第四十四回

第四十四回 变生不测凤姐泼醋 喜出望外平儿理妆

话说众人看演《荆钗记》，宝玉和姐妹一处坐着。林黛玉因看到《男祭》这一出上，便和宝钗说道：“这王十朋也不通的很，不管在那里祭一祭罢了，必定跑到江边子上来作什么！俗语说，‘睹物思人’，天下的水总归一源，不拘那里的水舀一碗看着哭去，也就尽情了。”宝钗不答。宝玉回头要热酒敬凤姐儿。

原来贾母说今日不比往日，定要叫凤姐痛乐一日。本来自己懒待坐席，只在里间屋里榻上歪着和薛姨妈看戏，随心爱吃的拣几样放在小几上，随意吃着说话儿；将自己两桌席面赏那没有席面的大小丫头并那应差听差的妇人等，命他们在窗外廊檐下也只管坐着随意吃喝，不必拘礼。王夫人和邢夫人在地下高桌上坐着，外面几席是他姊妹们坐。

贾母不时吩咐尤氏等：“让凤丫头坐在上面，你们好生替我待东[1]，难为他一年到头辛苦。”尤氏答应了，又笑回说道：“他坐不惯首席，坐在上头横不是竖不是的，酒也不肯吃。”贾母听了，笑道：“你不会，等我亲自让他去。”凤姐儿忙也进来笑说：“老祖宗别信他们的话，我吃了好几钟了。”贾母笑着，命尤氏：“快拉他出去，按在椅子上，你们都轮流敬他。他再不吃，我当真的就亲自去了。”尤氏听说，忙笑着又拉他出来坐下，命人拿了台盏[2]斟了酒，笑道：“一年到头难为你孝顺老太太、太太和我。我今儿没什么疼你的，亲自斟杯酒，乖乖儿的在我手里喝一口。”凤姐儿笑道：“你要安心孝敬我，跪下我就喝。”尤氏笑道：“说的你不知是谁！我告诉你说，好容易今儿这一遭，过了后儿，知道还得像今儿这样不得了？趁着尽力灌丧两钟罢。”凤姐儿见推不过，只得喝了两钟。

接着，众姊妹也来，凤姐也只得每人的喝一口。赖大妈妈见贾母尚这等高兴，也少不得来凑趣儿，领着些嬷嬷们也来敬酒。凤姐儿也难推脱，只得喝了两口。鸳鸯等也来敬，凤姐儿真不能了，忙央告道：“好姐姐们，饶了我罢，我明儿再喝罢。”鸳鸯笑道：“真个的，我们是没脸的了？就是我们在太太跟前，太太还赏个脸儿呢。往常倒有些体面，今儿当着这些人，倒拿起主子的款儿来了。我原不该来。不喝，我们就走。”说着真个回去了。凤姐儿忙赶上拉住，笑道：“好姐姐，我喝就是了。”说着拿过酒来，满满的斟了一杯喝干。鸳鸯方笑了散去，然后又入席。

凤姐儿自觉酒沉了[3]，心里突突的似往上撞，要往家去歇歇，只见那耍百戏的上来，便和尤氏说：“预备赏钱，我要洗洗脸去。”尤氏点头。凤姐儿瞅人不防，便出了席，往房门后檐下走来。平儿留心，也忙跟了来，凤姐儿便扶着他。才至穿廊下，只见他房里的一个小丫头正在那里站着，见他两个来了，回身就跑。凤姐儿便疑心，忙叫：“站住！”〔一〕那丫头先只装听不见，无奈后面连平儿也叫，只得回来。

凤姐儿越发起了疑心，忙和平儿进了穿堂，叫那小丫头子也进来，把槅扇关了。凤姐儿坐在小院子的台矶上，命那丫头子跪了，喝命平儿：“叫两个二门上的小厮来，拿绳子鞭子，把那眼睛里没主子的小蹄子打烂了！”那小丫头子已经唬的魂飞魄散，哭着只管碰头求饶。凤姐儿问道：“我又不是鬼，你见了我，不说规规矩矩站住，怎么倒往前跑？”小丫头子哭道：“我原没看见奶奶来。我又记挂着房里无人，所以跑了。”凤姐儿道：“房里既没人，谁叫你来的？你便没看见我，我和平儿在后头扯着脖子叫了你十来声，越叫越跑。离的又不远，你聋了不成？你还和我强嘴！”说着便扬手一掌打在脸上，打的那小丫头一栽；这边脸上又一下，登时小丫头子两腮紫胀起来。平儿忙劝：“奶奶仔细手疼。”凤姐便说：“你再打着问他跑什么。他再不说，把嘴撕烂了他的！”那小丫头子先还强嘴，后来听见凤姐儿要烧了红烙铁来烙嘴，方哭道：“二爷在家里，打发我来这里瞧着奶奶的，若见奶奶散了，先叫我送信儿去的。不承望奶奶这会子就来了。”

凤姐儿见话中有文章，便又问道：“叫你瞧着我作什么？难道怕我家去不成？必有别的原故，快告诉我，我从此以后疼你。你若不细说，立刻拿刀子来割你的肉。”说着，回头向头上拔下一根簪子来，向那丫头嘴上乱戳，唬的那丫头一行躲，一行哭求道：“我告诉奶奶，可别说我说的。”平儿一旁劝，一面催他，叫他快说。丫头便说道：“二爷也是才来房里的，睡了一会醒了，打发人来瞧瞧奶奶，说才坐席，还得好一会才来呢。二爷就开了箱子，拿了两块银子，还有两根簪子，两匹缎子，叫我悄悄的送与鲍二的老婆去，叫他进来。他收了东西就往咱们屋里来了。二爷叫我来瞧着奶奶，底下的事我就不知道了。”

凤姐听了，已气的浑身发软，忙立起身来一径来家。刚至院门，只见又有一个小丫头在门前探头儿，一见了凤姐，也缩头就跑。凤姐儿提着名字喝住。那丫头本来伶俐，见躲不过了，越性跑了出来，笑道：“我正要告诉奶奶去呢，可巧奶奶来了。”凤姐儿道：“告诉我什么？”那小丫头便说二爷在家这般如此如此，将方才的话也说了一遍。凤姐啐道：“你早作什么了？这会子我看见你了，你来推干净儿！”说着也扬手一下打的那丫头一个趔趄，便蹑手蹑脚的走至窗前。

往里听时，只听里头说笑。那妇人笑道：“多早晚你那阎王老婆死了就好了。”贾琏道：“他死了，再娶一个也是这样，又怎么样呢？”那妇人道：“他死了，你倒是把平儿扶了正，只怕还好些。”贾琏道：“如今连平儿他也不叫我沾一沾了。平儿也是一肚子委曲不敢说。我命里怎么就该犯了‘夜叉星’。”

