第八回
第八回 比通灵金莺微露意 探宝钗黛玉半含酸
话说凤姐和宝玉回家，见过众人。宝玉先〔二〕便回明贾母秦钟要上家塾之事，自己也有了个伴读的朋友，正好发奋；又着实的称赞秦钟的人品行事，最使人怜爱。凤姐又在一旁帮着说“过日他还来拜老祖宗”等语，说的贾母喜欢起来。凤姐又趁势请贾母后日过去看戏。贾母虽年老，却极有兴头。至后日，又有尤氏来请，遂携了王夫人林黛玉宝玉等过去看戏。至晌午，贾母便回来歇息了。王夫人本是好清净的，见贾母回来也就回来了。然后凤姐坐了首席，尽欢至晚无话。
却说宝玉因送贾母回来，待贾母歇了中觉，意欲还去看戏取乐，又恐扰的秦氏等人不便，因想起近日薛宝钗在家养病，未去亲候，意欲去望他一望。若从上房后角门过去，又恐遇见别事缠绕，再或可巧遇见他父亲，更为不妥，宁可绕远路罢了。当下众嬷嬷丫鬟伺候他换衣服，见他不换，仍出二门去了。众嬷嬷丫鬟只得跟随出来，还只当他去那府中看戏。谁知到穿堂，便向东向北绕厅后而去。偏顶头遇见了门下清客相公[3]詹光单聘仁二人走来，一见了宝玉，便都笑着赶上来，一个抱住腰，一个携着手，都道：“我的菩萨哥儿，我说作了好梦呢，好容易得遇见了你。”说着，请了安，又问好，劳叨半日，方才走开。老嬷嬷叫住，因问：“二位爷是从老爷跟前来的不是？”二人点头道：“老爷在梦坡斋小书房里歇中觉呢，不妨事的。”一面说，一面走了。说的宝玉也笑了。
于是转弯向北奔梨香院来。可巧银库房的总领名唤吴新登与仓上的头目名戴良，还有几个管事的头目，共有七个人，从帐房里出来，一见了宝玉，赶来都一齐垂手站住。独有一个买办名唤钱华，因他多日未见宝玉，忙上来打千儿[4]请安，宝玉忙含笑携他起来。众人都笑说：“前儿在一处看见二爷写的斗方儿[5]，字法越发好了，多早晚儿赏我们几张贴贴。”宝玉笑道：“在那里看见了？”众人道：“好几处都有，都称赞的了不得，还和我们寻呢。”宝玉笑道：“不值什么，你们说与我的小幺儿们就是了。”一面说，一面前走，众人待他过去，方都各自散了。
闲言少述，且说宝玉来至梨香院中，先入薛姨妈室中来，正见薛姨妈打点针黹与丫鬟们呢。宝玉忙请了安，薛姨妈忙一把拉了他，抱入怀内，笑说：“这们冷天，我的儿，难为你想着来，快上炕来坐着罢。”命人倒滚滚的茶来。宝玉因问：“哥哥不在家？”薛姨妈叹道：“他是没笼头的马，天天忙不了，那里肯在家一日。”宝玉道：“姐姐可大安了？”薛姨妈道：“可是呢，你前儿又想着打发人来瞧他。他在里间不是，你去瞧他，里间比这里暖和，那里坐着，我收拾收拾就进去和你说话儿。”
宝玉听说，忙下了炕来至里间门前，只见吊着半旧的红软帘。宝玉掀帘一迈步进去，先就看见薛宝钗坐在炕上作针线，头上挽着漆黑油光的儿，蜜合色棉袄，玫瑰紫二色金银鼠比肩褂，葱黄绫棉裙，一色半新不旧，看去不觉奢华。唇不点而红，眉不画而翠，脸若银盆，眼如水杏。罕言寡语，人谓藏愚；安分随时，自云守拙[6]。宝玉一面看，一面问：“姐姐可大愈了？”宝钗抬头只见宝玉进来，连忙起身含笑答说：“已经大好了，倒多谢记挂着。”说着，让他在炕沿上坐了，即命莺儿斟茶来。一面又问老太太姨娘安，别的姐妹们都好。一面看宝玉头上戴着累丝嵌宝紫金冠，额上勒着二龙抢珠金抹额，身上穿着秋香色立蟒白狐腋[7]箭袖，系着五色蝴蝶鸾绦，项上挂着长命锁、记名符，另外有一块落草时衔下来的宝玉。
宝钗因笑说道：“成日家说你的这玉，究竟未曾细细的赏鉴，我今儿倒要瞧瞧。”说着便挪近前来。宝玉亦凑了上去，从项上摘了下来，递在宝钗手内。宝钗托于掌上，只见大如雀卵，灿若明霞，莹润如酥，五色花纹缠护。这就是大荒山中青埂峰下的那块顽石的幻相。后人曾有诗嘲云：
女娲炼石已荒唐，又向荒唐演大荒[8]。
失去幽灵真境界[9]，幻来亲就臭皮囊[10]。
好知运败金无彩[11]，堪叹时乖玉不光[12]。
白骨如山忘姓氏，无非公子与红妆。
那顽石亦曾记下他这幻相并癞僧所镌的篆文，今亦按图画于后。但其真体最小，方能从胎中小儿口内衔下。今若按其体画，恐字迹过于微细，使观者大废眼光，亦非畅事。故今只按其形式，无非略展些规矩[13]，使观者便于灯下醉中可阅。今注明此故，方无胎中之儿口有多大，怎得衔此狼犺[14]蠢大之物等语之谤。
宝钗看毕，又从新翻过正面来细看，口内念道：“莫失莫忘，仙寿恒昌。”念了两遍，乃回头向莺儿笑道：“你不去倒茶，也在这里发呆作什么？”莺儿嘻嘻笑道：“我听这两句话，倒像和姑娘的项圈上的两句话是一对儿。”宝玉听了，忙笑道：“原来姐姐那项圈上也有八个字，我也赏鉴赏鉴。”宝钗道：“你别听他的话，没有什么字。”宝玉笑央：“好姐姐，你怎么瞧我的了呢。”宝钗被缠不过，因说道：“也是个人给了两句吉利话儿，所以錾上了，叫天天带着；不然，沉甸甸的有什么趣儿。”一面说，一面解了排扣，从里面大红袄上将那珠宝晶莹黄金灿烂的璎珞掏将出来。宝玉忙托了锁看时，果然一面有四个篆字，两面八字，共成两句吉谶[15]。亦曾按式画下形相：
宝玉看了，也念了两遍，又念自己的两遍，因笑问：“姐姐这八个字倒真与我的是一对。”莺儿笑道：“是个癞头和尚送的，他说必须錾在金器上——”宝钗不待说完，便嗔他不去倒茶，一面又问宝玉从那里来。
宝玉此时与宝钗就近，只闻一阵阵凉森森甜丝丝的幽香，竟不知系何香气，遂问：“姐姐熏的是什么香？我竟从未闻见过这味儿。”宝钗笑道：“我最怕熏香，好好的衣服，熏的烟燎火气的。”宝玉道：“既如此，这是什么香？”宝钗想了一想，笑道：“是了，是我早起吃了丸药的香气。”宝玉笑道：“什么丸药这么好闻？好姐姐，给我一丸尝尝。”宝钗笑道：“又混闹了，一个药也是混吃的？”
一语未了，忽听外面人说：“林姑娘来了。”话犹未了，林黛玉已摇摇的走了进来，一见了宝玉，便笑道：“嗳哟，我来的不巧了！”宝玉等忙起身笑让坐，宝钗因笑道：“这话怎么说？”黛玉笑道：“早知他来，我就不来了。”宝钗道：“我更不解这意。”黛玉笑道：“要来一群都来，要不来一个也不来；今儿他来了，明儿我再来，如此间错开了来着，岂不天天有人来了？也不至于太冷落，也不至于太热闹了。姐姐如何反不解这意思？”
