Chapter 75: A night feast is held, but ominous signs bring sorrow; a new poem composed during the Mid-Autumn Festival brings an auspicious prophecy

Lady You had stormed out of Xichun's quarters in a huff and was about to go to Lady Wang's place when the old serving women who attended her quietly said, "Madam, better not go to the main hall just now. Some people from the Zhen family have just arrived, bringing a few things with them—no one knows what confidential business it might be. If you go now, it might be awkward." Lady You replied, "Yesterday I heard your master say, from reading the official gazette, that the Zhen family had been found guilty, their property confiscated, and they were being summoned to the capital for punishment. How can there be people coming from them now?" The old woman said, "Exactly. Just now a few women arrived, looking quite out of sorts and flustered. There must be something they're trying to hide." Hearing this, Lady You stopped going forward and instead turned back toward Li Wan's place. Just then the imperial physician had finished taking her pulse and left. Li Wan had been feeling a bit more clear-headed lately, propped up on her pillow with a quilt over her, sitting on the bed, wanting someone to chat with. Seeing Lady You come in without her usual warmth, just sitting there dully, Li Wan asked, "You've been here a while now—have you had anything to eat in the other rooms? I'm afraid you might be hungry." She told Suyun to fetch any fresh snacks she could find. Lady You quickly stopped her, saying, "No need, no need. You've been ill lately, how could you have anything fresh? Besides, I'm not hungry." Li Wan said, "The tea powder your aunt's family sent yesterday is quite good—why not have a bowl brewed for you?" She then ordered someone to brew it. Lady You sat lost in thought, silent. The maids and serving women who followed her then asked, "Madam hasn't washed her face since noon today. How about taking the chance to wash now?" Lady You nodded. Li Wan quickly told Suyun to fetch her own dressing case. As Suyun brought it, she also brought her own rouge and powder, saying with a smile, "Our mistress lacks this. If you don't mind it being used, madam, this is mine—you can make do with it." Li Wan said, "Even if I don't have any, you should have gone to the young ladies' rooms to get some. How dare you bring out your own things so openly. Luckily it's her; if it were someone else, wouldn't they be offended?" Lady You laughed, "What harm is there? Whenever I've come over, whose things haven't I used? Why suddenly be so particular about dirtiness today?" As she spoke, she sat cross-legged on the edge of the kang. Yindie hurried up to remove her bracelets and rings, then covered her lower body with a large towel, tucking her clothes in securely. The little maid Chaodou'er brought a large basin of warm water to Lady You, merely bending over to hold it. Li Wan said, "Why so lacking in manners?" Yindie laughed, "They say not a single one has any quick wits—tell them a gourd, and they think it's a dipper. Our mistress just treats us leniently; at home, it doesn't matter, but you take advantage of it, not caring whether at home or out, even in front of relatives you just do as you please." Lady You said, "Let her be; we'll be done once she washes anyway." Chaodou'er quickly knelt down. Lady You laughed, "The people in our household, high and low, only care about outward false courtesy and false dignity, but when it comes to what they actually do, it's all insufferable." Hearing this, Li Wan knew she had already learned of last night's events, so she smiled and said, "Your words have a reason. Who has done something that's insufferable?" Lady You said, "You're asking me! You must have been so sick you were half dead!"

Before she finished speaking, someone announced, "Miss Bao has arrived." As they hurriedly said to invite her in, Baochai had already entered. Lady You quickly wiped her face, stood up, and offered her a seat, then asked, "Why have you come alone? Where are the other sisters?" Baochai said, "I haven't seen them either. It's just that today my grandmother is feeling unwell, and both the women at home are also down with seasonal illnesses and haven't gotten out of bed. The others can't be relied upon, so today I need to go out and keep the old lady company at night. I was going to tell the old lady and Lady Wang, but since it's not a big matter, I thought I'd leave it for now. Once she's better, I'll come back anyway, so I came to tell you, eldest sister-in-law." Li Wan listened, then just looked at Lady You and laughed. Lady You also just looked at Li Wan and laughed. Soon Lady You finished washing and combing, and everyone drank tea powder. Li Wan then laughed and said, "Since that's the case, first send someone to ask after your grandmother's health and find out what illness she has. I'm ill myself and can't go in person. Dear sister, go ahead, but I'll send someone to look after your rooms. Stay a day or two at least before coming back, don't make me fall into blame." Baochai smiled, "What blame would there be? This is all quite common and reasonable; you haven't sold me off like a thief. In my opinion, there's no need to send anyone extra over there. Just invite Sister Yun to come and stay with you for a day or two—that would be simpler." Lady You said, "But where has Cousin Shi gone?" Baochai said, "I just sent someone to find her with your Tanchun, asking her to come here too. I'll explain it plainly to her."

