第六十七回
第六十七回 见土仪颦卿思故里 闻秘事凤姐讯家童
话说尤三姐自尽之后，尤老娘和二姐儿、贾珍、贾琏等俱不胜悲恸，自不必说，忙令人盛殓，送往城外埋葬。柳湘莲见尤三姐身亡，痴情眷恋，却被道人数句冷言打破迷关，竟自截发出家，跟随疯道人飘然而去，不知何往。暂且不表。
且说薛姨妈闻知湘莲已说定了尤三姐为妻，心中甚喜，正是高高兴兴要打算替他买房子，治家伙，择吉迎娶，以报他救命之恩。忽有家中小厮吵嚷“三姐儿自尽了”，被小丫头们听见，告知薛姨妈。薛姨妈不知为何，心甚叹息。正在猜疑，宝钗从园里过来，薛姨妈便对宝钗说道：“我的儿，你听见了没有？你珍大嫂子的妹妹三姑娘，他不是已经许定给你哥哥的义弟柳湘莲了么，不知为什么自刎了。那柳湘莲也不知往那里去了。真正奇怪的事，叫人意想不到。”
宝钗听了，并不在意，便说道：“俗语说的好‘天有不测风云，人有旦夕祸福’。这也是他们前生命定。前日妈妈为他救了哥哥，商量着替他料理，如今已经死的死了，走的走了，依我说，也只好由他罢了。妈妈也不必为他们伤感了。倒是自从哥哥打江南回来了一二十日，贩了来的货物，想来也该发完了。那同伴去的伙计们辛辛苦苦的，回来几个月了，妈妈和哥哥商议商议，也该请一请，酬谢酬谢才是。别叫人家看着无礼似的。”
母女正说话间，见薛蟠自外而入，眼中尚有泪痕。一进门来，便向他母亲拍手说道：“妈妈可知道柳二哥尤三姐的事么？”薛姨妈说：“我才听见说，正在这里和你妹妹说这件公案呢。”薛蟠道：“妈妈可听见说柳湘莲跟着一个道士出了家了么？”薛姨妈道：“这越发奇了。怎么柳相公那样一个年轻的聪明人，一时糊涂，就跟着道士去了呢。我想你们好了一场，他又无父母兄弟，只身一人在此，你该各处找找他才是。靠那道士能往那里远去，左不过是在这方近左右的庙里寺里罢了。”薛蟠说：“何尝不是呢。我一听见这个信儿，就连忙带了小厮们在各处寻找，连一个影儿也没有。又去问人，都说没看见。”
薛姨妈说：“你既找寻过没有，也算把你作朋友的心尽了。焉知他这一出家不是得了好处去呢。只是你如今也该张罗张罗买卖，二则把你自己娶媳妇应办的事情，倒早些料理料理。咱们家没人，俗语说的‘夯雀儿先飞’，省得临时丢三落四的不齐全，令人笑话。再者你妹妹才说，你也回家半个多月了，想货物也该发完了，同你去的伙计们，也该摆桌酒给他们道道乏才是。人家陪着你走了二三千里的路程，受了四五个月的辛苦，而且在路上又替你担了多少的惊怕沉重。”薛蟠听说，便道：“妈妈说的很是。倒是妹妹想的周到。我也这样想着，只因这些日子为各处发货闹的脑袋都大了。又为柳二哥的事忙了这几日，反倒落了一个空，白张罗了一会子，倒把正经事都误了。要不然定了明儿后儿下帖儿请罢？”薛姨妈道：“由你办去罢。”
话犹未了，外面小厮进来回说：“管总的张大爷差人送了两箱子东西来，说这是爷各自买的，不在货帐里面。本要早送来，因货物箱子压着，没得拿；昨儿货物发完了，所以今日才送来了。”一面说，一面又见两个小厮搬进了两个夹板夹的大棕箱。薛蟠一见，说：“嗳哟，可是我怎么就糊涂到这步田地了！特特的给妈和妹妹带来的东西，都忘了没拿了家里来，还是伙计送了来了。”宝钗说：“亏你说，还是特特的带来的才放了一二十天，若不是特特的带来，大约要放到年底下才送来呢。我看你也诸事太不留心了。”薛蟠笑道：“想是在路上叫人把魂吓掉了，还没归窍呢。”说着大家笑了一回，便向小丫头说：“出去告诉小厮们，东西收下，叫他们回去罢。”
薛姨妈同宝钗因问：“到底是什么东西，这样捆着绑着的？”薛蟠便命叫两个小厮进来，解了绳子，去了夹板，开了锁看时，这一箱都是绸缎绫锦洋货等家常应用之物。薛蟠笑着道：“那一箱是给妹妹带的。”亲自来开。母女二人看时，却是些笔、墨、纸、砚、各色笺纸、香袋、香珠、扇子、扇坠、花粉、胭脂等物；外有虎丘带来的自行人、酒令儿，水银灌的打筋斗小小子，沙子灯，一出一出的泥人儿的戏，用青纱罩的匣子装着；又有在虎丘山上泥捏的薛蟠小像[2]，与薛蟠毫无相差。宝钗见了，别的都不理论，倒是薛蟠的小像，拿着细细看了一看，又看看他哥哥，不禁笑起来了。因叫莺儿带着几个老婆子将这些东西连箱子送到园里去，又和母亲哥哥说了一回闲话儿，才回园里去了。这里薛姨妈将箱子里的东西取出，一分一分的打点清楚，叫同喜送给贾母并王夫人等处不提。
且说宝钗到了自己房中，将那些玩意儿一件一件的过了目，除了自己留用之外，一分一分配合妥当，也有送笔墨纸砚的，也有送香袋扇子香坠的，也有送脂粉头油的，有单送顽意儿的。只有黛玉的比别人不同，且又加厚一倍。一一打点完毕，使莺儿同着一个老婆子，跟着送往各处。
这边姊妹诸人都收了东西，赏赐来使，说见面再谢。惟有林黛玉看见他家乡之物，反自触物伤情，想起父母双亡，又无兄弟，寄居亲戚家中，那里有人也给我带些土物？想到这里，不觉的又伤起心来了。
紫鹃深知黛玉心肠，但也不敢说破，只在一旁劝道：“姑娘的身子多病，早晚服药，这两日看着比那些日子略好些。虽说精神长了一点儿，还算不得十分大好。今儿宝姑娘送来的这些东西，可见宝姑娘素日看得姑娘很重，姑娘看着该喜欢才是，为什么反倒伤起心来。这不是宝姑娘送东西来倒叫姑娘烦恼了不成？就是宝姑娘听见，反觉脸上不好看。再者这里老太太们为姑娘的病体，千方百计请好大夫配药诊治，也为是姑娘的病好。这如今才好些，又这样哭哭啼啼，岂不是自己遭踏了自己身子，叫老太太看着添了愁烦了么？况且姑娘这病，原是素日忧虑过度，伤了血气。姑娘的千金贵体，也别自己看轻了。”紫鹃正在这里劝解，只听见小丫头子在院内说：“宝二爷来了。”紫鹃忙说：“请二爷进来罢。”
只见宝玉进房来了，黛玉让坐毕，宝玉见黛玉泪痕满面，便问：“妹妹，又有谁气着你了？”黛玉勉强笑道：“谁生什么气。”旁边紫鹃将嘴向床后桌上一努，宝玉会意，往那里一瞧，见堆着许多东西，就知道是宝钗送来的，便取笑说道：“那里这些东西，不是妹妹要开杂货铺啊？”黛玉也不答言。紫鹃笑着道：“二爷还提东西呢。因宝姑娘送了些东西来，姑娘一看就伤起心来了。我正在这里劝解，恰好二爷来的很巧，替我们劝劝。”宝玉明知黛玉是这个缘故，却也不敢提头儿，只得笑说道：“你们姑娘的缘故，想来不为别的，必是宝姑娘送来的东西少，所以生气伤心。妹妹，你放心，等我明年叫人往江南去，与你多多的带两船来，省得你淌眼抹泪的。”
黛玉听了这些话，也知宝玉是为自己开心，也不好推，也不好任，因说道：“我任凭怎么没见世面，也到不了这步田地，因送的东西少，就生气伤心。我又不是两三岁的小孩子，你也忒把人看得小气了。我有我的缘故，你那里知道。”说着，眼泪又流下来了。宝玉忙走到床前，挨着黛玉坐下，将那些东西一件一件拿起来摆弄着细瞧，故意问这是什么，叫什么名字；那是什么做的，这样齐整；这是什么，要他做什么使用。又说这一件可以摆在面前，又说那一件可以放在条桌上当古董儿倒好呢。一味的将些没要紧的话来厮混。
黛玉见宝玉如此，自己心里倒过不去，便说：“你不用在这里混搅了。咱们到宝姐姐那边去罢。”宝玉巴不得黛玉出去散散闷，解了悲痛，便道：“宝姐姐送咱们东西，咱们原该谢谢去。”黛玉道：“自家姊妹，这倒不必。只是到他那边，薛大哥回来了，必然告诉他些南边的古迹儿，我去听听，只当回了家乡一趟的。”说着，眼圈儿又红了。宝玉便站着等他。黛玉只得同他出来，往宝钗那里去了。
且说薛蟠听了母亲之言，急下了请帖，办了酒席。次日，请了四位伙计，俱已到齐，不免说些贩卖帐目发货之事。不一时，上席让坐，薛蟠挨次斟了酒。薛姨妈又使人出来致意。大家喝着酒说闲话儿。内中一个道：“今日这席上短两个好朋友。”众人齐问是谁，那人道：“还有谁，就是贾府上的琏二爷和大爷的盟弟柳二爷。”大家果然都想起来，问着薛蟠道：“怎么不请琏二爷和柳二爷来？”薛蟠闻言，把眉一皱，叹口气道：“琏二爷又往平安州去了，头两天就起了身的。那柳二爷竟别提起，真是天下头一件奇事。什么是柳二爷，如今不知那里作柳道爷去了。”
众人都诧异道：“这是怎么说？”薛蟠便把湘莲前后事体说了一遍。众人听了，越发骇异，因说道：“怪不的前日我们在店里仿仿佛佛也听见人吵嚷说，有一个道士三言两语把一个人度了去了，又说一阵风刮了去了，只不知是谁。我们正发货，那里有闲工夫打听这个事去，到如今还是似信不信的，谁知就是柳二爷呢。早知是他，我们大家也该劝他劝才是。任他怎么着，也不叫他去。”内中一个道：“别是这么着罢？”众人问怎么样，那人道：“柳二爷那样个伶俐人，未必是真跟了道士去罢。他原会些武艺，又有力量，或看破那道士的妖术邪法，特意跟他去，在背地摆布他，也未可知。”薛蟠道：“果然如此倒也罢了。世上这些妖言惑众的人，怎么没人治他一下子。”众人道：“那时难道你知道了也没找寻他去？”薛蟠说：“城里城外，那里没有找到？不怕你们笑话，我找不着他，还哭了一场呢。”言毕，只是长吁短叹无精打彩的，不像往日高兴。众伙计见他这样光景，自然不便久坐，不过随便喝了几杯酒，吃了饭，大家散了。
且说宝玉同着黛玉到宝钗处来。宝玉见了宝钗，便说道：“大哥哥辛辛苦苦的带了东西来，姐姐留着使罢，又送我们。”宝钗笑道：“原不是什么好东西，不过是远路带来的土物儿，大家看着新鲜些就是了。”黛玉道：“这些东西我们小时候倒不理会，如今看见，真是新鲜物儿了。”宝钗因笑道：“妹妹知道，这就是俗语说的‘物离乡贵’，其实可算什么呢。”宝玉听了这话正对了黛玉方才的心事，连忙拿话岔道：“明年好歹大哥哥再去时，替我们多带些来。”黛玉瞅了他一眼，便道：“你要你只管说，不必拉扯上人。姐姐你瞧，宝哥哥不是给姐姐来道谢，竟又要定下明年的东西来了。”说的宝钗宝玉都笑了。