宝玉因见他外面罩着大红羽缎[16]对衿褂子，因问：“下雪了么？”地下婆娘们道：“下了这半日雪珠儿了。”宝玉道：“取了我的斗篷来不曾？”黛玉便道：“是不是，我来了他就该去了。”宝玉笑道：“我多早晚儿说要去了？不过拿来预备着。”宝玉的奶母李嬷嬷因说道：“天又下雪，也好早晚的了，就在这里同姐姐妹妹一处顽顽罢。姨妈那里摆茶果子呢。我叫丫头去取了斗篷来，说给小幺儿们散了罢。”宝玉应允。李嬷嬷出去，命小厮们都各散去不提。
这里薛姨妈已摆了几样细巧茶果来留他们吃茶。宝玉因夸前日在那府里珍大嫂子的好鹅掌鸭信[17]。薛姨妈听了，忙也把自己糟的取了些来与他尝。宝玉笑道：“这个须得就酒才好。”薛姨妈便令人去灌了最上等的酒来。李嬷嬷便上来道：“姨太太，酒倒罢了。”宝玉央道：“妈妈，我只喝一钟。”李嬷嬷道：“不中用！当着老太太、太太，那怕你吃一坛呢。想那日我眼错不见一会，不知是那一个没调教的，只图讨你的好儿，不管别人死活，给了你一口酒吃，葬送的我挨了两日骂。姨太太不知道，他性子又可恶，吃了酒更弄性。有一日老太太高兴了，又尽着他吃，什么日子又不许他吃，何苦我白赔在里面。”薛姨妈笑道：“老货，你只放心吃你的去。我也不许他吃多了。便是老太太问，有我呢。”一面令小丫鬟：“来，让你奶奶们去，也吃一杯搪搪雪气。”那李嬷嬷听如此说，只得和众人去吃些酒水。
这里宝玉又说：“不必温暖了，我只爱吃冷的。”薛姨妈忙道：“这可使不得，吃了冷酒，写字手打儿[18]。”宝钗笑道：“宝兄弟，亏你每日家杂学旁收[19]的，难道就不知道酒性最热，若热吃下去，发散的就快；若冷吃下去，便凝结在内，以五脏去暖他，岂不受害？从此还不快不要吃那冷的了。”宝玉听这话有情理，便放下冷酒，命人暖来方饮。
黛玉磕着瓜子儿，只抿着嘴笑。可巧黛玉的小丫鬟雪雁走来与黛玉送小手炉，黛玉因含笑问他：“谁叫你送来的？难为他费心，那里就冷死了我！”雪雁道：“紫鹃姐姐怕姑娘冷，使我送来的。”黛玉一面接了，抱在怀中，笑道：“也亏你倒听他的话。我平日和你说的，全当耳旁风；怎么他说了你就依，比圣旨还快些！”宝玉听这话，知是黛玉借此奚落他，也无回复之词，只嘻嘻的笑两声罢了。宝钗素知黛玉是如此惯了的，也不去睬他。薛姨妈因道：“你素日身子弱，禁不得冷的，他们记挂着你倒不好？”黛玉笑道：“姨妈不知道。幸亏是姨妈这里，倘或在别人家，人家岂不恼？好说就看的人家连个手炉也没有，巴巴的从家里送个来。不说丫鬟们太小心过馀，还只当我素日是这等轻狂惯了呢。”薛姨妈道：“你这个多心的，有这样想，我就没这样心。”
说话时，宝玉已是三杯过去。李嬷嬷又上来拦阻。宝玉正在心甜意洽之时，和宝黛姊妹说说笑笑的，那肯不吃。宝玉只得屈意央告：“好妈妈，我再吃两钟就不吃了。”李嬷嬷道：“你可仔细老爷今儿在家，隄防问你的书！”宝玉听了这话，便心中大不自在，慢慢的放下酒，垂了头。黛玉先忙的说：“别扫大家的兴！舅舅若叫你，只说姨妈留着呢。这个妈妈，他吃了酒，又拿我们来醒脾[20]了！”一面悄推宝玉，使他赌气；一面悄悄的咕哝说：“别理那老货，咱们只管乐咱们的。”那李嬷嬷不知黛玉的意思，因说道：“林姐儿，你不要助着他了。你倒劝劝他，只怕他还听些。”林黛玉冷笑道：“我为什么助他？我也不犯着劝他。你这妈妈太小心了，往常老太太又给他酒吃，如今在姨妈这里多吃一口，料也不妨事。必定姨妈这里是外人，不当在这里的也未可定。”李嬷嬷听了，又是急，又是笑，说道：“真真这林姐儿，说出一句话来，比刀子还尖。你——这算了什么。”宝钗也忍不住笑着，把黛玉腮上一拧，说道：“真真这个颦丫头的一张嘴，叫人恨又不是，喜欢又不是。”薛姨妈一面又说：“别怕，别怕，我的儿！来这里没好的你吃，别把这点子东西唬的存在心里，倒叫我不安。只管放心吃，都有我呢。越发吃了晚饭去，便醉了，就跟着我睡罢。”因命：“再烫热酒来！姨妈陪你吃两杯，可就吃饭罢。”宝玉听了，方又鼓起兴来。
李嬷嬷因吩咐小丫头子们：“你们在这里小心着，我家里换了衣服就来，悄悄的回姨太太，别由着他，多给他吃。”说着便家去了。这里虽还有三两个婆子，都是不关痛痒的，见李嬷嬷走了，也都悄悄去寻方便去了。只剩了两个小丫头子，乐得讨宝玉的欢喜。幸而薛姨妈千哄万哄的，只容他吃了几杯，就忙收过了。作酸笋鸡皮汤，宝玉痛喝了两碗，吃了半碗碧粳粥。一时薛林二人也吃完了饭，又酽酽的沏上茶来大家吃了。薛姨妈方放了心。雪雁等三四个丫头已吃了饭，进来伺候。黛玉因问宝玉道：“你走不走？”宝玉乜斜[21]倦眼道：“你要走，我和你一同走。”黛玉听说，遂起身道：“咱们来了这一日，也该回去了。还不知那边怎么找咱们呢。”说着，二人便告辞。
小丫头忙捧过斗笠来，宝玉便把头略低一低，命他戴上。那丫头便将着大红猩毡斗笠一抖，才往宝玉头上一合，宝玉便说：“罢，罢！好蠢东西，你也轻些儿！难道没见过别人戴过的？让我自己戴罢。”黛玉站在炕沿上道：“罗唆什么，过来，我瞧瞧罢。”宝玉忙就近前来。黛玉用手整理，轻轻笼住束发冠，将笠沿掖在抹额之上，将那一颗核桃大的绛绒簪缨扶起，颤巍巍露于笠外。整理已毕，端相了端相，说道：“好了，披上斗篷罢。”宝玉听了，方接了斗篷披上。薛姨妈忙道：“跟你们的妈妈都还没来呢，且略等等不迟。”宝玉道：“我们倒去等他们，有丫头们跟着也够了。”薛姨妈不放心，到底命两个妇女跟随他兄妹方罢。他二人道了扰，一径回至贾母房中。
贾母尚未用晚饭，知是薛姨妈处来，更加欢喜。因见宝玉吃了酒，遂命他自回房去歇着，不许再出来了。因命人好生看侍着。忽想起跟宝玉的人来，遂问众人：“李奶子怎么不见？”众人不敢直说家去了，只说：“才进来的，想有事才去了。”宝玉踉跄回头道：“他比老太太还受用呢，问他作什么！没有他只怕我还多活两日。”一面说，一面来至自己的卧室。只见笔墨在案，晴雯先接出来，笑说道：“好，好，耍[22]我研了那些墨，早起高兴，只写了三个字，丢下笔就走了，哄的我们等了一日。快来与我写完这些墨才罢！”宝玉忽然想起早起的事来，因笑道：“我写的那三个字在那里呢？”晴雯笑道：“这个人可醉了。你头里过那府里去，嘱咐贴在这门斗上，这会子又这么问。我生怕别人贴坏了，我亲自爬高上梯的贴上，这会子还冻的手僵冷的呢。”宝玉听了，笑道：“我忘了。你的手冷，我替你渥[23]着。”说着便伸手携了晴雯的手，同仰首看门斗上新书的三个字。
