第五十六回

第五十六回 敏探春兴利除宿弊 时宝钗小惠全大体

话说平儿陪着凤姐儿吃了饭，服侍盥漱毕，方往探春处来。只见院中寂静，只有丫鬟婆子诸内壸[1]近人在窗外听候。

平儿进入厅中，他姊妹三人正议论些家务，说的便是年内赖大家请吃酒，他家花园中的事。见他来了，探春便命他脚踏上坐了，因说道：“我想的事不为别的，因想着我们一月有二两月银外，丫头们又另有月钱。前儿又有人回，要我们一月所用的头油脂粉，每人又是二两。这又同才刚学里的八两一样，重重叠叠，事虽小，钱有限，看起来也不妥当。你奶奶怎么就没想到这个？”

平儿笑道：“这有个原故：姑娘们所用的这些东西，自然是该有分例。每月买办买了，令女人们各房交与我们收管，不过预备姑娘们使用就罢了，没有一个我们天天各人拿钱找人买头油又是脂粉去的理。所以外头买办总领了去，按月使女人按房交与我们的。姑娘们的每月这二两，原不是为买这些的，原为的是一时当家的奶奶太太或不在，或不得闲，姑娘们偶然一时可巧要几个钱使，省得找人去。这原是恐怕姑娘们受委屈，可知这个钱并不是买这个才有的。如今我冷眼看着，各房里的我们的姊妹都是现拿钱买这些东西的，竟有一半。我就疑惑，不是买办脱了空，迟些日子，就是买的不是正经货，弄些使不得的东西来搪塞。”

探春、李纨都笑道：“你也留心看出来了。脱空是没有的，也不敢，只是迟些日子；催急了，不知那里弄些来，不过是个名儿，其实使不得，依然得现买。就用这二两银子，另叫别人的奶妈子的或是弟兄哥哥的儿子买了来才使得。若使了官中的人，依然是那一样的。不知他们是什么法子，是铺子里坏了不要的，他们都弄了来，单预备给我们？”平儿笑道：“买办买的是那样的，他买了好的来，买办岂肯和他善开交，又说他使坏心要夺这买办了。所以他们也只得如此，宁可得罪了里头，不肯得罪了外头办事的人。姑娘们只能可[2]使奶妈妈们，他们也就不敢闲话了。”

探春道：“因此我心中不自在。钱费两起，东西又白丢一半，通算起来，反费了两折子，不如竟把买办的每月蠲了为是。此是一件事。第二件，年里往赖大家去，你也去的，你看他那小园子比咱们这个如何？”平儿笑道：“还没有咱们这一半大，树木花草也少多了。”探春道：“我因和他家女儿说闲话儿，谁知那么个园子，除他们带的花、吃的笋菜鱼虾之外，一年还有人包了去，年终足有二百两银子剩。从那日我才知道，一个破荷叶，一根枯草根子，都是值钱的。”

宝钗笑道：“真真膏粱纨绮之谈。虽是千金小姐，原不知这事，但你们都念过书识字的，竟没看见朱夫子有一篇《不自弃文》[3]不成？”探春笑道：“虽看过，那不过是勉人自励，虚比浮词，那里都真有的？”宝钗道：“朱子都有虚比浮词？那句句都是有的。你才办了两天时事，就利欲熏心，把朱子都看虚浮了。你再出去见了那些利弊大事，越发把孔子也看虚了！”探春笑道：“你这样一个通人[4]，竟没看见子书？当日姬子有云，登利禄之场，处运筹之界者，窃尧舜之词，背孔孟之道。”宝钗笑道：“底下一句呢？”探春笑道：“如今只断章取意，念出底下一句，我自己骂我自己不成？”宝钗道：“天下没有不可用的东西；既可用，便值钱。难为你是个聪明人，这些正事大节目事竟没经历，也可惜迟了。”李纨笑道：“叫了人家来，不说正事，你们且对讲学问。”宝钗道：“学问中便是正事。此刻于小事上用学问一提，那小事越发作高一层了。不拿学问提着，便都流入市俗去了。”

三人只是取笑之谈，说了笑了一回，便仍谈正事。探春因又接说道：“咱们这园子只算比他们的多一半，加一倍算，一年就有四百银子的利息。若此时也出脱生发银子，自然小器，不是咱们这样人家的事。若派出两个一定的人来，既有许多值钱之物，一味任人作践，也似乎暴殄天物。不如在园子里所有的老妈妈中，拣出几个本分老诚能知园圃的事的，派准他们收拾料理，也不必要他们交租纳税，只问他们一年可以孝敬些什么。一则园子有专定之人修理，花木自又一年好似一年的，也不用临时忙乱；二则也不至作践，白辜负了东西；三则老妈妈们也可借此小补，不枉年日在园中辛苦；四则亦可以省了这些花儿匠山子匠打扫人等的工费。将此有馀，以补不足，未为不可。”

宝钗正在地下看壁上的字画，听如此说一句，便点一回头，说完，便笑道：“善哉，三年之内无饥馑矣！”李纨笑道：“好主意。这果一行，太太必喜欢。省钱事小，第一有人打扫，专司其职，又许他们去卖钱。使之以权，动之以利，再无不尽职的了。”平儿道：“这件事须得姑娘说出来。我们奶奶虽有此心，也未必好出口。此刻姑娘们在园里住着，不能多弄些玩意儿去陪衬，反叫人去监管修理，图省钱，这话断不好出口。”

宝钗忙走过来，摸着他的脸笑道：“你张开嘴，我瞧瞧你的牙齿舌头是什么作的。从早起来到这会子，你说了这些话，一套一个样子，也不奉承三姑娘，也没见你说奶奶才短想不到，也并没有三姑娘说一句，你就说一句是；横竖三姑娘一套话出来，你就有一套话进去；总是三姑娘想的到的，你奶奶也想到了，只是必有个不可办的原故。这会子又是因姑娘住的园子，不好因省钱令人去监管。你们想想这话，若果真交与人弄钱去的，那人自然是一枝花也不许掐，一个果子也不许动了，姑娘们分中自然不敢，天天与小姑娘们就吵不清。他这远愁近虑，不亢不卑。他奶奶便不是和咱们好，听他这一番话，也必要自愧的变好了，不和也变和了。”

探春笑道：“我早起一肚子气，听他来了，忽然想起他主子来，素日当家使出来的好撒野的人，我见了他便生了气。谁知他来了，避猫鼠儿似的站了半日，怪可怜的。接着又说了那么些话，不说他主子待我好，倒说‘不枉姑娘待我们奶奶素日的情意了’。这一句，不但没了气，我倒愧了，又伤起心来。我细想，我一个女孩儿家，自己还闹得没人疼没人顾的，我那里还有好处去待人。”口内说到这里，不免又流下泪来。

李纨等见他说的恳切，又想他素日因赵姨娘每生诽谤，在王夫人跟前亦为赵姨娘所累，亦都不免流下泪来，都忙劝道：“趁今日清净，大家商议两件兴利剔弊的事，也不枉太太委托一场。又提这没要紧的事做什么？”平儿忙道：“我已明白了。姑娘竟说谁好，竟一派人就完了。”探春道：“虽如此说，也须得回你奶奶一声。我们这里搜剔小遗，已经不当，皆因你奶奶是个明白人，我才这样行，若是糊涂多蛊多妒[5]的，我也不肯，倒像抓他乖一般。岂可不商议了行。”平儿笑道：“既这样，我去告诉一声。”说着去了，半日方回来，笑说：“我说是白走一趟，这样好事，奶奶岂有不依的。”

探春听了，便和李纨命人将园中所有婆子的名单要来，大家参度，大概定了几个。又将他们一齐传来，李纨大概告诉与他们。众人听了，无不愿意，也有说：“那一片竹子单交给我，一年工夫，明年又是一片。除了家里吃的笋，一年还可交些钱粮。”这一个说：“那一片稻地交给我，一年这些顽的大小雀鸟的粮食不必动官中钱粮，我还可以交钱粮。”

探春才要说话，人回：“大夫来了，进园瞧姑娘。”众婆子只得去接大夫。平儿忙说：“单你们，有一百个也不成个体统，难道没有两个管事的头脑带进大夫来？”回事的那人说：“有，吴大娘和单大娘他两个在西南角上聚锦门等着呢。”平儿听说，方罢了。

