The Golden Lotus, Volume 1

by Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng

  “This young lady has the five sense organs well developed. She is exquisitely made. Her hair is fine, but her eyebrows are thick. This is a sign of hot temper. Her spirit is volatile and her eyes round. This denotes that she easily becomes excited. Her nose is straight: she will marry an officer of high rank and bear him a son. Her brows are prominent: this is a sign that she will wear a pearl headdress while she is still young. She walks like a flying angel; her voice is clear and her spirit pure. She will bring wealth to her husband, and by the age of twenty-seven will assuredly receive high honor. Unfortunately her left eye is rather large. This means that she lost her father in her childhood. And the right eye is small, which shows that her mother died when she was one year old. The mole beneath the left corner of her mouth is the sign of a quarrelsome disposition, but the mole on her right cheek indicates that she will be respected and loved by her husband as long as she lives.”

  Her brow is high, the five sense organs as they should be

  Her lips are red as though with rouge; her steps are light.

  There will be wealth in plenty for her, and rich food

  And men of rank and dignity will love her all her days.

  When the Immortal had said this, the women bit their nails and thought over his words. Ximen Qing put five taels of silver into a packet and offered it to the Immortal. He gave five qian to the Major’s servant, with a visiting card to express his thanks. But the Immortal would not accept the silver. “I wander over the earth as a cloud,” he said. “I take my meals, exposed to the winds, and my bed is in the dew. What use is money to me? I cannot take it.”

  Then Ximen gave him a roll of cloth with which to make himself a habit. This the Immortal accepted, and told his young disciple to take it. He made a reverence to Ximen Qing and thanked him. Ximen took him to the gate, and there the Immortal proudly took leave of him.

  When Ximen Qing came back to the inner court, he asked Yueniang and the others what they thought of what the Immortal had said.

  “He was clever enough,” Yueniang said, “but I think he was mistaken about three people.”

  “Which three?” Ximen said.

  “He said that the Sixth Lady was ill, but that she would bear a son. She is with child now, so that he may be partly right. Then he said that there are hard times in store for our daughter. I don’t see how he can make that out. He told us that Chunmei would have a son. You have probably done your part, but I see no signs of her having a child. And certainly I don’t believe what he said about her wearing a pearl headdress and being a lady. We have nobody in this household of official rank, so I don’t know where the pearl headdress is coming from, and even if there were one, it would not be for her head.”

  Ximen Qing laughed. “He said that I should rise from the ground to the clouds, that position and wealth would come to me, but really, I don’t see where they are coming from. It seems to me that when you and Chunmei were standing together he got mixed up because of your dresses. She was wearing a silver hairnet, and he thought she was our daughter. He thought she would probably marry into some family of position and so would come to wear a pearl headdress. People have always said that it is better for us when the fortune-tellers are wrong. If our minds and our appearance had any relation to one another our mind would be different every time the appearance changed. But since Major Zhou sent him here, we couldn’t very well refuse to let him try his hand.”

  Yueniang had a meal served in the hall, and they all took part in it. Afterwards, Ximen Qing took a palm-leaf fan and strolled about the garden. When he came to the pavilion of the Glorious Landscape, near the great arbor, he pulled down the blinds and curtains. Outside, the flowering shrubs and trees cast a refreshing shade. In the depth of the foliage, a band of cicadas were singing, and from time to time the breeze wafted the fragrance of the flowers towards him.

  Ximen Qing sat on a chair and fanned himself. Laian and Huatong came to the well to draw some water.

  “Come here, one of you boys,” Ximen said.

  Laian came. “Go to the inner court,” Ximen said to him, “and tell your sister Chunmei to bring me a pot of plum juice.”

  Some time afterwards, Chunmei, wearing her silver hairnet, came to him with a pot of plum juice. She was smiling. “Have you had anything to eat?” she said.

  “Yes, I had something in the inner court.”

  Chunmei pretended to be annoyed. “You do not come to see us,” she said, “you only send to us when you want plum juice. Wait till I make it cool enough.”

  Ximen Qing nodded. When the girl had made it ready, she came and rested on his chair. She took the palm-leaf fan from his hand and fanned him.

  “What did the Great Lady say?” she asked.

  “She talked about Wu the Immortal.”