一时黛玉来了，宝玉笑道：“好妹妹，你别撒谎，你看这三个字那一个好？”黛玉仰头看里间门斗上，新贴了三个字，写着“绛云轩”。黛玉笑道：“个个都好。怎么写的这们好了？明儿也与我写一个匾。”宝玉嘻嘻的笑道：“又哄我呢。”说着又问：“袭人姐姐呢？”晴雯向里间炕上努嘴。宝玉一看，只见袭人和衣睡着在那里。宝玉笑道：“好，太渥早了些。”因又问晴雯道：“今儿我在那府里吃早饭，有一碟子豆腐皮的包子，我想着你爱吃，和珍大奶奶说了，只说我留着晚上吃，叫人送过来的，你可吃了？”晴雯道：“快别提。一送了来，我知道是我的，偏我才吃了饭，就放在那里。后来李奶奶来了看见，说：‘宝玉未必吃了，拿来给我孙子吃去罢。’他就叫人拿了家去了。”接着茜雪捧上茶来。宝玉因让“林妹妹吃茶。”众人笑说：“林妹妹早走了，还让呢。”
宝玉吃了半碗茶，忽又想起早起的茶来，因问茜雪道：“早起沏了一碗枫露茶，我说过，那茶是三四次后才出色的，这会子怎么又沏了这个来？”茜雪道：“我原是留着的，那会子李奶奶来了，他要尝尝，就给他吃了。”宝玉听了，将手中的茶杯只顺手往地下一掷，豁啷一声，打了个粉碎，泼了茜雪一裙子的茶。又跳起来问着茜雪道：“他是你那一门子的奶奶，你们这么孝敬他？不过是仗着我小时候吃过他几日奶罢了。如今逞的他比祖宗还大了。如今我又吃不着奶了，白白的养着祖宗作什么！撵了出去，大家干净！”说着便要去立刻回贾母，撵他乳母。
原来袭人实未睡着，不过故意装睡，引宝玉来怄[24]他顽耍。先闻得说字问包子等事，也还可不必起来；后来摔了茶钟，动了气，遂连忙起来解释劝阻。早有贾母遣人来问是怎么了。袭人忙道：“我才倒茶来，被雪滑倒了，失手砸了钟子。”一面又安慰宝玉道：“你立意要撵他，也好，我们也都愿意出去，不如趁势连我们一齐撵了。我们也好，你也不愁再有好的来服侍你。”宝玉听了这话，方无了言语，被袭人等扶至炕上，脱换了衣服。不知宝玉口内还说些什么，只觉口齿缠绵，眼眉愈加饧涩，忙服侍他睡下。袭人伸手从他项上摘下那通灵玉来，用自己的手帕包好，塞在褥下，次日带时便冰不着脖子。那宝玉就枕便睡着了。彼时李嬷嬷等已进来了，听见醉了，不敢前来再加触犯，只悄悄的打听睡了，方放心散去。
次日醒来，就有人回：“那边小蓉大爷带了秦相公来拜。”宝玉忙接了出去，领了拜见贾母。贾母见秦钟形容标致，举止温柔，堪陪宝玉读书，心中十分欢喜，便留茶留饭，又命人带去见王夫人等。众人因素爱秦氏，今见了秦钟是这般人品，也都欢喜，临去时都有表礼。贾母又与了一个荷包[25]并一个金魁星[26]，取“文星和合[27]”之意。又嘱咐他道：“你家住的远，或有一时寒热饥饱不便，只管住在这里，不必限定了。只和你宝叔在一处，别跟着那些不长进的东西们学。”秦钟一一的答应，回去禀知。
他父亲秦业现任营缮郎[28]，年近七十，夫人早亡。因当年无儿女，便向养生堂[29]抱了一个儿子并一个女儿。谁知儿子又死了，只剩女儿，小名唤可儿，长大时，生的形容袅娜，性格风流。因素与贾家有些瓜葛，故结了亲，许与贾蓉为妻。那秦业至五旬之上方得了秦钟。因去岁业师亡故，未暇延请高明之士，只得暂时在家温习旧课。正思要和亲家去商议送往他家塾中，暂且不致荒废，可巧遇见了宝玉这个机会。又知贾家塾中现今司塾的是贾代儒，乃当今之老儒，秦钟此去，学业料必进益，成名可望，因此十分喜悦。只是宦囊羞涩[30]，那贾家上上下下都是一双富贵眼睛，贽见礼[31]必须丰厚，〔三〕容易[33]拿不出来，又恐误了儿子的终身大事，说不得东拚西凑的恭恭敬敬封了二十四两贽见礼，亲自带了秦钟，来代儒家拜见了。然后听宝玉上学之日，好一同入塾。正是：
早知日后闲争气，岂肯今朝错读书。
〔一〕 此回甲戌本回前诗：“题曰：古鼎新烹凤髓香，那堪翠斝贮琼浆。莫言绮縠无风韵，试看金娃对玉郎。”
〔二〕 “回家，见过众人。宝玉先”九字，底本无，卞藏本无“见过众人”四字，下作“宝玉先”。从梦稿、甲戌、蒙府、戚序、甲辰、舒序本补。
[3] 清客相公——清客：旧时依附于官僚富贵人家帮闲凑趣的门客。相公：这里是对读书人的一般称呼，近似“先生”。
[4] 打千儿——旧时满族男子向人请安，左膝前屈，右腿后弯，上身微俯，右手下垂，行半跪礼。
[5] 斗方儿——一种一二尺见方的单幅笺纸，置四角于上下左右四方，写字作画其中，可张挂或收藏。
[6] 藏愚、守拙——藏愚：藏智巧于愚讷的外表之中；守拙：拙于应世而淡泊自守。
[7] 狐腋——狐狸腋窝部位的皮。皮质轻软，毛色纯白，集之成裘，十分轻暖，是一种名贵的皮毛。
[8] “又向”句——荒唐：指荒唐的人间。演大荒：演述大荒山青埂峰顽石的故事。
[9] “失去”句——意谓石头离开清幽灵秀的真境界。幽灵：即第五回太虚幻境中的“幽微灵秀地”。真境界：或指真如境界。佛教认为，世界有一种神秘的精神本体，叫真如，只有它才是真实的、永恒的，其他的一切都是虚幻不实的。
[10] “幻来”句——指石头幻形为通灵宝玉。幻：幻化。就：附。臭皮囊：佛教徒对人躯体的厌称，认为其中藏有痰粪等秽物，故称。这里指贾宝玉。
[11] “好知”句——好知：应当知道。运败金无彩：据脂批“伏下文，又夹入宝钗，不是虚图对的工”，当指原稿后半部关于薛宝钗结局的情节。金：指金锁，寓指宝钗及金玉良缘。
[12] 时乖玉不光——指原稿后半部贾宝玉潦倒穷困的遭遇。时乖：时运不好。
[13] 展些规矩——放大些尺寸。规、矩：画圆和求方的两种工具，引申为比例、尺寸的意思。
[14] 狼犺（kānɡ康）——形容蠢大笨重。
[15] 吉谶（chèn衬）——预示吉利的话。谶：预言。
[16] 羽缎——又称羽毛缎，一种毛织品，疏细者称羽纱，厚密者称羽缎，着水不湿，可御雨雪。
[17] 鸭信——鸭舌头，可制成名菜。信：舌头。
[18] 打儿——即打颤儿，发抖。
[19] 杂学旁收——相对于应世举业的“正途”学问而言，即不去攻读《四书》《五经》时文八股而爱好诗词曲赋小说戏曲以至茶酒医药等闲杂学问。
