On that day, Ximen Qing sent Wu Yueniang and the others over to Madam Wu's house for drinks. Li Zhi, Huang Si, and the Count chatted until dusk, then took their leave. The Count saw them off and remarked, "I've already told Ximen Qing to arrange another five hundred taels of silver for you tomorrow." Li Zhi and Huang Si left, expressing their heartfelt thanks. The Count returned to the private room, drank with Ximen Qing, and happened to notice Li Ming entering. The Count said, "Li Rixin has arrived." Li Ming quickly knelt and bowed his head. Ximen Qing inquired, "Why hasn't Wu Hui shown up?" Li Ming said, "Wu Hui didn't even go to the government office today; he's at home taking care of his eyes. I called for Wang Zhu to come." He then called for Wang Zhu, saying, "Come in and bow to the master." Wang Zhu entered, bowed, and stood next to Li Ming. The Count said, "Your Guizhi just got home; didn't you know that?" Li Ming replied, "I washed my face at home and came right away; I really didn't know." The Count said to Ximen Qing, "They probably haven't eaten yet, brother, get some food for them." The young attendant next to him said, "Second master, let them wait; when the band arrives, they can all eat together; the food should be ready shortly." The Count had the young attendant bring a tray, took two small dishes from the table, a plate of roasted lamb, and handed it to Li Ming, saying, "When the food arrives, you can eat two bowls in this room." Then he said to the young attendant, "You silly boy, as the saying goes, 'birds of a feather flock together.' You don't realize, even though these folks are also from the opera troupe, the small actors are different from the musicians; they cannot be generalized. Saying that makes us seem like we're not taking care of them." Ximen Qing playfully tapped the Count's head and teased, "No wonder you, you only protect your own people; you don't understand the difficulties of these servants." The Count said, "Silly child, what do you know! You’ve grown up without understanding; you don’t even grasp the meaning of 'cherish jade and pity fragrance.' The performers, the small actors are like fresh flowers; if you treat them well, they'll be more lively. If you grind them down, they will really become like in the 'Eight Sounds of Ganzhou,' weak and frail; they won't last long." Ximen Qing laughed, "My son gets it."
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Li Ming and Wang Zhu quickly finished their meal, and the Count called them over and asked, "Can you sing 'Snow, Moon, Wind, and Flowers, All Cut Together'?" Li Ming replied, "We know this tune." So, Wang Zhu played the pipa, Li Ming played the zither, and they sang a passage. After they finished singing, the sky had darkened, and it was already:
The Golden Crow slowly sinks behind the western mountains, the Jade Rabbit looks up at the painted rail; The beauty slowly comes to report, the moonlight filters through the gauze window, making the quilt and pillow feel cold.
Ximen Qing ordered the fire basin to be removed and asked Fu Huoji, Han Daoguo, Yun Zhuguan, Ben Si, Chen Jingji, and others to come over, set up two tables of banquet at the gate, hung up two horn lamps, and laid out with an array of wines, dishes, and snacks. Ximen Qing, the Count, and Xie Xida sat at the top, while the assistants and managers sat on the sides. Twelve golden lotus flower lamps were placed on both sides of the gate, and a small fireworks show was set up. Ximen Qing ordered to wait for the guests to arrive before setting it off. First, six musicians played drums and gongs at the gate. After the performance, a small orchestra was invited to play. Li Ming and Wang Zhu, two young actors, played the zither and pipa and sang lantern lyrics. The onlookers on the street didn’t dare to look up. Ximen Qing wore a Zhongjing crown, a silk velvet crane cloak, and a white silk jacket. Dai An and Ping An took turns setting off fireworks. Two guards blocked the bystanders and did not allow them to push forward. Soon, the sky cleared, the moon rose in the east, and the street was very lively, with:
Every household beating gongs and drums, every family playing bamboo and string instruments. Tourists stepping to the sound of the song, gentlemen and ladies dancing gracefully. Aoshan was adorned in colors, towering a hundred feet high against the clear sky; Fengjin fragrant, a thousand layers of cage with ethereal beauty. Inside and outside the leisurely courtyard, the soft moonlight glows; the painted pavilions high and low, the splendid flower lanterns light up. The three markets and six streets are bustling, and the festival in Phoenix City is celebrating the Lantern Festival.
