Chapter 64

Chapter 64

[The text continues from the previous chapter.]

Chapter 64

The gentle lady sorrowfully composes a poem on five beauties; The reckless young man carelessly leaves behind the nine-dragon pendant.

When Jia Rong saw that everything at home had been settled, he hurried to the temple to report to Jia Zhen. Jia Zhen then immediately set about assigning the various servants and officials to their tasks and preparing all the banners, poles, and other funeral paraphernalia. He chose the fourth day of the month, at the hour of mao (five to seven in the morning), to bring the coffin into the city, and at the same time sent word to all their relatives and friends. On that day, the funeral procession was magnificent, and the guests arrived in throngs. Tens of thousands of people lined the road from the Iron Threshold Temple to the Ning Mansion to watch. Among them there were those who sighed with pity, those who were envious, and also a certain type of half-educated scholar who said things like, "In mourning rites, it is better to be frugal and sincere than lavish and perfunctory." All along the road, opinions varied endlessly. They arrived at the hour of wei or shen (one to five in the afternoon) and placed the coffin in the main hall. After the offerings and lamentations were completed, the relatives and friends gradually dispersed, leaving only members of the clan to manage the reception of guests and other matters. Among the close relatives, only Uncle Xing remained. Jia Zhen and Jia Rong, constrained by the rites, had no choice but to sleep on rushes and use a clod of earth as a pillow beside the coffin, enduring the hardships of mourning. After the people dispersed, they still found opportunities to carry on with their young sisters-in-law. Baoyu also spent each day at the Ning Mansion wearing mourning clothes, returning to the Garden only in the evening after the crowds had dispersed. Sister Feng had not yet recovered from her illness. Although she could not be there all the time, on occasions when the rites were being performed or relatives were making offerings, she would force herself to come and help Madam You manage affairs.

One day, after the morning offerings had been made, the day being still long, Jia Zhen and the others, wearied from their exertions of the past few days, could not help dozing beside the coffin. Since no guests had come, Baoyu decided to go home to see Daiyu. He first returned to Happy Red Court. Entering the gate, he found the courtyard quiet and deserted. A few old serving women and young maids were lounging in the corridors to catch a breeze; some were asleep, some dozing in their seats. Baoyu did not disturb them. Only Si'er saw him and hurried forward to raise the portière. Just as she lifted it, Fangguan came running out from inside with a grin, nearly crashing straight into Baoyu. Seeing him, she stopped with a smile and said, "Why are you here? Quick, help me stop Qingwen — she wants to hit me!" Before she finished speaking, there came a clatter and commotion from inside the room — something had been scattered all over the floor. Then Qingwen came chasing after her, cursing, "Where do you think you're going, you little wretch? You lost and won't let yourself be hit. Baoyu isn't home — let's see who'll save you now!" Baoyu quickly stepped forward with a smile to block her. "Your little sister doesn't know how she offended you. For my sake, let her off." Qingwen had not expected Baoyu to return at this moment. At the sudden sight of him, she could not help laughing. "Fangguan must have been a fox spirit in a former life — even a spell to summon gods and dispatch generals couldn't work that fast!" She added with another laugh, "Even if you really summoned a spirit, I wouldn't be afraid!" She tried to snatch her hand free to catch Fangguan again. Fangguan had already hidden behind Baoyu. Baoyu took Qingwen by one hand and Fangguan by the other and led them inside. Looking around, he saw that on the west kang, Sheyue, Qiuwen, Bihen, and Zixiao were all there playing the bean game for melon seeds. It turned out Fangguan had lost to Qingwen and refused to let herself be hit, so she had run outside. In chasing her, Qingwen had spilled the beans from her lap all over the floor. Baoyu said cheerfully, "On a long day like this, I was afraid you'd be bored with me gone — that you'd eat your meals and fall asleep and make yourselves sick. It's good to find something amusing to pass the time." Not seeing Xiren, he asked, "Where's Sister Xiren?" Qingwen said, "Xiren? She's become more pedantic than ever. She's sitting alone in her room facing the wall. I haven't been in there for quite a while — I don't know what she's doing; not a sound comes out. You'd better go have a look. Maybe she's achieved enlightenment by now." Baoyu laughed and walked into the inner room. He found Xiren sitting on the bed near the window, holding a gray silk cord and tying knots in it. Seeing Baoyu come in, she quickly stood up and smiled. "What has that creature Qingwen been saying about me? I was in a hurry to finish this knot, and had no time to fool around with them, so I told them, 'Go and amuse yourselves. While the Second Master is away, I want to sit here quietly and rest myself.' And she goes and makes up all that nonsense about me 'facing the wall' and 'meditating on Zen.' I'll tear her mouth apart one of these days!" Baoyu sat down beside her with a smile and watched her tie the knot. "On such a long day, you ought to rest, or go and have some fun with the others. Or you could go see Cousin Lin. It's awfully hot — what do you need this for?" Xiren said, "I noticed the fan case you're wearing is the one you made back then for that affair with Sister Rong at the East Mansion. That dark color is only worn when someone in the clan or among relatives and friends dies in summer — you'd wear it once or twice a year at most, and it's not the sort of thing one makes casually. Now that there's a funeral at that mansion, you'll need to carry it every day when you go over, so I'm hurrying to make a new one. Once I finish this knot, I'll take off the old one and replace it for you. You may not be particular about such things, but if the Old Lady comes back and sees it, she'll say we've been negligent — that we don't even take care of your clothing and accessories." Baoyu smiled. "It's really thoughtful of you to think of it. But don't work too hard — getting overheated would be a serious matter." As he spoke, Fangguan had already brought a cup of tea freshly cooled in cold water. Because Baoyu had always been delicate by nature, even in the summer months he did not use ice; he simply placed the teapot in a basin of freshly drawn well water, changing it from time to time to keep it cool. Baoyu drank half the cup from Fangguan's hand, then said to Xiren, "When I came, I told Mingyan that if Uncle Zhen's side has important guests, he should send word at once. If there's nothing urgent, I won't go over." With that, he left the room, but turned back to say to Bihen and the others, "If anything comes up, come find me at Miss Lin's place." And so he went straight to Bamboo Lodge to see Daiyu.

