Dowager lady Chia, née Shih, does away with rotten old customs.
Wang Hsi-feng imitates in jest (the dutiful son), by getting herself
up in gaudy theatrical clothes.
Chia Chen and Chia Lien had, we will now explain, secretly got ready
large baskets of cash, so the moment they heard old lady Chia utter the
word 'tip,' they promptly bade the pages be quick and fling the money.
The noise of the cash, running on every side of the stage, was all that
fell on the ear. Dowager lady Chia thoroughly enjoyed it.
The two men then rose to their feet. The pages hastened to lay hold of
a silver kettle, newly brought in with fresh wine, and to deposit it in
Chia Lien's hands, who followed Chia Chen with quick step into the
inner rooms. Chia Chen advanced first up to 'sister-in-law' Li's table,
and curtseying, he raised her cup, and turned round, whereupon Chia
Lien quickly filled it to the brim. Next they approached Mrs. Hsüeh's
table, and they also replenished her cup.
These two ladies lost no time in standing up, and smilingly
expostulating. "Gentlemen," they said, "please take your seats. What's
the use of standing on such ceremonies?"
But presently every one, with the exception of the two ladies Mesdames
Hsing and Wang, quitted the banquet and dropping their arms against
their bodies they stood on one side. Chia Chen and his companion then
drew near dowager lady Chia's couch. But the couch was so low that they
had to stoop on their knees. Chia Chen was in front, and presented the
cup. Chia Lien was behind, and held the kettle up to her. But
notwithstanding that only these two offered her wine, Chia Tsung and
the other young men followed them closely in the order of their age and
grade; so the moment they saw them kneel, they immediately threw
themselves on their knees. Pao-yü too prostrated himself at once.
Hsiang-yün stealthily gave him a push. "What's the use of your now
following their lead again and falling on your knees?" she said. "But
since you behave like this, wouldn't it be well if you also went and
poured wine all round?"
Pao-yü laughed. "Hold on a bit," he rejoined in a low tone, "and I'll
go and do so."
So speaking, he waited until his two relatives had finished pouring the
wine and risen to their feet, when he also went and replenished the
cups of Mesdames Wang and Hsing.
"What about the young ladies?" Chia Chen smilingly asked.
"You people had better be going," old lady Chia and the other ladies
unanimously observed. "They'll, then, be more at their ease."
At this hint Chia Chen and his companions eventually withdrew. The
second watch had not, at the time, yet gone. The play that was being
sung was: 'The eight worthies look at the lanterns,' consisting of
eight acts; and had now reached a sensational part.
Pao-yü at this stage left the feast and was going out. "Where are you
off to?" inquired his grandmother Chia. "The crackers outside are
dreadful. Mind, the lighted pieces of paper falling from above might
burn you."
Pao-yü smiled. "I'm not going far," he answered. "I'm merely going out
of the room, and will be back at once."
Dowager lady Chia directed the matrons to "be careful and escort him."
Pao-yü forthwith sallied out; with no other attendants however than She
Yüeh, Ch'iu Wen and several youthful maids.
"How is it," his grandmother Chia felt obliged so ask, "that I don't
see anything of Hsi Jen? Is she too now putting on high and mighty airs
that she only sends these juvenile girls here?"
Madame Wang rose to her feet with all haste. "Her mother," she
explained, "died the other day; so being in deep mourning, she couldn't
very well present herself."
Dowager lady Chia nodded her head assentingly. "When one is in
service," she smilingly remarked, "there should be no question of
mourning or no mourning. Is it likely that, if she were still in my
pay, she wouldn't at present be here? All these practices have quite
become precedents!"
Lady Feng crossed over to her. "Had she even not been in mourning
to-night," she chimed in with a laugh, "she would have had to be in the
garden and keep an eye over that pile of lanterns, candles, and
fireworks, as they're most dangerous things. For as soon as any
theatricals are set on foot in here, who doesn't surreptitiously sneak
out from the garden to have a look? But as far as she goes, she's
diligent, and careful of every place. Moreover, when the company
disperses and brother Pao-yü retires to sleep, everything will be in
perfect readiness. But, had she also come, that bevy of servants
wouldn't again have cared a straw for anything; and on his return,
after the party, the bedding would have been cold, the tea-water
wouldn't have been ready, and he would have had to put up with every
sort of discomfort. That's why I told her that there was no need for
her to come. But should you, dear senior, wish her here, I'll send for
her straightway and have done."
Old lady Chia lent an ear to her arguments. "What you say," she
promptly put in, "is perfectly right. You've made better arrangements
than I could. Quick, don't send for her! But when did her mother die?
How is it I know nothing about it?"
"Some time ago," lady Feng laughed, "Hsi Jen came in person and told
you, worthy ancestor, and how is it you've forgotten it?"
"Yes," resumed dowager lady Chia smiling, after some reflection, "I
remember now. My memory is really not of the best."
At this, everybody gave way to laughter. "How could your venerable
ladyship," they said, "recollect so many matters?"
Dowager lady Chia thereupon heaved a sigh. "How I remember," she added,
"the way she served me ever since her youth up; and how she waited upon
Yün Erh also; how at last she was given to that prince of devils, and
how she has slaved away with that imp for the last few years. She is,
besides, not a slave-girl, born or bred in the place. Nor has she ever
received any great benefits from our hands. When her mother died, I
meant to have given her several taels for her burial; but it quite
slipped from my mind."
"The other day," lady Feng remarked, "Madame Wang presented her with
forty taels; so that was all right."
