Chapter 97

Chapter 97

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Chapter 97: Lin Daiyu Burns Her Poems and Severs Her Foolish Love; Xue Baochai Leaves Her Chamber and Fulfills the Grand Betrothal

Daiyu had just reached the gate of Bamboo Lodge when a word from Zijuan stirred her heart so deeply that she spat blood and nearly fainted. It was only thanks to Qiuyun, who was still with her, that the two of them were able to support Daiyu into the room. After Qiuyun left, Zijuan and Xueyan kept watch over her. When at last she gradually came to, Daiyu asked Zijuan, "What are you both weeping for?" Seeing that she was speaking coherently, Zijuan set her mind somewhat at ease and replied, "You were not feeling well after returning from the old lady's quarters, and it frightened us so that we lost our heads, so we wept." Daiyu smiled and said, "How could I possibly die?" But before she had finished the sentence, she was seized by another fit of gasping. What had happened was that Daiyu had learned today of the business between Baoyu and Baochai—a matter that had been her secret ailment for years—and in her sudden fury and anguish, her original nature had been clouded. But after she had brought up that mouthful of blood, her mind had gradually cleared, and she could not recall a single thing from earlier. Now seeing Zijuan weep, she dimly remembered what Silly Girl had said, yet she felt no grief. She only wished to die quickly, so as to repay this debt. Zijuan and Xueyan could only keep watch beside her. They wanted to tell someone, but feared a repetition of the last time, when they had drawn Lady Feng's rebuke for making a commotion over nothing.

As for Qiuyun, she returned in a state of great agitation. It happened that the Lady Dowager had just woken from her midday nap. Seeing such a state of affairs, she asked what had happened. Qiuyun, thoroughly frightened, immediately reported everything that had just occurred. The Lady Dowager was greatly alarmed. "This is intolerable!" she cried, and at once sent for Lady Wang and Lady Feng, telling the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law the whole story. Lady Feng said, "I gave strict instructions about this—who could have let the word slip? This makes things even more difficult than before." The Lady Dowager said, "Never mind all that for now—first let us go see how she is." With these words she rose and, taking Lady Wang and Lady Feng with her, went to pay a visit. They found Daiyu's complexion as white as snow, with no trace of blood in it. Her spirit was clouded, her breathing faint. After a while she had a fit of coughing. The maid handed her a spittoon, and what she coughed up was all phlegm streaked with blood. Everyone was thrown into a panic. Daiyu opened her eyes slightly and, seeing the Lady Dowager beside her, gasped out: "Old lady, your love for me has been wasted!" At these words the Lady Dowager was deeply shaken. "Good child," she said, "just rest and take care of yourself. Have no fear." Daiyu gave a faint smile and closed her eyes again. An outer maid came in to report to Lady Feng: "The doctor has come." Everyone then withdrew slightly. Doctor Wang entered together with Jia Lian, felt the pulse, and said: "There is no immediate cause for alarm. This is pent-up qi injuring the liver, and the liver failing to store the blood—that is why her spirit is unsettled. If we use medicines to astringe the yin and stop the bleeding, there is hope of recovery." After speaking, Doctor Wang went out with Jia Lian to write a prescription and fetch the medicine.

Seeing that Daiyu's spirits were poor, the Lady Dowager came out and said to Lady Feng and the others: "I look at this child's illness, and though I hate to say it, I fear she will not recover. You should make preparations beforehand—to perform a celebration that might drive away the ill fortune. If she recovers, then we are all spared worry. And even if things go otherwise, we shall not be thrown into confusion at the last moment. There is something of importance happening in our household these days." Lady Feng assented. The Lady Dowager questioned Zijuan once more but still could not learn who had told. The Lady Dowager, perplexed in her heart, said: "When children grow up together and play together, it is natural for them to be close. But now that they are older and understand the ways of the world, they should observe some propriety—that is the duty of a young girl, and it is for this reason that I cherish her in my heart. If she harbors other notions, what sort of person would she become? Then my love for her truly would have been wasted." She said this, but she was not at ease in her heart. Returning to her chambers, she sent for Xiren and questioned her. Xiren repeated what she had said to Lady Wang earlier, together with an account of Daiyu's present condition. The Lady Dowager said: "Just now I observed that she was not yet confused, and this is what I cannot understand. In a family like ours, other matters naturally do not arise—but this kind of heart-sickness is absolutely something we cannot tolerate. If Daiyu's illness were anything else, no matter how much money it cost, I would gladly spend it. But if it is this illness, not only will it not be cured, but I shall have no heart for it either." Lady Feng said: "You need not trouble yourself over Sister Lin's condition, madam. In any case, her Second Brother is there every day with the doctor attending to her. What is urgent is the business on your sister's side. I heard this morning that the house is all but ready. It would be best if you and the old lady went over to your sister's, and I shall go with you to discuss matters. There is just one thing—Sister Bao is at your aunt's house, so it will be difficult to talk freely. It would be better to ask your aunt to come over this evening. We can settle everything in one night, and then we can proceed." The Lady Dowager and Lady Wang both said, "What you say is right. It is late today; tomorrow after our meal we shall go over together." With that, the Lady Dowager took her evening meal. Lady Feng and Lady Wang each returned to their own rooms. About this, no more.

