Chapter 69

Chapter 69

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**Chapter 69: A Cunning Woman Uses a Borrowed Sword to Kill; A Doomed Woman Swallows Gold and Dies**

When she heard this, You Erjie was again overwhelmed with gratitude and had no choice but to follow her. As for Madam You, how could she not come over? She had no choice but to come along as well and follow Xifeng to report to the family, as propriety demanded. Xifeng said with a smile, "You just keep quiet and let me do the talking." Madam You said, "Naturally. But if anything goes wrong, the blame will be shifted to you." With that, they all went first to the Dowager's room.

While the Lady Dowager was chatting and laughing with the young ladies of the garden to while away the time, Xifeng unexpectedly brought a pretty young wife into the room. The Lady Dowager narrowed her eyes and looked closely. "Whose child is this? What a poor, pitiful creature," she said.

Xifeng stepped forward with a smile. "Have a good look, Old Ancestor, and tell me whether she's pretty or not." She quickly pulled Second Sister forward. "This is your great-grandmother-in-law. Kneel down quickly and kowtow."

Second Sister promptly performed the full ceremony of greeting and rose again. Xifeng then pointed to the young ladies one by one. "This is so-and-so, and that is so-and-so. You should make their acquaintance first, and pay your respects to the ladies later after Her Ladyship has seen you."

Second Sister listened and deliberately asked each of their names again, then stood by with her head lowered.

The Lady Dowager examined her from head to toe, then asked with a smile, "What is your family name? How old are you?"

Xifeng hastily interjected with a laugh, "Don't ask her all those questions yet, Old Ancestor. Just tell me: is she prettier than I am?"

The Lady Dowager put on her spectacles and ordered Yuanyang and Hupo, "Bring that girl over here. I want to have a look at her skin."

The others all smiled behind their hands and pushed her forward. The Lady Dowager inspected her carefully, then told Hupo, "Let me see her hands."

Yuanyang lifted her skirt as well. When the Lady Dowager had finished looking, she took off her spectacles and said with a laugh, "She's a perfectly formed girl. I think she's even prettier than you."

At this, Xifeng knelt down laughing and told the Lady Dowager everything that Madam You had fabricated, recounting it in detail. "There is no help for it—if Your Old Ancestor would show your compassionate heart and allow her to come into the house first, she and Lian could consummate the marriage after a year."

The Lady Dowager said, "What objection could there to that? Since you are so virtuous and magnanimous, that is all well and good. Only after a year may the marriage be consummated."

Xifeng kowtowed and rose, then asked the Lady Dowager to send two women to accompany her to visit the other ladies, saying that this was the Old Ancestor's idea. The Lady Dowager agreed and sent the two women to take her to see Lady Xing and the others.

Lady Wang had been deeply worried about the unsavory gossip surrounding the situation, and when she saw Xifeng handling matters in this way, she was naturally delighted. From then on, Second Sister was able to see the light of day and was moved to a side room to live.

Xifeng, on the one hand, secretly instigated Zhang Hua, telling him to demand his original wife back. She added that there would be many gifts besides, and she would give him silver to settle his household. Zhang Hua had originally been too timid and fainthearted to bring a suit against the Jia family. Later, Jia Rong sent someone to argue the case, and that person stated: "Zhang Hua broke off the engagement first. We are all relatives. It is true that we received her into our home to live with us, but there was never any talk of marriage. It is only because Zhang Hua owes us money and refused to repay it that he made these false accusations against our young master."

The censor's office had connections with both the Jia and Wang families, and having moreover received a bribe, they simply declared that Zhang Hua was a scoundrel, extorting money out of poverty. They refused to accept his petition, had him beaten, and threw him out. Qing'er handled matters on the outside and saw to it that the beating was not too severe. He also went to instigate Zhang Hua, saying, "The engagement was originally made by your family. If you insist on the marriage, the magistrate will certainly rule in your favor." So Zhang Hua brought another suit. Meanwhile, Wang Xin sent word to the censor's office, which then issued a ruling: "The silver owed by Zhang Hua to the Jia household shall be repaid in full within a set period. The engagement he arranged shall be carried out when he has the means." His father was also summoned to the court and given the ruling. Qing'er had already spoken to his father, who was only too pleased to get both money and a wife, and went to the Jia household to claim the woman.

