Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, it was already the twenty-first day of the lunar new year. Chunmei told Zhou Shoubei to prepare an offering table, four types of pastries and fruits, a jar of good wine, and have Zhou Yi deliver them to Wu Yueniang. This was to commemorate the third anniversary of Ximen Qing's death and the birthday of Xiaoge. Wu Yueniang accepted the gifts and graciously returned a handkerchief and three silver coins to Zhou Yi. Meanwhile, they quickly had Daian'er dress in his green attire, write the invitation, and send it out. The invitation read:
Thank you for your generous gift; I am truly grateful. We invite you to join us for a banquet tomorrow as a token of our appreciation; we would be honored by your presence. Respectfully, Ximen and Wu.
Chunmei received the invitation and only arrived by noon. She was adorned with pearl and jade jewelry, wearing a stunning bright red robe embroidered with a qilin, a cyan brocade skirt, and exquisite embroidered shoes, with a gold belt around her waist. She sat in a sedan chair draped in green satin, carried by four people. The sedan chair bearers called out with rattan whips, while family members and servants surrounded her, carrying luggage behind. Following her were two smaller sedan chairs for Chunmei's daughters-in-law. Aunt Wu invited Aunt Wu to keep her company and also called for four musicians. When Chunmei arrived, Aunt Wu dressed up, wearing simple gold and silver jewelry, a white top, and a cyan skirt, and went to the front hall to greet her alongside Aunt Wu. Chunmei's sedan chair stopped in front of the ceremonial gate. Family members surrounded the sedan chair, and after entering the main hall, Chunmei performed a deep bow to Aunt Wu, demonstrating her respect. Aunt Wu quickly returned the gesture and said, "Thanks to sister for your efforts before. I still haven't had the heart to use the fabric you sent. Today, you've brought such a generous gift; I am truly grateful." Chunmei said, "Oh, it's nothing. Our family doesn't have much; these are just small tokens of appreciation. I've always wanted to invite you over, but my husband travels a lot for work, so we haven’t had the chance." Aunt Wu asked, "Sister, when's your birthday? I'll definitely come and bring you a gift." Chunmei replied, "My birthday is on April 25th." Aunt Wu said, "I'll definitely come then."
After exchanging greetings, Chunmei insisted on helping Yueniang to her feet so they could perform two bows. Then Madam Wu stepped forward to pay her respects, and Chunmei returned the gesture. Chunmei remarked, "Look at Madam Wu, how polite she is." As she spoke, she helped Madam Wu up. Madam Wu repeatedly declined, only accepting part of the courtesy. Then everyone took their seats, with Yueniang and Madam Wu occupying the honored positions. Soon, family members, daughters-in-law, maids, and nurses all came to pay their respects. Chunmei noticed the nurse, Ruier, holding Xiaoge'er, and Madam Wu urged, "Little brother, hurry and bow to your sister to thank her; today is your sister's birthday." Xiaoge'er climbed down from Ruier's arms and bowed to Chunmei. Madam Wu chided, "You little rascal, you didn’t bow to your sister; you only performed a courtesy." Chunmei quickly pulled a brocade handkerchief and a pair of gold accessories from her sleeve and adorned Xiaoge'er with them. Madam Wu said, "You've gone and troubled your sister again." She thanked Chunmei once more. Then Xiaoyu and the nurse also came forward to bow. Chunmei gifted Xiaoyu a pair of hairpins and gave the nurse two silver hairpins. Madam Wu said, "Sister, you might not know yet, but the nurse has married Lai Xinger, and his daughter-in-law has sadly passed away." Chunmei replied, "She wants to stay in our house, which is good." Just then, a maid brought in tea, and after they finished, Madam Wu said, "Please come to the inner room; it’s a bit chilly in here."
