Chapter 110: Lady Dowager Dies and Goes to the Underworld; Wang Xifeng Exhausts Her Strength and Loses the People's Hearts

CHAPTER 110

Lady Jia Reaches Her Life's End and Returns to the Nether World; Wang Xifeng Exhausts Her Strength and Loses the People's Hearts

Lady Jia sat up and said, "I have been in your family for more than sixty years. From my youth to my old age, I have enjoyed every blessing. From your father and uncles down to my sons and grandsons, they have all been good to me. As for Baoyu, I have doted on him all this time." As she spoke, she cast her eyes about the room. Lady Wang pushed Baoyu forward to the bedside. Lady Jia reached out her hand from under the covers and took Baoyu's hand, saying, "My child, you must strive to be worthy!" Baoyu agreed, but his heart ached and tears threatened to fall; he dared not cry, so he stood and listened as Lady Jia continued: "If I could see a great-grandson, I would be at peace. Where is my L?" Li Wan pushed Jia Lan forward. Lady Jia released Baoyu and took Jia Lan's hand, saying, "You must be filial to your mother. When you grow up and become a man, let your mother share in your glory. Where is Feng girl?" Xifeng, who had been standing beside Lady Jia, quickly stepped forward and said, "I am here." Lady Jia said, "My child, you are too clever. In the future, cultivate some blessings for yourself. I have not cultivated much—only been honest and suffered losses. I never did much of those vegetarian fasts or chanting sutras, except last year when I had someone write out copies of the Diamond Sutra to give away. I wonder if they were all given out?" Xifeng replied, "Not yet." Lady Jia said, "You should have given them all away long ago. Our Elder Master and Zhen are enjoying themselves outside. Most detestable is that Shi girl—she has no conscience. Why does she never come to see me?" Yuanyang and the others knew the reason but said nothing. Lady Jia looked at Baochai, sighed, and her face flushed red. Jia Zheng realized this was a last flicker of life and quickly brought ginseng soup. But Lady Jia's jaws were already locked tight. She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them and looked around the room. Lady Wang and Baochai gently supported her, while Lady Xing and Xifeng hastened to dress her. The old women below had already prepared the bed, spreading the bedding. They heard a slight rattle in Lady Jia's throat, her face changed to a smile, and she was gone, at the age of eighty-three. The old women quickly laid out the corpse. Then Jia Zheng and the others knelt outside, while Lady Xing and the women knelt inside, and together they began the mourning wail. Outside, the servants had prepared everything. As soon as the news was relayed, from the main gate of the Rong Mansion to the inner gates, every door was flung wide open, all covered with white paper. The mourning shed was raised high, and the archway before the main gate was erected instantly. Everyone, high and low, immediately put on mourning clothes. Jia Zheng reported his bereavement. The Ministry of Rites informed the Emperor, who, in his deep benevolence and generous grace, considering the family's generations of meritorious service and the fact that the deceased was the grandmother of the Imperial Consort Yuan, bestowed a thousand taels of silver and ordered the Ministry of Rites to preside over the funeral. The family sent servants everywhere to announce the death. Although relatives and friends knew of the Jia family's decline, seeing the Emperor's great favor, they all came to offer condolences. An auspicious hour was chosen for the encoffining, and the coffin was laid in the main hall. Jia was not at home, so Jia Zheng, as the eldest, took charge. Baoyu, Jia Huan, and Jia Lan, being direct grandsons and young, were to keep vigil by the coffin. Jia Lian, also a direct grandson, together with Jia Rong, could still assign tasks to the servants. Although some outside relatives were invited to help, inside, Lady Xing, Lady Wang, Li Wan, Xifeng, Baochai, and others had to weep by the coffin. You-shi could have helped, but since Jia Zhen had gone away and she lived in the Rong Mansion, she had never taken charge, and moreover, she was not well-versed in the affairs of the Rong household. Jia Rong's wife needed no mention. Xichun was young, and although she had grown up there, she knew nothing of household management. Thus, inside there was no one to take command except Xifeng, who could manage the interior affairs. And since Jia Lian was in charge outside, the two of them were well-suited for the task.

