Chapter 34

Chapter 34

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Chapter 34: Passion Within Passion—A Sister Moved by Love; Error Upon Error—A Brother Counseled by Mistakes

After Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang had left, Xiren went to sit beside Baoyu, her eyes brimming with tears. "How did it come to such a beating?" she asked.

Baoyu sighed. "It was just the usual things—why ask about it? Only my lower half hurts terribly. Take a look—where's it worst?"

Hearing this, Xiren gently reached inside and began to pull down his under-trousers. Baoyu stirred slightly and bit his teeth, crying out, "Ai-yo!" Xiren quickly stopped. After three or four attempts, she finally managed to remove them. When she looked, she saw the upper part of his legs was black and purple, with welts as wide as four fingers raised up.

Xiren bit her teeth. "My goodness! How could anyone strike so viciously! If you had just listened to a word from me, it would never have come to this. Luckily no bones or tendons were damaged. If you'd been crippled, what would become of you?"

Just then, a maid announced, "Miss Baochai is here."

Xiren knew there was no time to put his under-trousers back on, so she hastily covered Baoyu with a light silk quilt. Baochai entered, holding a pill in her hand. She said to Xiren, "Grind this up with wine tonight and apply it to his bruises. It will disperse the stagnant blood and feverish poison, and he should recover."

She handed the pill to Xiren, then asked, "Is he any better now?"

Baoyu thanked her at once. "I'm better." He offered her a seat.

Baochai saw that he was now able to open his eyes and speak—not like before—and felt somewhat relieved. She nodded and sighed, "If you had listened to someone earlier, it wouldn't have come to this. Not only do the Old Lady and Lady Wang feel for us, but even we who look on feel it in our hearts."

She had barely spoken half a sentence when she stopped herself, regretting that her words had been too hasty. Unconsciously her face flushed red and she lowered her head.

Baoyu found her words so tender and intimate, full of deep meaning. Seeing her stop mid-sentence, blush, and lower her head to fiddle with her sash—that look of delicate bashfulness beyond all description—his heart suddenly soared. The pain was forgotten to the ninth heaven. He thought to myself: "I've only received a few blows, and yet they all show such tender compassion and grief—touching to see, pitiable to witness. If I were to die a sudden death, who knows how grief-stricken they would be! Since they feel this way, even if I were to die now, to have their devotion would make a lifetime's ambitions, even if utterly wasted, not worth lamenting. If in the world beyond I did not feel at peace, I would indeed be a foolish ghost."

As he was thinking this, he heard Baochai ask Xiren, "Why did he fly into such a rage? What caused the beating?"

Xiren repeated what Beimin had told her. Baoyu had not known about Jia Huan's words; he only learned of them now from Xiren. This brought Xue Pan to mind as well, and fearing that Baochai might take it to heart, he quickly stopped Xiren: "Brother Xue has never been like that. You mustn't make wild guesses."

Baochai understood that he was being considerate toward her and was deflecting Xiren's words to spare her feelings. She thought to himself: "Beaten to this state, and he still has the presence of mind to worry about offending others—he is certainly thoughtful toward us. Since he is so considerate, why doesn't he put that care into his affairs in the outside world? Then his father would approve, and he wouldn't suffer like this. But I suppose you, fearing I might take it to heart, stopped Xiren's words—yet don't I know my own brother's nature, always indulging his desires without any restraint? Back then, over a Qin Zhong, he raised such a ruckus that heaven and earth were overturned. Naturally he is even worse now than before."

Having thought this through, she smiled and said, "Don't blame this person or that. In my view, the fact is that Brother Bao has always been irregular in his conduct and willing to associate with those people—that's why the Master was angry. Even if my brother spoke carelessly and mentioned Brother Bao, it wasn't deliberate provocation: first, it was simply the truth, and second, he has never concerned himself with such minor matters of propriety. Miss Xiren, you've only ever known Brother Bao, who is so careful and thoughtful. Have you ever met my brother, who fears nothing under heaven and says whatever is on his mind?"

Xiren, having mentioned Xue Pan and seeing Baoyu stop her words, had already realized she had spoken too rashly. Fearing Baochai might feel embarrassed, and hearing Baochai say this, she was all the more ashamed and had nothing to say.

Baoyu, hearing Baochai's words—half of them dignified and proper, half of them dispelling his own doubts—felt even more at ease than before. Just as he was about to speak, Baochai rose and said, "I'll come see you again tomorrow. You must rest well. I've just given the medicine to Xiren—apply it tonight and you should recover."