Just as they were speaking, someone indeed reported, "Miss Yun and Miss Tan are here." After everyone exchanged greetings and took their seats, Baochai brought up moving out. Tanchun said, "Very good. Even if your grandmother gets better and you still come back, it's fine even if she doesn't." Lady You laughed, "That's strange talk—why are you driving away relatives?" Tanchun sneered, "Exactly. Rather than let others drive them away, I'd rather do it first. Good relations between relatives don't require living together to the death. We're supposed to be one family, flesh and blood, but every one of us is like a fighting cock, eyes glaring, wishing you could eat me, and I eat you!" Lady You quickly laughed and said, "What bad luck has befallen me today, running into all you sisters in such a fiery mood?" Tanchun said, "Who told you to come near the hot stove!" Then she asked, "And who has offended you?" After a moment's thought, she said, "Fourth Sister wouldn't cross you, so who could it be?" Lady You only mumbled a vague answer. Tanchun knew she was timid and afraid to speak much, so she laughed and said, "Don't pretend to be so meek. Unless the court has sentenced you to death, there's no beheading to fear—don't be so cowed. To tell you the truth, I beat that old woman Wang Shanbao's yesterday, and I'm still bearing the blame for it. At worst, they'll gossip about me behind my back—can she give me a beating too?" Baochai quickly asked why she had beaten her, and Tanchun recounted everything about last night's search and the beating. Seeing that Tanchun had already spoken out, Lady You then told them about Xichun's earlier incident. Tanchun said, "That's her peculiar temper—too aloof and pure—none of us can change her." She then told them, "This morning, seeing no reaction, I sent someone to inquire and heard that Sister Feng was ill again. I sent my own nanny out to find out about Wang Shanbao's. She came back and told me that Wang Shanbao's had been beaten—the elder mistress blamed her for meddling." Lady You and Li Wan said, "That's only right." Tanchun sneered, "Anyone can put on such a show of covering up. Let's wait and see." Lady You and Li Wan both fell silent.

After a while, judging that it was time for the front rooms to prepare for a meal, Xiangyun and Baochai went back to their rooms to pack their things, leaving that aside for now. Lady You and the others then took leave of Li Wan and went to the Dowager's quarters. The Dowager was reclining on her couch, listening to Lady Wang talk about why the Zhen family had been found guilty, their property confiscated, and their recall to the capital for punishment. The Dowager was already displeased, and just then she saw the young ladies arrive, so she asked, "Where have you come from? Do you know how Feng and her sister-in-law's illness is today?" Lady You quickly replied, "They're both somewhat better today." The Dowager nodded and sighed, "Let's not concern ourselves with other people's affairs. The important thing is to plan our Mid-Autumn Festival moon-viewing on the fifteenth." Lady Wang laughed and said, "Everything is already prepared. I just don't know which spot you prefer, madam. The garden is rather empty, and the night wind is cold." The Dowager laughed, "What harm is there in wearing an extra layer of clothes? That place is perfect for moon-viewing—how can we not go?"

While they were speaking, serving women and maids had already brought in the dining tables. Lady Wang and Madam You hurried forward to set out the chopsticks and arrange the dishes. Seeing that her own dishes were already laid out, and that two large serving boxes had been brought in with several more dishes, the Dowager realized this was the old custom of additional offerings from the various apartments. She asked, "What are all these? I've told you several times before that we can dispense with these now, but you still don't listen. Things are not as plentiful or convenient as they used to be." Yuanyang promptly said, "I've mentioned it several times, but they wouldn't listen, so I had to let it go." Lady Wang smiled and replied, "These are just ordinary home-style dishes. Today I'm observing a vegetarian fast, so there's nothing special. You don't particularly care for gluten or bean curd, so I only chose one dish—a peppery pickled vegetable sauce." The Dowager laughed, "That's perfect; I've been craving exactly that." Upon hearing this, Yuanyang moved the dish closer to her. Baoqin offered it to everyone in turn before taking her seat. The Dowager then ordered Tanchun to come and eat with them. Tanchun also made her rounds of courtesies and sat down opposite Baoqin. Daishu hurried to fetch a bowl. Yuanyang pointed at the other dishes and said, "These two I can't quite identify—they were sent by the Elder Master. This bowl is chicken-marrow bamboo shoots, sent by the Master from outside." As she spoke, she placed only the bowl of bamboo shoots on the table. The Dowager tasted a little of each and then ordered, "Send those two dishes back and say I've eaten them. There's no need to send them every day from now on; if I want something, I'll send for it myself." The serving women acknowledged and carried them away, which need not be detailed.