三个人又闲话了一回，因提起黛玉的病来。宝钗劝了一回，因说道：“妹妹若觉着身子不爽快，倒要自己勉强扎挣着出来各处走走逛逛，散散心，比在屋里闷坐着到底好些。我那两日不是觉着发懒，浑身发热，只是要歪着，也因为时气不好，怕病，因此寻些事情自己混着。这两日才觉着好些了。”黛玉道：“姐姐说的何尝不是。我也是这么想着呢。”大家又坐了一会子方散。宝玉仍把黛玉送至潇湘馆门首，才各自回去了。
且说赵姨娘因见宝钗送了贾环些东西，心中甚是喜欢，想道：“怨不得别人都说那宝丫头好，会做人，很大方，如今看起来果然不错。他哥哥能带了多少东西来，他挨门儿送到，并不遗漏一处，也不露出谁薄谁厚，连我们这样没时运的，他都想到了。若是那林丫头，他把我们娘儿们正眼也不瞧，那里还肯送我们东西？”一面想，一面把那些东西翻来覆去的摆弄瞧看一回。忽然想到宝钗系王夫人的亲戚，为何不到王夫人跟前卖个好儿呢。自己便蝎蝎螫螫的拿着东西，走至王夫人房中，站在旁边，陪笑说道：“这是宝姑娘才刚给环哥儿的。难为宝姑娘这么年轻的人，想的这么周到，真是大户人家的姑娘，又展样，又大方，怎么叫人不敬服呢。怪不得老太太和太太成日家都夸他疼他。我也不敢自专就收起来，特拿来给太太瞧瞧，太太也喜欢喜欢。”王夫人听了，早知道来意了，又见他说的不伦不类，也不便不理他，说道：“你自管收了去给环哥顽罢。”赵姨娘来时兴兴头头，谁知抹了一鼻子灰，满心生气，又不敢露出来，只得讪讪的出来了。到了自己房中，将东西丢在一边，嘴里咕咕哝哝自言自语道：“这个又算了个什么儿呢。”一面坐着，各自生了一回闷气。
却说莺儿带着老婆子们送东西回来，回复了宝钗，将众人道谢的话并赏赐的银钱都回完了，那老婆子便出去了。莺儿走近前来一步，挨着宝钗悄悄的说道：“刚才我到琏二奶奶那边，看见二奶奶一脸的怒气。我送下东西出来时，悄悄的问小红，说刚才二奶奶从老太太屋里回来，不似往日欢天喜地的，叫了平儿去，唧唧咕咕的不知说了些什么。看那个光景，倒像有什么大事的似的。姑娘没听见那边老太太有什么事？”宝钗听了，也自己纳闷，想不出凤姐是为什么有气，便道：“各人家有各人的事，咱们那里管得。你去倒茶去罢。”莺儿于是出来，自去倒茶不提。
且说宝玉送了黛玉回来，想着黛玉的孤苦，不免也替他伤感起来。因要将这话告诉袭人，进来时却只有麝月、秋纹在房中。因问：“你袭人姐姐那里去了？”麝月道：“左不过在这几个院里，那里就丢了他。一时不见，就这样找。”宝玉笑着道：“不是怕丢了他。因我方才到林姑娘那边，见林姑娘又正伤心呢。问起来却是为宝姐姐送了他东西，他看见是他家乡的土物，不免对景伤情。我要告诉你袭人姐姐，叫他闲时过去劝劝。”正说着，晴雯进来了，因问宝玉道：“你回来了，你又要叫劝谁？”宝玉将方才的话说了一遍。晴雯道：“袭人姐姐才出去，听见他说要到琏二奶奶那边去。保不住还到林姑娘那里。”宝玉听了，便不言语。秋纹倒了茶来，宝玉漱了一口，递给小丫头子，心中着实不自在，就随便歪在床上。
却说袭人因宝玉出门，自己作了回活计，忽想起凤姐身上不好，这几日也没有过去看看，况闻贾琏出门，正好大家说说话儿。便告诉晴雯：“好生在屋里，别都出去了，叫宝玉回来抓不着人。”晴雯道：“嗳哟，这屋里单你一个人记挂着他，我们都是白闲着混饭吃的。”袭人笑着，也不答言，就走了。
刚来到沁芳桥畔，那时正是夏末秋初，池中莲叶新残相间，红绿离披。袭人走着，沿堤看顽了一回。猛抬头看见那边葡萄架底下有人拿着掸子在那里掸什么呢，走到跟前，却是老祝妈。那老婆子见了袭人，便笑嘻嘻的迎上来，说道：“姑娘怎么今日得工夫出来逛逛？”袭人道：“可不是。我要到琏二奶奶家瞧瞧去。你在这里做什么呢？”那婆子道：“我在这里赶蜜蜂儿。今年三伏里雨水少，这果子树上都有虫子，把果子吃的疤瘌流星的掉了好些下来。姑娘还不知道呢，这马蜂最可恶的，一嘟噜上只咬破三两个儿，那破的水滴到好的上头，连这一嘟噜都是要烂的。姑娘你瞧，咱们说话的空儿没赶，就落上许多了。”袭人道：“你就是不住手的赶，也赶不了许多。你倒是告诉买办，叫他多多做些小冷布[3]口袋儿，一嘟噜套上一个，又透风，又不遭塌。”婆子笑道：“倒是姑娘说的是。我今年才管上，那里知道这个巧法儿呢。”因又笑着说道：“今年果子虽遭踏了些，味儿倒好，不信摘一个姑娘尝尝。”袭人正色道：“这那里使得。不但没熟吃不得，就是熟了，上头还没有供鲜，咱们倒先吃了。你是府里使老了的，难道连这个规矩都不懂了。”老祝忙笑道：“姑娘说得是。我见姑娘很喜欢，我才敢这么说，可就把规矩错了，我可是老糊涂了。”袭人道：“这也没有什么。只是你们有年纪的老奶奶们，别先领着头儿这么着就好了。”说着遂一径出了园门，来到凤姐这边。
一到院里，只听凤姐说道：“天理良心，我在这屋里熬的越发成了贼了。”袭人听见这话，知道有原故了，又不好回来，又不好进去，遂把脚步放重些，隔着窗子问道：“平姐姐在家里呢么？”平儿忙答应着迎出来。袭人便问：“二奶奶也在家里呢么，身上可大安了？”说着，已走进来。
凤姐装着在床上歪着呢，见袭人进来，也笑着站起来，说：“好些了，叫你惦着。怎么这几日不过我们这边坐坐？”袭人道：“奶奶身上欠安，本该天天过来请安才是。但只怕奶奶身上不爽快，倒要静静儿的歇歇儿，我们来了，倒吵的奶奶烦。”凤姐笑道：“烦是没的话。倒是宝兄弟屋里虽然人多，也就靠着你一个照看他，也实在的离不开。我常听见平儿告诉我，说你背地里还惦着我，常常问我。这就是你尽心了。”一面说着，叫平儿挪了张杌子放在床边，让袭人坐下。
丰儿端进茶来，袭人欠身道：“妹妹坐着罢。”一面说闲话儿。只见一个小丫头子在外间屋里悄悄的和平儿说：“旺儿来了。在二门上伺候着呢。”又听见平儿也悄悄的道：“知道了。叫他先去，回来再来，别在门口儿站着。”袭人知他们有事，又说了两句话，便起身要走。凤姐道：“闲来坐坐，说说话儿，我倒开心。”因命平儿：“送送你妹妹。”平儿答应着送出来。只见两三个小丫头子，都在那里屏声息气齐齐的伺候着。袭人不知何事，便自去了。
却说平儿送出袭人，进来回道：“旺儿才来了，因袭人在这里，我叫他先到外头等等儿，这会子还是立刻叫他呢，还是等着？请奶奶的示下。”凤姐道：“叫他来。”平儿忙叫小丫头去传旺儿进来。这里凤姐又问平儿：“你到底是怎么听见说的？”平儿道：“就是头里那小丫头子的话。他说他在二门里头听见外头两个小厮说：‘这个新二奶奶比咱们旧二奶奶还俊呢，脾气儿也好。’不知是旺儿是谁，吆喝了两个一顿，说：‘什么新奶奶旧奶奶的，还不快悄悄儿的呢，叫里头知道了，把你的舌头还割了呢。’”平儿正说着，只见一个小丫头进来回说：“旺儿在外头伺候着呢。”凤姐听了，冷笑了一声说：“叫他进来。”那小丫头出来说：“奶奶叫呢。”旺儿连忙答应着进来。
旺儿请了安，在外间门口垂手侍立。凤姐儿道：“你过来，我问你话。”旺儿才走到里间门旁站着。凤姐儿道：“你二爷在外头弄了人，你知道不知道？”旺儿又打着千儿回道：“奴才天天在二门上听差事，如何能知道二爷外头的事呢。”凤姐冷笑道：“你自然不知道。你要知道，你怎么拦人呢。”旺儿见这话，知道刚才的话已经走了风了，料着瞒不过，便又跪回道：“奴才实在不知。就是头里兴儿和喜儿两个人在那里混说，奴才吆喝了他们两句。内中深情底里奴才不知道，不敢妄回。求奶奶问兴儿，他是长跟二爷出门的。”
凤姐听了，下死劲啐了一口，骂道：“你们这一起没良心的混帐忘八崽子！都是一条藤儿，打量我不知道呢。先去给我把兴儿那个忘八崽子叫了来，你也不许走。问明白了他，回来再问你。好，好，好，这才是我使出来的好人呢！”那旺儿只得连声答应几个是，磕了个头爬起来出去，去叫兴儿。
却说兴儿正在帐房儿里和小厮们玩呢，听见说二奶奶叫，先唬了一跳，却也想不到是这件事发作了，连忙跟着旺儿进来。旺儿先进去，回说：“兴儿来了。”凤姐儿厉声道：“叫他来！”那兴儿听见这个声音儿，早已没了主意了，只得乍着胆子进来。凤姐儿一见，便说：“好小子啊！你和你爷办的好事啊！你只实说罢！”兴儿一闻此言，又看见凤姐儿气色及两边丫头们的光景，早唬软了，不觉跪下，只是磕头。
凤姐儿道：“论起这事来，我也听见说不与你相干。但只你不早来回我知道，这就是你的不是了。你要实说了，我还饶你；再有一字虚言，你先摸摸你腔子上几个脑袋瓜子！”兴儿战兢兢的朝上磕头道：“奶奶问的是什么事，奴才同爷办坏了？”凤姐听了，一腔火都发作起来，喝命：“打嘴巴！”旺儿过来才要打时，凤姐儿骂道：“什么糊涂忘八崽子！叫他自己打，用你打吗？一会子你再各人打你那嘴巴子还不迟呢。”那兴儿真个自己左右开弓打了自己十几个嘴巴。凤姐儿喝声“站住”，问道：“你二爷外头娶了什么新奶奶旧奶奶的事，你大概不知道啊。”
兴儿见说出这件事来，越发着了慌，连忙把帽子抓下来在砖地上咕咚咕咚碰的头山响，口里说道：“只求奶奶超生，奴才再不敢撒一个字儿的谎。”凤姐道：“快说！”兴儿直蹶蹶的跪起来回道：“这事头里奴才也不知道。就是这一天，东府里大老爷送了殡，俞禄往珍大爷庙里去领银子。二爷同着蓉哥儿到了东府里，道儿上爷儿两个说起珍大奶奶那边的二位姨奶奶来。二爷夸他好，蓉哥儿哄着二爷，说把二姨奶奶说给二爷。”凤姐听到这里，使劲啐道：“呸！没脸的忘八蛋！他是你那一门子的姨奶奶！”
