Chapter 63

寿怡红群芳开夜宴

死金丹独艳理亲丧

Baoyu and Aroma are planning a drinking party in Green Delights, hosted by the maids; Baoyu is pleased but concerned that the young maids have given so much money for it. He is distressed when Swallow tells him Fivey has had a relapse. It is lighting-up time and Lin Zhixiao’s wife is doing the rounds; she warns the inhabitants of Green Delights not to drink or gamble, and is shocked that Baoyu is not in bed. She has some tea, and disapproves of Baoyu using the maids’ first names. After she leaves, the maids strip down to their underwear and join Baoyu on the kang; he is already playing guess-fingers with Parfumée. After a brief birthday ceremony (he drinks from each of their cups), they decide to play a drinking game. As it requires more players, some of the maids sneak off to gather some of the girls. They arrive after persuasion from the more senior maids. Daiyu questions Li Wan’s presence, as she generally disapproves of the servants drinking and gambling, but she is willing to make an exception for a birthday. The drinking game involves throwing dice, counting round to that player who draws a card with a particular flower and poem on, and does what the card says. Parfumée sings for them. All assembled take their turns in good spirits – Xiangyun is particularly mocked for her recent drunkenness, and Tanchun for selecting a card intimating a noble marriage. Someone comes to collect Daiyu, as it is late, and the rest of the guests also break off. Back at Green Delights, the party continues with guess-fingers and songs, and all are extremely drunk, including the old women. The wine has run out, and they clear up, but Swallow and Number Four are asleep on the kang. Skybright cannot wake them, and Baoyu says it will be alright if they all sleep on the kang. The next morning, they wake late, and Parfumée is embarrassed to have slept by Baoyu’s side. He thanks them for the party. Patience comes round, faking indignation not to have been invited to the party.

Baoyu is agitated to find a birthday card from Adamantina; he starts to write a response and heads off. He bumps into Xing Xiuyan who is also going to see her. They discuss her – she is very important to Xiuyan – and her love of Zhuangzi, and knowing more, Baoyu is able to return and complete his letter, which he delivers. He orders Parfumée to have her hair cut like a boy; they can pretend she’s foreign, and he gives her a new foreign sounding name as a result, Yelu Hunni 耶律雄奴. Patience is having a return party, with Youshi and other Ningguo guests too; some of the guests suggest more names for Parfumée. The party is unrestrained and drunken fun, until a messenger announces Sir Jing’s death. Youshi is distressed and hurries back. Physicians conclude that the metallic elixirs he drank in search of immortality caused his death – the Daoists deny this, but are put under arrest. The body is taken to the Iron Threshold Temple out of expediency, and Youshi arranges for the earliest possible burial, as it is very hot. All enter mourning three days later. With senior ladies away, and those present unable, junior clansmen are required to handle guests and household matters. Cousin Zhen and Jia Rong apply for leave to return, which is referred to the Emperor. The Emperor confers posthumous high rank on him and allows them to go, with some expenses. They hurry back, and grieve, arranging for Jing’s lying-in-state. Jia Rong goes to see his grandmother and shocks his aunts, and molests some maids, before paying solicitous respects to her and leaving.

Chapter 62

After resolution, Patience disposes of the matter. The replacement cook has already begun embezzling when she receives her dismissal. Aunt Zhao and Huan – who received the stolen goods – are scared, and Huan throws them back at Sunset, assuming she is thick with Baoyu. Upset, she throws the things into the lake.

憨湘云醉眠芍药裀

呆香菱情解石榴裙

It is Baoyu and Baoqin’s birthday; less fuss is made than normal as Lady Wang is still away. He returns after making all his formal obeisances and reverences to find many maids and the girls wishing him happy returns. They make extended reverences to each other – it turns out that it is also Patience’s and Xing Xiuyan’s birthday. Tanchun remarks on the coincidence; they discuss birthdays and get Xifeng to agree to let Patience celebrate with them. Cook Liu prepares them a meal; it is all unusually gay. Baoyu sees Xue Ke first, and walks back with Baochai, who tells him that she knows about an extremely serious incident which she hopes never comes to light. They reach the party in the Peony Garden, which is very lively. Aunt Xue is present, but goes to lie down in the jobs room. The birthday four object to toasts, as they will get too drunk, and send the old blind ballad singer to entertain Aunt Xue, as they don’t like old music. They decide to play a drinking game; everyone puts suggestions into a hat. The first one drawn (cover-ups, suggested by newly enthusiastically literary Caltrop) is combined with guess-fingers. They all get extremely rowdy and drunk as they play – especially Xiangyun, who applies herself to the game with some vigour - although Daiyu’s dry joke about the essence of rose is not appreciated by Baoyu or Sunset. With the senior ladies away, the party soon becomes bedlam. Lin Zhixiao’s wife appears, concerned by the noise, and Patience feels they ought to stop. They find Xiangyun passed out on a rock, covered in peony petals, and reciting drinking games in her sleep. She is embarrassed to be woken, but feels better after taking some ‘hangover rock’ and soup. They send some of the party food to Xifeng, and the party breaks into smaller groups. Lin Zhixiao’s wife arrives again with an old lady who has heard swearing; Tanchun dismisses her from service. Baoyu and Daiyu watch this and comment on how detached she is; Baoyu tells her how much management Tanchun has done while she has been ill. Daiyu goes to see Baochai, and Baoyu looks for Parfumée, who is bored and lonely. She is complaining about her food, of which he is jealous, so they share it. He tells Swallow to look after her, and to tell Cook Liu that Fivey will definitely work there. He rejoins the party as food is served, causing Skybright to mock him.

