It is said that that guy Ximen Qing deceived his wife and then went to the pavilion to drink with Wu Dajiu, Ying Bojue, Xie Xida, and Chang Zhijie. The wives of Jing, Zhang, Qiao, Cui, Wu, and Sister Duan also sat there for a while and left only after finishing the sweet dumplings. That day, Wu Dajinzi even went back with Wu Shunchen's wife. Ximen Qing also gave two taels of silver to the invited performer Wang Huangqin for their performances, with plenty of food and drink provided. The four performers and several young entertainers were still singing and pouring wine in the pavilion. The Count asked him, "Have you sent a gift for Brother Hua's birthday tomorrow?" Ximen Qing replied, "I've sent it early." Dai An said, "Brother Hua has already sent someone to deliver the invitation." The Count said, "Are you going tomorrow? I can give you a ride." Ximen Qing said, "We'll figure it out tomorrow; you can just go ahead." After a while, the four performers left, and Li Ming and the others came up to sing. Ximen Qing dozed off in his chair. Wu Dajiu said, "Bro, you look worn out; let’s head out." So they stood up to bid farewell. Ximen Qing insisted on keeping them until the second watch of the night before they finally called it a night. Ximen Qing first saw off the performers, giving Li Ming and the others two cups of wine each and six coins as tips. Before they left, Ximen Qing called Li Ming and instructed, "On the 15th, I want to invite Zhou Ye, Jing Ye, and He Laodai; please help me line up four performers ahead of time, don’t let it slip." Li Ming knelt and asked, "Father, which four do you want to invite?" Ximen Qing said, "Fan Baijian's boy, Qin Yuzhi's girl, plus a Feng Jinbao who sang at He Laodai's a few days ago, and add a Lu Sai'er, get them all to come." Li Ming nodded, "Got it," bowed his head, and left.
Ximen Qing returned to the backyard and entered Lady Yuemen's room. Lady Yuemen told him, "Today, Mrs. Lin and Mrs. Jing were in a bit of a mood, so they stayed until very late before leaving. During the banquet, they kept thanking me, saying, 'Thanks to you, sir, for looking after us. We won't forget you in the future if there are any benefits.' They mentioned they’d be heading to Huai'an next month to push for grain transport." She also said, "Mrs. He had quite a bit to drink today and really took a liking to Sister Liu. She even took her for a stroll in the garden and up the hill. They received a lot of gifts today." After that, Ximen Qing went to rest in the main room. In the middle of the night, Lady Yuemen had a dream and told Ximen Qing the next morning, "I think I saw Mrs. Wang in a big red velvet robe during the day, so I dreamt that you found a big red velvet robe in Sister Li's trunk and gave it to me. But Pan Liu grabbed it and wore it, which made me really mad. I said, 'You can take her fur coat, but why take this robe!' She got angry and tore a big hole in the robe. We had a big argument and I woke up. It was just a silly dream." Ximen Qing said, "It's nothing, I'll find you a robe to wear tomorrow. As the old saying goes, what you think about during the day, you dream about at night."
The next day, Ximen Qing had a headache and was not in the mood to go to the yamen. After washing up, he sat in the study. Yuxiao brought him a half bowl of milk and some medicine. Ximen Qing was lying on the bed, letting Wang Jing massage his legs. When Wang Jing saw Yuxiao, he left. Yuxiao fed Ximen Qing the medicine, and Ximen Qing asked him to take a pair of gold-inlaid hairpins and four black silver rings to Lady Lai's room. Yuxiao understood the master's orders and quickly sent them over, just like he did for Lai Weng's wife. After dropping off the items, he came back to Ximen Qing and said, "She accepted them and will bow to you another day." Then he took the empty bowl and left. Lady Yuemen asked Xiaoyu to make some porridge, but when it was time to eat, Ximen Qing still hadn’t shown up.
Wang Jing had brought something to Ximen Qing along with his sister Wang Luer, and also invited Ximen Qing to his home. Ximen Qing opened the paper package and found a lock of shiny black hair cut from his wife, wrapped in colorful thread tied in a concentric knot, which was made very delicately. There was also a pair of purple and gold embroidered mandarin duck sachets filled with melon seeds. Ximen Qing gazed at them for a long time, feeling very happy; he placed the sachet on the bookshelf and tucked the concentric knot into his sleeve. While he was lost in thought, Wu Yueniang suddenly arrived, pulled back the curtain, saw him lying on the bed, and Wang Jing was massaging his legs. She said, "Why are you just staying out here and not coming in? The porridge is ready inside. What’s wrong? You seem so listless." Ximen Qing said, "I don't know what's wrong; I just feel restless, and my legs are hurting." Yueniang said, "Maybe it's just spring fatigue. Take your medicine and rest up." She invited him into the room, let him eat porridge, and said, "It's the New Year festival; you should perk up. Today is Hua Da Jiu's birthday; you should go visit him. If not, why not call Ying Erge to keep you company?" Ximen Qing said, "He's not here either; he's off celebrating Hua Da Jiu's birthday. Get some snacks and drinks ready; I'll head over to the lamp market to find his second uncle to hang out with." Yueniang said, "Ride over there; I’ll have the maids tidy up." Ximen Qing ordered Dai'an to prepare the horse, followed by Wang Jing, dressed up, and headed to Lion Street Lamp Market. The lamp market was buzzing with people, bright lights, and a lively vibe. In peaceful times, good winds blow and luxurious fabrics compete for attention. Ao Mountain soars high into the blue sky; where doesn’t a visitor come to see?
Ximen Qing had finished watching the lantern festival, dismounted at the door of the house, and went inside to sit down. Wu Erjia and Ben Si hurried over to greet him. The shop was doing a brisk business. Lai Zhao's wife, Yizheng Qing, was already boiling water and brewing tea in the study. Before long, Wu Yueniang instructed Qin Tong and Lai An to bring two boxes of snacks, dishes, and vegetables. There was also bean wine brought from the south, which they opened and placed upstairs, inviting Wu Erjia and Ben Si to drink in turns. From the window of the building, one could see the lantern market, with people coming and going in an endless stream.