At these words, old lady Chia nodded assent. "Yes, never mind about
that," she observed. "Yuan Yang's mother also died, as it happens, the
other day; but taking into consideration that both her parents lived in
the south, I didn't let her return home to observe a period of
mourning. But as both these girls are now in mourning, why not allow
them to live together? They'll thus be able to keep each other company.
Take a few fruits, eatables, and other such things," continuing she
bade a matron, "and give them to those two girls to eat."
"Would she likely wait until now?" Hu Po laughingly interposed. "Why,
she joined (Hsi Jen) long ago."
In the course of this conversation, the various inmates partook of some
more wine, and watched the theatricals.
But we will now turn our attention to Pao-yü. He made his way straight
into the garden. The matrons saw well enough that he was returning to
his rooms, but instead of following him in, they ensconced themselves
near the fire in the tea-room situated by the garden-gate, and made the
best of the time by drinking and playing cards with the girls in charge
of the tea. Pao-yü entered the court. The lanterns burnt brightly, yet
not a human voice was audible. "Have they all, forsooth, gone to
sleep?" She Yüeh ventured. "Let's walk in gently, and give them a
fright!"
Presently, they stepped, on tiptoe, past the mirrored partition-wall.
At a glance, they discerned Hsi Jen lying on the stove-couch, face to
face with some other girl. On the opposite side sat two or three old
nurses nodding, half asleep. Pao-yü conjectured that both the girls
were plunged in sleep, and was just about to enter, when of a sudden
some one was heard to heave a sigh and to say: "How evident it is that
worldly matters are very uncertain! Here you lived all alone in here,
while your father and mother tarried abroad, and roamed year after year
from east to west, without any fixed place of abode. I ever thought
that you wouldn't have been able to be with them at their last moments;
but, as it happened, (your mother) died in this place this year, and
you could, after all, stand by her to the end."
"Quite so!" rejoined Hsi Jen. "Even I little expected to be able to see
any of my parents' funeral. When I broke the news to our Madame Wang,
she also gave me forty taels. This was really a kind attention on her
part. I hadn't nevertheless presumed to indulge in any vain hopes."
Pao-yü overheard what was said. Hastily twisting himself round, he
remarked in a low voice, addressing himself to She Yüeh and her
companions: "Who would have fancied her also in here? But were I to
enter, she'll bolt away in another tantrum! Better then that we should
retrace our steps, and let them quietly have a chat together, eh? Hsi
Jen was alone, and down in the mouth, so it's a fortunate thing that
she joined her in such good time."
As he spoke, they once more walked out of the court with gentle tread.
Pao-yü went to the back of the rockery, and stopping short, he raised
his clothes. She Yüeh and Ch'iu Wen stood still, and turned their faces
away. "Stoop," they smiled, "and then loosen your clothes! Be careful
that the wind doesn't blow on your stomach!"
The two young maids, who followed behind, surmised that he was bent
upon satisfying a natural want, and they hurried ahead to the tea-room
to prepare the water.
Just, however, as Pao-yü was crossing over, two married women came in
sight, advancing from the opposite direction. "Who's there?" they
inquired.
"Pao-yü is here," Ch'ing Wen answered. "But mind, if you bawl and shout
like that, you'll give him a start."
The women promptly laughed. "We had no idea," they said, "that we were
coming, at a great festive time like this, to bring trouble upon
ourselves! What a lot of hard work must day after day fall to your
share, young ladies."
Speaking the while, they drew near. She Yüeh and her friends then asked
them what they were holding in their hands.
"We're taking over," they replied, "some things to the two girls: Miss
Chin and Miss Hua."
"They're still singing the 'Eight Worthies' outside," She Yüeh went on
to observe laughingly, "and how is it you're running again to Miss
Chin's and Miss Hua's before the 'Trouble-first moon-box' has been gone
through?"
"Take the lid off," Pao-yü cried, "and let me see what there's inside."
Ch'in Wen and She Yüeh at once approached and uncovered the boxes. The
two women promptly stooped, which enabled Pao-yü to see that the
contents of the two boxes consisted alike of some of the finest fruits
and tea-cakes, which had figured at the banquet, and, nodding his head,
he walked off, while She Yüeh and her friend speedily threw the lids
down anyhow, and followed in his track.
"Those two dames are pleasant enough," Pao-yü smiled, "and they know
how to speak decently; but it's they who get quite worn out every day,
and they contrariwise say that you've got ample to do daily. Now,
doesn't this amount to bragging and boasting?"
"Those two women," She Yüeh chimed in, "are not bad. But such of them
as don't know what good manners mean are ignorant to a degree of all
propriety."
"You, who know what's what," Pao-yü added, "should make allowances for
that kind of rustic people. You should pity them; that's all."
Speaking, he made his exit out of the garden gate. The matrons had,
though engaged in drinking and gambling, kept incessantly stepping out
of doors to furtively keep an eye on his movements, so that the moment
they perceived Pao-yü appear, they followed him in a body. On their
arrival in the covered passage of the reception-hall, they espied two
young waiting-maids; the one with a small basin in her hand; the other
with a towel thrown over her arm. They also held a bowl and small
kettle, and had been waiting in that passage for ever so long.
Ch'iu Wen was the first to hastily stretch out her hand and test the
water. "The older you grow," she cried, "the denser you get! How could
one ever use this icy-cold water?"
"Miss, look at the weather!" the young maid replied. "I was afraid the
water would get cold. It was really scalding; is it cold now?"
While she made this rejoinder, an old matron was, by a strange
coincidence, seen coming along, carrying a jug of hot water. "Dear
dame," shouted the young maid, "come over and pour some for me in
here!"
"My dear girl," the matron responded, "this is for our old mistress to
brew tea with. I'll tell you what; you'd better go and fetch some
yourself. Are you perchance afraid lest your feet might grow bigger by
walking?"