That next day, after breakfast, Fengjie came over to test Baoyu. She went into the inner room and said, "Cousin Bao, congratulations! Your father has chosen an auspicious day for your wedding. Are you happy about it?"

When Baoyu heard this, he simply stared at Fengjie and smiled, nodding ever so slightly. Fengjie laughed and said, "What if we bring Sister Lin over to you? Would that be good?"

Baoyu burst into loud laughter. Fengjie, watching him, could not tell whether he was in his right senses or not. So she asked again, "Your father says he'll marry you to Sister Lin only when you're well. If you stay this foolish, he won't let you have her."

Baoyu suddenly turned serious. "I'm not the fool—you are." With that, he stood up. "I'm going to see Sister Lin and put her mind at ease."

Fengjie quickly held him back. "Sister Lin knows already. She's going to be a bride now, of course she's too shy to see you."

Baoyu asked, "Once she's brought here, will she see me or not?"

Fengjie was at once amused and alarmed. She thought to herself, "What Xiren said was not wrong. When Sister Lin is mentioned, although he still talks wildly, he seems a bit more lucid. If he really came to his senses and Sister Lin turned out not to be the bride, then this riddle would be broken—and that would be a calamity hard to deal with."

She suppressed a laugh and said, "If you behave yourself, she'll see you. If you carry on like a lunatic, she won't."

Baoyu said, "I have a heart, and I gave it to Sister Lin long ago. When she comes, she'll bring it back and put it back inside my belly."

Fengjie, hearing this was all madness, went out laughing to report to the Lady Dowager. The old lady laughed too, though her heart ached. "I heard," she said. "For the time being, let's leave him alone. Let Xiren comfort him properly. Let's go."

At this point Lady Wang also arrived. They all went to Aunt Xue's house, saying they had come to see how things were there. Aunt Xue was deeply grateful and said a few things about Xue Pan. After tea, Aunt Xue was about to have someone inform Baochai, but Fengjie quickly stopped her. "There's no need to tell Cousin Bao, Aunt."

She then said with an ingratiating smile, "The Old Lady has come for two reasons. First, to visit you. Second, she has an important matter and especially asks you to come over to discuss it."

Aunt Xue nodded. "I see."

They then chatted for a while before returning.

That evening Aunt Xue indeed came over. She paid her respects to the Lady Dowager and then went to Lady Wang's quarters, where they could not help speaking of Wang Ziteng, and all shed tears for a while.

Aunt Xue then asked, "Just now when I was at the Old Lady's, Cousin Bao came out to pay his respects and seemed perfectly fine—just a little thin. Why did you make it sound so serious?"

Fengjie said, "It's really nothing much. It's just that the Old Lady worries. Now the Master is about to take up an official post away from home, and who knows when he'll return. The Old Lady's thinking is this: first, she wants the Master to see Cousin Bao married so he can be at ease; second, she wants to use the wedding to cure Cousin Bao—to bring good fortune and use your daughter's golden locket to ward off the evil influence. She thinks he might recover then."

Aunt Xue was inwardly willing but worried that Baochai would be wronged. "It can be done," she said, "but we must discuss it carefully and at length."

Lady Wang then repeated Fengjie's words to Aunt Xue, saying, "Your sister-in-law has no one at home right now. Let's do away with all the trousseau preparations tomorrow. We'll send Kedou over to tell Pan'er, and at the same time have him find some way to sort out the legal trouble." She said nothing of Baoyu's true condition. She went on, "Sister-in-law, once the match is made, the sooner she comes over the sooner we can all rest easy."

Just then the Lady Dowager sent a messenger to inquire. Aunt Xue, though she feared for Baochai's sake, had no choice. Seeing how things stood, she gave her full consent. The messenger returned and reported to the Lady Dowager, who was also greatly pleased. She sent the messenger back to ask Aunt Xue and Baochai to be told the full reason, so that Baochai would not feel wronged. Aunt Xue agreed. It was then decided that Fengjie and her husband would act as go-betweens. Everyone dispersed. Lady Wang and her sister naturally talked together for half the night.

The next day, Aunt Xue went home and told Baochai everything in detail, adding, "I've already given my consent."

