This poem is wonderfully written:
As a matchmaker, I truly excel, relying on my own two feet to hustle.
With sharp words, I match widowers, and with my tongue, I can stir the hearts of passionate women.
A lucrative flower often decorates the head, and celebratory cakes are propped in the sleeves.
There’s only one thing that’s unbearable; one part is respectable, the other part is shameful.
A flower seller named Sister Xue was looking everywhere for Ximen Qing but couldn't find him. She saw Ximen Qing's servant, Dai An, and asked where Ximen Qing was. Dai An said Ximen Qing was at the medicine shop settling up with Uncle Fu. It turns out that Ximen Qing's family runs a medicine shop, managed by a man named Fu Ming, the second in line, so everyone calls him Uncle Fu. Sister Xue went to the medicine shop, lifted the curtain, and saw that Ximen Qing was indeed settling up with Uncle Fu, so she called him out. When Ximen Qing saw it was Sister Xue, he quickly spoke to Uncle Fu and went to a quiet place to talk with her. Ximen Qing asked Sister Xue what was the matter. Sister Xue said she had a marriage proposal to discuss with him, which would definitely make him happier than finding San Niang!
Ximen Qing asked what the marriage proposal was. Sister Xue said it was a good family, and he must know them, the widow from the Yang family who sells cloth outside the South Gate. She is wealthy, has two Nanjing-style beds, and has so many clothes and jewelry that she can't store them all, plus over a thousand taels of cash and hundreds of rolls of good cloth. Her husband passed away, and she has been in mourning for more than a year, with no children, just a ten-year-old younger brother. Why should someone so young and beautiful stay a widow? A relative of hers wants to marry her off. This widow is about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, very pretty, dressed up like a porcelain doll, smart and capable, knows how to manage a household, is skilled in women's work, can play backgammon and even strum the moon guitar! Her surname is Meng, she is the third in line, and lives in Stinky Water Lane. If Ximen Qing meets her, he will definitely like her.
Ximen Qing was eager to meet this woman who could play the moon lute as soon as he heard about her. He asked Xue Siniang when he could meet her. Xue Siniang said that it was not difficult to meet her, but the key was her elderly guardian at home. Her maternal uncle, Zhang Si, was not very close to her. The elderly guardian had been widowed for decades after her husband, Sun Wai, who lived in the Xu family on the north side of the street, passed away. She had no savings and depended on her nephews and nieces for support. If Ximen Qing could flatter her, the old lady was most fond of money. She knew her niece-in-law had money, so no matter who she married, she was always hoping for money. Since Ximen Qing was wealthy, he could send her gifts, offer her money, and win her over. Even if someone talked next to her, the old lady wouldn't mind. Xue Siniang's words thrilled Ximen Qing.
Matchmakers are always keen to arrange a marriage; Meng Ji dreams of marrying a wealthy man. Fate can bring people together from a thousand miles apart, but without it, they won't meet even if they're right in front of each other. That day, Ximen Qing arranged to meet with Xue Siniang, and the next day he went to Meng's house to propose. After Xue Siniang finished her conversation, she left, and Ximen Qing returned to settle accounts with Uncle Fu Er.
The next day, after a night had passed, Ximen Qing got up early in the morning, dressed impeccably, brought a fine piece of fabric, bought four delicate pastries, packed them into a box, and had someone carry it for him. Xue Sao led the way, and Ximen Qing rode a horse, with the servants following, and headed straight to Miss Yang's house. Xue Sao went in first to announce, saying, "There is a wealthy man nearby who wants to propose marriage to your lady. I mentioned that your family's eldest daughter is the one, so he came to pay his respects to you first, discuss, and then formally propose." Today I brought him here, waiting outside." Upon hearing this, the matron exclaimed, "Ah, Baoshan (Xue Sao's name), why didn't you say so earlier!" She instructed the maids to quickly prepare some tea, and then said, "Please come in." Xue Sao urged them on, first bringing in the box of pastries and setting it down, then carrying out the empty box, and then inviting Ximen Qing in. Ximen Qing, wearing a beautiful hat, said as soon as he opened his mouth, "Miss, please accept my gift." After some modesty, the old woman finally accepted half of it. The two took their seats, the guest and the host, with Xue Sao standing by. The old woman asked, "What is your surname, sir?" Xue Sao said, "He is one of the richest men in Qinghe County, Mr. Ximen. He runs a large pharmacy in front of the county office, has more money than he can count, and so much rice that it stacks up like a warehouse, but he is in need of a woman to run his household. I heard that your daughter is getting married, so he specially came to pay respects to Madam and talk about this marriage proposal."
