Alas, poor lonely tree, with its slender branches and shaky roots. Although it is covered in dew, it can't hide it; she sits there from night until dawn. That's why I've grown thin from worry, not because you think I'm too thin.
Ximen Qing is obsessed with Li Guijie and hasn't returned home for half a month. Wu Yueniang sent servants several times to bring him back, but Li's family hid Ximen Qing's clothes and hat, not letting him leave. The women at home are all getting restless; others are fine, but that vixen Pan Jinlian, not yet thirty, with a burning desire, dresses up beautifully every day, waiting by the door all day until it gets dark. Lying in bed at night, with her pillow empty beside her, unable to sleep, she decides to take a walk in the garden. Looking at the moon in the pond, she suspects Ximen Qing's thoughts are hard to read; occasionally seeing cats mating only makes her desire grow stronger. At that time, Yulou brought a servant named Qintong, sixteen years old, just starting to grow his hair, handsome and sharp-witted. Ximen Qing had him take care of the garden, and he stayed in the little house by the garden gate at night. Jinlian and Yulou often spent their days doing needlework or playing chess together in the garden pavilion. Qintong was especially attentive, and every time he saw Ximen Qing, he quickly went to tell him. Pan Jinlian liked him, often inviting him in for drinks. They exchanged glances, both clearly having ulterior motives.
To her surprise, with July arriving, Ximen Qing's birthday was approaching. Wu Yueniang saw that Ximen Qing was lost in a world of flowers and wine, so she sent Dai An to fetch him. Pan Jinlian secretly wrote a letter and gave it to Dai An, asking him to quietly deliver it to Ximen Qing, saying that Wu Niang asked him to come home early. Dai An rode over to the Li family’s place and saw Ying Bojue, Xie Xida, Zhu Shinian, Sun Guazui, and Chang Zhijie partying it up with Ximen Qing. When Ximen Qing saw Dai An arrive, he asked, "Everything alright at home?" Dai An replied, "Nothing." Ximen Qing said, "About those accounts from a while back, tell Uncle Fu to hurry them up; I'll settle them when I get home." Dai An said, "Uncle Fu has urged quite a bit these past few days; we'll settle it when you return home." Ximen Qing asked, "Did you bring that outfit for Sister Gui?" Dai An replied, "I brought it." He took out a red shirt and blue skirt for Sister Gui from his bundle. After Sister Gui thanked him, she hurriedly had someone treat Dai An to a meal and drinks. After Dai An finished eating, he went back to Ximen Qing and quietly whispered in his ear, "Wu Niang asked me to deliver a letter, requesting you to come home early." Just as Ximen Qing reached for the letter, Li Gui Jie saw it and thought it was a love note from one of Ximen Qing's mistresses, snatched it away and opened it to read. It was a note written on a decorative piece of paper with a few lines of writing. Gui Jie handed it to Zhu Shinian and asked him to read it aloud. Zhu Shinian read aloud a poem called "Falling Plum Wind":
"At dusk I reflect, by day I yearn, longing for a love that is unrequited. He withers away for her, how pitiful, alone with the embroidered quilt! The lamp is dim, people are asleep, leaving only half a window of bright moon. My heart is hard, as if made of iron, how can I endure this desolation tonight?"
It says: "The concubine Pan Liu'er bows." After listening, Sister Gui waved her hand and went into the room, lying in bed with her head buried under the covers. Seeing Sister Gui was angry, Ximen Qing tore the letter up and kicked Dai An a few times in front of everyone. He asked Sister Gui several times to come out, but she refused. Growing anxious, Ximen Qing went in personally to carry her out, saying, "Quick, take the horse back; that homewrecker sent you to get me. I’m going to give her a piece of my mind when I get back!" Dai An left in tears. Ximen Qing said, "Sister Gui, don’t be angry. This letter was from my fifth concubine, asking me to return home for some matters, nothing else." Zhu Shinian chimed in, "Sister Gui, don’t listen to his nonsense! Pan Liu'er is Ximen Qing's newly taken concubine, very beautiful, so don’t let him go!" Ximen Qing laughed and hit him, saying, "You troublemaker, always stirring up drama; that’s nonsense." Li Gui Jie said, "Ximen, since someone at home is managing things, don’t provoke women outside anymore; isn’t it better to stay loyal to those at home? How long have you been together that you want to abandon her?" Count Ying said, "That’s right. You two listen to me, the official shouldn’t go home, and Sister Gui shouldn’t be angry. Today it’s decided, if anyone pulls this again, they’ll owe two taels of silver, and we’ll all share a drink." So, Ximen Qing hugged Sister Gui and smiled apologetically, and they both drank together. After a bit, they served seven fragrant cups of tea, one for each of us. Count Ying said, "I have a song that sings the praises of this tea, 'Morning Emperor':
The tender buds of this fine tea grow under the spring breeze. Not plucking or picking the leaves, but boiling brings out the color. It’s a rare gem, hard to capture in words or art. Sip it often; when you’re tipsy, you’ll think of it; when you’re sober, you’ll love it. Originally worth a basket of gold."
