Chapter 53

Chapter 53

# Chapter 53

# The Clan Ancestral Sacrifice on New Year's Eve in the Ning Mansion / The Midnight Feast on the Lantern Festival in the Rong Mansion

Baoyu saw that Qingwen had finished mending the bird-down cloak, completely exhausted and drained of strength. He immediately ordered a young maidservant to come and massage her. They kneaded and pounded each other for a while and then rested. Before a single meal's time had passed, it was already broad daylight. He did not go out, but only called for a doctor to be sent for at once. Soon Dr. Wang arrived, felt her pulse, and said with a puzzled expression: "Yesterday she was somewhat better. How is it that today, on the contrary, her pulse is weak, faint, shrunken, and floating? Could she have eaten too much food? Or perhaps she has overexerted her mind? The external affliction has indeed cleared up, but this failure to recuperate after sweating is no small matter." As he spoke, he went out and wrote a prescription, then came back in. When Baoyu looked at it, he saw that the dispersing and expelling medicines had been reduced, while tuckihood, rehmannia, and angelica—medicines that benefit the spirit and nourish the blood—had been added. Baoyu hurriedly ordered someone to brew it, while sighing: "What is to be done! If anything should happen, it would all be my fault." Qingwen, lying on the pillow, groaned: "Good young master! Just go about your business. How could I possibly have contracted consumption so quickly?" Baoyu had no choice but to leave. By the afternoon, he came back claiming he was not feeling well. Although Qingwen's illness was serious, fortunately she had always been accustomed to exerting her body rather than her mind, and had always been accustomed to eating light food, so that hunger and fullness did her no harm. Now the custom and secret method in this Jia household, from the highest to the lowest, was that whenever anyone caught even a slight cold or cough, the primary treatment was always fasting, followed by medicine and recuperation. Therefore, when she had fallen ill a few days earlier, she had fasted for two or three days, and had been careful with her medicine and treatment. Now that she had exerted herself a bit, she had been doubly nourished for several days, and was gradually getting better. Recently, all the young ladies in the Garden had been eating in their own rooms, where cooking and meals were convenient, and Baoyu was able to find various ways to prepare soups and broths for her—no need to go into details.

After Xiren had escorted her mother's funeral procession, she had already returned. She had then reported to Baoyu everything that Ping'er had told her about Song Ma and Zhui'er, as well as the matter of Qingwen's expulsion. Xiren had not said much about it, only that she had been too impetuous. Meanwhile, Li Wan had also caught a seasonal cold, Lady Xing was suffering from inflamed eyes, and both Yingchun and Xiuyan were attending them day and night to administer medicine. Li Wan's uncle had also taken Li Wan's aunt, Li Wen, and Li Qi home with him for a few days' stay. Moreover, Baoyu saw that Xiren was often grieving for her mother, and Qingwen had not yet fully recovered. Therefore, on the days when the poetry club was to meet, no one had any enthusiasm, and several sessions were missed.

By now it was already the twelfth month, and the New Year was approaching. Lady Wang and Fengjie were busy making New Year preparations. Wang Ziteng had been promoted to Metropolitan Military Commander of Nine Provinces, and Jia Yucun had been appointed Grand Marshal, assisting with military affairs and participating in state administration—but no more of this.

Now as for the Jia Zhen side, the ancestral temple had been opened, and people were sent to sweep and clean it, arrange the sacrificial vessels, and invite the spirit tablets. The upper rooms were also cleaned in preparation for hanging the ancestral portraits. At this time, both inside and outside, high and low, in the Rong and Ning mansions, everyone was bustling about. On this day in the Ning mansion, Madam You had just risen and was, together with Jia Rong's wife, preparing to send needlework and gifts to the Lady Dowager's side. Just then a maidservant came in carrying a tea tray with lucky money ingots and reported: "Xing'er reports to Your Ladyship that the previous packet of broken gold, totaling one hundred fifty-three taels, six mace, and seven candareens, of varying quality, has been melted down into two hundred and twenty ingots in all." As she spoke, she handed them up. Madam You examined them and saw that some were in the shape of plum blossoms, some crabapple flowers, some writing-brush ingots with ruyi scepters, and some with eight treasures joined in spring. Madam You ordered: "Put these away and tell him to quickly bring in the silver ingots." The maidservant assented and left.