众婆子去后，探春问宝钗如何。宝钗笑答道：“幸于始者怠于终，缮其辞者嗜其利。”[6]探春听了点头称赞，便向册上指出几人来与他三人看。平儿忙去取笔砚来。他三人说道：“这一个老祝妈是个妥当的，况他老头子和他儿子代代都是管打扫竹子，如今竟把这所有的竹子交与他。这一个老田妈本是种庄稼的，稻香村一带凡有菜蔬稻稗之类，虽是顽意儿，不必认真大治大耕，也须得他去，再一按时加些培植，岂不更好？”

探春又笑道：“可惜，蘅芜苑〔一〕和怡红院这两处大地方竟没有出利息之物。”李纨忙笑道：“蘅芜苑更利害。如今香料铺并大市大庙卖的各处香料香草儿，都不是这些东西？算起来比别的利息更大。怡红院别说别的，单只说春夏天一季玫瑰花，共下多少花？还有一带篱笆上蔷薇、月季、宝相[8]、金银藤，单这没要紧的草花干了，卖到茶叶铺药铺去，也值几个钱。”探春笑道：“原来如此。只是弄香草的没有在行的人。”

平儿忙笑道：“跟宝姑娘的莺儿他妈就是会弄这个的，上回他还采了些晒干了编成花篮葫芦给我顽的，姑娘倒忘了不成？”宝钗笑道：“我才赞你，你倒来捉弄我了。”三人都诧异，都问这是为何。宝钗道：“断断使不得！你们这里多少得用的人，一个一个闲着没事办，这会子我又弄个人来，叫那起人连我也看小了。我倒替你们想出一个人来：怡红院有个老叶妈，他就是茗烟的娘。那是个诚实老人家，他又和我们莺儿的娘极好，不如把这事交与叶妈。他有不知的，不必咱们说，他就找莺儿的娘去商议了。那怕叶妈全不管，竟交与那一个，那是他们私情儿，有人说闲话，也就怨不到咱们身上了。如此一行，你们办的又至公，于事又甚妥。”李纨平儿都道：“是极。”探春笑道：“虽如此，只怕他们见利忘义。”平儿笑道：“不相干，前儿莺儿还认了叶妈做干娘，请吃饭吃酒，两家和厚的好的很呢。”探春听了，方罢了。又共同斟酌出几人来，俱是他四人素昔冷眼取中的，用笔圈出。

一时婆子们来回大夫已去，将药方送上去。三人看了，一面遣人送出去取药，监派调服，一面探春与李纨明示诸人：某人管某处，按四季除家中定例用多少外，馀者任凭你们采取了去取利，年终算帐。

探春笑道：“我又想起一件事：若年终算帐归钱时，自然归到帐房，仍是上头又添一层管主，还在他们手心里，又剥一层皮。这如今我们兴出这事来派了你们，已是跨过他们的头去了，心里有气，只说不出来；你们年终去归帐，他们还不捉弄你们等什么？再者，这一年间管什么的，主子有一全分，他们就得半分。这是家里的旧例，人所共知的，别的偷着的在外。如今这园子里是我的新创，竟别入他们手，每年归帐，竟归到里头来才好。”

宝钗笑道：“依我说，里头也不用归帐。这个多了那个少了，倒多了事。不如问他们谁领这一分的，他就揽一宗事去。不过是园里的人的动用。我替你们算出来了，有限的几宗事：不过是头油、胭粉、香、纸，每一位姑娘几个丫头，都是有定例的；再者，各处笤帚、撮簸、掸子并大小禽鸟、鹿、兔吃的粮食。不过这几样，都是他们包了去，不用帐房去领钱。你算算，就省下多少来？”

平儿笑道：“这几宗虽小，一年通共算了，也省的下四百两银子。”宝钗笑道：“却又来，一年四百，二年八百两，取租的钱房子也能看得了几间，薄地也可添几亩。虽然还有富馀的，但他们既辛苦闹一年，也要叫他们剩些，贴补贴补自家。虽是兴利节用为纲，然亦不可太啬。纵再省上二三百银子，失了大体统也不像。所以如此一行，外头帐房里一年少出四五百银子，也不觉得很艰啬了，他们里头却也得些小补。这些没营生的妈妈们也宽裕了，园子里花木，也可以每年滋长蕃盛，你们也得了可使之物。这庶几不失大体。若一味要省时，那里不搜寻出几个钱来。凡有些馀利的，一概入了官中，那时里外怨声载道，岂不失了你们这样人家的大体？如今这园里几十个老妈妈们，若只给了这几个，那剩的也必抱怨不公。我才说的，他们只供给这个几样，也未免太宽裕了。一年竟除这个之外，他每人不论有馀无馀，只叫他拿出若干贯钱来，大家凑齐，单散与园中这些妈妈们。他们虽不料理这些，却日夜也是在园中照看当差之人，关门闭户，起早睡晚，大雨大雪，姑娘们出入，抬轿子，撑船，拉冰床[9]，一应粗糙活计，都是他们的差使。一年在园里辛苦到头，这园内既有出息，也是分内该沾带些的。还有一句至小的话，越发说破了：你们只管了自己宽裕，不分与他们些，他们虽不敢明怨，心里却都不服，只用假公济私的多摘你们几个果子，多掐几枝花儿，你们有冤还没处诉。他们也沾带了些利息，你们有照顾不到的，他们就替你们照顾了。”

众婆子听了这个议论，又去了帐房受辖制，又不与凤姐儿去算帐，一年不过多拿出若干贯钱来，各各欢喜异常，都齐说：“愿意。强如出去被他揉搓着，还得拿出钱来呢。”那不得管地的听了每年终〔二〕又无故得分钱，也都喜欢起来，口内说：“他们辛苦收拾，是该剩些钱贴补的。我们怎么好‘稳坐吃三注’[11]的？”

宝钗笑道：“妈妈们也别推辞了，这原是分内应当的。你们只要日夜辛苦些，别躲懒纵放人吃酒赌钱就是了。不然，我也不该管这事；你们一般听见，姨娘亲口嘱托我三五回，说大奶奶如今又不得闲儿，别的姑娘又小，托我照看照看。我若不依，分明是叫姨娘操心。你们奶奶又多病多痛，家务也忙。我原是个闲人，便是个街坊邻居，也要帮着些，何况是亲姨娘托我。我免不得去小就大，讲不起众人嫌我。倘或我只顾了小分沽名钓誉，那时酒醉赌博生出事来，我怎么见姨娘？你们那时后悔也迟了，就连你们素日的老脸也都丢了。这些姑娘小姐们，这么一所大花园，都是你们照看，皆因看得你们是三四代的老妈妈，最是循规遵矩的，原该大家齐心，顾些体统。你们反纵放别人任意吃酒赌博，姨娘听见了，教训一场犹可，倘若被那几个管家娘子听见了，他们也不用回姨娘，竟教导你们一番。你们这年老的反受了年小的教训，虽是他们是管家，管的着你们，何如自己存些体统，他们如何得来作践。所以我如今替你们想出这个额外的进益来，也为大家齐心把这园里周全的谨谨慎慎，使那些有权执事的看见这般严肃谨慎，且不用他们操心，他们心里岂不敬服。也不枉替你们筹画进益，既能夺他们之权，生你们之利，岂不能行无为之治，分他们之忧。你们去细想想这话。”家人都欢声鼎沸说：“姑娘说的很是。从此姑娘奶奶只管放心，姑娘奶奶这样疼顾我们，我们再要不体上情，天地也不容了。”

刚说着，只见林之孝家的进来说：“江南甄府里家眷昨日到京，今日进宫朝贺。此刻先遣人来送礼请安。”说着，便将礼单送上去。探春接了，看道是：“上用的妆缎蟒缎十二匹，上用杂色缎十二匹，上用各色纱十二匹，上用宫绸十二匹，官用各色缎纱绸绫二十四匹。”李纨也看过，说：“用上等封儿赏他。”因又命人回了贾母。

贾母便命人叫李纨、探春、宝钗等也都过来，将礼物看了。李纨收过，一边吩咐内库上人说：“等太太回来看了再收。”贾母因说：“这甄家又不与别家相同，上等赏封赏男人，只怕展眼又打发女人来请安，预备下尺头。”一语未完，果然人回：“甄府四个女人来请安。”贾母听了，忙命人带进来。

