Chapter 67: Seeing gifts from home, Dai-yu recalls her native place; Xue Pan's servant is questioned, and Xi-feng plots revenge

When Third Sister You had taken her own life, Old Mrs. You, Second Sister You, Jia Zhen, and Jia Lian were all plunged into deep grief—this need hardly be described. They hastily had her dressed in fine clothes and laid in a coffin, then sent her out of the city for burial. Liu Xianglian, overcome with infatuated longing for the dead Third Sister You, was on the verge of despair when a Taoist priest, with a few cold words, opened his eyes to the truth. Thereupon he cut off his hair and became a monk, following the demented priest as they drifted away no one knew where. Of this we shall say no more for now.

Now, Aunt Xue had heard that Liu Xianglian had already settled on marrying Third Sister You, and she was overjoyed. In high spirits she was planning to buy him a house, furnish it, and select an auspicious day for the wedding, so as to repay his kindness in saving her son’s life. Suddenly there was a commotion among the household servants, who shouted, “Third Sister has killed herself!” Some maids overheard this and reported it to Aunt Xue. Aunt Xue, not knowing the reason, sighed deeply in her heart. While she was still wondering, Bao-chai came over from the Garden. Aunt Xue said to her, “My child, have you heard? Your cousin Zhen’s wife’s younger sister, Third Miss—wasn’t she already betrothed to your brother’s sworn brother Liu Xianglian? No one knows why she cut her own throat. And that Liu Xianglian—no one knows where he’s gone either. It’s a truly strange affair, quite beyond anyone’s expectations.” Bao-chai listened without much concern and replied, “As the saying goes, ‘Heaven has unforeseen storms, and man has sudden fortunes and misfortunes.’ This was also fated in their former lives. The other day, Mother was planning to take care of things for him because he saved our brother. But now one is dead and the other has gone away. In my opinion, we can only let it be. Mother need not grieve over them. Rather, since brother came back from south of the River twenty days ago, the goods he brought should have been sold off by now. The clerks who went with him have worked hard and been back for several months. Mother and brother should discuss it and invite them to a feast to express our thanks. We mustn’t let people think we’re being ungracious.”

While mother and daughter were talking, Xue Pan came in from outside, still with traces of tears on his face. As soon as he entered, he clapped his hands and said to his mother, “Mother, have you heard about Brother Liu and Third Sister You?” Aunt Xue said, “I just heard about it, and I was telling your sister about this affair.” Xue Pan said, “Mother, have you heard that Liu Xianglian followed a Taoist priest and became a monk?” Aunt Xue said, “That’s even stranger. How could such a young and clever man as Mr. Liu be so foolish as to follow a Taoist priest away? I think, since you were such good friends and he has no parents or brothers, alone here as he is, you ought to search for him everywhere. That priest couldn’t have gone far—at most he’d be in some temple or monastery nearby.” Xue Pan said, “Isn’t that just what I thought? As soon as I heard the news, I hastily took the servants and searched everywhere, but there wasn’t even a trace of him. I also asked around, and everyone said they hadn’t seen him.” Aunt Xue said, “Since you’ve searched and found nothing, you’ve done your duty as a friend. Who knows—maybe his becoming a monk will turn out well for him. But now you should also attend to your business. For another thing, you ought to start preparing early for the affairs concerning your own marriage. Our family is short-handed, and as the saying goes, ‘A clumsy bird flies first.’ That way you won’t be caught unprepared and leave things incomplete, making a laughingstock of yourself. Besides, your sister just mentioned that you’ve been home for over half a month, and the goods should have been sold off by now. You should set out a feast for the clerks who went with you to thank them for their trouble. They accompanied you on a journey of two or three thousand li, endured four or five months of hardship, and moreover bore many anxieties and burdens on the road for you.” When Xue Pan heard this, he said, “Mother is quite right. And sister is very thoughtful. I was thinking the same, but these past days I’ve been so busy shipping goods everywhere that my head aches. And then I’ve been occupied with Brother Liu’s affair for the last few days, only to end up with nothing—all my efforts were in vain, and I’ve neglected the important matters. Otherwise, I’d set a date for tomorrow or the day after to send out invitations.” Aunt Xue said, “Then go ahead and arrange it.”

