Once upon a time, Wu Dalu brought a group of people, including Yue Niang and her companions, to leave Yongfu Temple and walk along the tree-lined embankment. Dai'an had been waiting under the Xinghua Tavern, which was bustling with activity. He found a good vantage point, spread out some mats, set up food and drinks, and waited patiently. When he saw Yue Niang and the others' sedan chairs and donkeys coming from afar, Dai'an asked, "Why did it take so long to arrive?" Yue Niang shared what had happened with Chunmei at Yongfu Temple. Soon enough, the wine arrived, and everyone sat down to drink. While they were drinking, they saw the lively scene below, filled with bustling traffic and a crowd. Yue Niang and the others stood on high ground and looked down, only to find a large crowd gathered to watch acrobatics.
Li Yanei, the son of the county magistrate, was named Li Gongbi. In his thirties, he was a scholar of sorts. However, he was a dashing fellow who wasn’t much into studying; he preferred hanging around, cockfighting, playing football, and fighting. He often mixed with people from all walks of life, earning him the nickname "Li Gun." That day, he was decked out in a light silk outfit, wearing a fancy golden hat and yellow boots, with constable He Bowei and a crew of twenty or so followers, armed with slingshots, blowpipes, and baseball bats. They were putting on a show under the big tavern in Apricot Blossom Village, watching an acrobat named Li Gui perform. Li Gui, also known as "Shandong Yaksha," wore a ten-thousand-character headscarf, a purple narrow-sleeved shirt, a golden belt, rode a silver-maned horse, held a red tassel spear, and had a fluttering flag on his back. He was showing off his skills right in the street, making everyone laugh.
Li Yanei was engrossed in watching when he suddenly glanced up and spotted a few women in white robes sitting up high, drinking. One tall woman immediately caught his eye, and he was captivated, wondering to himself, "Who is this woman? Is she married?" He quickly called over a follower named Xiaozhang and quietly instructed him, "Go check out who those three women in white robes are up on that hill, and let me know when you find out." Xiaozhang agreed and quickly ran over. In no time, he rushed back and whispered to Yueniang, "They’re from the family of Ximen Qing in front of the county yamen. The older one’s last name is Wu; she’s her mother-in-law; the short one is her wife, Wu Yueniang; the tall one with the pockmarked face is the third concubine, surnamed Meng, named Yulou; they’re all widows now."
Li Yanei immediately set his sights on Meng Yulou and generously rewarded Xiaozhang. This matter was put aside for now.
Wu Yueniang and Uncle Da Jiu watched for a long time, and as the sun was setting, they had Dai'an pack up the food box and ride back home in the sedan chair and on the donkey. At that moment, a poem came to mind:
Under the shade of the willows, the flowers shade the dust along the road,
Each outing offers something new.
Fate brings us together from a thousand miles apart,
Not meeting face to face means it wasn’t meant to be.
Let’s not discuss the ladies’ return home. Besides, that day, Sun Xue'e and Sister Ximen were at home, with nothing to do that afternoon, and they walked outside to the gate. It was truly fate when a man carrying a pole selling cosmetics unexpectedly showed up. Back then, vendors sold powder, jewelry, and mirrors while carrying poles as they walked through the streets. Sister Ximen said, "My mirror is dirty." She told Ping'an, "Stop that man and ask him to help me polish my mirror." The man put down the pole and said, "I don't know how to polish mirrors; I sell gold and silver jewelry." He stood at the door, his eyes fixed on Xue'e. Xue'e said, "Hey, if you can’t polish mirrors, just leave! Why are you staring at me?" The man said, "Miss Xue, Miss, don't you recognize me?" Sister replied, "You look familiar, but I can’t place you right now." The man said, "I used to work for your family; I’m Lai Wang." Xue'e said, "Where have you been all these years? You’ve really put on weight!" Lai Wang said, "After leaving your house, I returned to my hometown Xuzhou; there was no business at home, so I followed my old man to the capital to be an official. Unexpectedly, my father passed away on the way, and I returned home to mourn. Later, I became an apprentice at a silver shop in the city, learned the trade, and started selling jewelry. Business has been slow lately, so the shop asked me to carry a pole and sell some miscellaneous items. When I saw you at the door, I didn’t dare to approach, worried I might offend you. If you hadn't called me, I wouldn't have dared to recognize you." Xue'e said, "So it's you. I didn't recognize you for a long time. Since we are old acquaintances, what are you afraid of?" So she asked, "What do you have on your pole? Come inside and show us." Lai Wang carried the pole into the courtyard. He opened the box and revealed several pieces of jewelry: intricately crafted gold and silver inlays. Sister and Xue'e examined the pieces for a moment before asking Lai Wang, "Do you have any other jewelry?" Sun Xue'e picked a pair of emerald phoenixes and a pair of willow leaf-shaped goldfish. Sister paid the silver. Xue'e owed him one tael and two mace of silver for the two pieces, saying, "Come back tomorrow to collect them." Lai Wang said, "I heard at home last year that my father had died. Your mother-in-law gave birth to a child; I don't know how big he is now." Xue'e said, "Your mother-in-law's child is only half a year old now. The whole family is counting on her to make a living." Your mother-in-law isn’t home today; she took the child to your father’s grave to burn joss paper." As they chatted, Lai Wang's wife, Yizheng, came out and poured him a cup of tea. After drinking the tea, Lai Wang bowed to her and chatted with them for a bit, saying, "Come back tomorrow to see your mother-in-law." Lai Wang picked up his pole and left.
