Chapter 69: A clever plan is devised to kill with a borrowed knife; the end approaches, and You Er-jie swallows gold and dies
CHAPTER 69
*Resorting to a petty trick she uses a borrowed knife to kill another;
Aware that the great limit has come she swallows raw gold and dies*
When Second Sister You heard this, her gratitude knew no bounds, and she had no choice but to follow her. As for Madam You, how could she fail to come over? She too had to accompany Xifeng to report the matter, as was proper. Xifeng said with a smile, “Just don’t say anything; let me do the talking.” Madam You replied, “That goes without saying. But if anything goes wrong, I’ll put the blame on you.” With this, they all went first to Grandmother Jia’s rooms.
It happened that Grandmother Jia was chatting and laughing with the young ladies of the Garden to pass the time, when suddenly she saw Xifeng leading in a pretty young woman. She quickly peered at her and said, “Whose child is this? How pitiable she looks!” Xifeng came forward and said, smiling, “Old Ancestress, take a good look. Is she pretty or not?” So saying, she quickly pulled Second Sister forward and said, “This is your great-grandmother-in-law. Hurry up and kowtow.” Second Sister at once performed the full ceremony of obeisance and rose. Xifeng then pointed to the other ladies and said, “This is so-and-so, and that is so-and-so. First make your bows to them; after Her Ladyship has seen you, you may pay your respects again.” Second Sister complied, and deliberately asked each one’s name anew, then stood with lowered head to one side. Grandmother Jia looked her up and down, then asked with a smile, “What is your surname? How old are you this year?” Xifeng hurriedly said with a laugh, “Old Ancestress, don’t ask that yet. Just tell me—is she prettier than I am or not?” Grandmother Jia put on her spectacles and ordered Yuanyang and Hupo, “Bring that child over here; let me look at her complexion.” Everyone pursed their lips to suppress a smile, but they had to push her forward. Grandmother Jia inspected her carefully, then ordered Hupo, “Show me her hands.” Yuanyang also lifted up her skirt. After examining her, Grandmother Jia took off her spectacles and said with a smile, “She’s a perfect child. I think she’s even prettier than you.” When Xifeng heard this, she smiled and quickly knelt down, recounting in full detail the story she and Madam You had concocted. “I must beg the Old Ancestress to show her kindness and allow her to come in first; after a year, the marriage can be consummated.” Grandmother Jia listened and said, “What’s wrong with that? Since you are so virtuous, it’s very good. But the marriage must not be consummated for a year.” Xifeng kowtowed and rose, then begged Grandmother Jia to send two women to accompany her to see the ladies, saying it was the Old Ancestress’s idea. Grandmother Jia agreed, so she sent two women to take them to see Lady Xing and the others. Lady Wang had been deeply worried about the scandalous rumors, so when she saw this happen, how could she not be pleased? Thus Second Sister You saw the light of day and moved into the side apartments.
Meanwhile, Xifeng secretly sent someone to incite Zhang Hua, telling him to demand his original wife back, and that besides giving him a generous dowry, they would also give him silver to start a household. Zhang Hua originally had neither the courage nor the intention to sue the Jia family, but later Jia Rong sent someone to confront him. The man said, “Zhang Hua had already broken off the engagement. We are all relatives. It’s true that she was brought to stay in our house, but there was no talk of marriage. It was because Zhang Hua owed us money and refused to pay that he falsely accuses my master of these things.” The censor’s office had ties with both the Jia and Wang families, and besides, they had been bribed, so they dismissed Zhang Hua as a scoundrel trying to extort money from the poor. They refused to accept his petition, gave him a beating, and drove him out. Qing’er, acting on the outside, saw to it that the beating was not severe. Then he incited Zhang Hua further: “The engagement was originally made by your family. If you insist on the marriage, the court will surely rule in your favor.” So Zhang Hua sued again. Wang Xin, on his side, leaked the information to the censor’s office, which then ruled: “Zhang Hua must repay the silver he owes the Jia residence within the time limit. As for the engagement he made, he may take back his bride only when he has the means to