Chunmei came to Ximen Qing's ancestor tablet, lit the candles, and arranged the offerings. Chunmei burned the paper money and shed a few tears. She then arranged the screen, kindled the charcoal fire, and prepared a lavish feast and tea. There were exquisite pastries, rare fruits, and premium tea. Yuexiang and Mrs. Jia accompanied Chunmei for tea, then asked her to change clothes in the inner room. Chunmei took off her coat, and her family opened the trunk to take out a set of green brocade clothes for her to change into. After spending some time in Yuexiang's room, Yuexiang asked, "How is the child? Why didn't you bring him today?" Chunmei said, "I intended to bring him to pay respects to Grandma, but his father said it was cold and he might catch a cold. He didn't want to stay inside, insisting on being carried outside. He's been crying a lot lately." Yuexiang said, "Master Zhou is getting old. It's truly a blessing for you to raise this child. By the way, does Sun Er have a daughter? How old is she?" Chunmei said, "Sun Er's daughter is called Yujie; she's four years old. My son is called Jinge." Yuexiang said, "Master Zhou has two maidservants?" Chunmei said, "They are two maidservants training in opera, both sixteen or seventeen years old, mischievous all day long." Yuexiang said, "Does Master Zhou often visit them?" Chunmei said, "Grandma, Master Zhou hardly has time to be at home. Most of the time, he's outside, rarely at home. Thieves are everywhere now, and the court has entrusted him with many responsibilities: guarding the area, patrolling the river, capturing thieves, and training the army. He often goes out on patrols, and it's very tiring." After speaking, Xiaoyu returned with more tea. Chunmei said to Yuexiang, "Grandma, show me my mother's garden." Yuexiang said, "Sister, that garden has fallen into disrepair for a long time! Since your father passed away, no one has taken care of it; it's now in a state of ruin. The stones have toppled, the trees have died; we rarely visit it." Chunmei said, "It's okay, I just want to see my mother's garden." Yuexiang couldn't deny her request, so she had Xiaoyu bring the garden key, opened the door, and Yuexiang and Mrs. Jia accompanied Chunmei for a tour for half a day.
Just look at this:
The walls are leaning and damaged, the pavilions are askew. The walls on both sides are covered with moss, and the ground is overgrown with grass. The peculiar rocks at the foot of the mountain have crumbled, losing their original grandeur; the cool bed in the pavilion is in ruins and has lost its railings. The entrance of the stone cave is thick with spider webs, and the fish pond is teeming with frogs. Foxes often sleep in the cloud pavilion, and ground squirrels scurry in and out of the spring pavilion. It seems that no one has been here for a long time; only the clouds still visit this place.
Chunmei first went to see Li Ping'er’s courtyard. Upstairs were some old tables, chairs, and benches scattered about, and the rooms below were empty and locked, with weeds growing all around. She then went to see her mother's courtyard, where medicinal herbs and spices were piled upstairs, and downstairs in her mother's room, there were only two kitchen cabinets, and there was no bed. Chunmei asked Xiaoyu, "Where did my mother's bed go? Why can't I see it?" Xiaoyu said, "My third sister got married, and that bed was given to her as part of her dowry." Yuexi explained, "When your father was alive, he gave that bed as part of the dowry to your eldest sister, who got married to the Chen family. After your father passed away, your mother's bed was also given as part of the dowry." Chunmei said, "I heard that my eldest sister passed away; I thought you had brought the bed back." Yuexi said, "That bed was no longer needed, so it was sold for eight taels of silver, which was used to settle with the county officials, and it was all gone." Chunmei nodded, her eyes slightly sour; even though she didn't say anything, she thought, "When my mother was alive, she argued with my father for a long time to buy that bed. I thought I could bring the bed back, which I thought would show my filial piety, but I didn't expect it to be given to someone else." She felt extremely uncomfortable. She then asked Yuexi, "What about my sixth sister's spiral bed?" Yuexi said, "Ah, it's a long story. Since your father passed away, the family has been spending money without bringing any in. As the saying goes, a family without income doesn’t need to worry about having too much gold and silver. Without money at home, that bed had to be sold." Chunmei asked, "How much was it sold for?" Yuexi said, "It was only sold for thirty-five taels of silver." Chunmei said, "What a pity! My father always said it was worth over sixty taels, yet it sold for so little. If I had known, I would have given you thirty or forty taels of silver to bring it back." Yuexi said, "Ah, sister, who can foresee these things?" and sighed.