Xie Xida laughed heartily and said, "The big shot spends money and effort, but he's not just after this 'hug' (referring to an embrace); what is he really after? Now everyone sing a little song; if you can't sing, then just tell a joke, let's cheer for Sister Gui." Xie Xida was the first to speak: "There was a mason paving the ground in the yard. His mistress neglected him, so he secretly blocked the drain with a brick. Later, it rained, and the yard was flooded. The mistress was frantic, found him, and offered him a feast, even giving him a silver coin, begging him to drain the water. The mason enjoyed the feast, quietly removed the brick, and the water drained away immediately. The mistress asked him what happened, and the mason said, 'This situation is just like you, ma'am; when there's money, it flows; when there's no money, it doesn't flow.'"
In response, Sister Gui said, "I'll tell a joke in return for everyone. There was a Taoist master named Sun, who hosted a banquet but sent his tiger to invite the guests. The tiger ate all the guests on the way. The Taoist master waited until dark, and not a single guest arrived. After a while, the tiger came back, and the master asked, 'Where did the guests you invited go?' The tiger replied, 'Master, I never invite people; I only eat people.'" This made everyone laugh. Count Ying said, "Looks like we're all just here for a free meal, yet your poor old man can't even host?" Saying this, he took off a silver earring from his head, weighing one silver coin; Xie Xida took out a pair of gilded hairpin rings, weighed them, and they came to nine and a half cents; Zhu Shinian fished out an old handkerchief from his sleeve, valued at two hundred wen; Sun Guazui untied the white cloth skirt from his waist, worth two and a half jars of wine; Chang Zhijie had nothing to offer, so he borrowed a silver coin from Ximen Qing. Everyone handed their items to Guiqing to whip up a feast to entertain Ximen Qing and Sister Gui. Guiqing gave the money to the nanny, bought some pork, slaughtered a chicken, and added some side dishes, getting everything ready. All sorts of bowls and plates were brought out, everyone sat down, called out "let's eat," and just as they said it, it was quick to see:
Everyone talks, everyone bows their heads. The sky is blotted out by the sun, like a swarm of locusts; jostling like hungry wolves fighting over scraps. One person sweats profusely, as if in a feud with a chicken bone; another wipes oil off their lips, gulping down bits of pig hair. The plates and cups were left in disarray after the meal; chopsticks were scattered everywhere. One is called the King of Food, the other is known as the Clean Plate General. The wine jug was refilled, but the dishes were already cleared. Truly: after indulging in a feast, everything goes into the temple of their stomachs.
Everyone ate everything. Ximen Qing and Guijie hadn’t even managed a few drinks, and the vegetables they picked were also eaten by these people. Two chairs at the banquet were broken, and the servants at the door didn’t even get a chance to eat; even the local deity by the door got knocked over and left a steaming pile. When leaving, Sun Guazui stuffed the gilded bronze Buddha from the Li family's altar into his waistband; Ying Bojue seized the moment to kiss Guijie and swipe her gold hairpin; Xie Xida stole Ximen Qing's fan; Zhu Shinian ran into Guiqing's room and took a mirror; Chang Zhijie borrowed a silver coin from Ximen Qing, which he marked down as a debt. These folks were just tagging along with Ximen Qing, really enjoying themselves. As the poem goes:
With charm hidden in their sleeves like a playful monkey,
Riding the waves of joy, they linger for a bit.
If the thirst for pleasure knows no bounds,
Who’s going to collect the gold keys at home?