那四个人都是四十往上的年纪，穿戴之物，皆比主子不甚差别。请安问好毕，贾母命拿了四个脚踏来，他四人谢了坐，待宝钗等坐了，方都坐下。贾母便问：“多早晚进京的？”四人忙起身回说：“昨日进的京。今日太太带了姑娘进宫请安去了，故令女人们来请安，问候姑娘们。”贾母笑问道：“这些年没进京，也不想到今年来。”四人也都笑回道：“正是，今年是奉旨进京的。”贾母问道：“家眷都来了？”四人回说：“老太太和哥儿、两位小姐并别位太太都没来，就只太太带了三姑娘来了。”贾母道：“有人家没有？”四人道：“尚没有。”贾母笑道：“你们大姑娘和二姑娘这两家，都和我们家甚好。”四人笑道：“正是。每年姑娘们有信回去说，全亏府上照看。”贾母笑道：“什么照看，原是世交，又是老亲，原应当的。你们二姑娘更好，竟不自尊自大，所以我们才走的亲密。”四人笑道：“这是老太太过谦了。”

贾母又问：“你这哥儿也跟着你们老太太？”四人回说：“也是跟着老太太。”贾母道：“几岁了？”又问：“上学不曾？”四人笑说：“今年十三岁。因长得齐整，老太太很疼。自幼淘气异常，天天逃学，老爷太太也不便十分管教。”贾母笑道：“也不成了我们家的了！你这哥儿叫什么名字？”四人道：“因老太太当作宝贝一样，他又生的白，老太太便叫作宝玉。”贾母便向李纨等道：“偏也叫作个宝玉。”李纨忙欠身笑道：“从古至今，同时隔代重名的很多。”四人也笑道：“起了这个小名儿之后，我们上下都疑惑，不知那位亲友家也倒似曾有一个的。只是这十来年没进京来，却记不真了。”贾母笑道：“那就是我的孙子。人来。”众媳妇丫头答应了一声，走近几步。贾母笑道：“园里把咱们的宝玉叫了来，给这四个管家娘子瞧瞧，比他们的宝玉如何？”

众媳妇听了，忙去了，半刻围了宝玉进来。四人一见，忙起身笑道：“唬了我们一跳。若是我们不进府来，倘若别处遇见，还只道我们的宝玉后赶着也进了京了呢。”一面说，一面都上来拉他的手，问长问短。宝玉忙也笑问好。

贾母笑道：“比你们的长的如何？”李纨等笑道：“四位妈妈才一说，可知是模样相仿了。”贾母笑道：“那有这样巧事？大家子孩子们再养的娇嫩，除了脸上有残疾十分黑丑的，大概看去都是一样的齐整。这也没有什么怪处。”四人笑道：“如今看来，模样是一样。据老太太说，淘气也一样。我们看来，这位哥儿性情却比我们的好些。”贾母忙问：“怎见得？”四人笑道：“方才我们拉哥儿的手说话便知。我们那一个只说我们糊涂，慢说拉手，他的东西我们略动一动也不依。所使唤的人都是女孩子们。”

四人未说完，李纨姊妹等禁不住都失声笑出来。贾母也笑道：“我们这会子也打发人去见了你们宝玉，若拉他的手，他也自然勉强忍耐一时。可知你我这样人家的孩子们，凭他们有什么刁钻古怪的毛病儿，见了外人，必是要还出正经礼数来的。若他不还正经礼数，也断不容他刁钻去了。就是大人溺爱的，是他一则生的得人意，二则见人礼数竟比大人行出来的不错，使人见了可爱可怜，背地里所以才纵他一点子。若一味他只管没里没外，不与大人争光，凭他生的怎样，也是该打死的。”

四人听了，都笑说：“老太太这话正是。虽然我们宝玉淘气古怪，有时见了人客，规矩礼数更比大人有礼〔三〕。所以无人见了不爱，只说为什么还打他。殊不知他在家里无法无天，大人想不到的话他偏会说，想不到的事他偏要行，所以老爷太太恨的无法。就是弄性，也是小孩子的常情，胡乱花费，这也是公子哥儿的常情，怕上学，也是小孩子的常情，都还治的过来。第一，天生下来这一种刁钻古怪的脾气，如何使得。”一语未了，人回：“太太回来了。”王夫人进来问过安。他四人请了安，大概说了两句。贾母便命歇歇去。王夫人亲捧过茶，方退出。四人告辞了贾母，便往王夫人处来，说了一会家务，打发他们回去，不必细说。

这里贾母喜的逢人便告诉，也有一个宝玉，也都一般行景。众人都说天下之大，世宦之多，同名者也甚多，祖母溺爱孙者亦古今之常情，不是什么罕事，故皆不介意。独宝玉是个迂阔呆公子的性情，自为是那四人承悦贾母之词。后至蘅芜苑去看湘云病去，史湘云说他：“你放心闹罢，先是‘单丝不成线，独树不成林’，如今有了个对子，闹急了，再打很了，你逃走到南京找那一个去。”宝玉道：“那里的谎话你也信了，偏又有个宝玉了？”湘云道：“怎么列国有个蔺相如[13]，汉朝又有个司马相如呢？”宝玉笑道：“这也罢了，偏又模样儿也一样，这是没有的事。”湘云道：“怎么匡人看见孔子，只当是阳虎[14]呢？”宝玉笑道：“孔子阳虎虽同貌，却不同名〔四〕；蔺与司马虽同名，而又不同貌；偏我和他就两样俱同不成？”湘云没了话答对，因笑道：“你只会胡搅，我也不和你分证。有也罢，没也罢，与我无干。”说着便睡下了。

宝玉心中便又疑惑起来：若说必无，然亦似有；若说必有，又并无目睹。心中闷闷了，回至房中榻上默默盘算，不觉就忽忽的睡去，不觉竟到了一座花园之内。宝玉诧异道：“除了我们大观园，更又有这一个园子？”

正疑惑间，从那边来了几个女儿，都是丫鬟。宝玉又诧异道：“除了鸳鸯、袭人、平儿之外，也竟还有这一干人？”只见那些丫鬟笑道：“宝玉怎么跑到这里来了？”宝玉只当是说他自己，忙来陪笑说道：“因我偶步到此，不知是那位世交的花园，好姐姐们，带我逛逛。”众丫鬟都笑道：“原来不是咱家的宝玉。他生的倒也还干净，嘴儿也倒乖觉。”

宝玉听了，忙道：“姐姐们，这里也竟还有个宝玉？”丫鬟们忙道：“宝玉二字，我们是奉老太太、太太之命，为保佑他延寿消灾的。我们叫他，他听见喜欢。你是那里远方来的臭小厮，也乱叫起他来。仔细你的臭肉，打不烂你的。”又一个丫鬟笑道：“咱们快走罢，别叫宝玉看见，又说同这臭小厮说了话，把咱熏臭了。”说着一径去了。

宝玉纳闷道：“从来没有人如此荼毒我，他们如何竟这样？真亦有我这样一个人不成？”一面想，一面顺步早到了一所院内。宝玉又诧异道：“除了怡红院，也更还有这么一个院落。”忽上了台矶，进入屋内，只见榻上有一个人卧着，那边有几个女孩儿做针线，也有嘻笑顽耍的。只见榻上〔五〕那个少年叹了一声。一个丫鬟笑问道：“宝玉，你不睡又叹什么？想必为你妹妹病了，你又胡愁乱恨呢。”

宝玉听说，心下也便吃惊。只见榻上少年说道：“我听见老太太说，长安都中也有个宝玉，和我一样的性情，我只不信。我才作了一个梦，竟梦中到了都中一个花园子里头，遇见几个姐姐，都叫我臭小厮，不理我。好容易找到他房里头，偏他睡觉，空有皮囊，真性不知那去了。”宝玉听说，忙说道：“我因找宝玉来到这里。原来你就是宝玉？”榻上的忙下来拉住笑道：“原来你就是宝玉？这可不是梦里了。”宝玉道：“这如何是梦？真而又真了。”一语未了，只见人来说：“老爷叫宝玉。”唬得二人皆慌了。一个宝玉就走，一个宝玉便忙叫：“宝玉快回来，快回来！”

