第七十一回
第七十一回 嫌隙人有心生嫌隙 鸳鸯女无意遇鸳鸯
话说贾政回京之后，诸事完毕，赐假一月在家歇息。因年景渐老，事重身衰，又近因在外几年，骨肉离异，今得晏然复聚于庭室，自觉喜幸不尽。一应大小事务一概益发付于度外，只是看书，闷了便与清客们下棋吃酒，或日间在里面母子夫妻共叙天伦庭闱之乐。
因今岁八月初三日乃贾母八旬之庆，又因亲友全来，恐筵宴排设不开，便早同贾赦及贾珍贾琏等商议，议定于七月二十八日起至八月初五日止荣宁两处齐开筵宴，宁国府中单请官客[1]，荣国府中单请堂客，大观园中收拾出缀锦阁并嘉荫堂等几处大地方来作退居[2]。二十八日请皇亲驸马王公诸公主郡主王妃国君太君夫人[3]等，二十九日便是阁下都府督镇[4]及诰命等，三十日便是诸官长及诰命并远近亲友及堂客。初一日是贾赦的家宴，初二日是贾政，初三日是贾珍贾琏，初四日是贾府中合族长幼大小共凑的家宴。初五日是赖大林之孝等家下管事人等共凑一日。
自七月上旬，送寿礼者便络绎不绝。礼部奉旨：钦赐金玉如意一柄，彩缎四端，金玉环四个，帑银五百两。元春又命太监送出金寿星一尊，沉香拐一只，伽南珠〔一〕[6]一串，福寿香一盒，金锭一对，银锭四对，彩缎十二匹，玉杯四只。馀者自亲王驸马以及大小文武官员之家凡所来往者，莫不有礼，不能胜记。堂屋内设下大桌案，铺了红毡，将凡所有精细之物都摆上〔二〕，请贾母过目。贾母先一二日还高兴过来瞧瞧，后来烦了，也不过目，只说：“叫凤丫头收了，改日闷了再瞧。”
至二十八日，两府中俱悬灯结彩，屏开鸾凤，褥设芙蓉，笙箫鼓乐之音，通衢越巷。宁府中本日只有北静王、南安郡王、永昌驸马、乐善郡王并几个世交公侯应袭，荣府中南安王太妃、北静王妃并几位世交公侯诰命。贾母等俱是按品大妆迎接。大家厮见，先请入大观园内嘉荫堂，茶毕更衣后，方出至荣庆堂上拜寿入席。大家谦逊半日，方才入席。
上面两席是南、北王妃，下面依序，便是众公侯诰命。左边下手一席，陪客是锦乡侯诰命与临昌伯诰命；右边下手一席，方是贾母主位。邢夫人王夫人带领尤氏凤姐并族中几个媳妇，两溜雁翅站在贾母身后侍立。林之孝赖大家的带领众媳妇都在竹帘外面伺候上菜上酒，周瑞家的带领几个丫鬟在围屏后伺候呼唤。凡跟来的人，早又有人管待别处去了。
一时台上参了场[8]，台下一色十二个未留发的小厮伺候。须臾，一小厮捧了戏单至阶下，先递与回事的媳妇。这媳妇接了，才递与林之孝家的，林之孝家的用一小茶盘托上，挨身入帘来递与尤氏的侍妾佩凤。佩凤接了才奉与尤氏。尤氏托着走至上席，南安太妃谦让了一回，点了一出吉庆戏文，然后又谦让了一回，北静王妃也点了一出。众人又让了一回，命随便拣好的唱罢了。少时，菜已四献，汤始一道，跟来各家的放了赏。大家便更衣复入园来，另献好茶。
南安太妃因问宝玉，贾母笑道：“今日几处庙里念‘保安延寿经’，他跪经[9]去了。”又问众小姐们，贾母笑道：“他们姊妹们病的病，弱的弱，见人腼腆，所以叫他们给我看屋子去了。有的是小戏子，传了一班在那边厅上陪着他姨娘家姊妹们也看戏呢。”南安太妃笑道：“既这样，叫人请来。”贾母回头命凤姐儿去把史、薛、林带来，“再只叫你三妹妹陪着来罢。”
凤姐答应了，来至贾母这边，只见他姊妹们正吃果子看戏，宝玉也才从庙里跪经回来。凤姐儿说了话。宝钗姊妹与黛玉探春湘云五人来至园中，大家见了，不过〔三〕请安问好让坐等事。众人中也有见过的，还有一两家不曾见过的，都齐声夸赞不绝。其中湘云最熟，南安太妃因笑道：“你在这里，听见我来了还不出来，还只等请去。我明儿和你叔叔算帐。”因一手拉着探春，一手拉着宝钗，问几岁了，又连声夸赞。因又松了他两个，又拉着黛玉宝琴，也着实细看，极夸一回。又笑道：“都是好的，不知叫我夸那一个的是。”早有人将备用礼物打点出五分来：金玉戒指各五个，腕香珠五串。南安太妃笑道：“你姊妹们别笑话，留着赏丫头们罢。”五人忙拜谢过。北静王妃也有五样礼物，馀者不必细说。
吃了茶，园中略逛了一逛，贾母等因又让入席。南安太妃便告辞，说身上不快，“今日若不来，实在使不得，因此恕我竟先要告别了。”贾母等听说，也不便强留，大家又让了一回，送至园门，坐轿而去。接着北静王妃略坐一坐〔四〕也就告辞了。馀者也有终席的，也有不终席的。
贾母劳乏了一日，次日便不出来会人，一应都是邢夫人王夫人管待。有那些世家子弟拜寿的，只到厅上行礼，贾赦、贾政、贾珍等还礼管待，至宁府坐席。不在话下。
这几日，尤氏晚间也不回那府里去，白日间待客，晚间陪贾母顽笑，又帮凤姐料理出入大小器皿，以及收放赏礼事务。晚间〔五〕在园内李氏房中歇宿。这日晚间服侍过贾母晚饭后，贾母因说：“你们也乏了，我也乏了，早些寻一点子吃的歇歇去。明儿还要起早闹呢。”尤氏答应着退了出来，到凤姐儿房里来吃饭。凤姐儿在楼上看着人收送礼的新围屏，只有平儿在房里与凤姐儿叠衣服。尤氏因问：“你们奶奶吃了饭了没有？”平儿笑道：“吃饭岂不请奶奶去的。”尤氏笑道：“既这样，我别处找吃的去。饿的我受不得了。”说着，就走。平儿忙笑道：“奶奶请回来。这里有点心，且点补一点儿，回来再吃饭。”尤氏笑道：“你们忙的这样，我园里和他姊妹们闹去。”一面说，一面就走。平儿留不住，只得罢了。
且说尤氏一径来至园中，只见园中正门与各处角门仍未关，犹吊着各色彩灯，因回头命小丫头叫该班的女人。那丫鬟走入班房中，竟没一个人影，回来回了尤氏。尤氏便命传管家的女人。这丫头应了便出去，到二门外鹿顶内，乃是管事的女人议事取齐之所。到了这里，只有两个婆子分菜果呢。因问：“那一位奶奶在这里？东府奶奶立等一位奶奶，有话吩咐。”
这〔六〕两个婆子只顾分菜果，又听见是东府里的奶奶，不大在心上，因就回说：“管家奶奶们才散了。”小丫头道：“散了，你们家里传他去。”婆子道：“我们只管看屋子，不管传人。姑娘要传人再派传人的去。”小丫头听了道：“嗳呀，嗳呀，这可反了！怎么你们不传去？你哄那新来了的，怎么哄起我来了！素日你们不传谁传去！这会子打听了梯己信儿，或是赏了那位管家奶奶的东西，你们争着狗颠儿似的传去的，不知谁是谁呢。琏二奶奶要传，你们可也这么回？”这两个婆子一则吃了酒，二则被这丫头揭挑着弊病，便羞激怒了，因回口道：“扯你的臊！我们的事，传不传不与你相干！你不用揭挑我们，你想想，你那老子娘在那边管家爷们跟前比我们还更会溜须呢。什么‘清水下杂面你吃我也见’的事，各家门，另家户，你有本事，排场你们那边人去。我们这边，你们还早些呢！”丫头听了，气白了脸，因说道：“好，好，这话说的好！”一面转身进来回话。
尤氏已早入园来，因遇见了袭人、宝琴、湘云三人同着地藏庵的两个姑子正说故事顽笑，尤氏因说饿了，先到怡红院，袭人装了几样荤素点心出来与尤氏吃。两个姑子、宝琴、湘云等都吃茶，仍说故事。
那小丫头子一径找了来，气狠狠的把方才的〔七〕话都说了出来。尤氏听了，冷笑道：“这是两个什么人？”两个姑子并宝琴湘云等听了，生怕尤氏生气，忙劝说：“没有的事，必是这一个〔八〕听错了。”两个姑子笑推这丫头道：“你这孩子好性气，那糊涂老嬷嬷们的话，你也不该来回才是。咱们奶奶万金之躯，劳乏了几日，黄汤辣水没吃，咱们哄他欢喜一会还不得一半儿，说这些话做什么。”袭人也忙笑拉出他去，说：“好妹子，你且出去歇歇，我打发人叫他们去。”尤氏道：“你不要叫人，你去就叫这两个婆子来，到那边把他们家的凤儿〔九〕叫来。”袭人笑道：“我请去。”尤氏道：“偏不要你去。”两个姑子忙立起身来，笑说：“奶奶素日宽洪大量，今日老祖宗千秋，奶奶生气，岂不惹人议论。”宝琴湘云二人也都笑劝。尤氏道：“不为老太太的千秋，我断不依。且放着就是了。”
说话之间，袭人早又遣了一个丫头去到园门外找人，可巧遇见周瑞家的，这小丫头子就把这话告诉周瑞家的。周瑞家的虽不管事，因他素日仗着是王夫人的陪房，原有些体面，心性乖滑，专管各处献勤讨好，所以各处房里的主人都喜欢他。他今日听了这话，忙的便跑入怡红院来，一面飞走，一面口内说：“气坏了奶奶了，可了不得！我们家里，如今惯的太不堪了。偏生我不在跟前，若在跟前〔一○〕，且打给他们几个耳刮子，再等过了这几日算帐。”尤氏见了他，也便笑道：“周姐姐你来，有个理你说说〔一一〕。这早晚门还大开着，明灯亮烛，出入的人又杂，倘有不防的事，如何使得？因此叫该班的人吹灯关门。谁知一个人芽儿也没有。”周瑞家的道：“这还了得！前儿二奶奶还吩咐了他们，说这几日事多人杂，一晚就关门吹灯，不是园里人不许放进去。今儿就没了人。这事过了这几日，必要打几个才好。”
尤氏又说小丫头子的话。周瑞家的道：“奶奶不要生气，等过了事，我告诉管事的打他个臭死。只问他们，谁叫他们说这‘各家门各家户’的话！我已经叫他们吹了灯，关上正门和角门子。”正乱着，只见凤姐儿打发人来请吃饭。尤氏道：“我也不饿了，才吃了几个饽饽，请你奶奶自吃罢。”
一时周瑞家的得便出去，便把方才的事回了凤姐，又说：“这两个婆子就是管家奶奶，时常我们和他说话，都似狠虫一般。奶奶若不戒饬，大奶奶脸上过不去。”凤姐道：“既这么着，记上两个人的名字，等过了这几日，捆了送到那府里凭大嫂子开发，或是打几下子，或是他开恩饶了他们，随他去就是了，什么大事。”周瑞家的听了，巴不得一声儿，素日因与这几个人不睦，出来了便命一个小厮到林之孝家传凤姐的话，立刻叫林之孝家的进来见大奶奶；一面又传人立刻捆起这两个婆子来，交到马圈里派人看守。