"I don't care whose it is," Ch'iu Wen put in. "If you don't give me
any,
I shall certainly empty our old lady's teapot and wash my hands."
The old matron turned her head; and, catching sight of Ch'iu Wen, she
there and then raised the jug and poured some of the water.
"That will do!" exclaimed Ch'iu Wen. "With all your years, don't you
yet know what's what? Who isn't aware that it's for our old mistress?
But would one presume to ask for what shouldn't be asked for?"
"My eyes are so dim," the matron rejoined with a smile, "that I didn't
recognise this young lady."
When Pao-yü had washed his hands, the young maid took the small jug and
filled the bowl; and, as she held it in her hand, Pao-yü rinsed his
mouth. But Ch'iu Wen and She Yüeh availed themselves likewise of the
warm water to have a wash; after which, they followed Pao-yü in.
Pao-yü at once asked for a kettle of warm wine, and, starting from
sister-in-law Li, he began to replenish their cups. (Sister-in-law Li
and his aunt Hsüeh) pressed him, however, with smiling faces, to take a
seat; but his grandmother Chia remonstrated. "He's only a youngster,"
she said, "so let him pour the wine! We must all drain this cup!"
With these words, she quaffed her own cup, leaving no heel-taps.
Mesdames Hsing and Wang also lost no time in emptying theirs; so Mrs.
Hsüeh and 'sister-in-law' Li had no alternative but to drain their
share.
"Fill the cups too of your female cousins, senior or junior," dowager
lady Chia went on to tell Pao-yü. "And you mayn't pour the wine anyhow.
Each of you must swallow every drop of your drinks."
Pao-yü upon hearing her wishes, set to work, while signifying his
assent, to replenish the cups of the several young ladies in their
proper gradation. But when he got to Tai-yü, she raised the cup, for
she would not drink any wine herself, and applied it to Pao-yü's lips.
Pao-yü drained the contents with one breath; upon which Tai-yü gave him
a smile, and said to him: "I am much obliged to you."
Pao-yü next poured a cup for her. But lady Feng immediately laughed and
expostulated. "Pao-yü!" she cried, "you mustn't take any cold wine.
Mind, your hand will tremble, and you won't be able to-morrow to write
your characters or to draw the bow."
"I'm not having any cold wine," Pao-yü replied.
"I know you're not," lady Feng smiled, "but I simply warn you."
After this, Pao-yü finished helping the rest of the inmates inside,
with the exception of Chia Jung's wife, for whom he bade a maid fill a
cup. Then emerging again into the covered passage, he replenished the
cups of Chia Chen and his companions; after which, he tarried with them
for a while, and at last walked in and resumed his former seat.
Presently, the soup was brought, and soon after that the 'feast of
lanterns' cakes were handed round.
Dowager lady Chia gave orders that the play should be interrupted for a
time. "Those young people," (she said) "are be to pitied! Let them too
have some hot soup and warm viands. They then can go on again. Take of
every kind of fruit," she continued, "'feast of lanterns' cakes, and
other such dainties and give them a few."
The play was shortly stopped. The matrons ushered in a couple of blind
singing-girls, who often came to the house, and put two benches, on the
opposite side, for them. Old lady Chia desired them to take a seat, and
banjos and guitars were then handed to them.
"What stories would you like to hear?" old lady Chia inquired of
'sister-in-law' Li and Mrs. Hsüeh.
"We don't care what they are;" both of them rejoined with one voice.
"Any will do!"
"Have you of late added any new stories to your stock?" old lady Chia
asked.
"We've got a new story," the two girls explained. "It's about an old
affair of the time of the Five Dynasties, which trod down the T'ang
dynasty."
"What's its title?" old lady Chia inquired.
"It's called: 'A Feng seeks a Luan in marriage': (the male phoenix asks
the female phoenix in marriage)," one of the girls answered.
"The title is all very well," dowager lady Chia proceeded, "but why I
wonder was it ever given to it. First tell us its general purport, and
if it's interesting, you can continue."
"This story," the girl explained, "treats of the time when the T'ang
dynasty was extinguished. There lived then one of the gentry, who had
originally been a denizen of Chin Ling. His name was Wang Chun. He had
been minister under two reigns. He had, about this time, pleaded old
age and returned to his home. He had about his knees only one son,
called Wang Hsi-feng."
When the company heard so far, they began to laugh.
"Now isn't this a duplicate of our girl Feng's name?" old lady Chia
laughingly exclaimed.
A married woman hurried up and pushed (the girl). "That's the name of
your lady Secunda," she said, "so don't use it quite so heedlessly!"
"Go on with your story!" dowager lady Chia shouted.
The girl speedily stood up, smiling the while. "We do deserve death!"
she observed. "We weren't aware that it was our lady's worthy name."
"Why should you be in such fear and trembling?" lady Feng laughed. "Go
on! There are many duplicate names and duplicate surnames."
The girl then proceeded with her story. "In a certain year," she
resumed, "his honour old Mr. Wang saw his son Mr. Wang off for the
capital to be in time for the examinations. One day, he was overtaken
by a heavy shower of rain and he betook himself into a village for
shelter. Who'd have thought it, there lived in this village, one of the
gentry, of the name of Li, who had been an old friend of his honour old
Mr. Wang, and he kept Mr. Wang junior to put up in his library. This
Mr. Li had no son, but only a daughter. This young daughter's worthy
name was Ch'u Luan. She could perform on the lute; she could play
chess; and she had a knowledge of books and of painting. There was
nothing that she did not understand."
