by Cao Xueqin
“Why didn’t you pick any of my things, as I asked?”
Daiyu had forgotten her earlier grievance in her preoccupation with this new incident.
“I’m not cut out for such good fortune,” she said. “I can’t compare with Cousin Baochai and her gold and jade. I’m just as common as any plant or tree.”
Baoyu caught this innuendo.
“Other people may talk about gold and jade,” he protested, “but if such an idea ever crossed my mind, may Heaven and Earth destroy me! May I never again be reborn in human form!”
Daiyu knew from this how hurt he felt.
“What nonsense,” she scoffed. “Why make such oaths for no reason? Who cares about your gold and jade anyway?”
“It’s hard to tell you all that’s in my heart, but you’ll understand some day. You’re the closest person in the world to me after my grandmother and my own parents. I swear there’s no one else.”
“There’s no need to swear. I know I have a place in your heart. But whenever you see her, you forget all about me.”
“That’s your imagination. I’m not like that.”
“Why did you appeal to me when Baochai refused to back up your fib yesterday? If I’d refused, goodness knows what you’d have done.”
Seeing Baochai approaching just then, they moved on. And pretending not to have seen them—although she had—she walked on with lowered head to chat with Lady Wang before going on to the Lady Dowager’s apartments. She found Baoyu already there.
Now ever since her mother had told Lady Wang about the gold locket given to Baochai by a monk and his prediction that she would only marry a man with jade, Baochai had been rather distant to Baoyu. Yuanchun’s gift of identical presents to them the previous day had made her even more sensitive on this score. Fortunately Baoyu was so wrapped up in Daiyu, so utterly engrossed in her, that he paid no attention to this coincidence.
Without warning now he asked Baochai to let him have a look at the red bead bracelet scented with musk on her left wrist. She had no alternative but to take it off. She was so plump, however, that this was by no means easy. And while he stood admiring her soft white arm it occurred to him: If she were Daiyu, I might have a chance to stroke her arm. Too bad for me that it’s hers!
Suddenly remembering the talk about gold and jade, he looked at Baochai more closely. Her face seemed a silver disc, her eyes were lustrous and almond-shaped, her lips red without rouge, her eyebrows dark without being pencilled. She was charming in quite a different way from Daiyu. He was so fascinated that when she pulled off the bracelet and offered it to him, he did not even take it.
Embarrassed by the way he was staring, Baochai put the bracelet down and turned to go. She saw Daiyu then in the doorway, biting her handkerchief with a mocking smile.
“Why are you standing there in a draught?” asked Baochai. “You know how easily you catch cold.”
“I was indoors until I heard a strange bird-cry. When I came out to look, it was only a silly goose.”
“Where is this silly goose? I’d like to see it.”
“As soon as I came out it flapped away.”
With these words she flicked Baoyu’s face with her handkerchief, catching him right on the eyes. He uttered an exclamation of surprise. To know what came of this, read the next chapter.
Chapter 29
Favourites of Fortune Pray for Better Fortune
An Absurd, Loving Girl Falls Deeper in Love
Baoyu was so absorbed by his thoughts that when Daiyu flicked his eyes with her handkerchief, he gave a sudden start. “Who’s that?” he exclaimed. She shook her head laughingly.
“Sorry, a slip of the hand. Cousin Baochai wanted to see the silly goose, and while pointing it out to her I hit you by mistake.”
Baoyu rubbed his eyes and bit back the retort which was on the tip of his tongue.
Then Xifeng arrived and, alluding in the course of conversation to the Taoist mass to he held at Ethereal Abbey on the first of the next month, she urged the young people to go there to watch the operas.
“It’s too hot for me,” objected Baochai. “Besides, there aren’t any operas I haven’t seen. I’m not going.”
“It’s cool there with tall buildings on either side,” countered Xifeng. “If we’re going I shall send servants a few days in advance to clear out the Taoist priests and clean the place up, then screen it off and close it to the general public. It will be rather pleasant then. I’ve already told Lady Wang. If you won’t go I mean to go alone. Things have been so boring recently; besides, even when we have shows at home, I can’t watch them in comfort.”