林之孝家的不知有什么事，此时已经点灯，忙坐车进来，先见凤姐。至二门上传进话去，丫头们出来说：“奶奶才歇了。大奶奶在园里，叫大娘见了大奶奶就是了。”林之孝家的只得进园来到稻香村，丫鬟们回进去，尤氏听了反过意不去，忙唤进他来，因笑向他道：“我不过为找人找不着因问你，你既去了，也不是什么大事，谁又把你叫进来，倒要你白跑一遭。不大的事，已经撒开手了。”林之孝家的也笑道：“二奶奶打发人传我，说奶奶有话吩咐。”尤氏笑道：“这是那里的话，只当你没去，白问你。这是谁又多事告诉了凤丫头，大约周姐姐说的。你家去歇着罢，没有什么大事。”李纨又要说原故，尤氏反拦住了。
林之孝家的见如此，只得便回身出园去。可巧遇见赵姨娘，姨娘因笑道：“嗳哟哟，我的嫂子！这会子还不家去歇歇，还跑些什么？”林之孝家的便笑说何曾不家去的，如此这般进来了。又是个齐头故事[19]。赵姨娘原是好察听这些事的，且素日又与管事的女人们扳厚[20]，互相连络，好作首尾。方才之事，已竟闻得八九，听林之孝家的如此说，便恁般如此告诉了林之孝家的一遍，林之孝家的〔一二〕听了，笑道：“原来是这事，也值一个屁！开恩呢，就不理论；心窄些儿，也不过打几下子就完了。”赵姨娘道：“我的嫂子，事虽不大，可见他们太张狂了些。巴巴的传进你来，明明戏弄你，顽算你。快歇歇去，明儿还有事呢，也不留你吃茶去。”
说毕，林之孝家的出来，到了侧门前，就有方才两个婆子的女儿上来哭着求情。林之孝家的笑道：“你这孩子好糊涂，谁叫你娘吃酒混说了，惹出事来，连我也不知道。二奶奶打发人捆他，连我还有不是呢。我替谁讨情去。”这两个小丫头子才七八岁，原不识事，只管哭啼求告。缠的林之孝家的没法，因说道：“糊涂东西！你放着门路不去，却缠我来。你姐姐现给了那边太太作陪房费大娘的儿子，你走过去告诉你姐姐，叫亲家娘和太太一说，什么完不了的事！”一语提醒了这一个，那一个还求。林之孝家的啐道：“糊涂攮的！他过去一说，自然都完了。没有个单放了他妈，又只打你妈的理。”说毕，上车去了。
这一个小丫头果然过来告诉了他姐姐，和费婆子说了。这费婆子原是邢夫人〔一三〕的陪房，起先也曾兴过时，只因贾母近来不大作兴[23]邢夫人，所以连这边的人也减了威势。凡贾政这边有些体面的人，那边各各皆虎视耽耽。这费婆子常倚老卖老，仗着邢夫人，常吃些酒，嘴里胡骂乱怨的出气。如今贾母庆寿这样大事，干看着人家逞才卖技办事，呼幺喝六弄手脚，心中早已不自在，指鸡骂狗，闲言闲语的乱闹。这边的人也不和他较量。如今听了周瑞家的捆了他亲家，越发火上浇油，仗着酒兴，指着隔断的墙大骂了一阵，便走上来求邢夫人，说他亲家并没什么不是，“不过和那府里的大奶奶的小丫头白斗了两句话，周瑞家的便调唆了咱家二奶奶捆到马圈里，等过了这两日还要打。求太太——我那亲家娘也是七八十岁的老婆子——和二奶奶说声，饶他这一次罢。”
邢夫人自为要鸳鸯之后讨了没意思，后来见贾母越发冷淡了他，凤姐的体面反胜自己；且前日南安太妃来了，要见他姊妹，贾母又只令探春出来，迎春竟似有如无，自己心内早已怨忿不乐，只是使不出来。又值这一干小人在侧，他们心内嫉妒挟怨之事不敢施展，便背地里造言生事，挑拨主人。先不过是告那边的奴才，后来渐次告到凤姐“只哄着老太太喜欢了他好就中作威作福，辖治着琏二爷，调唆二太太，把这边的正经太太倒不放在心上”。后来又告到王夫人，说：“老太太不喜欢太太，都是二太太和琏二奶奶调唆的。”邢夫人纵是铁心铜胆的人，妇女家终不免生些嫌隙之心，近日因此着实恶绝凤姐。今听了如此一篇话，也不说长短。
至次日一早，见过贾母，众族人中到齐，坐席开戏。贾母高兴，又见今日无远亲，都是自己族中子侄辈，只便衣常妆出来，堂上受礼。当中独设一榻，引枕靠背脚踏俱全，自己歪在榻上。榻之前后左右，皆是一色的小矮凳，宝钗、宝琴、黛玉、湘云、迎春、探春、惜春姊妹等围绕。因贾之母也带了女儿喜鸾，贾琼之母也带了女儿四姐儿，还有几房的孙女儿，大小共有二十来个。贾母独见喜鸾和四姐儿生得又好，说话行事与众不同，心中喜欢，便命他两个也过来榻前同坐。宝玉却在榻上脚下与贾母捶腿。
首席便是薛姨妈，下边两溜皆顺着房头辈数下去。帘外两廊都是族中男客，也依次而坐。先是那女客一起一起行礼，后方是男客行礼。贾母歪在榻上，只命人说“免了罢”，早已都行完了。然后赖大等带领众家人，从仪门直跪至大厅上，磕头礼毕，又是众家下媳妇，然后各房的丫鬟，足闹了两三顿饭时。然后又抬了许多雀笼来，在当院中放了生。贾赦等焚过了天地寿星纸，方开戏饮酒。直到歇了中台[24]，贾母方进来歇息，命他们取便，因命凤姐儿留下喜鸾四姐儿顽两日再去。凤姐儿出来便和他母亲说，他两个母亲素日都承凤姐的照顾，也巴不得一声儿。他两个也愿意在园内顽耍，至晚便不回家了。
邢夫人直至晚间散时，当着许多人陪笑和凤姐求情说：“我听见昨儿晚上二奶奶生气，打发周管家的娘子捆了两个老婆子，可也不知犯了什么罪。论理我不该讨情，我想老太太好日子，发狠的还舍钱舍米，周贫济老，咱们家先倒折磨起老人家来了。不看我的脸，权且看老太太，竟放了他们罢。”说毕，上车去了。
凤姐听了这话，又当着许多人，又羞又气，一时抓寻不着头脑，憋得脸紫涨，回头向赖大家的〔一四〕等笑道：“这是那里的话。昨儿因为这里的人得罪了那府里的大嫂子，我怕大嫂子多心，所以尽让他发放，并不为得罪了我。这又是谁的耳报神这么快。”王夫人因问为什么事，凤姐儿笑将昨日的事说了。尤氏也笑道：“连我并不知道，你原也太多事了。”凤姐儿道：“我为你脸上过不去，所以等你开发，不过是个礼〔一五〕。就如我在你那里有人得罪了我，你自然送了来尽我开发。凭他是什么好奴才，到底错不过这个礼去。这又不知谁过去没的献勤儿，这也当作一件事情去说。”王夫人道：“你太太说的是。就是珍哥儿媳妇也不是外人，也不用这些虚礼。老太太的千秋要紧，放了他们为是。”说着，回头便命人去放了那两个婆子。
凤姐由不得越想越气越愧，不觉的灰心转悲，滚下泪来。因赌气回房哭泣，又不使人知觉。偏是贾母打发了琥珀来叫立等说话。琥珀见了，诧异道：“好好的，这是什么原故？那里立等你呢。”凤姐听了，忙擦干了泪，洗面另施了脂粉，方同琥珀过来。
贾母因问道：“前儿这些人家送礼来的共有几家有围屏？”凤姐儿道：“共有十六家有围屏，十二架大的，四架小的炕屏。内中只有江南甄家一架大屏十二扇，大红缎子缂丝[27]‘满床笏’，一面是泥金‘百寿图’的，是头等的。还有粤海将军邬家一架玻璃的还罢了。”贾母道：“既这样，这两架别动，好生搁着，我要送人的。”凤姐儿答应了。
鸳鸯忽过来向凤姐儿面上只管瞧，引的贾母问说：“你不认得他？只管瞧什么。”鸳鸯笑道：“怎么他的眼肿肿的，所以我诧异，只管看。”贾母听说，便叫进前来，也觑着眼看。凤姐笑道：“才觉的一阵痒痒，揉肿了些。”鸳鸯笑道：“别又是受了谁的气了不成？”凤姐道：“谁敢给我气受，便受了气，老太太好日子，我也不敢哭的。”贾母道：“正是呢。我正要吃晚饭，你在这里打发我吃，剩下的你就和珍儿媳妇吃了。你两个在这里帮着两个师傅替我拣佛豆儿，你们也积积寿，前儿你姊妹们和宝玉都拣了，如今也叫你们拣拣，别说我偏心。”
说话时，先摆上一桌素的来，两个姑子吃了。然后才摆上荤的，贾母吃毕，抬出外间。尤氏凤姐儿二人正吃，贾母又叫把喜鸾四姐儿二人也叫来，跟他二人吃毕，洗了手，点上香，捧过一升豆子来。两个姑子先念了佛偈，然后一个一个的拣在一个簸箩内，每拣一个，念一声佛。明日〔一六〕煮熟了，令人在十字街结寿缘[29]。贾母歪着听两个姑子又说些佛家的因果善事。
鸳鸯早已听见琥珀说凤姐哭之事，又和平儿前打听得原故。晚间人散时，便回说：“二奶奶还是哭的，那边大太太当着人给二奶奶没脸。”贾母因问为什么原故，鸳鸯便将原故说了。贾母道：“这才是凤丫头知礼处，难道为我的生日由着奴才们把一族中的主子都得罪了也不管罢。这是大太太素日没好气，不敢发作，所以今儿拿着这个作法子，明是当着众人给凤儿没脸罢了。”正说着，只见宝琴等进来，也就不说了。
贾母因问：“你在那里来。”宝琴道：“在园里林姐姐屋里大家说话的。”贾母忽想起一事来，忙唤一个老婆子来，吩咐他：“到园里各处女人们跟前嘱咐嘱咐，留下的喜姐儿和四姐儿，虽然穷，也和家里的姑娘们是一样，大家照看经心些。我知道咱们家的男男女女都是‘一个富贵心，两只体面眼[30]’，未必把他两个放在眼里。有人小看了他们，我听见可不依。”婆子应了方要走时，鸳鸯道：“我说去罢。他们那里听他的话。”说着，便一径往园子来。
先到稻香村中，李纨与尤氏都不在这里。问丫鬟们，说：“都在三姑娘那里呢。”鸳鸯回身又来至晓翠堂，果见那园中人都在那里说笑。见他来了，都笑说：“你这会子又跑来做什么？”又让他坐。鸳鸯笑道：“不许我也逛逛么？”于是把方才的话说了一遍。李纨忙起身听了，就叫人把各处的头儿唤了一个来。令他们传与诸人知道。不在话下。
