Words say:
The red dawn rolls up the window curtain, waking up with sleeves half-dragged. How is it like to wake up carelessly, when the sun is already high in the sky?
The wind blows in bursts at the jade tower, making it hard for those upstairs to sleep. With someone in my sight, they occupy my thoughts.
Ximen Qing married Yulou and brought her home, just newlyweds, truly sweet. At this time, the maid from Chen's residence, Sister Wen, came to deliver a message, saying that on June 12, he would marry the eldest sister. Ximen Qing was anxious to prepare, and without even time to make the bed, he gave the Nanjing painted gold lacquer bridal bed that Meng Yulou brought as a dowry to the eldest sister. After bustling around for three days and nine nights, what a chaotic month it was, and he hadn’t even gone to Pan Jinlian’s house. Pan Jinlian waited at her door every day, eagerly watching. She even sent Wang Po to Ximen Qing’s house to inquire, but the doorman recognized her as Pan Jinlian's messenger and ignored her completely. Pan Jinlian was very anxious, and when she saw Wang Po return with no news, she sent her youngest daughter to take a look. That little girl didn’t dare enter Ximen Qing’s large courtyard; she just wandered at the entrance and left without waiting for Ximen Qing. After returning home, she was scolded severely by Pan Jinlian, who said she was useless and forced her to kneel. At noon, she didn’t even give her any food. It was the peak of summer, and Pan Jinlian was feeling hot, so she had Ying’er boil water to prepare for a bath. She also steamed a basket of meat dumplings, waiting for Ximen Qing to come back to eat. She was only wearing a thin gauze short shirt, sitting on a small stool, waiting and waiting, but when she didn’t see Ximen Qing come, she began to curse him for being heartless.
Feeling uncomfortable, she took off her two red embroidered shoes with her delicate hands and started divining, to see when he would return. It just echoed the saying, “Not daring to speak loudly when meeting someone, secretly asking about money and inquiring about distant matters.” And this poem “Mountain Slope Sheep” bears witness:
Lingbo socks, naturally born, dyed in red like clouds of longing. Like lotus shoots emerging, like a lotus shedding its blooms, how can we be so entangled! The willow branches have only just begun to bud. He doesn't think of us; have we ever not thought of him? Leaning against the door, behind the curtain, quietly whispering his name into the quilt. Why do you chase after fireworks and not come to my home? Whose lightly painted brows are those? Where are the green willows tethered to the horses? He lets us down; have we ever let him down?
After Pan Jinlian finished her divination, she was tired and fell asleep on the bed. She probably slept for about an hour and woke up still fuming. Ying'er asked her, "The water is boiled, do you want to take a bath, mother?" Pan Jinlian asked, "Are the meat buns steamed yet? Bring them to me to have a look." Ying'er hurriedly brought the meat buns in. Pan Jinlian counted with her delicate fingers; there were thirty in total, but why was there only twenty-nine? She asked Ying'er, "Where did the other one go?" Ying'er said, "I didn't see it, did you count wrong, mother?" Pan Jinlian replied, "I counted twice; there were clearly thirty, meant for your father to eat. Did you actually steal one? You little rascal, you glutton! You’re always hungry, and you still steal meat buns! I’ll teach you a lesson!" After saying that, without waiting for Ying'er to explain, she tore off Ying'er's clothes and whipped her twenty or thirty times, making Ying'er scream like a banshee. Pan Jinlian asked, "Still not admitting it? I'll hit you another hundred times!" Ying'er, in a panic, said, "Mother, don't hit me anymore, I was starving, so I took one." Pan Jinlian said, "You stole one and still blame me for counting wrong? You’re such a naughty girl! You love to complain usually, and now? You think you can be slick with me! Just wait until I spank you until you can’t sit down!" After beating her, she helped Ying'er get dressed and asked her to get up and fan her. After fanning for a while, Pan Jinlian said again, "You bad girl, stretch your face over here, let me pinch you a few times!" Ying'er obediently stretched out her face, and Pan Jinlian pinched her with her long nails, leaving two bloody scratches, and that was that.
