Once upon a time, since Chen Jingji met Feng Jinbao at Xie's Tavern, they became inseparable, going on dates every few days. If Chen Jingji had something else going on, Jinbao would have Chen San'er send gifts or write him a note to come over, slipping him five qian or a couple of taels of silver each time, and covering his meals and a place to stay. He’d come back blushing when he returned to the temple. When the Taoist asked where he’d been drinking, he would say he had a few drinks with his fellow workers at the grain store to unwind. His senior brother Jin Zongming helped him keep it under wraps, and they would even hang out together at night, but that’s a story for another time. All in all, Chen Jingji and Jinbao blew through a good chunk of the Taoist’s stash.
One day, trouble arrived. Liu Er, the local thug known as "Sitting Tiger," is the brother-in-law of Zhang Sheng, a close follower of the Zhou Shoubei Mansion, who runs brothels and lends money at exorbitant interest, extorting the innocent, colluding with the prostitutes and raking in profits, while indulging in alcohol and fighting. No one dared to provoke him. He was a tyrant who bullied the market. Liu Er heard that Chen Jingji was an apprentice priest in the Yange Temple, a little white-faced man who had hooked up with Zheng Jinbao from the Xie Family Tavern. He stormed into the Xie Family Tavern and demanded, "Where's Jinbao?" Xie Sanlang, terrified, quickly replied, "Uncle Liu Er, she is in the second room upstairs." Liu Er stormed upstairs and saw Chen Jingji and Jinbao drinking and having fun in the room, the door shut and the curtains drawn. Liu Er yanked aside the curtain and shouted, "Jinbao, come out!" Chen Jingji was too frightened to move. Liu Er kicked open the door, and Jinbao had to come out and ask, "Uncle Liu Er, what's the matter?" Liu Er cursed, "You stinky whore, owe me three months' rent, hiding here trying to run away?" Jinbao smiled and said, "Uncle, you go back first, I'll have my mother send the money." Without hesitation, Liu Er punched Jinbao in the face, pushed her to the ground, smashed her head against the steps, blood gushing everywhere, and cursed, "Stinky whore, still waiting to send money? I want it now!" Seeing Chen Jingji in the room, Liu Er rushed over and overturned the table, smashing the dishes. Chen Jingji said, "Who are you? How dare you cause a scene here?" Liu Er cursed, "I'll f*ck your priest mother!" He grabbed Chen Jingji's hair, pushed him to the ground, and punched and kicked him. The people drinking upstairs were dumbfounded. Xie Sanlang was initially too intimidated to confront Liu Er in his drunken state, but when he saw Liu Er beating people up, he went upstairs to persuade him, saying, "Uncle Liu Er, calm down, he doesn't know your identity, he offended you, don't lower yourself to his level, let it go for the sake of a nobody." Liu Er didn't listen at all, beat Chen Jingji half to death, then summoned the local constables, bound Chen Jingji and Jinbao together with rope, and said, "Take them to the magistrate's office at dawn." It turned out that the Shoubei had ordered him to maintain local public order, arrest thieves, and also manage the river channels.
