第九十二回

第九十二回 评女传巧姐慕贤良 玩母珠贾政参聚散

话说宝玉从潇湘馆出来，连忙问秋纹道：“老爷叫我作什么？”秋纹笑道：“没有叫，袭人姐姐叫我请二爷，我怕你不来，才哄你的。”宝玉听了才把心放下，因说：“你们请我也罢了，何苦来唬我。”说着，回到怡红院内。袭人便问道：“你这好半天到那里去了？”宝玉道：“在林姑娘那边，说起薛姨妈宝姐姐的事来，便坐住了。”袭人又问道：“说些什么？”宝玉将打禅语的话述了一遍。袭人道：“你们再没个计较，正经说些家常闲话儿，或讲究些诗句，也是好的，怎么又说到禅语上了。又不是和尚。”宝玉道：“你不知道，我们有我们的禅机，别人是插不下嘴去的。”袭人笑道：“你们参禅参翻了，又叫我们跟着打闷葫芦了。”宝玉道：“头里我也年纪小，他也孩子气，所以我说了不留神的话，他就恼了。如今我也留神，他也没有恼的了。只是他近来不常过来，我又念书，偶然到一处，好像生疏了似的。”袭人道：“原该这么着才是。都长了几岁年纪了，怎么好意思还像小孩子时候的样子。”宝玉点头道：“我也知道。如今且不用说那个。我问你，老太太那里打发人来说什么来着没有？”袭人道：“没有说什么。”宝玉道：“必是老太太忘了。明儿不是十一月初一日么，年年老太太那里必是个老规矩，要办消寒会[2]，齐打伙儿坐下喝酒说笑。我今日已经在学房里告了假了，这会子没有信儿，明儿可是去不去呢？若去了呢，白白的告了假；若不去，老爷知道了又说我偷懒。”袭人道：“据我说，你竟是去的是。才念的好些儿了，又想歇着。依我说也该上紧些才好。昨儿听见太太说，兰哥儿念书真好，他打学房里回来，还各自念书作文章，天天晚上弄到四更多天才睡。你比他大多了，又是叔叔，倘或赶不上他，又叫老太太生气。倒不如明儿早起去罢。”麝月道：“这样冷天，已经告了假又去，倒叫学房里说〔二〕：既这么着就不该告假呀，显见的是告谎假脱滑儿。依我说落得歇一天。就是老太太忘记了，咱们这里就不消寒了么，咱们也闹个会儿不好么。”袭人道：“都是你起头儿，二爷更不肯去了。”麝月道：“我也是乐一天是一天，比不得你要好名儿，使唤一个月再多得二两银子！”袭人啐道：“小蹄子，人家说正经话，你又来胡拉混扯的了。”麝月道：“我倒不是混拉扯，我是为你。”袭人道：“为我什么？”麝月道：“二爷上学去了，你又该咕嘟着嘴想着，巴不得二爷早一刻儿回来，就有说有笑的了。这会子又假撇清，何苦呢！我都看见了。”

袭人正要骂他，只见老太太那里打发人来说道：“老太太说了，叫二爷明儿不用上学去呢。明儿请了姨太太来给他解闷，只怕姑娘们都来，家里的史姑娘、邢姑娘、李姑娘们都请了，明儿来赴什么消寒会呢。”宝玉没有听完便喜欢道：“可不是，老太太最高兴的，明日不上学是过了明路的了。”袭人也便不言语了。那丫头回去。宝玉认真念了几天书，巴不得顽这一天。又听见薛姨妈过来，想着“宝姐姐自然也来”。心里喜欢，便说：“快睡罢，明日早些起来。”于是一夜无话。

到了次日，果然一早到老太太那里请了安，又到贾政王夫人那里请了安，回明了老太太今儿不叫上学，贾政也没言语，便慢慢退出来，走了几步，便一溜烟跑到贾母房中。见众人都没来，只有凤姐那边的奶妈子带了巧姐儿，跟着几个小丫头过来，给老太太请了安，说：“我妈妈先叫我来请安，陪着老太太说说话儿。妈妈回来就来。”贾母笑着道：“好孩子，我一早就起来了，等他们总不来，只有你二叔叔来了。”那奶妈子便说：“姑娘给你二叔叔请安。”宝玉也问了一声“妞妞好？”巧姐儿道：“我昨夜听见我妈妈说，要请二叔叔去说话。”宝玉道：“说什么呢？”巧姐儿道：“我妈妈说，跟着李妈认了几年字，不知道我认得不认得。我说都认得，我认给妈妈瞧。妈妈说我瞎认，不信，说我一天尽子顽，那里认得。我瞧着那些字也不要紧，就是那《女孝经》[4]也是容易念的。妈妈说我哄他，要请二叔叔得空儿的时候给我理理。”贾母听了，笑道：“好孩子，你妈妈是不认得字的，所以说你哄他。明儿叫你二叔叔理给他瞧瞧，他就信了。”宝玉道：“你认了多少字了？”巧姐儿道：“认了三千多字，念了一本《女孝经》，半个月头里又上了《列女传》。”宝玉道：“你念了懂得吗？你要不懂，我倒是讲讲这个你听罢。”贾母道：“做叔叔的也该讲究给侄女儿听听。”宝玉道：“那文王后妃[5]是不必说了，想来是知道的。那姜后脱簪待罪[6]，齐国的无盐虽丑，能安邦定国，是后妃里头的贤能的[7]。若说有才的，是曹大姑[8]、班婕妤、蔡文姬、谢道韫诸人。孟光的荆钗布裙，鲍宣妻的提瓮出汲[9]，陶侃母的截发留宾[10]，还有画荻教子[11]的，这是不厌贫的。那苦的里头，有乐昌公主[12]破镜重圆，苏蕙的回文感主[13]。那孝的是更多了，木兰代父从军[14]，曹娥投水寻父的尸首等类也多，我也说不得许多。那个曹氏的引刀割鼻[15]，是魏国的故事。那守节的更多了，只好慢慢的讲。若是那些艳的，王嫱、西子、樊素〔三〕、小蛮[17]、绛仙[18]等。妒〔四〕的是秃妾发[20]、怨洛神[21]等类，也少。文君、红拂是女中的……”贾母听到这里，说：“够了，不用说了。你讲的太多，他那里还记得呢。”巧姐儿道：“二叔叔才说的，也有念过的，也有没念过的。念过的二叔叔一讲，我更知道了好些。”宝玉道：“那字是自然认得的了，不用再理。明儿我还上学去呢。”巧姐儿道：“我还听见我妈妈昨儿说，我们家的小红头里是二叔叔那里的，我妈妈要了来，还没有补上人呢。我妈妈想着要把什么柳家的五儿补上，不知二叔叔要不要。”宝玉听了更喜欢，笑着道：“你听你妈妈的话！要补谁就补谁罢咧，又问什么要不要呢。”因又向贾母笑道：“我瞧大妞妞这个小模样儿，又有这个聪明儿，只怕〔五〕将来比凤姐姐还强呢，又比他认的字。”贾母道：“女孩儿家认得字呢也好，只是女工针黹倒是要紧的。”巧姐儿道：“我也跟着刘妈妈学着做呢，什么扎花儿咧、拉锁子[23]，我虽弄不好，却也学着会做几针儿。”贾母道：“咱们这样人家固然不仗着自己做，但只到底知道些，日后才不受人家的拿捏。”巧姐儿答应着“是”，还要宝玉解说《列女传》，见宝玉呆呆的，也不敢再说。