Xifeng, relying on her past abilities, had originally thought that when the old lady died, she would have a great role to play. Lady Xing and Lady Wang knew that she had managed Qin-shi's funeral and had done it well, so they ordered Xifeng to take charge of the interior affairs. Xifeng, who should not have declined, naturally agreed, thinking to herself: "This household's affairs have always been my responsibility, and those servants are under my command. The servants of the Elder Lady and of Zhen's wife have always been hard to manage, but now they are all gone. Although there is no tally-stick system for silver, this funeral silver is ready at hand. And the outside affairs are handled by him. Even though I am not well these days, I don't think I will incur any criticism. It should be even easier to manage than the Ning Mansion affair." Having decided, she waited until the next day, when the third-day rites were performed. Early the next morning, she sent Zhou Rui's wife to spread the word and bring the register of servants. Xifeng examined it and found only twenty-one male servants and nineteen female servants. The rest were maids, and counting those from each apartment, there were no more than thirty-odd people—hardly enough to assign duties. She thought: "This time, for the old lady's funeral, there are even fewer people than in the Eastern Mansion." She had a few men brought in from the estates, but they were still insufficient for the tasks. As she was pondering, a young maid came and said, "Sister Yuanyang invites you, Mistress." Xifeng had to go. She found Yuanyang crying like a figure made of tears. Yuanyang grabbed Xifeng's hand and said, "Please sit down, Second Mistress. Let me kowtow to you. Although one should not perform ceremonies during mourning, this kowtow must be done." As Yuanyang spoke, she knelt. Startled, Xifeng quickly pulled her up, saying, "What kind of ceremony is this? Speak properly if you have something to say." Yuanyang remained kneeling, and Xifeng helped her up. Yuanyang said, "All the affairs of the old lady's funeral, inside and out, are handled by the Second Master and you, Second Mistress. This silver was left by the old lady. In her whole life, the old lady never wasted any money. Now, at this great final event, I must beg you, Second Mistress, to manage it with proper dignity. Just now, I heard the Master talking about 'the Odes says, the Analects says'—I don't understand. He also said something about 'in mourning, better to be sorrowful than elaborate'—I didn't grasp it. I asked Second Mistress Baochai, and she said the Master's intention is that for the old lady's funeral, grief alone is true filial piety, and there is no need to waste money on a show. I think, for a person like the old lady, how could she not deserve some dignity! Though I am but a slave and a maid, and dare not say much, the old lady doted on you, Second Mistress, and on me all this time. At the moment of her death, should she not be honored? I think you, Second Mistress, are capable of great things, so I invited you here to beg you to take charge. I was born to serve the old lady. Even after her death, I will follow her. If I cannot see how her funeral is managed, how can I face her in the future!" Xifeng found these words strange and said, "Rest assured. Dignity is not hard to achieve. Besides, though the Master says to economize, the proper grandeur cannot be neglected. Even if we spend all this silver on the old lady, it is only right." Yuanyang said, "The old lady's dying words were that everything left behind was for us. If you, Second Mistress, find it insufficient, feel free to take these things and sell them to make up the difference. Even if the Master says something, I dare not go against the old lady's last words. Wasn't the Master present when the old lady distributed the property that day?" Xifeng said, "You have always been the most sensible. Why are you so anxious now?" Yuanyang replied, "It's not that I am anxious. It's that the Elder Lady does not concern herself with affairs, and the Master is afraid of attracting attention. If you, Second Mistress, also think like the Master, saying that a family that has been raided should still have such a fine funeral, and that it might invite another raid, and so neglect the old lady—what then? For me, a mere maid, whatever happens does not matter, but it concerns the reputation of this house." Xifeng said, "I understand. Just rest assured. I am here!" Yuanyang thanked her profusely and entrusted everything to Xifeng.