The next day, Village Head Li and the constables escorted Chen Jingji and Jin Bao to the government office early in the morning. They first reported the situation to Zhang Sheng and Li An, stating that Liu Er had stirred up trouble and arrested a Taoist priest, Chen Jingji, and a courtesan, Zheng Jinbao, at a banquet temple. The bailiffs demanded a bribe, saying, "We are handling the case in the yamen, a total of twelve people; you can sort it out. The two stewards are serious, so don't underestimate them." Chen Jingji replied, "I do have money, but it was stolen when I was beaten by Liu Er, and my clothes were torn; how could I possibly have any money? There is only a silver hairpin on my head; hand it over to the two stewards." The bailiffs took the hairpin and said to Zhang Sheng and Li An, "He didn't give any money, just this hairpin, and it's a broken one." Zhang Sheng said, "Bring him here; I’ll question him." The bailiffs brought Chen Jingji over to kneel down and asked, "When did you become a Taoist priest? What is your secular name? I have never seen you before." Chen Jingji replied, "My secular name is Chen Jingji; I originally came from a good family and became a disciple not long ago." Zhang Sheng said, "Since you are a Taoist priest, you should study the classics. How can you engage in prostitution, drinking, and causing trouble? What do you take our government office for? Without money, what use is this hairpin?" He then took the hairpin and instructed the bailiffs, "Wait for the master to come out and put him in the front. This Taoist priest and courtesan are really stingy, only willing to take money from donors! Even if you are running errands, when you go to drink and feast, you should bring a handkerchief to wipe your mouth. When it’s time for punishment, make sure he gets what’s coming to him!" He then called Zheng Jinbao over, and she bribed Zhang Sheng with three or four taels of silver. Zhang Sheng said, "You are a courtesan, just trying to survive, nothing serious. Depending on the master's mood, if he’s in a bad mood, he might lash out at you; if he’s happy, he might just let you go." Soon, the sound of gongs and drums echoed from within, the guards took their places in the hall, and the bailiffs stood neatly on both sides, looking majestic.
The walls are covered in crimson brocade, surrounded by tables draped in purple silk. The hall's ceiling hangs with red silk, while emerald curtains drape down all around. The officials uphold their integrity, with imperial decrees carved on stone tablets; the townsfolk are careful and upright, with flags planted next to deer antlers. The military is solemn, and the clerks are dignified. They stand at the foot of the steps, wielding large staffs as they carry out their duties, carrying documents and listening to instructions. Even though they are a group of capable officials, they truly embody the hall's spirit.
It's said that this truly is a case of fate bringing enemies together. Chunmei, who has been living in the mansion since last August, has given birth to a son, the little master. He is now only six months old, as cute as a button. The commander treasures him dearly. Not long after, after the grandmother's passing, the commander recognized Chunmei as his official wife. She lives in the main house, which has five rooms, with two wet nurses, two maids, and two singing and dancing girls serving her. Sun Erniang has just one maid, named Lotus Flower. The little master enjoys being carried out to play by Zhang Sheng. Every time the commander goes to court, he watches from the side.
That day, the commander sat in the hall, posted a notice, and summoned people from all around to come forward with their cases. The first to be called were Chen Jingji and the prostitute Zheng Jinbao'er. After reviewing the case, the commander declared, "You, a Taoist priest, have failed to uphold the rules and regulations, and still engage in prostitution and drinking, disturbing the peace, and behaving improperly! Take him away and give him twenty lashes, revoke his ordination certificate, and make him return to secular life! As for Zheng, give her a sound thrashing, followed by fifty more lashes, and let her return to the brothel to serve!" The bailiffs were about to strip Jingji and tie him up for a beating when Zhang Sheng, holding the little master, stood on the steps, watching the commotion. When the little master saw Jingji being beaten, he struggled to escape Zhang Sheng's arms to go to him. Worried that the commander would notice, Zhang Sheng hurried over. The little master cried even louder, wailing until he reached Chunmei. She asked, "Why is he crying?" Zhang Sheng explained, "The master is in court handling a case, beating the Taoist from the Ancestral Temple. He tried to go to him, so I carried him away, and he started crying."
Chunmei couldn't help but walk lightly over to the screen when she heard that the person being beaten sounded and looked like Brother Chen. She peeked behind the screen and thought to herself, "It really is him!" She then asked Zhang Sheng, "What is that person's name?" Zhang Sheng replied, "I asked the Taoist, and he said his common name is Chen Jingji." Chunmei thought to herself, "It really is him!" So she told Zhang Sheng, "Go and invite your master to come down." The guard was beating Jingji, having already given him ten lashes, while also questioning Zheng Jinbao. Suddenly, he heard that the madam was calling for him, so he ordered the bailiffs to stop and went down to the hall himself. Chunmei said, "The Taoist you are beating is my cousin-in-law. Please spare him for my sake." The guard said, "Madam, why didn't you say so earlier? I have already given him ten lashes, what am I supposed to do?" Then he instructed the bailiffs, "Let them all go!" Zheng Jinbao went back to the brothel. The guard whispered to Zhang Sheng, "Bring the Taoist back, don't let him go just yet. Ask the madam if she would like to see him." Chunmei was about to have Zhang Sheng bring Jingji to the back hall, but suddenly hesitated, and then said to Zhang Sheng, "Let him go for the time being, I will call for him later." They also took the arrest warrant.