Presently Jia Zhen came in for a meal, and Jia Rong's wife withdrew. Jia Zhen asked Madam You: "Have we received the imperial grant for the spring sacrifice?" Madam You replied: "Today I sent Rong'er to collect it." Jia Zhen said: "Although our family does not depend on these few taels of silver, it is nonetheless the Emperor's heavenly grace. Let it be collected early so that it can be shown to the old lady on that side, used for the ancestors' offerings, received above as the Emperor's grace, and below as a blessing from the ancestors. Even if we were to spend ten thousand taels of silver on offerings for the ancestors, it would not compare to this, which is both more dignified and a mark of received grace and bestowed blessing. Apart from one or two families like ours, those hereditary officials who are poor—if they did not rely on this silver, what would they use for offerings and the New Year? Truly the Emperor's grace is vast and his consideration thorough." Madam You said: "That is precisely so."

As they were talking, a servant came to report: "The young master is here." Jia Zhen ordered him to be called in. Jia Rong entered carrying a small yellow cloth bag. Jia Zhen said, "Why were you gone all day?" Jia Rong replied with a smile, "Today it was not collected from the Ministry of Rites, but was distributed from the Imperial Banquets Court's treasury, so I had to go to the Imperial Banquets Court before I could collect it. The officials there all asked after you, Father. They said it had been many days since they had seen you and they truly miss you." Jia Zhen laughed and said, "How could they miss me? It is the end of the year again. If not my gifts, they are thinking of my theatricals and wine!" As he spoke, he examined the yellow cloth bag. On it was an imperial seal with the four large characters "Imperial Grace Bestowed Forever." On the other side was the seal of the Ministry of Rites' Sacrificial Department, and a line of small characters reading: "Ningguo Gong Jia Yan and Rongguo Gong Jia Yuan—Imperial Grant for Perpetual Spring Sacrifice, Two Portions, Net Converted to Several Owing Silver. On a Certain Year, Month, and Day, Imperial Guard Candidate and Attendant Jia Rong Received in Person; Temple Director So-and-So for the Year." Below was a vermillion signature.

After Jia Zhen had finished his meal, washed his hands and face, and changed his boots and hat, he ordered Jia Rong to follow him carrying the silver. He reported back to Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang, then went over to report to Jia She and Lady Xing as well before returning home. He brought out the silver and ordered the bags to be burned in the great furnace of the ancestral temple. He then said to Jia Rong, "Go ask your Second Aunt Lian whether the dates for the New Year's feast invitations have been set for the first month. If they have, tell the study to draw up a clear list. When we send out our invitations, we must avoid overlapping. Last year we weren't careful and overlapped several families. It made it look as though both households had conspired to send empty courtesies and avoid the trouble of real hospitality." Jia Rong hurried off to do as told. Before long, he returned with the list of dates for the New Year's feast invitations. Jia Zhen looked it over and ordered it passed to Lai Sheng to check, so that invitations would not conflict with any of the dates listed. While in the hall, he watched the pages carrying screens, wiping down tables and dusting the gold and silver sacrificial vessels. A page came forward holding a calling card and an account sheet, reporting, "The head of Black Mountain Village, Village Chief Wu, has arrived."

Jia Zhen said, "That old scoundrel is only coming today." As he spoke, Jia Rong took the calling card and account sheet and quickly unfolded them. Jia Zhen clasped his hands behind his back and looked over Jia Rong's shoulder at the red calling card, which read: "Your humble village steward Wu Jinxiao kowtows and wishes His Lordship and Her Ladiness boundless blessings and golden peace, and the young masters and young ladies golden peace. May the New Year bring great joy and great fortune, honor and wealth, peace and promotion, and the fulfillment of all wishes."

Jia Zhen smiled. "These country folk have a certain charm." Jia Rong also smiled hastily. "Never mind the grammar—it's just for good luck." He quickly unfolded the list and saw written upon it:

"Thirty large deer, fifty musk deer, fifty wild boar piglets, twenty suckling pigs, twenty tender suckling pigs, twenty fine suckling pigs, twenty wild boars, twenty cured wild boars, twenty wild sheep, twenty blue sheep, twenty tender domestic sheep, twenty wind-dried domestic sheep, two kaluga sturgeon and huso sturgeon, two hundred catties of assorted fish, two hundred each of live chickens, ducks, and geese, two hundred each of wind-dried chickens, ducks, and geese, two hundred pairs each of pheasants and hares, twenty pairs of bear's paws, twenty catties of deer tendons, fifty catties of sea cucumbers, fifty deer tongues, fifty ox tongues, twenty catties of dried razor clams, two sacks each of hazelnuts, pine nuts, peach kernels, and apricot kernels, fifty pairs of large prawns, two hundred catties of dried prawns, one thousand catties of the finest silver-gray charcoal, two thousand catties of medium-grade charcoal, thirty thousand catties of firewood charcoal, two *dan* of imperial garden rouge rice, fifty *hu* of green glutinous rice, fifty *hu* of white glutinous rice, fifty *hu* of pink non-glutinous rice, fifty *hu* each of various kinds of sorghum and grain, one thousand *dan* of ordinary rice for household use, one cart of various dried vegetables. The proceeds from the sale of grain, livestock, and other items converted to silver: two thousand five hundred taels of silver. Additionally, for the young masters and young ladies' amusement: two pairs of live deer, four pairs of live white rabbits, four pairs of black rabbits, two pairs of live golden pheasants, two pairs of Western ducks."