The Dowager then said, "Just some congee will do." Madam You had already brought forward a bowl, explaining it was red rice porridge. The Dowager took it, ate half a bowl, and ordered, "Give this porridge to Feng girl to eat," and pointing further, "this bowl of bamboo shoots and this plate of wind-cured civet cat are for Lin girl and Baoyu to share; that bowl of meat is for Lan boy." She then said to Madam You, "I've finished; you may eat now." Madam You acknowledged this and waited until the Dowager had rinsed her mouth and washed her hands. The Dowager then stepped down and chatted with Lady Wang to aid digestion. Madam You took her seat. Tanchun and Baoqin also rose, smiling, "Excuse us, excuse us." Madam You laughed, "Left all alone, I'm not used to such a grand spread." The Dowager chuckled, "Yuanyang and Hupo, take this chance to eat a bit too, and keep her company." Madam You said, "Good, good, good—I was just about to say that." The Dowager laughed, "Watching so many people eat is the most amusing thing." Then, pointing at Yindie, she added, "This child is good too; come and eat with your mistress. Once you're away from me, you can go back to your formalities." Madam You said, "Come quickly, don't stand on ceremony." The Dowager watched with her hands behind her back, taking pleasure in the scene.

Noticing that the person serving rice held a bowl of plain servants' rice, while Madam You was still eating white polished rice, the Dowager asked, "How can you be so careless? Why are you serving this rice to your lady?" The person replied, "The old lady's rice is finished. Today an extra young lady joined us, so it fell short." Yuanyang said, "Nowadays, everything is made to measure—there's no room for surplus." Lady Wang quickly responded, "These past two years, droughts and floods have been unpredictable, so the rice from the fields can't be delivered in full. These finer varieties of rice are even harder to come by, so we only draw what we need, afraid of running short and having to buy something that doesn't suit the taste." The Dowager laughed, "This is exactly 'even the cleverest housewife can't cook a meal without rice.'" Everyone laughed. Yuanyang said, "In that case, just go and fetch Third Miss's rice to make up the difference—how clumsy!" Madam You smiled, "This is enough for me; no need to fetch any more." Yuanyang said, "If it's enough for you, it's not enough for me." The serving women on the floor, hearing this, hurried off to fetch it.

Meanwhile, Lady Wang also went to have her meal, while Madam You stayed to chat and jest with the Dowager. When it came time for the night watch, the Dowager said, "It's dark now; you should go." Madam You then took her leave and departed. She reached the main gate and boarded her carriage, with Yindie sitting on the carriage step. The women lowered the curtain, and leading the young maids, they went straight across to the other main gate to wait. Because the distance between the two mansions' main gates was less than a bow-shot, daily comings and goings did not require elaborate formalities, and since it was late at night and they returned frequently, the old nurses and young maids simply walked over in a few steps. The gatekeepers at both sides had already stopped pedestrians at the east-west street corners. Madam You's large carriage did not need horses; only seven or eight young servants held the rings and pulled the wheels, gently pushing and dragging it up onto the steps. Then the young servants withdrew beyond the stone lions, the nurses raised the curtain, Yindie descended first, and then helped Madam You down. Seven or eight lanterns, large and small, illuminated everything clearly. Madam You noticed four or five large carriages parked under the stone lions on both sides and knew they belonged to people coming to gamble. She said to Yindie and the others, "Look, if there are this many carriages, how many more on horseback must there be? The horses are probably tied up in the stables, so we can't see them. I wonder how much money their fathers and mothers earned for them to enjoy themselves like this." As she spoke, she had already reached the main hall. Jia Rong's wife led the household women and maids, all bearing candles, to welcome her out. Madam You laughed, "I've wanted to sneak a peek at them for days but never had the chance. How convenient today—I'll just pass by their window." The women acknowledged, lifting lanterns to lead the way, and one went ahead quietly to inform the waiting young servants not to make a fuss. So Madam You and her party stealthily approached the window, where they heard shouts of "three" and "four," many sounds of revelry and laughter, mixed with curses of "five" and "six" and no small number of angry complaints.