When the Lady Dowager heard of this she said, “In that case, I’ll go along with you.”
“If our Old Ancestress is going as well,” cried Xifeng, “so much the better—only I shan’t be free to enjoy myself.”
“I’ll sit in the main balcony and you can watch from one of the side ones, will that suit you? Then you won’t have to dance attendance on me.”
“See how our Old Ancestress dotes on me!” Xifeng quipped. “You must go, and your mother too,” said the Lady Dowager to Baochai. “If you stayed at home you’d only sleep the whole day long.” Then Baochai had to agree.
The old lady sent a maid to invite Aunt Xue and to notify Lady Wang on the way that she meant to take the girls. Lady Wang had already excused herself on the grounds that she was unwell and expecting word from Yuanchun. She received this message with a smile and the comment:
“What good spirits she’s in. Go and tell them in the Garden that any of the young ladies who would like an outing may accompany the old lady on the first.”
Those most excited by this news were the young maids who normally had no chance to cross the threshold, all of whom longed to go. If their mistresses were disinclined to stir they tried in every way to persuade them, to such effect that Li Wan and the rest all agreed to the trip. This pleased the Lady Dowager even more. Meanwhile servants had been sent to make everything ready.
When the first of the fifth month arrived, the road before the Rong Mansion was thronged with carriages, sedan-chairs, attendants and horses. As this mass had been paid for by the Imperial Consort and the Lady Dowager was going in person to offer incense, and as moreover it was just before the Double Fifth Festival, all the preparations were on a more lavish scale than usual.
Presently the ladies of the house emerged. The old lady’s large sedan-chair had eight bearers; those of Li Wan, Xifeng and Aunt Xue, four apiece. The carriage shared by Baochai and Daiyu was gay with a green awning, pearl-tassels and designs of the Eight Precious Things; that shared by the three Jia girls had crimson wheels and an ornamented covering.
Behind them followed the Lady Dowager’s maids Yuanyang, Yingwu, Hupo and Zhenzhu; Daiyu’s maids Zijuan, Xueyan and Chunxian; Baochai’s maids Yinger and Wenxing; Yingchun’s maids Siqi and Xiuju; Tanchun’s maids Daishu and Cuimo; Xichun’s maids Ruhua and Caiping; and Aunt Xue’s maids Tongxi and Tonggui.
They were also accompanied by Xiangling and her maid Zhener; Li Wan’s maids Suyun and Biyue; Xifeng’s maids Pinger, Fenger and Xiaohong; and Lady Wang’s maids Jinchuan and Caiyun, who because they wanted to go were attending on Xifeng today.
Dajie and her wet-nurse rode in another carriage with other maids.’
In addition there were two other maids and some old nurses from the different apartments, as well as some stewards’ wives. The whole street was nearly hidden from sight by all their conveyances. Even after the Lady Dowager’s sedan-chair had gone a considerable distance, these attendants were still mounting their carriages at the gate, where a babel of voices was heard:
“I don’t want you in with me.”
“Look out! you’re sitting on my lady’s things.”
“Don’t tread on my flowers!”
“You’ve gone and broken my fan.”
There was no end to their noisy talk and laughter. Zhou Rui’s wife went back and forth to remonstrate:
�
��Now, girls, don’t make such laughing-stocks of yourselves out in the street.”
She had to repeat this several times to make them quiet down, by which time the front part of the retinue had reached the abbey gate. And as Baoyu rode up on horseback before the Lady Dowager’s sedan-chair, spectators lined the street.
As they neared the abbey gate, they heard the peal of bells and the roll of drums. Abbot Zhang in his robes of office, holding a tablet, was waiting with his priests by the roadside to welcome them. The Lady Dowager’s sedan-chair had just been borne through the gate when, at sight of the clay images of gods guarding the temple gate, those of two messenger gods—one with eyes able to see a thousand li, the other with ears able to catch each breath of rumour—together with local tutelary gods, she ordered her bearers to halt. Jia Zhen and the young men of the family advanced to receive her. And Xifeng, knowing that Yuanyang and the others were too far behind to help the old lady alight, got down from her own chair to do this. As she did so, an acolyte of twelve or thirteen, holding a case of scissors for cutting the candle-wicks, came darting out to see the fun and ran full tilt into her. She boxed his ears so hard that he pitched to the ground.
