The poem goes:
Pairs of butterflies dance around the flower stream,
Half in the southern mountains, half by the western waters.
In the old garden, emotions are tangled in the wind and moonlight,
The beautiful ones often lament being lost in the rain and clouds.
Her sandalwood lips part frequently, words flowing like threads,
Gently cradling fragrant cheeks, intoxicated like a dream.
Don't claim that beauty's fate is too fragile,
When one songbird stops, another begins to sing.
After the will of the Huang family was read by Yue Niang, everyone went to rest in their own rooms. Now, let’s focus on Pan Jinlian at the corner gate, where she met Ximen Qing and they returned to the room together. As soon as Ximen Qing entered the room, he just sat on the bed, not moving. Pan Jinlian asked him, "Why aren't you taking off your clothes?" Ximen Qing hugged Pan Jinlian and said with a smile, "I came here specially to tell you that I will be sleeping with Li Bing'er tonight. Just hand me that thing, you know what I mean." Pan Jinlian scolded, "You sneak, trying to play tricks on me with your sweet talk! I was standing right at the corner gate. Why were you in a hurry when you passed by, and now you're asking me? You must have already made plans with that little seductress, first let her send a fur coat, and then come to me to apologize. You little thief, what do you take me for? Playing tricks in my hands? Back when I was Li Bing'er, you should have just buried me alive! The bird’s out of the nest, and I’m not even jealous!" Ximen Qing smiled and said, "That's not true. If he doesn't come to apologize to you, you'll criticize him." Pan Jinlian was silent for a while and said, "Go ahead, but you are not allowed to bring that thing and mess around with that little seductress. You have to come back to sleep here tomorrow, clean!" Ximen Qing said, "I'm used to it, what can I do if you don't give it to me!" After hesitating for a bit, Pan Jinlian gave him the silver thing and said, "If you want it, take this." Ximen Qing said, "This will do." Saying that, he took it and wobbled out. Pan Jinlian said, "Come back, let me ask you, are you planning to sleep with her regularly? Making those two maids uncomfortable? Nothing, just sleep once, and let her sleep alone?" Ximen Qing said, "Who is going to sleep with her for a long time?" After saying that, he left. Pan Jinlian called him back and said, "Come here, I have something to tell you, why are you in such a hurry?" Ximen Qing said, "What else?" Pan Jinlian said, "I allow you to sleep with her, but you are not allowed to talk nonsense with her and let her be arrogant in front of us. If I find out tomorrow, don't come into my room, I'll bite you to death!" Ximen Qing said, "You little tease, you’re so annoying." After saying that, he went to Li Bing'er's side. Chunmei said to Pan Jinlian, "Let him go, why bother with him? Mother-in-law nags, daughter-in-law worries, in the end, you will have a feud with him, causing trouble for both of us." Saying that, she asked Qiuju to close the corner gate and set up the chess pieces. The two of them started playing chess.
When Ximen Qing arrived at Li Bing'er's room, he opened the curtain. Ruyi was eating with Yingchun and Xiuchun on the kang, and when she saw Ximen Qing, she immediately jumped up. Ximen Qing said, "You guys eat." Then he walked into the main room and sat down in a chair facing Li Bing'er's screen. After a while, Ruyi came out with a smile and said, "Dad, it's cold out here, why don't you come inside?" Ximen Qing hugged her, kissed her, and then sat down by the bed. The kettle was boiling on the stove, and Yingchun quickly brewed him some tea. Ruyi stood by the kang, warming herself by the fire, and asked, "Dad, you didn't drink today. The table of food and Jinhua wine prepared for mom earlier is still there. Would you like me to bring it out for you?" Ximen Qing said, "You guys eat, just bring me a few plates of fruit, I don't drink Jinhua wine." Then he said to Xiuchun, "Go grab a lantern and head to Cangchunwu's study; there's a jar of grape wine there. Ask Wang Jing to bring it back and pour me a glass." Xiuchun agreed and went with the lantern. Yingchun quickly set the table and served the food. Ruyi said, "Sister, open the box, I'll pick out a few nice snacks for Dad." So they picked out a few nice snacks under the light and placed them on the table. After a while, Xiuchun brought the wine, opened it, and heated it up. Ruyi poured it into a glass and handed it to Ximen Qing. Ximen Qing tasted it, and it was very good. Ruyi stood by the table, serving him wine, and even peeled chestnuts for him to snack on. Yingchun got the hint and went to the kitchen with Xiuchun.
Ximen Qing saw that there was no one around, so he let Ruyi sit on his lap, hugged her, and they drank together. He unbuttoned Ruyi's jacket, revealing her fair skin, and touched her breasts, praising her, "My darling, what I love most about you is your fair skin, exactly like your mother's. Holding you is like holding her." Ruyi smiled and said, "Father, mother's skin is fairer. Although Wu Niang is pretty, her skin isn't as remarkable, with a mix of red and white, not as fair as Elder Sister or Third Sister. Third Sister does have some freckles. Snowy is fair and beautiful." She continued, "Father, there's something I want to tell you. Yingchun Sister has a fairy hairpin for me; she wants your family's gold front-facing hairpin that is worn in the first month of the lunar year. Father, can you give it to her?" Ximen Qing said, "You don't have a front-facing hairpin; I'll have a goldsmith make you a new one. Your mother's jewelry box, your Elder Sister took it all, how can you ask for it?" Ruyi replied, "That's fine, please make me another hairpin." She knelt down and bowed her head in thanks. The two of them drank for a while. Ruyi said, "Father, why don't you call Sister over for a drink? Don't make her angry." Ximen Qing called for Yingchun, but she didn't respond. Ruyi personally went to the kitchen and said, "Sister, father is calling you." Yingchun then came over. Ximen Qing had Ruyi pour a glass of wine for her and added two dishes onto the wine tray. Yingchun stood by and drank. Ruyi said, "Why don't you call Xiu Chun Sister over for some food?" Yingchun went, came back, and said, "She doesn't want to eat." She then spread a blanket on the kang and slept with Xiu Chun in the kitchen.
