Baochai Uses a Fan to Strike a Double Blow; Lingguan Draws "Qiang" in the Dirt, and the Bystander Is Entranced

Now Lin Daiyu, after quarrelling with Baoyu, regretted it, but she had no proper way to approach him. So she was gloomy day and night, as if she had lost something. Zijuan, who understood her feelings, advised her, "If you ask me, you were too impatient the other day. Others may not know Baoyu's temper, but don't we? He's made scenes over that jade more than once or twice." Daiyu spat, "So you're taking his side and blaming me! How was I impatient?" Zijuan smiled, "Why did you cut the tassel? It wasn't all his fault—you were more at fault. I think he treats you well, but because you're always so sensitive and quick to take offence, you twist his words, and that's what leads to this."

Daiyu was about to reply when she heard someone knocking at the gate. Zijuan listened and laughed, "That's Baoyu's voice—he must have come to apologize." Daiyu said, "Don't open the gate!" Zijuan said, "There you go again. It's so hot, with the sun beating down—if he gets heatstroke, how will you feel?" She opened the gate, and it was indeed Baoyu. As she let him in, she said with a smile, "I thought you'd never set foot here again—yet here you are." Baoyu laughed, "You turn a tiny thing into something huge. Why wouldn't I come? Even if I were dead, my spirit would come a hundred times a day. Is Cousin feeling better?" Zijuan said, "Her body is better, but her heart is still upset." Baoyu smiled, "I know what's upsetting her." He went in and found Daiyu lying on the bed, weeping.

Daiyu hadn't been crying at all, but the sight of Baoyu brought tears to her eyes. Baoyu came to the bedside and laughed, "Are you feeling better?" Daiyu only wiped her tears and didn't answer. He sat on the edge of the bed and said, "I know you're not really angry with me. But if I don't come, people will think we've quarrelled again. And if they have to come and patch things up, we'll feel awkward. So now, whether you want to hit me or scold me, do as you please—just don't ignore me." He called her "dear cousin" a thousand times. Daiyu had meant to ignore him completely, but when he said he didn't want others to think they'd grown distant, that showed he was closer to her than anyone else. She couldn't help crying, "Don't try to fool me. From now on, I won't dare to be close to you—just pretend I'm gone." Baoyu laughed, "Where would you go?" Daiyu said, "I'll go home." Baoyu said, "I'll follow you." Daiyu said, "I'll die." Baoyu said, "Then I'll become a monk!" Daiyu's face fell, "Are you crazy? What nonsense! You have several sisters of your own—if they all died, how many lives would you have to become monks? I'll tell everyone and let them judge!"

Baoyu realized he had spoken rashly and regretted it. His face reddened, and he bowed his head in silence. Luckily no one else was there. Daiyu stared at him for a long while, too angry to speak. Seeing his face turn purple with embarrassment, she bit her lip, jabbed him hard on the forehead with her finger, and said through gritted teeth, "You—" She couldn't finish, sighed, and went back to wiping her tears. Baoyu, already full of unspoken thoughts and ashamed of his slip, saw her jab him and then weep without speaking, and he too was moved to tears. He reached for a handkerchief but didn't have one, so he used his sleeve. Daiyu, though weeping, saw this—he was wearing a new lotus-coloured gauze robe and was using it to wipe his tears. She took a silk handkerchief that lay by the pillow and threw it at him, without a word, covering her face again. Baoyu caught it, wiped his tears, and moved closer, taking her hand. "My heart is breaking," he said with a smile, "and you're still crying. Come, let's go to the Old Ancestress." Daiyu pulled her hand away, "Who wants to hold hands with you? You're growing up, yet you act so shamelessly, without any sense of propriety."

Before she finished, a voice cried, "Good!" Startled, they turned and saw Xifeng bounding in. "The Old Ancestress has been complaining to high heaven," she said, "and sent me to see if you've made up. I said there was no need—within three days you'd be fine on your own. She scolded me for being lazy. And here I am, and I was right! I never saw two people who quarrel so much—better one day, angry the next, acting more like children the older you get! Now you're holding hands and crying—why were you glaring at each other like fighting cocks yesterday? Come with me to the Old Ancestress and set her mind at ease." She took Daiyu's hand and pulled her away. Daiyu called for her maids, but none were there. Xifeng said, "What do you need them for? I'll look after you." She led her off, with Baoyu following. When they reached the Dowager, Xifeng said, "I told you they'd make up on their own—but you wouldn't believe me and sent me to patch things up. When I got there, they were already apologizing to each other, laughing and talking like a pair of hawks locked together—no need for anyone else." Everyone in the room laughed.

