Chapter 60

茉莉粉替去蔷薇硝

玫瑰露引出茯苓霜

Patience won’t tell Aroma what it is just now – she hasn’t time, and hasn’t got to the bottom of it yet. She is summoned away. Baoyu sends Swallow and her mother to apologise to Oriole; they bicker as they walk, until Swallow mentions that Baoyu wants to give them all freedom. Their apology is accepted; before they leave, Étamine gives them a packet of rose orris as a present for Parfumée. Jia Huan and Jia Cong are visiting Baoyu, so Swallow cannot report back; she gives Parfumée the rose orris, and Baoyu, observing, calls her in and inspects it. Huan is impressed and asks for some; Parfumée is reluctant and says she’ll give him some of her own. However, her own supply is missing, so in order to hurry them out, and she gives him jasmine scented facepowder instead. Huan then looks for Sunset, who is with Aunt Zhao, to give her the packet; she laughs at him. Sunset doesn’t think it worth a fuss, but Aunt Zhao sees an opportunity to put the ‘hussies’ in their place. Huan is timid, angering her, and she storms off to the Garden. She meets Swallow’s aunt Mamma Xia on the way, who strengthens her resolve as she tells of her encounter with Nénuphar.

She arrives at Baoyu’s when he is out, and Parfumée is eating with Aroma and the maids. Her outburst sends Parfumée into tears as she explains; Zhao slaps her several times while Aroma protests. Parfumée goes into histrionics, headbutting Zhao’s belly. Skybright advises Aroma against getting involved; servants and actresses alike gather to watch the rumpus, the older women delighted that an actress was getting beaten. Before long, two other actresses charge in and set upon Aunt Zhao – the senior maids are concerned but can’t help but laugh. Skybright sends for Tanchun, who soon arrives. She sighs at Aunt Zhao’s fury and gives her a dressing-down in which she concludes that the actresses are like pets, and that she needs more patience. Aunt Zhao leaves, but the more Tanchun thinks about it, the angrier she is, and makes inquiries as to who provoked it. Her actress, Artémisie 艾官, tells her privately that it was Mamma Xia’s fault; she doesn’t act on this, knowing the actresses to be in league. Meanwhile, Ebony tells Cicada 蝉姐, Tanchun’s maid and Xia’s granddaughter, about the denunciation, and she tells Xia by the kitchen. Parfumée is there talking to the cook, and when a fritter that Ebony has paid for arrives, Cook Liu 柳家的 gives her one free. Parfumée breaks it in front of Cicada, angering her.  Cicada leaves, and Cook Liu discusses her ill daughter Fivey 柳五儿 with Parfumée, who has been helping her via Baoyu. She returns and asks Baoyu (who reproves her for earlier) for some more rose essence for Fivey, and he lets her take a whole bottle. She delivers it to Fivey (who mistakes it for Western wine), who is very grateful. Parfumée assure Fivey she’s asked him about domestic positions – both Crimson’s and Trinket’s are available, but there are budgetary pressures prohibiting new maids. Cook Liu decides to siphon some essence off for her sick nephew. While there, Fivey’s suitor (who she despises) Qian Huai 钱槐 arrives – both are flustered by each other’s presence, and Liu makes her excuses. Before she leaves, her sister-in-law gives her a packet of lycoperdon snow from Canton for Fivey. On her way back, Cook Liu is stopped by a banterous page boy who tells her there have been several calls for her.