你道宝玉呆的是什么？只因柳五儿要进怡红院，头一次是他病了不能进来，第二次王夫人撵了晴雯，大凡有些姿色的，都不敢挑。后来又在吴贵〔六〕家看晴雯去，五儿跟着他妈给晴雯送东西去，见了一面，更觉娇娜妩媚。今日亏得凤姐想着，叫他补入小红的窝儿，竟是喜出望外了。所以呆呆的想他。

贾母等着那些人，见这时候还不来，又叫丫头去请。回来李纨同着他妹子，探春、惜春、史湘云、黛玉都来了，大家请了贾母的安。众人厮见。独有薛姨妈未到，贾母又叫请去。果然姨妈带着宝琴过来。宝玉请了安，问了好。只不见宝钗邢岫烟二人。黛玉便问起“宝姐姐为何不来？”薛姨妈假说身上不好。邢岫烟知道薛姨妈在坐，所以不来。宝玉虽见宝钗不来，心中纳闷，因黛玉来了，便把想宝钗的心暂且搁开。不多时，邢、王二夫人也来了。凤姐听见婆婆们先到了，自己不好落后，只得打发平儿先来告假，说是正要过来，因身上发热，过一回儿就来。贾母道：“既是身上不好，不来也罢。咱们这时候很该吃饭了。”丫头们把火盆往后挪了一挪儿，就在贾母榻前一溜摆下两桌，大家序次坐下。吃了饭，依旧围炉闲谈，不须多赘。

且说凤姐因何不来？头里为着倒比邢、王二夫人迟了，不好意思；后来旺儿家的来回说：“迎姑娘那里打发人来请奶奶安，还说并没有到上头，只到奶奶这里来。”凤姐听了纳闷，不知又是什么事，便叫那人进来，问：“姑娘在家好？”那人道：“有什么好的，奴才并不是姑娘打发来的，实在是司棋的母亲央我来求奶奶的。”凤姐道：“司棋已经出去了，为什么来求我？”那人道：“自从司棋出去，终日啼哭。忽然那一日他表兄来了，他母亲见了，恨得什么似的，说他害了司棋，一把拉住要打。那小子不敢言语。谁知司棋听见了，急忙出来老着脸[25]和他母亲道：‘我是为他出来的，我也恨他没良心。如今他来了，妈要打他，不如勒死了我。’他母亲骂他：‘不害臊的东西，你心里要怎么样？’司棋说道：‘一个女人配一个男人。我一时失脚上了他的当，我就是他的人了，决不肯再失身给别人的。我恨他为什么这样胆小，一身作事一身当，为什么要逃。就是他一辈子不来了，我也一辈子不嫁人的。妈要给我配人，我原拚着一死的。今儿他来了，妈问他怎么样。若是他不改心，我在妈跟前磕了头，只当是我死了，他到那里，我跟到那里，就是讨饭吃也是愿意的。’他妈气得了不得，便哭着骂着说：‘你是我的女儿，我偏不给他，你敢怎么着。’那知道那司棋这东西糊涂，便一头撞在墙上，把脑袋撞破，鲜血直流，竟死了。他妈哭着救不过来，便要叫那小子偿命。他表兄说道〔七〕：‘你们不用着急。我在外头原发了财，因想着他才回来的，心也算是真了。你们若不信，只管瞧。’说着，打怀里掏出一匣子金珠首饰来。他妈妈看见了便心软了，说：‘你既有心，为什么总不言语？’他外甥道：‘大凡女人都是水性杨花，我若说有钱，他便是贪图银钱了。如今他只为人，就是难得的。我把金珠给你们，我去买棺盛殓他。’那司棋的母亲接了东西，也不顾女孩儿了，便由着外甥去。那里知道他外甥叫人抬了两口棺材来。司棋的母亲看见诧异，说：‘怎么棺材要两口？’他外甥笑道：‘一口装不下，得两口才好。’司棋的母亲见他外甥又不哭，只当是他心疼的傻了。岂知他忙着把司棋收拾了，也不啼哭，眼错不见，把带的小刀子往脖子里一抹，也就抹死了。司棋的母亲懊悔起来，倒哭得了不得。如今坊上知道了，要报官。他急了，央我来求奶奶说个人情，他再过来给奶奶磕头。”凤姐听了，诧异道：“那有这样傻丫头，偏偏的就碰见这个傻小子！怪不得那一天翻出那些东西来，他心里没事人似的，敢只是这么个烈性孩子。论起来，我也没这么大工夫管他这些闲事，但只你才说的叫人听着怪可怜见儿的。也罢了，你回去告诉他，我和你二爷说，打发旺儿给他撕掳就是了。”凤姐打发那人去了，才过贾母这边来。不提。

且说贾政这日正与詹光下大棋，通局的输赢也差不多，单为着一只角儿死活未分，在那里打劫〔八〕[28]。门上的小厮进来回道：“外面冯大爷要见老爷。”贾政道：“请进来。”小厮出去请了，冯紫英走进门来。贾政即忙迎着。冯紫英进来，在书房中坐下，见是下棋，便道：“只管下棋，我来观局。”詹光笑道：“晚生的棋是不堪瞧的。”冯紫英道：“好说，请下罢。”贾政道：“有什么事么？”冯紫英道：“没有什么话。老伯只管下棋，我也学几着儿。”贾政向詹光道：“冯大爷是我们相好的，既没事，我们索性下完了这一局再说话儿。冯大爷在旁边瞧着。”冯紫英道：“下采[29]不下采？”詹光道：“下采的。”冯紫英道：“下采的是不好多嘴的。”贾政道：“多嘴也不妨，横竖他输了十来两银子，终久是不拿出来的。往后只好罚他做东便了。”詹光笑道：“这倒使得。”冯紫英道：“老伯和詹公对下么？”贾政笑道：“从前对下，他输了；如今让他两个子儿，他又输了。时常还要悔几着，不叫他悔他就急了。”詹光也笑道：“没有的事。”贾政道：“你试试瞧。”大家一面说笑，一面下完了。做起棋来[30]，詹光还了棋头[31]，输了七个子儿。冯紫英道：“这盘终吃亏在打劫里头。老伯劫少，就便宜了。”〔九〕

