Chapter 46

尴尬人难免尴尬事

鸳鸯女誓绝鸳鸯偶

Xifeng has been summoned by Lady Xing – Jia She wants Faithful for a concubine, and she wants advice as to how to approach Grandmother Jia. Xifeng doesn’t think she’ll allow it, and that Lady Xing needs to talk him out of it. Lady Xing is always desperate to please her husband, and Xifeng listens to her reaction before telling her what she wants to hear, suggesting she talk to Grandmother Jia immediately. Instead, Xing plans to talk with Faithful first. Xifeng reflects and proposes that Xing leave with her; Xing talks with Faithful on her own. She responds with silence, and Xing leaves for Xifeng’s, where Patience has been fully briefed.

Faithful decides to decamp, and makes her excuses through Amber. Angry, she wanders in the garden and comes across Patience, who teases her. Faithful reflects on the maids’ friendships and tells Patience reveals her dislike of Jia She. Aroma appears, and is told the situation. They teasingly suggest asking Grandmother Jia to tell him that she’s already been given to Lian or Baoyu, upsetting Faithful. After further discussion, her sister-in-law arrives, apparently having been spoken to by Lady Xing, and they argue – her sister-in-law retreats in a huff. The conversation changes – Aroma had been looking for Baoyu, who suddenly appears having been hiding. He has heard all, and is concerned for Faithful – he invites them all back to his for tea, worrying while they laugh and chatter.

Lady Xing had asked after Faithful’s parents, who are in Nanjing, and had asked her sister-in-law to do her bidding; she comes back to Xifeng and Xing and tells them of the earlier scene. Xifeng summons Patience, but she is reported to be detained by Daiyu. Lady Xing returns home and reports to Jia She, who summons Jia Lian, ordering him to recall Faithful parents. He cannot – the father is probably dead, the mother deaf, and a scared and ignorant Lian then loiters when her brother Jin Wenxiang 金文翔 is then sent for.

The next day, Wenxiang takes her back home for the day. He talks with Faithful and later reports to Jia She that she is unwilling – he is incensed and tells him to send his wife to give her a threatening message from him. He tells Faithful straight away – she calculates and goes to see Grandmother Jia with him and his wife. She kneels before her and, weeping, vows her faithfulness and that she will not marry at all, preferring to become a nun when Grandmother Jia dies. She takes a pair of scissors from her sleeve and begins snipping her hair. Grandmother Jia is trembling with rage, and accusing all present of deceiving her, aimed particularly (and unjustly) at Lady Wang. Tanchun defends her; Grandmother Jia smiles, and asks Baoyu why he did defend his mother. She turns to Xifeng, who blames her for training such an exemplary girl. While bantering, Lady Xing is announced.