Chapter 84

Chapter 84

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Chapter Eightyu

Baoyu Is Told of a Marriage Proposal When His Writing Is Examined; Jia Huan's Grudge Is Renewed When His Mischief Is Discovered

After her quarrel with Jin Gui, Aunt Xue was so upset that her liver energy surged upward and she developed a pain in her left side. Baochai knew the cause well enough and, without waiting to summon a doctor, she at once sent someone to buy a small quantity of *gouteng* creeper. She brewed a strong decoction and made her mother drink it. Then she and Qiuling massaged Aunt Xue's legs and rubbed her chest. After a while, the old lady began to feel a little easier.

Aunt Xue was still distressed and angry—angry with Jin Gui's outrageous behavior, and distressed that Baochai, with her good breeding, should be pitiable. After Baochai had comforted her for a while, she fell asleep, and her liver energy gradually subsided. Baochai then said, "Mother, you mustn't let such idle grievances prey on your mind. In a few days, when you can manage to walk about again, you'll be glad to go over to see the Old Lady and Lady Wang and chat with them to cheer yourself up. Qiuling and I will look after the house here, and I don't think he would dare to do anything."

Aunt Xue nodded. "We'll see in a couple of days."

After the recovery of the Imperial Consort, the whole household rejoiced. A few days later, several eunuchs arrived carrying gifts and silver, and announced that the Imperial Consort, in recognition of the family's diligence in inquiring after her health, had bestowed rewards upon them all. The objects and silver were distributed accordingly. Jia She and Jia Zheng informed the Old Lady, and together they offered their thanks. After the eunuchs had drunk their tea and departed, the family returned to the Old Lady's room and chatted for a while. Then an old serving-woman came in with a message: "The pages report that someone outside is asking to see the Elder Master on urgent business."

The Old Lady said to Jia She, "You'd better go."

Jia She assented and withdrew.

The Old Lady suddenly thought of something and said to Jia Zheng with a smile, "The Consent is very much concerned about Baoyu. The other day she made a point of asking after him."

Jia Zheng replied with a smile, "It's just that Baoyu is not much inclined to study. He has not lived up to the Consort's kind intentions."

"I put in a good word for him," said the Old Lady. "I told her that he has been doing quite well with his essays lately."

"How could it be as good as what the Old Lady says?" said Jia Zheng, smiling.

"You often send him out to write poetry and essays—hasn't he done any of them well? A child needs to be taught gradually. As the saying goes, 'You can't make a fat man in one mouthful.'"

Jia Zheng, hearing this, quickly replied with a smile, "What the Old Lady says is right."

The Old Lady continued, "Speaking of Baoyu, there is something I want to discuss with you. He is grown up now, and you should take care to find a good girl and arrange a match for him. This is a matter of lifelong importance. It makes no matter whether she is from a near or distant branch of the family, rich or poor. The main thing is that we know her to be good-natured and her appearance handsome."

"What the Old Lady says is very true," replied Jia Zheng. "But there is one thing: the girl must be good, but first of all he himself must be a good student. Otherwise, if he turns out worthless, he will only ruin the girl. Wouldn't that be a pity?"

This remark displeased the Old Lady somewhat. "After all," she said, "you are his parents—you should be the ones to worry about this, not I. But Baoyu has been with me since he was small, and I may have spoiled him and hindered his growing up. Still, I think his looks are quite passable and his disposition honest. He is not necessarily the good-for-nothing type who would ruin a girl. Maybe I am partial, but I think he is somewhat better than Huan'er. What do you think?"

These words made Jia Zheng most uneasy. He quickly replied with a smile, "The Old Lady has seen many people. If you say he is promising, he must be. It's just that I am too anxious for him to make good, and perhaps—contrary to the ancient saying—I 'cannot see the beauty of my own son.'"

This remark made the Old Lady smile, and the others joined in her laughter. The Old Lady said, "You are getting on in years now and hold an official post. Naturally, the more experience you have, the more mature you become." She glanced at Xing-furen and Wang-furen and added, "When he was young, he had even stranger ways than Baoyu—twice as peculiar! It wasn't until he married that he began to understand anything about life. Now you complain about Baoyu, but I think Baoyu understands human feelings better than he did at that age."

