A Dream of Red Mansion

by Cao Xueqin

  Li Wan nodded.

  “I’ll go in to see Miss Lin too,” added Pinger, already in tears as she entered the inner room.

  “You’ve come in the nick of time,” Li Wan told Mrs. Lin. “Go out quickly and get some steward to prepare Miss Lin’s after-life things. When everything’s ready he’s to report to me—there’s no need to go over there.”

  Mrs. Lin assented but made no move.

  “Do you have other business?” Li Wan asked.

  “Just now Madam Lian consulted the old lady and they want to have Miss Zijuan to help out there.”

  Before Li Wan could answer, Zijuan interposed, “Please don’t wait for me, Mrs. Lin. When she’s dead, of course we’ll leave her. They needn’t be in such a hurry.... “Embarrassed by this outburst she went on more mildly, “Besides, nursing an invalid here I’m not clean. Miss Lin is still breathing and wants me from time to time.”

  Li Wan helped her out by explaining, “It’s true. The affinity between Miss Lin and this girl must have been predestined. Though Xueyan’s the one she brought with her from the south, she doesn’t care for her much. I can see that Zijuan is the only one who can’t leave her for a second.”

  Mrs. Lin had been put out by Zijuan’s reply, but she was unable to rebut Li Wan. Seeing Zijuan dissolved in tears, she smiled at her faintly.

  “It’s all very well for Miss Zijuan to talk like that,” she rejoined. “But what am I to say to the old lady? And how can I repeat this to Madam Lian?”

  At these words, Pinger came out wiping her eyes. “Repeat what to Madam Lian?” she wanted to know. Mrs. Lin explained the situation, and Pinger lowered her head to think it over.

  “In that case,” she suggested, “let Xueyan go instead.”

  “Will she be suitable?” Li Wan inquired.

  Pinger stepped closer to whisper something to her, at which she nodded.

  “Very well, then. Sending Xueyan will do just as well.” Mrs. Lin asked Pinger if she agreed, and the answer was: “Yes, it’s the same.”

  “Then please tell her to come with me immediately. I’ll report to the old lady and Madam Lian that this was your idea, madam, and Miss Pinger’s too. Later you can explain to Madam Lian yourself, miss.”

  “All right,” said Li Wan. “But why should someone of your seniority be scared to answer for such a little thing?”

  “It’s not that.” Mrs. Lin smiled. “But we can’t be sure what plan the old lady and Madam Lian have; and besides you and Miss Pinger are here, madam.”

  Pinger had already called out Xueyan, who had been holding aloof these last few days as the others had been taunting her as a careless child; and in any case she would never dream of ignoring a summons from the Lady Dowager and Madam Lian. She hastily smoothed her hair and on Pinger’s instructions changed into colourful clothes, then went off with Mrs. Lin. Li Wan, after a brief discussion with Pinger, sent her to tell Mrs. Lin to urge her husband to get a coffin ready without delay.

  Pinger left to attend to this and, rounding a bend, saw Mrs. Lin walking ahead of her with Xueyan. She called to them to stop.

  “I’ll take her there,” she said. “You go first to tell your husband to get Miss Lin’s things ready. I’ll report this for you to my mistress.”

  Mrs. Lin agreed and went off, while Pinger took Xueyan to the bridal chambers and, having made her report, left to see to her own business. Now that things had come to such a pass, Xueyan could not but grieve for Daiyu, though she dared not show her feelings to the old lady and Xifeng. “What do they want me for?” she wondered. “I’ll wait and see. Baoyu used to be so devoted to our young lady, why doesn’t he come out? Is he really ill or just shamming? He may be trying to put her off by pretending to have lost his jade and to be out of his mind, so that she’ll lose interest in him and he can marry Miss Baochai. I’ll slip in and see whether he’s really crazy or not. He can hardly be shamming today.” She tiptoed to the door of the inner room and peeped in. Now though the loss of his jade had deranged Baoyu, the news that he was to marry Daiyu seemed to him the most wonderful thing that had ever happened, and at once his health had improved, though he seemed less quick in the uptake than before. So Xifeng’s cunning scheme had succeeded completely. He could hardly wait to see Daiyu and go through with his wedding today. Beside himself with joy, although he sometimes talked nonsense he behaved quite differently from when he was demented. Xueyan saw this with indignation and distress, not knowing what was in his heart, then she slipped away.