After a bit, Pan Jinlian got dressed and stood by the door curtain. Just then, Dai An rode past on a horse, holding a felt bag in his hand. Pan Jinlian stopped him and asked where he was going. Dai An was quite the talker, often tagging along with Ximen Qing to visit Pan Jinlian, and Pan Jinlian often treated him well, so the two were very familiar. Dai An dismounted and said, "My dad asked me to drop off a gift at the Governor's Mansion." Pan Jinlian called him in and asked, "How's your dad's family lately? Why hasn't he come to see me for so long? Did he find a new woman again?" Dai An said, "My dad didn't find another woman, it's just that things have been hectic at home lately, so he hasn't had time to come see Six Aunt." Pan Jinlian said, "Even if you've got stuff going on at home, you can't just leave me hanging like this without any news! My dad doesn't care about me at all." Pan Jinlian pressed him about Dai An's family affairs, but Dai An just smiled and wouldn’t spill. Seeing Dai An smile like that, Pan Jinlian was even more curious and forced him, "What’s going on?" Dai An said, "It's a big deal! Six Aunt, don’t pry so much." Pan Jinlian said, "You sure know how to sweet-talk; I’ll be angry if you don’t tell me!" Dai An said, "I'll tell you, Six Aunt, but promise me you won’t tell my dad it was me who told you." Pan Jinlian said, "I won't tell him, promise." Dai An then told Pan Jinlian about Ximen Qing marrying Meng Yulou from beginning to end. Pan Jinlian broke down in tears when she heard this. Dai An panicked and said, "Six Aunt, you're really petty, that's why I didn't dare to tell you." Pan Jinlian leaned against the door and sighed, saying, "Dai An, you don’t know, Ximen Qing and I were really close once, and he actually did this to me." Tears just kept streaming down. Dai An said, "Six Aunt, don’t cry, my mom doesn’t care about my dad either." Pan Jinlian said, "Dai An, listen up: Qiao Cai's got a wicked heart, not coming for a month. I've been stitching a mandarin duck quilt for thirty nights. His heart is all over the place, while mine is just loyal; it’s not good to get too attached. Like they say, easy come, easy go. Feelings are all about fate."
After she finished speaking, she cried again. Dai An said, "Aunt Liu, don’t cry. My father might come in a few days; his birthday is coming up. Write a letter, and I’ll trouble you to do that. Once he sees it, he’ll definitely come." Pan Jinlian said, "Then I’ll trouble you with that. Please ask him to come. Tomorrow, I’ll make you a nice pair of shoes. I’m also looking forward to seeing him to celebrate his birthday. If he doesn’t come, it’ll be your fault for sweet-talking him." After saying this, she had Ying’er bring some leftover dumplings for Dai An to eat with tea. Then she went back inside, took out a piece of floral stationery, and wrote a poem called "Parasitic Grass":
I send my heartfelt words to you on this floral stationery. Remember when we tied our hair together, leaning against the door beneath the curtain, frightened by some unexpected troubles? You have indeed betrayed my heart by not returning my fragrant silk handkerchief.
After finishing, she folded it into a small square, sealed it, and handed it to Dai An, saying, "You must deliver this letter to him. On his birthday, he must come to my house to take a look. I’m really looking forward to seeing him!" Dai An had some snacks, and the woman also gave him some money. Dai An rode out, and the woman said, "When you get home, tell your father that Aunt Liu didn’t scold you. If he doesn’t come, just say that Aunt Liu will personally come by sedan tomorrow!" Dai An replied, "Aunt Liu, you’re like a rice cake vendor running into a drummer; that’s just unfair—totally looking for trouble!" After saying this, he rode away.