Speaking of Chunmei, Yingchun, Yuxiao, Lanxiang, and Xiaoyu, when they saw that Lady Yue was not at home and heard noises outside the main gate and fireworks going off, they all dressed up and came out to watch the excitement, sneaking a look from behind the screen. The young scholars and painters were sieving wine by the brazier. Yuxiao and the young attendant had a bit of a private relationship before, often playing together. They crowded together to grab melon seeds to eat, accidentally knocking over the wine bottle by the brazier, causing flames to flare up and ash to scatter everywhere. Yuxiao still laughed. When Ximen Qing heard this, he sent Dai'an to ask, "Who is laughing? How did it get so dirty?" That day, Chunmei was wearing a new white silk jacket and a bright red vest, sitting on a chair. When she saw them spill the wine, she loudly scolded Yuxiao, "You shameless hussy! You don't know how to behave when you see a man, spilling the wine is bad enough, but you're still giggling, don't know what's so funny! Putting out the fire and getting all covered in ash!" Yuxiao was too scared to speak and backed away. The young attendant quickly went over to explain, "I was sieving wine by the brazier and accidentally knocked over the wine bottle." Ximen Qing listened and didn't pursue the matter further. That day, Madam Ben heard that Lady Yue was not at home, knowing that Chunmei, Yuxiao, Yingchun, and Lanxiang were Ximen Qing's favored maids, so she prepared a feast of delicious food for the festival and sent her son to invite these four maids over to her house.
The girls first went to see Li Jiao'er. Li Jiao'er said, "I can't decide; you’ll need to ask your father." When they asked Xue'e, she also didn’t dare to decide. They waited until dark, when Mrs. Ben sent her son to invite them again. Lanxiang passed the responsibility to Yuxiao, Yuxiao passed it to Yingchun, and Yingchun passed it to Chunmei, hoping to discuss it together before telling Li Jiao'er and Ximen Qing to invite them. Chunmei sat there unmoving, still scolding Yuxiao and the others, "You girls, who’ve never seen the world or tasted good food, just catch a whiff of something and get all worked up! I'm not going, I'm not begging them either. Like ghosts, don’t know what they're busy with, I can’t even be bothered to lift my eyelids!" Yingchun, Yuxiao, and Lanxiang were all dressed neatly, but they still didn’t dare to go, while Chunmei remained seated. Shu Tong saw Mrs. Ben sending her son to invite them again and said, "I’ll go, even if I get scolded by my father. I’ll talk to the master." He ran to Ximen Qing and whispered, "Mrs. Ben invites the sisters to her house on holidays; the sisters asked me to see if the master thinks they should go." Ximen Qing said, "Let them get ready and go; they should come early since no one will be home." Shu Tong quickly ran downstairs and said, "Thank goodness! The master agreed! Hurry up, get ready, and let’s go early!" Only then did Chunmei slowly head into the room to get ready.
Before long, the four girls went out together. The young scholar used a screen to shield and escort them. When they arrived at the Ben Si family, Madam Ben Si welcomed them like honored guests and ushered them inside. Inside the house hung beautiful lanterns, and the table was filled with delicious dishes. Madam Ben Si asked Chunmei to call Eldest Aunt, Yingchun to call Second Aunt, Yuxiao to call Third Aunt, and Lanxiang to call Fourth Aunt, and they exchanged greetings. They also invited Han Huizi's wife to join them. Chunmei and Yingchun sat in the honored seats, while Yuxiao and Lanxiang sat opposite them. Madam Ben Si and Han Huizi's wife sat on the side, while her son busied himself pouring wine and serving dishes.