Without mentioning the crowd gathered around Ximen Qing drinking, let’s just talk about Dai An riding home. Wu Yueniang, Meng Yulou, and Pan Jinlian were sitting in the house. Seeing Dai An, they asked, "Did you go to bring your father back?" Dai An, with red eyes from crying, said, "I came back after being kicked and yelled at by my father. He said next time he would send someone to pick me up, and that I would still get yelled at when I came back." Yueniang said, "Look how unreasonable he is; it's one thing not to come, but he even scolds the servant?" Meng Yulou said, "It's one thing to kick and hit the servant, but how can he scold us?" Pan Jinlian said, "Nine out of ten households have loose women; what does that even matter to you! As the saying goes: the gold and silver that a boat carries can’t fill a brothel." Just as Jinlian finished speaking, Li Jiaor heard Dai An returning from the courtyard and went to the window to eavesdrop. Hearing Jinlian call their family promiscuous, she felt a surge of anger. From then on, the two became enemies, but that’s a story for later. Indeed:
Sweet words warm in winter, harsh words wound like summer’s chill.
Not to mention the feud between Li Jiaor and Pan Jinlian. Let’s just say Jinlian returned to her room, feeling like a moment had turned into three years, a moment that felt as long as half a summer. Knowing that Ximen Qing would not return home, she sent the two maidservants to bed, then went to the garden to take a walk, calling the qin boy to her room to drink. She got the servant wasted, closed the door, and started to undress. The two of them started to engage in intimacy. One ignored social status, while the other ignored hierarchy. One was brazenly lustful, indifferent to her husband’s fate; the other was filled with desire, unconcerned with legalities. One glared angrily, like an ox bellowing in the willow shadows; the other was arrogant and overbearing, like a yellow warbler singing among the flowers. They were close together, swearing eternal love. In the Hundred Flower Garden, it became a place of joy; in the mistress’s room, it became a world of revelry. In an instant, a drop of semen spilled into Jinlian's lovely body.
Since then, Pan Jinlian summoned Qin Tong to her room every night. Before daybreak, she would send him away, giving him gold hairpins, sachets, and other gifts. Unexpectedly, this young servant was quite unruly, often eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling with his companions, showing his true nature. As the saying goes, "If you don't want others to know, don't do it yourself." One day, the news reached Sun Xue'e and Li Jiao'er's ears. They said, "This lascivious woman, who often pretends to be virtuous, has been exposed today!" They went together to complain to Yue Niang. At first, Yue Niang didn't believe it, saying, "Are you just trying to provoke Meng Sanjie because you don't get along with him? Just say you're bullying his servant." This left the two speechless. Later, Pan Jinlian and Qin Tong were engaging in their affair in the room and forgot to close the kitchen door, which was witnessed by the maid Qiuju as she stepped out to wash her hands. The next day, Qiuju told Xiaoyu, Xiaoyu told Xue'e, and Xue'e and Li Jiao'er went to tell Yue Niang, "It was the maid in his room who said it herself, not us trying to frame her. If Madam remains silent, we'll tell her father. If you spare this lascivious woman, it's as if you're sparing a scorpion!"
On July 27, Ximen Qing returned home to celebrate his birthday. Yue Niang said, "He just came back, and it's his good day again. Don't worry about me, just go ahead! When he really causes a scene, I won't care about you!" The two maids did not listen to Yue Niang and told Ximen Qing about the matter with the qin boy and Pan Jinlian. Upon hearing this, Ximen Qing was furious. After sitting down, he immediately called for the qin boy. Someone hurried to inform Pan Jinlian. Pan Jinlian was so frightened that she panicked, urging Chunmei to quickly call the servant in and to keep quiet. In her panic, she forgot to remove her fragrant pouch. Ximen Qing ordered her to kneel in the hall and told some servants to bring a large board. Ximen Qing asked, "You little thief, do you know what you've done?" The qin boy was too scared to say anything for a long time. Ximen Qing told the others, "Take off his hairpin, let me see!" When he noticed the hairpin was missing, he asked, "Where is the gold-wrapped silver hairpin you were wearing?" The qin boy said, "I don't have a silver hairpin." Ximen Qing said, "You dare to argue! Strip him naked and beat him!" Several servants stripped him of his clothes, even pulling down his pants. They discovered a jade-colored silk scarf hidden in his underwear, with a brocade fragrant pouch exposed on the scarf. Ximen Qing instantly recognized it as Pan Jinlian's skirt and became even angrier, asking him, "Where did this come from? Honestly confess who gave it to you!" The qin boy was so terrified he couldn't speak for a while, and finally said, "I found it while cleaning the garden one day." Ximen Qing was even angrier, gritting his teeth and shouting, "Tie him up and beat him severely!" They tied up the qin boy and gave him thirty hard blows, leaving him battered and bleeding heavily. They also had his hair pulled out and kicked him out, banning him from coming back. The qin boy knelt and cried as he fled.
