A Dream of Red Mansion

by Cao Xueqin

  Holding Xiren’s hand Lady Wang answered, “I did have some inkling from what I saw. Now you’ve clinched it. But he must have heard what the master said just now. Did you notice his reaction?”

  “Nowadays when people talk to him he smiles; if no one talks to him he goes to sleep. So he didn’t hear what was said.”

  “Then what’s to be done?”

  “I’ve made bold to tell you this, madam. It’s for you to tell the old lady and think of some really safe plan.”

  “In that case, get back to your work. I won’t mention it now—there are too many people there. I’ll wait for a chance to tell her later on, and then we shall see.”

  She rejoined the Lady Dowager who was discussing Baoyu’s marriage with Xifeng.

  “What did Xiren want that she looked so secretive?” the old lady asked.

  Lady Wang took this opening to give her a detailed account of Baoyu’s feeling for Daiyu. For a while the old lady said nothing, and Lady Wang and Xifeng kept silent too.

  “Nothing else really matters,” the old lady sighed at last. “We needn’t worry about Daiyu. But if Baoyu is really so infatuated, it’s going to be difficult!”

  “Not too difficult,” said Xifeng after some thought. “I’ve an idea, but don’t know whether Aunt Xue will agree to it or not.”

  “If you have a plan, tell the old lady,” said Lady Wang. “We can discuss it together.”

  “To my mind,” said Xifeng, “the only way is to ‘palm off a dummy’ on him.”

  “Palm off what dummy?” the old lady asked.

  “Never mind whether Baoyu is in his right mind or not, we must all drum it into his head that on the master’s orders he is to marry Miss Lin, and see how he takes it. If he doesn’t care either way, we needn’t trick him. If he’s pleased, we’ll have to do things more deviously.”

  “Well, assuming he’s pleased, what then?” asked Lady Wang.

  Xifeng went over to whisper something into her ear, at which she nodded and smiled.

  “That should work,” she said.

  “Tell me what you two are plotting,” urged the old lady.

  In order not to give away the secret, Xifeng whispered in her ear too. As she had anticipated, the old lady did not understand at first and Xifeng, smiling, had to explain more fully.

  “That’s all right,” agreed the old lady. “Rather hard on Baochai, though. And if word gets out, what about Daiyu?”

  “We’ll just tell Baoyu and forbid any mention of this outside, then how could she hear?”

  At this point a maid announced Jia Lian’s return. Not wanting the old lady to question him, Lady Wang signalled to Xifeng who went out to meet him, signing to him to go with her to Lady Wang’s place. By the time they were joined by Lady Wang, Xifeng’s eyes were red from weeping. Jia Lian, when he had paid his respects, described his trip to Shilitun to help arrange for Wang Ziteng’s funeral.

  “An Imperial decree has conferred on him the rank of Grand Secretary and the posthumous title of Duke Wenqin,” he announced. “The family has been ordered to take the coffin back to his native district, and officials along the way are to render assistance. They set off on the journey back south yesterday. My aunt told me to convey her respects and say how sorry she is to have been unable to come to the capital— there was so much she wanted to tell you. When she heard that Xifeng’s brother was on his way to the capital too, she promised if she met him on the road to send him here to give us all her news.”

  Lady Wang was naturally so upset by this account that Xifeng had to comfort her.

  “Please have a rest now, madam,” she urged. “This evening we’ll come back to discuss Baoyu’s business.”

  Going home with Jia Lian she told him what had happened, and asked him to send servants to prepare the bridal chambers.

  One morning after breakfast, Daiyu set off to call on her grandmother to pay her respects and also by way of diversion. They had not gone far from Bamboo Lodge when she found that she had forgotten her handkerchief. She told Zijuan to go back for one then catch her up— she would be walking on slowly. She had passed Seeping Fragrance Bridge and reached the rocks behind which she and Baoyu had buried blossom, when she suddenly heard sobbing. She stopped to listen, but could not tell who was lamenting there or hear what she was saying. Very puzzled, she strolled over and found that the one crying there was an under-maid with thick eyebrows and big eyes.

