Ningguo Mansion Offers New Year’s Eve Sacrifice in the Ancestral Temple; Rongguo Mansion Holds a Lantern Festival Night Banquet

When Baoyu saw that Qingwen had finished mending the peacock-gold cloak and was utterly exhausted, her spirit nearly spent, he hurriedly called a little maid to massage her. They massaged each other for a while before she finally lay down. Before the time it takes to eat a meal, dawn had already brightened. Baoyu did not go out, but only called for the doctor quickly. Presently Doctor Wang arrived. He felt her pulse and said doubtfully, “Yesterday she was somewhat better. Why today has her pulse become weak, floating, and receding? Could she have eaten too much? Or else she has overtaxed her mind. The external infection has cleared, but after sweating she failed to recuperate properly. This is no small matter.” As he spoke, he went out and wrote a prescription. Baoyu looked at it: the medicines for dispersing and driving out evil had been reduced, and instead fu-ling, rehmannia, angelica, and other remedies to nourish the spirit and blood had been added. Baoyu quickly ordered it decocted, sighing, “What shall we do? If anything happens to her, it will all be my fault.” Qingwen, lying on the pillow, said, “Good lord! Go about your business. How could I possibly get consumption?” Baoyu had no choice but to go. In the afternoon, saying he felt unwell, he came back. Although Qingwen’s illness was severe, fortunately she had always been one to use her body rather than her mind, and her diet had always been light; hunger and fullness did not harm her. The custom and secret method of the Jia household, high and low alike, was that at the slightest cold or cough, one first fasted completely, and then took medicine to recuperate. So when she first fell ill, she fasted for two or three days and carefully took medicine. Now, after overdoing things, she was nursed doubly for several days, and gradually recovered. Recently the sisters in the garden all ate in their own rooms, and cooking was convenient; Baoyu could find ways to ask for soups and broths. No need to detail this.

After Xiren had buried her mother, she returned. Sheyue told her everything Pinger had said about Nanny Song and Zhui’er, and how Qingwen had driven Zhui’er out. She also reported it all to Baoyu. Xiren said nothing else, only that Qingwen had been too impatient. Because Li Wan had also caught a seasonal cold, Lady Xing was suffering from eye trouble, Yingchun and Xiuyan had gone to tend her morning and night with medicine, Aunt Li’s younger brother had taken Aunt Li and Li Wen and Li Qi home for a few days, and Baoyu saw that Xiren often grieved for her mother and Qingwen was not yet fully recovered, no one was in the mood for poetry meetings, and several meetings were skipped.

It was now the twelfth month, and New Year was near. Lady Wang and Xifeng were busy with New Year affairs. Wang Ziteng was promoted to Inspector-General of Nine Provinces, and Jia Yucun was appointed Grand Marshal, assisting in military affairs and advising the court. No more of this.

Now Jia Zhen had opened the ancestral temple, had people sweep it, prepare the sacrificial vessels, invite the ancestral tablets, and clean the upper rooms to hang the ancestral portraits. At this time both Rong and Ning mansions, inside and out, high and low, were bustling. That day in Ning Mansion, You-shi rose and, with Jia Rong’s wife, was preparing needlework gifts for Grandmother Jia. Just then a maid came in carrying a tea tray of New Year’s lucky ingots, reporting, “Xing’er reports to Madam: the other day that package of broken gold weighed altogether one hundred fifty-three taels, six maces, and seven candareens. The purity varied, and altogether two hundred twenty ingots were cast.” She handed them up. You-shi looked: some were plum-blossom shaped, some crab-apple shaped, some pen-ingot ruyi, some eight-treasure spring-linked. You-shi ordered, “Put these away, and tell him to hand in the silver ingots quickly.” The maid agreed and went.

Presently Jia Zhen came in to eat. Jia Rong’s wife withdrew. Jia Zhen asked You-shi, “Have we received the spring-sacrifice bounty?” You-shi said, “Today I sent Rong to collect it.” Jia Zhen said, “Our family may not need these taels, but it is the emperor’s grace. Collect it early, show it to the old lady over there, and set out offerings for the ancestors. Above, we receive the emperor’s grace; below, we rely on the ancestors’ blessing. Even if we spent ten thousand taels on offerings to the ancestors, it would still not compare with this, which is both dignified and a sign of grace and blessing. Apart from one or two families like ours, those hereditary poor officials—if not for this silver, what would they use to make offerings and pass the New Year? Truly the emperor’s grace is vast and thoughtful.” You-shi said, “Exactly.”