Old lady Chia eagerly chimed in. "It's no wonder," she said, "that the
story has been called: 'A Feng seeks a Luan in marriage,' '(a male
phoenix seeks a female phoenix in marriage).' But you needn't proceed.
I've already guessed the denouement. There's no doubt that Wang
Hsi-feng asks for the hand of this Miss Ch'u Luan."
"Your venerable ladyship must really have heard the story before," the
singing-girl smiled.
"What hasn't our worthy senior heard?" they all exclaimed. "But she's
quick enough in guessing even unheard of things."
"All these stories run invariably in one line," old lady Chia
laughingly rejoined. "They're all about pretty girls and scholars.
There's no fun in them. They abuse people's daughters in every possible
way, and then they still term them nice pretty girls. They're so
concocted that there's not even a semblance of truth in them. From the
very first, they canvass the families of the gentry. If the
paterfamilias isn't a president of a board; then he's made a minister.
The heroine is bound to be as lovable as a gem. This young lady is sure
to understand all about letters, and propriety. She knows every thing
and is, in a word, a peerless beauty. At the sight of a handsome young
man, she pays no heed as to whether he be relation or friend, but
begins to entertain thoughts of the primary affair of her life, and
forgets her parents and sets her books on one side. She behaves as
neither devil nor thief would: so in what respect does she resemble a
nice pretty girl? Were even her brain full of learning, she couldn't be
accounted a nice pretty girl, after behaving in this manner! Just like
a young fellow, whose mind is well stored with book-lore, and who goes
and plays the robber! Now is it likely that the imperial laws would
look upon him as a man of parts, and that they wouldn't bring against
him some charge of robbery? From this it's evident that those, who
fabricate these stories, contradict themselves. Besides, they may, it's
true, say that the heroines belong to great families of official and
literary status, that they're conversant with propriety and learning
and that their honourable mothers too understand books and good
manners, but great households like theirs must, in spite of the parents
having pleaded old age and returned to their natives places, contain a
great number of inmates; and the nurses, maids and attendants on these
young ladies must also be many; and how is it then that, whenever these
stories make reference to such matters, one only hears of young ladies
with but a single close attendant? What can, think for yourselves, all
the other people be up to? Indeed, what is said before doesn't accord
with what comes afterwards. Isn't it so, eh?"
The party listened to her with much glee. "These criticisms of yours,
venerable ancestor," they said, "have laid bare every single
discrepancy."
"They have however their reasons," old lady Chia smilingly resumed.
"Among the writers of these stories, there are some, who begrudge
people's wealth and honours, or possibly those, who having solicited a
favour (of the wealthy and honorable), and not obtained the object,
upon which their wishes were set, have fabricated lies in order to
disparage people. There is moreover a certain class of persons, who
become so corrupted by the perusal of such tales that they are not
satisfied until they themselves pounce upon some nice pretty girl.
Hence is it that, for fun's sake, they devise all these yarns. But how
could such as they ever know the principle which prevails in official
and literary families? Not to speak of the various official and
literary families spoken about in these anecdotes, take now our own
immediate case as an instance. We're only such a middle class
household, and yet we've got none of those occurrences; so don't let
her go on spinning these endless yarns. We must on no account have any
of these stories told us! Why, even the maids themselves don't
understand any of this sort of language. I've been getting so old the
last few years, that I felt unawares quite melancholy whenever the
girls went to live far off, so my wont has been to have a few passages
recounted to me; but as soon as they got back, I at once put a stop to
these things."
'Sister-in-law' Li and Mrs. Hsüeh both laughed. "This is just the
rule," they said, "which should exist in great families. Not even in
our homes is any of this confused talk allowed to reach the ears of the
young people."
Lady Feng came forward and poured some wine. "Enough, that will do!"
she laughed. "The wine has got quite cold. My dear ancestor, do take a
sip and moisten your throat with, before you begin again to dilate on
falsehoods. What we've been having now can well be termed 'Record of a
discussion on falsehoods.' It has had its origin in this reign, in this
place, in this year, in this moon, on this day and at this very season.
But, venerable senior, you've only got one mouth, so you couldn't very
well simultaneously speak of two families. 'When two flowers open
together,' the proverb says, 'one person can only speak of one.' But
whether the stories be true or fictitious, don't let us say anything
more about them. Let's have the footlights put in order, and look at
the players. Dear senior, do let these two relatives have a glass of
wine and see a couple of plays; and you can then start arguing about
one dynasty after another. Eh, what do you say?"
Saying this, she poured the wine, laughing the while. But she had
scarcely done speaking before the whole company were convulsed with
laughter. The two singing girls were themselves unable to keep their
countenance.
"Lady Secunda," they both exclaimed, "what a sharp tongue you have!
Were your ladyship to take to story-telling, we really would have
nowhere to earn our rice."
"Don't be in such overflowing spirits," Mrs. Hsüeh laughed. "There are
people outside; this isn't like any ordinary occasion."
"There's only my senior brother-in-law Chen outside," lady Feng smiled.
"And we've been like brother and sister from our youth up. We've romped
and been up to every mischief to this age together. But all on account
of my marriage, I've had of late years to stand on ever so many
ceremonies. Why besides being like brother and sister from the time we
were small kids, he's anyhow my senior brother-in-law, and I his junior
sister-in-law. (One among) those twenty four dutiful sons, travestied
himself in theatrical costume (to amuse his parents), but those fellows
haven't sufficient spirit to come in some stage togs and try and make
you have a laugh, dear ancestor. I've however succeeded, after ever so
much exertion, in so diverting you as to induce you to eat a little
more than you would, and in putting everybody in good humour; and I
should be thanked by one and all of you; it's only right that I should.
