A Dream of Red Mansion

by Cao Xueqin

  Baoyu got up in embarrassment and went sheepishly in to tell her, “I meant to come in but somehow or other I happened to fall asleep.”

  “What’s it to me whether you come in or not?” she retorted.

  Xiren had not slept either. At the sound of their voices she promptly came in to pour tea. Then a young maid arrived, sent by the old lady, to inquire whether Baoyu had passed a good night or not and to tell him that, if he had, he should go over with Madam Bao as soon as they were dressed.

  Xiren sent her back with the message that Baoyu had slept well and would soon be going over.

  After a hasty toilet, Baochai went ahead with Yinger and Xiren to pay her respects to the Lady Dowager, then to Lady Wang and Xifeng. By the time she rejoined the old lady Aunt Xue had arrived.

  When asked if Baoyu had slept well. Baochai told them, “He’s quite all right. He went to sleep as soon as we got back.” Then, their minds relieved, they chatted.

  And now a young maid came in to report, “Miss Yingchun has to go home. They say Mr. Sun sent servants to complain to the Elder Mistress, who sent word to Miss Xifeng to let her go back. Miss Yingchun’s weeping in the Elder Mistress’ room. She should be coming soon to say goodbye.”

  The others, sad to hear this, deplored Yingchun’s fate.

  “Such a brute of a husband has ruined her life,” the old lady sighed.

  Then Yingchun, her face tear-stained, came in to take her leave. As this was Baochai’s birthday she had to choke back her grief, and knowing how strictly she was controlled her grandmother could not detain her.

  “All right, you’d better go back,” she said. “But don’t be so upset. It’s no use crying over spilt milk. I’ll send for you again in a few days’ time.”

  “You’ve always been goodness itself to me, madam,” sobbed Yingchun. “But now there’s nothing you can do. And I’m afraid this is the last time I shall see you!”

  “What’s to stop you from coming again?” the others remonstrated. “Your third sister’s worse off, so far away that she’s hardly any chance of coming home.”

  The thought of Tanchun reduced them all to tears. But as this was Baochai’s birthday, the old lady tried to strike a more cheerful note. “It’s not impossible,” she said. “Once peace is restored along the coast and her father-in-law is transferred to the capital, we shall see each other again.”

  “That’s true,” the rest agreed.

  Then Yingchun had to leave disconsolately. Having seen her out the others rejoined the old lady, who entertained them till the evening when as she looked tired they dispersed.

  Aunt Xue went back with Baochai to whom she said, “Your brother’s got by this year. When there’s an Imperial amnesty and his sentence is commuted, we can try to ransom him. But how am I to manage these next few years on my own? I’d like to get Xue Ke married. Do you think that a good idea?”

  “You had doubts about it before, mother, because you were horrified by my sister-in-law,” Baochai answered. “I think it’s high time that you saw to this. You know Xiuyan and what a thin time she’s having here. Once she marries into our family, though we’re poor, at least she’ll be much better off than staying here as a dependent.”

  “Then find a chance to mention it to the old lady. Tell her I need someone to help out, and so I want to fix the wedding day.”

  “Why not just discuss it with Cousin Ke? When you’ve chosen a good day you can come and tell the old lady and Elder Mistress, then take her over and be done with it. The Elder Mistress here is eager to get her married off.”

  “I heard today that your Cousin Shi’s going back too. The old lady wanted to keep Baoqin for a few days and she’s staying. As I think that sooner or later she’ll be leaving home to get married, you’d better take this chance to have some good talks.”

  “Yes, mother, I will.”

  After sitting there for a while Aunt Xue said goodbye to the others and went home.

  When Baoyu returned to his quarters that evening he thought, “The fact that I didn’t dream of Daiyu last night may be because she has become an immortal and doesn’t want to meet vulgar oafs like me; or it may be because I’m too impatient.”

  That gave him an idea and he told Baochai, “Last night I happened to doze off outside, and slept so much more soundly than in here that I woke up this morning feeling refreshed. So—if you’ve no objection— I’d like to sleep outside for a couple more nights.”

