The words are as follows:
After finishing with the swing, she rises and smooths her delicate hands. The dew is heavy, the flowers are wilting, and a light sweat seeps through her sheer clothes.
Upon seeing the guests arrive, she readjusts her golden hairpin. Feeling shy, she turns to leave, leans against the doorframe, glances back, and breathes in the scent of green plums.
- From the right tune "Pointing Red Lips"
The Qingming Festival is approaching. Wu Yueniang had set up a swing in the garden. Ximen Qing was not at home that day, so Yueniang took her sisters to play on the swing to shake off their spring drowsiness. First, she played with Meng Yulou for a while, and then let Li Jiaor play with Pan Jinlian. Li Jiaor said she was heavy and couldn't play, so she let Li Ping'er and Pan Jinlian play. After some time playing, Yulou called over Sister Six (Pan Jinlian) to join her on the swing and cautioned them to keep quiet. The two of them stood side by side on the swing. Yueniang instructed Hui Lian and Chun Mei to watch from the sidelines. What a beautiful scene it was:
Face to face, shoulder to shoulder, their wrists entwined, four golden lotuses in a tangle.
Pan Jinlian kept laughing above, and Yue Niang said, "Sixth Sister, it's okay to laugh, but I'm afraid you might fall down accidentally—that wouldn't be any fun." As she spoke, the swing board slipped, and Pan Jinlian, wearing high-heeled shoes, couldn't stand steadily. With a whoosh, she nearly fell off, but luckily caught the swing frame; otherwise, Yulou would have gone down with her. Yue Niang said, "I told you not to laugh, and look what happened—you fell!" Then she said to Li Jiao'er and the others, "When you're on the swing, laughing is a big no-no. Laughing too much makes your legs weak and prone to falling. When we were at home before, the Zhou family next door also had a swing in their garden. In March, Miss Zhou and a few of us girls played together, laughing non-stop, and as a result, Miss Zhou fell down, still sitting on the swing board, scared to death. After she got married, people said she was no good, and her husband ended up divorcing her. So, when you're swinging in the future, just don't laugh." Pan Jinlian said, "Meng San'er (Meng Yulou) can't, I'll play on the swing with Sister Li (Li Pin'er)." Yue Niang said, "Be careful, you two." She asked Yuxiao and Chunmei to help push from the side. Just as they were about to start, Chen Jingji arrived and said, "Are you playing on the swing here?" Yue Niang said, "Brother-in-law is here, please help us push the swing; the girls don’t have much strength." Chen Jingji didn't say a word, hurried over to help, first supporting Pan Jinlian, saying, "Wu Niang, stand steady, I'm here." The swing shot up like a bird in flight. When Li Pin'er saw the swing flying up, she was startled and shouted, "Not good, brother-in-law, help me push too!" Chen Jingji said, "Don't worry, take it slow; you’re shouting all over the place, and it’s throwing me off." Then he lifted Li Pin'er's skirt, revealing her bright red panties, and gave her a gentle push. Li Pin'er said, "Brother-in-law, slow down! My legs are going weak!" Chen Jingji said, "It turns out you can't hold your liquor, huh!" Pan Jinlian said again, "Sister Li, my skirt is tangled again!" The two played for a while and then came down. Next, Chunmei and Ximen Qing's eldest sister played for a while, then Yuxiao and Huilian played on the swing. Huilian stood firmly on the swing, not needing anyone to push her. The swing flew very high, just like a flying immortal, really beautiful! Yue Niang said to Yulou and Li Pin'er, "Look at Huilian, she's so good at playing!" But let’s put a pin in Yue Niang and the others swinging for now.