“Look out where you’re going, little bastard!” she swore.
Too frightened to pick up his scissors, the boy scrambled to his feet to run outdoors. Just then Baochai and the other girls were dismounting from their carriages, escorted by a multitude of matrons and stewards’ wives. At sight of the little fugitive, the attendants shouted:
“Catch him! Beat him!”
“What’s happened?” asked the Lady Dowager.
Jia Zhen hurried over to make inquiries, while Xifeng gave the old lady her arm.
“It’s an acolyte who trims the wicks,” she explained. “He didn’t get out of the way in time and was rushing wildly about.”
“Bring him here. Don’t frighten him,” the Lady Dowager ordered. “Children of humble families are well sheltered by their parents, they have never seen anything so grand before. It would be too bad to frighten him out of his wits—his father and mother would never get over it.” She told Jia Zhen, “Go and bring him gently here.”
Jia Zhen had to drag the boy over. His scissors now in one hand, trembling from head to foot, he fell on his knees. The old lady made Jia Zhen help him up.
“Don’t be afraid,” she said. “How old are you?”
But he was speechless with fright.
“Poor little thing!” she exclaimed, then turned to Jia Zhen. “Take him away, Zhen, and give him some cash to buy sweetmeats. Don’t let anyone bully him.”
Jia Zhen assented and led the boy away, while the Lady Dowager moved on with her train to see the different shrines.
The pages outside had just observed them enter the third gate when out came Jia Zhen with the acolyte and ordered them to take him away, give him a few hundred cash and not ill-treat him. Several servants promptly came forward and led him off.
Standing on the steps Jia Zhen demanded, “Where is the steward?”
All the pages shouted in unison, “Steward!”
At once Lin Zhixiao came running over, holding on his cap with one hand.
“Although this is a large place,” Jia Zhen told him, “there are more people here than we expected. Keep those you need in this courtyard, send those you don’t need to the other, and post some boys at the two main gates and side gates ready to carry out orders and run errands. You know, don’t you, that all the ladies have come today, so not a single outsider must be allowed in.”
“Yes, sir. Right, sir. Very good, sir,” agreed Lin Zhixiao hastily.
“You may go. Wait! Why isn’t Rong here?”
While he was still speaking Jia Rong hurried out from the bell-tower, buttoning his clothes.
“Look at him,” sneered Jia Zhen. “While I swelter here he finds somewhere to cool off.”
He ordered the servants to spit at him, and one of the pages spat in Jia Rong’s face.
“Ask him what he means by it,” ordered Jia Zhen.
So the page asked Jia Rong, “If His Lordship can stand the heat, why should you go to cool off?”
Jia Rong, his arms at his sides, dared not utter a word.
This had struck fear into Jia Yun, Jia Qin and Jia Ping; and even Jia Huang, Jia Bin and Jia Qiong promptly put on their caps and one by one edged forward from the shade at the foot of the wall.
“What are you standing there for?” Jia Zhen snapped at his son. “Hurry up and gallop home to tell your mother and wife that the old lady and all the young ladies are here. They should come at once and wait on them.”
Jia Rong ran off shouting repeatedly for a horse. He grumbled: “Why was this not thought of before? Now I’m the one to take the brunt.” Then he swore at a page, “Are your hands tied that you can’t bring me a horse?”
He would have sent a page in his place, if not for fear this might be discovered later. As it was, he had to ride back to town himself.
But to return to Jia Zhen. As he was turning back to the hall he found Zhang the Taoist standing beside him.
“In view of my special position I ought to attend the ladies inside,” the priest observed with a smile. “But it’s such a hot day, with so many young ladies here too, that I don’t like to presume without your permission. I’d better wait here in case the old lady may want me to show her round.”