Outside, Caltrop and the maids are playing with flowers, and she is jeered when she reveals greater knowledge. In the ensuing jostling, Caltrop rolls into a puddle and ruins her special new skirt. The others run off and Baoyu arrives; he is sympathetic. He is delighted to be able to help – fetching one of Aroma’s similar skirts that she can’t wear as she is in mourning – but regrets that she has been sold to Pan. Aroma returns with him to Caltrop, who changes skirts. She catches Baoyu burying the flowers that had caused the kerfuffle, and finds it endearingly odd. They separate, and she calls to him not to tell Pan about the incident.

Chapter 61

投鼠忌器宝玉瞒赃

判冤决狱平儿行权

The page boy banters Cook Liu, talking and Fivey and asking her to take some fruit from the Garden for her, finally letting her pass. Yingchun’s maid Lotus 莲花儿 later asks her for a special dish for her principal maid Chess 司棋, causing an argument when she doesn’t offer anything to cover the cost. She leaves and reports back to Chess, who is incensed and goes to the kitchen, causing havoc. Her pillages ceases on seeing that Cook Liu is preparing her dish after all.

Liu gives Fivey the lycoperdon snow; she resolves to give half to Parfumée, and heads out. She gives it to Swallow to pass on, but while she’s out is confronted by Lin Zhixiao’s wife – she is supposed to be ill. Her halting response reminds Lin Zhixiao’s wife that Silver had recently reported several things missing; unfortunately several maids arrive, and Lotus reveals seeing essence of rose (one of the missing objects) at Cook Liu’s. They search the kitchen, and also find the lycoperdon snow; they take Fivey to Tanchun’s, then Xifeng’s. Xifeng orders Cook Liu and Fivey to be thrown out and lashed. Fivey explains to Patience, who believes her, but she still spends the night guarded and weeping continuously. The next morning all resume investigations. Baoyu is shocked, and suggests to Patience that they say the lycoperdon snow – which had been a present for their Ladyships - was also given to her by Parfumée. (They all know that it was Sunset who had really stolen the essence of roses to give to Huan.)  Patience, Aroma et al agree that it would be best if Baoyu takes the blame, which he has volunteered to do, but call Silver and Sunset to straighten it out first. Sunset confesses to being the thief. Patience and Parfumée tell Fivey what to say, and take her to Xifeng, where Patience tells her and Lin Zhixiao’s wife that Baoyu is the thief. Xifeng isn’t convinced, knowing Baoyu’s propensity for taking the blame, and wants further harsh investigation and Cook Liu dismissed anyway. Patience persuades her to mercy.

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.

Chapter 59

柳叶渚边嗔莺叱燕

绛芸轩里召将飞符

Baoyu goes to see the senior ladies, who are tired and retire quickly. They are soon to depart for a long journey to the mausoleum, and the servants are busy preparing for this. When they leave, Lai Da closes the main gates to the mansion and Garden and heightens security.

Xiangyun is worried about eczema, and sends Oriole and Étamine 蕊官 to collect some rose orris from Daiyu. On the way, Oriole teaches her how to plait a basket, which they give to Daiyu. Daiyu says she is better and will visit Baochai’s later, so Nénuphar – engrossed with Étamine - joins them on their return. Oriole stops to plait; soon Swallow 春燕, whose aunt Mamma Xia 夏婆子 had caught Nénuphar burning spirit money and whose mother argued with Parfumée, presses Nénuphar on what was happening. She talks at length about her mother and aunt, and that they wouldn’t be pleased to see them breaking the twigs in their part of the Garden. The aunt arrives as Oriole defends her case; she is displeased, but does not scold Oriole, instead grumbling at Swallow. Oriole jokes about Swallow making her do the weaving, causing the stupid Aunt to strike Swallow, and Oriole tries to defend her. Swallow’s mother now arrives and is soon shouting at her violently. She greatly resents the senior maids like Oriole. Swallow is walking away, and she calls to her to stop; when she doesn’t, she follows and slips, to the others’ amusement. Swallow runs to Green Delights, where she implores Aroma to help; her mother continues to chase her. Swallow takes refuge with Baoyu and Musk confronts the mother. For form’s sake Baoyu blames her, but sends for Patience; she can’t come, but sends a message to flog and dismiss the mother, who is soon weeping and entreating all. Baoyu shows mercy and lets her stay, with a warning. Patience looks in; she and Aroma note how mutinous the place had become without their Ladyships. Patience says that there have been other more upsetting events than this one, and Aroma enquires further.