As the two were speaking, someone announced, “The young master has come.” Jia Zhen told him to enter. Jia Rong came in holding a small yellow cloth bag. Jia Zhen said, “Why did it take you all day?” Jia Rong smiled and replied, “Today it was not collected from the Board of Rites. It had been assigned to the treasury of the Court of Imperial Entertainments, so I had to go there before I could get it. The officials there all asked after you, Father. They have not seen you for a long time and truly miss you.” Jia Zhen laughed, “They do not miss me. It is New Year again. If they are not thinking of my things, they are thinking of my theatricals and wine.” As he spoke, he looked at the yellow cloth bag. On it was a seal with four large characters: “Imperial Grace Bestowed Forever.” On the other side was the seal of the Sacrificial Office of the Board of Rites, and a line of small characters: “To Ningguo Duke Jia Yan and Rongguo Duke Jia Yuan, imperial bounty for the eternal spring sacrifice, two shares in all, net converted silver so many taels. On such-and-such date, Jia Rong, Expectant Imperial Guard of the Dragon Guard, received it in open court; the temple official on duty that year, so-and-so.” Below was a red signature.

After eating, Jia Zhen washed and rinsed, changed boots and cap, ordered Jia Rong to carry the silver and follow him. They reported to Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang, then to Jia She and Lady Xing, and only then returned home. He took out the silver and ordered the bag burned in the great censer of the ancestral temple. He told Jia Rong, “Go ask your Cousin Lian’s wife whether the days for the New Year wine invitations in the first month have been fixed. If they are, have the study make a clear list. When we invite, we must not duplicate. Last year we were careless and repeated several families. They did not say we were inattentive, but it looked as if the two houses had agreed to send empty courtesy and save trouble.” Jia Rong hurriedly agreed and went. Presently he came back with the list of dates for inviting people to New Year wine. Jia Zhen looked and told Lai Sheng to check it, so that when inviting people they would not clash with those dates. Then he sat in the hall watching the pages move screens and wipe tables and gold and silver sacrificial vessels. A page came with a petition and an account book, reporting, “Wu Jinxiao, the head farmer of Black Mountain Village, has come.”

Jia Zhen said, “That old chopper has only come today.” Jia Rong took the petition and account book and spread them out, holding them up. Jia Zhen, hands behind his back, looked at the red petition: “Your servant Wu Jinxiao, head farmer, bows and wishes you and Madam ten thousand blessings and golden peace, and the young masters and young ladies golden peace. Great happiness and great blessing for the New Year, honor, wealth, peace, promotion, and all wishes fulfilled.” Jia Zhen laughed, “The country people have some style.” Jia Rong also laughed, “Do not look at the grammar; just take the auspicious meaning.” Then he spread out the list. It read: “Thirty large deer, fifty river deer, fifty roe deer, twenty Siamese pigs, twenty soup pigs, twenty dragon pigs, twenty wild boars, twenty home-cured pigs, twenty wild sheep, twenty blue sheep, twenty home soup sheep, twenty home wind sheep, two sturgeon, two hundred catties of assorted fish, two hundred each of live chickens, ducks, and geese, two hundred each of wind-dried chickens, ducks, and geese, two hundred pairs each of pheasants and rabbits, twenty pairs of bear paws, twenty catties of deer sinew, fifty catties of sea cucumber, fifty deer tongues, fifty ox tongues, twenty catties of dried razor clams, two sacks each of hazelnuts, pine nuts, peaches, and apricot kernels, fifty pairs of large prawns, two hundred catties of dried shrimp, one thousand catties of selected first-grade silver-frost charcoal, two thousand catties of medium, thirty thousand catties of firewood and charcoal, two piculs of imperial-field rouge rice, fifty hu of green glutinous rice, fifty hu of white glutinous rice, fifty hu of pink polished rice, fifty hu each of miscellaneous grains, one thousand piculs of ordinary rice, one cart of assorted dried vegetables, and silver from the sale of grain, livestock, and other items totaling two thousand five hundred taels. In addition, your servant respectfully offers playthings for the young masters and young ladies: two pairs of live deer, four pairs of live white rabbits, four pairs of black rabbits, two pairs of live golden pheasants, and two pairs of Western ducks.”

