A Dream of Red Mansions – Chapter 32

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Chapter 32

An Avowal Leaves Baoyu Bemused

Disgrace Drives Jinchuan to Suicide

Baoyu was overjoyed to see the gold unicorn.

“Thank you!” Re reached out for it, laughing. “Where did you find it?”

“It’s lucky it was only this.” Xiangyun smiled. “Will you let it go at that if you lose your official seal in future?”

“Losing an official seal is nothing.” He grinned. “But I deserve death for losing this.”

Meanwhile Xiren had poured out tea which she offered to Xiangyun. “Miss Shi, I heard the other day that you’re engaged now,” she re­marked with a smile.

Xiangyun blushed and said nothing, simply sipping her tea.

“So coy!” cried the maid. “Remember what you told me one evening some ten years ago when we were staying in the alcove on the west side? You weren’t coy then; why be so bashful now?”

“The things you say!” Xiangyun expostulated. “How friendly we were then! But after my mother died and I went home they sent you here to wait on Second Brother, and now when I come you’re no longer the same to me.

“Well I never!” Xiren protested. “In those days I was ‘sister’ and ‘dear sister’ to you when you wanted me to comb your hair, wash your face and dance attendance on you. Now you’ve grown up, you’ve put on the airs of a young lady. If you stand on your dignity, how dare I take liberties?”

“Amida Buddha! That’s not fair,” cried Xiangyun. “May I drop dead if I ever give myself airs. Look how hot it is today, yet as soon as I arrive I hurry straight over to see you. If you don’t believe me, ask Cuilu. At home I’m always saying how much I miss you.”

“Can’t you take a joke?” Xiren and Baoyu remonstrated. “You still flare up so easily.”

“You won’t admit how provoking you are, yet scold me for flaring up.”

As Xiangyun said this she unwrapped her handkerchief from which she took a ring and passed it to Xiren, who was loud in her thanks.

“Actually, I was given one of those you sent your cousins,” she re­marked. “And now you’ve brought me one yourself — a sure sign that you hadn’t forgotten me. It’s not the rings I value, it’s the thought that counts.”

“Who gave you one?” asked Xiangyun.

“Miss Baochai.”

“I thought it was Miss Lin. So it was Baochai.” Xiangyun sighed. “At home every day I often think that of all my cousins Baochai is the best. What a pity we aren’t real sisters! If we were, it wouldn’t be so bad being an orphan.” Her eyes were brimming with tears.

“All right, all right,” cried Baoyu. “No more of this.”

“What’s wrong?” demanded Xiangyun. “I know what’s worrying you. You’re afraid your Cousin Lin may hear and be cross with me for singing Baochai’s praises — right?”

“Miss Yun!” Xiren burst out laughing. “The older you grow the more outspoken you get.”

Baoyu chuckled.

“I always say you girls are hard to talk with. And this proves it.”

“Don’t make me sick, dear cousin, speaking like that. You can keep your end up with us, but what happens when you cross swords with Daiyu?”

“That’s enough,” interposed Xiren. “I’ve a favour to ask you.”

“What is it?” inquired Xiangyun.

“I’ve started on a pair of slippers but haven’t been able to finish them because I’ve been poorly for the last couple of days. Have you time to do them for me?”

“Well, well,” exclaimed Xiangyun. “This house is full of clever girls, to say nothing of sewing-women and tailors. Why pick on me? How can anyone who’s asked possibly refuse?”

“Are you so dense?” parried Xiren with a smile. “Don’t you know that none of the needlework for our apartments is done by sewing-women?”

Realizing that the shoes were for Baoyu, Xiangyun chuckled.

“In that case I’ll do it — but on one condition. I’ll make slippers for you, not for anybody else.”

“There you go again,” protested Xiren. “Who am I to ask you to make slippers for me? The fact is they’re not mine, but don’t ask whose they are. At any rate I’d take it kindly of you.”

“Of course, I’ve done plenty of sewing for you in the past. But you’ll understand why I can’t do it this time.”

“Indeed, I don ‘t understand.”

Xiangyun laughed sarcastically.

“I heard the fan-sheath I made the other day was taken to compare with someone else’s, and in a tantrum that someone cut it to pieces. I know all about it, so don’t try to fool me. Am I your slave to be given tasks like this?”

Baoyu cut in with a disarming smile, “I didn’t know that sheath was your work.”

“He honestly didn’t know,” Xiren assured her. “I told him that re­cently there was a girl outside who did wonderful embroidery, and sug­gested trying her out with a fan-sheath. He took me at my word, then showed it off right and left. For some reason it upset Miss Lin again and she snipped it in two. When he came back to ask for another like it, and I told him you’d made it, he was ever so sorry.