Ximen Qing called for the musicians and instructed, "Play a piece of 'The East Wind is Cold' for me to listen to." At this time, rose-flavored yuanxiao was served, and everyone ate together; they were fragrant and sweet, melting in the mouth, truly fitting for the occasion. Li Ming and Wang Zhu provided accompaniment, singing this song with a melodious and pleasant voice, with the rhythm just right.
Dai'an and Chen Jingji were holding a lot of fireworks and firecrackers, and also brought two soldiers carrying lanterns to pick up Lady Yu from Aunt Wu's house. Everyone was drinking and eating in the house, and when they saw Chen Jingji arrive, they said, "Please come in, Second Uncle and Brother-in-law. Your eldest uncle isn't home today; he's busy with military registration." They set the table and served food and drinks to Chen Jingji. Dai'an walked up to Lady Yu and said, "Master sent me to pick you up. Please head home early; it might get chaotic later with too many people. Let's go together with Brother-in-law." Lady Yu remained silent, still upset from earlier. Aunt Wu called Ding'er over and said, "Bring some food for Dai'an." Ding'er replied, "The food is all set up in the front." Lady Wu said, "Why the rush? Why not let him eat first? Let him stand over there; we will leave soon." Aunt Wu said, "Third Sister, why rush? Why be so cold to guests right away? It's a festival; let's sit together as sisters. Her mother and sister are here, what's there to be afraid of? Why rush to go home? It'd be a different story if it were someone else's house." So she called for Yu the Elder Sister, "Sing a lovely song for them." Meng Yulou said, "She's still upset with you, saying you didn't celebrate her birthday." Yu the Elder Sister quickly got up, knelt down to Li Ping, and said, "Ever since we celebrated Fifth Sister's birthday, I've been feeling unwell. Auntie called me over yesterday, and I just got myself together. If I were feeling better, I would have bowed to you." Jinlian said, "Yu the Elder Sister, Sixth Sister is upset; sing her a nice song." Li Ping smiled on the side, without saying a word. Yu the Elder Sister said, "It's okay, bring the pipa; I'll sing." The aunt called Wu Shunshen's wife Zheng Sanjie, "Pour wine for the two young ladies and all the sisters. They haven't had a drink yet today." Yu the Elder Sister picked up the pipa and sang "A Wind Along the River" with all her heart.
While they were in the middle of a performance, Yue Niang said, "Why is it so quiet at this time?" Lai An, standing by, replied, "It's snowing outside; it's very cold." Meng Yulou asked, "Sister, are you dressed warmly enough? I brought a cotton coat; let's not freeze tonight." Yue Niang suggested, "Since it's snowing, let's send a servant home to fetch our fur coats, one for each of us." Lai An hurried downstairs and told Dai An, "Madam instructed someone to fetch the ladies' fur coats." Dai An called to the qin boy, "You go fetch it; I'll wait here." The qin boy nodded and went home without a word. After a while, Yue Niang remembered that Jin Lian didn't have a fur coat and asked Lai An, "Who went to fetch the fur coats?" Lai An replied, "The qin boy went." Yue Niang said, "He didn’t even check with me before leaving; he just went off without knowing anything." Yulou added, "I should have mentioned earlier that he shouldn't have taken ours; Fifth Sister (Jin Lian) doesn't have a fur coat, so just fetch yours, sister." Yue Niang responded, "How could she possibly not have one? There’s a fur coat in the pawnshop; just bring it for Sixth Sister (Jin Lian) to wear." Then she asked, "Why didn't that Dai An go himself and sent that little servant instead? Call him over!" When Dai An came over, she scolded him harshly, "You useless servant! Why didn't you move when I called? Acting all high and mighty, sending that little servant instead. You didn’t even ask me; you just went without knowing anything. No wonder you’ve become a high official; I guess your wings have hardened, and you only send him!" Dai An replied, "Madam, you are wronging me. Just now, you instructed that if I was called, I would go; how could I dare not to? Lai An went down and just said to have a family member fetch it." Yue Niang said, "Does that little servant Lai An dare to instruct you? We madams wouldn't even dare to order you around! Now you servants are so spoiled that you think you can do whatever you want, right? Just like the Buddha statues in the house—hanging on the wall, with all sorts of donors and monks. You play both sides, butter up everyone, slack off, and sneak around committing crimes. Don’t think I’m oblivious to the bad things you’ve been up to! Previously, when your master didn’t ask you to send Li Gui'er home, how did you