But can it be that you will, on the contrary, poke fun at me?"
"I've truly not had a hearty laugh the last few days," old lady Chia
smiled, "but thanks to the funny things she recounted just now, I've
managed to get in somewhat better spirits in here. So I'll have another
cup of wine." Then having drunk her wine, "Pao-yü," she went on to say,
"come and present a cup to your sister-in-law!"
Lady Feng gave a smile. "There's no use for him to give me any wine,"
she ventured. "(I'll drink out of your cup,) so as to bring upon myself
your longevity, venerable ancestor."
While uttering this response, she raised dowager lady Chia's cup to her
lips, and drained the remaining half of the contents; after which, she
handed the cup to a waiting-maid, who took one from those which had
been rinsed with tepid water, and brought it to her. But in due course,
the cups from the various tables were cleared, and clean ones, washed
in warm water, were substituted; and when fresh wine had been served
round, (lady Feng and the maid) resumed their seats.
"Venerable lady," a singing-girl put in, "you don't like the stories we
tell; but may we thrum a song for you?"
"You two," remarked old lady Chia, "had better play a duet of the
'Chiang Chün ling' song: 'the general's command.'"
Hearing her wishes, the two girls promptly tuned their cords, to suit
the pitch of the song, and struck up on their guitars.
"What watch of the night is it?" old lady Chia at this point inquired.
"It's the third watch," the matrons replied with alacrity.
"No wonder it has got so chilly and damp!" old lady Chia added.
Extra clothes were accordingly soon fetched by the servants and maids.
Madame Wang speedily rose to her feet and forced a smile. "Venerable
senior," she said, "wouldn't it be prudent for you to move on to the
stove couch in the winter apartments? It would be as well. These two
relatives are no strangers. And if we entertain them, it will be all
right."
"Well, in that case," dowager lady Chia smilingly rejoined, "why
shouldn't the whole company adjourn inside? Wouldn't it be warmer for
us all?"
"I'm afraid there isn't enough sitting room for every one of us,"
Madame
Wang explained.
"I've got a plan," old lady Chia added. "We can now dispense with these
tables. All we need are two or three, placed side by side; we can then
sit in a group, and by bundling together it will be both sociable as
well as warm."
"Yes, this will be nice!" one and all cried.
Assenting, they forthwith rose from table. The married women hastened
to remove the debandade of the banquet. Then placing three large tables
lengthways side by side in the inner rooms, they went on to properly
arrange the fruits and viands, some of which had been replenished,
others changed.
"You must none of you stand on any ceremonies!" dowager lady Chia
observed. "If you just listen while I allot you your places, and sit
down accordingly, it will be all right!"
Continuing, she motioned to Mrs. Hsüeh and 'sister-in-law' Li to take
the upper seats on the side of honour, and, making herself comfortable
on the west, she bade the three cousins Pao-ch'in, Tai-yü and Hsian-yün
sit close to her on the left and on the right. "Pao-yü," she proceeded
"you must go next to your mother." So presently she put Pao-yü, and
Pao-ch'ai and the rest of the young ladies between Mesdames Hsing and
Wang. On the west, she placed, in proper gradation, dame Lou, along
with Chia Lan, and Mrs. Yu and Li Wan, with Chia Lan, (number two,)
between them. While she assigned a chair to Chia Jung's wife among the
lower seats, put crosswise. "Brother Chen," old lady Chia cried, "take
your cousins and be off! I'm also going to sleep in a little time."
Chia Chen and his associates speedily expressed their obedience, and
made, in a body, their appearance inside again to listen to any
injunctions she might have to give them.
"Bundle yourself away at once!" shouted dowager lady Chia. "You needn't
come in. We've just sat down, and you'll make us get up again. Go and
rest; be quick! To-morrow, there are to be some more grand doings!"
Chia Chen assented with alacrity. "But Jung Erh should remain to
replenish the cups," he smiled; "it's only fair that he should."
"Quite so!" answered old lady Chia laughingly. "I forgot all about
him."
"Yes!" acquiesced Chia Chen. Then twisting himself round, he led Chia
Lien and his companions out of the apartment.
(Chia Chen and Chia Lien) were, of course, both pleased at being able
to get away. So bidding the servants see Chia Tsung and Chia Huang to
their respective homes, (Chia Chen) arranged with Chia Lien to go in
pursuit of pleasure and in quest of fun. But we will now leave them to
their own devices without another word.
"I was just thinking," meanwhile dowager lady Chia laughed, "that it
would be well, although you people are numerous enough to enjoy
yourselves, to have a couple of great-grandchildren present at this
banquet, so Jung Erh now makes the full complement. But Jung Erh sit
near your wife, for she and you will then make the pair complete."
The wife of a domestic thereupon presented a play-bill.
"We, ladies," old lady Chia demurred, "are now chatting in high glee,
and are about to start a romp. Those young folks have, also, been
sitting up so far into the night that they must be quite cold, so let
the plays alone. Tell them then to have a rest. Yet call our own girls
to come and sing a couple of plays on this stage. They too will thus
have a chance of watching us a bit."
After lending an ear to her, the married women assented and quitted the
room. And immediately finding some servant to go to the garden of Broad
Vista and summon the girls, they betook themselves, at the same time,
as far as the second gate and called a few pages to wait on them.
The pages went with hurried step to the rooms reserved for the players,
and taking with them the various grown-up members of the company, they
only left the more youthful behind. Then fetching, in a little time,
Wen Kuan and a few other girls, twelve in all, from among the novices
in the Pear Fragrance court, they egressed by the corner gate leading
out of the covered passage. The matrons took soft bundles in their
arms, as their strength was not equal to carrying boxes. And under the
conviction that their old mistress would prefer plays of three or five
acts, they had put together the necessary theatrical costumes.