Jia Zhen knew that though this Taoist had been the Duke of Rongguo’s substitute, later he had been made Chief Warder of the Taoist Script, with the title “Saint of the Great Illusion” verbally conferred by the previous Emperor, and now being Keeper of the Taoist Seal and entitled “Man of Final Truth” by the Emperor he was addressed as “Immortal” by nobles and officials alike. It would not do to slight him. Besides, during his frequent visits to the two mansions he had already made the acquaintance of all the ladies there, both young and old.
So Jia Zhen responded with a smile, “What sort of talk is this among friends? Stop it at once or I shall pull out your beard. Come along in with me.”
Laughing heartily the Taoist followed him in. Jia Zhen found the Lady Dowager and with a bow informed her: “Grandfather Zhang has come to pay his respects.”
“Bring him here,” she rejoined at once. Jia Zhen led in the priest, chortling.
“Buddha of Infinite Longevity!” he exclaimed. “I hope the Old Ancestress has been enjoying good fortune, long life, health and peace, and that all the ladies and young ladies have been happy too. I haven’t called on you to pay my respects, but Your Ladyship looks in better health than ever.”
“And are you well, Old Immortal?” she responded with a smile.
“Thanks to my share in your good fortune, yes. I keep feeling concerned about your grandson, though. How has he been keeping all this time? Not long ago, on the twenty-sixth of last month, we celebrated the birthday of the Prince who Shades the Sky. As few people would be coming and everything was quite clean, I sent to invite Master Bao to come; but they told me he wasn’t at home.”
“It’s true, he wasn’t.”
The old lady called for her grandson.
Baoyu, just back from the privy, hurriedly stepped forward to say, “How do you do, Granddad Zhang?”
The priest took him in his arms and asked after his health.
“Yes,” he remarked to the Lady Dowager, “he looks as if he’s putting on weight now.”
“He may look all right but he’s really delicate. And his father is ruining his health, the way he keeps the boy poring over his books.”
“I’ve seen some of his calligraphy and poems in different places recently. They’re so remarkably good I can’t understand why His Lordship should still complain he’s idle. I’d say he’s doing all right.” Then, with a sigh, the old Taoist observed, “To me, with his face and figure, his bearing and way of talking, Master Bao seems the image of the old duke.” Tears welled from his eyes as he spoke.
The old lady was painfully affected too.
“You’re right,” she agreed. “Of all my sons and grandsons, Baoyu is the only one who takes after his grandfather.”
The priest then remarked to Jia Zhen, “Of course, sir, your generation were born too late to see the duke. I don’t suppose even Lord She and Lord Zheng remember too well what he looked like.” He burst out laughing again before turning back to the Lady Dowager. “The other day in a certain family I saw a young lady of fifteen, a pretty girl. It seems to me time to arrange a match for the young master. And that young lady would do, as far as looks, intelligence and family go. But not knowing how Your Ladyship feels, I didn’t like to do anything rash. I can go and broach the subject if Your Ladyship gives the word.”
“A bonze told us this boy isn’t fated to marry too early,” she replied. “So we’ll wait until he’s older to settle things. But by all means keep your eyes open. Riches and rank are immaterial. Only if you find a girl pretty enough, come and let us know. Even if the family’s poor it doesn’t matter, we can always let them have a few taels of silver. But good looks and a sweet disposition are hard to find.”
At this point Xifeng joined in with a smile: “Grandfather Zhang, you still haven’t brought our daughter her new talisman, yet you had the nerve to send round the other day to ask for yellow satin. And I didn’t like to make you lose face by not giving it.” Zhang the Taoist roared with laughter.
“My eyes are so dim, I didn’t notice you, madam, and haven’t thanked you. The talisman was ready long ago and I was meaning to send it, but when Her Highness ordered this mass to be held I forgot. It’s still before the image of Buddha. I’ll go and get it.”
He hurried off to the main hall, returning presently with a talisman on a tray covered with a red silk sutra wrapper with a dragon design. As Dajie’s nurse took this from him, he held out his arms for the child.
“Why didn’t you bring it in your hands?” Xifeng wanted to know. “Why use a tray?”
“My hands are too dirty, madam. A tray seemed cleaner.”