  “Oh, that absurd monk said I should wear a pearl headdress, and the Great Lady said that even if there ever was one in this household, it wouldn’t be for my head. But the proverb says we should never judge by appearances, and the water in the ocean cannot be measured with a pint pot. Even when you can’t use a lathe, it is always possible to use a knife. It is a most uncertain business foretelling what is going to happen to people. Do you imagine I shall always be a slave in your household?”

  “Little oily mouth,” Ximen said to her, “if you give me a son, you shall wear a headdress, certainly.” He took her in his arms and fondled her. “Where is your mistress?” he said, “I haven’t seen her for some time.”

  “She told Qiuju to heat some water for a bath,” Chunmei said, “but she got tired of waiting, and now she is asleep on the bed.”

  “When I have drunk this plum water, I’ll go and play a trick on her,” Ximen said.

  Chunmei took the pot from the ice, and gave it to him. He drank a mouthful. It was so cold that he could feel it in his bones. It went through his body and made his teeth chatter. It seemed like gentle dew dropping upon his heart. After a while, he finished the plum water and, resting his hand on Chunmei’s shoulder, went to Jinlian’s room. She was asleep on the mother-of-pearl bed that he had recently bought for her. It was facing the door. Li Ping’er had a bed similar to this one and Jinlian had asked him to buy one for her. It cost something like sixty taels of silver. It was a four-poster and the panels all around it were made of mother-of-pearl cunningly designed to represent flowers, grasses and birds. The curtains were of purple silk, with silver hooks.

  Jinlian was completely undressed, except for a light, scarlet vest. The bedclothes were of the finest silk and there was a Yin Yang pillow beneath her head. She lay upon the summer mattress, fast asleep. Seeing her, Ximen Qing’s desire was stirred. He told Chunmei to close the door and go away, and quietly took off his own clothes. Then he took away the gossamer coverlet, got upon the bed, and admired the sight of his body beside that of his beloved. Then he played a trick on her. He parted her legs, gripped his penis and put it between them. She opened her eyes wide in astonishment, but Ximen had already moved in and out ten times.

  “You strange rascal,” Jinlian said, laughing, “when did you come in? I was asleep and didn’t see you. Yes, sleeping so sweetly, yet you came and disturbed me.”

  “Since it is I, no harm is done,” Ximen Qing said. “If it had been a stranger, you would pretend you didn’t know the difference.”

  “What can I say to curse you?” Jinlian said. “Who do you think would be bold enough to come into my room? Only a rude man like you would do a thing of that sort.”

  After Jinlian had heard Ximen Qing, in the Kingfisher Hall, saying how white and beautiful Li Ping’er’s body was, she had made a mixture of the hearts of jasmine flowers, cream and powder, and had rubbed it into her skin all over her body to make it smooth and white, so that she might be favored as Li Ping’er had been.

  Her body now seemed as white as snow, with only a pair of scarlet sleeping shoes upon her feet. Ximen Qing squatted on the bed, and holding fast to her legs, plunged forward with all his might. He looked down so that he might
enjoy the sight of what he was doing.

  “Why are you looking at me, you funny creature?” Jinlian said. “My body is black, and cannot rival the Sixth Lady’s white skin. I suppose that is why you are looking at it. Now that she is with child, you love and think only of her, and I am considered fit for nothing but the rubbish heap. You think you can treat me as you like.”

  “I am told you are waiting for a bath,” Ximen Qing said. “Is that so?”

  “Who told you?”

  “Chunmei.”

  Then Jinlian asked if he would like to join her, and told the maid to bring the water. The bathtub was set down, the water poured in, and the two got down from the bed to bathe in the fragrant water. They played about as merrily as fishes. When they had spent some time washing themselves, Ximen Qing set Jinlian on the bathing board and, holding her feet in his two hands, mounted upon her and thrust forward. They jumped up and down, and shook about, two or three thousand times, making a noise like a crab crawling in the mud. Jinlian was afraid that her hair would be disar-ranged, so she put one hand on her head, and supported herself on the edge of the tub with the other. She made herself as charming as could be.