With that, she walked toward the door.

Xiren hurried to see her out of the courtyard. "You've gone to such trouble, miss. When the Second Master is better, he'll come thank you himself."

Baochai turned her head and smiled. "There's nothing to thank me for. Just persuade him to rest quietly and not let his mind wander. There's no need to alarm the Old Lady and Lady Wang and the others. If word should reach the Master's ears, even if nothing happens at the time, when the truth comes to light later, he'll suffer for it."

With that, she departed.

Xiren withdrew, inwardly most grateful to Baochai. She came back in and saw Baoyu lying in deep thought, half asleep as it were, so she went out again and went to wash and dress. Baoyu lay silently on his bed, unable to help the pain in his buttocks, as though needles were picking at him and a knife digging into him, and on top of that the heat was like fire scorching him. When he tried to turn slightly, he could not suppress a cry of "Ai-yo!" By now the sky was growing late. Seeing that Xiren had gone, there were still two or three maids in attendance, but there was nothing they were needed for at the moment, so he said, "Go and wash and dress for now. Come back when I call for you." The maids heard this and all withdrew.

Here Baoyu, in a drowsy haze, saw Jiang Yuhang come in and tell him of his arrest by the Prince of Zhongshun's household. He also saw Jinchuan'er come in and weep, telling him how she had thrown herself into a well on his account. Baoyu, half dreaming and half awake, paid no heed to any of it. Then suddenly he felt someone pushing him, and in a blur he heard the sound of someone weeping mournfully. Baoyu started awake from his dream, opened his eyes and looked—it was no one else, it was Lin Daiyu. Baoyu, still fearing it might be a dream, quickly raised himself up and looked closely at her face. He saw that her eyes were swollen like two peaches, her face covered with tears—if it wasn't Daiyu, then who could it be? Baoyu was about to look further, but how could he, the lower half of his body was in unbearable pain and he could not hold himself up. With an "Ai-yo!" he fell back down, heaved a sigh, and said, "What are you doing coming here again! Even though the sun has set, the lingering heat on the ground hasn't dispersed yet. If you walk back and forth a couple of times you'll suffer from the heat—how will that do! Even though I've been beaten, I don't feel any pain. This appearance of mine is just put on to fool them, so the news will spread outside and reach Father's ears—it's actually pretend. You must not take it seriously."

At this moment, though Lin Daiyu was not wailing loudly, yet precisely this kind of silent weeping, with her breath choked and her throat blocked, seemed even more intense. Hearing these words from Baoyu, though she had ten thousand things in her heart she wanted to say, she could not get them out. After a long while, she said, choking and sobbing, "From now on, you should just reform yourself!" Baoyu heard this and heaved a long sigh. "Set your mind at rest—don't say such things. Even if I were to die for these people, I would do so willingly!"

Before he had finished speaking, someone outside the courtyard announced, "Second Mistress is here." Lin Daiyu knew at once that it was Xifeng. She quickly stood up and said, "I'll go out through the back courtyard and come back later." Baoyu grabbed hold of her and said, "This is strange—why on earth would you be afraid of her all of a sudden?" Lin Daiyu stamped her foot in agitation and whispered, "Just look at my eyes—he'll only make fun of me and find it amusing." Hearing this, Baoyu hastily let go. Daiyu turned around behind the bed in three or two steps and went out through the back courtyard. Xifeng had already come in from the front and asked Baoyu, "Are you feeling any better? Is there anything you'd like to eat? Have someone fetch it from my place." After that, Aunt Xue arrived. A short while later, the Dowager also sent someone. By the time the lamps were lit, Baoyu had only drunk two mouthfuls of soup before he fell into a deep, drowsy sleep.

After that, Zhou Rui's wife, Wu Xindeng's wife, and Zheng Haoshi's wife—these older women who often came to visit—heard that Baoyu had been beaten, and they all came in. Xiren hurried out to greet them and said with a quiet smile, "You've come a step too late, Second Master has just fallen asleep." As she spoke, she led them to the other room to sit down and poured tea for them. The women sat quietly for a while, then said to Xiren, "When Second Master wakes up, tell him we came by for him."

