by Cao Xueqin
Xifeng was now so delirious that her maids set up a great wailing which drew Qiaojie to the room. Granny Liu also hastened to the kang, to invoke Buddha and mutter incantations till Xifeng grew slightly calmer. Then Lady Wang arrived, alerted by one of the maids, and was relieved to find Xifeng quieter. Greeting Granny Liu, she asked when she had come; but after paying her respects the old woman could talk of nothing except Xifeng’s illness.
Then Caiyun came in to report, “The master wants you, madam.” So after giving Pinger a few instructions Lady Wang went away.
Xifeng had come to her senses now. At the sight of Granny Liu, whose prayers she had faith in, she sent her maids away and asked the old woman to sit beside her. Told of her qualms and the ghosts she had seen, Granny Liu assured her that the Buddhist deities in her village temple could work miracles.
“Please offer prayers for me!” begged Xifeng. “If you need money for a sacrifice, I have some.” She slipped off a golden bracelet and held it out to her.
“There’s no call for this, madam. When we villagers recover after making pledges, we just spend a few hundred coppers. What need is there for all this? I shall pray for you and make some pledge, and once you’re better you can spend as much as you like.”
Aware that she was in earnest, Xifeng could not insist. “Granny, my life is in your hands!” she said. “And my little Qiaojie is always ailing too; I entrust her to you as well.”
Granny Liu assented readily and proposed, “In this case, as it’s still early, I’ll go back now. When you recover, madam, you can go to thank the gods.”
Haunted by the ghosts of those she had wronged, Xifeng in her terror was eager for her to set off. “If you’ll do this for me so that I can have a good night’s sleep, I’ll be very grateful,” she said. “You can leave your grand-daughter here.”
“She’s a country girl with no manners, and may make trouble. I’d better take her back with me.”
“Don’t worry about that. We’re all one family, so what does it matter? Though we’re poor now, one extra mouth to feed is nothing.”
Seeing that Xifeng meant this, Granny Liu wanted to leave Qinger for a few days to save them food at home; but she did not know whether the child would be willing. She decided to sound her out and questioned her. Qinger was now on such good terms with Qiaojie that they were reluctant to part; so Granny Liu, having given her some instructions, said goodbye to Pinger and went with all speed out of town. Enough of this.
Now Green Lattice Nunnery belonged to the Jia family but had been incorporated into the Garden built for the Imperial Consort’s visit home. However, it had its own income and needed no allowance from the Jia Mansion. After the nuns had notified the police of Miaoyu’s abduction, they did not like to leave until the thieves were arrested and they knew what had happened to their mistress. They simply reported the business to the Jia Mansion.
But though the Jia family stewards all knew of the kidnapping, they thought it too trifling a matter with which to trouble Jia Zheng now that he was in mourning and disturbed in his mind. Xichun was the only one who fretted day and night because of this. Before long, however, the news reached Baoyu’s ears and it was insinuated that, tempted by desire, Miaoyu had run off with some man. “She must have been kidnapped,” he told himself. “As it wasn’t in her nature to submit, she must have died resisting.” In the absence of news of Miaoyu he kept brooding.
“She used to call herself the ‘one outside the threshold.’ How could a chaste girl like that come to such an end?” he wondered. “How lively we were in the old days in the Garden! After my second sister’s marriage, though, all the girls died or were married off. I thought she at least, unsullied by dust, would stay here; yet this sudden storm carried her off even more unexpectedly than Cousin Lin.” His thoughts wandering, he recalled Zhuang Zi’s saying about the illusory nature of life and felt that men were born to drift with the wind and scatter like clouds. He burst out weeping. Xiren and the rest thought he was deranged again and tried in every way to comfort him.
At first Baochai reasoned with him too, not understanding his distress. But Baoyu went on moping, his mind wandering. In her perplexity she made inquiries, and when she heard that Miaoyu had been kidnapped and vanished without a trace that upset her too. Still, to counteract Baoyu’s depression she lectured him, “Though Lan hasn’t gone back to school I hear he’s studying hard day and night. He’s the old lady’s great-grandson. The old lady always hoped that you, her grandson, would do well; and the master worries about you all the time. If because of some whimsy you ruin your health, what’s to become of us all?”