The woman waited eagerly every day, like a stone dropped into the ocean, without any news. July was coming to an end, and it was Ximen Qing's birthday. She spent this day feeling like each day felt like three years and each night like half a year, eagerly waiting for news but receiving none. She couldn't help but clench her teeth, tears flashing in her eyes. In the evening, she had to call for Wang Po again and set out food and wine for him, giving him a golden hairpin to invite him to come to Ximen Qing's house. Wang Po said, "He definitely won't come now. I will go and invite him early tomorrow morning." The woman said, "Godmother, you must remember not to forget!" Wang Po replied, "You can trust me; I won't delay anything!" Wang Po was most fond of money, and when she received the hairpin, she was so happy that her face turned red and she went home. Meanwhile, the woman was alone in her room, lighting incense and spreading out the mandarin duck quilt, holding a silver lamp, tossing and turning, unable to sleep, sighing. It was just like the poem:
How many nights has the pipa played diligently, the lonely empty room that refuses to be played.
She played the pipa alone, singing a little tune:
Who would have thought you had another lover, making me feel like a fool in love, leaning against the screen guessing on purpose, not understanding. How can I possibly let go? Sending letters and invitations, but you never come. If you betray my love, may misfortune come upon you.
The woman tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. She waited until dawn and then called for Ying'er: "Go next door and check if Wang Po has gone to invite your father." After a while, Ying'er came back and said, "Wang Po left early this morning."
Wang Po set out early in the morning and arrived at Ximen Qing's doorstep to ask around, but no one seemed to know. She waited for a long time at the wall across from the door and saw Fu, the servant, come to open it. Wang Po approached him and said, "Excuse me, is the master home?" Fu replied, "What do you need him for? I don't know where he is. The official had a birthday party at home yesterday, drank all day, and hasn't come back since. You might want to look for him elsewhere!" Wang Po took her leave, left the county town, and headed towards the red-light district. From a distance, she saw Ximen Qing riding a horse coming from the east, two young servants following him. He was still half-drunk from the night before, swaying in the saddle. Wang Po called out, "Official, drink a little less!" She stepped up and grabbed the reins. Ximen Qing, still half-drunk, asked, "Are you Wang Po? Did Liu Jie send you here?" Wang Po whispered a few words in his ear. Ximen Qing said, "The servant already told me. I know Liu Jie’s upset. I’ll head over now." Ximen Qing followed Wang Po, talking as they walked.
Arriving at the woman's doorstep, Wang Po entered first to announce, "Madam, congratulations! Thanks to me, I’ve brought the official here in less than half an hour!" When the woman heard he had arrived, it was like winning the lottery; she hurried out to welcome him. Ximen Qing came in, fanning himself, a bit drunk, and greeted the woman. The woman returned the greeting, saying, "Official, it’s been ages since we’ve seen you! How could you forget me and not come to see me for so long? With a new bride at home, thick as thieves, how could you still remember me?" Ximen Qing said, "Don't listen to the gossip; there is no new bride! My daughter got married, and I've been busy for several days, with no time to come see you." The woman said, "You're deceiving me! If you weren’t just chasing after someone new, swear on your body, and I might believe you!" Ximen Qing said, "If I betray you, may I be covered in sores, suffer from jaundice for years, and have maggots crawling all over me!" The woman replied, "You heartless scoundrel! Why should I care about your maggots?" She yanked the hat off Ximen Qing's head and threw it on the ground. Wang Po quickly picked it up and placed it on the table, saying, "Madam, it's all my fault for not inviting the official sooner, leading to this mess." The woman then pulled a hairpin from his head, examining it closely; it was a gold hairpin with two lines of inscription: "Golden reins, horses neigh on fragrant grassland; jade tower, people drunk in the apricot blossom sky." It was given by Meng Yulou. The woman guessed who had given it and hid the hairpin in her sleeve, saying, "You still say you haven't changed your heart! What about the hairpin I gave you?" Ximen Qing replied, "That hairpin of yours, I lost it a few days ago when I was drunk and fell off my horse; my hat flew off, and my hair came loose, and I couldn't find it when I looked." The woman flicked his face, saying, "Brother, you're drunk and confused; even a three-year-old wouldn't believe your lies!" Wang Po said from the side, "The official, forty miles out of town, saw a bee buzzing around and tripped over a water otter on his way out; he just looks far and not near." Ximen Qing said, "He made a mistake himself, and you are still making excuses for him." The woman saw he was holding a red bone fan with gold nails and a hinged design; she grabbed it and held it up to the light. Having been around the block, she noticed many teeth marks on the fan and suspected it was from some woman. Without a word, she ripped the fan to shreds. Ximen Qing wanted to salvage it, but it was too late, saying, "I’ve kept it untouched until today, and now it’s torn to shreds after just three days!"