After crossing the Qinfang Bridge, Baoyu noticed Xueyan leading along two old serving-women, who were carrying lotus roots, water-chestnuts, melons, and fruits. Baoyu hastily asked Xueyan, "Your young lady never eats cold things like these. What are these fruits for? Is she inviting some other young lady or mistress over?"

Xueyan smiled. "I'll tell you, but you mustn't say a word to our young lady."

Baoyu nodded his assent.

Xueyan then told the two serving-women, "Take the fruits in first and give them to Sister Zijuan. If she asks where I am, just say I'll be along shortly after I've finished what I'm doing."

The women answered and went off. Xueyan then said, "Our young lady has been feeling somewhat better these past two days. This afternoon, Third Young Lady came by and wanted to go visit Second Mistress, but our young lady didn't go. Then I don't know what came over her—she grew melancholy, picked up a brush and wrote a great deal, poems or lyrics I couldn't tell. When she sent me to have the fruits delivered, she also called for Zijuan to move the things off the small zither table in her room, shift the table out to the middle of the outer room, and set the dragon-patterned *ding* vessel on top of it, saying it would be needed when the fruits arrived. If she were expecting company, it wouldn't make sense to be setting out the brazier first. If she were burning incense, our young lady normally only keeps fresh flowers, fruits, and quinces in her room, and she doesn't much like having her clothes fumigated. Even when she does burn incense, she'd burn it where she usually sits and sleeps. You don't suppose the old women have made the room so foul that she wants to fumigate it with incense, do you? In the end, even I don't know the reason."

With that, she hurried off.

Baoyu stood there, lowering his head and turning it over in his mind. "From what Xueyan says, there must be some cause. If she were simply sitting and chatting with one of her cousins, there'd be no need to set out food and vessels in advance like this. It could be the anniversary of Uncle Lin's or Aunt Lin's death, but I remember that every year around this date the old lady always has special dishes prepared and sent over for Sister Lin's private observances, and that time has already passed. It's probably because of the seventh month, when families make autumn sacrifices at the graves. Sister Lin must have been moved by this, so she's making offerings in her own chamber, following the principle in the *Book of Rites* of 'presenting seasonal foods in spring and autumn'—that's quite possible. But if I go now and find her in distress, and try hard to comfort her, I'm afraid her grief will only knot up inside her. If I don't go, I fear she'll grieve too deeply with no one to stop her. Either way could make her ill. Better to go first to Sister Feng's place, sit there a while, and then come back. If I find Sister Lin grieving, I'll think of a way to console her—that way I won't let her sink too deep into sorrow, and once her grief has been somewhat expressed, it won't fester and make her sick either."

Having thought this through, he left the garden gate and went straight to Feng Jie's quarters.

A number of serving-women who had finished reporting on their business were just dispersing. Feng Jia was leaning by the door talking with Ping'er. The moment she saw Baoyu, she smiled and said, "So you're back. I've just told Lin Zhixiao's wife to have someone tell your page—if there was nothing pressing, to ask you to come back and rest a while. Besides, there are so many people there, you can't stand all those smells. I didn't expect you'd come just at the right moment."

Baoyu smiled. "Thank you for thinking of me, Sister. I came back because I had nothing to do today, and I noticed you haven't gone over to the other mansion the past couple of days. I wondered if you were much better, so I came to see."

