第八十回
第八十回 美香菱屈受贪夫棒 王道士胡诌妒妇方
话说金桂听了，将脖项一扭，嘴唇一撇，鼻孔里哧哧两声，拍着掌冷笑道：“菱角花谁闻见香来着？若说菱角香了，正经那些香花放在那里？可是不通之极！”香菱道：“不独菱花，就连荷叶莲蓬，都是有一股清香的。但他那原不是花香可比，若静日静夜或清早半夜细领略了去，那一股清香比是花儿都好闻呢。就连菱角、鸡头、苇叶、芦根得了风露，那一股清香，就令人心神爽快的。”金桂道：“依你说，那兰花桂花倒香的不好了？”香菱说到热闹头上，忘了忌讳，便接口道：“兰花桂花的香，又非别花之香可比。”
一句未完，金桂的丫鬟名唤宝蟾者，忙指着香菱的脸儿说道：“要死，要死！你怎么直叫起姑娘的名字来！”香菱猛省了，反不好意思，忙陪笑赔罪说：“一时说顺了嘴，奶奶别计较。”金桂笑道：“这有什么，你也太小心了。但只是我想这个‘香’字到底不妥，意思要换一个字，不知你服不服？”香菱忙笑道：“奶奶说那里话，此刻连我一身一体俱属奶奶，何得换一名字反问我服不服，叫我如何当得起。奶奶说那一个字好，就用那一个。”
金桂笑道：“你虽说的是，只怕姑娘多心，说‘我起的名字，反不如你？你能来了几日，就驳我的回了’。”香菱笑道：“奶奶有所不知，当日买了我来时，原是老奶奶使唤的，故此姑娘起得名字。后来我自服侍了爷，就与姑娘无涉了。如今又有了奶奶，益发不与姑娘相干。况且姑娘又是极明白的人，如何恼得这些呢。”金桂道：“既这样说，‘香’字竟不如‘秋’字妥当。菱角菱花皆盛于秋，岂不比‘香’字有来历些。”香菱道：“就依奶奶这样罢了。”自此后遂改了秋字，宝钗亦不在意。
只因薛蟠天性是“得陇望蜀”的，如今得娶了金桂，又见金桂的丫鬟宝蟾有三分姿色，举止轻浮可爱，便时常要茶要水的故意撩逗他。宝蟾虽亦解事，只是怕着金桂，不敢造次，且看金桂的眼色。金桂亦颇觉察其意，想着：“正要摆布香菱，无处寻隙，如今他既看上了宝蟾，如今且舍出宝蟾去与他，他一定就和香菱疏远了，我且乘他疏远之时，便摆布了香菱。那时宝蟾原是我的人，也就好处了。”打定了主意，伺机而发。
这日薛蟠晚间微醺，又命宝蟾倒茶来吃。薛蟠接碗时，故意捏他的手。宝蟾又乔装躲闪，连忙缩手。两下失误，豁啷一声，茶碗落地，泼了一身一地的茶。薛蟠不好意思，佯说宝蟾不好生拿着。宝蟾说：“姑爷不好生接。”金桂冷笑道：“两个人的腔调儿都够使了。别打谅谁是傻子。”薛蟠低头微笑不语，宝蟾红了脸出去。
一时安歇之时，金桂便故意的撵薛蟠别处去睡，“省得你馋痨饿眼。”薛蟠只是笑。金桂道：“要作什么和我说，别偷偷摸摸的不中用。”薛蟠听了，仗着酒盖脸，便趁势跪在被上拉着金桂笑道：“好姐姐，你若要把宝蟾赏了我，你要怎样就怎样。你要人脑子也弄来给你。”金桂笑道：“这话好不通。你爱谁，说明了，就收在房里，省得别人看着不雅。我可要什么呢。”薛蟠得了这话，喜的称谢不尽，是夜曲尽丈夫之道，奉承金桂。次日也不出门，只在家中厮奈[2]，越发放大了胆。
至午后，金桂故意出去，让个空儿与他二人。薛蟠便拉拉扯扯的起来。宝蟾心里也知八九，也就半推半就，正要入港。谁知金桂是有心等候的，料必在难分之际，便叫丫头小舍儿过来。原来这小丫头也是金桂从小儿在家使唤的，因他自幼父母双亡，无人看管，便大家叫他作小舍儿，专作些粗笨的生活。金桂如今有意独唤他来吩咐道：“你去告诉秋菱〔二〕，到我屋里将手帕取来，不必说我说的。”小舍儿听了，一径寻着香菱说：“菱姑娘，奶奶的手帕子忘记在屋里了。你去取来送上去岂不好？”
香菱正因金桂近日每每的折挫他，不知何意，百般竭力挽回不暇。听了这话，忙往房里来取。不防正遇见他二人推就之际，一头撞了进去，自己倒羞的耳面飞红，忙转身回避不迭。那薛蟠自为是过了明路的[4]，除了金桂，无人可怕，所以连门也不掩，今见香菱撞来，故也略有些惭愧，还不十分在意。无奈宝蟾素日最是说嘴要强的，今遇见了香菱，便恨无地缝儿可入，忙推开薛蟠，一径跑了，口内还恨怨不迭，说他强奸力逼等语。
薛蟠好容易圈哄的要上手，却被香菱打散，不免一腔兴头变作了一腔恶怒，都在香菱身上，不容分说，赶出来啐了两口，骂道：“死娼妇，你这会子作什么来撞尸游魂！”香菱料事不好，三步两步早已跑了。
薛蟠再来找宝蟾，已无踪迹了，于是恨的只骂香菱。至晚饭后，已吃得醺醺然，洗澡时不防水略热了些，烫了脚，便说香菱有意害他，赤条精光赶着香菱踢打了两下。香菱虽未受过这气苦，既到此时，也说不得了，只好自悲自怨，各自走开。
彼时金桂已暗和宝蟾说明，今夜令薛蟠和宝蟾在香菱房中去成亲，命香菱过来陪自己先睡。先是香菱不肯，金桂说他嫌脏了，再必是图安逸，怕夜里劳动服侍，又骂说：“你那没见世面的主子，见一个，爱一个，把我的人霸占了去，又不叫你来。到底是什么主意，想必是逼我死罢了。”
薛蟠听了这话，又怕闹黄了宝蟾之事，忙又赶来骂香菱：“不识抬举！再不去〔三〕便要打了！”香菱无奈，只得抱了铺盖来。金桂命他在地下铺睡。香菱无奈，只得依命。刚睡下，便叫倒茶，一时又叫捶腿，如是一夜七八次，总不使其安逸稳卧片时。那薛蟠得了宝蟾，如获珍宝，一概都置之不顾。恨的金桂暗暗的发恨道：“且叫你乐这几天，等我慢慢的摆布了来，那时可别怨我！”一面隐忍，一面设计摆布香菱。
半月光景，忽又装起病来，只说心疼难忍，四肢不能转动。请医疗治不效，众人都说是香菱气的。闹了两日，忽又从金桂的枕头内抖出纸人来，上面写着金桂的年庚八字，有五根针钉在心窝并四肢骨节等处。于是众人反乱起来，当作新闻，先报与薛姨妈。
薛姨妈〔四〕先忙手忙脚的，薛蟠自然更乱起来，立刻要拷打众人。金桂笑道：“何必冤枉众人，大约是宝蟾的镇魇法儿。”薛蟠道：“他这些时并没多空儿在你房里，何苦赖好人。”金桂冷笑道：“除了他还有谁，莫不是我自己不成！虽有别人，谁可敢进我的房呢。”薛蟠道：“香菱如今是天天跟着你，他自然知道，先拷问他就知道了。”金桂冷笑道：“拷问谁，谁肯认？依我说竟装个不知道，大家丢开手罢了。横竖治死我也没什么要紧，乐得再娶好的。若据良心上说，左不过是你三个多嫌我一个。”说着，一面痛哭起来。
薛蟠更被这一席话激怒，顺手抓起一根门闩来，一径抢步找着香菱，不容分说便劈头劈面打起来，一口咬定是香菱所施。香菱叫屈，薛姨妈跑来禁喝说：“不问明白，你就打起人来了。这丫头服侍了你这几年，那一点不周到，不尽心？他岂肯如今作这没良心的事！你且问个清浑皂白，再动粗卤。”金桂听见他婆婆如此说着，怕薛蟠耳软心活，便益发嚎啕大哭起来，一面又哭喊说：“这半个多月把我的宝蟾霸占了去，不容他进我的房，唯有秋菱跟着我睡。我要拷问宝蟾〔五〕，你又护到头里。你这会子又赌气打他去。治死我，再拣富贵的标致的娶来就是了，何苦作出这些把戏来！”薛蟠听了这些话，越发着了急。
薛姨妈听见金桂句句挟制着儿子，百般恶赖的样子，十分可恨。无奈儿子偏不硬气，已是被他挟制软惯了。如今又勾搭上丫头，被他说霸占了去，他自己反要占温柔让夫之礼。这魇魔法究竟不知谁作的，实是俗语说的“清官难断家务事”，此时正是公婆难断床帏事了。因此无法，只得赌气喝骂薛蟠说：“不争气的孽障！骚狗也比你体面些！谁知你三不知的把陪房丫头也摸索上了，叫老婆说嘴霸占了丫头，什么脸出去见人！也不知谁使的法子，也不问青红皂白，好歹就打人。我知道你是个得新弃旧的东西，白辜负了我当日的心。他既不好，你也不许打，我即刻叫人牙子来卖了他，你就心净了。”说着，命香菱“收拾了东西跟我来”，一面叫人去，“快叫个人牙子来，多少卖几两银子，拔去肉中刺，眼中钉，大家过太平日子。”薛蟠见母亲动了气，早也低下头了。