[20] 醒脾——即开胃；可引申为开心。本中医术语，是指一种治疗脾气虚寒、运化无力的方法。
[21] 乜（miē咩）斜——眯着眼睛，斜眼看人。
[22] 耍——戏弄之意。
[23] 渥（wò沃）——覆盖裹藏某物，借以保暖或使之变暖，叫“渥”。
[24] 怄（òu沤）——这里是撩拨逗弄、厮缠、磨人的意思。
[25] 荷包——用以装药品、香料等细小物品的扁圆形绣花小袋。
[26] 金魁星——黄金铸成的魁星神像，有祝颂功名顺利的意思。魁星：本作奎星，北斗第一星，汉代纬书《孝经援神契》有“奎主文章”之说，后遂以此星为掌文运之神。
[27] 文星和合——“文星”又称文昌星、文曲星，星相家以其为吉星、主文运、保功名。“和合”与荷包谐音，且为中国民间所奉喜庆吉祥之神，本祀万回，清代雍正年间封天台僧人寒山、拾得为“和合二仙”。
[28] 营缮郎——官名。明清时工部有营缮司，设郎中、员外郎等职。
[29] 养生堂——又叫育婴堂。一种收养弃婴的慈善机构。
[30] 宦囊羞涩——意谓做官者手头拮据。语本“阮囊羞涩”，见《韵府群玉·阳韵》。
[31] 贽（zhì至）见礼——旧时学生拜见老师时所送的礼，封套上要写“贽敬”。
〔三〕 “贽见礼必须丰厚”七字，据戚序、蒙府本补。
[33] 容易——轻易。
CHAPTER 8. Jia Bao-yu is allowed to see the strangely corresponding golden locket And Xue Bao-chai has a predestined encounter with the Magic Jade
When Bao-yu and Xi-feng were back and had seen the others, Bao-yu told Grandmother Jia of his wish to have Qin Zhong admitted to the clan school. He pointed out that a congenial study-companion would stimulate him to greater effort and gave her a glowing account of Qin Zhong’s amiable qualities. Xi-feng was at hand to lend her support. She told Grandmother Jia that Qin Zhong would be calling on her within a day or two to pay his respects. Their infectious enthusiasm put the old lady in a high good humour, which Xi-feng took advantage of to ask if she would accompany her to the dramatic entertainment which her opponents had promised in two days’ time.
In spite of her years Grandmother Jia loved any kind of excitement and when, two days later, You-shi came to fetch Xi-feng, the old lady did in fact accompany them, taking Lady Wang, Dai-yu and Bao-yu as well. By about noon, however, she was ready to go back and rest, and Lady Wang, who disliked noise and excitement, took the opportunity to leave with her. This left Xi-feng as principal guest, and she moved into the place of honour and stayed there for the rest of the day, enjoying herself immensely and not returning until late in the evening.
After accompanying Grandmother Jia back to her apartment and seeing her safely settled down for her nap, Bao-yu would have liked to go back and watch some more plays but was afraid that his presence would be an inconvenience to Qin-shi and his other ‘juniors’. Remembering that Bao-chai had been at home unwell during the past few days and that he had still not been to see her, he thought he would go there instead and pay her a call, but fearing that if he went the quickest way through the corner gate behind the main hall he might meet with some entanglement on the way or, worse, run into his father, he decided to go by a more circuitous route.