  Baoyu, seated in Lady Wang’s room, was pressing Xiren to help him into his wedding clothes and watching busy Xifeng and Madam You as he longed for the auspicious hour to arrive.

  “Cousin Lin’s only coming from the Garden,” he said to Xiren. “Why should it take so long?”

  Suppressing a smile she answered, “She has to wait for the appointed hour.”

  Then he heard Xifeng say to Lady Wang, “Although we’re in mourning and won’t have musicians outside, according to us southerners’ rule they must bow to each other and utter silence won’t do. So I’ve ordered our troupe of house musicians to play some tunes and liven things up a little.”

  “Very well,” said Lady Wang, nodding.

  Presently a big sedan-chair entered the courtyard and the family musicians went out to meet the bride, while in filed twelve pairs of maids in two rows with Palace lanterns—a novel and distinctive sight. The Master of Ceremonies invited the bride to alight from the chair, and Baoyu saw a maid with a red sash help her out—her face was veiled. And who do you think the other maid assisting the bride was? No other than Xueyan!

  “Why Xueyan and not Zijuan?” he wondered, then told himself, “Of course. She brought Xueyan with her from her home down south. Zijuan is one of our household; so naturally she needn’t bring her.” Reasoning like this, he felt as jubilant as if seeing Daiyu herself.

  The Master of Ceremonies announced the procedure. Bride and bridegroom paid their respects to Heaven and Earth, then invited the old lady to come out and receive four bows from them, after which they bowed to Jia Zheng and Lady Wang. Next they ascended the hall and paid their respects to each other before being ushered into the bridal chamber where they went through other ceremonies such as “sitting on the bed” and “letting down the bed curtains,” in accordance with the old rules of Jinling.

  Jia Zheng had never believed that this wedding could cure Baoyu, but he had to go along with his mother’s decision. Today, however, he was pleased because Baoyu looked as if he had really recovered.

  After the bride sat down on the bridal bed, she had to be unveiled. To be on the safe side, Xifeng had asked the old lady and Lady Wang there to keep an eye on things. Baoyu fatuously stepped over to the bride.

  “Are you better, Cousin Lin?” he asked. “It’s so long since I’ve seen you! Why keep your face covered with that rag?”

  He reached out to take off the veil, making the old lady break out in a cold sweat. But then Baoyu reflected, “Cousin Lin’s very sensitive; I mustn’t offend her.” So he waited till he felt he could wait no longer, then stepped forward and removed the veil, which the bridesmaid whisked away. At the same time Xueyan withdrew, and Yinger came in to wait upon her young mistress.

  Baoyu looked at his bride and could not believe his eyes—she seemed to be Baochai. He shone the lamp on her face and rubbed his eyes. There was no doubt about it—it was Baochai! Splendidly dressed, soft and plump, her hair slightly dishevelled, fluttering her eyelashes and holding her breath she looked as alluring as lotus dripping with dew, as bashful as apricot blossom moistened by mist.

  Baoyu was stupefied by the realization that Xueyan had disappeared and Yinger had taken her place. At a loss, he thought he must be dreaming and stood there in a daze till they took the lamp from his hand and made him sit down. Staring vacantly, he uttered not a word. The old lady, afraid he had lost his senses again, took charge of him herself while Xifeng and Madam You led Baochai to the inner room to rest. She, of course, rema
ined silent too, lowering her head.

  Soon Baoyu calmed down sufficiently to notice the presence of his grandmother and mother.

  “Where am I?” he whispered to Xiren. “Is this a dream?”

  “This is your wedding day,” she answered. “Don’t let the master hear you talking such nonsense. He’s just outside.”

  “Who’s that beautiful girl sitting there?” he asked pointing inside.

  Xiren put a hand to her mouth to hide her laughter, so amused that she could not speak.

  “That’s the new Second Young Mistress,” she finally told him.

  The others also turned their heads away, unable to keep from smiling.

  “Don’t be silly!” cried Baoyu. “What Second Young Mistress do you mean?”