“Stranger and stranger!” cried Xiangyun. “Why should Miss Lin be angry? If she can snip, ask her to make another.”

“Out of the question,” said Xiren. “Even as it is, the old lady’s afraid of her overtiring herself and the doctor has prescribed her a good rest. Who’d dream of troubling her with needlework? Last year it took her a whole year to finish one scented pouch. And this year I’ve not yet seen needle or thread in her hands.”

As they were talking a servant came to announce: “Mr. Jia of Pros­perity Street has called. The master wants the young gentleman to go and see him.”

Knowing that it was Jia Yucun, Baoyu was most reluctant to go, but Xiren lost no time in fetching his formal clothes. As he pulled on his boots he grumbled:

“Surely it’s enough if my father keeps him company. Why must he see me each time?”

Fanning herself, Xiangyun replied with a smile, “It must be because uncle thinks you’re a good host. Otherwise he wouldn’t send for you.”

“It’s not my father’s idea. It’s that fellow who asks for me each single time.”

“‘When the host is cultured, guests frequent his house,”‘ quoted Xiangyun. “He likes seeing you, surely, because he can learn something from you. ”

“Don’t call me cultured,” begged Baoyu. “I’m the most vulgar of the vulgar herd, and I’ve no desire at all to mix with such people.”

“You haven’t changed one bit,” sighed Xiangyun. “But now you’re growing up. Even if you don’t want to study and sit for the examinations, you should at least associate with officials and learn something about the world and administration. That’1l help you to manage your own affairs in future and make some friends. What other young gentleman spends all his time, the way you do, playing about with us girls?”

“Please go and call on some of your other cousins, young lady,” he retorted. “People with worldly wisdom like yours will be polluted here.”

“Don’t say such things to him, miss,” Xiren interposed. “Last time Miss Baochai gave him the same advice he just snorted and walked away without any regard for her feelings. In the middle of what she was saying he marched off. She flushed crimson and hardly knew whether to go on or not. Thank goodness it was Miss Baochai and not Miss Lin — she ‘d have made a fearful scene, weeping and sobbing. But there you are, it’s true that nobody can help admiring Miss Baochai. She just blushed and went away. I felt very bad, sure she must be offended; but later she behaved as if nothing had happened. She’s really good natured and toler­ant. He’s the one, believe it or not, who has since kept his distance. If you sulked and ignored Miss Lin like that,” she asked Baoyu, “how many apologies would you have to make her?”

“Has Miss Lin ever talked such disgusting nonsense?” demanded Baoyu. “If she had, I’d have stopped having anything to do with her long ago.

Xiren and Xiangyun nodded and laughed.

“So nonsense is the name for it.”

Now Daiyu had discovered Xiangyun’s whereabouts and knew that Baoyu had hurried back, no doubt to talk about the gold unicorns. That set her thinking. In most of the romances Baoyu had recently acquired, a young scholar and beautiful girl came together and fell in love thanks to lovebirds, phoenixes, jade rings, gold pendants, silk handkerchiefs, em­broidered girdles or other baubles of the sort. So Baoyu’s possession of a gold unicorn like Xiangyun’s might lead to a romance between them. She slipped over to see what was happening and judge of their feelings for each other, arriving just as Xiangyun was speaking of worldly affairs, and in time to hear Baoyu answer, “Miss Lin never talks such disgusting nonsense. If she did, I’d have stopped having anything to do with her.”

This surprised and delighted Daiyu but also distressed and grieved her. She was delighted to know she had not misjudged him, for he had now proved just as understanding as she had always thought. Surprised that he had been so indiscreet as to acknowledge his preference for her openly. Distressed because their mutual understanding ought to preclude all talk about gold matching jade, or she instead of Baochai should have the gold locket to match his jade amulet. Grieved because her parents had died, and although his preference was so clear there was no one to propose the match for her. Besides, she had recently been suffering from dizzy spells which the doctor had warned might end in consumption, as she was so weak and frail. Dear as she and Baoyu were to each other, she might not have long to live. And what use was their affinity if she were fated to die? These thoughts sent tears coursing down her cheeks. And therefore instead of entering she turned away, wiping her tears.

Baoyu hurried out after changing his clothes to see Daiyu walking slowly ahead, apparently wiping her tears. He overtook her.

“Where are you going, cousin?” he asked with a smile. “What, cry­ing again? Who’s offended you this time?”

Daiyu turned and saw who it was.

“I’m all right.” She gave a wan smile. “I wasn’t crying.”

“Don’t fib — your eyes are still wet.”

