CHAPTER 84
Bao-yu is given an impromptu examination,
and his betrothal is discussed for the first time
Jia Huan visits a convulsive child,
and old hostilities are resumed
Bao-chai diagnosed her mother’s sudden pain as an up?ward movement of humour from the liver into the chest, brought on by the recent scene with Jin-gui. Without waiting for a doctor, she sent a servant out instantly to buy a few drams of Woody Vine Hooks, and made a strong brew for Aunt Xue to drink. Then Caltrop helped administer a leg-pummelling and chest-massage. The pain eased a little; but Aunt Xue’s anger at Jin-gui’s outrageous behaviour, and her distress that Bao-chai should have had to submit to such humiliation, continued unabated.
Eventually, after another dose of daughterly reasoning, she fell asleep, and the humour was given a chance to sub?side.
‘Now please don’t worry any more, Mama,’ pleaded Bao-chai, when she awoke. ‘In a day or two, when you feel up to it, why not go over and see Lady Jia and Aunt Wang? It would do you a world of good. Caltrop and I can take care of things here while you’re away. And I’m sure there will be no more trouble from her.’
Aunt Xue nodded.
‘Perhaps I will in a couple of days.’
*
The news finally arrived that Yuan-chun had recovered, and everyone in the Jia family was greatly relieved. A day or two later a party of eunuchs arrived from the palace with a consignment of presents and parcels of money. They announced that it was Her Grace’s wish to reward the family for the diligence they had shown in visiting her during her Indisposition. The eunuchs handed over the carefully labelled gifts one by one. Jia She, Jia Zheng and the other menfolk went in to report to Grandmother Jia, and then all returned to express their thanks for the lar?gesse. When the eunuchs had drunk their tea and gone, there was a family gathering in Grandmother Jia’s apartment. After a few minutes, while they were still chatting, an old serving-woman came in with a message:
‘The pages have reported that there’s a visitor at the other side on important business for Sir She, milady.’
With Grandmother Jia’s permission, Jia She left to see to his own affairs. When he had gone, she suddenly thought of something and her face lit up with a smile.
‘It’s so touching,’ she said, turning to Jia Zheng, ‘the way Her Grace remembers Bao-yu! The other day she made a point of asking about him.’
‘Her solicitude,’ replied Jia Zheng with a sarcastic smile, ‘is as generous as it is undeserved. Increasing idle?ness is the only fruit that young tree will ever bear.’
‘But I gave him a glowing report!’ protested Grand?mother Jia. ‘I said how well he was doing at his composi?tions.’
‘I only wish it were the truth,’ said Jia Zheng with a crushing smile.
‘But you and your friends are always asking him to write verses and things for you – I’m sure he’s making progress, whatever you say. He’s still young, be patient with him. “A single spoonful never made a bouncing babe,” as the saying goes.’
Jia Zheng affected a dutiful smile.
‘Yes, Mother.’
‘Which brings me,’ the old lady continued, ‘to the other thing I want to talk about. Now that Bao-yu is growing up, it’s time you and his mother started thinking seriously of choosing a nice wife for him. Marriage is going to be a most important step in his life. We needn’t worry too much how, closely related to us she is, or how much money they’ve got; but we must be sure that she’s sweet-natured, and a pretty sort of girl.’
‘Thank you for reminding me, Mother,’ replied Jia Zheng rather stiffly. ‘But although of course I appreciate the importance of choosing a suitable bride, the first step, as I see it, must lie with Bao-yu himself. Without a marked improvement on his part, any alliance we might hope to arrange would be doomed, and would certainly be a regrettable error for the young lady concerned. His pre?sent shiftless attitude can only spell matrimonial disaster.’
His response did not please Grandmother Jia.
‘I know that it’s your decision!’ she replied testily, ‘and that I’m an interfering old busybody! But let me say just this: even if I did rather spoil him when he was little, and even if he isn’t quite as grown-up and responsible as you think he ought to be, I still think he has always been a nice, well-mannered, honest boy. I think you’re quite wrong to treat him as a ne’er-do-well, or as some sort of threat to a young girl’s happiness. He’s not like that at all. Oh perhaps I am prejudiced! He’s preferable to young Huan, anyway. Or would you like to correct me there as well?’
Jia Zheng was by now feeling extremely uncomfortable. ‘You are of course by far the more experienced judge of character, Mother,’ he replied swiftly. ‘You may be right in thinking that fate has favoured him. Perhaps it is my own – how shall I put it. – impatience to detect a sense of purpose in the lad that has made of me a crabbed old father, and of Bao-yu the – eh – “crab-apple of my eye”?’