  “Miss Baochai.”

  “Then where is Miss Lin?”

  “It was the master’s decision that you should marry Miss Baochai, so why ask in that foolish way about Miss Lin?”

  “But I saw her just now, and Xueyan too. How can you say they’re not here? What game are you all playing?”

  Xifeng stepped forward to whisper, “Miss Baochai is sitting in the inner room; so don’t talk foolishly. If you annoy her, the old lady won’t like it.”

  This bewildered Baoyu still more. Already deranged, after the mysterious apparitions and vanishings of this evening he knew even less what to think. Ignoring all else he just clamoured to go and find Cousin Lin. The ladies did their best to pacify him, but he would not listen to reason; and as Baochai was inside they could not speak out plainly. Indeed, they knew that explanations were useless now that his wits were wandering again. They lit benzoin incense to calm him and made him lie down. No one made a sound and presently, to the old lady’s relief, he fell into a lethargic sleep. She decided to sit up with him till dawn and sent Xifeng to urge Baochai to rest too. Baochai, behaving as if she had heard nothing, lay down then fully dressed in the inner room. As for Jia Zheng, being outside he had no knowledge of these happenings and, in fact, felt relieved by what he had seen. Since the next day was the auspicious date to start his journey, he too rested for a while before receiving the congratulations of those who had come to bid him farewell. And when Baoyu was sound asleep, the old lady also returned to her room to sleep.

  The next morning Jia Zheng bowed farewell in the ancestral temple, then came over to take his leave of his mother.

  “Your unfilial son is going far away,” he said. “My one wish, madam, is that you will take care of your health at different seasons. As soon as I reach my post, I shall write to pay my respects. Please don’t worry about me. And Baoyu’s wedding has been carried out in accordance with your wishes. I beg you, madam, to admonish him from time to time.”

  In order not to worry him on his journey, she did not tell him of Baoyu’s relapse.

  “All I have to say is this,” she answered. “Though Baoyu was married last night he didn’t share the same room with his bride, so today we should make him see you some way on your journey. But as his wedding was to cure his illness and he’s only just slightly better, and as yesterday was a tiring day for him. I’m afraid he might catch cold if he went out. So I’d like to know your opinion. If you want him to see you off, I’ll send for him at once; but if you’re concerned for him, I’ll just have him fetched here to kowtow to you by way of farewell.”

  “Why should he see me off? Provided he studies hard from now on that will please me more than having him escort me.”

  In relief, the old lady told him to sit down while she sent Yuanyang to fetch Baoyu and Xiren.

  Presently Baoyu came. Told to pay his respects, he complied. Luckily his mind cleared for a while at sight of his father, and he made no gaffes, assenting to Jia Zheng’s instructions. Then his father dismissed him and went to his wife’s room to stress the need to discipline their son.

  “You must on no account go on spoiling him,” he warned her. “Next year he must sit for the provincial examination.”

  Lady Wang heard him out without mentioning what had passed and had Baochai fetched to wish her father-in-law a good journey. The other female members of the family saw him off at the inner gate, but she as a new bride could not leave the house. Jia Zhen and the other young men listened respectfully to his admonitions. Then having drunk a parting goblet with him, the younger male relatives and his old friends accompanied him ten li beyond the capital, then bid him farewell.

  We shall now leave Jia Zheng travelling to his new post and return to Baoyu. After coming back he had a sudden relapse, becoming so deranged that he could not even take any nourishment. To know whether he lived or died, read the next chapter.

  Chapter 98

  Unhappy Vermilion Pearl’s Spirit Returns in Sorrow to Heaven

  Deranged Shen Ying Sheds Tears in the Lodge of His Loved One

  Baoyu returned to his room after seeing his father more dizzy, confused and listless than before. Without even eating his meal he drifted off to sleep. Doctors were called in again but their remedies proved ineffectual—he could not even recognize those around him, although when helped to sit up he looked normal enough. And this state of affairs continued for several days.

  The ninth day after the wedding had now come—the day on which newly-weds should visit the bride’s family. If they stayed away, Aunt Xue might well feel slighted; but how could they go with Baoyu so distraught on account of Daiyu? On the other hand, they feared that if told of her death he might die himself of chagrin. His bride could hardly reason with him either—for that, her mother was needed there. Yet if they neglected to pay this courtesy call, Aunt Xue would take offence.