The maids and nurses who attended him had been expecting him to change into his everyday clothes, but seeing him go out of the inner gate again without doing so, followed after him, assuming that he was going back to the other mansion to watch the plays. To their surprise, however, he turned left when he reached the covered passage-way instead of going straight on, and made off in a north-easterly direction.
But he was out of luck, for as he did so he found himself facing Zhan Guang and Shan Ping-ren, two of the literary gentlemen patronized by his father, who were walking towards him from the opposite direction. They descended on him gleefully, one of them clasping him round the waist, the other taking him by a hand.
‘Angelic boy! How seldom one has the pleasure! Is it really you, or is this some delightful dream?’
They prattled on for what seemed an age before finally releasing him. As they were going, one of the old nurses detained them a moment longer.
‘Have you two gentlemen just come from the Master’s?’
The two gentlemen nodded and smiled conspiratorially:
‘Sir Zheng is in his little study in the Su Dong-po Rooms, having his afternoon nap. All is well!’
They hurried off. Bao-yu smiled too, relieved that his father was safely out of the way. Turning once again, this time north-wards, he made his way swiftly towards Pear Tree Court.
Once more he was unlucky. The Clerk of Stores Wu Xin-deng, a man called Dai Liang who was foreman at the granary, and five other foremen were just at that moment coming out of the counting-house together and, catching sight of Bao-yu, at once stood respectfully to attention. One of their number, a buyer called Qian Hua who had not seen Bao-yu for some considerable time, hurried forward, dropped on his right knee, and touched his hand to the ground in the Manchu salute. Bao-yu smilingly extended a hand to raise him up. The men all relaxed in smiles.
‘I saw some of your calligraphy in town the other day, Master Bao,’ said one of them. ‘It’s getting really good! When are you going to give us a few sheets for ourselves, to put up on the wall?’
‘Where did you see it?’ Bao-yu asked.
‘Any number of places,’ the men told him. ‘Everyone has been praising it no end. They even come to us asking for specimens.’
‘You can have some easily enough if you really want to,’ Bao-yu said. ‘You have only to ask one of my boys.’
He hurried on. The men waited for him to pass before dispersing about their business.
To omit further details of his progress, Bao-yu came at last to Pear Tree Court, and going first into Aunt Xue’s room, found her giving instructions to her maids about some embroidery. Her response to his greeting was to draw him towards her and clasp him to her bosom in an affectionate embrace.
‘What a nice, kind boy to think of us on a cold day like this! Come up on the kang and get warm!’
She ordered a maid to bring him some ‘boiling hot tea’.
Bao-yu inquired whether Cousin Pan was at home. Aunt Xue sighed.
‘Pan is like a riderless horse: always off enjoying himself somewhere or other. He won’t spend a single day at home if he can help it.’
‘What about Bao-chai? Is she quite better?’
‘Ah yes, of course!’ said Aunt Xue. ‘You sent someone to ask about her the other day, didn’t you? That was very thoughtful of you. I think she’s inside. Go in and have a look! It’s warmer in there than here. You go in and sit down, and I’ll be with you in a moment when I’ve finished tidying up.’
Bao-yu got down from the kang and going to the doorway of the inner room, lifted up the rather worn-looking red silk curtain which covered it. Bao-chai was sitting on the kang inside, sewing. Her lustrous black hair was done up in a simple bun without any kind of ornament. She was wearing a honey-coloured padded gown, a mulberry-coloured sleeveless jacket with a pattern in gold and silver thread, and a greenish-yellow padded skirt. All her clothing had the same sensible, rather well-worn look about it.
He saw no hint of luxury or show,
only a chaste, refined sobriety;
to some her studied taciturnity
might seem to savour of duplicity;
but she herself saw in conformity
the means of guarding her simplicity.
‘Have you quite recovered, cousin?’ Bao-yu asked.
Raising her head, Bao-chai saw Bao-yu enter the room. She rose quickly to her feet and smiled at him.
‘I am quite better now. It was nice of you to think of me.’
She made him sit on the edge of the kang and ordered Oriole to pour him some tea. Then she proceeded to ask him first about Grandmother Jia, then about Lady Wang and then about the girls, while her eye took in the details of his dress.
He had a little jewel-encrusted coronet of gold filigree on the top of his head and a circlet in the form of two dragons supporting a pearl round his brow. He was dressed in a narrow-sleeved, full-skirted robe of russet-green material covered with a pattern of writhing dragons and lined and trimmed with white fox-fur. A butterfly-embroidered sash with fringed ends was fastened round his waist, and from his neck hung a padlock-shaped amulet, a lucky charm, and the famous jade said to have been inside his mouth when he was born.
Bao-chai’s eye came to rest on the jade.
‘I am always hearing about this famous stone of yours,’ she said smilingly, ‘but I have never yet had a chance of examining it really closely. Today I think I should like to have a look.’
She moved forward as she spoke, and Bao-yu too leaned towards her, and taking the stone from his neck, put it into her hand.
Looking at it as it lay on her palm, she saw a stone about the size of a sparrow’s egg, glowing with the suppressed, milky radiance of a sunlit cloud and veined with iridescent streaks of colour.
Reader, you will, of course, remember that this jade was a transformation of that same great stone block which once lay at the foot of Greensickness Peak in the Great Fable Mountains. A certain jesting poet has written these verses about it:
Nü-wa’s stone-smelting is a tale unfounded:
On such weak fancies our Great Fable’s grounded.
Lost now, alack! and gone my heavenly stone –
Transformed to this vile bag of flesh and bone.
For, in misfortune, gold no longer gleams;
And bright jade, when fate frowns, lack-lustre seems.
Heaped charnel-bones none can identify
Were golden girls and boys in days gone by.
The words which the scabby-headed monk had incised on the stone when he found it lying in its diminished shape under Greensickness Peak were as follows.
(On the front side)
MAGIC JADE
Mislay me not, forget me not,
And hale old age shall be your lot.
(On the reverse side)
1. Dispels the harms of witchcraft.
2. Cures melancholic distempers.
3. Foretells good and evil fortune.
When Bao-chai had looked at the stone all over, she turned back to the inscription on the front and repeated it a couple of times to herself out loud:
‘Mislay me not, forget me not,
And hale old age shall be your lot.’
‘Why aren’t you pouring the tea?’ she asked Oriole. ‘What are you standing there gawping for?’
Oriole laughed.
‘Because those words sounded like a perfect match to the ones on your necklace.’
‘So you have an inscription, too?’ said Bao-yu pricking up his ears. ‘I must have a look.’
‘Don’t take any notice of her!’ said Bao-chai. ‘There is no inscription.’