send her? She was carrying a felt bag, and you snatched it away. Whether to keep the maid or not is none of your business; when you were called in, why didn’t you come in? You sent her away hoping to gain some benefits, but you made someone else come in. Just know, if I want to scold someone, I will scold that person. And you still say you haven’t been spoiled!" Dai An said, "No one instructed me in this matter; it was just the painting boy who said it. The master saw him carrying the felt bag and told me, 'You go send your Gui aunt,' which is why he came in. Madam said keeping the maid or not is none of my business; why should I care about that!" Yue Niang was furious and scolded, "You thieving servant, dare to argue back! I don’t have time to waste talking to you here! You, this servant, deserve a beating! You don’t move when I call, and you dare to retort; I won’t believe I won’t tell him tomorrow to beat you, this traitorous servant, to a pulp!" Aunt Wu said, "Dai An, why aren’t you quickly going to fetch the fur coats for your madams?" She then asked, "Sister, which fur coat do you want him to fetch for Fifth Sister?" Pan Jinlian chimed in, "Sister, don’t fetch it; I won’t wear a fur coat. Just have them bring my cotton coat from home. The one from the pawnshop is made of yellow dog skin; it’ll just be a laughingstock, and it’s not durable; I’ll have to redeem it later." Yue Niang replied, "This fur coat isn’t from the pawnshop; it was pawned by Li Zhi for sixteen taels of silver. The one in the pawnshop belongs to Wang Zhao Xuan's family, and Li Jiao'er wore it." Then she told Dai An, "The fur coat is in the big cupboard; have Yu Xiao get it for you, and grab the eldest sister's coat too."
There's actually no text to translate.
Dai'an just nodded and went out. Chen Jingji asked him, "Where are you going?" Dai'an replied, "It's such a frustrating job, running around all day, and I still have to make another trip home tonight." He went straight back home. Ximen Qing was still out by the gate drinking; Fu Huoji, Yun Guan, and the others had already left, but Ying Bojue, Xie Xida, Han Daoguo, Ben Si, and others were still drinking. He asked Dai'an, "Has your wife come?" Dai'an said, "She hasn't come; she sent me to get the fur coat." After saying this, he walked towards the backyard. Qintong got home first and went to the upper room to find Yuxiao for the fur coat. Xiaoyu was sitting on the kang, looking unhappy. She said, "Those four shameless women are all drinking at Ben Si's wife's house today. I have no idea where the fur coat is. Go ask her." Qintong walked all the way to Ben Si's house, remained silent, and listened quietly from outside the window. Ben Si's wife said, "Aunt and Third Aunt, why haven't you drunk for half a day and haven't touched the food? Do you think our place is too small and the food is bad?" Chunmei replied, "Ben Si's wife, we've had more than enough to drink." Ben Si's wife said, "Oh! Forget I said anything. Why are you so boring?" She also called Han Huizi's wife: "You are my neighbor, like half a host; help persuade Third Aunt and Fourth Aunt to drink some wine. Why are you acting like unhappy guests?" She also called the eldest sister: "Pour some wine for Third Aunt, but just a little for Fourth Aunt." Lanxiang said, "I don't like drinking." Ben Si's wife said, "You sisters have been put in a tough spot today; there are no good dishes to entertain, so don't laugh. Today I wanted to invite the gentleman to come and sing for the girls to liven up the atmosphere, but I'm afraid Master will hear it. Our house is small, the environment is not good; don't laugh at our poverty." Just then, Qintong knocked on the door, and everyone fell silent. The eldest sister asked, "Who is it?" Qintong said, "It's me; I came to talk to my sister." The door opened, and Qintong went in. Yuxiao asked, "Is the lady back yet?" Qintong looked at her, trying not to laugh, but stayed quiet for a while. Yuxiao said, "Why are you hesitating? You don't speak when asked." Qintong replied, "The ladies are still over at Mrs. Wu's place drinking. It's snowing and cloudy, so they sent me home to grab the fur coat, and they all asked me to pack it up and take it with me." Yuxiao said, "The fur coat's in the fancy embroidered box; let Xiaoyu give it to you." Qintong said, "Xiaoyu said to come ask you for it." Yuxiao replied, "Do you really trust that little troublemaker? She doesn't know a thing!" Chunmei added, "If you have fur coats, give them to her. Our mother doesn't have a fur coat, so I won't go." Lanxiang said to Qintong, "Ask Xiao Juan for your mother's fur coat." Yingchun took out the key from her waist and gave it to Qintong: "Tell Xiuchun to open the door in the inner room and give it to you."