Before she finished speaking, a servant came in to report, “Manager Zhang has sent someone with two cases of things, saying they were bought by the young master himself and are not included in the goods account. He wanted to send them earlier, but they were buried under the goods crates and couldn’t be got at. The goods were all shipped out yesterday, so he’s sending them today.” As he spoke, two servants carried in two large brown wicker trunks bound with boards. When Xue Pan saw them, he said, “Aiya! How could I have been so stupid! The things I specially brought for Mother and sister—I forgot to bring them home, and now the clerk has sent them over.” Bao-chai said, “It’s a good thing you mention it. They were specially brought, yet they’ve lain here for ten or twenty days. If they hadn’t been specially brought, I suppose they’d have been sent around the end of the year. I see you’re too careless about everything.” Xue Pan laughed and said, “I suppose my soul was frightened away on the road, and it hasn’t returned yet.” They all laughed at this, and he said to the maids, “Go out and tell the servants to accept the things and let them go back.” Aunt Xue and Bao-chai then asked, “What are these things, all tied up like this?” Xue Pan ordered the two servants to come in, untie the ropes, remove the boards, and open the locks. When they looked, one trunk was full of silks, satins, brocades, and foreign goods of everyday use. Xue Pan laughed and said, “That other trunk is for sister.” He opened it himself. When mother and daughter looked, they found writing brushes, ink sticks, paper, inkstones, various kinds of fancy letter paper, sachets, scented beads, fans, fan pendants, face powder, rouge, and other items, along with a self-moving figure from Huqiu, wine-game counters, a little acrobat made of quicksilver that did somersaults, a sand lantern, and a series of clay figurines in theatrical scenes, packed in boxes covered with green gauze. There was also a clay figurine of Xue Pan himself, molded from Huqiu clay, which was an exact likeness of him. Bao-chai paid little attention to the rest, but took the figurine of Xue Pan, examined it closely, looked at her brother, and couldn’t help laughing. Then she called for Ying-er to take the things, along with the trunks, to the Garden with the help of a few older women. After chatting a while longer with her mother and brother, she returned to the Garden. Meanwhile, Aunt Xue took out the things from the trunks, sorted them out one by one, and had Tong-xi deliver them to Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang, among others. Of this we shall say no more.

When Bao-chai reached her own room, she examined each of the trinkets one by one. Apart from what she kept for herself, she divided them into sets, each properly matched. Some sets included brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones; some had sachets, fans, and fan pendants; some had rouge, powder, and hair oil; and some had only toys. Only the set for Dai-yu was different from the others, being twice as generous. After everything was arranged, she sent Ying-er and an older woman to deliver them to the various places.

Now, all the young ladies in the Garden received these gifts and rewarded the messengers, saying they would thank Bao-chai in person when they saw her. But when Lin Dai-yu saw these things from her native place, she was overcome with melancholy at the sight of them. She thought of how both her parents had died, how she had no brothers, and how she was living as a dependent in her relatives’ home—who would bring her such local products? At this thought, she could not help feeling sad again. Zi-juan, who understood Dai-yu’s heart well, did not dare to point this out, but only stood by and urged, “Miss, your health is delicate, and you take medicine morning and night. These last two days you’ve seemed a little better than before. Though your spirits have revived a bit, you’re still not fully recovered. Today Miss Bao has sent you these things, which shows how much she values you. You ought to be pleased. Why are you grieving instead? It wouldn’t be right if Miss Bao’s gift only made you unhappy. If Miss Bao heard of it, she’d feel embarrassed. Besides, the old ladies here have tried every way to find good doctors and prepare medicines to treat your illness, all for your recovery. Now that you’re a little better, to start weeping and wailing again—isn’t that just harming your own health and adding to the old ladies’ worries? Moreover, your illness has always been due to excessive worry, which has harmed your vital energy and blood. With your precious and noble constitution, you shouldn’t think so lightly of yourself.” While Zi-juan was thus trying to comfort her, they heard a little maid in the courtyard say, “Master Bao is here.” Zi-juan hastily said, “Please ask Master Bao to come in.”