After dinner, Ximen Qing asked Wang Jing to call Wang Liu'er. Upon hearing that Ximen Qing had arrived, Wang Liu'er quickly tidied up the room, set out the food, and waited eagerly. Ximen Qing instructed Lai Zhao, "Leave this table of food and wine for Wu Erjia and Ben Si to stay and eat here tonight; there's no need to take it back." He also sent Qin Tong with a cask of wine to Wang Liu'er's house. Ximen Qing rode straight to Wang Liu'er's house. Wang Liu'er, looking beautiful, came out to greet him, performing four kowtows in greeting.
Ximen Qing said, "You're being too polite. You didn't come either time I invited you." Wang Liuer said, "You're right. No one else comes to my house. These days, I've been feeling unwell, can't eat, and just can't get myself to do anything." Ximen Qing asked, "Are you missing your husband?" Wang Liuer said, "No way! It's just that you haven't been here recently, and I'm worried you might have someone else in your heart." Ximen Qing smiled and said, "That's not true! I've been busy with a banquet at home." Wang Liuer said, "I heard you had guests over at your house yesterday." Ximen Qing said, "Yeah, my mother-in-law had a couple of drinks with someone, so we need to return the favor." Wang Liuer asked, "Who did you invite?" Ximen Qing then went through the list of guests he invited. Wang Liuer said, "It looks like you only invited important guests, not us regular folks." Ximen Qing said, "It's okay. Tomorrow, on the sixteenth, there'll be another round of drinks, and I will invite the wives of you fellows. You must come then, don't refuse again." Wang Liuer said, "If you send me an invitation, I'll definitely be there." Then, Wang Liuer talked about how her younger sister scolded Shen Erjie a few days ago, complaining that everyone was picking on her. She didn't want to go that day, but everyone persuaded her, and she ended up being scolded and crying for a long time. Everyone felt embarrassed. Later, her parents sent a box and a couple of silver coins to comfort her, and that was that. It turned out that her younger sister had such a bad temper, really acting tough because of her connections. Ximen Qing said, "You have no idea how sharp her tongue can be; she can make people cry just by talking. If she tells you to sing, just sing for her—why risk making her mad?" Wang Liuer said, "Oh, she scolded me to my face, and I cried for a long time. She crashed at my place overnight, and I only sent her off in the morning." After a while, the maid brought tea. Old Feng Po came over to pay her respects to Ximen Qing. Ximen Qing gave her three or four silver coins and said, "Since your mother passed away, you haven't come by my place." Wang Liuer said, "She has no one to rely on, how can she relax? She often drops by to keep me company."
After a while, Wang Liu'er invited Ximen Qing to sit down inside and asked, "Dad, have you had lunch?" Ximen Qing replied, "I had a little porridge at home in the morning, and just now I had two snacks with your second uncle, so I'm not hungry now." Saying this, Wang Liu'er set the table and brought out the wine. Wang Liu'er asked Wang Jing to open the wine jar and poured wine for Ximen Qing. Wang Liu'er asked, "Did you see the things I crafted? I made them using my own hair, and I hope you like them." Ximen Qing said, "Thank you." After a few drinks, seeing that there was no one else in the room, Ximen Qing took out the Hu Seng medicine, a type of traditional medicine, from his sleeve, put it on himself, tied it with a silk ribbon, and swallowed it down with wine. Wang Liu'er gently touched him, and Ximen Qing suddenly felt a rush of excitement, his face flushed. Ximen Qing embraced Wang Liu'er, drinking and having fun together.
As night fell, Mrs. Feng made leek and pork pancakes, and they each had two. The two of them went to the warm kang (a heated bed) in the inner room, drew back the brocade curtains, undressed, and settled into bed. Wang Luer knew that Ximen Qing liked to have the lights on while having intimate relations, so she moved the lamp to the bedside table, closed the paper door, freshened up, slipped off her pants, got into bed, and embraced Ximen Qing, sleeping for a while. Ximen Qing was overwhelmed with desire as he thought about the wife of He Qianhu, Mrs. Lan. He shouted, "You miss me, you naughty girl?" Wang Luer replied, "Of course I want you, as long as you are good to me. If one day you get tired of me and ignore me, I wouldn't know how to go on. Who knows my suffering? Even if my husband comes back, I don't want to tell him. He is out there doing business and making money; wouldn't he think of his wife? Would he think of me?" Ximen Qing said, "My good child, if you’re truly devoted to me, when he comes back, I will help you find a new man; you just have to wait for me." Wang Luer said, "Okay, when he comes back, you can help me find a new man, or let me stay outside, or even take me into your home, it's all up to you. I've given myself to you; I will listen to everything you say." Ximen Qing said, "I know." The two of them made love a few more times until they could barely move. Ximen Qing embraced Wang Luer and slept until the third watch before getting up. Ximen Qing got up, dressed, and washed up. Wang Luer opened the door and called for the maid to bring more food and wine, and joined Ximen Qing for a few more drinks. After getting drunk, Ximen Qing pulled out a note and handed it to Wang Luer: "Go to Mr. Gan's shop and pick whatever style you want." Wang Luer thanked him over and over and saw him off.
Wang Jing was holding a lantern, while Dai An and Qin Tong led the horse. It was probably around three in the morning, with dark clouds overhead and the moonlight hazy. The streets were cold and deserted, punctuated only by the barking of dogs. As they approached the stone bridge, a sudden gust of wind swept through, and a dark figure emerged from under the bridge, rushing towards Ximen Qing. The horse startled, and Ximen Qing shivered as he whipped it. The horse galloped back home, while Wang Jing with the lantern struggled to keep up. Ximen Qing got off the horse, his legs feeling weak, and was helped into Pan Jinlian's room.
Lost people meet at the fifth intersection,
In the cold mist, hungry ghosts collide with Zhong Kui.