袭人在旁听他梦中自唤，忙推醒他，笑问道：“宝玉在那里？”此时宝玉虽醒，神意尚恍惚，因向门外指说：“才出去了。”袭人笑道：“那是你梦迷了。你揉眼细瞧，是镜子里照的你影儿。”宝玉向前瞧了一瞧，原是那嵌的大镜对面相照，自己也笑了。早有人捧过漱盂茶卤[17]来，漱了口。麝月道：“怪道老太太常嘱咐说小人屋里不可多有镜子。小人魂不全，有镜子照多了，睡觉惊恐作胡梦。如今倒在大镜子那里安了一张床。有时放下镜套还好；往前去，天热困倦不定，那里想的到放他，比如方才就忘了。自然是先躺下照着影儿顽的，一时合上眼，自然是胡梦颠倒；不然如何得看着自己叫着自己的名字？不如明儿挪进床来是正经。”一语未了，只见王夫人遣人来叫宝玉，不知有何话说——

[1] 内壸（kǔn捆）——即内室。壸：通“阃”。宫中的间道，引申为内宫的代称。

[2] 能可——宁可。

[3] 《不自弃文》——见朱柏庐著《朱子文集大全类编》卷二十一《庭训》。大意为天下之物即便是顽石、蝮蛇、粪便、草灰等等皆因其有一节之可取而不为世之所弃，“今人而见弃焉，特其自弃尔”。故人不应自弃，不宜“怨天尤人”而当“反求诸己”，思“祖德”、念“父功”，作成自身事业，以求“于身不弃，于人无愧，祖父不失其贻谋，子孙不沦于困辱”，从而保存和发展其祖宗的基业。

[4] 通人——博古通今之人。

[5] 多蛊（ɡǔ古）多妒——居心歹毒，多所猜疑和妒忌。蛊：毒虫。《本草纲目·虫部四》李时珍集解引陈藏器曰：“取百虫入瓮中，经年开之，必有一虫食尽诸虫，即此名为蛊。”

[6] “幸于始者怠于终，缮其辞者嗜其利”——幸：庆幸，这里是指因有利可图而感到侥幸。缮：修补、整治。嗜：特殊爱好。全句意思是：开头因侥幸获利而兴头很高的人，最终是会懈怠的；嘴上说得好听的人，特别爱占便宜。

〔一〕 “蘅芜苑”，原作“蘅芜院”，从全书他处并蒙府、甲辰本改。

[8] 宝相——花名，属蔷薇科。

[9] 冰床——在冰上滑行用的小坐床，也称“冰排子”。

〔二〕 “那不得管地的听了每年终”，原作“那不得管的也听见每年终”，从梦稿、蒙府、甲辰本改。

[11] 稳坐吃三注——不费气力而稳得多方钱财的意思。注：赌注，用来赌博的财物。三注：指押在上门、下门和天门三个位置上的赌注。

〔三〕 “有礼”，原“礼”为旁添，梦稿、蒙府、戚序、甲辰本作“有趣”，己卯本夺。此从旁添文字。

[13] 蔺相如——战国时赵国的上卿。

[14] 匡人看见孔子，只当是阳虎——匡：春秋时卫国的地方，在今河南省长垣县境。阳虎：即阳货，春秋时鲁国人，季孙氏家臣。据《史记·孔子世家》载，孔子的相貌像阳虎，因阳虎欺压过匡人，所以孔子过匡，匡人曾把他当成阳虎围困了几天。

〔四〕 “同名”，原作“同性”，从甲辰本改。

〔五〕 “有一个人……榻上”二十八字，原无，从梦稿、蒙府、戚序、甲辰本补。甲辰本“也有”作“或有”。

[17] 茶卤——这里指用以漱口的浓酽茶汁。

CHAPTER 56. Resourceful Tan-chun abolishes abuses in the interests of economy And sapient Baochai shows bow small concessions can be made without loss of dignity

Having kept Xi-feng company while she ate her lunch and waited on her while she rinsed her mouth out and washed, Patience made her way back to the ‘jobs room’. The courtyard outside it was quiet now, deserted except for the silent row of maids and womenservants waiting outside the windows until their mistresses inside the room should require them. The latter were already in the midst of a discussion. They were talking about Lai Da’s garden, which they had visited in Grandmother Jia’s company some months previously on the occasion of the party which had had such unfortunate consequences for Xue Pan. Tan-chun broke off as Patience entered and indicated a low stool for her to sit on.

‘I’ve been thinking about those two taels we get every month for hair-oil and cosmetics,’ she told Patience. ‘We already get a monthly allowance of two taels each and our maids get allowances too. It looks to me as if this is another case of duplication, like the eight taels paid to the school every year which we were dealing with earlier. I know it’s not a very important matter, and the sum involved is not very great, but it’s obvious at a glance that this is a bad arrangement, and I can’t understand why your mistress hasn’t noticed it.’

‘There is a reason,’ said Patience. ‘Obviously you young ladies need a regular fixed supply of these things, and as there wouldn’t be much sense in our constantly running out with a few coppers to make individual purchases, the cosmetic allowances for the various departments are drawn by our buyers and used to make bulk purchases with. The stewardesses collect monthly supplies from the buyers and distribute them to the different apartments, and we maids in the different apartments look after them for use by you as and when you need them. The two-tael monthly allowance you get is quite separate from the cosmetics money. It isn’t meant to be spent on cosmetics; it’s simply to keep you in money, so that if the need should ever arise to spend on something, you shouldn’t have the inconvenience of finding yourselves short and perhaps running round for some only to find that Her Ladyship or whoever is in charge at the time is out or too busy to see you. I have to admit though that about half of us do in fact seem to go outside these arrangements and buy cosmetics with our spending money; but whether it’s because the official buyers simply pocket the money and don’t deliver the goods, or because the stuff they supply us with is so inferior, I simply don’t know.’

Tan-chun and Li Wan exchanged knowing smiles.

‘You’ve noticed, too, then,’ said Tan-chun. ‘I don’t think they actually embezzle the money, but sometimes the supply is very much delayed. If you try to hurry them they produce something so awful that it is quite unusable, and in the end you are forced to buy your own. There’s only one way of doing that, too. You have to give a couple of taels to a nannie and ask her to get one of her sons or nephews to buy it for you. It’s no good trying to do it through the regular staff. If you do, you only get the same awful, unusable stuff as before, I don’t know why.’

‘It’s because if they bought you stuff of better quality, they’d be in trouble with the regular buyers,’ said Patience. ‘The regular buyers would complain that they were trying to do them out of a job. They’d rather offend you than risk offending the buyers. Of course, if you get the stuff through your nannies, there’s nothing the buyers can do about it.’

‘Well, I am very uneasy about the whole arrangement,’ said Tan-chun. ‘Here we are paying the same money twice over and half the stuff that is paid for has to be wasted. It would be much better if this monthly payment to the buyers were abolished altogether. That’s one thing. Another thing is this. Last year when we went to Lai Da’s place, you went too. What did you think of that little garden of theirs? How do you think it compares with ours?’

‘It’s not half as big,’ said Patience, ‘and it has far, far fewer trees and flowers and things in it.’

‘I got talking to one of the daughters while we were there,’ said Tan-chun. ‘That garden of theirs is let out annually on contract. She told me that quite apart from supplying them through the year with flowers for their hair and with all the bamboo-shoots, vegetables and fish that they eat, it brings them in an annual income of two hundred taels of silver. Ever since that day I have realized that even a broken lotus-leaf or a withered grass-root is worth something.’

Bao-chai laughed.

‘There speaks the voice of gilded youth. How typical! But even though, O delicately-nurtured one, you have no immediate experience of such matters, you can, after all, read and write. Surely you must at some time or other have read Zhuxius’s essay “On Not Throwing Away”?’

‘Yes,’ said Tan-chun, ‘but in that essay isn’t he merely urging the people, in a fairly general sort of way, to exert themselves? And isn’t it all rather empty and rhetorical? Surely he didn’t mean every word of it to be taken literally?’

‘Zhuxius empty and rhetorical?’ said Bao-chai. ‘He meant every word of it. If, after only a few days of household management, the greed for gain has already so clouded your judgement that the teachings of Zhuxius seem empty and rhetorical, I fancy that if you were to venture outside into the corrupting atmosphere of the market-place, you would soon be finding even Confucius himself too abstract for you!’