Baoyu did not know how to answer. After a while he said, “Why should I worry about other people? What upsets me is the decline in our family fortune.”
“There you are!” she cried. “Your parents want you to do well so as to carry on the family line. If you stick to your silly ways what good will come of it?”
Put out by this, Baoyu laid his head on his desk as if to sleep. Ignoring his sulkiness, Baochai told Sheyue and the other maids to keep an eye on him while she went to bed.
When he was alone in the room it occurred to Baoyu, “I’ve never had a heart-to-heart talk with Zijuan since she came here and feel bad the way I’ve cold-shouldered her, especially as she’s not like Sheyue and Qiuwen whom I can keep in their place. I remember how she kept me company all that time while I was ill, and I still have that little mirror of hers—she was really good to me then. But now for some reason or other she’s treating me coldly. It can hardly be because of Baochai, who was good friends with Cousin Lin and who isn’t bad to Zijuan either. When I’m out, Zijuan chats quite happily with her; but as soon as I come in she goes away. I suppose it must be because after Cousin Lin died I got married. Ah, Zijuan, Zijuan! Can’t an intelligent girl like you understand how wretched I am?” It struck him then, “They’re sleeping or doing needlework this evening: here’s my chance to go and find her. I’ll sound her out. If I’ve offended her I’ll beg her pardon.” His mind made up, he slipped out to look for Zijuan.
Zijuan’s room was on the west side of the courtyard. Tiptoeing up to her window, Baoyu saw that there was still a light inside. He licked the window-paper and, peeping through the hole made in this way, saw Zijuan sitting all alone in the lamplight. She was doing nothing, lost in thought.
“Sister Zijuan,” he called softly. “Aren’t you asleep yet?”
Zijuan gave a start then sat as if stunned. “Who is it?” she finally asked.
“It’s me.”
“Is it Master Bao?” she asked, recognizing his voice. “Yes,” he answered softly. “What do you want?”
“I’ve something to tell you in private. Please let me in.” After a pause she replied, “If you’ve something to tell me, young master, please wait until tomorrow. It’s late now; you’d better go back.”
This sent a chill down Baoyu’s spine. He knew Zijuan was unlikely to let him in, yet if he were to go back now he would feel even worse after her rebuff.
T haven’t much to say,” he faltered. “I just want to ask you one question.”
“Well then, out with it.”
But for a long time he said nothing.
When he remained silent, Zijuan inside was afraid that by snubbing him she had unhinged him again. She stood up and listened carefully, then asked, “Have you gone or are you standing stupidly there? If you’ve something to say, fire away. You’ve already goaded one to death; is it my turn now? Isn’t this futile?”
She peeped through the hole he had made in the window-paper and saw Baoyu standing there woodenly listening. In silence then she turned to trim the lamp.
Baoyu sighed, “Sister Zijuan! You used not to be so hard-hearted. How is it that nowadays you won’t even say a single kind word to me? Of course I’m a lout, beneath your notice; but I do wish you’d tell me what I’ve done wrong so that even if you ignore me from now on I shall at least die knowing why.”
“Is that all,
young master?” she asked sarcastically. “Have you nothing else to say? If this is all, I tired of hearing it when my young lady was alive. If we do anything wrong, I was sent here by Her Ladyship and you can report me to her. What are we bondmaids anyway but slaves?” She broke off, choking, here and blew her nose.
Baoyu outside realized that she was weeping and stamped in desperation. “How can you say such things!” he cried. “After all these months here, surely you understand me? If no one else will tell you how I feel, won’t you let me explain? Do you want me to die of frustration?” He started sobbing too.
As Baoyu was blubbering, someone behind him remarked, “Who do you want to tell her for you? Whose slaves are we anyway? If you’ve offended her, it’s up to you to apologize. Whether she’ll accept your apologies or not is up to her. Why shift the blame to people like us who aren’t involved?”
The two of them, one inside one outside, started. It was Sheyue. Her intervention embarrassed Baoyu.