兴儿忙又磕头说：“奴才该死！”往上瞅着，不敢言语。凤姐儿道：“完了吗？怎么不说了？”兴儿方才又回道：“奶奶恕奴才，奴才才敢回。”凤姐啐道：“放你妈的屁，这还什么恕不恕了。你好生给我往下说，好多着呢。”兴儿又回道：“二爷听见这个话就喜欢了。后来奴才也不知道怎么就弄真了。”凤姐微微冷笑道：“这个自然么，你可那里知道呢！你知道的只怕都烦了呢。是了，说底下的罢！”兴儿回道：“后来就是蓉哥儿给二爷找了房子。”凤姐忙问道：“如今房子在那里？”兴儿道：“就在府后头。”凤姐儿道：“哦。”回头瞅着平儿道：“咱们都是死人哪。你听听！”平儿也不敢作声。
兴儿又回道：“珍大爷那边给了张家不知多少银子，那张家就不问了。”凤姐道：“这里头怎么又扯拉上什么张家李家咧呢？”兴儿回道：“奶奶不知道，这二奶奶……”刚说到这里，又自己打了个嘴巴，把凤姐儿倒怄笑了。两边的丫头也都抿着嘴儿笑。兴儿想了想，说道：“那珍大奶奶的妹子……”凤姐儿接着道：“怎么样？快说呀。”兴儿道：“那珍大奶奶的妹子原来从小儿有人家的，姓张，叫什么张华，如今穷的待好讨饭。珍大爷许了他银子，他就退了亲了。”
凤姐儿听到这里，点了点头儿，回头便望丫头们说道：“你们都听见了？小忘八崽子，头里他还说他不知道呢！”兴儿又回道：“后来二爷才叫人裱糊了房子，娶过来了。”凤姐道：“打那里娶过来的？”兴儿回道：“就在他老娘家抬过来的。”凤姐道：“好罢咧。”又问：“没人送亲么？”兴儿道：“就是蓉哥儿。还有几个丫头老婆子们，没别人。”凤姐道：“你大奶奶没来吗？”兴儿道：“过了两天，大奶奶才拿了些东西来瞧的。”凤姐儿笑了一笑，回头向平儿道：“怪道那两天二爷称赞大奶奶不离嘴呢。”掉过脸来又问兴儿，“谁服侍呢？自然是你了。”兴儿赶着碰头不言语。
凤姐又问：“前头那些日子说给那府里办事，想来办的就是这个了。”兴儿回道：“也有办事的时候，也有往新房子里去的时候。”凤姐又问道：“谁和他住着呢。”兴儿道：“他母亲和他妹子。昨儿他妹子各人[4]抹了脖子了。”凤姐道：“这又为什么？”兴儿随将柳湘莲的事说了一遍。凤姐道：“这个人还算造化高，省了当那出名儿的忘八。”因又问道：“没了别的事了么？”兴儿道：“别的事奴才不知道。奴才刚才说的字字是实话，一字虚假，奶奶问出来只管打死奴才，奴才也无怨的。”
凤姐低了一回头，便又指着兴儿说道：“你这个猴儿崽子就该打死。这有什么瞒着我的？你想着瞒了我，就在你那糊涂爷跟前讨了好儿了，你新奶奶好疼你。我不看你刚才还有点怕惧儿，不敢撒谎，我把你的腿不给你砸折了呢。”说着喝声，“起去。”兴儿磕了个头，才爬起来，退到外间门口，不敢就走。凤姐道：“过来，我还有话呢。”兴儿赶忙垂手敬听。凤姐道：“你忙什么，新奶奶等着赏你什么呢？”兴儿也不敢抬头。
凤姐道：“你从今日不许过去。我什么时候叫你，你什么时候到。迟一步儿，你试试！出去罢。”兴儿忙答应几个“是”，退出门来。凤姐又叫道：“兴儿！”兴儿赶忙答应回来。凤姐道：“快出去告诉你二爷去，是不是啊？”兴儿回道：“奴才不敢。”凤姐道：“你出去提一个字儿，隄防你的皮！”兴儿连忙答应着才出去了。
凤姐又叫：“旺儿呢？”旺儿连忙答应着过来。凤姐把眼直瞪瞪的瞅了两三句话的工夫，才说道：“好旺儿，很好，去罢！外头有人提一个字儿，全在你身上。”旺儿答应着也出去了。
凤姐便叫倒茶。小丫头子们会意，都出去了。这里凤姐才和平儿说：“你都听见了？这才好呢。”平儿也不敢答言，只好陪笑儿。凤姐越想越气，歪在枕上只是出神，忽然眉头一皱，计上心来，便叫：“平儿来。”平儿连忙答应过来。凤姐道：“我想这件事竟该这么着才好。也不必等你二爷回来再商量了。”未知凤姐如何办理，下回分解。
〔一〕 此回庚辰、己卯本原缺。其馀各本虽均存，但差异极大，明显分为两种类型：戚序、俄藏、甲辰本为一类；梦稿、程甲本为一类。蒙府本系据程甲本配补。今以程甲本为底本，校以梦稿本，个别地方参校别本。
[2] 虎丘……泥捏的薛蟠小像——虎丘，山名，在江苏省苏州市，有虎丘塔、剑池等名胜古迹。附近民间艺人擅用香泥捏相（又称塑真），“耍货”甚多，闻名远近。见清人顾禄《桐桥倚棹录》卷十一。
[3] 冷布——稀疏透气的纱布。
[4] 各人——此处意为“自个儿”。
CHAPTER 67. Frowner sees something that makes her homesick And Xi-feng hears something that rouses her suspicions
The grief occasioned in old Mrs You, Er-jie, Cousin Zhen and Jia Lian by San-jie’s suicide can be imagined. It long outlasted her burial outside the city walls, which took place shortly after the encoffining. As for Liu Xiang-lian, the human repinings felt by that somewhat cold young man when he realized the value of what he had lost were brought to an abrupt end (as we have shown) by the even colder words of the Taoist, which, by breaking through the Barrier of Confusion and opening his eyes to the vanity of human affections, caused him to renounce the world by symbolically severing his hair and following the mad holy man in his wanderings. The direction these took them in is unknown, as we stated in the previous chapter. Let us leave them and see how others were affected by these events.
Aunt Xue had been delighted by the news of Xiang-lian’s betrothal to You San-jie. The wedding would give her an opportunity of demonstrating her gratitude to him for saving her son’s life. She was excitedly planning for this event – discussing the purchase of a house and furniture, selecting a date, making arrangements for the ceremony and so forth – when one of the household boys came in with the appalling news that San-jie had cut her throat and Xiang-lian decided to become a Taoist. She was still puzzling over the incomprehensible nature of this disaster when Bao-chai came over from the Garden.
‘Child, have you heard the news?’ Aunt Xue asked her. ‘Mrs Zhen’s younger sister, San-jie – the one that was engaged to marry Pan’s new “brother” Liu Xiang-lian – has cut her throat. I’ve no idea why. And Xiang-lian has renounced the world and just disappeared. Isn’t it terrible? I don’t know what to make of it.’
Bao-chai heard her without emotion.