Chen Jingji was beaten ten times, left the Prefectural Office, and ran back to the Yan Temple. Unexpectedly, when Daoist Ren overheard someone say, "Your disciple Chen Zongmei has been keeping a prostitute named Zheng Jinbao at the tavern, got into trouble with a thug named Liu Er, and was beaten half to death. His wife was also arrested at the Prefectural Office. Your conduct was disgraceful, so the Prefect sent people to arrest you for interrogation and confiscate your passport." When Daoist Ren heard this, he was not only shocked because of his old age, but he also became so agitated that he choked on his phlegm and fainted on the ground. His disciples quickly helped him up and called a doctor, but he never regained consciousness and died in the middle of the night at the age of sixty-three. The next day, Chen Jingji returned, and the neighbors said, "What makes you think you can come back to the temple? Your master died of anger because of you last night!" Jingji was so terrified that he ran back to Qinghe County like a stray dog or a fish out of water. It’s hard to make sense of the connection between the deer and Zheng Xiang, and just like Zhuang Zhou’s butterfly dream, it’s all quite unpredictable.
Regarding Chunmei, she asked Zhang Sheng and Jing Ji to leave before returning to her room. She removed her hat and embroidered robe, lay on the bed, clutched her chest and stomped her feet, crying out loud. This frightened everyone in the house. Sun Erniang from the lower floor came over and asked, "Madam, you were fine, why are you suddenly feeling unwell?" Chunmei said, "All of you go out, don't mind me." After a while, the guard came in and saw her lying on the bed crying, which took him by surprise. He grasped her hand and asked, "Why do you feel so uncomfortable?" Chunmei did not speak. He asked again, "Who upset you?" Chunmei still did not speak. The guard had no choice but to go out and call Zhang Sheng and Li An, "You two knew earlier that he is your Madam's cousin-in-law, why didn't you tell me earlier? I gave him ten beatings, which upset your Madam. I told you to keep him here to see your Madam, why did you let him go? You two explain it to me clearly!" Zhang Sheng said, "I informed Madam, she said let him go first, so I let him go." Then he ran into the room, crying and begging Chunmei, "Please say something to the master, otherwise, the master will punish us." Chunmei widened her eyes, raised her eyebrows, and called the guard over, "I feel unwell, what does it have to do with them? That guy is being disrespectful, pretending to be a Taoist out there. Let him stay for a few days; I'll take my time dealing with him." The guard then stopped blaming Zhang Sheng and Li An.
The guard saw her crying all the time and asked Zhang Sheng to invite a doctor to check her pulse, saying, "The old lady is suffering from depression due to repressed emotions." She refused to take the medicine, letting it sit until it cooled. The maidservants were too afraid to speak up and asked the guard to watch her take the medicine, but she only took a sip and refused to take more. When the guard left, the head maid, Yuegui, brought the medicine, saying, "Please take your medicine, ma'am." Chunmei angrily knocked the medicine away and shouted, "You foolish girl, why are you trying to force this bitter water down my throat? What's inside my stomach?" She was ordered to kneel. Sister Sun came over and asked, "What happened to Yuegui? Why did ma'am make her kneel?" Haitang said, "Ma'am asked her to bring the medicine, but ma'am said, 'What's in my stomach? Why are you trying to force this medicine on me?' So she made her kneel." Sister Sun said, "Ma'am, you really haven't eaten anything today. Yuegui didn't know; please don't punish her. For my sake, let her off this time." She instructed Haitang, "Go make some porridge for her in the kitchen." Chunmei finally let Yuegui get up.