After Wen Kuan and the rest of the girls had been introduced into the
room by the matrons, they paid their obeisance, and, dropping their
arms against their sides, they stood reverentially.
"In this propitious first moon," old lady Chia smiled, "won't your
teacher let you come out for a stroll? What are you singing now? The
eight acts of the 'Eight worthies' recently sung here were so noisy,
that they made my head ache; so you'd better let us have something more
quiet. You must however bear in mind that Mrs. Hsüeh and Mrs. Li are
both people, who give theatricals, and have heard I don't know how many
fine plays. The young ladies here have seen better plays than our own
girls; and they have heard more beautiful songs than they. These
actresses, you see here now, formed once, despite their youth, part of
a company belonging to renowned families, fond of plays; and though
mere children, they excel any troupe composed of grown-up persons. So
whatever we do, don't let us say anything disparaging about them. But
we must now have something new. Tell Fang Kuan to sing us the 'Hsün
Meng' ballad; and let only flutes and Pandean pipes be used. The other
instruments can be dispensed with."
"Your venerable ladyship is quite right," Wen Kuan smiled. "Our acting
couldn't, certainly, suit the taste of such people as Mrs. Hsüeh, Mrs.
Li and the young ladies. Nevertheless, let them merely heed our
enunciation, and listen to our voices; that's all."
"Well said!" dowager lady Chia laughed.
'Sister-in-law' Li and Mrs. Hsüeh were filled with delight. "What a
sharp girl!" they remarked smilingly. "But do you also try to imitate
our old lady by pulling our leg?"
"They're intended to afford us some ready-at-hand recreation," old lady
Chia smiled. "Besides, they don't go out to earn money. That's how it
is they are not so much up to the times." At the close of this remark,
she also desired K'uei Kuan to sing the play: 'Hui Ming sends a
letter.' "You needn't," she added, "make your face up. Just sing this
couple of plays so as to merely let both those ladies hear a kind of
parody of them. But if you spare yourselves the least exertion, I shall
be unhappy."
When they heard this, Wen Kuan and her companions left the apartment
and promptly apparelled themselves and mounted the stage. First in
order, was sung the 'Hsün Meng;' next, '(Hui Ming) sends a letter;'
during which, everybody observed such perfect silence that not so much
as the caw of a crow fell on the ear.
"I've verily seen several hundreds of companies," Mrs. Hsüeh smiled,
"but never have I come across any that confined themselves to flutes."
"There are some," dowager lady Chia answered. "In fact, in that play
acted just now called: 'Love in the western tower at Ch'u Ch'iang,'
there's a good deal sung by young actors in unison with the flutes. But
lengthy unison pieces of this description are indeed few. This too,
however, is purely a matter of taste; there's nothing out of the way
about it. When I was of her age," resuming, she pointed at Hsiang-yün,
"her grandfather kept a troupe of young actresses. There was among them
one, who played the lute so efficiently that she performed the part
when the lute is heard in the 'Hsi Hsiang Chi,' the piece on the lute
in the 'Yü Ts'an Chi,' and that in the supplementary 'P'i Pa Chi,' on
the Mongol flageolet with the eighteen notes, in every way as if she
had been placed in the real circumstances herself. Yea, far better than
this!"
"This is still rarer a thing!" the inmates exclaimed.
Old lady Chia then shortly called the married women, and bade them tell
Wen Kúan and the other girls to use both wind and string instruments
and render the piece; 'At the feast of lanterns, the moon is round.'
The women servants received her orders and went to execute them. Chia
Jung and his wife meanwhile passed the wine round.
When lady Feng saw dowager lady Chia in most exuberant spirits, she
smiled. "Won't it be nice," she said, "to avail ourselves of the
presence of the singing girls to pass plum blossom round and have the
game of forfeits: 'Spring-happy eyebrow-corners-go-up,' eh?"
"That's a fine game of forfeits!" Old lady Chia cried, with a smile.
"It just suits the time of the year."
Orders were therefore given at once to fetch a forfeit drum, varnished
black, and ornamented with designs executed with copper tacks. When
brought, it was handed to the singing girls to put on the table and rap
on it. A twig of red plum blossom was then obtained. "The one in whose
hand it is when the drum stops," dowager lady Chia laughingly proposed,
"will have to drink a cup of wine, and to say something or other as
well."
"I'll tell you what," lady Feng interposed with a smile. "Who of us can
pit herself against you, dear ancestor, who have ever ready at hand
whatever you want to say? With the little use we are in this line,
won't there be an absolute lack of fun in our contributions? My idea is
that it would be nicer were something said that could be appreciated
both by the refined as well as the unrefined. So won't it be preferable
that the person, in whose hands the twig remains, when the drum stops,
should crack some joke or other?"
Every one, who heard her, was fully aware what a good hand she had
always been at witty things, and how she, more than any other, had an
inexhaustible supply of novel and amusing rules of forfeits, ever
stocked in her mind, so her suggestion not only gratified the various
inmates of the family seated at the banquet, but even filled the whole
posse of servants, both old and young, who stood in attendance below,
with intense delight. The young waiting-maids rushed with eagerness in
search of the young ladies and told them to come and listen to their
lady Secunda, who was on the point again of saying funny things. A
whole crowd of servant-girls anxiously pressed inside and crammed the
room. In a little time, the theatricals were brought to a close, and
the music was stopped. Dowager lady Chia had some soup, fine cakes and
fruits handed to Wen Kuan and her companions to regale themselves with,
and then gave orders to sound the drum. The singing-girls were both
experts, so now they beat fast; and now slow. Either slow like the
dripping of the remnants of water in a clepsydra. Or quick, as when
beans are being sown. Or with the velocity of the pace of a scared
horse, or that of the flash of a swift lightning. The sound of the drum
came to a standstill abruptly. The twig of plum blossom had just
reached old lady Chia, when by a strange coincidence, the rattle
ceased. Every one blurted out into a boisterous fit of laughter. Chia
Jung hastily approached and filled a cup. "It's only natural," they
laughingly cried, "that you venerable senior, should be the first to
get exhilarated; for then, thanks to you, we shall also come in for
some measure of good cheer."