‘Since you are so learned,’ said Tan-chun, ‘I’m surprised that you should appear to be unfamiliar with the views of Fixius. Fixius once said, “Whosoever sets his foot in the market-place or takes his seat at the counting-board must forget about Yao and Shun and turn his back on the teachings of Confucius and Mencius…”’

‘How does it go on?’ said Bao-chai.

‘I must claim the quoter’s privilege of giving only as much of the text as will suit my purpose,’ said Tan-chun. ‘If I told you how it went on, I should end up by contradicting myself!’

‘Everything in the world has some use or other,’ said Bao-chai, ‘and if it has a use, it must have a monetary value. Surely to an intelligent person like you so obvious a truism can hardly have come as a revelation?’

‘You call people here to discuss important business,’ said Li Wan, ‘but all we have had so far is talk about books!’

‘But talk about books is important business,’ said Bao-chai. ‘Without it we should be no better than vulgar tradesmen!’

The three of them continued chaffing a little longer before Tan-chun returned to her theme:

‘Let’s say for the sake of argument that our garden is only twice as big as theirs. Doubling the income they get from theirs would mean a clear profit of four hundred taels per annum. Now of course, a family like ours couldn’t possibly put its garden under contract and turn it into a business in the way that they do: it would look too mercenary. On the other hand, when you know how valuable everything is, it seems a terrible waste of natural resources not to have a few people whose special job is to look after it and just let everyone trample on it and despoil it as they please. I think we ought to pick out a few experienced trustworthy old women from among the ones who work in the Garden – women who know something about gardening already – and put the upkeep of the Garden into their hands. We needn’t ask them to pay us rent; all we need ask them for is an annual share of the produce. There would be four advantages in this arrangement. In the first place, if we have people whose sole occupation is to look after trees and flowers and so on, the condition of the garden will improve gradually year after year and there will be no more of those long periods of neglect followed by bursts of feverish activity when things have been allowed to get out of hand. Secondly there won’t be the spoiling and wastage we get at present. Thirdly the women themselves will gain a little extra to add to their incomes which will compensate them for the hard work they put in throughout the year. And fourthly, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t use the money we should otherwise have, spent on nurserymen, rockery specialists, horticultural cleaners and so on for other purposes.’

‘“And after three years there shall be no more famine nor hunger in the land”,’ Bao-chai intoned. (She had wandered off in the course of Tan-chun’s exposition and was examining some calligraphy on the wall.)

‘It’s a very good idea,’ said Li Wan. ‘If we could really do this, I’m sure Lady Wang would be pleased. It’s not so much the saving of money that’s important; but if there are going to be people whose special job is to look after the Garden and they are allowed to make a little money out of it as well, then what with “the allurement of status” on the one hand and “the incentive of gain” on the other, they are sure to make a good job of it.’

‘It needed you to suggest this, miss,’ said Patience. ‘My mistress has thought of something like this in the past, but she hasn’t liked to mention it to anyone, because she thought that now all you young ladies are living in the Garden you might feel that we ought to be spending more on it rather than less and if she had people snooping around in it making economies you might feel that that really was the last straw.’

Bao-chai walked over and began feeling Patience’s face:

‘Open your mouth, Patience: I want to see what your teeth are made of. Ever since early this morning you’ve been keeping up this tune. You never give Miss Tan credit for anything. You never admit that Mrs Lian is less than perfect and that there are things she may not have thought of. Whenever Miss Tan has finished saying something, you come back at her with the same refrain: your mistress has thought of that too, only for some compelling reason or other she hasn’t been able to do anything about it. This time you tell us that she didn’t like to save money by putting the Garden under supervision because of us living there.’

She turned to the others:

‘She’s right, of course. If you do hand this Garden over to a few of the old women to look after, they will naturally be unwilling that a single fruit or flower that they have charge over should be picked. Obviously where we are concerned they will not dare to say anything; but it is sure to prove a source of endless quarrelling with the maids. Patience is farseeing enough to realize this and, in her own inimitable way, without fear or flattery, she gives us warning. How tactful she is! Even if we weren’t on good terms with her mistress, I think after hearing Patience we should be shamed into making our peace with her!’

‘And I was so angry this morning,’ said Tan-chun. ‘When I heard that Patience had come, I suddenly thought of her mistress and the insufferable behaviour of those henchwomen of hers – which she, no doubt, encourages – and it made me even angrier. But Patience was so quiet and timid, like a poor little mouse that the cat has been after, and stood there all the time so meekly; and when she did speak, it was not to remind me of the many kindnesses that I owe her mistress, but to tell me that if I decided to make any changes, I should be doing her mistress a kindness which she was “sure she would appreciate”. It really wrung my heart when she said that. Not only did I stop feeling angry then; I felt ashamed. “Here am I,” I thought, “only a young girl, but behaving in such a way that nobody can ever like me or care what happens to me. When shall I ever be in a position to do anyone a kindness?”’

At this point her emotion got the better of her and she shed some tears. The others, moved by the sincerity with which she had spoken and remembering how Aunt Zhao was constantly maligning her and making things difficult for her with Lady Wang, were themselves moved to tears of sympathy; but they did their best to rally her.

‘What better return can we possibly make Lady Wang for placing her trust in us,’ said Li Wan, ‘than to take advantage of the fact that things are a little quieter now by discussing some much-needed economies? What do you want to go bringing in an unimportant matter like that for?’

‘I’ve got the gist of your plan, Miss,’ said Patience. ‘All you need do now is tell us which of the women you want to appoint and we can go straight ahead with it.’

‘That’s all very well,’ said Tan-chun, ‘but you ought to have a word with your mistress about it first. It was a bit presumptuous of us to go poking about and making these little economies in the first place – I should never have ventured to do so if I hadn’t known that your mistress was so understanding: if she’d been a stupid or touchy person, she might have suspected me of trying to shine at her expense – All the same, the very least we can do is to consult her first.’

‘Very well,’ said Patience pleasantly. ‘I’ll go and tell her, then.’

She was gone for some time, but returned eventually, full of smiles:

‘I knew it wasn’t necessary to go. Of course she agrees. A good idea like this: how could she do otherwise?’

As soon as Tan-chun had received this confirmation, she and Li Wan sent for the list of women employed in the Garden. Bao-chai joined them in scrutinizing it and in making a provisional selection of those most likely to be suitable. These were summoned forthwith and Li Wan, addressing them in a group, outlined the scheme to them in general terms. The women were enthusiastic.

‘Let me have the bamboo,’ said one of them. ‘I’ll have double the amount growing within a year. I can keep you in bamboo-shoots for the kitchen and pay you an annual rent for it as well.’

‘Let me have that bit of rice-paddy,’ said another. ‘I’ll keep you in grain for your cage-birds so that you don’t have to spend money on feed, and I’ll pay you annual rent.’

Before Tan-chun could say anything, someone arrived with a message:

‘The doctor’s arrived. He’s waiting to come into the Garden to have a look at Miss Shi.’

‘Just a moment!’ said Patience as the women went scurrying off to escort the doctor. ‘There’s no point in a hundred people going if there isn’t anyone responsible to receive him.’

‘Wu Xin-deng’s wife and Mrs Shan are already waiting for him at the Painted Gate on the south-west corner of the Garden,’ said the woman who had brought the message.

When Patience heard that, she made no further objection.

After the women had gone, Tan-chun looked at Bao-chai inquiringly:

‘Well?’

Bao-chai laughed:

“‘He who shows most enthusiasm in the beginning proves often to be a sluggard in the end; and he who promises the fairest is often thinking more of his profit than of his performance.”’

Tan-chun nodded in agreement and praised the aptness of the quotation. She turned to the register once more and pointed out a few more names for the other two to consider. Patience fetched a brush and inkstone for her to write with.

‘Mamma Zhu is a very reliable body,’ said the others of one of these. ‘Her old man used to be a bamboo specialist and her son still is; it’s in the family. She’s the one we should put in charge of all the bamboos in the Garden. And Mamma Tian comes from a farming family. The farm at Sweet-rice Village may be only a plaything and not meant for serious cultivation, but if she were in charge of all those vegetable and paddy strips and doing the things that needed doing at the proper times, we should probably get a lot more out of it.’