  Baochai knew from the poetry he had recited that morning that he was thinking of Daiyu, and that there was no reasoning with such a simpleton. She decided she might as well let him have his own way until he himself lost hope, especially as he had slept well the previous night.

  “What’s that got to do with me?” she asked. “You can sleep wherever you like; why should we stop you? But don’t let your fancy run wild or put a jinx on yourself.”

  “What an idea!” he chuckled.

  “Take my advice, Master Bao, and sleep inside,” put in Xiren. “If you’re not well looked after outside and catch cold, that will be bad.” Before he could answer, Baochai tipped Xiren a wink and she continued, “Very well then. We’ll get somebody to keep you company, to pour you tea during the night.”

  “In that case, you stay with me,” he said with a smile.

  Xiren flushed crimson with embarrassment and did not answer him.

  Knowing how staid she was Baochai proposed, “She’s used to staying with me, so let her do that. Sheyue and Wuer can look after you. Besides, she’s tired out after dancing attendance on me all day; we should let her have a good rest.”

  Baoyu went out gleefully.

  Baochai told Sheyue and Wuer to make a bed for him in the outer room and to sleep lightly themselves and see to his tea. Assenting to this, they went out and found Baoyu seated bolt upright on the bed, his eyes closed and his hands folded just like a monk. Not daring to speak, they stared at him in amusement. Xiren, sent out by Baochai to see that he had all he wanted, was amused by this sight too.

  “It’s time to sleep,” she said softly. “Why are you practising yoga?” Baoyu opened his eyes and seeing who it was replied, “You all go to bed. I’ll sit here a bit then sleep.”

  “The way you behaved yesterday kept Madam Bao awake all night. Are you starting all over again?”

  Knowing that none of them would sleep if he stayed up, Baoyu lay down. Xiren gave the two other girls some final instructions then went inside, closing the door, and retired for the night.

  Sheyue and Wuer spread out their quilts too, and when Baoyu had lain down they went to bed. But Baoyu could not sleep. As he watched them unfolding their quilts he had recalled the time during Xiren’s absence when Qingwen and Sheyue had waited on him. Sheyue had gone out in the night and Qingwen, to frighten her, had slipped out in her night clothes and caught cold—it was that illness that later carried her off. At this memory his heart went out to Qingwen. And mindful, suddenly, of Xifeng describing Wuer as the image of her, he shifted his longing for Qingwen to her double. While shamming sleep he peeped at Wuer, and more and more she looked to him like Qingwen, making him quite enraptured. There was no sound now from the inner room and he assumed that the occupants were asleep. Not knowing whether Sheyue was awake or not, he called her a couple of times but received no answer.

  Wuer hearing him asked, “Do you want something, Master Bao?”

  “I want to rinse my mouth.”

  Since Sheyue was asleep, Wuer had to get up. Having trimmed the candle she poured him a cup of tea, holding ready the spittoon in her other hand. She had got up in a hurry wearing only a peach-red silk shift, her hair loosely knotted. To Baoyu she appeared the reincarnation of Qingwen. He bethought himself abruptly of Qingwen’s saying, “If I’d known I was going to get a bad name, I’d have committed myself.” He gaped at Wuer, neglecting to take the cup.

  Now after Fangguan’s dismissal, Wuer had lost interest in coming into service here. But when later she heard that Xifeng was sending h
er to work for Baoyu, she was more eager for this than Baoyu himself. After her arrival, however, she was overawed by Baochai and Xiren and found Baoyu deranged and less handsome than before; moreover she heard that Lady Wang had dismissed certain maids for playing around with him, and so she gave up her girlish infatuation. Yet tonight her witless master, taking her for Qingwen, was attracted to her. Wuer blushed all over her face. Not venturing to raise her voice she said softly:

  “Rinse your mouth, Master Bao.”

  He took the tea with a smile, but forgetting to rinse his mouth asked with a grin, “You and Sister Qingwen were on good terms, weren’t you?”

  In bewilderment she answered, “We were like sisters; of course we were on good terms.”

  “When Qingwen was dying and I went to see her, weren’t you there too?” he asked softly.

  She smiled and nodded.

  “Did you hear her say anything?”

  “No.” She shook her head.

  Forgetting himself, he took her hand. Wuer blushed furiously, her heart beating fast.