  Daiyu had expected to see one of the upper-maids come here to vent some grief which she could not confide to others. But when she saw this girl she thought with amusement, “A stupid creature like this can’t have been crossed in love. She’s one of those doing rough work who must have got scolded by the senior maids.” She looked hard at the girl but could not recognize her.

  When Daiyu appeared, the maid dared not go on crying but stood up and wiped her eyes.

  “Why are you weeping here? What’s come over you?” Daiyu asked.

  That set the maid off again. “Judge for yourself, Miss Lin!” she sobbed. “They knew something, but I wasn’t in on it; so even if I made a slip of the tongue, sister had no call to slap me.” Daiyu could not make head or tail of this.

  “Which sister do you mean?” she asked with a smile. “Sister Zhenzhu.”

  Knowing from this that she worked for the old lady, Daiyu asked again, “What’s your name?”

  “They call me Numskull.”

  “Why did she slap you? What did you say wrong?”

  “Why? Just because of the marriage of our Master Bao to Miss Baochai.”

  Daiyu felt thunderstruck. Her heart beat wildly. Composing herself a little she said. “Come with me.”

  Numskull accompanied her to the quiet spot where she had buried the peach-blossom. Then Daiyu asked, “Why should she slap you because Master Bao is marrying Miss Baochai?”

  “Their Ladyships have settled it with Madam Lian. Because His Lordship’s going to leave so soon, they’re fixing up hurriedly with Aunt Xue to have Miss Baochai brought over before he goes. This will counter Master Bao’s bad luck with good. And after that... “—she beamed at Daiyu—”after his wedding they’ll fix up a match for you, miss.”

  Daiyu listened, half stupefied, as the maid rattled on, “I don’t know how they settled this, but they won’t let anybody talk about it for fear of embarrassing Miss Baochai if she heard. All I did was to remark to sister Xiren—the one who works for Master Bao, ‘Things are going to be livelier here with Miss Baochai becoming Second Mistress Bao— how ought we to address her?’ Tell me, Miss Lin, why should that annoy Sister Zhenzhu? Yet she marched over and slapped my face, saying I was talking nonsense and should be thrown out for not obeying orders! How was I to know the mistresses didn’t want this talked about? They never tell me anything, yet slap me!” She started sobbing again.

  Daiyu felt as if her heart were filled with a mixture of oil, soy, sugar and vinegar—so sweet, bitter, painful and sharp that she could not put her sensations into words.

  After a pause, in a trembling voice she said, “Don’t talk such nonsense. If they heard, they’d give you another slapping. Be off with you now.”

  She turned to go back to Bamboo Lodge. But there seemed to be a mill-stone round her neck and her legs were as limp, her steps as faltering, as if treading on cotton-wool. It seemed a long way to Seeping Fragrance Bridge, she was walking so slowly and so shakily; and moreover, she added two bowshots to the distance by wandering about at random in a daze. When as last she reached the bridge, she inadvertently started back along the dyke.

  When Zijuan brought the handkerchief Daiyu had gone. Looking round for her, she saw her white-faced, her eyes fixed in a vacant stare, wandering unsteadily this way and that. She also glimpsed a maid walking off in front, but too far away to make out which it was. In shocked surprise she ran over.

  “Why are you going back, miss?” she asked gently. “Where do you want to go?”

  Hearing her as if in a dream, Daiyu answered without thin
king, “To ask Baoyu what this means.”

  Zijuan, nonplussed as she was, had to help her to the Lady Dowager’s quarters. When Daiyu reached the door, Her mind seemed to clear. Turning to her maid who was supporting her, she stopped to ask:

  “Why have you come?”

  “To bring your handkerchief,” was the smiling answer. “Just now I saw you by the bridge, but when I accosted you you paid no attention.”

  “I thought you’d come to see Master Bao,” Daiyu laughed. “Why else should you come this way?”

  Zijuan saw that her wits were wandering, and knew that she must have heard something from that maid. She could only nod and smile. However, this visit to Baoyu unnerved her, for he was already demented and now Daiyu was bemused too—what if they said something improper?

  But for all this, she had to do as she was told and help her young mistress inside.

  Strange to say, Daiyu was no longer as limp as before. Lifting the portiere herself instead of waiting for Zijuan, she stepped in. All was quiet, for the old lady was having a nap, and her maids had either slipped out to play or were nodding drowsily or attending her. The clack of the portiere alerted Xiren, who came out from the inner room.