It turned out that Jia Zhen, being recently in mourning, could not roam about and amuse himself as usual, nor could he watch plays or listen to music for entertainment. Utterly bored, he had devised a pastime. By day, under the pretext of practicing archery, he invited various young gentlemen from noble families and many wealthy relatives and friends to compete in shooting. He said, "Shooting randomly is ultimately useless; not only does it bring no improvement, but it also ruins proper form. We must set a penalty and wager a prize, so that everyone will have the motivation to strive." Thus, in the archery range below Tianxiang Tower, they set up targets and agreed to come every day after breakfast to shoot. Jia Zhen did not wish to take charge himself, so he made Jia Rong the host. All who came were sons of hereditary nobles, every family immensely wealthy, and all in their youth—a bunch of dandies fond of cockfighting, dog racing, and visiting brothels. They decided to take turns acting as host for the evening meal—since they came daily to shoot, they couldn't let Jia Rong bear all the expense. So every day they slaughtered pigs, sheep, geese, and ducks, as if at the Lintong treasure competition, each vying to show off their fine cooks and culinary skills. In less than half a month, Jia She and Jia Zheng heard of this. Not knowing the full story, they instead said it was proper conduct—since literary pursuits had been neglected, martial arts should be practiced, especially as they were families of military rank. Both households then ordered Jia Huan, Jia Cong, Baoyu, and Jia Lan to come after their meal each day to practice archery with Jia Zhen for a while before being allowed to return.

Jia Zhen was never truly interested in archery. After a day or two, he gradually used resting his arms as an excuse, and in the evenings, he would play dominoes for small bets or just for the price of a drink. Before long, he began gambling for money. Within the span of three or four months, he had grown more and more addicted to gambling and neglected archery entirely, openly playing cards, throwing dice, setting up stakes, and gambling through the night. The household servants took advantage of this for their own gain, delighted at the turn of events, so the practice became entrenched. Outsiders knew nothing of it. Recently,'s younger brother,, also took a great liking to this pastime and joined in. Xue Pan, who was always the first to throw money away, was overjoyed at the sight. Although was's own brother, his character and actions were quite different from hers. This knew only the pleasures of drinking, gambling, and visiting brothels. He spent money lavishly, treated everyone without guile, liked those who liked drink, and kept away from those who did not. He made no distinction between master and servant, noble and lowly, and for this reason everyone called him "Silly Uncle." Xue Pan had long been known as "Dullard Master." Today, the two of them met and both enjoyed the fast-paced game of "Snatching the New Quick," so they invited two others to play on the kang in the outer room. Other groups played "Public Fan" at square tables in other parts of the room. In the inner room, a more refined group played dominoes in the "Heavenly Nines" style. The serving boys there were all under fifteen years old; no grown men were allowed, which was why Madam You could secretly watch from outside the window. Among them were two catamites of sixteen or seventeen, specially tasked with pouring wine, both powdered and painted like jade. That day, Xue Pan had lost a round and was in a foul mood, but luckily, after finishing the second round, he calculated that he had recouped his losses and even won a little, so his spirits lifted. Jia Zhen said, "Hold on a moment. Eat something before we continue." He then asked how the other two groups were doing. Those playing "Heavenly Nines" inside had also settled their accounts and were waiting to eat. Those playing "Public Fan" had not yet cleared their debts and refused to eat. So no one could rush them. A large table was set first, and Jia Zhen sat with them to eat, ordering Jia Rong to accompany the others in the back. Xue Pan, now in high spirits, wrapped his arm around a catamite and drank, then ordered wine to be offered to Silly Uncle Xing. Silly Uncle was a loser and had no heart for it. After drinking two bowls, he grew tipsy and complained that the two catamites only fawned over the winners and ignored the losers. He cursed, "You bunch of rabbits, always crawling upward like this. We're together every day—who among you hasn't received favors from me? Just because I've lost a few silver pieces this time, you start making distinctions. Do you think you'll never need anything from me again?" The others, seeing his drunken state, quickly said, "Yes, yes. This habit of theirs is indeed bad." They then ordered, "Quickly offer wine to apologize." The two catamites, well-practiced in such routines, knelt at once, holding up their wine, and said, "In our line of work, our master taught us to ignore distance or closeness, only to befriend and honor those who have money and power at the moment. Even if they were living Buddhas or immortals, once they lose their money and influence, we must not pay them any mind. Besides, we are young and in this trade. Please, Uncle, be lenient with us, and we'll let it pass." Saying this, they raised the wine and knelt with their foreheads to the ground. Though's heart softened, he still pretended to be angry and ignored them. The others urged him, "The child speaks the truth. Uncle has always been kind to the fairer sex—why act like this today? If you don't drink this wine, how can they get up?" could no longer hold out and said, "If not for all of you speaking up, I would pay no attention." With that, he took the cup and drained it in one gulp. Another bowl was poured. The wine stirred up old memories, and in his drunkenness, revealed his true feelings. He slapped the table and sighed to Jia Zhen, "No wonder they treat money like their own lives. How many families of officials and scholars, when it comes to 'money and power,' won't even recognize their own flesh and blood? Dear nephew, yesterday I had a quarrel with your aunt on your side. Did you know?" Jia Zhen said, "I haven't heard." sighed, "It's all because of that accursed thing, money. Terrible, terrible!" Jia Zhen knew well that was on bad terms with, often feeling slighted and resentful, so he advised, "Uncle, you've been too careless. If you keep spending, how much is there for you to spend?" said, "Dear nephew, you don't know the ins and outs of my family. When my mother died, I was young and knew nothing of the world. She had three sisters. Only your aunt, the eldest, married early, and she took the entire family fortune with her. Now the second sister is also married, but her family is hard up. The third sister is still at home, and everything is managed by Wang Shanbao's wife, the from this household. When I ask for money, it's not from your Jia family—my family's estate is enough for me. But I can't get my hands on it, so I have nowhere to air my grievances." Jia Zhen, seeing him rambling drunk and fearing others might hear something improper, quickly tried to soothe him with words.