Jia Zhen ordered him brought in. Presently Wu Jinxiao came in and kowtowed in the courtyard to pay his respects. Jia Zhen told the servants to help him up and said with a smile, "Still hale and hearty, I see." Wu Jinxiao smiled as he replied, "Thanks to Your Lordship's blessing, I can still get around." Jia Zhen said, "Your sons are grown now. You might as well send them." Wu Jinxiao said with a laugh, "To tell you the truth, Your Lordship, we older ones are used to the trip, and we'd be bored at home. As for the young men, aren't they all eager to come and see the world under the Son of Heaven's feet? But they're young, and I'm afraid something might happen on the road. In a few more years I'll feel easy about sending them." Jia Zhen asked, "How many days did you take coming here?" Wu Jinxiao answered, "To answer Your Lordship's question, the snow was heavy this year, four or five feet deep out there, and the other day it suddenly thawed, making the road almost impassable, which delayed me a few days. The journey took a month and two days, but since the time was limited and I was afraid Your Lordship would be anxious, I hurried here." Jia Zhen said, "So that's why you only arrived today. I was looking at that list just now, and this year you old rascal has put in another bid to challenge me." Wu Jinxiao stepped forward quickly and said, "To answer Your Lordship, the harvest has been truly bad this year. From the third month on it rained continuously right through the eighth month, without two clear days in a row. Then in the ninth month there was a hailstorm with stones as big as bowls, covering nearly thirteen hundred li, and thousands upon thousands of people, houses, livestock, and grain were destroyed. That's why things are like this. I wouldn't dare lie." Jia Zhen frowned. "I calculated that you'd bring at least five thousand taels of silver. What's that good for! Now you have only eight or nine farms left, and this year two of them reported drought or flood as well as this challenge of yours. It really makes it impossible to get through the New Year." Wu Jinxiao said, "Your Lordship's situation here is still good! My brother lives only a hundred-odd li from me, yet the difference is enormous. He's in charge of eight farms for the other mansion, several times more than Your Lordship has here, yet this year he brought only this much too, with two or three thousand taels more, and they're also behind on their quota." Jia Zhen said, "Exactly. My side here is passable—there are no major expenses, just the costs for the year, which are a bit high. If I put up with some hardship I can save a bit. And for the New Year gifts and invitations, if I thicken my face a little, I can save some there too. It's not like the other mansion, where they've added so many expenses in the past few years. Some things simply must be spent on, yet they don't add any silver or property. They've lost a great deal in the past year or two. If they don't ask you, who else can they ask?" Wu Jinxiao said with a laugh, "Though the other mansion has added expenses, there's giving and taking too. Surely Her Highness and His Majesty don't fail to reward them!" Jia Zhen laughed and said to Jia Rong and the others, "Listen to that. Isn't that ridiculous?" Jia Rong and the others quickly laughed and said, "You people from the mountain coves and seacoasts don't understand the way things work here. Do you think Her Highness would give us His Majesty's treasury? Even if she wanted to, she wouldn't have the authority. How could there be no reward? When the time comes each year it's just some colored silks, curios, and toys. Even if they give silver, it's no more than a hundred taels of gold, worth a thousand taels of silver—enough for what in a whole year? Those people have lost several thousand taels each of these last two years! The first year when the Imperial Consort visited her parents and they built the garden, just calculate how much that cost in total and you'll see. If she visits home again in another two years, I'm afraid they'll be completely cleaned out." Jia Zhen laughed. "That's because these farmers are honest simpletons who see the outside but don't know what goes on inside. They're like a yellow cypress wood gong mallet—handsome on the outside but bitter within." Jia Rong laughed and said to Jia Zhen, "The other mansion really is poor. The other day I heard Miss Feng and Yuanyang whispering together, planning to steal some of the Old Ancestress's things to pawn for silver." Jia Zhen smiled. "That's another of your Miss Feng's tricks. It can't really be that desperate. She's probably seen too many expenses and is really losing too much, so she doesn't know which item to cut, and she's cooked up this scheme first to let people know and say they're reduced to such straits. But I have a clear reckoning in my mind, and things haven't come to that yet." With that, he ordered the servants to take Wu Jinxiao out and treat him well. But no more of this.