The old woman said, "Sir, if you really want to marry my niece-in-law, just a casual chat will do; why do you need to buy gifts? It makes me feel unworthy." Ximen Qing replied, "Miss, I feel uneasy without gifts." The old woman thanked him and bowed twice, accepted the gifts, and then served tea. After finishing the tea, the old woman said, "If I don’t speak up, it would be cowardly. My nephew earned quite a bit of money while he was alive, but unfortunately, he died young. Now it all ended up in his hands, and there’s at least a thousand taels of silver. What you do moving forward is your business, as long as you say some prayers for my nephew and help him find peace. I am his aunt, and it’s not too far removed; just give me the money for a coffin, and I don’t need anything else from your family. I’m putting my old reputation on the line, just like that old man Zhang Si, shamelessly helping you two get married. After you marry her, during the holidays, please let her family come by and meet us, your poor relatives, and give us a little boost." Ximen Qing smiled and said, "You can rest assured, I will remember everything you said. Don’t mention just one coffin fund; even ten, I can afford!" Saying this, he called for the servant to bring out a gift box and placed six shiny taels of silver in front of her, saying, "This is just a little something; let's have a cup of tea first. Tomorrow, when I marry her, I will give you seventy taels of silver and two rolls of satin as your retirement money. In the future, during the holidays, feel free to come by." The old woman saw the twenty or thirty shiny taels of silver and couldn’t stop smiling, saying, "Sir, it’s not that I’m greedy; it’s just that it’s always wise to set the terms before doing business." Sister Xue interjected, "You might not know, but the county magistrate and the governor are in the loop now. How much can you take from him?" This really made the old woman happy. After drinking two cups of tea, Ximen Qing prepared to take his leave, but the old woman couldn’t hold him back. Sister Xue said, "Today you met the aunt, and tomorrow you’ll officially see the girl." The old woman said, "My niece doesn’t need your official approval; Baoshan, just tell him, she won’t marry into such a family, who else would she marry!" Ximen Qing said goodbye and got up. The old woman said, "I didn’t know you were coming, and I didn’t have anything ready, so I’ve neglected you; please don’t take offense." She supported herself with a cane to see him out. After walking a few steps, Ximen Qing told the old woman to go back. Sister Xue helped him mount his horse, saying, "What I said makes sense, right? You should head back; I still need to have a word with her (pointing to the old woman)." Ximen Qing took out a tael of silver to give to Sister Xue as transportation fare. She accepted it, and Ximen Qing rode home. He hung out at Miss Yang’s place, drinking and chatting until evening before heading home.
The next day, Ximen Qing dressed up very beautifully, rode a white horse, followed by two young servants, Dai An and Ping An. Xue Sao rode a donkey and left the South Gate. Before long, they arrived at the Yang family's door. It was a gatehouse oriented north-south, with pink and green walls. Xue Sao asked Ximen Qing to dismount and enter together. Inside, there was a ceremonial entrance against the wall, shadows cast by bamboo fences, a courtyard with pomegranate bonsai, and indigo blue jars placed on pedestals, along with two cloth stools. Xue Sao pushed open the vermilion gate, revealing three guest rooms facing each other, with clean tables and chairs and elegant curtains. Xue Sao asked Ximen Qing to sit down, then walked into the inner room. After a while, she came out and whispered to Ximen Qing's ear, "The lady is not ready yet, please wait a while." A servant brought a cup of fine tea, which Ximen Qing drank. While gesturing, Xue Sao told Ximen Qing, "Apart from that girl, this lady is the oldest in the house. Even though she has a younger brother who is still very young and knows nothing, when her husband was alive and running the shop, the daily earnings were considerable, which included selling two large baskets of copper coins. When we bought coarse cloth shoes, he would mark up the price by a third. There are two or three dozen dyehouse workers eating every day, all of which were managed by this lady. She has two maids and a young servant under her. The senior maid is fifteen years old and beautiful, named Lanxiang. The junior maid is named Xiaoluan, only twelve years old. Tomorrow, when they come over, they will come together with her. I have arranged this marriage for you, hoping you could arrange for us to have two rooms to stay in." Ximen Qing said, "That's no problem." Xue Sao said, "When you bought Chunmei last year, you promised me some cloth, but you still haven't given it to me. Let's settle that tomorrow." Just as they were speaking, a maid came to call Xue Sao. Before long, the sound of jingling ornaments and the scent of perfume filled the air, and Xue Sao quickly lifted the curtain, and a woman came out. Ximen Qing's eyes widened as he looked at the woman:
The moonlight dances upon the mist, with a delicate touch of makeup and features as exquisite as jade. His handsome figure is neither too plump nor too slender, with a figure that’s hard to change. A few faint freckles dot his smooth forehead, radiating natural beauty; a yellow skirt reveals a pair of dainty feet, charmingly delicate. As she walks by, the fragrance of flowers wafts gently, and when she sits, an air of enchanting charm envelops her.