In the evening, Madame Yue and the others returned in their sedan chair. Xue E, Big Sister, and the maidservants all came out to greet them, kneeling to pay their respects. Since the person carrying the box couldn't continue, Dai'an hired a donkey to ride back on and then sent the box carrier away. Madame Yue told Xue E and Big Sister about meeting Chunmei at the temple today: "It turns out she buried the Pan family behind the temple, something we were unaware of. She went to burn paper for her mother and ran into Chunmei. The mother and daughter reconnected. First, they ate a vegetarian meal at the temple. Later, Chunmei had her servant set up four or five dozen boxes, with all sorts of dishes and vegetables, along with filtered wine that was too much to finish. When she saw my son, she even gifted him a pair of hairpins, being quite enthusiastic. She had quite the grand procession, riding in a large sedan chair, with many people following. And she has become even more beautiful and fuller than before." Wu Dajinzi said, "She really hasn't forgotten the old days. When she lived in her house before, I always felt she acted more uprightly and spoke more steadily than the other maidservants; she was a capable person. Look, today she is so lucky." Meng Yulou said, "Since my sister didn't ask her, I did. She hasn’t bathed in half a year and is pregnant! She’s probably due in eight or nine months, and it seems General Shoubei isn't fond of that." After chatting for a while, Xue E said, "Today, when mother was not at home, Big Sister and I saw Lai Wang at the door. It turns out he learned the silversmith's trade here, carrying a load of gold and silver jewelry and hairpins to sell. We didn't recognize him, and even bought a few hairpins from him. When he asked about my mother, I told him she went to burn paper at the grave." Madame Yue said, "Why didn’t you have him wait for me to get back?" Xue E said, "We told him to come by tomorrow."
They were talking when the nurse Ruyi ran over to tell Lady Yu, "The child has been in a deep sleep all afternoon, with cold sweat and a hot body." Lady Yu panicked upon hearing this, quickly picked up the child, blew into his mouth, and indeed he was sweating and felt feverish. She scolded Ruyi, "You bad woman, the sedan chair must have made the child cold!" Ruyi replied, "I wrapped him tightly with a small blanket, how could he be frozen?" Lady Yu said, "It's because you took him to that cursed grave, scaring the child! I clearly told you not to take him there, but you didn't listen and insisted on taking him!" Ruyi said, "Xiaoyu was watching, I just took him to take a look and came back, when did I ever scare him?" Lady Yu said, "Don’t make excuses, no matter what, you scared him!" She quickly called An'er to "quickly go get Liu Pozi!" Liu Pozi arrived shortly. She took the child's pulse, felt his body, and said, "He caught a chill, maybe he was startled by something." She left two doses of herbal pills and fed them to the child with ginger soup. She told the nurse to hold the child and sleep on the warm kang, and in the middle of the night, the child sweated a bit and finally cooled down. Then they served Liu Pozi some tea, paid her three silver coins, and asked her to come back tomorrow to check again. The family was scared stiff and spent the whole night in a flurry.
