Chapter 30: Baochai Uses a Fan to Make a Point; Lingguan Draws 'Qiang' and Obsesses an Outsider
CHAPTER 30
Baochai Uses a Fan to Achieve a Double Aim; Lingguan Writes "Qiang" on the Ground, Infatuating a Bystander
To continue: after her quarrel with Baoyu, Lin Daiyu regretted it, but felt there was no reason for her to humble herself to him; therefore she was depressed day and night, as if she had lost something. Zijuan, guessing her feelings, urged her: "If we talk about what happened the other day, it was really you who were too impulsive, miss. Even if others don't know Baoyu's temper, how could we not? It's not as if this is the first or second time you've quarreled over that jade." Daiyu spat back: "So you're taking someone else's side and blaming me. How was I impulsive?" Zijuan smiled: "If everything was fine, why did you have to cut the tassels? It seems Baoyu was only three-tenths in the wrong, but you, miss, were seven-tenths in the wrong. I've seen how he usually treats you well; it's all because you are so petty, always twisting things against him, that it comes to this."
Lin Daiyu was about to reply when they heard someone calling at the gate outside the courtyard. Zijuan listened and smiled: "That's Baoyu's voice. He must have come to apologize." Hearing this, Lin Daiyu said: "Don't open the door!" Zijuan said: "Miss, you're being unreasonable again. In such hot weather under the blazing sun, how could we let him suffer sunstroke?" Saying this, she went out and opened the gate. It was indeed Baoyu. As she let him in, she smiled: "I thought Master Bao would never set foot in our door again, but here you are." Baoyu smiled: "You've blown a tiny matter out of proportion. Why wouldn't I come, when everything's fine? Even if I died, my soul would come a hundred times a day. Is miss feeling better?" Zijuan said: "Her physical illness is better, but her temper is still not good." Baoyu smiled: "I know what she's upset about." As he spoke, he entered and saw Lin Daiyu crying on the bed.
Lin Daiyu had not been crying before, but hearing Baoyu come, she could not help feeling hurt and tears streamed down uncontrollably. Baoyu smiled as he approached the bed and said: "Are you feeling much better, miss?" Lin Daiyu only wiped her tears and did not answer. Baoyu sat down on the edge of the bed and smiled: "I know you're not really angry with me. But if I didn't come, others would think we'd quarreled again. If we waited for them to come and mediate, wouldn't that make us seem estranged? Better now: whether you want to hit me or scold me, do whatever you like, but please don't ignore me." As he spoke, he called "Dear miss" ten thousand times. Lin Daiyu had originally resolved never to speak to Baoyu again, but now hearing him say that if others knew they had quarreled it would make them seem distant, and seeing that he was closer to her than others, she could not hold back and said tearfully: "Don't try to fool me. From now on, I dare not get close to you, Master Bao. You might as well consider me gone." Baoyu smiled: "Where would you go?" Lin Daiyu said: "I'll go home." Baoyu smiled: "I'll follow you." Lin Daiyu said: "I'll die." Baoyu said: "If you die, I'll become a monk!" Upon hearing this, Lin Daiyu's face immediately darkened, and she asked: "Are you out of your mind, talking such nonsense? How many elder and younger sisters do you have in your family? If they all died tomorrow, how many bodies would you have to become monks? I'll go and tell others about this and see what they say."
Baoyu realized he had spoken rashly and regretted it instantly. His face flushed red, and he hung his head, not daring to say a word. Fortunately, there was no one else in the room. Lin Daiyu stared at him for a long time, so angry she could not speak. Seeing Baoyu's face turning purple with embarrassment, she gritted her teeth, jabbed him hard on the forehead with her finger, snorted, and said through clenched teeth: "You—" She only uttered these two words, then sighed, and picked up her handkerchief to wipe her tears. Baoyu had a heart full of anxieties, and having said the wrong thing, he was full of regret. When he saw Daiyu jab him, wanting to speak but unable to, and sighing and weeping, he was moved and could not help shedding tears himself. He wanted to wipe them with his handkerchief, but realized he had forgotten to bring it, so he used his sleeve. Lin Daiyu, though crying, noticed this, and seeing him wiping his tears with his brand-new pale purple gauze gown, she wiped her own tears, turned around, picked up a silk handkerchief lying by her pillow, and threw it into Baoyu's lap without a word, then covered her face and continued crying. Baoyu caught the handkerchief, wiped his tears, moved closer, took one of Lin Daiyu's hands, and smiled: "My heart is breaking, and you just keep crying. Come, let's go to the old lady." Lin Daiyu shook off his hand and said: "Who wants to be pulled about by you? You're getting older every day, yet you're still so shameless and impudent, with no sense of propriety."