贾政对冯紫英道：“有罪，有罪。咱们说话儿罢。”冯紫英道：“小侄与老伯久不见面，一来会会，二来因广西的同知进来引见，带了四种洋货，可以做得贡的。一件是围屏，有二十四扇槅子，都是紫檀雕刻的。中间虽说不是玉，却是绝好的硝子石[33]，石上镂出山水人物楼台花鸟等物。一扇上有五六十个人，都是宫妆的女子，名为《汉宫春晓》。人的眉目口鼻以及出手衣褶，刻得又清楚又细腻。点缀布置都是好的。我想尊府大观园中正厅上却可用得着。还有一个钟表，有三尺多高，也是一个小童儿拿着时辰牌，到了什么时候他就报什么时辰。里头也有些人在那里打十番的。这是两件重笨的，却还没有拿来。现在我带在这里两件却有些意思儿。”就在身边拿出一个锦匣子，见几重白绵裹着，揭开了绵子，第一层是一个玻璃盒子，里头金托子大红绉绸托底，上放着一颗桂圆大的珠子，光华耀目。冯紫英道：“据说这就叫做母珠。”因叫拿一个盘儿来。詹光即忙端过一个黑漆茶盘，道：“使得么？”冯紫英道：“使得。”便又向怀里掏出一个白绢包儿，将包儿里的珠子都倒在盘里散着，把那颗母珠搁在中间，将盘置于桌上。看见那些小珠子儿滴溜滴溜滚到大珠身边来，一回儿把这颗大珠子抬高了，别处的小珠子一颗也不剩，都粘在大珠上。詹光道：“这也奇怪。”贾政道：“这是有的，所以叫做母珠，原是珠之母。”那冯紫英又回头看着〔一○〕他跟来的小厮道：“那个匣子呢？”那小厮赶忙捧过一个花梨木匣子来。大家打开看时，原来匣内衬着虎纹锦，锦上叠着一束蓝纱。詹光道：“这是什么东西？”冯紫英道：“这叫做鲛绡帐[35]。”在匣子里拿出来时，叠得长不满五寸，厚不上半寸，冯紫英一层一层的打开，打到十来层，已经桌上铺不下了。冯紫英道：“你看里头还有两折，必得高屋里去才张得下。这就是鲛丝所织，暑热天气张在堂屋里头，苍蝇蚊子一个不能进来，又轻又亮。”贾政道：“不用全打开，怕叠起来倒费事。”詹光便与冯紫英一层一层折好收拾。冯紫英道：“这四件东西价儿也不很贵，两万银他就卖。母珠一万，鲛绡帐五千，《汉宫春晓》与自鸣钟五千。”贾政道：“那里买得起。”冯紫英道：“你们是个国戚，难道宫里头用不着么？”贾政道：“用得着的很多，只是那里有这些银子。等我叫人拿进去给老太太瞧瞧。”冯紫英道：“很是。”

贾政便着人叫贾琏把这两件东西送到老太太那边去，并叫人请了邢、王二夫人凤姐儿都来瞧着，又把两样东西一一试过。贾琏道：“他还有两件：一件是围屏，一件是乐钟。共总要卖二万银子呢。”凤姐儿接着道：“东西自然是好的，但是那里有这些闲钱。咱们又不比外任督抚要办贡。我已经想了好些年了，像咱们这种人家，必得置些不动摇的根基才好，或是祭地，或是义庄[36]，再置些坟屋。往后子孙遇见不得意的事，还是有点儿底子，不到一败涂地。我的意思是这样，不知老太太、老爷、太太们怎么样。若是外头老爷们要买，只管买。”贾母与众人都说：“这话说的倒也是。”贾琏道：“还了他罢。原是老爷叫我送给老太太瞧，为的是宫里好进。谁说买来搁在家里？老太太还没开口，你便说了一大些丧气话！”

说着，便把两件东西拿了出去，告诉了贾政，说老太太不要〔一一〕。便与冯紫英道：“这两件东西好可好，就只没银子。我替你留心，有要买的人，我便送信给你去。”冯紫英只得收拾好，坐下说些闲话，没有兴头，就要起身。贾政道：“你在我这里吃了晚饭去罢。”冯紫英道：“罢了，来了就叨扰老伯吗！”贾政道：“说那里的话。”正说着，人回：“大老爷来了。”贾赦早已进来。彼此相见，叙些寒温。不一时摆上酒来，肴馔罗列，大家喝着酒。至四五巡后，说起洋货的话，冯紫英道：“这种货本是难消的，除非要像尊府这种人家，还可消得，其馀就难了。”贾政道：“这也不见得。”贾赦道：“我们家里也比不得从前了，这回儿也不过是个空门面。”冯紫英又问：“东府珍大爷可好么？我前儿见他，说起家常话儿来，提到他令郎续娶的媳妇，远不及头里那位秦氏奶奶了。如今后娶的到底是那一家的，我也没有问起。”贾政道：“我们这个侄孙媳妇儿，也是这里大家，从前做过京畿道[38]的胡老爷的女孩儿〔一二〕。”紫英道：“胡道长我是知道的。但是他家教上也不怎么样。也罢了，只要姑娘好就好。”

贾琏道：“听得内阁里人说起，贾雨村又要升了。”贾政道：“这也好，不知准不准。”贾琏道：“大约有意思的了。”冯紫英道：“我今儿从吏部里来，也听见这样说。雨村老先生是贵本家不是？”贾政道：“是。”冯紫英道：“是有服的还是无服[40]的？”贾政道：“说也话长。他原籍是浙江湖州府人，流寓到苏州，甚不得意。有个甄士隐和他相好，时常周济他。以后中了进士，得了榜下知县[41]，便娶了甄家的丫头。如今的太太不是正配。岂知甄士隐弄到零落不堪，没有找处。雨村革了职以后，那时还与我家并未相识，只因舍妹丈林如海林公在扬州巡盐的时候，请他在家做西席，外甥女儿是他的学生。因他有起复的信要进京来，恰好外甥女儿要上来探亲，林姑老爷便托他照应上来的，还有一封荐书，托我吹嘘吹嘘。那时看他不错，大家常会。岂知雨村也奇，我家世袭起，从代字辈下来，宁荣两宅人口房舍以及起居事宜，一概都明白，因此遂觉得亲热了。”因又笑说道：“几年间门子也会钻了。由知府推升转了御史，不过几年，升了吏部侍郎，署兵部尚书。为着一件事降了三级，如今又要升了。”冯紫英道：“人世的荣枯，仕途的得失，终属难定。”贾政道〔一三〕：“像雨村算便宜的了。还有我们差不多的人家就是甄家，从前一样功勋，一样的世袭，一样的起居，我们也是时常往来。不多几年，他们进京来差人到我这里请安，还很热闹。一回儿抄了原籍的家财，至今杳无音信，不知他近况若何，心下也着实惦记。看了这样，你想做官的怕不怕？”贾赦道：“咱们家是最没有事的。”冯紫英道：“果然，尊府是不怕的。一则里头有贵妃照应，二则故旧好亲戚多，三则你家自老太太起至于少爷们，没有一个刁钻刻薄的。”贾政道：“虽无刁钻刻薄，却没有德行才情。白白的衣租食税，那里当得起。”贾赦道：“咱们不用说这些话，大家吃酒罢。”大家又喝了几杯，摆上饭来。吃毕，喝茶。冯家的小厮走来轻轻的向紫英说了一句，冯紫英便要告辞了。贾赦贾政道：“你说什么？”小厮道：“外面下雪，早已下了梆子[43]了。”贾政叫人看时，已是雪深一寸多了。贾政道：“那两件东西你收拾好了么？”冯紫英道：“收好了。若尊府要用，价钱还自然让些。”贾政道：“我留神就是了。”紫英道：“我再听信罢。天气冷，请罢，别送了。”贾赦贾政便命贾琏送了出去。未知后事如何，下回分解。

〔一〕 “慕贤良”，“贤”原作“从”，从藤本、程乙本改。

[2] 消寒会——旧俗，于每年冬至日举办九九消寒的聚会，饮酒作诗，消磨寒冬，叫消寒会。

〔二〕 “说”字原无，从程乙本补。

[4] 《女孝经》——唐代侯莫陈（复姓）邈之妻郑氏撰，共十八章，宣扬妇女应遵守的封建孝道。

[5] 文王后妃——指周文王的正妃太姒。传说她能协助文王治内。见刘向《古列女传》。

[6] 姜后脱簪待罪——姜后，周宣王的正妃，齐国人。传说宣王曾早睡晚起，荒疏朝政。姜后认为错在自己，摘掉簪珥，同宫中的女犯人一起待罪。宣王受了感动，改而勤于政事。见刘向《古列女传》。