  “Please come in and take a seat, miss,” she invited when she saw who it was.

  “Is Master Bao in?” Daiyu asked with a smile.

  Xiren, being in the dark, was about to answer when Zijuan signalled to her from behind Daiyu and, pointing at her young mistress, waved her hand warningly. Xiren was too puzzled by this to say any more. Daiyu, disregarding her, went on into the inner room where Baoyu was sitting. Instead of rising to offer her a seat, he simply stared at her with a foolish grin. Daiyu sat down and gazed back at him with a smile. They exchanged neither greetings nor civilities, just simpered at each other without a word.

  Xiren, at a complete loss, did not know what to do.

  “Baoyu,” said Daiyu abruptly. “Why are you ill?”

  “Because of Miss Lin,” he answered with a smirk.

  Xiren and Zijuan turned pale with fright and at once tried to change the subject; but the other two ignored them, still smiling foolishly. It dawned on Xiren that Daiyu was now deranged too, exactly like Baoyu.

  She whispered to Zijuan, “Your young lady’s just over her illness. I’ll get Sister Qiuwen to help you take her back to rest.” She turned to tell Qiuwen, “Go with Sister Zijuan to see Miss Lin back. Mind you don’t say anything foolish.”

  Qiuwen complied readily. In silence she and Zijuan helped Daiyu to her feet. She kept her eyes on Baoyu, smiling and nodding.

  “Go home and rest, miss,” Zijuan urged her.

  “Of course!” said Daiyu. “It’s time for me to go now.”

  She turned and went out, still smiling, without their assistance and walking much faster than usual. The two maids hurried after her as once out of her grandmother’s compound she forged straight ahead.

  “This way, miss!” cried Zijuan, catching hold of her arm.

  Daiyu allowed herself to be led back and soon they approached the gate of Bamboo Lodge.

  “Gracious Buddha!” sighed Zijuan in relief. “Home at last!”

  But the words were still on her lips when Daiyu staggered and fell, vomiting blood. To know what became of her, read the next chapter.

  Chapter 97

  Daiyu Burns Her Poems to End Her Infatuation

  Baochai Goes Through Her Wedding Ceremony

  As Daiyu reached the gate of Bamboo Lodge, Zijuan’s cry of relief startled her. She vomited blood. The two maids were just able to catch her as she was collapsing and carry her inside; then Qiuwen left Zijuan and Xueyan to attend to her.

  After a while, Daiyu regained consciousness and saw that her maids were crying. She asked them the reason.

  In relief Zijuan answered, “You seemed unwell just now, miss, when you left the old lady’s place, and we didn’t know what to do—we cried for fright.”

  “Oh, I’m not going to die as easily as all that,” retorted Daiyu, panting as she spoke.

  The news of Baoyu’s impending wedding to Baochai, a prospect which Daiyu had dreaded for years, had so enraged her that she had lost her senses. After the hemorrhage her mind gradually cleared, but she had completely forgotten what Numskull had said. Zijuan’s tears brought it back to her vaguely. Instead of grieving, however, she just longed to die quickly and be done with it. Her maids felt constrained to stay with her although they wanted to go and report her condition, for they were afraid Xifeng would scold them again for raising a false alarm.

  However, Qiuwen had gone back panic-stricken. The old lady, just up from her nap, saw her agitation and asked her what had happened. Qiuwen’s fearful description of what she had seen made the Lady Dowager exclaim in horror and send at once for Lady Wang and Xifeng to communicate this bad news.

  “I ordered all the maids to keep quiet,” said Xifeng. “Who could have blabbed? This makes things more difficult.”

  “Never mind about that now,” said the old lady. “Let’s go and see how she is.”

  The three of them went to Bamboo Lodge and found Daiyu deathly pale. She seemed comatose and her breathing was very weak. Presently she had another fit of coughing. Her maids brought over the spittoon and to their consternation her sputum was streaked with blood. Her eyelids fluttered then, and she saw the old lady by her.

  “Madam,” she gasped, “your love for me has been wasted.”

  Her heart aching, her grandmother said, “Don’t be afraid, dear child. You must rest well.”