Before she finished speaking, they heard someone shout: "All is well!" Bao and Lin, taken by surprise, were both startled. Turning around, they saw Xifeng bounding in, smiling: "The old lady is complaining to high heaven and only sent me to see if you two have made up. I said there's no need to look; within three days they'll be fine on their own. The old lady scolded me for being lazy. I came, and sure enough, I was right. I never saw two people with so little to quarrel about—three days fine, two days cross, the bigger you grow, the more childish you become! Now you're holding hands and crying; yesterday why were you glaring at each other like fighting cocks? Come with me to the old lady and set her mind at ease." With that, she took Lin Daiyu by the hand and pulled her away. Lin Daiyu turned to call her maids, but none were there. Xifeng said: "What do you need them for? I'll wait on you." Saying this, she pulled her along. Baoyu followed them out of the garden gate. When they reached Lady Jia, Xifeng laughed: "I said they didn't need anyone to worry—they'd make up on their own. But the old lady didn't believe me and insisted I go mediate. When I got there, I found the two of them had already apologized to each other, laughing and talking, like a hawk and a falcon with their talons locked—they were already linked together, with no need for anyone to mediate." This made everyone in the room laugh.
Baochai was there at the time. Lin Daiyu sat down silently beside Lady Jia. Baoyu, having nothing to say, turned to Baochai and smiled: "On elder brother's birthday, it just so happened I was unwell and had no gift to send, nor could I even kowtow. Elder brother might not know I was ill and might think I was lazy and made an excuse not to go. If he gets angry later, sister, please explain for me." Baochai smiled: "That's unnecessary. Even if you wanted to go, we wouldn't dare disturb you, let alone when you were unwell. Brothers see each other every day; if we were so particular, it would make us seem distant." Baoyu smiled again: "I'm glad sister understands and makes allowances for me." Then he added: "Why didn't you go to the opera, sister?" Baochai said: "I'm afraid of the heat. I watched two acts and it was too hot. I wanted to leave, but the guests wouldn't disperse. I had to plead illness and came back." Hearing this, Baoyu felt awkward and had to cover up by smiling: "No wonder they compare you to Yang Guifei; you too are plump and fear the heat." Baochai was furious at this, but could not show it openly. After a moment's thought, she blushed and gave two cold laughs: "I may resemble Yang Guifei, but I don't have a good elder brother or younger brother who could become Yang Guozhong!" Just as they were speaking, the little maid Dian'er, having lost her fan, said to Baochai with a smile: "I'm sure Miss Baochai has hidden my fan. Dear miss, give it back to me." Baochai pointed at her and said: "Be careful! Have I ever played tricks on you, that you should suspect me? Go and ask those young ladies you usually giggle and fool around with." This sent Dian'er running off. Baoyu realized he had spoken rashly again, and in front of so many people, he felt even more embarrassed than he had with Lin Daiyu. He quickly turned away to make conversation with others.
Daiyu, hearing Baoyu’s gibe at Baochai, felt secretly triumphant and was about to chime in with a jest of her own, when Dian’er’s search for her fan and Baochai’s subsequent remarks made her change her tune. Smiling, she asked, “Cousin Baochai, what two operas did you watch?”
Baochai, noticing the smug expression on Daiyu’s face—sure sign that she had relished Baoyu’s earlier taunt—and now suddenly confronted with this question, smiled back and replied, “I saw Li Kui berating Song Jiang, and then later making amends.”
Baoyu laughed and said, “Cousin, you are so well-versed in ancient and modern matters, knowing everything. How is it you don’t even know the name of that opera, and instead rattle off such a string of words? It’s called ‘Bearing Thorns and Begging Forgiveness.’”
