Chapter 44: An unexpected storm makes Xifeng jealous; A delightful surprise sends Xifeng’s maid to tidy herself
CHAPTER 44
An Unexpected Contretemps—Xifeng, Jealous, Makes a Scene; A Pleasant Surprise—Pinger, Wronged, Receives Attentions to Her Toilet
The party were watching The Thorn Hairpin. Bao-yu was sitting with the girls. When they came to the scene of The Husband’s Sacrifice, Dai-yu said to Bao-chai, “That Wang Shipeng is so unreasonable! He could have made his offering anywhere—why must he go all the way to the riverbank? As the saying goes, ‘Things serve to remind one of the person.’ The waters under heaven all come from the same source. If he had just scooped up a bowlful of water wherever he was and wept over it, that would have been enough to express his feelings.”
Bao-chai made no reply. At that moment Bao-yu turned around and asked for some hot wine to offer Xifeng.
It happened that Grandmother Jia had said this day was different from ordinary days—she insisted that Xifeng should have a thoroughly good time. She herself, not wanting to sit at the formal table, was lounging on a couch in the inner room watching the opera with Aunt Xue, picking at a few of her favorite dishes placed on a small table, eating and chatting at her ease. She had given her own two banquet tables to the maids, both senior and junior, and to the women on duty, telling them to sit freely under the eaves outside the windows and eat and drink as they pleased, without standing on ceremony. Lady Wang and Lady Xing were seated at the high table below, while the tables in the outer room were occupied by the girls. Grandmother Jia kept instructing Madam You and the others, “Let Feng girl sit at the head of the table. You must act as proper hostesses for me—she works hard all the year round, and it’s the least I can do for her.”
Madam You agreed, and replied with a smile, “She’s not used to sitting in the place of honor. She fidgets and won’t drink any wine.”
When Grandmother Jia heard this, she laughed and said, “You’re useless. I’ll have to go and invite her myself.”
Xifeng hurried in, also laughing. “Ancestor, don’t believe them. I’ve already drunk several cups.”
Grandmother Jia smiled and ordered Madam You, “Quick, drag her out, push her onto the chair, and have everyone take turns toasting her. If she still won’t drink, I’ll go myself.”
Madam You, laughing, pulled Xifeng back out and made her sit down. She ordered a large cup to be brought and filled with wine. “All year long,” she said, “you go to so much trouble being filial to the old lady, to Her Ladyship, and to me. Today I’ve nothing special to give you, so I’ll pour you a cup myself. Be a good girl and take a sip from my hand.”
Xifeng laughed. “If you really want to show me respect, kneel down, and then I’ll drink.”
Madam You retorted, “Listen to you—who do you think you are? Let me tell you, it’s not every day we get a chance like this. Who knows if we’ll ever have such an occasion again? Take advantage of it now and let yourself be plied with a few cups.”
Seeing there was no way out, Xifeng had to drink two cups. Then the other girls came over, and Xifeng had to take a sip from each of their cups. Old Mrs. Lai, seeing that even Grandmother Jia was in such high spirits, could hardly refrain from joining in the fun. She led a group of elderly nurses forward to toast Xifeng as well. Xifeng could not refuse them either, so she drank two more mouthfuls. Next, Yuanyang and the others came. Xifeng truly could drink no more and begged off, “Dear sisters, spare me! I’ll drink again tomorrow.”
Yuanyang laughed. “Oh, so we have no face at all? Even in front of Her Ladyship, she grants us that much. Usually you show us some respect, but today, in front of all these people, you put on the airs of a mistress. I shouldn’t have come. If you won’t drink, we’ll leave.” With that she started to go back.
Xifeng hurried after her and pulled her back, laughing. “Dear sister, I’ll drink, I’ll drink.” She took the wine, filled a cup to the brim, and drained it. Only then did Yuanyang smile and go back to her seat. After that, Xifeng returned to the table.