Not provided.
Qin Tong walked out with a few fur coats and met Dai An, who asked him what he was doing. Qin Tong said he came to get Liu Niang's fur coat. Dai An replied, "I also came to get Wu Niang's fur coat and was scolded by Auntie. After you get the fur coat, wait for me. Let's leave together and not make Auntie angry again." Dai An went to the upper room, where Xiaoyu was roasting seeds on the kang. When she saw Dai An, she said he had also arrived. Dai An said he was feeling frustrated because Auntie said he didn't handle things well, and because Wu Niang was without her fur coat, she asked him to get one, saying there was a fur coat given by Li San in the big cupboard. Xiaoyu said that Yuxiao took the key to the inner room and went drinking at the Ben Si family's house and asked her to take it. Dai An mentioned that Qin Tong went to get the fur coat from Liu Niang, and when he gets back, he’ll let him know. He decided to take a break and warm up by the fire first. Xiaoyu invited Dai An to warm up by the fire with her and asked if he wanted to drink. Dai An agreed, so Xiaoyu boiled water to heat up the wine and brought out some smoked goose. They shared drinks, cuddled, and kissed.
While drinking wine, Qin Tong returned. Dai An offered him a drink and then asked him to call Yu Xiao to bring a fur coat for Wu Niang. Qin Tong put down his things and went to find Yu Xiao at Ben Si's house, who scolded him for being bothersome and refused to come. Xiao Yu tried to open the door with the keys but struggled for a long time. Qin Tong went to find Yu Xiao again, who said that wasn't the right key, and the key to the mistress's cabinet was under the bed. Xiao Yu scolded Yu Xiao for running back and forth and being bossy. After opening the cabinet, they still couldn't find the fur coat. Qin Tong ran around, complaining that he was exhausted from dealing with these annoying mistresses, almost losing his mind. He told Dai An that he would be scolded by the old lady again when he went back this time, not blaming the people in the house but themselves. He went to Yu Xiao again to say they didn't find the fur coat in the inner cabinet. Yu Xiao then recalled that the fur coat was in the large cabinet in the outer room. When they arrived, Xiao Yu scolded them again, claiming she had been confused by a wild man, the fur coat was clearly there, but they were searching everywhere. Xiao Yu took out the fur coat and gave it to Dai An and Qin Tong along with the eldest sister's fur coat. They took the fur coats to Wu Da Jinzi's house, where Madam Yue scolded them for being sneaky servants, saying they had agreed to come together but didn't. Dai An dared not speak, but Qin Tong said all the fur coats were there, just missing the green-bordered fur coat for Wu Niang. They opened the package and took out the fur coat. Madam Wu Da Jinzi looked at it under the lamp and said it was really nice, asking Wu Niang how she could say it was yellow dog fur, where would there be such yellow dog fur, she could wear one. Madam Yue said the fur coat was new, but the front was a bit worn; they could change the front tomorrow. Meng Yulou took the fur coat to Jinlian and asked her to try it on. Jinlian said if she could, she'd have her man buy her a new one tomorrow; why wear an old fur coat? Yulou replied that at least she had a fur coat, which she could wear while chanting Buddha. After Jinlian put it on, she saw that the fur coat was wide and large, and didn't say anything.