Baoyu entered the room, and after Daiyu had offered him a seat, he noticed her tear-streaked face. “Sister, who has upset you this time?” he asked. Daiyu forced a smile. “Who’s angry about anything?” Zijuan, standing nearby, tilted her chin toward the table behind the bed. Baoyu caught on and looked over, seeing a pile of objects. Knowing they were from Baochai, he teased, “Where did all this come from? You’re not opening a general store, are you, sister?” Daiyu said nothing. Zijuan laughed, “Second Master, you’re still talking about the things! When Miss Bao sent them over, Miss Lin took one look and grew sad. I was just trying to console her when you happened along—perfect timing. You can help us persuade her.” Baoyu understood the reason but dared not bring it up directly, so he said with a smile, “Your sister’s distress must be because Miss Bao sent too few things, and that’s why she’s angry and upset. Sister, don’t worry. Next year, I’ll send someone south to bring you two whole boatloads, so you won’t have to wipe your eyes and cry.” Hearing this, Daiyu knew Baoyu was trying to cheer her up. She couldn’t reject him outright, nor could she indulge him. “No matter how unsophisticated I am,” she said, “I wouldn’t stoop to getting angry over a shortage of gifts. I’m not a child of two or three. You really think too little of me. I have my own reasons—how could you know them?” As she spoke, tears began to fall again. Baoyu quickly went to the bedside, sat down next to her, and picked up the gifts one by one, examining them closely. He deliberately asked what this was, what that was called, what that was made of, how it was so neat, what this was for, and how it might be used. He said one piece could be placed in front of her, another could serve as an antique on the long table. He kept up a stream of trivial chatter. Seeing Baoyu like this, Daiyu felt a bit sorry for him and said, “Stop your meddling here. Let’s go to Sister Baochai’s place.” Baoyu was eager for Daiyu to go out and dispel her gloom, to ease her grief, so he said, “Since Sister Baochai has given us gifts, we ought to thank her.” Daiyu replied, “We’re sisters; there’s no need for that. But since Brother Xue has returned, he’ll surely tell her about the southern sights. I’d like to hear them—it’ll be like going home for a visit.” With that, her eyes reddened again. Baoyu stood waiting for her. Daiyu had no choice but to go out with him toward Baochai’s place.

Meanwhile, Xue Pan, acting on his mother’s advice, hastily sent out invitations and prepared a feast. The next day, he invited four of his shop clerks, and when they had all arrived, they naturally discussed matters of trade, accounts, and shipments. Before long, the feast was laid, and they took their seats. Xue Pan poured wine for each in turn. Aunt Xue also sent someone out to convey her regards. As they drank and chatted, one of the clerks asked Xue Pan, “Why didn’t you invite Second Master Liu?” Xue Pan frowned at the question and sighed. “Don’t even mention Second Master Liu! It’s the strangest thing under heaven. What Second Master Liu? Who knows where he’s gone off to as Daoist Master Liu.” Everyone was astonished. “What do you mean?” they asked. Xue Pan then told them the whole story of Xianglian. The listeners grew even more amazed. “No wonder,” one said, “the other day we vaguely heard in the shop someone shouting that a Daoist had converted a man in a few words, and then a gust of wind carried him away. We didn’t know who it was. We were busy with shipments and had no time to inquire, so we remained skeptical. Who would have thought it was Second Master Liu? If we’d known, we should have persuaded him. No matter what, we wouldn’t have let him go.” Another asked, “Could it be something else?” When asked what, he said, “Second Master Liu was such a clever fellow—he couldn’t have truly followed that Daoist. He knew some martial arts and had strength. Perhaps he saw through the Daoist’s tricks and deliberately went along to deal with him in secret.” Xue Pan said, “If that’s the case, fine. But all these charlatans spreading lies—why doesn’t someone stop them?” Someone asked, “Didn’t you search for him when you found out?” Xue Pan replied, “I searched everywhere, inside and outside the city. Don’t laugh at me—when I couldn’t find him, I even had a good cry.” After saying this, he sighed deeply and looked listless, not at all his usual cheerful self. Seeing his state, the clerks naturally didn’t want to stay long. They drank a few cups, ate their meal, and then dispersed.