金桂听了这话，便隔着窗子往外哭道：“你老人家只管卖人，不必说着一个扯着一个的。我们很是那吃醋拈酸容不下人的不成，怎么‘拔出肉中刺，眼中钉’？是谁的钉，谁的刺〔六〕？但凡多嫌着他，也不肯把我的丫头也收在房里了。”薛姨妈听说，气的身战气咽道：“这是谁家的规矩？婆婆这里说话，媳妇隔着窗子拌嘴。亏你是旧家人家的女儿！满嘴里大呼小喊，说的是什么！”
薛蟠急的跺脚说：“罢哟，罢哟！看人听见笑话。”金桂意谓一不作，二不休，越发发泼喊起来了，说：“我不怕人笑话！你的小老婆治我害我，我倒怕人笑话了！再不然，留下他，就卖了我。谁还不知道你薛家有钱，行动拿钱垫人[9]，又有好亲戚挟制着别人。你不趁早施为，还等什么？嫌我不好，谁叫你们瞎了眼，三求四告的跑了我们家作什么去了！这会子人也来了，金的银的也赔了，略有个眼睛鼻子的也霸占去了，该挤发我了！”一面哭喊，一面滚揉，自己拍打。薛蟠急的说又不好，劝又不好，打又不好，央告又不好，只是出入咳声叹气，抱怨说运气不好。
当下薛姨妈早被薛宝钗劝进去了，只命人来卖香菱。宝钗笑道：“咱们家从来只知买人，并不知卖人之说。妈可是气的糊涂了，倘或叫人听见，岂不笑话。哥哥嫂子嫌他不好，留着我使唤，我正也没人使呢。”薛姨妈道：“留下他还是淘气，不如打发了他倒干净。”宝钗笑道：“他跟着我也是一样，横竖不叫他到前头去。从此断绝了他那里，也如卖了一般。”香菱早已跑到薛姨妈跟前痛哭哀求，只不愿出去，情愿跟着姑娘，薛姨妈也只得罢了。
自此以后，香菱果跟随宝钗到园内去了，把前面路径竟一心断绝。虽然如此，终不免对月伤悲，挑灯自叹。本来怯弱，虽在薛蟠房中几年，皆由血分中有病，是以并无胎孕。今复加以气怒伤感，内外折挫不堪，竟酿成干血之症[10]，日渐羸瘦[11]作烧，饮食懒进，请医诊视服药亦不效验。
那时金桂又吵闹了数次，气的薛姨妈母女惟暗自垂泪，怨命而已。薛蟠虽曾仗着酒胆挺撞过两三次，持棍欲打，那金桂便递与他身子随意叫打〔七〕；这里持刀欲杀时，便伸与他脖项。薛蟠也实不能下手，只得乱闹了一阵罢了。如今习惯成自然，反使金桂越发长了威风，薛蟠越发软了气骨。虽是香菱犹在，却亦如不在的一般，纵不能十分畅快，也就不觉的碍眼了，且姑置不究。如此又渐次寻趁宝蟾。
宝蟾却不比香菱的情性，最是个烈火干柴，既和薛蟠情投意合，便把金桂忘在脑后。近见金桂又作践他，他便不肯低服容让半点。先是一冲一撞的拌嘴口角，后来金桂气急了，甚至于骂，再至于打〔八〕。他虽不敢还言还手，便大撒泼性，拾头打滚，寻死觅活，昼则刀剪，夜则绳索，无所不闹。薛蟠此时一身难以两顾，惟徘徊观望于二者之间，十分闹的无法，便出门躲在外厢。
金桂不发作性气，有时欢喜，便纠聚人来斗纸牌、掷骰子作乐。又生平最喜啃骨头，每日务要〔九〕杀鸡鸭，将肉赏人吃，只单以油炸焦骨头下酒。吃的不耐烦或动了气，便肆行海骂，说：“有别的忘八粉头乐的，我为什么不乐！”薛家母女总不去理他。薛蟠亦无别法，惟日夜悔恨不该娶这搅家星罢了，都是一时没了主意。于是宁荣二宅之人，上上下下，无有不知，无有不叹者。
此时宝玉已过了百日，出门行走。亦曾过来见过金桂，“举止形容也不怪厉，一般是鲜花嫩柳，与众姊妹不差上下的人，焉得这等样情性，可为奇之至极。”因此心下纳闷。这日与王夫人请安去，又正遇见迎春奶娘来家请安，说起孙绍祖甚属不端，“姑娘惟有背地里淌眼抹泪的，只要接了来家散诞[15]两日。”王夫人因说：“我正要这两日接他去，只因七事八事的都不遂心，所以就忘了。前儿宝玉去了，回来也曾说过的。明日是个好日子，就接他去。”正说着，贾母打发人来找宝玉，说：“明儿一早往天齐庙还愿。”宝玉如今巴不得各处去逛逛，听见如此，喜的一夜不曾合眼，盼明不明的。
次日一早，梳洗穿带已毕，随了两三个老嬷嬷坐车出西城门外天齐庙[16]来烧香还愿。这庙里已是昨日预备停妥的。宝玉天生性怯，不敢近狰狞神鬼之像。这天齐庙本系前朝所修，极其宏壮〔一〇〕。如今年深岁久，又极其荒凉。里面泥胎塑像皆极其凶恶，是以忙忙的焚过纸马钱粮，便退至道院歇息。一时吃过饭，众嬷嬷和李贵等人围随宝玉到处散诞顽耍了一回。宝玉困倦，复回至静室安歇。众嬷嬷生恐他睡着了，便请当家的老王道士来陪他说话儿。
这老王道士专意在江湖上卖药，弄些海上方治人射利。这庙外现挂着招牌，丸散膏丹，色色俱备，亦长在宁荣两宅走动熟惯，都与他起了个浑号，唤他作“王一贴”，言他的膏药灵验，只一贴百病皆除之意。
当下王一贴进来，宝玉正歪在炕上想睡，李贵等正说“哥儿别睡着了”，厮混着。看见王一贴进来〔一一〕，都笑道：“来的好，来的好。王师父，你极会说古记的，说一个与我们小爷听听。”王一贴笑道：“正是呢。哥儿别睡，仔细肚里面筋作怪。”说着，满屋里人都笑了。宝玉也笑着起身整衣。王一贴喝命徒弟们快泡好酽茶来。
茗烟道：“我们爷不吃你的茶，连这屋里坐着还嫌膏药气息呢。”王一贴笑道：“没当家花花的[19]，膏药从不拿进这屋里来的。知道哥儿今日必来，头三五天就拿香熏了又熏的。”宝玉道：“可是呢，天天只听见你的膏药好，到底治什么病？”王一贴道：“哥儿若问我的膏药，说来话长，其中细理，一言难尽。共药一百二十味，君臣相济，宾主得宜，温凉兼用，贵贱殊方。内则调元补气，开胃口，养荣卫[20]，宁神安志，去寒去暑，化食化痰；外则和血脉，舒筋络，出死肌，生新肉，去风散毒。其效如神，贴过的便知。”
宝玉道：“我不信一张膏药就治这些病。我且问你，倒有一种病可也贴的好么？”王一贴道：“百病千灾，无不立效。若不见效，哥儿只管揪着胡子打我这老脸，拆我这庙何如？只说出病源来。”宝玉笑道：“你猜，若你猜的着，便贴的好了。”王一贴听了，寻思一会，笑道：“这倒难猜，只怕膏药有些不灵了。”宝玉命李贵等：“你们且出去散散。这屋里人多，越发蒸臭了。”李贵等听说，且都出去自便，只留下茗烟一人。这茗烟手内点着一枝梦甜香，宝玉命他坐在身旁，却倚在他身上。
王一贴心有所动，便笑嘻嘻走近前来，悄悄的说道：“我可猜着了。想是哥儿如今有了房中的事情，要滋助的药，可是不是？”话犹未完，茗烟先喝道：“该死，打嘴！”宝玉犹未解，忙问：“他说什么？”茗烟道：“信他胡说。”唬的王一贴不敢再问，只说：“哥儿明说了罢。”宝玉道：“我问你，可有贴女人的妒病方子没有？”王一贴听说，拍手笑道：“这可罢了。不但说没有方子，就是听也没有听见过〔一二〕。”宝玉笑道：“这样还算不得什么。”王一贴又忙道：“贴妒的膏药倒没经过，倒有一种汤药或者可医，只是慢些儿，不能立竿见影的效验。”
宝玉道：“什么汤药，怎么吃法？”王一贴道：“这叫做‘疗妒汤’：用极好的秋梨一个，二钱冰糖，一钱陈皮，水三碗，梨熟为度，每日清早吃这么一个梨，吃来吃去就好了。”宝玉道：“这也不值什么，只怕未必见效。”王一贴道：“一剂不效吃十剂，今日不效明日再吃，今年不效吃到明年。横竖这三味药都是润肺开胃不伤人的，甜丝丝的，又止咳嗽，又好吃。吃过一百岁，人横竖是要死的，死了还妒什么！那时就见效了。”说着，宝玉茗烟都大笑不止，骂“油嘴的牛头”。
王一贴笑道：“不过是闲着解午盹罢了，有什么关系。说笑了你们就值钱。实告诉你们说，连膏药也是假的。我有真药，我还吃了作神仙呢。有真的，跑到这里来混？”正说着，吉时已到，请宝玉出去焚化钱粮散福。功课完毕，方进城回家。