‘Cousin, cousin,’ said Bao-yu entreatingly, ‘you’ve had a look at mine. Be fair!’
Bao-chai could not escape the logic of this entreaty.
‘There is a motto on it which someone gave us once for luck and which we had engraved on it,’ she admitted. ‘That’s the only reason I always wear it; otherwise it would be too tiresome to have a heavy thing like this hanging round one’s neck all the time.’
As she was speaking she undid the top buttons of her jacket and gown and extracted the necklace that she was wearing over the dark red shift beneath. Its pendant was a locket of shining solid gold, bordered with sparkling gems. There was a line of writing engraved on either side of it which together made up the words of a charm:
Ne’er leave me, ne’er abandon me:
And years of health shall be your fee.
He recited them a couple of times and then recited the words of his own inscription a couple of times.
‘Why, yes!’ he cried delightedly. ‘The two inscriptions are a perfect match!’
‘A scabby-headed old monk gave Miss Bao-chai the words,’ said Oriole. ‘He said they must be engraved on something made of gold…’
Bao-chai angrily cut her short, telling her to mind her business and pour the tea. To change the subject she asked Bao-yu where he had just come from.
Bao-yu was now sitting almost shoulder to shoulder with her and as he did so became aware of a penetrating fragrance that seemed to emanate from her person.
‘What incense do you use to scent your clothes with, cousin?’ he asked. ‘I have never smelt such a delicious perfume.’
‘I can’t stand incense perfumes,’ said Bao-chai. ‘I could never see the point of smoking perfectly good, clean clothes over an incense-pot.’
‘In that case, what is this perfume I can smell?’
Bao-chai thought for a moment.
‘I know! It must be the Cold Fragrance Pill I took this morning.’
‘What’s a Cold Fragrance Pill?’ said Bao-yu with a laugh. ‘Won’t you give me one to try?’
‘Now you’re being silly again. Medicine isn’t something to be taken for amusement.’
Just at that moment the servants outside announced ‘Miss Lin’ and almost simultaneously Dai-yu came flouncing into the room. Catching sight of Bao-yu she let out a wail of mock dismay.
‘Oh dear! I have chosen a bad time to come!’
The others rose and invited her to be seated.
‘Why did you say that?’ Bao-chai asked her.
‘If I had known he was coming, I shouldn’t have come myself.’
‘What exactly do you mean by that?’
‘What do I mean by that?’ said Dai-yu. ‘I mean that if I only come when he does, then when I don’t come you won’t have any visitors. Whereas if we space ourselves out so that he comes one day and I come the next, it will never get either too lonely or too noisy for you. I shouldn’t have thought that needed much explaining.’
Observing that Dai-yu was wearing a greatcoat of red camlet over her dress, Bao-yu asked whether it was snowing outside.
‘It’s been snowing for some time,’ said one of the old women standing below the kang.
Bao-yu asked someone to go and fetch his winter cape.
‘You see!’ said Dai-yu. ‘When I come, he has to go!’
‘Who said anything about going?’ said Bao-yu. ‘I just want them to have it ready for me.’
‘It’s no time to go now, while it’s still snowing,’ said Bao-yu’s old nurse, Nannie Li. ‘Much better stay here and play with your cousins. In any case, I think your Aunt Xue is getting tea ready for you. I’ll send a maid to fetch your cape. Shall I tell the boys outside they can go?’
Bao-yu nodded, and Nannie Li went outside and dismissed the pages.
By now Aunt Xue had finished laying tea, which included a number of delicious-looking things to eat, and invited the cousins to partake. While they were doing so, Bao-yu happened to mention the excellent goose-foot preserve made by his Cousin Zhen’s wife that he had eaten at the Ning mansion only two days previously. Aunt Xue at once hurried out and fetched some of her own for him to try.
‘This really needs to be eaten with wine,’ said Bao-yu.
Aunt Xue gave orders for some of the best wine to be decanted; but Nannie Li disapproved.
‘He shouldn’t have wine, Mrs Xue.’
‘Oh go on, Nannie!’ Bao-yu pleaded good-humouredly. ‘I shall only drink one cup.’
‘It’s no good!’ said Nannie Li. ‘I don’t mind if you drink a hogshead as long as your grandmother or your mother is there. But look at the trouble I got into the other day just because when I had my back turned for a moment some wretched person who ought to have known better gave you a sip or two to humour you! I didn’t hear the end of it for days after.
‘You don’t know how wild he can be, Mrs Xue,’ she continued. ‘And he gets even worse when he’s had something to drink. With Her Old Ladyship you can never tell. One day when she’s feeling high-spirited she’ll let him drink as much as he likes; other days she won’t let him touch a drop. But come what may, I’m always the one that gets into trouble.’
‘Poor old thing!’ said Aunt Xue with a laugh. ‘Have a drink yourself and stop worrying! I’ll see that he doesn’t drink too much. And if Lady Jia does say anything, I shall take full responsibility.’ She turned to one of the maids: ‘Come on, now! Pour Nannie a nice warm cup of wine to keep the cold out!’
Nannie Li could scarcely sustain her objection after this and went off with the other servants to have her drink.
‘Don’t bother to heat the wine for me,’ said Bao-yu. ‘I prefer it cold.’
‘Good gracious, that will never do!’ said Aunt Xue. ‘You mustn’t drink wine cold, or when you write your hand will shake!’
‘I’m surprised at you, Cousin Bao!’ said Bao-chai with a smile. ‘With all your enthusiasm for out-of-the-way learning, fancy not knowing a thing like that! Wine has an exceptionally fiery nature, and therefore must be drunk warm in order to be quickly digested. If it is drunk cold, it congeals inside the body and harms it by absorbing heat from the internal organs. From this day on you must reform! No more cold wine!’
Dai-yu, who sat cracking melon-seeds between her teeth throughout this homily, smiled ironically. Just at that moment her maid Snowgoose came hurrying in with a little hand-warmer for her.
‘Who told you to bring this?’ Dai-yu asked her. ‘Very kind of them, I am sure. But I was not actually freezing to death here.’
‘Nightingale told me to bring it, Miss. She was afraid you might be cold.’
‘I am glad you are so ready to obey her. Generally when I tell you to do anything it goes in one ear and out the other; yet anything she tells you to do is followed out more promptly than an Imperial Edict!’
Bao-yu knew perfectly well that these words were really intended for him, but made no reply, beyond laughing good-humouredly. Bao-chai, long accustomed to Dai-yu’s peculiar ways, also ignored them. But Aunt Xue protested.
‘You’ve always been rather delicate and you’ve always felt the cold badly. Surely it was nice of them to think of you?’
‘You don’t understand, Aunt,’ said Dai-yu. ‘It doesn’t matter here, with you; but some people might be deeply offended at the sight of one of my maids rushing in with a hand-warmer. It’s as though I thought my hosts couldn’t supply one themselves if I needed it. Instead of saying how thoughtful the maid was, they would put it down to my arrogance and lack of breeding.’