The labour required on his part in the manufacture of this sparkling piece of verbal merriment did not quite nul?lify its object, viz. the humouring of the old lady, and she smiled, whereupon the other ladies contributed a polite round of laughter.
‘Yes,’ said Grandmother Jia, ‘and don’t forget how much older you are. It’s that and your experience as a civil servant that have made you so mellow and wise.
She turned to Lady Xing and Lady Wang with a for?midable glance and went on mischievously:
‘If you could have seen him when he was a boy! He was quite impossible! Far worse than Bao-yu! It was only mar?riage that taught him a thing or two about life. And now he won’t stop complaining about poor Bao. If anything, the boy is more mature for his age than his father was.’
The ladies thought this assault on the bastion of Jia Zheng’s’ dignity a great joke, and started laughing and calling Grandmother Jia a tease. Then the junior maids came in and informed Faithful that lunch was ready to be served.
‘Speak up!’ called out Grandmother Jia, her good humour quite restored. ‘Let me in on the secret!’
Faithful smiled and passed on the message.
‘Well in that case,’ ‘said Grandmother Jia, ‘everyone can go home for lunch, except Feng and Cousin Zhen’s wife. I’d like them to stay and keep me company.’
Jia Zheng, Lady Wang and Lady Xing waited until lunch was served and then, after a few more prods from the old lady, they left and went their separate ways.
On their return, Jia Zheng, in the course of conversation with Lady Wang, brought up the subject of his recent contretemps with Grandmother Jia:
‘How Mother idolizes that boy! If only he can do well enough to scrape through his exam, then she will’ have something to feel proud of, a return for all her love, and he will have something to offer in the event of his mar?riage.’
‘How true!’ concurred Lady Wang.
Jia Zheng sent a maid out at once with the following orders for Li Gui:
‘Tell Bao-yu I wish to see him this evening. Instead of coming to see me after school, he is to have his dinner first and come straight to my study afterwards. There are some questions I wish to put to him.’
Li Gui intercepted Bao-yu on his way home from school that afternoon, just as he was about to go in and pay his respects to his father. Bao-yu seemed thunder?struck by the ominous summons; he went to see Grand-mother Jia, hurried back to Green Delights, ate a scanty meal, quickly rinsed his mouth and set off again for his father’s apartment.
Jia Zheng was waiting for him in the inner study. Bao?yu entered, made his bow and stood attentively to one side.
‘As you know,’ Jia Zheng began, ‘I have been rather preoccupied recently and have not had an opportunity to question you on the progress of your studies. Let me see, I recall that the Preceptor had set you a month for revi?sion, after which time he was to give you your Maiden Theme. That must have been at least two months ago. You should have made a start by now, I think.’
‘I have, sir,’ replied Bao-yu. ‘I have written three com?positions. I have been waiting for my work to improve before venturing to trouble you with any specimens of it. Those were the Preceptor’s instructions, sir.’
‘What were your first three Themes?’
‘The first was from Analects, sir, Book Two,’ replied Bao-yu. “‘Annos Quindecim natus: The Sage Bent upon Learning in his Fifteenth Year.” The second was also from Analects, Book One: “Obscuritatem Ae quo Animo Toler?atam: Lack of Acclaim Borne with Equanimity.” And the third was from Mencius, Book Three, Part Two: “Tunc Accedunt Micium: They Succumb to the Mician Heresy.”‘
‘And have you kept your draft versions?’ asked Jia Zheng.
‘I have fair copies of all three, sir, with the Preceptor’s emendations.’
‘Are they at home, or in the schoolroom?’
‘In the schoolroom, sir.’
‘Then have someone go and fetch them at once. I should like to see them.’
Bao-yu sent an ‘express’ message through to Tealeaf:
‘Go to the schoolroom; in the drawer of my desk is a thin bamboo-paper copybook with Tasks written on the cover. Bring it here, quickly!’
In a short while Tealeaf returned with the book, which he handed to Bao-yu who presented it to his father. Jia Zheng opened it at the first page and began reading the first of the eight ‘legs’ of Bao-yu’s Maiden Task.
AMPLICATIO PRIMA
THEMA: ANNOS QUINDECIM NATUS CRUS PRIMUM: APERTURA
Sapiens perfectusque Vir
a puero quidem
se ad Philosophiam applicavit.