The next day, Lai Wang arrived at the doorstep of Ximen Qing's house carrying a load. He greeted Lai Zhao and said, "Miss Xue asked me to leave something yesterday and promised to give me the silver today, and also to see the lady of the house." Lai Zhao replied, "Come back in a few days, will you? Yesterday the lady returned home, the boy was unwell, so she had a midwife and a physician come to treat him. She was busy all night, and only now is he feeling better. She doesn't have time to weigh out your silver." Just then, Yue Niang, Yulou, and Xue E saw Lai Wang as they were sending Liu Pozi off. Lai Wang knelt down and kowtowed to Yue Niang and Yulou. Yue Niang said, "Long time no see, why don't you come more often?" Lai Wang explained his situation, saying, "I didn't dare to come by too often." Yue Niang said, "The past is in the past, what are you worried about? Your father is no longer here. It was all due to that wicked woman from the Pan family who stirred up trouble, forcing a good daughter-in-law to her death, which led to your family's downfall. Now even heaven won't tolerate her; she's dead!" Lai Wang said, "It's hard to say, only the lady knows." After chatting for a while, Yue Niang asked him, "What do you have for sale? Let me see." He took out some jewelry, which should amount to three taels and two qian of silver, all weighed and given to him. She invited him inside the ceremonial gate, instructed Xiaoyu to bring a jug of wine, and brought him a plate of snacks. Xue E helped in the kitchen and served him a large bowl of meat. After he had eaten and drunk his fill, he kowtowed and left. Yue Niang, Yulou, and the others went back to the courtyard. Xue E secretly told him, "Come often, what are you afraid of! I have a message for you that I’ll have Lai Zhao's wife pass on. I'll be waiting for you tomorrow night in the side room by the purple wall near the ceremonial gate." They exchanged knowing glances, and Lai Wang understood her meaning, saying, "Will the ceremonial gate be locked at night?" Xue E replied, "This way, you come to Lai Zhao's house first, then at night, climb the ladder and go over the wall, walk along the wall, and I will meet you on this side. We'll meet up and I have more to tell you." Lai Wang was extremely happy to hear this and bid farewell to Xue E, carrying the burden and leaving. It is said: without the household god, the household spirit can't be controlled.
There is poetry to prove it.
Leaning against the door, idly passing the time, I run into a dear old friend. I can’t bring myself to speak up, so I just share a few knowing glances instead.
Lai Wang happily returned home, not speaking at all that night. The next day, instead of going to fetch goods to sell, he slowly walked to Ximen Qing's doorstep, waiting for Lai Zhao to come out and say hello. Lai Zhao said, "Wang Ge, long time no see!" Lai Wang smiled and said, "It's not that I didn't want to come; Snow Girl still owes me some money for living expenses, so I came to ask for it." Lai Zhao invited Lai Wang inside and asked him to take a seat. Lai Wang asked, "Where is Sister-in-law?" Lai Zhao said, "Your sister-in-law is in the backyard cooking today." Lai Wang took out a couple of silver coins and gave them to Lai Zhao, saying, "Here’s some money for wine; let’s drink together, just like brothers and sisters." Lai Zhao said, "You don’t have to spend this much." He called his son Tie Gun over. Tie Gun, fifteen years old and looking a bit downcast, brought out a jug of wine, poured a large pot of wine, and then called his mother Yi Zhengqing to help. Soon, Yi Zhengqing brought a pot of hot rice, a large bowl of mixed stew, and two plates of side dishes, saying, "Oh, it's Wang Guaner!" Lai Zhao showed the silver to Yi Zhengqing and said, "Our brother is treating us to wine; let’s enjoy it together." Yi Zhengqing smiled and said, "No need to be so polite." She set the kang table and invited Lai Wang to sit down. After setting up the wine and dishes, she poured the wine. Lai Wang first toasted Lai Zhao, then toasted Yi Zhengqing, bowed deeply, and said, "Long time no see, brother and sister-in-law; this toast is for you." Yi Zhengqing said, "We couldn’t possibly accept your generous hospitality! Don’t lie; Snow Girl told me yesterday that your old relationship is not over, and she asked us to help you. Don’t play coy; if you want to take a shortcut, you should ask someone who’s been through it. If you two meet and get something, don’t eat it secretly; remember to share some with me. I can help you steer clear of a lot of trouble!" Lai Wang knelt down and said, "I’m counting on your help; I won’t forget it." After that, he drank a cup of wine. Yi Zhengqing went back to the room and had a chat with Xue E, then came out and told Lai Wang to come at night, hide in Lai Zhao's house, wait until the main door is closed at night, everyone in the backyard is asleep, then sneak over the wall to meet.