Here Jia Zhen gave orders that the various items just brought in be set aside for offerings to the ancestors, and that some of each kind be selected and sent by Jia蓉 to the Rong Mansion. He then kept what was needed for his own household, and distributed the remainder according to established rank and degree, piling each share in separate heaps on the moon terrace, and summoning the young men of the clan to receive them. After this, the Rong Mansion also sent over many offerings for the ancestors and gifts for Jia Zhen. Jia Zhen saw that the sacrificial vessels were all properly arranged, slipped on his shoes, threw over his shoulders a great lynx-skin robe, and ordered his servants to spread a large wolfskin cushion on a stone bench beneath the pillars of the hall, where, basking in the sun, he idly watched the various young kinsmen come to collect their New Year provisions. When he noticed that Jia Qin had also come to claim a share, he called him over and said, "What are you doing here? Who told you to come?" Jia Qin stood with his hands at his sides and replied, "I heard that you, uncle, were calling us to collect things, and I came without waiting for anyone to summon me." Jia Zhen said, "These things of mine are meant for those idle uncles and brothers who have no income. In the years when you were idle, I gave you some too. But now you hold a position in that mansion and manage the family temple and the monks and Taoists there. Besides your own regular monthly allowance, all the monks and Taoists' allowance silver passes through your hands as well—and yet you still come here to claim a share. You are far too greedy! Just look at yourself—do you look like a man who handles money and manages affairs? Before, I said you had no income, but what about now? You look worse than before." Jia Qin said, "My household has many mouths to feed, and the expenses are great." Jia Zhen said with a cold laugh, "You are trying to talk your way out of this. What you get up to in the family temple—do you think I don't know? Once you got there, you set yourself up as a lord, with no one daring to cross you. You had money in your hands again, and being far away from us, you began acting like a king and a tyrant, night after night gathering ruffians to gamble, keeping concubines and mistresses. Now you show up looking like this and still dare to claim things? If you don't get anything, you'll get a good beating with a bamboo rod instead. After the New Year, I will certainly speak to your Second Uncle Lian and have you replaced." Jia Qin flushed red and dared not reply. A servant came in and reported, "The Prince of Water from the North Mansion has sent calligraphic couplets and embroidered pouches." Jia Zhen, upon hearing this, quickly ordered Jia蓉 to go out and entertain the messenger, saying simply, "Tell him I am not at home." Jia蓉 went out, and here Jia Zhen watched as all the items were distributed, then returned to his quarters to have supper with Madam You. Nothing further happened that night. The following day was even busier than usual, so there is no need to describe it in detail.

By the twenty-ninth of the twelfth month, everything was in readiness. Both mansions had replaced their door gods, hung up new couplets and placards, and freshly painted their peachwood talismans, making everything look completely new. At the Ning Mansion, from the main gate, the ceremonial gate, the great hall, the warm pavilion, the inner hall, the three inner gates, the inner ceremonial gate, and the inner barrier gate, all the way to the main hall, the great doors along the entire route stood wide open. On the terraces on both sides, rows of large vermilion lanterns blazed high, making two golden dragons stretching into the distance. The next day, all those in the family who held titles and ranks of nobility, beginning with the Dowager Lady Jia, put on court dress according to their rank, and taking their eight-man palanquins, led the whole company into the palace to pay their respects at court. After the ceremonies and the banquet were concluded, they returned and descended from their palanquins at the warm pavilion of the Ning Mansion. Those among the younger kinsmen who had not accompanied them into the palace lined up in ranks outside the Ning Mansion gate to await their arrival and then led them into the ancestral temple. Now Baoqin was visiting for the first time, and she carefully observed the ancestral hall with keen attention. It turned out to be in another courtyard on the west side of the Ning Mansion, with a black-lacquered fence enclosing a five-bay main gate, above which hung a plaque inscribed with the four characters "Ancestral Temple of the Jia Family," with the words "written by Kong Jizong, Duke Yansheng" written to the side. On either side hung a long couplet reading:

*Liver and brains smeared upon the ground—a myriad surnames owe their nurture and protection to your grace;*

