now and will soon have a son of your own, yet you’re still such a fool!” she fumed. “She was brought up like a young phoenix, a daughter as delicate as a flower; and her family agreed to let you have her, thinking you a gentleman. Yet instead of keeping yourself in check, behaving yourself and living peacefully, you act like an oaf and bully her in your cups. You’ll have to suffer for it and spend money now on medicine.”

  Xue Pan, filled with remorse by these reproaches, went in to comfort his wife. But Jingui, delighted to have her mother-in-law take her side, behaved still more arrogantly in her gratification at this and out-manoeuvred him by simply ignoring him. Not knowing what to do, he had to lump it. And it took him nearly a fortnight to mollify her.

  After that Xue Pan took greater pains not to provoke her, and inevitably this humbled him still more. Seeing that her husband was lowering his colours and her mother-in-law was good-natured, Jingui pressed her attack by degrees. At first she simply kept Xue Pan under her thumb; later she tried artfully to control Aunt Xue as well, and Baochai too. Baochai had long recognized her impropriety and knew how to cope with it, giving her hints not to over-reach herself. When Jingui saw that she was not to be bullied, she tried to pick fault with her in various ways; but being unable to find any chinks in her armour, she finally had to come to terms with her.

  One day Jingui, at a loose end, started chatting with Xiangling and asked about her home district and her parents. When Xiangling said she could not remember them, Jingui flared up and accused her of deliberately hiding things from her. She then asked who had given her the name “Xiangling,” and on being told that it was Baochai she gave a scornful smile.

  “Everyone says she’s learned,” she scoffed, “but this name doesn’t make sense.”

  Xiangling answered with a conciliatory smile, “Aiya, madam! You may not know, but even her uncle is always praising her for her scholarship.” To know what Jingui’s answer was, read the next chapter.

  Chapter 80

  Lovely Xiangling Is Unjustly Thrashed by Her Lecherous Husband

  The Taoist Priest Wang Prescribes a Cure for a Shrew

  Jingui turned away her head, pursed her lips and snorted. Striking the palms of both hands together she sneered:

  “What scent has the caltrop, pray? If caltrops count as fragrant, how can we describe those truly fragrant flowers? This name is certainly senseless!”

  “Not only the caltrop, but even lotus leaves and lotus seed pods have a subtle scent,” Xiangling assured her. “But of course it can’t compare with the fragrance of flowers. On a quiet day or night, or at dawn or midnight, if you inhale that scent carefully it smells even better than flowers. In the breeze or dew, caltrops, euryale seeds, reeds and rushes too, have a subtle fragrance which is very refreshing.”

  “Do you mean to say you dislike the fragrance of orchids and osmanthus?” demanded Jingui.

  Xiangling, in the heat of argument, completely forgot the taboo as she answered quickly:

  “The fragrance of orchids and osmanthus is unique....”

  Before she could finish, Jingui’s maid Baochan wagged a warning finger at her.

  “Do you want to die? Mentioning the mistress’ name!”

  “I Slipped up,” apologized Xiangling, embarrassed by her gaffe. “Please don’t be offended, madam.” Jingui laughed.

  “It doesn’t matter. You’re over-scrupulous. Still, I don’t think that Xiang for sweetness in your name is right, I’d like to change it for another word, if you agree.”

  “What a thing to say, madam!” cried Xiangling gaily. “I belong to you completely, so why consult me about changing my name? This is doing me too much honour. Just use whatever word you think best, madam.”

  “You may agree, but suppose my sister-in-law takes offence? She may not like the name I choose and say, ‘She’s only been here a few days, but already she’s refuting me.’“

  “Let me tell you how it is, madam. When I was bought, it was to serve the old lady; that’s why Miss Baochai gave me this name. Later, when I started waiting on our master, that had nothing to do with her. And now that I’m serving you, Miss Baochai has even less to do with me. Besides, she’s such an understanding young lady, how could she take offence?”

  “In that case, let’s substitute the Qiu meaning autumn for Xiang. The caltrop flourishes and flowers in autumn, so that is surely more appropriate.”

  “Just as you say, madam,” a
greed Xiangling cheerfully. Thereafter her name was changed to Qiuling, and Baochai raised no objection.