Meanwhile, Xifeng went to the Lady Dowager in a great fright and told her a tale she had concocted: this and that had happened because Sister Zhen had handled matters carelessly and had not properly broken off the engagement with that family, which led to this lawsuit and the magistrate's ruling.

When the Lady Dowager heard this, she summoned Madam You and reproached her for her improper handling of the matter. "Since your younger sister was betrothed to someone else while still in the womb, and the engagement was not properly dissolved, it has allowed this man to bring a confused accusation."

Madam You could only reply, "He even accepted the silver. How can you say it was not settled?"

Xifeng interjected from the side, "Zhang Hua's written deposition states that he never saw any silver or any messenger sent. His father says, 'It was the girl's mother who mentioned it once, but she never gave her consent. After the girl's mother died, you simply took her in as a second wife.' Since there is no corroborating evidence, he can say whatever he likes. Fortunately, Master Lian is not at home, and the marriage has not been consummated, so no harm is done. But now that she is here, how can we send her back without losing face?"

The Lady Dowager said, "Since the marriage has not been consummated, it would not do to forcibly take another man's wife. The reputation would not be good. Better to send her back to him. There are plenty of good women to be found elsewhere."

Second Sister, hearing this, spoke up to the Lady Dowager: "My mother actually gave them ten taels of silver on such-and-such a date and month to break off the engagement. He only brought the suit because he is desperate for money and changed his tune. My sister did nothing wrong."

The Lady Dowager said, "This shows how troublesome these crafty people can be. Since that is the case, Feng girl, go and sort it out."

Xifeng had no choice but to comply. She returned and ordered someone to fetch Jia Rong. Jia Rong well understood what Xifeng had in mind. If Zhang Hua were allowed to take Second Sister back, what sort of spectacle would that create? He went back and reported to Jia Zhen, and secretly sent someone to speak to Zhang Hua: "Now that you have so much silver, why must you insist on having your original wife? If you persist in this, aren't you afraid that if the masters become angry and find a pretext, you will die without a burial place? With your silver, you can go home and find any number of good women. If you leave now, you will even be given some money for traveling expenses."

Zhang Hua considered this and thought it a good idea. After consulting with his father, they agreed. Altogether they had received about a hundred taels of gold. Father and son set out at the fifth watch the next morning and returned to their hometown.

When Jia Rong had verified the truth of this, he went back and reported to the Lady Dowager and Xifeng: "Zhang Hua and his father brought a false accusation, then fled in fear of punishment. The authorities are aware of the circumstances and are not pursuing the matter. The affair is concluded."

Xifeng listened and thought to herself: If she insisted that Zhang Hua take Second Sister back, Lian would probably come back and spend a few more strings of cash to keep her anyway, and Zhang Hua would not dare refuse. It would be better if Second Sister did not go, and she herself could

This too will do for the time being; we'll see what else can be done later. The only worry is that no one knows where Zhang Hua has gone. If he should tell others about this business, or if he should later use this as grounds to reopen the case, wouldn't that be bringing harm on myself? I shouldn't have been so rash as to hand the weapon over to an outsider. She bitterly regretted this, then thought up another scheme. She quietly ordered Xing'er to send someone to track Zhang Hua down, accuse him of theft, bring a lawsuit against him and have him put to death, or secretly arrange to have him killed—only by putting Zhang Hua to death could she root out the trouble and preserve her reputation. Xing'er received the order and left, but at home he thought it over: the man had already left, so why make such a big fuss? Human life is a serious matter—it's no joke. He decided to put Fengjie off for now and see what else could be done. So he hid outside for several days, then came back and reported to Fengjie that Zhang Hua had been carrying a few taels of silver on him and had fled, but on the third day at the fifth watch, on the border of Jingkou, he had been beaten to death with clubs by robbers on the road. His father had been frightened to death at the inn, and there the body had been examined and buried. Fengjie didn't believe it and said, "If you're lying to me, I'll send someone to find out the truth and then I'll knock your teeth out!" Only then did she let the matter drop. Fengjie and You Erjie were on excellent terms, even more so than real sisters by ten times.