At this time, Zhou Ren, a family member, came over and said, "Madam, the master wants you to come home early. The young master has been crying for you." Chunmei got up and went back. Yuemong instructed Xiaoyu to lock the garden gate and join her in the back room. The screen was adorned with peacock paintings, curtains of fine silk, and the banquet was already laid out. There were also two courtesans, one on the zither and the other on the pipa, singing and playing music on the side. Madame Wu personally poured the wine and served the dishes, inviting Chunmei to sit in the seat of honor. Chunmei declined and insisted on having Yuemong sit with her. Yuemong sat in the main seat, personally serving Chunmei wine, soup, rice, snacks, and dishes. Chunmei tipped the cook three taels of silver. The banquet was sumptuous; after three rounds of wine, as night began to fall, someone was sent to escort Chunmei home with lanterns. Yuemong insisted she stay, having the two courtesans kneel and play music to encourage her to drink, saying, "Sing a nice song to honor Madam Zhou." Xiaoyu filled a large cup of wine and said, "Sister, pick a song you like and let them sing it for you." Chunmei said, "Madam, I can't eat anymore; my child is waiting for me at home." Yuemong said, "The young master is looking for you; there's a wet nurse taking care of him, it's still early, I know you can't drink much!" Chunmei asked the two courtesans, "What are your names? Where are you from?" The two courtesans knelt and replied, "One is Han Jinchuan, and the other is Han Yuchuan's sister, and the other is Zheng Aixiang's niece, Zheng Jiao." Chunmei asked, "Can you both sing 'Lazy Eyebrow'?" Yuchuan said, "Madam ordered, we can both sing." Yuemong said, "Since you both can sing, pour wine for Madam Zhou and sing at your leisure." Xiaoyu hurriedly poured the wine, and the two courtesans, one on the zither and the other on the pipa, began to sing: "When will the lovers stop for you? Endure until spring comes and autumn arrives. Who knows what's in my heart? Heaven, making me lonely and thin, listening to the sound of the book, tears flowing. In the past, I explained the reasons, who would have thought you heartlessly abandoned me!"
After Chunmei finished drinking, Yuemen asked Zheng Jiao'er to pass Chunmei a cup of wine. Chunmei said, "You also have a drink with me." So the two of them filled their cups with wine, and the two women sang again:
For you, my foe, my passion wanes, the magpies chatter in front of the eaves without stopping, the sounds of life and death are beyond reason. Oh Heaven, stirring up these teasing emotions, deepening my desolation, tears flowing. Since he left, my heart has known no peace; who could have imagined you would leave me, guilty of grace?
Chunmei said, "Grandmother, let Aunt Zhang have a drink too." Yuemen said, "Aunt Zhang can't drink that much, give her a small cup to accompany you." So Xiaoyu poured a small cup of wine for Aunt Zhang. The two women sang again:
For you, my foe, causing trouble, sitting and thinking day and night, worrying, my delicate skin has grown frail, my softness diminished. Oh Heaven, wanting to see you but unable to, makes me sad, tears flowing. We once shared our secrets; who would have thought you would abandon me this time?
Chunmei saw Xiaoyu on the side and poured her a large cup of wine. Yuemen said, "Sister, she can't drink that much." Chunmei said, "Grandmother, she can also drink two or three cups; I have also drunk with her at home." So she filled the cup, and Xiaoyu also drank a cup. The women sang:
For you, my foe, causing idle worries, lying in bed, sick and restless, full of worries locking the brow. Oh Heaven, forgetting but still the same, causing tears to stream down my face. In the past, we had no end; who could have imagined you would leave me for so long?
Ladies and gentlemen, why did Chunmei let the prostitutes sing these lyrics? Because she has been missing Chen Jingji, unable to see him, feeling troubled and sentimental. She also thought the two prostitutes sang well and were good at flattering, which pleased her. She called Zhou Ren over, took out two bags of silver to reward them, giving each two taels. The two prostitutes set down their instruments and kowtowed in gratitude. After a while, Chunmei got up to leave, and even though Madam Yue tried to persuade her to stay, Chunmei could not be persuaded. The attendants carried lanterns to escort her out; she got into a large sedan chair, and the wives of her family members climbed into a smaller sedan chair, with four lanterns in front and back, returning in a grand procession.
Time reveals the brilliance of stubborn iron, while distance dulls the luster of gold.
With her red lips and delicate beauty, the phoenix descends to enjoy the music of the luan.