Pan Jinlian heard it in the room and felt like she had been doused with a bucket of cold water. After a while, Ximen Qing entered the room, and she was so scared she shook all over, her hands and feet icy cold. She rushed over to help him get dressed, but was slapped by Ximen Qing. Ximen Qing barked at Chunmei, "Block both the front and back doors, and don't allow anyone to come in!" He moved a small chair to sit in the courtyard, took a riding whip, and shouted, "Filthy whore, take off your clothes and kneel down!" Pan Jinlian knew she was in the wrong and did not dare to resist; she stripped off her clothes and knelt down, lowering her head and not daring to make a sound. Ximen Qing asked, "Filthy whore, don’t make excuses. I have already interrogated him clearly, and he has confessed. Honestly admit, how many times have you had an affair while I was not at home?" Pan Jinlian wailed, "Oh heavens, I’m innocent! During the half a month you were away, I worked on needlework with Meng San'er during the day, and at night I locked the door and went to sleep. I didn’t do anything wrong, and I didn’t even dare to step outside this courtyard. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Chunmei! What could she possibly not know?" She called Chunmei over to testify. Ximen Qing scolded, "Filthy whore! Someone said you stole the gold hairpin from your head and gave it to the servant, and you still don’t admit it?" Pan Jinlian said, "I’m innocent! It must be some jealous gossip who’s framing me, seeing you often come to rest in my room and deliberately setting me up. I have kept the hairpin you gave me well; you can count it! How could I give that hairpin to that servant for no reason? That servant can’t even hold his own, and is falsely accusing me!" Ximen Qing said, "Let’s set the hairpin aside for now." He took out a fragrance pouch from his sleeve and said, "This is yours; how did it end up with that servant? Do you dare to deny it?" With that, he lashed out and whipped Pan Jinlian. Pan Jinlian was in great pain and cried out, "Good sir, spare me! If you want me to confess, I will confess; if you want to beat me to death, I will accept it. This fragrance pouch, when you were not at home, I was with Meng Sanjie in the garden, and while passing under the wood-scented pavilion, the strap of the pouch came undone and fell off. I didn’t find it, and unexpectedly that servant picked it up. I swear, I didn’t give it to him." This statement was the same as Qintong's confession. Seeing Pan Jinlian stark naked, kneeling delicately on the ground, Ximen Qing's anger diminished considerably. He called Chunmei over, held her in his arms, and asked, "Does the filthy whore really have an affair with the servant? If you say to let her go, I’ll let her go." Chunmei acted coy and said, "Father, you really! My mother and I are inseparable all day; how could my mother have an affair with that servant? It’s all those people who are jealous of us and deliberately framing us. Father, you just bear this reputation; it doesn’t matter if it spreads." A few sweet words calmed Ximen Qing down, and he threw away the whip, told Jinlian to get up and put her clothes back on, and asked Qiujun to prepare food and wine. Pan Jinlian filled a cup of wine and knelt to present it to Ximen Qing. Ximen Qing said, "I’ll spare you today. In the future, when I am not at home, you must reform yourself, lock the door well, and not indulge in wild thoughts. If I find out, I will never let you off lightly!" Pan Jinlian replied, "I understand." She kowtowed four times before sitting down to drink with Ximen Qing. Pan Jinlian, usually spoiled by Ximen Qing, suffered this humiliation today.
It is:
Do not live your life as a woman does; let others dictate your joys and sorrows for a hundred years.
Ximen Qing was drinking with Jinlian when a servant came to report: "Uncle Wu, Second Uncle Wu, Fu Huo Ji, and their daughters and sons-in-law, a big group of relatives have come to give birthday gifts." Ximen Qing hurriedly went to greet the guests. Ying Bo Jue, Xie Xi Fu, and others also brought gifts, and Li Guijie's family sent gifts as well. Ximen Qing was busy collecting gifts and sending out invitations, so he didn't have much time to say anything else.
