A Dream of Red Mansion

by Cao Xueqin

  “Qi’s riddle is the word ‘glow-worm,’“ Li Wan went on. “And the answer is a single word.”

  They cudgelled their brains for a long time. Then Baoqin said, “This one’s deep. Is the answer ‘flower’?”

  “You’ve hit the nail on the head,” Li Qi told her.

  “What has ‘glow-worm’ got to do with ‘flower’?” some of them demanded.

  “Most ingenious,” remarked Daiyu with a smile. “Doesn’t grass turn into glow-worms? The character for ‘flower’ consists of the ‘grass’ radical and the character for ‘metamorphosis,’ doesn’t it?”

  The others laughed when they caught on and said. “Very good.”

  “They’re all good, but they’re not the sort of riddle the old lady wants,” observed Baochai. “We’d better make up some about everyday objects, which everyone can enjoy.”

  All agreed to this.

  After a moment’s thought Xiangyun volunteered, “I’ve got one written after the melody Dian Jiang Chun, about some thing very common. See if you can guess the answer.” She recited:

  “Parted from his valleys and streams,

  He fools about midst mankind

  In utter futility.

  Fame and profit are vanity.

  And nothing is left behind.

  For a long time they failed to guess the answer. Some suggested a monk, others a Taoist, yet others a marionette.

  “You’re all wrong,” declared Baoyu, who had been chuckling to himself for a while. “I’ve got it. It must be a monkey in a circus.”

  Xiangyun confirmed that he was right.

  “The first part makes sense,” said the others. “But what does the last line mean?”

  “Is there any performing monkey that hasn’t got its tail docked?” asked Xiangyun.

  All the others protested laughingly, “Even when making riddles, she’s full of monkey-tricks!”

  Li Wan now turned to Baoqin. “Aunt Xue was telling us yesterday that you’ve travelled a good deal, and seen lots of sights. Do try your hand at some riddles. And since you write such good poems, why not make them in verse?”

  Baoqin nodded cheerfully and went off to rack her brains.

  Meanwhile Baochai was ready with a riddle which she recited:

  “Tier upon tier of carved cedar and sandalwood,

  By no craftsmen was it reared;

  Even when the sky is swept by wind and rain

  No holy bells are heard.”

  While the rest were trying to solve this, Baoyu chimed in:

  “Vanished from heaven and the world of men,

  The bamboo frame bids us beware!

  Gaze up to catch the message from the phoenix,

  And sigh your answer to the azure air.”

  By now Daiyu had one ready too and she declaimed:

  “No need to tether these fine steeds with ropes,

  Galloping round the walls how fierce they seem!

  At their master’s bidding they speed fast as lightning;

  Only three fairy isles on the giant turtle’s back have left a name.”

  Tanchun now had one ready too, but before she could tell it to them Baoqin came back.

  “I’ve visited many places of historical interest since I was small,” she said. “So I’ve made ten verses about ten of them. They’re very crude, but at least they recall the past and the answers are everyday objects. I hope you’ll guess them.”

  “How ingenious!” exclaimed the others. “Won’t you write them out for us?”

  If you want to know more about this, read the next chapter.

  Chapter 51

  Baoqin Composes Poems Recalling the Past

  An Incompetent Physician Prescribes Strong Medicine

  Baoqin told the others that she had written ten riddles in the form of quatrains, about famous places she had visited in different provinces. “How original!” they cried.

  They crowded round to read the poems, which were as follows:

  RED CLIFF

  Wrecked by Red Cliff, choking the stream,

  Nothing remains in the empty hulks but names;

  Yet countless gallant souls are roaming there

  Where cold winds sough and fan the leaping flames.

  COCHIN CHINA

  His rule is strengthened by great bells of bronze.

  Whose sound has spread to tribes beyond the seas;

  Ma Yuan assuredly achieved great deeds,

  And the iron flute of Zhang Liang needs no praise.

  MOUNT ZHONGSHAN

  Fame and profit have never kept you company.

  Abruptly haled into the dusty world;

  To sever all the strings attached is hard;

  Don’t murmur, then, if taunts at you are hurled.