‘You are altogether too sensitive, thinking of things like that,’ said Aunt Xue. ‘Such a thought would never have crossed my mind!’
Bao-yu had soon finished his third cup of wine and Nannie Li once more came forward to restrain him. But Bao-yu, who was now warm and happy and in the midst of a hilarious conversation with his cousins, was naturally unwilling to stop, and pleaded humbly with the old lady for a reprieve.
‘Nannie darling, just two more cups and then I’ll stop!’
‘You’d better look out,’ said Nannie Li. ‘Your father’s at home today. He’ll be asking you about your lessons before you know where you are.’
At these words all Bao-yu’s happiness drained away. Slowly he set down his cup and bowed his head in dejection.
‘Don’t spoil everyone’s enjoyment,’ said Dai-yu. ‘Even if Uncle does call for you, you can always say that Aunt Xue is keeping you. I think that old Nannie of yours has had a cup too many and is looking for a bit of excitement at our expense.’ She gave him a gentle nudge to encourage a more valiant spirit in him, muttering, as she did so, ‘Take no notice of the old fool! Let’s go on enjoying ourselves and not mind about her!’
Nannie Li knew only too well what Dai-yu was capable of.
‘Now Miss Lin,’ she said, ‘don’t you go taking his part! If you encourage him he’s only too likely to do what you say!’
Dai-yu smiled dangerously. ‘Take his part? Why should I want to encourage him? You are over-cautious, my dear Nannie. After all, Lady Jia often lets him drink; why should it matter if Mrs Xue lets him have a cup or two? I suppose you think he can’t be trusted to drink here because Mrs Xue is not one of us?’
Nannie Li did not know whether to feel upset or amused.
‘Really, Miss Lin. Some of the things you say cut sharper than a knife!’
Bao-chai could not suppress a giggle. She pinched Dai-yu’s cheek playfully.
‘Really, Miss Frowner, the things you say! One doesn’t know whether to grind one’s teeth or laugh!’
Aunt Xue laughed too.
‘Don’t be afraid, my boy! Heaven knows I’ve got little enough to offer you when you come to see me. You mustn’t get upset over a small thing like this, or I shall feel quite uncomfortable. Drink as much as you like; I’ll look after you! You may as well stay to supper, in any case; and even if you do get drunk, you can always spend the night here.’ She told a maid to heat some more wine. ‘There! Auntie will drink a cup or two with you, and then we shall have some supper.’
Bao-yu’s spirits began to revive a bit under his aunt’s encouragement.
‘Keep an eye on him,’ said Nannie Li to the maids. ‘I’m just going back for a few minutes to change my clothes.’ Then aside to Aunt Xue she said, ‘Don’t let him drink too much, Mrs Xue!’ and went off home.
Although two or three old women still remained after her departure, none felt very much concern for Bao-yu, and as soon as Nannie Li was out of the way they quietly slipped off about their own concerns, leaving, of the attendants who had come with him, only two small maids, whose only anxiety was to please their young master by indulging him as much as possible.
Fortunately Aunt Xue, by exercising great tact and finesse, managed to spirit the wine away when Bao-yu had drunk only a few more cups, and to replace it with a hot, sour soup of pickled bamboo-shoots and chicken-skin. He drank several bowls of this with great relish and then ate half a bowl of green-rice gruel. After that, when Bao-chai and Dai-yu had finished eating, he drank several cups of very strong tea. At this point Aunt Xue felt sure that he would be all right.
As Snowgoose and the other maids had now finished supper too and were once more in attendance, Dai-yu asked Bao-yu if he was ready to go. He looked at her blearily through tired eyes.
‘If you want to go, I will go with you.’
Dai-yu rose to her feet. ‘We really ought to go. We’ve been here practically all day!’
The two of them began saying their good-byes.
A maid came forward with Bao-yu’s rain-hat and he lowered his head slightly for her to put it on. Holding the brim of the great saucer-shaped red felt top, she jerked it up and prepared to bring it down, aiming the inside part at his crown.
‘Stop!’ he cried impatiently. ‘You have got to go easy with a great clumsy thing like that! Haven’t you ever seen anyone putting one of these things on before? You had better let me do it myself.’
‘Come here!’ said Dai-yu standing on the edge of the kang. ‘I’ll put it on for you!’
Bao-yu went and stood in front of her. Putting her two hands round the inner cap, Dai-yu eased it gently down until its rim fitted over his golden headband, so that the walnut-sized red woollen pompom of the headband was left quivering outside the cap on its flexible golden stem.
‘There!’ she said, after a few further adjustments. ‘Now you can put on your cape.’
Bao-yu took the cape from his maid and fastened it himself.
‘The nurses who came with you are still not back,’ said Aunt Xue. ‘Perhaps you had better wait a bit.’
‘We wait for them?’ said Bao-yu. ‘We have got the maids. We shall be all right.’
But Aunt Xue was not satisfied, and ordered two of her own women to see the cousins home.
As soon as they were back they thanked the women for their trouble and went straight in to see Grandmother Jia, who had not yet had her supper. She was delighted to learn that they had been with Aunt Xue, and observing that Bao-yu, had had more than a little to drink, she told him to go and rest in his room and not come out again, and instructed the servants to keep a careful watch over him. Remembering which servants usually attended him, she asked what had become of Nannie Li. The maids dared not tell her the truth, which was that she had gone home.
‘I think she must have had something to do,’ said one of them. ‘She came in when we did just now, but went out again almost immediately.’
‘Why worry about her?’ said Bao-yu over his shoulder, swaying slightly as he made his way to the bedroom. ‘She’s better looked after than you are! If it weren’t for her I might live a few days longer!’
Inside his room he found a writing-brush and ink laid out on the desk. Skybright was the first to greet him.
‘You’re a nice one!’ she said. ‘You made me mix all this ink for you this morning, sat down in a state of great enthusiasm, wrote just three characters, threw down the brush again, rushed out, and left me waiting here all day for you to come back and finish. Now you just sit down here and use this ink up, and perhaps I’ll let the matter pass!’
Skybright’s words awoke in Bao-yu a recollection of the morning’s events.
‘What became of the three characters I wrote?’
Skybright laughed. ‘You’re really drunk, aren’t you! This morning before you went to the other house you gave careful instructions that they were to be pasted up over the outside door. I was afraid that someone else might make a mess of it, so I got up on a ladder and spent half the morning sticking them up myself. My hands are still numb from doing it.’
‘I’d forgotten.’ Bao-yu smiled. ‘If your hands are cold, I’ll warm them for you.’ He took both her hands in his own and led her outside to inspect the sheet of calligraphy newly pasted up over the doorway. Just then Dai-yu arrived.