Meng Yulou heard that Pan Jinlian had been wronged, so she hurried to find Ximen Qing, but he was not at home. She secretly went to see Jinlian without disturbing Li Jiaoer and Sun Xue'e. When Meng Yulou saw Jinlian crying in bed, she asked, "Sister Liu, what's wrong? Please tell me." Jinlian cried and said, "Third Sister, look at those little bitches, backbiting behind my back, seducing men, and even hitting me! I have a deep-seated hatred for those women, as vast as the ocean!" Yulou said, "Even if you have some issues with them, why did they send away my servant? Sister Liu, don't worry, don't men ever listen to us? If he doesn't come to my room tomorrow, forget it, but if he does, I'll slowly persuade him." Jinlian said, "Thank you for caring, Sister." Then she asked Chunmei to make tea. The two chatted for a while, and Yulou went back to her room. In the evening, because Wu Yueman's brother Uncle Wu came, Ximen Qing stayed overnight in Yulou's room. Yulou said, "Don't wrongly accuse Sister Liu; she didn't do anything at all. It's just because she had a little argument with Li Jiaoer and Sun Xue'e before that they sent my servant away. You didn't clarify the situation and just blamed her; it's too unfair! I swear on her behalf; if this is true, I would gladly accept the punishment!" Ximen Qing replied, "I spoke to Chunmei, and she said the same thing." Yulou said, "She is not in a good mood now; won't you go see her?" Ximen Qing said, "I got it; I'll go to her room tomorrow." And so, the night went by quietly.
The next day was the birthday of Ximen Qing. Many officials came, including Zhou Shoubei, Xia Tixiong, Zhang Tuanlian, Wu Dajiu, and others. Everyone drank and celebrated, and they also invited Li Guifei and several singing and dancing girls to perform, creating a lively atmosphere throughout the day. When Li Jiao'er spotted her niece, she took her to see Wu Yueniang and others, and they all had tea together. Li Jiao'er also invited Pan Jinlian to come out and meet, but after sending a maid twice, Pan Jinlian still refused to come out, saying she was not feeling well. In the evening, as Guijie prepared to head home, she said her goodbyes to Yueniang. Yueniang gifted her a silk cloud bib along with some handkerchiefs and jewelry, and Li Jiao'er also accompanied her to see her off. Guijie made her way to the corner gate of Pan Jinlian's garden, hoping to see her. When Pan Jinlian heard she was there, she instructed Chunmei to shut the gate tight, saying, "My lady instructed me not to open the door." Guijie had no choice but to leave, her face burning with embarrassment.
Furthermore, Ximen Qing went to Jinlian's room at night. Jinlian's hair was disheveled, her face was pale; she welcomed Ximen Qing into the room, helped him undress, and poured him tea and water, serving him attentively in various ways. The two of them grew intimate that night; Jinlian was patient and tender. She said, "Brother, who in this house truly cares for you? They are all just putting on a show, insincere. Only I know your thoughts, and you know mine. Others see how much you care for me and become jealous, whispering behind your back and trying to sow discord between us. My fool! Think about it; those people are like hidden daggers, cruelly hurting the one you love! As the saying goes: 'House chickens peck at each other while wild ones soar high.' Even if you were to kill me, I'd still be right here. A few days ago, when you scolded the servants in the courtyard, Big Sister and Third Sister were there; I didn't say a word. I was worried their charms would lead you astray. Those opera singers in the courtyard only care about money; who truly cares for you? Sadly, someone with ill intentions overheard and plotted against me. Throughout history, people harm people, but it's the heavens that truly harm and kill people. In time, the truth will come out, as long as you have my back." Jinlian's words softened Ximen Qing's heart. That night, the two of them gave in to their desires.