This made both Xing-furen and Wang-furen laugh. "The Old Lady is joking again," they said.

Just then a young maid came in to tell Yuanyang, "The Old Lady's dinner is served."

"What are you whispering about?" the Old Lady asked.

Yuanyang smiled and explained.

"Very well," said the Old Lady. "You may all go and eat your dinner. Just keep Xifeng and Zhen's wife here to eat with me."

Jia Zheng, Xing-furen, and Wang-furen assented. After the dinner had been laid and the Old Lady had urged them once more, they all withdrew and dispersed.

As for Lady Xing, she had already departed. Jia Zheng and Lady Wang entered the room together. Jia Zheng brought up what Grandmother Jia had just said. "The Old Lady dotes on Baoyu so much. After all, he must acquire some solid learning. Then in the future he can obtain an official rank. Only thus would he not fail the Old Lady's love for him, nor ruin the daughter of a good family." Lady Wang said, "What you say, Sir, is naturally right." Jia Zheng then summoned a servant in the room and sent word to Li Gui: "When Young Master Baoyu returns from school, let him eat his supper first before coming over. I still have some questions for him." Li Gui answered, "Yes, sir." When Baoyu returned from school and was just about to go pay his respects, Li Gui said, "Second Master, don't go over yet. The Master has ordered that you eat your supper first today before going over. I hear he still has questions for Second Master." When Baoyu heard this, it was like another thunderclap. He had no choice but to pay his respects to Grandmother Jia, then return to the Garden to eat. He wolfed down his meal in three mouthfuls and two, hastily rinsed his mouth, and hurried over to Jia Zheng's quarters.

Jia Zheng was sitting in his private study when Baoyu came in and paid his respects, then stood to one side. Jia Zheng said, "These past days I have had things on my mind and forgot to ask you. The other day you said your tutor told you that after a month of lectures he would let you begin composing essays. It has been nearly two months now—have you actually begun?"

Baoyu said, "I have done only three. The tutor said I should not report to you yet, sir, but wait until I am better at it before letting you know. That is why I have not dared to mention it these past two days."

Jia Zheng said, "What were the topics?"

Baoyu said, "One was 'At fifteen, I set my heart on learning'; one was 'To be unrecognized by others and not feel resentment'; and one was the three characters 'Then one turns to Mo.'"

Jia Zheng said, "Do you have the drafts?"

Baoyu said, "I made them out and copied them, and the tutor revised them."

Jia Zheng said, "Did you bring them home, or are they still at the schoolhouse?"

Baoyu said, "They are at the schoolhouse."

Jia Zheng said, "Have someone bring them for me to look at."

Baoyu quickly sent a message to Beiming: "Go to the schoolhouse—in the drawer of my desk there is a thin volume of bamboo-paper with the characters 'Window Exercises' written on it. Bring it at once."

Presently Beiming brought it and handed it to Baoyu, who presented it to Jia Zheng.

Jia Zheng opened it and saw that the first essay bore the topic "At fifteen, I set my heart on learning." Baoyu's original opening line read: "The sage had the will to learn, and so it was even in his youth." But his tutor, Dai Ru, had crossed out the character for "youth" and explicitly used "fifteen" instead.

Jia Zheng said, "In your original, the word 'youth' did not properly address the topic. 'Youth' covers everything from childhood up to the age of sixteen. This chapter is the sage's own account of how his learning and effort advanced with the years, so fifteen, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, and seventy must all be clearly marked, to show what condition he had reached at each stage and what further condition he later attained. Your tutor's changing 'youth' to 'fifteen' makes it considerably clearer."

Looking at the next section, he saw the crossed-out original: "To lack the will to learn is common among men." Jia Zheng shook his head. "This is not only childish—it shows that by nature you do not possess the ambition of a true scholar."

Then he read the following line: "For the sage to set his heart on learning at fifteen—was that not difficult?" He said, "This is even more unacceptable."

He then looked at Dai Ru's revised version: "All men learn, but few set their hearts on learning. Was this the confidence the sage placed in himself at the age of fifteen?" He asked, "Do you understand the revision?"