凤姐听了，气的浑身乱战，又听他俩都赞平儿，便疑平儿素日背地里自然也有愤怨语了，那酒越发涌了上来，也并不忖度，回身把平儿先打了两下，一脚踢开门进去，也不容分说，抓着鲍二家的撕打一顿。又怕贾琏走出去，便堵着门站着骂道：“好淫妇！你偷主子汉子，还要治死主子老婆！平儿过来！你们淫妇忘八一条藤儿，多嫌着我，外面儿你哄我！”说着又把平儿打几下。打的平儿有冤无处诉，只气得干哭，骂道：“你们做这些没脸的事，好好的又拉上我做什么！”说着也把鲍二家的撕打起来。

贾琏也因吃多了酒，进来高兴，未曾作的机密，一见凤姐来了，已没了主意，又见平儿也闹起来，把酒也气上来了。凤姐儿打鲍二家的，他已又气又愧，只不好说的，今见平儿也打，便上来踢骂道：“好娼妇！你也动手打人！”平儿气怯，忙住了手，哭道：“你们背地里说话，为什么拉我呢？”凤姐见平儿怕贾琏，越发气了，又赶上来打着平儿，偏叫打鲍二家的。平儿急了，便跑出来找刀子要寻死。外面众婆子丫头忙拦住解劝。这里凤姐见平儿寻死去，便一头撞在贾琏怀里，叫道：“你们一条藤儿害我，被我听见了，倒都唬起我来。你也勒死我！”贾琏气的墙上拔出剑来，说道：“不用寻死，我也急了，一齐杀了，我偿了命，大家干净。”

正闹的不开交，只见尤氏等一群人来了，说：“这是怎么说，才好好的，就闹起来。”贾琏见了人，越发“倚酒三分醉”，逞起威风来，故意要杀凤姐儿。凤姐儿见人来了，便不似先前那般泼了，丢下众人，便哭着往贾母那边跑。

此时戏已散出，凤姐跑到贾母跟前，爬在贾母怀里，只说：“老祖宗救我！琏二爷要杀我呢！”贾母、邢夫人、王夫人等忙问怎么了。凤姐儿哭道：“我才家去换衣裳，不防琏二爷在家和人说话，我只当是有客来了，唬得我不敢进去。在窗户外头听了一听，原来是和鲍二家的媳妇商议，说我利害，要拿毒药给我吃了治死我，把平儿扶了正。我原气了，又不敢和他吵，原打了平儿两下，问他为什么要害我。他臊了，就要杀我。”贾母等听了〔二〕，都信以为真，说：“这还了得！快拿了那下流种子来！”一语未完，只见贾琏拿着剑赶来，后面许多人跟着。

贾琏明仗着贾母素习疼他们，连母亲婶母也无碍，故逞强闹了来。邢夫人王夫人见了，气的忙拦住骂道：“这下流种子！你越发反了，老太太在这里呢！”贾琏乜斜着眼，道：“都是老太太惯的他，他才这样，连我也骂起来了！”邢夫人气的夺下剑来，只管喝他：“快出去！”那贾琏撒娇撒痴，涎言涎语的还只乱说。贾母气的说道：“我知道你也不把我们放在眼里，叫人把他老子叫来！”贾琏听见这话，方趔趄着脚儿出去了，赌气也不往家去，便往外书房来。

这里邢夫人王夫人也说凤姐儿。贾母笑道：“什么要紧的事！小孩子们年轻，馋嘴猫儿似的，那里保得住不这么着。从小儿世人都打这么过的。都是我的不是，叫你多吃了两口酒，又吃起醋来。”说的众人都笑了。贾母又道：“你放心，等明儿我叫他来替你赔不是。你今儿别要过去臊着他。”因又骂：“平儿那蹄子，素日我倒看他好，怎么暗地里这么坏。”尤氏等笑道：“平儿没有不是，是凤丫头拿着人家出气。两口子不好对打，都拿着平儿煞性子。平儿委曲的什么似的呢，老太太还骂人家。”贾母道：“原来这样，我说那孩子倒不像那狐媚魇道[6]的。既这么着，可怜见的，白受他们的气。”因叫琥珀来：“你出去告诉平儿，就说我的话：我知道他受了委曲，明儿我叫凤姐儿替他赔不是。今儿是他主子的好日子，不许他胡闹。”

原来平儿早被李纨拉入大观园去了。平儿哭的哽咽难止。[7]宝钗劝道：“你是个明白人，素日凤丫头何等待你，今儿不过他多吃一口酒。他可不拿你出气，难道倒拿别人出气不成？别人又笑话他吃醉了。你只管这会子委曲，素日你的好处，岂不都是假的了？”正说着，只见琥珀走来，说了贾母的话。平儿自觉面上有了光辉，方才渐渐的好了，也不往前头来。宝钗等歇息了一回，方来看贾母凤姐。

宝玉便让平儿到怡红院中来。袭人忙接着，笑道：“我先原要让你的，只因大奶奶和姑娘们都让你，我就不好让的了。”平儿也陪笑说“多谢”。因又说道：“好好儿的从那里说起，无缘无故白受了一场气。”袭人笑道：“二奶奶素日待你好，这不过是一时气急了。”平儿道：“二奶奶倒没说的，只是那淫妇治的我，他又偏拿我凑趣，况还有我们那糊涂爷倒打我。”说着便又委曲，禁不住落泪。宝玉忙劝道：“好姐姐，别伤心，我替他两个赔不是罢。”平儿笑道：“与你什么相干？”宝玉笑道：“我们弟兄姊妹都一样。他们得罪了人，我替他赔个不是也是应该的。”又道：“可惜这新衣裳也沾了，这里有你花妹妹的衣裳，何不换了下来，拿些烧酒喷了熨一熨〔三〕。把头也另梳一梳。”一面说，一面便吩咐了小丫头子们舀洗脸水，烧熨斗〔四〕来。

平儿素习只闻人说宝玉专能和女孩儿们接交；宝玉素日因平儿是贾琏的爱妾，又是凤姐儿的心腹，故不肯和他厮近，因不能尽心，也常为恨事。平儿今见他这般，心中也暗暗的敁敠：果然话不虚传，色色想的周到。又见袭人特特的开了箱子，拿出两件不大穿的衣裳来与他换，便赶忙的脱下自己的衣服，忙去洗了脸。宝玉一旁笑劝道：“姐姐还该擦上些脂粉，不然倒像是和凤姐姐赌气了似的。况且又是他的好日子，而且老太太又打发了人来安慰你。”

平儿听了有理，便去找粉，只不见粉。宝玉忙走至妆台前，将一个宣窑[10]瓷盒揭开，里面盛着一排十根玉簪花棒，拈了一根递与平儿。又笑向他道：“这不是铅粉，这是紫茉莉花种，研碎了兑上香料制的。”平儿倒在掌上看时，果见轻白红香，四样俱美，摊在面上也容易匀净，且能润泽肌肤，不似别的粉青重涩滞。然后看见胭脂也不是成张的，却是一个小小的白玉盒子，里面盛着一盒，如玫瑰膏子一样。宝玉笑道：“那市卖的胭脂都不干净，颜色也薄。这是上好的胭脂拧出汁子来，淘澄净了渣滓，配了花露蒸叠成的。只用细簪子挑一点儿抹在手心里，用一点水化开抹在唇上；手心里就够打颊腮了。”平儿依言妆饰，果见鲜艳异常，且又甜香满颊。宝玉又将盆内的一枝并蒂秋蕙用竹剪刀[11]撷了下来，与他簪在鬓上。忽见李纨打发丫头来唤他，方忙忙的去了。