A few days later, Ximen Qing rode out on horseback, with Daian and Ping'an following, to Sister Guifei's house. Sister Guifei was dressing up to receive guests. When she heard that Ximen Qing had arrived, she hurried back to her room to remove her makeup, take off her jewelry, and lie down in bed under the covers. Ximen Qing arrived and sat for a moment, and only then did Sister Guifei's mother come out, bowing to greet him, inviting him to sit down and asking, "Why hasn't Big Brother-in-law come over these days?" Ximen Qing replied, "There's been a lot going on lately, and there's no one at home to take care of things." Sister Guifei's mother said, "I’m sorry for bothering you that day." Ximen Qing said, "Why didn't Guifei come that day?" Her mother replied, "Guifei wasn't home; she was invited by guests to a restaurant and hasn't returned in these days." After chatting for a bit, tea was brought out for Ximen Qing. He asked, "Why don't I see Guifei?" Her mother said, "Big Brother-in-law, you don't know yet, she's been a bit out of sorts. She got angry that day and has been lying in bed ever since, not coming out at all. You really should come see her; it’s not very nice of you to ignore her." Ximen Qing said, "Really? I had no idea." He asked, "Which room is she in? I'll go take a look." Her mother said, "She's sleeping in the bedroom behind." She quickly had the maid open the curtain. Ximen Qing walked into the bedroom and saw Sister Guifei with her hair messy and makeup ruined, wrapped up in a blanket, sitting on the bed with her back to him. When Ximen Qing arrived, she didn't even turn around. Ximen Qing asked, "Why weren't you feeling well when you came home that day?" She didn't answer. He asked again, "Who made you angry? Tell me." After a while, Guifei finally spoke up, "It's your fifth wife in your house. Your house already has so many beautiful women serving you; why do you still fancy us courtesans? Although we are from the brothel, we dress decently, much better than those virtuous women! A few days ago, I went to give gifts to your mother, and she treated me very well, even giving me many pieces of jewelry and clothes. But I didn't want to see your fifth wife; she said we were a bunch of troublemakers. I heard you have a fifth wife, so I wanted to invite her out to meet, but she wouldn't come out. When I left, she even had the maid close the door, that was just plain rude!" Ximen Qing said, "Don't blame her; she was in a bad mood that day. If she was in a good mood, why wouldn't she see you? That adulteress, I've wanted to give her a good beating a few times; she always causes trouble and hurts people!" Guifei slapped Ximen Qing in the face and said, "You shameless scoundrel, dare you hit her?" Ximen Qing said, "You have no idea how I handle things. Besides my own wife, those wives and maids in the house, when I whip them, I could whip them all day and they wouldn't even flinch; I even cut their hair." Guifei said, "I've seen people beheaded, but never seen anyone beaten in the mouth. You beat a few officials, bow a few times, who would fear you? If you’re really tough, go ahead and cut her hair off and show me, then I'll believe you're a formidable person."
"Ximen Qing said, 'Do you dare to challenge me?' Sister Gui shot back, 'I’ll challenge you a hundred times!' That night, Ximen Qing spent the night at Sister Gui's place and didn't leave until the next evening. Sister Gui said, 'Hey, next time you come, if you don’t bring a gift, let’s see how you’ll face me!'"
Ximen Qing stumbled home drunk and went straight to Pan Jinlian's room. Pan Jinlian saw that he had been drinking, so she waited on him eagerly. Ximen Qing didn’t even eat. Pan Jinlian told Chunmei to tidy up the bed before stepping out herself. Ximen Qing plopped down on the bed and told Pan Jinlian to take off his shoes. Pan Jinlian didn’t dare to refuse. Soon, the shoes were off, and Pan Jinlian helped him onto the bed. Ximen Qing wasn’t sleeping; he sat up on the pillow and asked Pan Jinlian to undress while kneeling on the ground. Pan Jinlian was terrified and sweating profusely, not knowing what Ximen Qing wanted. She knelt on the ground, crying and saying, "Master! Tell me what is going on; I am willing to die! I am always on edge, serving you carefully, but still can't please you. You always get at me like a dull knife; how can I bear it?"
Ximen Qing spat, "You wench, if you don't undress, I will make you regret it!" Then he called Chunmei, "There is a horse whip behind the door; bring it!" Chunmei hesitated a moment before finally opening the door. Seeing Pan Jinlian kneeling on the ground, Ximen Qing wanted to hit her, but Chunmei didn't move. Pan Jinlian cried out, "Chunmei, sister, help me! He wants to hit me!" Ximen Qing said, "Shut up, don't mind her! Give me the whip; I want to teach this cheating woman a lesson!" Chunmei said, "Dad, how shameless can you be! What has Mom done to deserve this? You believe the words of this adulteress, causing trouble for no reason, and want to search her body? Still want her to be loyal to you! Who would like you! I won't serve you anymore!" With that, she slammed the door behind her. Ximen Qing could only chuckle and said to Jinlian, "I won't hit you anymore. Come here, I want to ask you for something; will you give it to me?" Pan Jinlian said, "Sure, sir, everything I have is yours; what do you want, I will give it to you. What's on your mind?" Ximen Qing said, "I want a strand of your beautiful hair."