Baoyu replied, "I do."

He turned to the second essay, whose topic was "To be unrecognized by others and not feel resentment." He first read Dai Ru's revision: "One who feels no resentment at being unrecognized will never cease to find joy in his doctrine."

Then he glanced at the crossed-out draft and said: "What is this?—'To be free of resentment toward others is to be wholly devoted to learning.' The upper sentence seems to treat only the three characters 'and not feel resentment' as the topic, while the lower sentence trespasses on the distinction reserved for the gentleman in the text that follows. Only the revised version fits the topic's proper place. Besides, the lower sentence must clarify the upper—that is the logic of the essay. You must study it carefully."

Baoyu assented.

Jia Zheng continued reading: "To be unrecognized—who would not resent it? And yet this was not so. Unless one's joy springs from his doctrine, how could he attain this?" The original's final line read: "Is this not to be wholly devoted to learning?" Jia Zheng said: "This has the same fault as the opening. The revision is passable—merely clearer, but it will do."

The third essay was "Then one turns to Mo." Jia Zheng read the topic, tossed his head thoughtfully, and asked Baoyu: "Have your lessons reached this point?"

Baoyu said, "The tutor said that Mencius is easier to understand, so he taught Mencius first; we only finished it the day before yesterday. We are now studying the upper chapters of the Analects."

Jia Zheng saw that the opening and development of this essay had not been much altered. The opening line read: "It seemed that apart from abandoning Yang, there was nowhere else to turn."

Jia Zheng said, "The second sentence must have cost you some effort: 'Mo did not wish to be followed, yet Mo's doctrines have spread over half the world. Then apart from abandoning Yang, could one help but turn to Mo?'"

Jia Zheng said, "Did you compose this yourself?"

Baoyu replied, "I did."

Jia Zheng nodded and said, "There is nothing particularly remarkable here, but for a first attempt, this is not bad—it stays on course. The year before last, when I was still in office, I set the topic 'Only the scholar is capable of this.' The candidates had all read the essays written by earlier men on this subject and could not think for themselves; most of them simply copied. Have you read it?"

Baoyu said, "I have."

Jia Zheng said, "I want you to take a fresh approach—you must not repeat what others have written. Even if you produce only an opening, that will do."

Baoyu could only agree and lowered his head to rack his brains. Jia Zheng stood with his hands behind his back at the doorway, also thinking.

Just then a young page came hurrying out, saw Jia Zheng, and quickly stepped to one side, lowering his hands in attendance.

Jia Zheng asked, "What is it?"

The page replied, "The old lady's side—the aunt has arrived, and the Second Mistress has sent word that dinner should be prepared."

Jia Zheng said nothing in reply. The page then withdrew.

As it happened, since Baocai had moved back to her own home, Baoyu had missed her terribly. When he heard that Aunt Xue had come, he assumed Baocai had come with him and was already in a flutter. Gathering his courage, he ventured, "I've managed to compose an opening sentence for the essay, but I don't know if it's any good." Jia Zheng said, "Let me hear you recite it." Baoyu recited: "Not all in the world are scholars; those without property are but few." Jia Zheng nodded and said, "That will do. From now on, when you write, you must always keep the categories distinct and clarify your ideas before you put brush to paper. Did Grandmother know you were coming?" Baoyu said, "She did." Jia Zheng said, "In that case, go back to Grandmother's quarters." Baoyu answered "Yes" and withdrew, treading cautiously and slowly. But no sooner had he passed the screen by the corridor's moon gate than he sped off like a streak of smoke to the entrance of Grandmother's courtyard. Beiming, hurrying after him, called out, "Mind you don't fall! The Master is coming!" Baoyu heard nothing. The moment he stepped inside, he caught the laughing voices of Lady Wang, Xifeng, and Tanchun.