  HUATYIN

  Even the brave must guard against savage hounds;

  He was made Prince of Qi and died straightway;

  But let not the worldly despise him—

  He remembered the gift of a meal till his dying day.

  GU ANGLING

  Cicadas chirp, crows roost, in a flash they are gone;

  How looks the landscape by Sui Dyke today?

  I was the emperor’s romantic reputation

  That was to blame for so much calumny.

  PEACH-LEAFFORD

  Flowers bloom in idleness by the shallow pool,

  Peach-Leaf must part company at last with the bough;

  Many mansions stood here in the Six Dynasties,

  Only a portrait hangs on the bare wall now.

  THE GREEN TOMB

  The dark stream is stagnant, choked,

  The icy strings of the lute all her grief proclaim;

  How absurd they were, the rules of the House of Han;

  Wood the carpenter scorns should feel eternal shame.

  MAWEI SLOPE

  Lonely traces of rouge and perspiration remain,

  But with the flowing water her beauty has gone;

  Yet some vestiges of her charm still linger on,

  And even today a fragrance clings to her gown.

  PUDONG MONASTERY

  A young maid, low-born and flippant,

  By stealth brings a couple together;

  Though caught out at last by her mistress,

  She has induced her young lady to join her lover.

  PLUM-BLOSSOM NUNNERY”

  Not by plum trees but by willows,

  Who will pick up the beauty’s portrait here?

  It is no use longing for a reunion in spring.

  Autumn means parting for another year.

  They all admired the subtlety of these riddles, Baochai, however, commented, “The first eight deal with authenticated incidents in history, but it’s harder for us to understand the last two fictitious ones. I think you ought to write two others instead.”

  Daiyu at once objected, “Don’t be so sanctimonious and strait-laced, dear cousin. The last two incidents may not appear in historical records, and not having read the romances from which they come we may not know the details; but we’ve surely all seen the operas based on them. Why, even three-year-olds know them, not to say us.”

  “That’s quite right,” agreed Tanchun.

  “Besides,” Li Wan added, “these poems are about places she’s visited. What if these two stories are fictitious? Plenty of legends have come down from ancient times, and well-meaning busybodies have even faked relics to fool men. For instance, that year we come to the capital we passed three or four tombs on the way said to be Lord Guan’s. Well, there’s historical evidence for Lord Guan’s life and actions, but how could one man have so many tombs? They appeared, of course, as often happens, because later generations admired him and wanted to show their respect. I’ve since learned from a book of geography that Lord Guan isn’t the only one to have several tombs—so do most famous men of old. As for legendary sites, there are even more of them. So though the stories referred to in these two riddles are fictitious, they’re mentioned in ballads and operas, even in te
mple oracles. The whole world knows them. Each one is a household word. Besides, it’s not as if we ourselves had read The Western Chamber and The Peony Pavilion, which are licentious works. So it doesn’t matter if these two verses are kept.”

  Then Baochai did not insist, and they tried for a while to guess the answers, but with no success.

  In winter the days are short, it was soon dinner-time, and they went to the mansion for a meal. Then a maid reported to Lady Wang that Xiren’s brother Hua Zifang had brought word that their mother was ill and wanted to see her daughter. He had come to beg permission to take her home.

  “Of course we can’t keep her if her mother wants her,” was Lady Wang’s reply. She sent for Xifeng and told her to see to the matter.

  Xifeng agreed and went back to her apartments. She asked Zhou Rui’s wife to break the news to Xiren, and gave her these instructions:

  “You must get another matron beside yourself and a couple of young maids to go with Xiren. Four older attendants are to escort her carriage. Take a big one yourselves and a smaller one for the girls.”

  As Mrs. Zhou was leaving to carry out these orders, Xifeng added, “Xiren is a sensible girl. Tell her from me to dress smartly and to take a big bundle of good clothes in a handsome wrapper, as well as a good hand-stove. She must come and let me see her before she leaves.”

  Mrs. Zhou assented and went off.