那时迎春已来家好半日，孙家的婆娘媳妇等人已待过晚饭，打发回家去了。迎春方哭哭泣泣的在王夫人房中诉委曲，说孙绍祖“一味好色，好赌酗酒，家中所有的媳妇丫头将及淫遍。略劝过两三次，便骂我是‘醋汁子老婆拧出来的’。又说老爷曾收着他五千银子，不该使了他的。如今他来要了两三次不得，他便指着我的脸说道：‘你别和我充夫人娘子，你老子使了我五千银子，把你准折卖给我的。好不好，打一顿撵在下房里睡去。当日有你爷爷在时，希图上我们的富贵，赶着相与的。论理我和你父亲是一辈，如今强压我的头，卖了一辈。又不该作了这门亲，倒没的叫人看着赶势利似的。’”一行说，一行哭的呜呜咽咽，连王夫人并众姊妹无不落泪。
王夫人只得用言语解劝说：“已是遇见了这不晓事的人，可怎么样呢。想当日你叔叔也曾劝过大老爷，不叫作这门亲的。大老爷执意不听，一心情愿，到底作不好了。我的儿，这也是你的命。”迎春哭道：“我不信我的命就这么不好！从小儿没了娘，幸而过婶子这边过了几年心净日子，如今偏又是这么个结果！”王夫人一面解劝，一面问他随意要在那里安歇。迎春道：“乍乍的离了姊妹们，只是眠思梦想。二则还记挂着我的屋子，还得在园里旧房子里住得三五天，死也甘心了。不知下次还可能得住不得住了呢！”王夫人忙劝道：“快休乱说。不过年轻的夫妻们，闲牙斗齿，亦是万万人之常事，何必说这丧话。”仍命人忙忙的收拾紫菱洲房屋，命姊妹们陪伴着解释[22]，又吩咐宝玉：“不许在老太太跟前走漏一些风声，倘或老太太知道了这些事，都是你说的。”宝玉唯唯的听命。
迎春是夕仍在旧馆安歇。众姊妹丫鬟〔一三〕等更加亲热异常。一连住了三日，才往邢夫人那边去。先辞过贾母及王夫人，然后与众姊妹分别，更皆悲伤不舍。还是王夫人薛姨妈等安慰劝释，方止住了过那边去。又在邢夫人处住了两日，就有孙绍祖的人来接去。迎春虽不愿去，无奈惧孙绍祖之恶，只得勉强忍情作辞了。邢夫人本不在意，也不问其夫妻和睦，家务烦难，只面情塞责而已。终不知端的，且听下回分解。
〔一〕 本回底本无回目，梦稿本作“懦迎春肠回九曲，姣香菱病入膏肓”；蒙府、戚序本作“懦弱迎春肠回九曲，姣怯香菱病入膏肓”；甲辰本作“美香菱屈受贪夫棒，丑道士胡诌妒妇方”；程甲本“丑道士”作“王道士”，馀同甲辰本。今从程甲本补。
[2] 厮奈——混日子，意同今北京话之“泡着”。厮：相，义同厮守、厮混的“厮”。奈：耐、捱的意思。
〔二〕 “你去告诉秋菱”，底本及梦稿、蒙府、戚序本“秋菱”均作“香菱”。此处是夏金桂将香菱之名改为“秋菱”后，她第一次对小丫头称香菱的名字，应呼为“秋菱”。从甲辰本改。
[4] 过了明路的——事经公开，毋需躲闪。
〔三〕 “再不去”，原作“再不睡”，从梦稿、甲辰本改。
〔四〕 “薛姨妈”，原无，从各本补。
〔五〕 “霸占了去，不容他进我的房，唯有秋菱跟着我睡。我要拷问宝蟾”二十五字，原缺，各本均有，文字略异，此从甲辰本补。
〔六〕 “是谁的钉谁的刺”，原作“是谁的钉刺”，从蒙府、戚序、甲辰本改。
[9] 拿钱垫人——意即行贿。
[10] 干血之症——即中医所说的“干血痨”，妇科病。主要症状有面目暗黑、肌肉消瘦干枯、潮热盗汗、口干颧红、月经涩少或闭经。
[11] 羸（léi雷）瘦——瘦弱。羸：弱。
〔七〕 “叫打”，原无“叫”字，从梦稿本补。
〔八〕 “再至于打”，原作“再至于厮打”，从梦稿、甲辰本改。
〔九〕 “纠聚人来斗纸牌掷骰子作乐。又生平最喜啃骨头，每日务要”二十四字，原缺，各本均有，文字略异，此从戚序本补。
[15] 散诞——也作散旦，舒散的意思。
[16] 天齐庙——即东岳庙，唐代曾封东岳泰山神为天齐王。
〔一〇〕 “宏壮”下原有“宝玉天性胆怯，不敢细看”十字，文意与上文重复，梦稿、戚序、蒙府本均无，从删。
〔一一〕 “宝玉正歪在炕上想睡，李贵等正说‘哥儿别睡着了’，厮混着。看见王一贴进来”三十字，原缺，各本均有，文字略异，此从蒙府本补。
[19] 没当家花花的——亦作“不当家”、“不当价”，是“不敢”、“罪过”的意思。“花花”是词尾，无义。“家”读轻声。
[20] 养荣卫——又叫“养营卫”。“营”指充盈于内、生化血液、营养周身的作用；“卫”指捍卫于外、抗御病邪、保卫肌表的作用。营与卫互为影响，如果外邪自表而入，就会出现营卫失和的症状。
〔一二〕 “王一贴听说，拍手笑道：‘这可罢了。不但说没有方子，就是听也没有听见过。’”各本均有，文字略异。底本仅作“王一贴道，就是听也没有听见过”。此从戚序本增补。
[22] 解释——此处意为劝解、安慰。
〔一三〕 “丫鬟等”，底本作“还等”。据俄藏补改。
CHAPTER 80. Unfortunate Caltrop is battered by a philandering husband And One Plaster Wang prescribes for an insufferable wife
Jin-gui reacted to Caltrop’s defence of Bao-chai’s intelligence with a toss of the head, a scornful curl of the lip and a couple of loud, contemptuous sniffs.
‘The flowers that girls are named after are supposed to be beautiful, sweet-smelling ones. What is there beautiful or sweet-smelling about a caltrop-flower? If you’re going to call caltrop-flowers sweet-smelling, then what are you going to say of the flowers that are really fragrant? It’s a ridiculous choice for a name.’
‘But caltrop-flowers are sweet-smelling,’ said Caltrop. ‘A lot of water-plants are. Even lotus-leaves and lotus-pods have a certain fragrance – not to be compared with the scent of flowers, perhaps; but in very still weather, especially very early in the morning or very late at night, they have a delicious, cool fragrance that is in some ways superior to that of flowers. Even caltrops themselves and cock’s heads and the roots and leaves of reed-grass have a lovely fresh scent after dew or rain; it makes you feel good just to smell it.’