Baoyu and Daiyu arrived at Baochai’s place. When Baoyu saw Baochai, he said, “Brother took all that trouble to bring things from afar. You should keep them for yourself, sister, instead of giving them to us.” Baochai smiled. “They’re nothing special—just local products brought from a distance. It’s nice for everyone to see something new.” Daiyu said, “When we were young, we never paid them any mind, but now they seem quite novel.” Baochai laughed, “Sister, you know the saying, ‘Things are precious far from home.’ In truth, what are they worth?” Hearing this, Baoyu realized it touched on Daiyu’s earlier feelings, so he quickly changed the subject: “Next year, when Brother goes again, he must bring us even more.” Daiyu shot him a glance. “If you want something, just say so—don’t drag others into it. Sister, look—Brother Bao hasn’t come to thank you; he’s already ordering next year’s goods!” Baochai and Baoyu both laughed. They chatted idly for a while, and the conversation turned to Daiyu’s health. Baochai advised her, “Sister, if you’re feeling unwell, you should force yourself to get out and walk around a bit—it’s better than moping indoors. Those past few days, I felt lazy and feverish, and I just wanted to lie down. But because the season was bad and I feared getting sick, I kept myself busy. Only in the last two days have I felt better.” Daiyu replied, “What you say is true. I’ve been thinking the same.” They sat together a while longer before parting. Baoyu still escorted Daiyu to the gate of the Xiaoxiang Studio before they each went their separate ways.

Zhao, upon seeing that Baochai had sent some gifts to Jia Huan, was quite pleased. She thought, “No wonder everyone says Miss Bao is good-natured, tactful, and generous—it’s true. Her brother couldn’t have brought much, yet she delivered gifts to every door, missing no one and showing no favoritism. Even someone as luckless as me she remembered. That Lin girl wouldn’t even glance at us mother and son—how could she ever send us anything?” As she mused, she turned the gifts over and over, examining them. Suddenly, it occurred to her that Baochai was a relative of Lady Wang’s. Why not curry favor with Lady Wang? So, fawning and fidgeting, she took the gifts and went to Lady Wang’s room. Standing to one side, she said with a sycophantic smile, “These are from Miss Bao to Master Huan. For someone so young, Miss Bao is so thoughtful—a true lady from a great house, both refined and generous. How can one not admire her? No wonder the old lady and you, madam, praise and dote on her all day. I didn’t dare keep them without permission, so I brought them for you to see, madam, hoping you’d be pleased as well.” Lady Wang, hearing this, knew at once what she was after. Seeing how clumsy and inappropriate her flattery was, she couldn’t ignore her entirely, so she said, “Just take them and give them to Huan to play with.” When Zhao had come, she was all enthusiasm, but now she was snubbed. She was furious but dared not show it, so she slunk away awkwardly. Back in her own room, she tossed the gifts aside and muttered to herself, “And what’s all that supposed to mean?” She sat down and fumed in silence for a while.