At first Baochai lowered her head and said nothing; then she began to weep silently. Aunt Xue comforted her with kind words and explained at length. Baochai then went back to her own room, and Baoqin followed to keep her company.

Aunt Xue then told Xue Kedou to set out the next day: "First, to find out about the court case; second, to give your brother the news. Then come straight back."

Xue Ke had been gone four days when he returned and reported to Aunt Xue, "The authorities have approved elder brother's case as manslaughter. As soon as the court session concludes, the memorial will be submitted. We are to prepare silver for redemption. Regarding my sister's matter, the reply said, 'Mother is doing very well to take charge. Proceeding promptly will save a great deal of money. Tell Mother not to wait for me—let her do whatever she sees fit.'" When Aunt Xue heard this, she felt greatly reassured—first, that Xue Pan could return home, and second, that Baochai's affairs would be settled. Yet she observed that Baochai seemed somewhat reluctant in her heart. "Still," she thought, "she is a girl, and has always been filial and proper. Since I have agreed to this, she has nothing to say against it." She then told Xue Ke, "Prepare the vermilion-gold wedding card, fill in the eight characters, and have it sent directly to Master Lian's side. Also ask him to send word of the date for the betrothal gifts so that you can make preparations. As for ourselves, we shall not inform our friends and relatives. As for your elder brother's friends—you yourself said they are all worthless men. As for family, there are only the Jia and Wang households. The Jia family is the groom's side, and there are no Wang family members in the capital. when Miss Shi was betrothed, her family did not invite us, so we need not notify them either. But do invite Zhang Dehui and entrust him to look after things. He is an older man and knows what he is about." Xue Ke obeyed and had the card sent over.

The next day Jia Lian came to see Aunt Xue, paid his respects, and said, "Tomorrow is an auspicious day. I have come to report to you, Auntie, that the betrothal gifts shall be sent tomorrow. I only hope you will not be too particular." With this, he presented the almanac. Aunt Xue made a few modest remarks and nodded her assent. Jia Lian hurried back to inform Jia Zheng. Jia Zheng said, "Tell Grandmother that since we are not informing friends and relatives, all matters should be kept as simple as possible. As for the items, let the Old Lady inspect them—there is no need to report to me." Jia Lian assented and went inside to relay the message to the Dowager.

Meanwhile, Lady Wang summoned Xifeng and had the betrothal gifts sent for the Dowager's inspection, and also ordered Xiren to tell Baoyu. Baoyu laughed cheerfully and said, "They send things from here to the garden, and then from the garden back here. Our people deliver them and our people receive them—what a fuss." The Dowager and Lady Wang were both pleased and said, "We always thought him muddle-headed, but how clear-headed he is today!" Sheyan and the others could not help laughing and had to come forward item by item to show the Dowager: "This is the gold necklet, this is the gold and pearl jewelry—eighty pieces in all. This is forty bolts of embroidered ceremonial silk. This is one hundred and twenty bolts of various colored satins. This is one hundred and twenty articles of clothing for the four seasons. Outside, sheep and wine have not been prepared—this is the silver in lieu of sheep and wine." The Dowager looked at everything and said "Very good" to each. She then said quietly to Xifeng, "Go and tell Aunt Xue: this is not merely a formality. Ask Aunt Xue to wait until Pan'er is released and then have someone make things for his sister at leisure. The bedding for the wedding day shall be prepared here on her behalf." Xifeng assented, went out, and told Jia Lian to go ahead first. She then called Zhou Rui, Wang'er, and the others and instructed them: "Do not go through the main gate—deliver everything through the side gate that was opened earlier in the garden. I shall go over too. This gate is still far from the Bamboo Lodge. If anyone elsewhere sees you, tell them not to mention anything about this at the Bamboo Lodge." Everyone assented and went off to deliver the gifts. Baoyu took it all to be true and was overjoyed in his heart; his spirits seemed somewhat better, though his speech still had a touch of wildness and foolishness. Those who had delivered the gifts returned without mentioning any names or surnames. Thus, though everyone in the household knew what was going on, because of Xifeng's orders none dared let the news leak.

Now although Daiyu was taking medicine, her illness grew worse day by day. Zijuan and the others tried earnestly to reason with her: "Things have come to this pass—we must speak plainly. We all know what is in your heart. There can be no such thing as an unexpected turn of events. If you don't believe us, just consider Baoyu's condition: with such a grave illness, how could a marriage be arranged? Do not listen to idle talk, Mistress—just take care of yourself and rest peacefully." Daiyu smiled faintly and said nothing. She coughed several times and brought up a good deal of blood. When Zijuan and the others looked at her, she seemed barely breathing. They knew she could not be persuaded, so all they could do was stay by her side and weep. They went to report to the Dowager three or four times every day. Sheyan sensed that the Dowager's affection for Daiyu had diminished compared with before, so she did not go to report as often. Moreover, in recent days the Dowager's mind had been entirely on Baochai and Baoyu. When no news of Daiyu came, she did not raise the matter much and simply called in the Imperial Physician to treat her.