support her.” They also summoned his father to court to approve the ruling. His father had already been briefed by Qing’er, and was delighted at the prospect of gaining both money and a woman, so he went to the Jia residence to claim her. Xifeng, feigning alarm, went to report to Grandmother Jia, saying it was all because Cousin Zhen’s wife had handled things badly—she hadn’t properly canceled the engagement, which led to the lawsuit and the court’s decision. Grandmother Jia listened and immediately called for Madam You, scolding her for being careless: “Since your sister was betrothed in the womb as a child, and the engagement was never canceled, you’ve allowed this confusion to arise.” Madam You could only reply, “But she even accepted the silver—how can it not be settled?” Xifeng interjected, “Zhang Hua’s statement says he never saw the silver, nor anyone coming. His father says, ‘The matchmaker indeed mentioned it once, but never gave her consent. After the matchmaker died, you took her in as a concubine.’ Without any proof, we can only let him say whatever he wants. Fortunately, Brother Lian is away, and the marriage hasn’t been consummated, so it’s no great harm. But now that the girl is here, how can we send her back? Wouldn’t that be a loss of face?” Grandmother Jia said, “Since the marriage hasn’t been consummated, it would be wrong to forcibly keep another man’s wife. The reputation would be bad. It’s better to send her back to him. Where can’t you find a good woman?” When Second Sister You heard this, she replied to Grandmother Jia, “My mother indeed gave him ten taels of silver on such-and-such a date to cancel the engagement. Because he’s poor and desperate, he sued and went back on his word. My elder sister did nothing wrong.” Grandmother Jia heard this and said, “It seems these riffraff are hard to handle. Since that’s the case, Xifeng, you go and settle it.” Xifeng had no choice but to agree. She came back and sent someone to find Jia Rong. Jia Rong understood Xifeng’s intention well—if Zhang Hua were to take her back, what a disgrace that would be—so he reported to Jia Zhen and secretly sent someone to say to Zhang Hua, “Now that you have so much silver, why insist on the woman? If you persist in your stubbornness, aren’t you afraid the masters will get angry, find some excuse, and have you killed with no place even to bury you? With silver in hand, you can go home and find any good woman you like. If you leave, they’ll even give you traveling expenses.” Zhang Hua thought it over and decided it was a good idea. After consulting with his father, they had obtained about a hundred taels of silver in total. The next day, before dawn, father and son set out and returned to their native place. Jia Rong, having verified this, went back to report to Grandmother Jia and Xifeng, saying, “Zhang Hua and his son made false accusations, and, fearing punishment, have fled. The authorities know this and will not pursue the matter. The affair is settled.” When Xifeng heard this, she thought to herself, “If I insist on having Zhang Hua take Second Sister back, when Jia Lian returns, he’ll spend a little silver to buy her back, and Zhang Hua won’t dare refuse. It’s better for Second Sister to stay, and I’ll keep her company—that’s safer. I’ll decide what to do later. But now that Zhang Hua has gone, who knows where? If he tells someone about this, or later stirs up this matter again, won’t I have harmed myself? I shouldn’t have given such a handle to an outsider in the first place.” She regretted this bitterly, and then thought of another plan. She secretly ordered Wang’er to find Zhang Hua, either accuse him of theft and sue him to death, or have him killed secretly—anything to eliminate him root and branch, to protect her own reputation. Wang’er took the order and left, but on reflection, he thought, “The man’s already gone—why make such a big fuss? A life is a serious matter, not a game. I’ll just fool her for now and decide later.” So he hid outside for a few days, then came back and told Xifeng that Zhang Hua, carrying some silver on him, had been waylaid and beaten to death with a club at dawn on the third day at the Jingkou border. His father had died of fright at the inn, and the bodies had been examined and buried there. Xifeng didn’t believe it and said, “If you’re lying, I’ll send someone to find out and have your teeth knocked out!” Only then did she let the matter drop and stop investigating. Xifeng and Second Sister You were on the best of terms, even closer than blood sisters.