宝玉因自来从未在平儿前尽过心——且平儿又是个极聪明极清俊的上等女孩儿，比不得那起俗蠢拙物——深为恨怨。今日是金钏儿的生日，故一日不乐。不想落后闹出这件事来，竟得在平儿前稍尽片心，亦今生意中不想之乐也。因歪在床上，心内怡然自得。忽又思及贾琏惟知以淫乐悦己，并不知作养脂粉。又思平儿并无父母兄弟姊妹，独自一人，供应贾琏夫妇二人。贾琏之俗，凤姐之威，他竟能周全妥帖，今儿还遭荼毒，想来此人薄命，比黛玉犹甚。想到此间，便又伤感起来，不觉洒然泪下。因见袭人等不在房内，尽力落了几点痛泪。复起身，又见方才的衣裳上喷的酒已半干，便拿熨斗熨了叠好；见他的手帕子忘去，上面犹有泪渍，又拿至脸盆中洗了晾上。又喜又悲，闷了一回，也往稻香村来，说一回闲话，掌灯后方散。

平儿就在李纨处歇了一夜，凤姐儿只跟着贾母。贾琏晚间归房，冷清清的，又不好去叫，只得胡乱睡了一夜。次日醒了，想昨日之事，大没意思，后悔不来。邢夫人记挂着昨日贾琏醉了，忙一早过来，叫了贾琏过贾母这边来。

贾琏只得忍愧前来，在贾母面前跪下。贾母问他：“怎么了？”贾琏忙陪笑说：“昨儿原是吃了酒，惊了老太太的驾了，今儿来领罪。”贾母啐道：“下流东西，灌了黄汤，不说安分守己的挺尸[12]去，倒打起老婆来了！凤丫头成日家说嘴，霸王似的一个人，昨儿唬得可怜。要不是我，你要伤了他的命，这会子怎么样？”贾琏一肚子的委屈，不敢分辩，只认不是。贾母又道：“那凤丫头和平儿还不是个美人胎子？你还不足！成日家偷鸡摸狗，脏的臭的，都拉了你屋里去。为这起淫妇打老婆，又打屋里的人，你还亏是大家子的公子出身，活打了嘴了。若你眼睛里有我，你起来，我饶了你，乖乖的替你媳妇赔个不是，拉了他家去，我就喜欢了。要不然，你只管出去，我也不敢受你的跪。”

贾琏听如此说，又见凤姐儿站在那边，也不盛妆，哭的眼睛肿着，也不施脂粉，黄黄脸儿，比往常更觉可怜可爱。想着：“不如赔了不是，彼此也好了，又讨老太太的喜欢了。”想毕，便笑道：“老太太的话，我不敢不依，只是越发纵了他了。”贾母笑道：“胡说！我知道他最有礼的，再不会冲撞人。他日后得罪了你，我自然也作主，叫你降伏就是了。”贾琏听说，爬起来，便与凤姐儿作了一个揖，笑道：“原来是我的不是，二奶奶饶过我罢。”满屋里的人都笑了。贾母笑道：“凤丫头，不许恼了，再恼我就恼了。”

说着，又命人去叫了平儿来，命凤姐儿和贾琏两个安慰平儿。贾琏见了平儿，越发图不得[13]了，所谓“妻不如妾，妾不如偷”，听贾母一说，便赶上来说道：“姑娘昨日受了委屈了，都是我的不是。奶奶得罪了你，也是因我而起。我赔了不是不算外，还替你奶奶赔个不是。”说着，也作了一个揖，引的贾母笑了，凤姐儿也笑了。贾母又命凤姐儿来安慰他。平儿忙走上来给凤姐儿磕头，说：“奶奶的千秋[14]，我惹了奶奶生气，是我该死。”凤姐儿正自愧悔昨日酒吃多了，不念〔五〕素日之情，浮躁起来，为听了旁人的话，无故给平儿没脸。今反见他如此，又是惭愧，又是心酸，忙一把拉起来，落下泪来。平儿道：“我服侍了奶奶这么几年，也没弹我一指甲。就是昨儿打我，我也不怨奶奶，都是那淫妇治的，怨不得奶奶生气。”说着，也滴下泪来了。贾母便命人将他三人送回房去，“有一个再提此事，即刻来回我，我不管是谁，拿拐棍子给他一顿。”

三个人从新给贾母、邢王二位夫人磕了头。老嬷嬷答应了，送他三人回去。至房中，凤姐儿见无人，方说道：“我怎么像个阎王，又像夜叉？那淫妇咒我死，你也帮着咒。我千日不好，也有一日好。可怜我熬的连个淫妇也不如了，我还有什么脸来过这日子？”说着，又哭了。贾琏道：“你还不足？你细想想，昨儿谁的不是多？今儿当着人还是我跪了一跪，又赔不是，你也争足了光了。这会子还叨叨，难道还叫我替你跪下才罢？太要足了强也不是好事。”说的凤姐儿无言可对，平儿嗤的一声又笑了。贾琏也笑道：“又好了！真真我也没法了。”

正说着，只见一个媳妇来回说：“鲍二媳妇吊死了。”贾琏凤姐儿都吃了一惊。凤姐忙收了怯色，反喝道：“死了罢了，有什么大惊小怪的！”一时，只见林之孝家的进来悄回凤姐道：“鲍二媳妇吊死了，他娘家的亲戚要告呢。”凤姐儿笑道：“这倒好了，我正想要打官司呢！”林之孝家的〔六〕道：“我才和众人劝了他们，又威吓了一阵，又许了他几个钱，也就依了。”凤姐儿道：“我没一个钱！有钱也不给，只管叫他告去。也不许劝他，也不用镇吓他，只管让他告去。告不成，倒问他个‘以尸讹诈’！”

林之孝家的正在为难，见贾琏和他使眼色儿，心下明白，便出来等着。贾琏道：“我出去瞧瞧，看是怎么样。”凤姐儿道：“不许给他钱。”贾琏一径出来，和林之孝来商议，着人去作好作歹，许了二百两发送才罢。贾琏生恐有变，又命人去和王子腾说，将番役仵作[17]人等叫了几名来，帮着办丧事。那些人见了如此，纵要复辨亦不敢辨，只得忍气吞声罢了。贾琏又命林之孝将那二百银子入在流年帐上，分别添补开销过去。又梯己[18]给鲍二些银两，安慰他说：“另日再挑个好媳妇给你。”鲍二又有体面，又有银子，有何不依，便仍然奉承贾琏，不在话下。