‘It is as the proverb says, Mamma: “The weather and human life are unpredictable.” This was probably preordained because of something they did in their past lives. The other day you were planning to do everything you could for him because of what he did for Pan. Now she is dead and he has disappeared. I think the best thing you can do is just forget about them. There is no point in upsetting yourself on their account; there are other things to worry about. It is more than a fortnight now since Pan got back from the South and the goods he brought with him must all have been disposed of by now. Surely you ought to have a word with him about entertaining the people who went with him on the journey? They had a good deal of hardship to put up with during their months of travel. It will seem very uncouth of us if we do not find some way of showing our appreciation.’
While Bao-chai and her mother were talking, Xue Pan came in from outside. His eyes were still wet from recent weeping.
‘Mamma,’ he said, ‘have you heard about Xiang-lian and San-jie?’
‘They told me only a few minutes ago,’ said Aunt Xue. ‘Your sister and I were talking about it when you came in.’
‘You heard that Xiang-lian had gone off with some Taoist then,’ said Xue Pan.
‘Yes,’ said Aunt Xue. ‘That’s what’s so extraordinary. Why should an intelligent young man like that suddenly take leave of his senses to go wandering off with a Taoist? As he had no parents or brothers, I think it’s up to you as his best friend to find him. They say the Taoist is both mad and lame, so they cannot have got very far – probably no farther than one of the temples or monasteries in this vicinity.’
‘That’s exactly what I thought, Mamma,’ said Xue Pan. ‘As soon as I heard the news, I went around looking for him with the boys, but we couldn’t find a trace of him anywhere, and none of the people we talked to seemed to have seen him.’
‘Well, if you’ve already looked for him and he can’t be found, you’ve done as much as a friend could do,’ said Aunt Xue. ‘Some good might yet come of it, you never know. What you’ve got to do now is start getting your business back into shape. And for another thing, it’s time you started thinking about your own marriage and making a few preparations. We’ve got no other man in the family but you and you’re not as bright as you might be. You know what they say about baby birds learning to fly. The sillier the bird, the sooner it must begin. If you start getting ready well in advance, there will be less danger of making yourself ridiculous when the time comes by finding that there are all sorts of things you have forgotten. And there’s something else I want to talk to you about. Your sister has just been pointing out to me, it’s more than a fortnight since you came back and the goods you brought back with you must all have been sold off by now. You ought to give a little party for those of our employees who went with you on the journey – just a little gesture to show them that you appreciate their services. After all, it was a long journey. What would it be? A thousand miles there and back? Pretty nearly. You were four or five months away, at all events. And don’t forget, they underwent some very alarming experiences on your behalf.’
‘You’re absolutely right, Mamma,’ said Xue Pan. ‘And sis, she always thinks of everything. I had thought about it myself, but during these last few days, what with running around everywhere disposing of the stock until my head feels as if it will burst and running around getting things ready for Xiang-lian’s wedding (fat lot of good that was, now that it’s all come to nothing!) I somehow didn’t get round to it. Still, it’s not too late. We can fix a time for tomorrow or the day after and send the invitations out straight away.’
‘I leave all that to you,’ said his mother.
The words were scarcely out of her mouth when one of the pages came in from outside to report.