Baochai happened to be there. Daiyu, without a word, sat down beside the Dowager. Baoyu, having nothing else to say, said to Baochai, "I was ill on your brother's birthday and couldn't come to pay my respects. I hope he doesn't think I was just being lazy. If he's upset, please explain for me." Baochai said, "Don't worry about it. Even if you'd been well, you wouldn't have dared to come. Since you're not well, it's better to rest. We brothers see each other every day—if you start being so formal, it'll only create distance." Baoyu said, "You're so understanding." Then he asked, "Why aren't you watching the plays?" Baochai said, "I can't stand the heat. I watched two scenes, but it was so hot. I wanted to leave, but the guests kept coming, so I made an excuse and came here." Baoyu felt awkward and tried to cover it up by saying, "No wonder people compare you to Yang Guifei—you're also plump and afraid of heat." Baochai was furious but couldn't show it. After a moment, she blushed and said with a cold smile, "So I'm like Yang Guifei—but I don't have a good brother like Yang Guozhong!" Just then the little maid Dian'er came in looking for her fan. She said to Baochai, "You must have hidden it, miss—please give it back." Baochai pointed at her, "Mind yourself! When have I ever played tricks on you? You should ask those young ladies you're always giggling with." Dian'er ran off. Baoyu, realizing he had spoken rashly again, felt even more embarrassed than he had with Daiyu and quickly turned to chat with someone else.

Lin Daiyu, hearing Baoyu tease Baochai, was secretly delighted and was about to join in for a laugh when Dian'er's fan search and Baochai's remarks interrupted. She changed the subject, "Cousin Baochai, what plays did you watch?" Baochai, seeing Daiyu's smug expression—knowing she was pleased about Baoyu's teasing—answered, "I saw Li Kui scolding Song Jiang and then apologizing." Baoyu laughed, "You're so learned—how is it you don't know the name of that play? It's called Bearing the Thorns to Apologize." Baochai smiled, "So that's what it's called! You're the learned ones—I don't know anything about 'bearing thorns.'" Baoyu and Daiyu, both guilty, blushed deeply. Xifeng, though not always perceptive, saw their expressions and understood. She asked casually, "Who's been eating ginger in this heat?" They said no one had. Xifeng touched her cheek, "Then why is it so hot and spicy?" Baoyu and Daiyu were even more embarrassed. Baochai, seeing Baoyu so flustered, let it drop with a smile. No one else understood the exchange, so it passed.

After Baochai and Xifeng left, Daiyu said to Baoyu with a smile, "Now you've met someone sharper than me. Not everyone is as slow-tongued as I am, letting people say whatever they want." Baoyu, already upset about offending Baochai, grew more annoyed at Daiyu's words. He wanted to retort but feared hurting her, so he suppressed his anger and left listlessly.

It was midsummer, just after breakfast, and everyone was drowsy from the long day. Baoyu walked aimlessly, finding silence everywhere. Leaving the Dowager's quarters, he passed through the hall to Xifeng's courtyard. The gate was shut—he knew Xifeng always took a midday nap in hot weather, so he didn't enter. He turned a corner and went to Lady Wang's main room. Several maids, holding needlework, were dozing. Lady Wang was sleeping on a cool couch inside, with Jinchuan sitting beside her massaging her legs, her eyes half-closed and unfocused.

Baoyu crept up and gently tugged at Jinchuan's earring. She opened her eyes, saw it was Baoyu, and smiled. She waved him away and closed her eyes again. Baoyu lingered, peeking to see Lady Wang still asleep. He took a fragrant, soothing pill from his sachet and put it in Jinchuan's mouth. She kept her eyes closed and took it. Baoyu took her hand and whispered, "Tomorrow I'll ask Aunt to let you have you, so we can be together." Jinchuan didn't answer. He added, "Or I'll ask when she wakes up." Jinchuan opened her eyes, pushed him away, and laughed, "What's the rush? 'A gold pin dropped in a well—if it's yours, it's yours.' Don't you understand? I'll tell you a secret—go to the east courtyard and catch Huan'er with Caiyun." Baoyu laughed, "I don't care about them—I only want you." Suddenly Lady Wang sat up and slapped Jinchuan across the face. "You cheap slut! You've been corrupting a proper young master!" she cried. Baoyu slipped away as soon as Lady Wang stirred.

Jinchuan's face burned, and she dared not speak. The maids hurried in as Lady Wang woke. Lady Wang called for Yuchuan, "Tell your mother to come and take your sister away." Jinchuan knelt, weeping, "I'll never do it again. Beat me or scold me, but don't send me away—that would be a mercy. I've served you for ten years—if I'm thrown out now, how can I face anyone?" Lady Wang, though usually kind and merciful, had never struck a maid before. But she considered Jinchuan's behaviour utterly shameless—a thing she detested most—so she could not keep her despite Jinchuan's pleas. She had Jinchuan's mother, Old Mrs. Bai, come to take her away. Jinchuan left in shame and silence.

Baoyu, feeling awkward after Lady Wang woke, quickly entered the Grand View Garden. The sun blazed, the trees cast heavy shade, and cicadas filled the air—not a human sound. As he passed the rose trellis, he heard sobbing. Curious, he stopped and listened. It was the fifth month, and the roses were in full bloom. Peering through the bamboo fence, he saw a girl crouching under the flowers, drawing in the dirt with a hairpin, tears silently streaming. He thought, "Could this be another silly girl, like Frowner, burying flowers?" Then he thought, "If she's burying flowers, it's like the ugly woman imitating the beauty's frown—not fresh, but tiresome." He was about to call out and tell her not to follow Lin Daiyu's example, but he checked himself. Looking closer, the girl was unfamiliar—not a maid, but one of the twelve actresses, though he couldn't tell which role she played. He bit his tongue, thinking, "Lucky I didn't speak rashly. Twice before I've been careless, and Frowner was angry, and Baochai was offended. If I offend them too, it will be worse."