Haitang prepared a small pot of thick congee and four small dishes, served in small bowls, and brought it hot to Chunmei's room. Chunmei was lying on her side, trying not to make a sound. After she turned over, Haitang whispered, "The porridge is ready, please enjoy it, Grandma." Chunmei kept her eyes closed and ignored her. Haitang said again, "The porridge is getting cold, Grandma, please get up and eat." Sun Erniang advised from the side, "Grandma, you haven’t eaten anything all day. When you’re feeling better, you should eat something." Chunmei suddenly sat up, asked the nanny to bring a lamp, took the porridge, took a sip and then pushed it away. Fortunately, the nanny caught it quickly and it didn't break. Then Chunmei shouted at Sun Erniang, "You told me to get up and eat porridge, look at what this girl made! I'm not in confinement, why would she cook this watery porridge for me to eat?" She ordered the nanny, "Give her four hard slaps!" The nanny immediately complied and slapped Haitang four times. Sun Erniang quickly said, "Grandma, if you don't want porridge, how about something different? You shouldn’t starve yourself." Chunmei said, "When I think about eating, I feel so frustrated I can’t eat." After a while, she called the little maid Lanhua and instructed, "I want to have chicken claw soup. Go to the kitchen and tell that annoying girl to wash her hands and make a bowl of chicken claw soup for me, with more sour bamboo shoots, make it extra sour and spicy." Sun Erniang said, "Grandma, give the order to Xue'e to make it; what you want to eat is what you need to feel better."
Orchid didn't want to waste any time; she ran to the kitchen and said to Xue'e, "Grandma asked you to make chicken wingtip soup, hurry up and make it, we're waiting to eat." It turned out that this chicken wingtip soup was made by chopping up small chicken wingtips. Xue'e washed her hands while butchering two small chickens, cleaned them, removed the wingtips, sliced them into thin strips, added chili, scallions, coriander, pickled bamboo shoots, soy sauce, and other seasonings, and simmered it into a fragrant clear broth. She served two small bowls, set them on a red lacquer tray, and brought them steaming hot to Chunmei's room. Chunmei looked at it under the light, took a sip, and started yelling, "Tell that little maid what kind of soup this is! It's tasteless, it has no flavor at all! You guys make me eat it, just to get under my skin!" Orchid, afraid of being beaten, quickly ran to the kitchen to tell Xue'e, "Grandma thinks the soup is too bland and scolded me harshly!" Xue'e did not say a word, silently washed the pot again, prepared another bowl, added a lot of chili, which smelled delicious, and had Orchid take it. Chunmei thought it was too salty, so she flung the soup bowl onto the floor. Orchid quickly ducked out of the way and avoided getting splashed. She scolded, "Tell that maid, she's deliberately trying to anger me! This time she made it poorly, let her taste it herself!" Xue'e felt a pang of injustice upon hearing this, muttered quietly, "When did my sister become so powerful, she's even ordering people around!" To her surprise, Orchid rushed back to tell Chunmei what Xue'e had said. Chunmei was furious in an instant, her eyes bulged, she gritted her teeth, her face turned red with anger, and she yelled, "Get that little maid in here!"
After a while, the nursemaid and a few maidservants dragged Xue'e into the room. Chunmei grabbed Xue'e by the hair, tore off her headdress, and scolded her: "You little brat, what did you just say? You asked the maidservants when I became so powerful—Isn't it just because Master Ximen favors me? I bought you to serve me, but you’re purposely making my life difficult, serving soup that’s either too bland or too salty. What good are you, trying to conspire against me?" She immediately called the guards to bring Xue'e to kneel in the middle of the courtyard. She called for Zhang Sheng and Li An to strip Xue'e and give her thirty lashes. The servants held lanterns while Zhang Sheng and Li An stood by with sticks, waiting. Xue'e refused to take off her clothes. The guard, fearing Chunmei’s wrath, remained silent. Sun Erniang repeatedly advised from the side, "Just follow Madam's wishes and beat her, but don’t strip her. It wouldn’t look good for her to be undressed in front of the servants. Madam, please spare her this time." Chunmei refused, insisting on stripping her and beating her, saying, "Who dares to stop me, I will kill the child first, then hang myself! What's the point of keeping her?" Saying this, she collapsed to the ground, fainting. The guard, alarmed, quickly helped her up, saying, "Beat her however you like, but don’t hurt yourself." So poor Xue'e was dragged to the ground, stripped, and beaten thirty times, leaving her skin in tatters. Later that night, someone was sent to fetch Xue Sao, and Xue'e was sold.