When Jia Lian finally finished his business and returned, he first went to the bridal chamber, only to find it locked and silent, with just an old caretaker. Jia Lian asked what had happened, and the old man explained everything in detail. Jia Lian stamped his foot in the stirrup. He had to go and see Jia She and Lady Xing to report on his completed mission. Jia She was very pleased, praised his competence, and rewarded him with a hundred taels of silver. He also gave him a seventeen-year-old maid named Qiutong as a concubine. Jia Lian kowtowed in gratitude and was overjoyed. After paying his respects to Grandmother Jia and the family, he returned to see Xifeng, and could not help showing some shame on his face. But to his surprise, Xifeng did not wear her usual expression; instead, she came out with Second Sister You to greet him and exchange pleasantries. Jia Lian then told them about Qiutong, and his face could not help showing some pride and arrogance. When Xifeng heard this, she quickly ordered two servants to take a carriage and fetch her. One thorn had not yet been removed, and now another was added out of nowhere. She had no choice but to swallow her anger and put on a pleasant face to hide her feelings. At the same time, she ordered a feast to welcome him back and brought Qiutong to see Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang. Jia Lian was secretly astonished.
By then it was the twelfth day of the twelfth month. Jia Zhen set out, first paying his respects at the ancestral temple, then coming to bid farewell to Grandmother Jia and the others. The clan members escorted him as far as the Pavilion of Shedding Tears before turning back; only Jia Lian and Jia Rong accompanied him for three days and three nights before returning. Along the way, Jia Zhen exhorted them to settle down and manage the household, and they replied with polite formalities—nothing worth recording in detail.
Meanwhile, Xifeng at home treated You Erjie with all the proper courtesy on the surface, but in her heart she had other plans. When they were alone, she would say to Erjie, "Sister, your reputation is very bad; even the old lady and the ladies have heard of it. They say that when you were a girl at home you were not pure, and that you had an affair with your brother-in-law. 'No one wanted her, and you picked her up. Why not divorce her and find a better one?' When I heard this, I was so angry I nearly fell over backward. I tried to find out who said it, but couldn't. Over time, how could I ever face the servants? Instead, I've ended up with a hot potato in my hands." After saying this a couple of times, she herself became ill with vexation, refusing tea or food. Except for Pinger, all the maids and serving women gossiped endlessly, cursing the mulberry while pointing at the locust tree, and mocking her behind her back. Qiutong, considering herself a gift from Jia She and above everyone else—even looking down on Xifeng and Pinger—would not tolerate You Erjie. She would blurt out, "A slut who was seduced before marriage, no one wanted her, and now she comes to put on airs with me!" Xifeng was secretly pleased to hear this, while You Erjie felt ashamed, angry, and resentful. Since Xifeng was pretending to be ill, she no longer ate with You Erjie. Every day, she had coarse, inferior food brought to Erjie's room. Pinger could not bear it and spent her own money to prepare proper dishes for her, or sometimes she would suggest going for a walk in the garden and have soup or other food made in the garden kitchen for her, without anyone daring to report it to Xifeng. Only Qiutong once encountered this and went to stir up trouble, telling Xifeng, "It's all Pinger's fault that your reputation is ruined. Why leave such good food and drink untouched and go sneaking off to the garden to eat?" When Xifeng heard this, she scolded Pinger, saying, "Other people keep cats to catch rats, but my cat bites the chickens instead." Pinger dared not argue and from then on began to distance herself from You Erjie. She also secretly hated Qiutong but could not say so.
