The Crab-Flower Club

by Cao Xueqin

  ‘I entirely agree,’ said Xiang-yun. ‘And I am sure that in this way we shall get better poems. There’s just one thing, though: we have twelve titles now but only five people writing poems. Presumably we aren’t going to ask each of them to produce a poem for every one of the titles?’

  ‘Oh no, that would be much too difficult,’ said Bao-chai. ‘Make a fair copy of the list of titles, merely indicating that the poems are to be octets in Regulated Verse, put it up on the wall where everyone can see it, and then simply let them choose whichever titles they like. If anyone has the energy to do them all, they are welcome to try. If they can’t manage more than one, let them do just one. Skill and speed are what we shall be looking for. As soon as all of the twelve titles have been covered, we shall call a halt, and anyone who goes on writing after that will be made to pay a penalty.’

  Xiang-yun did not see that this last stipulation was necessary, but otherwise agreed with her, and the two girls, having satisfied themselves that their plans for the morrow were now complete, put out the light and composed themselves for sleep.

  As to the outcome of their plans: that will be told in the following chapter.

  Chapter 38

  River Queen triumphs in her treatment of chrysanthemum themes

  And Lady Allspice is satirical on the subject of crabs

  THE last chapter concluded with Bao-chai and Xiang-yun retiring for the night after their plans for the morrow had been completed. This one begins next morning, when Xiang-yun invited Grandmother Jia and the rest to a cassia-viewing party in the Garden. Touched by her enthusiasm, the grown-ups readily agreed to go.

  ‘She is so excited, bless her!’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘We ought to let her do this, even though she is our guest.’

  And having promised, she was as good as her word, and arrived in the Garden at noon, bringing Lady Wang, Wang Xi-feng and Aunt Xue with her and a number of attendant maids.

  ‘Now where is it going to be?’ she asked them.

  ‘Wherever you like, Mother,’ said Lady Wang dutifully.

  ‘I think they’ve already prepared for us in the Lotus Pavilion,’ said Xi-feng. ‘The blossom on the two cassia-trees is particularly fine there this year, and there is that lovely clear, emerald water. When you sit in the little centre pavilion, you have water all round you, which gives you a wonderful feeling of spaciousness. And looking at water is so restful for the eyes.’

  ‘Very well,’ said Grandmother Jia, and began to lead the way to the Lotus Pavilion.

  The pavilion was built in the middle of the Garden’s little river at one of the places where it broadened into a wide, deep pool. It had windows all round it and could be approached either circuitously from one side by way of one of the two many-angled covered piers leading to its left- and right-hand verandahs, or more directly from the other by means of a bamboo bridge leading to the centre of the verandah at the back. It was towards this bamboo bridge that the party was now making its way. As Grandmother Jia stepped on to it, Xi-feng hurried forward to support her.

  ‘You can put your feet down as hard as you like, Grannie,’ she said. ‘Bamboo bridges always creak like this when you go over them. They are meant to.’

  The Lotus Pavilion was in reality not one pavilion but two, for the main pavilion properly so called gave on to a smaller pavilion, referred to simply as ‘the water pavilion’ or ‘the centre pavilion’, which was in the very middle of the little lake.

  When they were all inside the main pavilion, they noticed that two bamboo tables had been set out on the verandah. On one of them were ranged winecups, chopsticks and all things needful for serving wine, and on the other were teacups, teapots, tea-whisks, saucers, and various other tea-things. Beside the tea-table two or three maids were busy fanning a little tripod stove on which water for tea-making was being boiled, while at the other end of the verandah maids were fanning a stove on which water for warming the wine-kettles was being heated. Grandmother Jia was particularly impressed by the arrangements for tea-making and remarked with pleasure how clean everything looked – including the spot that had been chosen for the party.

  ‘Cousin Bao-chai helped me get it ready,’ said Xiang-yun.

  ‘Well, I’ve always said she was a thoughtful child,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘A lot of thought has certainly gone into these preparations.’