Chunmei privately instructed Xue Sao, "I only want eight taels of silver; sell this wretched girl to the brothel. I don't care how much you make. If you sell her elsewhere and I find out, you won't live to tell the tale." Xue Sao replied, "I rely on this for a living; of course I will listen to you." That evening, Xue Sao brought Xue E back home. Xue E cried, devastated, until dawn. Xue Sao advised, "Stop crying; it's just your bad luck. The master saw you like this and chose to overlook it, but he only holds a grudge against you because of some old grievances, that's why he's punishing you. Even the master can't do much; seeing she has a child, he lets her have her way. Even Sun Erniang has to give in to her sometimes. There's nothing we can do, so stop crying." Xue E stopped crying and thanked Xue Sao, "I hope to find a good place soon, as long as I can get by." Xue Sao said, "She repeatedly instructed me to send you to the brothel. I have children to raise; I also have to consider what's fair. I'll help you find a single man or a small business family to marry into, so you can make a living." Xue E thanked her profusely.
Two days later, Mrs. Xue had a visitor, and the neighbor, Mrs. Zhang, who ran a shop, came and asked Mrs. Xue, "Mrs. Xue, who is the girl staying at your place? Why is she crying so sadly?" Mrs. Xue said, "Mrs. Zhang, please come in and sit down." Then she explained to Mrs. Zhang, "It's this girl here. She is a young lady from an official family. She didn't get along with the lady of the house and was driven out. She came to me to get married. She wants to find a one-of-a-kind husband who won't cause her any more trouble." Mrs. Zhang said, "I know a guy from Shandong who sells cotton. His surname is Pan, and he's the fifth child in the family, 37 years old. He often stays at my place with several carts of cotton and fruits. A few days ago, he said his mother was sick, over seventy years old, and his wife had passed away six months ago, with no one to look after him. He repeatedly asked me to help him find a wife, but we haven't found a suitable one. I think this girl is just the right age; marrying him would be a good match." Mrs. Xue said, "To be honest, this girl comes from a noble family; she can do all kinds of work, sewing goes without saying, and she can make various delicious soups. She is only 35 years old now. Her family only asks for thirty-two taels of silver; please help her find a good family." Mrs. Zhang asked, "Does she have any bags?" Mrs. Xue said, "Only the clothes and jewelry she's wearing, no bags." Mrs. Zhang said, "Alright, I'll go back and mention it to him, and let him come check her out." After finishing the tea, she went back. In the evening, Mrs. Zhang told the man about the situation, and the next day after lunch, the man actually came with Mrs. Zhang to check her out. As soon as Pan Wu laid eyes on Xue'e, who was both beautiful and young, he offered her twenty-five taels of silver and also gave Mrs. Xue a tael of matchmaker money. Mrs. Xue didn't ask for more, took the silver, and wrote up a sale contract. In the evening, Xue'e left with Pan Wu. Mrs. Xue had the contract changed and only took eight taels of silver, handing it over to the local authorities. Chunmei took the silver, just saying that Xue'e was sold off to a brothel.