In the high hall, the Xiang curtain is leisurely drawn back, and the swallows return to their old nests once again.
After returning from Madam Yue's house, Chunmei has been thinking about Chen Jingji, not knowing where he might be, lying in bed all day, feeling miserable. The Commandant sensed her thoughts and said, "You must be missing your brother and struggling to find him." So he called for Zhang Sheng and Li An, instructing them, "I've been sending you to look for your grandmother's brother; why haven't you found him yet?" The two said, "We've been searching but haven't been able to find him, and we've already reported back to your grandmother." The Commandant said, "You need to find him within five days; if you don't, be ready for punishment!" Zhang Sheng and Li An went off looking worried, searching the streets and alleys but finding no leads.
It is said that after Chen Jingji escaped from the Prefectural Government Office, he wanted to go to the Yuan Gong Temple to hide, but heard that his master, Master Ren, had died. He was afraid to go in and felt embarrassed to see Xing'an Master. He hid everywhere during the day and slept in the cold at night. One day, Chen Jingji was standing on the street and met Yang Dalang riding a donkey. Yang Dalang was dressed pretty stylishly, with a servant following him. Chen Jingji recognized him as Yang Guangyan, quickly stopped him, and said, "Long time no see, Yang Brother! Since you stole my goods in Qingjiangpu, I went to your house to ask, and your younger brother threw roof tiles at me and even came to my door to beat me, causing me to lose everything. You have to take responsibility!" Yang Dalang pretended to smile and said, "Today is really unlucky, I run into a jinx the moment I step out! You broke loser, where did you get half a boatload of goods? I stole from you, and you dare to come find me? Watch me beat you!" Chen Jingji said, "I am poor now, you have money, just give me some cash to get by, otherwise let's find a place to talk properly." Yang Dalang, getting fed up with his whining, jumped off the donkey, gave him a few lashes, and ordered his servant, "Drag this kid away for me!" The servant shoved him roughly, Yang Dalang kicked him a few more times, and Chen Jingji cried out in pain, attracting a crowd of onlookers.
At this time, a rough-looking man squeezed in, dressed pretty stylishly. He walked up to Yang Dalang and said, "Brother, what you're doing is pretty messed up! He is so young and poor, why are you hitting him? As the saying goes, 'you catch more flies with honey,' he didn't offend you; if you have money, give him some cash to get by, if not, just forget it. Why do you have to hit him? When you see injustice, stand up for him!" Yang Dalang said, "He accused me of stealing half a boatload of his goods; with his poor appearance, where would he get half a boatload of goods?" The man said, "Maybe he was once well-off and fell on hard times? Since you have money, just give him some cash to get by." Yang Dalang was moved by the man's words, pulled out a few coins from his pocket, gave them to Chen Jingji, nodded to the man, and rode away on his donkey.
Chen Jingji got up and looked up, and the person was Houlinder, who used to share a cold bed with him. Now he works with Elder Xiaoyue at Shuiyue Temple in the south of the city, where they are building the Gaolan Hall. Houlinder caught hold of Chen Jingji and said, "Brother, if I hadn't said a few words just now, would he have given you these five coins? That guy knows how to read the room. If he didn't, I'd have to beat him up! Let's go grab a drink!" They headed to a small tavern and ordered some drinks and snacks. Houlinder just had a bowl of noodles, Chen Jingji ate two bowls, and then the two of them happily started drinking. Houlinder said to Chen Jingji, "Brother, you sleep with me tonight. Tomorrow I will take you to Shuiyue Temple. The project will take another month to complete. You won't have to do any heavy lifting, just move some dirt. You can earn some money in a day. I rented a room outside; we will live together at night, I will cook, you help out, it's way better than crashing in a cold bed!" Chen Jingji was very grateful and asked how long the project would take. Houlinder said probably another month. After finishing the wine, Houlinder paid and took Chen Jingji back to his rented house. Both of them got drunk, and Houlinder ended up sharing a bed with Chen Jingji that night.
The next day, they went to Shuiyue Temple in the south of the city. Sure enough, Houlinder had rented a half-room just outside the temple, which had already been cleaned up. Once they started working, the other laborers spotted Chen Jingji and began to tease him, asking his name and what he did. Houlinder quickly intervened and assigned the tasks.