Jia Zheng glanced at the emendation and asked Bao-yu to construe his Apertura orally. Bao-yu began:
‘The Sage, while still a boy… forsooth… was wholly Bent upon Learning.’
Jia Zheng looked up.
‘Your use of puer betrays an inadequate comprehension of the Theme. I see the Preceptor has substituted the annos quindecim natus of the original. Good. Pueritia, you see, covers the whole span of boyhood up to and includ?ing the age of sixteen, whereas here the Sage is alluding to specific milestones in his own life. We must echo the numbers he uses, if we are to preserve the correct sequence of his moral and intellectual development.’
Jia Zheng continued with the second ‘leg’.
CRUS SECUNDUM: CONTINUATIO
Tantam autem Applicationem
Rarissimam esse confiteor.
‘And what,’ he asked with a shake of the head, ‘do you mean by this?’
‘That the Sage’s application,’ replied Bao-yu, ‘is a thing ordinary mortals scarcely ever achieve.’
‘Childish nonsense, my boy! It only shows what a crea?ture of indolence you are. I am glad to see that the Precep?tor has rewritten the entire Continuatio for you. Kindly construe, from “omnibus enim”.’
Bao-yu obliged:
‘For many are those who aspire to Learning. But how few alas possess the application necessary for the fulfil?ment of this Aspiration. Does not the Sage’s achievement testify to the strength of his Moral Convictions in his Fif?teenth Year?’
‘I thank you. I trust you understand the emendation?’
‘Yes sir.
Jia Zheng passed on to the second Theme (It may be helpful at this point to provide some idea of the pedagogic principles that guided Dai-ru in his selection of Themes for his young pupil. His plan was roughly speaking as follows: First Theme – reiterate need for Youthful Zeal. Second Theme – clarify point raised during second day’s oral exegesis, viz. Worldly Success versus Moral Achievement. Third Theme – Orthodoxy versus Heresy.): ‘Lack of Acclaim Borne with Equanimity.’ Jia Zheng read the Pre?ceptor’s emended version, translating to himself as he went along:
‘If a man is able to view Worldly Acclaim with Equanimity, nothing can affect his Pleasure and Delight’.
He screwed up his eyes to decipher Bao-yu’s original:
‘What’s all this? “Equanimity is the Essence of Scho?larship.” You have completely failed to treat the first ele?ment in your Theme, Obscuritas, and have embarked pre?maturely on a discussion of Nobilitas which should be kept for a later section. Your Preceptor’s emendation shows a correct Dispositio. I hope you notice the way in which he uses Amoenitatem Dclectationemque Animi to allude to the passage in Analects immediately preceding the rubric? Do you recall? Nonne quidem amoenum? Nonne quidem delectabile? You must study this sort of thing carefully.’
‘Yes sir.
Jia Zheng went on to read Bao-yu’s Continuatio. There was another reference here to the Essence of Scholarship, which had once again been emended by the Preceptor to Pleasure and Delight.
‘The same fault as in your Apertura,’ commented Jia Zheng. ‘The emendation is tolerable. Not particularly stylish, but clear.’
He moved on to the third and last Theme: ‘The Mician Heresy’. As he recollected the provenance of the quota?tion, he looked up in surprise and after a moment’s thought asked Bao-yu:
‘Have you reached this far in Mencius?’
‘Yes sir,’ Bao-yu hastened to assure him. ‘The Preceptor decided to go through Mencius with me first, as it is the easiest of the Four Books. We finished the whole of Men?cius three days ago, and now we are doing Analects Part One.’
Jia Zheng continued reading. By the time Bao-yu had come to write this third composition, he had more or less mastered the ‘ignoble art of the Octopartite’, and had learned to handle the necessary rhetorical constructions with a certain glib dexterity. Jia Zheng studied the first two ‘legs’, and observed that in this case the Preceptor had paid the young essayist the compliment of a total suspen?sion of the corrective brush. The Apertura lamented the fact that those who rejected the Hedonist Doctrine of Yanxius (Yanxianam il/am Voluptatis Doctrinam) were still unable to find the True Path of Confucian Orthodoxy (Orthodoxiae Confucianae Veram Viam), but were instead blindly drawn into the fold of that prevalent (and deplor?able) Mician Heresy of Universal Love (Micianam illam Caritatis Universae Heterodoxiam).