[7] “无盐”句——无盐，地名，这里代指战国时齐国无盐女钟离春。传说她貌极丑，年四十，无求婚者。她却自荐于齐宣王，曾谏宣王根除四种危害齐国的坏事。宣王纳之，齐国因获定安，遂封她为无盐君，立为后。见刘向《古列女传》。

[8] 曹大姑——《后汉书·列女传》作“曹大家（ɡū姑）”。东汉曹世叔妻班昭的号。

[9] “鲍宣妻”句——传说东汉鲍宣的妻子桓少君，本富家女，嫁贫士鲍宣后，去盛装，着布衣，提瓮打水。见《东观汉纪·列女传》。

[10] “陶侃母”句——传说晋代陶侃贫贱时，孝廉范逵雪天造访，宿其家，因家贫无资应酬，侃母即剪发卖钱，治席待客。见《晋书·列女传》。

[11] 画荻（dí笛）教子——传说宋代欧阳修少时家贫，其母郑氏用荻作笔画地写字，教他读书。见《宋史·欧阳修传》。荻：芦苇类。

[12] 乐昌公主——参见七十八回“镜分鸾别”注。

[13] “苏蕙”句——苏蕙，字若兰，东晋时人，窦滔之妻。蕙曾织回文锦赠滔，共八百余字，反复循环读之，皆能成诗。关于苏蕙织回文锦的原因，说法不一：一说，因窦滔获罪充军流沙，苏蕙织锦赠之。见《晋书·列女传》；一说，因窦滔出镇襄阳，只带宠姬赵阳台赴任，并与苏蕙断绝音信，苏蕙自伤，织锦赠滔，滔读之感动，遂接蕙至襄阳。见武则天《璇玑图序》。

[14] 木兰代父从军——木兰，古代传说中的孝女。宋代郭茂倩编《乐府诗集·木兰诗》说她女扮男装，代父从军十二年。

[15] 曹氏引刀割鼻——曹氏，指三国魏曹文叔之妻夏侯令女。传说曹文叔死后，她因拒绝再嫁，先剪去头发，后又割掉两耳和鼻子，以表决心。见《三国志·魏书·诸夏侯曹传》裴松之注引晋代皇甫谧《列女传》。

〔三〕 “樊素”，“樊”字原缺，从藤本补。

[17] 樊素、小蛮——唐代诗人白居易的家妓。樊素善歌，小蛮善舞。白居易诗有“樱桃樊素口，杨柳小蛮腰”之句，见孟棨《本事诗》。

[18] 绛仙——姓吴，隋炀帝的宫女，会作诗，炀帝曾赞她为女相如。见颜师古《隋遗录》。

〔四〕 “妒”字原无，从藤本补。

[20] 秃妾发——传说唐代任（一作“环”）之妻柳（《旧唐书》作“刘”）氏，性嫉妒。唐太宗赐宫女二人给任作妾，柳氏将二人头发完全烧光。唐太宗以死威吓，她宁死不改。见唐代张撰《朝野佥载》。

[21] 怨洛神——传说晋代刘伯玉的妻子段明光性妒忌，因刘伯玉对她称赞了曹植《洛神赋》中的洛神，她就心怀嫉妒，投水而死。见唐代段成式撰《酉阳杂俎·诺皋记上》。

〔五〕 “只怕”，“怕”字原无，从藤本补。

[23] 拉锁子——刺绣工艺的一种。作法是用线往返编缀为锁链式的结子，组成各种图案花纹。

〔六〕 吴贵，程本最初出现于第七十七回。按脂本晴雯的表兄即多浑虫。程本在第六十四回增加多浑虫已死，其妻多姑娘改嫁鲍二的情节，这与第七十七回晴雯到她表兄多浑虫家养病的情节牴牾，故程本又改晴雯表兄名吴贵。此处仍之。

[25] 老着脸——老，厚也。意为不顾羞耻。

〔七〕 “他表兄说道”，“说道”原作“也奇”，从藤本改。程乙本作“他表兄也奇，说道”。

〔八〕 “打劫”，“劫”原作“结”，误，今改。下同。

[28] 打劫——围棋提子的一种特殊类型。当双方对杀，遇到一种特殊情况，按照规则：黑方提子后，白方不得立即反提，必须先在别处下一着造成对黑方的威胁（叫“寻劫”），使黑方必须应付一子（叫“应劫”），然后才能回提，叫“打劫”。

[29] 下采——即下赌注。

[30] 做棋——下完棋，为便于计算子数，双方需互换某些棋子，使棋盘内彼此所占的地盘尽可能整齐划一，叫“做棋”。

[31] 还棋头——围棋开局时，甲方让乙方数子；下完棋，若乙方胜，计算子数时，须将甲方所让子数扣除，叫“还棋头”。

〔九〕 “就便宜了”，“宜”原作“完”，从藤本改。

[33] 硝子石——一种质地似玉的石头。

〔一○〕 “回头看着”，原无“回”字，从藤本补。

[35] 鲛绡帐——即绡纱制的帐子。南朝梁任昉《述异记》卷二：“南海出鲛绡纱，泉室潜织，一名龙纱。其价百金。以为服，入水不濡。”后亦泛指薄纱。

[36] 义庄——宗族以“赡助”贫穷孤寡族人为名，置田收租，算作族中公产，名叫“义庄”。但实际支配权往往被大族中人把持。

〔一一〕 “说老太太不要”，“说”原作“只”，从藤本改。

[38] 京畿道——本为唐代十五道之一，治所在今西安市。这里泛指归京都直辖的地区。

〔一二〕 按贾蓉的续娶妻子，姓氏与前八十回不一致。此处各本均作胡氏，仍之。

[40] 有服、无服——服，指丧服。旧时按照宗族关系的亲疏远近，规定斩衰、齐衰、大功、小功、缌麻等五种不同的丧服形式，称为五服。凡在五服以内的亲属叫有服，在五服以外的叫无服。

[41] 榜下知县——新中进士，陛见以后即被录用去作知县，叫榜下知县。

〔一三〕 “贾政道：‘像雨村算便宜的了。……’”，“像雨村……”之前，程乙本有以下一段文字：“天下事都是一个样的理哟。比如方才那珠子，那颗大的，就像有福气的人似的，那些小的都托赖着他的灵气护庇着。要是那大的没有了，那些小的也就没有收揽了。就像人家儿，当头人有了事，骨肉也都分离了，亲戚也都零落了，就是好朋友也都散了。转瞬荣枯，真似春云秋叶一般。你想做官有什么趣儿呢？”今列此，备参考。

[43] 下了梆子——初次敲报更的梆子，表示已经入夜。

CHAPTER 92. Qiao-jie studies the Lives of Noble Women and shows a precocious enthusiasm for Virtue Jia Zheng admires a Mother Pearl and reflects on the vicissitudes of Life

‘What does Father want me for?’ asked Bao-yu in some alarm, as they left the Naiad’s House. Ripple smiled.’

‘He doesn’t. Aroma told me to fetch you, and I was afraid you wouldn’t come, so I made it up…’

Bao-yu was greatly relieved.

‘I would have come. There’s really no need to scare me like that.’

He arrived back at Green Delights, to be interrogated by Aroma:

‘Where have you been all this time?’

‘At Miss Lin’s. I got delayed. We were chatting about Aunt Xue and Cousin Chai’s illness.’

‘What were you saying?’ asked Aroma inquisitively.

Bao-yu described his Zen dialogue with Dai-yu.

‘You two are so silly,’ was Aroma’s comment. ‘Why can’t you have a normal conversation about ordinary things, or discuss something nice like poetry? What do you have to go talking about Zen for? You’re not a monk!’