“Well, what’s going on?” Sheyue continued. “Here’s one making apologies and one ignoring him. Hurry up and plead with her! Ai! Our sister Zijuan is too cruel. It’s freezing outside, and he’s begged you so long, yet you show no sign of relenting.” Then she told Baoyu, “Just now our mistress remarked that it’s rather late and she wondered where you were. Why are you standing here all alone under the eaves?”
“Yes, what’s the idea?” called Zijuan from her room. “I asked the young master to go back. If he has something to say it can wait till tomorrow. This is so pointless!”
Baoyu still wanted to speak, but not in front of Sheyue. So he had to go back with her, telling himself, “Confound it! I shall never as long as I live be able to bare my heart. Only Old Man Heaven understands me!” His tears fell like rain.
“Take my advice, young master, and give up,” Sheyue said. “You’re crying for nothing.”
Baoyu did not answer but went into his room where he saw that Baochai was pretending to be asleep.
Xiren however scolded, “If you have something to say, can’t you wait till tomorrow? Why rush there to make such a scene? What if... “She left this sentence unfinished. Presently she asked, “Are you feeling all right?”
When Baoyu said nothing and simply shook his head, she helped him to bed. But naturally he passed a sleepless night.
After being provoked and further upset by Baoyu, Zijuan wept the whole night long. She thought, “It’s common knowledge that Baoyu got married when he was out of his mind, and they tricked him into it. Later he came to his senses but then fell ill again and often wept with longing—it’s not as if he were heartless. The feeling he showed today was really touching. What a pity our Miss Lin didn’t have the good fortune to marry him! This shows that everybody’s fate is predestined. Right up to the end they cherish foolish fancies; then when the blow strikes and there’s no help for it, blockheads let it go at that while sensitive souls can only shed tears and lament to the breeze or moon. The dead may have no consciousness but, alas, there is truly no end to the anguish of the living. So it seems we are worse off than rocks or plants which can rest at peace, having no knowledge or feeling.”
This reflection eased her, chilling her fevered passions, and she was getting ready to sleep when a clamour broke out in the eastern courtyard. To know its cause, read the next chapter.
Chapter 114
Xifeng Has Hallucinations and Goes Back to Jinling
Zhen Yingjia, Pardoned by the Emperor, Returns to Court
When Baoyu and Baochai heard that Xifeng was mortally ill, they hastily got up and the maids brought in candles to wait on them. They were on the point of leaving when some of Lady Wang’s servants arrived to report, “Madam Lian is in a bad way, but not yet at her last gasp. The second master and mistress had better not go there just yet. “There is something very strange about her illness, for she has been delirious since midnight, calling for a boat and sedan-chair so that she can hurry back to Jinling to fill in some register. Nobody knows what she means, and she keeps on crying and wailing. So Master Lian has had to order a paper boat and paper chair for her. They haven’t been delivered yet, and Madam Lian is still waiting, panting for breath. Her Ladyship sent us to tell you not to go over till she has passed away.”
“That’s odd!” exclaimed Baoyu. “Why should she go to Jinling?”
Xiren reminded him softly, “I seem to remember you had a dream one year about some registers, didn’t you? Perhaps that’s where she’s going.”
He nodded. “That’s right. It’s a pity I can’t remember what was written there. It goes to show that all mortals’ fates are predestined. But where can Cousin Lin have gone, I wonder? Now that you’ve reminded me, I feel I have an inkling. If I ever have that dream again I must read those registers carefully so as to be able to foretell the future.”
“You’re impossible to talk to!” protested Xiren. “How can you take a casual remark of mine so seriously? Even if you were able to foresee the future, what could you do about it?”
“I’m afraid it’s out of the question. But if I knew in advance I wouldn’t have to worry about you all.”
Baochai came over at this point to ask, “What are you two discussing?”
Not wanting her to question him Baoyu said, “We were talking about Cousin Xifeng.”
“Why gossip about somebody who’s dying? In the past you blamed me for putting a jinx on people, but that prediction came true, didn’t it?”
Recalling the incident Baoyu clapped his hands. “Quite right, quite right!” he exclaimed. “So you can predict the future. In that case let me ask you to tell my fortune.”