‘When you think of the amount of land that goes with them, it seems a pity that All-spice Court and Green Delights don’t produce anything marketable,’ said Tan-chun.

‘Oh, but they do!’ said Li Wan. ‘Especially All-spice Court. Half the aromatics sold in perfumers’ shops and on the herb stalls at markets and temple fairs come from plants like the ones grown in All-spice. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were more profit to be had out of them than out of anything else that this Garden produces. And as for Green Delights: to mention nothing else, just look at all the flowers produced by that rosa rugosa during the spring and summer months! And all the rambler roses and monthly roses and rosa glabra and honeysuckle and wistaria on the pergolas: think how much you could make out of them if the flowers were dried properly and sold to tea-merchants for flavouring!’

Tan-chun nodded enthusiastically.

‘But,’ she reflected, ‘we haven’t got anyone who knows the art of flower-drying, have we?’

‘The mother of Miss Bao’s maid Oriole knows all about that sort of thing,’ said Patience. ‘Don’t you remember her drying a lot of flowers once and filling little baskets and gourds with them to make us presents?’

‘Is this the thanks I get for praising you?’ Bao-chai asked Patience.

‘What can you mean?’ said the others, in some surprise.

‘You can’t possibly give the job to her,’ said Bao-chai. ‘You have so many able and willing women of your own who won’t be getting any of these jobs: they are going to think very poorly of me if they know that I am responsible for bringing in an outsider. I can think of someone that you could give this job to, though: Old Mamma Ye at Green Delights – Tealeaf’s mother. She’s a very honest old woman; and what’s more, she is on very good terms with Oriole’s mother. You’d much better give the job to her. She will probably consult Oriole’s mother whenever there is anything she is not sure about in any case. She may even elect to hand over to her altogether. But that would be entirely a private matter between the two of them. The other servants might resent it, but at least they couldn’t blame us. The advantage of this arrangement is that it would look fair as well as being effective.’

Li Wan and Patience agreed. Tan-chun was more sceptical:

‘That may be; but what if cupidity proves stronger than friendship?’

‘Not likely in this case,’ said Patience. ‘Only the other day Mamma Ye was invited to become Oriole’s godmother. The three of them had a little party to celebrate. The two families are very close.’

Tan-chun dropped her objection and proceeded, with the others, to deliberate on the rest of their choices – all of them women whom the four of them had mentally noted in the past for their dependability. As each one’s selection was confirmed, she made a little circle with her writing-brush against the corresponding name in the register.

Shortly after this the women arrived back again to report that the doctor had gone and to hand in the prescription he had left. After studying it, Li Wan, Tan-chun and Bao-chai sent one of the women to obtain the drugs from outside and to supervise the making-up and administering of the medicine. Then Li Wan and Tan-chun told the women which of them were to have the cultivation of which parts of the Garden and what the conditions of their tenure were to be:

‘You will be expected to give us, in due season, a fixed amount of your crops for our own use; but apart from that it will be up to you to make whatever profit from them you can. Accounts will be submitted and dues paid at the end of the year.’

‘I’ve been having second thoughts about that,’ said Tan-chun. ‘If you are submitting annual accounts and paying dues, presumably it will be to the Office. But that means another lot of people with control over you and another layer skimmed off your profits. Now in thinking up this new arrangement and appointing you ourselves, we are already in a sense going above their heads, which is sure to anger them. They probably won’t dare to say anything about it now, but there will be nothing to stop them getting their own back later on when you go round to settle accounts with them at the end of the year. And there’s another thing. If they are going to be in on this, they are sure to expect a share of the produce. Whatever you agree to give us in the course of each year, they will expect the equivalent of half the amount for themselves. That’s an old, established rule. Everyone knows that. But since the new arrangement is our creation, I say let’s keep it out of their hands altogether. If there’s to be an annual settling of accounts, let it be done here, internally.’

‘If you ask me,’ said Bao-chai, ‘I don’t think there should be any settling of accounts at all. You’d always be finding that this one had too much and that one too little. It would only be a lot of extra trouble. Why not get each of them to take over some regular item of your expenditure and pay for it out of their profits? That will keep it all inside the Garden. I’ve just been running over in my mind what your regular expenses are. They aren’t very many. There’s hair-oil, cosmetics, incense, paper: every mistress and her maids get a fixed amount of those every month. Then there are brushes, dust-pans, feather-dusters and food for the livestock (birds, rabbits, deer and so forth). That’s really all. Now suppose instead of drawing money from Accounts for all those things we gave these women the responsibility of paying for them: how much do you reckon the saving would be?’

‘They’re small items in themselves,’ said Patience, ‘but I should think if you added them all together the total annual saving would be well over four hundred taels.’

‘There you are!’ said Bao-chai. ‘Four hundred a year, eight hundred in two years: you could buy a small house for letting with that or add half an acre of poor farm-land to your land-holdings. But though there should be quite a lot left over after they have covered the expenses we are assigning to them, we want them to have a little something to spend on themselves after working hard all through the year; and though, from our point of view, the main object of these operations is economy, we don’t want to overdo it. There would be no point in saving an extra two or three hundred taels if it meant resorting to undignified methods in order to do so. What we are now proposing means that Accounts will be paying out four or five hundred taels a year less than they do now without anyone outside feeling the pinch. And as for inside, the women doing these jobs will be getting a little extra for themselves, the ones not doing them will be able to relax a bit, the Garden’s stock of trees and flowers will thrive and increase through being better cared for, and we shall be better off when we have this regular supply of the produce for our own use – all this without any loss of dignity. Whereas if we went all out to economize with no other consideration but making money in mind, no doubt we should have little difficulty in squeezing more out, but the effect of paying everything back into the common account would be wails of protest from everyone, both inside the Garden and out, and a consequent loss of dignity that in a household like yours would be quite unacceptable.

‘Altogether there must be several dozen old women working in this Garden. If you give the money-making jobs to these few here and leave the others out in the cold, the others are going to complain that it isn’t fair. Now as I said, there’s still going to be quite a lot of money left over when they’ve finished paying these various expenses for you, and I think we should be letting them off a bit too lightly if we let them keep all of it. Why don’t we say that every year, no matter how much or how little they have made, they are to pay so many strings of cash into a common pool which will be shared out among all the other women? Although those others won’t any longer have anything to do with the upkeep of the Garden, they are responsible, day and night, for keeping an eye on the other servants; they have the responsibility of opening and closing the gates, which means that they have to get up earlier and go to bed later than everyone else; and whenever any of us go out, whatever the weather, even if it is raining or snowing heavily, they have to carry sedans, punt boats, draw sledges – in fact do any heavy work that needs to be done. Since they work so hard in the Garden from one year’s end to the next, it seems only fair that if any money is going to be made out of the Garden, they should have a share in it. And there’s another reason for this, if it doesn’t seem too petty-minded to mention it’ – Bao-chai turned to the women to explain – ‘If you think only of how much you can make out of this for yourselves and don’t let the others have a share, they are sure to feel resentful even if they don’t like to say anything and will try to make up for it by misappropriating what they can for their own use – filching a fruit here and a flower there whenever they have the opportunity. Whereas if they know in advance that they are going to get a share of whatever you make from your produce, they will be as anxious as you are that none of it is stolen and will even keep an eye on it for you when you aren’t able to watch over it yourselves.’

The women were quick to see the force of this argument – no control by the Office, no settling of accounts with Xi-feng, only a few strings of cash to pay out every year. They were all of them delighted and accepted these conditions unanimously.

‘Better than being pushed around by Accounts,’ they said. ‘If we were paying them anything, they’d want a dash on top of it for themselves.’

Those of the women present who were not getting one of the gardening jobs, when they heard that they were going to be given money at the end of every year without having to do anything to earn it, were, if anything, even more delighted – though for politeness’ sake they pretended to demur:

‘After all the hard work they’ll be putting into it they ought to have a bit extra for themselves. Doesn’t seem right that we should sit back and collect the jackpot without having to do anything for it!’