Outside, Madam You heard everything clearly. She whispered to Silver Butterfly with a laugh, "Did you hear that? It's the elder brother of the lady from the North Courtyard complaining about her. If even her own brother says such things, no wonder these people act as they do." She was about to listen more when the group playing "Public Fan" also stopped to drink. One of them asked, "Who was it that offended Uncle just now? We didn't catch it clearly. Tell us, so we can judge.", asked about it, recounted how the two catamites ignored the losers and only flattered the winners. A young dandy said, "If that's the case, it's indeed infuriating. No wonder Uncle is angry. Let me ask you two: although Uncle lost, he only lost silver coins—he didn't lose his cock—so why ignore him?" At this, everyone burst into laughter, and even sprayed rice all over the floor. Madam You, outside, silently spat and cursed, "Listen to them! A pack of shameless little bastards. They've barely lost their heads and already they're spouting nonsense. Pour more rotgut down their throats, and heaven knows what they'll say next." With that, she went inside to remove her makeup and rest. Not until the fourth watch did Jia Zhen finally disperse and go to Pei Feng's room.

The next morning, someone reported that the watermelons and mooncakes were ready, only awaiting distribution. Jia Zhen ordered Pei Feng, "Go ask your mistress to oversee the sending. I have other business to attend to." Pei Feng agreed and went to inform Madam You, who then had to assign people to deliver everything. After a while, Pei Feng returned and said, "The master asks if you are going out today. He says since our family is in mourning, we can't celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival tomorrow, but tonight is fine for a little observance—we can have some melons, mooncakes, and wine." Madam You said, "I don't plan to go out. Aunt Zhu is ill over there, and Feng girl is laid up too. If I don't go, there'll be even fewer people. Besides, I'm too busy. What observance?" Pei Feng said, "The master said he's already declined everyone else today and won't return until the sixteenth. He insists on inviting you to drink." Madam You laughed, "If he invites me, I won't be able to return the favor." Pei Feng laughed and left, but returned shortly to say, "The master said he'll even have dinner with you. Please come back early, and he told me to go with you." Madam You said, "In that case, what about breakfast? Let's eat quickly so I can go." Pei Feng said, "The master said he'll eat breakfast outside and asks you to eat on your own." Madam You asked, "Who's outside today?" Pei Feng said, "I hear two people newly arrived from Nanjing, but I don't know who they are." Just then, Jia Rong's wife, having finished her toilette, came in to pay her respects. Soon after, breakfast was served. Madam You sat at the head of the table, with Jia Rong's wife below as company. The two women finished their meal. Madam You then changed her clothes and went back to the Rong Mansion, not returning until evening.