Jinlian was waiting for Ximen Qing on the kang. When she heard him return, she quickly got up to help him undress. Ximen Qing was heavily intoxicated, and Jinlian didn’t dare to question him. With one arm around her shoulder, Ximen Qing hugged her and mumbled, "You little demon, I got drunk today and collected money from ten shops, and now I want to sleep." Jinlian helped him onto the kang to lie down. Ximen Qing fell into a deep sleep, impossible to wake. Jinlian took off her clothes, got into bed, and touched Ximen Qing, finding him soft and flaccid, wondering where he had been. She was burning with desire, a restless itch inside her... She asked Ximen Qing, "Where is the aphrodisiac?" After nudging him for a while, she finally managed to wake him. Ximen Qing drunkenly cursed, "You little demon, always asking such silly questions! Do you want me to tire you out again? You're too lazy to move today! The medicine is in the box in my sleeve; go get it and take it. If it can get me hard, then you’ve got some skills!" Jinlian took out the box from his sleeve, finding only three or four pills left. She poured a cup of wine, took one pill herself, and had three pills left. Worried the effect might not be strong enough, she used wine to wash down the remaining three
It suddenly shot out, like mercury pouring from a bottle, and Jin Lian couldn't catch it with her mouth, spilling everywhere. At first, it was semen, but then it just wouldn't stop, and soon it was all blood. Ximen Qing had already fainted, his limbs had gone limp. Jin Lian panicked and quickly fed him red dates. After he exhausted himself, he started to bleed; once the blood stopped flowing, he became cold. It took a long time before it finally stopped. Jin Lian was in a complete panic, holding Ximen Qing and asking, "Brother, how do you feel?" Ximen Qing woke up for a moment and replied, "I feel so dizzy and my head is heavy; I don't know what's going on." Jin Lian asked, "Why did you bleed so much today?" She was too afraid to mention all the medicine he had taken. Ladies and gentlemen, a person's vitality is limited, while the lust in this world knows no bounds. As the saying goes: "Those who indulge deeply in desires have shallow vitality." Ximen Qing only knew how to seek pleasure, not realizing that one day he would run out of oil and his lamp would go cold, and his essence would be exhausted, leading to his demise. Just like the saying at the beginning: "The beauty at eighteen has a figure like dough, wielding a sword at her waist to slay foolish men. Though you might not see heads roll, it subtly teaches you that your very essence will run dry."
The next morning, Ximen Qing woke up and combed his hair. Suddenly, he felt dizzy and almost toppled forward. Luckily, Chunmei was quick on her feet and caught him before he could fall. He sat in the chair for a while to collect himself. Jinlian anxiously asked, "You must be feeling really weak. Sit down first, eat something, and then you can go out later." She instructed Qiujie, "Go to the kitchen and get a bowl of porridge for him." Qiujie went to the kitchen and asked Xue'e, "Is the porridge ready? The master felt dizzy this morning and even fell; now he wants to eat porridge." When Yu Niang overheard this, she stopped Qiujie and asked what had happened. Qiujie told Yu Niang about Ximen Qing feeling dizzy and falling while combing his hair. Yu Niang was alarmed and quickly told Xue'e to hurry up with the porridge, then ran to Jinlian's room to see Ximen Qing. She saw Ximen Qing sitting on the chair and asked, "Why do you feel dizzy?" Ximen Qing replied, "I’m not sure what’s going on; I just felt dizzy all of a sudden." Jinlian said, "Chunmei and I caught him just this morning; otherwise, his body would have been in trouble!" Yu Niang said, "It's probably because you came home too late yesterday and drank too much." Jinlian asked, "Where did you go to drink yesterday? You came back so late?" Yu Niang said, "He drank with his second uncle in the shop yesterday." After a while, Xue'e cooked the porridge and had Chunmei bring it to Ximen Qing. Ximen Qing ate half a bowl but then lost his appetite, so he put down the bowl. Yu Niang asked, "How do you feel?" Ximen Qing said, "I'm fine, just feeling a bit weak and lazy to move." Yu Niang said, "You shouldn't go to the yamen today." Ximen Qing said, "I’m not going. Later, I will go to the front and have my brother-in-law write invitations. On the fifteenth, we will invite officials such as Zhou Juxuan, Jing Nangang, and Mr. He to drink." Yu Niang said, "You still need to take your medicine today, so drink some milk first and then take it. You've been working too hard recently." She asked Chunmei to call Ruyi to squeeze some milk and give it to Ximen Qing in a bowl, then let him take the medicine before getting up to go to the front. Chunmei supported him, but just as they reached the garden gate, he felt dizzy again, swaying and unable to stand, almost falling. Chunmei had to support him back. Yu Niang said, "I think you should take a couple of days to rest. Forget about the guests for now; that can wait. Stay in the room and rest well for two days, don't go out." She said, "What do you want to eat? I'll have someone make it for you." Ximen Qing replied, "I’m not in the mood to eat anything."
Looks like there's nothing to translate here!
Yu Niang walked behind Jinlian and began to question her: "Was Ximen Qing drunk when he came back yesterday? Did he drink? What did he say to you?" Jinlian, upon hearing this, wished she had more mouths to repeat her words a thousand times: "Sister, you're wronging me! He came back late, so drunk he couldn't even bow, and asked me to pour him a drink. I made him tea to drink instead of wine, saying there was no alcohol left, and then sent him off to bed. Ever since you said those words, who would dare to deal with him? It's so embarrassing! I'm worried something might happen outside, and we'd be none the wiser. As for the house, there really is nothing going on!"
Yue Niang and Yulou sat together, calling for Da'an and Qintong, asking them, "Where was your dad drinking yesterday? Tell the truth, or else if we find any issues, we'll blame you two!" Da'an stubbornly insisted they drank at Lion Street with Uncle Er and Ben Si, not anywhere else. Later, they asked Wu Er Uncle, who said, "Brother-in-law only had a little to drink with us and then left." Wu Yue Niang was furious upon hearing this, gave Da'an and Qintong a good scolding after Er Uncle left, even wanting to give them a whack. The two were scared and quickly confessed: "Yesterday, we drank at Han Daoguo's wife's house!"
