Chapter 82

Chapter 82

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Chapter 82

The Old Pedagogue Expounds the Classics to Rouse His Wayward Pupil; The Lovesick Nymph of River Xiao Lays a Troubled Soul to Rest in a Frightful Dream

Baoyu came home from school and paid his respects to the Lady Dowager. "Good," she said with a smile. "At last that wild colt has been bridled. Now go and see your father and then come back and amuse yourself." Baoyu assented and went to see Jia Zheng. "Is school over so early?" his father asked. "Has your tutor set you any tasks?" "Yes, sir. He's set me to study my books in the morning, practice my calligraphy after breakfast, and do my texts and essays at noon." Jia Zheng nodded. "Go back then and sit with the old lady. You should be learning the proper conduct of a gentleman, not just playing the fool all the time. Go to bed early tonight and get up early tomorrow for school. Do you hear?" "Yes, sir," Baoyu answered several times, and withdrew. He hurried to see Lady Wang and then paid his respects to the Lady Dowager again.

He hastened out again, wishing he could fly straight to Bamboo Lodge. The moment he stepped through the door, he clapped his hands and cried, "I'm back again!" The sudden outburst gave Daiyu quite a start. Zijuan raised the curtain and Baoyu came in and sat down. "I thought vaguely I heard you'd gone to school," said Daiyu. "You're back so soon?" "Oh, it's been unbearable!" replied Baoyu. "Today when Father made me go to school, it felt as if I'd never see you all again. I dragged myself through one whole day, and now that I'm with you, it's like coming back from the dead. How true the old saying is: 'One day apart seems three autumns long!'" "Have you been up to see the others?" "Yes." "And the other places?" "Not yet." "You ought to go and see them too." "I'm too lazy to move at the moment. I'll just sit here and talk to you for a while. Father told me to go to bed early and get up early, so I'll go and see them tomorrow." "Sit a while then. You really ought to rest." "I'm not tired, just bored. Sitting here with you has driven away the boredom, and now you're hurrying me off." Daiyu smiled faintly and told Zijuan, "Brew a bowl of my Longjing tea for the Second Master. Now that he's studying, things aren't what they used to be." Zijuan smiled and assented. She fetched the tea leaves and told a young maid to brew it. Baoyu went on, "Don't talk to me about studying! I loathe all that moralistic stuff. Even more ridiculous are those eight-legged essays. If they're just used to fool people into giving you a degree and a living, all right. But they claim to speak for the sages. The better ones just cobble together bits from the classics. The worst ones, with nothing in their heads at all, drag in all sorts of nonsense about gods and ghosts and think themselves profound. How can that illuminate the sages' teachings? Father keeps telling me I must learn this, and I don't dare disobey him—and yet here you are talking about studying!" "We girls may not need such things," said Daiyu, "but when I was young and studied with your Mr. Yucun, I read some of them. Among them were some that were reasonable and sensible, some that were subtle and refined. I didn't understand much at the time, but I felt they were good and shouldn't all be dismissed. Besides, if you want to gain an official position, this is a rather honorable path." Baoyu was displeased by this, for Daiyu had never been like this before. Why was she now so worldly and ambitious? Not daring to contradict her, he simply smiled through his nose. Just then they heard two people talking outside—Qiūwén and Zijuan. "Sheren told me to go to the old lady's place to fetch you," said Qiūwén. "Who would have thought I'd find you here?" "We've just brewed some tea here," said Zijuan. "You may as well drink it before you go." The two came in together. "I was just going over," Baoyu said to Qiūwén with a smile. "I've put you to the trouble of coming to fetch me." Before Qiūwén could reply, Zijuan said, "Drink your tea quickly and go. Someone's been thinking of you all day." "Pah, you stupid little wench!" Qiūwén swore, and everyone laughed. Baoyu stood up and took his leave. Daiyu escorted him to the door, and Zijuan stood on the steps. Only after Baoyu had gone did she go back inside.