这里尤氏笑道：“老太太也太想的到，实在我们〔一七〕年轻力壮的人捆上十个也赶不上。”李纨道：“凤丫头仗着鬼聪明儿，还离脚踪儿不远。咱们是不能的了。”鸳鸯道：“罢哟，还提凤丫头虎丫头呢，他也可怜见儿的。虽然这几年没有在老太太、太太跟前有个错缝儿，暗里也不知得罪了多少人。总而言之，为人是难作的：若太老实了没有个机变，公婆又嫌太老实了，家里人也不怕；若有些机变，未免又治一经损一经[32]。如今咱们家里更好，新出来的这些底下奴字号的奶奶们，一个个心满意足，都不知要怎么样才好，稍有不得意，不是背地里咬舌根，就是挑三窝四的。我怕老太太生气，一点儿也不肯说。不然我告诉出来，大家别过太平日子。这不是我当着三姑娘说，老太太偏疼宝玉，有人背地里〔一八〕怨言还罢了，算是偏心。如今老太太偏疼你，我听着也是不好。这可笑不可笑？”探春笑道：“糊涂人多，那里较量得许多。我说倒不如小人家人少，虽然寒素些，倒是欢天喜地，大家快乐。我们这样人家人多，外头看着我们不知千金万金小姐，何等快乐，殊不知我们这里说不出来的烦难，更利害。”宝玉道：“谁都像三妹妹好多心。事事我常劝你，总别听那些俗话，想那些俗事，只管安富尊荣才是。比不得我们没这清福，该应浊闹的。”尤氏道：“谁都像你，真是一心无挂碍，只知道和姊妹们玩笑，饿了吃，困了睡，再过几年，不过还是这样，一点后事也不虑。”宝玉笑道：“我能够和姊妹们过一日是一日，死了就完了。什么后事不后事。”
李纨等都笑道：“这可又是胡说。就算你是个没出息的，终老在这里，难道他姊妹们都不出阁的？”尤氏笑道：“怨不得人都说他是假长了一个胎子，究竟是个又傻又呆的。”宝玉笑道：“人事莫定，知道谁死谁活。倘或我在今日明日、今年明年死了，也算是遂心一辈子了。”众人不等说完，便说：“可是又疯了，别和他说话才好。若和他说话，不是呆话，就是疯话。”喜鸾因笑道：“二哥哥，你别这样说，等这里姐姐们果然都出了阁，横竖老太太、太太也寂寞，我来和你作伴儿。”李纨尤氏等都笑道：“姑娘也别说呆话，难道你是不出阁的？这话哄谁。”说的喜鸾低了头。当下已是起更时分，大家各自归房安歇，众人都且不提。
且说鸳鸯一径回来，刚至园门前，只见角门虚掩，犹未上闩。此时园内无人来往，只有该班的房内灯光掩映，微月半天。鸳鸯又不曾有个作伴的，也不曾提灯笼，独自一个，脚步又轻，所以该班的人皆不理会。偏生又要小解，因下了甬路，寻微草处，行至一湖山石后大桂树阴下来。刚转过石后，只听一阵衣衫响，吓了一惊不小。定睛一看，只见是两个人〔一九〕在那里，见他来了，便想往石后树丛藏躲。鸳鸯眼尖，趁月色见准一个穿红裙子梳鬅头[35]高大丰壮身材，的是[36]迎春房里的司棋。鸳鸯只当他和别的女孩子也在此方便，见自己来了，故意藏躲恐吓着耍，因便笑叫道：“司棋，你不快出来，吓着我，我就喊起来当贼拿了。这么大丫头了，没个黑家白日的只是顽不够。”
这本是鸳鸯的戏语，叫他出来。谁知他贼人胆虚，只当鸳鸯已看见他的首尾了，生恐叫喊起来使众人知觉更不好，且素日鸳鸯又和自己亲厚不比别人，便从树后跑出来，一把拉住鸳鸯，便双膝跪下，只说：“好姐姐，千万别嚷！”鸳鸯反不知因何，忙拉他起来，笑问道：“这是怎么说？”司棋满脸红胀，又流下泪来。鸳鸯再一回想，那一个人影恍惚像个小厮，心下便猜着了八九，自己反羞的面红耳赤，又怕起来。因定了一会，忙悄问：“那个是谁？”司棋复跪下道：“是我姑舅兄弟。”鸳鸯啐了一口，道：“要死，要死。”司棋又回头悄道：“你不用藏着，姐姐已看见了，快出来磕头。”那小厮听了，只得也从树后爬出来，磕头如捣蒜。
鸳鸯忙要回身，司棋拉住苦求，哭道：“我们的性命，都在姐姐身上，只求姐姐超生要紧！”鸳鸯道：“你放心，我横竖不告诉一个人就是了。”一语未了，只听角门上有人说道：“金姑娘已出去了，角门上锁罢。”鸳鸯正被司棋拉住，不得脱身，听见如此说，便接声道：“我在这里有事，且略住手，我出来了。”司棋听了，只得松手让他去了——
[1] 官客——男客人。
[2] 退居——指供宾客临时休息的处所。
[3] 国君、太君、夫人——是按官阶赐予臣下母、妻的封号。
[4] 阁下、都府、督镇——阁下：指入阁办事的大学士。阁：内阁，辅佐皇帝的中央最高机关。都府：泛指军政将帅之府署的长官。督镇：泛指各省督抚、总兵之类的长官和将帅。
〔一〕 “伽南珠”，原作“茄揇珠”，径改。
[6] 伽（qié茄）南珠——用伽南香（即沉香）制成的念珠。
〔二〕 “都摆上”，原作“都摆在上”，从梦稿、甲辰本删。
[8] 参了场——旧时喜庆祝寿等演戏时，演员在开场前须出台致贺，叫“参场”。
[9] 跪经——参加寺庙诵经的一种方式。
〔三〕 “不过”，原作“不用”，从梦稿、蒙府本改。
〔四〕 “略坐一坐”，原“略”下“坐”字为旁添，蒙府本作“略坐一坐”，从。
〔五〕 “晚间”二字后共二十八字，系传抄夺落，今从各本补。
〔六〕 “两个婆子分菜果呢。因问：‘那一位奶奶在这里？东府奶奶立等一位奶奶，有话吩咐：’这”三十三字，原无，各本均有，文字略异，此从梦稿、蒙府本补。
〔七〕 “方才的”，原无，从各本补。
〔八〕 “姑子并宝琴湘云等听了，生怕尤氏生气，忙劝说：‘没有的事，必是这一个”二十八字，原无，梦稿、蒙府、戚序本均有，文字略有出入。底本原作“两个听错了”，又皆点去。此从梦稿本补。
〔九〕 “凤儿”，原“儿”字旁添，蒙府本作“平儿”，梦稿、戚序、甲辰本作“凤儿”，从。
〔一○〕 “若在跟前”，原无，从蒙府本补。
〔一一〕 “你来，有个理你说说”，底本错漏不成文，后添改为“你来了，听听有这个理么，你说说”。从各本改。
[19] 齐头故事——无头公案。齐头，切砖刀，为泥水匠之切口。砖被瓦刀砍齐，成无头、齐头。
[20] 扳厚——因扳关系而有交情。
〔一二〕 “一遍，林之孝家的”，原无，从梦稿、蒙府、戚序本补。
〔一三〕 此处底本重复二十三字，又点去，系传抄之误。参照各本删去。
[23] 不作兴——此为不待见、不喜欢、不抬举之意。
[24] 中台——旧时演戏，开场时观众尚未到齐，例由次要演员先演开场戏；“中台”才由主要演员演出正本戏。
〔一四〕 “家的”，原无，从梦稿、甲辰本补。
〔一五〕 “是个礼”，原作“是个理”，从梦稿、甲辰本改。
[27] 缂丝——即刻丝。我国特有的一种丝织工艺。织造时，以细丝为经，彩色丝作纬，各色纬丝仅于图案花纹需要处与经丝交织，纬丝不贯串全幅，而经丝则纵贯织品。《鸡肋篇》：“以熟色经于木杼上，随所欲作花草禽兽状，收以小梭织纬时，先留其处，方以杂色线缀于经纬之上，合以成文，若不相连，承空视之，如雕缕之象，故名刻丝。”《广韵》：“缂，织纬也。”
〔一六〕 “明日”，原无，从各本补。
[29] 拣佛豆儿、结寿缘——旧时生日，众人一面念佛，一面拣豆，叫“拣佛豆儿”；然后把佛豆煮熟，在街口分送行人，以求添寿，叫做“结寿缘”。
[30] 体面眼——即势利眼，只看得起有身份、有体面的人。
〔一七〕 “传与诸人知道。不在话下。这里尤氏笑道：‘老太太也太想的到，实在我们”二十八字，原无，各本均有，文字略异，此从梦稿、蒙府、戚序本增补。
[32] 治一经损一经——本中医术语，借喻顾此失彼、好了这头又坏了那头。
〔一八〕 “里”字原无，从梦稿、蒙府、戚序本补。
〔一九〕 “两个人”，原无“两”字，从各本补。
[35] 鬅（pén朋）头——一种发髻鬅松的女子发式。鬅：头发散乱的样子。
[36] 的是——此处意为“的确是”。
CHAPTER 71. Lady Xing deliberately humiliates her daughter-in-law And Faithful inadvertently interrupts a pair of love-birds
It was the news of Jia Zheng’s imminent homecoming that had caused the maidservants’ agitation. As an Education Officer, Jia Zheng was supposed to report on his commission as soon as he arrived and, being a very conscientious man, he would have thought it improper even to look in on his family before doing so. When, therefore, at the news of his coming, Cousin Zhen, Jia Lian and Bao-yu went out to the first poststage beyond the walls to welcome him, he merely inquired after his mother’s health, bowing respectfully in her direction as he did so, and told them to go back and wait for him at home. After his interview next day with the All-highest, his mission was formally completed and he could return with a good conscience to his family. The All-highest had been graciously pleased to grant him a whole month’s leave of absence in which to rest and recuperate at home.