Now Jia Lian, having finished his business one day, returned and first went to the new quarters, only to find they had been quietly sealed off, with just an old man watching the house. Jia Lian asked him the reason, and the old man explained in detail. Jia Lian stamped his frustration in the lamplight. He then had to go see Jia She and Lady Xing and report on what he had accomplished. Jia She was extremely pleased, commended him for being useful, rewarded him with a hundred taels of silver, and also gave him a seventeen-year-old maid named Qiutong from among his concubines to be his concubine. Jia Lian kowtowed to accept her and was overjoyed. He saw Grandmother Jia and the others in the household, then returned to see Fengjie, his face showing some embarrassment. But to his surprise, Fengjie did not look as she used to; she came out together with You Erjie to greet him, and they exchanged pleasantries. Jia Lian told her about Qiutong, and his face could not help showing a look of pride and self-satisfaction. Fengjie, upon hearing this, immediately ordered two of the married women to take a carriage and bring her over from that side. She had not yet removed one thorn, and now another had been added out of nowhere—there was nothing for it but to swallow her anger and put on a good face to cover up. At the same time she ordered wine to be prepared to welcome her, and she brought Qiutong to see Grandmother Jia, Lady Wang, and the others. Jia Lian was inwardly puzzled.

That day was the twelfth of the twelfth month. Jia Zhen set out, first sacrificing at the ancestral hall, then coming to take his leave of Grandmother Jia and the others. The clansmen escorted him all the way to the Pavilion of Shedding Tears before turning back; only Jia Lian and Jia Rong accompanied him for three days and three nights before returning. Along the way Jia Zhen instructed them to set their minds on managing the household properly, and the two men agreed verbally, also exchanging formal courtesies—no need to dwell on this.

Meanwhile, at home, Fengjie's outward treatment of You Erjie need not be mentioned, but in her heart she harbored other intentions. When no one was around, she said to You Erjie, "Your reputation is terrible—even the old lady and the ladies all know about it. They say that when you were a girl at home you weren't clean, and that you had some dealings with your brother-in-law. 'Nobody wanted you, so you picked him, and you still won't stop—go find someone better.' When I heard this, I was so angry I nearly fainted. I tried to find out who said it, but I couldn't. As time goes on, how will I face the servants? I've been left with a fish head to pick apart." She said this twice over, and then made herself sick with anger, refusing to eat or drink anything. Except for Ping'er, all the maids and married women gossiped behind her back, pointing at the mulberry tree while cursing the locust, making veiled insults. Qiutong, considering herself a gift from Jia She, felt that no one could challenge her; she didn't even look at Fengjie and Ping'er, let alone tolerate You Erjie. She would say right to her face, "A slut who was seduced before marriage and had no husband wanted her—and she still comes to compete with me." Fengjie secretly rejoiced when she heard this; You Erjie felt secretly ashamed, secretly angry, and secretly aggrieved. Since Fengjie had feigned illness, she stopped eating with You Erjie. Each day she only ordered people to bring dishes and rice to her room to eat, and the food and tea were all of the worst quality. Ping'er couldn't bear it, so she took money out of her own pocket to prepare food for her, or sometimes would say they were going to the garden for a stroll, and have the kitchen in the garden specially prepare soup and dishes for her to eat—no one dared report this to Fengjie. Only Qiutong happened to stumble upon it once, and went to tattle to Fengjie, saying, "It's Miss Ping'er who has ruined your good name. Such good food and rice, and she wastes it—instead she goes to the garden to steal food." Fengjie, upon hearing this, cursed Ping'er, saying, "Other people's cats catch mice—my own chicken-pecking cat bites the chickens." Ping'er dared not say much, and from then on kept her distance. She also secretly hated Qiutong but could not bring herself to speak of it.