Ying'er returned with the old women who had delivered the gifts, reported back to Baochai, and finished recounting everyone's words of thanks and the silver they had given as tips, after which the old woman left. Ying'er stepped closer to Baochai and whispered, "Just now when I went to Second Master Lian's wife's place, I saw that her face was full of anger. When I came out after delivering the things, I quietly asked Xiaohong, who said that just now the mistress came back from the old lady's room, not as cheerful as usual, and called for Pinger, and they whispered together about something or other. Judging by the look of things, it seems like something serious is going on. Miss, haven't you heard anything about what's happening with the old lady?" Baochai listened, felt puzzled herself, and couldn't figure out why Xifeng was angry, so she said, "Every household has its own affairs—how can we meddle in them? Go and pour some tea." Ying'er then went out to fetch tea herself.

Meanwhile, Baoyu, having seen Daiyu back, thought of her loneliness and couldn't help feeling sad for her. He wanted to tell Xiren about this, but when he entered the room, only Sheyue and Qiuwen were there. He asked, "Where has your sister Xiren gone?" Sheyue said, "She can't have gone far—just somewhere in these courtyards. You can't lose her. If you don't see her for a moment, you start looking for her." Baoyu smiled and said, "It's not that I'm afraid of losing her. It's just that when I went to see Miss Lin just now, I found her upset again. When I asked, it turned out it was because Sister Baochai had given her some things, and when she saw that they were local products from her hometown, she couldn't help feeling sad at the sight. I wanted to tell your sister Xiren to go and comfort her when she has time." As he was speaking, Qingwen came in and asked Baoyu, "You're back, and now who do you want to persuade?" Baoyu repeated what he had just said. Qingwen said, "Sister Xiren just went out; I heard her say she was going to Second Master Lian's wife's place. She might even go to Miss Lin's." Baoyu heard this and said nothing. Qiuwen brought tea, Baoyu rinsed his mouth, handed the cup to a little maid, feeling quite uneasy, and then casually lay down on the bed.

As for Xiren, after Baoyu had gone out, she had done some needlework for a while, when she suddenly remembered that Xifeng had been unwell and she hadn't been over to see her for several days. Hearing that Jia Lian was not at home, she thought it would be a good chance to chat. So she told Qingwen, "Stay in the room properly; don't let everyone go out, or Baoyu will come back and find no one here." Qingwen said, "Oh! In this room, you're the only one who cares about him; the rest of us just idle around and eat for nothing." Xiren smiled, said nothing in reply, and left.

Just as she reached Qinfang Bridge, it was the time between late summer and early autumn. In the pond, the lotus roots were a mix of fresh and withered, with red and green scattered about. Xiren walked along, enjoying the view by the bank for a while. Suddenly, she looked up and saw someone under the grape trellis holding a duster and brushing something. When she got closer, it turned out to be Old Mama Zhu. The old woman saw Xiren and came up to her with a grin, saying, "Miss, how come you have time today to come out for a stroll?" Xiren said, "Indeed. I was planning to go to Second Master Lian's wife's place to see her. What are you doing here?" The old woman said, "I'm chasing away bees. This year during the dog days, there was little rain, and these fruit trees have got insects. They've eaten the fruit, leaving scars and bumps, and a lot has fallen off. Miss, you might not know it, but these wasps are the most hateful. On a single cluster, they only bite into two or three, but the juice from the damaged ones drips onto the good ones, and then the whole cluster rots. Look, miss, while we've been talking, I haven't been chasing them, and many have already landed." Xiren said, "Even if you keep chasing them without stopping, you can't get rid of many. Why don't you tell the steward to have many small gauze bags made? Put one over each cluster—it lets air through and doesn't spoil them." The old woman laughed and said, "What you say, miss, is right. I only took charge this year; how would I know such a clever trick?" Then she added with a smile, "Although the fruit has been spoiled a bit this year, the flavor is still good. If you don't believe me, pick one and taste it, miss." Xiren said sternly, "That won't do at all. Not only is it not ripe and inedible, but even if it were ripe, it hasn't been offered as a first fruit to the ancestors yet, and we would be eating it first. You've been serving in this household for a long time—surely you know that rule by now." Old Zhu quickly smiled and said, "Miss is right. I only dared to say that because I saw you seemed pleased, but that was a breach of the rules. I'm getting old and muddled." Xiren said, "It's nothing serious. It's just that you venerable old ladies shouldn't be the ones to take the lead in such things." With that, she went straight out of the garden gate and arrived at Xifeng's place.