Jia Zheng was beginning to age now, and the worries and responsibilities of office had taken their toll of his health. It was good to be back after so long an absence from those nearest and dearest to him; he was determined to relax and enjoy himself to the utmost, refused even to think about money matters or domestic responsibilities, and spent all his time reading, or, when he felt in need of company, drinking and playing Go with his literary gentlemen, or enjoying the delights of family life with his wife and mother in the women’s apartments inside.
This year the third day of the eighth month was Grandmother Jia’s eightieth birthday. A formidable number of people would have to be invited and there was even some doubt whether they would be able to accommodate them all. After discussion by the menfolk of both mansions, it was decided that there should be eight days of entertaining, beginning on the twenty-eighth of the seventh month and ending on the fifth day of the eighth. On each of these days banquets would be given in both mansions: in the Ning-guo mansion for male guests and in the Rong-guo mansion for female ones. The Painted Chamber, Prospect Hall and one or two other of the larger buildings in Prospect Garden would be used as restrooms for the ladies. The programme of entertaining would be as follows: the twenty-eighth would be for Imperial kinsmen, Princes and Princesses of the Blood and their consorts, Royal Highnesses, Serene Highnesses and members of the high nobility; the twenty-ninth would be for Ministers of State and Civil and Military Governors and their wives; the thirtieth for official colleagues and their wives and members of other clans related to the Jia family by marriage; on the first of the eighth month a family party would be given by Jia She, on the second one by Jia Zheng and on the third one by Cousin Zhen and Jia Lian; on the fourth a joint entertainment would be given by all members of the Jia clan irrespective of age and seniority; and on the fifth there would be another joint entertainment organized by Lai Da, Lin Zhi-xiao and the other senior domestics.
Ever since the beginning of the seventh month presents had been coming in almost continuously. From the highest source of all an order was received by the Board of Rites authorizing the bestowal of the following:
a ru-yi sceptre of gold and jade four lengths of tribute satin four gold and jade cups five hundred taels of silver from the Imperial Treasury
Yuan-chun’s gifts, which were delivered to the mansion by eunuchs, were:
a golden figurine of Old Longevity a staff of aloeswood a rosary of putchuk beads a box of Fu Shou incense a pair of golden medallions four pairs of silver ingots twelve lengths of tribute satin four jade cups
And there were presents too numerous to mention from princes and princesses and from the families of a host of civil and military officials both great and small who were on visiting terms with the Jias. Several long tables were carried into the main reception hall and covered with red baize and the choicest presents set out on them every day for Grandmother Jia’s inspection. She went along for the first day or two and took some pleasure in examining her gifts, but soon grew tired of this and told Xi-feng to look after them for her: she would look at them herself some other day, when she had nothing better to do.