Baochai retorted with a smile, “So that’s what it’s called—‘Bearing Thorns and Begging Forgiveness’! You two, so learned in ancient and modern lore, know all about ‘bearing thorns and begging forgiveness.’ As for me, I haven’t the faintest idea what ‘bearing thorns and begging forgiveness’ means!” Before she had even finished speaking, Baoyu and Daiyu, both harboring guilty consciences, had already flushed crimson at her words.
Xifeng, though not particularly sharp about such matters, observed the three of their expressions and grasped the gist. Smiling, she asked the company, “On this sweltering day, who’s been eating ginger?” No one understood her meaning, and they replied, “No one’s been eating ginger.” Xifeng deliberately touched her cheek with her hand and said, feigning surprise, “If no one’s been eating ginger, why is it so hot and spicy in here?” Baoyu and Daiyu, hearing this, grew even more uncomfortable.
Baochai was about to speak further when she saw Baoyu’s deep shame and altered expression, so she thought better of it and merely let the matter drop with a smile. The rest of the company failed to grasp the import of these four people’s exchange, and so let it pass like water under the bridge.
Presently, Baochai and Xifeng departed. Lin Daiyu, smiling, said to Baoyu, “So you’ve met your match—someone even sharper than me. Not everyone is as dull-witted and slow-tongued as I am, letting others say what they will.” Baoyu, already put out by Baochai’s sensitivity and now further nettled by Daiyu’s questioning, grew even more exasperated. He wanted to retort, but feared hurting Daiyu’s feelings, so he swallowed his anger and slouched out, utterly dispirited.
Now, it was the height of summer, just after the midday meal, when most of the household, masters and servants alike, were languid from the long day. Baoyu, hands clasped behind his back, wandered from place to place, finding each one silent as a tomb. Leaving Grandmother Jia’s quarters, he went west through the passage and arrived at Xifeng’s courtyard. The gate was closed. Knowing Xifeng’s habit of taking an hour’s nap in the heat of the afternoon, he deemed it inconvenient to enter. So he turned through a side gate and made his way to Lady Wang’s main chamber. There, a few maids sat dozing, their needlework in hand. Lady Wang was asleep on a cool couch in the inner room, while Jinchuan sat beside her rubbing her legs, her eyes half-closed and her head lolling.
Baoyu crept up quietly and plucked the earring from her ear. Jinchuan opened her eyes and saw it was Baoyu. He whispered with a grin, “Are you that sleepy?” Jinchuan pursed her lips in a smile, waved him away, and closed her eyes again. Baoyu, reluctant to leave her, stealthily peered in to see that Lady Wang’s eyes were shut. He then took from the sachet at his waist a piece of Fragrant Snow Throat-Clearing Pastille and slipped it into Jinchuan’s mouth. Without opening her eyes, she simply held it in her mouth. Baoyu stepped closer, took her hand, and whispered with a smile, “Tomorrow I’ll ask Mother for you, and we’ll be together.” Jinchuan made no reply. Baoyu added, “If not, I’ll ask as soon as Mother wakes up.” Jinchuan opened her eyes, pushed Baoyu away, and said with a laugh, “What’s your hurry? ‘A golden hairpin dropped into a well—if it’s yours, it’s yours.’ Don’t you even understand that? Let me tell you a clever trick: go to the east courtyard and catch Brother Huan and Caiyun in the act.” Baoyu laughed, “Let him do what he wants. I’ll just stay with you.”
Suddenly, Lady Wang turned over and sat up. She slapped Jinchuan across the face and pointed at her, cursing, “You vile little slut! You’ve been corrupting our fine young gentlemen!” Seeing Lady Wang rise, Baoyu had already slipped away like smoke.
Jinchuan’s cheek burned, but she dared not utter a word. Soon, the other maids, hearing that Lady Wang was awake, hurried in. Lady Wang called for Yuchuan and said, “Fetch your mother. Take your sister out of here.” Hearing this, Jinchuan fell to her knees and wept, “I’ll never dare do it again! Beat me, scold me, do what you will, Madam, but don’t send me away—that would be a grace greater than heaven itself! I’ve served you for ten years. If I’m thrown out now, how can I ever show my face again?” Lady Wang was by nature kind and magnanimous, never having struck a maid before. But seeing Jinchuan’s shameless behavior—the thing she hated most in the world—she had been overcome with fury and had slapped her and scolded her. Despite Jinchuan’s desperate pleas, she refused to keep her, and in the end summoned Jinchuan’s mother, Old Mrs. Bai, to take her away. Jinchuan left in shame and humiliation. No more of this for now.
