Chapter 20

Chapter 20

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Chapter 20 Xifeng Uses Stern Words to Check a Jealous Ruse And Pretty Words from Daiyu Raise a Laugh

While Bao-yu was in Lin Dai-yu's quarters telling the "rat-spirit" story, Bao-chai walked in and teased him about not knowing the典故 of the "green candle" from the Lantern Festival. The three of them were exchanging barbs and jokes in the room. Bao-yu had been worrying that Dai-yu, after her meal, might fall asleep too soon, causing her food to sit heavy, or that she might become restless at night—none of which were good for one's health. Fortunately, Bao-chai's arrival had enlivened the conversation, and Dai-yu no longer felt like sleeping, which set his mind at rest.

Suddenly, shouting was heard from inside the room. All of them pricked up their ears. Lin Dai-yu was the first to laugh: "That's your nanny and Aroma having a row. Aroma can be forgiven, but if your nanny insists on making a serious fuss over him, she's clearly getting senile."

Bao-yu hurried to go over, but Bao-chai quickly grabbed him by the arm. "Don't you go quarreling with your nanny. She's old and muddle-headed—you'd do better to yield to her a step." "I know," said Bao-yu. He went over and found Nanny Li leaning on her cane, berating Aroma on the spot: "Ungrateful little strumpet! I raised you up, and now that I've come in, you lie sprawled on the kang with your nose in the air and don't even acknowledge me. All you care about is playing the seductress to beguile Bao-yu, and you've so beguiled him that he ignores me and listens only to the likes of you. You're nothing but a miserable little slave-girl bought for a few ounces of stinking silver—and you presume to make trouble in this room! Wouldn't it be better to drag you out and marry you off to some servant lad, and then see if you can still bewitch Bao-yu with your fox-spirit ways!"

At first Aroma had thought Nanny Li was simply angry that she was lying down, and tried to explain: "I was feverish and sweating, so I covered my head—I truly didn't see you, old lady." But then she kept hearing "beguiling Bao-yu," "playing the seductress," "marrying her off," and the like. She could not help feeling both ashamed and wronged, and burst into tears.

Bao-yu had heard all this but could do little about it. He could only speak up for Aroma, saying she had been ill and was taking medicine. "If you don't believe me, just ask the other maids," he added.

This only made Nanny Li angrier. "You just shield those fox-spirits. You don't even recognize me now—who should I ask? Who doesn't take your side? Who hasn't been brought to heel by Aroma? I know all about those things. I'll just go and tell the Old Lady and your Lady. I nursed you and brought you up to this great size, and now that you no longer need my milk, you cast me aside and let these maids lord it over me." Even as she spoke, she too began to cry.

By this time Dai-yu and Bao-chai had also come over to soothe her. "Old mother, just bear with them a little and it'll be over," they said.

When Nanny Li saw the two of them, she seized them and poured out her grievances, recounting how Aroma had been served tea, how Xi-xue had been sent out the other day, and the matter of the milk-curds yesterday—chattering on endlessly without making any sense.

As it happened, Feng-jie was in the upper rooms settling her accounts of winnings and losses when she heard the commotion from the back. She knew at once that it was Nanny Li's old ailment flouting up again—she was finding fault with Bao-yu's people. And having just lost money herself that day, she was in a mood to vent her anger on others. She hurried over and, taking hold of Nanny Li, said with a smile, "Good mother, don't be angry. The Old Lady has only just been enjoying herself for a day during the festival. You're an old woman—if others raise their voice, you ought to be the one to check them. How can you not know the rules yourself, making a racket here and now and making the Old Lady angry? Just tell me who's been naughty, and I'll give them a thrashing for you. I've got a wild fowl roasting at home, piping hot—come along and have a cup of wine with me." Even as she spoke, she dragged her off, calling out, "Feng-er, take Granny Li's cane and the handkerchief she uses to wipe her tears."

Nanny Li was swept off her feet following Feng-jie, still muttering as she went, "I don't want this old life anymore. I might as well throw all propriety to the winds today, make a scene, and lose face—anything's better than putting up with the insolence of that strumpet fox!"