‘There are some men here from the shop with two cases of stuff for you and a message from Mr Zhang. He says these are the things you bought for yourself, that aren’t on the stocklist. He would have sent them round earlier, but there were a lot of other cases on top of them and he couldn’t get them out. He says they didn’t finish selling the stock off until yesterday, so this is the first time he has been able to get at them.’
Two other pages carried the two cases in, one after the other, while he was speaking. They were large coir trunks, protectively crated between pairs of roped-together boards.
‘Aiyo!’ said Xue Pan. ‘How stupid of me! I brought these things back specially for you and sis, Mamma, but I completely forgot to bring them home with me. Fancy the boys in the shop having to remember them for me!’
‘It’s a good thing you “brought them back specially”, said Bao-chai. ‘Now we’re only getting them a fortnight late. If you hadn’t “brought them back specially”, we should probably have had to wait until the end of the year! It’s the same with everything you do. You are so thoughtless.’
Xue Pan laughed.
‘I think it’s because of that scare we had on the journey. It scared the wits out of me and they haven’t got back into the right holes yet.’
The others laughed. He turned to the boy who had come in with the message.
‘All right. Tell the men outside we’ve got the stuff now and they can go back to the shop.’
Aunt Xue and Bao-chai were curious.
‘Well, what is it you’ve got all crated and corded up so carefully?’
Xue Pan told the pages to untie the ropes, remove the protecting boards and undo the fastenings of the trunks. The first one contained mostly materials – silks, satins, brocades and so forth – and various foreign articles of domestic use.
‘The other trunk is stuff I got specially for you, sis,’ said Xue Pan.
He undid the fastenings of it himself. Besides writing-brushes, ink-sticks, inkstones, different sorts of fancy stationery, purses, rosaries, fans, fan-cases, face-powder, rouge and other feminine articles, it contained a whole lot of novelties from Hu-qiu-shan: little mercury-filled automata who turned somersaults when you put them down on the floor or a table, automata with sand-filled cylindrical bodies whose arms, legs and heads moved when you set the sand running, and lots and lots of scenes from drama made up of tiny figures moulded in coloured clay in cases of transparent green gauze. Most fascinating of all was a tiny made-to-order figure of Xue Pan himself, looking exactly like the original in every detail. Bao-chai had no eyes for anything but this. Picking the tiny replica up in her hand to examine it, she looked from it to the original and burst out laughing. She had the other things put back into the trunk and ordered two of the older servants to carry it to All-spice Court for her under Oriole’s supervision while she herself stayed chatting a little longer with her mother and brother. Then she too went back into the Garden.
After she had gone, Aunt Xue proceeded to go over the contents of the other trunk with Providence, taking them out, putting them into separate piles, and explaining which pile was to be given to Grandmother Jia, which to Lady Wang, and so forth.
Xue Pan for his part began there and then to make preparations for a party. The invitations to his employees were dispatched with great urgency, for he was determined that the party should be on the very next day. As a number of people were invited, it took some time for all of them to assemble and there was much talk about trading, accountancy and the disposal of stock before the last of the guests had arrived. When they were all present, Xue Pan invited them to take their places at table and went round himself with the wine-kettle to fill their cups. Aunt Xue sent someone in to thank them on the family’s behalf for their loyal service. Thereupon drinking began and conversation of a more general kind among the guests. Presently one of them observed that a good friend was missing from their company whose presence might have been expected.
‘Oh?’ said the others. ‘Who’s that?’
‘Mr Liu,’ the man said, ‘that saved all our lives and became a blood-brother to the master.’
This started a good deal of speculation among the guests and finally one of them asked Xue Pan outright why he had not invited him. Xue Pan frowned and sighed.
‘Don’t ask me about him,’ he said. ‘It’s a very funny business. It isn’t “Mr Liu” now any longer. It’s “Father Liu”.’
The others expressed surprise.
‘How can that be?’
Xue Pan related the whole story to them. They were even more surprised when they heard.
‘Now I understand what they were shouting about yesterday outside the shop,’ said one of them. ‘It was something about a man having been converted by only two or three words spoken to him by a Taoist. Someone else said the two of them had vanished into thin air. They didn’t say who the man was. We were all busy selling stock at the time, so we couldn’t go outside to find out and we’ve been wondering ever since whether to believe the story or not. We never imagined it was Mr Liu they were talking about. If we’d known, we’d have gone after him and tried to reason with him. I’m sure we’d have found some way of stopping him.’
‘I’ve got a different theory about what happened,’ said one of them.
‘Oh? What’s that?’ the others asked him.
‘Well,’ said the man with the theory, ‘it doesn’t seem very likely that a clever young chap like Mr Liu would suddenly go off to become the disciple of an old Taoist. We know how strong he is and how good at martial arts. Perhaps he’d found out that this Taoist was really a wicked magician and just pretended to become his disciple so that when he’d got him to some quiet, out-of-the-way place he could do him in.’
‘If that’s what it is, that’s very good,’ said Xue Pan. ‘There are too many of these fellows going around leading people astray with their silly nonsense. It needs a person like Xiang-lian to put a few of them down.’
‘But didn’t you look for Mr Liu yourself when you heard about this?’ his guests asked him.
‘Of course I did,’ said Xue Pan. ‘Inside and outside the city. And I don’t mind telling you – you can laugh at me if you like – I had a good old cry when I couldn’t find him.’
He sighed several times and looked very despondent. His customary cheerfulness seemed to have deserted him altogether since this loss. Seeing him so downcast, his employees did not venture to stay long, but drank the wine up, finished up the food, and dispersed. We, too, shall leave him at this point and continue our interrupted narrative of the previous day.
When Bao-chai got back from her mother’s to her own room in All-spice Court, she went over the toys that Xue Pan had given her, deciding which of her cousins each one of them should go to and retaining only a very few of them for herself. When she had finished doing that, she proceeded to portion out the other things as well. For some of the cousins there were writing-brushes, paper, inkstones and ink; for others, purses, fans and rosaries; some were to have hair-oil, powder and rouge; for some there were to be only toys. She made the little piles as equal as possible, except in the case of Dai-yu, for whom she selected twice as much as for anyone else. Having explained very carefully to Oriole who each of the piles was for, she sent her off, with an old woman acting as portress, to go round to all the apartments and deliver them.
With one exception, the cousins, on receiving their presents, tipped the bearers and said that they would thank Bao-chai in person when they next saw her. Dai-yu alone reacted some-what differently. The sight of the Hu-qiu toys, manufactured only a few miles from her native Soochow, brought on a severe attack of nostalgia. Once more she was reminded of her position: an orphan and an outsider, with no kind brother in her case to bring back things for her from the South. Already she was beginning to be upset. Nightingale knew at once what was the matter, but judged it more politic to remonstrate than to let her mistress know that she understood.
‘Look at all the illness you’ve had, miss. You hardly ever stop taking medicine. It’s only just recently that you’ve begun to look a bit better. Though even now I think it’s more a case of being in better spirits than being properly cured. You can see from the fact that Miss Bao has sent you all these things that she must think a lot of you. That ought to make you happy, not upset you. Whatever is Miss Bao going to think if she gets to hear that the things she has sent you have made you feel miserable? That’s not going to be very nice for her, is it? And there’s another thing. Look how concerned Her Old Ladyship and Her Ladyship always are about your health, how they get the best doctors and the best medicines to try and cure you. And now, just as you are beginning to be a little bit better, here you go, crying and making yourself miserable. It’s as if you wanted to get ill again, just to give them something more to worry about! It was too much fretting that brought on your illness in the first place. You ought to have a bit more consideration for yourself.’
While Nightingale was admonishing her mistress, a voice from the courtyard was heard announcing ‘Master Bao’. Nightingale called to him to come inside.
‘Sit down,’ said Dai-yu.
Bao-yu noticed that she had been crying.
‘Hullo, what’s the matter?’ he asked. ‘Who’s been upsetting you?’
Dai-yu forced a smile.
‘I’m not upset.’
Nightingale shot her lips out and gestured towards the table behind Dai-yu’s bed. His eyes followed her gesture to the pile of presents on the table. He realized she could only just have received them from Bao-chai.
‘Why, what a lot of things you’ve got there!’ he said. ‘Are you planning to set up a shop?’
Dai-yu made no reply.
‘Don’t talk about them!’ said Nightingale. ‘They’re from Miss Bao. As soon as Miss Lin set eyes on them, she burst into tears. I was just trying to talk some sense into her when you came in. Perhaps, now you’re here, you’ll be able to do it for me.’