里面凤姐心中虽不安，面上只管佯不理论，因房中无人，便拉平儿笑道：“我昨儿灌丧了酒了，你别埋怨〔七〕，打了那里，让我瞧瞧。”平儿道：“也没打重。”只听得说，奶奶姑娘都进来了。要知端的，下回分解。

[1] 待东——款待东家，指凤姐。

[2] 台盏——有台式盏托的酒盅。

[3] 酒沉了——饮酒过量的意思。

〔一〕 “站住”，底本无。据蒙府、戚序本补。

〔二〕 “贾母等听了”，原无“等”字，从蒙府、戚序本补。

[6] 狐媚魇（yǎn演）道——用邪魔外道来迷惑陷害人。俗传狐狸精能幻化迷人，故称用阴柔手段迷惑人为狐媚。魇：俗传使人在睡梦中惊恐的鬼怪。

[7] 哽咽难止——各本大都作“哽咽难抬”，甲辰、程本等改文亦多，无可校之资。意者，原文或作“止”，过录时音误作“治”，再录时形误作“抬”。今试作“哽咽难止”，以待高明指正。

〔三〕 “熨一熨”，原作“一”，从各本改。

〔四〕 “熨斗”，原作“斗”，从各本改。

[10] 宣窑——明代宣德年间的官窑。其所产瓷器，细巧精致，光彩夺目，小件尤胜，以鲜红色最为名贵。

[11] 竹剪刀——用竹片两头削成剪刃，中间削成薄条，对头弯，利用竹子的弹性使剪刃相错，可断脆嫩的花枝或叶子。兰蕙等怕金属器，故须用竹剪。

[12] 挺尸——骂语，指睡觉。

[13] 图不得——顾不得、忍不住。

[14] 千秋——祝颂长寿之词，此处代指生日。

〔五〕 “不念”，原无“不”字，从蒙府、戚序本补。

〔六〕 “林之孝家的”，原无“家”字，从各本补。

[17] 仵（wǔ五）作——封建官衙中专司验尸的差役。

[18] 梯己——这里是私下的意思。亦作“体己”。

〔七〕 “你别埋怨”，原作“你必怨”，点改为“你必抱怨”。今从甲辰、俄藏本改。

CHAPTER 44. Xi-feng’s jealousy is the object of an unexpected provocation And Patience’s toilet is a source of unexpected delight

BAO-YU having now taken his place amongst the girls, they and the rest of the company were once more able to give their undivided attention to the players.

The play being performed on this occasion was, as we noted at the end of the previous chapter, The Wooden Hairpin, and it chanced that they had reached that section of it popularly referred to as ‘The Husband’s Offering’, in which the hero Wang Shi-peng, believing that his wife has drowned herself, goes with his aged mother to the river Ou-jiang to make offerings to her soul. At this point Dai-yu, who was able to guess what the real purpose of Bao-yu’s early-morning excursion had been, turned to Bao-chai and remarked, in a voice loud enough for Bao-yu to overhear, that she thought Wang Shi-peng a ‘very silly sort of fellow’.

‘He could have made his offering anywhere. Why was it necessary for him to go rushing off to the riverside to make it? They say that “objects aid recall”: well, since all the water in the world comes ultimately from a single source, a bowlful of it scooped up anywhere should have sufficed. His feelings could have been just as effectively relieved by weeping over a bowlful of water as by rushing off to the banks of the river.’

Bao-chai made no reply. Bao-yu, who had certainly heard her, turned away and called for hot wine to drink Xi-feng’s health with.

Grandmother Jia was determined that this should be a day like no other and that Xi-feng should derive the greatest possible enjoyment from it. Not feeling sufficiently energetic to sit with the rest, however, she had retired to the inner room with Aunt Xue, reclining on a couch there in a position from which it was still possible to watch the players. A small selection from the dishes which had covered the two tables laid for her outside had been set down within easy reach where she could pick at them while conversing with Aunt Xue. The remainder she had made over to the maids and older women on duty who had not been catered for, bidding them take their banquet outside on to the verandah where they could sit down and enjoy themselves without restraint.

Lady Wang and Lady Xing also sat in this inner room, not on the kang, where Grandmother Jia’s couch had been placed, but at a high-topped table on the floor below. The young people sat at a number of tables in the outer room. From time to time Grandmother Jia would give orders to You-shi to make sure that Xi-feng was enjoying herself.

‘Make her sit at the head. Why isn’t she sitting at the head? It’s up to you to act as hostess on my behalf,’ she told You-shi. ‘The poor child is run off her feet all the rest of the year. Today I want her to be made a fuss of.’

You-shi went off to do her bidding, but shortly afterwards returned, a smile on her face, to announce that Xi-feng was being difficult.

‘She says she’s not used to sitting at the head. She says it makes her uncomfortable. And she refuses to drink anything.’

‘If you can’t make her, I shall have to come out and deal with her myself,’ said Grandmother Jia, laughing.

This brought Xi-feng herself running up. She spoke to Grandmother Jia from behind You-shi’s shoulder.

‘Don’t believe her, Grannie. I’ve had lots and lots to drink.’

‘Now look here,’ said Grandmother Jia to You-shi, ‘I want you to march this young woman back to her seat and force her to sit down in it. Then I want every one of you here to drink with her in turn. If she still refuses, I really and truly shall come out and deal with her myself.’

You-shi hauled Xi-feng out again, called for larger cups to be brought, and poured her out some wine.

‘There you are, my darling! In token of my appreciation of the noble way in which you have served Lady Jia and Lady Wang and me during the past year, please accept this cup of wine that I have poured out for you with my own fair hand!’

‘If you are really serious about wanting to show me your appreciation,’ said Xi-feng, ‘you ought to offer it to me kneeling down.’

‘Just listen to that!’ said You-shi. ‘I’ll tell you something, my girl: you just don’t realize how lucky you are. For all you know, things may never be as good as this for you again. If I were you, I’d have a good booze-up while you can. Come on, two cups!’

You-shi was so insistent that in the end Xi-feng had to drink two whole cupfuls from the larger cups. After that the cousins came up one by one to drink with her, which meant that she had to take at least a sip or two with each of them. Then old Mrs Lai, observing with what high spirits Grandmother Jia was watching these antics, determined to join in the fun too, and came over, with the other old nannies, to drink Xi-feng’s health along with all the rest. Because of the seniority of this group, it would have been difficult for Xi-feng to refuse them, so with each of them too she had to take a couple of sips. But when Faithful and the maids came trooping up, it was more than flesh and blood could bear and she begged to be excused.

‘Really, my dears, I couldn’t. Let me put it off until tomorrow.’

Faithful pretended to take umbrage.

‘I call that most insulting! Even Her Ladyship treats me with more consideration. I used to think that I counted for something round here, but now, after being put in my place in front of all these others, I can see that I did wrong to come. Well, if you won’t drink, I’m going!’

She turned away and began marching out, but Xi-feng ran after and detained her.

‘No, please! I’ll drink.’

She fetched the wine herself, filled a cup to the brim with it, and drank it down to the last drop, up-ending it afterwards to show that it was dry. At that Faithful laughed and went away content.