‘You don’t understand,’ replied Bao-yu. ‘We have our Zen secrets. No one else could join in our conversations.’

‘I dare say,’ returned Aroma, with a scornful sniff. ‘I’m sure that if you two went on Zennifying at each other till you were both blue in the face, we should still be standing here quite as much in the dark as ever.’

‘When I was younger,’ said Bao-yu, ignoring her jibes, ‘and Dai-yu was rather more childish in her ways, somehow I always managed to upset her by saying the wrong thing. Nowadays I think more about what I say, and she takes offence less easily. But all the same I have noticed that when we meet, which is not very often, as she seldom visits me and I have to spend so much time studying, we almost seem to have grown apart in some way.’

‘I should hope so too,’ said Aroma. ‘Now that the two of you are older, of course you must learn to be more discreet.’

Bao-yu nodded his head irritably.

‘I know – let’s not talk any more about that now. What I want to know is, has anyone come over from Grandmother’s with a message?’

‘No.’

‘Then she must have forgotten!’ said Bao-yu. ‘Tomorrow’s the First of the Eleventh, isn’t it? Every year Grannie has a party and invites the whole family over to celebrate the beginning of the Lessening Cold season, when the days start to get longer. I’ve already asked for the day off school, in fact. What am I to do? Should I go to school or not? If I do, that will be my day-off wasted. If I don’t, and Father finds out, he’ll scold me for playing truant.’

‘I think you should go,’ replied Aroma. ‘You’ve just started to make progress with your studies, and this is no time to be thinking of letting up. You should be working as hard as you can. Only yesterday I heard Her Ladyship say how well young Lan is doing at his studies. When he gets back from school he settles straight down to his texts and compositions all on his own, and never goes to bed till the small hours. You’re his uncle, and several years older than him. If you let him overtake you Her Old Ladyship will be very displeased. So I say, off to school early in the morning.’

Musk did not agree, however.

‘In this cold weather?’ she objected. ‘If you go now, they’ll wonder why you asked for the day off in the first place. It will look as though you were inventing an excuse to get off school. I think you should make the most of it and have a day’s rest. If Her Old Ladyship has forgotten to have a party, we can always have one here instead…’

‘Now he’ll never go, and it will all be your fault,’ complained Aroma.

‘I believe in taking each day as it comes and having fun whenever you can,’ said Musk defiantly. ‘I don’t believe in sucking up to people and working myself to death for a two-tael bonus every month like you do, Aroma dear…’

Aroma spat at her:

‘You little hussy! Interfering in a serious discussion in such a silly manner…’

‘On the contrary, I was saying it for your sake, dear…’

‘For my sake?’

‘Yes. As soon as Master Bao’s gone to school, you’ll sit around mooning and moaning again, longing for him to come home and bring the sunshine back into your life. Don’t think you can fool me with that holier-than-thou attitude of yours…’

Aroma was on the point of giving Musk a large piece of her mind when one of Grandmother Jia’s maids arrived and said:

‘Her Old Ladyship says Master Bao’s not to go to school tomorrow. Mrs Xue’s been invited round to spend the day, and all the young ladies will probably be coming too. Miss Shi, Miss Xing and Mrs Zhu’s cousins have all been invited. It’s to celebrate the “lessening cold” or some such thing…’

‘I told you so!’ cried Bao-yu with glee before she could finish. ‘It’s always been one of Grannie’s favourite occasions. Now I can have the day off and a clear conscience!’

Aroma said nothing, and Grandmother Jia’s maid returned.

Bao-yu’s recent stint of self-application had in fact left him more or less gasping for a respite of this sort. He was also delighted to hear that Aunt Xue was coming, as that would surely mean a chance to see Bao-chai.

‘Let’s have an early night,’ he said. ‘I want to be up first thing tomorrow.’

The night passed uneventfully, and early next morning, true to his resolution, Bao-yu went to pay his respects to Grandmother Jia and then to his father and mother, to whom he reported that ‘Grannie had given him the day off school’. Jia Zheng raised no objection and Bao-yu withdrew from his presence at a snail’s pace, waiting till he was a few yards from the study before breaking into a run and racing to Grandmother Jia’s apartment. The other guests had not yet arrived, but he saw a nurse and a few younger maids enter the room with Xi-feng’s little-girl Qiao-jie, who walked up to her great-grandmother, paid her respects and said:

‘Mama told me to come and say my good-morning and sit with you first, Great-grannie. She says she’ll be here by and by.’

The old lady laughed.

‘Bless you child! Here I’ve been sitting since cockcrow, and none of my guests has turned up, except your Uncle Bao.’

Qiao-jie’s nurse did some discreet prompting:

‘Say good morning to your uncle, Miss.’

Qiao-jie did so, and Bao-yu returned the greeting.

‘My Mama wants to see you, Uncle Bao,’ said Qiao-jie. ‘She said so yesterday.’

‘What about?’ asked Bao-yu.

‘She says she wants to find out if I’ve learnt my characters properly after all my lessons with Nannie Li. I promised her I had and offered to read them out for her. But she thought I was guessing and didn’t believe me. She said I couldn’t have learnt them because all I do all day long is play. But I don’t think learning characters is hard. I can even read my Girl’s Classic of Filial Piety – it’s ever so easy. Mama thinks I’m making it up, so she wants you to go over it with me when you’ve got the time.’

Grandmother Jia laughed.

‘Bless you darling! Your mother can’t read a word, that’s why she couldn’t tell if you were cheating her or not. Tomorrow your uncle Bao will go over it with you, and she can listen in. Then she’ll have to believe you.’

‘How many characters do you know by now?’ asked Bao-yu.

‘Over three thousand,’ replied Qiao-jie. ‘I’ve finished the Girl’s Classic, and a fortnight ago I started on Lives of Noble Women Present and Past.’

‘Do you understand it all?’ asked Bao-yu. ‘If there’s anything you’re not clear about, you must tell me and I’ll try and explain it for you.’

‘What a nice idea,’ commented Grandmother Jia. ‘As her uncle, you should help her with her studies.’

Bao-yu cleared his throat.

‘Let us leave aside,’ he began, ‘such household names as the worthy queen and consorts of Good King Wen, and pass on to those two other Models of Queenly Capability: Queen Jiang, who in order to rebuke her sovereign for his excessive attentions removed all her ornaments and stood like a prisoner awaiting sentence; and the Lady Hunchback of Wu-yan, whose earnest remonstrations restored order in the kingdom of Qi.’

‘Yes,’ said Qiao-jie, and Bao-yu went on:

‘For Talent, we have the lady-historian Ban Zhao, Ban Jie-yu literary concubine of Emperor Cheng-di of Han, and the two poetesses Cai Wen-ji and Xie Dao-yun.’

‘What about Paragons of Virtue?’ asked Qiao-jie.

‘Now let me see,’ replied Bao-yu, ‘for Virtue we have Meng Guang, the wife who wore a wooden hairpin and cotton skirts; we have Bao Xuan’s wife, who drew her own water from the well, and Tao Kan’s mother, who cut off her hair to buy wine for her son’s guests. their Virtue lay in their Acceptance of Poverty.’

Qiao-jie nodded her head enthusiastically.