By the twenty-eighth both mansions had been hung with lanterns and festooned all over with garlands. Painted phoenixes gambolled on folding screens, embroidered lotuses blossomed on drapes and covers, and the sound of fluting and piping could be heard several streets away. The only guests that day at the Ning-guo mansion were the Prince of Bei-jing, the Prince of Nan-an, Princess Yang-chang’s Consort, the Prince of Luo-shan and a number of noblemen whose families had long been on friendly terms with the Jias. At the Rong-guo mansion the guests were the Dowager Princess of Nan-an, the Prince of Bei-jing’s Consort, and the ladies of the various aforementioned noblemen. Grandmother Jia and the others were dressed in full court rig to receive them. After the initial salutations were over, the visitors were conducted to Prospect Hall inside the Garden, where they took tea and ‘changed their clothes’. From there they were conducted to the Hall of Exalted Felicity, where they offered formal congratulations to Grandmother Jia before finally, after much polite bowing and deferring, taking their places at the banquet. The Dowager Princess of Nan-an and the Prince of Beijing’s Consort sat at the two central tables at the back of the hall; the two rows of tables arranged at right-angles to left and right of theirs were occupied in order of precedence, the Marchioness of Jin-xiang and the Countess of Lin-an heading the row upon the left, while Grandmother Jia, as hostess, occupied the first of the right-hand ones. Lady Xing and Lady Wang stood in attendance behind Grandmother Jia’s chair, with You-shi, Xi-feng and a number of other Jia ladies fanning out to left and right behind them. Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife and Lai Da’s wife stood by the bamboo curtain on one side of the hall supervising the transportation of dishes and winekettles by a small army of serving-women, while Zhou-Rui’s wife directed the waitresses from the other side of the folding screens. Meanwhile the attendants brought with them by the lady visitors were being entertained elsewhere.
Outside, on the temporary stage that had been erected in the courtyard, the players were due to begin their performance. In honour of the occasion they began by kneeling in a row at the front of it and offering their birthday congratulations to the old lady, while twelve little maids, dressed up as page-boys in identical costumes, stood solemnly to attention below the stage. When the players had finished, one of these little girl-pages advanced to the foot of the steps leading up to the hall with a playbill in her hands. She was relieved of it by a serving-woman who had been stationed there for the sole purpose of receiving and carrying messages. This woman handed it to Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife, who put it on a salver, edged herself through the bamboo curtain, and carried it to Cousin Zhen’s concubine, Lovey. Lovey handed it to You-shi, and You-shi walked up and offered it to the Dowager Princess of Nan-an. The Dowager Princess, after first, for politeness’ sake, declining, chose one of those congratulatory pieces which are customarily performed on these occasions. The Prince of Bei-jing’s Consort, whose turn it was next, did exactly the same. The rest of the ladies insisted that the players themselves should put on whatever they thought best, for it was sure to be good.
After four courses of various dishes and one of soup, the visitors’ attendants gave their mistresses’ largesse to the players, and the ladies returned to the Garden to ‘change their clothes’ and sample a very special tea. The Dowager Princess of Nan-an asked Grandmother Jia about Bao-yu.
‘Several temples are reading the Immaculate Diamond for me today,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘He has gone to kneel a while in each one of them while they do the reading.’
‘And what about your granddaughters?’ said the Princess.
‘Oh, this one is ill and that one is weakly and the other is too shy to see anyone. They are looking after my room for me today. We have more players than we need, so I thought we might as well let them have a troupe to themselves. I expect they are at this moment sitting with their cousins and watching a play in my courtyard.’
‘Do send for them!’ said the old princess coaxingly.
Grandmother turned to where Xi-feng was standing behind her.
‘Go and fetch your Cousin Shi and the two Xue girls and your Cousin Lin, will you? Oh, and you can bring your Cousin Tan with you as well.’
Xi-feng went to Grandmother Jia’s place. All the girls were there, nibbling sweets and watching a play, as Grandmother Jia had said they would be. Bao-yu had just got back from his kneeling. In obedience to her message, Bao-chai, Bao-qin, Dai-yu, Tan-chun and Xiang-yun followed her back into the Garden and made their curtseys to the assembled ladies. Some of the guests had seen them before, some had not; but all alike exclaimed admiringly at their beauty. Of the five girls Xiang-yun was the most familiar to those present.
‘Naughty girl!’ said the Dowager Princess waggishly. ‘You should have come yourself to see me when you heard that I was here, not waited to be called! I shall have a bone to pick with your uncle now, next time I see him!’
She took Tan-chun by one hand and Bao-chai by the other and drew them towards her.
‘And how old are you girls?’ she asked.
She released them, after several times commenting what ‘fine girls’ they were, and then subjected Dai-yu and Bao-qin to the same treatment, taking them by the hand, scrutinizing each of them in turn, and extravagantly praising their good looks.
‘Dear me, they are all such lovely girls I’ she said laughing. ‘I really don’t know which of them I prefer.’
Suitable presents had now been made ready by an attendant: five gold rings, five jade rings and five wristlets of aromatic beads.
‘Rather trifling presents I am afraid, my dears,’ said the Dowager Princess. ‘Perhaps you could give them to your maids.’
The five girls kotowed their thanks. There were more presents from the Prince of Bei-jing’s Consort and from the other ladies present – but there is no need to enumerate them.
When they had finished their tea, the ladies walked for a while in the Garden, after which Grandmother Jia invited them to return to the banquet; but the Dowager Princess of Nan-an took her leave. ‘To tell you the truth, I am not feeling very well today,’ she said. ‘I would not have stayed away for the world, but I am sure you will understand if I leave a little early.’
Under the circumstances, Grandmother Jia could not very well press her to stay, and after some polite skirmishing when the Princess protested that she could perfectly well find her way off the premises alone, the entire company saw her to the gate of the Garden, where she climbed into her palanquin and was carried away. The Prince of Bei-jing’s Consort returned with the rest of them to the Hall of Exalted Felicity and sat with them there for some minutes, but then she too took her leave. Of the other ladies some stayed on to the end, others left when a decent interval had elapsed after the departure of the two princesses.
The day’s entertaining left Grandmother Jia exhausted and next day she was unable to see anyone and stayed in her own room. Lady Xing and Lady Wang had to receive the female guests on her behalf. As for the male ones, those of them who wanted to offer their birthday congratulations had to do so in the outer reception hall. Their salutations were returned, obeisance for obeisance and bow for bow, by Jia She, Jia Zheng and Cousin Zhen, who then conducted them to the banquet prepared for them in Ning-guo House. But that is enough of banquets.
As long as the birthday celebrations continued, You-shi did not go back to the Ning-guo mansion to sleep. During the daytime she helped the others to entertain the guests. In the evenings, after some time spent in Grandmother Jia’s apartment chatting with the old lady, she would help Xi-feng supervise the getting out and putting away of the porcelain, gold and silver ware and other things that had been used that day or would be on the next, and the going over and setting out on display of the most recently-arrived batch of presents. After that she would go to Li Wan’s place to spend the night.
On one of these evenings she had just finished waiting on Grandmother Jia while she took her evening meal, when the old lady exempted her from further services.
‘You must be tired,’ she said. ‘I know I am. Why don’t you go and have a bite to eat yourself now and then go to bed? You will have to be up early again tomorrow.’
You-shi thanked her and went off to Xi-feng’s room hoping for some supper. Xi-feng was in the upstairs storage-room, however, supervising the putting away of some screens that had just arrived. Only Patience was at home, folding up some of Xi-feng’s clothes. Remembering Patience’s many kindnesses to Er-jie while she was still alive, You-shi nodded her head sympathetically.
‘You are a good-hearted girl, Patience. I am afraid you have a great deal to put up with.’
Patience’s eyes reddened, but she forbore to say anything. You-shi asked her if Xi-feng had eaten yet. Patience smiled.
‘She wouldn’t eat without first asking you,’ she said.
‘In that case I’ll go and look for a bite elsewhere,’ said You-shi. ‘I don’t know why, but I’m absolutely ravenous.’
‘Don’t go!’ said Patience. ‘We’ve got some mince rolls. Why not make do with one or two of those now and have supper with Mrs Lian when she gets back?’
‘No, I can see you’re busy,’ said You-shi. ‘I think I shall go into the Garden to see the girls.’
Since she obviously wanted to go, Patience made no further effort to detain her.
When You-shi came to the Garden she found the main gate and all the side gates still open and blazing with lights. Turning to the maid who accompanied her, she told her to go and fetch one of the women who were supposed to be on duty. The maid went into the duty room in the gatehouse, but not a soul was anywhere to be seen. She came back and told You-shi. Very well, said You-shi, then she should go and fetch one of the stewardesses from the mansion. The maid went back into the mansion to the corner-house inside the inner gate which was used by the stewardesses as a meeting-place, but its only occupants on this occasion were two women busily engaged in sharing out some left-overs for their supper.
‘Where are the stewardesses, then?’ the girl asked them. ‘My mistress from the Ning-guo is waiting for someone to give an order to.’
The women continued with their sharing-out. They felt little inclined to put themselves out for a visitor from the other mansion.
‘The stewardesses have all gone home,’ said one of them.
‘In that case you’d better go and get one from her lodgings,’ said the maid.