He raised his hand instinctively to wipe away her tears. At once she recoiled a few steps.

“Are you crazy? Can’t you keep your hands to yourself?”

“I did it without thinking.” Baoyu laughed. “I was dead to all around me. ”

“No one will care when you ‘re dead, but what about the gold locket and unicorn you’ll have to leave behind?”

This remark made Baoyu frantic.

“How can you talk like that! Are you trying to put me under a curse, or set on annoying me?”

Reminded of what had happened the previous day, Daiyu regretted her thoughtlessness.

“Don’t get so excited,” she begged. “Why work yourself up over a slip of the tongue? The veins on your forehead are all swollen with anger, and what a sweat you’re in!”

So saying, she too stepped forward without thinking and reached out her hand to wipe his perspiring face. Baoyu fixed his eyes on her. After a while he said gently, “You mustn’t worry. ”

Daiyu gazed at him in silence.

“Worry?” she repeated at last. “I don’t understand. What do you mean?”

“Don’t you really understand?” He sighed. “Could it be that since I’ve known you all my feelings for you have been wrong? If I can’t even enter into your feelings, then you’re quite right to be angry with me all the time.”

“I really don’t understand what you mean by telling me not to worry.

“Dear cousin, don’t tease.” Baoyu nodded and sighed. “If you really don’t understand, all my devotion’s been wasted and even your feeling for me has been thrown away. You ruin your health by worrying so much. If you’d take things less to heart, your illness wouldn’t be getting worse every day.”

These words struck Daiyu like a thunderbolt. As she turned them over in her mind, they seemed closer to her innermost thoughts than if wrung from her own heart. There were a thousand things she longed to say, yet she could not utter a word. She just stared at him in silence. As Baoyu was in similar case, he too stared at her without a word. So they stood transfixed for some time. Then Daiyu gave a choking cough and tears rolled down her cheeks. She was turning to go when Baoyu caught hold of her.

“Dear cousin, wait. Just let me say one word.”

She dried her tears with one hand, repulsing him with the other.

“What more is there to say? I understand.”

She hurried off without one look behind, while he just stood there like a man in a trance.

Now Baoyu in his haste had forgotten his fan, and as Xiren ran after him with it she caught sight of Daiyu face to face with him. As soon as Daiyu left, the maid walked up to Baoyu, still standing there as if rooted to the ground.

“You forgot your fan,” she said. “Luckily I noticed it. And here it is.”

Too bemused still to know who was speaking, he seized her hands.

“Dear cousin, I never ventured before to bare my heart to you,” he declared. “Now that I’ve summoned up courage to speak, I’ll die con­tent. I was making myself ill on account of you, but I dared not tell any­one and hid my feelings. I shan’t recover till you’re better too, I can’t forget you even in my dreams.”

“Merciful Buddha, save me!” cried Xiren in consternation. Shaking him she asked, “What sort of talk is this? Has some evil spirit taken possession of you? Go quickly!”

When Baoyu came to himself and saw Xiren there, blushing all over his face he snatched the fan and ran off without a word.

As the maid watched him go it dawned on her that his avowal had been meant for Daiyu, in which case it must surely lead to trouble and scandal. That would be truly fearful. She wondered how best to avert such a dreadful calamity.

She was still lost in thought when Baochai appeared.

“‘Why are you standing here dreaming?” asked Baochai. “This sun is scorching.”

“Two sparrows were fighting over there,” improvised Xiren hastily. “It was so amusing that I stayed to watch.”

“Where has Cousin Bao rushed off to all dressed up? I saw him passing and thought of stopping him; but because nowadays he often

talks so wildly, I decided not to call out.”

“The master sent for him.”

“Aiya! On such a sweltering day. What for? Could it be that something’s made him angry and he’s sent for Cousin Bao to lecture him?”

“It’s nothing like that,” replied Xiren with a laugh. “I think a guest wants to see him.”

“A guest with no sense.” Baochai appeared amused. “Why gad about in such hot weather instead of staying indoors and keeping cool?”

“Why indeed?”

“And what was Xiangyun doing in your compound?”

“She just dropped in for a chat. You know that pair of shoes I started the other day? I’ve asked her to finish them for me. ”

Baochai glanced around to make sure no one was about. “How could someone with your good sense suddenly be so inconsid­erate?” she asked. “Piecing together what I’ve seen and heard recently, I guess Yun’s a nobody at home. To save expense, her people no longer employ sewing-women but make practically everything they need them­selves. That’s why, during her last few visits, she’s confided to me when nobody was about that she gets quite tired out at home. And when I asked about their daily life, her eyes filled with tears and she made some evasive answer. So I gather she’s having a hard time of it because she lost her parents so early on. I can’t help feeling sorry for her.”