It turned out that Elder Xiaoyue asked a monk named Yedou to be in charge of cooking for the craftsmen in the temple. Yedou was likely in his fifties, blind in one eye, wearing a dark robe, cloth shoes on his feet, and a tattered belt around his waist. He couldn't recite sutras, only mantras for Buddha, but he was very good at fortune-telling. Everyone referred to him as Yedao.
One day, after the workers had finished their work and eaten their meals, some sat chatting, some lay resting, and some squatted. At that moment, Jìngjì approached Yè Tóudāo to ask for a cup of tea. Yè Tóudāo looked him up and down. Someone said, "Yè, this young man is new here; you should read his fortune." Another added, "Read it, maybe you can see some brotherly love." Someone joked, "Maybe you can see if he's a scoundrel!" Yè Tóudāo asked Jìngjì to come closer, carefully examined him, and said, "You have fair skin, delicate features, a soft voice, and a gentle personality. An old man with fair skin and delicate features will suffer, while a young man with fair skin and delicate features will not last long. Because of your good looks, you will be loved by women all your life. When you were eight, eighteen, and twenty-eight years old, you were particularly likable, even if you were pretending. Don't take it the wrong way, but I'm being honest: your whole life will be clever, and you will often receive help from women and prosper. How old are you this year?" Jìngjì said, "I am twenty-four." Yè Tóudāo replied, "No wonder you have had a rough life before. You have a narrow forehead, destined to lose your child and wife, fall into poverty, and be left with nothing; your lips can't cover your teeth, which means you’re likely to get into trouble; your nose resembles a stove door, indicating that your family fortune will be lost. Have you gone through legal troubles that led to your family's ruin and loss of life?" Jìngjì said, "Yes, I have experienced it all." Yè Tóudāo continued, "There is only one thing: your mountain root cannot be broken. As Máyī Zǔshī said, 'If the mountain root is broken, the ancestral heritage will be lost, and the family will be ruined.' The family legacy left by your ancestors, regardless of its size, will be squandered by you. Your ups and downs indicate that you will have many successes and failures in your life; money will come and go in your life. Although you will slowly accumulate family wealth in the future, it will be as difficult as the scorching sun on frost. You’ll have another chance to succeed in the future, likely with three wives. Did you lose one of your wives?" Jìngjì said, "I lost one." Yè Tóudāo said, "You will marry three wives in the future, but it may not be smooth. After you turn thirty, your luck might take a turn for the worse, and you should avoid romantic places." Someone said, "Yè, you are wrong; he is already someone's son-in-law, where will he get three wives?" Everyone laughed, and then Elder Xiǎoyuè banged his gavel, signaling everyone to return to work. Thus, Jìngjì spent about a month at Shuǐyuè Temple.
One day, in mid-March, the weather was lovely. Jingji and everyone hauled the excavated soil to the foot of the mountain gate. He leaned against the wall, basking in the sun while squatting to pick lice off himself. At this moment, a man arrived wearing a character-shaped headscarf, a narrow blue shirt, a purple sash, a belt, and flat-bottomed boots, riding a yellow horse and carrying a basket of fresh flowers. Seeing Jingji, he jumped off the horse suddenly, bowed deeply in respect, and said, "Uncle Chen, I've been searching high and low for you. I never expected to find you here!" Jingji was startled. He quickly returned the gesture and asked, "Brother, where are you from?" The man said, "I am Zhang Sheng, a follower of Lord Zhou at the Prefectural Governor's residence. Since the incident at your house, the lady has been very worried. The Lord sent me to find you everywhere. I didn't expect to find you here. This morning, the lady asked me to pick a few peony flowers at Wai Zhuang. Passing by here, I unexpectedly saw you! It's your lucky day, and it seems we're fated to meet. Don't hesitate, get on the horse quickly; I will take you back to the residence." The craftsmen looked at each other, not daring to speak. Jingji handed the key to Hou Lin, got on the horse, with Zhang Sheng following closely behind, and they went to the Prefectural Governor's residence together. As the saying goes: When the beloved is young and thriving, where does the moonlight shine tonight? A poem for proof: White jade hidden in stubborn rocks, gold buried in the mud. Today, the nobleman has been elevated, as if climbing a ladder to the heavens.