  They played in the water for a long time. Then Ximen Qing yielded, and they stopped. They cleansed their bodies, and the bathtub was taken away. Ximen put on a short thin cotton coat and got on to the bed. A table was placed on it so that they might eat some fruit and drink wine. Jinlian bade Qiuju bring some white wine, and gave him some fruit pastries, because she thought he must be hungry. After a very long time, Qiuju brought a silver pot of wine. Jinlian poured out a cup. It was as cold as ice. She threw the wine in Qiuju’s face, and it splashed all over her.

  “You slave!” she cried, “you are not fit to live. What do you mean by bringing this cold wine for your father? I don’t know what you’re thinking about.”

  She told Chunmei to take the girl to the courtyard and make her kneel down there.

  “I was only out of the room for a moment,” Chunmei said to Qiuju, “getting some ribbons for mother’s feet, and you go and upset the whole place like this.”

  “The other day,” Qiuju said, pouting, “they wanted iced wine. How was I to know that they would want something different today?”

  Jinlian heard this and cursed her. “What’s that you say, you thievish slave? Come here!” She said to Chunmei, “Give her a good slapping, ten times on each side of her face.”

  “Oh, Mother,” Chunmei said, “you can’t even see the skin on her face, and it would make my hands dreadfully dirty. Won’t you make her kneel down, and put a piece of stone on her head?”

  Without more ado, Qiuju was dragged to the courtyard and made to kneel down with a piece of stone balanced on her head. Then Jinlian told Chunmei to warm the wine, and she drank a few cups with Ximen Qing. When they had had enough, the table was removed; they pulled down the curtains and told Chunmei to shut the door. Then they put their arms around each other’s necks and entwined their legs. They were very tired and soon went to sleep.

  CHAPTER 30

  The Birth of Guan’ge

  After their bath, Ximen Qing and Pan Jinlian went to sleep. Chunmei settled herself under the eaves outside their room and busied herself making shoes. After a while Qintong came to the door in the corner, looking about him as though he were in search of someone. “What do you want?” Chunmei said. The boy looked at Qiuju who was kneeling in the courtyard with a piece of stone balanced on her head, and, instead of answering, pointed to the maid. Chunmei scolded him.

  “What do you want, you young rascal? Why do you wave your hands about like that?”

  Qintong did not stop laughing for a long time, but at last he told her that Zhang An, the grave keeper, had called to see Ximen Qing.

  “Oh,” Chunmei said, “only Zhang An! And you make as much fuss as if it were a ghost. Don’t make such a noise. They are both asleep, and, if you wake them up, there will be trouble. Tell Zhang An to wait.”

  The boy did as he was told, but, after waiting a long time, he came again to look in at the corner gate and asked Chunmei whether his master was not yet up.

  “You little rogue,” the maid cried, “you frightened me, rushing in suddenly like that. It’s nothing but a trifle, yet you dash about like a homeless spirit.”

  “Zhang An wants to see Master, but he has to go to town too, and he’s afraid he’ll be too late.”

  “Well, they’re both sound asleep, and I dare not wake them. Tell Zhang An to wait, and, if he is too late today, he must wait until tomorrow.”

  At that moment Ximen Qing woke up, and, hearing voices, called out to ask Chunmei who was there. The girl told him. “I will get up,” Ximen said. “Let me have my clothes.” When Chunmei had brought the clothes, Pan Jinlian asked what Zhang An had come about.

  “The other day,” Ximen said, “he came to tell me that the widow Zhao, who owns the property next to our family graves, is anxious to sell it. She asks three hundred taels and I am prepared to give two hundred and fifty, so I told Zhang An to go and talk the matter over with her. There is a spring on the land with four places where water can be drawn. If I buy the place, I shall join it up with our own and build a fair-sized arbor and a hall. I shall make an artificial mound, lay out gardens, put a cover over the well, and clear a space for practicing archery. I may make a ball ground where we can play when we feel like it. It will cost me quite a sum of money to do all I am thinking of doing.”

  “Buy it by all means,” Jinlian said, “then we shall be able to have some fun when we go to visit our graves.”

  When Ximen Qing had gone to the outer court to see Zhang An, Jinlian got up, powdered her face and dressed her hair, and went to the courtyard to beat Qiuju. Chunmei went to bring Qintong with a rod.