Pan Wu took Xue'e to Mrs. Zhang's house, staying for just one night. The next day, before dawn, he thanked Mrs. Zhang, got into the car, and headed straight to Linqing. It was June, with long daylight hours, and the sun had just set by the time they arrived at Matou Town. Upon arriving at Sajia Shop, they found over a hundred rooms filled with performers and singers from various places. Xue'e was taken to a small room, where a woman in her fifties or sixties sat on the heated brick bed, accompanied by a seventeen or eighteen-year-old maid with her hair in a bun, her face made up, and dressed in silk clothes, playing the pipa by the bed. Xue'e immediately burst into tears at the sight, realizing that Pan Wu was a con artist who had sold her into prostitution. He gave her the stage name Yu'er; her real name was Jiner. Every day, she went out with a gong to entertain guests at taverns, making a living this way. Pan Wu first beat Xue'e and made her sleep for two days, only allowing her two bowls of rice. He forced her to learn to play instruments and sing; if she couldn't learn, she was beaten, resulting in bruises all over her body. Once she learned, he dressed her up and made her stand at the door to attract customers with her alluring looks. It is said: "Her presence draws the gaze of the wealthy, without the need for rouge to paint peonies." There is a poem to illustrate this: "On the road of poverty, there is no escape or refuge, traveling south and north without rest. Where do the colorful clouds disperse after a single night? Dreams follow the bright moon to the brothel."
Xue'e encountered a turning point at the tavern. One day, Zhang Sheng was sent by the local authorities to buy dozens of piculs of wine yeast by the river to make wine at home. The boss of the tavern, Liu Er, saw his brother-in-law coming and quickly cleaned up the restaurant, setting out the finest private room with food and drinks, and invited Zhang Sheng to drink. The waiter poured wine and asked Liu Er, "Uncle Er, which song girls should I call up to toast?" Liu Er ordered, "Call up Wang Laojie, Zhao Jiao'er, Pan Jiajin, and Yuer to come up and serve your brother-in-law Zhang." The waiter agreed and went downstairs. Soon, laughter could be heard coming up the stairs. Four beautifully dressed singing girls, wearing light silk and satin clothes, came up the stairs, bowed four times, and stood aside. Zhang Sheng took a closer look and found that one of the singing girls was actually Xue'e, who had been driven out of his house. Xue'e also saw Zhang Sheng, and neither of them spoke. Zhang Sheng asked Liu Er, "Whose family is that singing girl from?" Liu Er said, "To be honest, she belongs to Pan Wu's family: Yuer, Jiner, along with Wang Laojie and Zhao Jiao'er." Zhang Sheng said, "This Pan family Yuer looks familiar to me." So he called her over and quietly asked her, "Are you Miss Xue? How did you end up here?" Upon hearing this, Xue'e burst into tears and told Zhang Sheng the whole story, saying, "Mrs. Xue tricked me into coming here, selling me for twenty-five taels of silver to entertain guests." Zhang Sheng had always thought Xue'e was beautiful and had feelings for her. Xue'e was attentive at the banquet, and the two hit it off more and more as they chatted. Xue'e and Jiner played the pipa and sang a song for Zhang Sheng. Afterward, they drank and chatted intimately, becoming more and more affectionate. As the drinks flowed and the atmosphere warmed, Zhang Sheng sighed, "Who in this world can resist the temptation of money, beautiful women, and taverns?" Zhang Sheng fell in love with Xue'e. That night, the two stayed in the private room and slept together. Xue'e was gentle by his side, whispering sweet nothings in his ear, and entwined with Zhang Sheng, deeply in love, beyond words. The next morning, after dressing up, Liu Er prepared food and drinks again to send Zhang Sheng off. After a hearty meal, Zhang Sheng packed his luggage, loaded the wine yeast, and left with his entourage. Before leaving, he gave Xue'e three taels of silver and instructed Liu Er, "Take good care of her and don't let anyone bully her." From then on, every time Zhang Sheng came to the river, he would meet Xue'e at the tavern. Later, Zhang Sheng gave Pan Wu a few taels of silver each month to keep Xue'e from serving guests. In order to please Zhang Sheng, Liu Er even stopped charging rent and helped cover Xue'e's expenses for food, clothing, and other necessities.
A poem serves as proof:
Little did one expect back then, indulging in vice and using power to deceive oneself. In the end, it is one's own folly that brings disaster; misfortune finds those who invite it, and desire ensnares those who are already lost.