The maids, seeing Baoyu arrive, quickly raised the portière and whispered, "The Aunt is here." Baoyu hastened in to pay his respects to Aunt Xue, then went over to wish the Dowager Lady good evening. The Dowager Lady asked, "How is it you're let out of school so late today?" Baoyu recounted the whole story of Jia Zheng reviewing his work and assigning him the opening sentence. The Dowager Lady beamed with pleasure. Baoyu then asked the others, "Where is Sister Baocai sitting?" Aunt Xue said with a laugh, "Your Sister Baocai didn't come. She's at home working with Xiangling." Baoyu felt a sudden emptiness inside, yet he couldn't very well leave. Just then, the meal was brought in, and naturally the Dowager Lady and Aunt Xue took the upper seats while Tanchun and the others sat as guests. Aunt Xue asked, "Where shall Brother Bao sit?" The Dowager Lady quickly said with a smile, "Baoyu will sit with me." Baoyu hastened to reply, "Just now when school let out, Li Gui delivered the Master's message saying I should go over after eating. I hurried and asked for a dish of vegetables, made some tea, ate a bowl of rice, and went over. Please enjoy your meal, Grandmother, Aunt, and sisters." The Dowager Lady said, "In that case, Sister Feng, come sit with me. Your Lady Master said she's keeping a vegetarian fast today, so let them eat by themselves." Lady Wang also said, "You eat with the Dowager Lady and the Aunt; don't wait for me—I'm fasting." So Xifeng took her seat, the maids set cups and chopsticks, Xifeng poured the wine for the first round, and then sat down.

As they drank, the Dowager Lady asked, "Just now the Aunt mentioned Xiangling. I heard the maids the other day calling her 'Qiuling,' and I didn't know who they meant until I asked and found out it was her. Why did the girl have to change her name when it was perfectly fine before?" Aunt Xue flushed scarlet and sighed. "Please don't mention it again, Grandmother. Ever since Pan married that unreasonable wretch of a wife, she's been grumbling and quarreling day in and day out, and now things have gotten so bad the household is in a shambles. I've talked to her several times, but she's stubborn as an ox and won't listen. I don't have the energy to keep quarreling with them, so I just let them be. It was she who didn't like the girl's name and changed it." The Dowager Lady said, "What does a name matter?" Aunt Xue said, "I'm mortified to speak of it, but of course nothing here escapes the Grandmother's notice. It wasn't really that she thought the name was unsuitable. I heard she did it on purpose because Baocai had given it." The Dowager Lady asked, "And why would she do that?" Aunt Xue kept dabbing her eyes with her handkerchief, sighed again before speaking, and said, "You don't know this yet, Grandmother, but that daughter-in-law of mine now deliberately sets herself against Baocai. The other day when Grandmother sent someone to visit me, our household was in the middle of a row." The Dowager Lady quickly asked, "Was that the other day when I heard the Aunt was suffering from liver trouble and I meant to send someone to see you? Later I heard you'd recovered, so I didn't send anyone. If you ask me, my advice to the Aunt is simply not to take them to heart. Besides, they're newlyweds—in time they'll naturally get along better. I find Baocai's temperament gentle and mild. Though she's young, she puts grown women to shame. The other day the young maid who came back said we were all praising her here. A girl with Baocai's heart and disposition is truly one in a hundred. If I may speak bluntly, when a girl like that marries into a family, how could her in-laws fail to love her, and everyone in the household not defer to her?" Baoyu had already grown weary of listening earlier and had made an excuse to leave, but upon hearing these words, he sat back down and listened on, dazed. Aunt Xue said, "It's no use. She may be good, but she's still a girl. Having raised that muddleheaded boy Pan, I truly can't rest easy. I'm afraid he'll drink a bit of wine outside and get into some trouble. Fortunately, the First and Second Young Masters here often keep him company, which gives me some peace of mind." Baoyu interjected at this point, "Aunt, you needn't worry further. The friends Brother Xue associates with are all respectable, substantial gentlemen of standing. How could he get into trouble?" Aunt Xue said with a laugh, "If that's how it is, then I suppose I really needn't trouble myself." By the time they had finished speaking, the meal was over. Baoyu took his leave first, saying he still had reading to do that evening, and everyone dispersed.