‘To hear you speak,’ said Jin-gui, ‘anyone would think that orchid and cassia were not particularly fragrant.’
Caltrop, warming to the argument, momentarily forgot Jin-gui’s taboo.
‘Ah now, orchid and cassia are quite different,’ she began; but before she could get any further, Moonbeam was pointing a finger in her face and crowing over her in malicious triumph:
‘You’ll catch it now! That’s the mistress’s name you’ve just said.’
Caltrop was overcome with confusion and hurriedly apologized for her lapse.
‘I’m truly sorry, madam. It was a slip of the tongue. I hope you won’t hold it against me.’
Jin-gui smiled magnanimously.
‘Oh, that doesn’t matter. You don’t need to worry about that. About this name of yours, though: I really don’t think that “Caltrop” is very appropriate. I should like to change it, but I don’t know whether you would be willing to let me.’
‘Oh, madam, what a thing to say!’ said Caltrop, smiling. ‘I am your chattel, to do with exactly as you wish; who am I to be willing or unwilling? If you wish to change my name, my name already is whatever you wish to change it to!’
Jin-gui smiled, somewhat unpleasantly.
‘You may say that, but I fear your Miss Bao may be rather less happy about it.’
‘Ah no, madam. You see, when I was bought by the family, I used first to work for Mrs Xue: that’s how Miss Bao came to give me my name, not because I was Miss Bao’s own maid. Then after that I served the master. Miss Bao has nothing to do with me – especially now you are here. In any case, she’s a very sensible young lady – not at all the sort of person to make a fuss about a little thing like this.’
‘Very well,’ said Jin-gui: ‘in that case, since a water-lily is a much more appropriate flower to name someone after than a caltrop, I think we ought to call you “Lily”.’
‘Very good, madam, let that be my name then,’ said Caltrop, smiling.
“Lily” she became then from that moment. Bao-chai, when she heard about it, appeared totally unconcerned.
Xue Pan was in some respects like the general of old in whom ‘conquest did but breed appetite for further conquest’, for when, after his marriage to Jin-gui, he discovered that she had an attractive, rather coquettish maid called Moonbeam, he was continually calling to her to bring him things – cups of tea and the like – so as to have an opportunity of flirting with her. Moonbeam perfectly well understood what he was up to but had to behave circumspectly from fear of Jin-gui, whom she studied carefully for some sign which would indicate how she wanted her to respond.
Jin-gui had indeed noticed Xue Pan’s interest in her maid and reasoned within herself as follows.
‘I’ve been wanting to deal with Caltrop, but so far haven’t found a way of getting at her. Since he’s already taken a fancy to Moonbeam, I might just as well let him have Moonbeam, because he’s sure to grow cooler towards Caltrop as a consequence and I shall be able to take advantage of that in order to get rid of Caltrop; and with Caltrop out of the way, settling Moonbeam’s hash ought to be easy, because Moonbeam is my own servant.’