‘Our job is to look after the rooms here, not to run errands,’ said the woman. ‘If you want someone fetched, you’d better go and find someone whose job it is to fetch them.’
‘But this is rank mutiny!’ said the maid. ‘Not your job to run errands? You might fool a newcomer with such talk, but you don’t fool me! If I’d asked you to go to one of the stewardesses with a private message or tell her to come and collect a tip, you’d be trotting off like a little puppy-dog to its master. There’d be no talk then about it not being your job to do errands. I’d like to hear you give Mrs Lian such an answer!’
Partly because they had had a drop to drink and partly because what the girl said was uncomfortably close to the truth, the women’s resentment quickly flared into anger.
‘Impertinent little baggage! We know very well what our job is; we don’t need you to tell us. And before you start criticizing us, you might take a look at your own parents. The way they suck up to the stewards and stewardesses at your place is downright disgusting. You keep to your mansion and we’ll keep to ours. Go and make trouble for your own people if you have a mind to, but keep away from us!’
The maid had become white-faced with anger.
‘Good!’ she said ‘Very good!’ and turning about, walked straight back into the Garden to report all this to her mistress.
On entering the Garden some minutes previously, You-shi had come upon Aroma, Bao-qin and Xiang-yun laughing at a story that two nuns from the Convent of the Saviour King were telling them. When You-shi told them how hungry she was, they invited her to sit with them in the courtyard of Green Delights while Aroma went indoors to get her something to eat. Aroma found some rolls with meat and some with vegetable stuffing in them and put them in a food-box to carry out to her. She also brought out some tea for Bao-qin and Xiang-yun to sip while You-shi was eating the rolls. The nuns continued with their story. At that moment the maid arrived, still bursting with indignation, and proceeded to tell You-shi about her encounter and what the two women had said. You-shi was silent for some moments before she made any comment.
‘What extraordinary behaviour!’ she said finally.
One of the nuns gave the maidservant a prod.
‘You are too quick-tempered, my child! You don’t want to go repeating what those silly old women said to you. Your mistress is quite worn out from all her exertions during these past few days. What she needs is a little pick-me-up, something to cheer her up a bit. That’s what we’re trying to do, cheer her up. This is no time to come troubling her with that sort of talk!’
Aroma took the girl by the hand.
‘Go off and calm down a bit, there’s a good girl! I’ll get someone to fetch one of the stewardesses.’
‘It isn’t necessary,’ said You-shi. She addressed herself to the maid. ‘Go and fetch those two women, and when you’ve done that, you can find out where Mrs Lian is and tell her I want to see her.’
‘I’ll go,’ said Aroma.
‘I’d rather you didn’t,’ said You-shi.
The two nuns rose to their feet with propitiatory smiles.
‘Come, Mrs Zhen! You are such a kind, forgiving person as a rule. Surely you are not going to lose your temper on Her Old Ladyship’s birthday? Whatever would people say?’
Bao-qin and Xiang-yun added their own smiling entreaties.
‘All right,’ said You-shi, ‘I’ll let them off – but only because it is Lady Jia’s birthday.’
Unfortunately Aroma had in the meantime already sent a junior maid outside the Garden to look for someone, and this girl was already pouring an account of what had happened into the receptive ear of Zhou Rui’s wife, who, as it happened, was the first person she ran into.
Although Zhou Rui’s wife was not actually a stewardess, she regarded herself as being of equal dignity with one on account of her special relationship with Lady Wang, who had brought her from the Wang household when she was married; moreover she was a somewhat insinuating woman, whose eagerness to please made her a popular servant with the younger mistresses. What the maid told her brought her flying over at once to Green Delights, brimming over with sympathy and concern.
‘How shocking! Poor Mrs Zhen! No wonder she is so angry! I wish I had been there. I should have boxed their ears for them on the spot and settled accounts with them later!’
These worthy sentiments were uttered by her on the way. You-shi was pleased to see her when she arrived.
‘Ah, my dear Zhou! Perhaps you will tell me whether or not I was right to feel concerned. When I came into the Garden just now, all the gates were wide open and candles were still burning in all the lanterns. Anyone would have been free to go in or come out as they pleased. I thought how awful it would be if anything were to happen, but when I gave orders for the duty-women to close the gates and put the lights out, not a single one was to be found.’
‘Good gracious!’ said Zhou Rui’s wife. ‘Mrs Lian gave special orders about this only a few days ago and already they’re disobeying them! She’ll have to flog a few of them when this is over; that’s the only way to cure this sort of thing.’
You-shi then told her what the two women had said to her maid.
‘Well, don’t let it upset you, Mrs Zhen,’ said Zhou Rui’s wife. ‘Just wait until these celebrations are over: I’ll have a word with the stewardesses and we’ll take that precious pair and flog the daylights out of them. “You keep to your mansion and we’ll keep to ours” indeed! They’ll be singing a different tune from that by the time we’ve finished with them!’
In the midst of this excitement someone arrived from Xi-feng’s, inviting You-shi to come back for some supper.
‘I’m not hungry,’ said You-shi. ‘I’ve just been eating some rolls. Tell your mistress to have her supper without me.’
Zhou Rui’s wife went round herself to Xi-feng’s place shortly afterwards to repeat all this story to Xi-feng.
‘All you need do is make a note of the women’s names,’ Xi-feng told her. ‘When these celebrations are over, you can have them tied up and sent over to Mrs Zhen to punish or pardon as she sees fit. It isn’t a very serious matter.’
Now as it happened, Zhou Rui’s wife was on very bad terms with these two women, and in her impatience to proceed against them, she put a somewhat loose construction on the warrant given her by Xi-feng, for she first of all sent a boy round to Lin Zhi-xiao’s house to say that Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife was wanted by You-shi immediately, and then sent some other servants to apprehend the two women, tie them up, and hand them over to the grooms to be shut up in the stables and kept under guard there until further notice.
Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife, when she got the message, at once got into her carriage, wondering what on earth could be the matter, and hurried over to Xi-feng’s place to inquire; but when, on reaching the inner gate, she sent someone inside to announce her, a maid came out and told her that Xi-feng had already gone to bed.
‘It’s Mrs Zhen that wants to see you,’ said the girl. ‘She’s in the Garden now. You’d better look for her there.’
Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife went into the Garden and hurried through it to Sweet-rice Village. You-shi was quite put out when the maids announced her arrival. She had her invited in immediately and smiled at her apologetically as she entered.
‘I only asked for you because I wanted to give an order and nobody could be found. It wasn’t anything serious. It certainly wasn’t serious enough to call you out for specially. It is all over and done with now, in any case.’
Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife smiled, a trifle grimly.
‘But madam, Mrs Lian sent someone round to my place to say that you were asking for me.’
‘If I was, it was under the impression that you were still here,’ said You-shi. ‘I suppose it must be Zhou’s wife who told Mrs Lian about this. She need not have done so. It was really nothing of any consequence. Please go back home to bed.’
Li Wan was on the point of telling Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife what the trouble was, but You-shi would not let her. Since evidently neither lady was going to tell her, Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife took her leave. Just as she was coming out of the Garden gate, she ran into Aunt Zhao.
‘Good gracious me! Still on your feet at this hour, Mrs Lin?’ said Aunt Zhao. ‘I’d have thought you’d be at home and tucked up in bed by now!’
‘I was at home,’ said Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife, and proceeded to tell Aunt Zhao why she had been called out (for she had privately found out the reason for the summons before going into the Garden).
‘Well, fancy calling you out for a piddling little thing like that!’ said Aunt Zhao indignantly. ‘She should either have ignored it altogether, if she was feeling generous, or if she was in an unforgiving mood, had the women given a few whacks and that would have been the end of the matter. There was no need to drag you out specially. I won’t ask you in for a cup of tea now, you’ll probably be wanting to get back to bed.’
Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife continued on her way to the side gate where her carriage was waiting. The young daughters of the two imprisoned women were lying in wait for her there and, when they saw her coming, tearfully entreated her to intercede for their mothers. Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife merely laughed at them.
‘Silly children! Those mothers of yours ought not to drink so much or be so free with their tongues – that’s the cause of all this trouble. I don’t know what makes them do it. It’s Mrs Lian who had them tied up and I’m in trouble myself now, so I don’t know what I can do to help them.’
The two daughters, being only little girls and of very limited understanding, continued to blubber and entreat and clung so obstinately to Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife that she was unable to get into her carriage. She rounded on one of the two girls exasperatedly.
‘Stupid creature!’ she said. ‘What do you want to come hanging around me for when you could find help elsewhere? Wasn’t your elder sister married to Mrs Fei’s boy recently? Mrs Fei came here with Lady Xing when she was married. If you were to tell your sister about this and get her to have a word with Mrs Fei and Mrs Fei spoke about it to Lady Xing, that would be the end of the mattér.’
Glad to be reminded, the girl went scampering off immediately; but the other girl continued to entreat. Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife shoved her off impatiently.