The sisters in the garden, along with Li Wan, Yingchun, Xichun, and the others, all thought Xifeng was acting out of kindness. However, Baoyu and Daiyu and their circle were secretly worried about You Erjie. Though they did not want to meddle, seeing how pitiful Erjie was, they often came to visit her and sympathized with her. Often, when they were alone and talking, You Erjie would wipe away tears but dared not complain. Xifeng showed no sign of malice at all. When Jia Lian came home and saw Xifeng acting so virtuous, he did not pay much attention. Moreover, for a long time, because Jia She had the most concubines and maids, Jia Lian had always harbored improper intentions but never dared act on them. Among women like Qiutong, most hated the old master for being senile and greedy, taking more than he could handle—what was the point of keeping so many? Therefore, aside from a few who were proper and had some shame, the rest either flirted with the junior gatekeepers or even exchanged glances and had secret affairs with Jia Lian, only held back by fear of Jia She's authority. Qiutong had had an old affair with Jia Lian but had never been his. Now, by a stroke of luck, she was given to him. They were like a match made in heaven, like dry wood and a blazing fire, glued together like glue and lacquer, like newlyweds; for days on end, they could not bear to be apart. Jia Lian's heart gradually cooled toward You Erjie, and only Qiutong mattered to him. Although Xifeng hated Qiutong, she was glad to use her first to get rid of You Erjie, temporarily stepping back with the "borrowed knife to kill" strategy, "sitting on the mountain to watch the tigers fight." Once Qiutong had disposed of You Erjie, she would then deal with Qiutong. Having made up her mind, when they were alone, she often secretly advised Qiutong, saying, "You are young and inexperienced. She is now the second wife, the apple of your master's eye. I even give way to her. If you go and clash with her head-on, aren't you asking for trouble?" Upon hearing this, Qiutong grew even more furious, and every day she would loudly curse, "You are too soft, madam, so virtuous—I could never be like that. Why have you lost all your usual authority? You are magnanimous, but I can't stand having sand in my eyes. Let me have it out with that slut, and then she'll know." Xifeng, in her room, pretended not to dare to speak out. It made You Erjie so angry she cried in her room, refusing to eat, not daring to tell Jia Lian. The next day, when Grandmother Jia saw her eyes red and swollen and asked about it, she dared not answer. Qiutong, who was keen on currying favor, quietly told Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang, "She is a master at playing dead. She keeps up this mournful crying all day long, cursing me and the second mistress to die early so she can have the second master all to herself." Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia said, "When a person is too delicate and pretty, you can be sure she is jealous. Xifeng has treated her kindly, yet she carries on like this, vying for favor. She is indeed a cheap piece of goods." From then on, Grandmother Jia gradually lost her liking for her. Seeing that Grandmother Jia was displeased, everyone else began to trample on her, leaving You Erjie in a state where she could neither die nor live. It was only thanks to Pinger, who often, behind Xifeng's back, seeing her in this state, tried to comfort her.
Now You Erjie, who was made of flowers for intestines and snow for flesh, could hardly bear such torment. After enduring a month of silent resentment, she fell ill, listless in her limbs, unable to eat or drink, gradually becoming sallow and emaciated. At night, as soon as she closed her eyes, she saw her younger sister, holding a pair of mandarin duck swords, coming to her and saying, "Sister, all your life you have been foolishly soft-hearted, and in the end, you have suffered for it. Do not believe the sweet talk of that jealous woman. Outwardly she pretends to be virtuous, but inside she is full of deceit. She is determined to kill you. If I were still alive, I would never have let you come in, and even if you had, I would not have allowed her to do this. But this is all fated. In our lives, we were wanton and improper, causing others to lose their moral way, and so this is our retribution. Follow me and use this sword to kill that jealous woman, and together we will go before the Disenchantment Goddess and let her judge us. Otherwise, you will simply die in vain, with no one to pity you." You Erjie wept and said, "Sister, my conduct in life has already been flawed. Today's retribution is only right. Why should I add the sin of murder? Let me endure it. If Heaven takes pity on me and I recover, wouldn't that be the best outcome?" Her younger sister laughed and said, "Sister, you are indeed a fool. Since ancient times, 'Heaven's net is vast; though its meshes are wide, nothing escapes.' The Way of Heaven always repays. Though you repent and reform, you have already led father and son, brothers into a state of incestuous chaos. How can Heaven allow you to live in peace?" You Erjie wept again, saying, "If I cannot live in peace, it is only right. I have no complaint." Upon hearing this, her sister sighed and departed. You Erjie woke with a start, realizing it was only a dream. When Jia Lian came to see her, with no one else around, she wept and said, "I am afraid this illness will not get better. I have been here for half a year, and I am pregnant, but I do not know whether it will be a boy or a girl. If Heaven takes pity and I give birth, it might be all right. If not, I will not survive, let alone the child." Jia Lian also wept and said, "Do not worry. I will call for a famous doctor to treat you." So saying, he went out and immediately sent for a physician.