Having decided on a strategy, she had only to await a suitable opportunity of putting it into practice. Such an opportunity occurred one evening when Xue Pan, having drunk himself into a state of cheerful inebriation, called as was his wont to Moonbeam to bring him some tea. While Moonbeam was handing him the cup, he deliberately gave her fingers a squeeze; Moonbeam, with a very unnatural affectation of modesty, drew back her hand; and since neither of them had their minds on what they were doing, the cup crashed to the floor, splashing hot tea over Moonbeam’s skirt and everything else round about. Xue Pan tried to cover up his embarrassment by pretending that Moonbeam had not handed him the cup properly, while Moonbeam for her part said that the master had not ‘taken a proper hold’.
Jin-gui hooted at them contemptuously.
‘You two really are a comedy! You must think I’m an idiot.’
Xue Pan hung his head and laughed sheepishly and Moonbeam fled blushing from the room. When, not long after this, it was time to go to bed, Jin-gui tried to turn Xue Pan out of the bedroom and make him sleep elsewhere. She said she was tired of seeing him go around all the time looking as if he was wasting away with passion. Xue Pan smiled foolishly and said nothing.
‘If you want to do something, why don’t you tell me?’ she said. ‘All this groping in corners will get you nowhere.’
Encouraged by her words and fortified by what he had drunk against any feeling of shame, he knelt down on the bed-covers beside her and seized her hand.
‘Listen, lover,’ he said: ‘if you will let me have your Moonbeam, I’ll give you anything you ask for – anything at all. If it’s human brains you want, I shall see that you have them.’
‘What nonsense you talk!’ said Jin-gui. ‘What do I care who you go to bed with? Just don’t make a fool of yourself by carrying on in front of the others, that’s all I ask.’
Xue Pan was so pleased and grateful that it seemed he would never stop thanking her. That night he performed his conjugal duties with exemplary thoroughness. Every sinew was strained to give Jin-gui pleasure. He did not go out next morning, but hung around at home, waiting for an opportunity of exploiting his new-found licence.
A little after midday Jin-gui rather pointedly went out in order to leave the coast clear. Xue Pan lost no time in setting to work on Moonbeam, who, since she now had a pretty good idea of her mistress’s intentions, put up only a token resistance to his advances. Carnal congress seemed imminent. But Jin-gui had been waiting for this moment only in order to frustrate it.
Jin-gui had a maid called Orfie who had been with her in her mother’s house since she was a child. Orfie had lost both her parents when she was little and had no one else to look after her, so when she first entered service with the Xias, she was invariably referred to as ‘the little orphan’. Her name ‘Orfie’ was simply a convenient contraction of this. Orfie’s duties were normally of a rough and menial kind, but on this occasion she was employed by her mistress on a task requiring some finesse.
‘Orfie,’ said Jin-gui, ‘do you think you could tell Lily to fetch my handkerchief from my room and bring it to me? You needn’t let her know that it was I who sent you.’
Orfie went off to look for Caltrop.
‘Miss Lily,’ she said when she had found her, ‘the mistress has left her handkerchief in her room. Why don’t you go and get it for her?’
Caltrop had recently been puzzled by Jin-gui’s hostility, and, in her efforts to overcome it, was constantly thinking of things that she could do to please her. Since Orfie’s suggestion seemed to offer a means of winning favour, she sped off without a second thought to do the errand, bursting into the room at the very moment when Xue Pan and Moonbeam were in the interesting situation we have just described. She turned back, blushing to the tips of her ears, but not in time to escape the notice of the other two.
Xue Pan himself was fairly unconcerned. Jin-gui was the only person he feared, and as Jin-gui had given her consent, he cared nothing about what anyone else might think. He had not even bothered to shut the door. But Moonbeam minded very much. Being by nature a disputatious, somewhat self-righteous young woman, she found it peculiarly galling that Caltrop of all people should have seen her at such a moment. Pushing Xue Pan away from her, she ran out of the room, protesting, with cries of angry complaint, that he had been attempting to rape her.
The effect of this upon Xue Pan was that all the excitement generated by his tussling with Moonbeam was transformed into animosity against Caltrop. He rushed outside and spat at her.
‘Little harlot! What do you mean by it, wandering around the place like a damned disembodied ghost?’
He might have done her an injury, but Caltrop, sensing that she was in mortal danger, ran as fast as her legs would carry her and managed to get away. Abandoning the chase, he went back to look for Moonbeam but could find no trace of her. This increased his anger against Caltrop, whom he cursed once more in her absence. After dinner that evening, when he had once again drunk himself merry, he decided to take a bath. On testing the water with his foot and finding it to be too hot, he insisted that Caltrop had done it deliberately, intending to harm him, ran after her, stark naked as he was, and gave her a couple of kicks. Caltrop had long grown unused to such savage treatment; but things had now reached such a pass that she dared not complain and ran off to weep alone and nurse her injuries in silence.
Meanwhile Jin-gui had secretly instructed Moonbeam to place herself at Xue Pan’s disposal that very night in Caltrop’s bedroom. She ordered Caltrop to move in with her, and when she refused, said she supposed that it was because she found her room dirty or was too lazy to wait on her at night. She pretended to think that it was Xue Pan who had inspired her refusal.
‘That master of yours is such a barbarian,’ she said. ‘He has only to look at a girl to want her for himself. Now he’s taken my maid away, yet he won’t let me have you in her place. What’s his idea, I wonder? Does he want to drive me to my death?’
Xue Pan, for whose ears this was, of course, intended, became apprehensive that the difficulties Caltrop was making might once more prevent him from enjoying Moonbeam, and he came rushing into Caltrop’s room to rebuke her.
‘Don’t you realize, this is an honour your mistress is doing you? You do as you’re told and sleep with her, or I’ll give you a beating!’
Caltrop had now no choice but to roll up her bedding and carry it into Jin-gui’s room. Jin-gui told her to make her bed up on the floor. This order too she had to obey. As soon as she had settled down for the night, Jin-gui called to her for some tea. Caltrop brought her the tea and lay down again. A little after that Jin-gui called to her to come and massage her legs. And so it went on, seven or eight times in the course of the night, so that it was impossible for Caltrop to get right off to sleep or even to rest properly.
Now that Xue Pan had got Moonbeam, he was like a man who has come into possession of a priceless jewel. He forsook all other interests for her. This secretly enraged Jin-gui, who could not forbear some jealous mutterings when she was on her own.
‘Enjoy yourself while you can, my friend,’ she would say. ‘I shall get round to you in the end. And when I do, you had better not complain!’
For the time being, however, she refrained from outbursts and set about laying a trap for Caltrop. About a fortnight after Caltrop moved into her room she suddenly pretended to be ill. She complained of agonizing pains in the heart and appeared unable to move her limbs. Nothing they did for her seemed to bring relief. The servants said it must have been brought on by something Caltrop had done to upset her.
A couple of days later, as one of the maids was shaking out Jin-gui’s pillow, a cut-out paper mannikin fell out of it. It had the eight symbols of her nativity written on it and five needles sticking into it, one in the heart and one in each of the limbs. This item of news was thought sufficiently interesting to be reported to Aunt Xue, instantly throwing that poor lady into a highly inflammable state of nervous commotion. The effect the news had upon Xue Pan was even more violent. He was for having all the servants flogged immediately until one of them confessed to having planted the paper figure; but Jin-gui prevented him.