Ximen Qing was overjoyed when he saw her. The woman walked to the hall, somewhat impolitely, and sat down on the chair opposite. Ximen Qing kept staring at her, and the woman lowered her head. Ximen Qing spoke: "My wife has been dead for a long time, and I want to marry a wife to manage the household. What are your thoughts?" The woman glanced at Ximen Qing secretly, finding him quite charming, and was already quite satisfied in her heart. She turned her head and asked Xue Po, "How old is this gentleman? How long has he been without a wife?" Ximen Qing said: "I'm twenty-eight; unfortunately, my former wife passed away more than a year ago. How old are you, if you don't mind me asking?" The woman said: "I am thirty years old." Ximen Qing said: "Oh, you are two years older than me." Xue Po chimed in: "If the wife is two years older, gold appreciates every day; if the wife is three years older, gold piles up like a mountain." With that, a maid brought three cups of tea made from honeyed kumquats. The woman stood up, picked up a cup first, wiped the water stains on the edge of the cup with her slender fingers, handed it to Ximen Qing, and bowed again. Xue Po took the opportunity to gently lift the woman's skirt, revealing a pair of feet about three inches long, just a half-arch, sharp and slender, wearing a pair of bright red cloud-patterned white silk high-heeled shoes. Ximen Qing was even more delighted at this sight. The woman picked up the second cup of tea and handed it to Xue Po, then took a cup for herself and sat down to drink. Once they finished their tea, Ximen Qing had Dai An bring out a square box containing two silk handkerchiefs, a pair of hairpins, and six gold rings, placed on a tray and sent over. While Xue Po thanked the woman, she asked Ximen Qing about the date of the wedding: "I need to make preparations." Ximen Qing said: "Since you have agreed, I'll bring some gifts over on the 24th of this month. The formal wedding will be on the 2nd of June." The woman said: "In that case, I will have someone inform my daughter tomorrow." Xue Po said: "The big gentleman visited your daughter's house yesterday." The woman asked: "What did my daughter say?" Xue Po replied: "Your daughter was not very happy when she heard about this! She said she would not marry a family like this, but rather a family like that! I had to play matchmaker to make this happen." The woman said: "If that’s what my daughter said, then that’s fine." Xue Po said: "Madam, please don’t hold it against me for speaking out of turn as the matchmaker." With that, Ximen Qing stood up to say goodbye.
Xue Po escorted Ximen Qing to the alley and asked him, "After seeing this woman, how do you feel about her, sir?" Ximen Qing replied, "Xue Sao, you have worked hard." Xue Po said, "Please, go ahead, sir; I will have a few words with the lady." Ximen Qing rode into the city. Xue Po came back to the woman and said, "Madam, marrying this official is a done deal." The woman said, "I just don't know if there are others in his family. What’s life like for him?" Xue Po said, "Madam, even if there are others in the family, who really calls the shots? If I’m lying, you can find out for yourself. His reputation is well-known; Ximen Qing, the rich man of Qinghe County, is a notorious figure known for selling medicinal herbs and charging high interest on loans. The county magistrate and the prefect all have dealings with him. Recently, he’s even linked up with the Yang Commander in Beijing through marriage; they are all relatives by marriage. Who would dare to cross him!" The woman prepared the food and drinks and sat down to eat with Xue Po when just then, her maid An Tong arrived, carrying a box containing four yellow rice cakes, two pieces of candy, and dozens of wormwood cakes, asking, "Have you agreed already? Madam said, if she doesn’t marry into this family, who else would she marry?" The woman said, "Thank you for your concern. I have already agreed." Xue Po said, "Thank goodness I didn’t mislead you as a matchmaker, and your lady agreed too." The woman accepted the cakes, took out a box, filled it with snacks and cured meat, gave An Tong fifty or sixty coins, and said, "Please send my regards to your madam when you get back. The wedding is set for the 24th, with the official ceremony on the second day of the New Year." An Tong left. Xue Po said, "What did your lady bring? Give me some to take home to the children." The woman handed her a piece of candy and ten wormwood cakes before she left.