As soon as she entered the courtyard, she heard Xifeng saying, "By Heaven's justice, I've been stewing in this house until I've become more of a thief than ever." Hearing this, Xiren knew something was up. She couldn't very well turn back, nor could she go in directly, so she made her footsteps heavier and called through the window, "Is Sister Ping at home?" Pinger quickly answered and came out to greet her. Xiren then asked, "Is the mistress at home too? Is she feeling much better?" As she spoke, she entered. Xifeng pretended to be lying on the bed, but when she saw Xiren come in, she stood up with a smile and said, "I'm better—thank you for thinking of me. Why haven't you come over to sit with us these past few days?" Xiren said, "When you were unwell, madam, I should have come daily to pay my respects. But I was afraid that if you weren't feeling well, you'd want to rest quietly, and if we came, we'd disturb you and make you annoyed." Xifeng laughed and said, "Annoyed—nonsense. It's just that although there are many people in Brother Bao's room, you're the only one who really looks after him, and you simply can't leave him. I often hear Pinger tell me that you still think of me behind my back and often ask about me. That shows your devotion." As she spoke, she told Pinger to move a stool next to the bed and let Xiren sit down. Fenger brought in tea, and Xiren half-rose from her seat and said, "Sister, please sit down." As they chatted, a little maid in the outer room quietly said to Pinger, "Wang'er is here. He's waiting at the second gate." Then she heard Pinger whisper back, "I know. Tell him to go first and come back later—don't let him stand at the gate." Xiren knew they had business to attend to, so after a few more words, she got up to leave. Xifeng said, "When you're free, come and sit with me and chat—it cheers me up." Then she ordered Pinger, "See your sister out." Pinger agreed and saw her out. There were two or three little maids waiting in perfect silence and order. Xiren didn't know what was going on, so she left on her own.

Now Pinger saw Xiren off, then came in and reported, "Wang'er just arrived, but since Xiren was here, I told him to wait outside for a while. Should I call him in now, or shall we wait? Please give your orders, madam." Xifeng said, "Call him in." Pinger promptly told a little maid to summon Wang'er. Then Xifeng asked Pinger, "But who exactly did you hear this from?" Pinger replied, "It was from that little maid earlier. She said that while she was inside the inner gate, she heard two lads outside saying, 'This new Second Mistress is even prettier than our old Second Mistress, and her temper is better too.' Then someone—whether it was Wang'er or someone else—yelled at them, saying, 'What talk of new mistress and old mistress! Quiet down, quickly! If the people inside hear you, they'll cut out your tongues.'" As Pinger was speaking, a little maid came in to report, "Wang'er is waiting outside." Hearing this, Xifeng gave a cold laugh and said, "Tell him to come in." The little maid went out and said, "Madam wants you." Wang'er promptly assented and entered. He made his salutation and then stood with his hands at his sides at the entrance to the outer room. Xifeng said, "Come closer; I have something to ask you." Wang'er went and stood by the door of the inner room. Xifeng said, "Your Second Master has taken up with someone outside—did you know about it or not?" Wang'er made another obeisance and replied, "Your servant is on duty at the inner gate every day; how could I know about the Second Master's affairs outside?" Xifeng laughed coldly, "Of course you didn't know. If you did know, you wouldn't have stopped them from talking." On hearing this, Wang'er realized that the earlier words had leaked out, and knowing he could not hide it, he knelt down again and replied, "Your servant truly did not know. Just now Xing'er and Xi'er were babbling nonsense there, and I did scold them a couple of times. But as for the full details and the inside story, your servant does not know them and dare not report recklessly. I beg you, madam, to question Xing'er; he always accompanies the Second Master on his outings." When Xifeng heard this, she spat at him viciously and cursed, "You bunch of ungrateful, bastard scoundrels! You're all in league together, thinking I don't know anything. First, go and call that bastard Xing'er in here for me, and you're not to leave either. After I've gotten the truth out of him, I'll come back to you. Fine, fine, fine—these are the fine people I've trained!" Wang'er could only answer with a string of "yeses," knocked his head on the ground, got up, and went out to summon Xing'er.