  As she was speaking, her eye fell on a pair of boards that hung from two of the pillars. The couplet inscribed on them was in mother-o’-pearl inlay on a black lacquer background. She asked Xiang-yun to read it out to her. This is what it said:

  Lotus reflections shatter at the dip of a lazy oar-blade

  Lotus fragrances float up from the swirl round a bamboo bridge-pile

  After hearing the couplet, Grandmother Jia glanced up at the horizontal board which bore the name of the pavilion and was in characters large enough for her to read herself. She turned to Aunt Xue, who was standing beside her.

  ‘When I was a girl, there was a pavilion like this one in our garden at home. It was called – let me see – “Above the Clouds” – because of the sky reflected in the water below, you see. When I was about the same age as these young people are now, I used to go with the others every day there to play. One day I slipped and fell down into the water. I nearly drowned. They had a terrible job getting me out. And even then I caught my head on one of the wooden pegs on the way up. I’ve still got a place big enough to put the tip of a finger in where it hit me. It’s on the side here, just where the hair begins. Of course, at the time everyone thought it was all up with me. They were sure that after being all that time in the water I’d catch my death of cold. But I got over it.’

  ‘If you hadn’t,’ said Xi-feng before anyone else could speak, ‘what would have happened to all the good fortune you’ve enjoyed, Grannie? It’s obvious you were meant to have it, otherwise why would you have been given that dent in your head? The guardian spirits must have put it there to store your good fortune in. Old Longevity has got a dent in his head, too; only his has got so much good fortune packed into it that it bulges out a bit.’

  This comical allusion to the God of Longevity’s enormous cranium set all of them laughing – including, of course, the old lady herself.

  ‘Naughty monkey!’ she said. ‘Make fun of me, would you? I’d like to tear that wicked mouth of yours!’

  ‘It’s because I wanted to make you laugh, Grannie. Laughter makes the humours circulate. We’re going to be eating crabs shortly, and I was afraid that the cold of the crab-meat might settle on your heart. If I can make you laugh and stir your humours up, you’ll be able to eat as much crab as you like without taking any harm from it.’

  ‘In that case I shall have to keep you with me all the time, so that I am always laughing,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘I’ll have to stop you going home at night.’

  ‘It’s because you indulge her so much that she is so cheeky, Mother,’ said Lady Wang. ‘By saying things like that to her you will make her even worse.’

  ‘But I like her cheekiness!’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘After all, there’s no harm in it. She knows what’s what underneath it all, of course she does. I think it’s nice that the young people should feel free to joke and laugh a bit when we are all on our own together. We don’t want them behaving like a lot of stuffed dummies, surely?’

  While she was saying this, they all passed into the smaller pavilion, where tea was served, after which Xi-feng came bustling in with winecups and chopsticks and began to lay. Grandmother Jia sat with Aunt Xue, Bao-chai, Dai-yu and Bao-yu at a centre table, and Xiang-yun, Lady Wang, Ying-chun, Tan-chun and Xi-chun at a table on the east side of the room. A little table was laid for Xi-feng and Li Wan on the west side of the doorway, but this was only for form’s sake, since both of them remained on their feet in order to wait on the other two tables.

  ‘We shan’t want all the crabs at once,’ said Xi-feng to the servants bringing them in. ‘Ten will be enough to start with. The others can go back i
nto the steamer.’

  She called for some water, and after washing her hands, stood at the centre table facing Grandmother Jia and began shelling the crabs. She offered the first meat, as a courtesy, to Aunt Xue.

  ‘No thank you,’ said Aunt Xue. ‘I don’t need anyone to do it for me. I like doing it myself and getting crabby fingers. I think they taste better when you eat them with your fingers.’

  Xi-feng gave the crab-meat she had prepared to Grandmother Jia. The second lot she offered to Bao-yu. Then she called for some ‘really hot wine’. She also sent a little maid to fetch mung-bean flour scented with chrysanthemum leaves and cassia for cleaning the fingers with and removing the smell of crab.

  Xiang-yun sat with the others at her own table for a while, but as soon as she had finished her first crab, got up to look after her guests. She also went outside and gave orders for a plate of crabs to be taken to Aunt Zhao and another to Aunt Zhou. At once Xi-feng came bearing down on her.

  ‘You’re not used to this. You get on with your eating and leave this to me! I’ll have mine when the rest of you have finished.’