As for her maternal uncle Zhang Si, he was counting on his nephew Yang Zongbao to help him get some benefits. He was keen on introducing Shang Juren, the magistrate Shang's son, to her as a concubine. If it were an ordinary family, he might have had a chance, but he didn't expect to hear that Ximen Qing was already engaged. Knowing that he was a powerful man, he felt stuck. He tried various methods and finally felt that sabotaging this marriage was the most reliable option. He approached the woman and said, "You shouldn't agree to marry Ximen Qing. It's way better than being with Ximen Qing. He comes from a scholarly family, has land and property, and lives a good life. That guy's been running the government for years, taking advantage of the people. Would you rather be the main wife or a concubine? Besides, he has three or four concubines in his house, not to mention those servant girls. If you go to his place, with all those people and the gossip, you'll definitely run into conflicts!" The woman caught on to Zhang Si's plan to sabotage the marriage and pretended to agree, saying, "As the saying goes, too many boats don't block the way. If he has a legal wife, I'm fine with her being like an older sister to me. Even if there are many people in the family, as long as the husband is the head, if he likes it, having a few more is not a problem. If he doesn't like it, even if there's just one, I won't have a good life. Besides, in wealthy families, which one doesn't have a few people? Don't worry, I've got my own ways to handle it when I get there. It should be no problem." Zhang Si said, "It's not just this. He likes to beat his wife the most, and even trades in human trafficking. If he is slightly dissatisfied, he will have the matchmaker sell the person. Can you bear his temperament?" The woman said, "Uncle, you are wrong. Although men are tough, they will not beat those diligent and sensible wives. When I go to his house, manage the household well, and not talk nonsense, what can he do to me?" Zhang Si said, "I'm not just talking nonsense. There is also a fourteen-year-old daughter in his house who is not married. I am afraid that when you go there, you will conflict with them." The woman said, "Uncle, what you said is wrong. When I go to his house, I'll know how to handle the older and younger ones, as long as I take care of the kids. I am not afraid that the man will not like it or that the daughters will not be filial. Not to mention one, even if there are ten, it doesn't matter." Zhang Si said, "There's one more thing that's really important: this guy's not exactly a saint. He often seeks pleasure outside and is ostentatious, owing a lot of debts. I'm afraid he will harm you." The woman said, "Uncle, you are wrong again. He is young and enjoys himself outside; it is common. Why should we women worry so much? As for real or fake, it is often said: money is all external; which family can be rich forever? Besides, marriage is destined from past lives; you really don't have to stress about it." Zhang Si saw that he couldn't persuade the woman, and instead was rebuked by her, feeling pretty embarrassed. He drank two cups of tea and left.
Let me share a poem to testify:
Zhang Si spoke of the past without any reason; who would have thought that this relationship was destined?
The beautiful woman has a crush on Ximen Qing, yet she always keeps her feelings to herself, even when it’s hard to swallow.
Feeling ashamed, Zhang Si returned home, discussed with his wife, and waited for the woman to get up, while pointing at his nephew Yang Zongbao, wanting to stop the woman from taking her luggage.