Lai Wang returned from Hangzhou to deliver a birthday outfit to Cai Taishi. The boat was loaded with boxes and crates. After returning home and unloading his luggage, he went into the backyard and saw Xue E at the door of the main hall. He hurried to greet her. Xue E smiled and said, "Welcome back! You must have had a tough journey, huh? It's been a long time, and you've gained weight." Lai Wang asked where his parents were, and Xue E replied, "Your dad went out of town to hang out with Ying Bojue and the others. Your mom and older sister are swinging in the garden." Lai Wang said, "Oh, they're playing on the swing?" Xue E poured him a cup of tea and then asked about his wife. Xue E scoffed, "Your wife? Same old story! She spends all day playing chess and cards with the women; when does she have time for housework!" Just then, Xiaoyu ran to the garden to tell Lady Moon. Lady Moon came out, and Lai Wang bowed to her, shared what happened on the way, and Lady Moon gave him two bottles of wine as a reward. After drinking the wine, his wife Song Huilian arrived. Lady Moon said, "You've worked hard too; go wash up in your room, get some rest, and catch up with your dad when he gets back." Lai Wang went to rest in the room. Hui Lian came in, helped him wash his face, packed his things, and said, "Wow, you've gotten tanned and put on some weight!" She helped him change and made him something to eat. After a short nap, he woke up to find it was already evening.
Ximen Qing returned home, and Lai Wang approached him, bowing and saying, "The fabric for Cai Taishi's birthday and the clothes for home are all ready, packed in four boxes and shipped back on an official vessel. We just need to hire someone to carry them." Ximen Qing was very happy, gave him travel expenses, asked him to bring the items into the city the next day, rewarded him with five taels of silver as pocket money, and tasked him with buying supplies. Lai Wang secretly brought some gifts and gave Sun Xue'e two silk handkerchiefs, two embroidered pants, four boxes of Hangzhou face powder, and twenty rouge pots. Xue'e quietly told Lai Wang, "During your four months away, your wife and your brother-in-law have become intimate. Yuxiao acted as the go-between, and Jinlian provided them with a place to meet in the house. They started under the hill, then moved inside, carrying on their affair day and night, receiving clothes, jewelry, gold and silver valuables from him, and even sending the servant out to buy things, spending two or three taels of silver daily." Lai Wang said, "No wonder there were clothes and jewelry in the boxes! I thought your mom sent them!" Xue'e said, "From your mother? They're from your brother-in-law!" Lai Wang took note of this.
It was dark, I had a few drinks, and then went back to the room. As the saying goes, true words are spoken when drunk. I opened the box and saw a piece of blue satin; the design was quite special, so I asked my wife, "Where did this satin come from? Who gave it to you? Tell me the truth!" My wife didn't know what was going on; she deliberately smiled and said, "You mischievous rascal, why are you asking about this? When you saw me without a coat in the backyard, you gave me a piece of satin and put it in the box. I haven't had time to make it yet. Who gave it to me in the end?" I shouted, "You shameless hussy! Still playing innocent! Who gave it to you in the end?" I asked again, "Where did these jewels come from?" My wife said, "Bah! You damn scoundrel! Doesn't everyone have parents? Even if you jumped out of a crack in the rock, you still need a nest, right? Who doesn't have relatives and friends? These are borrowed hair accessories from my aunt's family, who gave them to me!" I punched her, almost knocking her down, and said, "You slut, still sophistry! Someone saw you fooling around with that shameless guy! How did Yuxiao introduce you, give you satin, and secretly do it in the front garden, then run to Pan Jinlian's house to do it openly, behaving shamelessly all day long! You slut, do you want me to wear a green hat?" My wife burst into tears and exclaimed, "You damn scoundrel! Why did you come home and hit me? What did I do wrong? You can't speak accurately; you have to investigate everything thoroughly. Who is slandering me, looking for trouble, and instigating you to bully me? I'm not someone without backing! Even if you want to bully me to death, you have to find a clean place. Go ask the Song family's maid; if you slightly twist her foot, the word 'Song' will be written upside down! You troublemaker, it's like rain without a cloud! You need evidence for everything! Who do you kill when you're told to kill?" I was speechless by her words. My wife said again, "This blue satin, let me tell you again, it was on the third sister's birthday last November. Mother saw me wearing a purple coat on top and Yuxiao's borrowed skirt at the bottom and said, 'Daughter-in-law, why are you dressed so improperly, what does it look like?' That's when she gave me this satin. Who has time for this nonsense? Everyone knows that! You're forcing me. You've mistaken the wrong person. I'm not easy to bully. Tomorrow I will scold her properly. Even if I have to risk my life, I will find an explanation!" I said, "Since there's nothing going on, why bother getting angry for no reason? Quickly make the bed and go to sleep." My wife said as she made the bed, "You bastard, you act recklessly after drinking! Making me suffer for no reason." She pushed me onto the bed, and I was snoring like a freight train. Let me tell you, those women who support their husbands, no matter how smart the men are, if they are deceived by their sweet words, nine out of ten will be fooled. As the saying goes: the bricks in the East are as tough as they are stinky.