*Fame reaching to the heavens—a hundred generations gaze upon the prosperity of your sacrifices.*

This too was written by the Duke Yansheng. Entering the courtyard, one found a white stone path running through the middle, flanked on both sides by dark pines and blue-green cypresses. On the moon terrace stood ancient bronze vessels of a blue-green patina. In front of the entrance hall hung a golden plaque with nine dragons, inscribed with the characters "Starlight Assisting the Ruler"—written by the hand of the former Emperor himself. On either side hung a couplet reading:

*Your meritorious deeds shine brightly as the sun and moon;*

*Your fame passes unbroken to your sons and grandsons.*

This too was written by the Emperor's hand. Before the five-bay main hall hung a lively dragon plaque with characters filled in in blue, inscribed with the words "Careful at the End and Mindful of the Distant Past." Beside it hung a couplet reading:

*From this day forward, your sons and grandsons shall receive blessings of virtue;*

*To this very day, the common people remember the glory of Rong and Ning.*

All the calligraphy was in the imperial brush. Inside, incense candles blazed brilliantly behind brocade curtains and embroidered hangings; though the ancestral tablets were ranged there, they could not be clearly seen. The Jia family members were arranged in their proper order of seniority, standing in two rows: Jia Jing presided as chief mourner, Jia She assisted, Jia Zhen presented the libations, Jia Lian and Jia Cong offered the silk, Baoyu held the incense, Jia Chang and Jia Ling spread the kneeling mats and tended the burning pool. The musicians in dark robes played; three libations were offered, the obeisances completed, the silk burned and the wine poured. When the ceremony ended, the music stopped and they withdrew.

The crowd escorted Grandmother Jia to the main hall, where brocade curtains hung high before the ancestral portraits and painted screens stood on guard, incense candles blazing. In the center hung the portraits of the two founding ancestors of the Ning and Ning houses, both wearing dragon robes and jade belts; on either side were several scrolls of other ancestors' likenesses. Jia Xing, Jia Zhi, and others stood in rows from the inner ceremonial gate all the way to the corridor of the main hall. Beyond the threshold stood Jia Jing and Jia She; inside the threshold stood the female family members. All the servants and pages remained outside the ceremonial gate. Each dish, when it arrived, was passed to the ceremonial gate, where Jia Xing, Jia Zhi, and the others received it and passed it in order up to Jia Jing on the steps. Jia Rong, as the eldest grandson of the senior branch, alone accompanied the women inside the threshold. Each time Jia Jia carried a dish forward, he passed it to Jia Rong, who passed it to his wife, who passed it to Madam Xifeng, Madam You, and the others, straight to the front of the offering table, where it was handed to Lady Wang. Lady Wang passed it to Grandmother Jia, who then placed it on the table. Lady Xing stood to the west of the offering table, facing east, and placed offerings together with Grandmother Jia. When all the dishes, rice, soup, wine, and tea had been passed, Jia Rong withdrew down the steps and took his place at the head of Jia Qin's row. Those whose names bore the "wen" radical were headed by Jia Jing; next, those with the "yu" radical were headed by Jia Zhen; next, those with the "cao" radical were headed by Jia Rong—left and right in proper order, men on the east, women on the west. When Grandmother Jia took the incense and bowed, all the others knelt at once. The five great halls, the three side chambers, the inner and outer corridors, the upper and lower steps, and both terraces were packed so thick with a mass of brilliant color that not a handbreadth of empty space remained. Not a crow or sparrow was heard; only the clinking and chiming of gold bells and jade pendants swaying gently, and the rustling of boots rising and kneeling. When the ceremony concluded, Jia Jing, Jia She, and the others withdrew in haste to the Rong Mansion, there to wait and pay their respects to Grand Mother Jia.