  But Xiang-yun, refusing to be put off, ordered a long table to be laid on the verandah at the far side of the Lotus Pavilion and invited the maids Faithful, Amber, Sunset, Suncloud and Patience to come and sit at it.

  Faithful glanced laughingly in Xi-feng’s direction.

  ‘I can’t very well sit down and eat while Mrs Lian is waiting on everybody.’

  ‘That’s all right,’ said Xi-feng. ‘You all go and sit down. I’ll take care of everything.’

  At that Xiang-yun, too, went back to her seat.

  Li Wan and Xi-feng now made a brief pretence of joining in the party, but Xi-feng was soon on her feet again ministering to the rest. After a few minutes she went out on to the verandah, where Faithful and the other maids were regaling themselves with great gusto. They rose to their feet when they saw her come.

  ‘What have you come out here for, Mrs Lian?’ said Faithful. ‘Can’t you leave us alone to enjoy ourselves for a bit?’

  ‘Well, aren’t you disagreeable!’ said Xi-feng. ‘Here am I doing all the work for you, but instead of thanks I get grumbled at! I was hoping you would offer me a drink.’

  Faithful, laughing, quickly filled a winecup and held it to Xi-feng’s lips. Tilting her head back, Xi-feng drained it at a gulp. Amber and Sunset followed suit, and two more cupfuls went down in the same way. Meanwhile Patience had been scooping out some ‘yolk’ – the delicious golden crab-spawn – which she now offered to her mistress. Xi-feng told her to put lots of ginger and vinegar on it, then, having quickly disposed of it, ‘You can all sit down now and get on with your party,’ she said. ‘I’m going.’

  ‘What a nerve!’ said Faithful. ‘Scrounging off us like that!’

  ‘You’d better be careful what you say to me, my girl,’ said Xi-feng with a smile. ‘I suppose you realize that Mr Lian has taken a fancy to you and is going to ask Her Old Ladyship if he can have you for his Number Two?’

  Faithful tutted and shook her head. It was easy to see that she was blushing.

  ‘Huh!’ she said. ‘Fancy a lady saying a thing like that! I’m going to wipe my smelly fingers on your face, Mrs Lian, if it’s the last thing I do.’

  ‘No, no! Please! Forgive me!’ said Xi-feng, as Faithful stood up to carry out her threat.

  ‘Even if she does,’ said Amber, laughing, ‘I wouldn’t be too sure that Patience will. Look at her, all of you! She hasn’t eaten two crabs yet, but she’s already finished a saucerful of vinegar!’

  Patience, who had in her hand a crab richly endowed with ‘yolk’ that she had just finished shelling, held it up when she heard this jibe and advanced on Amber, intending to smear her face with it.

  ‘You nasty, spiteful little creature!’ she said, both laughing and indignant. ‘I’1l —’

  But Amber dodged aside, and Patience, losing her balance, plastered the crab smack on to her mistress’s cheek. Xi-feng, at that moment still preoccupied with Faithful, was taken completely by surprise. Her startled ‘Aiyo!’ was too much for the maids, who collapsed in uncontrollable laughter. Xi-feng presently joined in, though cursing Patience as she did so.

  ‘Stupid cow! Are you too drunk to see straight? All over my face!’

  Patience hurriedly wiped it off and fetched water for her to wash with.

  ‘Holy Name!’ said Faithful. ‘That was a judgement, if ever there was one!’

  Hearing the laughter outside, Grandmother Jia eagerly asked to know its cause.

  ‘What is it? What have you seen that’s so funny? Tell us, so that we can share the joke.’

  Faithful shouted back, amidst laughter.

  ‘Mrs Lian came over here and stole some of our crab. Patience didn’t like it, so she smeared crab-yolk all over her mistress’s face, and now the two of them are having a fight.’

  Hoots of laughter from Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang.

  ‘Poor Mrs Lian!’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘You ought to feel sorry for her. Couldn’t you spare her a few of the legs or some of the underneath bits?’

  There was renewed laughter from the maids. Faithful shouted back again.

  ‘She can have all the crab’s-legs on this table, and very welcome to them!’

  Xi-feng, taking all in good part, finished washing her face and went back to help Grandmother Jia and the others at the centre table with their crabs.