Upon hearing this, Pan Jinlian became anxious and said, "Sister just blamed me, truly wronging the innocent while letting the guilty off the hook! We all have our reputation, why would we think about this every day?" She continued, "Sister, ask these two boys again. A few days ago when you went to He Qianhu's house to drink, his father also came back at that time. Where else could he have been? Who visits so late during New Year's?" Da'an, fearing Qintong would spill the beans, couldn't hold back and confessed to the affair with Mrs. Lin. Yue Niang finally believed and said, "I thought I had to write a letter to invite him, and I thought he might not know me or wouldn't want to come, but they've actually hooked up! I thought he was too old for that, still putting on makeup, what a real old creep!" Yulou said, "Sister, I've never seen a son so grown up while the mother still does such things. Even if you're married, you shouldn't be so shameful." Jinlian said, "What shame does that old whore have!" Yue Niang said, "I thought she would never come, but she really dared to come!" Jinlian said, "Now sister finally understands! People like Han Daoguo's wife, sister blames me for scolding her! The whole family has affairs, truly rotten, even raising a bastard, they'll get what's coming to them eventually!" Yue Niang said, "Wang San's mother, you still call her an old whore, she said you were a maid in her house when you were young!" Jinlian blushed upon hearing this and angrily said, "That damn old whore! What do you think I did at her place when I was a kid? My aunt lived next door to her, they had a garden, and I often stayed at my aunt's house, playing with the little girls at her house. Just because I played there, doesn't mean I know her! She's also an old whore!" Yue Niang said, "Watch your mouth!" Jinlian didn't say a word.
Yuemian had Xue'e make some dumplings and brought them over for Ximen Qing. As she walked to the entrance, she saw Ping'an walking straight into the garden. Yuemian stopped him and asked, "What are you doing?" Ping'an replied, "Li Ming invited four actors to perform on the fifteenth and came to ask if we could arrange it. I told him we haven't sent out the invitations yet." He didn't believe me, so he insisted I come in and report to the master." Yuemian scolded him, "You ungrateful servant! Why are you even thinking about a banquet? Just go back!" After scolding Ping'an, he hurried away. Yuemian walked into Jinlian's room and noticed that Ximen Qing had only eaten three or four dumplings. She then said, "I informed Li Ming that the date for the actors has been changed, and then he left." Ximen Qing nodded in understanding.
Ximen Qing thought he would be fine in a day or two, but he had no idea that overnight, his groin area became red, swollen, and painful, with red bumps, and even his testicles were swollen to the size of eggplants. It felt like he was being cut with a knife every time he urinated. The guards and attendants outside were ready with horses for Ximen Qing to go to the yamen, but he didn't expect to be dealing with this problem. Lady Yuen advised, "Listen to me, write a letter to Master He, stay home for two days to recuperate, don't go out. Your body is so weak, quickly have the servant call Doctor Ren to come and take a look, take two doses of medicine. Don't delay; this is not a trivial matter. You're a big master, and you haven't eaten much in two days—how do you expect to handle this?" Ximen Qing stubbornly refused to call a doctor, saying, "I'm fine. I'll be better in a couple of days. I still need to go out." Although he sent someone to the yamen with a sick leave note, he lay in bed, anxious and feeling quite uncomfortable.
The Earl heard that Ximen Qing was unwell, so he came to see him. Ximen Qing invited the Earl to sit in Pan Jinlian's room. The Earl said, "I disturbed you a few days ago, not knowing you were unwell; I thought you had gone to visit Uncle Hua." Ximen Qing replied, "If I were feeling well, I would have gone long ago. I just don’t know what’s wrong; I feel too weak to move." The Earl asked, "Brother, what's really going on with you?" Ximen Qing said, "It's nothing much, just a bit dizzy, weak all over, and unable to walk." The Earl said, "I see your face is flushed; it looks like you might have a fever. Why didn't you call a doctor?" Ximen Qing replied, "The servants said to invite Doctor Ren, but I thought it wasn’t serious enough to bother him." The Earl said, "Brother, that's not right; you should still have him come and take a look. After all, a couple of doses of medicine should help cool you down. Spring has arrived, and people are prone to overheating. Yesterday, Li Ming ran into me and said you asked him to call the opera troupe, and today you invited people over for drinks, saying you were unwell and had to postpone. That really startled me, so I came to see you today." Ximen Qing said, "I didn’t even go to the yamen today; I took the day off." The Earl said, "It seems you can't go out for now; you should rest for a few days before going out." After finishing tea, the Earl said, "I'm leaving; I'll come back to check on you later. Li Guijie and Wu Yiner also want to visit you." Ximen Qing said, "You should have something to eat before you leave." The Earl replied, "I’m not hungry." After saying that, he left.
Ximen Qing asked Qintong to go outside and invite Doctor Ren to come. Doctor Ren took the pulse and said, "This old gentleman has excessive internal heat and kidney deficiency, along with a yin-yang imbalance. These are symptoms of yang deficiency. It must be nourished with yin for recovery." Afterward, he said goodbye and left. Ximen Qing gave him five taels of silver and took the medicine. The dizziness stopped, but he still felt weak and couldn't get up. His lower body was swollen and painful, and he had difficulty urinating.
In the afternoon, Li Guizhen and Wu Yiner came to visit him in a sedan chair. Each of them brought two boxes, entered the house, kowtowed before Ximen Qing, and said, "Dad, are you feeling unwell?" Ximen Qing said, "It's enough for you two to come see me; why bother buying gifts?" Then he said, "I don't know what's wrong with me this year; I've been feeling more heat than usual." Guizhen said, "Dad, you've been drinking too much lately; take it easy for a few days and you'll be fine." They sat for a while, then went to Li Ping'er's room to meet with Yu Niang and the others. After drinking tea, they returned to chat with Ximen Qing. At that moment, Ying Baojue arrived with Xie Xida and Chang Zhijie. Ximen Qing asked Yuxiao to help them get settled and invited them to stay and drink. Xie Xida asked, "Brother, have you had porridge?" Yuxiao turned her head without answering. Ximen Qing said, "I just can't get it down." Xie Xida said, "Bring some porridge; we'll have some with Brother." After a while, the porridge came. Ximen Qing could only manage half a bowl before he couldn't eat any more. Yu Niang, Li Guizhen, and Wu Yiner were all sitting on Li Ping'er's side. Baojue asked, "Li Guizhen and Yiner are here; why haven't we seen them?" Ximen Qing said, "They're sitting over there." Baojue asked Lai An to invite them over to sing a song for Ximen Qing. Madame Wu worried that Ximen Qing might get impatient, so she stopped them and said that drinking was enough; they didn't need to come over. After a bit of drinking, they said, "Brother, we'll sit with you; we're worried we might tire you out. We'll leave, you rest well." Ximen Qing replied, "Thanks for your concern." The three of them bid farewell and left.