Xifeng felt that she had drunk too much. Her heart was pounding as if it were leaping up into her throat, and she wanted to go home for a rest. Just then a troupe of acrobats came on, so she said to Madam You, “Get the reward money ready. I’m going to wash my face.” Madam You nodded. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was watching, Xifeng slipped out of her seat and made her way to the corridor behind the door of the room. Pinger, noticing this, hastily followed. Xifeng leaned on her. As soon as they reached the covered walkway, they saw a little maid from Xifeng’s own room standing there. When the girl saw the two of them coming, she turned and ran away. Xifeng grew suspicious and called out to her. At first the maid pretended not to hear, but when Pinger also called from behind, she had no choice but to turn back. Xifeng became even more suspicious. She hurried with Pinger into the passage, ordered the little maid to come inside, and closed the lattice door. Xifeng sat down on the steps of the small courtyard and commanded the maid to kneel. She then shouted to Pinger, “Call two of the junior stewards from the inner gate! Bring ropes and a whip, and beat that insolent little wretch who has no respect for her mistress to a pulp!”
The little maid was already terrified out of her wits. Weeping, she kept kowtowing and begging for mercy.
Xifeng questioned her, “Am I a ghost? When you saw me, why didn’t you stand still respectfully? Why did you run away?”
The maid sobbed, “I didn’t see you coming, madam. And I was worried that there was no one in the room, so I ran.”
Xifeng said, “If there’s no one in the room, who sent you there? Even if you didn’t see me, Pinger and I called you a dozen times from behind—the more we called, the faster you ran. We weren’t far away. Are you deaf? And you still talk back to me!”
With these words, she raised her hand and slapped the girl across the face, sending her staggering. She slapped her again on the other cheek, and in no time the little maid’s cheeks were swollen and purple. Pinger quickly intervened, “Careful, madam, you’ll hurt your hand.”
Xifeng said, “Then you beat her and ask her why she ran. If she still won’t tell, tear her mouth apart!”
The little maid tried to talk back at first, but when she heard Xifeng threaten to heat a red-hot iron and brand her mouth, she finally burst out crying, “Master Bao was at home. He sent me here to keep watch on you, madam. If I saw that the party was breaking up, I was to go back and report first. I didn’t expect you to come so soon.”
Xifeng sensed there was more to this. “Sent you to keep watch on me? Why? Are you afraid I might go home? There must be some other reason. Tell me quickly, and from now on I’ll treat you well. If you don’t tell me in detail, I’ll take a knife and cut strips off your flesh right now.” As she spoke, she turned her head, pulled a hairpin from her hair, and began jabbing it at the maid’s mouth. The girl, terrified, dodged as she wept and begged, “I’ll tell you, madam, but please don’t say I told you.”
Pinger, standing by, tried to calm things while urging the girl to speak quickly. The maid then said, “Master Bao had just come into the room a little while ago. He slept for a while, then woke up. He sent someone to see how you were, madam, and was told you had just sat down to the feast and would be a good while yet. So Master Bao opened the chest, took out two pieces of silver, two hairpins, and two bolts of silk, and told me to give them secretly to Bao Er’s wife and bring her in. She took the things and came straight to our room. Master Bao told me to come and watch for you, madam. As for what happened after that, I don’t know.”
When Xifeng heard this, she was so angry that her whole body went limp. She stood up immediately and went straight home. As soon as she reached the gate of the courtyard, she saw another little maid peeping out from the doorway. The moment the girl saw Xifeng, she too shrank back and ran. Xifeng called her by name and ordered her to stop. The maid was quick-witted. Seeing that she couldn’t escape, she came straight out and said with a smile, “I was just about to go and tell you, madam, and here you are.”
Xifeng said, “Tell me what?”
The little maid then repeated the same story, saying that Master Bao was at home doing such-and-such. Xifeng spat in disgust. “What were you doing earlier? Now that I’ve caught you, you try to whitewash yourself!” She raised her hand again and slapped the girl, making her stagger. Then, tiptoeing, she crept up to the window. Listening inside, she heard talking and laughter. The woman was saying, “When will that devil of a wife of yours die? Then everything will be fine.”
Jia Lian said, “If she dies, and I marry another, she’ll be just the same. What difference would it make?”
The woman said, “If she dies, you should promote Pinger to be your proper wife. That might be better.”
Jia Lian said, “Nowadays he won’t even let me touch Pinger. Pinger is full of grievances too, but she doesn’t dare say anything. It must be written in my fate that I’m stuck with a ‘shrew star.’”