‘Why make the innocent suffer?’ she said. ‘I expect it’s Moonbeam who did it, to get me out of the way.’
‘That’s most unfair,’ said Xue Pan. ‘When, during this past week or two, has Moonbeam had the time to go inside your room?’
‘Who else could it have been then?’ said Jin-gui. ‘I suppose you don’t think I’d do it to myself? Moonbeam is the only one who’d dare go in my room.’
‘But Lily’s been in here with you all the time,’ said Xue Pan. ‘She must know, if anyone does. She’s the one to flog if we want to find out.’
‘What’s the good of flogging anyone?’ said Jin-gui. ‘They’ll never confess anything. If you ask me, you’d much better pretend you haven’t heard about it and let the matter drop. When all’s said and done, it doesn’t much matter if I die. You can always find yourself a better wife when you feel like it. If we’re going to be honest, the fact of the matter is, you all three hate me, don’t you?’
She began crying bitterly. Xue Pan was so enraged that he snatched up a door-bar and rushed off in search of Caltrop straight away. He began hitting her with it as soon as he found her, on the head, on the face, on the body, shouting accusations at her but giving her no chance to deny them. Aunt Xue came running out in answer to Caltrop’s anguished cries and shouted to him to stop.
‘How can you beat the girl like that without first making an attempt to find out what has happened? She’s given us years of faithful service: it’s unthinkable that she’d do a thing like that. Time enough to start laying about you after you’ve made a serious attempt to get to the bottom of it.’
When Jin-gui heard her mother-in-law saying this, she was afraid that Xue Pan might weaken. Her crying rose in pitch into a sort of plaintive yell.
‘You have monopolized Moonbeam now for over a fortnight and refused to let anyone but Lily sleep with me. You rush to Moonbeam’s defence when I say you ought to flog her, and now you get in a temper and start beating Lily. I don’t know why you don’t stop all this play-acting and get rid of me; then you will be free to pick a really rich, good-looking girl to marry.’
Her words had the intended effect of further inflaming Xue Pan. Aunt Xue could see that her son was being manipulated and was thoroughly disgusted by the unscrupulous way in which Jin-gui maintained her hold on him. But what could she do? She knew the weakness of her son’s character and realized that his subservience to Jin-gui had already become a habit. Evidently he had seduced Jin-gui’s maid, that much was clear; yet Jin-gui was one moment accusing him of forcibly ‘monopolizing’ the girl, while the next moment she seemed to claim credit for deferring like a good wife to his wishes. And who could be responsible for the black magic? The proverb says that even the wisest judge will hesitate to pronounce on household matters. Adapting it to the present circumstances, it might be said that even a parent finds it difficult to pronounce on the marital problems of his offspring. Aunt Xue, certainly, felt quite helpless when confronted with those of her son. She could only shout at him in exasperation.
‘Worthless creature! Even a dog would behave in a more seemly manner than you do! Now, it seems, you have got your muddy paws onto your wife’s own maid that she brought with her from her home. You’ve heard her yourself accusing you of taking the girl away from her. How are you going to show your face anywhere when other people get to hear about it? And this other business: Heaven only knows who is responsible; yet here you go, lashing out at this poor child here before making the slightest effort to find out what really happened. We all know what a fickle creature you are, but really! What a return for the years of loyal service she has given you! I don’t care how dissatisfied you are with her, you ought not to beat her. I’ll get a dealer here right away and have her sold; that’s the only way to settle this. Then you won’t be troubled by her any more. Come, girl!’ she said to Caltrop, ‘get your things together and come with me.’ She turned to the other servants. ‘Quickly now, go and get the dealer! It doesn’t matter what we sell her for; just let’s get rid of this – this thorn in the flesh, and perhaps we shall have a bit of peace again in this household!’
Xue Pan, seeing that his mother was really angry, stood with bowed head throughout this tirade and made no attempt to reply. It was Jin-gui’s strident wail from inside the window that answered her.
‘Whether you want to sell the girl or not, Mrs Xue, I think you might leave me out of it. Are you implying that I’m such a vinegar-wife that I can’t tolerate an inferior? And what do you mean, “thorn in the flesh”? Thorn in whose flesh? Even if I did hate her so much, I wouldn’t let him have my own maid to replace her with.’
‘What sort of manners are these?’ Aunt Xue was trembling all over and her voice was choking. ‘Since when did it become acceptable for a young woman to shout at her mother-in-law through the window? I was under the impression that you had been brought up in an educated household. All this shouting and screaming – I can’t make out what you are trying to say.’
Xue Pan stamped his foot and shouted at Jin-gui despairingly.
‘Oh stop, stop! You’ll have everyone laughing at us.’
Jin-gui, thinking, no doubt, that having gone so far she might as well go all the way, only shouted the louder.
‘Why should I care if people laugh at us? Your darling chamber-wife has been trying to do me in. Is this a time to start worrying about whether people are laughing at us or not? Why don’t you keep her and sell me instead? Everyone knows how rich the Xues are and how they make use of their money in order to trample on other people. And everyone knows about their fine relations who will always step in and slap anyone down for them who is giving them trouble. What are you waiting for? I don’t know why you married me in the first place if you find me so unsatisfactory. I’m sure I didn’t ask you to come running round to our house, begging and entreating my mother to let you have me as your wife.’
She rolled about on the bed, weeping and screaming and beating her bosom. Xue Pan was beside himself. Whether he rebuked her, reasoned with her, beat her, or begged her to be silent, it seemed unlikely that anything he did would have much effect. He could only stump in and out of the room, sighing and groaning inarticulately, and concluded by exclaiming, with great bitterness, that he was ‘a very unlucky man’.
Meanwhile Bao-chai had persuaded her mother to come indoors. Aunt Xue continued to insist that Caltrop must be sold. Bao-chai smilingly expostulated.
‘People like us don’t sell servants, Mamma, we only buy them. I think anger is interfering with your judgement. What would people think if they heard that we were planning to sell a servant? They would laugh us to scorn. If Pan and his wife are dissatisfied with Caltrop, let her stay here and work for me. I could do with another maid.’
‘If we keep her, it will seem to them like a provocation,’ said Aunt Xue. ‘Much better send her away and be done with it.’
‘I can’t see that it makes any difference,’ said Bao-chai. ‘Provided she never goes into the front part of the house, then as far as they are concerned, it will be just as if she had been sold.’
Caltrop was already at Aunt Xue’s feet begging to be allowed to stay and protesting her willingness to serve Bao-chai as a maid. Aunt Xue was obliged to relent.
From now on Caltrop spent all her time with Bao-chai and stopped going into the front part of the house altogether. She had at least security now; but for all that she was not entirely happy. Sometimes on fine, clear nights she would gaze wet-cheeked at the moon; at other times she might be heard unaccountably sighing to herself while she trimmed a lamp.
The fact was that although she had lived with Xue Pan for several years, she had never borne him a child. Some defect in the blood had made her unable to conceive. And now she was ill too. The effect of all the emotional and physical outrage to which she had recently been subjected was that a flood of fiery humour was released into her liver, leading eventually to a drying up of the menstrual fluid. She became very thin, yet had lost all interest in food. The doctor was called in and medicines were prescribed, but they seemed to do her no good.