As soon as she had resumed her seat, Xi-feng knew that she had drunk too much. Her heart was pounding in her throat and she felt an overwhelming desire to go back home and lie down. But the leader of the jugglers was bearing down on her.

‘Give this man his money,’ she said, turning to You-shi. ‘I have to go home to wash.’

You-shi nodded, and Xi-feng, choosing a moment when no one was looking, slipped outside and made her way along the outside of the hall under the shadow of the eaves. Patience, who had seen her go and was concerned about her, hurried after and gave her some support.

As they approached the passage-way which led from Grandmother Jia’s rear courtyard to the gallery in the midst of the little enclosure surrounded by walls and buildings which had once been the scene of Jia Rui’s night-long sufferings, they recognized one of the junior maids from their own apartment standing there, who, as soon as she caught sight of them, turned tail and ran. Xi-feng at once became suspicious and called out after her. The little maid at first pretended not to hear, but when the shouting behind her continued, could no longer keep up the pretence and had to turn about and face them.

Xi-feng’s suspicions were now thoroughly aroused. Advancing into the gallery and calling the maid back into it, she first made Patience close the partitions, so that they were completely cut off from the outside, then, seating herself on the gallery’s stone plinth and ordering the maid to kneel down in front of her, she told Patience in a fierce, loud voice to fetch two pages from the inner gate with a rope and whips to ‘flog to a jelly’ this abominable creature who had so little regard for the presence of her mistress. The wretched girl, already half-dead with fright, now wept for terror and knocked her head repeatedly on the ground, entreating Xi-feng for mercy.

‘I’m not a ghost,’ said Xi-feng. ‘You’re supposed to stand still and wait when you see me coming. What do you mean by running away from me like that?’

‘I didn’t see you at first, ma’am,’ said the little girl tearfully. ‘I was running because I’d just remembered that there was no one at home to look after things.’

‘If there’s no one at home, you had no business to go out in the first place,’ said Xi-feng. ‘And even if you didn’t see me, you must have heard me calling you. Patience and I shouted to you at the tops of our voices ten or a dozen times, but you only ran the faster. We weren’t all that far away from you, either, and you certainly aren’t deaf. How dare you lie to me!’

She raised her hand and dealt the girl a slap on the cheek that made her reel, quickly followed by a second slap on the other cheek. An angry red patch swelled up instantly on either side of the girl’s face.

‘Don’t, madam. You’ll hurt your hand,’ Patience pleaded.

‘Hit her for me, then,’ said Xi-feng, ‘and ask her why she ran away. If she still won’t talk, tear her lips!’

At first the maid tried sticking to her story, but when she heard that Xi-feng was going to heat an iron red-hot and burn her mouth with it, she broke down and tearfully confessed that Jia Lian was at home and had stationed her in the passage-way to look out for her mistress and give him warning of her coming; but as Xi-feng had left the party so much earlier than expected, she had been taken unawares.

This seemed to Xi-feng to have the ring of truth about it.

‘Why did he ask you to look out for me?’ she asked. ‘Surely I’m allowed to go back to my own room? There must have been a reason. Tell me. If you do, from now on I shall love you and be your friend. But if you don’t, I shall take a knife and cut your flesh with it!’

To reinforce her threat, she plucked a formidable hairpin from her hair and jabbed it violently in the neighbourhood of the girl’s mouth, causing her to dodge this way and that from it in terror.

‘I’ll tell, madam, I’ll tell. Only please don’t let him know that it was me that told you,’ she wept and implored.

Patience begged Xi-feng not to hurt the girl, at the same time urging the girl to make a clean breast of what she had to say. The story then came out.

‘Mr Lian came in a while ago and had a bit of a nap. When he woke up, he sent someone to see what you were doing. They brought word back that your birthday party had only just started and you wouldn’t be back for ages, so he opened the chest and took out two pieces of silver and two hairpins and two lengths of satin and told me to go and give them in secret to Bao Er’s missus and tell her to come over. So then she came over to our room and Mr Lian made me go and wait in the passage here and look out for you. And that’s really all I know.’

Xi-feng was by now shaking all over with anger. She pulled herself to her feet notwithstanding and strode off swiftly towards the house. As she approached the gateway of the courtyard, another little maid popped her head out but quickly drew it in again and ran when she saw that it was Xi-feng. When Xi-feng called to her by name, however, this maid, being more quick-witted than the other one, neither went on retreating nor stood still, but simply turned about and came running up to Xi-feng outside, an obsequious little smile upon her face.

‘Oh madam, I was just going over to tell you when I saw you coming here yourself.’

‘Tell me what?’ said Xi-feng.

The girl then proceeded to relate voluntarily what the other girl had just told under duress.

Xi-feng spat contemptuously.

‘You’ve left it a bit late, haven’t you – waiting until you see me and then trying to act the innocent?’

She raised her hand and struck the girl a blow that sent her staggering, then, tiptoeing across the courtyard, applied her ear to the window to hear what was going on inside.

The first thing she heard was a laugh and a woman’s voice.

‘The best thing that could happen to you,’ it was saying, ‘would be if that hell-cat wife of yours was to die.’

‘Suppose she did,’ Jia Lian’s voice said in answer, ‘and I married another one who turned out to be just as bad?’

‘If she was to die,’ said the first voice, ‘you ought to make Patience your Number One. I’m sure she’d be better than this one.’

‘Patience won’t let me come near her nowadays,’ said Jia Lian. ‘She has a lot to put up with, the same as me, that she doesn’t dare talk about. I don’t know, I reckon I must have been born under a hen-pecked husbands’ star!’

Xi-feng heard this shaking with fury. The couple’s praise of Patience made her at once suspect that Patience had been complaining about her behind her back. The fumes of wine mounted up inside her, clouding her judgement. Without pausing to reflect, she turned and struck Patience twice before kicking open the door and striding into the room. There, without more ado, she proceeded to seize hold of Bao Er’s wife and belabour her, breaking off only to block the doorway with her body in case Jia Lian might think of escaping.

‘Filthy whore!’ she shouted. ‘Stealing a husband isn’t enough for you, it seems. You have to murder his wife as well!’ She turned to Patience: ‘Go on, Patience, your place is over there with them – with that whoremaster of yours and his other whore! You’re all three in this together. You hate me just as much as they do under that smarmy outside of yours!’

This was followed by several blows.

Poor Patience, overwhelmed by so much injustice, had only Bao Er’s wife on whom she could vent her feelings.

‘If you have to do these shameful things,’ she said, ‘you might at least leave me out of it.’ And she began to pummel the woman in her turn.

Now Jia Lian had had a good deal to drink that day, and because of the euphoric state he was in, had taken insufficient precautions against surprise. Xi-feng’s unexpected arrival had therefore left him completely at a loss. But Patience’s outburst was another matter. The wine he had drunk rekindled his forgotten valour; and whereas the anger and shame he felt at seeing Xi-feng beat Bao Er’s wife had rendered him speechless, the sight of Patience doing the same thing so roused his valiancy that he shouted at her and gave her a kick.