Bao-chai and Dai-yu followed behind and, seeing how Feng-jie had handled it, all clapped their hands and laughed: "What a lucky gust of wind that came and swept the old woman away!"

Bao-yu nodded and sighed. "This is another score from who-knows-where—she just picks on the soft ones. Yesterday it was some other young lady who offended her, and the blame got chalked up to someone else's account."

Before he had finished, Qing-wen, who was standing nearby, laughed and said: "Who in their right mind would go and offend her? Even if one did offend her, one ought to have the mettle to bear the consequences oneself, not drag others into it!"

Aroma, still crying, pulled at Bao-yu and said: "Because of me you've offended one old lady, and now because of me you're offending all these others. Isn't that enough for me to suffer, without you dragging other people in as well?"

Bao-yu saw how ill she was on top of all these vexations, and forcing himself to swallow his anger, he comforted her and urged her to lie down again and let the sweat do its work. Seeing that she was burning with fever, he stayed by her, sitting beside her, and urged her to concentrate on getting well and not let unimportant things upset her.

Aroma said with a cold laugh: "If one were to get upset over things like this, one couldn't stand it in this room for a single moment. But as the days drag on, if it's always like this, what's a person supposed to do? I've often urged you not to offend people on our behalf. You act on impulse for our sakes, and they all store it up in their hearts. When the time comes and they have a grievance to air, whether they put it tactfully or not, what do you think the rest of us feel?"

Even as she spoke, she could not help shedding tears again, but fearing that Bao-yu would be upset, she forced herself to hold them back.

Presently the old serving-woman brought in a freshly decocted dose of the two-ingredient medicine. Baoyu, observing that Xiren had just begun to perspire, would not let her get up; he himself carried the bowl to her pillow and fed her the medicine, then ordered the little maids to make up the kang. Xiren said, "Whether you eat or not, you ought to go and sit a while with the Old Lady and Her Ladyship, and have some fun with the young ladies before coming back. I can rest quietly for a while." Hearing this, Baoyu had no choice but to remove her hairpins and ornaments, watched her lie down, and then went himself to the main apartments. He finished his meal with the Dowager, who still wished to play cards with the old stewardesses to while away the time. But Baoyu was mindful of Xiren and returned to his room, where he found her already drifting off to sleep. He himself wanted to sleep, but it was still early. At that hour, Qingwen, Qiyan, Qiwen, and Bihen had all gone off to seek amusement, playing with Yuanyang and Hupo and the others; only Sheyue was left alone in the outer room, playing with bone tablets under the lamp. Baoyu asked with a smile, "Why aren't you playing with them?" Sheyue replied, "I have no money." Baoyu said, "There's a whole pile under the bed—isn't that enough for you to lose?" Sheyue said, "They've all gone off to play—who would be left in charge of this room? And one of them is ill. Up above there are lamps, down below there are fires. Those old nannies have been on their feet serving all day—they ought to be allowed to rest. The little maids have also been serving all day—it's only right to let them go and have some fun now. So I let them all go, and I'm staying here to keep watch."

When Baoyu heard these words, he thought: here is another Xiren. He said with a smile, "I'm sitting here, so go ahead with a clear conscience." Sheyue said, "Since you're here, there's even less reason for me to go. Wouldn't it be better for the two of us to sit and chat and have some fun?" Baoyu smiled and said, "What would we do together? That would be rather dull. Well then—this morning you said your head was itchy, and there's nothing to do now. Let me comb your hair for you." Sheyue agreed at once. "Very well." She brought over the toilet case and mirror box, took off her hairpins and bracelets, and let down her hair. Baoyu took the fine-toothed comb and carefully combed through it for her. He had only combed three or five strokes when Qingwen hurried in to fetch some money. The moment she saw the two of them, she said with a sneer, "Ah, you haven't even drunk the nuptial cup yet, and already you're performing the hair-combing ceremony!" Baoyu laughed and said, "Come here—let me comb your hair for you." Qingwen replied, "I'm not that fortunate." With that, she took the money and went out, flinging the curtain aside.