In Madam You's main quarters, the floor was already covered entirely with red felt. A large three-legged cloisonné gilt brass brazier shaped like an elephant's trunk stood on the ground. On the kang facing the door was spread new scarlet felt, with backrests and pillows embroidered in bright colors with clouds and dragons surrounding the character for "longevity"; over these lay a covering of black fox fur, and the seat cushion was of white fox fur. Grandmother Jia was invited to sit there. On both sides were also spread fur cushions for the three or four ladies of Grandmother Jia's generation. On the small kang at the end, beyond the crosswise row, fur cushions were also spread for Lady Xing and the others. On the ground, twelve carved lacquer chairs stood in two facing rows, each with a gray squirrel-fur seat cover and cushion, and beneath each chair a large brass foot warmer, for Baochai and the other young ladies. Madam You personally served tea to Grandmother Jia on a tray; Jia Rong's wife served the older ladies; then Madam You served Lady Xing and the others, and Jia Rong's wife served the young ladies. Xifeng, Li Wan, and the others waited on them below. When the tea was finished, Lady Xing and the others rose first to attend to Grandmother Jia. After drinking her tea and exchanging a few words with her old sisters-in-law, Grandmother Jia ordered her sedan chair brought. Xifeng hurried forward to support her. Madam You said with a smile, "I've already prepared supper for the old lady. Every year you refuse to do us the honor of staying for supper—are we really not as good as Xifeng?" Xifeng, supporting Grandmother Jia, laughed, "Come quickly, Old Ancestral! Let's go home for dinner and pay him no mind." Grandmother Jia laughed, "You're busy here offering to the ancestors—how can you put up with my fuss? Besides, every year if I don't eat, you send the food over anyway. I'd rather have it sent over now; what I can't finish I'll eat tomorrow, and that way I'll get more out of it." Everyone laughed at this. She then instructed them, "Send reliable people to watch the incense and candles through the night—this is no matter to take lightly." Madam You assented. They proceeded out to the warm pavilion, where Grandmother Jia got into her chair. Madam You and the others stepped behind the screen, and only then did the pages summon the bearers and carried the chair out through the main gate. Madam You also accompanied Lady Xing and the others to the Rong Mansion.

Here the palanquin emerged through the main gate. Along this street, on the eastern side were arranged in a row the insignia, attendants, and musical instruments of the Duke of Ningguo, while on the western side were similarly displayed those of the Duke of Rongguo. All passersby were cleared away and forbidden to use the road. In due course they arrived at the Rong Mansion, where the main gate and central hall were thrown open all the way through. Now they no longer alighted at the warm pavilion; after passing the great hall, they turned westward and proceeded to the main hall where the Lady Dowager resided, where they dismounted. The attendants surrounded the party and escorted them to the Lady Dowager's principal chamber, which was likewise adorned with brocaded carpets and embroidered screens, everything looking fresh and new. In the brazier on the ground, pine and cypress incense and lily grass were burning. The Lady Dowager resumed her seat when an old nurse came and reported: "The old ladies have come to pay their respects." The Lady Dowager at once rose to go and welcome them, but just then three or four elderly ladies-in-law had already entered. They took one another's hands, exchanged pleasantries, and made polite gestures of deference. After tea, the Lady Dowager escorted them only as far as the inner ceremonial gate before returning to her proper seat. Jia Jing and Jia She then led in the younger members of the family. The Lady Dowager said with a smile, "You've had a hard year of it—let's dispense with the formalities." As she spoke, the men formed one group and the women another, and group by group they all performed their salutations. Cross-backed chairs were then set on either side, and the family members took their seats in order of seniority to receive the younger generation's homage. The menservants, maidservants, and attendants of both mansions also performed their obeisances according to their ranks and stations, after which the New Year's money, pouches, and gold and silver ingots were distributed, and the Reunion Feast was spread. The men sat on the east side and the women on the west, and after the TuSu wine, Reunion soup, auspicious fruits, and Ruyi cakes had been served, the Lady Dowager rose to go to her inner chamber to change her clothes, whereupon the company dispersed. That evening, incense and offerings were burned before the Buddha shrines and the Kitchen God in every quarter. In Lady Wang's principal courtyard, paper effigies of Heaven and Earth, horses, and incense offerings were set out. At the main gate of the Garden of Grand View, large horn lanterns were hung, shining brightly on either side, and lanterns lined every path. Everyone, high and low, was dressed in gorgeous splendor. All night long the sound of voices rose in a hubbub, talk and laughter resounding on every side, firecrackers crackling and sparks flying without cease. At the fifth watch the next morning, the Lady Dowager and the others, attired in full ceremonial dress according to rank, set out with a full complement of insignia to proceed to the palace to offer New Year's congratulations and to wish Princess Yuan-chun long life. After the banquet, they returned to the Ning Mansion to make offerings to the ancestors, and only then came back to receive congratulations before changing their clothes and taking their rest. All relatives and friends who had come to pay their New Year's visits were politely declined; the Lady Dowager conversed only with Aunt Xue and Cousin Li, or else passed the time with Pao-yu, Pao-chin, Chai, Yu, and the other young ladies, playing weiqi or cards and amusing themselves. Lady Wang and Feng-chieh were occupied every day hosting feasts for guests; in the halls and courtains on that side, theatricals and banquets were in full swing, and relatives and friends came in an unbroken stream. They were kept busy for seven or eight days before things finally wound down. Soon the Lantern Festival was approaching, and both the Ning and Rong mansions were hung with lanterns and decorations. On the eleventh day, Jia She invited the Lady Dowager and the others; the next day, Jia Chen invited them again, and the Lady Dowager went on both occasions and amused herself for half a day. Lady Wang and Feng-chieh were invited out every day to New Year's feasts and could scarcely keep count. On the evening of the fifteenth, the Lady Dowager had several tables of wine set out in the Great Flower Hall, engaged a small theatrical troupe, hung fine lanterns of every description, and gave a family banquet for all the sons, grandsons, grandsons' wives, and other members of the Ning and Rong households. Jia Jing, who had always abstained from wine, was not invited; and on the seventeenth, after the ancestral sacrifices were completed, he left the city once more to pursue his regimen of self-cultivation. Even during these few days at home, he kept to his quiet chamber in silent meditation, hearing and knowing nothing of what went on—of which no more need be said. Jia She received the Lady Dowager's gifts and took his leave. The Lady Dowager, knowing that his presence made things awkward for everyone, let him go. Jia She returned to his own residence, where he enjoyed the lanterns and drank wine with his guests. Naturally, the sound of pipes and singing assailed his ears and a profusion of beauty met his eyes—his pleasures and amusements being of quite a different sort from those on this side.