‘I want you to tell me honestly, cousin,’ said Bao-yu. ‘Which of these three characters do you think is the best?’
Dai-yu looked up at the three characters above the door:
RED RUE STUDY
‘They are all equally good. I didn’t know you could write so beautifully. You must do one for me some time!’
‘You’re just saying that to humour me,’ said Bao-yu. ‘Where is Aroma?’ he asked Skybright.
Skybright shot out her lips and indicated the kang inside, on which Aroma, fully clothed, was lying fast asleep.
‘Just look at that!’ said Bao-yu with a laugh. ‘It’s a bit early for sleep, isn’t it?’
He turned once more to Skybright. ‘When I was having lunch at the other house today there was a plate of bean-curd dumplings. I remembered how fond you are of those things and asked Mrs Zhen if I could have some to eat in the evening. She had them sent over for me. Did you get them all right?’
‘Don’t talk to me about those dumplings!’ said Skybright. ‘As soon as they arrived I realized that they must be for me, but as I’d only just finished eating, I put them on one side meaning to eat them later. Then after a while Nannie Li came in and caught sight of them. “I don’t expect Bao-yu will want these,” she said. “I think I’ll take them for my grandchildren”; and she had them sent round to her house.’
While Skybright was talking, Snowpink came in carrying some tea on a tray. Bao-yu invited Dai-yu to have some, to the great merriment of the maids, who pointed out that she had slipped away some minutes before.
After drinking about half a cupful, Bao-yu suddenly thought of the tea he had drunk early that morning.
‘When you made that Fung Loo this morning,’ he said to Snowpink, ‘I remember telling you that with that particular brand the full flavour doesn’t come out until after three or four waterings. Why have you given me this other stuff? This would have been just the time to have the Fung Loo.’
‘I was keeping it for you,’ said Snowpink, ‘but Nannie Li came and drank it all.’
With a flick of the wrist Bao-yu hurled the cup he was holding on to the floor, where it smashed noisily, breaking into innumerable pieces and showering Snowpink’s skirt with hot tea. He jumped angrily to his feet.
‘Is she your mistress that you should all treat her with such reverence? Merely because I drank her milk for a few days when I was a baby she is as spoiled and pampered as though she were some sort of divinity. Let’s get rid of the old woman now and have done with it!’
And he strode off without more ado to tell Grandmother Jia that he wanted his old nurse dismissed.
All this time Aroma had been only pretending to sleep, hoping by this means to engage Bao-yu’s attention and provoke some coquetry between them. As long as the talk dwelt on calligraphy and Skybright’s dumplings there seemed no pressing need for her to get up; but when she heard him break a teacup and grow really angry she hurriedly rose to her feet and intervened to restrain him.
By this time someone had arrived from Grandmother Jia’s room to inquire what all the noise was about. Aroma pretended that she had smashed the cup herself by slipping on some snow while fetching tea. Having disposed of the inquirer, she then proceeded to exhort Bao-yu.
‘Dismiss her by all means, if you really want to! But we should all like to leave with her; so while you are about it, why not make a clean sweep and dismiss the lot of us? I am sure you will find plenty of other good servants to replace us with.’
Bao-yu had nothing to say to this, and Aroma and the rest helped him onto the kang and started undressing him. He kept trying to tell them something as they did so, but an object seemed to impede his tongue and his eyelids were growing increasingly hot and heavy. Soon the maids had him lying down between covers. Aroma took off the ‘Magic Jade’, wrapped it in a piece of silk, and slipped it under the quilt, so that it should not be cold on his neck the next morning. By this time Bao-yu was already asleep, having dropped off as soon as his head touched the pillow.
While this was going on, Nannie Li and the other old women had arrived back at last. Learning that Bao-yu was drunk, they dared not approach him and soon went off again, having satisfied themselves by whispered exchanges that he was safely asleep.
Bao-yu awoke next morning to hear someone announcing that ‘Master Rong from the other house’ had brought Qin Zhong over to pay his respects. Bao-yu hurried out to receive them and conducted Qin Zhong into the presence of Grandmother Jia. Observing that Qin Zhong’s good looks and gentle demeanour admirably qualified him to become Bao-yu’s study-companion, Grandmother Jia was pleased, and made him stay for tea and then dinner, after which she sent him to be introduced to Lady Wang and the rest. Everybody loved Qin-shi and was delighted to meet this charming younger brother, and there were First Meeting presents from everybody waiting for him when he left. Grandmother Jia’s was an embroidered purse enclosing a little God of Literature in solid gold to signify that literary success was ‘in the bag’.
‘Since your home is so far away,’ she said to Qin Zhong as he was leaving, ‘the weather may sometimes make it inconvenient for you to go back at night. In that case, do please stay here with us! And mind that you always keep with your Uncle Bao and don’t go getting into mischief with those young ragamuffins at the school!’
Qin Zhong received these admonitions with deference and then went home to report on the day’s events to his father.
Qin Zhong’s father, Qin Bang-ye, was one of the Secretaries in the Public Buildings Department of the Board of Works and a man in his middle sixties. He had lost his wife early, and finding himself still childless at the age of fifty, had adopted a boy and a girl from an orphanage. The boy had died, leaving only the girl Ke-er, or ‘Ke-qing’ as she was more elegantly renamed, who had grown up into an extremely charming and vivacious young woman and been married into the Jia family, with whom her adoptive father had long had a connection.
Qin Bang-ye fathered Qin Zhong when he was fifty-three and the boy was now twelve years old. His tutor had returned south the year before, and he had been revising old lessons at home ever since. Qin Bang-ye had himself been on the point of speaking to his daughter’s in-laws about the possibility of getting Qin Zhong admitted into the Jia clan school as an external scholar when the happy accident of Qin Zhong’s meeting with Bao-yu occurred. Bang-ye knew of Jia Dai-ru, the master in charge of the school, as one of the leading elder scholars of the day, under whose tutelage there would be every hope of Qin Zhong’s making rapid strides in his education and eventually obtaining an advancement. He was therefore delighted that the matter had been so easily concluded.
There was only one difficulty. Knowing the sort of style in which the Jias lived, Bang-ye realized that he would have to dip deeply into his pocket, and his official salary left that pocket only meagrely supplied. However, since this was a matter which concerned the whole future of his son, there was nothing for it but to strain his credit to the utmost. By borrowing a bit here and a bit there he was able to get together a sum of twenty-four taels of silver which he made up into a packet and laid reverently before Jia Dai-ru when he took Qin Zhong to the old teacher’s house to make his kotow. Nothing now remained but for Bao-yu to choose an auspicious day on which the two of them could begin school together.
Their entry into the school was the occasion of a tumultuous incident of which an account will be given in the following chapter.