Enough already. On the 24th, Ximen Qing went to pay his respects to the deceased. On the 26th, he invited twelve monks to chant scriptures for the deceased, all arranged by his daughter. The day before the woman's wedding, Zhang Si invited some neighbors to chat with her. At this time, Xue Sao was leading the servants from Ximen Qing's house and a dozen soldiers borrowed from the Prefectural Governor's Mansion to come in and move the woman's bed curtains and dowry. Zhang Si stopped them and said, "Don't move yet! There's something to say." Then he and the neighbors went in to see the woman. After sitting down, Zhang Si spoke first, "Listen, everyone: the lady is here, it's not my place to speak too much. Your husband Yang Zongxi and your younger uncle Yang Zongbao are both my nephews. Today, unfortunately, my elder nephew has passed away, causing a fuss for nothing. Some people have helped you, so let's leave it at that. But the burden now falls on me, with the younger nephew Yang Zongbao still being young. He is your husband's full brother; shouldn't he have a share of the family property? Today, in front of everyone, let's open your boxes and see what's inside, so everyone knows." Upon hearing this, the woman burst into tears and said, "Listen, you're wrong! I didn't intend to harm my husband, and now I'm embarrassed to remarry. Everyone knows he didn't have money; even if he had saved a few taels of silver, it was all spent on this house. I'm leaving the house to my younger uncle; I'm not taking anything with me. There's not a single thing missing from the house. Even the three or four hundred taels of silver that are owed, I've given you the IOUs, and I will gradually collect the money back as household funds. Is there any more money?" Zhang Si said, "It's fine if you don't have money. Let's open the boxes in front of everyone now. Even if there is, you can take it; I don't want it." The woman said, "Do you need to check even my shoes?" Just as it was chaotic, the daughter came out with a cane. Everyone said, "The daughter is here," and they all bowed. The daughter returned the bow and sat down with everyone. The daughter said, "Neighbors, I am her close aunt, and the relationship is very close. Shouldn't my words count? The deceased was a nephew, and the living is also a nephew; all ten fingers are painful. Now, don't say her husband had no money; even if he had a hundred thousand taels of silver, you can only look at it. He had nothing with him; as a young widow, why are you stopping her from remarrying?" The neighbors loudly agreed, "The daughter is right!" The old woman said, "Shouldn't her family’s dowry also stay with her? He didn't give me any benefits privately, saying I was protecting him; I also have to be reasonable. To be honest, this niece-in-law is usually kind-hearted; I can't bear to see her go, and she has a gentle temperament. Otherwise, I wouldn't care." Zhang Si glanced at the old woman and said, "You're fair! Who do you think you are, this old smooth-talker, in the Yang family?" This one sentence hit the old woman's sore spot; she immediately got angry, her face flushed red, pointing at Zhang Si and cursing, "Zhang Si, you talk nonsense! Although I'm not the legitimate head of the Yang family, what are you, this old smooth-talker, in the Yang family?" Zhang Si said, "Although I'm an outsider, the two nephews were raised by my sister; you old thing, how can you be so two-faced, setting fires on one side and putting them out on the other?" The daughter said, "You shameless old thing! She's a young widow; why are you keeping her in the house, what's your plan? If it's not for lust, it's for money, trying to take the money for yourself." Zhang Si said, "I'm not after money; I'm just worried that Yang Zongbao will struggle in the future. Unlike you, this old thing, meddling in everything, shedding crocodile tears." The daughter said, "Zhang Si, you old thing, old servant, old cheat, you talk nonsense; wait until tomorrow when you're dead, see who will come to bury you." Zhang Si said, "You old whore who gossips, you've blown all your hard-earned money; no wonder you don't have kids." The daughter got angry and cursed, "Zhang Si, you old thing, old pig; I may not have children, but compared to your mother who goes to the temple to raise monks and priests, I'm much stronger; you're still dreaming!" The two of them almost started fighting, but thanks to the neighbors' persuasion, they were stopped. The old woman saw the two arguing and took the servants and soldiers from Ximen Qing's house to drive them away, and they hurriedly moved the woman's bed curtains, dowry, and boxes. Zhang Si was so furious his eyes bulged; he was speechless for a moment. Seeing the situation resolved, the neighbors offered a few comforting words and then dispersed.
On the second day of June, Ximen Qing was seated in a grand sedan chair adorned with four red lanterns. His younger brother-in-law, Yang Zongbao, wore his hair in a bun, clad in a green gauze robe, and rode on a horse to escort his sister-in-law on her wedding day. Ximen Qing returned the favor with a brocade gift and a jade belt. Lanxiang and Xiaoluan, two maids, followed to make the bed. Qintong, a fifteen-year-old boy, also came to serve. On the third day, Miss Yang's family and her two sisters-in-law, Meng Dasao and Ersao, came to celebrate her birthday. Ximen Qing gave Miss Yang seventy taels of silver and two bolts of fabric. From then on, relatives visited frequently. Ximen Qing offered his sister-in-law the thirteen rooms in the West Wing as her new home. She was the third in line, referred to as Yulou by the family. She stayed in his room for three consecutive nights. It was like this:
In the golden bed, the two newlyweds remain;
Beneath the red brocade quilt, two familiar items emerge.
There is a poem as proof:
How can one perceive the signs of love in the breeze and moonlight,
Leaving the unblessed struggling to let go?
Where does the wind carry the fallen petals,
Night after night, the beauty lingers among the willow branches?