The big sister accompanied Ximen Qing to drink, boiled some hot water, and made tea for him. She had long prepared a good bed for Ximen Qing to sleep in, made entirely of silk and satin, with embroidered pillows, kept warm in a heated bed. The big sister asked, "Master, do you sleep on the kang or on the bed?" Ximen Qing said, "I sleep on the bed." Ruyi carried the bedding over and spread it out on the bed, helping Ximen Qing undress and climb into bed. Ximen Qing first washed outside with a basin of water, closed the door, moved the lamp to the bedside, then undressed and climbed into bed, embracing and cuddling with the big sister to sleep together. The big sister touched him, noticing the silver ring on it, feeling both excited and scared. The two embraced each other warmly. Ximen Qing saw the big sister lying there completely naked, worried she might get cold, so he took her apron and covered her chest with it. He held her feet in his hands... The big sister gasped, her cheeks flushing from his touch. She said, "This belt was a gift from my mother when she was alive." Ximen Qing said, "My darling, it's alright. I'll head to the shop tomorrow to get you some red satin to make a little dress for you to serve me." The big sister said, "Okay." Ximen Qing said, "I'm just enjoying myself. How old are you this year? What is your surname? I'm the fourth child, and I only know your husband’s last name is Xiong." The big sister said, "His surname is Xiong, called Xiong Wanger. My maiden name is Zhang, and I am thirty-two years old this year." Ximen Qing said, "So I'm a year older than you." As they continued, he said to her, "Zhang Sier, take good care of me. Tomorrow, when the lady in the backyard gives birth, look after her and the baby. If you are lucky enough to have a son and a daughter, I'll make you my concubine, taking your mother's place. Are you willing?" The big sister said, "My husband is already dead, and there is no one left in my family. I am willing to serve you wholeheartedly, and I’ll stay by your side no matter what. If you pity me, that would be great." Ximen Qing saw that she was speaking to the point, and he liked her even more, holding her white legs tightly... Sounds of passion filled the room. Sweet whispers, eyes blurred with passion. After a while, he had her lie down... Ximen Qing, wrapped in a red satin blanket, positioned himself on top of her... Under the lamplight, he pressed down on her with his hands... He urged, "Zhang Sier, let it out, don’t hold back, I’ll take care of you." The big sister responded, letting out soft moans, calling out continuously, tossing and turning for an hour, until Ximen Qing... The big sister wiped him with a handkerchief. They cuddled and slept until the rooster crowed at five in the morning, and the big sister helped him relieve himself. Ximen Qing said, "How come my fifth mistress helped me suck all night, afraid I would catch a cold, not even letting me urinate, swallowing it all for me." Ximen Qing really urinated in the big sister's mouth. Then the two cuddled for a while, after their passionate encounter, dawn broke.
The next day, the eldest sister got up first, opened the door, prepared the brazier, and attended to Ximen Qing as he dressed and washed up to go out. In the front yard, she told Dai An, "Have two soldiers carry the Liujin Baxian Ding from the tent to Inspector Song's house, explain the situation and bring back a receipt." She also called Chen Jingji, giving him a piece of gold satin and a piece of colorful satin, asking the qin boy to wrap them in felt so he could carry them, preparing to dismount and go to Qinghekou early to pay a visit to Governor Cai. While they were having porridge in Yueniang's room, Yueniang asked him, "Are we all going with Ying Er and the others, or should we leave one at home to watch the house? Let's leave his sister at home to keep Aunt Da company instead." Ximen Qing replied, "I’ve prepared five gifts, so we should all go. Anyway, the eldest sister can keep Aunt Da company at home. I have already promised Ying Er." Upon hearing this, Yueniang fell silent. Li Guijie then took her leave, saying, "Mother, I’m heading home today." Yueniang asked, "Why the rush? Can't you stay another day?" Guijie replied, "To be honest, my mom's not feeling well, and there's no one at home. I’ll come back to stay a few days during the New Year celebrations." After bidding farewell to Ximen Qing, Yueniang packed two plates of snacks and gave Guijie a tael of silver, served her tea, and sent her out the door.
Just as Ximen Qing finished getting dressed, someone came to say that Jing Dujian had arrived. Ximen Qing hurried out to welcome him, and they exchanged greetings in the living room. Jing Dujian first bowed and said it had been a long time since they last met, and he owed Ximen Qing an apology; he heard that Ximen Qing had been promoted and came specifically to congratulate him. Ximen Qing thanked him, saying he hadn't had a chance to return the courtesy yet. After reminiscing for a while, they took their seats as host and guest and drank tea. Jing Dujian then asked Ximen Qing where he was headed. Ximen Qing replied that he was going to visit Governor Cai, saying that Governor Cai is the son of the Grand Tutor, and that yesterday, several officials, including Inspector Song, had dinner at his place, so he needed to return the visit today.
Jing Dujian said, "Yes, yes, I'm here today because I have something I want to ask you for help with. Lord Song is going to leave after the New Year, and I'm worried he might censure local officials at the end of the year. I’d like to ask you to say some good words for him. I heard you hosted a banquet at home yesterday, so I hope you don’t mind me coming here. If you could help, I would be very grateful." Xi Menqing replied, "No problem, our relationship is so good, I will definitely help. Just write a letter of introduction; coincidentally, I have a banquet here the day after tomorrow, and I will speak to Lord Song in person then." Jing Dujian quickly stood up and bowed to Xi Menqing, saying, "Thank you so much, I will remember this." He then took out his resume and handed it to Xi Menqing. The resume stated: "Jing Zhong, Commanding Officer of the Cavalry and Infantry in Shandong and other regions, Left Guard of Qinghe, age thirty-two, from Tanshan, his family gained the rank of Zheng Qianhu because of military service, passed the martial arts examination some years ago, and has been promoted to his current position, managing the military of Jizhou." After Xi Menqing finished reading, Jing Dujian took out a gift list, saying it was a small gift, hoping Xi Menqing would accept it. It stated, "Two thousand stones of white rice." Xi Menqing said, "This is too generous; I can’t possibly accept such an expensive gift!" Jing Dujian replied, "It's fine, even if you don't accept it, you can pass it on to Lord Song, so why refuse? If I don’t accept it, I won’t know how to explain it to others." After several rounds of pushing back, Xi Menqing finally accepted it, saying he would keep it for now, and would speak to Lord Song tomorrow, then send someone to inform him. After they finished their tea, Jing Dujian thanked him and left. Xi Menqing rode his horse to Cai’s residence.
