The Plum in the Golden Vase or, Chin P'ing Mei

by Roy, David Tod

  At this point, Ch’un-mei came over and said, “Mother, these few strokes that you’ve given her will do no more than scratch her where she itches. You ought to strip her naked, call in a page boy to give her twenty or thirty strokes with the heavy bamboo, and see if that will induce any fear in her. To merely touch her up with these few strokes, as if you were playing with a monkey, is:

  Hardly enough to discolor the water.

  Brazen as she is, do you really think she’s afraid of you? As a slave, it is her duty to see that:

  Words spoken inside do not get out, and

  Words spoken outside do not get in.

  To let her get away with such things is to nurture a talebearer in your own household.”

  “Who said anything anyway?” Ch’iu-chü protested.

  “Still shooting off your mouth are you?” the woman said. “You home-breaking master-betraying slave! Don’t you say another word.”

  With these imprecations she impelled Ch’iu-chü to flee back to the kitchen. Truly:

  When a mosquito gets slapped with a fan,

  It is for hurting people with its mouth.6

  One day, on the occasion of the Mid-Autumn Festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, Chin-lien secretly invited Ch’en Ching-chi to enjoy the moon and drink wine with her that evening, and join with Ch’un-mei in playing the board game called Turtle Pachisi with each other. That night, in the desire to get more rest, they overslept and had not yet gotten up by the time for their morning repast, thereby opening themselves to the risk of exposure. They did not anticipate that Ch’iu-chü would see what they were up to and promptly go back to the door of the master suite in the rear compound to tell Yüeh-niang about it. It so happened that she was engaged in combing her hair at the moment, and Hsiao-yü was standing in attendance by the door.

  Ch’iu-chü drew her aside and told her, “Last night, our son-in-law, thus and so, once again spent the night in my mistress’s room, and right now he hasn’t even gotten up yet. The other day, when I informed you what they were up to, my mistress gave me a beating; but today I saw the evidence clearly with my own eyes. I am not traducing her. Ask your mistress to go over there quickly and see the situation for herself.”

  Hsiao-yü reviled her in response, saying, “You:

  Open-eyed and brazen-faced,

  slave! You’re just trying to do your mistress in once again. My mistress is combing her hair. You’d better get out of here.”

  Yüeh-niang overheard them and asked, “What are you talking about?”

  Hsiao-yü:

  Could not conceal the situation,

  but only said, “The Fifth Lady has sent Ch’iu-chü to ask you to go have a word with her,” without mentioning anything else.

  When Yüeh-niang had finished combing her hair, she:

  Lightly moved her lotus feet,

  and showed up all of a sudden at the door of Chin-lien’s quarters in the front compound. No sooner did Ch’un-mei catch sight of her than she rushed inside to inform Chin-lien of her arrival. Chin-lien and Ch’en Ching-chi were still ensconced under the bedclothes and had not yet arisen. On hearing that Yüeh-niang had shown up, the two of them suffered quite a start and were thrown into such consternation that they were barely able to extricate themselves in time for Ch’en Ching-chi to conceal himself behind the frame of the bedstead, in the hope of hiding the situation by:

  Ch’iu-chü Resentfully Discloses a Clandestine Affair

  Drawing an embroidered quilt over it.

  Chin-lien had Ch’un-mei place a low table on the bed and bring her a beaded floral ornament which she could pretend to be working on.

  In no time at all, Yüeh-niang came into the room and sat down, saying, “Sister Six, since you still hadn’t ventured out the door, I wondered what you were up to, but it turns out that you’ve been in your bedroom working on a beaded floral ornament.”

  Picking it up in her hand and examining it, she complimented her, saying, “Your handiwork is really skillful. You’ve created a sesame flower design in the center, and a pattern of lattice-shaped interlocking lozenges on either side, surrounded with a motif of ‘honeybees rifling chrysanthemum blossoms.’ You’ve also fitted the beads neatly together, one after the other, to create the motif of ‘joined hearts.’ It really looks attractive. In the future, I hope you’ll make a similar piece for me to wear as a headband.”