Song Huilian and Lai Wang'er spent the night together. The next day, she went to the backyard to ask Yu Xiao who had leaked the matter, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find out who it was, leaving her feeling frustrated. One day, Yue Niang sent Xiao Yu to find Xue E, but she searched everywhere and couldn't find her. When she walked to the front, she saw Xue E coming out of Lai Wang'er’s room, likely talking to his wife. To her surprise, Huilian was in the kitchen, chopping meat. After a while, Ximen Qing was chatting with Qiao Dahus, as the Yangzhou salt merchant Wang Sifeng had been imprisoned by the assistant governor and had offered two thousand taels of silver for Ximen Qing's help in getting him released through Grand Minister Cai. Just after seeing off the wealthy man, Ximen Qing called for Wang, and Wang ran out from his room. The poem reads:
The snow hides the egret, and the oriole flies to be seen; the willow conceals the parrot, and the words are only known.
This suggests that Xue E and Lai Wang'er are having an affair.
One day, Lai Wang'er got drunk and started cursing Xi Menqing, saying, "I’m not even home, and he actually had that girl Yu Xiao take a piece of blue satin to deceive my wife and fool around with her in the garden. Later, Pan Jinlian even helped them! Let them be, just don’t let me catch them doing anything. I want them to pay blood for their debts! I might as well kill Pan Jinlian too; they’re all going to die anyway. Just wait and see how I’ll take care of them! Pan Jinlian, who poisoned her husband, Wu Dalang, and when her brother-in-law Wu Song came to complain, who helped her in Dongjing to get Wu Song exiled? Now she lives freely and even incites my wife to take in other men. I have a deep-seated grudge against her! As the saying goes, once you start, you have to see it through. I’ll take care of it when the time comes. I’ll risk my life to kill them!" Lai Wang'er wasn’t paying attention to what he was saying and didn’t realize someone was in the bushes and was unexpectedly overheard by the servant, Lai Xing. Lai Xing was sent by Xi Menqing to handle purchases and manage the finances at home. Since he was involved with Lai Wang's wife, he took over the purchasing tasks, leaving Lai Wang to manage everything else. Lai Xing and Lai Wang didn’t get along, and when he heard what Lai Wang'er said, he quietly went to tell Pan Jinlian.
Jinlian and Meng Yulou were sitting together. When Lai Xing lifted the curtain and entered, Jinlian asked him, "What brings you here? Who did your father go to drink with today?" Lai Xing replied, "My father went out with Uncle Ying Er to attend a funeral today. I have something to tell you. Just keep it to yourself and don’t say it out loud." Jinlian said, "What is it? Just say it, it's okay!" Lai Xing said, "It's nothing major, it’s just that Lai Wang got really drunk yesterday and was shouting and cursing all day. He even picked a fight with the servants. I just stayed out of it, but he continued to curse everyone in the house, including my father and Fifth Sister (that’s you, Pan Jinlian)." Pan Jinlian asked, "What did that jerk say about me?" Lai Xing replied, "I can’t say. Third Sister (you know, Pan Jinlian) is here, you know. That guy claimed that while my father was away, he was having an affair with his wife, and that Fifth Sister was in on it, openly sleeping with his wife. He even said he wanted to kill my father and Fifth Sister, demanding blood for blood. He also said that Fifth Sister poisoned her husband in the past, and it was thanks to him going to Tokyo to handle things that saved Fifth Sister's life. He accused Fifth Sister of repaying kindness with enmity, instigating his wife to take a lover. I rushed to warn Fifth Sister to watch out for him." Upon hearing this, Yulou was stunned, like she’d just fallen into icy water. Jinlian's face flushed with anger as she ground her teeth and cursed, "This damn slave! I had no grievances or enmities with him in the past, so why is he bothering me now that his master took his wife? I’ll make sure he ends up a lifelong bachelor at Ximen Qing’s! What do I owe him for that supposed saving grace?" She then instructed Lai Xing, "You should get going now. When your father questions you about it, just stick to that story." Lai Xing replied, "Fifth Sister, what are you talking about! I’m not lying; every word is the truth. No matter how your father questions you, I’ll say the same thing." With that, he left.