Xifeng was so furious that her whole body trembled uncontrollably. Hearing them both praise Ping’er, she suspected that Ping’er must have spoken resentfully behind her back as well. The wine’s effect surged up even more, and without thinking carefully, she turned and struck Ping’er twice, then kicked the door open and stormed inside. Without letting anyone explain, she grabbed Bao Er’s wife and started tearing at her in a brawl. Afraid that Jia Lian might slip away, she blocked the door and stood there cursing: “You filthy whore! You steal your master’s husband and still want to kill off your master’s wife! Ping’er, come here! You whores and cuckolds are all in the same pants, all despising me, yet you fool me to my face!” With that, she struck Ping’er several more times, beating her so that Ping’er had no one to appeal to for justice and could only sob in frustration. Ping’er cursed back: “You people do these shameless things—why drag me into it for no reason?” Saying this, she too started grappling with Bao Er’s wife.
Jia Lian, having drunk too much, had come in feeling elated and hadn’t been discreet enough. As soon as he saw Xifeng arrive, he lost his composure, and when he saw Ping’er join the fray, his drunken rage flared up as well. While Xifeng was beating Bao Er’s wife, he was both angry and ashamed, but found it hard to speak out. Now that he saw Ping’er also throwing punches, he stepped forward and kicked her, cursing: “You slut! You’re hitting people too!” Ping’er, terrified, quickly stopped and cried: “You were talking behind my back—why drag me into it?” When Xifeng saw that Ping’er was afraid of Jia Lian, she grew even angrier and rushed over to hit Ping’er again, insisting that she beat Bao Er’s wife. Ping’er, in desperation, ran out to find a knife and threatened to kill herself. The old women and maids outside quickly stopped her and tried to calm her down. Back inside, when Xifeng saw Ping’er trying to commit suicide, she threw herself into Jia Lian’s arms and shouted: “You two are in cahoots to harm me! I heard it all, and now you’re both trying to scare me. You might as well strangle me!” Jia Lian, furious, pulled a sword from the wall and said: “No need to kill yourself—I’m desperate too. Let’s kill them all, and I’ll pay with my life. Then we’ll all be done with it.” Just as the chaos was reaching its peak, Lady You and a group of others arrived, saying: “What’s this all about? Everything was fine just now, and now you’re fighting.” Seeing others there, Jia Lian, even more “putting on a drunken act,” threw his weight around and deliberately tried to intimidate Xifeng by threatening to kill her. Xifeng, with people present, was no longer as fierce as before. She left the crowd and ran crying toward the Dowager’s quarters.
By then, the opera had already ended. Xifeng ran up to the Dowager, threw herself into her arms, and cried: “Ancestor, save me! Master Lian wants to kill me!” The Dowager, Lady Xing, and Lady Wang quickly asked what had happened. Xifeng sobbed: “I went home to change clothes, and I never expected Master Lian to be at home talking with someone. I thought it was a guest, so I was afraid to go in. I listened outside the window and heard him and Bao Er’s wife plotting, saying I was harsh and that they wanted to poison me to death and make Ping’er the proper wife. I was furious but didn’t dare argue with him. I hit Ping’er a couple of times and asked her why she wanted to harm me. He got angry and ashamed, and then he tried to kill me.” The Dowager and the others believed it all and said: “This is outrageous! Quickly seize that worthless creature!” Before they finished speaking, Jia Lian came rushing in with a sword, followed by many people. He knew full well that the Dowager usually doted on them, and that even his mother and aunt didn’t matter, so he put on a bold front and stormed in. Lady Xing and Lady Wang, furious, blocked him and cursed: “You worthless wretch! Are you rebelling? The old lady is right here!” Jia Lian, squinting sideways, said: “It’s all because the old lady spoils her that she’s like this—she even curses me!” Lady Xing, enraged, snatched the sword away and ordered him: “Get out of here at once!” But Jia Lian, acting spoiled and shameless, kept on babbling nonsense. The Dowager said angrily: “I know you don’t care about any of us. Someone, go fetch his father!” When Jia Lian heard this, he stumbled and staggered out, and in a fit of pique, instead of going home, he went to the outer study.