‘Don’t refuse the offer,’ said Bao-chai, smiling. ‘It’s no less than you deserve. As long as you continue to keep a close watch on things and don’t get slack and allow people to drink and gamble. Otherwise it puts me in such an awkward position. This isn’t really my business, of course; but as you have no doubt heard, my aunt has repeatedly urged me to take over responsibility for it on the grounds that Mrs Zhu is too busy and the other young ladies are too young to attend to it. I can’t refuse her, knowing that to do so would be deliberately adding to her worries. She has such indifferent health and so many household cares and I have so little to do myself that even if she were only a neighbour and not my aunt, I could scarcely refuse to help her. It’s no good worrying that I shall make myself unpopular. If I care only about being popular and allow people to drink and gamble as much as they like, sooner or later someone who has drunk too much will start a quarrel. If an incident like that were to happen, how should I be able to look my aunt in the face? And think what it would be like for you. You would have forfeited your reputation as responsible seniors that you have taken so many years to build up. After all, the reason all these dozens of maids and the whole of this great Garden have been placed under your supervision is because you have served here under three or four generations of masters and are considered more dependable than any of the other servants. At a time when we all ought to be doing our best to keep up appearances, you will have allowed other people to drink and gamble. It will be bad enough if my aunt gets to hear of it and gives you a talking-to; but what if you are found out by the stewardesses and they decide to discipline you themselves without bothering to tell my aunt? What a disgrace, that people of your years should be punished by servants younger than yourselves! They would be within their rights, of course. As stewardesses they have power over all other members of the staff. But how much better if you conducted yourselves in such a way that you could keep your self-respect and not be in a position where they had you at their mercy! That is why I have thought of this plan for bringing you in a little extra money. I am hoping that everyone will now collaborate to make this Garden such a model of discipline and good management that those who have the power to intervene, when they see how tight a discipline you are able to keep by yourselves, will decide that there is nothing for them to worry about and will respect you and leave you alone. Then we shall feel that the trouble we have taken in planning this little extra income for you was justified. Think about it!’

The women were all smiles of pleasure:

‘You’re right, Miss Bao. Don’t worry, Mrs Zhu and young ladies both! We should be lost souls indeed if we didn’t show a bit of consideration for you after you have been so kind and thoughtful to us!’

At that moment Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife came in:

‘The Zhen family from Nanking arrived in town yesterday. Today they have gone to the Palace to offer their felicitations. Some of their people have just arrived here to pay their respects. They have brought presents with them.’

She held out the list of presents with both hands. Tan-chun took it from her and ran her eye over it:

Imperial use decorated satins and mang satins

12 lengths

Imperial use satins, various

12 lengths

Imperial use gauzes, in different shades

12 lengths

Imperial use Palace taffetas

12 lengths

Official use satins, gauzes, taffetas and damasks in

various colours

24 lengths

When Li Wan too had seen the list, she told Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife to use the largest size of gratuity packet for tipping the bearers with. She also sent someone to report to Grandmother Jia, who sent word back that Li Wan, Tan-chun and Bao-chai were to come over and inspect the presents. After they had done so, Li Wan told the women in charge of the store-room to wait until Lady Wang had got back and had a look at them before putting them into store.

‘The Zhens are rather special people,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘You had better use one of the largest gratuity packets when you are tipping the bearers. And you’d better get some cloth-lengths ready: I expect we shall have some of their women arriving shortly, to pay their respects.’

The words were scarcely out of her mouth when the arrival of four women from the Zhen household was announced. Grandmother Jia at once gave orders that they should be brought in. All four were sober matrons of forty years or more and so genteelly dressed that it would have been impossible to guess from their appearance that they were servants. When the formal salutations and the inquiries after Grandmother Jia’s health had been completed, the old lady called for footstools to be brought for them to sit on. They acknowledged the courtesy but waited until Bao-chai and the others were seated before they would sit down themselves. When Grandmother Jia asked them when they had arrived in town, they stood up again to reply:

‘We arrived yesterday. Today Her Ladyship has had to take our young lady to the Palace, so she has sent us to offer you her respects and ask after the young ladies.’

‘It’s many years since they have been to the capital,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘It’s rather unexpected, that they should suddenly turn up like this.’

The women smiled:

‘Yes, madam. They had an Imperial Summons to come this year.’

‘Have they all come?’ said Grandmother Jia.

‘No, madam. Her Old Ladyship and the young master and our fourth and fifth young ladies and the other ladies all stayed at home. Only Her Ladyship and our third young lady have accompanied the Master on this journey.’

‘Is your third young lady betrothed yet?’ said Grandmother Jia.

‘No, madam, not yet.’

‘Your first and second young ladies both married into families on very good terms with ours,’ said Grandmother Jia.

‘Yes, madam,’ said the spokeswoman. ‘Every year when they write home they tell us how much they are beholden to you for your kind concern.’

Grandmother Jia laughed deprecatingly:

‘One could hardly call it that. Our families have known each other for so long and we are connected by marriage: it’s only right that we should take an interest in them. We are particularly fond of your second young lady. She is so unassuming, in spite of her rank. I think I could say, without offence, that we have grown quite attached to her.’

The women laughed:

‘You are too polite, madam.’

Grandmother Jia pursued her questioning:

‘Your young master lives with his grandmother, then?’

‘Yes, madam.’

‘How old is he? Has he started school yet?’

‘Thirteen this year,’ said the woman. ‘He has started school, but he is always playing truant. He has always been naughty, since he was little. He’s a good-looking boy, though, and his grandmother’s favourite, so there’s not much his father and mother can do about it.’

Grandmother Jia was greatly diverted.

‘Just like us! And what is his name?’

‘Well, because she says he is her “treasure” and because he has such a milky-white complexion, his grandmother calls him “Bao-yu”. That means “Precious Jade”, you see.’

Grandmother Jia turned to Li Wan, laughing:

‘Fancy that! He’s even called Bao-yu, too.’

Li Wan inclined politely:

‘Coincidences over names have always been common, whether among contemporaries or among people of different periods.’

‘We did wonder, after he was given this name, whether there wasn’t some family of our acquaintance in the capital in which the name had already been used,’ said the woman; ‘but as it was ten or more years since we’d been there, we couldn’t remember for sure whether there was or not.’

‘It’s my grandson’s name,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘Come here, someone.’

‘Hei!’ shouted the womenservants in attendance, and a few of them stepped forward.

‘Go over to the Garden and tell our Bao-yu to come here so that our visitors can have a look at him and tell us how he compares with their Bao-yu.’

The women hurried off in obedience to her order and returned after ten minutes or so with Bao-yu in their midst. When the four women from the Zhen household saw him enter, they hurriedly rose to their feet.

‘You gave us quite a turn,’ they said. ‘If we hadn’t been here and had met you in some other place, we’d have thought that our own Bao-yu must have followed after to join us!’

They took him by the hand and made much of him, plying him with all sorts of questions. Bao-yu smiled back at them and greeted them politely.

‘Well, how does he compare with yours?’ Grandmother Jia asked them.

‘It would appear that the two Bao-yus are very like each other from what they have already said,’ Li Wan remarked.

‘I doubt such a coincidence is possible,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘Children of the upper classes, especially if they are reared delicately and provided they are not pock-marked or illfavoured, are all much of a muchness as far as good looks are concerned. There would be nothing remarkable in a slight resemblance between them.’

‘In appearance he is exactly like our Bao-yu,’ said the women; ‘but though Your Ladyship was saying just now that he is mischievous, I think your Bao-yu must be better-tempered than ours.’

‘Oh?’ said Grandmother Jia, immediately interested. ‘Why do you think that?’

‘Because he let us hold his hand just now when we talked to him. If it had been our young gentleman, he would have called us “old fools”. We are not allowed to lay a finger on any of his things even, let alone take him by the hand. The only servants he will have about him are young girls –’

Before they could go on, Li Wan, Tan-chun and Bao-chai had burst out laughing. Grandmother Jia was laughing too:

‘I’m sure that if I were to send some of my women to see your Bao-yu now and they took him by the hand, he would somehow or other contrive to put up with it. Children brought up in families like ours, no matter how odd or eccentric they may be, will always conduct themselves in a courteous, well-bred manner in the presence of strangers. Otherwise their eccentricity would not be tolerated. In fact, the reason why grown-ups are so fond of them, though partly because of their good looks, is mainly because their beautiful manners – much better than many a grown-up’s – make it such a pleasure to be with them. No one meeting them can help liking them, and that makes us more tolerant of what they do on their own, when they are out of sight. But if they were to carry on in exactly the same way all the time, never allowing the grownups to get a word in edgeways, they would be fit for nothing but a whipping.’