Earl Ying walked out of the courtyard and called Dai'an over to instruct him: "You tell your mistress, Second Master Ying said that your father's complexion is not good, he's experiencing some qi stagnation and feels unwell. Quickly find someone to take a look. Doctor Hu on the street is best at treating internal heat; why not call him in? Don't delay." Dai'an did not dare to hesitate and quickly went to tell Mistress Yu. Mistress Yu hurriedly went into the house to tell Master Xi: "Just now, Second Brother Ying asked the servant to say that Doctor Hu on the street is very good at treating internal heat. Why don't you invite him to take a look?" Master Xi said, "Doctor Hu did not cure Sister Li well last time; why invite him?" Mistress Yu said, "Medicine does not kill people; Buddha saves those with affinity. If he did not cure well, maybe you have affinity, and taking his medicine might work." Master Xi said, "Alright, go invite him." In a while, Doctor Hu was invited. Just then, Uncle Wu came to visit him, accompanying Doctor Hu to take his pulse. Doctor Hu said to Uncle Wu and Chen Jingji, "The old gentleman has toxic buildup in his lower body. If left untreated for too long, it could develop into hematuria. This is caused by holding in urine and overindulging in intercourse." He then prescribed medicine, took the medicine, but it seemed to have no effect; the urine could not be excreted. Mistress Yu was anxious and quickly sent Guifang and Yiner to invite Mr. He's son, He Chunquan, to take a look. He Chunquan said, "This is urinary retention; the bladder has excessive evil fire, descending. There is also phlegm accumulation in the meridians, causing heart and kidney disharmony." He was given five taels of silver for medicine, took the medicine, but the condition worsened, and his yang energy intensified; his genitals felt as hard as iron, never softening day and night. Pan Jinlian did not care about anything at night, still riding on him, lighting candles and teasing, a few times she brought him to the brink of death and back.
The next day, He Qianhu sent someone to say he wanted to visit Ximen Qing. Pan Jinlian said to Ximen Qing, "Master He wants to see you. Let me help you to the back room; it’s busy here." Ximen Qing nodded. Pan Jinlian helped him put on warm clothes, and together with Li Ping'er, they supported him as they left Pan Jinlian's room and entered the inner room. They laid out the bedding and helped him sit on the kang with a high pillow propped behind him. The room was clean and tidy, with incense burning.
After a while, He Qianhu arrived, and Chen Jingji invited him to the inner room. Seeing Ximen Qing lying on the bed, He Qianhu said, "Sir, I dare not bow." Then he asked, "Are you feeling better?" Ximen Qing said, "The symptoms of fever have subsided, but the swelling below is quite severe and unbearable." He Qianhu said, "This is a toxic sore. A friend of one of my students, who just arrived from Dongchang Prefecture, is visiting relatives. He is from Fenzhou, Shanxi Province, surnamed Liu, with the courtesy name Juzhai, over fifty years old, and very good at treating sores and toxins. I'll go invite him to check on your condition." Ximen Qing said, "Thank you for your concern, Master He. I will send someone to invite him." After He Qianhu finished his tea, he said, "Sir, you must take care of your health. I’ll have someone from the office check in with you every day, so you don’t have to worry." Ximen Qing clasped his hands in thanks and replied, "Thank you, Master He." He Qianhu took his leave. Ximen Qing immediately sent Dai'an with an invitation, inviting Liu Juzhai to come with He Qianhu. Liu Juzhai took his pulse and said there wasn’t anything serious, quickly gave him some medicine and wrote a prescription. Ximen Qing gave him a piece of Hangzhou silk and two taels of silver. After taking the first dose, he still hadn’t seen any improvement.
That day, Zheng Aiyue brought a box of pigeon chicks and a box of fruit cakes to visit Ximen Qing. After entering, she bowed to Ximen Qing and said, "I didn't know that father was ill; Sister Gui and Sister Yin didn't tell me. They came first. I came late; please don't hold it against me." Ximen Qing said, "It's not late; you even took the trouble to come and brought gifts." Aiyue smiled and said, "It's nothing special, really." Then she asked, "Father has lost so much weight; what have you been eating lately?" Pan Jinlian said, "He's eating okay, just not a lot. This morning, he only had a bit of porridge, and the imperial physician just came to check on him." Aiyue said, "Mother, please have Sister stew a pigeon chick until it's tender; I'll persuade father to eat some porridge. You shouldn't skip meals; with how much you do for our family, we really need you. What will we do?" Pan Jinlian said, "He's feeling tight in his chest and can't eat." Aiyue said, "Father, listen to me, even if you don't want to eat, you need to make yourself eat something. What are you afraid of? A person can't live without water and food; you have to eat something. Otherwise, you'll just keep getting weaker." After a while, the pigeon chick was stewed, and Xiaoyu brought the porridge, sweet pickles, eggplant, and some rice porridge. Zheng Aiyue hopped onto the bed, holding the bowl of porridge, and knelt beside Ximen Qing, feeding him spoonful by spoonful. Ximen Qing barely finished half a bowl and took a couple of bites of the pigeon chick, then shook his head and refused to eat. Aiyue said, "First, this is medicine; second, at least you ate something, thanks to my nagging!" Yuxiao said, "Father usually eats; it's not like today when Sister Yue came and persuaded him to eat a bit more." Pan Jinlian poured tea for Aiyue and then threw a feast for her, giving her five coins and sending her home. Right before she left, Aiyue bowed to Ximen Qing once more and said, "Father, make sure to rest for a few days, and I'll check in on you again."