Daiyu had always been ill, and from the Dowager down, the young ladies and their servants had constantly come to inquire after her. Now she saw that no one from the Jia household, high or low, came anymore—not a single person to ask of her. She opened her eyes and saw only Zijuan. Convinced she had no hope of survival, she struggled to speak to Zijuan: "Sister, you are the one who knows my heart best. Although the Old Lady assigned you to wait on me these past years, I have always regarded you as my own sister." Here her breath failed her. When Zijuan heard this, a pang of grief seized her, and she wept too bitterly to speak. After a long pause, Daiyu said, panting between words: "Sister Zijuan, I am not comfortable lying down. Help me up so I can sit propped against something." Zijuan said, "You are not well, Mistress. If you get up, you will only exhaust yourself." Upon hearing this, Daiyu closed her eyes and said nothing. After a while, she wanted to get up again. Zijuan had no choice but to help her up together with Xueyan, propping soft pillows on either sides for her to lean against, while she herself sat beside her.

Daiyu could not bear to sit still any longer; her lower body ached as though something were pressing hard into it, yet she braced herself with all her strength and called out, "Xueyan—my poetry books." Even as she spoke, she was gasping. Xueyan supposed she wanted the poems she had been sorting the day before, so she found them and brought them over to Daiyu. Daiyu nodded, then raised her eyes to look at the trunk. Xueyan did not understand and simply stood there, bewildered. Daiyu glared at her in exasperation, then began coughing again and spat up a mouthful of blood. Xueyan hurried back to fetch water; Daiyu rinsed her mouth and spat into the box. Zijuan wiped her lips with a silk handkerchief. Daiyu then pointed at the trunk with the handkerchief, but her breath came in such ragged gasps that she could not speak; her eyes closed. "Lie down for a while, miss," said Zijuan. Daiyu shook her head. Zijuan supposed she wanted the handkerchief and told Xueyan to open the trunk and take out a piece of white silk. Daiyu glanced at it and pushed it aside. Straining with effort, she managed to say, "The one with writing on it." Only then did Zijuan understand—she wanted the old handkerchief inscribed with poems. She had no choice but to tell Xueyan to bring it out and hand it to Daiyu. "Do rest a while, miss," Zijuan urged. "Why trouble yourself? You can look at it again when you are well." But Daiyu, the moment it was in her hands, did not even look at the poems; she struggled to stretch out her hand and tried with all her might to tear the silk—yet she only trembled and had not the strength to rip it. Zijuan already knew that she hated Baoyu, but she did not dare say so. "Why must you make yourself angry again, miss?" she said. Daiyu nodded, tucked the handkerchief into her sleeve, and told Xueyan to light a lamp. Xueyan assented and quickly brought a light.

Daiyu opened her eyes, looked around, then closed them again and sat there, panting for a while. After a moment she said, "Put on the brazier."

Zi Juan thought she must be cold and said, "Lie down, miss, and cover yourself with another quilt. You can't stand the fumes from the charcoal."

But Daiyu shook her head. Xue Yan had no choice but to put on the brazier and set it on the brazier stand on the floor. Daiyu nodded, meaning she wanted it moved to the kang. Xue Yan had to bring it up, then went out to fetch the small brazier table. Daiyu raised herself up, and Zi Juan had to support her with both hands.

Only then did Daiyu take the handkerchief she had been holding earlier, looked at the flames, nodded, and threw it on. Zi Juan was startled and wanted to snatch it back, but her two hands dared not move. Xue Yan, who had gone out to fetch the brazier table, had just come back when the handkerchief was already burning. Zi Juan pleaded, "Miss, what are you doing?"

Daiyu paid no heed. She reached back, took up the poems, glanced at them, and let them fall again. Zi Juan was afraid she meant to burn those too and quickly leaned against Daiyu, freeing a hand to grab them. But Daiyu had already picked them up and thrown them onto the flames. Zi Juan could not reach them and was frantic with anxiety.

Just then Xue Yan came in with the table and saw Daiyu throw something onto the fire. Not knowing what it was, she rushed to snatch it, but the paper caught instantly—there was no time to wait. It was already blazing fiercely. Xue Yan did not even mind burning her hands; she snatched it from the fire, threw it on the ground, and stamped on it frantically, but by then there was almost nothing left.