Xifeng came out, thinking to herself, “That Yuanyang is so strange. I can’t figure out what she’s up to. Logically, the Old Lady’s affairs should be handled with a bit more dignity. Ah, never mind her. For now, I’ll just manage things the way we used to do in this house.” So she called for Wang’er’s wife and told her to pass the word and invite the Second Master in. Before long, Jia Lian entered and said, “What do you want me for? You just keep an eye on things inside. Anyway, it’s our Second Master who’s in charge. Whatever he says goes.” Xifeng replied, “So you’re saying that now too! Doesn’t that prove what Yuanyang said was right?” Jia Lian asked, “What did Yuanyang say?” Xifeng then recounted how Yuanyang had called her in. Jia Lian said, “What do their words matter? Just now, Second Master called me over and said that while the Old Lady’s funeral must be handled properly, those in the know will say she took her own life, and those who don’t know will claim we’ve been hiding her wealth and are very well-off. If there’s any silver left over from the Old Lady’s expenses, who would still want it? It should still be spent on her. Though she has a burial plot in the south, there’s no ancestral shrine. Her coffin is to be taken south, so we should use that silver to build some houses on the ancestral graves, and with what’s left, buy a few acres of sacrificial land. Whether we go back ourselves or not, it can let the poor members of the clan live there and tend the incense morning and evening, sweeping and sacrificing on time. Don’t you think that’s a sound plan? From what you’re saying, do you mean we should spend it all?” Xifeng asked, “Has the silver been issued or not?” Jia Lian replied, “Who’s seen any silver! I heard that our lady heard Second Master’s idea and strongly urged Second Lady and Second Master to go along with it, saying it was a good plan. What can I do about it? Out front, the tent and scaffold workers are demanding several hundred taels of silver, and it hasn’t come through yet. When I go to ask, they all say it’s there, but tell me to let the outside workers finish the job first and settle up later. Just think—those servants with money have already slipped away. When I call the roll, some claim illness, others say they’ve gone to the farm. Only a few are left who can’t move, and they only know how to make money, not lose it!” Xifeng listened, stunned for a long while, then said, “Then how can we manage anything!” Just as she spoke, a maid arrived and said, “The First Lady sent me to ask the Second Mistress: today is the third day, and things inside are still in chaos. Are we going to serve the offering meal and keep the relatives waiting? We called for ages, the dishes came, but the rice ran short—what kind of management is this!” Xifeng hurried inside, shouting for people to attend to things, and managed to get the midday meal served somehow. As luck would have it, that day there were many people, and the servants inside all had dead, glassy eyes. Xifeng had to look after things there for a while, then, worried about assigning tasks, rushed out and called for Wang’er’s wife to gather all the menservants and maids, assigning each their duties. Everyone agreed but didn’t move. Xifeng said, “What time is it? Why haven’t you served the meal yet!” The servants replied, “Serving the meal is easy, but we need the supplies from inside to be issued before we can take care of it.” Xifeng said, “You idiots! Once you’re assigned, you’ll get what you need soon enough.” The servants had no choice but to comply reluctantly. Xifeng then went to the main hall to get the necessary items, planning to consult Lady Xing and Lady Wang, but seeing so many people around, it was hard to speak. By then, the sun was already setting in the west, so she had to find Yuanyang and ask about the set of utensils the Old Lady had stored. Yuanyang said, “You’re asking me? Didn’t the Second Master pawn and redeem them that year!” Xifeng said, “I don’t need silver or gold ones, just the everyday set.” Yuanyang replied, “Where do you think the ones in the First Lady’s and the Eldest Mistress’s rooms came from!” Xifeng thought for a moment and realized she was right, so she turned and left, went straight to Lady Wang’s place, found Yuchuan and Caiyun, and finally got a set out. She hastily called Caiming to record it in the ledger and issued it to the servants for safekeeping.