In the flower hall of the Jia family, about ten tables had been set up. Beside each table stood a small side-table, upon which were arranged the three standard incense vessels with a burner, in which the lily-scented palace incense bestowed by the Imperial Court was burning. There were also miniature rockeries, about eight inches long, four or five inches wide, and two or three inches high, covered with fresh moss and planted with newly cut flowers. In addition there were small trays of foreign lacquer, containing old kiln teacups and ten-varied tea-pots, in which choice tea had been brewed. Everything was of red sandalwood, open-carved and inlaid with a tassel of red gauze embroidered with open-work flowers and cursive calligraphy and poetry. The embroiderer of these tassels had been a young woman of Suzhou named Huizhu. Coming from a family of scholars and officials, she had been skilled in calligraphy and painting, and had done embroidery only as an occasional pastime—her work was never put on the market. All the flowers embroidered on these screens were modeled after the sprays of famous painters of the Tang, Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties, so that their style and coloring were refined, far from the garish work of ordinary artisans. Beside each spray of flowers, the old verses or poems or rhapsodies composed by the ancients on that particular flower had been embroidered in cursive characters of black floss, and the strokes, turns, light and heavy touches, connections and breaks were identical with those of brush-written cursive script—quite unlike the stiff, lifeless characters of common commercial embroidery. She had not relied on this skill for profit, so although the world knew of her work, few possessed it. Many wealthy families of officials had none, and her work was now called "Hui Embroidery." There were even worldly profit-seekers who in recent years had imitated her needlework to cheat people and make money. But Huizhu had been short-lived, dying at the age of eighteen, and now not a single piece of her work could be obtained again. In all families that had any, even if only one or two pieces, they were treasured and never used. A company of academicians and literary enthusiasts, deeply appreciating the excellence of "Hui Embroidery," felt that the word "embroidery" did not do justice to its artistry—that to call such calligraphy "embroidery" seemed almost an insult. So after mutual discussion they dropped the word "embroidery" and substituted the word "pattern," so that it was now called "Hui Pattern." A genuine piece of "Hui Pattern" was priceless. Even with the glory of the Jia household, they had only two or three pieces; the two they had possessed last year had been sent as tribute to the Emperor, and now only this one set of tassels remained—sixteen panels in all. Old Lady Jia prized them as treasures and did not include them among the various furnishings for entertaining guests, keeping them by her own side to enjoy when she was in the mood to give a feast. In addition, various small vases of old kiln ware were decorated with fresh flowers arranged as "the Three Friends of Winter" and "Riches and Honor in the Jade Hall."