Baoyu stood behind Sheyue, who was facing the mirror; the two of them looked at each other within the glass. Baoyu laughed into the mirror, "The whole room, and it's only he who grinds his teeth." Sheyue, hearing this, hastily waved her hand at her reflection. Baoyu understood. Suddenly there came a rustle of the portière, and Qingwen burst in again, demanding, "How do I grind my teeth? Let's have it out." Sheyue laughed, "Go on your way, why come asking people again?" Qingwen said with a smile, "You're always taking his part. All your sneaky tricks, I know them all. Wait till I've recouped my losses, then we'll talk." With that, she went straight out.

Here Baoyu had his hair dressed, and he told Sheyue quietly to help him to bed, not wanting to disturb Xiren. Nothing else happened that night. The next morning when he got up, Xiren had sweated in the night and felt somewhat better, taking only some rice broth to recuperate quietly. Baoyu set his mind at ease, and after breakfast wandered over to Aunt Xue's place. It was still the first month of the year—the school had closed for the New Year holiday, and needlework was taboo in the women's quarters, so everyone had leisure time. Jia Huan had also come over to play and happened to find Baochai, Xiangling, and Ying'er playing weiqi. Jia Huan wanted to join in. Baochai had always treated him just like Baoyu, with no ulterior motive. Hearing him ask to play, she let him sit down with them. They staked ten coins a round, and Jia Huan won the first game himself—he was overjoyed. But then he lost several rounds in a row and began to get anxious. Now it was his turn to throw the dice; if he threw a seven he would win, and if he threw a six, then Ying'er would need to throw a three to win. He picked up the dice and flung them with all his might—one landed showing a five, and the other kept spinning. Ying'er clapped her hands, shouting "Ace!" Jia Huan glared and shouted wildly, "Six—seven—eight!" But the die spun around and came up showing an ace. Jia Huan, in a panic, snatched up the die and then grabbed the money, insisting it was a six. Ying'er said, "It was clearly an ace!"

Seeing Jia Huan was getting upset, Baochai shot a glance at Ying'er and said, "The older you get, the less manners you have! Do you think a young master would cheat you? Put that money down at once!" Ying'er was full of grievance, but at Baochai's words she dared not make a sound and could only put the money down, muttering to herself, "A young master, and he'd cheat us out of a few coins—he doesn't even put me in his eyes. The other day I played with Second Master Bao, and when he lost all that money, he never got upset. The rest of the coins were snatched up by a few little maids all at once, and he just laughed it off." Baochai cut her off before she could finish. Jia Huan said, "What have I got to compare with Baoyu? You're all afraid of him, you're all on his side, and you all bully me because I wasn't born of the proper Lady." And he began to cry.

Baochai hurriedly comforted him: "Good brother, don't say such things—people will laugh at him." And she scolded Ying'er. Just then Baoyu came in, saw the situation, and asked what had happened. Jia Huan dared not make a sound. Baochai knew the rules of his household—all younger brothers feared their elder brothers. But she did not know that Baoyu was not the sort of person who wanted others to fear him. He thought: "My brothers all have our parents to discipline them; why should I meddle and only estrange them? Besides, I am born of the principal wife and he is a concubine's son—even so, people gossip about him behind his back; how much more would they if I tried to control him?" There was also a foolish notion lodged in his heart.—What was this foolish notion? Having grown up since childhood surrounded by sisters and girl cousins—full sisters like Yuanchun and Tanchun, paternal cousins like Yingchun and Xichun, and relatives like Shi Xiangyun, Lin Daiyu, and Xue Baochai—he had concluded that Heaven and Earth had endowed mankind as the most intelligent of all creatures, but the pure essence of mountains, rivers, sun, and moon was concentrated only in women; men with whiskers and brows were nothing but dregs and turbid foam. Because this foolish idea was lodged in his heart, he regarded all men as muddled, filthy creatures, of no consequence. Only with his father, uncles, and brothers—because Confucius, the greatest man of all time, had said so—he must not be disrespectful and had to heed those words. So among brothers he merely observed the general decency and no more, never thinking of himself as a man who ought to set an example for the younger generation. Thus Jia Huan and the others were not afraid of him; it was only the fear of Grandmother Jia that made them show him a little courtesy.