‘Little whore! You want to join in too, do you?’

Patience, whose gentle nature was easily overawed, at once left off, tearfully protesting that it was cruel of them to speak about her in such a way behind her back.

Xi-feng, furious that Patience should be afraid of Jia Lian, rushed over and began striking her again, insisting that she should go on beating Bao Er’s wife and take no notice of him. Finding herself thus attacked on both sides simultaneously by the pair of them, Patience became so desperate that she dashed from the room, vowing that she would find a knife and kill herself, and would undoubtedly have done herself an injury if the maids and nannies from outside had not seized her and gradually talked her out of it.

Xi-feng’s reaction when Patience dashed off threatening suicide was to ram her head into Jia Lian’s chest and shout hysterically.

‘You’re all in league against me, and now you’re trying to frighten me because I overheard you. I don’t care. Kill me! Strangle me!’

Jia Lian, in a fury, snatched a sword down from the wall and drew it from its scabbard.

‘There’s no need for any of you to talk about suicide. I’m desperate too. I’ll kill the lot of you and swing for it. That’ll make a clean end of the business!’

Just as the rumpus was at its height, You-shi arrived with a crowd of others.

‘What on earth is happening? A moment ago everyone was enjoying themselves, and now here you all are shouting at each other!’

With the arrival of this audience Jia Lian pretended to be even drunker than he really was, striking a fiercely threatening attitude and behaving as if he was seriously intending to kill Xi-feng with his sword. Xi-feng, on the other hand, dropped the shrewishness she had up to then been showing as soon as she saw them come and, breaking quickly away, ran weeping to Grandmother Jia.

The play had already ended when Xi-feng burst in upon the aged matriarch and flung herself trembling upon her bosom.

‘Save me, Grannie, save me! Mr Lian is going to kill me!’

‘What?’ cried Grandmother Jia, Lady Xing and Lady Wang in startled simultaneity.

‘When I went home just now to change my clothes,’ Xi-feng tearfully related, ‘I was surprised to hear Mr Lian indoors talking to somebody. I was scared to go in straight away, thinking it must be a guest, so I listened for a while outside the window. Then I found that it wasn’t a guest that he was with but Bao Er’s wife, and they were saying what a tyrant I was and planning to poison me so that he could marry Patience. I became very angry then; but I didn’t want to make a scene with him. I struck Patience a couple of times. All I did to him was ask him why he should want to kill me, but he was so much put out by that that he tried to murder me on the spot.’

Grandmother Jia, believing this farrago to be true, was naturally appalled.

‘How dreadful! Bring the wretch here at once!’

But before the words were out of her mouth, Jia Lian himself came running in, sword in hand, with a crowd pursuing at his heels.

Grandmother Jia had always treated Jia Lian and Xi-feng with indulgence, and on this occasion Jia Lian seemed to think that he could presume on this to riot in her presence with impunity, totally disregarding the fact that his mother and aunt were there as well. This deliberate flouting of their authority by a licensed favourite greatly incensed the two ladies. They seized hold of him with angry scoldings, one on either side.

‘Disgusting creature! Have you no sense of decency left whatever? Can’t you see that Grandmother is here?’

‘It’s because Grandmother spoils her so much that she has become the way she is,’ said Jia Lian, leering at them through bloodshot eyes.

Lady Xing, having at last succeeded in wresting the sword from his grasp, shouted at him fiercely.

‘Get out of here at once!’

But Jia Lian remained where he was and went on talking and talking in the same leering, disgusting manner, like a little boy who expects his naughtiness to be admired. Grandmother Jia, in a voice which shook with anger, uttered the only threat that she knew would shift him.

‘I realize that we count for nothing with you. Fetch his father, some one, and see if he’ll go then.’

At that Jia Lian finally shambled out. Sulkily avoiding the conjugal apartment, he took himself off to his study outside.

After he had gone, Lady Xing and Lady Wang turned on Xi-feng and began scolding her; but Grandmother Jia did what she could to comfort her by dismissing the incident as unimportant.

‘Young men of his age are like hungry pussy-cats, my dear. There’s simply no way of holding them. This sort of thing has always happened in big families like ours – certainly ever since I can remember. It’s all my fault, anyway. I shouldn’t have made you drink so much wine. It’s all turned to vinegar inside you.’

This made everyone laugh.

‘Don’t worry,’ she went on. ‘I’ll see that he apologizes to you tomorrow. Just for tonight, though, so as not to put him too much out of countenance, I think you had better stay away from him.’

Her voice became harsher when she remembered Patience.

‘Little wretch! I always thought she seemed such a nice girl. To think that underneath it all she should have been so wicked!’

You-shi laughed.

‘There’s nothing wrong with Patience. She just happened to be the person nearest at hand for Feng to work off her spleen on. When Feng and Lian are angry with one another, they both take it out on Patience. The poor girl is terribly unjustly treated. Don’t you go taking sides against her as well!’

‘Oh well, that’s all right,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘I must say, she never struck me as a wily seductress. In that case, of course, I’m sorry for the poor child – bearing the brunt of it all when she is the innocent party.’

She called Amber to her.

‘Amber, I want you to take a message to Patience for me. Tell her – and I want you to make it quite clear that the message comes from me personally – that I know she has been unjustly treated and I shall make her mistress apologize to her tomorrow. Only tell her not to make a fuss about it today, because it is her mistress’s birthday.’

Patience was at this time in Prospect Garden, whither she had been carried off at the earliest opportunity by Li Wan and where, as soon as they were indoors, she had collapsed in a sobbing heap, resisting all attempts at lifting her. Bao-chai tried reasoning with her.

‘Come, Patience, you are an intelligent girl. Think how well your mistress treats you normally. Just because she’s got a bit drunk today and taken it out on you – why, it shows how close you are to each other! You wouldn’t want her to take it out on anyone else, would you? Everyone else is laughing at her for being such a drunken silly. If you alone insist on taking it so tragically, it will begin to look as if your reputation for good sense was undeserved.’

Just then Amber came in with the message from Grandmother Jia, and Patience, conscious of the aura of prestige it gave her, began gradually to perk up a bit. She remained in the Garden, however, and made no attempt to return to her mistress.

After she had sat with Patience and rested for a while, Li Wan, together with Bao-chai and the rest of the girls, went back to see Grandmother Jia and Xi-feng, whereupon Bao-yu invited Patience over to Green Delights. Aroma gave her an enthusiastic welcome.

‘I’d like to have asked you here in the first place, but I saw that Mrs Zhu and the young ladies were taking care of you, so I didn’t like to interfere.’

Patience’s face was smiling as she thanked her, but fell again almost immediately.

‘I can’t understand it, I really can’t. I’d done absolutely nothing to deserve such treatment.’

‘Oh, it was a passing fit of anger,’ said Aroma. ‘I don’t suppose Mrs Lian knew what she was doing. Look how well she treats you normally.’