Xiren agreed and saw them off. Just as she was about to return, she saw that Lady Wang had sent an old servant woman, who said, "The mistress wants someone who attends to Second Master." When Xiren heard this, she thought for a moment, then turned around and quietly told Qingwen, Sheyue, Tanyun, Qiuwen, and the others, "The mistress has sent for someone. You stay in the room and look after things properly — I'll be back soon." With that, she went off with the old woman, straight out of the garden, and came to the main apartments. Lady Wang was sitting on a cool daybed, waving a palm-leaf fan. Seeing her arrive, she said, "It wouldn't have mattered who she sent. But you've left him again — who's attending to him?"

Xiren quickly smiled and replied, "Second Master has just fallen sound asleep. Those four or five maids are better now too and know how to wait on Second Master. Please don't worry, madam. I was afraid you had something to instruct me, and if they had been sent, they might not have understood at once, and that would have caused delay."

Lady Wang said, "There's nothing in particular. I just asked how his pain is now."

Xiren replied, "I applied the medicine Miss Bao sent, and it's somewhat better than before. At first the pain was so bad he couldn't lie still, but now he's sleeping soundly, so clearly it's better."

Lady Wang asked again, "Has he eaten anything?"

Xiren said, "He took a few sips of the soup the Old Lady gave him, but complained it was too dry and wanted sour plum soup. I thought sour plum is an astringent — he's just been beaten, and he's not allowed to cry out, so of course the heat and hot blood must be pent up inside him. If he ate that and it stirred up the heat in his heart, it might bring on a serious illness. So I persuaded him for a long time before he gave it up. He only took some rose preserve pickled in sugar and ate that mixed in. After half a bowl, he said it was too cloying and not sweet enough."

Lady Wang said, "Ai-ya! You should have come and told me earlier. The day before before last someone sent two bottles of scented dew, and I had meant to give him some, but I was afraid he'd waste it, so I didn't. Since he finds those rose pastes too cloying, take these two bottles to him. You only need to put a teaspoonful in a bowl of water, and it smells wonderfully sweet." She then called out to Caiyun, "Go and fetch those bottles of scented dew from the other day."

Xiren said, "Just bring two bottles. Any more would be wasted. If they're not enough, we can always come for more later."

Caiyun went off and after quite some time indeed returned with two bottles, which she handed to Xiren. Xiren looked at them and saw two small glass bottles, about three inches tall, with screw-on silver tops. On one was a label of light yellow paper reading "Osmanthus Clear Dew," and on the other was written "Rose Clear Dew."

Xiren laughed and said, "What precious things! Such tiny bottles — how much can there be?"

Lady Wang said, "Those are tribute goods. Didn't you see the yellow labels? Take good care of them for him and don't let them be wasted."

Xiren was assenting and about to leave when Lady Wang called out again, "Stop — there's something I want to ask you." Xiren hurriedly turned back. Lady Wang saw that there was no one else in the room and asked, "I vaguely heard that Baoyu was beaten today because Huan'er said something to the Master. Have you heard anything about this? If you have, tell me — I won't let on that it came from you."

Xiren said, "I didn't hear that. They say Second Master was beaten because he had taken possession of an actor from the troupe, and someone came to demand him back from the Master."

Lady Wang shook her head and said, "That's partly it, but there are other reasons."

Xiren said, "As for other reasons, I truly don't know. Today I'll venture to say something rather presumptuous before the mistress. In principle—" She got halfway and stopped herself.

Lady Wang said, "Go on and say it."

Xiren smiled and said, "Don't be angry, madam, and I'll say it."

Lady Wang said, "Why would I be angry? Go on."

Xiren said, "In principle, our Second Master does need to be taught a lesson or two by the Master. If the Master doesn't discipline him anymore, who knows what he might do in the future."

The moment Lady Wang heard this, she pressed her palms together and murmured, "Amitabha Buddha!" She couldn't help clasping Xiren's hand and exclaiming, "My child! How fortunate that you understand — these words are exactly what's in my heart. Don't I know how to discipline a son? When your elder master Zhu was alive, how did I manage him? Do you think I don't know how to discipline a son now? It's just that there's a reason: I think about it, and I'm nearly fifty years old. I have only this one son left, and he's always been delicate besides, and the Old Lady dotes on him like a treasure. If I discipline him too strictly and anything should happen to him, or if the Old Lady were to fall ill from anger, then everyone above and below would be unsettled — wouldn't that be disastrous? So I've let him go. I've often lectured him, reasoned with him, scolded him, cried over him — and at the time he'd be good, but afterward it would be just the same. It's only after he's suffered a real loss that he stops. But if he were beaten and crippled, who would I rely on in the future!" As she spoke, tears rolled down despite herself.