Now Xinger was in the counting house playing with the lads when he heard that the Second Mistress wanted him. Startled at first, he did not realize that this affair had been discovered. He hurriedly followed Wang'er inside. Wang'er went in first and reported, "Xinger is here." Xifeng shouted harshly, "Tell him to come in!" Upon hearing this tone of voice, Xinger was already at a loss, and could only muster his courage to enter. As soon as Xifeng saw him, she said, "Fine lad! What a fine mess you and your master have made! You’d better confess honestly!" When Xinger heard these words and saw Xifeng's expression and the demeanor of the maids on both sides, he was already terrified and weak, and unconsciously knelt down, knocking his head on the ground. Xifeng said, "As for this matter, I’ve also heard it’s not your fault. But not coming to report to me earlier—that is your mistake. If you confess truthfully, I will spare you. If you utter even one false word, first feel how many heads you have on your neck!" Xinger, trembling with fear, kowtowed upward and said, "What matter is the Mistress asking about, that this servant and the master mishandled?" Hearing this, Xifeng’s pent-up fury burst forth, and she ordered, "Slap his face!" As Wang'er stepped forward to strike, Xifeng cursed, "You stupid bastard! Let him hit himself—what business is it of yours? You can slap your own face later, it’s not too late." Xinger then began to slap himself left and right, delivering over a dozen blows. Xifeng shouted "Stop!" and asked, "You probably don’t know about your Second Master taking some new wife or old wife outside, do you?" When Xinger heard this matter brought up, he became even more flustered, quickly grabbing his cap and smashing his head against the brick floor with a thud, saying, "I only beg the Mistress to spare my life; this servant dares not utter a single false word." Xifeng said, "Speak quickly!" Xinger knelt upright and replied, "This matter, this servant knew nothing about at first. It was that day when the Great Master of the Eastern Mansion had just held a funeral, and Yu Lu went to Lord Zhen’s temple to collect silver. The Second Master and Brother Rong went to the Eastern Mansion, and on the way, the two of them talked about the two concubines from Lady Zhen’s side. The Second Master praised them, and Brother Rong coaxed the Second Master, saying he would arrange for Second Concubine to be betrothed to him." When Xifeng heard this, she spat forcefully and said, "Bah, shameless bastard! What relation is she to you as your ‘concubine’!" Xinger quickly kowtowed again and said, "This servant deserves death!" He looked up at her, not daring to speak. Xifeng said, "Is that all? Why aren’t you going on?" Only then did Xinger reply, "If the Mistress forgives this servant, only then will this servant dare to continue." Xifeng spat, "Fuck your mother! What’s this about forgiveness or not? You keep going properly—there’s more good to come." Xinger replied again, "The Second Master was delighted to hear this. Later, this servant doesn’t know how it all became true." Xifeng sneered faintly, "Naturally, how would you know? What you do know is probably already tiresome. Enough, tell me what happened next!" Xinger replied, "Then Brother Rong found a house for the Second Master." Xifeng quickly asked, "Where is the house now?" Xinger said, "Right behind the mansion." Xifeng said, "Oh." She turned to look at Pinger and said, "We’re all dead, aren’t we? Did you hear that?" Pinger dared not make a sound. Xinger continued, "Lord Zhen gave the Zhang family who knows how much silver, and the Zhang family stopped asking questions." Xifeng said, "Why drag in some Zhang family or Li family here?" Xinger replied, "The Mistress doesn’t know—this Second Mistress..." As soon as he said this, he slapped himself again, which actually made Xifeng laugh. The maids on both sides also pursed their lips to stifle smiles. Xinger thought for a moment and said, "That Lady Zhen’s younger sister..." Xifeng pressed