  Now Xue Pan was a living example of the saying ‘To cover the land of Shu after getting the region of Long.” After marrying Jingui, he was struck by her maid Baochan’s charms. As she seemed approachable as well as alluring, he often flirted with her when asking her to fetch him tea or water. Baochan knew what he wanted, but dared not encourage him until she knew how her mistress felt about it. Jingui was well aware of what was happening.

  “It’s Xiangling I want to trap, but I can’t find any pretext,” she reflected. “As he’s keen on Baochan now, I may as well let him have her and he’s bound to lose interest in Xiangling. Then I can settle her hash. Since Baochan is my maid, she’ll be easy to handle later.” Her mind made up, she waited for her chance. One evening after drinking, Xue Pan ordered Baochan to bring him some tea. Before taking the cup he squeezed her hand; and Baochan, pretending to shrink away, let the cup fall with a clatter to her ground, splashing her clothes as well as the floor with tea. To cover his confusion, Xue Pan accused the maid of carelessness. She retorted, “You didn’t take it properly sir.” Jingui smiled sarcastically.

  “You’re both pretty obvious. Do you take me for a fool?”

  Xue Pan lowered his head with a sheepish smile and said nothing as Baochan left the room, blushing.

  Later, at bedtime, Jingui deliberately urged her husband to sleep elsewhere.

  “I don’t want to see you eating your heart out,” she said. He simply grinned.

  “If you want something, tell me,” she continued. “Acting on the sly is no good.”

  Emboldened by wine, Xue Pan knelt on the quilt and nuzzled her.

  “Good sister, just give me Baochan and I’ll do whatever you say! If you want someone’s brains, I’ll get them for you!”

  “What senseless talk!” she retorted. “If you’ve taken a fancy to someone, say so outright, and we can make her your concubine to avoid any hint of scandal. Why should I care?”

  Xue Pan was so delighted with this assurance that he thanked her most profusely and did his best to pleasure her as a husband should that night.

  The next day he stayed indoors killing time at home, feeling increasingly randy. After lunch, Jingui deliberately went out to clear the coast for them both, and Xue Pan started making advances to Baochan. Well aware of what he wanted, she only made a show of resisting. And he was about to have his way with her when Jingui who had waited till she reckoned that they would be locked together, called for young Sheer, a maid she had brought from her home. Being an orphan with no one to care for her, this girl had been given the name She meaning “waif and assigned rough jobs to do. Now, according to her plan, Jingui summoned her.

  “Go and get Qiuling to fetch my handkerchief from my room,” she ordered. “No need to tell her that these are my instructions.”

  Sheer went straight to find Xiangling.

  “Miss Qiuling, our mistress has left her handkerchief in her room,” she said. “Wouldn’t you like to fetch it and take it to her?”

  Now Xiangling, upset by all Jingui’s recent unkindness to her, had been trying in every way to placate her; so on hearing this she hurried to her mistress’ room. All unwittingly she burst in just as the two of them were setting to work. Flushing crimson up to her ears, she promptly fled.

  As Xue Pan felt he had cleared himself with his wife, and apart from her there was no one he need be afraid of, he had not even bothered to bolt the door. Thus when Xiangling burst in, although a little put out he did not much care.

  Baochan, however, had a sharp tongue and a strong sense of self-importance. Xiangling’s sudden intrusion made her wish the earth would swallow her up. At once she pushed Xue Pan away and rushed out of the room crying rape.

  Xue Pan had been to great pains getting hold of Baochan. Now his frustration, owing to Xiangling, naturally turned his excitement into savage hatred for her.

  He ran out and spat at her.

  “You damn bitch!” he swore. “Why come barging in here now?”

  Xiangling, knowing that she was in trouble, darted away. Then Xue Pan looked for Baochan and, failing to find her, loosed off more abuse at Xiangling.

  After dinner that evening, befuddled with wine, he happened to scald his feet because the bath water was rather hot. Blaming this on Xiangling he ran out, stark naked as he was, to kick and beat her. The poor girl had never been treated so badly before, but there was nothing she could do except to slip away nursing her grievance.

  By now Jingui had told Baochan in confidence to spend the night with Xue Pan in Xiangling’s room and become his concubine. When Xiangling, ordered to sleep with her, demurred, she accused her of thinking her bed too dirty or of being too lazy to wait on her mistress at night.

  “That oaf of a master of yours falls for every girl he sees,” she swore. “He’s grabbed my maid, yet doesn’t send you to attend me. What’s his idea? Is he trying to hound me to death?”