Pan Jinlian said, "Oh, my dear! I'm okay with whatever you want, but cutting my hair is not an option; that would really freak me out. I've lived for twenty-six years and have never done such a thing. Besides, I've lost quite a bit of hair recently, so have a little mercy on me." Ximen Qing said, "You just blame me for being angry; you don't listen to what I say." Pan Jinlian replied, "If I don't listen to you, who else should I listen to?" Then she asked, "Honestly tell me, what do you want my hair for?" Ximen Qing said, "I want to make a net scarf." Pan Jinlian said, "If you want to make a net scarf, I'll help you with that, but don't let those other women have it; I don't want them to overshadow me." Ximen Qing said, "I won't give it to anyone else; I want to use your hair to make the thread for the net scarf." Pan Jinlian said, "If you want to make the thread, I'll help you cut it." Pan Jinlian let down her hair, and Ximen Qing took scissors and swiftly cut off a large lock, wrapping it in paper and putting it in his pocket. Pan Jinlian fell into Ximen Qing's arms, crying, "I'll do whatever you say; I just hope you won't forget me. Even if you are with someone else, please don't abandon me!" That night, they spent the whole night together.
The next day, Ximen Qing got up, and Pan Jinlian served him breakfast before he went out to ride his horse. Sister Gui asked him, "What happened to the hair you cut?" Ximen Qing said, "It's right here." He took the hair out of his pocket and showed it to Sister Gui. When she took a look, she saw that it was indeed nice, shiny black hair, so she kept it. Ximen Qing said, "After you look at it, give it back to me. It was a real hassle to cut her hair yesterday, and I was even angry; she only let me cut it after I coaxed her by saying it was for the thread for the net scarf. See? I keep my promises, right?" Sister Gui said, "What's so special about it? Why make such a fuss? When you go home, I'll give it back to you. If you're really scared of her, then don't cut her hair." Ximen Qing laughed and said, "I'm not afraid of her! I'm just afraid of saying the wrong thing." Sister Gui called for Guiqing to accompany him for drinks while secretly hiding the hair in the sole of her shoe, stepping on it every day without caring at all. She had entangled Ximen Qing, keeping him from going home for days.
After Pan Jinlian had her hair cut, she felt quite distressed, stayed indoors all day without eating. Wu Yueniang sent a servant to invite the frequent visitor, Liu Pozzi, to come and see her, saying, "Madam is feeling down, has a headache and feels nauseous, and can't eat." She then opened the medicine bag and left two packets of pills: "Take them with ginger soup at night." She also said, "I'll have my husband come by tomorrow to check your fortune for the year and see if any disasters are coming." Pan Jinlian asked, "Your husband can also tell fortunes?" Liu Pozzi said, "Although he is blind, he's got a few skills: he's good at fortune-telling, helping people resolve difficulties; he can also use acupuncture to treat wounds; and there's something I can't say, - he specializes in mediating family disputes." Pan Jinlian asked, "What is mediating family disputes?" Liu Pozzi said, "For example, when father and son are at odds, brothers are not getting along, or the main wife and concubines are quarreling, people come to my husband for mediation, using talismans and water to settle things. Within three days, father and son will be close, brothers will be harmonious, and wives and concubines will stop fighting. If business is slow or the family's not doing well, he helps them unlock their fortune. He can treat illnesses, ward off evil spirits, and adjust the stars. That's why everyone calls him Liu Lixing. There's a strange story about his family. The newly married daughter-in-law is from a poor family and has a habit of stealing, often taking things from her mother-in-law to bring back to her parents' home. When her husband found out, he often hit her. My husband mediated for her, drew a talisman, burned it to ashes, and buried it under the water jar. The whole family drank the water from the jar, and if the daughter-in-law stole again, it was as if no one saw it. He also placed a talisman under the pillow, and when the man slept on that pillow, it was like his hands were tied, so he wouldn't lay a hand on her again." Pan Jinlian, intrigued, asked her maid to bring Liu Pozzi some tea and snacks. As Liu Pozzi was leaving, Pan Jinlian handed her three coins for the medicine and another five for paper charms. The next morning, she called for Liu the blind man to burn the paper. Liu Pozzi said her goodbyes and headed home.