  Daiyu smiled faintly, closing her eyes again as a maid came in to report the doctor’s arrival to Xifeng. Thereupon the ladies withdrew, and Doctor Wang was led in by Jia Lian to feel the patient’s pulse.

  “She will be all right,” he observed. “Pent-up anger has drained her liver of blood, resulting in nervous disorders. Some medicine to regulate the blood will set her right again.”

  This said, he went out with Jia Lian to write out his prescription and fetch medicine.

  The Lady Dowager had seen that Daiyu’s state was critical. After leaving her she said to Xifeng, “It’s not that I want to put a jinx on her but it doesn’t look to me, I’m afraid, as if the child will recover. You must get ready after-life things to counter her bad luck. If she gets over this illness, that’ll be a great weight off our minds. And if it comes to the worst, you won’t be caught unprepared at the last minute. We’ve that other business to attend to these days.”

  When Xifeng had acquiesced, the old lady questioned Zijuan; but the maid did not know who had told Daiyu the news.

  Dubiously, the old lady went on, “It’s natural for young people who’ve played together as children to be partial to each other; but now that they’re big enough to know the facts of life they should keep at a distance. That’s how a girl should behave if she wants me to love her. To get other ideas into her head would be most improper, and all my love for her would be thrown away. I’m quite upset by what you’ve been telling me.”

  On her return to her own quarters, she called in Xiren to interrogate her. Xiren repeated what she had told Lady Wang, then described Daiyu’s behaviour earlier that day.

  “She didn’t look deranged when I saw her just now,” commented the old lady. “I simply can’t understand this. In a family like ours, of course there can’t be any carryings-on, but even thinking such thoughts is taboo! If that’s not the root of her illness, I’m willing to spend any sum to cure her. If it is, I doubt if it can be cured and I don’t care!”

  Xifeng put in, “Don’t worry about Cousin Lin, madam. Lian will take the doctor to see her every day anyway. It’s the other business that matters. I heard this morning that the rooms are practically ready. Why don’t you and Her Ladyship call on Aunt Xue to discuss it with her? I’ll go with you. The only snag is that with Cousin Baochai there it will be difficult to talk. Suppose we ask Aunt Xue over for a consultation here this evening? Then we can settle everything tonight.”

  �
�You’re right,” Their Ladyships agreed. “But it’s too late today. We’ll go over there tomorrow after breakfast.”

  As the old lady had finished her supper by now, Xifeng and Lady Wang went back to their own apartments.

  The next day, Xifeng came over after breakfast and went in to sound out Baoyu.

  “Congratulations, Cousin Bao!” she greeted him gaily. “The master has chosen a lucky day for your wedding. Doesn’t that make you happy?”

  Baoyu just grinned at her and nodded imperceptibly.

  “Your bride will be Cousin Lin. Are you glad?”

  He simply burst out laughing, and she was unclear about his mental state.

  “The master says you can marry her if you’re better, not if you go on acting the fool,” she warned.

  “If anyone’s a fool, it’s you—not me!” he retorted seriously, then stood up and announced, “I’m going to see Cousin Lin to reassure her.”

  Xifeng promptly barred his way.

  “She knows it already,” she said. “As she’s to marry you, she’ll naturally feel too shy to see you.”

  “Will she see me after the wedding?”

  Amused and perturbed Xifeng thought, “Xiren was right. At the mention of Daiyu, though he still raves his mind seems clearer. If he really comes to his senses and finds out that it isn’t Daiyu but we’ve played a trick on him, then the fat will be in the fire!”

  Suppressing a smile she said, “If you’re better she’ll see you, not if you act crazily.”

  “I’ve given her my heart. When she comes, she’s bound to bring it and put it back in my breast.”

  As he was raving, Xifeng came out and smiled at the old lady, who had been both amused and upset by their conversation.

  “I heard,” she said. “We can ignore him for now and leave Xiren to calm him down. Let’s go.”

  For by then Lady Wang had come too, and together they called on Aunt Xue, ostensibly to see how her family was faring. Aunt Xue was most grateful and gave them news of Xue Pan. When tea had been served she wanted to send for Baochai, but Xifeng stopped her.