Yulou asked Jinlian, "Does his father and that woman really have an affair?" Jinlian replied, "You're asking about that shameless creature! What kind of good wife gets bullied by a servant like that! When she was a maid at Judge Cai's house, she and his first wife were caught having affairs and she was kicked out, then married Jiang Cong. She's been with so many men; she knows all the tricks! Laiwang secretly sent him silk to make clothes using a jade flute. I knew the whole winter, but didn't tell you. That day, Eldest Sister went to drink at Qiao Dahus' house, and we were playing chess in the yard, right? The maid said her father had come back, and we dispersed. Later, I walked to the backyard and saw Xiaoyu in the corridor; I asked her, and she shook her head at me. I just walked to the garden gate and saw Yuxiao standing at the corner gate; turns out she was letting him have his way. I didn't know then, so I walked straight into the garden. Yuxiao blocked me and wouldn't let me in, saying her father was inside. I scolded him a few words. I suspected something was off between them, so I went in to check, and sure enough, they were getting cozy in the cave! The wife saw me, blushed, and hurried out. When her father saw me, he looked embarrassed, and I scolded him a bit for being so shameless. Later, on New Year's Day, her father even wanted to put that woman in my room for the night; Chunmei and I both gave him a piece of our minds, never allowing him near her again! That shameless servant nearly dragged me into it! There's no way I'd let her run wild in my room! Even if it was me, that little girl Chunmei, he wouldn’t dare lay a finger on!" Yulou said, "I was just thinking, that guy always puts on an act in front of me; turns out he did this behind my back! Speaking of which, his father shouldn't have wanted him. With so many women out there, why does he have to pick one who's out there messing around?" Jinlian said, "Let's not throw shade at each other; you want my husband, I'll secretly take your little wife, we're even! That little troublemaker, always gossiping about others, I taught her a lesson today; let's see if she dares to talk nonsense again!" Yulou said to Jinlian, "Should we tell his father about this? Eldest Sister doesn't care. If that guy actually starts behaving himself, if we don't say anything, his father won't know; what if he gets blindsided one day? Sister Six, you have to think of a solution."
Jinlian said: "Unless he actually kills me, I won’t let him off the hook!"
In life, I have never done anything that would make me frown; there shouldn't be anyone in the world who grits their teeth in anger. That night, Ximen Qing returned home and saw Jin Lian with disheveled hair, sleepy eyes, and swollen from crying. When he asked her what was wrong, Jin Lian explained that Lai Wang had gotten drunk and threatened to kill his master: "Lai Xing heard it with his own ears. Think about it, you're sneaking around with his wife, so of course, he’s sneaking around with your little wife. You two are cut from the same cloth! If he kills you, that's on you; it’s got nothing to do with me! He even wants to drag me down with him! Think of something fast; the night is long and full of surprises, so watch out for him!" Ximen Qing asked, "Who is involved with him?" Jin Lian replied, "Don’t ask me, just ask Xiao Yu and you’ll know." She continued, "This servant has picked on me more times than I can count. He says that I used to drug men; you married me, and he went to great lengths to save me. He’s been spreading rumors about me all over town. If I didn’t have kids, it might be different, but now that I have kids, how awful is it for him to spread such slander? He dares to say: ‘When your wife was down on her luck, I saved her.’ That would be embarrassing for you! Even if you have no shame, I cannot tolerate it. What’s the point of living like this?" After hearing Jin Lian's words, Ximen Qing went to the front yard and called Lai Xing over to a quiet spot to ask him about the situation. The young servant spilled the beans on everything. He then went to the back courtyard and asked Xiao Yu, who said the same thing as Jin Lian: she indeed saw Xue Er come out of Lai Wang's room that day when his wife was not home. Ximen Qing was furious and beat Sun Xue Er, but was later persuaded by Yue Niang to stop. He confiscated her jewelry and clothes, ordered her to help in the kitchen, and forbade her from seeing anyone. But let’s put this on the back burner for now.