Daiyu closed her eyes and fell back, nearly toppling Zi Juan over. Zi Juan quickly called Xue Yan to help her prop Daiyu up and lay her down again. Her heart was pounding. She wanted to call someone, but it was already late. If she did not call anyone, she and Xue Yan and Ying Ge and the other young maids might not be able to handle whatever happened. They barely got through the night.

The next morning, they felt Daiyu had rallied a little. After breakfast, however, she suddenly began coughing and vomiting again, and grew worse at once. Zi Juan sensed something ominous. She called Xue Yan and the others in to keep watch, then went to report to the old lady.

But when she reached the old lady's apartments, all was quiet. Only three or four old nannies and a few maids doing rough work were there looking after the rooms. Zi Juan asked, "Where is the old lady?"

None of them knew. Surprised at this, Zi Juan went to Baoyu's rooms to look, but no one was there either. She asked the maids in the room, and they also knew nothing. Zi Juan was beginning to understand.

"But how can these people be so cruel and heartless!" she thought. Then it occurred to her that in all these days not a single person had come to inquire about Daiyu. The more she thought of it, the more grief-stricken she became, until a surge of pent-up anguish welled up inside her. She turned and went out.

She thought to herself, "Today I must see what sort of figure Baoyu cuts! Let me watch how he faces me! That year when I told one lie, he fell dangerously ill. And now he has the audacity to do this openly! So it is true—the hearts of men in this world are truly as cold as ice and snow, enough to set one's teeth on edge!"

As she walked along, brooding, she had already arrived at Happy Red Court. She found the gate half-shut and everything inside very quiet. It suddenly occurred to Zi Juan, "Since he is getting married, naturally there must be new quarters. But I wonder where these new quarters are."

She was lingering there, looking about, when she saw Mo Yu running at full speed. Zi Juan called out to him. Mo Yu came over, grinning. "What are you doing here, sister?"

"I heard Master Bao is getting married, so I came to watch the excitement. But he's not here. I don't know what day it is."

Mo Yu said in a low voice, "I'm only telling you this—don't let Xue Yan or the others know. We've been ordered from above not to let even you know. The wedding is tonight, but not here. The master has sent Master Lian to prepare other rooms."

Then he asked, "Do you need anything?"

"No, you can go."

Mo Yu ran off as fast as before. Zi Juan stood there in a daze for a while, then suddenly thought of Daiyu. By now, she did not know whether she was alive or dead. With tears streaming down her face, she clenched her teeth and said fiercely, "Baoyu, let's see how you'll hide when you die tomorrow! After you've had your heart's desire, what face will you have to show me?"

Crying as she walked, she sobbed her way back. Before she reached Bamboo Lodge, she saw two young maids peeking out through the gate. The moment one of them spotted Zi Juan, she called out, "Isn't that Sister Zi Juan?"

Zi Juan knew something was wrong. She gestured frantically to stop the girl from shouting, then hurried in to look. She saw that Daiyu was suffering from an inflammatory blaze of liver fire, both cheekbones flushed red.

Zi Juan felt something was amiss and called for Daiyu's wet nurse, Nanny Wang, to come. The old woman took one look and burst into loud weeping. Zi Juan had counted on Nanny Wang's age to give her some courage, but the old woman turned out to have no backbone at all. This only made Zi Juan's heart leap up and down even more.

Then she thought of someone and ordered a young maid to go at once to invite her. Who was it? Zi Juan had thought of Li Wan. As a widow, Li Wan would naturally keep away from Baoyu's wedding. Moreover, all affairs in the garden had always been managed by Li Wan, so she sent someone to fetch her.

Li Wan was just there revising Jia Lan's poem when a maid came rushing in abruptly and reported, "Madam Zhu, I'm afraid Miss Lin is beyond hope. They're all crying over there." Li Wan was so startled that she could not even ask questions. She immediately stood up and hurried off, with Suyun and Biyue following behind. As she walked along, tears fell from her eyes as she thought to herself, "We sisters have been together all these years. And with her looks and talents, she was truly without equal—only figures like the goddesses of frost and the moon could be faintly compared to her. Yet at such a young age, she has become a maiden of Beimang! And that Fengjie came up with this scheme of substituting one pillar for another. I myself couldn't even go to the Bamboo Lodge to spend a little more time with my sister. Truly pitiful, truly lamentable." Still thinking thus, she had already reached the entrance of the Bamboo Lodge. But inside it was completely silent. Li Wan grew anxious instead, thinking that she must have already passed away and they had all finished crying. Had her burial clothes been properly arranged? She hurried in with quickened steps.