Unexpectedly, Imperial Physician Wang had also sought a position serving in the army, hoping to return and receive a hereditary title. The servants went and invited a physician named Hu, whose courtesy name was Junrong. He came in, felt her pulse, and examined her, saying it was irregular menstruation requiring strong tonics. Jia Lian then said, "She has not had her period for three months and often feels nauseous with acid reflux; it may be a pregnancy." Upon hearing this, Hu Junrong ordered the old women to have her extend her hand for another look. You Erjie had no choice but to reach her hand out from behind the curtain. Hu Junrong felt her pulse for another long while and said, "If it were a pregnancy, the liver pulse would naturally be strong and bounding. But an excess of wood generates fire, and the irregular menstruation is also caused by the liver wood. A physician must be bold; I must ask the lady to slightly reveal her face so I can observe her complexion before I dare prescribe medicine." Jia Lian had no alternative and ordered the curtain to be lifted a crack, revealing You Erjie's face. As soon as Hu Junrong saw her, his soul flew up to the ninth heaven, his whole body went numb, and he knew nothing. After a moment, the curtain was drawn shut, and Jia Lian accompanied him out, asking what was the matter. Physician Hu said, "It is not a pregnancy, only congealed stagnant blood. The priority now is to dispel the stagnant blood and unblock the meridians." He then wrote a prescription, took his leave, and left. Jia Lian ordered someone to send the consultation fee, have the medicine prepared, and administer it. By midnight, You Erjie suffered from unbearable abdominal pain; unexpectedly, a fully formed male fetus was aborted. Then the bleeding would not stop, and Erjie fell unconscious. When Jia Lian heard this, he cursed Hu Junrong loudly. On one hand, he sent someone else to summon a physician for treatment; on the other, he sent someone to report Hu Junrong. Hu Junrong, upon hearing this, had already packed up and fled. The physician who arrived then said, "Her original qi and blood were already weak and deficient. Since becoming pregnant, she must have suffered some anger and resentment, which have become stagnated within. That gentleman recklessly used harsh, violent drugs, and now the patient's vital energy is damaged by eight or nine parts out of ten, and it will be hard to recover quickly. Only with both decoctions and pills, and by not hearing any idle gossip or troublesome matters, can she hope to recover." After speaking, he left. Jia Lian, in a panic, investigated who had summoned that surnamed Hu; once found, the servant was beaten half to death. Xifeng was ten times more anxious than Jia Lian, only saying, "Our fate is to have no son; we finally got one, and then we encounter such an incompetent physician." She then burned incense and bowed before heaven and earth, making a personal prayer: "If I am guilty of any illness, I only beg that Sister You's body recover fully, and that she conceive and bear a son. I vow to eat vegetarian and chant Buddha's name for life." When Jia Lian and the others saw this, they all praised her. When Jia Lian was with Qiutong, Xifeng would also make soups and send them to Erjie. She also scolded Pinger for being unlucky, "just like me. I am often ill, but you have no illness and yet have not conceived. Now that Second Mistress is in this state, it is all because we lack good fortune, or have offended something, causing her to be afflicted." She also sent people out to consult fortune-tellers and diviners. The fortune-teller returned and said, "It is offended by a female person born in the Year of the Rabbit." Everyone calculated, and only Qiutong was born in the Year of the Rabbit, so they said she was the one who caused the offense. Qiutong had recently seen Jia Lian inviting physicians, beating servants, and cursing everyone, all for You Erjie's sake, and she had long been filled with jealousy. Now hearing this accusation against her, and with Xifeng advising her, "You should go hide elsewhere for a few months and then return," Qiutong was so angry she cried and cursed, "Pay no attention to those blind, meddling slanderers! 'Well water and river water don't mix'—how could I have offended her! What a fine precious darling! She's seen all sorts of people outside, yet as soon as she comes here, someone offends her. Out of thin air, where did that child come from? She's just trying to fool our husband with his cotton-wool ears! Even if there were a child, no one knows if it would be surnamed Zhang or Wang. The Mistress may treasure that bastard brat, but I don't like it! Who doesn't grow old? Who can't bear a child? If I bear one every year or two, at least it would be pure and unmixed!" Her cursing made everyone want to laugh but dare not. As luck would have it, Lady Xing came to pay her respects, and Qiutong tearfully complained to her, saying, "Master and Mistress want to drive me back home; I have no place to go. Please, Madam, have mercy." Upon hearing this, Lady Xing was flustered and scolded Xifeng for a while, then cursed Jia Lian: "You ungrateful seed! No matter how bad she is, she was given to you by your father. To drive her away for someone from outside—you might as well have no father! If you want to drive her out, you might as well go back to your father yourself!" Having said this, she left in a huff. Qiutong grew even more triumphant, going so far as to stand under the window of You Erjie's room, weeping and cursing loudly. Upon hearing this, You Erjie could only feel more distressed.
