by Cao Xueqin
“Of course Lord Zhen’s to blame too. Still, it’s because our master is so debauched that it’s easy for people to tempt him. As the proverb says, ‘If an ox doesn’t want to drink, you can’t force it to.’“
“Lord Zhen’s wife ought to have stopped him from doing such a thing.”
“Exactly. How could Madam You let her sister be betrothed to two different families? First the Zhangs, then the Jias. Have all the other men in the world died out? Must all girls marry into our Jia family? Are we so well off, or what? It’s lucky that slut Third Sister You had sense enough to kill herself first; otherwise they’d have married her to Baoyu or Huan.
“Madam You doesn’t seem to have cared about saving her sister’s face —how could she ever have held up her head in future? But she wouldn’t worry about that, as after all Second Sister was only her half-sister and, by all accounts, a looseliving, shameless bitch. But Cousin Zhen’s wife is a lady of rank; shouldn’t she feel ashamed of having such a flighty sister at home? Yet instead of trying to keep her away she blatantly brings her here to carry on in that shocking way, not caring if people laugh.
“Besides, Lord Zhen’s an official. He may not know all the rules of propriety, but surely he knows that it’s taboo for a man in mourning to marry, or to spurn his wife and take another woman. What I’m wondering is this: did he fix this up as a favour for his cousin or to harm him?”
“Yes, Lord Zhen is too short-sighted,” said Pinger. “He just wanted to please his cousin without worrying about the consequences.”
“Please his cousin?” Xifeng snorted sarcastically. “No, this was giving him poison. Of all our cousins, he’s the oldest and most experienced; but instead of setting the others a good example he teaches them bad ways to spoil their reputation. And when there’s a public scandal he’ll just stand aside watching the fun. Honestly, I can’t find words strong enough to damn him. The scandalous goings-on in that East Mansion of his don’t bear speaking of. And to cover up his own debauchery he must needs make his cousin follow his example. Is this the way an elder brother should behave? He should have drowned himself in his own piss and died in place of his father, for what’s his life worth? Look how virtuous Lord Jing of the East Mansion was, fasting, chanting sutras and doing so many good deeds. How could he beget a son and grandson like these? I suppose all the family’s good luck, generated by the auspicious geomancy of the ancestral tombs, was used up by the old man.”
“That does seem to be the case. How else could they be so lacking in decency?”
“It’s lucky the old lady, Lord She and Lady Xing haven’t heard of it. If it came to their ears, not only would our good-for-nothing master get beaten and cursed, even Lord Zhen and Madam You would certainly be made to smart for it.”
Xifeng went on cursing and raging, refusing to go over for lunch on the excuse that her head ached. Seeing that she was working herself up into a greater fury, Pinger urged:
“You’d better calm down, madam. The thing’s done, so there’s no hurry. There’ll be plenty of time to talk it over again after Second Master’s return.”
Xifeng gave a couple of snorts. “After his return? No, that would be too late.” Pinger knelt down to reason with her and comfort her, till at length Xifeng calmed down enough to sip some tea. Then, after taking some deep breaths, she asked for her pillow and lay down on the bed, her eyes closed as she considered what to do. When Pinger saw that she was resting, she withdrew. And when some people ignorant of what had happened arrived to report on their business, they were sent packing by Fenger. Then Manao was sent by the Lady Dowager to ask:
“Why hasn’t the Second Mistress gone over for lunch? The old lady’s worried and sent me to see what’s wrong.”
As it was the Lady Dowager who had sent to inquire, Xifeng forced herself to get up.
“I’ve a bit of a headache, nothing serious,” she said. “Tell the old lady not to worry. After lying down for a while I’m feeling better.” With that she sent the maid back.
She then thought the whole business over carefully once more, and hit on a cunning plan to kill several birds with one stone, working out the safest measures to achieve this. This done, instead of disclosing her plan to Pinger, she behaved as cheerfully as if nothing had happened, giving no sign of her fury and jealousy. She sent a maid to fetch Lai Wang and ordered him to bring workers the next day to clean up, repaper and furnish the eastern rooms in their compound. Pinger and the others were nonplussed by this.