Meanwhile Jin-gui had had several more scenes with her husband. Sometimes, when drink had made him bold, Xue Pan would try to assert himself. Once or twice he went for her with a cudgel or a knife; but Jin-gui only offered him her body to belabour, or stretched her neck out and defied him to do his worst; and of course he could not; he could only bluster. This soon became the established pattern of their quarrels. The only result of it was that Jin-gui’s power over her husband grew all the stronger.
At this point Jin-gui began directing her attention on Moonbeam, picking on her and finding fault with her. But Moonbeam was made of more inflammable stuff than Caltrop. Up to now she and Xue Pan had got on together so swimmingly that she had all but dismissed Jin-gui from her mind. Finding herself now under attack from that quarter, she was unwilling to yield an inch and gave back as good as she got. When, after a few slanging-matches, Jin-gui grew really angry and began not only to curse her but to lay hands on her as well, she did not quite dare to return blow for blow, but she put on a fine display of hysteria, shrieking, rolling about on the floor and threshing about with her limbs. Thereafter she was constantly threatening suicide, and at any hour of the day or night they might have to snatch knives or scissors from her grasp or take down the noose which she had fastened for herself over a beam. Between the two of them Xue Pan was driven half distracted. He could only look on helplessly while they quarrelled, until finally the rumpus got too much for him and he would slip out of the house and take refuge elsewhere.
Sometimes in the intervals between quarrelling, if she was feeling cheerful, Jin-gui would gather a few people together to play at dice or cards. She was inordinately fond of gnawing bones, especially the bones of fowls. To satisfy this craving she had ducks and chickens killed every day. The meat she gave to other people; it was only the bones, crisp-fried in boiling fat, that she kept for herself, to nibble with her wine. Sometimes, if the bone she was gnawing was giving her trouble and she grew impatient, she would swear like a trooper.
‘That ponce and his poxy strumpet seem to enjoy themselves,’ she would say self-pityingly. ‘Why can’t I get any enjoyment?’
Aunt Xue and Bao-chai no longer attempted to intervene. Now they could only sit in their own room and weep in silence while they listened to the profanities next door. Xue Pan was helpless. He bitterly regretted the brief madness which had led him to chain himself to this demon wife. Soon everyone in the two mansions, both masters and servants, had heard about the Xues’ predicament and all felt sorry for them.
By this time Bao-yu’s hundred days of convalescence had ended and he was allowed to go out. One of the first things he did was to call on Jin-gui. There was nothing exceptionable in her behaviour or appearance on the occasion when he saw her: she seemed to be just the same sort of delicate, flowerlike creature as all the other girls. How did so beautiful a person come to have so appalling a character? It was a mystery which continued to occupy him for some time after the visit.
When, a few days later, he called in to wish his mother good morning, his visit happened to coincide with that of Ying-chun’s nurse. She brought distressing news about Sun Shao-zu’s behaviour.
‘Whenever she is on her own, the young mistress does nothing but cry,’ said the woman. ‘She’s longing for you to send for her so that she can enjoy a day or two of freedom.’
‘I’ve been meaning for some days to send for her,’ said Lady Wang, ‘but so many disagreeable things have been happening lately that I keep forgetting. Bao-yu spoke to me about this when he got back from his visit the other day. Tomorrow is a good day, according to the calendar. We will send for her tomorrow.’
Just then a servant arrived from Grandmother Jia’s with a message for Bao-yu. He was to go first thing next morning to the Tian Qi Temple to burn incense in payment of a vow she had made for his recovery. Eager for outings after his long confinement, he was hardly able to sleep that night for excitement.
Next day he rose at dawn, and as soon as he had washed and dressed, set off by carriage, accompanied by two or three old nannies, and drove through the West Gate of the city to the Tian Qi Temple outside the walls.
The Taoists of the temple had spent the previous day preparing the place for his arrival. Because of his nervous disposition he did not care to get too close to the hideous guardian deities and other horror-inspiring images for which this temple was famous. As soon as he had presented the paper figures, spirit money, food and so forth which constituted the offering, he withdrew to the residential part of the temple and, after taking lunch there, set off on a sight-seeing tour of the temple and its precincts, accompanied by the old nannies and by Li Gui and the other grooms. But the sight-seeing soon fatigued him and he withdrew to the monks’ quarters again for a rest. The old nannies considered that it would be bad for him to sleep so soon after eating and called in the Taoist priest-in-charge, Father Wang, to sit and talk with him.
This Father Wang had knocked about the world in his time as an itinerant vendor of panaceas and even now had his name-plate hung up outside the temple with an impressive list of the pills, powders, plasters and potions that he was prepared, for a consideration, to dispense. He was a frequent visitor at the Ning and Rong mansions and was known to everyone there – as to everyone else outside – as ‘One Plaster Wang’ from his habit of always concluding the patter with which he recommended his medicaments with the same formula: ‘One plaster will suffice, ladies and gentlemen; one single plaster will suffice.’
When One Plaster Wang arrived, Bao-yu was reclining on the kang looking half-asleep and Li Gui and the others were doing their best to keep him awake.
‘Ah, Father Wang!’ they said as he entered. ‘You’ve come just in time. Everyone’s always saying how good you are at telling funny stories. Won’t you tell one now for our young master?’
‘I think I had better,’ said One Plaster Wang, smiling. ‘We don’t want him sleeping after his lunch. The batter he’s just eaten might start battering his insides.’
This was not a bad beginning. At least it made them all laugh. Bao-yu, laughing with the others, got up and straightened out his clothes. One Plaster Wang ordered one of his acolytes to ‘make some good, strong tea’.
‘Master Bao doesn’t want any of your tea,’ said Tealeaf. ‘Your room stinks of medicine.’
‘O fie!’ said One Plaster Wang in comic outrage. ‘O monstrous imputation! Never has medicine of any kind found its way into this room. Moreover, for the past three or four days, ever since I heard your master was coming here, I have been burning incense to sweeten it.’
‘I’m always hearing about your plasters,’ said Bao-yu. ‘Tell me, what sort of things are they good for?’
‘My plasters?’ said the old Taoist. ‘Ah, now you’ve started something! It’s impossible to do them justice in a few words. To begin with, there are one hundred and twenty different ingredients in the ointment I use on them. Some of them dominate over the others like a prince over his subjects, some of them combine with each other in equal strength; some generate heat, some coolness; some of them are cheap and some expensive. Internally they stabilize and fortify the humours, enrich the blood, stimulate the appetite, tranquillize the spirits, banish excessive heat and cold, aid digestion and loosen phlegm; externally they regularize the pulses, relax the muscles, draw out the old, corrupt flesh, promote new growth, expel rheums and neutralize poisons. Their efficacy is miraculous, as you yourself may see if you ever have occasion to use one.’
‘I can hardly believe that a single plaster can do so many things,’ said Bao-yu. ‘I wonder if the trouble I am thinking of could be cured by one.’
‘My plasters will cure any illness you like to mention,’ said the old Taoist. ‘If they don’t give you instant relief, you are at liberty to pluck me by the beard, slap my old face, and pull my temple down! What is the illness you have in mind?’