Feng Jia said, "It's much the same either way—three days well, two days unwell. With the old lady and the mistress away, those matrons—ah, which of them behaves herself? Every day it's either fighting or bickering, and even gambling and thievery have cropped up two or three times. True, Third Young Lady helps manage things, but she's an unmarried girl. There are things she can be told and things she can't, so we just have to muddle through as best we can. There's no peace for a moment. Don't talk about getting well—if I don't get any worse, that'll be enough."

Baoyu said, "Even so, Sister, you still need to take care of yourself and worry a little less."

After this, they chatted a while longer, and Baoyu took leave of Feng Jie, walking straight back toward the garden.

When he entered the gate of the Bamboo Lodge, he saw the brazier giving off thin wisps of lingering smoke and the remains of sacrificial wine in the jade cups. Zijuan was supervising the servants moving the table back inside and putting the furnishings away. Baoyu knew then that the offerings had already been completed. He walked into the room and saw Daiyu lying facing the wall, looking listless and unwell, as though she could barely hold herself up. Zijuan quickly said, "Second Master Bao is here." Daiyu slowly rose and smiled, inviting him to sit.

Baoyu said, "Sister, are you much better these past two days? Your complexion does look calmer, but why are you sad again?"

Daiyu said, "You've nothing to say after all. When exactly did I get sad again, for no good reason?"

Baoyu smiled. "There are still tear stains on your face—how can you fool me? I just think Sister has always been delicate by nature, and you should try to be more forbearing about everything. You shouldn't indulge in grief that serves no purpose. If you ruin your health, it makes me—"

Here he felt the words that followed would be hard to say, and he swallowed them back. Although he and Daiyu had grown up together, were kindred spirits, and wished to live and die together, he had always understood this only in his heart and had never said it to her face. Besides, Daiyu was always sensitive and often took offense at careless words. Today he had come expressly to comfort her, but he had spoken carelessly again and couldn't continue. Anxious, he feared Daiyu would be angry with him. Then he thought to himself that his intentions were truly good, and his anxiety turned to grief, tears already rolling down his cheeks.

Daiyu had originally been annoyed that Baoyu spoke without weighing his words, but now seeing this, she was moved. She had always been prone to weeping, and now she too could not help but weep in silence.

Meanwhile Zijuan had brought the tea in, and wondering what new tiff had arisen between the two young mistresses, she said, "Miss Lin has only just been feeling better, and now Master Bao has come to upset her again. What's it all about?"

Wiping away his tears, Baoyu smiled. "Who would dare upset my sister?" With this he rose and began to stroll idly about the room. His eye chanced upon a corner of paper protruding from beneath the ink-slab, and he reached down to pick it out. Daiyu hastily tried to snatch it from him, but he had already tucked it into his bosom. Smiling, he coaxed her, "Good sister, do let me have a look."

"It doesn't matter what it is," said Daiyu. "Whenever anything comes along, he turns everything upside down."

Before she had finished speaking, Baochai walked in. "What are you looking at, Cousin Bao?" she asked with a smile.

As Baoyu had not yet seen what was written on the paper and was unsure of Daiyu's feelings, he did not venture to reply, but merely looked at Daiyu and smiled. Daiyu invited Baochai to sit down, then said with a smile, "I was reading some ancient histories the other day and found many talented and beautiful women whose life stories were fascinating, enviable, pitiable, or lamentable. Having nothing to do after lunch, I decided to select a few of them and compose some poems at random to express my feelings. As it happened, Miss Tanchun came to ask me to go with her to see Sister Feng, but I was feeling too lazy to go. I had just finished five poems when I grew drowsy and left them lying there. I didn't expect Cousin Bao to come along and find them. It's not that I mind his reading them, but I do object to his showing them to other people from time to time."

"I've never shown them to anyone," Baoyu said hastily. "That fan yesterday—I copied those poems about the white crabapple blossoms in small regular script simply because I liked them and wanted to have them handy for reading. I know very well that poems and calligraphy from the women's quarters should not be circulated outside. Ever since you spoke to me about it, I haven't taken anything out of the garden."

Baochai said, "Miss Lin's concern is justified. If you write something on a fan and forgetfully take it to the study, and the young gentlemen see it, they're bound to ask who wrote it. If the news spreads, that would be unfortunate. As the old saying goes, 'A woman without talent is virtuous.' Above all, a woman should be chaste and quiet. Her needlework comes second. As for poetry and verse, these are merely diversions for the women's quarters—one can write them or not, as one pleases. Girls from families like ours should not seek a reputation for literary talent."

She turned to Daiyu with a smile. "It would do no harm to let me have a look, as long as Cousin Bao doesn't take them out."

"If that's the case," said Daiyu with a smile, "then you needn't look either." Pointing at Baoyu, she added, "He's already snatched them away."

At this, Baoyu took the paper from his bosom and moved to Baochai's side so they could read it together. It read:

**Xishi**

A beauty who toppled a city, swept away by the waves,

In the Wu palace she vainly yearned for her childhood home.