In the evening, Ximen Qing took the second dose of medicine prescribed by Liu Jizhai, feeling pain all over and calling out all night. By dawn, the affected area had swollen and burst open, bleeding profusely, and sores had appeared on the glans, oozing yellow fluid without cease. Ximen Qing lapsed into unconsciousness. Pan Jinlian and the others were alarmed, all keeping watch over him. Seeing that the medicine was ineffective, they called for Liu Pozi to light a lamp and pray for Ximen Qing in the pavilion. At the same time, they sent a servant to inquire at Zhou Shoubei's house about the whereabouts of Wu Shenxian, asking him to come and see the patient, as Wu Shenxian had long predicted that Ximen Qing would suffer from vomiting blood and purulent ailments this year, leading to weight loss and weakness. Ben Si said, "No need to ask at Zhou Laodie's house; Wu Shenxian has set up a fortune-telling stall in front of the local deity's temple, treating people and telling fortunes. If you ask him to see the patient, he won't seek material gain, so he will come." Pan Jinlian quickly sent a qintong to invite Wu Shenxian. When Wu Shenxian entered the room and saw Ximen Qing was no longer like before, looking haggard and sickly, clutching a handkerchief while lying in bed, he first took his pulse and said, "Sir, this is the result of excessive indulgence in drink and pleasure, leading to kidney deficiency, with evil fire accumulating in the body; the illness has taken a serious turn, making it hard to treat. I have eight lines of poetry to tell you:
Intoxicated and satiated, indulging in love,
Spirit and blood quietly dissipate.
Semen loss, blood in urine, and milky discharge,
The lamp extinguished, oil dry, kidney water depleted.
At that time, I only lamented the lack of joy;
Today it turns into much illness.
The jade mountain collapses not by human strength;
It all depends on what Doctor Lu can do!"
Pan Jinlian, seeing that he said it could not be cured, said, "Since the medicine is ineffective, can you see what his fate is?" Wu Shenxian calculated Ximen Qing's birth date and time, saying, "Born in the year of the tiger, in the year of Bing Yin, the month of Wu Shen, on the day of Ren Wu, at the hour of Bing Chen. This year is Wu Xu, at the age of thirty-three, and according to fortune-telling, he is under the influence of Gui Hai. Though Fire and Earth may harm him, this year Wu Earth overcomes Ren Water. The first month is also Wu Yin, with three Wus clashing with Chen; how can he possibly endure this? While he might acquire wealth, his lifespan is uncertain. He then revealed four ominous predictions:"
Fate is predestined for disaster, and a light person carries heavy misfortunes. If the time coincides with the true Tai Sui, even the gods frown. Pan Jinlian said, "I have bad luck; is there any way, sir?" The immortal replied, "With the White Tiger in charge and the Loss Gate affecting my fate, even the gods are powerless, and it is difficult to calculate the Tai Sui. Destiny is set, and neither gods nor ghosts can change it." Pan Jinlian could only take a piece of cloth, thank the immortal, and send him out. Seeing that asking for divine help brought more bad luck than good, Pan Jinlian felt anxious. That night, she burned incense in the courtyard and made a wish to the gods, saying, "If my lord recovers, I will travel to Mount Tai in Taian to pay my respects and hang up my robe for three years." Meng Yulou also made a vow to worship seven times, but only Jinlian and Li Jiaojiao did not make a wish.
Ximen Qing felt a heavy weight in his body, almost fainting from discomfort, and he seemed to see Huazi Xu and Wu Da standing there, dunning him for debts, but he felt too embarrassed to say anything and could only have someone accompany him. Not seeing Yueniang by his side, he held Pan Jinlian's hand, unwilling to let her go, crying, "My nemesis, after I die, you sisters take good care of my spirit tablet; don’t separate." Jinlian also cried uncontrollably, saying, "Brother, I’m afraid others won’t let me stay." Ximen Qing said, "When they come, I will speak to them personally."
After a while, Wu Yueniang came in and saw the two of them with red eyes from crying, and said, "Brother, if you have something to say, say a few words to me; after all, we are still husband and wife." Ximen Qing, upon hearing this, was choked up and could not speak, saying, "I feel like I can’t go on; I have two last words to tell you: after I die, if you have a child, make sure you and your sisters take good care of them, live together, don’t separate, and don’t let anyone make fun of you." He pointed at Jinlian and said, "About Liu’er’s past, try to be more understanding of her." After saying this, tears streamed down Yueniang's face, and she cried out loud, heartbroken.
Ximen Qing finished instructing Yuemen, and then called Chen Jingji to his side, saying, "Brother-in-law, I have no son, so I'm counting on you. You are like my own son. After I die, you will handle my affairs, look after your mother and kids, and don't let anyone laugh at you." He also instructed, "After I die, give them all the principal and interest from the fifty thousand taels in the Duanzipu, as well as what you owe your Qiao relatives. Have Fu settle the loans without causing any issues. Ben Si's woolen shop has a capital of six thousand five hundred taels, and Wu Er's silk and wool shop has five thousand taels—sell all the goods and collect the money. You can pass Li San's wholesale business to Uncle Ying. Li San and Huang Si still owe five hundred taels of principal and one hundred and fifty taels of interest; collect that money and put it to good use for me. You and Fu need to look after these two shops at home. The printing shop has twenty thousand taels, the herbal medicine shop has five thousand taels, and Han and Lai on the boat in Songjiang have four thousand taels. When the river opens, head to the dock early to sell the goods from the boat, and save some money for you and your mom and kids. Liu Xueguan still owes me two hundred taels, Hua Zhubu owes me fifty taels, and Xu Si's shop still owes me three hundred and forty taels of principal and interest; they all have promissory notes, so hurry up and get them to pay up. Sell the two houses across the street and on Lion Street when you can; you and your mother and kids can't manage so many." After that, Ximen Qing broke down in tears. Chen Jingji said, "Dad, I have written it all down."
Not long after, Fu, Gan, Wu Er's uncle, Ben Si, and Cui Ben all came to visit Ximen Qing. Ximen Qing explained everything to them one by one. Everyone said, "Don't worry, everything will be fine." Many people came to visit every day, but when they saw that Ximen Qing was in bad shape, they left with great regret.