After Yu Xiao sent off Ximen Qing, she went to Pan Jinlian's room and said, "Fifth Lady, why didn't you go to the backyard yesterday? My mother mentioned you, saying that when you found out your father was in the front yard, you hurried back into the house. Yesterday was Third Mistress's birthday, and you didn't even go to her room, completely ignoring our father. Third Mistress said she didn't have the time to argue with them; anyway, we're all in this courtyard, so go wherever you like." Jinlian said, "I originally wanted to explain, but there was nothing good to say; it really pissed me off! Did you say he slept in my room yesterday?" Yu Xiao replied, "He was in my mother's room the whole time. With Sixth Lady gone, where else could your father go?" Jinlian said, "Everyone has their own place; with Sixth Lady gone, there's still someone to fill her shoes." Yu Xiao added, "My mother is still angry with you, saying you didn't tell her about asking your father for the fur coat. Later, your father brought the keys to the room, and my mother praised your father a bit, saying, 'If Sister Li were still alive, she would have relied on your father; now that she’s dead, it’s just a glance at him.'" Jinlian said, "Don't talk about useless things! As long as there's a man in charge, what’s that to you? Are you my mother-in-law? Can you control me? I'll just hold him back; am I supposed to tie him up or something? All that nonsense!" Yu Xiao said, "I told my mother, and she understands; don't say any more. Today, Sister Gui is going home, and my mother got ten pieces of jewelry, so you should quickly collect ten pieces too." After saying this, Yu Xiao left. Jinlian sat in front of the mirror to do her makeup, while Chunmei went to ask Yulou what color clothes she was wearing today. Yulou said, "Your father is worried about offending the mourning period, so he told us to wear light-colored clothes." The five women decided to style their hair the same way, wearing beads and dressed in light colors. Only Wu Yue Niang wore a white crepe gold crown and a fragrant sandalwood coat with gold embroidered flowers, and a green skirt with gold patterns. A large sedan chair and four small ones set off in style, saying goodbye to Wu Yue Niang, the three masters, and Granny Pan, heading to Earl Ying's house to celebrate the full moon feast.
Ruyi and Yingchun prepared a feast and a jug of Jinhua wine, and took out another jug of red wine from the jar. They invited Panlaolao, Chunmei, and Yudajie to join them for lunch in the room. Halfway through the meal, Chunmei said, "I heard that Shen Erjie sings very well. No one has gone to invite her to sing a few songs for us." Yingchun was about to send Xiuchun to call her when Chunhong came in to add fire. Chunmei said, "You little slacker, if you’re not freezing, why did you come in here to warm up?" Then she told Yingchun, "Pour him half a glass of wine." She instructed Chunhong, "After drinking the wine, help me call Shen Erjie and tell her I want her to sing for Grandma." Chunhong drank the wine, went to the backyard to call Shen Erjie, but to his surprise, Shen Erjie was having tea with Wuyuenu, the eldest sister, three girls, and Yuxiao. Chunhong lifted the curtain and went in, saying, "Shen Erjie, come quickly. Our eldest sister wants you to come over and sing a song." Shen Erjie said, "Our eldest sister is here, who’s this other eldest sister?" Chunhong said, "It's Miss Chunmei from the front yard who is calling you." Shen Erjie said, "Why is she calling me? Yudajie is also there; it’s the same thing. I’m singing for Wuyuenu right now." Wuyuenu said, "Alright, Shen Erjie, go ahead and come back later." Shen Erjie still didn’t move.
Chunhong ran to Chunmei and said, "I called him, but he won't come!" Chunmei replied, "If you say it's me calling him, he'll come." Chunhong continued, "I told him a young lady is calling him, but he didn't move at all, and even said, 'There is a young lady here, and another young lady pops up there?' I said, 'It's Miss Chunmei,' and he responded, 'So what about Miss Chunmei? Having Miss Yu is enough!' He also mentioned that someone called him before, but he was busy singing for the senior lady. The senior lady asked him to leave and come back, but he refused." When Chunmei heard this, she was furious, her face turning red and then purple. No one could stop her; she rushed into the room like a whirlwind and scolded Shen Erjie, "You told the servant I was 'just another young lady popping up,' and even said 'he even came to call me'? Who do you think you are, that you wouldn't even dare to call yourself! Our family pulled you out of the mud, and now you dare to be so arrogant? You're just a wandering woman! How long have you been in our house, and you dare to act so high and mighty? What skills do you have? Just those old songs? You're just putting on a show! How many opera singers have seen in our family, you think you're something special? If you want to learn from that trash at the Han family, be my guest, but we don't want you here! Get out of here and have Mrs. Jia keep us apart!" The senior lady hurriedly persuaded, "Stop arguing, stop arguing!" Shen Erjie was speechless and could only say, "Oh, why are you being so rude, big sister? Even in front of a high official, I haven't said anything bad; why are you so fierce? If you can't stand me here, there are plenty of other places!" Chunmei became even angrier, "Eating inside and out, singing for others! Get out of here and don't come back to my house!" Shen Erjie protested, "I didn't stay in your house!" Chunmei retorted, "Stay in my house? I'll have the servant pull out all your hair!" The senior lady said, "What’s gotten into you today, child?" Chunmei still didn't move. Shen Erjie cried and said goodbye to the senior lady, packed up her clothes, didn't even wait for the sedan chair, and asked the senior lady to send her to the Han family. After giving her a good scolding, Chunmei left. The senior lady said to the eldest sister and Yuxiao, "She must have been drinking out somewhere; otherwise, why would she be so impulsive? She made me look bad too."
"You can just let her take her time packing up and leaving; why are you in such a rush to kick her out? Why not have someone see her off? Honestly!" Yu Xiao said, "Do they really have the guts to drink out there?"
Chunmei walked to the front, still fuming, and said to everyone, "I really wanted to slap that shameless hussy twice just now! She doesn't even know who I am! What a show-off!" Yingchun said, "Don't add fuel to the fire; Sister Yu is here." Chunmei replied, "That's not the point. Sister Yu has been with us for years; has she ever upset anyone? When asked to sing, she sings. Unlike that shameless hussy, who is so bold! Her lame songs are just the same few lines from 'Mountain Slope Sheep' and 'Suo Nan Zhi,' all style and no substance. The moment I heard her, I felt she was trying to steal the limelight from Sister Yu!" Sister Yu said, "Exactly! Last night, when Aunt asked me to sing, she immediately grabbed the pipa and wanted to sing herself. Young lady, don’t be angry; she probably doesn’t know our family situation. She may not even know who you are." Chunmei said, "I just told her off: 'You learned from that shameless woman, but I'm not afraid of you!'" Granny Pan said, "My sister, chill out." Ruyier said, "I'll pour a drink for the big sis to help her chill." Yingchun said, "My daughter gets angry like this." Then she said, "Sister Yu, sing a nice tune to lighten the mood." Sister Yu picked up the pipa and said, "Then I’ll sing 'Mountain Slope Sheep' from 'The Disturbance in Yingying's Bedroom' for Grandma and the young lady." Ruyier said, "You sing with feeling, and I'll pour you some wine." Yingchun raised her glass, looking at Chunmei, and said, "Alright, alright, sister, don’t be angry anymore, have a drink of your mom's wine to cool off." Chunmei couldn’t help but laugh and said, "You little minx, you’re being such a mom again!" She then said, "Sister Yu, don’t sing 'Mountain Slope Sheep' anymore; sing 'River Water' for us." Sister Yu began to play the pipa and slowly sang "Flowers Beautiful, Moon Bright," as everyone raised their glasses.