Here the maids had just brought in the tea when Hupo came over and whispered a few words into the Dowager's ear. The Dowager then said to Xifeng, "Go quickly, go and check on Qiaojie." Xifeng, not understanding the reason, was taken aback, as was everyone else. Hupo then came over to Xifeng and said, "Just now P'ing'er sent a young maid back to report to Second Mistress that Qiaojie is not feeling well and asked Second Mistress to come over right away." The Dowager said, "Go quickly, Aunt Xue is no outsider." Xifeng immediately assented and took her leave before Aunt Xue. She then said to Lady Wang, "You go ahead, I'll follow. A child's soul is still fragile—don't let the maids make a great fuss, and tell them to keep an eye on the cats and dogs in the room. Precious as the child is, there are all these little things to watch out for." Xifeng assented, then took the young maids and returned to her quarters.

Here Aunt Xue asked once more about Daiyu's illness. The Dowager said, "That girl Lin is all right on the whole, only she thinks too much, so her constitution isn't very robust. In terms of cleverness, she's not any less than Baochai, but in terms of broad-mindedness and forbearance toward others, she can't match her Cousin Bao, who is more tolerant and yielding." Aunt Xue exchanged a few more words of small talk, then said, "Old Dowager, rest now. I must also go home and have a look. I'll only leave Baochai and Xiangling here. I'll go with you, Aunt, to see Qiaojie." The Dowager said, "That's right. Aunt, at your age, go and see how she is. Tell them what you think and give them some advice." Aunt Xue then took her leave, and went out together with Lady Wang to Xifeng's courtyard.

Now Jia Zheng had tested Baoyu and was privately pleased. He went out and began chatting with his guests. When they brought up the matter just discussed, a certain Wang Er-diao, whose given name was Mei and who had recently arrived and was most skilled at the game of weiqi, said, "In our view, Master Bao the Second's learning has advanced greatly." Jia Zheng said, "There has been some improvement, but he only understands the basics. The term 'learning' is still a long way off." Zhan Guang said, "This is the Old Master being too modest. Not only does Brother Wang say so, but we all see it—Master Bao the Second is bound to rise high." Jia Zheng smiled and said, "This is all of you being too kind." Wang Er-diao then said, "This junior has one more matter. With all due presumption, I would like to discuss it with the Old Master." Jia Zheng said, "What is it?" Wang Er-diao said with a smile, "It concerns an associate of this junior. The Zhang family, whose late patriarch served as Intendant of Nan-Shao, has a young lady who is said to possess virtue, beauty, household skills, and all other accomplishments. She is not yet betrothed. The family has no sons and possesses enormous wealth. But they insist on a family that is both noble and wealthy, and a son-in-law who is outstanding, before they will agree to a match. This junior has been here for two months and has observed Master Bao the Second's character and scholarship—both are bound to come to great fruition. With a family standing such as the Old Master's, what more is there to say? If this junior goes over, I guarantee the proposal will succeed at once." Jia Zheng said, "It is indeed time to discuss a match for Baoyu, and the Dowager often speaks of it. But I have never been very familiar with the late Master Zhang." Zhan Guang said, "The Zhang family that Brother Wang mentioned, this junior also knows about. Moreover, they are an old connection of the late Master on the other side. The Old Master need only inquire and he will know." Jia Zheng thought for a moment and said, "I have never heard of this connection on the late Master's side." Zhan Guang said, "The Old Master did not know. This Zhang family is actually related to the uncle, Master Xing." Only then did Jia Zheng realize this was a relative of Lady Xing. After sitting a while, he went in, intending to tell Lady Wang and then to ask Lady Xing. But Lady Wang had accompanied Aunt Xue to Xifeng's side to see Qiaojie. By the time the lamps were lit, Aunt Xue had left and Lady Wang had returned. Jia Zheng told Lady Wang about Wang Er-diao and Zhan Guang's words, and also asked how Qiaojie was. Lady Wang said, "It looks like a case of fright convulsions." Jia Zheng said, "Not too serious?" Lady Wang said, "It seems to be the onset of convulsions, but they haven't come out yet." Upon hearing this, Jia Zheng said nothing more. Each retired to rest. The events of that evening need not be recounted further.

The next day, Lady Xing came over to pay her respects to the Dowager. Lady Wang thereupon brought up the Zhang family matter, reporting it to the Dowager and at the same time asking Lady Xing's opinion.