When Baoyu returned to Happy Red Court and entered his room, Xiren came out from the inner chamber to meet him and asked, "Are you back?" Qiūwén replied, "The Second Master came back quite early—he was at Miss Lin's place." Baoyu asked, "Is there anything I need to do today?" Xiren said, "No business as such. Just now the Madam sent Yuanyang to tell us that the Master is furious and wants you to study. If any maids dare joke around with you again, they'll be dealt with just like Qingwen and Sigh. I've waited on you all this time, and now I get nothing else but scolding—it's all so depressing." As she spoke, she began to feel miserable. Baoyu quickly said, "Good sister, don't you worry. I'll study properly, and the Madam won't say anything more to you. I have to read tonight anyway—tomorrow the tutor will call on me to explain a text. If I need anything, there are Sheyue and Qiūwén. You go and rest." Xiren said, "If you really will study, we'll be happy to wait on you." Baoyu hurriedly finished his supper, then ordered the lamp to be lit and brought out the Four Books he had already read. But where should he start? He opened a book and looked through it—on the surface, each chapter seemed clear enough, but when he examined it closely, he didn't really understand it. He read the minor commentaries, then the lecture notes, and before he knew it the night watchman had struck the watch. He thought to myself, "I find poetry so easy, but in this I can't make head or tail of anything." He sat there lost in thought. Xiren said, "Rest now. Study doesn't all have to be done at once." Baoyu murmured vaguely in reply. Sheyue and Xiren helped him into bed, and then they too went to sleep. But when they woke later, they could hear Baoyu tossing and turning on the kang. Xiren said, "Are you still awake? Stop letting your thoughts wander—rest your spirit so you can study better." Baoyu said, "That's what I want to do, but I can't sleep. Come and pull off a layer of my quilt." Xiren said, "It's not hot—don't take it off." Baoyu said, "I feel terribly restless." He pushed the quilt off himself. Xiren quickly sat up and held it down, then reached up to feel his forehead—he seemed to have a slight fever. Xiren said, "Don't move—you've got a fever." Baoyu said, "So I do." Xiren said, "How did this happen?" Baoyu said, "It's nothing to worry about—it's just because I'm upset. Don't make a fuss, or if the Master finds out, he'll say I'm pretending to be ill to skip school—how else would I happen to get sick at just this time? Tomorrow when I'm better, I'll go back to school and that'll be the end of it." Xiren felt sorry for him and said, "Let me sleep next to you." She rubbed his back for a while, and before they knew it, they all fell asleep again. Not until the red sun was high did they finally rise. Baoyu said, "Oh no, it's late!" He hurriedly washed and dressed, paid his respects, and went off to the school. Dai Ru had already put on a stern face. "No wonder your father is angry with you and says you have no ambition. The very next day you're already lazy—what time do you call this to arrive!" Baoyu explained about his fever the previous night, and that passed; he went back to his regular reading. In the evening, Dai Ru said, "Baoyu, come and explain a chapter of the book." Baoyu went over and looked—it was the chapter on "The Young Are to Be Feared." Baoyu thought to himself, "This is all right—luckily it's not from the *Great Learning* or the *Doctrine of the Mean*." He asked, "How should I explain it?" Dai Ru said, "Go through the main points and the sentences carefully." Baoyu first read the chapter aloud in a clear voice, then said, "This chapter is the sage encouraging the young, urging them to make timely efforts so as not to..." He looked up at Dai Ru. Dai Ru caught on and smiled. "Just go on—there's nothing to avoid when explaining a text. The *Book of Rites* says 'when reading a text, do not observe taboos.' Go on—'so as not to' what?" Baoyu said, "So as not to end up old and accomplished of nothing. First, the words 'to be feared' rouse the ambition of the young; then the words 'not to be feared' warn them about their future." He finished and looked at Dai Ru. Dai Ru said, "That will do for now. Now the running commentary?" Baoyu said, "The sage says that when a person is young, his mind and energy are sharp and capable, and truly formidable. Who could have foretold that his later days would be like my present ones. If he idles along to forty, then to fifty, and is unable to get ahead, such a person may have seemed promising when young, but by then no one will fear him anymore." Dai Ru smiled. "Your main points were clear enough, but there's something childish in the way you put it. 'No reputation' doesn't simply mean not being able to advance in officialdom. 'Reputation' really means that one has truly come to understand principle and perceive the Way—then even without an official post, one has 'reputation.' Otherwise, the ancient sages who withdrew from the world and were not known—were they not without office? Could they also be called 'having no reputation'? 'Not to be feared' means that one can be foreseen with certainty—this is what corresponds to the word 'know' in 'how can one know,' not the notion of 'fear.' You must see this to grasp the finer points. Do you understand?" Baoyu said, "I understand." Dai Ru said, "There's another chapter—explain this one too." He turned forward a page and pointed it out to Baoyu. Baoyu looked: it was "I have never seen one who loves virtue as he loves beauty." Baoyu felt this chapter struck a nerve, and with an embarrassed smile he said, "There's not much to explain in this sentence." Dai Ru said, "Nonsense! If this topic came up in the examination hall, would you say there's nothing to write about?" Baoyu had no choice but to explain it: "This—"