Do not mock the village girl who aped her frown—

Her hair turned white, she still washed silk by the stream.

**Yu Ji**

Heartbroken by the night wind as her Black Steed neighed,

Yu Ji's silent grief met those double-pupiled eyes.

Qing and Peng gladly suffered the chopping block in later years—

How could that compare to the sword she drank in the Chu tent?

**The Bright Consort**

Stunning and breathtaking, she left the Han palace,

A beauty's ill fortune, the same in ancient and modern times.

Even if the emperor held beauty lightly,

Why give such power to a mere painter of faces?

**Green Pearl**

Tile and pearl were cast aside alike—

Did Shi Chong ever truly treasure her loveliness?

It was all fated by fortune earned in a former life,

And in death they found solace together in the same end.

**Red Sleeve**

She bowed with a manly air, her bearing extraordinary,

A beauty with keen eyes who recognized a man of destiny on his last road.

What life was left in Lord Yang's tent—

How could such a woman be held in bondage?

Baoyu read through the poems and praised them without end. "You've written exactly five poems, Sister," he said. "Why not call them 'Five Beauties' Lament'?" Without waiting for a reply, he took up the brush and wrote the title at the end.

Baochai remarked, "When writing poetry, no matter the subject, the key is to give a fresh turn to old ideas. If you simply follow in others' footsteps, however polished your phrasing, you've already fallen short of the first principle and can't be considered a good poet. Take, for example, the many poems written about the Bright Consort by earlier poets. Some lamented her fate, some resented the painter Yanshou, and others mocked the Han emperor for failing to have the painter depict worthy ministers instead of beautiful women—the interpretations were many and varied. Later, Wang Anshi wrote, 'Her grace and bearing could never be captured—in vain was Mao Yanshou put to death that day,' and Ouyang Xiu wrote, 'If even what the eyes and ears witness can be so distorted, how could one control the barbarians ten thousand li away?' Both poems expressed original views, not echoing others. These five poems by Miss Lin today can also be said to be strikingly original and refreshingly new."

When he was about to continue, someone came in to report, "Master Lian has just returned. They say he went to the Ning Mansion some time ago and should be back any moment now." Upon hearing this, Baoyu quickly rose to his feet and went to wait inside the main gate. Just then Jia Lian dismounted and entered from outside. Baoyu went forward to meet Jia Lian, knelt down, and offered greetings on behalf of Grandmother Jia, Lady Wang, and the others. He then paid his respects to Jia Lian. The two walked in hand in hand. They found Li Wan, Xifeng, Baochai, Daiyu, Yingchun, Tanchun, and Xichun already waiting in the central hall. After greetings were exchanged all around, Jia Lian said, "The Old Lady will arrive early tomorrow morning. She has been in excellent health along the way. She sent me ahead today to look after the house, and at the fifth watch tomorrow I am to go back out of the city to welcome her." When he had finished, the others asked about the details of the journey. Since Jia Lian had returned from afar, everyone took their leave and let him rest in his own quarters. The events of that evening need not be described in detail.

Around mealtime the following day, Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang indeed arrived. After the reception was over, they sat briefly and drank a cup of tea, then led Lady Wang and the others over to the Ning Mansion. Inside, the sound of wailing shook the heavens—it was Jia She and Jia Lian who, after escorting Grandmother Jia home, had come straight over. Grandmother Jia entered the inner hall, where Jia She and Jia Lian, at the head of the clan, came out weeping to greet her. Father and daughter each took one of her arms and led her to the bier, where Jia Zhen and Jia Rong knelt and threw themselves into her arms, weeping bitterly. Grandmother Jia, in the twilight of her years, held Zhen and Rong and wept uncontrollably at the sight. Jia She and Jia Lian tried to comfort her, and only then did she gradually calm herself. They then moved to the right of the bier, where they met Madam You and her daughter-in-law. Another bout of anguished weeping was inevitable. When the crying subsided, the others came forward one by one to pay their respects and inquire after her well-being. Jia Zhen, thinking that Grandmother Jia had only just returned and had no chance to rest, and that sitting there would only sadden her, repeatedly urged her to go home, and Lady Wang also pressed the point. Grandmother Jia had no choice but to return. Indeed, one advanced in years could not withstand the chill and sorrow of the occasion; by evening she felt a heaviness in her head, soreness in her eyes, a blocked nose, and a thick voice. A doctor was immediately summoned to take her pulse and prescribe medicine, and the whole household was thrown into confusion for half the night and a full day. Fortunately the fever dispersed quickly and did not spread further; by the third watch she had sweated slightly, her pulse was calm and her body cool, and everyone finally set their minds at ease. The next day she continued taking medicine to recuperate.