In the inner room, a young maid at the door had already caught sight of someone approaching and said, "The Eldest Young Madam is here." Zijuan hurried out and met Li Wan face to face. Li Wan asked at once, "How is she?" When Zijuan tried to speak, she could only manage a choked sob—not a single word came out. Her tears fell like a string of broken pearls, and with one hand she gestured back toward Daiyu. Seeing Zijuan in such a state, Li Wan felt even more heartache. She asked no more questions and hurried in at once. When she looked, Daiyu could no longer speak. Li Wan called her name softly twice. Daiyu's eyes opened slightly, as if she still had some awareness, but only her eyelids and lips moved faintly. Breath still passed in and out of her mouth, but she had not a single word left, nor a single tear. Li Wan turned and saw that Zijuan was not nearby, so she asked Xueyan. Xueyan said, "She's in the outer room." Li Wan hurried out and found Zijuan lying on an empty bed in the outer room. Her face was sallow and yellow. She had her eyes closed and wept ceaselessly, her tears and mucus having soaked a bowl-sized patch on the flower-patterned brocade coverlet. Li Wan called to her urgently, and Zijuan slowly opened her eyes and raised herself up. Li Wan said, "Silly girl, what time is this to be giving yourself over to weeping! Lin-guniang's burial clothes haven't even been brought out yet for her to change into—how much longer are you going to wait? She's a young girl—are you going to let her come into this world naked and leave it naked too?" When Zijuan heard these words, she broke down and wept even harder. Li Wan wept too, and at the same time grew anxious. Wiping her tears, she patted Zijuan on the shoulder and said, "Good child, you've quite broken my heart with all this weeping. Hurry and gather her things—any longer and it will be too late." While this commotion was going on, someone came rushing in from outside in a great fluster, which gave Li Wan quite a start. When she looked, it was Ping'er. She ran in, saw the scene, and simply stood there staring blankly. Li Wan said, "Why aren't you over there? What brings you here?" Even as she spoke, Lin Zhixia's wife came in as well. Ping'er said, "Our lady wasn't at ease and sent me to look in. Since the Eldest Young Madam is here, our lady can attend to the other side." Li Wan nodded. Ping'er said, "I'd like to see Lin-guniang too." As she spoke, she walked toward the inner room, tears already falling. Li Wan said to Lin Zhixia's wife, "You've come at just the right moment. Go out quickly and tell the stewards to prepare the funeral arrangements for Lin-guniang. When it's all properly arranged, have them report back to me—there's no need to go to the other side." Lin Zhixia's wife assented but remained standing. Li Wan said, "Is there something else?" Lin Zhixia's wife said, "Just now the Second Lady and the Old Lady discussed it—they'd like to have Zijuan attend to things over there." Before Li Wan could reply, Zijuan spoke up: "Lin Nainai, please go first. When the person is dead, of course we'll leave—why would you need to..." She stopped, unable to finish, and changed her words: "Besides, we're here attending the sick—we're not clean ourselves. Lin-guniang is still breathing; she calls for me from time to time." Li Wan explained on the side, "Truly, this Lin-guniang and this maid must have a bond from a former life. Xueyan came with her from the south, yet she pays him no mind. As for Zijuan—I can see those two can't be parted even for a moment." Lin Zhixia's wife had been somewhat put out by what Zijuan said earlier, but after Li Wan's explanation she had nothing to say in reply. Seeing Zijuan weeping like a person made of tears, she could only give her a faint smile and then added, "What the Zijuan girl said is of no great consequence, but the thing is—how am I to report this to the Old Lady? Besides, is this something to tell the Second Lady?" Even as she spoke, Ping'er came out wiping her eyes and said, "What is there to tell the Second Lady?" Lin Zhixia's wife repeated what had just been said. Ping'er lowered her head a moment and then said, "In that case, let's send Miss Xue over instead." Li Wan said, "Will she do?" Ping'er went over and whispered a few words in Li Wan's ear. Li Wan nodded and said, "In that case, sending Xueyan over amounts to the same thing." Lin Zhixia's wife asked Ping'er, "Will Miss Xue do?" Ping'er said, "She'll do—it's all the same." Lin Zhixia's wife said, "Then, miss, please have Miss Xue come with me right away. I'll go first and report to the Old Lady and the Second Lady—this is the Eldest Young Madam's and your decision. The miss can report to the Second Lady separately afterward." Li Wan said, "That's right. At your age, surely you can manage a matter this small." Lin Zhixia's wife smiled and said, "It's not that I can't manage it—first of all, this matter was arranged by the Old Lady and the Second Lady, and we can't fully understand it. Besides, there's the Eldest Young Madam and Ping-jie to consider." With that, Ping'er had already called Xueyan out. The truth was that Xueyan, thinking herself too young and ignorant these past few days, had grown cold to the matter. Moreover, since the Old Lady and the Second Lady had summoned her, she dared not refuse. She quickly fixed her hair, and Ping'er had her change into fresh clothes. She followed Lin Zhixia's wife and went off. Afterward Ping'er said a few more words to Li Wan. Li Wan again instructed Ping'er to urge Lin Zhixia's wife to have her husband hurry with the preparations. Ping'er assented and left. Turning a corner, she saw Lin Zhixia's wife leading Xueyan ahead of her and quickly called out, "I'll take her—you go ahead and tell Master Lin to prepare Lin-guniang's things. I'll make the report to the lady for you."