‘You really are a stupid child! Didn’t I just say that if she has a word with her sister that will be the end of the matter? That means they’ll both be let off. You surely don’t think they’d let her mother off and give yours a beating?’
She got into her carriage then and drove back home.
The first little girl went and told her sister, as Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife had told her to, and the sister at once repeated the story to her mother-in-law, Goody Fei. This Goody Fei was a notorious trouble-maker, whose first reaction to the story was a stream of invective, fully audible to the occupants of all the neighbouring courtyards, after which she went to solicit help from Lady Xing.
‘It’s my boy’s mother-in-law, my lady: she only had a few words with a maid of Mrs Zhen’s, but that Zhou woman told such a pack of lies about her to Mrs Lian that she had my boy’s mother-in-law and the woman that was with her tied up and shut in the stables and in a few days’ time she’s going to have them both beaten. Do, please, my lady, put in a good word with Mrs Lian and ask her to let them off.’
Ever since the Faithful fiasco Grandmother Jia’s attitude towards Lady Xing seemed to have hardened, whilst Xi-feng’s stature seemed to have grown at her mother-in-law’s expense. The jealousy and resentment that Lady Xing felt as a consequence of this had recently been exacerbated by an imagined slight: the passing over of Ying-chun when the Dowager Princess of Nan-an asked to see the Jia girls and Tan-chun was the only one of the three to be called. Mischief-makers were not wanting to play upon her resentment, in this case representing Xi-feng’s action as a deliberate attack on her authority.
Her hatred of Xi-feng had now reached a degree of intensity that went beyond all reason.
Early next morning she went to pay her respects to Grandmother Jia. This was the junior clansmen’s day. When Lady Xing got there, the junior clansmen had already arrived and the players were waiting to begin. Grandmother Jia always enjoyed meeting young people, and so today she was appearing in person to receive their congratulations, dressed in her ordinary clothes, since this was a family party and the guests were all her juniors. She was reclining in the middle of the rear part of the hall on a large wooden couch furnished with a back-rest and bolsters and a footstool in front of it in case she should wish to sit upright. Around her couch were ranged a number of identical stools on which Bao-chai, Bao-qin, Dai-yu, Xiang-yun, Ying-chun, Tan-chun and Xi-chun were sitting. Of the twenty or so girls of their generation whose mothers had brought them there on this occasion two, Jia Bin’s sister Xi-luan and Jia Qiong’s sister Si-jie, had, on account of their good looks, well-spokenness and charming manners, found particular favour with Grandmother Jia and been invited to sit on stools with the other seven. Bao-yu sat up on the couch with his grandmother and massaged her legs for her. Aunt Xue had been given the place of honour in the ordering of the feast and the two lines of tables which rayed out on either side were occupied by the other ladies according to their husbands’ seniority in the clan. The men sat on the verandah at either side of the hall, also in order of seniority.
Presently the birthday ceremony began. The female members of the clan were the first to make their kotows. The males would have come next, but Grandmother Jia lay back on the couch and sent someone outside to excuse them. Then Lai Da arrived with the male domestics. They knelt down, row upon row of them, from the ornamental gate all the way up to the steps at the foot of the hall, to make their kotows. After them it was the turn of the married women, and after them of the maids. Something like the time it would take to eat two or three meals must have elapsed before all the kotowing was over. Next a number of bird-cages were set down in the middle of the courtyard and the birds released from them. Then Jia She and the other seniors supervised the burning of paper offerings to Heaven-and-Earth and Old Longevity. Only then did the drinking and the play-acting begin.
Grandmother Jia remained until the players’ mid-day interval before retiring to rest in her own room. She insisted that those of them who had escorted her there should go back and enjoy themselves, and asked Xi-feng to arrange for Xi-luan and Si-jie to stay on for a couple of nights after the party.
Xi-feng went off to speak to the girls’ mothers. Both had received favours from her in the past and were only too happy to comply with anything she asked them, and the girls themselves were of course delighted at the prospect of playing in the Garden all day and not having to go home for the night.
Lady Xing bided her time until the evening; then, just as everyone was getting ready to go, she went up to Xi-feng in front of all the others and made her a request.
‘I understand that you became angry with two old women last night and sent Zhou Rui’s wife to have them tied up. I don’t know what crime they had committed and it isn’t of course my business to interfere, but it does seem to me that Lady Jia’s birthday is an occasion when we should all be doing our utmost to help, those less fortunate than ourselves – giving money and free rice to the old and needy and that sort of thing – hardly a time for maltreating aged domestics. Could you not see your way to releasing them, for Lady Jia’s sake, if not for mine?’
Having said that, she got into her carriage and drove away.
The humiliation of being addressed like this in front of so many people filled Xi-feng with anger and confusion. Her face turned a dusky red colour and for some moments she was so taken aback that she was unable to speak; then, turning to Lai Da’s wife, she said, with a forced laugh:
‘But this is ridiculous! Last night I heard that some of our people had been rude to Mrs Zhen, and as I was afraid that she might be feeling vexed about it, I naturally had them tied up so that they could be placed at her disposal. It wasn’t me they had offended. I wonder what tale-bearing busybody is responsible for carrying this story next door?’
‘What exactly happened last night?’ asked Lady Wang.
Xi-feng explained.
‘I didn’t even know about this myself,’ said You-shi, laughing. ‘Really, Feng, I think you were a trifle officious.’
‘I was concerned about you,’ said Xi-feng.’ You had been insulted. It was a natural courtesy to place them at your disposal. Suppose I was at your place and some of your people insulted me? Wouldn’t you send them over to me for me to deal with? I thought that was a general principle which all of us observed, even if the servant in question was a highly valued one. Some meddlesome person has blown this incident up out of all proportion for the sake of stirring things up next door. I shouldn’t have thought myself that it was worth mentioning even.’
‘Your mother-in-law was quite right,’ said Lady Wang. ‘Cousin Zhen’s wife is one of us. There was no need for such empty courtesies in her case. Grandmother’s birthday is much more important. The women ought to be released.’
Xi-feng’s humiliation was now complete. A feeling of such wretchedness came over her that she could no longer hold back the tears of anger that had been collecting in her eyes. Not wishing them to be seen, she rushed back to her own apartment to weep alone.
She had hardly got back, though, when Grandmother Jia sent Amber round to summon her. Amber noticed with surprise that she had been crying.
‘Hullo, what’s all this about? She’s waiting to ask you about something.’
Xi-feng wiped away her tears, washed and dried her face, and put on a fresh lot of make-up before accompanying Amber back to Grandmother Jia’s apartment.
‘How many of the people who sent presents gave me screens?’ the old lady asked Xi-feng when she arrived.
‘Sixteen,’ said Xi-feng. ‘There were twelve big screens and four little kang screens. The biggest screen was from the Zhens of Nanking: a twelve panel folding screen with a scene in silk tapestry on crimson satin from A Heap of Honours on one side and Symbols of Longevity in powder-gold on the other. There’s also quite a good enamelled screen from Admiral Wu’s lady.’
‘Yes, well don’t do anything with those two, then,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘Just put them by somewhere where they will be safe. I want to give them to someone as a present.’
Faithful went over to Xi-feng and peered into her face.
‘What are you staring at her like that for?’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘Haven’t you seen her before?’
‘I was wondering why her eyes are so swollen,’ said Faithful.
‘Come over here,’ Grandmother Jia commanded, and scrutinized Xi-feng herself.
‘It’s because my eyes were itching and I’ve been rubbing them,’ said Xi-feng.
‘Are you sure someone hasn’t been upsetting you?’ said Faithful, laughing.
‘Who would dare?’ said Xi-feng. ‘And even if they had, I wouldn’t dare to cry on Her Old Ladyship’s birthday.’
‘I should think not indeed,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘I’m just going to have dinner now. You can stay with me and watch me eat it, and then you and Zhen’s wife can share what’s left over. The two of you can help these sisters here to pick up Buddha beans.’ She indicated the pair of nuns whose presence Xi-feng had been vaguely aware of on entering. ‘It will add some years to your life. I let Bao-yu and the girls do it the other day. Now you two must have a go as well, so that no one can accuse me of favouritism.’
While she was speaking, the table had been laid and a meatless meal served for the two nuns. Then, when they had eaten, a meal with meat in it was served for Grandmother Jia. When she in turn had finished, the remains of her meal were carried into the outer room for Xi-feng and You-shi to eat. They had already started when Grandmother Jia had Xi-luan and Si-jie sent for to join them. After they had finished and washed their hands, some incense was lit and a pint of beans brought in, over which the two nuns chanted some prayers. The two young women, each armed with a pair of chopsticks, then had to pick the beans up one by one and drop them into a basket, to be boiled next day and given away to passers-by in the street. While they were thus engaged, Grandmother Jia reclined on her couch and listened to edifying stories told her by the two nuns.
Faithful had heard from Amber about Xi-feng’s crying and had been over to Xi-feng’s apartment herself to find out the reason for it from Patience. Late that evening, when everyone else had left, she spoke about it to Grandmother Jia.