When the Sage saw that people were unwilling to cultivate virtue, yet became utterly infatuated upon encountering beauty, he lamented. He did not consider that virtue is something inherent in one's nature, yet people stubbornly refuse to cultivate it. As for beauty, though it too is endowed by Heaven, there is no one who does not desire it. But virtue is Heavenly principle, while beauty is human desire—how could people ever cherish Heavenly principle as they do human desire? Though Confucius spoke in lament, he also hoped that people might turn back. Moreover, he perceived that those who do pursue virtue do so only superficially; only when one pursues virtue with the same fervor as one pursues beauty can it be called true cultivation." Daiyu said, "That is a fair enough interpretation. But let me ask you something: since you understand the Sage's words, why do you yourself commit precisely these two faults? Though I am not at home, your master has not told me, yet I know your failings full well. As a person, how can you not strive to improve? You are at an age when 'the young are to be regarded with awe'—whether they will become 'worthy of awe' or not depends entirely on what you do. I now give you one month to review and master all the texts you have already studied, and another month to study essays. After that, I will set topics for you to write essays. If you slack off, I will absolutely not tolerate it. The old saying goes: 'Those who achieve their potential do not enjoy ease; those who enjoy ease do not achieve their potential.' Remember my words well." Baoyu assented, and had no choice but to apply himself to his studies every day. So much for this.

After Baoyu began attending school, Happy Red Court became considerably more peaceful and leisure. Xiren could now take up some needlework. She sat with her embroidery, intending to stitch a betel nut pouch, thinking that now that Baoyu had his studies, the maids would no longer suffer want. If only things had been this way earlier—then wouldn't Qingwen have come to such an unfortunate end? When the rabbit dies, the fox grieves; she could not help shedding tears. Then suddenly it occurred to her that she was not destined to be Baoyu's principal wife—she was originally a concubine. Baoyu's character, she could still manage, but she feared that if he married a formidable woman, she herself would become a second Sister You or Xiangling. She had long observed the manner in which the Lady Dowager, Lady Wang, and Sister Feng spoke on the matter, and it was naturally beyond doubt that it would be Daiyu. And Daiyu was a person of many sensitivities. Thinking of this, her face flushed and her heart burned. She held the needle without knowing where she had pricked herself, so she set down her needlework and went to Daiyu's quarters to sound out her intentions.

Daiyu was reading when she saw Xiren and rose to offer her a seat. Xiren also hurried forward and asked, "Has the young lady been feeling much better these past few days?" Daiyu said, "How could I be? I am only slightly stronger. What have you been doing at home?" Xiren said, "Now that Master Bao is attending school, there is nothing at all to do in his quarters, so I came to visit the young lady and have a chat." As she spoke, Zijuan brought tea. Xiren quickly stood up and said, "Sister, please sit." Then she smiled and added, "The other day I heard Qiuwen say that the young lady said something about us behind our backs." Zijuan also laughed and said, "Sister, how can you believe what he said! I said that since Master Bao is attending school, Miss Bao is kept apart, and even Xiangling doesn't come over, you must naturally be bored." Xiren said, "You even mention Xiangling—she is the one who suffers! She ran into this tyrannical mistress—how can she possibly get through it!" She held up two fingers and said, "In fact, she is even worse than the other. She doesn't even care about her reputation outside." Daiyu continued, "She has suffered enough too—how did Second Sister You die?" Xiren said, "Indeed. When you think about it, they are all the same person, only their status differs a little. Why be such a poison? Her reputation outside is not good either." Daiyu had never heard Xiren speak of others behind their backs before; hearing these words now, which clearly had a purpose, she said, "That is hard to say. In all family matters, it is either the east wind prevailing over the west wind, or the west wind prevailing over the east wind." Xiren said, "When one is in the position of a concubine, one's heart is timid from the start—how would one dare to bully others?"