That evening, Jia Lian stayed the night in Qiutong's room. Xifeng had already gone to sleep. Pinger came to see Erjie and quietly advised her, "Take good care of your illness, and don't mind that beast." You Erjie grabbed her and wept, saying, "Sister, ever since I arrived here, I have relied on your care. For my sake, you have endured no end of silent anger. If I can escape with my life, I will surely repay your kindness; but I fear I may not escape, and can only wait for the next life." Pinger could not help but shed tears and said, "It seems I am the one who ruined you. I was originally simple-hearted and never concealed anything from her. Once I heard you were outside, how could I not tell her? Who knew it would lead to all this trouble?" You Erjie quickly said, "Sister, you are wrong. Even if you hadn't told her, wouldn't she have found out? You simply spoke first. Besides, I was determined to come in and join the household properly; what does it have to do with you?" The two wept together for a while. Pinger gave a few more words of advice, and as the night was deep, she finally went to rest.
Here, You Erjie thought to herself: "The illness has taken hold; by day there is no nourishment, only further harm. I am certain I cannot recover. Moreover, the fetus has already been aborted, leaving nothing to worry about. Why endure these petty insults? It would be better to die and be done with it. I have often heard that raw gold can cause death by swallowing; would that not be cleaner than hanging myself or cutting my throat?" Having resolved, she struggled to get up, opened a chest, and found a piece of raw gold. Not knowing its weight, she bitterly choked back tears and put it into her mouth. Several times she forced herself to stretch her neck before she could swallow it. Then she hurriedly dressed herself neatly in her clothes and ornaments, climbed onto the kang, and lay down. No one noticed; it was as if no one knew. By the next morning, when the maids and serving women saw that she had not called for anyone, they were only too happy to go about their own washing and grooming. Xifeng and Qiutong had both gone upstairs. Pinger could not bear it and scolded the maids: "You people only deserve to be beaten and cursed, heartless as you are! A sick person, and you can't show any pity. Even though she is good-natured, you should still behave yourselves. Don't go too far—'when a wall is about to collapse, everyone gives it a push.'" Upon hearing this, the maids hurriedly pushed open the door to look in, and saw her dressed neatly, dead on the kang. Only then were they terrified and began to scream. Pinger came in, saw her, and could not help but wail. Although the others usually feared Xifeng, they knew that You Erjie was truly gentle and kind to those beneath her, far more so than Xifeng. Now that she was dead, who could help but grieve and shed tears, though they dared not let Xifeng see.