Now Baochai, fearing that Baoyu might lecture Jia Huan and make things awkward, quickly covered for him. Baoyu said, "What are you crying for in the first month of the year? If it's no good here, go play somewhere else. You study every day, and all you've learned is foolishness. If this thing isn't good, there must be another thing that's good—just throw this one away and take that one. Will crying over this thing for a while make it better? You came here to enjoy yourself; if you can't enjoy yourself, go somewhere else to seek enjoyment. Does crying for a while count as enjoyment? You'll only make yourself miserable. Better to go quickly."

Jia Huan, hearing this, could only go back.

Zhao Yiniang saw him in this state and asked, "So where else did you get your nest kicked apart this time?" When her question went unanswered, and she asked again, Jia Huan said, "I was playing with Sister Bao, and Ying'er bullied me. She refused to pay me the money she owed, and Brother Baoyu drove me away." Zhao Yiniang spat, "Who asked you to climb up to the high platform? Shameless, low-down creature! Where couldn't you play? Who told you to go running off looking for humiliation!"

Just then, as it happened, Xifeng passed by the window. She had heard everything. Calling through the window, she said, "What's wrong with it being the first month of the year? Brother Huan is just a child. If he's made some small mistake, you should simply instruct him. What's the point of saying such bitter things! Wherever he goes, there are still the Madam and the Master to oversee him. And here you are, spraying spit all over him! He is a master now. If anything goes wrong, in any case there are people to instruct him—what business is it of yours? Brother Huan, come out. Come play with me."

Jia Huan had always feared Xifeng even more than he feared Lady Wang. Hearing himself called, he hurried out, meekly obeying. Zhao Yiniang didn't dare utter a sound. Xifeng said to Jia Huan, "You really have no spirit at all! How often have I told you: if you want to eat, drink, play, or laugh, just play with whichever elder sister, younger sister, elder brother, or sister-in-law you like—then play with them. But you don't listen to my words. Instead you let these people teach you twisted, crooked thoughts, all that sly, overbearing, fox-spirit nonsense. You don't respect yourself. You want to sink lower, harbor bad intentions, and then go around complaining that others are treating you unfairly. You lost a few coins? And you carry on like this!"

When Jia Huan was questioned, he had to mumble in reply that he had lost a hundred or two hundred cash. Xifeng said, "You're supposed to be a young master, and you act like this over losing a hundred or two hundred coins!" She turned her head and called Feng'er: "Go and get a string of a thousand cash. The young ladies are all playing in the back. Take him there and let him play with them. If you're ever this low and fox-spirit-like again, I'll beat you first, and then send someone to tell your teacher at the school—he'll have the hide off your back! Because of your lack of self-respect, your elder brother has been grinding his teeth with hatred. If I hadn't held him back, he would have given you such a kick in the gut that your intestines would have come out." She barked the order: "Go!" Jia Huan meekly followed Feng'er, received the cash, and went off to play with Yingchun and the others. So much for that.

Now Baoyu was laughing and joking with Baochai when someone suddenly said, "Miss Shi is here." Baoyu stood up at once and started to leave. Baochai smiled and said, "Wait, let's go together—the two of us—and go see her." With that, she stepped down from the kang and went along with Baoyu to Lady Jia's quarters. There they saw Shi Xiangyun, laughing and talking boisterously. Seeing the two of them arrive, she hurriedly greeted them and they exchanged pleasantries. Lin Daiyu happened to be there as well, and she asked Baoyu, "Where were you?" Baoyu said, "At Sister Bao's place." Daiyu said with a cold smile, "So that's it. No wonder you were tied up there—otherwise you would have flown here long ago." Baoyu laughed and said, "I'm only allowed to play with you, to cheer you up. If I go to her place once in a while, you start saying these things."

Lin Daiyu said, "What a pointless thing to say! Whether you go or not is none of my business. I never asked you to cheer me up. You're quite free to ignore me from now on!" With that, she went back to her room in a huff.