Just then, an old woman was heard calling in the courtyard, "Is this Miss Lin's room? Is that young lady here?" Xueyan came out and, peering through the dim light, vaguely recognized her as someone from Aunt Xue's household. "What do you want?" she asked. "Our young lady sent me to bring something to Miss Lin here," said the old woman. "Wait a moment," said Xueyan, and went back in to report to Daiyu, who told her to bring the woman in. The old woman came in and paid her respects, but instead of announcing what she had brought, she stared at Daiyu until the young lady felt her cheeks grow warm with embarrassment. "What did Miss Bao send me?" Daiyu asked. Only then did the old woman smile and reply, "Our young lady asked me to bring you a bottle of honey-preserved lychees." Turning her head and catching sight of Xiren, she said, "Isn't this Miss Hua, from Master Bao's apartments?" "How do you know me, Mother?" Xiren asked with a smile. "We look after the rooms in the Old Lady's quarters and seldom go out with the ladies, so we don't know the young ladies very well. But when any of them happen to come over to our side, we still have a vague recollection of them." With that she handed the bottle to Xueyan, then looked back at Daiyu and said to Xiren with a smile, "No wonder our Old Lady says that Miss Lin and your Master Bao are a perfect match—she really is a fairy from heaven." Xiren saw that the old woman was speaking with too little restraint and quickly changed the subject. "You must be tired, Mother. Sit down and have some tea." "We're very busy over there," the old woman said cheerfully. "We're all getting things ready for Miss Qin. Our young lady has two more bottles of lychees to send to Master Bao." So saying, she took her leave with tottering steps. Though Daiyu was annoyed by the old woman's forwardness, she could hardly show it since she had been sent by Baochai. Only after the woman had gone out the door did she say, "Tell your young lady I'm grateful for her thought." But the old woman kept muttering to herself as she went, "Such a beautiful face—other than Baoyu, who could be worthy of her?" Daiyu pretended not to hear. Xiren laughed and said, "People get to be such old chatterboxes. What they say is enough to make you angry and amused at the same time." Presently Xueyan brought the bottle over for Daiyu to look at. "I don't feel like eating any," said Daiyu. "Just put it away." After they had talked a little more, Xiren left.

Later that evening, as she was removing her evening toilette, Daiyu went into the inner room and suddenly raised her eyes to see the bottle of lychees. She could not help recalling the old woman's foolish remarks from earlier that day, which struck her to the heart. It was dusk, and all was still; a thousand anxieties and ten thousand regrets welled up within her. She thought how frail her health was and how she was no longer young. As for Baoyu, she felt sure there was no other woman in his heart, yet the Old Lady and her uncle's wife showed not the slightest inclination on the matter. She bitterly regretted that her parents, when alive, had not arranged this marriage long ago. Then again she thought, "Even if my parents had lived and arranged a match elsewhere, how could anyone else have been so gifted and kind-hearted as Baoyu? And in that case, there would still have been hope." Her mind tossed up and down, turning over and over incessantly, like a well-windlass. She sighed, shed a few tears, and, listless and without a thought in her head, lay down fully dressed.