Looks like there's no text you'd like me to translate.
After the woman finished serving Ximen Qing, Ying'er came in with tea. Ximen Qing asked Ying'er to put down the tea tray, and then the woman then bowed to him. Wang Po said, "You two have been dawdling for too long, don't delay the important matters. I’ll go check on the kitchen." The woman instructed Ying'er to arrange the prepared longevity wine and dishes while she brought things into the room and set them on the table. She took out the longevity gifts prepared for Ximen Qing from the box and showed them to him. There was a pair of black satin shoes; a pair of brown satin knee pads embroidered with patterns of fragrant herbs and the "Three Friends of Winter": pine, bamboo, and plum; a purple silk belt lined with green gauze, containing a sachet filled with rose petals; and a hairpin shaped like a lotus flower with two petals. The hairpin was engraved with a quatrain of five characters: "I have a pair of lotus flowers, gifted to you for your bun. In all matters, we are of one mind, do not easily abandon each other." Seeing this, Ximen Qing was overjoyed, pulled her in for a kiss, and said, "How clever you are!" The woman asked Ying'er to pour a cup of wine for him, and then she coyly bowed to him four times. Ximen Qing quickly helped her up. The two sat side by side, toasting and drinking. Wang Po joined them for a few drinks, her face growing flushed from the wine, and then she took her leave to go home. After that, Ximen Qing and the woman continued to indulge in each other's company.
The woman accompanied Ximen Qing in drinking for a long time, and as night fell, the scene was as follows:
Dense clouds shroud the evening peaks, while dark mist envelops the vast sky. The stars compete with the bright moon, and the green waters blend with the azure sky. Monks visit the ancient temple, while crows caw in the deep forest; travelers rush to the desolate village, and dogs bark in the alleys.
At this point, Ximen Qing sent his servant back to the Ma family, and he decided to stay at the woman's house. That night, the two indulged in pleasure and gave in to their desires.
As the saying goes: "Too much joy brings sorrow." That said, Wu Song took the official document from the county magistrate, departed from Qinghe County, and arrived at Dongjing to hand over the document to Grand Tutor Zhu, and completed the handover process. After waiting for a few days, he received a reply and led a group of people back to Shandong. He left in March or April, and by the time he returned, it was already early summer, edging into autumn. The journey was interrupted by ongoing rain, which caused significant delays. The whole trip took roughly three months. Throughout the journey, he felt uneasy and unwell, so he decided to send a soldier back first to inform the county magistrate. He also wrote a letter in private to his brother Wu Da, saying he would definitely be back by August. The soldier first delivered the letter to the county magistrate and then went to find Wu Da. By chance, Wang Po was at the door. As the soldier approached Wu Dalang's closed door and was just about to knock, Wang Po asked, "Who are you looking for?" The soldier responded, "I was sent by Wu Duzhu to pass on a letter to his brother." Wang Po said, "Wu Dalang is not home; he went to pay respects at the grave. If you have a letter, hand it over to me, and I'll make sure he gets it when he comes back." The soldier saluted, handed the letter to Wang Po, and then rode away.