Xiren, seeing Lady Wang so moved to grief, could not help feeling her own heart ache and shed tears alongside her. She went on to say: "Young Master Er is your own son, madam—how could you not feel it in your heart? Even we servants, having attended him all this while, would count it a blessing if we could all come through safely. But if things go on like this, we won't even have safety. There wasn't a day or an hour I didn't try to talk sense into him, but he simply wouldn't listen. And then there are those people who are only too happy to keep close to him—one can't really blame him for carrying on as he does. In the end, it's as though our advice only made things worse. Now that you've brought up the subject, madam, there's something I've been meaning to report to you and ask your guidance on. Only I was afraid you might take it amiss—not only would my words have been spoken in vain, but I wouldn't even have a place to be buried."

Lady Wang sensed there was something behind these words and quickly said: "My dear child, say whatever you have to say. Lately I've heard everyone praising you behind your back and before it—I thought you were simply attentive to Baoyu, or amiable toward the others, small virtues like that, and so I put you on the same footing as the old concubines. But what you've just said to me now is all sound reason, exactly what I myself have been thinking. Say whatever you like, only don't let anyone else know."

Xiren said: "I have nothing else to say. I only wanted to ask for your instructions—how might we manage it so that in the future Young Master Er is moved to live outside the garden?"

Lady Wang was greatly startled. She quickly took Xiren's hand and asked: "Has Baoyu been carrying on with someone?"

Xiren hastily replied: "Don't misunderstand, madam—there is no such thing. This is only my humble view. Young Master Er is grown now, and the young ladies in the household are grown as well. What's more, Miss Lin and Miss Bao are cousins on both sides—maternal and paternal. Even though they are cousins, after all there is the distinction between man and woman. For them to sit and rise together day and night is not convenient, and one cannot help but feel anxious. Even outsiders looking on would not think it the conduct of a proper family. As the saying goes, 'When nothing is wrong, always think that something might go wrong.' So many foolish people in the world have done things carelessly, and when sharp-eyed people see it, they take it as deliberate and say it's worse than it is. If one doesn't guard against it beforehand, it will certainly end badly. Young Master Er's temperament, you know it well, madam. He has always been fond of romping about among us women. If one isn't careful, and the slightest thing goes amiss—whether true or false—with so many people and so many tongues, those petty folk have no scruples about what they say. When they're well disposed, they'll speak of someone as if he were a bodhisattva; when they're not, they'll run him down as worse than an animal. If in the future someone speaks well of Young Master Er, then all passes without incident. But if anyone utters a single word against him, we won't need to say it—we could be crushed to powder and our guilt would be ten thousand times over, and that would still be a small matter. But then Young Master Er's reputation and conduct for the rest of his life would be ruined. And secondly, madam, you would find it hard to face the Master. There is another saying: 'The wise man guards against what has not yet happened.' It would be best to take precautions now. You have so many matters to attend to, madam—naturally there are times when this doesn't occur to you. If we didn't think of it, that would be one thing. But since we have thought of it, if we don't report it clearly to you, our guilt is all the heavier. Lately my heart has been in a constant state of anxiety over this, and I couldn't very well speak of it to anyone else. Only the lamp knows."

When Lady Wang heard these words, it was like a thunderbolt striking her—it touched directly on the matter of Golden. Her heart was filled with even deeper gratitude and affection for Xiren. She quickly smiled and said: "My dear child, to think you have such breadth of mind and consider things so thoroughly! I have had the same thought myself—it's only that several times when something came up, I forgot. What you've said today has reminded me. It's been hard for you, helping to preserve the reputation and standing of both mother and son—truly, I had no idea you were such a good girl. Very well, go now—I shall know what to do. But there is one more thing: since you've spoken as you have today, I am entrusting him to you. Do your best to watch over him and keep him safe, and you will be keeping me safe. I will not fail you."

Xiren assented repeatedly and took her leave. She returned just as Baoyu was waking from his nap. Xiren reported to him about the floral essences. Baoyu was overjoyed and immediately ordered them prepared to try—and indeed they were wonderfully fragrant. His heart was full of thoughts of Daiyu, and he was desperate to send someone to her, but he was afraid of Xiren. So he devised a scheme: he first sent Xiren to Baochai's place to borrow a book.