  Only after the woman saw that the words Yüeh-niang addressed to her were friendly, did:

  The little fawn in her heart cease its hopping,

  and she was able to order Ch’un-mei to pour some tea for her.

  Soon afterwards, when Yüeh-niang had finished her tea and chatted for a while, she got up to go, saying, “Sister Six, as soon as you finish combing your hair, come back to the rear compound for a visit.”

  Chin-lien promised to come and saw Yüeh-niang out the door, after which she hurriedly urged Ch’en Ching-chi to get on his way and return to the front compound. Ch’un-mei and her mistress had both broken into a sweat over the situation.

  “The First Lady doesn’t ordinarily come to my quarters without any reason,” the woman said to Ch’un-mei. “If she didn’t have any pretext for doing so, why should she have come here so early in the morning today?”

  “In all probability it was because of something this slave of ours said to her,” replied Ch’un-mei.

  In a little while, who should turn up but Hsiao-yü, who told them, thus and so, “Ch’iu-chü came back to the rear compound and claimed that our son-in-law has been here in your room:

  Sleeping from morning to night,

  And then from night to morning.

  I gave her a piece of my mind, but she wouldn’t budge. When my mistress asked what was going on, I didn’t reveal anything but said that the Fifth Lady had sent Ch’iu-chü to invite her to come have a word with her. That’s why she came, but you must keep this to yourself.

  A great person does not deign to notice

  the faults of petty persons.

  But you had better be on your guard against that slave of yours.”

  Gentle reader take note: Although Yüeh-niang did not believe the tales that Ch’iu-chü had told, she was apprehensive lest Chin-lien, who was still:

  A young and delicate lass,

  and who no longer had a husband, as time went on, might someday succumb to a momentary temptation. She feared that if word of this got out, it would lead gossipers to say, “Although Hsi-men Ch’ing was a person to be reckoned with during his lifetime, it did not take long after his death for the women in his household to end up:

  All at sevens and eights.”

  “They may even suggest that this child of mine is:

  Of questionable origin;7

  with the result that, though:

  Everything may remain sweet-smelling at home,

  Our reputation will become malodorous abroad.”8

  In addition, out of affection for her stepdaughter, she told Hsi-men Tachieh not to venture outside the premises and had her move into Li Chiao-erh’s vacant quarters, so that she and Ch’en Ching-chi could reside inside the ceremonial gate between the front and rear compounds. When it was the turn of Manager Fu Ming to go home, she arranged for Ch’en Ching-chi to take turns with him in staying overnight in the shop. She also ordained that when he had to come inside or go out in order to fetch articles of clothing or pharmaceutical supplies, he should be accompanied by Tai-an. All the doors were to be kept locked, and the maids and servants’ wives were all prohibited from leaving the premises except on specific errands. Everything was to be strictly enforced.

  As a result, the vibrant feelings that existed between P’an Chin-lien and Ch’en Ching-chi were frustrated. Truly:

  Pleasing relationships in this world

  are often interrupted;

  The finest of prospects fail to last

  as long as people like.

  There is a poem that testifies to this:

  How can he e
ver visit the T’ien-t’ai Mountains

  in pursuit of immortal maidens?

  The Three Isles of the Blest remain invisible,

  hidden amid the waves of the sea.

  To vanish inside a nobleman’s gates is to be

  as unreachable as the ocean depths;

  From this point on, one’s lover might as well

  be a stranger along the highway.9

  After P’an Chin-lien’s clandestine affair had been exposed by Ch’iu-chü, although Yüeh-niang did not quite believe it, she saw to it that all the doors in the household were locked at night; that Hsi-men Ta-chieh moved into Li Chiao-erh’s vacated quarters; and that whenever Ch’en Ching-chi had occasion to fetch pharmaceutical supplies or articles of clothing he would be accompanied by Tai-an or P’ing-an on the way in or out. As a result, the ardent feelings between the two of them were frustrated, and they were not able to get together for a month or more. Chin-lien found:

  Each and every day increasingly insufferable,

  Amid embroidered drapes upon a lonely pillow.