By now the whole household knew. Jia Lian came in, hugged the corpse, and wept uncontrollably. Xifeng also feigned tears, saying, “Cruel-hearted sister! How could you leave me and go, betraying my feelings!” Lady You, Jia Rong, and others also came to weep for a while and persuaded Jia Lian to stop. Jia Lian then went to Lady Wang and begged to have the body laid out in Pear Fragrance Court for five days before moving it to Iron Threshold Temple. Lady Wang agreed. Jia Lian quickly ordered someone to open the gate of Pear Fragrance Court and tidy up the main hall for the funeral wake. Displeased that the body would have to be taken out through the back gate, which seemed improper, he had a new gate opened directly onto the street from the front wall of Pear Fragrance Court. On both sides, sheds were set up, and an altar was arranged for Buddhist rites. A soft couch was laid with brocade quilts and mattresses, and Second Sister was lifted onto it, covered with a sheet. Eight pages and several maids surrounded her as they carried her along the inner wall to Pear Fragrance Court. There an astrologer had already been summoned and was waiting. When the sheet was lifted, they saw that You Second Sister’s face looked as if she were alive, even more beautiful than in life. Jia Lian hugged her again and wept loudly, crying out, “My lady, your death was so unjust and unclear—I am the one who harmed you!” Jia Rong quickly stepped forward to console him, saying, “Uncle, take comfort. This aunt of mine simply had no good fortune.” As he spoke, he pointed south toward the boundary wall of Grand View Garden. Jia Lian understood and, stamping his foot quietly, said, “I was negligent. In the end, I will find out, and I will avenge you.” The astrologer reported, “The lady passed away at the hour of the Mao (5–7 AM) today. She cannot be taken out in five days; it must be either three days or seven days. The day after tomorrow, at the hour of Yin (3–5 AM), would be most auspicious for encoffining.” Jia Lian said, “Three days simply won’t do; it will be seven days. Since my uncle and elder brother are both away, I dare not keep the funeral too long here. When we get outside, I will still hold a five-week mourning period and conduct a grand ceremony before sealing the coffin. Next year, I will take her south for burial.” The astrologer agreed, wrote out the death certificate, and left. Baoyu had already come over early and wept for a while. All the clan members also arrived. Jia Lian hurriedly went inside to find Xifeng, asking for silver to prepare the coffin and funeral rites. Xifeng, seeing that the body had already been carried out, pretended to be ill and replied, “Madam Wang and the Lady Dowager said I am sick and must avoid the three chambers, forbidding me to go.” So she did not come out to wear mourning clothes but instead went to Grand View Garden. Skirting the rockeries, she went to the northern boundary wall and listened outside, catching a word or two indistinctly. She then went back to report to Grandmother Jia, saying such and such. Grandmother Jia said, “Don’t believe his nonsense. Whose child ever died of consumption and wasn’t burned or thrown away? And they still insist on holding a full funeral and breaking ground for a grave. Since she was a secondary wife, it counts as a conjugal bond, so let the body stay for five or seven days, then take it out, either burn it or bury it in a random grave, and be done with it.” Xifeng laughed and said, “That’s just what I think. But I didn’t dare advise him.” Just then, a maid came to summon Xifeng, saying, “Master Lian is waiting for the mistress to bring silver.” Xifeng had to go and asked him, “What silver? The household has been hard up lately—don’t you know that? Our monthly allowances can’t keep up from one month to the next; it’s like the chicken eating next year’s grain. Yesterday I pawned two gold necklaces for three hundred taels of silver, and you’re still dreaming. Here are twenty or thirty taels left—take them if you want.” With that, she ordered Pinger to bring them out and handed them to Jia Lian, then left, saying the Lady Dowager had something to discuss. Jia Lian was so angry he had nothing to say and could only open Lady You’s trunks and chests to take his own private savings. When he opened them, there was nothing at all—only some broken hairpins, tattered flowers, and a few half-worn silk and cotton garments that You Second Sister had usually worn. He could not help but weep again in grief. He wrapped them all up in a bundle himself and, without calling any page or maid to carry it, took it himself to burn.
Pinger was both sad and amused. She quickly stole out a bundle of two hundred taels of loose silver, went to the side room, pulled Jia Lian aside, and quietly handed it to him, saying, “Just don’t make a sound, that’s best. If you want to cry, you can cry plenty outside—why come here and draw attention?” Jia Lian listened and said, “You’re right.” He took the silver and also handed a skirt to Pinger, saying, “This was her everyday wear. Take good care of it for me, as a keepsake.” Pinger had no choice but to hide it away for herself. Jia Lian took the silver to the others and then ordered someone to go buy a coffin board. Good ones were too expensive, and medium ones he didn’t want. Jia Lian rode out himself to inspect them, and by evening, he had brought back a fine board, costing five hundred taels on credit, and had it worked on through the night. Meanwhile, he assigned people to wear mourning and keep vigil at the wake, and he himself did not go inside that night but stayed to accompany the corpse.