  “Master Bao!” she whispered. “Say what you have to say, but keep your hands to yourself.”

  He dropped her hand then and told her, “She said to me, ‘if I’d known I was going to get a bad name, I’d have committed myself.’ Did you hear that?”

  Wuer felt this was a challenge, yet dared not rise to it. “That was a shameless thing to say,” she answered. “How can young girls talk like that?”

  “Are you such a moralist?” he cried frantically. “It’s because you look just like her that I confided this to you. Why run her down in that way?”

  Not knowing what was in his mind she said, “It’s late. You’d better sleep, Master Bao. If you keep sitting up you may catch cold. What did Madam Bao and Sister Xiren tell you?”

  “I’m not cold.” Suddenly remembering that she was in her night clothes, he was afraid she might catch cold like Qingwen. “Why didn’t you put more on before bringing my tea?” he asked.

  “You sounded in such a hurry, what time did I have for that? If I’d known you’d keep talking so long, I’d have put on something warmer.”

  At once he offered her the pale grey silk padded jacket which was lying over his quilt, and urged her to put it on.

  She refused, saying, “Keep it yourself, Master Bao. I’m not cold. Anyway, I have clothes of my own.”

  She went back to her bed and slipped into a long gown, listening to make sure that Sheyue was still sound asleep, then came back slowly and asked, “Don’t you want to have a good rest tonight, Master Bao?”

  “Not a bit of it!” he answered with a smile. “To tell you the truth, I’m hoping to meet a goddess.”

  “What goddess?” she asked, even more bewildered.

  “If you want to know, it’s a long story. Sit down next to me and I’ll tell you.”

  “How can I sit down with you lying there?” she asked blushing.

  “Why shouldn’t you? It was very cold that year when Qingwen played a trick on Sheyue, and for fear she might catch cold I tucked her under my quilt. What does it matter? It’s hypocritical to be so prudish.”

  It sounded to Wuer as if he were flirting with her. Little did she know that this foolish master of hers was speaking from his heart. She was at a loss, equally averse to leaving, standing there or sitting down.

  “Don’t talk such nonsense,” she said playfully. “Suppose someone was to hear? No wonder people say you waste all your time on girls! You have Madam Bao and Sister Xiren, both as pretty as goddesses, yet you insist on fooling around with others. If you go on talking that way I’ll report it to Madam Bao then what face will you have left?”

  Just then they were startled by a sound outside. Baochai in the inner room coughed. Baoyu at once pursed his lips, and at this signal Wuer put out the light and tiptoed back to bed. Actually, because Baochai and Xiren had not slept the night before and today had been a busy day for them both, they had slept through the conversation. The sound in the courtyard made them wake with a start and prick up their ears, but nothing more could they hear. Baoyu in bed wondered, “Could Cousin Lin have come? Maybe hearing me talk she decided to give us a fright.” He tossed and turned, giving way to foolish fancies, not falling into a troubled sleep till dawn.

  Because Baoyu had fooled about with her half the night and then Baochai had coughed, Wuer had a guilty conscience and was afraid her mistress had overheard them. Filled with misgivings she could not sleep all night. When she got up the next morning, as Baoyu was still dead to the world she tidied the room.

  “Why get up so early?” Sheyue asked. “Couldn’t you sleep last night?”

  Suspecting from this that Sheyue knew what had happened, Wuer smiled sheepishly and made no reply. Presently Baochai and Xiren got up too. When they opened the door and saw Baoyu still slumbering, they wondered how he had managed to sleep so soundly the last two nights outside.

  Baoyu woke to find them all up. He sat up quickly, rubbing his eyes, and thought back. No, he had not dreamed last night either. So it must be true that “The ways of immortals and mortals never meet.” Getting slowly out of bed he recalled Wuer’s remark during the night that both Baochai and Xiren were as pretty as goddesses. Indeed they were! He stared at Baochai as if stunned. She assumed he was thinking of Daiyu, but could not tell whether he had dreamed of her or not. Put out by his stare she asked:

  “Did you meet a goddess last night?”

  Imagining that she must have overheard them he faltered, “What do you mean?”