Bao-yu knew what Dai-yu’s trouble was as well as Nightingale, but was no more willing than Nightingale to show her that he knew. He merely laughed, therefore, and answered Nightingale with a jest.
‘Oh, I know what’s upset your mistress. She’s cross because Miss Bao didn’t send her more. Never mind, coz,’ he said, turning to Dai-yu, ‘one of these days I’ll be visiting Kiangnan myself, and when I do, I promise to bring you back two whole boatloads of these things. That should dry your eyes for you!’
Dai-yu, aware that she was being ‘cheered up’, could not rebuff the clumsy attempt too impatiently; nor, on the other hand, did she feel inclined to let it pass unreproved.
‘I may be very stupid and ill-bred, but not quite to the extent of getting into a passion because I have not been given enough toys. I am not a three-year-old. You make me out to be even more petty-minded than I am. I have my own reasons for what I feel. What do you know about them?’
As she said this, the tears began once more to flow. Bao-yu moved over from his seat and sat down beside her on the bed. He began picking the articles on the table up one by one, turning them this way and that to examine them, and asking her all sorts of questions about them. What was this? What did you call it? Wasn’t this one clever? What was it made of? And this one, what was it for? He also made various suggestions as to where she should put them. This one he thought would be nice to keep by her on her desk; that one would look well with the vases and other ornaments on the walltable; and so on and so on until Dai-yu felt that, however well-intentioned this might be, she could stand no more.
‘Come on, you’re being a nuisance,’ she said. ‘Let’s go and see Bao-chai.’
This was precisely what Bao-yu had been hoping for. If he could get her to go out, the distraction of doing something else might cause her to forget her sadness.
‘Good!’ he said. ‘We ought to go, anyway, to thank her for the things.’
‘I wasn’t thinking of that,’ said Dai-yu. ‘Between cousins there is no need for such formality. I was thinking that, having just got back from the South, Cousin Pan must have told her a lot about the places there he visited, and hearing about them from Chai would be the next best thing to taking a trip back there myself.’
Her eyes began to redden, and for a moment it seemed in doubt if she would go out after all; but as Bao-yu was already on his feet waiting for her, she was more or less obliged to follow him.
‘After all the trouble Cousin Pan went to in getting them to you,’ Bao-yu told Bao-chai when they were in her room, ‘you ought to have kept those things for yourself, not given them all away to other people.’
‘There’s nothing very special about them,’ said Bao-chai. ‘They are all inexpensive objects made by local craftsmen which just happen to have come from a long way away. I thought the rest of you might find them amusing.’
‘When I was little, these things were so familiar to me that I thought nothing of them,’ said Dai-yu. ‘Now, after all these years, they have become novelties again.’
‘“The farther from home, the more precious the object” as the saying goes,’ said Bao-chai. ‘Not that these are precious, of course.’
Bao-yu feared that Bao-chai was moving onto dangerous ground and intervened to change the subject.
‘Be sure to make Pan go again next year, Chai, and bring us back a lot more.’
Dai-yu stared.
‘If you want to make such a request, that’s your business, but kindly leave others out of it!’ She turned to Bao-chai. ‘He has not come here to thank you, you observe, but to put in an order for next year.’
Bao-chai and Bao-yu both laughed.
As the three of them chattered on, the conversation presently turned to the subject of Dai-yu’s illness.
‘When you are out of sorts,’ Bao-chai suggested, ‘you want to force yourself to go out of doors: walk around, visit people, look at things – anything to take your mind off yourself. You’ll find it is much better for you than sitting cooped up indoors feeling miserable. I wasn’t feeling very well recently. I felt exhausted all day long and hot all over and wanted to do nothing but lie down. This is a bad time of the year for me, and I was afraid of becoming seriously ill. So I started deliberately looking for things to do and forcing myself to do them; and do you know, during the last day or two I really have begun to feel better.’
‘I am sure you are right,’ said Dai-yu. ‘I have in fact come to the same conclusion myself.’
The person most gratified by Bao-chai’s presents was Aunt Zhao.
‘I’m not surprised they all say what a nice girl that Bao-chai is,’ she said to herself when the consignment of toys arrived for Jia Huan. ‘You can see from this how kind and generous she is. Her brother can’t have brought all that much back for her from his travels, yet every single person has been remembered. No one’s been left out because they aren’t important, even the unlucky ones like us that no one else ever bothers about. Now if it had been that Lin girl, it would have been a very different story. She can scarcely even bring herself to look you straight in the face. You wouldn’t catch her sending us things like this!’
As these thoughts passed through her mind, she was turning the things over and over in her hands and arranging them this way and that upon the kang. Presently the thought occurred to her that Bao-chai was close kin to Lady Wang. Why should she not take advantage of that fact to ingratiate herself with Lady Wang? Gathering the articles up in her arms, she went off, full of fuss and self-importance, to Lady Wang’s room and took up a position at her elbow.
‘Look!’ she said, putting on a very affected smile. ‘Look what Bao-chai has just sent our Huan! Such thoughtfulness in one so young! She’s a real little lady, Bao-chai. She has class. And so generous. You can’t help admiring her. I don’t wonder you and Her Old Ladyship are so fond of her and always speaking so highly of her. I didn’t like to keep these things without your permission, that’s why I’ve brought them. And I thought it might amuse you to look at them.’
Lady Wang had guessed what the motive for her visit must be long before she had finished. The clumsy attempt to ingratiate was by no means pleasing to her, but she could not ignore it altogether.
‘Certainly you should keep them,’ she said. ‘Let Huan have them to play with.’
She had merely glanced at the toys in saying this and then turned away again.
So Aunt Zhao, who had been so cock-a-hoop when she came, had got nothing for her pains but a smutty nose. Angry, but not daring to show it, she returned crestfallen to her room and threw the things into a corner, muttering crossly to her-self as she did so.
‘Hfn! What do you make of that then?’
And she sat on her own there on the kang, continuing to mutter to herself as she brooded angrily on her wrongs.
Oriole and the old woman had by this time finished delivering presents and went back to give their mistress an account of the messages of thanks sent back by the recipients and the various tips they had received. As soon as the old woman had gone out, Oriole moved closer to where Bao-chai was sitting and spoke softly into her ear.
‘When we were delivering at Mrs Lian’s just now, Mrs Lian looked absolutely furious about something. I had a word with Crimson on my way out and she said that when Mrs Lian came back from Her Old Ladyship’s a little before we arrived she was looking very grim – not at all her usual smiling self. She called for Patience as soon as she got back and they were talking earnestly together about something, but she couldn’t hear what they were saying. It looks as though something really serious must have happened. Did you hear about anything while you were at Her Old Ladyship’s today, miss?’
Bao-chai wondered what could have made Xi-feng so angry, but could think of nothing.
‘Every household has its own troubles,’ she told Oriole. ‘It isn’t our business to inquire. Go and pour me some tea.’
So Oriole went out to pour tea and nothing more on that subject was said.
After seeing Dai-yu to her gate, Bao-yu continued on his way to Green Delights. While he did so, he was thinking how hard it must be to be an orphan and feeling more and more sorry for her. He resolved to have a word with Aroma about it when he got back, but when he got back, only Musk and Ripple were in his room.
‘Where’s Aroma?’ he asked them.
‘Must be in one or other of the courtyards hereabouts,’ said Musk. ‘She can’t be lost. Why the sudden urge to see her?’
Bao-yu smiled.
‘I didn’t imagine she was lost. The reason I asked is because I’ve just got back from seeing Miss Lin. She seemed to be rather upset about something, and when I asked her what it was, she said the things that Miss Bao sent her were made quite near her old home and the sight of them had upset her. I was going to ask Aroma if she’d mind going over and having a word with her.’
‘Oh dear! Who’s in for it this time?’
It was Skybright who said this. She had come in at that moment and overheard only the last few words he had spoken. He repeated for her benefit the whole of what he had just been saying to Musk.
‘Aroma went out a few minutes ago,’ said Skybright. ‘I think she was going to call on Mrs Lian. It’s quite possible that she may drop in at Miss Lin’s place on her way back.’
Bao-yu made no reply. Ripple poured him a cup of tea. He took it from her absent-mindedly, rinsed his mouth with some of it, handed the rest to one of the junior maids, and stretched himself out on his bed, looking thoroughly miserable.
After Bao-yu went off to visit Dai-yu, Aroma had at first occupied herself with some sewing. While she was doing this, it suddenly occurred to her that it was some time since she had been to call on Xi-feng and ask about her illness. Now seemed as good a time as any to visit her, because she knew that Jia Lian was not there so that she would be able to converse with her more freely. When she had changed her clothes and, with the aid of a hand-mirror, made a few adjustments to her appearance, she went in again to tell Skybright of her decision.