"To gulp down this wine is an easy job," dowager lady smiled, "but to
crack jokes is somewhat difficult."
"Your jokes, dear ancestor, are even wittier than those of lady Feng,"
the party shouted, "so favour us with one, and let's have a laugh!"
"I've nothing out of the way to evoke laughter with," old lady Chia
smilingly answered. "Yet all that remains for me to do is to thicken
the skin of my antiquated phiz and come out with some joke. In a
certain family," she consequently went on to narrate, "there were ten
sons; these married ten wives. The tenth of these wives was, however,
so intelligent, sharp, quick of mind, and glib of tongue, that her
father and mother-in-law loved her best of all, and maintained from
morning to night that the other nine were not filial. These nine felt
much aggrieved and they accordingly took counsel together. 'We nine,'
they said, 'are filial enough at heart; the only thing is that that
shrew has the gift of the gab. That's why our father and mother-in-law
think her so perfect. But to whom can we go and confide our grievance?'
One of them was struck with an idea. 'Let's go to-morrow,' she
proposed, 'to the temple of the King of Hell and burn incense. We can
then tell the King our grudge and ask him how it was that, when he bade
us receive life and become human beings, he only conferred a glib
tongue on that vixen and that we were only allotted such blunt mouths?'
The eight listened to her plan, and were quite enraptured with it.
'This proposal is faultless!' they assented. On the next day, they sped
in a body to the temple of the God of Hell, and after burning incense,
the nine sisters-in-law slept under the altar, on which their offerings
were laid. Their nine spirits waited with the special purpose of seeing
the carriage of the King of Hell arrive; but they waited and waited,
and yet he did not come. They were just giving way to despair when they
espied Sun Hsing-che, (the god of monkeys), advancing on a rolling
cloud. He espied the nine spirits, and felt inclined to take a golden
rod and beat them. The nine spirits were plunged in terror. Hastily
they fell on their knees, and pleaded for mercy."
"'What are you up to?' Sun Hsing-che inquired."
"The nine women, with alacrity, told him all."
"After Sun Hsing-che had listened to their confidences, he stamped his
foot and heaved a sigh. 'Is that the case?' he asked. 'Well, it's lucky
enough you came across me, for had you waited for the God of Hell, he
wouldn't have known anything about it.'"
"At these assurances, the nine women gave way to entreaties. 'Great
saint,' they pleaded, 'if you were to display some commiseration, we
would be all right.'"
"Sun Hsing-che smiled. 'There's no difficulty in the way,' he observed.
'On the day on which you ten sisters-in-law came to life, I was, as
luck would have it, on a visit to the King of Hell's place. So I (saw)
him do something on the ground, and the junior sister-of-law of yours
lap it up. But if you now wish to become smart and sharp-tongued, the
remedy lies in water. If I too were therefore to do something, and you
to drink it, the desired effect will be attained.'"
At the close of her story, the company roared with laughter.
"Splendid!" shouted lady Feng. "But luckily we're all slow of tongue
and dull of intellect, otherwise, we too must have had the water of
monkeys to drink."
"Who among us here," Mrs. Yu and dame Lou smilingly remarked,
addressing themselves to Li Wan, "has tasted any monkey's water. So
don't sham ignorance of things!"
"A joke must hit the point to be amusing," Mrs. Hsüeh ventured.
But while she spoke, (the girls) began again to beat the drum. The
young maids were keen to hear lady Feng's jokes. They therefore
explained to the singing girls, in a confidential tone, that a cough
would be the given signal (for them to desist). In no time (the
blossom) was handed round on both sides. As soon as it came to lady
Feng, the young maids purposely gave a cough. The singing-girl at once
stopped short. "Now we've caught her!" shouted the party laughingly;
"drink your wine, be quick! And mind you tell something nice! But don't
make us laugh so heartily as to get stomachaches."
Lady Feng was lost in thought. Presently, she began with a smile. "A
certain household," she said, "was celebrating the first moon festival.
The entire family was enjoying the sight of the lanterns, and drinking
their wine. In real truth unusual excitement prevailed. There were
great grandmothers, grandmothers, daughters-in-law, grandsons' wives,
great grandsons, granddaughters, granddaughters-in-law, aunts'
granddaughters, cousins' granddaughters; and ai-yo-yo, there was verily
such a bustle and confusion!"
While minding her story, they laughed. "Listen to all this mean mouth
says!" they cried. "We wonder what other ramifications she won't
introduce!"
"If you want to bully me," Mrs. Yu smiled, "I'll tear that mouth of
yours to pieces."
Lady Feng rose to her feet and clapped her hands.
"One does all one can to rack one's brain," she smiled, "and here you
combine to do your utmost to confuse me! Well, if it is so, I won't go
on."
"Proceed with your story," old lady Chia exclaimed with a smile. "What
comes afterwards?"
Lady Feng thought for a while. "Well, after that," she continued
laughingly, "they all sat together and crammed the whole room. They
primed themselves with wine throughout the hours of night and then they
broke up."