Back inside, Lady Xing and Lady Wang also scolded Xifeng. The Dowager laughed and said: “What’s such a big deal? Children are young, like greedy cats—how can they always behave? Everyone has gone through this since childhood. It’s all my fault—he drank a bit too much, and she got jealous.” This made everyone laugh. The Dowager added: “Don’t worry. Tomorrow I’ll have him come and apologize to you. Don’t go back today and embarrass him.” Then she scolded: “That girl Ping’er—I always thought well of her. How could she be so bad behind the scenes?” Lady You and the others laughed and said: “Ping’er isn’t at fault. Xifeng just took it out on her. When a couple can’t fight each other directly, they both take it out on Ping’er. Ping’er is terribly wronged, and yet you’re scolding her, madam.” The Dowager said: “Oh, is that so? I thought that girl didn’t seem like a sly fox. If that’s the case, poor thing, she’s been unjustly bullied.” Then she called for Amber: “Go out and tell Ping’er from me: I know she’s been wronged. Tomorrow I’ll have Xifeng apologize to her. Today is her master’s good day, so she’s not to make a fuss.”
Now, Ping’er had already been pulled into the Grand View Garden by Li Wan. She was sobbing so hard she couldn’t lift her head. Baochai advised her: “You’re a sensible person. How does Xifeng usually treat you? Today she just had a bit too much to drink. If she didn’t take it out on you, would she take it out on someone else? Then others would laugh at her for being drunk. If you nurse your grievance now, won’t all your usual good qualities seem false?” Just as she was speaking, Amber arrived and relayed the Dowager’s words. Ping’er felt her face regain some color, and only then did she gradually calm down, but she didn’t go back to the front. Baochai and the others rested for a while before going to see the Dowager and Xifeng.
Baoyu then invited Pinger to come to the Happy Red Court. Xiren hurried to greet her, smiling, “I originally wanted to invite you, but since the elder madam and the young ladies all deferred to you, I felt it was not my place to do so.” Pinger smiled in return and said, “Thank you.” Then she added, “How did this all come about? For no reason at all, I suffered such a fit of anger for nothing.” Xiren replied with a smile, “The Second Mistress usually treats you well; this was just a momentary fit of rage.” Pinger said, “There’s nothing to say about the Second Mistress, but that adulteress tormented me, and she deliberately used me as a target. On top of that, our muddled master actually turned around and beat me.” As she spoke, she felt wronged again and couldn’t help shedding tears. Baoyu quickly urged, “Good sister, don’t be upset. Let me apologize on behalf of both of them.” Pinger smiled, “What has it to do with you?” Baoyu laughed, “We brothers and sisters are all the same. If they have offended someone, it’s only right for me to apologize for them.” Then he said, “It’s a pity these new clothes are stained. Your sister Huā (Xiren’s maiden name) has some clothes here; why not change into them, and I’ll have some liquor sprayed on them to be ironed? Also, comb your hair again and wash your face.” As he spoke, he ordered the maids to bring water for washing the face and to heat the flatiron.
Pinger had long heard that Baoyu was particularly skilled at associating with girls, but because Pinger was Jia Lian’s beloved concubine and Xifeng’s confidante, Baoyu usually refrained from being close to her, and he often regretted not being able to show her his full attentiveness. Now, seeing him like this, she thought to herself: “It’s true what they say—he’s thoughtful in every way.” When she saw Xiren deliberately open a chest and take out two rarely worn garments for her to change into, she quickly removed her own clothes and hurriedly washed her face. Baoyu smiled on the side and urged, “Sister, you should also apply some powder and rouge; otherwise, it will seem as though you’re sulking with Sister Feng. Besides, today is her birthday, and the old lady has already sent someone to console you.” Pinger found this reasonable and went to find powder, but there was none. Baoyu quickly walked to the dressing table, opened a Xuan-ware porcelain box, which contained a row of ten jade hairpin-shaped powder sticks. He picked one out and handed it to Pinger, smiling, “This isn’t lead powder; it’s made from the seeds of the purple jasmine, ground and mixed with fragrance.” Pinger poured some into her palm and saw that it was indeed light, white, rosy, and fragrant—all four qualities excellent. It spread evenly on her face and moisturized the skin, unlike other powders that were heavy and sticky. Then she saw that the rouge wasn’t in sheets, but in a small white jade box, containing a substance like rose paste. Baoyu laughed, “The rouge sold in the markets is neither clean nor vibrant in color. This is superior rouge made by squeezing the juice, clarifying the dregs, and mixing it with flower dew to steam into paste. Just use a fine hairpin to pick a little, rub it on your palm, add a drop of water to dissolve it, and apply it to your lips; what’s left on your palm is enough for your cheeks.” Pinger followed his instructions and adorned herself, and indeed, she looked extraordinarily fresh, with a sweet fragrance covering her cheeks. Baoyu then took a pair of twin-stemmed autumn orchids from a basin, cut them with a bamboo scissors, and pinned them in her hair. Suddenly, a maid sent by Li Wan came to summon her, and she hurriedly left.