Ximen Qing returned from the residence of Governor Cai, and Ping An quickly reported, "Today, Old Man He invited you to the yamen early tomorrow to discuss a theft case. Also, Old Man Hu from the yamen sent over a hundred new calendars, and Supervisor Jing sent a pig, a jar of wine, and four taels of silver. Brother-in-law has already accepted them and put them in the backyard without offering a return gift. Tonight, Old Man Hu's family also sent someone to visit you. We returned the favor by giving him one qian of silver coin. Our in-law Qiao also sent a message, inviting you for drinks tomorrow." Dai An also returned with news, noting that the reply from Inspector Song had arrived at the court, indicating that Inspector Song would be coming tomorrow and had given both him and the little servant five qian of silver along with a hundred calendars.
Ximen Qing returned to the main hall, and Chun Hong quickly told Chun Mei and the others, "The master is back, and there’s wine to enjoy!" Chun Mei complained, "That little rascal, as soon as father comes back, he follows him around, ignoring us maids! Mother isn’t home, and he doesn’t even come to check on us." Everyone drank and chatted together, without bothering to see Ximen Qing. Ximen Qing entered the inner chamber, and the big aunt and three girls went to the next room. Yu Xiao stepped forward to take off his clothes and let him sit down to have his meal. Lai Xing came over to set up the banquet; on the thirtieth, he was scheduled to drink with Inspector Song, and on the first day, he would eat a celebratory feast with Internal Ministers Liu and Xue and Lord Zhou. Yu Xiao asked, "Father, what kind of wine are we having?" Ximen Qing said, "The bean wine sent by Supervisor Jing, let’s open it up and give it a taste." Lai An came in to report that Yue Niang and the others had arrived. Yu Xiao instructed someone to bring the wine, opened it, poured it into a glass, and let Ximen Qing taste it. The wine was emerald green and had a rich flavor. Ximen Qing said, "Pour it, I’ll drink." After a while, the dishes were brought out, and Ximen Qing drank wine in the room.
Lai An took the lantern to greet Yue Niang and the others. They were all wearing fur coats and came to the main hall to bow to Ximen Qing. Xue E bowed to Ximen Qing first, then bowed to Yue Niang. After the bows, they went next door to pay their respects to the elder matriarch and the three young women. Yue Niang chatted with Ximen Qing: "Sister Ying Er saw us all going to pay our respects to you and wasn't very happy! At the banquet, there were the Ma family’s lady, Sister Ying Da, Du Er Niang, and about ten other women, with two young women performing songs to liven things up. The Ying family has a little servant with a flat head and a round face. Chun Hua has become much thinner and darker than before, looking like a big donkey face, which looks quite uncomfortable. Today, the Ying family was all in a mess, short-handed. Before we left, Sister Ying Er bowed to us, repeatedly thanking you and conveying your generous gift." Ximen Qing asked, "That little troublemaker Chun Hua came out to see people too?" Yue Niang replied, "How can she compare to a ghost without a nose or eyes? Of course, she can see people!" Ximen Qing said, "That girl, throw some black beans to her and let her feed the pigs!" Yue Niang said, "I don't like hearing you say such things. Your family members are all well-dressed and can see people!" Wang Jing, standing by, said, "When Ying Er's father saw the women, he didn't dare to come out and hid in the house to peek. I saw him and told him he was shameless, and he even wanted to hit me." Ximen Qing laughed so hard he couldn't close his mouth: "This kid, when he shows up tomorrow, I’ll put some powder on his face." Wang Jing said, "Got it." Yue Niang said, "Stop talking nonsense. When did he even peek? I haven't seen him all day; he just bowed before leaving." After Wang Jing finished speaking, he went out.
Yue Niang also went next door to pay her respects to Auntie and the three young ladies. The eldest sister, Yu Xiao, and the maid all came to pay their respects. Yue Niang asked, "Why isn't Shen Erjie here?" Everyone was silent. Yu Xiao said, "Shen Erjie has gone back." Yue Niang said, "Why did she leave without waiting for me?" Auntie couldn't hold back any longer and mentioned how Chun Mei scolded Shen Erjie. Yue Niang felt a bit angry: "If she doesn't sing, that's fine, but this girl has no manners. Why scold her for no reason? No wonder the household is such a mess; just look at it!" She looked at Jin Lian and said, "You should keep an eye on her too, don’t spoil her." Jin Lian laughed and said, "If she doesn’t cause any trouble, you can visit a thousand households, and when they just sing, if they ask you to sing, it's not disrespectful. Who told her to act all high and mighty? She's asking for it." Yue Niang said, "You sure know how to talk. If everyone were like you, it would be fine, but she scolds both good and bad people. Just ignore her!" Jin Lian said, "How about giving her a few whacks?" When Yue Niang heard this, she flushed with anger: "Spoiling her like this, tomorrow she'll scold all the neighbors!" She got up and walked over to Ximen Qing. Ximen Qing asked, "What's wrong?" Yue Niang said, "Your eldest sister has scolded Shen Erjie away." Ximen Qing chuckled and replied, "Who told her not to sing? No worries, tomorrow I'll send over a couple of taels of silver to apologize." Yu Xiao said, "Shen Erjie's box is still here; she didn't take it." Seeing Ximen Qing chuckling, Yue Niang remarked, "Why aren’t you scolding her? Why are you laughing?" Yan Lou and Li Jiao'er saw that Yue Niang was angry and went back to their rooms. Ximen Qing kept on drinking, and after a while, Yue Niang went into the inner room to take off her clothes and asked Yu Xiao, "What are the four bundles of silver on the trunk?" Ximen Qing said, "It's two hundred taels of silver from the Jingdu Supervisor, hoping it’ll help Song Xun'an get promoted." Yu Xiao said, "I forgot to tell Mom when my husband brought it." Yue Niang said, "It's someone else's stuff; hurry up and put it away." Yu Xiao quickly stashed the silver away in the cabinet.
Jin Lian was waiting for Ximen Qing in the inner room because she needed to take Xue Guzi's medicine that night and sleep with him to have a son on Renzi Day. Seeing Ximen Qing taking his time, she pulled back the curtain and called out, "If you don't come, I can't wait any longer; I'm going!" Ximen Qing said, "Sweetheart, you go on ahead; I just need to finish this drink." Jin Lian left first.
Yue Niang saw this and complained, "I won't let you go! I still want to talk to you! You two are just inseparable, really! On such a hot day, you rushed into my room and insisted on letting you go! What a shameless person; is she your wife, and others are not? You fickle heart, no wonder people talk about you! You treat everyone the same, saying they are all your wives, just don't show it. Even if she is blocking you in front, coming from the capital, not even resting in the back room for a night, who can put up with that? You have to juggle both your cold and hot affairs; let her completely hold you back. I can overlook it and not argue with you, but what about others? Although I don't say it on the surface, I am very angry inside. Today, Meng Sanjie was at Ying Er Sao's place, barely ate anything all day, probably came down with a cold, feeling pretty awful. When she got back home, Ying Er Sao poured her two glasses of wine, and she vomited. Aren't you going to see how she's doing?"