The ladies of the garden, together with Li Wan, Yingchun, Xichun, and the others, all believed Xifeng meant well; but Baoyu, Daiyu, and their circle secretly worried for Second Sister. None of them dared meddle openly, yet seeing how pitiable Second Sister was, whenever they came they could not help showing her sympathy. Often, when they found themselves alone with her, You Erjie would weep silently, not daring to complain. Xifeng, for her part, never let a trace of malice show. When Jia Lian came home and saw how virtuous Xifeng appeared, he paid no further attention to the matter. Moreover, it had always been the case that, since Old Master Jia She kept the most concubines and maids, Jia Lian harbored improper intentions but had never dared act on them. As for people like Qiutong, they all resented that the old master, in his dotage, had taken on more women than he could manage—what was the point of keeping all these people around? Besides those few who had a sense of propriety and shame, the rest sometimes flirted with the young menservants at the second gate. Some even exchanged lingering glances and secret assignations with Jia Lian, only deterred by Jia She's authority from consummating anything. Qiutong herself had a past with Jia Lian, though she had never been favored before. Now, by a twist of fate, she was given to him—truly a pair of dry firewood meeting a blazing flame, like lacquer glued to wood, a newlywed passion that day after day they could not tear apart. Jia Lian's heart for You Erjie gradually cooled; Qiutong alone became his whole life. Xifeng hated Qiutong, but she was glad to use her first to dispose of Second Sister. She herself would stand aside, employing the method of "borrowing a sword to kill" and "watching from the mountain as two tigers fight"—once Qiutong had destroyed You Erjie, she would then deal with Qiutong herself. Her plan decided, whenever they were alone she would privately urge Qiutong: "You're young and don't understand how things stand. She is now the Second Mistress, the one your master holds dear. Even I yield to her three parts. If you go and clash head-on with her, aren't you simply courting death?" When Qiutong heard these words, she grew even more furious, shouting abuses every day: "The Mistress is too soft, too saintly—I can't manage that. Whatever happened to the Mistress's old authority? She's so tolerant and broad-minded, but I cannot tolerate a speck of sand in my eye. Let me have it out with that wanton woman just once, and then she'll know." Inside the room, Xifeng pretended she dared not make a sound. You Erjie, furious and wretched, wept in her chamber, unable to eat, and dared not tell Jia Lian. The next day, when the Dowager saw her eyes red and swollen, and asked what was wrong, she dared not say. Qiutong, just then at her most pert and cunning, quietly told the Dowager and Lady Wang: "She's bent on courting death, wailing and howling all day long for no good reason, cursing the Second Mistress and me behind our backs, wishing we'd die early so she could have the Master all to herself." The Dowager remarked, "A woman too pretty is sure to be jealous. Sister Feng meant well by her, yet she stabs back with such spite and envy. What a low creature." From then on she liked her less and less. When the others saw the Dowager's disfavor, they could not help trampling her further still, until You Erjie found she could neither die nor live. It was thanks to P'ing'er, who, whenever she could slip away from Xifeng, saw how things stood and would come to comfort and console her.

You Erjie had always been one whose entrails were made of flowers and whose flesh was made of snow—how could she endure such torment? After barely a month of this hidden cruelty, she fell into a listless illness. Her limbs grew too heavy to move, she could neither drink nor eat, and she wasted away, growing sallow and thin. At night when she closed her eyes, she would see her younger sister standing before her, holding a mandarin-duck sword in her hands, saying: "Sister, all your life your heart has been too soft, too trusting—and now you've paid for it. Don't believe the jealous wife's honeyed words: outwardly virtuous, inwardly treacherous. She is bent on destroying you utterly before she'll stop. If I were still alive, I would never have let you come here; and even if you had come, I would never have allowed her to treat you like this. But this is the working of fate—because of our indiscretions in life, our shameless elopement that brought ruin and disgrace upon others, this is the retribution. Take this sword, as I urge you, and behead that jealous woman, and together we will return before the tribunal of Jinghuan to receive our judgment. Otherwise you will die for nothing, and no one will pity you." You Erjie wept and said: "Sister, my conduct has been flawed all my life, and today's reckoning is only what I deserve. Why add the sin of bloodshed? Let me go and endure it. If Heaven takes pity and lets I recover, wouldn't that satisfy us both?" Her sister smiled and said: "Sister, you are still such a simpleton. Since ancient times it has been said, 'Vast is the net of Heaven—wide-meshed, yet nothing slips through.' Heaven's way is to requite. Though you have repented and reformed, you have already thrown fathers, sons, and brothers into the chaos of promiscuity—how can Heaven let you live in peace?" You Erjie wept and said: "If I cannot live in peace, that too is what I deserve. I bear no grievance." Her sister heard this and departed with a long sigh. You Erjie started awake—it had been a dream. When Jia Lian came to see her, finding no one else present, she wept and said: "This illness of mine will never get better. I've been here half a year, and I am with child, though I cannot yet tell whether it will be a boy or a girl. If Heaven takes pity and lets me deliver safely, then all may be well; if not, I shall not live to see it—let alone the child." Jia Lian also wept and said: "Don't worry. I'll fetch a skilled physician." And at once he went out to summon a doctor.