‘Nicely put,’ Jia Zheng commented, and continued reading. A little further on he paused. ‘Tell me,’ he asked, evidently impressed by what he read, ‘did you write this unaided?’
‘Yes sir.
He nodded pensively.
‘Nothing brilliant about it of course, but for a first attempt not at all bad, I must say. Ah, Mencius! I recall how during my tour of duty as an examiner I had occasion to set as one of my Themes “Soli Nobilitatis Sapientiaeque Alumni suntpotis”. All the first-degree candidates, I regret to say, had their heads crammed full of the standard com?positions on the Theme, and not a single one of them could come up with anything original. All plagiarisms. Are you familiar with the quotation?’
‘Yes sir. Mencius, Book One, Part Two: “Only Good Breeding and a Heritage of Culture have the power to sus?tain a man in the face of Adversity”
‘Good,’ replied Jia Zheng. ‘I should like you to show me what you can do. Something of your own, please, not another feat of memorization. An Apertura will do.’
Bao-yu lowered his head in concentration and began racking his brains for a pithy opening phrase, while Jia Zheng stood thoughtfully in the doorway, hands clasped behind his back. Just at that moment, a diminutive page?boy went flashing past. As he caught sight of the Master in the doorway, he froze, his body slightly inclined, his arms hanging limp at his side.
‘What is your errand, boy?’ asked Jia Zheng brusquely.
‘Please, sir, Mrs Xue has just arrived at Her Old Ladyship’s and Mrs Lian has sent me with special instruc?tions to the kitchen, sir,’ jabbered the unfortunate boy. Jia Zheng made no reply, and he fled.
Now Bao-yu assumed that if Aunt Xue had come over for a visit, then Bao-chai (whom he had greatly missed since her departure from the Garden) was sure to have come with her. His excitement at the thought of seeing her again spurred him on.
‘Sir,’ he ventured, ‘I have a draft Apertura for your approval.’
‘Go ahead.’
Bao-yu intoned his opening sentence:
‘Non omnes Sapientiae Alumni sunt, neque possunt ca?rere Stabili Patrimonjo.’
Jia Zheng nodded.
‘Thank you. That will do for today. In future, please bear in mind these two Golden Rules for Composition. Before raising your brush, always be certain of the sequence of your Dispositio and the clarity of your Inventio. Tell me, was your grandmother aware that I sent for you?’
‘Yes sir.’
‘Off you go then. You had better go over and see her now.
‘Sir!’
Bao-yu manoeuvred his way backwards out of the study and set off along the covered way, imitating to perfection the scholar’s leisurely gait. As soon as he reached the moon-gate, however, and had placed its large protective screen between himself and the study, he broke into a run and raced ahead towards Grandmother Jia’s apartment.
‘Careful you don’t trip!’ Tealeaf shouted after him. ‘The Master’s coming.’
Bao-yu was much too excited to pay any attention. As he neared the entrance to Grandmother Jia’s apartment, he could hear the sounds of conversation and laughter coming from within. He could make out, among others, the voices of Lady Wang, Xi-feng and Tan-chun.
When the maids saw him coming, they quickly drew aside the portiere and whispered in his ear as he passed through:
‘Mrs Xue is here, you know.’
Bao-yu hurried in to greet his aunt, and then paid his respects to Grandmother Jia. He gave her a full account of his interview with Jia Zheng, and her face radiated pride and delight.
‘Where’s Cousin Chai?’ he asked, turning to the assem?bled company.
‘She couldn’t come with me today,’ said Aunt Xue, with a rather unconvincing smile. ‘She and Caltrop have a lot of sewing to catch up on at home.’
Bao-yu was very disappointed, and only a sense of duty kept him from leaving at once. Dinner was served and Grandmother Jia and Aunt Xue sat up at the table of hon?our, while Tan-chun and the others took their places down below.
‘Where will Bao-yu be sitting?’ asked Aunt Xue.
‘Up here with me,’ said Grandmother Jia with a smile.
‘Li Gui told me to have my dinner before seeing Father,’ Bao-yu hastily informed her. ‘So I asked for a quick meal when I got in from school. I had a dish of something and a bowl of rice steeped in tea. You all go ahead, please.’
‘In that case,’ said Grandmother Jia, ‘Feng can come and sit with us. Your mother says it’s one of her vegeta?rian days today, so she can eat alone.’
‘That’s right,’ said Lady Wang to Xi-feng. ‘You eat with them. Don’t wait for me. I shall be having my vegetables at home.’