Baoyu had never before been able to show his devotion to Pinger—and since Pinger was an extremely intelligent, refined, and superior girl, unlike those vulgar and foolish creatures—he deeply regretted it. Today was Jinger’s birthday, so he had been unhappy all day. He never expected that this incident would arise, allowing him to show a little of his heart to Pinger, which was an unexpected joy in his life. So he lay down on the bed, feeling content. But then he suddenly thought of Jia Lian, who only knew how to indulge in lewd pleasures and didn’t understand how to care for women’s cosmetics. He also thought of how Pinger, without parents, brothers, or sisters, served both Jia Lian and Xifeng alone. Despite Jia Lian’s vulgarity and Xifeng’s authority, she managed everything perfectly. Yet today she had been so cruelly treated. Thinking that her fate was even more ill-fated than Daiyu’s, he felt a surge of sadness and couldn’t help shedding tears. Seeing that Xiren and the others were not in the room, he let a few bitter tears fall freely. Then he got up, noticing that the liquor sprayed on the clothes from earlier was half-dry. He took the flatiron, ironed the clothes, and folded them. He saw that her handkerchief had been left there, still stained with tears, so he took it to the washbasin, cleaned it, and hung it up to dry. Alternating between joy and sorrow, he felt melancholy for a while. Then he also went to the Rice Fragrance Village, chatted about trivial matters, and didn’t leave until after the lamps were lit.
Pinger stayed overnight at Li Wan’s place, while Xifeng stayed with the Matriarch Jia. That evening, Jia Lian returned to his room and found it cold and lonely. Not daring to call anyone, he slept fitfully all night. When he woke the next day, he recalled the events of the previous day, feeling deeply embarrassed and regretting what he had done. Lady Xing, remembering that Jia Lian had been drunk the day before, hurried over early in the morning and called Jia Lian to come to the Matriarch Jia’s place. Jia Lian had no choice but to swallow his shame and go, kneeling before the Matriarch Jia. The Matriarch Jia asked him, “What’s the matter?” Jia Lian quickly smiled and said, “Yesterday, I had drunk some wine and startled you, madam. Today, I’ve come to confess my fault.” The Matriarch Jia spat, “You low-life thing! After drinking that yellow soup, instead of lying down and behaving yourself, you go and beat your wife! That little Feng usually brags and acts like a tyrant, but yesterday she was scared pitiful. If it weren’t for me, you might have killed her. What would you do then?” Jia Lian, full of grievance, dared not argue and only admitted his fault. The Matriarch Jia continued, “Aren’t that Feng and Pinger beauties enough for you? You’re still not satisfied! Every day you’re sneaking around with women, dragging all sorts of dirty, filthy creatures into your room. You beat your wife over these adulteresses, and then you beat your own household members. For someone born into a great family, you’ve disgraced yourself. If you still have any regard for me, get up. I’ll forgive you. Then go and apologize properly to your wife, take her home, and I’ll be pleased. Otherwise, just leave; I don’t dare accept your kneeling.” Hearing this, Jia Lian saw Xifeng standing there, not elaborately dressed, her eyes swollen from crying, without makeup, her face pale and sallow, which made her seem more pitiable and lovable than usual. He thought, “It’s better to apologize; that way we’ll both feel better, and the old lady will be pleased.” Thinking this, he smiled and said, “I dare not disobey your words, madam, but this will only spoil her more.” The Matriarch Jia laughed, “Nonsense! I know she’s the most proper person and never offends anyone. If she ever wrongs you in the future, I’ll naturally take charge and let you bring her to heel.”