Who would have known that the Imperial Physician Wang had also bribed his way into military service, planning to come back and obtain a hereditary title for his sons? When the young servants went out, they engaged a Dr. Hu by the name of Junrong. He came in, felt the pulse, and examined her, saying that her menses were irregular and that she needed heavy supplementation. Jia Lian then said, "It's already been three months since her last period, and she's constantly vomiting bile—I fear it's a pregnancy." Upon hearing this, Hu Junrong ordered the old women to bring out her hand once more for another look. You Erjie had no choice but to extend her hand from inside the bed-curtain. Hu Junrong felt her pulse for another long while and said, "If it were a pregnancy, the liver pulse should naturally be full and strong. But when wood is in excess, it generates fire, and irregular menses are also caused by the liver wood. A doctor must be bold—I would need the young lady to show her face briefly so that the physician might observe her complexion before I dare prescribe." Jia Lian had no choice but to order the curtain drawn back a crack, and You Erjie's face appeared. The moment Hu Junrong saw her, his soul flew up to the ninth heaven, his whole body went numb, and he lost all awareness. After a moment, the curtain was drawn closed again, and Jia Lian accompanied him out and asked what the matter was. Dr. Hu said, "It is not a pregnancy—it is merely congealed blood that has accumulated. For now, the important thing is to expel the congealed blood and open the channels." He then wrote a prescription and took his leave. Jia Lia had the medical fee sent and the medicine fetched and prepared for her to take. By midnight, You Erjie was wracked with ceaseless abdominal pain, and before anyone knew it, a fully formed male fetus was aborted. The bleeding would not stop, and Erjie fell unconscious. When Jia Lian learned of this, he cursed Hu Junrong furiously. On the one hand he sent for another doctor to treat her, and on the other he ordered men to go and prosecute Hu Junrong. When Hu Junrong heard of it, he had already gathered his bags and fled. The physician here then said, "Originally her qi and blood were deficient and weak. Since conceiving, she must have suffered some anger and frustration, which became lodged within. This doctor recklessly used fierce and harsh medicines. Now the lady's original qi has been eighty to ninety percent damaged—there is no guarantee she will recover quickly. Both decoctions and pills must be taken together, and she must be kept free from all idle talk and gossip—only then is there hope of recovery." With that he left, and Jia Lian was frantic. He investigated who had brought in this Dr. Hu, and once he found out, he had the man beaten half to death. Sister Feng was ten times more frantic than Jia Lian, saying, "It was destiny that we should have no sons—we finally had one, and then we had to meet with such an incompetent doctor." She then burned incense and bowed before heaven and earth, offering a prayer of her own: "If I am ill, I only pray that Sister You will fully recover and conceive again and bear a son. I am willing to eat vegetarian food and pray to Buddha all my life." When Jia Lian and the others saw this, they praised her without end. When Jia Lian was with Qiutong, Sister Feng would have soup and water prepared and sent to Erjie. She also cursed Pinger for being "someone without blessings—just like me. Because I've been sick so much, you're never sick, yet you never conceived either. The way Second Mistress is now—it's all because we lack fortune, or have offended some spirit, which struck her this way." She then sent people out to have fortunes told and hexagrams cast. When the fortune-tellers returned, they said it was "a yin woman belonging to the Rabbit who has caused the affliction." Everyone calculated, and only Qiutong belonged to the Rabbit—so they said she was the one causing the affliction. Qiutong had lately seen Jia Lian engaging doctors and preparing medicines, beating servants and cursing dogs, all for the sake of You Erjie with the utmost devotion. Her heart had long been steeped in a vat of vinegar. Now hearing that she herself was said to be the cause of the affliction, and with Sister Feng urging her, "You'd best go somewhere else for a few months and come back later," Qiutong burst into tears and raged: "Damn those blind cunts who go around chewing their tongues! He and I 'don't let our well water meddle with his river water'—how could I possibly be afflicting him! What a fine lovebird he is—he meets all sorts of people out there, but the moment he comes here, someone's afflicting him! With those white eyebrows and red face, where did this child come from? He's just making it up to fool our cotton-eared master. Even if there were a child, who knows if it'd be surnamed Zhang or Wang? If the old lady prizes that mongrel kid, I certainly don't! Can't anyone grow old? Can't anyone bear a child? In a year or half a year, she'll raise one—and one without a speck of mixed blood!" Her cursing made everyone want to laugh but dared not. It happened that Lady Xing came to pay her respects, and Qiutong went crying to Lady Xing: "Master and the old lady want to drive me away—I have no place to stay. Your Ladyship, please show mercy!" When Lady Xing heard this, she hastily scolded Sister Feng at length and cursed Jia Lian: "You ungrateful wretch—no matter how bad he is, he was given to you by your father. To drive him away for some outside woman—you've even forgotten your own father. If you want to drive him away, you'd do better to return him to your father." With that she left in a huff. Qiutong became all the more smug and deliberately went to the window of Erjie's room to wail and curse at the top of her lungs. When You Erjie heard this, her distress only deepened.