Xi-feng politely took her seat and the maids put out the wine cups and chopsticks. Then Xi-feng went round with the wine kettle, and, when everyone’s cup was filled, re?turned to her seat.
After they had all had a drink of wine, Grandmother Jia asked Aunt Xue:
‘Didn’t I hear you say Caltrop just then? That’s funny. One of my maids was talking only the other day about someone called Lily, and I couldn’t for the life of me think who she meant. When I asked her, she told me it was Caltrop’s new name. Do tell me what she wants to go and change her name for?’
The colour rose in Aunt Xue’s cheeks and she sighed:
‘Please don’t ever mention it again. Since the day Pan married that wretched wife we haven’t had a moment’s peace. The bickering, the nastiness, it’s been too awful. I’ve tried talking to her several times, but she is quite im?pervious to reason. And I can’t bear quarrelling with them all the time, so I just end up trying to turn a blind eye. Yes, she decided to change Caltrop’s name because she said she didn’t like it.’
‘Oh well,’ said Grandmother Jia, ‘what’s in a name when all’s said and done?”
‘I shall die for shame!’ cried Aunt Xue. ‘I’m sure all of you know the real reason. It wasn’t the name. It was the fact that Bao-chai had thought of it in the first place. That’s what she really objected to.’
‘What do you mean?’ asked Grandmother Jia.
Aunt Xue had been dabbing at her eyes all the while with her handkerchief. She heaved another deep sigh be?fore she was able to continue.
‘Surely you must know? Every single thing my daugh?ter-in-law does is aimed at provoking Bao-chai. She won’t leave her alone. The other day, when you sent someone round to see me, we were in the middle of one of our scenes!’
‘That must have been the day I heard you had a little bit of a liver upset,’ said Grandmother Jia tactfully. ‘I was going to send someone over to see how you were, but then I heard that you were feeling better so I thought no more about it. You should take my advice, dear, and stop worrying. They’re a newly married couple and you must give them time to settle down. And you’re so lucky to have Chai. She is such a gentle, unflappable girl. She may be young, but my word, she has the aplomb of someone twice her age! When my maid came back and told us what had happened that day; and the way she coped with it, we were all singing her praises. Such a wonderful disposition! She’s a girl in a million. When she gets married, if you don’t mind my saying so, her mother-in-law will take her to her bosom and the whole household will be devoted to her, I am certain of it.’
Earlier, Bao-yu had found the general tenor of the conversation rather distasteful, and was just saying some?thing about having to leave when his grandmother embarked upon this eulogy of Bao-chai, and he found himself listening with rapt attention.
‘What’s the use?’ said Aunt Xue. ‘Whatever her qual?ities, she is still only a daughter. With a son as hopeless as Pan, I can have no peace; I never stop worrying in case he has gone off to one of his haunts, had too much to drink again and landed himself in another brawl. In fact the only time I ever feel at all reassured is when he’s over here with his cousins Zhen and Lian.’
At this, Bao-yu chirped up:
‘There’s really nothing to fear, Auntie. I can vouch for Cousin Pan’s friends. They are all serious businessmen and far too respectable to get into trouble.’
‘In that case,’ said Aunt Xue with a smile, ‘perhaps I shouldn’t worry.’
Supper was over by now, and Bao-yu excused himself, saying he still had some preparation to do that evening. The maids were serving tea, when Amber came into the room and whispered something in Grandmother Jia’s ear. She turned to Xi-feng:
‘You’d better go quickly, my dear. It’s Qiao-jie.’
Xi-feng had no idea what the matter could be and the others were as puzzled as she was.
‘Patience sent one of the younger maids round with a message for you, Mrs Lian,’ explained Amber, crossing over to where Xi-feng sat. ‘Miss Qiao-jie does not seem at all well and would you please go over as soon as possible.’
‘You’d better go straight away,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘You don’t have to stand on ceremony for your Aunt Xue.’
‘Yes Grannie,’ said Xi-feng, and she took her leave of Aunt Xue. As she was on her way out she heard Lady Wang say:
‘You go ahead. I’ll be along shortly. Tell the maids to be quiet and not to make a lot of fuss. Little ones get so
easily unsettled. And make sure that kitten and puppy are kept well out of the way. Poor child! I suppose little up?sets are to be expected in a family as greatly blessed as ours.
Xi-feng promised Lady Wang to carry out her instruc?tions and left with her maid. After her departure, Aunt Xue went on to inquire after Dai-yu’s health.