The next morning, the fortune-telling blind man strode into Ximen Qing's house. Ximen Qing was in the courtyard at the time, and the young servant quickly asked, "What's the blind man here for?" Liu Po replied, "He's here to burn paper for the Fifth Lady today." The young servant replied, "Burning paper for the Fifth Lady? Old Liu, take him inside, be careful, and watch the dog." Liu Po took the blind man directly to Pan Jinlian's bedroom, and after quite a wait, Pan Jinlian finally came out. The blind man greeted Pan Jinlian and sat down. Pan Jinlian told the blind man her birth date and time, and the blind man took the birth details and began to murmur: "Madam was born in the year of Geng Chen, the month of Geng Yin, the day of Yi in the month of Hai, at the hour of Ji in the Chou. The eighth day of the Lunar New Year has already passed. According to the Zi Ping method, although your eight characters are quite unique, you may struggle to get support from your husband star throughout your life, and there may be some challenges with children. Yi wood born in the first month is considered strong and will not self-immolate. However, with two Geng metals, the Yang energy is too strong, making it hard for the husband star to bear; it would be better if you could get rid of two." Pan Jinlian said, "I have already eliminated two." The blind man replied, "Madam, your fate... please don't take it the wrong way. Although it follows the Zi Ping method, there is too much water with Gui water in both the Hai and Chou, which disrupts the only Si earth, mixing fortunes and misfortunes. For men, heavy misfortunes may bring power, while for women, heavy misfortunes can harm their husbands. Thus, you are intelligent, adaptable, and easily gain the affection of others. However, one point this year is the year of Jia Chen, with the year's fortune coinciding, disasters are about to come. Your fate also encounters minor losses and entanglements; these two stars are causing trouble. Although they won't lead to major disasters, they will create disharmony in your relationships, and petty people will gossip, making it hard for you to find any peace."
Pan Jinlian listened and said, "Thank you, sir, for your kindness. Please tell me more details. I have a couple of silver coins here as a token of my thanks, to buy you a cup of tea. I ask for nothing else, only hope that the nasty person stays away and that my husband can love me even more." Saying this, she turned and went into the house, taking out two pieces of jewelry to give to the blind man. The blind man tucked the jewelry away in his sleeve and said, "Since you want me to help, use a piece of willow wood to carve two small figurines, one male and one female, and write your and your husband's birth dates on them. Bind them together with forty-nine strands of red thread. Cover the male figurine's eyes with a piece of red gauze, stuff his heart with mugwort, nail his hands with needles, and glue his feet to prevent him from moving, then secretly bury it under the pillow you sleep on. Then write a talisman with red cinnabar, burn it to ashes, and secretly put it into the tea. If your husband drinks this tea and sleeps by that pillow at night, it will take effect within three days." Pan Jinlian asked, "May I ask, sir, what do these four items represent?" The blind man replied, "Let me tell you, covering the eyes with gauze will make your husband think you are as beautiful as Xi Shi; stuffing his heart with mugwort will make him only love you; nailing his hands will make him dare not hit you again; gluing his feet will make him dare not misbehave." Upon hearing this, Pan Jinlian felt a sense of delight. She immediately prepared incense, candles, and paper offerings, and had the blind man burn paper money for her. The next day, she had Liu Po deliver the talisman water and the protective items, arranging them as the blind man instructed, burning the talisman to ashes, and brewing a good cup of tea, waiting for Ximen Qing to return home. When Ximen Qing returned home, Pan Jinlian had Chunmei serve him the tea. That night, they shared the same bed and slept side by side, and in the days that followed, they were very affectionate. As the saying goes, whether among the high and mighty or the common folk, it’s best not to provoke these people; you never know what they might be plotting behind your back! The ancients had four wise sayings that capture this well: "Do not let three old women pass in front of the hall, and keep the back door locked to avoid trouble."
A well-guarded well in the courtyard leads to fewer troubles and more good fortune.