  “When I told you to bring your master some wine,” Jinlian said to the maid, “why did you bring cold wine? One would think there was no discipline in the house at all. When I tell you to do anything, you stand there and argue, as brazen-faced as you can be.

  “Give her twenty strokes,” she cried to Qintong, “as hard as you can.”

  The boy had given the poor maid ten strokes when, fortunately, Li Ping’er came. With a smile, she bade him stop, and Qiuju was spared the ten remaining blows. Jinlian told her to kowtow to Li Ping’er, and then sent her to the kitchen.

  “Old mother Pan,” Li Ping’er said, “has come with a maid about fifteen years old, and our second sister has bought her for seven taels to wait upon her. She would like you to go and see her.”

  Together, they went off to the back court. Ximen Qing had given Li Jiao’er the money to buy a maid, who was given the name of Xiahua.

  Laibao and Master Wu had set off upon their journey with the birthday presents. The weather was so hot that it was not an easy one. They ate when they were hungry, and when they were thirsty they drank, and so, after some days, came to the Eastern Capital. There they put up at an inn by the Gate of Ten Thousand Blessings. The next day they made ready their chests of presents and went straight to the Bridge of the Milky Way and the palace of the Imperial Tutor. Laibao, who had dressed himself in a suit of black clothes, asked Wu to look after the presents and went himself to the gate. He made a reverence to the gatekeeper who asked him whence he came.

  “I am one of the household of Master Ximen who lives at Qinghe in Shandong. I have come with presents for the birthday of the venerable Imperial Tutor.”

  The gatekeeper upbraided him. “You scoundrelly rogue! What is Master Ximen to me, or Master Dongmen either? Let me tell you that my venerable lord has but one superior. All other men are far beneath him. I don’t care what a man’s position is. He may be a duke or a prince, but when he comes here, he does not dare to flaunt himself as you have done. Stand back, fellow!”

  Fortunately, among the officers who were standing by, there was one who knew Laibao, and he came up and smoothed the matter over.

  “Don’t let this disturb you,” he said to Laibao. “This gentleman h
as only just come here and he does not know you. Wait a few moments and I will ask the Comptroller, Master Zhai, to come and see you.”

  Laibao took a tael of silver from his sleeve and gave it to the officer.

  “Really, there is no need for this,” the officer said, accepting it, “but if I may make a suggestion, you might offer something to these other two gentlemen, and so you will avoid any difficulty on their part.”

  Laibao brought out two more taels of silver and gave them to the officers. At this, the faces of the officers became more pleasant.

  “So you have come from Qinghe,” the gatekeeper said. “Wait a few moments and I will take you to see Master Zhai. His Eminence has just returned from the Temple of Ether, Glorious and Indefectible, where he has been offering incense. He is resting in his study.”

  Some time later Zhai came. He was wearing light shoes, white socks, and a devotional robe of black silk. Laibao knelt down before him. The Comptroller greeted him, and Laibao handed over the list of the presents he had brought, while servants came forward with two rolls of Nanjing silk and thirty taels of white gold.

  “My master, Ximen Qing, offers this to you with his best respects. He knows that he has nothing in any way worthy to repay your kindnesses, but you may be willing to distribute these trifles among your servants. You had so much trouble over the affair of Wang the Fourth, the salt-merchant.”

  “I really cannot accept this present,” the Comptroller said, and a little later, “Well, perhaps I must.”

  Laibao presented the list of gifts that his master had sent for the Imperial Tutor. When the Comptroller had examined it, he handed it back to Laibao and told him to have the presents carried to the inner courtyard and to wait there. To the west of the inner door was an antechamber where all who had business in that place were entertained. Here an attendant brought tea for Laibao and Wu. After a while Cai, the Imperial Tutor, came to the hall, and after the Comptroller had told him of their visit, Laibao and his companion were summoned. They knelt at the foot of the steps while the Comptroller gave the present list to the Imperial Tutor. Then the two men brought in the gifts, vases of shining yellow gold, cups of finest jade, figurines and the multicolored dragon robe of ceremony. There was silk from Nanjing glimmering with green and gold. This was not all. Provisions of meat and wine had been carefully preserved, and were piled high beside fresh and seasonable fruits. The Imperial Tutor could not fail to be pleased.