‘Miss Lin is all right,’ replied Grandmother Jia. ‘She just takes everything too seriously. That’s what is under?mining her health, if you ask me. She may be as clever as Bao-chai, but she lacks your daughter’s easy way with people. Chai is so responsible and considerate.’
The conversation continued a little longer, and then Aunt Xue said she must be going.
‘I’ll leave you in peace now. I’d better see how Chai and Caltrop are getting on at home. I’ll go along with Aunt Wang and have a look at Qiao-jie on my way.
‘What a good idea,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘With your experience you will be able to give them some helpful advice, I’m sure.’
Aunt Xue took her leave and went with Aunt Wang to Xi-feng’s apartment.
To return to Jia Zheng: he had been pleasantly sur?prised by Bao-yu’s performance that evening, and men?tioned it later in the course of conversation with his liter?ary friends in the outer study. A newcomer among them, an excellent Go-player by the name of Wang Er-tiao (also called Go-between Wang), remarked:
‘I think we have all noticed a marked progress in Master Bao, sir. He is becoming quite a cultured young fellow.’
‘I hardly think so,’ replied Jia Zheng. ‘His powers of comprehension have improved, I grant you. But culture? No, he has a long way to go yet.’
‘Come come, Sir Zheng!’ said Zhan Guang. ‘You are being too modest. Friend Wang’s opinion is one we all share. Master Bao will surely go far.’
‘I’m afraid you are allowing your partiality for the boy to sway your judgement,’ was their patron’s reply, but he was visibly pleased.
‘With your leave, sir,’ continued Wang, ‘there is another matter in this connection that I should like to broach if I
may.’
‘By all means.’
Wang gave a smarmy smile.
‘An acquaintance of mine, Excellency Zhang, who used to be Taotai of the Nanshao Circuit, has a daughter, sir, a
most attractive, industrious and generally commendable child, so I am told, and as yet unbetrothed.. Excellency Zhang has no sons of his own and is, I should add, a man of enormous wealth. He is most particular in this matter, and stipulates that his son-in-law must come from an emi?nent and prosperous family, and must be a young man of distinguished character himself. In the two months I have been here, sir, I have become aware of the moral and in?tellectual calibre of young Master Bao, the promise of great things to come. If the proposal were known to come from a family as illustrious as your own, sir, it would I am sure need but a single visit from me for the betrothal to be as good as settled.’
‘It is true that Bao-yu has reached a marriageable age,’ replied Jia Zheng. ‘Lady Jia has reminded me of it more than once. But who is this Excellency Zhang? I’m afraid I don’t know him.’
‘Allow me to clarify, if I may,’ ventured Zhan. ‘I am acquainted with the Zhang family friend Wang refers to. They are related to Sir She’s family, in point of fact, and it should be easy enough to elicit more information trom them.’
‘Really?’ said Jia Zheng thoughtfully.. ‘I can’t say I have ever heard the name of any such relation mentioned at my brother’s.’
‘Well, strictly speaking, sir,’ explained Zhan, ‘they are related by marriage to Lady Xing’s elder brother.’
‘So, that’s where the relationship lies,’ thought Jia Zheng.
A little later he went in, with the intention of talking this new proposal over with Lady Wang and asking her to sound out Lady Xing about the Zhang family. He found, however, that his wife was out, visiting Qiao-jie with Aunt Xue. At lighting-up time, when Aunt Xue went home and Lady Wang returned, Jia Zheng discussed the proposal with her. He also asked after Qiao-jie.
‘We~ think it’s convulsions,’ she said.
‘Nothing serious, I hope?’
‘It’s too early to tell. The fits have still not passed.’
Jia Zheng sighed but said no more, and they retired for the night.
*
Next day, when Lady Xing came to pay her morning respects to Grandmother Jia, Lady Wang mentioned the marriage proposal and took the opportunity of asking Lady Xing about the Zhang family.
‘Yes, they are relations of ours,’ divulged Lady Xing. ‘But we’ve had no contact with them for years now, so I’ve no notion what this Miss Zhang is like. Now that you mention it, Ying’s mother-in-law, Mrs Sun, sent one of her women to call on me a day or two ago, and she mentioned the Zhangs. She told me they had a daughter and had asked the Suns to look out for a suitable husband for her. Apparently she is an only child and rather delicate. She has had a little education and sounds a quiet, shy sort of girl, used to staying at home. As she is an only child, her father won’t contemplate her leaving home. He is afraid the severity of a mother-in-law might be too much of a strain for her and insists on her husband coming to live with them and taking on his share of their family respon?sibilities.’