‘I wasn’t thinking so much of Mrs Lian,’ said Patience. ‘It’s what that hateful woman said. Why should she want to amuse herself at my expense? And then for that stupid master of mine to go and beat me –!’

Once more the sense of injustice overcame her and she could not restrain her tears.

‘Don’t be upset, Patience!’ said Bao-yu consolingly. ‘I offer you an apology on their behalf.’

Patience laughed.

‘It has nothing to do with you.’

‘We’re all cousins,’ said Bao-yu. ‘What one of us does concerns all the others. If they have done you an injury, it’s up to me to apologize.’

He turned his attention to her appearance.

‘What a pity! You’ve made your new dress all damp. Aroma’s dresses are in here. Why don’t you change into one of hers, then you can spray some samshoo on this one and iron it? You’ll need to do your hair again as well.’

He called to the junior maids to fetch water for washing and heat a flat-iron.

Up to this moment Patience had known only by hearsay of the remarkable understanding shown by Bao-yu in his dealings with girls. He had deliberately kept away from her in the past, knowing her to be Xi-feng’s confidante and (he supposed) Jia Lian’s cherished concubine. It had indeed been a source of frequent regret to him that he had been unable to show her how much he admired her. Seeing him like this for the first time, Patience reflected on the truth of what she had heard.

‘He really has thought of everything,’ she told herself, as she watched Aroma open up a large chest – specially for her – and select two scarcely-worn garments from it for her to change into. Then, since the water had already arrived, she took off her own dress and skirt and quickly washed her face. Bao-yu, who stood by smiling while she washed, now urged her to put on some make-up.

‘If you don’t, it will look as if you are sulking,’ he said. ‘After all, it is Feng’s birthday, and Grandma did specially send someone to cheer you up.’

Inwardly acknowledging the reasonableness of this advice, Patience looked round her for some powder, but could not see any, whereupon Bao-yu darted over to the dressing-table and removed the lid from a box of Early Ming blue-and-white porcelain in which reposed the head of a white day-lily with five compact, stick-like buds on either side of the stem. Pinching off one of these novel powder-containers, he handed it to Patience.

‘There you are. This isn’t ceruse, it’s a powder made by crushing the seeds of garden-jalap and mixing them with perfume.’

Patience emptied the contents of the tiny phial on to her palm. All the qualities required by the most expert perfumers were there: lightness, whiteness with just the faintest tinge of rosiness, and fragrance. It spread smoothly and cleanly on the skin, imparting to it a soft bloom that was quite unlike the harsh and somewhat livid whiteness associated with lead-based powders.

Then the rouge, too, was different – not in the usual sheets or tissues, but a tiny white-jade box filled with a crimson substance that looked like comfiture of roses.

‘This is made from safflower, the same as ordinary rouge,’ Bao-yu explained to her, ‘only the stuff they sell in the shops is impure and its colour is inferior. This is made by squeezing the juice from the best quality safflower, carefully extracting all the impurities, mixing it with rose-water, and then further purifying it by distillation. It’s so concentrated that you need only a dab of it on the end of a hairpin to do your lips with and still have enough left over to dilute with water in the palms of your hands for using on your cheeks.’

Following his directions, Patience found that her complexion had acquired a radiant freshness that she had never seen in it before. At the same time her whole face seemed to be bathed in the most delectable perfume.

Using a pair of bamboo scissors, Bao-yu now cut the twin blossoms from the stem of an autumn-flowering orchid that was growing in a pot and stuck them in Patience’s hair.

At that very moment a maid arrived summoning her back to Li Wan’s place and she had to leave him in a hurry.

Never before had Bao-yu been able to have Patience actually with him so that he could do things for her. She was such a superior sort of girl, so handsome, so intelligent, so different from the average run of common, insensitive creatures. His previous inability to serve her had been a source of deep regret.

Today was – or would have been if she had lived – Golden’s birthday, and for this reason he had been feeling miserable since early morning. The row which had broken out later in the day between Xi-feng and Jia Lian had proved a godsend. It had at last given him an opportunity of showing Patience something of what he felt for her. This was an unlooked-for happiness he might otherwise have waited a lifetime for in vain. He stretched himself out on his bed in a pleasurable glow of satisfaction.

These pleasant feelings were soon marred by the reflection that a coarse sensualist like Jia Lian who never considered anything but his own pleasure would certainly know nothing about the scientific preparation of cosmetics. He thought of Patience serving that precious couple, alone in the world without parents or brothers and sisters to defend her, somehow contriving to steer an even course between Jia Lian’s boorishness on the one hand and Xi-feng’s vindictiveness on the other, yet today, in spite of all her efforts, falling a victim to their cruelty. Truly her lot was an unhappy one – more unhappy even than Dai-yu’s!

At this point in his reflections he became so upset that he began to shed tears, not bothering on this occasion to restrain them, because Aroma was not there to disapprove. Getting up from his bed, he went over to inspect Patience’s dress. The samshoo that had been sprayed on it was now nearly dry. He picked up the iron, ironed the dress for her, and neatly folded it. Then he noticed that she had left her handkerchief behind. As it was still marked with tear-stains, he washed it out in the water she had used for her face and hung it up to dry. Feeling a strange sensation in which sadness and happiness commingled, he mused for some minutes in silence before going over to Sweet-rice Village to join the others. He remained there a long while talking. The lamps had already been lit when he returned.

As Patience spent that night at Li Wan’s place and Xi-feng slept with Grandmother Jia, Jia Lian returned to his room in the evening to find it gloomy and deserted. Not caring to call for anyone, however, he managed for himself as best he could and spent the night there alone. On waking next morning he felt nothing but revulsion and remorse when he remembered what had happened. His mother, Lady Xing, still worrying about the drunken exhibition he had made of himself the day before, came hurrying over first thing to urge him to go with her to see Grandmother Jia. This, despite the most acute feelings of shame and embarrassment, he now had to do.

‘Well?’ the old lady asked him, when he knelt before her.

‘I had too much to drink yesterday, Grandmother, and I’m afraid I broke in on you and made a scene. I’ve come here now to apologize.’

Grandmother Jia snorted.

‘Disgusting wretch! If you must go filling yourself with liquor, why can’t you lie down quietly and sleep it off like a good, sensible creature? Fancy knocking your own wife about! Feng can normally hold her own against anyone – she’s a regular little Tyrant King as a rule – but yesterday you’d reduced the poor child to a state of terror. Suppose I hadn’t been here to protect her and you really had done her an injury, what would you have had to say for yourself then, I wonder?’

Though smarting under the ludicrous injustice of what she had just said, Jia Lian knew that he was in no position to argue, and humbly acknowledged his guilt.

‘I should have thought that a couple of beauties like Feng and Patience would have been enough for you,’ she went on. ‘Why you should need to be forever sniffing after other skirts and bringing all this disgusting rag-tag and bob-tail back to your own room, I just do not understand. Fancy beating your own wife and your chamber-wife for a creature like that! And you a gentleman and member of a distinguished family! You ought to be thoroughly ashamed of yourself. If you have any consideration for my feelings at all, you’ll get up off the floor now – because you are forgiven as far as I am concerned – and you’ll apologize handsomely to that poor wife of yours and take her back home with you. Otherwise you can just take yourself off, for I shan’t accept your kotow!’