  Wuer, too conscience-stricken to speak, waited for Baochai to go on.

  “Did you hear Master Bao talk with someone in his sleep?” Baochai asked her with a smile, making Baoyu beat a discomfited retreat.

  Red in the face, Wuer mumbled, “He did say something—I couldn’t catch it clearly—in the first part of the night. Something about ‘getting a bad name’ and ‘not committing herself.’ I couldn’t made it out and begged Master Bao to sleep. Then I fell asleep myself, so I don’t know whether he said anything more.”

  Baochai lowered her head and thought, “He obviously had Daiyu in mind. If we let him stay outside, he may get more deranged and some flower fairy or tree spirit may take possession of him. Besides, his illness was brought on by his strong feeling for her. If only there were some way to divert his affection to me, he’d get over it.” At this idea, she blushed up to her ears and went sheepishly back to her room to do her hair.

  The old lady’s improved spirits these last two days had made her overeat, and that evening she was out of sorts. The next day her chest felt constricted; however, she would not let Yuanyang report this to Jia Zheng.

  “I’ve been rather greedy these two days and had too much to eat,” she said. “Missing a meal will set me right. Don’t make a fuss about it.” So Yuanyang and the others kept quiet.

  When Baoyu went home that evening, Baochai had just come back from paying her respects to the old lady and Lady Wang. The sight of her reminded him of her remarks that morning, making him rather ashamed. Seeing how put out he looked and knowing what a sentimentalist he was, she decided to use his infatuation to cure him.

  “Are you going to sleep outside again tonight?” she asked.

  “Outside or inside—it’s all the same to me,” he answered glumly.

  She wanted to say more but could not get the words out.

  “Well, just what does that mean?” asked Xiren. “I don’t believe you slept so well outside.”

  Wuer seized this chance to add, “When Master Bao sleeps outside, the only snag is that he talks in his sleep in a way we can’t understand, yet we dare not talk back.”

  “I’ll move my bed outside tonight to see whether I talk in my sleep or not,” said Xiren. “You two move Master Bao’s bedding back to the inner room.”

  Baochai said nothing. Baoyu, too ashamed to argue, let them move his bedding inside.

  Now Baoyu in his contrition wanted to set Baochai’s mind at rest, wh
ile she, for fear lest longing might drive him distracted, thought it best to show affection to win him over—to take Daiyu’s place in his heart. So that evening when Xiren moved out, he made abject advances which Baochai naturally did not reject. And thus that night at last their marriage was consummated. Later she conceived, but that need not concern us now.

  When next day husband and wife had got up together, after Baoyu had dressed he set off first to see his grandmother. As she was so fond of him and thought Baochai dutiful too, it suddenly occurred to her to make Yuanyang open a case and get out a Han-Dynasty jade, an heirloom of hers. Though less precious than Baoyu’s jade, it was a rare pendant.

  Yuanyang found the jade and handing it over remarked, “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen this before. Fancy you remembering so clearly, madam, the exact case and box it was in after all these years! By looking where you told me I found it in a jiffy. But what do you want this for, madam?”

  “I’ll tell you. This jade was given by my great-grandfather to my father. Since I was my father’s favourite, just before I married he sent for me and gave me this himself, saying, ‘This jade is a pendant of the kind worn in the Han Dynasty; it’s very precious. Keep it to remind you of me.’ I was young at the time I took it and didn’t set much store by it, so I left it in the case. And after I came to this house and saw how many knick-knacks we had here, this seemed nothing special so I never wore it, and there it’s lain for more than sixty years. Now seeing how dutiful Baoyu is to me, as he’s lost his own jade I decided to get this out and give it to him, just as my father gave it to me.”

  Just then Baoyu arrived to pay his respects.

  The old lady said gaily, “Come here, I’ve something to show you.”

  He walked up to her bed and she handed him the Han jade. A close scrutiny revealed that it was some three inches square, shaped like a musk-melon, pinkish, and very well carved. Baoyu was loud in his praise.

  “You like it?” asked the old lady. “This was given me by my great-grandfather. Now I’m passing it on to you.”

  Smilingly Baoyu bowed his thanks and wanted to take the jade to show his mother.