Yu Niang, Yu Lou, and Ping Er were all wearing sable fur coats as they said their goodbyes to Wu Da Jinzi and Er Jinzi. Yu Niang handed two coins to Yu Da Jie. Wu Yiner said goodbye to Wu Da Jinzi and the others, kowtowed, and received a pair of silver hairpins from Wu Da Jinzi. Yu Niang and Li Ping Er each gave her a tael of silver, and she expressed her gratitude with a kowtow. Wu Da Jinzi and the others wanted to see them off, but when they noticed the snow starting to fall, Yu Niang decided to return home. Qin Tong remarked that the snow would soak them like water droplets, so he asked Wu Er Jiu for an umbrella. Qin Tong held the umbrella, with two people in front carrying lanterns, leading a group of people through the alleys and onto the main street. Chen Jingji let off firecrackers along the way, saying he was escorting Yin Jie home. Yu Niang asked where he lived, and Jingji pointed the way. Wu Yiner said she had to leave, and Yu Niang pointed out that the ground was wet, so she should go first, and then a servant would accompany her. Yu Niang asked Dai An to see Wu Yiner off, and Jingji said he would go with Dai An. Yu Niang agreed, and Jingji happily accompanied Dai An to see Wu Yiner off.
On the way back home, Jin Lian asked why Da Jie said she would see them home but never did. Yu Niang said she was just teasing them, and how could they possibly take them to the brothel? Jin Lian asked if their husbands went there to visit prostitutes, wouldn't their wives come looking for them? Yu Niang said her father would go to the brothel the next day to check, so their husbands wouldn't get dragged off to become gigolos. As they talked, they reached East Street, near the entrance to Qiao Dahu's house. Qiao Dahu's wife and her niece-in-law, Duan Da Jie, were waiting at the door, wanting to invite Yu Niang and the others inside. Despite Yu Niang's repeated refusals, Qiao Dahu's wife insisted on inviting them in. Yu Niang and the others were welcomed into Qiao Dahu's house, where lanterns were hung, wine and fruit were laid out, and two daughters were playing music. What happened inside remains a mystery.
Ximen Qing was drinking with the Count and the others at the door, almost done. The Count and Xi Da had been drinking all day and couldn't eat another bite. When they saw Ximen Qing dozing off on the chair, accidentally knocking the fruit plate into his sleeve, they left with Han Daoguo. Only Ben Si stayed behind to see off the musicians with Ximen Qing, giving them their reward. Then he told the servants to put out the fire and turn off the lights, and he went back to the backyard.
Just then, Ping An ran over and said, "You guys better get up, Master has gone inside!" Yuxiao, Yingchun, and Lanxiang were so startled they didn’t even say goodbye before running off. Only Chunmei thanked Ben Si's wife and slowly walked back. Seeing Lanxiang losing her shoes as she ran, she scolded, "Are you all rushing to be reincarnated? Your shoes are falling off, what a mess!" When they found out Ximen Qing was in Li Jiao'er's room, they all went to kowtow.
When the Master saw Ximen Qing entering Li Jiao'er's room, they all hid upstairs with Xiaoyu. Yuxiao came in to greet them, and Xiaoyu grumbled to Yuxiao, "Mom sent a servant to fetch the fur coat, and you didn't do anything, you just let me go get it. I didn’t know which key opened the wardrobe, finally managed to open it, but couldn't find it. I found it in the big cupboard outside at last. You put it in there, how could you not know? The sisters all took advantage, when do you ever give anything willingly?" Yuxiao blushed and said, "You little rascal, why are you taking it out on us!" The Master advised, "Sisters, say a few less words, your father is listening in the room. If Mom comes in, make sure to pour her some tea right away." Just then, Qintong walked in with a felt bag. Yuxiao asked, "Did Madam come?" Qintong said, "Madam is here, she got held up by Mrs. Qiao for drinks, she will be here soon." The two of them stopped talking then.