Seeing Xifeng so flustered, Yuanyang wanted to call her back but thought better of it and mused, “In the past, how efficient and thorough she was in handling things! Now why is she so hamstrung? These past two or three days, I haven’t seen her get a handle on anything. Didn’t the Old Lady waste her affection on her!” Little did she know that Lady Xing, upon hearing Jia Zheng’s proposal, found it perfectly suited to her worries about the family’s future financial straits, and she was eager to hold on to something for a final settlement. Besides, the Old Lady’s funeral was the responsibility of the senior branch. Though Jia She was not at home, Jia Zheng was a stickler for rules, so when anything came up, he would say, “Ask the First Mistress for her opinion.” Lady Xing had always known that Xifeng was extravagant and Jia Lian was up to tricks, so she clung tightly and wouldn’t let go. Yuanyang thought the silver had already been handed over, so when she saw Xifeng so constrained, she suspected Xifeng wasn’t putting in effort, and she wept and complained endlessly before Old Lady Jia’s spirit tablet. Lady Xing and the others, hearing the implications in her words, didn’t consider that they themselves weren’t letting Xifeng act freely; instead, they said that Xifeng really wasn’t being conscientious. That evening, Lady Wang called Xifeng over and said, “Though our family isn’t what it used to be, we still have to maintain appearances. These past two or three days, with people coming and going, I’ve noticed that the servants aren’t attending to things properly. I think you haven’t given them clear orders. You need to put in a bit more effort for us.” Xifeng listened, stunned for a moment. She wanted to say that the silver wasn’t available, but money matters were handled by the men outside, and Lady Wang was talking about the servants’ lack of attention, so Xifeng didn’t dare argue and just kept silent. Lady Xing said from the side, “Strictly speaking, it’s the daughters-in-law’s duty to manage things, not the grandson’s wife’s. But we can’t move around easily, so we’re relying on you. You can’t just let go.” Xifeng’s face turned purple with anger. She was about to reply when they heard drums and music outside—it was time to burn the evening paper. Everyone began to wail, and she couldn’t speak. Xifeng planned to come back and talk later, but Lady Wang urged her to go out and handle things, saying, “We’ll take care of things here. You go quickly and prepare for tomorrow’s business.”

Xifeng dared not say another word. Swallowing her grief and tears, she went out and called for the servants to gather again. After giving more instructions, she said, “Aunties and sisters-in-law, have pity on me! I’ve been scolded up there because you’re not doing things properly, and it’s making us a laughingstock. Tomorrow, please put in a bit more effort.” The servants replied, “This isn’t the first time you’ve handled things, Mistress. Would we dare disobey? But this time, the higher-ups have made things too complicated. Take just serving this meal—some want to eat here, others at home; one lady is invited, another doesn’t come. Things like that—how can we get everything right? We beg you, Mistress, to persuade those young ladies not to be so picky, and then things will be fine.” Xifeng said, “First of all, the Old Lady’s maids are hard to deal with, and the ladies’ maids are also difficult. Who am I to talk to about it?” The servants said, “In the old days, when you were acting manager at the East Mansion, you were so sharp—you’d scold and hit, and no one dared to disobey. How come now you can’t even keep these girls in line?” Xifeng sighed, “When I was managing things at the East Mansion, even though it was a temporary assignment, the ladies were there and didn’t say much. Now this is our own family’s business, and it’s a public matter, so everyone has a say. Besides, I can’t even get the silver from outside. For example, when the tent people need something, I send word, but it never gets brought in. What can I do?” The servants said, “Isn’t the Second Master handling things outside?” Xifeng replied, “Don’t even mention him. He’s in a bind too. First of all, the money isn’t in his hands. He has to ask for every single thing, and nothing comes when he needs it.” The servants asked, “Isn’t the Old Lady’s silver in the Second Master’s hands?” Xifeng said, “You can go and ask the stewards when you get back.” The servants said, “No wonder we’ve heard the men outside complaining: ‘With such a big event, we don’t get a single cent, and we’re stuck with all the hard work!’ How can anyone be willing to work together?” Xifeng said, “Enough talk now. Let’s all just be a bit more careful with the immediate tasks. If anything gets back to the higher-ups and they say something, I’ll hold you all responsible.” The servants said, “If you tell them what to do, Mistress, would they dare complain? But with each of the higher-ups having their own ideas, we really can’t cover everything.” Xifeng, at her wit’s end, had to plead, “Dear aunties! Just help me out for one more day. Once I’ve sorted things out with those young ladies, we’ll talk about the rest.” The servants then went off to do as they were told.