Poetry serves as evidence to support this:
Retribution is not inherently selfish, and the consequences are all alike. To understand the causes of blessings and misfortunes, just look at your actions.
After hearing these words, Lai Wang went home and, waiting for nightfall, ran to Lai Zhao's house to drink with him and his wife. Late at night, everyone was asleep, the front and back doors were closed, and the whole family was sound asleep. They had a signal: a cough from Xue E on the other side of the wall. Lai Wang scaled the wall in the dark, and Xue E helped him with a stool on the other side. The two embraced passionately in the room where saddles were piled up, lost in their desires. Both were lonely men and women, their desires burning like fire. Lai Wang, strong in stature, enjoyed himself thoroughly, leaving him spent. Afterward, she said, "Come back tomorrow night, I have more things for you. Find somewhere to settle. Things won't be calm here for long. Let's quietly leave, find a place to live, and start a family. You can use your silver-smithing skills to make a living." Lai Wang said, "There is an aunt of mine named Qu Laoniang in Ximi Alley outside the East Gate. She is a midwife. The alley is twisty and hard to find. Let's hide there. After a while, we'll see how things turn out, and I'll take you back to my hometown to buy some land and farm." The two made their plans. Lai Wang bid farewell to Xue E, then climbed back over the wall to Lai Zhao's house. At dawn, when the door opened, he slipped out quietly. In the evening, he returned to Lai Zhao's house and slipped inside. At night, he climbed over the wall again to meet Xue E. This went on day after day, as they made off with plenty of gold and silver jewelry, utensils, and clothes. Lai Zhao and his wife also received a share of the benefits, which I won't go into detail about.
One day, Madam Moon in the backyard saw that Xiaoge was acting a bit strangely and feeling uneasy, so she went to bed early. Zhongqiuer, Xue'e's maid, was originally the eldest sister's maid. Because Yuanxiaoer, the maid of Li Jiaoer, was going to leave, Madam Moon assigned Zhongqiuer to Xue'e, while Yuanxiaoer served the eldest sister. That day, Xue'e let Zhongqiuer rest and packed up a large bundle of jewelry, put it in a box, covered it with a cloth, and, along with her clothes, planned to wait at Lai Shao's house, as they were going to leave together. Lai Shao said, "You can leave if you want; I'll keep an eye on the door and let the ducks out! If the old lady finds out and asks me where you are, what should I say? You should leave via the roof, break a few tiles, and leave some evidence." Lai Wang said, "Brother is right." Xue'e also left a silver tray, a gold earring, a blue silk jacket, and a yellow silk skirt as a token of thanks to Lai Shao and his wife. When it was dark and blustery, they climbed over from next door. Lai Shao and his wife also poured two big cups of hot wine for Lai Wang and Xue'e, saying, "Drink up before you go; it'll give you some courage for the journey." They drank until it was dark, each holding an incense stick, climbing up the ladder and breaking many tiles on the roof along the way. When they reached the edge of the roof, the street was empty, except for the sound of the patrol. Lai Wang jumped down first and helped Xue'e down by letting her grab his shoulder. The two walked forward and reached a crossroads, where they were stopped by the patrol, who asked, "Where are you two coming from?" Xue'e was so scared her legs felt weak. Lai Wang remained calm and flicked the incense stick in his hand, saying, "We are husband and wife, going to the Yue Temple outside the city to burn incense. We got up too early; please don't mind us, officer." The officer replied, "Since you're a couple heading to the Yue Temple to burn incense, that's a good thing. Go on ahead." Lai Wang thanked him and pulled Xue'e, running forward quickly. When they got to the city gate, it had just opened. They squeezed through the crowd and made their way through several streets.
Ximi Alley is a secluded spot, home to just a few low houses and a handful of families. When they arrived at Grandma Qu's house, she had not gotten up yet. After calling out for quite a while, she finally got up to open the door and found Lai Wang'er with a woman. It turned out that Lai Wang'er's real name was Zheng Wang, and he said, "This is my newly married wife. Auntie has a place here, so we can borrow a room for a few days while we look for a new one." Then he gave Grandma Qu three taels of silver to buy some rice and firewood. Grandma Qu took the money and let them stay. Her son, Qu Dang, noticed that Zheng Wang and his wife were wearing a lot of gold and silver jewelry, so he became greedy, broke into their room in the middle of the night to steal and blow it all, and was caught. He confessed everything and was taken to the county office to face the magistrate.