Still unable to place her, he watched closely. She had brows like spring hills, eyes that mirrored autumn water, a delicate face and slender waist—a graceful, ethereal figure much like Lin Daiyu. He couldn't tear himself away. She wasn't digging or burying flowers—she was writing in the dirt. His eyes followed the rise and fall of her hairpin, each stroke and dot. Counting, he made eighteen strokes. He traced the character on his palm—it was "Qiang," as in the rose. He thought, "She must be composing poetry, moved by the flowers, and has come up with a couplet—practising it here so she won't forget. Let's see what she writes next." He watched—she wrote "Qiang" again, and again, over and over. She was deeply absorbed, tracing thousands of "Qiang" characters. He too grew entranced, his eyes fixed on her moving hairpin. He thought, "She must have some great secret sorrow, to be like this. If her outside is like this, how much more must her heart ache? She looks so fragile—how can she bear it? I wish I could take some of her burden."

In midsummer, the weather is fickle—a cloud can bring rain. A sudden cool wind blew, and rain began to fall. Baoyu saw the girl's hair and gauze clothes getting wet. He couldn't help calling out, "Stop writing! It's raining—you're getting soaked." Startled, she looked up and saw someone beyond the flowers telling her not to write. Baoyu's face was handsome, and the flowers and leaves half-hid him; she took him for a maid, never dreaming it was Baoyu. She smiled, "Thank you, sister, for reminding me. But do you have any shelter out there?" This reminded Baoyu—he was soaked through. He said "Oh no!" and ran back to the Crimson Delight Court, still worrying about the girl with no shelter.

The next day was the Dragon Boat Festival. The twelve actresses—Wenguan and the others—were free and had come into the garden to play. Baoguan (the male-role actor) and Yuguan (the female-role actor) happened to be at the Crimson Delight Court, playing with Xiren, when the rain trapped them inside. They had blocked the drain, and the water gathered in the courtyard. They caught the ducks, mandarin ducks, and other waterfowl, sewed up their wings, and set them in the yard to play, shutting the gate. Xiren and the others were laughing on the veranda.

Baoyu knocked at the gate, but they were laughing too loudly to hear. He knocked until the gate rattled before they heard. They thought Baoyu wouldn't be back at this hour. Xiren laughed, "Who's knocking? No one's going to open." Baoyu said, "It's me." Sheyue said, "It's Miss Baochai's voice." Qingwen said, "Nonsense—what would Miss Baochai be doing here?" Xiren said, "Let me peek through the crack—if it's someone who should come, I'll open; if not, they can stay in the rain." She went to the gate and peered out—Baoyu was soaked like a drowned rat. Xiren laughed and opened the gate, bending over with laughter, "What are you doing running around in such heavy rain? We didn't know you were back."

Baoyu was furious and wanted to kick the person who opened the gate. When it swung open, without looking to see who it was—assuming it was one of the little maids—he kicked her in the ribs. Xiren cried out in pain. Baoyu cursed, "You worthless creatures! I've been too lenient with you, and now you've grown bold, making a fool of me." Looking down, he saw it was Xiren crying, and realized his mistake. "Oh, it's you! Where did I kick you?" Xiren had never been spoken to harshly, and now Baoyu had kicked her in front of everyone—humiliated, hurt, and in pain, she wished the ground would swallow her. She thought better, realizing he hadn't meant to hurt her, and forced herself to say, "You didn't kick me. Go and change." Baoyu went in, undressing, "This is the first time in my life I've hit anyone in anger—and it had to be you!" Xiren smiled through her pain, "I'm the first, so be it. But don't let it become a habit." Baoyu said, "I didn't mean it." Xiren said, "Who said you did? It's usually the little maids who open doors—they're too casual and need a lesson. You thought it was one of them, and a kick might have taught them. But it was my fault for not opening sooner."

The rain stopped, and Baoguan and Yuguan had gone. Xiren felt a dull pain in her ribs and ate little supper. When she undressed for her bath that evening, she saw a bruise the size of a bowl on her side—she was startled, but didn't mention it. That night, the pain woke her with a moan. Baoyu hadn't been sleeping soundly, worried about Xiren's listlessness. Hearing her moan, he knew he had kicked her hard. He quietly got up, lit a lamp, and went to her bed. As he approached, she coughed twice, spat something out, and groaned. Opening her eyes, she was startled, "What are you doing?" Baoyu said, "You moaned in your sleep—I must have hurt you. Let me see." Xiren said, "I feel dizzy, and there's a sweet, sour taste in my throat. Look at the floor." Baoyu held the lamp down and saw a mouthful of blood. He was horrified, "Oh no!" Xiren's heart also sank. To know what happens next, read the following chapter.