If you want to know the upshot, read the next chapter.
Chapter 68
Unhappy Second Sister You Is Decoyed into Grand View Garden
Jealous Xifeng Makes a Scene in the Ning Mansion
When Jia Lian left on his mission, it so happened that the Governor of Pinganzhou was away for a month inspecting border areas. To get a definite reply, Jia Lian had to wait in the hostel for his return. Thus by the time the governor came back, received him and settled the matter, nearly two months had passed.
Xifeng’s plans were already laid. As soon as Jia Lian left she ordered workmen to fix up the three rooms on the eastern side, decorating and furnishing them just like her own. On the fourteenth, she reported to the Lady Dowager and Lady Wang that she wanted to go to the nunnery to offer incense the next morning, taking only Pinger, Fenger and the wives of Zhou Rui and Lai Wang. Before setting out she disclosed her true purpose to them and ordered them all to wear mourning.
Then they set off, Xinger leading the way, to the house where Second Sister You lived. He knocked at the gate, which was opened by Bao Er’s wife.
Xinger announced with a grin, “Tell the Second Mistress that Madam Lian is here. Quick!”
Frightened out of her wits, Bao Er’s wife flew in to report this. Second Sister You, too, was taken aback; but since Xifeng had come she had no choice but to receive her with befitting respect. She hastily straightened her clothes and went out to meet her as Xifeng dismounted from her carriage and stepped through the gate.
Second Sister You saw that Xifeng had nothing but silver trinkets in her hair and was wearing a pale blue satin jacket, black satin cape and white silk skirt. Under eyebrows arched like willow leaves her almond eyes were as bright as those of a phoenix; she was pretty as peach-blossom in spring, simple and austere as chrysanthemums in autumn. As the wives of Zhou Rui and Lai Wang helped her into the courtyard, Second Sister You stepped forward with a smile to curtsey to her, addressing her as “elder sister.”
“I wasn’t expecting the honour of this visit, so I didn’t come out to meet you,” she apologized. “Please overlook my negligence, elder sister.” Again she curtseyed.
Smiling, Xifeng returned her greeting and hand in hand they entered the house, where Xifeng took the seat of honour while Second Sister ordered her maid to bring a cushion, then knelt to pay her respects.
“Your slave is young,” she said. “Since coming here, I’ve left all decisions to my mother and my step-sister. Now that I’ve had the good fortune to meet you, elder sister, if you don’t consider me too far beneath you I’d like to ask for your advice and instructions. I’ll bare my heart to you, too, and wait upon you.” She bowed low.
Xifeng left her seat to return the courtesy.
“This all comes of my behaving like a silly woman,” she answered, “for ever advising my husband to take good care of his health and keep away from brothels, to spare his parents worry. We’re both fond, foolish women. But he seems to have misunderstood me. If he’d taken a mistress outside and hidden it from me, that wouldn’t have signified; but now he’s taken you as his second wife, and that’s an important matter, in accordance with the rules of propriety, yet he never told me about it.
“Actually, I’d advised him to take another wife, because if he begets a son I, too, shall have someone to rely on in future. But he seems to have thought me the jealous type, and so he took this important step in secret. That was really wronging me! And to whom can I complain but to Heaven and Earth?
“This came to my ears about ten days ago, but for fear of vexing my husband I didn’t venture to take it up with him. Now that he happens to have gone on a long journey, I’ve come to call on you in person. I do hope you’ll understand how much I take this to heart and agree to move into our house so that we can live together as sisters, both of one mind, to advise Second Master to pay careful attention to his business and to look after his health. This is only right and proper.