“What nonsense!” Baochai laughed. “I simply guessed at what the oracle meant. How can you take it seriously? You’re as bad as my second sister-in-law. When you lost your jade, she asked Miaoyu to consult the planchette; and when nobody could understand what it wrote she assured me secretly that Miaoyu could foretell the future and had attained enlightenment. How is it, then, that Miaoyu didn’t know of the terrible thing that has happened to her now? Can this count as foretelling the future? Even if I hit upon the truth about Xifeng, I didn’t really know what was going to happen to her. I don’t even know what’s going to happen to me, so how can I tell about you? All such auguries are bogus. How can you believe in them?”
“Never mind her. Let’s talk about Cousin Xing,” he said. “What with one trouble after another here, we’ve forgotten about her marriage. It was such an important event in your family, how could you handle it so sloppily, not even inviting relatives and friends?”
“You’re wide of the mark again. Our closest relatives are your family and the Wangs. There are no respectable Wangs left now, and we couldn’t invite people from this house just after the old lady’s funeral; so only cousin Lian helped out a little. Of course a few other relatives attended, but since you didn’t go you didn’t know that. My second sister-in-law’s fate seems rather like mine. When she was betrothed to my cousin Ke, mother meant to hold the wedding in style; but with Pan in prison Ke didn’t want a big show, and then there was that trouble in our house. However, Cousin Xing was having a thin time of it with the Elder Mistress, the more so as their property had been confiscated; and she found it hard to put up with Lady Xing’s harshness. That’s why I asked mother to hold the wedding—but to do it quietly. Now she seems quite contented and very dutiful to my mother too, ten times better than her real daughter-in-law ever was. She makes an excellent wife for Cousin Ke and is good to Xiangling as well. When he’s away the two of them get on famously together. So though our family is poorer now, mother feels quite comfortable these days and only grieves whenever she thinks of Pan. Besides, he keeps sending home for money, and it’s Ke who copes by raising cash outside. I hear that all but one of our houses in towns are mortgaged, and they’re planning to move over there.”
“Why move house?” asked Baoyu. “With them here, it’s more convenient for you to drop in. If she moves far away a visit will take
a whole day.”
“Even though we are mother and daughter, it’s still better for each to have her own establishment. How can she stay with relatives all her life?”
Baoyu was about to dispute this when Lady Wang sent a maid to announce, “Madam Lian has breathed her last and everyone’s gone over there. Her Ladyship wants the young master and young mistress to go too now.”
Hearing this Baoyu stamped his foot, on the verge of tears. Baochai although upset too tried to restrain him.
“Why mourn here?” she demurred. “We’d better go over.” They went straight to Xifeng’s quarters, and found many mourners assembled there. When Baochai saw Xifeng already laid out, she gave way to loud weeping. Baoyu, taking Jia Lian’s hand, sobbed bitterly; and Jia Lian too wailed again. As there was no one else present to remonstrate, Pinger stepped forward sadly to urge them to desist; but still they went on lamenting.
Jia Lian, unable to cope, summoned Lai Da and told him to see to the funeral, then reported this to Jia Zheng and obtained his approval. But having little money in hand, he was hard put to it. The thought of Xifeng’s help in the past increased his wretchedness; and the sight of Qiaojie beside herself with grief made his heart ache even more. He wept till dawn, then sent to ask Xifeng’s brother Wang Ren to come over.
Since the death of Wang Ziteng, as Wang Zisheng was so incompetent Wang Ren had done as he pleased and alienated all his relatives. When he heard of his younger sister’s death he had to come and mourn; but the shabby way things were being done provoked him.
“My sister worked hard for years running your household, and did nothing wrong,” he said. “So your family ought to take her funeral seriously. Why is nothing ready yet?”
Jia Lian who had never liked him ignored this foolish, injudicious talk. Then Wang Ren called Qiaojie over.
“When your mother was alive,” he said, “she neglected some of her duties and was so set on pleasing the old lady that she paid very little attention to us. Now, niece, you are growing up. Have you ever seen me take any advantage of your family? Now that your mother’s dead you must be guided in everything by your second grand-uncle and me— we’re your only kinsmen left in her family. I know what your father is like: all he cares about is other people. That year his concubine You died, although I wasn’t in the capital I heard you spent pots of money; yet now that your mother’s dead he’s skimping things like this. Why don’t you protest?”