Once Xiren had gone, Baoyu called for Qingwen and instructed her: "Go to Miss Lin's and see what she's doing. If she asks about me, just tell her I'm better." Qingwen said: "What am I supposed to go for, with nothing to show for it? At least let me have something to say—it would look like a proper errand." Baoyu said: "There's nothing to say." Qingwen said: "Well then, either deliver something or fetch something—otherwise how am I supposed to strike up a conversation when I get there?" Baoyu thought for a moment, then took two handkerchiefs and tossed them to Qingwen with a smile. "All right—just tell her I sent these to you to give her." Qingwen said: "That's strange indeed. Why would she want two half-new, half-old handkerchiefs? She'll only be cross and say you're making fun of her." Baoyu smiled and said: "Don't worry—she'll understand."

Qingwen had no choice but to take the handkerchiefs and head for Bamboo Lodge. She found Chunxian out on the railing, drying handkerchiefs. When she saw Qingwen coming, she waved her hand hastily and said, "She's already gone to sleep." Qingwen went in. The whole room was pitch dark—no lamp had been lit. Daiyu was already lying in bed. She asked who it was. Qingwen answered at once, "Qingwen." Daiyu said, "What do you want?" Qingwen said, "Master Bao sent some handkerchiefs for you, miss." Daiyu felt a weight in her heart and thought to herself, *Why should he send me handkerchiefs?* She asked, "Who gave these handkerchiefs to him? They must be first-rate. Tell him to keep them for someone else. I have no use for them just now." Qingwen smiled and said, "They're not new. Just ordinary old ones." Daiyu listened, and the weight in her heart grew heavier. She racked her brains, turning it over carefully for some time, and then suddenly saw the light. She said quickly, "Put them down and go." Qingwen had no choice but to set them down and take her way back, puzzling over it all the way, unable to make head or tail of it.

Now that Daiyu had penetrated the meaning of the handkerchiefs, her very soul was shaken. *Baoyu's painstaking effort—that he could understand my own bitter feelings—this makes me glad. But these bitter feelings of mine—I don't know how things will turn out in the future—this makes me sad. And then to send two old handkerchiefs for no apparent reason—if he hadn't grasped my meaning deeply, just looking at these handkerchiefs would make me laugh. And then to have them passed to me privately—that's frightening. And I myself am always crying—thinking of that, it all seems pointless, and that makes me ashamed.* Thinking this way and that, she was all on fire inside. Overcome by feelings she could not suppress, she told a maid to light the lamp. Without a thought for propriety or the need for caution, she went to her desk, ground ink, dipped her brush, and wrote on the two old handkerchiefs:

*My eyes brim full, the tears fall in vain—*

*Secretly shed, idly cast away—for whom?*

*This square of mermaid-silk, toilfully brought and given—*

*How can it not break one's heart?*

*Second verse:*

*Pearls tossed, jade rolled, weeping in secret all alone,*

*Day after day with no heart for anything, day after day idle,*

*Hard to brush away from pillow and sleeve,*

*Left to form their spots, one by one, and stain.*

*Third verse:*

*No thread can gather back the pearls upon my face,*

*The old traces by the Xiang River have already blurred,*

*Before my window too stand a thousand bamboo stalks—*

*But do they know whether the tear-stains have seeped into them or not?*

Daiyu was about to write more when she felt a burning heat all over her body and a fever in her face. She went to the mirror stand, lifted the brocade cover, and looked. Her cheeks were glowing red—she admired herself, thinking she put the peach blossoms to shame—but she did not know that this was the beginning of her illness. She lay down to sleep, still holding the handkerchiefs and turning them over in her mind. But let us leave her there.

When Xiren went to see Baochai, she found that Baochai was not in the garden but had gone to her mother. Xiren returned empty-handed. She waited until the second watch before Baochai finally came back. Baochai had long known Xue Pan's character and had already half suspected that Xue Pan had instigated someone to report on Baoyu. When she heard Xiren's account, she was even more convinced. As it happened, Xiren had heard it from Bei Ming, who had made a private guess without any solid evidence and had taken it as fact. Xue Pan had long had this reputation, but this time he was not actually the culprit—someone had pinned it squarely on him, and he had no way to clear himself.