“Foolish and lowly as I am, and unworthy of your company, if we live in separate establishments like this, how do you suppose I can set my mind at rest? Besides, once outsiders know, it will reflect badly on both of our reputations. Not that gossip about us is so serious—it’s Second Master’s reputation that really counts. Besides, it’s entirely up to you to save me from getting a bad name.
I daresay you’ve heard talk about me from servants who think I run the household too strictly and most likely exaggerate behind my back. But how can someone as intelligent and broad-minded as you believe such disgruntled talk? If I were really so impossible, why have three generations of my seniors as well as all my cousins and in-laws—and don’t forget that the Jias are a well-known old family—put up with me all this time? Anyone else would have been angry at his marrying you in secret like this outside, but I actually consider it a blessing which shows that the gods and Buddhas of Heaven and Earth don’t want me to be defamed by those low creatures’ slander.
“I’ve come today to beg you to move in and live with me, on the same footing, share and share alike to serve our father and mother-in-law and advise our husband together, and share the same griefs and joys like real sisters. Then those low types will be sorry they sized me up wrongly; and when Second Master comes back and sees this, he as our husband will regret his mistake. So, sister, you’ll have become my benefactress, redeeming my reputation.
“If you won’t agree to coming back with me, I’ll gladly move out to live with you here and wait on you like a younger sister. All I beg of you is to put in a few good words for me to Second Master, so that he’ll allow me somewhere to stay. Then I shall die content.”
With that she started sobbing and weeping, moving Second Sister to tears too.
After this exchange they resumed their seats, and now Pinger came in to pay her respects. As she was unusually well-dressed and looked a cut above the other maids, Second Sister You realized who she was and hastily laid a restraining hand on her arm.
“Don’t do that, sister!” she exclaimed. “You and I are of the same rank.”
Xifeng rose with a smile to protest, “Don’t overrate her—that would spoil what little good fortune she may have! Just let her pay her respects, sister. She’s after all our maid. There’s no need to stand on ceremony with her.”
She then ordered Zhou Rui’s wife to unwrap four rolls of fine silk and four pairs of jewelled trinkets set in gold as her gift to Second Sister You at this first meeting, and these were accepted with thanks. Then, sipping tea, they spoke of what had happened.
“It was all my fault,” Xifeng kept reiterating. “No one else is to blame. But do be good to me.”
Second Sister, quite taken in by her protestations, thought it was only natural for disgruntled servants to run down their mistress. So she replied very frankly, treating Xifeng as a trusted friend. Moreover, Mrs. Zhou and the other serving women there praised Xifeng for her goodness, saying it was her being honest to a fault which had given rise to resentment. They announced too that the house had been made ready, as the new mistress would see for herself when she moved in. Second Sister had always thought it would be better for her to live in the Jia mansion, and hearing all this she naturally agreed.
“I ought to accompany you, sister,” she said. “But what about this household here?”
“That’s no problem,” Xifeng assured her. “Just get the servants to take over your personal belongings. The furniture here won’t be needed. You can assign anyone you think fit to stay here so as to keep an eye on it.”
“Since I’ve met you today, elder sister, I’ll leave all the arrangements for the removal to you. I haven’t been here long, and never having run a house before I’m too inexperienced to make decisions. These few cases can be taken. I’ve really nothing else here of my own, the other things belong to Second Master.”
Xifeng ordered Zhou Rui’s wife to make a note of these cases and see to it that they were carried carefully to the eastern rooms. Then she urged Second Sister to put on her jewels and they went out hand in hand to mount the carriage, in which they sat side by side.
“Our family rules are strict,” Xifeng now told her confidentially. “So far the old lady knows nothing about this business. If they learned that the Second Master married you while still in mourning, they’d have him beaten to death! So we can’t present you yet to Their Ladyships. We have a very big garden where the girls of our family live, but other people hardly ever go there. Now that you’re moving over, you can stay in the Garden for a couple of days till I’ve found some way to break this news, and then it will be all right to pay your respects.”
“Do exactly as you think best, elder sister,” acquiesced Second Sister.