Xifeng was filled with grievances, and the more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She endured until dawn, then had to go up to attend to her duties. She wanted to reorganize the staff in various quarters, but feared making Lady Xing angry. She considered speaking to Lady Wang, but Lady Xing was sowing discord in the middle. Seeing that Lady Xing and the others were not helping Xifeng establish her authority, the maidservants became even more insolent toward her. Fortunately, Pinger interceded on Xifeng’s behalf, saying, “The Second Mistress wants nothing more than to handle matters properly, but the masters and mistresses have ordered that no extravagance be allowed outside, so our Second Mistress cannot attend to everything in detail.” After she said this several times, things quieted down a little. Although Buddhist monks and Taoist priests were invited to chant sutras for the salvation of the soul, and people came in an endless stream to offer sacrifices and hang funeral banners, in the end, stinginess with money meant no one was willing to exert themselves, and everything was done hastily and carelessly. For days on end, many princesses and titled ladies arrived, but Xifeng could not go up to attend to them; she had to manage things from below, calling for one person, then another, growing anxious one moment, pleading the next, muddling through one group, then dispatching another. Not only did Yuanyang and the others find it disgraceful, but even Xifeng herself felt ashamed.

Although Lady Xing was the eldest daughter-in-law, she relied on the principle that “grief is filial piety” and paid no attention to anything else. Lady Wang was happy to follow Lady Xing’s example, and the rest needed no mention. Only Li Wan recognized Xifeng’s difficulties, but she dared not speak up for her, merely sighing to herself, “As the saying goes, ‘Though the peony is beautiful, it depends entirely on green leaves for support.’ If the mistresses won’t help Feng girl, how can those people be willing to lend a hand! If the Third Miss were at home, things would be better, but now only her own few people are floundering about, complaining openly and behind her back that they can’t get a single coin and can’t save a shred of face. The master is completely absorbed in filial piety and doesn’t understand household affairs. With such a major event, if you don’t loosen the purse strings and spend some money, how can it be managed properly! Poor Feng girl has worked hard for years, but with this matter concerning the old lady, I’m afraid she won’t be able to preserve her dignity.” So she seized a moment to call her own people and instructed them, “Don’t follow the example of others and bully the Second Mistress Lian. Don’t think that wearing mourning clothes and keeping vigil at the coffin is the end of it—it’s just muddling through a few days. If you see that people can’t manage, there’s no harm in lending a hand. This is everyone’s business, and we should all pitch in.” Those who had always served Li Wan all replied, “The First Mistress is right. We wouldn’t dare do that, but we’ve heard from Sister Yuanyang and the others that they seem to blame the Second Mistress Lian.” Li Wan said, “I’ve told Yuanyang about this too. I said the Second Mistress Lian isn’t neglecting the old lady’s affairs; it’s just that the money isn’t in her hands. How can a clever wife make porridge without rice? Now Yuanyang understands this, so she doesn’t blame her anymore. But Yuanyang’s manner isn’t what it used to be—it’s strange. Back then, when the old lady doted on her, she never threw her weight around. Now that the old lady is dead and she’s lost her backing, I see she’s become rather bad-tempered. I was worried for her before, but now luckily the First Master isn’t home, so she’s avoided trouble. Otherwise, what would she have done?”