"Though the Zhangs are old family connections," Lady Xing said, "we haven't had any communication with them in recent years, so I have no idea what sort of girl their daughter is. But the other day, Sun Qiaojia Taitai sent some old women to pay their respects, and they mentioned the Zhang family. They said the family has a daughter, and she's asked the Sun family to find a suitable match through their connections. I hear this is their only girl, and she's been raised with the utmost indulgence. She can read and write a little, but she can't handle a big scene—she rarely leaves her room. Magistrate Zhang also says that since she's his only daughter, he's unwilling to let her marry out. He's afraid a strict mother-in-law might make his daughter suffer, so he insists the son-in-law must come live with them and help manage the household."

When the Dowager heard this, she cut in before Lady Xing could finish: "That simply won't do. We can barely find enough people to wait on Baoyu as it is—and now he's supposed to go manage someone else's household?"

"Exactly what the Old Ancestress said," Lady Xing replied.

The Dowager then said to Lady Wang: "When you go back, tell your husband what I say—this match with the Zhang family is out of the question."

Lady Wang assented.

The Dowager then asked: "How did you find Qiaojia yesterday? Earlier, Ping'er came back to report that she wasn't at all well. I was meaning to go over and see for myself."

"The Old Ancestress dotes on her," said Lady Xing and Lady Wang, "but she can't possibly sit still for it."

"It's not only for her sake," the Dowager said. "I need to stretch my limbs and get some exercise myself." With that, she gave orders: "You go and eat your meals first. Come back afterward and go over with me."

Lady Xing and Lady Wang assented and withdrew, each going her own way.

After they had eaten, they all came to accompany the Dowager to Xifeng's quarters. Xifeng hurried out and ushered them in.

The Dowager asked how Qiaojia really was.

"It looks as though it may be the onset of convulsions," Xifeng said.

"In that case, why haven't you sent for a doctor at once?" the Dowager demanded.

"I already have," Xifeng replied.

The Dowager then went in with Lady Xing and Lady Wang to take a look. The nursemaid was holding the child, wrapped in a small quilt of peach-red damask silk. Her face was a waxy blue, and the tips of her brows and nostrils twitched faintly. The Dowager and the two ladies looked at her, then came out to sit in the outer room.

While they were talking, a little maid came in to report to Xifeng: "The Master has sent someone to ask how the young mistress is."

"Tell the Master for me," Xifeng said, "that I've sent for the doctor. As soon as he writes a prescription, I'll report to the Master."

The Dowager suddenly remembered the Zhang family matter and said to Lady Wang: "You should go tell your husband right away, so that if someone else brings it up, he won't have to turn it down afterward."

She then asked Lady Xing: "Why have you and the Zhang family stopped having dealings?"

Lady Xing replied: "Speaking of the Zhang family's way of doing things, it would be difficult to form a marriage connection with them. They're too stingy—there's no point disgracing Baoyu by such an association."

Xifeng, hearing this, already had a pretty good idea what it was about. "Isn't the Lady talking about Brother Bao's marriage?" she asked.

"That's exactly right," Lady Xing said.

The Dowager then told Xifeng what had just been said.

Xifeng laughed. "If I may be so bold as to say something in front of the Old Ancestress and the ladies—there's already a heaven-matched match right here. Why look elsewhere?"

The Dowager asked with a smile: "Where?"

"One 'Baoyu,' one 'Golden Locks.' Has the Old Ancestress forgotten?"

The Dowager smiled and said, "Your aunt was here yesterday. Why didn't you bring it up then?"

"The Old Ancestress and the ladies were right there—where would a child like me get the chance to speak? Besides, when Aunt came to visit the Old Ancestress, how could I raise such a matter? The proper thing would be for the ladies to go and propose the match themselves."

The Dowager laughed, and Lady Xing and Lady Wang laughed too.

"I must be getting senile," the Dowager said.

Just then, someone announced: "The doctor has come."

The Dowager sat in the outer room, while Lady Xing and Lady Wang withdrew slightly out of sight. The doctor came in with Jia Lian and paid his respects to the Dowager before going into the inner room. After examining the child, he came out and stood before the Dowager, bowing.