The various inmates noticed in what a serious and sedate manner she
narrated her story, and none ventured to pass any further remarks, but
waited anxiously for her to go on, when they became aware that she
coldly and drily came to a stop.
Shih Hsiang-yün stared at her for ever so long.
"I'll tell you another," lady Feng laughingly remarked. "At the first
moon festival, several persons carried a cracker as large as a room and
went out of town to let it off. Over and above ten thousand persons
were attracted, and they followed to see the sight. One among them was
of an impatient disposition. He could not reconcile himself to wait; so
stealthily he snatched a joss-stick and set fire to it. A sound of
'pu-ch'ih' was heard. The whole number of spectators laughed
boisterously and withdrew. The persons, who carried the cracker, felt a
grudge against the cracker-seller for not having made it tight, (and
wondered) how it was that every one had left without hearing it go
off."
"Is it likely that the men themselves didn't hear the report?"
Hsiang-yün insinuated.
"Why, the men themselves were deaf," lady Feng rejoined.
After listening to her, they pondered for a while, and then suddenly
they laughed aloud in chorus. But remembering that her first story had
been left unfinished, they inquired of her: "What was, after all, the
issue of the first story? You should conclude that too."
Lady Feng gave a rap on the table with her hand. "How vexatious you
are!" she exclaimed. "Well, the next day was the sixteenth; so the
festivities of the year were over, and the feast itself was past and
gone. I see people busy putting things away, and fussing about still,
so how can I make out what will be the end of it all?"
At this, one and all indulged in renewed merriment.
"The fourth watch has long ago been struck outside," lady Feng
smilingly said. "From what I can see, our worthy senior is also tired
out; and we should, like when the cracker was let off in that story of
the deaf people, be bundling ourselves off and finish!"
Mrs. Yu and the rest covered their mouths with their handkerchiefs and
laughed. Now they stooped forward; and now they bent backward. And
pointing at her, "This thing," they cried, "has really a mean tongue."
Old lady Chia laughed. "Yes," she said, "this vixen Feng has, in real
truth, developed a meaner tongue than ever! But she alluded to
crackers," she added, "so let's also let off a few fireworks so as to
counteract the fumes of the wine."
Chia Jung overheard the suggestion. Hurriedly leaving the room, he took
the pages with him, and having a scaffolding erected in the court, they
hung up the fireworks, and got everything in perfect readiness. These
fireworks were articles of tribute, sent from different states, and
were, albeit not large in size, contrived with extreme ingenuity. The
representations of various kinds of events of antiquity were perfect,
and in them were inserted all sorts of crackers.
Lin Tai-yü was naturally of a weak disposition, so she could not stand
the report of any loud intonation. Her grandmother Chia therefore
clasped her immediately in her embrace. Mrs. Hsüeh, meanwhile, took
Hsiang-yün in her arms.
"I'm not afraid," smiled Hsiang-yün.
"Nothing she likes so much as letting off huge crackers," Pao-ch'ai
smilingly interposed, "and could she fear this sort of thing?"
Madame Wang, thereupon, laid hold of Pao-yü, and pulled him in her lap.
"We've got no one to care a rap for us," lady Feng laughed.
"I'm here for you," Mrs. Yu rejoined with a laugh. "I'll embrace you.
There you're again behaving like a spoilt child. You've heard about
crackers, and you comport yourself as if you'd had honey to eat! You're
quite frivolous again to-day!"
"Wait till we break up," lady Feng answered laughing, "and we'll go and
let some off in our garden. I can fire them far better than any of the
young lads!"
While they bandied words, one kind of firework after another was
lighted outside, and then later on some more again. Among these figured
'fill-heaven-stars;' 'nine dragons-enter-clouds;' 'over-whole-land-a-
crack-of-thunder;' 'fly-up-heavens;' 'sound-ten shots,' and other such
small crackers.
The fireworks over, the young actresses were again asked to render the
'Lotus-flowers-fall,' and cash were strewn upon the stage. The young
girls bustled all over the boards, snatching cash and capering about.
The soup was next brought. "The night is long," old lady Chia said,
"and somehow or other I feel peckish."
"There's some congee," lady Feng promptly remarked, "prepared with
duck's meat."
"I'd rather have plain things," dowager lady Chia answered.
"There's also some congee made with non-glutinous rice and powder of
dates. It's been cooked for the ladies who fast."
"If there's any of this, it will do very well," old lady Chia replied.
While she spoke, orders were given to remove the remnants of the
banquet, and inside as well as outside; were served every kind of
_recherché_ small dishes. One and all then partook of some of these
refreshments, at their pleasure, and rinsing their mouths with tea,
they afterwards parted.
On the seventeenth, they also repaired, at an early hour, to the Ning
mansion to present their compliments; and remaining in attendance,
while the doors of the ancestral hall were closed and the images put
away, they, at length, returned to their quarters.
Invitations had been issued on this occasion to drink the new year wine
at Mrs. Hsüeh's residence. But dowager lady Chia had been out on
several consecutive days, and so tired out did she feel that she
withdrew to her rooms, after only a short stay.
After the eighteenth, relatives and friends arrived and made their
formal invitations; or else they came as guests to the banquets given.
But so little was old lady Chia in a fit state to turn her mind to
anything that the two ladies, Madame Hsing and lady Feng, had to attend
between them to everything that cropped up. But Pao-yü as well did not
go anywhere else than to Wang Tzu-t'eng's, and the excuse he gave out
was that his grandmother kept him at home to dispel her ennui.
We need not, however, dilate on irrelevant details. In due course, the
festival of the fifteenth of the first moon passed. But, reader, if you
have any curiosity to learn any subsequent events, listen to those
given in the chapter below.