As the pages accompanying the carriage had received their orders in advance, instead of entering the main gate they went straight to the one at the back; and as soon as the ladies alighted, everyone in the neighbourhood was chased away. Then Xifeng led Second Sister through the back gate of Grand View Garden to see Li Wan.
By this time most of the inmates of the Garden had heard the news. Now that they saw Xifeng bringing Second Sister in, they flocked over to see her and she greeted each in turn. Not one but was very favourably impressed by her beauty and her charm.
“Don’t let word of this get out,” Xifeng warned them all. “If it comes to the ears of Their Ladyships, I’ll kill the lot of you!”
The matrons and maids in the Garden were all afraid of Xifeng. And as Jia Lian had taken this second wife while observing state mourning and family mourning too, they knew it was a most serious offence and took care not to speak of the matter.
Xifeng quietly asked Li Wan to put up the new arrival for a few days.
“Once this business is straightened out,” she said, “of course she’ll move over with me.”
Knowing that rooms had been made ready in Jia Lian’s quarters and that it would not be fitting to announce this marriage during the period of mourning, Li Wan agreed.
Xifeng then dismissed all Second Sister’s maids, assigning some of her own to wait on her, and ordered the women in the Garden to look after her well.
“If she disappears or runs away, you’ll have to answer for it!” she threatened them, after which she went off to make other secret arrangements.
Everyone in the household was amazed to see how benevolent Xifeng had become. As for Second Sister, now that she had found this niche and all the girls in the Garden treated her well, she was quite contented and happy, thinking her future assured.
After three days, however, Shanjie, the maid assigned to her, started showing signs of insubordination.
“There’s no hair-oil left,” Second Sister told her. “Go and ask Madam Lian for some.”
“How can you be so inconsiderate, madam?” Shanjie retorted. “Madam Lian has to look after the old lady every day, as well as the mistresses of both mansions and all the young ladies. At the same time she has to give orders to several hundred men-servants and women-servants all told. Not a day goes by but she has ten or twenty important matters to attend to, besides dozens of minor ones. Outside, she has to see to sending gifts and returning the courtesies of so many noble families from Her Imperial Highness down to princess and marquises; on top of which she has to cope with countless relatives and friends, as well as receiving or sending out thousands of taels of silver every day. How can you trouble her with trifles like this? I wouldn’t be so demanding if I were you. Yours isn’t a proper marriage. She’s treating you well because she’s so
exceptionally kind and generous. If not for that, hearing the way you talk, she could well storm at you and kick you out. And then what could you do? You’d really be stranded.”
This harangue made Second Sister hang her head. She saw she would just have to stomach such slights. And things went from bad to worse: Shanjie even stopped fetching her meals, or served them unpunctiially, bringing nothing but scraps. If Second Sister complained, the maid started screaming at her; but for fear others might scoff that she didn’t know her place, she had to put up with it. Every week or so when she happened to see Xifeng, the latter was all smiles and sweetness, for ever addressing her as “my dear sister.”
“If any servants are remiss and you can’t control them, just let me know and I’ll have them beaten,” promised Xifeng. Then she scolded the maids and matrons, “I know the way you take advantage of those who are kind and fear only those who are hard on you. Once my back’s turned you’re not afraid of anyone. If I hear one word of complaint from the second mistress, I’ll have your lives for it!”
Second Sister was taken in by this show of kindness.
“With her taking my side like this, I’d better not make any fuss,” she reflected. “Some servants have no sense, that’s only natural. If I report them and get them into trouble, I’m the one people will blame.” So she covered up for the maids instead.
Meanwhile Xifeng had sent Lai Wang out to make detailed inquiries, and had now ascertained that Second Sister had indeed been engaged before to a certain Zhang Hua now nineteen, a wastrel and loafer who spent his time gambling and whoring and had squandered his family’s money. Having been driven out by his father, he now stayed in a gambling den. And his father, without telling him, had accepted ten taels of silver from old Mrs. You for canceling the engagement.