After a while, Yue Niang and the others came out of Madam Qiao's house. When they arrived at the door, Ben Si's daughter-in-law came out to greet them. Chen Jingji and Ben Si took out a few small firecrackers and set them off at the entrance, then entered the house to greet Li Jiaoer and the master. Xue'e approached to pay her respects to Yue Niang and the others, and then greeted them. Yue Niang asked, "Where's he?" Li Jiaoer said, "He was just in my room; I asked him to sleep." Yue Niang remained silent. At this time, Chunmei, Yingchun, Yuxiao, and Lanxiang came in to kowtow. Li Jiaoer said, "Today, Ben Si's daughter-in-law invited them to sit for a while and then come back." Yue Niang listened, was silent for a long while, and then scolded, "You little rascals, what are you doing out for no good reason? Who let you go?" Li Jiaoer said, "I asked the master before going." Yue Niang retorted, "You asked him? How arrogant! Your family is like a temple fair every day, letting out so many little spirits!" The master said, "Madam, these four beautiful young ladies, you still call them little spirits." Yue Niang said, "Beautiful? Only half as beautiful; why let them out for no reason? To show off for others!" Meng Yulou noticed that Yue Niang's words were unkind and left first. Jinlian saw Yulou leave and followed, leaving with Li Ping'er and the eldest sister. Only the master and Yue Niang were left to share the bed. The snow kept falling until four in the morning before finally stopping.
It is:
The fragrance fades, the candle cools, a night on the building; picking vegetables, lighting lamps, and sweeping snow all day.
That night, after admiring the night view, the following day, Ximen Qing headed to the yamen. As mealtime approached, Yu Niang and Meng Yulou, along with Li Bing'er, returned with their master. They stood at the gate and spotted an old fortune-telling woman from the countryside, dressed in an otter fur coat, a blue cloth skirt, a black headscarf, and carrying a cloth bag, walking down the street. Yu Niang instructed a servant to bring the old woman inside, spread out the divination cards at the inner gate, set up the spirit turtle, and said, "Please read our fortunes." The old woman knelt and performed four kowtows, asking, "May I ask how old you are, madam?" Yu Niang said, "You should predict the fortune of a woman born in the Year of the Dragon." The old woman said, "If it’s a major Dragon, she would be forty-two; if it’s a minor Dragon, she’d be thirty." Yu Niang said, "She is thirty, born on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month." The old woman threw the spirit turtle, and the shell spun around before coming to a stop. She opened a divination card, showing an official seated with a woman, surrounded by attendants, some sitting, some standing, overseeing a treasury filled with gold and silver. The old woman said, "Madam, you were born in the Year of the Earth Dragon, associated with great wood. You have led a righteous life, with a kind and generous character, a good heart, and you make many good connections. You have managed household affairs your entire life, worked hard for your family, endured hardships for others, but you never complain. You have a constant temperament, but you maintain high standards for your subordinates. As the saying goes: when you’re happy, you laugh heartily; when you’re angry, you make a fuss. While others are still asleep, basking in the sun, you’re already up and bustling about in the hall. Though you can be impatient, like a whirlwind when washing pots, you settle down quickly. You get along well with everyone and love to chat and laugh, but you often encounter minor troubles due to the influence of misfortune. Fortunately, your kind heart has helped you overcome them all, and you’re destined to live to seventy."