‘I’m off to Mrs Lian’s now. Stay in the room while I’m gone, will you? We don’t want Master Bao calling out and finding nobody there.’
‘Aiyo!’ said Skybright sarcastically. ‘You are the only one who ever thinks about him, of course. The rest of us just sit around all day doing nothing.’
Aroma merely laughed and went off without replying. As she came within sight of the water near Drenched Blossoms Bridge, she saw that the lotuses were all dead and ragged-looking; but the hibiscus-bushes along the banks were just coming into flower, the pink budding clusters making a brilliant contrast with the bright green of the leaves. She lingered on her way along the embankment so that she could get a better view of them. Looking up suddenly from her contemplation of the hibiscus bushes, she became aware that on the other side of the path a little ahead of her someone was standing under the grape-vine waving a feather-duster about, apparently dusting something. When she got a little nearer, she could see that it was that indefatigable gardener, Mamma Zhu. Recognizing Aroma, the old woman beamed and came up to greet her.
‘It’s not often you find time to go out walking, miss?’
‘No, indeed,’ said Aroma. ‘I’m on my way to see Mrs Lian. What are you doing?’
‘I’m trying to keep these wasps off the grapes,’ said the old woman. ‘There was very little rain in the dog-days this year, consequently it’s brought the pests out onto all the fruit. It gets riddled all over with bites and a lot of it is dropping before it’s ripe. These wasps are terrible things. You’d never credit it. They’ll go for just two or three grapes in a bunch, but the juice drips from them onto the rest, and then the whole bunch is spoiled. Look at that, miss! A whole lot more of them have settled just in the time we have been talking.’
‘Even if you keep at it non-stop with that duster of yours, you’re not going to keep off more than a few of them,’ said Aroma. ‘Why don’t you ask one of the buyers to get a lot of muslin bags made for you, to tie over the bunches? They will keep off the birds and wasps while still allowing the air to get at them.’
‘I certainly will,’ said the old woman. ‘What a clever idea! I’ve never heard of that one before – but then this is the first year I’ve had the job, you see.’ She smiled. ‘Look, miss, although so many of the grapes are spoiled, they still taste good. Let me pick you some to try.’
Aroma looked serious.
‘No, no. I don’t think they’re ripe enough to eat yet, in any case; but even if they were, I couldn’t possibly eat any before the first-fruits have been offered to the ancestors. Surely a person who has worked as many years for the family as you have must know that rule?’
‘Of course, miss. You are quite right,’ said the old woman hurriedly. ‘It was being so pleased that put it for the moment from my mind. I am a foolish old woman.’
‘It doesn’t really matter,’ said Aroma. ‘But you older servants ought not to set us younger ones a bad example.’
She continued on her way then, out of the Garden and round to Xi-feng’s place. As she entered the courtyard, she could hear the sound of Xi-feng’s raised voice coming from inside the house.
‘It’s monstrous! Treating me like a criminal, after all I’ve had to put up with in this place!’
Whatever the background of this remark might be, it was obvious to Aroma that this would be an extremely inopportune moment to go in; and yet it was already too late for her to turn back. The best she could do was to advertise her presence. She deliberately made a heavier noise with her feet and called out to Patience through the window. Patience came hurrying out to welcome her.
‘Is Mrs Lian in?’ Aroma asked her. ‘Is she quite better yet?’
By now she was inside the house; but Xi-feng had already had time to get up on the couch and pretend that she had been lying down. She rose to her feet as Aroma entered.
‘Yes, I am a little better, thank you. It is kind of you to remember me. It seems quite a time since you last came round here.’
‘Knowing you weren’t well, I ought by rights to have been coming every day,’ said Aroma. ‘On the other hand, when you are poorly, you need lots of peace and quiet for resting, and I was afraid that if I came too often it might disturb you.’
‘Oh, I don’t mind the disturbance,’ said Xi-feng smiling. ‘But I realize that it isn’t easy for you to get away from Master Bao. Although he has so many girls to wait on him, you are the one he really relies on. Patience tells me you are always asking her how I am; so you see, even though you can’t get over here, I know that you are concerned about me.’
She asked Patience to bring a stool over and put it down beside the couch she was reclining on for Aroma to sit on. Felicity came in with some tea. Aroma inclined herself politely as she accepted it and murmured something about Felicity troubling herself.
While she was talking to Xi-feng, she noticed a junior maid go up to Patience in the outer room and quietly announce that Brightie had arrived and was waiting at the inner gate. She heard Patience answer the girl in the same guarded undertone:
‘Good. Tell him to go away for a few minutes and come back later. Tell him not to hang about outside this courtyard.’
Aroma knew from this that Xi-feng must have business of some kind, so after sitting for a minute or two longer, she got up to go. Xi-feng made no attempt to stop her.
‘Come again when you can,’ she said. ‘It does me good to talk to you.’
She summoned Patience to see Aroma out. As Aroma followed Patience through the outer room, she saw two or three junior maids waiting there, obviously scared out of their wits and looking as if they scarcely dared to breathe. Aroma passed through the courtyard gate and continued on her way back alone, wondering what could be the matter.
As soon as she had finished seeing off Aroma, Patience went in again to report to Xi-feng.
‘Brightie came, but because Aroma was here, I said he was to go and wait in the front. Shall I have him called in now straight away, or shall I let him wait a bit? What do you want me to do?’
‘Call him in,’ said Xi-feng.
‘Tell me,’ said Xi-feng in the interval while they were waiting for him to arrive, ‘what exactly was it you heard?’
‘It was that girl I sent out just now who actually heard it,’ said Patience. ‘She said that while she was waiting at the inner gate, she heard two of the pages talking to each other on the other side of it. One of them said, “The new mistress is even prettier than the old one and ever so much better-tempered.” Then she heard someone else – she thought it might have been Brightie – telling the other two off. “What’s this’ new mistress’ ‘old mistress’ you’re talking about? You’d better keep your voices down. If anyone inside gets to hear about this, you’ll have your tongues cut out!”’
At this point one of the junior maids came in.
‘Brightie’s waiting outside, ma’am.’
A chilling little laugh from Xi-feng.
‘Tell him to come in.’
The little maid went outside again.
‘The mistress says you are to come in.’
‘Hei!’
Brightie stepped smartly inside, dropped his knee to the ground, and ended up standing stiffly to attention in the doorway leading to the inner room.
‘Come here,’ said Xi-feng. ‘I want to talk to you.’
Brightie came into the room and stood in front of his mistress, a little to one side.
‘Your master’s got himself a woman outside,’ said Xi-feng. ‘Did you know?’
Brightie dropped his knee to the ground once more.
‘I spend all my time on call at the inner gate, madam. I’ve no means of knowing what the master does outside.’
Xi-feng’s smile was full of malice.
‘Of course you wouldn’t know. You wouldn’t stop other people talking about if you did, would you?’
Brightie realized from this that the words he had recently been saying to the other pages must have been overheard and that it would be impossible now to deceive her. He fell on his knees to reply.
‘I really don’t know, madam. I just happened to hear Joker and Happy talking a lot of nonsense, so I shouted to them to be quiet; but I really couldn’t tell you the exact circumstances they were talking about; I should only be making it up if I tried. You want to ask Joker, madam. When the master’s here, he spends most of his time with him outside.’
Xi-feng spat with great force.
‘Black-hearted, worthless scum the lot of you! You are all in league against me, do you think I don’t know? Go out and find that little pimp Joker and bring him here. And don’t go away when you’ve done that, either. Wait here. I’ll have a few questions to ask’ you when I’ve finished with him. – Wonderful!’ she commented to herself. ‘This is my trusted servant whom I employ on all my most confidential business!’
‘Yes, madam. Very good, madam.’
Brightie knocked his head upon the floor, then scrambled to his feet and went off to look for Joker.
Joker was in the counting-house fooling about with some of the other pages when word came to him that he was ‘wanted by Mrs Lian’. Startled, but never for a moment imagining that his master’s secret had been blown, he hurried off after Brightie to Xi-feng’s apartment to find out why he was wanted. When they got there, Brightie went in first.
‘Joker is here, madam.’
‘Bring him in!’
Even before he had seen her, the mere sound of that strident summons was enough to throw Joker’s thoughts into confusion. But there was nothing for it: he had to screw up his courage and follow Brightie into the inner room.