Before she knew it, a little maid came in and said, "Master Jia Yucun from outside is asking to see you, miss." Daiyu replied, "Although I studied under him, I am not like the male students. What could he want to see me for? Besides, he has dealings with my uncle, yet has never mentioned me before. It would not be proper for me to see him." She told the little maid, "Tell him I am unwell and cannot come out. Give him my greetings and thanks." The little maid said, "He may be coming to congratulate you, miss. There are people from Nanjing coming to fetch her." As she spoke, Xifeng arrived together with Lady Xing, Lady Wang, and Baochai, all smiling as they said, "We have come both to congratulate you and to see you off." Daiyu said in alarm, "What are you all talking about?" Xifeng said, "Stop pretending to be stupid. Don't you know that your father, Lin, has been promoted to Grain Commissioner of Hubei and has married a second wife who suits him perfectly? Now he thinks it improper to leave you here, so he asked Jia Yucun to act in arranging a match for you with some relative of your stepmother. They say it is a second marriage, and that is why people have been sent here to take you back. You are to be married as soon as you arrive home. It is all being arranged by your stepmother. Fearing you might lack someone to escort you along the way, she has asked your Second Brother Lian to accompany you." Daiyu broke out in a cold sweat. She had a vague feeling that her father was indeed serving as an official somewhere, and her mind raced as she insisted, "It is not true. Sister Feng is just making up stories." Lady Xing glanced at Lady Wang. "She still doesn't believe us. Let us be off," she said. Daiyu, her eyes brimming with tears, said, "Aunties, please sit a while longer." No one spoke. They all left with cold smiles. Daiyu was frantic inside but could not speak, choking on her sobs. She had a fleeting impression that she was with Grandmother Jia again, and thought to myself, "If I appeal to the old lady, perhaps she can save me." She dropped to her knees, threw her arms around the old lady's waist, and pleaded, "Save me, Grandmother! I would rather die than go to the south! Besides, I have a stepmother who is not my real mother. I would rather stay with you forever." But the old lady only stared at her with a blank face and said, "This is no concern of mine." Daiyu cried, "Grandmother, what is this about?" The old lady said, "A second marriage is not bad. At least you would have a new dowry." Daiyu wept, "If I stay with you, Grandmother, I would not cost you a single extra coin. I beg you to save me." Grandmother Jia said, "It is no use. A woman must be married eventually. You are a child and do not understand. You cannot stay here forever." Daiyu said, "I would rather stay here and live as a servant, working for my own keep. I am willing to do that. Only let you decide for me." The old lady said nothing. Daiyu clung to her waist and wept, "Grandmother, you have always been the most compassionate and loved me the most. How can you not help me in this hour of need? Never mind that I am only your granddaughter, one generation removed. My mother was your own daughter. For her sake, you should protect me." With that, she buried her face in the old lady's lap and wept bitterly. Then she heard Grandmother Jia say, "Yuanyang, take the young lady out to rest. She has quite worn me out." Daiyu knew then that there was no hope. Pleading was useless. She might as well end her life. She stood up and walked straight out, grieving deeply that she had no mother of her own. Even her grandmother, aunts, and cousins, however well they had treated her, it all proved to be false. Then she thought, "Why is Baoyu not here today? If I could just see him, perhaps he might have a way." Baoyu appeared before her, grinning. "Congratulations, Sister!" he said. These words threw Daiyu into a greater frenzy. She no longer cared about propriety and seized Baoyu tightly. "Very well, Baoyu, today I know you are a heartless, ungrateful man!" Baoyu said, "How am I heartless and ungrateful? Since you are betrothed to another, we must each go our own way." Daiyu grew more and more furious and could think of nothing to do. She could only clutch Baoyu and cry, "Good Brother, whom am I to follow?" Baoyu said, "If you do not wish to go, then stay here. You were promised to me originally, and that is why you came to our house. Think of how I have treated you." Daiyu had a vague feeling that she had indeed been promised to Baoyu, and her grief suddenly turned to joy. She asked Baoyu, "I have made up my mind once and for all. Do you want me to go or not?" Baoyu said, "I say you should stay. If you do not believe me, look at my heart." With that, he took a small knife and slashed it across his chest. Blood streamed down. Daiyu was terrified out of her wits. She pressed her hand to Baoyu's chest and cried, "How could you do such a thing? Kill me first!" Baoyu said, "Don't be afraid. I am showing you my heart." He dug his fingers into the gash and tore at it. Daiyu trembled and wept, afraid someone might discover them, and clung to Baoyu in anguish. Baoyu said, "It is no good. My heart is gone. I cannot live." His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed with a thud. Daiyu burst into a desperate wail. Then she heard Zijuan calling, "Miss, Miss, what nightmare are you having? Wake up quickly and take off your clothes to sleep." Daiyu turned over. It had been nothing but a terrible dream.