As for Baoyu, finding himself out of favor after Lady Wang awoke, he hurried into the Grand View Garden. The blazing sun hung in the sky, tree shadows covered the ground, and the air was filled with the drone of cicadas—no human voice was heard. Just as he reached the rose trellis, he heard the sound of sobbing. Puzzled, Baoyu stopped to listen closely. Sure enough, someone was on the other side of the trellis. It was the fifth month, when the roses were in full, luxuriant bloom. Baoyu stealthily peered through a gap in the hedge and saw a girl crouching under the flowers, holding a hairpin in her hand and scraping at the ground, quietly weeping.
Baoyu thought to himself, “Could this be another silly girl, imitating Frowner by burying flowers?” Then he sighed inwardly, “If she really is burying flowers, it’s just ‘Dong Shi imitating Xi Shi’—not only unoriginal, but positively tiresome.” He was about to call out to her, “You don’t need to copy Miss Lin,” but before the words left his mouth, he took another look. The girl’s face was unfamiliar—she was not one of the maids, but seemed to be one of the twelve actresses. Yet he couldn’t tell which role she played—sheng, dan, jing, or chou. Baoyu quickly stuck out his tongue and covered his mouth, thinking, “Lucky I didn’t blunder again. The last two times I was rash, Frowner got angry and Baochai took offense. If I offend them again, it’ll be even more awkward.” As he thought this, he regretted not knowing who she was.
He looked more closely and saw that the girl had eyebrows knit like spring hills and eyes puckered like autumn waters, a delicate face and slender waist, graceful and poised, much resembling Lin Daiyu. Baoyu could not bear to leave her and stood there staring. He saw that she was not digging to bury flowers, but tracing characters in the earth with her golden hairpin. Baoyu followed the rise and fall of the pin with his eyes—each stroke, dot, and hook. Counting, he found eighteen strokes. He traced the pattern on his palm with his finger, trying to guess the character. When he finished, he realized it was the character “qiang,” from “qiangwei”—the rose. He thought, “She must be trying to compose a poem or lyric. Seeing these flowers, she’s been moved, and perhaps two lines have come to her. In a sudden burst of inspiration, afraid of forgetting them, she’s tracing them on the ground to refine them. That must be it. Let’s see what else she writes.” As he thought, he watched. The girl was still drawing—over and over, nothing but the character “qiang.” Again and again, still “qiang.” Inside the trellis, she was already lost in a trance, finishing one character and starting another, having traced thousands of “qiang.” Outside, Baoyu too became entranced, his eyes fixed on the moving pin, thinking, “This girl must be burdened by some unspeakable sorrow to act like this. If she appears this way outwardly, what torment must she be suffering inside? She looks so frail—how can she bear it? I wish I could take some of it upon myself.”
During the dog days of summer, the weather was changeable, with a single cloud capable of bringing rain. Suddenly a cool breeze blew, and with a rustling sound, a burst of rain began to fall. Bao-yu watched as water dripped from the girl’s head, and her gauze dress was instantly soaked. Bao-yu thought to himself, “If it rains now, how can her delicate body withstand such a sudden drenching!” So he could not help but say, “Stop writing. Look, it’s pouring rain, and you’re getting all wet.” The girl was startled by this, looked up, and saw someone outside the flowers telling her to stop writing because it was raining heavily. For one thing, Bao-yu had a handsome face, and for another, the leaves were thick, covering him from top to bottom, with only half his face visible. The girl took him for a maid, never imagining it was Bao-yu, and so she smiled and said, “Thank you, sister, for reminding me. But do you have anything out there to shelter from the rain?” Her words reminded Bao-yu, and he let out an “Aiyo!” as he suddenly felt chilled all over. Looking down, he saw that he himself was also soaked. He said, “Oh no!” and had to run back as fast as he could to Happy Red Court, though his mind was still preoccupied with the girl having no place to take shelter.
It turned out that the next day was the Dragon Boat Festival, and the twelve actresses, including Wen-kuan, had all been let out of school and had come into the garden to amuse themselves here and there. As luck would have it, the young male-role actor Bao-guan and the principal female-role actor Yu-guan were just then in Happy Red Court, joking with Aroma, when they were trapped by the heavy rain. Everyone had blocked up the drains, so water collected in the courtyard. They caught and chased the mallards, the variegated sheldrakes, and the colored mandarin ducks, sewed up their wings, and set them loose in the courtyard to play, then closed the courtyard gate. Aroma and the others were all laughing on the covered walkway.