‘Well, my little man,’ said Xi-feng as he entered, ‘this is a fine thing you and your master have been up to! I think you had better tell me all about it.’
Joker heard the words, he saw the anger in Xi-feng’s face and the terrified looks of the maids who stood motionless to left and right of her, and his legs became so weak that he sank involuntarily to his knees and began kotowing.
‘I’ve been told that this business has really nothing to do with you,’ she said. ‘Your only fault is in not having come to me and reported it. I am willing to overlook that if you tell me the truth. But woe betide you if you tell me a single word that is false! If you had a dozen heads, I should have each one of them!’
Joker rose up, trembling, to his knees:
‘What is it the master and I have done wrong that you want to know about, madam?’
It was as though the fire that smouldered in Xi-feng had suddenly burst into flame.
‘Strike the mouth that said that!’ she shouted, beside herself.
Brightie advanced, with hand upraised, to do her bidding.
‘Not you, idiot!’ Xi-feng shouted. ‘I am asking him to strike himself. Don’t worry, I shall have you striking your own mouth too before we are finished!’
Joker, still kneeling, began opening his arms to left and right of him and bringing them forcibly together, so as to slap his hands simultaneously upon his face. Xi-feng allowed him to do this a dozen or more times before shouting to him to stop.
‘Now,’ she said, ‘what’s all this about the “new mistress” your master has married? I suppose you are going to tell me you know nothing about it?’
Joker, gathering from this that the whole story was out, became quite desperate. Plucking his hat off, he began bumping his head on the floor in a frenzy of self-abasement.
‘Only spare my life, madam! I swear that every word I tell you shall be the truth.’
‘Get on with it, then!’
Joker knelt stiffly upright in order to do so.
‘I didn’t know about this business at the beginning, madam. I think it started during the time when Sir Jing’s body was still lying at the temple. Yu Lu went out there one day to ask Mr Zhen for some money and when Master Rong came back into the city to see about it, the master came with him. On their way they got talking about Mrs Zhen’s two sisters, and the master said how much he admired the new mistress – er, the other Mrs Lian, and Master Rong, be said, joking-like –’
Xi-feng spat.
‘Turtle’s egg! What “other Mrs Lian”?’
‘Beg pardon, ma’am!’ said Joker hurriedly, and kotowed again.
When he had risen once more on his knees, he fixed his eyes miserably on the ceiling, unable to go on.
‘Well?’ said Xi-feng. ‘Is that all? Why don’t you go on?’
‘You’ll have to bear with me, madam,’ said the wretched Joker, ‘otherwise I daren’t.’
‘Bear with you?’ said Xi-feng. ‘Bear with your mother’s arsehole! I advise you to get on with your story: it will be very much better for you if you do!’
‘Master Rong said he could arrange for the master to marry her. The master was very pleased. Then – well, I don’t know how exactly, but he did.’
The very faintest of smiles hovered briefly over Xi-feng’s face.
‘I don’t suppose you do know. No doubt if you did, it would make a very complicated story. All right, go on. What happened after that?’
‘After that Master Rong found the master a house.’
‘Oh?’ said Xi-feng sharply. ‘Where is it?’
‘A few streets behind our place,’ said Joker. ‘Not very far.’
‘So!’ Xi-feng turned and looked hard at Patience. ‘You heard that? You and I are both dead, Patience. We don’t exist any more!’
Patience dared not reply.
Joker continued his story.
‘Mr Zhen gave a lot of money to the Zhangs so that they wouldn’t object to the wedding.’
‘Now we have a Zhang family in the story,’ said Xi-feng. ‘This is getting rather complicated.’
‘Ah yes, you see, madam, the other Mrs Lian –’
Joker suddenly realized what he had said and dealt himself a slap across the mouth. Xi-feng laughed in spite of herself and the maids to right and left of her puckered up their faces and giggled. Joker thought for a bit.
‘The elder of Mrs Zhen’s two sisters –’
‘Yes, yes,’ said Xi-feng. ‘Get on with it! What about her?’
‘The elder of Mrs Zhen’s two sisters was engaged when she was little to someone called Zhang. I think his name is Zhang Hua. Nowadays he and his family are very poor – beggars, almost. Mr Zhen promised them some money in return for breaking off the engagement.’
Xi-feng nodded, then turned to look at the maids: ‘You hear this, all of you? This is the little monster who was telling us a few minutes ago that he didn’t know anything!’
Joker continued:
‘After that Mr Lian had the new house redecorated and she came there for the wedding.’
‘Where from?’ said Xi-feng.
‘From her mother’s place,’ said Joker.
‘Hm, I see. Was she escorted by anyone?’
‘Only Master Rong and a few maids and nannies. No one else.’
‘What about Mrs Zhen?’
‘She came along a couple of days later with some presents.’
Xi-feng laughed and turned to address Patience behind her.
‘There you are! Don’t you remember there were a couple of days when he hardly stopped praising Mrs Zhen and telling us what a wonderful person she was?’
The smile on her face quickly vanished as she turned back again.
‘And who waits on them there? – You, of course.’
Joker hurriedly kotowed but did not attempt to reply.
‘Come to think of it,’ said Xi-feng, ‘I suppose all those times he told me he had to be away because he had business to do for our Ning-guo cousins, it was really this that he was up to.’
‘Sometimes he really was doing things for them, sometimes he was at the new house,’ said Joker.
‘Who’s living with her there?’ said Xi-feng.
‘Her mother and her younger sister – leastways, the younger sister was living with her, but the day before yesterday she cut her throat.’
‘Why did she do that?’ said Xi-feng.
Joker told her the whole story of San-jie and Liu Xianglian.
‘He was a lucky man,’ said Xi-feng when he had finished telling it. ‘I’ve no doubt that if he’d married her she would have made him a most notorious cuckold. – Have you anything else to tell me?’
‘I’ve told you all I know, madam, and every word I’ve told you is true. You can ask other people. If you find a word of a lie in what I’ve told you, you can beat me to death and I shan’t complain.’
Xi-feng bowed her head for some moments, reflecting. Eventually she looked up again and pointed her finger at him.
‘You are a wicked little wretch and I ought by rights to kill you for imagining that you could deceive me. I suppose you thought that by deceiving me you would do that stupid master of yours a favour and your new mistress would love you for it. If it weren’t that I thought you were too frightened just now to have lied to me, I should have broken both your legs.’ Her voice rose to a shout. ‘Get up!’
Joker kotowed several times, scrambled to his feet, and retreated as far as the threshold of the outer room, not daring to leave altogether.
‘Come back!’ said Xi-feng. ‘I haven’t finished with you yet.’
Joker turned and advanced some steps and stood with his arms held stiffly at his sides and his body inclined forwards in a respectful attitude of attention.
‘What’s the hurry?’ said Xi-feng. ‘Is your new mistress waiting to give you something?’
Joker dared not look up.
‘From now on you are not to go there any more,’ said Xi-feng. ‘From now on, if I call for you at any time of any day, I shall expect you to be there straight away – and I warn you, you’d better see to it that I’m not kept waiting! All right. Be off!’
Again he withdrew. This time he got as far as the steps outside the door.
‘Joker!’
‘Madam?’ He turned back once more.
‘Off to tell the master all about it, aren’t you?’
‘Oh no, madam! I wouldn’t dare.’
‘All right, go then; but if you breathe a word of this outside, I’ll have you flayed!’
‘Yes, madam. Very good, madam.’
Joker now made his final exit.
‘Brightie!’ Xi-feng called.
‘Yes’m!’ Brightie came bounding forward.
Xi-feng opened her eyes very wide and stared at him for the length of time it would take to say two or three sentences; then finally she spoke.
‘So, Brightie. Very good. Excellent. Now go. And if anyone outside breathes a word about this, I shall hold you responsible.’
‘Yes’m.’
Brightie withdrew very slowly from her presence; but in his case there was no recall.
‘Pour the tea,’ said Xi-feng.
This was taken by the junior maids as a signal for them to withdraw, which they did immediately, leaving Xi-feng alone with Patience.
‘You heard all that?’ said Xi-feng. ‘That’s good.’
Patience smiled, but dared not say anything.
Xi-feng appeared to be thinking, and to be growing angrier and angrier the more she thought. She lay back with her head on the pillow and gave herself up wholly to her thoughts. Presently she frowned as if an idea had just occurred to her.
‘Patience, come here.’
‘Madam?’
‘I’ve thought what to do,’ said Xi-feng. And she proceeded to tell Patience what she had planned.
But in order to know what that was, you must wait for the following chapter.