‘Then we have the famous cases of Hardship Endured,’ continued Bao-yu. ‘Princess Le-chang, who after a cruel separation was reunited with her husband by the stratagem of the broken mirror; and Su Hui, who embroidered a lengthy palindrome to send to her husband exiled in the wastes of Tartary. Then come the Paragons of Filial Piety: Mu Lan marching to war in her ailing father’s place, Cao E throwing herself into the river after a fruitless search for her father’s corpse – and many others besides…’

Qiao-jie had become very quiet and thoughtful, and when Bao-yu went on to recount the tale of Lady Cao who after her husband’s death cut off her nose to deter any further suitors, and other tales of Widowed Virtue, her little face became more serious than ever. Thinking this might all be making her feel uncomfortable, Bao-yu introduced an apocryphal category of his own invention:

‘Then of course we have the Famous Beauties, romantic ladies such as Wang Zhao-jun, Xi-shi, Cherry Lips, Willow Waist, Crimson Fairy, Zhuo Wen-jun, Red Duster – all of these were…’

‘Enough!’ interrupted Grandmother Jia, seeing the blank look on Qiao-jie’s face. ‘No more! You’ve filled the poor child’s head to overflowing. How can she possibly remember all those names?’

‘I recognize some of the names Uncle Bao mentioned,’ said Qiao-jie. ‘And his talk has certainly helped me to understand the ones I know.’

‘I don’t think we need bother going over the written characters for all those names,’ said Bao-yu. ‘I’m sure you know them.’

‘Mama said that our Crimson used to be one of your maids,’ said Qiao-jie out of the blue. ‘And she says she still hasn’t found you anyone to replace her. She’s thinking of giving you Mrs Liu’s daughter, Fivey I think her name is, if you’re happy about it…’

Bao-yu was delighted to hear this and said with a grin:

‘Your mother doesn’t have to ask me about things like that. She makes all the decisions.’

He turned with a smile to Grandmother Jia.

‘My young niece shows every sign of growing up to be a second Cousin Feng. Only I think she may be even cleverer, and will have the added advantage of being able to read.’

‘I’ve no objection to girls learning their letters,’ commented Grandmother Jia. ‘But needlework must always come first.’

‘Nannie Liu teaches me embroidery,’ said Qiao-jie. ‘I can do flowers and chain-patterns. I’m not very good yet, but I’m learning.’

‘In a family like ours,’ said Grandmother Jia, ‘we never need to do our own sewing, I know. But it’s as well to know how. Then you will never be at the mercy of others.’

‘Yes, Great-grannie,’ Qiao-jie smilingly replied. She would have welcomed some more Paragons of Virtue, but thought Bao-yu looked a little preoccupied and did not venture to ask.

What was preoccupying Bao-yu? The answer lies in Qiao-jie’s mention of Fivey. This attractive girl had been originally designated for Green Delights, but one obstacle after another had so far prevented her from entering service there. First it had been illness; then they had been wary of choosing a good-looking maid for Bao-yu in the puritanical phase that followed on Lady Wang’s expulsion of Skybright. A further opportunity of seeing her had presented itself when she and her mother had arrived with gifts during his secret visit to Skybright at her cousin’s house – and his earlier favourable impression of her had been confirmed. She really was extremely pretty. What marvellous luck that Xi-feng should have remembered her now, and was arranging for her to take Crimson’s place!

While Bao-yu was day-dreaming, Grandmother Jia was becoming more and more impatient at the lateness of her guests and sent word to hurry them along. A few minutes later the first contingent arrived: Li Wan and her two cousins Wen and Qi, Tan-chun, Xi-chun, Shi Xiang-yun and Lin Dai-yu. They all paid their respects to Grandmother Jia and greeted one another. Aunt Xue had still not come, and Grandmother Jia sent for her. Finally she arrived, accompanied by Bao-qin. Bao-yu paid his respects, and said hello to Bao-qin, wondering why it was that neither Bao-chai nor Xing Xiu-yan had come. When Dai-yu asked outright, ‘Why couldn’t Cousin Chai come today?’, Aunt Xue pretended that she was not feeling well. Xiu-yan had stayed away because she knew that Aunt Xue (her future mother-in-law) would be there. Bao-chai’s absence caused a momentary depression in Bao-yu’s spirits, which was however soon dispelled by the presence of Dai-yu.

Lady Xing and Lady Wang arrived shortly afterwards. Xi-feng, who heard that they were there before her and was embarrassed at the thought of being late, sent Patience ahead to apologize for her.

‘Mrs Lian was meaning to come, but she has had a bit of a fever and won’t be coming till later,’ said Patience.

‘If she’s not feeling well, she needn’t bother to come at all,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘We ought to start our lunch now.’

The maids moved the charcoal brazier to the back of the room and placed two tables in front of Grandmother Jia’s couch, at which the party now arranged itself for lunch. After lunch they sat once more round the brazier chatting pleasantly, and there for the present we must leave them.

*

What was really detaining Xi-feng? It had at first been no more than her embarrassment at being later than Ladies Xing and Wang. But this had been further complicated by the arrival of Brightie’s wife, who informed her that one of Ying-chun’s woman-servants had come to pay her respects. The woman had come straight to Xi-feng’s apartment and had not notified the main mansion of her presence. Xi-feng was puzzled, and summoned her into the room.

‘Is your mistress well?’ she asked.

‘Anything but well,’ replied the woman. ‘But that’s not what I’ve come about, ma’am. Really it was Chess’s mother who begged me to come and ask you for a favour.’

‘But Chess has been dismissed,’ said Xi-feng. ‘What have her affairs to do with me now?’

‘It’s a long story, ma’am. From the day she was dismissed Chess did nothing but cry her heart out. Then one day that cousin of hers, her boy-friend Pan You-an, turned up again. Her mother was terribly rude to him when she saw him, swearing that he’d been her daughter’s ruin. She took hold of him and tried to hit him, while he stood there meek and mild not saying a word. Chess heard what was going on and came rushing out and cried defiantly: “It was because of him I was dismissed – I don’t need reminding! I know he acted wrong! But now that he’s come back, why start hitting him? You may as well strangle me instead…” “You shameless slut!” cries the mother, “what do you want then?” “A girl can only marry once,” replies Chess defiantly. “It was my mistake, I let him take me, and right or wrong I’m his now and no one else shall have me. If he could only have shown a little more courage then and stood by me instead of running away! But I’d wait for him now even if I had to die waiting. I’d rather die than let you marry me to someone else. Now that he’s here, ask him if he’ll take me for his wife. If he still wants me, I’ll make you my farewell kotow and you can forget that I ever existed. I’ll follow him to the ends of the earth. I’ll beg in the streets if need be!” This put her mother in a terrible rage. Weeping and cursing she cried: “You’re my daughter and if I say you can’t marry him then you can’t, and that’s that!” But Chess was an obstinate creature. No sooner had her mother said this than she took a run at the wall and dashed her head against it. She split her skull open, the blood came pouring out and in a moment she was dead! Her mother began howling, but it was too late. Next she started screaming at him that he’d have to pay with his life. He replied – and this is the strangest part of the story – “Don’t worry. I’m a wealthy man now. I never forgot your daughter, and came back today to find her. I have always been true to her. To prove that I’m telling no lie…” As he said this he brought out a casket from inside his gown, full of gold and precious stones. One look at them and Chess’s mother changed her tune. “Why oh why didn’t you say all this earlier?” she asked. “I know the ways of women,” he replied, “how easily swayed they are by the idea of wealth. Now at least I know for sure that she was a girl in a million. These are yours,” he added, handing her the casket. “I will go and buy the coffin now, and see to it that she is buried properly.” The mother took the casket and left all the arrangements to her nephew. She seemed to have quite forgotten about Chess. When he returned, she saw to her astonishment that the bearers he had employed were bringing not one but two coffins. She asked him what he needed two coffins for, and he replied with a strange laugh that one would not be enough. He showed not the least sign of crying, and the mother decided his mind must have been deranged by the shock of his grief. For a while he was busy preparing Chess’s corpse, dry-eyed and silent, when all of a sudden before anyone had time to take in what was happening he pulled out a knife and slit his throat and that was the end of him. The mother realized too late what a terrible thing she had done, and broke down in floods of tears. The whole neighbourhood knows, and they want to report the case to the magistrate. In her distress she begged me to ask you to use your influence to help her, ma’am, and said she would come herself and kotow to you in gratitude.’