Meng Yulou said: "Can you tell if this lady has children in her fate?" The old woman replied: "Don't take it the wrong way, but her prospects for having children aren't great. In the future, you might only have a son who becomes a monk to take care of you. No matter how many children you have, you can't keep them." Yulou smiled and said to Li Bing'er: "Just like Wu Yingyuan in your family, he will become a Taoist in the future." Lady Yu pointed to Yulou and said, "Let him calculate for you too." Yulou said: "Calculate the fate for a 34-year-old woman born at the tiger hour on the 27th day of the 11th month." The old woman laid out the divination cards again, cast a divination, and the tortoise shell landed on the fate palace. She uncovered the second divination card, which depicted a woman with three men: the first was dressed like a traveling merchant; the second, in red, was an official; and the third was a scholar. They were surrounded by gold and silver, attended by servants. The old woman said: "This lady was born in the year of Jiazi, with Jiazi and Yichou in the sea of gold. Her fate involves three penalties and six misfortunes; overcoming her husband is the key to her peace." Yulou replied: "I have already overcome my husband." The old woman continued: "You are gentle and kind, with a very good character. When you are angry, no one knows; when you like someone, no one knows; you do not show off. You are respected throughout your life, loved by your husband. The only thing is, you are too kind, too considerate of others' feelings, and instead cannot win people's hearts. You endure hardships for others throughout your life and often encounter many ungrateful people, and even if you suffer losses, you remain silent. You are kind-hearted; even if villains cause trouble, they cannot harm you." Yulou laughed and said: "A few days ago, I had an argument with a servant over money, and now the fortune teller says I suffer for others." Lady Yu asked: "Do you see if this lady will have children in the future?" The old woman replied: "She will safely pass through difficulties and may have a daughter. I cannot guarantee a son, but there is still a life span." Lady Yu said: "You also calculate for this lady. Li Dajie, tell her your birth date and time." Li Bing'er smiled and said: "I was born in the year of the Goat." The old woman said: "If it is a small goat, it is seven years old this year, born in the year of Xinwei. In which month were you born?" Li Bing'er replied: "On the fifteenth day of the first month at noon." The old woman cast a divination, and the tortoise shell landed on the fate palace. She uncovered the divination card, which depicted a woman with three officials: the first in red, the second in green, and the third in blue. The woman was holding a child, guarding a treasury of gold and silver, with a green-faced, fanged, red-haired ghost standing beside her. The old woman said: "This lady, born in the year of Gengwu and Xinwei, with soil on the roadside. You will have a life of prosperity and wealth, with no worries about food and clothing, marrying noble people. You are kind-hearted, not concerned about money; you are happy when others take advantage of you; if they don’t take advantage of you, you get upset. However, you are prone to losses, often repaid with ingratitude by others. As the saying goes: 'When you shoulder burdens, chaos follows.' Grandma, don't blame me for being blunt: even though you live a life of luxury, good times won't last forever. You need to endure when angry, and having children will be difficult." Li Bing'er said: "I have already become a Taoist." The old woman said: "Since you have become a Taoist, there is no problem. One more thing, this year, the star of calculating will shine on your fate; there will be a disaster, so be careful not to grieve in July and August." After that, Li Bing'er pulled out five taels of silver from her sleeve, and both Lady Yu and Meng Yulou each gave her fifty wen.
Just after sending off the old fortune-teller, Pan Jinlian and her elder sister came out from the backyard, laughing and saying, "I was wondering why you were missing from the backyard; turns out you all moved to the front yard." Yue Niang said, "We just sent the master off and had him read our fortunes. Since you got here early, you should get your fortune read too." Jinlian shook her head and said, "I won't have it done. As the saying goes: you can predict fate, but not what you do. A few days ago, the Taoist said I would have a short life; so what? People who say things like that usually have a bit of fear in their hearts. Whatever happens, if I die on the street, I’ll be buried there; if I die on the road, I’ll be buried there; if I die in a ditch, that’s just my coffin." After that, she and Yue Niang headed back to the backyard together.
Indeed:
Nothing can be controlled by human calculations; our lives are all arranged by fate.