Several days later came the day for Jia Jing's funeral procession. Grandmother Jia had not yet fully recovered, so Baoyu was kept at home to attend to her. Xifeng, also not fully well, did not go either. The rest—Jia She, Jia Lian, Lady Xing, Lady Wang, and the rest—led the family servants and mauns all the way to the Temple of the Iron Threshold, returning only in the evening. Jia Zhen, Madam You, and Jia Rong remained at the temple to watch over the soul, planning to escort the coffin back home after the hundred-day observance. The household was entrusted to Old Mother You and the Second and Third Misses.

Now Jia Lian had long heard of the reputation of the You sisters and had regretted never having the chance to meet them. Recently, with Jia Jing lying in repose at home, he had come to know the Second and Third Misses quite well day by day, and could not help entertaining covetous thoughts. Moreover, he knew that Jia Zhen and Jia Rong had long been criticized for sharing women, and so he seized every opportunity to flirt and exchange amorous glances. The Third Miss treated him with cool indifference, but the Second Miss was quite receptive. However, with so many eyes around, there was no way to act. Jia Lian also feared arousing Jia Zhen's jealousy and did not dare make any bold moves, so the two could only understand each other tacitly. After the funeral procession, with fewer people in Jia Zhen's household—only Old Mother You, the Second and Third Misses, and a few rough-serving maids and old women servants staying in the main quarters, while the other concubines and maids accompanied them to the temple—the outdoor servants and mauns did no more than make night rounds and guard the gates during the day. During the daytime, when there was nothing to do, they did not enter the inner quarters. Jia Lian therefore decided to take advantage of this opportunity. He used the excuse of keeping Jia Zhen company to lodge at the temple as well, and frequently took the pretext of helping Jia Zhen manage household affairs to come to the Ning Mansion and dally with the Second Miss.

One day, a minor steward named Yu Lu came to report to Jia Zhen: "The scaffolding poles, mourning cloth, and the bearers' black garments used previously came to a total of one thousand one hundred and ten taels of silver. After paying five hundred taels, six hundred and ten taels are still outstanding. Yesterday the merchants from both places came to demand payment, and I have come to ask for your instructions." Jia Zhen said, "Just go to the treasury and collect it—why bother me with this?" Yu Lu replied, "Yesterday I did go to the treasury, but since the master passed away, there have been withdrawals from every quarter, and what remains must be reserved for the hundred-day rites and temple expenses. They simply cannot release the funds. That is why I have come to report to you today—perhaps the funds could be issued from your private coffers for now, or some other item could be borrowed against, and I will make the arrangements." Jia Zhen laughed and said, "You must think this is how things used to be—silver just sitting there unused. Go borrow it from anywhere and pay them." Yu Lu replied with a smile, "If it were one or two hundred taels, I might be able to scrape something together, but five or six hundred—I cannot manage that on such short notice." Jia Zhen thought for a moment and said to Jia Rong, "Go ask your mother—after the funeral procession yesterday, the Zhen family from Jiangnan sent five hundred taels of sacrificial silver, which has not yet been deposited in the treasury. Go and get it and give it to him." Jia Rong assented, hurried over to report to Madam You, and then came back to his father and said, "Two hundred taels of that silver were already used yesterday; the remaining three hundred taels were sent home to be placed in Old Mother's keeping." Jia Zhen said, "In that case, take him along and get the money from your mother and give it to him. Also, see whether there is anything that needs attending to at home, and give my greetings to your two aunts. As for the remainder, Yu Lu can borrow it for now to make up the difference."

Jia Rong and Yu Lu agreed and were about to withdraw when in walked Jia Lian. Yu Lu stepped forward at once to pay his respects. Jia Lian asked what the matter was, and Jia Zhen explained everything. Jia Lian thought to himself, "This is a perfect opportunity to visit the Ning residence and look for Second Sister." Aloud he said, "What a trifling matter this is — why go borrowing from others? Only yesterday I received a sum of money that I haven't touched yet. Better to add to it from that. Wouldn't that save a great deal of trouble?" Jia Zhen said, "That would be excellent. Just give the order to Rong'er and have him fetch it along with the rest." Jia Lian said hastily, "I must go myself to get it. Besides, I haven't been home these past few days. I need to pay my respects to the Old Master, the Master, and the Mistress. I should also go to your place and see whether any of the servants have been making trouble, and pay my respects to the Mistress of the in-law family." Jia Zhen said with a smile, "It's putting you to trouble again — I feel rather uneasy about it." Jia Lian also smiled and said, "We are brothers of the own family. What does it matter?" Jia Zhen then instructed Jia Rong, "Go with your uncle. When you get there, also pay respects to the Old Master, the Master, and the Mistress on behalf of me and your mother. Say we both send our greetings. Find out whether the Old Lady's health is quite restored and whether she is still taking medicine." Jia Rong agreed to everything and followed Jia Lian out. He took several young pages with him, mounted his horse, and they rode into the city together.