‘What a story!’ exclaimed Xi-feng, aghast at this recital. ‘That fate should have brought two such examples of folly together! Now I understand that look of calm indifference on her face when she was caught during the search of the Garden. What a determined young thing she must have been at heart. I don’t really have time to meddle in such things, but your story has touched my heart! Tell her mother that I will speak to Mr Lian and send Brightie to sort the thing out for her.’

Xi-feng sent the woman on her way and herself departed to join the gathering at Grandmother Jia’s.

*

One day, Jia Zheng was engrossed in a game of Go with one of his literary gentlemen, Zhan Guang. It had been quite a level game, and the outcome now hung on a ko that was in progress on one corner of the board. As they were playing, a page from the gate came in to report that Mr Feng had arrived and was waiting outside to see Sir Zheng.

‘See him in,’ instructed Jia Zheng.

The page did as bidden and Feng Zi-ying was shortly to be observed walking in through the inner gateway. Jia Zheng hurried out to receive him and conducted him through to the study. As he sat down, Feng noticed that they were playing Go.

‘Please carry on with your game,’ he said. ‘I shall be very happy to watch.’

‘My poor play is hardly a worthy spectacle for so distinguished an observer,’ protested Zhan Guang with an obsequious smile.

‘You are too modest,’ said Feng. ‘Carry on please.’

‘What brings you here today?’ inquired Jia Zheng.

‘Oh, nothing of any importance,’ replied Feng. ‘Carry on, sir. I shall benefit greatly from watching your play.’

Jia Zheng turned to his partner.

‘As Feng is an old friend and has not come on any pressing business, we may as well finish our game first. He can sit and watch.’

‘Are you playing for stakes?’ asked Feng.

‘We are,’ replied Zhan Guang.

Then silence! On with the game!’

‘I don’t think we need be too strict about that,’ said Jia Zheng. ‘I may be a dozen taels up by the end, but I doubt very much if I shall see the colour of my money. I think friend Zhan will have to stand us a few drinks instead.’

‘An excellent idea,’ said Zhan with a laugh.

‘Are you and friend Zhan on a par, sir?’ inquired Feng.

Jia Zheng laughed.

‘We used to play level, but he always lost, so I gave him a handicap of two. He still loses. And the trouble is, he thinks he can take his moves back all the time, and gets quite upset when I wave the rules at him.’

Zhan laughed.

‘You exaggerate, Sir Zheng…’

‘Well, we shall see…’

On this note of light-hearted banter, they continued their game. When it was finished and they counted up the pieces, Zhan was seven down.

‘It all depended on that last ko,’ commented Feng. ‘You gained the advantage, sir, because you were less vulnerable to a ko threat.’

Jia Zheng turned to Feng.

‘Please forgive us. How are you keeping?’

‘It has been a long while since we last met,’ said Feng. ‘My visit today is partly of a social nature, and partly occasioned by the presence in the capital of a deputy-prefect from Kwangsi province, who is here for an audience with His Majesty and has brought with him four curios, some of them imported, that would make excellent palace-offerings. The first is a folding screen of twenty-four panels, carved of pure blackwood. Though the stone used for the carved inlay – landscapes, figures, buildings, birds and flowers – is not jade, it is a high quality serpentine. Each panel has a palace scene, with fifty or sixty palace-ladies. It is called “Spring Morning in the Han Place”. The features, gestures and costumes are rendered with great clarity. The finish is quite exquisite, the detail and composition of the highest order. It would be perfect for the main hall of Prospect Garden, sir. The second item is a large wall-clock over three feet high. This is a most unusual item. It has a little figure of a boy on the face that indicates the hour with a pointer, and inside it has a little mechanical orchestra. Those two heavier articles I was not able to bring with me. I have however brought the other two, which I think you will find quite fascinating.’

Feng produced an embroidered casket wrapped in several layers of white damask-silk. Unwrapping it, he raised the lid, removed the protective pad of silk-wool beneath it and displayed its contents. In the top compartment of the casket lay a little glass container with a fitted lid. In this container, on a piece of crimson silk that lined its inner casing of gold, lay a magnificent lustrous pearl, as large as a longan.

‘This,’ announced Feng, ‘is known as a Mother Pearl.’

He asked for a tray and Zhang Guang handed him a tea-tray of black lacquer, asking:

‘Will this do?’

‘Perfectly,’ replied Feng, taking from the inner pocket of his gown a white silk bundle. This too contained pearls, of an ordinary size, which he tipped out onto the tray. He then placed the ‘Mother Pearl’ in their midst and put the tray down on the table. Like so many perfect drops of water the smaller pearls rolled across the tray towards the large central pearl. And when Feng lifted the ‘Mother’, all the little ones clung to her. Not a single one was left on the tray.

‘Amazing!’ exclaimed Zhan Guang.

‘An interesting phenomenon,’ observed Jia Zheng. ‘And most appropriately named.’

‘Where is the other casket?’ asked Feng turning to his page, who promptly came forward with a rosewood casket held aloft in both hands. The three men gathered round as it was opened. On its lining of tiger-brocade lay a length of blue gauze-like material, many times folded.

‘And what is this?’ asked Zhan Guang.

‘This,’ replied Feng, ‘is called Byssus Net.’

He took it from the casket and laid it on the table. Folded as it was, it occupied a space no more than five inches long and less than half an inch thick. Feng began to unfold it. When he had done so a dozen times, it extended over the edge of the table.

‘There are still two folds to come,’ he explained. ‘To unfold it to its full extent we would need to hang it in a room with a high ceiling. This fabric is woven from the Byssus, the so-called Mermaid’s Tears. In extreme heat it would make a perfect fly and mosquito-net for use in a large reception hall. As you can see, it is extremely light and transparent.’

‘Please do not unfold it fully,’ said Jia Zheng. ‘It might prove hard to fold again.’

Feng and Zhan Guang carefully folded the net and replaced it in its casket.

‘The price being asked for these four curios is really very reasonable,’ said Feng. ‘I think he would be willing to part with the four for twenty thousand taels. Ten thousand for the Mother Pearl, five thousand for the Byssus Net and two thousand five hundred each for the screen and striking clock.’

‘We could not possibly buy them, I’m afraid,’ said Jia Zheng.

‘But with your connections in the palace,’ said Feng, ‘surely they would make an ideal presentation.’

‘I dare say they would,’ replied Jia Zheng. ‘I dare say all sorts of things would. But we simply haven’t the money. I would like Lady Jia to see them, all the same.’

‘By all means.’

Jia Zheng sent a page to fetch Jia Lian, who was instructed to take the pearl and the precious net through to Grandmother Jia’s apartment. He also sent a servant to invite Lady Xing, Lady Wang and Xi-feng to come and view them.

‘There are two other items,’ Jia Lian explained to the ladies. ‘A folding screen and a musical clock. The whole lot is going for twenty thousand taels.’