Her throat was still choked with sobs, her heart still fluttering wildly. The pillow was already soaked through, and her shoulders, back, and whole body felt icy cold. After a moment's thought: "Father has been dead a long while, and the betrothal with Baoyu has not yet been settled—where has this all come from?" Then she thought of the scenes in the dream—with no one to lean on, no one to rely upon—if Baoyu really had died, what on earth would she do? In that instant, as the pain receded only to return with greater force, her very soul was in turmoil. She wept again, and presently a faint perspiration broke out over her whole body. She struggled up, took off her outer jacket, and asked Zijuan to tuck in the covers properly, then lay back down. She tossed and turned—there was no question of sleep. All she could hear was a rustling, sifting sound outside—now like the wind, now like rain. After a pause, she heard distant calls and cries, but it was only Zijuan, already asleep, with the sound of her breathing. She struggled to sit up and huddled under the quilt for a while. She felt a thread of cold air seeping through the window seam, raising the goosebumps all over her, and lay down again. Just as she was drifting into a drowsy half-sleep, she heard what seemed countless sparrows on the bamboo branches, chirping and chattering without cease. Through the paper on the window, past the shutter, a pale light gradually began to filter in.

By now Daiyu was wide awake, her eyes bright and clear. After a moment she began to cough, and even Zijuan was roused by the coughing. Zijuan said, "Miss, you still haven't fallen asleep? And you're coughing again—you must be coming down with a cold. The window paper has turned pale; it'll be light soon enough. Do rest a bit, gather your strength—don't keep brooding over this and that." Daiyu said, "It's not that I don't want to sleep—I simply can't. You go on sleeping." And then she coughed again. Seeing Daiyu in such a state, Zijuan felt a sadness rise in her own heart and could not sleep either. Hearing Daiyu cough again, she quickly got up and brought the spittoon. By now it had grown light outside. Daiyu said, "You're not sleeping either?" Zijuan said with a smile, "It's broad daylight—what's the point of sleeping now?" Daiyu said, "In that case, do change the spittoon." Zijuan assid, hurried out to fetch a fresh one, placed the one in her hand on the table, opened the door to the inner room, came out, closed it again, drew down the embroidered soft curtain, and went to wake Xueyan. When she opened the empty room door and went to empty the box, she saw it was full of phlegm, and in the phlem were flecks of blood. Zijuan was so startled she cried out involuntarily: "Ai-yao, this is serious!" Daiyu called from inside to ask what it was, and Zijuan, realizing she had misspoken, quickly amended: "My hand slipped and I nearly dropped the spittoon." Daiyu said, "Is there something wrong with the phlegm in the box?" Zijuan said, "Nothing at all." But even as she said this, her heart ached and tears streamed down her face, her voice already breaking. Daiyu had been suspicious for a while, having noticed a sweet, faintly bloody taste in her throat. She had heard Zijuan's startled exclamation outside, and now she heard the note of grief in Zijuan's voice—she was more than eighty percent certain. She called to Zijuan: "Come in—mind you don't catch cold out there." Zijuan assented, but her voice was even more pitiful than before, thick with suppressed sobs. Daiyu felt half her body turn to ice. When she saw Zijuan push open the door and come in, she was still wiping her eyes with a handkerchief. Daiyu said, "It's early in the morning—why are you crying?" Zijuan forced a smile. "Who's crying? My eyes just feel a bit uncomfortable when I first get up. You must have been awake even longer than usual tonight—I heard you coughing half the night." Daiyu said, "That's right—the more I try to sleep, the less I can." Zijuan said, "You're not at all well, and if you ask me, you must try to distract yourself a bit. The body is the root of everything, as the saying goes: 'So long as the green mountain still stands, there will be firewood to burn.' Besides, from the Old Lady and Lady Wang down, who here doesn't dote on you?" These words alone brought back the dream to Daiyu's mind. She felt a violent thudding in her chest, a darkness before her eyes, and her whole countenance changed. Zijuan quickly held the spitton ready while Xueyan pounded her back, and after a long while she brought up a mouthful of phlegm. In the phlegm was a thread of dark purple blood, throbbing and pulsing. Zijuan and Xueyan turned pale with fright. The two kept watch at her side as Daiyu sank into a drowsy stupor. Seeing how ill she looked, Zijuan pursed her lips to signal Xueyan to go and fetch someone.