The woman from the Lin household assented and departed. Here Ping'er took Snowgoose to the new apartments, reported what was needed, and went about her business.

Now Snowgoose, seeing all this, could not help thinking of her young mistress and feeling a pang of grief, though she dared not show it before the Lady Dowager and Phoenix. She thought to herself: "I wonder what they want me for. I'll just watch and see. Baoyu and our young mistress were as close as honey mixed with oil all day long, and now they haven't seen each other for ages. I don't know if he's really sick or just pretending. He's probably afraid our young mistress won't agree, so he pretends he's lost his jade and acts like a fool to make her lose heart, all so he can marry Miss Bao. I'll go take a look at him and see if he acts foolish when he sees me. Surely he won't keep up the act today!" With these thoughts, she had already slipped to the door of the inner room and was peeking in secretly. Now although Baoyu had been in a stupor from losing his jade, the moment he heard that Daiyu was to be his wife, it was truly the most satisfying and joyous thing under heaven since the beginning of time. His body immediately felt stronger and more vigorous—though he was not as sharp and quick as before, which was why Phoenix's clever scheme worked so well. He could hardly wait to see Daiyu. Having looked forward to this wedding day, he was so overjoyed that he danced and capered about. Though he said a few foolish things, he was vastly different from how he had been during his illness. Snowgoose watched him, feeling both angry and heartbroken, for she had no idea what was in Baoyu's heart. Then each went their separate ways.

Here Baoyu called out to Xiren to hurry and dress him in his new clothes. He sat in Lady Wang's room and watched Phoenix and Madam You bustling about. Unable to wait for the auspicious hour, he kept asking Xiren, "Why does it take Sister Lin so long to come from the garden? Why hasn't she arrived yet?" Xiren suppressed a smile and said, "We're waiting for the proper hour." When he returned, he overheard Phoenix say to Lady Wang, "Although there is a mourning period, we won't use drums and music outside, but according to the customs in the south, we must have the wedding ceremony. It won't do to have it be so quiet and cold. I've summoned those women from the household who studied music and managed the actresses to play music and make it more lively." Lady Wang nodded and said, "That will do."

At that moment, a large sedan chair entered through the front gate. The household's soft music went out to greet it, and twelve pairs of palace lanterns filed in behind it—quite a fresh and elegant sight. The master of ceremonies invited the bride to alight from the sedan. Baoyu saw the bride with her red veil, supported by the red-draped bridal attendant. Do you know who was supporting the bride on the lower side? It was none other than Snowgoose. When Baoyu saw Snowgoose, he thought: "Why didn't Zijuan come instead of her?" Then he thought: "That's right—Snowgoose came with her from the south, while Zijuan is from our household, so naturally she wouldn't need to be brought along." And so when he saw Snowgoose, he was as joyful as if he had seen Daiyu herself. The master of ceremonies led them in bowing to heaven and earth. The Lady Dowager was invited out and received four bows. Then Jia Zheng and his wife were invited to ascend the hall, and when the ceremony was complete, they were led into the bridal chamber. There were also the rituals of sitting on the bed and scattering grain, all performed according to the old Jinling customs. Jia Zheng, having acted on the Lady Dowager's instructions, dared not disobey, though he did not believe in the idea of "wedding to dispel illness." But to his surprise, Baoyu today seemed just like a normal person. When Jia Zheng saw this, he was pleased. The bride sat on the bed and was about to lift her veil, but Phoenix had anticipated this and had already invited the Lady Dowager and Lady Wang inside to attend to matters.