Jia Zhen ordered him brought in. Presently Wu Jinxiao entered and kowtowed in the courtyard to wish him peace. Jia Zhen told someone to raise him up and laughed, “You are still sturdy.” Wu Jinxiao smiled, “Thanks to your blessing, I can still walk.” Jia Zhen said, “Your son is grown too. You should let him do the traveling.” Wu Jinxiao laughed, “To tell you the truth, sir, we are used to the road. If I do not come, I feel restless. Would they not all like to come and see the world under the Son of Heaven? But they are young after all, and I fear something might happen on the road. In a few years I can rest easy.” Jia Zhen said, “How many days did you travel?” Wu Jinxiao said, “Your servant reports: this year the snow was heavy. Outside it lay four or five feet deep. The other day it suddenly warmed and thawed, making the roads very hard to travel. We were delayed several days. Although we traveled a month and two days, the date was close, and I feared you would be anxious, so I hurried.” Jia Zhen said, “I wondered why you only came today. I just looked at the list. This year, you old rascal, you have come to haggle again.” Wu Jinxiao quickly stepped forward two paces and replied, “Your servant reports: this year’s harvest was truly bad. From the third month, when the rains began, it rained continuously until the eighth month. There was not one stretch of five clear days. In the ninth month a hailstorm with stones as big as bowls fell over an area of nearly thirteen hundred li, injuring thousands and tens of thousands of people, houses, livestock, and grain. That is why it is like this. Your servant would not dare lie.” Jia Zhen frowned, “I calculated you would bring at least five thousand taels. What is this enough for? Now you have only eight or nine estates left. This year two have reported drought or flood, and you haggle again. You really are making it impossible to celebrate the New Year.” Wu Jinxiao said, “Your estate here is still considered good, sir! My brother is only a hundred li from me, yet it is vastly different. He manages eight estates for that mansion, several times more than yours, and this year he brought only these things, just two or three thousand taels more, and he too has shortages.” Jia Zhen said, “Exactly. My side is all right. I have no major outside expenses, only the year’s ordinary costs. I can suffer some inconvenience and economize. Besides, for the annual gifts and invitations, I can thicken my face and save some. That will do. But that mansion is not like mine. These years they have added many money-spending affairs that simply cannot be avoided, yet they have not added any income or estates. In the last year or two they have lost a great deal. If they do not ask you, whom should they ask?” Wu Jinxiao laughed, “That mansion may have added affairs, but money comes and goes. Will not the Imperial Concubine and the Emperor reward them?” Jia Zhen heard this and laughed to Jia Rong and the others, “Listen, is that not ridiculous?” Jia Rong and the others quickly laughed, “You people from mountain valleys and seacoasts do not understand. Would the Imperial Concubine give us the Emperor’s treasury? Even if she had the heart, she could not decide. Of course there are rewards, but at festivals they are only colored silks, curios, and playthings. Even if silver is rewarded, it is at most a hundred taels of gold, worth only a thousand taels of silver. What is that for a year? In the last two years, how many thousands of taels have they lost each year! The first year, for the imperial visit, they even built a garden. Calculate how much that cost and you will know. If there is another imperial visit in two years, I fear they will be utterly impoverished.” Jia Zhen laughed, “That is why those honest country people are bright outside but do not know the dark inside. A bitter cork tree used as a chime mallet—respectable outside, bitter inside.” Jia Rong laughed to Jia Zhen, “That mansion really is poor. The other day I heard Miss Feng and Yuanyang secretly discussing taking some of the old lady’s things out to pawn for silver.” Jia Zhen laughed, “That is your Miss Feng’s trick. How could they be poor to that extent? She must have seen too many expenses and really lost heavily. She does not know which item to economize on, so she first sets up this scheme to let people know they are poor to that degree. I have my own abacus, and they are not yet at that point.” With that, he ordered Wu Jinxiao taken out and well treated. No more of this.

Jia Zhen instructed that of the things just brought, a portion be set aside for ancestral offerings. A little of each was selected and Jia Rong was told to send them to the Rong Mansion. Then he kept what the household needed, and the rest was divided by grade and piled share by share below the platform. He told someone to summon the clan’s sons and nephews to receive them. Then the Rong Mansion also sent many ancestral offerings and things for Jia Zhen. Jia Zhen watched as the sacrificial vessels were arranged. Wearing slip-on shoes and a lynx fur coat, he ordered a large wolf-skin rug spread on the stone step beneath the hall pillar in the sun, and basked while watching the clansmen come to receive New Year goods. Seeing Jia Qin also come to receive, Jia Zhen called him over and said, “Why have you come too? Who told you to?” Jia Qin stood with hands down and replied, “I heard that you were calling us to receive things, Uncle, so I came without waiting for someone to fetch me.” Jia Zhen said, “These things are for your idle uncles and brothers who have no income. In those two years when you were idle, I gave you some too. Now you manage affairs in that mansion and oversee the monks and Daoists in the family temple. You have your monthly allowance besides, and the allowance silver for those monks and Daoists passes through your hands. You still come to take this—you are too greedy! Look at yourself. Do you dress like someone who handles money and affairs? Before, we said you had no income. What now? You look worse than before.” Jia Qin said, “My family has many mouths and heavy expenses.” Jia Zhen laughed coldly, “You are still evading me. Do you think I do not know what you do in the family temple? When you get there, of course you are a lord; no one dares cross you. You have money in hand, and you are far from us. So you play the tyrant, gather ruffians every night to gamble, keep women and boys. Now you have spent yourself into this state, and you still dare come to receive things? Instead of goods, you deserve a beating with the water-carrying stick. After the New Year, I will certainly speak to your Cousin Lian and have you replaced.” Jia Qin blushed and did not dare answer. Someone reported, “Prince Shui of the Northern Mansion has sent couplets and purses.” Jia Zhen ordered Jia Rong to go out and entertain him, “only say I am not at home.” Jia Rong went. Jia Zhen watched until the distribution was finished, then returned to his room and ate supper with You-shi. The night passed without incident. The next day was busier than before; no need to detail.