Ximen Qing was in the backyard, asking Yuxiao to call Song Huilian over to privately question her. Huilian said, "Oh, master, don't listen to their nonsense; he absolutely didn't do that. I swear it. He just had a few drinks; how could he possibly have the guts to curse you behind your back? And even say that King Zhou is unjust! Where did he get the courage? Master, don't believe rumors. I ask you, who said that?" Ximen Qing was left speechless by Huilian's words. After pressing, he said, "It was Lai Xing who told me." Huilian said, "Lai Xing is resentful because you made him in charge of procurement, saying we stole his business and couldn't make money, so he harbored a grudge and deliberately slandered him. Master, you believe it? If he really did this, I won't spare him either. Master, listen to me, don’t let him stick around; just give him some silver and send him off to do business somewhere far away. When he's gone, it will be easier for us to talk." Ximen Qing was very pleased to hear this and said, "My good wife, you're right. I was actually thinking about sending him to the capital, to entrust him to the salt merchant Wang Sifeng, take the route of Cai Taishi, and then have him escort the birthday gifts back. It’s just that he just got back from Hangzhou; it’s not good to send him out again. Since you said so, I’ll send him away tomorrow. When he gets back, I’ll give him one thousand taels of silver, have him and the manager head to Hangzhou to do business, buying and selling silk and satin. What do you think?" Huilian was very happy in her heart and said, "Master, this is the best plan." Just then, Ximen Qing saw no one around, so he hugged her and kissed her. Huilian took the initiative to kiss him, and the two of them kissed passionately. Huilian said, "Master, you promised to help me style my hair; why haven't you done it yet? When can I wear this hair bun? What's the point of always wearing a headscarf?" Ximen Qing said, "It's okay; tomorrow I’ll give you eight taels of silver to get a hairpin from the silversmith." Ximen Qing also said, "If your mother-in-law asks, what will you say?" Huilian said, "It's okay; I’ve got it covered; just tell her it’s borrowed from my aunt’s place." The two of them talked for a while and then went their separate ways.
The next day, Ximen Qing sat in the living room and called Wang Er: "Pack up ten sets of clothes and luggage. Set off for Tokyo the day after tomorrow, on March 28th, to deliver gifts to Cai Taishi. After you come back, I will send you to Hangzhou to do business." After hearing this, Wang Er was overjoyed, agreed, packed his luggage, and went out to buy some items for the gifts.
Lai Xing'er heard about this and hurried to tell Pan Jinlian. Jinlian went to find Ximen Qing upon hearing this. She knew Ximen Qing was in the garden's pavilion. When she went there, she didn't find Ximen Qing but saw Chen Jingji wrapping the gifts. Jinlian asked, "Where is your father? What are you wrapping?" Jingji said, "My father was here just now. He went to Madam's place to give money to the salt merchant Wang Sifeng. I'm wrapping gifts to be delivered to Cai Taishi in Tokyo." Jinlian asked again, "Who did he send to take them?" Jingji said, "My father told Wang Er to go yesterday."
Just as Jinlian was about to leave, she ran into Ximen Qing returning with money on the garden path. Jinlian called Ximen Qing into the house and asked him, "Who are you sending to Tokyo tomorrow?" Ximen Qing said, "Wang Er and Manager Wu will go together. Due to the issue with the salt merchant Wang Sifeng's twelve hundred taels of silver, I am sending two more people."
Pan Jinlian said, "Do whatever you want. You never listen to me, but you listen to those servants and seductresses. They just ask around, and you defend them. That servant has been scheming for a long time, not just for a day or two. Anyway, you gave your wife to me, squandered your money, and went off to fool around. Let's see what you'll have left! If you lose your money, so be it, but someone else has a thousand taels of silver; you might not be able to pay him back. It's up to you whether you want to hear me out. Your wife always has him in mind. Even if you don't covet his wife, it's not wise to keep him at home or to send him out to do business. If you keep him at home, you'll be on edge all day, always worrying about him. If you send him out, he'll take your money, and you won't be able to keep tabs on him. If you really want this servant's wife, it's better to get rid of this servant altogether. As the saying goes, 'get rid of the bad and cut it out at the root.' This way, you won’t have to worry, and your wife will be loyal to you."
Pan Jinlian's words hit Ximen Qing like a ton of bricks. A few words can clear the path for a gentleman, and a few can wake someone from a dream.