‘Out of the question!’ exclaimed Grandmother Jia. ‘Bao-yu is difficult enough for us to look after as it is. Can you imagine sending him out to be the head of some strange family?’
‘You are absolutely right of course,’ said Lady Xing.
Grandmother Jia turned to Lady Wang.
‘Be sure to tell Zheng when you go home that I say this match is definitely off.’
‘Yes Mother.’
‘Tell me,’ the old lady continued, ‘how was Qiao-jie when you went to see her yesterday? Patience gave me the impression earlier on that it was something serious. I should like to go and see her myself.’
The two ladies thanked Grandmother Jia for the kind thought, but begged her not to trouble herself for Qiao-jie’s sake.
‘It’s not only for her sake. It’s the exercise. I’d like to stretch my legs a bit,’ said the old lady. ‘You two have your lunch and then we can all go over together.’
Lady Wang and Lady Xing went home for lunch. Afterwards they collected Grandmother Jia and escorted her to Xi-feng’s apartment. Xi-feng greeted them at the door and conducted them inside.
‘How is she?’ asked Grandmother Jia.
‘It seems to be an attack of convulsions,’ Xi-feng in?formed her.
‘Hadn’t you better call the doctor straight away?’
‘We already have, Grannie dear.’
Grandmother Jia went in with Lady Wang and Lady Xing and found Qiao-jie in the arms of her nurse, wrap?ped in a little padded quilt of pink damask-silk, her face deathly white, her eyebrows and nostrils quivering slight?ly.After a brief inspection, they withdrew to the outer room, and sat down to talk. Presently a junior maid from Lady Wang’s apartment came in with a message for Xi-feng:
‘The Master has sent to inquire how Qiao-jie is, Mrs Lian.’
‘Tell him we have sent for the doctor,’ replied Xi-feng, ‘and that I will report as soon as he has made out his pre?scription.’
The maid’s arrival reminded Grandmother Jia of the re?cently aired marriage proposal. She turned to Lady Wang:
‘You ought to go and tell Zheng straight away about that business, dear. If we put a stop to it now, before someone talks to the Zhang family, we will save ourselves the trouble of having to say no to them later.’
She turned to Lady Xing.
‘Why is it you haven’t seen much of the Zhangs lately, anyway?’
‘As a matter of fact,’ replied Lady Xing, ‘they’re very mean and not the right sort of family for us at all. It would have been a needless humiliation for Bao-yu.’
‘That must be Bao-yu’s betrothal you are talking about, Mother?’ said Xi-feng, who had already formed a shrewd idea of what was going on.
‘Why yes, we are actually,’ said Lady Xing.
Grandmother Jia told Xi-feng about the Zhang pro?posal. Xi-feng laughed:
‘I hope you’ll excuse me, Grannie, Mother, Auntie Wang, for speaking out of turn, but what need is there to go looking for a wife for Bao-yu, when we have a “pre?destined affinity” here before our very eyes?’
‘What do you ‘mean?’ asked Grandmother Jia, intrigued.
‘Surely, Grannie, you can’t have forgotten Bao’s Magic Jade and Chai’s Golden Locket?’
Grandmother Jia laughed.
‘Of course! But why on earth didn’t you mention it while Aunt Xue was here yesterday?’
‘It would hardly have been right for me to speak up in the presence of my elders and betters,’ replied Xi-feng. ‘Besides, Aunt Xue had come on a social call and it would have been out of place. If we are to do the thing
properly, Mother and Aunt Wang must go over and ask Aunt Xue formally for Bao-chai’s hand.’
They all laughed at her.
‘Bless you, Fengie,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘I really must be going gaga.’
113
Meanwhile the doctor was announced and Grand?mother Jia took a seat in the outer room, while the two ladies discreetly withdrew. The doctor entered with Jia Lian and paid his respects to Grandmother Jia before pro?ceeding into Qiao-jie’s room. When he returned, he bowed to Grandmother Jia and pronounced his diagnosis.
‘The little girl is suffering from a convulsive attack com?plicated by an internal fever. She must first take a single dose of a combined anti-spasmodic and expectorant, and then I want you to give her a course of Four Prodigies Powders. It is quite a serious attack.