Ximen Qing heard this and said, "Really? Then I'll take care of things at home first, I won’t be drinking." He then went to the Yulou room. He saw his wife had already taken off her clothes, removed her jewelry, and was lying awkwardly on the bed, feeling sick. Ximen Qing saw her groaning non-stop and anxiously asked, "My love, where do you feel uncomfortable? Tell me, I’ll call a doctor to see you tomorrow." His wife didn’t say a word, just kept vomiting. Ximen Qing lifted her up to sit next to him, and seeing her rubbing her chest, he asked, "My darling, what's wrong? Tell me." His wife said, "I feel terrible, why are you asking me? Just go take care of your own stuff!" Ximen Qing said, "I have no idea, it was just what the upper room told me." His wife said, "Of course you don’t know! We are not your favorites, go pamper your darling!" Ximen Qing hugged her neck and kissed her, saying, "You little tease, always giving me a hard time!" Then he called for Lanxiang, "Quickly bring a cup of bitter tea for you to drink." Lanxiang said, "The tea is ready." She brought the tea over. Ximen Qing personally brought it to her mouth to feed her. His wife said, "Give it to me, I’ll drink it myself. Don’t pamper me like this, as if someone’s trying to steal me away! The sun has already set in the west today, yet you’re willing to come to my room." Ximen Qing said, "You don’t know, I’ve been very busy these days, not a moment’s rest." His wife said, "I know you’re not resting, you’re probably wrapped up in your favorite. Leave us old gals behind, don’t expect to keep us in your heart for another ten years!" Seeing Ximen Qing kissing her cheek, she said, "Your booze breath, keep your distance! Who drinks spicy soup all day, who has the mind to be close to you!" Ximen Qing said, "Have you eaten? Have the maid bring us some food to share, I haven’t eaten yet." His wife said, "Stop talking, I feel terrible, who wants to eat! If you want to eat, eat by yourself!" Ximen Qing said, "I won’t eat, let’s sleep. Tomorrow morning, I’ll have the servant call Doctor Ren to see you." His wife said, "Do as you please, whether it’s Doctor Ren, Doctor Li, or Aunt Liu, just let Aunt Liu come and take her medicine." Ximen Qing said, "You sleep, I’ll massage your chest, I promise you’ll feel better. You don’t know, I’m very good at treating illnesses." Suddenly, Ximen Qing remembered, "Yesterday, Scholar Liu gave me ten pills of Guangdong ox gall wax pills, that stuff works wonders when taken with a little booze." So he called for Lanxiang, "Go to your mother’s room and bring them here, put them in the ceramic jar in the upper room. Also bring some wine. After taking them, I promise this medicine will do the trick."
The wife said: "I can't be bothered to scold you, what kind of illness can you treat? If you want some wine, I've got some in the house."
In a short while, Lanxiang ran upstairs and brought back two pills. When Ximen Qing saw that the wine was warmed up, he peeled off the wax paper from the pills, revealing golden-yellow pills, and gave one to Yulou. Then Ximen Qing told Lanxiang, "While we’re in the mood for drinking, bring me another cup of wine, and I’ll take my medicine too." Yulou glared at him and said, "Stop it! If you want to take medicine, go do it in someone else's room. What are you playing around for here? You see I’m not well and want to drive me to my grave, don’t you? I'm already in so much pain, and you’re still messing with me. Do you have any conscience left? Who can stand your nagging?" Ximen Qing laughed and said, "Alright, alright, my dear, I won’t take the medicine anymore; let’s go to sleep." After she took the medicine, she undressed with Ximen Qing and went to bed. In the bed, Ximen Qing caressed her soft chest with his hand, squeezed her breasts, and wrapped one arm around her neck, asking, "My dear, do you feel any better after taking the medicine?" The woman replied, "The pain has stopped, but I still feel a bit uncomfortable." Ximen Qing said, "It'll get better soon." Then he added, "While you weren’t home, I gave 50 taels of silver to Lai Xing earlier today. The day after tomorrow, Inspector Song will host a banquet; on the first day, we will burn paper to fulfill our vows, and on the third day, we will host another two days of banquets and invite everyone. Since we’ve received so many gifts, we should at least return the favor; otherwise, it wouldn’t be proper." The woman said, "Whether we invite them or not doesn’t concern me. Tomorrow is the 30th; I’ll have the servant calculate the accounts and give them to you, then you can pass them to Sixth Sister and let her manage. It's high time she took charge of things; yesterday she even said, ‘What’s the big deal? Even carving a Buddha’s eye won’t stump me; just leave it to me!’" Ximen Qing said, "You listen to that little vixen; she talks big but panics when it’s really important. After we finish these few banquets, you can just hand the accounts over to her." Yulou said, "My brother, who spoiled you like this! You still say you don’t protect her; these things reveal your thoughts. After the banquets, we’ll give it to her; what do we count as? It’s early in the morning, and I still have to comb my hair and dress up, while the servants come and go, exchanging silver for money; it’s so tiring. After all that effort, they don’t even say thanks!" Ximen Qing said, "My dear, as the saying goes: ‘After running the household for three years, even dogs get tired of it.’" As he said this, he gently lifted one of Yulou's legs, resting it on his arm, holding her in his embrace, and caressing her white, tender calf, adorned with a pair of bright red embroidered shoes, saying, "My dear, I don’t love anything else, just these two white legs of yours. Even if I’ve seen all the women in the world, none are as soft and lovely as yours." The woman said, "You just know how to say nice things; who buys your sweet talk? You say no woman in the world can compare to me! Don’t say our skin is rough; you just keep saying sweet things to dodge the issue!" Ximen Qing said, "My sweetheart, if I lie, may I die a terrible death." The woman said, "Cut it out with that; don’t make a deadly vow." As Ximen Qing spoke, he inserted a silver device into her vagina. The woman said, "I knew you’d pull this stunt." Feeling the silver device, she said, "Why are you using this again? Hurry up and take it out!" Ximen Qing was unwilling to relent… like a dog… the woman… kept making soft moans, calling out, "Gentle, gentle, my waist is so sore these past few days, and I’m still having discharge." Ximen Qing said, "Tomorrow I’ll go find Doctor Ren to prescribe some warming medicine for the womb; you’ll feel better after you take it."