on, "What about it? Hurry up and say it." Xinger said, "That Lady Zhen’s younger sister was originally betrothed from childhood to someone named Zhang, called Zhang Hua, who is now so poor he’s almost begging. Lord Zhen promised him silver, and he called off the engagement." When Xifeng heard this, she nodded, turned back to the maids, and said, "Did you all hear that? The little bastard said he didn’t know earlier!" Xinger replied again, "Later, the Second Master had the house papered and repaired, and then married her." Xifeng said, "Where did you bring her from?" Xinger replied, "She was carried over from her mother’s home." Xifeng said, "Very well, then." She asked again, "Was there no one to see her off?" Xinger said, "Just Brother Rong. There were also a few maids and older women—no one else." Xifeng said, "Didn’t your Great Mistress come?" Xinger said, "After two days, the Great Mistress brought some things to visit." Xifeng smiled slightly, turned to Pinger, and said, "No wonder the Second Master couldn’t stop praising the Great Mistress those days." Then turning back to Xinger, she asked, "Who serves her? Naturally it’s you." Xinger quickly kowtowed and said nothing. Xifeng asked again, "Those days when it was said he was handling business for that mansion, I suppose this was it." Xinger replied, "Sometimes he was handling business, sometimes he went to the new house." Xifeng asked again, "Who lives with him?" Xinger said, "His mother and his younger sister. Yesterday, his sister cut her own throat." Xifeng said, "Why was that?" Xinger then recounted the matter of Liu Xianglian. Xifeng said, "That person is still fortunate—spared being a notorious cuckold." Then she asked, "Is there nothing else?" Xinger said, "This servant knows nothing else. Every word I just said is the truth; if any one of them is false, the Mistress may beat me to death, and I’ll have no complaint." Xifeng lowered her head for a moment, then pointed at Xinger and said, "You little monkey, you deserve to be beaten. What was there to hide from me? You thought if you hid it from me, you’d curry favor with your dimwitted master, and your new mistress would reward you. If I hadn’t seen that you were a bit scared and didn’t dare lie, I’d have broken your legs." Saying this, she ordered "Get up." Xinger kowtowed once, then scrambled to his feet, retreating to the outer room doorway but not daring to leave. Xifeng said, "Come here—I still have something to say." Xinger quickly stood with hands at his sides, listening respectfully. Xifeng said, "What’s your hurry? Is your new mistress waiting to reward you with something?" Xinger didn’t dare raise his head. Xifeng said, "From today, you are not to go over there. Whenever I call you, you come. If you’re a step late, just you try! Go out now." Xinger hastily answered several "Yes, ma’am" and backed out the door. Xifeng called again, "Xinger!" Xinger hurried back and answered. Xifeng said, "Go quickly and tell your Second Master, is that right?" Xinger replied, "This servant dares not." Xifeng said, "If you utter a single word out there, watch your skin!" Xinger quickly answered and only then went out. Xifeng called again, "Where is Wang'er?" Wang'er quickly answered and came over. Xifeng stared straight at him for the time it takes to say two or three sentences, then said, "Good Wang'er, very good. Go! If anyone breathes a word outside, it’s on your head." Wang'er answered and also went out.

Xifeng then ordered tea to be poured. The young maids understood her meaning and all withdrew. Only then did Xifeng say to Pinger, "Did you hear all that? This is just fine." Pinger dared not answer, only forced a smile. The more Xifeng thought about it, the angrier she became; she leaned back on the pillow, lost in thought. Suddenly her brows knit together and a plan came to mind. She called, "Pinger, come here." Pinger quickly answered and came over. Xifeng said, "I think this affair should be handled this way..." As to how Xifeng managed it, the next chapter will reveal.