On the road, uncle and nephew chatted. Jia Lian, with an ulterior motive, brought up Second Sister You. He praised her extravagantly — how beautiful she was, how well she conducted herself, her dignified bearing, her gentle speech, how in every respect she was admirable and lovable. "Everyone says your aunt is good, but in my opinion she doesn't come within a whisker of your second aunt." Jia Rong, guessing what was on his uncle's mind, said with a smile, "Since you admire her so much, uncle, let me act of matchmaker for you and arrange for her to be taken as a secondary wife. What do you say?" Jia Lian laughed. "Are you joking or speaking in earnest?" Jia Rong said, "I'm speaking in earnest." Jia Lian said, laughing again, "It would certainly be wonderful. I'm only afraid your aunt wouldn't consent, and that your grandmother might not agree either. Besides, I've heard that your second aunt is already betrothed to someone." Jia Rong said, "None of that matters. My second aunt and third aunt were not fathered by my grandfather — they came with my grandmother when she married into this family. I've heard that when my grandmother was with that family, she betrothed my second aunt to the Zhang family, who were grain-tax farmers in the imperial granary — it was a betrothal arranged before birth. Later the Zhang family got involved in a lawsuit and fell into ruin. My grandmother then married out of that family. That was more than ten years ago, and the two families have had no contact since. My grandmother has often complained and wanted to break off the engagement. My father also wants to find a new husband for my second aunt. As soon as a suitable family is found, we need only send someone to locate the Zhangs, give them a dozen taels of silver, and have them write a document breaking the engagement. The Zhangs are desperately poor — seeing the silver, what could they refuse? Besides, they know what sort of family we are, so they wouldn't dare refuse. And since a man like you, uncle, has offered to take her as a secondary wife, I guarantee both my grandmother and my father would be willing. The only difficulty would be with your aunt."

When Jia Lian heard this, his heart blossomed with joy. What more was there to say? He could only stand there smiling foolishly. Jia Rong thought for a moment, then said with a smile, "If you have the courage, uncle, follow my plan and I guarantee there will be no trouble — it will only cost a little more money." Jia Lian said eagerly, "What is your plan? Tell me quickly. I'll agree to anything." Jia Rong said, "When you go home, don't show the slightest sign. Let me report to my father first and speak to my grandmother to settle the matter. Then we'll buy a house near the back of our mansion, along with the necessary furnishings, and assign two households of servants to attend her. We'll pick a day and carry her off without anyone knowing. Tell the servants not to let the news leak. Your aunt will be living inside, in a deep, secluded compound — how could anyone find out? You'll live in both places. After a year or so, even if it comes to light, the worst that can happen is a scolding from the Master. You can simply say that your aunt has borne no children and that you acted out of concern for having an heir, which is why you did this on the outside. Even your aunt, seeing that the rice is already cooked, will have to accept it. Then if you ask the Old Lady to intercede, there'll be nothing that can't be settled."

As the old saying goes, "Desire clouds the mind." Jia Lian, absorbed in his lust for Second Sister's beauty, listened to Jia Rong's entire speech and concluded the plan was foolproof. He cast aside all the present difficulties — that he was in mourning, that he would be taking a second wife while his first was still alive, the objections of a strict father and a jealous wife — and paid them no heed whatsoever. What he did not know was that Jia Rong's motives were not entirely honorable. He had long been carrying on with his aunt, but because Jia Zhen was in the picture, he had never been able to do as he pleased. Now if Jia Lian married her, she would necessarily live outside the family compound, and whenever Jia Lian was away, Jia Rong could go and have his way with her. Jia Lian never suspected this. He thanked Jia Rong warmly. "Good nephew — if you can really bring this off, I'll buy you two beautiful maids as a reward." By this time they had arrived at the gate of the Ning residence. Jia Rong said, "Go in, uncle, and get the silver from my grandmother. Give it directly to Yu Lu. I'll go pay my respects to the Old Lady first." Jia Lian nodded with a smile. "Don't tell the Old Lady that we came together." Jia Rong said, "I know." Then he whispered into Jia Lian's ear, "If you happen to meet Second Sister today, don't be too hasty. If something happens, it'll be hard to manage later." Jia Lian laughed. "Stop talking nonsense. Go quickly. I'll wait for you here." And so Jia Rong went off to pay his respects to the Dowager.