" "
Let's put aside the two people tangled in love on the bed for now. Meanwhile, Wu Yueniang was in the main room with the eldest lady and three masters, sitting together and chatting in the evening. They talked about how Chunmei scolded Shen Erjie so harshly that she cried and refused to let her sit in the sedan chair, prompting Shen Erjie to plead with the eldest lady to allow Huatong to take her to Han Daoguo's house. The eldest lady remarked, "Chunmei has such a rude way of speaking." Even when I scold her, she talks back and gets even harsher! Xiaoyu said, "They were drinking together in front." Yueniang said, "These unruly people have spoiled the girls and then blame others for scolding them! No matter what happens tomorrow, let her go scold people; what are we doing in the house? A girl running around like this, what kind of rumors will that spread? Not to mention the main wife of the Ximen family; who knows how she ended up like this? In these chaotic times, it's hard to tell who's the master and who's the servant. It's not just that you've spoiled them without discipline; it's as if we're not as pretty as you—what kind of logic is that!" The eldest lady said, "Let her go; her uncle doesn't say anything, why provoke her?" That night, everyone went back to their rooms to rest.
The next day, Ximen Qing headed to work bright and early. Pan Jinlian saw Wu Yueniang blocking Ximen Qing and delaying Renzi Day (a certain day in the lunar calendar), and she felt really frustrated. The next morning, she had Lai'an summon a sedan chair first thing in the morning to send Pan's mother back to her family.
Yue Niang got up in the morning, and the three nuns were ready to say goodbye and go home. Yue Niang gave each of them a box of snacks, five qian, and promised to give them some silver when they were fasting in Zhengyue An, so they could buy incense, candles, and paper horses. In Laba, she would also send them sesame oil, flour, and rice for their vegetarian meals to offer to the monks and Buddha. Then, Yue Niang set up tea in the main room and treated them and Aunt Wu to a meal together. She first asked Li Jiaor, Meng Yulou, and Wu Dajie to sit down, and asked Yulou, "Have you eaten the wax ball? Is your chest pain gone?" Yulou said, "I vomited two mouthfuls of sour bile this morning and felt better." Then she asked Yuxiao, "Go invite Pan Laolao and Wu Niang to have some snacks." Yuxiao said, "Xiaoyu is steaming snacks in the back, I'll go invite them." So she went to Jin Lian's room and asked her, "Laolao, where did you go? I'm inviting you and Wu Niang to have tea." Jin Lian said, "I sent her back home this morning." Yuxiao said, "Why didn't you say anything? She left without a word?" Jin Lian said, "The residents here are indifferent, who gives a damn!" Yuxiao said, "I even brought a piece of cured meat and four sweet pickled cucumbers and eggplants for her, who knew she would leave. Wu Niang, you keep it for the old lady." So she gave the things to Qiujun and put them in the drawer. Yuxiao said to Jin Lian, "Last night, Wu Niang came, my mother said this and that, said how good Wu Niang is to Dad, even said Wu Niang and Dad are like two peas in a pod, shameless, how she blocked Dad from going to the back, and sent Dad to Third Sister's room to sleep for a night, even in front of the old lady and three masters, said Wu Niang spoils Chunmei and is rude, even scolded Shen Erjie. Dad will give Shen Erjie two silver coins tomorrow to save face." She spilled the tea on everything. Jin Lian remembered these words. Yuxiao went back to tell Yue Niang first: "Laolao went back to her mother's house early in the morning, and Wu Niang also came." Yue Niang glanced at Aunt Wu and said, "See, I had a few words with her yesterday, and today she's in a bad mood, didn't even come in to say hello, and sent her mother away early in the morning."
I bet sis is cooking up some mischief again!
Mrs. Yue thought she was just talking in the room and didn't notice Jinlian sneaking under the curtain to eavesdrop for a while. Suddenly she said, "It was Mrs. Wang who said that I sent her mother away. Should I stop my husband from coming back?" Mrs. Yue replied, "It was me who said that. What about you now? Just waiting for a man from Tokyo who’s always hanging around you, never looking back. So you think you're the only one who’s his wife? Speaking of which, others might not know, but I do. Just yesterday I went to Sister Li Guifei's house, and Auntie asked, 'Sister Li Guifei left after a while, why was her brother-in-law angry?' I said, 'Who knows why he was angry?' But you immediately chimed in, 'Others don’t know, but I do.' You’re always keeping an eye on him; how can you not know?" Jinlian said, "He doesn't come to my room; do I have to tie him with a pig hair rope to come? That libertine is like this too!" Mrs. Yue said, "You are not a libertine. He was sitting comfortably in my room yesterday. Why did you pull back the curtain and insist on calling him over? What’s that all about? Men are supposed to be strong and endure hardships; do you really think you need to tie him up with a pig hair rope? Ignorant people who don’t know how to appreciate, we all don’t speak, yet you still drive people away. You sneakily asked him for a fur coat, wore it, and didn’t even mention it. Is this how we’re raising ducklings in this house? Even in an orphanage, there’s someone in charge. You order a maid around, sleeping with him; it’s too outrageous! Regardless of the situation, you just scold people. Speaking of you, you never stop talking." Jinlian said, "What's wrong with my maid? You hit me! I'm also here; I'm taking up space. The fur coat was asked for by me. Just because I asked for a fur coat and opened the door to take a few clothes for others, why don't you mention that? The maid is spoiled by me; I want to please the man. Who is the libertine in this case?" Wu Mrs. Yue felt very uncomfortable after hearing this; her face turned red, and she said, "This matter is my fault; say whatever you want. I married him to become his wife, not to be a concubine. Those shameless ones are the real libertines; we are the genuine ones, not libertines." Mrs. Wu quickly persuaded on the side, "Third sister, why are you like this? Stop talking." Meng Yulou said, "Oh, Mrs. Yue, why are you so angry today, causing us to be scolded together? I didn't even see Sister Liu; you can let Mrs. Yue say a word. Why argue?" Aunt Wu said, "As the saying goes, there’s no good outcome in fighting, and no good comes from quarreling. Stop arguing; it’s embarrassing for our relatives to be living here. Miss, if you can't stand me and want me to leave, just call a sedan chair to send me home!" Li Jiaor quickly pulled Aunt Wu. Pan Jinlian saw that Mrs. Yue scolded her so harshly, sitting on the ground rolling and crying, hitting herself in the face, her hair scattered, crying loudly, saying, "I might as well just die; why live like this? What did your man say? I took advantage of your family! It's not difficult; wait for him to come back, give me a divorce letter, and I'll leave. You can't drive me away!" Mrs. Yue said, "Look... she is... a shrew. Before others said a word, look at her mouth, like a flood. She still blames others for rolling; don't wait for the man to come back and make me angry! You’re so willful; who’s afraid of you?" Jinlian said, "You think you’re the real deal; who would dare argue with you?" Mrs. Yue became even more angry, saying, "I’m not the real deal; do you think I can just raise a man at home?" Jinlian said, "You’re not raising a man; who is? Show me some proof!" Yulou noticed the two were getting into a bigger argument and quickly pulled Jinlian over, saying, "You’re so fierce; let’s all say a few less words. Arguing back and forth, it’s just a few words, making the three masters laugh. Get up; I’ll take you to the front." Jinlian refused to get up and was pulled up by Yulou and Yuxiao together, and took her back to her room.