  She could hardly endure:

  The desolation of her painted chambers.

  She couldn’t help feeling affected by:

  The eye alongside the wood, and

  The heart beneath the field.10

  She became:

  Too indolent to rearrange her makeup;11

  Her intake of tea and food diminished;

  The belt around her waist grew loose;12 and

  She started listlessly to wither away.

  Every day:

  All she wanted to do was to sleep, and

  She could hardly keep her head up.13

  Ch’un-mei approached her and said, “Mother, why is it that for the last few days you haven’t gone back to the rear compound for a visit, or taken a stroll in the garden to relax yourself? Every day, you merely give vent to:

  Long sighs as well as short.

  Really, what’s it all about?”

  “You don’t understand the intensity of the feelings between myself and our son-in-law,” the woman replied.

  There is a song to the tune “Wild Geese Alight” that testifies to this:

  He and I are like a double-headed lotus blossom

  growing on the same stem,

  Or the inseparable fish that swim in pairs,

  having only one eye apiece.

  On first meeting, we became as ardent

  as though glued together.

  To be suddenly separated in this way

  is difficult to endure.

  How strange can things get?

  For the last couple of days, he has

  not come in to see me;

  And the First Lady has taken to

  locking the gate.

  Even the dog in the garden is

  acting queerly.

  It’s hard to guess why.

  The maidservants are looking

  askance at me.

  It is hard to bear.

  This yearning for him is hard

  to eradicate.

  “Mother,” said Ch’un-mei, “you can relax. It’s not a problem.

  Even if the sky should be about to fall,

  There are the four giants to hold it up.

  Yesterday, the First Lady arranged to have the two nuns recite a precious scroll here this evening, so the ceremonial gate between the front and rear compounds will be locked early. Tonight, I’ll claim that I have to go to the stable out front to get some straw with which to stuff a pillow, which will give me an opportunity to go summon him from the shop. If you will write a note to him and give it to me, whatever happens, I’ll contrive to make it possible for our son-in-law to have a rendezvous with you. What do you think about it?”

  “My good sister,” the woman said, “if you are willing to take pity on me, and arrange for him to show up:

  Your kindness will be amply rewarded,

  I will never be able to forget it.14

  When I recover from my indisposition, I’ll make you a pair of shoes fully decorated with floral patterns.”

  “Mother,” said Ch’un-mei, “how can you say such a thing? You and I are like one person. Moreover, Father is dead. In the days to come, no matter whether your circumstances improve or decline, I would like to share them with you, so that we can stay together.”

  “If you really feel that way,” the woman said, “I could hardly ask for anything better.”

  The woman thereupon:

  Lightly grasping the ivory tube, and

  Gently spreading the flowered paper,15

  proceeded to write out a note and seal it securely.

  That evening, the woman was initially in the rear compound with Yüeh-niang, when she pretended not to be feeling well as an excuse for disappearing like:

  A golden cicada molting its skin.

  Upon returning to the front compound, she remained idly in her quarters with nothing to do. Early in the evening, Yüeh-niang saw to it that the ceremonial gate between the front and rear compounds was closed, after the maids and servant wives had been allowed out, and then settled down to listen to the nuns recite their precious scroll.

  Meanwhile, Chin-lien enjoined Ch’un-mei to deliver her note, saying, “My good sister, go and invite him to come here as soon as possible.”

  There is a song to the tune “The Sixth Lady from West of the River” that testifies to this:

  Enjoining Ch’un-mei, she says,

  “My good sister,

  Be so good as to release your

  oceanic generosity.

  This night is our only chance

  to get together.

  Ch’a!

  Step along as fast as you can,

  As fast as you can.

  Under my piles of embroidered quilts,

  I await him here.”16

  Ch’un-mei said, “Wait until I get that slave Ch’iu-chü drunk with a few goblets of wine and lock her into the kitchen; after which, I’ll make the excuse that I’m taking a basket to the stable out front in order to fetch some straw for stuffing a pillow, which will give me an opportunity to summon him.”