Baoyu, still in his befuddled state, walked up to the bride and said, "Little sister, are you feeling better? I haven't seen you for quite a few days. Why are you covering yourself with that wretched thing?" He moved to lift the veil, which threw the Lady Jia into a cold sweat. Baoyu reconsidered: "Miss Lin is quick-tempered. I mustn't be rash." After a moment's pause, however, he could no longer restrain himself and stepped forward to lift it. The bridal attendant took away the veil, Xueyan withdrew, and Ying'er and the others came forward to serve. Baoyu opened his eyes and looked—it seemed like Baochai. Not believing it, he held the lamp in one hand and rubbed his eyes with the other. He looked again—it was indeed Baochai! She was richly dressed and elaborately adorned, with full shoulders and a delicate frame, her hair hanging low in loose coils, her eyes half-closed and softly glistening. Truly she was like lotus powder moistened with dew, or apricot blossoms veiled in mist. Baoyu stood dazed for a while, then noticed Ying'er standing nearby but saw no sign of Xueyan. With no idea what to do, he told himself he must be in a dream and stood there in a daze. The others took the lamp away and helped him to sit down again. He stared straight ahead and said not a word. The Lady Jia, afraid his illness might flare up, personally helped him to bed. Xifeng and You-shi invited Baochai to sit on the bed in the inner room. Baochai naturally kept her head lowered and said nothing. After composing himself somewhat, Baoyu saw the Lady Jia and Lady Wang sitting over there and called softly to Xiren: "Where am I? Isn't this a dream?" Xiren said, "This is your happy day—why talk such nonsense about dreams? The Master is outside." Baoyu pointed quietly and asked: "Who is that beautiful lady sitting over there?" Xiren covered her mouth and laughed so hard she couldn't speak. After a long pause she finally said: "It's the newly married Second Young Mistress." The others also turned their heads and couldn't help laughing. Baoyu said again: "How muddled you are! Who exactly is the Second Young Mistress?" Xiren said: "Miss Bao." Baoyu said: "What about Miss Lin?" Xiren said: "The Master arranged for Miss Bao to be married. Why do you keep talking about Miss Lin?" Baoyu said: "But I just saw Miss Lin, and Xueyan too. How can you say she's not here? What kind of joke is this?" Xifeng came up and said gently: "Miss Bao is sitting in the room. Don't talk nonsense—if you offend her, the Old Lady won't stand for it." Hearing this, Baoyu became even more confused. He had always been prone to mental confusion, and tonight's strange events had left him more bewildered than ever. Giving no thought to anything else, he clamored incessantly to go find Miss Lin. The Lady Jia and the others tried to comfort him, but to no avail. With Baochai present, they could not explain openly. Knowing that his old illness had returned, they said nothing but filled the room with sleeping incense to calm his spirit and helped him into bed. Everyone fell silent. After a short while, Baoyu sank into a heavy sleep. Only then did the Lady Jia and the others relax a little. They could only sit and wait for dawn, while Xifeng was sent to ask Baochai to rest. Baochai paid no heed and simply lay down fully clothed in the inner room. Jia Zheng, who was outside and knew nothing of what had happened inside, reflected on what he had seen earlier and felt somewhat reassured. As it happened, the next day was an auspicious one for departure. After a brief rest, everyone offered their congratulations and came to see him off. Seeing that Baoyu was asleep, the Lady Jia also returned to her quarters to rest.

The next morning, Jia Zheng took his leave of the ancestral hall and came to pay his respects to the Lady Jia. "Your unfilial son is leaving," he said. "I only wish you good health and comfort in your old age. Once I reach my post, I will write regularly to ask after you—please do not worry. Baoyu's marriage has been settled as you wished. I ask only that you continue to instruct him." The Lady Jia, not wanting Jia Zheng to worry on his journey, said nothing about Baoyu's relapse. She said only: "Let me tell you something. Although Baoyu's wedding took place last night, the marriage was not consummated. Since you are leaving today, he should see you off from a distance. His illness was treated by the wedding celebration, and he is only somewhat better now. Besides, he was exhausted yesterday and might catch cold if he comes out. So I ask you—do you want him to come and see you off? If so, I will have him brought at once. If you are concerned for his welfare, I will have him brought out so you can see him, and he can kowtow to you—that will suffice." Jia Zheng said: "Why should he come to see me off? I would be far happier if he simply applied himself to his studies from now on." The Lady Jia felt reassured and asked Jia Zheng to sit down while she sent Yuanyang to fetch Baoyu as she instructed, with Xiren to accompany him. Before long, Yuanyang returned with Baoyu, and he was told to perform his farewell. When Baoyu saw his father, his senses cleared somewhat; for a moment he was lucid and showed no great abnormality. Jia Zheng gave him a few instructions, and Baoyu assented. Jia Zheng had someone escort him back, then went to Lady Wang's room and earnestly charged her to discipline their son and never again allow him to be spoiled as before. Next year's provincial examination—Baoyu must sit for it. Lady Wang listened to everything and made no mention of anything else. She had Baochai brought in at once to perform the new bride's farewell ritual, without leaving the room. The other female relatives escorted her as far as the inner gate before turning back. Jia Zhen and the others received a stern admonition. Everyone raised their cups to see him off, and a whole company of younger relatives and friends accompanied him all the way to the pavilion at the ten-mile post before bidding him farewell. We will not dwell on Jia Zheng's departure to take up his post. As for Baoyu, upon his return his old illness flared up with sudden severity; he became even more delirious and could not even take food. What became of him will be told in the next chapter.

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