Jia Lian entered the Ning Mansion, where the head of the household servants had already led the other servants to greet him, accompanying him all the way to the main hall in a crowd. Jia Lian made a few remarks to each of them, merely going through the motions, then ordered the servants to disperse and walked alone toward the inner quarters. It happened that Jia Lian and Jia Zhen had always been close, and they were cousins besides, so there was no reason for any formality between them; Jia Lian had always been in the habit of entering without waiting for an announcement. Thus he went straight to the main apartments, where an old serving woman waiting under the veranda had already raised the portiere to let him in. When Jia Lian entered the room, he saw only Second Sister You sitting on the south kang with two maids doing needlework beside her; Old Mother You and Third Sister were nowhere to be seen. Jia Lian hurried forward to pay his respects and exchange greetings. Second Sister You invited him to sit with a smile, then seated herself against the screen on the east side. Jia Lian still insisted on giving her the upper seat, exchanged a few words of courtesy, and then asked with a laugh: "Where has Mother-in-law gone, and where is Third Sister? Why are they not here?" Second Sister You said with a smile: "They had some business in the back and will be here presently." Just then the serving maids had gone to pour tea, so no one was at hand. Jia Lian kept stealing glances at Second Sister You with his eyes. She lowered her head and smiled, paying him no attention. Jia Lian did not dare to be too forward, but noticing that Second Sister You was toying in her hands with a handkerchief with a pouch attached, he made conversation by feeling at his own waist and said: "I forgot to bring my betel-nut pouch. If you have any betel nut, Sister, give me a taste." Second Sister You replied: "I do have betel nut, but I never give my betel nut to anyone."

Jia Lian laughed and moved closer to take it himself. Second Sister You, fearing it would look unseemly if someone saw, quickly smiled and tossed it over to him. Jia Lian caught it, emptied out all the contents, picked out half a piece that had already been bitten and put it in his mouth, then pocketed the rest. Just as he was about to return the pouch in person, the two maids came back with tea. Jia Lian took the tea with one hand and drank, while with the other he secretly unfastened a jade pendant carved with nine dragons that he had been wearing, tied it to his handkerchief, and when the maids turned their heads, tossed it over as well. Second Sister You made no move to pick it up, pretending not to see it, and sat drinking her tea. Then there came the sound of the portiere being raised at the back of the room—it was Old Mother You and Third Sister You, followed by two little maids, coming from the rear. Jia Lian directed his gaze to Second Sister You, signaling her to pick up the pendant, but Second Sister You simply ignored him. Jia Lian could not fathom what she meant by this and was most anxious; he had no choice but to go forward to greet Old Mother You and Third Sister. As he glanced back at Second Sister You, he saw her smiling as though nothing had happened, and when he looked again at the handkerchief, it had vanished—only then did Jia Lian set his mind at ease.

They all took their seats again, and after some idle conversation, Jia Lian said: "Sister-in-law told me that the other day a packet of silver was given to Mother-in-law to keep safe. Today we need to return it to someone, and Elder Brother has sent me to fetch it. I also wanted to see if everything is all right at home." When Old Mother You heard this, she immediately told Second Sister You to fetch the keys and get the silver. Here Jia Lian added: "I also wanted to pay my respects to Mother-in-law and see my two sisters. Mother-in-law looks well, but I'm afraid my two sisters must feel they are not well provided for in our household." Old Mother You said with a smile: "We are all close kin—why speak of such things? We lived at home before, and we live here now. I won't hide it from you, Second Master: since my late husband passed away, our family's circumstances have really been quite difficult. We have relied entirely on our son-in-law here for support. Now that such a great event has occurred in his household, if we cannot help in other ways, it is no hardship for us to simply keep an eye on the house. How can you say we are not well provided for?" Even as she spoke, Second Sister You had already fetched the silver and handed it to Old Mother You, who then passed it to Jia Lian. Jia Lian called a little maid and told her to bring an old serving woman, and instructed her: "Take this to Yu Lu and tell him to carry it over there and wait for me." The old woman assented and went out.

Then Jia Rong's voice was heard speaking in the courtyard. He came in shortly afterward, paid his respects to his mother and Second Aunt, and said to Jia Lian with a laugh: "The Master was just asking about you a moment ago, saying there was some business he wanted you for. He was about to send someone to the temple to fetch you, but I told him you would be coming. The Master also instructed me to tell you to hurry if I met you on the road." On hearing this, Jia Lian rose hastily, but then Jia Rong said to his mother: "Remember what I told the Old Lady the other day? Father wants to find a husband-in-law for Second Aunt who would be about the same build and appearance as this uncle of mine. What did the Old Lady say?" As he spoke, he secretly pointed at Jia Lian and made a face toward his Second Aunt. Second Sister You was too embarrassed to say anything, but Third Sister You, with a look that was half smile and half frown, half anger and half amusement, cursed: "You rotten little monkey! Who asked your mother for such talk! I'll tear that mouth of yours one of these days!" As she spoke, she lunged toward him. Jia Rong had already run out laughing, and Jia Lian also took his leave with a smile. When he reached the main hall, he instructed the servants not to gamble or drink. He also quietly urged Jia Rong to go back and speak to his father at once. He then brought Yu Lu over, made up the full amount of the silver, and handed it to him to deliver. He went to pay his respects to Jia She, and then to pay his respects to the Old Lady Jia—but of this, no more.