Aunt quickly advised Miss Yue, "Miss, you are not feeling well right now, so please don’t get angry. It's really nothing serious. Everyone is in good spirits, and it’s lively here. Let's just get along, alright?" Seeing them argue, the three nuns let the little nun have some snacks, packed up their things, and said their goodbyes to Miss Yue. Miss Yue said, "Please don’t tease us, Masters." Master Xue replied, "Amitabha, who doesn’t have their share of troubles? It's easy to feel annoyed and get upset over small things. We all need to be a bit more understanding with one another. Buddhist teachings say it best: 'With a calm mind, a lonely boat, sweeping the spiritual platform is good for cultivation.' If we can just control our minds, there's hope for enlightenment. This humble monk takes his leave, sorry to have disturbed you, Bodhisattva. Take care." After speaking, he bid farewell with two bows. Miss Yue quickly returned the gesture, saying, "Please take care, Master. I’ll send someone with vegetarian meals another day." Then she called for Eldest Sister, "You and Second Sister see the three Masters out, and be careful." And with that, the three nuns were seen out.
Madam Yue sat with Aunt Xing and said, "Look, this time I was so angry that my arms feel weak and my hands are cold. I've only had a sip of tea from morning till now, and I feel so frustrated." Aunt Xing said, "Madam, I advise you not to get angry, but you don't listen to me. You are pregnant; what's the rush?" Madam Yue said, "If I were to stay here and see you, would I still argue with him? It's already midnight, and he's still patrolling. I tolerate him, but he refuses to tolerate me. When you try to stop a guy, he teams up with that maid to do shady stuff, things that others can't do, he can. Women, without any sense of shame. He does shady things in secret and talks bad about others. He's always in cahoots with that maid, badmouthing others in front of us, making himself look clean. He's two-faced, with a wicked heart. He doesn't admit to anything he says. He lies and swears. I'm keeping an eye on him, and who knows how things will turn out for him tomorrow? Just now, when I was preparing tea, I kindly waited for his mother to come and drink, but he quietly sent her away. Trying to stir up trouble, sneaking here to eavesdrop. Eavesdrop on what? Afraid you won't make it! When her husband comes, I'll file a proper complaint; I'm done with this nonsense." Xiaoyu said, "We were in the room tending the fire, didn't know when Wu Niang left, didn't hear her footsteps either." Sun Xue'e said, "She's sneaky, only wears these felt-soled shoes; of course, you won't hear her. Just think about how many times we fought when she first got here! Backbiting and making my father scold me twice, my mother even said we were born to argue." Madam Yue said, "She's good at tormenting people; today she really tried to get under my skin! You didn't see her arrogant demeanor just now, insisting on letting my father know, tormenting me to death." Li Jiao'er smiled and said, "Madam, that's true; it's really unbelievable!" Madam Yue said, "You don't know; she's a nine-tailed fox spirit, killing off all the good ones, and she's still interested in how much flesh I have! You've been in my house for a few years; although you're a servant, you're not as cunning and deceitful as her. Look at her attitude yesterday, barging into my room and calling for a man: 'If you don't leave, I can't wait for you, I'll leave first.' It's as if she's the only man, dominating. It's not that I'm not angry; when she came back from Tokyo, she wouldn't let me stay in the backyard for one night. On her birthday, she wouldn't go to her room to see her. You have to kiss her butt before she'll let up." Aunt Xing said, "Madam, endure it; you're often sick, don't worry about this, let her be. It's not worth arguing just to keep the peace; it's not good to have enemies." After a while of persuasion, Yuxiao brought the meal, but Madam Yue didn't eat, saying, "I've got a headache, and my chest feels tight." She instructed Yuxiao, "Put a pillow on the kang over there; I'm going to lie down for a bit." She told Li Jiao'er, "You two keep Aunt Xing company while she eats." That day, Miss Yu also wanted to go home, and Madam Yue instructed, "Get her a box of snacks and give her five silver coins." She sent her off.
Ximen Qing interrogated a case of theft at the yamen and didn't return home until noon. Just then, men from Jing Du came to collect a response. Ximen Qing said, "Thank you for your kind gift. Why are you being so formal? You should take the gift back; I will have it ready for you tomorrow." The servant said, "Master didn't instruct me to take it back; how could I possibly do that? Leaving it here is the same." Ximen Qing said, "In that case, you should speak more with the Master; I understand now." He accepted the response and rewarded the servant with a silver coin or two. Then he went to the upper room, saw Lady Moon sleeping on the heated bed, called her for quite a while but received no response. When he asked the maids, they were too afraid to answer. He walked to Golden Lotus's room, saw her hair all messy, clutching a pillow as she slept, asked her, but she didn't reply, leaving him puzzled. As he handed a sealed silver coin to Jing Du's men to send them on their way, he walked to Meng Yulou's room to ask. Yulou couldn't keep it a secret and had to explain in detail what happened between Lady Moon and Golden Lotus that morning.