Two days later, Yuemen still held a glimmer of hope, thinking that Ximen Qing would recover, but it was hard to fight fate. Ximen Qing died at just thirty-three. On the twenty-first day of the first month, at five in the morning, he felt like he was burning up, making sounds like a distressed animal, gasping for breath all night before finally passing away at the hour of the Snake.
Three inches of breath can be used in countless ways, but once it is gone, everything is over.
The ancients had wise sayings:
One should accumulate good deeds rather than wealth. Good deeds lead to a good character, while wealth brings misfortune.
Shi Chong was once rich, but couldn't escape disaster. Deng Tong starved to death—what good is a mountain of money?
People today aren't as wise as those in the past. They only think accumulating wealth is good and laugh at those who do good deeds as naive.
Many rich people end up without a coffin.
When Ximen Qing died, there wasn't even a coffin ready. Wu Yueniang quickly called for Wu Erjue and Ben Si to open the box and take out a few ingots of gold, asking them to buy coffin boards. Just as they left, Yueniang suddenly felt a sharp pain in her stomach and fainted on the bed. Meng Yulou, Pan Jinlian, and Sun Xue'e were all in the adjacent room, busy dressing Ximen Qing in his funeral clothes. Suddenly, Xiaoyu ran in and said, "My mother has fainted!" Yulou and Li Jiaoer hurried over to see Yueniang clutching her stomach in pain, knowing that she was about to give birth. Yulou told Li Jiaoer to keep an eye on Yueniang and quickly sent a servant to fetch Cai Laoniang. Li Jiaoer asked Yuxiao to call Ruyi over. When Yulou got back to Ximen Qing's room, Li Jiaoer was missing. It turned out that Li Jiaoer took advantage of Yueniang being unconscious, the empty room, and the open box; she secretly took five ingots of gold back to her own room. She was holding a piece of paper, and when she saw Yulou, she said, "I can't find the paper; I'll go look for it in the room." Yulou barely noticed; she stayed by Yueniang's side, wiping her sweat with a towel as she watched Yueniang's pain get worse.
A little while later, Old Lady Cai showed up, and Yue Niang quickly gave birth to a child. In the room, Ximen Qing's body was already laid out properly; he had just died, and the whole family broke down in tears. Old Lady Cai wrapped the baby, cut the umbilical cord, and brewed a bowl of calming soup for Yue Niang to drink, helping her sit on the warm kang. Yue Niang gave Old Lady Cai three or two silver coins, but Old Lady Cai grumbled that it was too little, saying, "The young master paid me this much before, so you should give me the same amount now. Don't say it's the old lady's child." Yue Niang replied, "The situation is different now; there was still the head of the household back then, but now the master is gone. Just take this for now, and when the child is a month old, I'll give you another two silver coins." Old Lady Cai said, "Could you throw in a set of clothes too?" She thanked her and then left.
Yue Niang woke up and saw the box wide open, yelling at Yu Xiao, "You thief! I was out of it, and you were too? The box is open, with people coming and going around, and you didn't lock it up!" Yu Xiao replied, "I thought Mother had locked the box; I didn't see it." She then took the lock and locked it up. Seeing how petty Yue Niang was, Jia Lou didn't want to stick around her room anymore and went to Jin Lian's, saying, "So this is what the big sister is like; the guy just died, and on the first day, she's already suspicious of everyone." What she didn't know was that Li Jiao'er had already snuck five ingots of silver back to her room.
At this time, Wu Erjie and Ben Si bought a pair of coffin planks from the magistrate's residence and had craftsmen turn them into a coffin. The servants carried Ximen Qing out and placed him in the hall, inviting Mr. Xu, a geomancer, to write the eulogy. Soon after, Wu Dajie arrived as well. Wu Erjie and the others were busy in the front hall, gathering lanterns, rolling up scrolls, covering everything with paper quilts, and setting up incense burners. Lai An took special care to polish the coffin. Mr. Xu looked at Ximen Qing's hand and said, "He passed away at an auspicious moment, and the family members will not encounter any bad luck." He asked Yueniang, "The funeral will be held in three days, the burial is scheduled for the sixteenth day of the second month, the funeral procession will take place on the thirtieth day, and there are still more than forty days left." Then he entertained Mr. Xu, sent people to announce the mourning, and sent the tablet to He Qianhu's house. The family donned mourning attire and set up a mourning hall, among other preparations, but these details are not mentioned here.
Three days later, monks recited scriptures for the deceased and burned paper money. The entire family, both young and old, donned mourning attire. Son-in-law Chen Jingji wore mourning clothes and cried in front of the spirit tablet. Yueniang remained in her room, not coming out. Li Jiaor and Yulou received guests; Pan Jinlian managed the warehouse and collected offerings; Sun Xue'e led the daughters-in-law in arranging tea and meals in the kitchen. Fu Huoji, Wu Erjie, and Ben Si were in charge of accounts; Lai Xing was in charge of the kitchen; Wu Dajie and Gan Huoji accompanied the guests. Cai Laoniang assisted with the laundry for three days, and Yueniang gave her a set of silk clothes to send her away. The child was given the name Xiaoge, and some celebratory noodles were shared. The neighbors murmured among themselves: "Mr. Ximen Qing's legal wife gave birth to a son on the same day as the master, one passed away, and one was born. What a remarkable coincidence!"