  After some time, sure enough, Xiren arrived, having changed her clothes, accompanied by Mrs. Chou and two maids who were carrying her hand-stove and bundle. Xifeng saw that she had some fine gold pins ornamented with pearls in her hair, and was wearing an ermine-lined peach-red silk tapestry jacket with a hundred-beads design, a yellowish-green padded skirt embroidered with coloured silk and gold thread, and a black satin coat lined with squirrel.

  “These three garments which your mistress gave you are of good quality,” acknowledged Xifeng with a smile. “But the coat’s on the drab side. It’s not warm enough either. You need one with thicker fur.”

  “The mistress gave me this squirrel, and the ermine too,” Xiren replied. “She promised to give me a fox-fur as well at New Year.”

  “Well, I have a fox-fur, but I don’t care for the way the fringe hangs and was meaning to have it altered,” said Xifeng. “You may as well have that for the time being. When the mistress orders a coat for you for New Year, I’ll have it made for myself instead. That’ll compensate me for the one I’m giving you.”

  Everybody present laughed.

  “We know your way of talking, madam,” they said. “You give with both hands, the whole year round, privately giving away all sorts of things to make up for the presents that the mistress forgets. There’s really no saying how much you’ve given. And you never charge the mistress for them, of course. Yet you talk in this stingy way to raise a laugh.”

  “How can the mistress remember all these things, which aren’t important anyway?” Xifeng retorted. “But if no one saw to them, it would reflect badly on the family; and I’m quite willing to put my hand in my pocket to keep everyone decently dressed—for the sake of my own good name. I’m in charge of the household, after all, and if everyone here looked like scarecrows I’d be blamed for fitting you out in such a beggarly way.”

  This impressed them all. “No one else can hold a candle to you, madam,” they said. “So considerate as you are to Her Ladyship, and kindness itself to those of us beneath you.”

  Pinger had been seat to fetch Xiren the fox-fur-lined coat of slate-blue silk tapestry with eight circular designs which Xifeng had worn the previous day. Now, seeing that Xiren’s wrapper was of black and white silk gauze, lined with pink silk, and in it she had only two worn silk-padded jackets and one fur jacket, Xifeng told Pinger to bring her own jade-coloured velvet wrapper with a silk lining, as well as a cape for the snow. Pinger brought two capes, one of worn crimson felt, the other a rather newer one of red satin.

  “One is already too much,” Xiren demurred.

  “The felt’s for you,” chuckled Pinger. “I’ve brought the other at the same time to send to Miss Xiuyan. Yesterday, in that heavy snow, the others were all wearing felt, camlet or satin, and it was really a splendid sight—a dozen or so red capes against the snow. She was the only one in a shabby cape, all hunched up with cold, poor thing! So we’d better give her this.”

  “See the way she gives away my property!” cried Xifeng. “As if I’m not spending enough myself without her help. A fine thing!”

  “It’s your fault, madam, for being so dutiful to Her Ladyship and so good to us servants,” they retorted, smiling. “If you were the stingy sort that hoards things up with no consideration for those below you, she wouldn’t dare do such a thing.”

  “That’s because she’s the only one with some inkling of my character,” rejoined Xifeng. She told Xiren, “Let’s hope your mother is better. If not, you’ll just have to stay there; but send me word, and I’ll have your bedding sent over. Don’t use their bedding or combs.” She turned to Mrs. Zhou. “You all know our rules, of course. I don’t have to remind you.”

  “We know, madam,” replied Mrs. Zhou. “When we get there, we’ll ask the others to keep their distance. If we stay, we’ll insist on a couple of inner rooms.”

  She went out then with Xiren and ordered the servantboys to light the lanterns. Mounting their carriages, they drove to Hua Zifang’s house.

  Meanwhile Xifeng had summoned two old nannies from Baoyu’s quarters.

  “Xiren probably won’t be back today,” she told them. “You know which of the older girls have most sense. Get a couple of them to keep watch at night in Baoyu’s rooms. You must see to things too. Don’t let Baoyu run wild.”

  The two nannies assented and left, returning presently to report: “We’ve told Qingwen and Sheyue to attend Master Bao. The four of

  us will keep watch at night in turn.” Xifeng nodded.