Ximen Qing panicked and ran upstairs, pulling up Pan Jinlian and said, "Are you serious? You're not feeling well, why bother with that little minx? Why are you angry with her?" Pan Jinlian said, "I'm angry with her? She's the one causing trouble! Early in the morning, I kindly served tea to her and her mother, but she threw a tantrum and sent her mother away, then ran to the back to yell at me, banged her head and messed up her hair, screamed like royalty, but didn't hit me in the face. If everyone didn't stop us, we would have fought. She's used to bullying people, trying to suppress me. She even said, 'Your man sent me here, send me away, and I won't come to your house again.' She can turn one sentence into ten, like the flooding of the Yellow River; how can I compete with her? She's just a troublemaker, making me so angry I'm weak all over and feel like I'm going to explode! Now I've got this tightness in my chest, my stomach is in knots, my head's pounding, and my arms feel numb. I was stuck on the toilet for ages and couldn't get up. When I finally did, it was clean, so as not to die and become a ghost with a bloated stomach. I might as well find a rope tonight and end it all, so you can be with her! Don't end up like Li Ping'er, being killed by her. I know you haven't divorced for three years; it's just out of anger!" Ximen Qing didn't pay much attention at first, but after hearing this, he became even more panicked, hugging Pan Jinlian and said, "My dear sister, don't lower yourself to that little minx; what does she know? It's not worth getting angry over. I'll go scold that little minx!" Pan Jinlian said, "You dare scold her? She might even use a pig hair rope to tie you up!" Ximen Qing said, "Let her try; if she angers me, I'll give her a good lesson!" Then he asked Pan Jinlian, "How are you feeling now? Have you eaten anything?" Pan Jinlian said, "Eat what? I just served tea early in the morning, and she came to argue with me. Now my chest feels tight, my stomach hurts, my head hurts, my arms are numb. Don't believe me? Touch my hand; it's still cold." Ximen Qing stomped his foot in distress, "What should we do? Quickly send a servant to invite the doctor to come and check!" Pan Jinlian said, "Invite what doctor? Let her go; if she wants to live, let her live; if she wants to die, let her die; it's a relief. What kind of good wife is that? She's like mud on a wall, just falling apart. If I die, just help her take my place. You're so smart, don't you understand?" Ximen Qing said, "Bear with it; just treat that little minx like stinky shit and throw her away? If you don't invite the doctor to check now, if you upset the baby, how's it supposed to come out?" Pan Jinlian said, "Then call Liu the Midwife to take a look, give her some meds, and if that doesn't work, maybe a couple of shots to let her handle it." Ximen Qing said, "Nonsense! That Liu the Midwife is a joke; what does she know about delivering babies? Tell the servant to ride a horse quickly and invite the doctor!" Pan Jinlian said, "You dare to invite! If you invite him, I won't see him!" Ximen Qing ignored her, ran downstairs and called out to Qin Tong, "Quickly ride a horse to invite the doctor, hurry!" Qin Tong promised and rode off. Ximen Qing stayed in the room with Pan Jinlian, instructing the maidservant to make some porridge and try to get her to eat, but Pan Jinlian wouldn't touch it. In the afternoon, Qin Tong returned empty-handed, saying, "Doctor Ren is on duty at the yamen and is still on duty. His family knows we've invited him; he'll come early tomorrow morning."
Not provided.
Pan Jinlian saw that Mr. Qiao had sent people to invite her several times, saying, "The doctor can only come tomorrow. You should go to the Qiao family. It's getting late. If you don't go, the Qiao family will be upset." Ximen Qing said, "If I go, who will take care of you?" Pan Jinlian smiled and said, "Silly, who asked you to do that? You go, I'll be fine. I'll rest for a while, sit up slowly, and have dinner with my aunties. What are you so worried about?" Ximen Qing instructed Yuxiao, "Go quickly and invite your aunt to keep your mother company." He also asked, "Where is Yu Dajie? Ask her to sing for your mother." Yuxiao said, "Yu Dajie has gone home; she couldn't stay." Ximen Qing said, "Who let her leave? Let her stay for two more days." He even kicked Yuxiao twice. Pan Jinlian said, "She saw the mess in your house and wanted to leave; let her go, what's it to you?" Yuxiao said, "You didn't kick her when you scolded Shen Erjie." Ximen Qing pretended not to hear, got dressed, and went to the Qiao family to drink. He returned before midnight, went upstairs, and saw Pan Jinlian sitting with the aunties, Yulou, and Li Jiao'er. When the aunt saw Ximen Qing coming in, she quickly hid in the back. Ximen Qing asked Pan Jinlian, "Are you feeling better?" Pan Jinlian said, "The aunt accompanied me to eat some porridge; my chest isn't as tight, but I have a headache and back pain." Ximen Qing said, "It's okay, the doctor will come tomorrow, take some medicine, relieve your symptoms, and stabilize the pregnancy." Pan Jinlian said, "I told you not to invite him, but you went ahead and did it. It's a waste of effort; why call a man over? Let's see if I can go out tomorrow!" She then asked, "What did the Qiao family ask you to do?" Ximen Qing said, "He said I just returned from the capital, and he wanted me to visit. He was also thoughtful today, prepared many dishes, and even hired two opera singers, then invited a local official to accompany me. I was worried about you, so I drank a few cups and came back early." Pan Jinlian said, "Such sweet words! I don't believe your sweet talk; is it all for me? I might as well be a living Buddha for all you care; even in death, I'm not worth a broken tile." She then asked, "Did the Qiao family mention anything else to you?" Ximen Qing finally said, "The Qiao family wants to take advantage of the new regulations and spend thirty taels of silver to secure an official position. The silver is ready, and he wants me to talk to Prefect Hu about it. I told him it was no problem; Prefect Hu gave me a hundred history books yesterday, so I need to return the favor. When I give the gift, I'll casually bring it up with him and ask for the official documents. He refused, saying spending money is the right thing to do. Now I’ll ask him nicely to save us some time and maybe a few taels of silver." Pan Jinlian said, "Since he asked you, help him out. Did he give you any money?" Ximen Qing said, "The money will be sent tomorrow. He also wants to buy gifts, but I stopped him. Tomorrow, we'll slaughter a pig, buy some wine, and give it to Prefect Hu." After that, Ximen Qing went upstairs to sleep for the night.
The next day, Song Xun hosted a banquet, and the backyard banquet was also set up, with fruits laid out. Early in the morning, the mansion sent thirty musicians, two actors, and four band leaders, and they arrived at Ximen Qing's house in grand style. Doctor Ren rode over early, and Ximen Qing hurriedly welcomed him into the hall, exchanged a few words, saying he had been very busy lately. Doctor Ren said, "Yesterday, an envoy came to visit, and I was busy until I got home, so I came specially to see you today. Who is unwell?" Ximen Qing said, "My wife is feeling a bit unwell; I would like you to take a look." After a while, tea was served. After drinking the tea, Doctor Ren said, "I heard from Mingchuan yesterday that you have been having a lot of happy events; I should congratulate you!" Ximen Qing modestly replied, "I am just a small official; there is nothing worth congratulating." Then Ximen Qing instructed, "Tell the madam, when Doctor Ren arrives, get ten taels of silver ready for him." Qingtong promised and went to the backyard.
Madam, Li Jiaor, and Meng Yulou were all in the room. Qingtong went in and said, "Doctor Ren has arrived; the master instructed to give you ten taels of silver." Madam remained still and replied, "I said not to invite him; let other families' men see, who knows what they will do! Call Liu Mama; take two doses of medicine, and it will be fine. This guest is just putting on a show, letting other men see." Yulou said, "Madam, since he has been invited, you can't just not go; you can't let him come all the way for nothing, right?" The other women urged, "Girl, he is a doctor; he can check your pulse and determine the cause of your illness. Why are you angry, putting your health at risk? Take his medicine, regulate your qi and blood; it's good for your pregnancy. What does Liu Mama know about medicine? What if it delays things?" Madam then got up and got ready, put on her hat, Yuxiao held a mirror, Meng Yulou climbed onto the bed to help her tidy her hair, Li Jiaor helped her put on jewelry, and Sune E prepared clothes. Before long, she was dressed beautifully, truly like a celestial fairy descending to the mortal realm, the moon palace beauty emerging from the painted hall.