  The Lady Dowager consulted Lady Wang and Xifeng and proposed, “Baoyu may have lost his mind, but I can’t see that going out would hurt him. Let’s order two small sedan-chairs and have them escorted over through the Garden to keep up appearances; then we can invite Aunt Xue here to comfort Baochai, while we give our whole minds to curing Baoyu. Wouldn’t that be best on both scores?”

  Lady Wang agreed and had preparations made without delay. As Baochai was a new bride and Baoyu was crazed, neither objected to being taken over; for although Baochai knew how things stood and at heart blamed her mother for this injudicious match, it was too late now to protest. True, Aunt Xue reproached herself bitterly when she saw Baoyu’s condition; still, they had to go through with the ceremonies in a perfunctory way.

  On their return Baoyu took a turn for the worse. The next morning he could not sit up, and he wasted away day by day until he could not even take liquid nourishment. In panic Aunt Xue and the others searched everywhere for good doctors, but not one was able to diagnose his illness until a certain Bi Zhan, a poor physician who lived in a ruined temple outside town, ascribed it to both internal and external factors: sudden transports of joy and grief depriving him of his senses and appetite and pent-up indignation resulting in congestion. He made out his prescription accordingly, and Baoyu took the first dose that evening. After the second watch, sure enough, he came to and asked for a drink of water. Their Ladyships in relief invited Aunt Xue and Baochai to the old lady’s room to rest.

  Baoyu, now that his mind had cleared, was convinced that he was dying. As the others had gone, leaving only Xiren there, he called her over to him and clasped her hand.

  “Tell me,” he sobbed, “what is Cousin Baochai doing here? I remember my father choosing Cousin Lin to marry me, so how did she get driven out by Cousin Baochai? Why should she force her way in here? I don’t like to ask her for fear of offending her. And what news have you of Cousin Lin? Is she crying her heart out?”

  Xiren prevaricated, “Miss Lin is ill.”

  “I’ll go and see her then.”

  He tried to get up, but after several days without nourishment of any kind he was too weak to move.

  “I’m dying!” he exclaimed. “But I’ve one request which I beg you to pass on to the old lady. Cousin Lin will be sobbing herself to death too and I’m done for now anyway, so that’s two of us
mortally ill in different places. If we die apart that’ll make more trouble for you, so why not turn out a spare room and move the two of us there? You can nurse us both together while we’re still living, and when we’re dead you can lay us out together. For the sake of our friendship these years, please do this for me!

  Xiren was so affected by his words that she sobbed convulsively. And Baochai, coming back then with Yinger, heard him too.

  “Why talk in that unlucky way instead of resting well so as to recover?” she asked. “The old lady’s just feeling a bit easier in her mind, yet here you are starting fresh trouble. You’ve always been the old lady’s favourite, and now she’s over eighty. Though she’s not expecting you to win her honours, if you turn out well that will please her and the pains she’s taken over you won’t be wasted. As for your mother, it goes without saying she’s given her heart’s blood to bring you up, and if you die young what’s to become of her? And I, though I may be ill-fated, don’t deserve this. Because of the three of us, even if you want to die Heaven won’t allow it! So just rest quietly for four or five days till you’re over this chill and your vital forces are restored; then this disorder will naturally disappear.”

  This silenced Baoyu for some minutes. Then he sniggered, “You stopped talking to me for so long, why start haranguing me now?”

  “Let me tell you the truth,” she continued. “While you were in a coma for two days Cousin Lin died.”

  He sat up abruptly.

  “Is that true?” he demanded.

  “Of course it is. I wouldn’t say such a fearful thing if it wasn’t. The old lady and your mother, knowing how fond of her you were, were afraid the news would kill you too. That’s why they didn’t tell you.”

  Baoyu burst out sobbing and fell back on his pillows. All before him was black and he could not make out where he was. He was feeling lost when he saw a figure approaching.

  “Excuse me,” he blurted out. “What is this place?”

  “The way to Hell,” was the answer. “But what are you doing here? Your span of life has not ended.”