As she spoke, Jia Lan came in and said, “Mother, go to sleep. With people coming and going all day, you must be tired. Rest a while. I haven’t touched my books for several days. Today Grandfather told me to come home and sleep, and I’m very happy. I’d like to go over a book or two, so I don’t forget everything when the mourning period ends.” Li Wan said, “Good child, studying is certainly a fine thing. But rest today; wait until the old lady’s funeral is over to study.” Jia Lan said, “Mother, if you want to sleep, I’ll just lie in bed and think things over.” Everyone praised him, saying, “What a fine young gentleman! At such a young age, with any free time, he thinks of his books! Not like Master Bao, who’s married but still acts like a child. These past few days, following the master to kneel, he’s looked very uncomfortable. The moment the master moves, he dashes off to find the Second Mistress, whispering and muttering I don’t know what, until even the Second Mistress ignores him. Then he goes looking for Miss Baoqin, but she keeps her distance. Miss Xing doesn’t talk to him much either. It’s only our own family misses, like Miss Xi and Miss Si, who call him ‘elder brother’ and ‘younger brother’ and are affectionate with him. We think Master Bao has nothing else on his mind except mixing with the ladies and misses. All the old lady’s care in doting on him all these years has been wasted; he’s not a patch on Lan ge’er. First Mistress, you’ll have no worries in the future.” Li Wan said, “Even if he’s good, he’s still young. I’m afraid by the time he grows up, who knows what will become of our family! What do you think of Huan ge’er?” The others replied, “That one’s even worse! His eyes are like a live monkey’s—darting east and west, looking around. Even while he’s wailing at the funeral, when he sees the ladies and misses coming, he peeks at them from inside the mourning curtain.” Li Wan said, “He’s actually not young anymore. The other day I heard they were going to arrange a match for him, but now that will have to wait. Ah, there’s another matter—with all these people in our household, I feel things are beyond sorting out. But let’s not gossip—what about the carriages for the funeral the day after tomorrow? How are they arranged?” The others said, “The Second Mistress Lian has been so flustered these days, like she’s lost her wits, and we haven’t seen any orders given out. Yesterday I heard my husband say that the Second Master Lian has put Master Qiang in charge. He said our family’s carriages aren’t enough, and there are too few drivers, so we’ll have to borrow from relatives.” Li Wan laughed and said, “Can carriages be borrowed?” The others said, “You’re joking, Mistress. Why can’t carriages be borrowed? But on that day, all the relatives will need carriages, so it might be hard to borrow. I suppose we’ll have to hire them.” Li Wan said, “For the lower servants, hiring is fine, but can the white carriages for the masters be hired?” The others said, “Now the First Mistress, the First Mistress of the East Mansion, and the Young Mistress Rong have no carriages. Where would they get them if not by hiring?” Li Wan sighed upon hearing this and said, “In the past, when we saw the ladies and mistresses of our family riding in hired carriages, we all laughed at them. Now it’s our turn. Tomorrow, go tell your husband to prepare our carriage and horses early, so we don’t get caught in a squeeze.” The others agreed and left. We’ll leave that for now.

Let’s talk about Shi Xiangyun. Because her husband was ill, she had only come once since Lady Jia’s death. Counting on her fingers, she knew she couldn’t avoid going to the funeral the day after tomorrow. She also saw that her husband’s illness had become consumption, which for the moment was not critical, so she came over the day before the night vigil. Thinking of how Lady Jia had doted on her in the past, and of her own ill fortune—just when she had been matched with a talented and handsome man of good temperament, he had to fall victim to this cursed disease, merely biding his time—her grief deepened, and she wept until midnight. Yuanyang and the others tried repeatedly to console her, but to no avail. Baoyu watched, also overcome with sorrow, but he couldn’t bring himself to go and comfort her. Seeing her in simple mourning, without powder or rouge, she seemed even more beautiful than before she married. Then he turned to look at Baoqin and the others in their plain mourning attire, each possessing a natural charm. Only Baochai, dressed entirely in mourning clothes, had an elegance surpassing her usual colorful garments. He thought to himself, “So it is that among all the reds and purples, the plum blossom is deemed supreme, but not because it blooms early—it’s the ‘pure white and clear fragrance’ that others cannot match. But if Sister Lin were dressed like this at such a time, how enchanting she would be!” At this thought, his heart ached, and tears streamed down his face. Taking advantage of the occasion of Lady Jia’s death, he let himself sob loudly. Everyone was still trying to comfort Xiangyun when they heard another person crying from outside. They all assumed it was because he missed Lady Jia’s kindness, not realizing that each of them had their own private sorrows. This outburst of weeping moved everyone in the room to tears. Finally, Aunt Xue and Aunt Li managed to calm them down.

The next day was the night vigil, and the bustle increased. Xifeng could no longer hold up that day, and there was no help for it; she had to exert all her strength, even shouting herself hoarse, just to get through half the day. By the afternoon, even more guests had arrived, and the tasks multiplied; she couldn’t manage the front without neglecting the back. Just as she was growing frantic, a little maid ran in and said, “So the Second Mistress is here! No wonder the First Mistress said there are too many people inside to attend to properly—the Second Mistress is hiding out to enjoy herself.” Hearing this, Xifeng’s anger surged up, then choked in her throat. Tears streamed down, her vision went black, a sweetness rose in her throat, and she spat out bright red blood. Her body gave way, and she collapsed to the ground. Luckily, Pinger rushed over and supported her. Xifeng kept vomiting blood. Whether she would live or die will be told in the next chapter.