It was true that Jia Zhen had prepared a whole boiled pig and a roasted sheep, along with countless other dishes, fruits, and delicacies. He set up a peacock-feather screen and spread hibiscus-patterned mats in the Hall of Clustered Green within the Garden of Assembled Fragrance. Leading his wife and concubines, they first ate, then drank, reveling freely under the moon. By the first watch, the breeze was fresh and the moon bright, everything gleaming like silver. Jia Zhen wanted to play drinking games, so You-shi called Peifeng and three others to join the table, seating them in a row below. They played finger-guessing games and drank for a while. Jia Zhen, already tipsy, grew even more cheerful and ordered a purple bamboo flute brought out. He had Peifeng play the flute while Wenhua sang a tune; her voice was clear and her tone delicate, enough to enchant the soul. After the song, they continued the drinking games. As the third watch approached, Jia Zhen was nearly drunk. While everyone was adding layers of clothing, drinking tea, and changing cups to drink again, they suddenly heard a long sigh from beneath the wall over there. Everyone heard it distinctly, and they were all frightened and alarmed. Jia Zhen immediately shouted sternly, “Who’s there?” He called out several times, but no one answered. You-shi said, “It might be someone from the household outside the wall.” Jia Zhen retorted, “Nonsense. There are no servants’ quarters on any side of this wall, and besides, it’s right next to the ancestral temple. How could anyone be there?” Before he finished speaking, they heard a gust of wind that seemed to pass right over the wall. Vaguely, they heard the sound of the temple doors opening and closing. An eerie, chilling wind blew, colder than before, and the moonlight grew dim and bleak, no longer as bright as earlier. Everyone felt their hair stand on end. Jia Zhen was half-sobered by the shock; though he held up better than the others, he was also deeply unsettled and afraid. He felt greatly dispirited. Forcing himself to sit a while longer, he then went back to his room to rest. The next morning, he rose early—it was the fifteenth day of the month—and led his sons and nephews to open the ancestral temple for the rites of the new and full moon. He carefully inspected the temple; everything was still in good order, with no signs of anything strange. Jia Zhen assumed it was his own fanciful suspicion born of drink and did not mention the matter. After the rites, he closed the doors again and watched as they were locked. Jia Zhen and his wife did not go to the Rong Mansion until after dinner. There they found Jia She and Jia Zheng sitting in Lady Dowager’s room, chatting idly to amuse her. Jia Lian, Baoyu, Jia Huan, and Jia Lan were standing in attendance below. When Jia Zhen arrived, he greeted each one in turn. After a few words, Lady Dowager bade him sit, and Jia Zhen took a small stool near the door, sitting sideways with a respectful air. Lady Dowager asked with a smile, “How is your brother Baoyu’s archery these past two days?” Jia Zhen quickly stood and smiled, “He has made great progress—not only is his form good, but he has also increased the draw weight of his bow by one notch.” Lady Dowager said, “That’s enough for now. Don’t be too eager to strain; be careful not to hurt yourself.” Jia Zhen quickly responded with several “Yeses.” Lady Dowager added, “The mooncakes you sent yesterday were good, and the watermelons looked fine, but when we cut them open, they were only so-so.” Jia Zhen smiled and said, “The mooncakes were made by a new pastry chef I hired. I tried them and found them excellent before I dared to present them. The watermelons have been decent in previous years; I don’t know why they’re not good this year.” Jia Zheng remarked, “Probably because of too much rain this year.” Lady Dowager smiled and said, “The moon is already up. Let’s go offer incense first.” With that, she rose, leaning on Baoyu’s shoulder, and led everyone into the garden.