That evening, Jia Lian slept in Qiutong's room. Sister Feng had already gone to bed when Pinger came to visit Erjie. She quietly urged her, "Take care of yourself and recover—pay no attention to that beast." You Erjie took her hand and wept, "Sister, ever since I came here, I have relied on your care. Because of me, Sister, you've endured who knows how much abuse. If I can survive this, I will surely repay your kindness. But I fear I may not survive—I'll have to wait until the next life." Pinger could not help but shed tears and say, "It seems I have brought this misfortune upon you. I acted out of pure devotion—I never kept anything from him. When I heard you were outside, how could I not tell him? Who could have known such things would come of it?" You Erjie quickly said, "Sister, you're wrong. Even if you hadn't told him, wouldn't he have found out anyway? You simply spoke of it first. Besides, I was determined to come in—that was only proper. What does this have to do with you?" The two wept together for a while. Pinger gave her a few more words of advice, and when the night was deep, she went to rest.

Here You Erjie reasoned with herself: "My illness is now beyond cure. I have no means of support and only meet with abuse each day. I know for certain I will never recover. Moreover, the child has already been expelled from my womb—there is nothing left to worry about. Why should I endure these petty insults? I would be better off dead—at least that would be a clean end. I have often heard it said that raw gold can cause death by sinking to the stomach. Surely that is cleaner than hanging or cutting one's throat." Having made up this resolve, she struggled to sit up, opened her trunk, and found a lump of raw gold. She had no idea how much it weighed, but with a desperate hatred in her heart and tears in her eyes, she forced it into her mouth. Several times she strained her neck with all her might before she finally swallowed it down. Thereupon she quickly dressed herself in her clothes and adorned herself with her jewelry, then lay down upon the kang. At the time, no one knew—neither human nor ghost.

The next morning, the maids and serving women noticed that she did not call for them, and were quite content to go about their own washing and dressing. Xifeng and Qiutong both went up. Ping'er could not bear it and said to the maids: "So the only thing you're fit for is to be beaten and cursed and put to work without any heart. Here is a sick woman—can't you show her some pity? She may be gentle by nature, but you should at least set a proper example and not go too far. When a wall is about to collapse, everyone gives it a push." The maids, upon hearing this, hastily pushed open the door to look. They found her dressed neatly and completely, lying dead upon the kang. Only then did they become frightened and began to cry out. Ping'er came in and looked, and could not help but weep aloud. Although everyone had long stood in awe of Xifeng, they thought that You Erjie had been truly gentle and kind to those beneath her—far better than Xifeng. Now that she was dead, who would not grieve and shed tears? They only dared not let Xifeng see.