When Bao-yu saw the gate was closed, he knocked on it with his hand, but those inside were so absorbed in their laughter that they didn’t hear him. He called for a long time and pounded on the gate until it echoed, and only then did those inside hear him. They assumed that Bao-yu would not be back at this hour. Aroma laughed and said, “Who’s knocking at this time? No one’s going to open it.” Bao-yu said, “It’s me.” She-moon said, “That sounds like Miss Bao-chai’s voice.” Qing-wen said, “Nonsense! What would Miss Bao-chai be doing here at this hour?” Aroma said, “Let me look through the crack in the gate to see; if we can open it, we will, and if not, let him get drenched.” So saying, she followed the walkway to the gate, peered out, and saw Bao-yu soaked like a drowned chicken. Aroma was both flustered and amused at the sight. She quickly opened the gate, laughing so hard she bent over and clapped her hands, saying, “In such a heavy rain, why were you running around? Who knew you’d be back, sir!”
Bao-yu was in a terrible mood, full of the desire to kick whoever opened the gate. When it opened, without even looking at who it was, still assuming it was one of the junior maids, he raised his leg and kicked her in the ribs. Aroma let out an “Aiyo!” Bao-yu cursed, “You low creatures! I’ve indulged you all until you’ve become too cocky, with no fear at all, and you even dare to make fun of me.” As he spoke, he looked down and saw that it was Aroma, crying. Only then did he realize he had kicked the wrong person. He quickly smiled and said, “Aiyo, it’s you! Where did I kick you?” Aroma had never been subjected to harsh words before. Now, suddenly seeing Bao-yu angry and kicking her, and in front of so many people, she felt both shame, anger, and pain, truly wishing the ground would swallow her up. She wanted to say something, but knowing that Bao-yu probably hadn’t meant to kick her, she had to bear it and said, “You didn’t kick me. Go and change your clothes.” As Bao-yu went into the room to take off his clothes, he smiled and said, “In all my life, this is the first time I’ve been angry enough to hit someone, and of all people, it had to be you!” Aroma, enduring the pain as she changed clothes, smiled and said, “I’m always the one to start things, whether they’re big or small, good or bad, so it’s only fitting that it begins with me. Just don’t say that after hitting me, you’ll get into the habit and hit others too.” Bao-yu said, “I didn’t mean to do it just now.” Aroma said, “Who said you did? It’s always been the junior maids’ job to open and close the gate. They’re used to being cheeky and have long been enough to make one’s teeth itch with anger, without any fear. If you had thought it was one of them, a kick like that might have scared them into behaving better. Just now I was being naughty by not letting them open the gate.”
As she spoke, the rain had already stopped, and Bao-guan and Yu-guan had long since left. Aroma felt a dull pain in her ribs that made her restless inside, and she couldn’t eat much supper. That evening, when she bathed and took off her clothes, she saw a bruise as big as a bowl on her ribs. She was startled herself, but didn’t dare make a fuss. When she lay down to sleep, she was in pain even in her dreams, and couldn’t help groaning “Aiyo” in her sleep. Although Bao-yu hadn’t meant to hurt her, seeing Aroma listless made him unable to sleep soundly. Suddenly, hearing an “Aiyo” in the night, he knew he had kicked her hard. He got out of bed, quietly lit a lamp, and went to look. Just as he reached the bedside, he saw Aroma cough twice, spit out some phlegm, and with an “Aiyo,” open her eyes. Seeing Bao-yu, she was startled and said, “What are you doing?” Bao-yu said, “You moaned ‘Aiyo’ in your dream, so the kick must have been severe. Let me take a look.” Aroma said, “I feel dizzy, and my throat tastes both fishy and sweet. You’d better shine the lamp on the floor.” Hearing this, Bao-yu indeed held the lamp and shone it on the floor, where he saw a mouthful of blood. Bao-yu was panic-stricken and exclaimed, “This is terrible!” When Aroma saw it, her heart too sank. As for what happened next, listen to the next chapter for the explanation.