“That’s it, that’s it.” Xiren clapped her hands. “No wonder when I asked her last month to make ten butterfly knots, it took her so long to send them.

“‘I’ve stitched them just anyhow,’ she told me. ‘I hope they’ll do. If you want better ones, wait until I come to stay with you.’

“After what you’ve said, miss, I realize she couldn’t very well refuse but she probably has to work late into the night at home. How stupid of me! If I’d known, I wouldn’t have asked her.”

“Last time she did tell me she has to work till midnight at home, and if she does the least bit of work for other people the ladies of the house don’t like it.”

“But we have such a stubborn, wayward young master he won’t let the sewing-women make any of his things, big or small, and I haven’t the time for it all.”

“Never mind him. Just get the other girls to do it, and tell him you did it yourself.”

“There’s no fooling him. He’d know at once. No, I shall just have to slave away myself.”

“Wait a bit.” Baochai smiled. “Suppose I help you?”

“Will you really? What luck for me.” Xiren beamed. “I’ll bring the shoes over this evening.”

While she was speaking an old maid-servant came panting up to them.

“Just imagine!” she gasped. “That girl Jinchuan, for no reason at all, has drowned herself in the well.”

Xiren gave a start.

“Which Jinchuan?”

“How many Jinchuans are there? The girl who worked for the mis­tress, of course. The other day, we don’t know why, she was dismissed. She wept and sobbed at home but no one took any notice, till they found she’d disappeared. Just now one of the water-carriers was drawing water from that well in the southeast corner when he discovered a corpse. He fetched people to get it out, and it was Jinchuan. Her family’s trying frantically to bring her round, but of course it’s too late.”

“This is rather odd!” exclaimed Baochai.

Xiren nodded and sighed, and the thought of her friendship with Jinchuan made tears run down her cheeks. She went back to Happy Red Court while Baochai hurried off to condole with Lady Wang.

All was strangely quiet in Lady Wang’s apartments, where she sat in the inner chamber shedding tears all by herself. Not wanting to mention the maid’s suicide, Baochai sat by her aunt in silence until asked where she had come from.

“From the Garden,” was her reply.

“Did you see your Cousin Bao?”

“Yes, I saw him just now going out in formal clothes, but I don’t know where he’s gone.

Lady Wang nodded tearfully.

“Did you hear this extraordinary business about Jinchuan suddenly drowning herself in the well?”

“Why should she do a thing like that for no reason? It’s very strange.”

“The other day she broke something of mine, and in a fit of anger I struck her and sent her away. I was meaning to punish her for a couple of days and then to have her fetched back. I’d no idea she’d fly into such a passion she’d jump into the well. This is all my fault.”

“You feel that way, auntie, because you’re so kind-hearted. But I can’t believe she drowned herself in a tantrum. She was playing by the well, more likely, and fell in. After being rather confined in your rooms she’d want to play around once she left, stands to reason. How could she work herself into such a passion? If she did, that was very foolish. She doesn’t deserve any pity.”

Lady Wang nodded.

“But even if you’re right,” she sighed, “I still feel bad about it.”

“Don’t take it so much to heart, auntie. If you feel bad about it, just give them a few extra taels of silver for her burial and you’ll be doing all a kind mistress could.”

“Just now I gave her mother fifty taels. I wanted to give them two sets of your cousins’ new clothes to lay her out in as well; but according to Xifeng the only ones ready are two new sets for your Cousin Lin’s birthday. She’s such a sensitive child, so delicate too, that wouldn’t she think it unlucky to have the clothes made for her birthday made over to a dead girl? So I’ve told the tailors to make two new sets as fast as they can. If it had been any other maid, I’d have felt a few taels of silver would be enough; but Jinchuan was with me for some time and was just like a daughter to me.” As she was speaking she could not help shedding more tears.

“There’s no need to hurry the tailors, “said Baochai. “The other day I had two sets made. I can easily fetch them for her. That would save lots of trouble. When she was alive she wore my old clothes and they were a perfect fit.”

“But aren’t you afraid it may bring bad luck?”

Baochai smiled.

“Don’t worry, auntie. I’m not superstitious.”

She rose to go, and Lady Wang sent two maids along with her.

When Baochai returned with the clothes a little later she found Baoyu sitting in tears beside his mother. Lady Wang had been scolding him, but at Baochai’s entrance she stopped. The girl was shrewd enough to guess pretty well what had happened. She handed over the clothes to Lady Wang who sent for Jinchuan’s mother and gave them to her.

What happened next is related in the following chapter.

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