  Dai-yu dared not eat very much because of her delicate health, and after consuming a little of the claw-meat, excused herself from the table. Soon Grandmother Jia, too, had finished eating, and everyone washed their hands and broke off for a while to amuse themselves, some going off to admire the flowers, some to drop things in the water and watch the fish rise.

  ‘It’s rather windy for you here, Mother,’ said Lady Wang, ‘– especially after you’ve just been eating crab. Perhaps you ought to go back to your own room now and rest. If you have enjoyed it, we could come again tomorrow.’

  ‘Yes, perhaps you are right,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘I hadn’t been going to leave, because I could see how much they were all enjoying themselves and was afraid of spoiling the fun. But perhaps you and I ought to be getting along now.’

  As she rose to leave, she turned to address Xiang-yun.

  ‘Don’t let your Cousin Bao-yu eat too much!’

  ‘No, Grandma.’

  She turned once more as she was leaving, this time including Bao-chai in her admonition.

  ‘And don’t you two eat too much, either. Crab is very good to eat, but it isn’t very good for you. If you eat too much of it, it will give you stomach-ache.’

  ‘Yes, Grandma.’

  The two girls saw her out of the Garden. When they were back again, they gave orders for the tables to be cleared and a new set of places to be laid; but Bao-yu objected.

  ‘No, don’t lay again,’ he said. ‘We want to get on with the poetry. Put the big round table in the middle with all the food and drink on it so that we can help ourselves when we feel like it and sit where we like. That will be much nicer than having set places.’

  Bao-chai agreed; but Xiang-yun reminded them that there were others besides themselves to be considered, and having first ordered a separate table to be laid and some good hot crabs to be selected, she invited Aroma, Nightingale, Chess, Scribe, Picture, Oriole and Ebony to come and sit at it. After that she had a couple of carpets spread out on the ground beneath the cassia-trees at the foot of the rockery and made the old nannies and junior maids sit down on them and eat and drink to their hearts’ content, insisting that they need only get up to wait on them if they were specially called for. Then she took the list of poem-titles and pinned it to the inside wall of the pavilion.

  Very original!’ the others commented when they had finished reading the titles, but went on to express the fear that they might find them difficult to write on.

  Xiang-yun explained what they had decided about rhymes: viz. that there shou
ld be no set rhyme-scheme and everyone should be free to choose their own.

  ‘Now that’s what I call sensible!’ said Bao-yu. ‘I can’t stand set rhymes.’

  Dai-yu had a barrel-shaped porcelain tabouret moved up to the verandah’s edge, and having selected a fishing-rod for herself, sat leaning on the railing, fishing.

  Bao-chai sat for some time silently contemplating a spray of cassia she had picked, then, leaning over the railings and idly plucking off the flowerets, dropped them one by one into the water and watched the fish swim up from below and nibble at them with plopping noises as they floated on the surface.

  Xiang-yun for the most part sat quietly musing, occasionally getting up to look after Aroma and the other maids at the table outside, or to make sure that the people sitting on the carpets were getting enough to eat and drink.

  Tan-chun stood with Li Wan and Xi-chun in the shade of a weeping willow, watching the water-fowl.

  Ying-chun sat apart from the rest beneath a flowering tree, stringing jasmine blossoms into a flower-chain with a needle and thread.

  Bao-yu watched Dai-yu fishing for a bit, then went over and leaned on the railings and talked with Bao-chai for a bit, and finally, after watching Aroma and the other maids eating and drinking at their table, ended up by drinking with them himself while Aroma shelled a crab for him.

  Presently Dai-yu put down her fishing-rod, went over to the central table, took up a silver ‘self-service’ wine-kettle whose surface was carved with a nielloed plum-flower pattern, and, having selected a little shallow, rose-quartz winecup, was just about to pour herself a drink, when a maid observed her and came hurrying up to do it for her.

  ‘No, let me pour it myself,’ said Dai-yu. ‘That is half the fun. You get on with your party.’

  So saying, she proceeded to half-fill the tiny receptacle with liquor from the silver kettle. But it proved to be yellow rice-wine, whereas what she wanted was spirits.