Xueyan had just stepped out of the door when she saw Cuilü and Cuimo coming toward her, smiling cheerfully. Cuilü said, "Why hasn't Miss Lin gone out yet, this late? Our miss and Third Miss are in Fourth Miss's room, discussing the garden landscape Fourth Miss painted." Xueyan quickly waved her hands. Cuilü and Cuimo both started in alarm and said, "What's the reason for this?" Xueyan told them everything that had just happened. The two girls stuck out their tongues and said, "This is no joking matter! Why didn't you tell the Old Lady about this? This is serious! How could you be so foolish?" Xueyan said, "I was just about to go when you arrived." As they were speaking, they heard Zijuan call out, "Who's talking outside? The young lady is asking." The three hurried in together. Cuilü and Cuimo saw Daiyu lying in bed covered with a quilt. Seeing the two of them, Daiyu said, "Who told you? Why are you so alarmed?" Cuimo said, "Our miss and Miss Yun were both in Fourth Miss's room discussing the garden picture Fourth Miss painted, and they sent us to invite Miss over. We didn't know you were feeling unwell again." Daiyu said, "It's nothing serious. I just feel a bit weak in the body. I'll get up after lying down a while. Tell Third Miss and Miss Yun that if they have nothing to do after the meal, they're welcome to come sit here. Hasn't Master Bao been over to your side?" The two replied, "No." Cuimo added, "Master Bao has been attending school these past two days. The Master checks his lessons every day now, so he can't go running around as wildly as before." Daiyu listened and said nothing. The two stood a little longer, then quietly withdrew.

Meanwhile, Tanchun and Xiangyun were at Xichun's place critiquing the painting of the Prospect Garden that Xichun had done—saying this part had a little too much, that part a little too little, this section too sparse, that section too dense. They were also discussing composing poems and had sent someone to ask Daiyu to come and consult with them. As they were talking, they suddenly saw Cuilü and Cuimo returning, their expressions hurried. Xiangyun asked first, "Why didn't Miss Lin come?" Cuilü said, "Miss Lin had another flare-up of her illness last night. She coughed all night. We heard Xueyan say she coughed up a whole box of bloody phlegm." Tanchun said in surprise, "Is this really true?" Cuilü said, "Why wouldn't it be true?" Cuimo said, "We just went in and took a look. Her complexion is completely gone, and even her strength for speaking is faint." Xiangyun said, "If she's that unwell, how can she still speak?" Tanchun said, "How can you be so foolish—if she couldn't speak, that would already be..." But she stopped herself mid-sentence. Xichun said, "Sister Lin is such a clever person, but I think there are some things she just can't see through. She takes every little thing seriously. How many things in this world are really true?" Tanchun said, "Since that's the case, let's all go over and see her. If her illness is serious, we can go tell the eldest sister-in-law so she can report to the Old Lady and call a doctor in to take a look—we need to have a plan." Xiangyun said, "That's exactly right." Xichun said, "Sisters go first. I'll come over later." So Tanchon and Xiangyun, each leaning on a little maid, went to the Bamboo Lodge. When they entered the room, Daiyu saw the two of them and could not help feeling sad again. Then she thought back to the dream—even the Old Lady had been like that, let alone them. Besides, if she hadn't invited them, they wouldn't have come. Though this was what she thought in her heart, she couldn't show it on her face. She had no choice but to have Zijuan help her up and invite them to sit. Tanchun and Xiangyun both sat on the edge of the bed, one at each end. Seeing Daiyu in this condition, they too felt saddened. Tanchun said, "Sister, why are you feeling unwell again?" Daiyu said, "It's nothing serious. I just feel very weak." Zijuan, standing behind Daiyu, secretly pointed with her finger at the phlegm box. Xiangyun, being young by nature and forthright in temperament, reached out and picked up the phlegm box to look. She hadn't looked before, but having looked, she was shocked and alarmed beyond measure. She said, "This is what Sister coughed up? This is serious!" Earlier Daiyu had been in a daze and hadn't looked carefully after coughing. Now hearing Xiangyun say this, she turned her head to look and saw that she herself had already lost half her spirit. Tanchun, seeing Xiangyun's bluntness, quickly explained, "This is just lung fire rising—bringing up a little blood is quite common. It's just that Yun, no matter what, always makes such a fuss about everything!" Xiangyun blushed and regretted her careless words. Tanchun, seeing that Daiyu's spirits were low and that she seemed weary, quickly stood up and said, "Sister, rest peacefully and conserve your strength. We'll come see you again later." Daiyu said, "Thank you both for thinking of me." Tanchun also instructed Zijuan to take good care of the young lady, and Zijuan agreed. Just as Tanchun was about to leave, they heard someone outside shouting. Who it was will be told in the next chapter.