‘Mrs Lian is still crying. It’s because she was shamed in front of everyone by Lady Xing.’
‘Oh?’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘Why was that?’
Faithful told her.
‘I think Feng acted quite correctly,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘Surely we’re not going to allow our slaves to insult everyone with impunity just because it’s my birthday? I expect this was Lady Xing’s way of getting her own back for some grudge or other that she hadn’t had the courage to tackle her about at the time. It’s hard to see what other motive she could have had for humiliating her in public’.
Just at that moment Bao-qin came in and the subject had to be dropped. Bao-qin’s presence reminded Grandmother Jia of her two young visitors. She called one of her women to her and gave her a message about them which she was to convey to the principal womenservants in the Garden.
‘Tell them they must treat them just as they do our own young ladies. Anyone I hear of behaving disrespectfully to either of them will be punished mercilessly.’
‘Better let me go,’ said Faithful, before the woman had had time to get away. ‘They’ll never listen to her.’
She went off at once into the Garden. Her first call was at Sweet-rice Village; but neither Li Wan nor You-shi was there. The maids there told her that they were in Tan-chun’s apartment with the others, so she retraced her footsteps and called in at Autumn Studio. She found Li Wan and You-shi in the Paulownia Room engaged in a conversation, punctuated by frequent bursts of laughter, with the rest of the Garden’s little society. They welcomed Faithful with smiles and urged her to be seated.
‘What are you doing here at this late hour?, they asked her.
‘I suppose I’m allowed to walk in the Garden if I want to,’ said Faithful, and passed on Grandmother Jia’s message about Xi-luan and Si-jie.
Li Wan rose respectfully to receive it and at once sent someone to transmit it to the heads of all the apartments and instruct them to pass it on to their subordinates.
‘Lady Jia has wonderful foresight,’ You-shi commented drily. ‘We energetic younger ones may tie up a dozen servants, but we are still not so effective as her.’
‘I don’t know,’ said Li Wan. ‘Cousin Feng may not quite come up to Lady Jia’s standard, but she doesn’t do too badly. Personally I find her foresight quite uncanny. Certainly I could never hope to match it.’
‘You should have said “poor Cousin Feng”,’ said Faithful. ‘She’s in a bad way at the moment. During all the years she has been managing things she may not have put a foot wrong as far as Their Ladyships are concerned, but she has given a great deal of offence elsewhere. A daughter-in-law’s life must be pretty impossible. If she is too meek and mild her in-laws will complain that she is stupid and the servants won’t respect her, yet if she shows any initiative, there is always another set of problems rising up behind her back for every one that she deals with. In our household, where there are a certain number of mistresses who used once themselves to be maids, it’s particularly difficult. Such people are so full of their own importance that they are always taking offence, and if they are the slightest bit crossed in anything they begin spreading stories about you or finding other ways of stirring up trouble. I haven’t so far liked to say anything to Her Old Ladyship about this for fear of making her angry. If I ever do, people had better watch out, because then the sparks will begin to fly, I can tell you! Perhaps I shouldn’t say this in front of you, Miss Tan, but you know how certain people are always carrying on about the way Her Old Ladyship makes a favourite of Bao-yu. Well now apparently that doesn’t matter any more. That’s just a “natural preference”. Now it seems they’re angry because Her Old Ladyship has been favouring you. Did you ever hear of anything so ridiculous?’
‘There are a lot of very silly people about,’ said Tan-chun. ‘One really can’t be bothered with what they say. I often think how nice it would be to live in a smaller household, even if it meant being poorer. Think how delightful it would be to have just oneself and one’s parents and one or two brothers and sisters living together as one happy little family! People look at our great household and all its wealth and think how happy we must be; they don’t realize that the vexations far outweigh the advantages.’
‘You’re much too thin-skinned, Tan,’ said Bao-yu. ‘I’m always telling you: you should pay no attention to what vulgar people say or do but concentrate on enjoying the luxuries and opportunities that wealth and position make available to us. Others who lack these things have some reason to complain. Why make yourself miserable when you have got them?’
‘We can’t all be as happy-go-lucky as you are,’ said You-shi. ‘All you think about is amusing yourself with the girls, eating when you are hungry and sleeping when you are tired. Each year to you is like the last. You haven’t a thought in your head about the future.’
‘It’s the time I spend with the girls here that really matters,’ said Bao-yu. ‘If I die, I die. What do I care about the future?’
Li Wan and the others laughed.
‘That’s a silly way to talk. Even if you don’t do anything with your life and spend all the rest of it in here, you surely don’t think that the girls will be staying with you as well? They’ll all be going off to get married.’
‘I can understand why people say your growth has all gone into good looks,’ said You-shi. ‘You really are a silly fellow.’
‘Man’s life is uncertain,’ said Bao-yu. ‘Which of us knows when his time will come? Even if I die today or tomorrow or this year or next year, at least I shall have lived my life as I wanted to.’
The others would hardly let him finish what he was saying.
‘Worse and worse! Best not encourage him. What he was saying just now was simpleton’s talk, but this is raging lunacy!’
‘Don’t talk about dying, Cousin Bao,’ said little Xi-luan. ‘Lady Jia and Lady Wang are sure to feel lonely when all the girls have gone. I will come here and help you keep them company.’
Li Wan and You-shi both laughed.
‘Now you are talking like a simpleton, young lady. Don’t you think you will be getting married then as well?’
Xi-luan was overcome with bashfulness and hung her head.
The first watch was just sounding. They got up then and returned to their various apartments for the night.
On her way back to Grandmother Jia’s, Faithful observed that one of the side gates of the Garden was shut but not yet barred. There was no one about. A faint light burned in the duty-room and a sliver of moon half-way up the sky shed a feeble radiance from above. As she had no companion to talk to, carried no lantern, and was walking softly, the women in the duty-room seemed not to have noticed her. She had for some time been wanting to empty her bladder, and this seemed as good an opportunity as any for doing so. She left the path and began looking for a place where the grass was not too high to squat down in.
She had found what looked like a good spot under a large osmanthus tree behind a Tai-hu rock and was just making her way round the side of the rock to reach it when a rustle of clothing caused her to jump almost out of her skin. By straining her eyes she could make out two human shapes. They melted into the bushes at her arrival, but Faithful had very sharp eyes, and before they disappeared, the faint moonlight had enabled her to identify one of them by the red top, bouffant hair-style, and tall, somewhat heavy build, as Ying-chun’s head maid, Chess. She assumed that Chess and some other girl had been using the place as a convenience and had hidden themselves in the bushes when they saw her coming, intending to jump out at her presently and give her a scare.
‘Chess, come out of there!’ she called. ‘If you frighten me I shall scream, and then you will be taken for a thief. This is no time to be playing monkey-tricks, a big girl like you!’
These words were spoken in jest with no other motive than to prevent Chess jumping out and scaring her, but to Chess’s guilty conscience they seemed to imply that the secret she was hiding had been discovered. She was terrified that Faithful might cry out and others get to know about it as well, which would be even more frightful; and as Faithful had always been kind to her in the past, she resolved to throw herself on her mercy. Running out of the bushes, she knelt down and clung to her imploringly.
‘Faithful, I beg of you, for God’s sake don’t cry out!’
Not knowing what to make of this exaggerated reaction to her words, Faithful hastily pulled her to her feet.
‘Well, well, what’s all this about?’
Chess seemed unable to reply, but her body was trembling all over. Faithful was more mystified than ever. She looked again in the direction from which Chess had just come and saw a figure lurking there. It looked like a boy’s. She began to guess the reason for Chess’s terror. A sickening embarrassment made her own heart beat faster and she could feel her face burning to the very tips of her ears. She was afraid, too. After a brief silence in which she managed to recover some of her composure, she asked Chess, in a tremulous whisper, who ‘that other person’ was. Chess sank once more to her knees.
‘He’s my cousin, Faithful,’ she said faintly, ‘my father’s sister’s son.’
Faithful made a scornful sound, as if she did not believe her; but she was still too embarrassed to say anything.
‘There’s no need to hide,’ Chess called out softly to the boy. ‘My friend here had already seen you. Come out quickly and kotow.’
The boy darted out from the cover of the tree, threw himself on his knees in front of Faithful, and began knocking his head on the ground as if he were pounding garlic in a mortar. Faithful wanted to turn away, but Chess clung to her tearfully and beseechingly.
‘Our lives are in your hands, Faithful. Be merciful!’
‘Of course I shall; you don’t need to ask,’ said Faithful. ‘Tell him to go away. Whatever happens, I shan’t tell anyone. There’s no need for all this drama.’
Before she had finished speaking, a voice could be heard from the direction of the corner gate.
‘Miss Faithful’s already gone out. We can bar the gate now.’
Chess was still clinging to her so hard that Faithful could not get away. She had to call out to the woman from where she stood.
‘No, I’m still here. I’ve been doing something. Just a second: I’ll be out directly.’
Chess, when she heard her say that, was obliged to let her go. The rest will be told in the following chapter.