  “See that he goes to bed early and gets up early.”

  They promised to do this and went back to the Garden.

  Before long Zhou Rui’s wife sent word that Xiren’s mother was dying, and Xiren could not come back. Having reported this to Lady Wang, Xifeng sent to the Garden for Xiren’s bedding and dressing-case. Baoyu looked on while Qingwen and Sheyue got these ready and sent them off. This done, the two maids changed their clothes for the night, and Qingwen sat down on the big openwork bronze clothes-warmer over the brazier.

  “Stop putting on such ladified airs,” Sheyue teased. “Do something, can’t you!”

  “I will after all the rest of you are gone,” retorted Qingwen. “So long as you’re here, I mean to take it easy.”

  “I’ll make the bed, dear sister, but you must let down the cover over the mirror and hook back the clasp about you’re taller than I am.” She then went to make Baoyu’s bed.

  “I was just nicely warm and you had to disturb me!” Qingwen gave a mock sigh.

  Baoyu had been sitting brooding, wondering whether Xiren’s mother would recover or not. Hearing this exchange between the girls, he got up and went out to cover the mirror and hook back the clasp himself.

  “You can stay in the warm,” he said as he came in again. “I’ve seen to everything.”

  “I can’t toast myself here all the time,” replied Qingwen smiling. “That reminds me, I’ve not fetched your pewter bed-warmer.”

  “How thoughtful you suddenly are!” remarked Sheyue. “He never uses a bed-warmer. And we shall be snugger here on the clothes-warmer than on the cold kang in the other room. There’s no need for a bed-warmer today.”

  “If you both sleep on that clothes-warmer, I’ll be all alone out here,” objected Baoyu. “I’d be too scared to get a wink of sleep.”

  “I mean to sleep here,” declared Qingwen. “You sleep in his room, Sheyue.”

  By this time it was already the second watch. Sheyue who had by this time drawn the curtains, removed the lamp and added incense to the burner, now helped Baoyu to bed. Then the two girls sle
pt too, Qingwen on the clothes-warmer above the brazier, Sheyue outside Baoyu’s alcove.

  After the third watch had sounded, Baoyu called Xiren in his sleep. He called a couple of times but no one answered, and it dawned on him as he woke that she was away, at which he laughed at himself.

  Qingwen, awake too now, called to Sheyue, “You really sleep like the dead! He’s even woken me, over here; but you right next to him didn’t hear a thing.”

  Sheyue turned over, yawning.

  “It was Xiren he called. What’s that to do with me?” She asked Baoyu what he wanted. He told her, “Some tea.”

  She got up at once then, wearing nothing over her night clothes but a padded red silk jacket.

  “Slip on my fur before you go out to the other room,” he advised. “You mustn’t catch cold.”

  So she put on the warm sable jacket he used as a dressing-gown, then washed her hands in the basin and took Baoyu a cup of warm water and a large rinse-bowl, so that he could rinse his mouth. Next she fetched a bowl from the cupboard, warmed it with hot water and half filled it with tea from the warm pot for him to drink. She then rinsed her own mouth and drank half a bowl of tea too.

  “Bring me a drop too, dearie!” called Qingwen.

  “You’re getting above yourself, aren’t you?” Sheyue retorted.

  “Good sister, tomorrow night you needn’t stir, and I’ll dance attendance on you. How about that?”

  Then Sheyue gave her water to rinse her mouth and poured her half a bowl of tea.

  “Don’t go to sleep just yet, you two,” she said. “You can have a chat while I slip out for a moment.”

  “Beware of the ghost out there waiting for you,” teased Qingwen.

  “The moon’s bright tonight,” said Baoyu, clearing his throat. “We’ll be talking. Just run along.”

  Sheyue opened the back door then and, raising the felt portiere, found that it was indeed a bright moonlit night. As soon as she had gone, Qingwen felt tempted to give her a scare for fun. As she was stronger than the other girls and did not feel the cold, she slipped quietly down from the clothes-warmer wearing nothing but a light tunic, and tiptoed after Sheyue without putting on any wraps.