That day, Pan had just returned from drinking outside. After seeing his mother, he noticed Baochai there and exchanged a few words, then asked, "I heard Cousin Bao got into trouble. What happened?" Aunt Xue had been upset about this very matter, and when he asked, she gnashed her teeth and said, "You ungrateful wretch! It's all your doing, and you still have the nerve to ask!" Pan was taken aback and quickly said, "When did I cause any trouble?" Aunt Xue said, "You're still playing dumb! Everyone knows it was you who talked, and you're still denying it." Pan said, "If everyone said I committed murder, would you believe that too?" Aunt Xue said, "Even your own sister knows it was you who talked. Would she lie about you?" Baochai quickly intervened, "Mother and Brother, stop shouting. If we calm down, we can sort out what really happened." Turning to Xue Pan, she said, "Whether it was you or not, the matter is over. There's no need to prove it—you'll only turn a small thing into a big one. I only advise you to stop carousing outside and meddling in other people's affairs from now on. You gallivant around every day without a care in the world. Usually nothing happens, but if something does, even if you didn't do it, everyone will suspect you. Needless to say others—I myself would suspect you first."

Xue Pan was by nature blunt and outspoken, and he could never stand such underhanded behavior. When Baochai advised him against going out, and his mother accused him of gossiping, saying that Baoyu's beating was all his doing, he jumped up in agitation and swore oaths to clear himself. He cursed at everyone: "Who is framing me? I'll knock the teeth out of that scoundrel! Clearly, because Baoyu was beaten, they have nothing better to do, so they use me as a scapegoat. Is Baoyu the King of Heaven? When his father beats him once, the whole household has to make a fuss for days. Once, when he misbehaved, his uncle gave him a couple of smacks, and somehow the Old Lady found out and said it was Cousin Zhen's doing—she called him over and gave him a proper scolding. Now they've dragged me into it too! Fine, since they've dragged me in, I might as well go in and beat Baoyu to death. I'll pay with my life, and everyone will be satisfied." As he shouted, he seized a door bar and bolted out. Aunt Xue, in a panic, grabbed him and cursed, "You death-bound wretch! Who are you going to hit? Hit me first!" Pan's eyes bulged like brass bells as he roared, "Why are you doing this! You won't let me go, yet you blame me for everything. As long as Baoyu lives, I'll have to bear this slander every day. We'd all be better off dead."

Baochai quickly stepped forward and reasoned with him, "Control yourself. Mother is so upset, and instead of comforting her, you're making things even worse. It's not just Mother—even if someone else tried to reason with you, they'd be doing it for your own good, yet you only get more worked up." Pan said, "Now you say that! It's all because of you!" Baochai said, "You only blame me—you never blame yourself for acting without thinking." Pan said, "You only blame me for not thinking ahead, but why don't you blame Baoyu for his philandering ways outside! Never mind the rest—just take the matter with Brother Qiguan the other day: I've met Qiguan a dozen times, and I never said a single intimate word to him. Yet the other day, when he met him, without even knowing his name, he gave him his sash. Was that my doing too?" Aunt Xue and Baochai said in alarm, "Don't bring that up! That's exactly why he was beaten. Clearly it was you who talked." Pan said, "I'm truly infuriated! I'm not angry about being blamed—I'm only angry that all this fuss is over Baoyu."

Baochai said, "Who's making the fuss? You're the one who started it with weapons and clubs, yet you say someone else is making trouble." Pan found that everything Baochai said was reasonable and hard to refute—even harder to answer than his mother's words. So he tried to find words to shut her up so no one could stop him. He was also in the heat of anger and didn't weigh his words. He said, "Good sister, don't quarrel with me. I've known your heart for a long time. Mother told me long ago that your gold must be matched with someone who has jade. You've kept that in mind. Seeing that Baoyu has that trinket, of course you protect him in everything you do." Before he finished speaking, Baochai was stunned with anger. She pulled at Aunt Xue and cried, "Mother, listen to what Brother is saying!" Pan saw his sister crying and knew he had overstepped. He sulkily went to his own room to rest, and that is the end of the matter.

Here, Aunt Xue was beside herself with rage, yet she tried to soothe Baochai. “You know that wretch has never spoken a word of sense. Tomorrow I’ll make him come and apologize to you.” Baochai was filled with grievance and indignation, and though she wanted to act on it, she feared distressing her mother. She had no choice but to hold back her tears, bid her mother farewell, and return to her own room, where she wept the entire night. The next morning she rose early with no inclination to wash or dress; she tidied herself haphazardly and went out to see her mother. As it happened, she came upon Lin Daiyu standing alone in the shade of the flowers and asked her where she was going. Xue Baochai said, “Home,” and kept walking without further ado. Daiyu noticed her listless departure and the traces of tears on her face, so unlike her usual self. From behind she called out with a smile, “Sister, do take better care of yourself. Even if you cried out two vats of tears, it wouldn’t heal that beating.” What reply Baochai made, you will hear in the next chapter.

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