‘What!’ said Xi-feng sharply. ‘I grant you they’re fine pieces. But we definitely haven’t the cash to spare. Besides we’re not like provincial viceroys and governors, who are expected to make such offerings. No; over the years I’ve come to the conclusion that the most sensible way to secure our financial future is to invest in land and property–trust-land for provision of sacrificial funds, and free burial-grounds for the clan with permanent caretakers’ quarters. Such things would be there for the family to fall back on in hard times, an insurance against ruin. I don’t know if Grannie, Father and Mother agree with me or not? Of course, if Sir Zheng and Father want to buy these things, it’s entirely their decision.’

Grandmother Jia led the chorus in Xi-feng’s support.

‘You’re absolutely right, my dear.’

‘Give them back to me then,’ said Jia Lian grumpily. ‘Sir Zheng only sent me to show them to Grandmother as a possible palace-offering. No one said anything about buying them for ourselves. Trust you to pour cold water on the whole idea before Grandmother has even had a chance to speak!’

Jia Lian returned to the study with the curios, and reported that Grandmother Jia did not wish to buy them.

‘No one denies their quality,’ he said to Feng Zi-ying. ‘But we just can’t afford them. I’ll keep my eyes open though, and if I come across a likely buyer I’ll definitely let you know.’

Feng packed them away again, evidently disappointed. He sat and chatted for a while without much enthusiasm, and soon made motions of leaving.

‘Won’t you stay to dinner?’ asked Jia Zheng.

‘I have already taken up too much of your time…’

‘Not at all. We should be delighted.’

As they were speaking Jia She was announced. He was already in the room, and after greeting Feng engaged him in conversation for a few minutes. Presently wine was served and various delicacies were set on the table. After the fourth or fifth round of wine, the subject of the curios came up again.

‘Actually it’s rather hard to sell stuff like this,’ confessed Feng. ‘The market is restricted to the few illustrious families such as yours.’

‘Oh come, I am sure you will find someone,’ Jia Zheng consoled him.

‘Besides,’ observed Jia She in a rather maudlin tone, ‘we are not exactly the great and glorious house we once were, you know. Nothing but a hollow facade…’

‘How is Mr Zhen over at Ning-guo House by the way?’ asked Feng. ‘I saw him the other day and in the course of conversation he mentioned this new wife of his son’s. Not a patch on his first, so he was saying. Who is she anyway? I never did ask her name.’

‘She’s a Hu–they’re an old local family. Her father was once Taotai of the Metropolitan Circuit,’ Jia Zheng informed him.

‘Oh, I know Intendant Hu…’ said Feng. ‘Heard that he lets some pretty rum things go on in his house too. Still, the main thing is that the gal should have turned out all right.’

‘I heard from someone at the Grand Secretariat that Yu-cun is to be promoted again,’ put in Jia Lian.

‘Really? I’m glad to hear that,’ said Jia Zheng. ‘Has it been made official yet?’

‘Most probably,’ said Jia Lian.

‘Yes, I heard the same myself when I was at the Board of Civil Office earlier today,’ said Feng. ‘Am I right in thinking that he is a relation of yours, sir?’

‘He is,’ answered Jia Zheng.

‘A close one?’

‘It is a long story,’ said Jia Zheng. ‘He comes originally from Hu-zhou in Chekiang. He left home and was lodging in Soochow, eking out a rather unsatisfactory existence, when he was befriended by a gentleman named Zhen Shi-yin, who provided the means for him to better himself. Yu-cun later went on to become a palace graduate, and passed out with flying colours and an immediate posting as a magistrate in one of the provinces. He took one of this benefactor’s maidservants as his concubine; she is now, I believe, his principal wife. Old Zhen himself was reduced to destitution by a strange series of calamities, and finally disappeared without trace.’

‘We only came to know Yu-cun,’ continued Jia Zheng, ‘when my brother-in-law, Lin Ru-hai, who at that time was the Yangchow Salt Commissioner, engaged him as private tutor for his daughter – this was after his dismissal. Then Yu-cun learned of the general reinstatement for dismissed officials and planned to come up to the capital to take advantage of it. My niece – Ru-hai’s daughter – was, as it so happened, just about to come and visit us here, so her father persuaded her tutor to travel with her and act as her escort. He also sent me a letter of recommendation, asking me to put in a good word for him where I could. I formed a favourable impression of him, and from then on we saw a good deal of one another. One thing I remember finding most extraodinary about Yu-cun: he seemed to have familiarized himself with every detail of our family history. There was nothing he did not know. Who our ancestors were, how they won their titles, every ramification of the Rong-guo and Ning-guo family trees, exactly how many of us there are, who we all are, where we all live, what we all do – why, he was a mine of information! I liked him for it, I must say.’

Jia Zheng smiled, and went on:

‘He’s done extremely well for himself in the last few years too. Promoted from Prefect to Censor, then in a few years to Vice-president of the Board of Civil Office, then President of the Board of War. He was demoted three grades for some incident, but now it seems he is to be promoted again.’

‘How hard it is to predict the vicissitudes of human life,’ commented Feng Zi-ying.

‘And yet there is a pattern in all things,’ said Jia Zheng. ‘Take your pearl for instance. The big one is like a man blessed with fortune; the little ones are his dependants, sheltering in the shade of his influence. If the big one goes, then the little ones are helpless. If the head of a family is in trouble, his wife and children are taken from him, his relations are left destitute, even his friends he may see no more. Prosperity may crumble in the twinkling of an eye, like the passing of a spring cloud or the falling of an autumn leaf. What joy is there in public life? My kinsman Yu-cun has had a comparatively easy time of it. But take a case nearer home, the Zhen family, like our own in so many respects. They too were ennobled for their services to the Throne. Their style of life has always been very like ours. We used to see a great deal of them. I remember not many years ago when they were here in the capital, they sent one of their men round to convey their respects, and all seemed well. Yet not long afterwards their family estate was confiscated, and goodness alone knows what has become of them now. We have had no news of them for so long. My heart goes out to them.’

‘What’s this about a pearl?’ asked Jia She. Jia Zheng and Feng Zi-ying gave him a description of the ‘Mother Pearl’.

‘We need have no fears,’ said Jia She, resuming the previous topic of conversation. ‘Nothing can happen to us.’

‘Of course not, sir,’ said Feng, ‘with Her Grace to protect your interests at Court, with such enviable connections and such a host of relations, and with a family that from Lady Jia down to the younger generation has such an impeccable record…’

‘Granted,’ said Jia Zheng somewhat grimly. ‘But our respectability is more than balanced by our lack of ability and positive achievement. We are living on borrowed time, and one day it will run out.’

‘Do let’s put an end to this depressing conversation,’ said Jia She, ‘and have another drink.’

They did so, and after a few more rounds dinner was served. After dinner, tea was brought in and Feng’s page came in and murmured something in his master’s ear. Feng took his leave.

‘What was that you said?’ asked Jia She of the page.

‘It’s snowing, sir, and they’ve sounded the first evening watch.’

Jia Zheng sent a servant out who came back to report that the snow was indeed already more than an inch thick on the ground.

‘I hope your two curios are well wrapped?’ said Jia Zheng.

‘They are,’ replied Feng. ‘Don’t forget, if you change your minds, I’m sure we can come to some agreement about the price.’

‘I’ll bear it in mind,’ said Jia Zheng.

‘I shall wait to hear from you then. It’s cold – please don’t bother to see me out. Goodbye.’

Jia She and Jia Zheng instructed Jia Lian to accompany Feng Zi-ying to the gate.

For the sequel, please read the following chapter.