‘Try and guess,’ said Bao-yu. ‘If you can guess right, I shall believe in the efficacy of your plasters.’
One Plaster Wang thought for a bit.
‘Hmn, difficult.’ He smiled slily. ‘Of course, there are some things that it’s not very convenient to use plasters for.’
Bao-yu told all the servants but Tealeaf to go out of the room.
‘This room is too small for so many people,’ he said. ‘The air in it is becoming foul.’
Tealeaf lit a stick of Sweet Dreams incense and Bao-yu made him sit close to him, with the lighted incense in his hand, so that he could lean on him for support. Watching this little pantomime, the cunning old Taoist had a sudden inspiration. His face broke into a broad grin. Coming up closer to Bao-yu, he bent down and spoke softly into his ear.
‘I think I’ve guessed. Could it be that you have started bedchamber exercises already and are looking for a little something to help things along?’
Almost before he had finished, Tealeaf was shouting at him indignantly.
‘Get away with you! Dirty old man!’
Bao-yu had not understood.
‘What’s that?’ he asked Tealeaf, puzzled. ‘What did he say?’
‘Never mind what he said,’ said Tealeaf. ‘Silly rubbish!’
‘You’d better tell me yourself what it is, Master Bao,’ said One Plaster Wang, unwilling to risk another guess.
‘The thing I want to know about is jealousy,’ said Bao-yu. ‘Could one of your plasters cure a woman of being jealous?’
One Plaster Wang clapped his hands and laughed.
‘Now there you have me! Neither my plasters nor anyone else’s could do that!’
‘They are not such great shakes after all then,’ said Bao-yu, smiling.
‘I said plasters couldn’t,’ said One Plaster Wang. ‘I know of an infusion that might. The only thing is, it would take rather a long time. There’s no lightning cure for jealousy.’
‘What is this infusion called?’ said Bao-yu. ‘How do you make it?’
‘It’s called Pirum saccbarinum,’ said One Plaster Wang. ‘You take one very good autumn pear, two drams of crystal sugar, one dram of bitter-peel and three cups of water and simmer them all together until the pear is soft. If the sufferer can be made to eat one such pear, together with its juices, first thing every morning, she will, eventually, be cured.’
‘I don’t think much of that,’ said Bao-yu. ‘I can’t see that working.’
‘If it doesn’t work the first time, perhaps it will by the tenth,’ said the old Taoist. ‘If one year’s treatment is insufficient, she must persevere for a second. And so on. At all events, these are wholesome ingredients. A pear prepared in this way is soothing to the lungs and stomach, innocuous to the health, sweet to the palate, lenitive for a cough and in every way agreeable. Sooner or later the woman will die; and as there is no jealousy (that I know of) after death, it could be said that by that time she had been cured.’
This set Bao-yu and Tealeaf off into fits of laughter. ‘Oily-tongued old ox’ they called him.
‘Well, what’s the harm?’ said One Plaster Wang. ‘It’s only a bit of nonsense to stop you sleeping in the middle of the day. Making you laugh is worth much more than any medicine. Even my plasters are only tomfoolery. Do you think if I really had a magic formula I’d be sitting here talking to you now? I’d have taken it myself long ago and gone off to join the immortals.’
The hour of sacrifice had now arrived and Bao-yu was invited to offer his libation and set fire to his paper hecatomb. What remained of the more substantial part of the offering – the foodstuffs and the wine – was shared out among the Taoists and the others present. Having completed what he came out for, he drove back into the city.
By the time he got home Ying-chun had already been back an hour or more. The servants who brought her were being entertained to dinner before returning to the Sun household. Ying-chun meanwhile was in Lady Wang’s room giving her and the cousins a tearful account of her matrimonial troubles.
‘Sun Shao-zu is an out-and-out libertine. Gambling, drinking and chasing after women are the only things he cares about. He has corrupted practically every maid and young woman in the house. I have protested to him about it more than once, but he only swears at me. He calls me a “jealous little bitch”. He says that Father borrowed five thousand taels from him and spent it all, and that though he has been round time and again to ask for it, Father refuses to pay it back. Then he points his finger at me and shouts: “Don’t put on the lady wife act with me, my girl! You’re no better than a bought slave – payment in kind for the five thousand taels your old man owes me – and if you’re not very careful I shall give you a good beating and send you to sleep with the maids.” He says it was Great-grandfather who took the initiative in making the alliance between our families because theirs was so rich and influential, so that by rights he ought to be Father’s equal. He says he was a fool to marry me, because that makes Father his senior; and besides, he says, it has given people the impression that he needed our help, whereas in fact quite the reverse is true.’
Ying-chun sobbed bitterly while she told them this and the others wept as they listened. Lady Wang did her best to comfort her.
‘He’s obviously an unreasonable man,’ she said; ‘but now that you’re married to him, there’s really nothing to be done. I remember your Uncle Zheng speaking very strongly against the marriage to your father, but your father was so set on it, he wouldn’t listen. It’s a bad business. My poor child! I’m afraid it must be your fate.’
Ying-chun wept.
‘I can’t believe that it was my fate to be so unhappy. After losing my mother as a tiny child, it seemed such bliss when you brought me here to live with Cousin Wan and the girls. And now, after just a few years of blessedness, I am to end like this!’
Lady Wang tried once more to comfort her. She suggested that Ying-chun herself should decide where she wished to sleep.
‘Since the very first moment I left I have been longing every minute of the day and night to be back here with the girls,’ said Ying-chun. ‘And next to them I have missed my beloved Amaryllis Eyot. If only I might spend another four or five days in the Garden, I think I could die content. Who knows if I shall ever be allowed to come and stay here again?’
‘Now, now, that’s a foolish way to talk!’ said Lady Wang. ‘A little jangling between newly married couples is the commonest thing in the world. There is no cause at all to be so tragic about it.’
She gave orders for the rooms on Amaryllis Eyot to be made ready as quickly as possible, and told the cousins to keep Ying-chun company and do their best to distract her from her troubles. She particularly impressed upon Bao-yu that no word of this was to reach the ears of Grandmother Jia.
‘If I find that Grandmother has got to hear of this,’ she warned him, ‘I shall hold you alone responsible.’
Bao-yu had to promise that he would say nothing.
That evening saw Ying-chun installed once more in her old apartment, with everyone round her, cousins and servants alike, doing their utmost to make her feel cherished. Three days she spent in her old apartment in the Garden; after that she had to go and stay with Lady Xing. Before doing so she called on Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang to say good-bye. Her leave-taking with the cousins which followed was extremely painful. It was all that Aunt Xue and Lady Wang could do to calm the young people in their grief.
Ying-chun stayed two days with Lady Xing and it was to Lady Xing’s place that the Sun family servants came to collect her. Needless to say, she felt little inclined to go with them; but fear of her husband’s evil temper made her conceal her reluctance and hurry over her leave-taking. Lady Xing had never been much interested in her daughter’s welfare – during the two days that Ying-chun was with her she never once inquired whether her relations with her husband were harmonious and the duties required of her in her new household not too onerous – and such expressions of maternal sentiment as she may have indulged in at her departure were of only the most perfunctory and superficial kind.
As to what followed her departure: to know that, dear reader, you will have to look into another volume.
EXPLICIT TERTIA PARS LAPIDIS HISTORIAE