Jia Lian turned and looked at Xi-feng, standing at his grandmother’s side. She was wearing none of her finery today, her eyes were swollen with weeping, and her face, pinched and yellow without its make-up, was pathetic and somehow more appealing than usual.

‘I suppose I’d better apologize,’ he thought. ‘It will help to patch things up between us; and it will please the old lady.’

Having so resolved, he looked up at Grandmother Jia with a smile.

‘If that’s what you want, Grandmother, I daren’t disobey you. But it’s going to make her even more wilful than before.’

‘Nonsense!’ said Grandmother Jia, though not ill-humouredly. ‘I know for a fact that she is a model of wifely behaviour. I am sure she would be quite incapable of deliberately giving offence. If she does ever give you any trouble, I shall see to it myself that she submits to your authority.’

Jia Lian got to his feet then, and clasping his hands in front of him, made a low bow to his wife.

‘It was all my fault, Mrs Lian. Please forgive me.’

This was said in so droll a manner that everyone burst out laughing.

‘Now you’re not to be angry any more, Feng,’ said Grandmother Jia, ‘or I shall be angry with you!’

She ordered someone to fetch Patience, and told Jia Lian and Xi-feng that she would now expect them to make it up with her.

When Jia Lian saw Patience, he was even more ready to pocket his pride for her than he had been for Xi-feng.

There’s no wife like a chamber-wife

as the saying goes, and before anyone else could say a word, he had bounded up to her and began apologizing.

‘You were very badly treated yesterday, Patience. It was all my fault. It was because of me that Mrs Lian was so beastly to you. Apart from offering you my own apology, I’d like to apologize on her behalf as well.’

He clasped his hands again and bowed, once more provoking Grandmother Jia to laughter. This time Xi-feng laughed, too.

Grandmother Jia told Xi-feng that it was now her turn; but before she could do anything, Patience rushed up to her, threw herself at her feet and kotowed.

‘I made you angry on your birthday, madam. I shall never forgive myself.’

Xi-feng was already feeling remorseful that in her previous day’s drunkenness she had so far forgotten herself as to humiliate Patience, in spite of all they had always meant to each other, because of a mere chance-heard remark. Seeing her now so generous and so lacking in resentment, she was both ashamed and deeply touched. There were tears on her cheeks as she bent down and raised the girl to her feet.

‘In all the years I’ve served you,’ said Patience, ‘you’ve never laid so much as a finger on me before. I bear you no grudge for striking me yesterday, madam. It was all that wicked woman’s doing. I don’t blame you in the least for losing your temper.’

She, too, was crying while she said this.

‘See the three of them back to their room now,’ said Grandmother Jia to her women. ‘And if you hear another word about this, let me know straight away who said it. I don’t care who it is, I shall take a stick to them myself!’

The three of them now kotowed to Grandmother Jia, to Lady Xing and to Lady Wang; then the old nannies, bidden once more to escort them, stepped forward with cries of obedience and conducted them back to their room.

As soon as the three of them were alone together, Xi-feng started on Jia Lian.

‘Am I really such a hell-cat? Are you really so terribly hen-pecked? When that woman wished me dead, you agreed with her. Surely I can’t be all that bad? Surely I must have some good days, even if it’s only one in a thousand? You’ve made it seem as if I’m worse even than that worthless whore. How can I have the face to go on living now?’

She began to cry again.

‘Aren’t you satisfied yet?’ said Jia Lian. ‘Just think a bit: who was most to blame yesterday? Yet today I was the one who had to kneel down in front of everyone and apologize. You’ve come out of this pretty well. So what are you yammering at me now for? Do you want me to kneel down again? Here? It doesn’t do to be too greedy, you know.’

Xi-feng, unable to think of a reply to this, fell silent. Patience giggled.

‘There, it’s all over!’ said Jia Lian, laughing himself. ‘It’s no good. I just can’t help myself.’

Just then a woman came to the door to report.

‘Bao Er’s wife has hanged herself.’

Jia Lian and Xi-feng were both profoundly shocked; but the look of fear on Xi-feng’s face was of only momentary duration.

‘Well,’ she said harshly, ‘what of it?’ Why make such a fuss about it?’

Shortly after this Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife came in and spoke to Xi-feng on the side.

‘Bao Er’s wife has hanged herself. Her family are talking about taking it to court.’

Xi-feng laughed scornfully.

‘Good! I was thinking of doing the same thing myself.’

‘I’ve just been trying to talk them out of it,’ said Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife. ‘I tried frightening them a bit to start with, then I promised them some money if they would drop it. They seemed to be willing.’

‘I’ve got no money to give them,’ said Xi-feng, ‘and I wouldn’t give it to them if I had. Let them go ahead and sue. I don’t want you to talk them out of it, or to try frightening them out of it either. Just let them go ahead and sue. If they lose their case, I shall bring a suit against them for ex morte blackmail!’

As she stood there in some perplexity to know what to do, Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife noticed that Jia Lian was signalling to her with his eyes. She understood his meaning and went off to wait for him outside.

Jia Lian followed soon after.

‘I’m just going out to have a look – see what’s going on,’ he said on his way out.

‘You’re not to give them any money!’ Xi-feng shouted after him.

Jia Lian went straight off to discuss the matter with Lin Zhi-xiao himself. As a result of their discussion, someone was sent to haggle with the family and promise whatever seemed necessary, and the family eventually agreed to keep quiet in return for a payment of two hundred taels ‘towards funeral expenses’. Terrified that they might change their minds, Jia Lian sent someone to talk to the local magistrate and invited the police inspector and two or three of the constables in to ‘help with the funeral’. Seeing the way things were, the family now dared not pursue the matter any further even if they wanted to, and were obliged to digest in silence whatever they might feel of grief or anger.

Jia Lian told Lin Zhi-xiao to account for the two hundred taels by adding a bit here and a bit there on to various items in the Current Expenses account. He also slipped Bao Er some money of his own and consoled him with a promise that he would pick a good wife for him at the earliest opportunity to replace the one he had just lost. Flattered by all the attention he was receiving and grateful for the money, Bao Er was only too willing to do as he was told and continued to serve Jia Lian with no less devotion than before. But that is no part of our story.

Whatever internal uneasiness Xi-feng may have felt about these developments, outwardly she affected complete indifference. Finding herself alone with Patience when Jia Lian had gone, she smilingly inquired after her injuries.

‘I was terribly drunk yesterday,’ she said. ‘I hope you won’t hold it against me, what I did then. Where did I hit you? Let me have a look.’

‘You didn’t hit me very hard,’ said Patience.

Just at that moment they were interrupted by an announcement from outside.

‘Mrs Zhu and the young ladies are here.’

If you want to know what they had come for, you will have to read the following chapter.