The two top tables were occupied by Aunt Li and Aunt Xue. On the east side, Old Lady Jia had a low couch of open-carved red sandalwood, guarded by a screen with kui-dragon motifs, complete with a back-rest, bolsters, and a leather mattress. At one end of the couch stood a very light and dainty small foreign-lacquered tray with gilt tracery, on which were placed a tea-pot, tea-bowl, mouth-rinse, foreign towel, and the like, together with a spectacles case. Old Lady Jia reclined on the couch, chatting and laughing with the company for a while, then took her spectacles and looked toward the stage, smiling at Aunt Xue and Aunt Li as she said, "Forgive me—I am old and my bones ache, so I shall recline in your company without ceremony." She then ordered Hupo to sit on the couch and pound her legs with a beauty's hammer. No table was placed below the couch, only a tall side-table on which stood the tassels, a flower vase, and an incense burner. A separate, exquisitely made small high table was set with wine-cups, spoons, and chopsticks, and her own place was arranged beside the couch. She told Baochai, Xiangyun, Daiyu, and Baoyu to sit there. Whenever a dish or fruit was brought, it was first presented to Old Lady Jia for inspection; if she liked it, it was kept on the small table for her to taste, then removed and placed on the four young people's table, so that these four were considered to be sitting with Old Lady Jia. Below them were the seats of Lady Xing and Lady Wang, and below them again Madam You, Li Wan, Xifeng, and Jia Rong's wife. On the west side were Baochai, Li Wen, Li Qi, Xiuyan, Yingchun, and the other sisters. From the great beams on both sides hung a pair of glass lanterns of lotus shape, with three and five globes respectively and colored tassels. In front of each table stood a lacquered stem with a drooping lotus leaf, in which a candle-holder was inserted holding a colored candle. These lotus leaves were cloisonné enamel, with movable sockets that could be turned; now they were all turned outward so that the light shone entirely outward, making the opera especially clear to see. The window lattices and doors had all been taken down, and palace lanterns with colored tassels of every kind were hung everywhere. In the corridors, both inside and outside, and along the covered galleries on both sides, all manner of lanterns were hung in profusion—horn, glass, pierced gauze, spun-silk, or embroidered, painted, piled, carved, silk, or paper. In the corridors, the tables were occupied by Jia Zhen, Jia Lian, Jia Huan, Jia Cong, Jia Rong, Jia Qin, Jia Yun, Jia Ling, and Jia Chang.

Jia Mu had also sent people to invite all the clan members, both men and women, but some were too old and disinclined toward lively gatherings; some had no one at home to leave and so could not conveniently come; some were so bedridden by illness that they wished to come but simply could not; some were envious of the wealthy and ashamed of their own poverty and so refused to come; some were so resentful of Fengjie's character that they stayed out of sheer spite; and some were so bashful and tongue-tied, unused to seeing people, that they dared not come. Thus, though the clan was large, the only female guest who came was Mother Lou, wife of Jia Jūn, bringing Jia Jūn with her, and the only men were Jia Qín, Jia Yún, Jia Chāng, and Jia Líng—four men who were currently in Fengjie's service. Though the company was not complete, for a small family feast it was still quite lively.

Presently Lin Zhixiao's wife arrived with six servant women, carrying three kang tables, each draped with a red felt cloth upon which were laid newly minted copper coins of uniform size, strung with red colored cords, two persons sharing one table—three tables in all. Lin Zhixiao's wife directed that two of the tables be placed below the seats of Aunt Xue and Li Shen, and the remaining one be carried to Jia Mu's couch. Jia Mu said, "Set it down right here on the floor." The servant women, who were all well versed in protocol, set down the tables and at once opened all the coin bundles, removed the colored cords, and scattered the coins loosely across the tables.

Just then the performance of *The West Chamber: Meeting at the Tower* was drawing to a close. Since Yushu Ye had stormed off in a tantrum, Wen Bao broke into comic banter: "You stormed off in a huff—but as it happens, today is the fifteenth day of the first month, and the old matriarch of the Rongguo Mansion is holding a family feast. Let me ride this horse and rush in to beg some fruit—that's what really matters!" When he had finished, he had Jia Mu and the others all laughing. Aunt Xue and the others said, "What a clever little imp—the poor dear!" Fengjie said, "This child is only nine years old." Jia Mu laughed and said, "It's remarkable how cleverly he spoke!" Then she said a single word: "Reward!" Three servant women, who had long since prepared dustpans beforehand, hearing the word "reward," stepped forward and scooped up a dustpanful of coins from the scattered piles on the tables. They came out before the stage and announced: "The old matriarch, the aunt, and the honorable mother-in-law reward Wen Bao to buy fruit!" With that, they tossed the coins toward the stage, and there was a great clattering of money across the whole platform. Jia Zhen and Jia Lian had already ordered their pages to bring large dustpans full of money and set them aside in readiness. When they heard that Jia Mu had given a reward, to know what happened next, read the following chapter.