At that time, the main gates of the garden were already thrown wide open, with goat-horn-shaped lanterns hanging. On the terrace before the Hall of Auspicious Shade, a bucket-shaped incense burner was lit, wind-proof candles were burning, and melons, fruits, mooncakes, and various other offerings were laid out. Lady Xing and the other ladies had been waiting inside for quite some time. Truly, the moonlight was bright, the colorful lanterns were dazzling, the atmosphere was alive with people, incense smoke curled upward, everything was glittering and lovely, the air was thick with fragrance—it was beyond words. The ground was spread with prayer rugs and silk cushions. After Lady Dowager washed her hands, offered incense, and finished her prostrations, everyone else followed suit and bowed. Then Lady Dowager said, "For viewing the moon, it’s best to be up on the hill." So she ordered that they go to the hall on the hill’s ridge. Hearing this, the servants hurried off to set things up there. Lady Dowager remained in the Hall of Auspicious Shade for a while, drinking tea, resting, and chatting idly. After some time, someone reported, "Everything is ready." Only then did Lady Dowager let herself be helped up the hill. Lady Wang and the others said, "I’m afraid the stones might be slippery with moss; it would be better to take a bamboo chair." Lady Dowager replied, "It’s swept every day, and besides, it’s an extremely level, broad path. Why not take the chance to stretch my legs a bit?" So Jia She and Jia Zheng led the way in front, while two old matrons carried a pair of goat-horn hand lanterns. Yuanyang, Hupo, and Madam You supported her closely, with Lady Xing following behind in a cluster. They wound their way up from the foot of the hill, and after no more than a hundred or so steps, they reached the ridge, where the open hall stood. Because it was built on the high crest of the hill, it was called the Green Mountain Lodge. Tables and chairs were set out on the terrace in front of the hall, and a large folding screen divided the space into two sections. All the tables and chairs were round, deliberately taken to symbolize reunion. At the very center, Lady Dowager took her seat. To her left, in the lower seats, were Jia She, Jia Zhen, Jia Lian, and Jia Rong; to her right, in the lower seats, were Jia Zheng, Baoyu, Jia Huan, and Jia Lan, all sitting in a tight circle. Only half the seats were filled; the rest remained empty. Lady Dowager laughed and said, "On ordinary days, I don’t notice how few of us there are, but looking at it today, our family is really too small—it doesn’t amount to much. In years past, on a night like this, there would be thirty or forty men and women—how lively it was! Today, with just this, it’s far too few. I thought of calling a few more, but they all have parents and need to go home for the occasion, so they can’t come easily. Now, let’s have the girls come sit over there." So she sent someone to the seats behind the screen where Lady Xing and the others were, and had Yingchun, Tanchun, and Xichun brought out. Jia Lian, Baoyu, and the others all rose from their seats at once, letting the sisters sit down first, then took their places in order below. Lady Dowager then ordered a branch of osmanthus to be brought, and told a married woman to beat a drum behind the screen and pass the flower around. Whoever the flower reached when the drum stopped had to drink a cup of wine and, as a forfeit, tell a joke. Starting with Lady Dowager, then Jia She, the flower was passed from one to another. The drum went around twice and happened to stop with Jia Zheng. He had no choice but to drink his wine. All the sisters and brothers secretly tugged at each other’s sleeves or pinched one another, smiling as they waited to hear what joke he would tell. Seeing that Lady Dowager was in good spirits, Jia Zheng had to humor her. Just as he was about to begin, Lady Dowager laughed and said, "If it’s not funny, you’ll have to be fined again." Jia Zheng smiled and replied, "I only have one. If I tell it and no one laughs, I’ll just have to accept the penalty." Then, with a grin, he said, "There was a family where a man was terribly afraid of his wife." As soon as he said this, everyone laughed—because they had never heard Jia Zheng tell a joke before. Lady Dowager laughed and said, "This must be a good one." Jia Zheng smiled and said, "If it’s good, let the old lady drink an extra cup." Lady Dowager laughed and said, "Naturally." Jia Zheng continued, "This henpecked man never dared to take a single extra step. But it happened to be the fifteenth of the eighth month, and when he went to the market to buy something, he ran into a few friends who dragged him off to their house to drink. He ended up getting drunk, fell asleep at his friend’s place, and didn’t wake up until the next day. He was full of regret and had no choice but to go home and apologize. His wife was just washing her feet and said, ‘Since that’s the case, lick them for me and I’ll forgive you.’ The man had to do it, but he couldn’t help feeling nauseous and almost threw up. His wife got angry and was about to hit him, saying, ‘You’re so disrespectful!’ Scared, the man quickly knelt and begged for mercy, saying, ‘It’s not that your feet are dirty, ma’am. It’s just that last night I ate too much yellow wine and a few pieces of mooncake filling, so today I’m feeling a bit queasy.’" This made Lady Dowager and everyone else laugh. Jia Zheng quickly poured a cup of wine and offered it to Lady Dowager. Lady Dowager laughed and said, "If that’s the case, hurry up and have someone bring some strong liquor, so you won’t all suffer." Everyone laughed again. Then the drumming resumed, starting from Jia Zheng. As luck would have it, the drum stopped just as the flower reached Baoyu. With Jia Zheng present, Baoyu was naturally ill at ease, and the flower happened to land in his hands. He thought, "If I tell a joke and it’s not funny, they’ll say I have no wit—can’t even tell a single joke, let alone anything else—that won’t do. If I tell a good one, they’ll say I can’t do anything serious and just have a glib tongue—that’s even worse. Better not to say anything at all." So he stood up and declined, saying, "I can’t tell jokes. Please, let me do something else instead." Jia Zheng said, "If that’s the case, limit it to the character ‘autumn.’ Compose a poem on the scene in front of you. If it’s good, I’ll reward you. If it’s not, watch out tomorrow." Lady Dowager quickly said, "We’re having a nice drinking game—why suddenly bring in poetry?" Jia Zheng said, "He can do it." When Lady Dowager heard this, she said, "Well then, go ahead." She ordered someone to bring paper and brush. Jia Zheng said, "Just don’t use those piled-up words like ‘ice,’ ‘jade,’ ‘crystal,’ ‘silver,’ ‘colorful,’ ‘light,’ ‘bright,’ ‘plain,’ and so on. You must come up with your own ideas and let me see what your thoughts have been like these past few years." Baoyu heard this, and it was exactly what he wanted. So he immediately thought of four lines, wrote them on the paper, and presented them to Jia Zheng. The lines read… Jia Zheng looked at them and nodded without saying a word. Seeing this, Lady Dowager knew there was nothing seriously wrong, so she asked, "How is it?" Wanting to please Lady Dowager, Jia Zheng said, "He’s done his best. It’s just that he won’t study hard, so the phrasing isn’t refined." Lady Dowager said, "That’s enough. How old is he? Must we force him to be a prodigy? This deserves encouragement—it will make him apply himself even more in the future." Jia Zheng said, "Exactly." Then he turned and ordered an old matron to go out and tell the pages in the study, "Bring the two fans I brought back from Hainan and give them to him." Baoyu quickly bowed his thanks and returned to his seat to continue the game. At this, Jia Lan, seeing Baoyu rewarded, also left his seat, composed a poem, and handed it to Jia Zheng. The lines read… Jia Zheng was overjoyed when he saw it, and when he told Lady Dowager about it, she was also very pleased and promptly ordered Jia Zheng to reward him as well. Then everyone returned to their seats and resumed the game.