Jia Rong, having dispatched Yu Lu with Jia Lian to collect the silver, found himself with nothing to do and went back inside to banter for a while with his two aunts before getting up. That evening, he returned to the temple and reported to Jia Zhen: “The silver has been handed over to Yu Lu. The old lady has largely recovered and no longer takes medicine.” After delivering this, he seized the occasion to mention that Jia Lian intended to take Second Sister You as a secondary wife. He added that a house would be bought for her outside, without Wang Xifeng's knowledge. “The whole thing comes down to the difficulty of producing an heir. Since Second Sister has been seen already, it's better to make a match with a known family than to bring in someone from goodness knows where. That's why Second Uncle has repeatedly pressed me to speak to Father about it.” He said nothing about this being his own idea. Jia Zhen thought for a moment and smiled: “Well, that's not a bad plan after all. I only wonder whether your second aunt is willing. Tomorrow go and discuss it with your mother first. Have your mother sound out your second aunt, and then we'll decide.” He then coached Jia Rong on what to say, and went over to tell Lady You about the matter. Lady You saw at once that this was improper and did her utmost to dissuade him. But Jia Zhen had made up his mind, and she had always been accustomed to deferring to him. Moreover, since she and Second Sister did not share the same mother, she felt it was not her place to interfere too deeply. So she could only let them carry on as they pleased.

The very next morning, Jia Rong came back into the city to see his mother and relayed his father's intentions. He added many embellishments: what a fine man Jia Lian was, how Wang Xifeng was ill beyond recovery, and that for the time being a house had been bought outside. In a year or so, once Xifeng died, Second Sister would be brought in as the principal wife. He described how his father was handling the betrothal gifts, how Jia Lian's side would manage the wedding, how his mother would be taken in to live out her years in comfort, and how Third Sister's betrothal on that side had also been arranged. He spun such a dazzling tale that Old Lady You could not but agree. Besides, she had always relied on Jia Zhen's support, and now it was Jia Zhen himself who was arranging the match. She would not even need to provide a dowry herself. Jia Lian was a young gentleman, ten times the man that Zhang Hua had ever been. She went straight over to discuss it with Second Sister. Second Sister was a woman of changeable nature. She had already been on improper terms with her brother-in-law earlier, and she had long regretted that she had been mistakenly betrothed to Zhang Hua, which had left her without a proper home ever since. Now seeing that Jia Lian was so taken with her, and that it was her own brother-in-law who was arranging the marriage, what reason had she to refuse? She gave her consent without hesitation. Jia Rong received her answer and reported back to his father.

The next day, Jia Lian was summoned to the temple, where Jia Zhen informed him in person that Old Lady You had given her consent. Jia Lian was overjoyed beyond words and thanked Jia Zhen and his son profusely. The two then discussed matters and sent people to look at houses and commission jewelry, to buy Second Sister's dowry and the bed curtains and other furnishings needed for the new home. Within a few days, everything had been arranged. A house of some twenty rooms had been purchased on Little Flower Branch Lane, about two li behind the Ning-Rong Street. Two young servant girls were bought as well. Jia Lian suddenly thought of the servant Bao Er, whose wife had hanged herself in shame after being discovered in an affair with Jia Lian and subjected to a furious scene by Xifeng. Jia Lian had instructed Lin Zhixiao to give Bao Er two hundred taels for the funeral expenses, and had also given him some money of his own, promising to find him another wife in due course. Bao Er, having both face and silver, continued to curry favor with Jia Lian. The thought occurred to Jia Lian to summon Bao Er and his wife to the new house, so they would be ready to wait on Second Sister when she arrived. He also had the Zhang Hua father and son brought in and compelled them to write a formal dissolution of the betrothal with Old Lady You. As it happened, Zhang Hua's grandfather had originally served as a granary estate steward, and had since died. Zhang Hua's father had continued in the same post, and having been on good terms with Old Lady You's former husband, he had betrothed Zhang Hua and Second Sister You while they were still in the womb. Later, unexpected legal troubles had ruined the family's fortunes, leaving them so hard-pressed for food and clothing that they could not afford to take a bride. Old Lady You had also remarried and left that family, and the two households had had no contact for over ten years. Now summoned by the Jia family's servants and forced to break the betrothal with Second Sister, the Zhangs were unwilling but dared not defy Jia Zhen's power. They had no choice but to draw up a document dissolving the engagement. Old Lady You gave them twenty taels of silver, and the two families parted ways.

With all these matters settled, Jia Lian and the others selected an auspicious day—the third of the month—for the wedding. What followed will be told in the next chapter.

It was truly:

For the lust of the same branch, strife arose between intertwined stems.