‘That’s true, madam,’ said the women, smiling. ‘Although our Bao-yu is so odd and mischievous, he can at times, when he is with visitors, behave himself better than a grown-up, so that it’s a pleasure to watch him. No one who meets him can help liking him. Often they ask us what his father should want to beat him for, not realizing what a holy terror he can be inside the family. Sir Zhen and Lady Zhen are driven half distracted by him. If it were just his wilfulness, which is fairly normal in a child, it could be cured in time; so could his extravagance, which is normal in the sons of well-to-do people; and so could his hatred of study, which again is fairly normal in a young person. But this weird perverseness of his seems to be inbred: there seems to be no cure for it.’

Just then Lady Wang’s return was announced. She went straight up to Grandmother Jia on entering and saluted her, after which she received the salutations of the four visitors and exchanged a few words with them.

‘You are tired,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘Go and rest.’

Lady Wang served her mother-in-law with some tea before withdrawing to her own apartment. Shortly after she had gone, the four women took their leave of Grandmother Jia and went to join her. Lady Wang chatted with them for a while about family affairs before sending them on their way – suitably primed, of course, with messages and gratuities: but those are details which need not concern us.

Greatly tickled by what the women had told her, Grandmother Jia, for some time after their visit, would announce to anyone who came to see her:

‘There is another Bao-yu, you know, exactly like our Bao-yu in every particular.’

The other members of the family, bearing in mind that the world was a large place and instances of the same name among its innumerable upper-class families probably of not very rare occurrence, and that a grandmother who doted on her grandson was a fairly unremarkable phenomenon, were unimpressed by the coincidence and gave little thought to it. But Bao-yu, convinced, like many another young gentleman, of his own uniqueness, dismissed what the four women had said as a fabrication designed to give pleasure to his grandmother. He was taunted about it by Xiang-yun when he visited her in her sick-room in the Garden to see how she was getting on.

‘You’ll be able to get up to all sorts of mischief now,’ she said. ‘Previously it was a case of

The single strand makes not a thread Nor the single tree a wood.

We thought there was only one of you. But now you know you are a pair, there will be no stopping you. If your father beats you really badly, you can always run off to Nanking and get this other Bao-yu to stand in for you!’

‘You don’t believe that rubbish, do you?’ said Bao-yu. ‘How could there be another Bao-yu?’

‘There was a Lin Xiang-ru in the Warring States period and a Si-ma Xiang-ru under the Former Han,’ said Xiang-yun.

‘Yes, but this one’s supposed to look the same as well,’ said Bao-yu. ‘That’s not something you can find precedents for, surely?’

‘What about when the men of Kuang mistook Confucius for Yang Huo?’ said Xiang-yun.

‘Confucius and Yang Huo may have looked the same,’ said Bao-yu, ‘but they didn’t have the same name. Lin Xiang-ru and Si-ma Xiang-ru had the same name but they didn’t look alike. We are supposed both to have the same name and to look the same. It isn’t possible.

Xiang-yun, unable to think of a reply, took the easy way out.

‘Pleathe yourthelf. Whether it is or whether it isn’t, it’s of no concern to me.’

And she lay back on the bed and closed her eyes.

But Bao-yu’s confidence was shaken. Had he a double? When he told himself that he couldn’t possibly, he now began to feel that perhaps after all he had. On the other hand how could he be sure that he had when he had never seen him? Brooding on this uncertainty, he went back to his room and lay down on his bed to ponder it in silence. Soon he had drifted into sleep.

He was in a garden, which, he remarked with surprise, bore some resemblance to Prospect Garden. While he was still puzzling over the similarity, he became aware that some girls were coming towards him, all of them maids. Again he was surprised:

‘Strange that there should be another lot of maids here like Faithful and Aroma and Patience!’

He observed that they were laughing at him:

‘Bao-yu, what are you doing here?’

Bao-yu, naturally supposing that they meant him, smiled back at them:

‘I’ve strayed in here by accident. I think this garden must belong to some friend or other of my family. Won’t you take me with you and show me round it?’

‘It isn’t our Bao-yu after all,’ said the girls. ‘He’s not bad-looking, though, and he sounds reasonably intelligent.’

‘Tell me,’ said Bao-yu eagerly, ‘is there another Bao-yu here then?’

‘Bao-yu?’ rejoined one of the girls sharply. ‘We have Her Old Ladyship’s and Her Ladyship’s orders to use that name as much as possible as a means of bringing him luck and Bao-yu likes to hear us use it; but what business has a boy like you from some remote place outside to be making free with it? Don’t let them catch you doing that here, boy, or they’ll flay your backside for you!’

‘Come, let’s be going,’ said another. ‘We don’t want Bao-yu to see him.’

‘Don’t let’s stand here talking to the nasty creature,’ said a third. ‘We shall be contaminated!’

And they hurried off.

Bao-yu was nonplussed:

‘No one has ever been as horrid as that to me before. I wonder why they are? And I wonder if there really is another person exactly like me here.’

As he mused on the unaccountable hostility of the maids, his feet were carrying him along in no particular direction and presently he found himself inside a courtyard. He looked around him in some surprise:

‘Strange! There’s even a place like Green Delights here.’

He mounted the steps of the verandah and walked inside the building. Someone was lying there on a bed. On the other side of the room were some maids, some of them sewing, some of them giggling over a game they were playing. Presently the person on the bed – it was a youth – could be heard to sigh and one of the maids laughingly inquired what he was sighing for.

‘Aren’t you asleep, Bao-yu? I suppose you are worried about your cousin’s illness again and imagining all sorts of foolish things about her.’

Bao-yu heard this with some astonishment. He listened while the youth on the bed replied:

‘I heard Grandmother say that there is another Bao-yu in the capital who is exactly like me, but I didn’t believe her. I’ve just been having a dream in which I went into a large garden and met some girls there who called me a “nasty creature” and wouldn’t have anything to do with me. I managed to find this Bao-yu’s room, but he was asleep. What I saw was only an empty shell lying there on the bed. I was wondering where the real person could have got to.’

‘I came here looking for Bao-yu. Are you Bao-yu then?’ Bao-yu could not help blurting out.

The youth leaped down from the bed and seized Bao-yu by the hands:

‘So you are Bao-yu, and this isn’t a dream after all?’

‘Of course it isn’t a dream,’ said Bao-yu. ‘It couldn’t be more reall’

Just then someone arrived with a summons:

‘The Master wants to see Bao-yu.’

For a moment the two Bao-yus were stunned; and then one Bao-yu hurried off and the other Bao-yu was left calling after him:

‘Come back, Bao-yu! Come back, Bao-yu!’

Aroma heard him calling his own name in his sleep and shook him awake.

‘Where’s Bao-yu?’ she asked him jokingly.

Though awake, Bao-yu had not yet regained consciousness of his surroundings. He pointed to the doorway:

‘He’s only just left. He can’t have got very far.’

‘You’re still dreaming,’ Aroma said, amused. ‘Rub your eyes and have another look. That’s the mirror. You’re looking at your own reflection in the mirror.’

Bao-yu leaned forward and looked. The doorway he had pointed to was his dressing-mirror. He joined Aroma in laughing at himself.

Seeing him awake, maids were already at hand with a spittoon and a cup of strong tea for him to rinse his mouth with. Musk recalled Grandmother Jia’s strictures against young people having too many mirrors around them.

‘She says that when you’re young your soul isn’t fully formed yet, and if you’re reflected in mirrors too often, it can give your soul a shock which causes you to have bad dreams. Fancy putting your bed right in front of that great mirror! It’s all right as long as it’s kept covered, but sometimes when you’ve been out to the front, especially in hot weather when you’re feeling tired, they forget to cover it. That’s what must have happened just now. And you must have been looking at yourself in it before you dropped off to sleep. That would be a sure way of bringing on a bad dream. And it would explain why you were calling your own name out in your sleep. Let’s move this bed inside, away from the mirror, for goodness sake!’

Just then a message arrived for Bao-yu from Lady Wang saying that she wanted to see him.

But as to what it was she wanted to see him about: that will be revealed in the chapter which follows.