  Xue Pan, hearing this, feared he might be thwarted again and therefore joined in too.

  “You ungrateful bitch!” he roared at Xiangling. “Go on at once, or I’ll beat you!”

  Xiangling had no choice but to carry her bedding over. And when Jingui ordered her to sleep on the floor, again she had to comply. But no sooner had she lain down than Jingui called for tea, then presently told her to massage her legs, rousing her seven or eight times altogether, so that there was no sleep for Xiangling that night.

  Now that Xue Pan had got possession of Baochan whom he prized as a great treasure, he had no attention to spare for anyone else, much to Jingui’s disgust.

  “I’ll let you enjoy yourself for a few days,” she thought spitefully. “But don’t blame me when by and by I get my own back!”

  Meanwhile, hiding her resentment, she went on tormenting Xiangling. After a fortnight she suddenly shammed illness, complaining of an unbearable pain in her heart and the loss of the use of her limbs. The doctors summoned were unable to cure her, and the household ascribed this illness to her anger caused by Xiangling.

  Then one day, from Jingui’s pillow-case there fell out a paper effigy inscribed with the date of her birth and her horoscope. Five needles had been thrust through it: one through the heart and one through each of the limbs. This discovery caused a commotion among the maids who reported it at once to Aunt Xue, making her consternated at first. Xue Pan, even more worked up, wanted to beat all the servants to extort a confession from them.

  “That wouldn’t be fair,” said Jingui. “This black magic is most likely Baochan’s doing.”

  “It couldn’t be,” he objected. “She’s not been in your room recently. Why accuse an innocent person?”

  Jingui smiled sarcastically.

  “Who else could it be? Do you imagine I did it myself? Who else dares enter my room?”

  “Xiangling should know—she’s spent all her time with you lately. Let’s beat her first, to get the truth out of her.”

  “Whomever you beat, no one’s going to confess,” scoffed Jingui. “Take my advice and pretend you know nothing about it. Just let the matter drop. Anyway, if I’m done to death what does it matter? Wouldn’t you love to marry a better wife? I know very well that the three of you all want me out of the way!” By now she was sobbing.

  Goaded by these taunts, Xue Pan grabbed hold of a doorbar and rushed to find Xiangling. Without giving her a chance to speak he started beating her, insisting that she was the one who had worked this witchcraft. As Xiangling protested her innocence Aunt Xue came running over to stop her son.

  “How can you beat her without first investigating?” she scolded. “The girl has served you all these years and always been very dutiful. How could she do a wicked thing like this? You must find out the truth before you start laying about you.”

  At this, Jingui was afraid that Xue Pan might be over-ruled by his mother. She started bawling again.

  “For over a fortnight,” she wai
led, “you’ve monopolized my Baochan and won’t let her come to my room, leaving me only Qiuling to sleep with me. When I want to cross-examine Baochan, you shield her. Now you’re working off your temper by beating Qiuling. Why not murder me and have done with it? Then you can choose a beautiful wife from some rich and noble family. Why play all these silly tricks?”

  This tirade made Xue Pan still more frantic.

  Aunt Xue was furious at Jingui’s outrageous, overbearing ways and the pressure she was putting on Xue Pan who, unfortunately, was so spineless that he was used to giving in to her; and now his affair with Baochan enabled her to pose as a reasonable, complaisant wife whose maid he had seized. Aunt Xue, moreover, had no means of knowing who was responsible for the black magic. Just as “Not even good officials can settle family troubles,” so “Not even parents can settle disputes between son and wife.” Being at a loss, she could do nothing except berate Xue Pan.

  “You degenerate wretch!” she fumed. “Even a cur in heat is less shameless than you! So you couldn’t even keep your paws off your wife’s maid but had to grab her too—giving your wife a handle to accuse you of monopolizing her maid. How can you face people after this? We don’t know who put that spell on her, but instead of finding out the facts you start beating your concubine. I know you: off with the old love and on with the new—a poor return for all I’ve done for you! Even if Xiangling did wrong, you’ve no right to beat her. I shall send for a broker at once and sell her off to set your mind at rest.”

  She told Xiangling, “Get your things together. Come on.” She then-ordered the servants, “Fetch a broker at once. We’ll sell her for whatever she’ll fetch, to rid ourselves of this pest, this thorn in the flesh. Only then can we have any peace.”