This time, the flower stopped with Jia She. He had to drink his wine and tell a joke. So he said, "There was a family with a very filial son. Unfortunately, his mother fell ill, and after seeking medical help everywhere to no avail, he called in an old woman who practiced acupuncture. The old woman didn’t understand the pulse at all and just said it was heart fire, and that a bit of acupuncture would cure it. The son panicked and asked, ‘The heart dies when it meets iron—how can you needle it?’ The old woman said, ‘I won’t needle the heart, just the ribs.’ The son said, ‘The ribs are far from the heart—how will that cure it?’ The old woman said, ‘No problem. Don’t you know that most parents in the world have a biased heart?’" When everyone heard this, they all laughed. Lady Dowager had no choice but to drink half a cup of wine, and after a long pause, she laughed and said, "I’d like to get that old woman to needle me—then I’d be cured." Hearing this, Jia She realized his words had been too blunt and had aroused Lady Dowager’s suspicions. He quickly stood up, smiled, and poured wine for her, explaining himself with other topics. Lady Dowager didn’t pursue the matter and let the game continue.

Unexpectedly, the flower this time landed in Jia Huan’s hands. Jia Huan had recently made some progress in his studies, but his temperament, like Baoyu’s, had the flaw of not attending to proper pursuits, so he usually enjoyed reading poetry and lyrics, with a particular fondness for strange, eerie, and immortal themes. Now, seeing Baoyu praised for his poem, he felt an itch to try his own hand, but dared not act rashly in front of Jia Zheng. Since the flower happened to be in his hand, he too asked for paper and brush and promptly dashed off a jueju poem to present to Jia Zheng. After reading it, Jia Zheng found it quite rare and novel, but the wording still carried a distaste for study, so he said with displeasure: “One can see they are true brothers. Their speech and breath always tend toward the devious and unorthodox; in the future, neither will abide by rules and standards, and both will sink into lowly ways. How apt that the ancients had the saying ‘two difficulties’; you two can also be called the ‘two difficulties.’ But the word ‘difficulty’ for you two should be interpreted as ‘difficult to teach.’ The elder brother openly styles himself after Wen Feiqing, and now the younger brother fancies himself a reincarnation of Cao Tang.” This made Jia She and the others laugh. Jia She then took the poem and looked it over, praising it repeatedly: “This poem, in my view, has real backbone. After all, a family like ours is not like those impoverished scholars who must study by snowlight and fireflies, and must pluck the cassia in the Moon Palace before they can hold their heads high. Our sons and younger brothers should naturally read some books, but only to be a bit more enlightened than others; when the time comes to be officials, there will surely be official posts for them. Why waste extra effort and end up as bookworms? That’s why I like this poem—it does not lose the bearing of our marquis’ household.” He then turned and ordered someone to fetch many of his own playthings to reward Jia Huan. Patting Jia Huan on the head, he laughed and said: “From now on, do things this way, and it will have the proper tone of our family. In the future, the hereditary title will surely fall to you.” Upon hearing this, Jia Zheng quickly admonished: “He just scribbled this randomly; how can you link it to future matters?”

With that, he poured wine, and they continued another round of drinking games. Then Jia Mu said: “You all may go. There are surely gentlemen waiting outside, and you must not slight them. Besides, it is already past the second watch. Once you disperse, let me and the girls enjoy ourselves a little longer before we rest.” Hearing this, Jia She and the others stopped the drinking games, drank a toast together, and then left with their sons and nephews. To learn the full details, listen to the next chapter’s explanation.