Hearing this, Jia Lian got up, bowed to Xifeng, and said with a smile, “It was my fault after all. Second Mistress, please forgive me.” Everyone in the room laughed. The Matriarch Jia laughed, “Feng, don’t be angry anymore. If you’re still angry, I’ll be angry myself.” Then she ordered someone to summon Pinger and instructed Xifeng and Jia Lian to comfort her. When Jia Lian saw Pinger, he was even more unrestrained. As the saying goes, “A wife is not as good as a concubine, and a concubine is not as good as a stolen one.” Hearing the Matriarch Jia, he stepped forward and said, “Miss, you suffered wrongs yesterday; it was all my fault. If the mistress offended you, it was because of me. Not only do I apologize, but I also apologize on behalf of your mistress.” As he spoke, he bowed again, making the Matriarch Jia laugh, and Xifeng also smiled. The Matriarch Jia then ordered Xifeng to comfort her. Pinger quickly stepped forward, knelt before Xifeng, and said, “On your birthday, I angered you, madam. I deserve to die.” Xifeng was already feeling ashamed and regretful for drinking too much the day before, forgetting their usual affection, and acting rashly because she had listened to others, causing Pinger to lose face for no reason. Now seeing Pinger behave like this, she felt both embarrassed and distressed. She quickly pulled Pinger up, tears falling. Pinger said, “I’ve served you, madam, for so many years, and you’ve never even flicked a finger at me. Even if you beat me yesterday, I don’t blame you, madam. It was all that adulteress’s doing; you had every reason to be angry.” As she spoke, tears also fell. The Matriarch Jia then ordered someone to escort the three of them back to their room, saying, “If anyone mentions this matter again, come to me immediately. No matter who it is, I’ll give them a beating with my walking stick.”
The three of them kowtowed again to Grandmother Jia, Lady Xing, and Lady Wang. The old nurse acknowledged this and escorted the three back to their rooms. Once there, Xifeng, seeing no one else around, said, "How am I like a King of Hell, or like a Yaksha? That slut cursed me to death, and you helped her curse me too. Even if I'm bad a thousand days, there must be one good day. Pity that I've worn myself down until I'm worse than a slut—what face do I have left to go on living?" As she spoke, she wept again. Jia Lian said, "Aren't you satisfied yet? Think carefully about it—who was more at fault yesterday? Today, in front of everyone, I knelt once and apologized, and you've gotten plenty of face. Now you're still nagging—do you want me to kneel for you again before you stop? Being too strong-willed isn't a good thing." These words left Xifeng speechless, and Pinger let out a snicker. Jia Lian also laughed and said, "Now you're fine again! Truly, there's no way to deal with you."
Just as they were speaking, a serving woman came in to report, "Bao Er's wife has hanged herself." Jia Lian and Xifeng were both startled. Xifeng quickly suppressed her look of fear and instead scolded, "If she's dead, that's that—what's all the fuss about!" Soon after, Lin Zhixiao's wife entered and quietly reported to Xifeng, "Bao Er's wife has hanged herself, and her family's relatives are threatening to file a lawsuit." Xifeng laughed and said, "That's just fine—I was thinking of taking this to court!" Lin Zhixiao's wife said, "I just now tried to reason with them along with the others, scared them a bit, and promised them some silver, and they agreed." Xifeng said, "I don't have a single coin! Even if I did, I wouldn't give it—just let them sue. Don't persuade them, don't scare them either—just let them go ahead and sue. If they fail, we'll charge them with 'using a corpse to extort'!" Lin Zhixiao's wife was at a loss, but seeing Jia Lian signal to her with his eyes, she understood and went out to wait. Jia Lian said, "I'll go out and have a look, see what's to be done." Xifeng said, "Don't give him any money." Jia Lian went straight out, consulted with Lin Zhixiao, and sent someone to handle things—first playing the hard role, then the soft one—and agreed to two hundred taels of silver for the funeral expenses to settle the matter. Fearing a change of heart, Jia Lian also sent someone to inform Wang Ziteng, and had several constables and coroners summoned to help with the funeral arrangements. Seeing this, those people, even if they wanted to argue further, dared not, and had to swallow their anger and let it go. Jia Lian then instructed Lin Zhixiao to record the two hundred taels in the daily accounts, making up for the expenditure through various adjustments. He also gave Bao Er some silver privately and comforted him, saying, "Another day, I'll find you a good wife." Bao Er, gaining both face and silver, had no reason to refuse, and continued to fawn on Jia Lian—no more need be said of this.
Inside, though Xifeng felt uneasy, she pretended to be indifferent on the surface. Seeing that the room was empty, she pulled Pinger over and said with a smile, "I was drunk yesterday—don't hold a grudge. Where did I hit you? Let me have a look." Pinger said, "It wasn't a heavy beating." Just then, they heard that the young ladies and the young mistress had all arrived. To know the outcome, read the next chapter.