Wang Po took the letter and went to the woman's house through the back door. It turned out that she had spent the whole night with Ximen Qing and was still in bed when breakfast time came. Wang Po shouted, "My lord, madam, hurry up, I have something to tell you. Wu Song has sent someone to deliver a letter to his brother, saying he will be back soon. I have already received the letter. You mustn't delay, think of a way quickly." Hearing this, Ximen Qing panicked as if the sky had fallen, and hurriedly got dressed with the woman, inviting Wang Po to come in and sit down. Then he showed the letter to the woman. The letter said he needed to return home before the Mid-Autumn Festival. Both of them were flustered and said, "What are we going to do? Godmother, you must help us, we'd really appreciate it. Our relationship is so good now, we can't be separated. When Wu Song comes back, we will have to part ways, what should we do?" Wang Po said, "My lord, what's so difficult! I've mentioned before, young girls marry according to their parents' wishes, while older girls marry according to their own. Traditionally, uncles and sisters-in-law don't get involved with each other; Wu Da has been dead for a hundred days. Madam, you should get a few monks to burn his memorial tablet. While Wu Song hasn't returned yet, my lord can directly carry her back home in a sedan chair. When Wu Song comes back, I'll handle it. What can he do? After that, you two can live happily ever after, how great would that be!" Ximen Qing said, "Godmother is right." That day, after having breakfast, Ximen Qing and the woman agreed to hold a memorial for Wu Da on the sixth day of the eighth month, the hundred-day memorial since his death, and invited monks to perform a ritual. On the evening of the eighth, Ximen Qing married her and took her home. The three of them were in on the plan. Before long, Dai An showed up with a horse to take Ximen Qing home.
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, it was the sixth day of August. Ximen Qing took a few taels of silver and went to the woman's house. He asked Wang Po to invite six monks from Baoguosi Temple to perform rituals to guide Wudalu's spirit and exorcise evil. The monks came in the dead of night, set up the altar and hung Buddha images. Wang Po and the cook prepared vegetarian meals in the kitchen. Ximen Qing stayed at the woman's house that day. The monks arrived, played the wooden fish, struck the instruments, chanted scriptures, and performed rituals, but I won't go into detail about that.
As for Pan Jinlian, she was unwilling to observe the fast, sleeping with Ximen Qing until noon. The monks invited the abbot to light incense and write inscriptions as a sign of worship. Pan Jinlian got up, dressed to the nines, and came to bow before the Buddha statue. When the monks saw Wudalu's wife, they were all captivated and lost their focus. They were caught off guard and caused a commotion during the rituals. Pan Jinlian burned incense before the Buddha statue, wrote words, completed her worship, and then went back to the room to continue enjoying herself with Ximen Qing. They feasted and indulged. Ximen Qing told Wang Po to take care of everything and not let the woman bother Pan Jinlian. Wang Po laughed and said, "You two just enjoy yourselves, leave the monks in my hands."
Once upon a time, there was a monk who, upon seeing Wu Da's wife's phony act, became wary. After lunch, he returned to the temple to rest, and when he got back, Wu Da's wife was inside drinking and having fun with Ximen Qing. Coincidentally, just a wall separated her bedroom from the Buddhist hall. A monk returned first and washed his hands in the basin under the woman's window when he suddenly heard soft, fragmented moans coming from inside, like someone was getting busy. He quickly put his hands down and stood there listening carefully. He heard the woman calling out in bits and pieces, "Dada, how long are you going to take? Be careful the monk hears! Spare me, hurry up and finish!" Ximen Qing replied, "Don't rush! I still need to heat the lid a bit more!" Unexpectedly, the bald monk heard it all loud and clear.
Later, the other monks arrived and began doing rituals. Word spread among them that there was a man hidden in the woman's room, and they all became excitedly dancing around. When the Buddhist ceremony was over and the offerings for the spirit were sent off that night, Wu Da's wife quickly took off her mourning cap and immediately burned the spirit tablets and the Buddha statue. The monk kept a close eye and saw a man and a woman standing close together behind the curtain. Remembering the noises he had heard during the day, he pounded on the drum and cymbals, unable to stop. The wind blew the elder's monk hat to the ground, showing off his shiny bald head, but he didn't care, totally into it, laughing his head off. Wang Po shouted, "Master, the paper horses are all gone, why are you still beating away?" The monk replied, "There's still the paper furnace lid that hasn't been burned!" Ximen Qing heard this and quickly told Wang Po to give him the reward money. The elder said, "Please thank the lady of the house." The woman replied, "My godmother said not to bother." The monks all said, "Then let's just forget it!" After that, they all laughed and walked out.
Indeed: Walls have ears, and there's always someone listening!
As the poem goes:
The wanton woman, consumed by resentment, eavesdrops on the sounds of indulgence.
Truly, the Buddha's teachings have the power to absolve sins, and even the souls of the departed will shudder.