Baoyu hurried after her and asked, "What's the matter now, getting angry again? Even if I said something wrong, you could at least have stayed there and chatted with the others for a while. Instead you come back here to brood on your own." Lin Daiyu said, "Mind your own business!" Baoyu laughed and said, "Of course I wouldn't dare to tell you what to do. It's just that I can't bear to see you ruining your own health." Lin Daiyu said, "If I ruin my health and die, what is that to you!" Baoyu said, "Why bring that up? It's the first month of the year, and you keep talking about dying and living." Lin Daiyu said, "I'll talk about dying! I'll die right now! You're afraid of dying, aren't you? Live to be a hundred—how about that?" Baoyu laughed and said, "If it's going to be nothing but this kind of quarreling, then I'm afraid of dying too. Better to die and be done with it." Daiyu quickly said, "Exactly—if it's going to be this kind of quarreling, better to die and be done with it." Baoyu said, "I said it would be better for me to die and be done with it. Don't mishear me and blame it on someone else."

Just then Baochai came over and said, "Sister Shi is waiting for you." With that, she pushed Baoyu away. Left there alone, Daiyu grew even more choked with grief, and could only weep by the window.

Not two cups of tea later, Baoyu came back. When Daiyu saw him, she sobbed and wept all the more. Baoyu, seeing her like this, knew it would be hard to make her stop, and so he marshaled a thousand tender, soothing words to comfort her. But before he could open his mouth, Daiyu spoke first: "What have you come here for again? After all, there's someone now who'll play with you — someone who's better than me at reciting, at composing, at writing, at making jokes, and who's afraid you'll be angry and drag you off. So what are you here for? Let me live or die as I please!"

Baoyu stepped forward and said quietly, "A clever girl like you — surely you know the saying, 'One does not come between those who are close; what comes first does not yield to what comes after'? I may be muddled, but I understand these two principles. First, we are children of a brother and a sister — cousins on our fathers' side — while Baochai is a cousin on our mothers' side. By blood relation, she is more distant than you. Second, you came first. We've eaten at the same table and slept in the same bed ever since we were little. She only just arrived. How could I put you second for her sake?"

Daiyu spat in disgust. "Do you think I'm asking you to keep her at a distance? What kind of person would that make me? It's my heart I care about."

Baoyu replied, "It's my heart I care about too. Can it be that you know your own heart, but not mine?"

Daiyu lowered her head and said nothing. After a long while she spoke: "You only complain that others scold you and find fault, but you never realize how you torment others yourself. Take today's weather, for instance — it's obviously freezing, and yet you've taken off your blue-fox-lined cape!"

Baoyu laughed. "I was wearing it. But the moment I saw you angry, I got hot and flustered and pulled it off."

Daiyu sighed. "When you catch your death of cold, you'll be at it again, clamoring for something to eat."

Just then Xiangyun came along. "Second Brother, Lin-jiejie, you two play together every single day. I've finally managed to come, and you won't even pay me the slightest attention!" she said with a smile.

Daiyu laughed. "This lisping tongue loves to talk so much — you can't even say 'Second Brother' properly; it's always 'Love Brother, Love Brother.' When we play weiqi later, you'll be yelling 'one-love-three-four-five' again."

Baoyu laughed. "If you get used to her way of talking, one of these days you'll start lisping too."

Shi Xiangyun said, "If she doesn't give an inch and only picks on people's faults — well, even if you are better than everyone else, that's no reason to tease every single person you meet. Name one person — if you dare find fault with them, I'll acknowledge you as the best."

Daiyu quickly asked who it was.

Xiangyun said: "If you dare find fault with Cousin Baochai, then you're the best. I'm no match for you — how could she not be inferior to you?"

Daiyu said with a cold laugh: "I wondered who it was — so it's her! As if I would dare find fault with her!"

Baoyu, before she could say more, hastily changed the subject.

Xiangyun smiled. "I'll never be a match for you in this lifetime. I only pray that one day you'll marry a lisping husband, and you'll hear nothing but 'love' and 'ear' all day long. Amida Buddha — that would be a sight for these eyes!" Everyone burst out laughing, and Xiangyun turned and ran off.

What happened next will be told in the following chapter.

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