"The little mistress is suffering partly from internal heat and partly from fright wind. She'll need a medicine to disperse the wind and phlegm first, and then Four Spirits Powder would be best, since the illness has come on quite severely. These days, bezoar is all counterfeit—we'll need to find genuine bezoar for it to work."

The Dowager dismissed him with a word of thanks, and the doctor went out with Jia Lian to write a prescription and then left.

"Ginseng we always have at home," Xifeng said, "but I'm afraid we may not have bezoar. We'll have to buy it outside—and it must be the real thing."

"I'll send someone to ask at your aunt's place," Lady Wang said. "Their Pan'er has been doing business with those Western traders—he may have some genuine bezoar. I'll have someone inquire."

While they were talking, all the young ladies came to visit. They sat for a while, then left along with the Dowager and the others.

Here the medicine had been decocted and forced down Qiao-Jie's sleeve. There was a retching sound, and she vomited up the medicine along with the phlegm. Only then did Feng-Jie feel somewhat reassured.

A young maid from Lady Wang's side came in carrying a small red paper packet and said, "Second Mistress, the bezoar has arrived. The Mistress says that Second Mistress herself must weigh out the proper dosage."

Feng-Jie took it and called out to Ping-Er to prepare the pearl borneol, and cinnabar quickly and start decocting it again. Feng-Jie weighed the ingredients herself on the steelyard scale according to the prescription, mixed them in, and waited for Qiao-Jie to regain consciousness so she could give her the medicine.

Just then Jia Huan pushed the curtain aside and came in. "Second Sister, what's wrong with your Qiao-Jie? Mother sent me to have a look at her."

Feng-Jie despised both him and his mother. "She's a bit better. Go back and tell your Concubine to remember that."

Jia Huan agreed with his mouth but kept looking around the room. After a while he asked, "I hear there's some bezoar here. I don't know what bezoar looks like. Let me have a look at it."

Feng-Jie said, "Stop making trouble here. The little girl has only just begun to recover. The bezoar is already being decocted."

Jia Huan paid no heed. He reached out for the medicine pot to have a look, but before anyone could stop him, there was a sizzling sound—the pot tipped over, and half the fire was extinguished by the spilled liquid.

Jia Huan, seeing that things had gone wrong, felt embarrassed and hurried away.

Feng-Jie was beside herself with fury. "That sworn enemy from a previous life! Why must you come here and play your tricks? In the past your mother tried to harm me, and now you've come to harm the little girl. What grudge have we held against each other for generations!" She scolded Ping-Er at the same time for not keeping watch.

Just as she was railing away, a maid came looking for Jia Huan. Feng-Jie said, "Go tell Concubine Zhao that she worries far too much. Qiao-Jie is as good as dead—she needn't bother thinking about her any more!"

Ping-Er was in a hurry preparing the medicine and starting the decoction again. The maid, not understanding what was going on, quietly asked Ping-Er, "Why is Second Mistress so angry?"

Ping-Er told her how Master Huan had knocked over the medicine pot.

The maid said, "No wonder he didn't dare come back—he's hiding somewhere else. Who knows what will happen to Master Huan tomorrow. Sister Ping, let me help you tidy up."

Ping-Er said, "That won't be necessary. Fortunately there's still a bit of bezoar left, and now it's been prepared properly. You may go."

The maid said, "I'll be sure to go back and tell Concubine Zhao, so she'll stop boasting every day."

The maid returned and indeed told Concubine Zhao. Zhao was furious. "Find Huan-Er, quickly!"

Huan-Er was hiding in the outer room, and the maid brought him in.

Concubian Zhao scolded him, "You wretched spawn! Why did you spill someone else's medicine and bring down curses on yourself? I originally only told you to go and ask—you weren't supposed to go inside. But you insisted on going in, and then you wouldn't leave either, playing with a tiger's head to catch a louse. Just watch—I'll report you to the Master and see if you don't get beaten!"

While Concubine Zhao was speaking, Jia Huan in the outer room was heard saying something that shook the soul. What he said will be revealed in the next chapter.

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