Magistrate Li realized it was a theft case, and since the stolen goods were all there, he had Qu Dang escorted home, and Zheng Wang and Sun Xue'e were also tied up. Sun Xue'e was so frightened her face went pale. She changed into simple clothes and put on a veil, took off her rings and gave them to the constables, and was taken to see the official. At that moment, a big crowd had gathered on the street, watching the commotion. Some people recognized Sun Xue'e as a concubine of Ximen Qing, who had been lured by this male servant, Lai Wang'er (now renamed Zheng Wang), who had run away from Ximen Qing's place, stolen some stuff, and eloped, only to get robbed by Qu Dang. Now the truth was revealed. This news spread like wildfire through every nook and cranny.
In the Yue family, after Xue'e left, Zhongqi discovered that the jewelry in the box was gone, and the clothes were scattered everywhere. She quickly informed Yue. Yue was taken aback and asked Zhongqi, "You slept in the same room with her, and you didn't even notice she was gone?" Zhongqi said, "She always sneaked out at night and came back after a long while. I don't know where she went." Yue asked Lai Zhao, "You guard the gate, how did you not see her leave?" Lai Zhao said, "The gate is locked every day. Did she fly out?" Later, they found several holes in the roof tiles and realized that Xue'e had escaped by climbing over the wall. But they didn't dare send anyone to look for her, so they had to bite their tongues. Unexpectedly, the county magistrate took up the case in court, first giving Qu Ding a harsh interrogation. They discovered four gold pieces, three silver pieces, a pair of gold earrings, two silver bells, five taels of broken silver, two clothing items, a handkerchief, and a small box during the search. They also found thirty taels of silver, a pair of gold bowls and chopsticks, a gold hairpin, and four rings from Zheng Wang. They found a gold necklace, a pair of silver bracelets, five pairs of gold buttons, four pairs of silver hairpins, and a bag of broken silver from Xue'e. They found three taels of silver from Qu's mother. Finally, Lai Wang was sentenced to death for adultery and theft, while Qu Ding was sentenced to five years in prison and confiscation of stolen goods. Sun Xue'e, as Ximen Qing's concubine, along with Qu's mother, were both questioned by the county magistrate. After Qu's mother cleared everything up, she was let go. The county magistrate sent someone to Ximen Qing's house to come and collect Sun Xue'e. Wu Yue asked Wu Dajiu for advice: "This is already embarrassing enough. Why would we bring her back for no good reason?" So they slipped some cash to the bailiffs to tell the magistrate not to bother bringing her back. The county magistrate then called in the matchmaker for more questioning.
In the government office, Chunmei heard that Sun Xue'e, the concubine of Ximen Qing's family, had been abducted by Laiwang'er, stolen from her home, and eloped. The matter was exposed and is now under investigation by the authorities. Chunmei wanted to buy her back to use as a cook and to get her revenge. Chunmei said to the official, "Xue'e is very good at cooking and making tea; buy her to serve at home." The official then dispatched Zhang Sheng and Li An with paperwork to the county office. The county magistrate, out of deference to Chunmei, only accepted the official price of eight taels of silver. After the payment was made, Sun Xue'e was brought to Chunmei's residence. She first met the elder and the second wife, and then went to Chunmei's room. Chunmei was lying on a bed of golden nanmu, just waking from her silk canopy bed. The maid brought Xue'e to Chunmei. Seeing Chunmei, Xue'e quickly bowed and kowtowed four times. Chunmei shot a glare at Xue'e and called for the daughter-in-law, "Untie this woman's hair, strip her of her clothes, and throw her into the kitchen to cook!" Xue'e felt a deep sense of despair. The world has always been unpredictable, and now she has no choice but to resign herself to her fate. Helpless, Sun Xue'e untied her hair, changed into coarse clothes, and sorrowfully made her way to the kitchen. The monk in the cloth bag arrived in Mingzhou, wandering about with his staff and straw sandals. Even if you take on countless forms, you still carry worries in your heart.