Let's not talk about how everyone is handling this matter for now. Count Ying heard about Ximen Qing's death and rushed over to mourn and weep for a while. Uncle Wu and Second Uncle were looking at Ximen Qing's portrait in the mourning pavilion when the Count arrived, greeted everyone, and said, "Oh, what a pity! I never dreamed that my elder brother has passed away." He wanted to ask Yue Niang to come out to see him, but Uncle Wu said, "My sister is in the room and cannot come out because she just had a baby today." The Count was surprised and said, "Is that so? That's a good thing. Elder brother has left behind descendants, and the family business now has an heir." After a while, Chen Jingji, dressed in mourning clothes, came over to bow to the Count. The Count said, "Brother-in-law, please accept my condolences. Your father is gone, and your mother and children will depend on you now. You need to take care of the family affairs carefully. When you face major issues, don’t just make decisions on your own; ask your two uncles for their advice. I’m not trying to criticize you, but you’re young and still gaining experience." Uncle Wu said, "Second Brother, you are right. I also have official duties and am busy, but your mother is here." The Count said, "Uncle, although there is your sister-in-law, how will we handle those outside matters? You still need to take charge of those decisions. As the saying goes, 'Without an uncle, one cannot be born; without an uncle, one cannot grow.' An uncle is more important than anyone else. You're the pillar of the family; who's more important than you?" Then he asked, "Have you chosen a date for the funeral?" Uncle Wu said, "We've decided to bury him on February sixteenth and hold the funeral on the thirtieth, both after the seventh day." Not long after, Mr. Xu arrived to oversee the rituals and prepare the body, placing Ximen Qing in the coffin, securing it with long-life nails, arranging it properly, and writing the epitaph: "The coffin of Ximen Gong, the honored General of Martial Valor."
That day, He Qianhu came to offer condolences. After the memorial service, Wu Dajiu and the Count accompanied him for tea, asking him about the funeral date. He Qianhu instructed his subordinates that anyone who had previously agreed to serve must not be moved; they all had to remain here. Only after the funeral could they return to their posts at the yamen. He also sent two small team leaders to supervise, and if there were any violations, they were to report them and impose punishment. He also told Wu Dajiu, "If anyone outside owes money and doesn't repay it, just tell me, and I will immediately collect it." After the condolences were over, He Qianhu returned to the yamen and reported to the local authorities.
As for Lai Jue, Chunhong, and Li San, one day they arrived at the Yanzhou inspection office, submitted the documents, and when Song Yushe saw the request in Ximen Qing's letter for antique documents, he said, "You should have come earlier. Yesterday I had already sent people to purchase from various prefectures." After some thought, he noticed ten taels of gold leaf tucked inside Ximen Qing's letter, and it was hard to refuse. So he kept Chunhong, Lai Jue, and Li San waiting in the public office. He then sent a fast horse to rush back to Dongping Prefecture to obtain the documents, sealed them in Chunhong's letter, provided them with travel expenses, and let them return to Qinghe County. The entire round trip took ten days. Upon entering the city, they heard people on the street saying, "Master Ximen has died. Today is the third day, and they are holding a memorial service at home." Li San then came up with a scheme and said to Lai Jue and Chunhong on the way, "Keep the documents under wraps and just say that Song Yushe didn’t provide them. Let's take the money to Master Zhang on the main street. If you choose not to go, I’ll give each of you ten taels of silver; hide it when you get home, and don’t take it out." Lai Jue, tempted by greed, agreed, while Chunhong hesitated, giving a noncommittal response.
Upon arriving home, Li San saw paper money burning at the entrance, a monk performing a ritual, and relatives and friends arriving in droves to offer their condolences. Li San entered his home. Lai Jue and Chun Hong bowed to Wu Dajiu and Chen Jingji, asking, "How did the approval go? Why didn’t Li San come?" Lai Jue hesitated to reveal it, but Chun Hong produced the letter from Song Yushi and the approval document, handed them to Dajiu, and informed him of the ten taels of silver that Li San had given him on the way, along with what Li San had said, explaining that Li San asked him to conceal the approval document and not reveal it, and to hand over the money to Zhang Erguan together with Li San. "How could I be ungrateful?" Wu Dajiu said as he walked to the back and told Yue Niang, "This kid is still someone who knows how to repay kindness. It's a pity that Li San has such a short life; only a few days after his brother-in-law's death, he started having bad intentions." He then informed Lord Ying: "Li Zhi and Huang Si owe a total of six hundred and fifty taels of silver. In light of Lord He's recent instructions, let's write a petition and send it to the yamen to have them help us recover this money to give a proper send-off to my brother-in-law. They will definitely be willing to help each other out among colleagues." The lord panicked and said, "Li San shouldn't have done this. Dajiu, don't be anxious; let me talk to him." He then went to Li San's house, invited Huang Si, and they discussed together. He said, "You shouldn't have given the money to the servant right away; it only made you an accomplice. You didn't catch the fox but instead stirred up trouble. If this goes on, this could lead to a report to the court. As the saying goes, 'officials protect each other,' and besides, they are colleagues; how can you compete with him! In my opinion, it would be better to quietly give Wu Dajiu twenty taels of silver, treating it as an official matter for Yanzhou Prefecture. I heard their family no longer deals with money and grain, and it was not easy to obtain this approval document, so let's hand it over to Zhang Erguan. You can gather another two hundred taels; it won’t be easy to come up with that much, and then prepare a sacrificial table, to honor the deceased and to provide him with the money. Also, write a promissory note so that when you have business in the future, you can pay him back slowly. This way, we achieve two goals at once, maintaining goodwill and providing an explanation." Huang Si said, "You are right. Li San, you acted too impulsively." That night, Huang Si and the lord sent twenty taels of silver to Wu Dajiu's house, saying, "We still need your help with the approval matter, Dajiu." Wu Dajiu had already heard that his sister-in-law no longer handled money and grain, and having seen the shiny silver with his own eyes, how could he possibly say no? So he accepted the silver.
The next day, Li Zhi and Huang Si prepared a sacrificial table with a pig's head and three offerings, along with two hundred taels of silver, to honor Ximen Qing. Wu Dajiu told Yue Niang to take out the old IOU and create a new one for four hundred taels, forgiving him fifty taels and allowing him to repay the remaining amount gradually through his business. They gave the document to the earl and went to partner with Zhang Erguan to settle the taxes, and that was that. It is just as the saying goes: only through fire can gold be tested, and only through dealings with money can a person's true nature be revealed. There is a poem to prove this:
Don't force what heaven gives you; my advice is to avoid being too greedy in everything. If you covet what doesn’t belong to you now, there will be even bigger problems waiting for you down the line.
In this world, how can there be so many free lunches? Don’t always think about gaining an advantage; you can only go further by staying grounded. If you keep being insatiably greedy, you'll end up suffering losses, and by then, it'll be too late to regret it.