  Thereupon, she poured out two large bowls of wine, saw to it that Ch’iu-chü drank them, locked her in the kitchen, and went out the door with the woman’s note in hand. There is a song to the tune “Wild Geese Alight” that testifies to this:

  “I’m off to the stable on the pretext

  of fetching straw.

  Once I get out front, I’ll be able

  to summon him.

  On my way back, I’ll get the dog

  out of the way,

  And see that the lock is left

  hanging on the door.

  The goblets will be filled with wine;

  The lamps by the bed will be covered.

  The bed curtains will be warm in the spring night;

  Ready for the mating of male and female phoenixes.

  I will not let anybody know about it;

  And will see that Ch’iu-chü is drunk.

  When you see the waving of the flower shadows,

  you’ll know that he has come.

  This evening, I guarantee that the two of you

  will have a successful tryst.”

  Ch’un-mei went out to the front of the residence, filled a basket with straw, and then proceeded to the door of the pawnshop and called to be let in. At the time, Manager Fu Ming was not in the shop, having gone home for the night. Only Ch’en Ching-chi was there, having just sprawled out on the k’ang. On suddenly hearing that someone was calling at the door, he asked who it was.

  Ch’un-mei responded by saying, “It’s your mother from a former incarnation, the one of the Five Plague Spirits whose job it is to dispel lovesickness.”17

  When Ch’en Ching-chi opened the door and saw who it was, his face broke into a smile, and he laughed, saying, “So it’s you, young lady. There’s no one else here. Come inside and sit down.”

  On coming into the room, she noticed a can
dle burning on the table, and asked, “Where are the page boys?”

  “Tai-an and P’ing-an are sleeping in the pharmaceutical shop,” Ch’en Ching-chi replied. “I’m here all by myself. The one who is:

  Enduring loneliness, and

  Suffering desolation,

  is none other than your humble servant.”

  “My mistress wishes me to convey her greetings to you,” said Ch’un-mei, “saying, what a fine person you are, not to have come near her door for all these days, or paid a visit to our quarters. She claims you must have set your eyes on another target, and no longer care for the likes of us.”

  “How can she say such a thing?” Ch’en Ching-chi protested. “Ever since she was exposed to that idle gossip the other day, the First Lady has seen fit to:

  Secure the doors and secure the gates,

  so that my movements have been restricted.”

  “All on your account,” said Ch’un-mei, “during these last few days, my mistress has been as unhappy as can be. Every day she is:

  Disconsolate and inconsolable,18

  doesn’t feel like eating or drinking, and is far too distracted to work. Today, the First Lady asked her to stay in the rear compound and listen to the recitation of a precious scroll, but she refused and came back to her quarters. She is wholeheartedly obsessed with longing and begged me to deliver this note to you, in the hope that, whatever happens, you will come to her as soon as possible.”

  Ch’en Ching-chi accepted the note and noticed that it was carefully sealed. When he opened and read it, it turned out to be a song to the tune “Mistletoe” that read as follows:

  This peach blossom face of mine,

  All on your account, has become emaciated.

  It is not because, pitying the flowers and loving

  the moon,19 I suffer from spring ennui;

  But rather because, this spring’s regrets are no

  less than those of earlier springs.20

  It is merely a case of my pearly tears having run

  dry,21 on account of my lovesickness.

  What I regret is that, as the lamp shines on my

  embroidered bed curtains, I am alone.

  Though I long to have him in my studio,

  He is so far away the horizon is closer.22

  When Ch’en Ching-chi had read the text of this song, he bent his body and made a deep obeisance to Ch’un-mei, saying, “I have put you to a lot of trouble, a lot of trouble. I didn’t know that she was suffering so. It is true that I have failed to visit the two of you. Pray, don’t take it amiss. Don’t take it amiss. You can go ahead. As soon as I get myself together, I’ll come after you.”