Soon the whole household knew. Jia Lian entered, embraced the corpse, and wept without restraint. Xifeng also put on a show of grief: "Heartless sister! How could you leave me and go, betraying my heart!" Madam You, Jia Rong, and the others also came and wept for a while, then persuaded Jia Lian to stop. Jia Lian then went to Lady Wang and asked for the Pear Fragrance Court to hold the body for five days before moving it to the Temple of Iron Threshold. Lady Wang consented. Jia Lian hastily ordered men to open the gates of the Pear Fragrance Court and prepared the main hall to receive the bier. Jia Lian thought it improper for the coffin to exit through the back gate, so he had a large gate opened directly through the main wall of the Pear Fragrance Court, facing the street. Sheds were erected on both sides, and an altar was set up for Buddhist rites. A soft couch was spread with brocade quilts and coverlets, and the Second Sister was lifted onto it and covered with a burial shroud. Eight young serving men and several serving women escorted her, carrying her from the inner wall area to the Pear Fragrance Court. The astronomer-diviner had already been engaged and was in readiness. When he lifted the shroud to look, he saw that You Erjie's complexion was as fresh as life—even more beautiful than when she had been alive. Jia Lian again embraced her and wept, crying out: "My lady, you died unjustly—I am the one who ruined you!" Jia Rong hurried forward to counsel him: "Uncle, try to bear up a bit. This aunt of mine simply had no good fortune." As he spoke, he pointed southward toward the boundary wall of the Grand View Garden. Jia Lian understood his meaning and only stamped his foot in secret, saying: "I have been negligent. In the end it will all come to light, and I will avenge you." The astronomer-diviner reported: "The lady passed away today at the hour of zheng mao. She cannot be buried in five days—either three days or seven days would be acceptable. Tomorrow at the hour of yin, it will be most auspicious to place her in the coffin." Jia Lian said: "Three days is absolutely out of the question—make it it seven days. Since my uncles and elder brothers are all away, I cannot keep the body long for a minor mourning. When they return from outside, we will hold the full five-week observance and conduct a grand funeral before sealing the coffin. Next year we will take her south for burial." The astronomer-diviner assented, wrote the death notice, and departed. Baoyu had already come early and joined in the mourning. The other clan members also arrived. Jia Lian hurried in to find Xifeng and ask for silver to pay for the coffin and funeral expenses. Xifeng, seeing that the body had been carried out, claimed illness and replied: "The Old Lady and Lady Wang have told me that I am sick and must avoid the three mourning chambers—I am not permitted to go." She therefore did not come out to wear mourning garments, but instead went into the Grand View Garden. She made a detour around the hills to the base of the northern boundary wall and listened from outside. She caught a few indistinct words, then returned and reported to the Old Lady in this manner. The Old Lady said: "Don't believe his nonsense. When a child dies of consumption in any family, don't they just burn the body and scatter the ashes? And here they are making a serious business of holding a funeral and breaking ground. Since she was a secondary wife, she was still a wife to him—let them keep the body for five or seven days, then carry it out and either burn it or bury it in some random plot of land." Xifeng smiled and said: "That is indeed the truth. But I don't dare to advise him." Just then a maid came to summon Xifeng, saying: "The Second Master is waiting for the lady to get the silver." Xifeng had no choice but to come. She asked him, "What silver? You don't know how hard things have been at home lately? Our monthly allowances can't keep up from one month to the next—we're eating the chickens meant for New Year's grain. Yesterday I pawned two gold necklaces for three hundred taels of silver, and you're still dreaming. Here are twenty or thirty taels—take it if you want." With that, she ordered Ping'er to bring it out and hand it to Jia Lian, then pointed to the Old Lady as if she had spoken, and left again. Jia Lian was speechless with anger. He had no choice but to open Madam You's trunks and chests to get his own private savings. But when he opened them, not a single thing remained—only some broken hairpins and withered flowers and a few pieces of silk and cotton clothing, half new and half worn, all of which You Erjie had been accustomed to wearing. He could not help but grieve and weep again. He wrapped everything up himself in a bundle, and without ordering any servant or maid to carry it, he took it himself to be burned.

Ping'er was both amused and distressed. She quietly stole out a package of two hundred taels of loose silver, went to the side room, pulled Jia Lian aside, and slipped it to him. "You mustn't make a sound," she whispered. "If you want to cry, there are plenty of places outside where you can. What's the point of coming here to draw attention?"

When Jia Lian heard this, she said, "You're right." He took the silver, then handed Ping'er a skirt. "This is what she wore every day at home. Keep it carefully for me as a keepsake." Ping'er had no choice but to hide it away and keep it herself.

Jia Lian took the silver and went out to the others, then ordered people to go and buy a coffin board. The good ones were too expensive, and he wouldn't have the mediocre ones. Jia Lian rode out himself to look, and by evening an excellent set of boards had indeed been delivered, on credit for five hundred taels of silver, and work began through the night. He assigned people to wear mourning and keep watch over the spirit, and in the evenings he did not go inside but stayed there to keep vigil through the night.