‘You will notice Cow’s Bezoar-stone in my prescrip?tion. I should mention that a lot of the Bezoars sold by the apothecaries nowadays are not genuine. It is important that you procure the real thing.’
Grandmother Jia thanked him for coming, and the doc?tor went out with Jia Lian, wrote out his prescription and left.
‘There’s always Ginseng in the house,’ said Xi-feng, ‘but I don’t think we’ve any Bezoar. We’ll have to buy some and make sure it’s genuine.’
‘Wait until I’ve sent someone round to my sister’s,’ said Lady Wang. ‘I know Pan has often done business with merchants from overseas. They might easily have some real Bezoar.’
As she was speaking, several of the girls arrived to see Qiao-jie. They stayed for a short while, and then left with Grandmother Jia and the others.
Qiao-jie’s expectorant was now prepared and poured down her throat. There was a retching sound and up it came, medicine, phlegm and all, much to Xi-feng’s relief. One of Lady Wang’s junior maids arrived with a little red paper packet.
‘We found some Bezoar, ma’am. Her Ladyship says you’re to weigh Out the correct amount and take as much as you need.’
Xi-feng asked the maid to convey her thanks to Lady
Wang, took the package and told Patience to mix Pulve?rized Pearl, Baros Camphor and Cinnabar in the pre?scribed proportions and bring them to the boil. She herself weighed out the correct amount of powdered Bezoar on the scales and added it to the mixture. She waited for Qiao-jie to wake again before administering the potion.
Who should lift the door-blind and walk in at this very moment but Jia Huan.
‘How’s Qiao-jie, Cousin Feng? Mother sent me to inquire.’
The sight of either Aunt Zhao or her son invariably made. Xi-feng’s hackles rise.
‘She’s a little better,’ she replied in rather a caustic tone. ‘When you go back, please tell your mother I’m sorry to have caused her so much trouble.’
Jia Huan mumbled something about going, but started nosing round the room.
‘I say,’ he said after a while. ‘I heard you had some of that Bezoar stuff in here. I’ve never seen any before. Let’s have a look.’
‘Qiao-jie is only just on the mend,’ said Xi-feng, ‘so do you mind not crashing around in here? The Bezoar has all been used for her potion anyway.
Hearing this, Jia Huan reached out clumsily for the chafing-skillet to have a look. He lost his grip, and there was a great hiss as the skillet tipped over and the precious medicine spilled into the brazier, half extinguishing the fire. Jia Huan could see he was in for trouble and beat a hasty retreat. Xi-feng was so furious she seemed to emit sparks of rage.
‘You vile harpy’s brat!’ she screamed after him. ‘Bane of my life! What can I have done in a past life to deserve such spite? Your mother tried to do me in, now it’s Qiao-jie’s turn! How many generations must this feud go on for?’
Patience had her share of the blame too, for not being more careful. While Xi-feng was in full spate, a maid came in to fetch Jia Huan home.
‘Go and tell Mrs Zhao,’ ordered Xi-feng, ‘that she is putting herself to too much trouble. Qiao-jie is as good as dead already, so she needn’t go to such lengths!’
The maid, nonplussed by Xi-feng’s remarks, went over to Patience, who was busy mixing up another dose of medicine, and asked her in a whisper:
‘What’s made Mrs Lian so angry?’
Patience told her about Jia Huan’s disastrous episode.
‘No wonder he ran away and didn’t dare come home!’ exclaimed the maid. ‘Goodness knows how that Huan will turn out! Can I help you tidy up, Patience?’
‘Don’t worry. Luckily we had a little Bezoar left and it’s all mixed now, so you might as well go.
‘I’ll certainly tell Mrs Zhao the minute I get back. Perhaps that will stop her bragging about him all the time.
The maid returned and, true to her word, gave Aunt Zhao a detailed account of Jia Huan’s debacle.
‘Bring him to me!’ cried Aunt Zhao in an agitated tone.
After a brief search, the maid discovered him skulking in the adjoining room, and Aunt Zhao immediately began discharging a volley of abuse in his direction:
‘You miserable little runt! What did you have to go and get yourself into trouble for, spilling their medicine all over the place? I said go and ask how she was, not go barging in! But you had to, didn’t you? And when you were in, you had to stay and goad the dragon on. You must have known you were playing with fire! You wait till I tell your father about this! He’ll give you the thrashing you deserve!’
Even stronger words had already been let loose in reply from the other room. But to hear for yourself, please turn to the next chapter.