It was now the twenty-ninth of the twelfth month. Everything was ready. Both mansions had changed door gods, couplets, signs, and newly painted peach-wood charms, completely renewed. In Ningguo Mansion, from the main gate, ceremonial gate, great hall, warm chamber, inner hall, inner triple gate, inner ceremonial gate, and inner screen gate, all the way to the main hall, the main doors were opened wide. On both sides below the steps were tall red lanterns, lit like two golden dragons. The next day, those with titles, including Grandmother Jia, dressed in court robes according to rank. She first took an eight-bearer sedan and led everyone into the palace to offer congratulations. After ceremonies and the banquet, they returned and alighted at the warm chamber of Ningguo Mansion. The younger clansmen who had not gone to court were all waiting in ranks before the Ning Mansion gate; then they were led into the ancestral temple. Baoqin was there for the first time and carefully observed the temple. It was a separate courtyard west of Ning Mansion. Inside a black-oiled fence were five large doors. Above hung a tablet reading “Jia Family Ancestral Temple,” with beside it “Written by Duke Yansheng Kong Jizong.” On both sides was a long couplet:

“Brains dashed on the ground, the myriad people relied on your nurturing grace;
Merit and fame piercing Heaven, a hundred generations look up to the abundance of sacrifices.”

This too was written by Duke Yansheng. Entering the courtyard, there was a white stone path, with ancient pines and green cypresses on both sides. On the platform were green bronze tripods and sacrificial vessels. Before the side hall hung a gold tablet with nine dragons, reading “Stars Shine in Support.” It was in the late emperor’s handwriting. On both sides was a couplet:

“Merit and deeds shine with the sun and moon;
Fame and honor cease not for sons and grandsons.”

This too was imperial handwriting. Before the five-bay main hall hung a tablet with dragons and blue inlay, reading “Carefully Attend the End, Reverently Pursue the Distant.” Beside it was a couplet:

“Descendants after have received the blessing and virtue;
To this day the common people remember Rong and Ning.”

All imperial handwriting. Inside, incense and candles blazed, brocade banners and embroidered curtains. Although ancestral tablets were set out, they could not be seen clearly. The Jia family stood in order of descent, left and right: Jia Jing was chief sacrificer, Jia She assisted, Jia Zhen offered the libation cup, Jia Lian and Jia Cong offered silk, Baoyu held incense, Jia Chang and Jia Ling spread the worship mats and guarded the burning pool. The musicians in blue robes played. Three libations were offered, bows and risings completed, silk burned, wine poured. The ceremony ended, music stopped, and they withdrew.

Everyone followed Grandmother Jia to the main hall. Before the portraits hung high brocade curtains, colored screens, and brilliant incense and candles. In the center hung the portraits of the two ancestors, Ning and Rong, both in python robes and jade belts; on both sides were several scrolls of ancestral portraits. Jia Xing, Jia Zhi, and others stood in order from the inner ceremonial gate to the corridor of the main hall. Outside the threshold were Jia Jing and Jia She; inside were the women. All servants and pages were outside the ceremonial gate. As each dish arrived, it was passed to the ceremonial gate. Jia Xing, Jia Zhi, and the others received it and passed it in order up the steps to Jia Jing. Jia Rong, as eldest grandson of the senior branch, alone followed the women inside the threshold. Each time Jia Jing handed a dish to Jia Rong, Jia Rong passed it to his wife, who passed it to Xifeng, You-shi, and the others, until it reached the offering table, where it was passed to Lady Wang. Lady Wang passed it to Grandmother Jia, and Grandmother Jia placed it on the table. Lady Xing stood west of the offering table, facing east, and placed offerings along with Grandmother Jia. Only after all dishes, rice, soup, cakes, wine, and tea had been passed did Jia Rong withdraw down the steps and return to the head of Jia Qin’s position. All those with the “wen” radical in their names had Jia Jing as chief; next those with the “yu” radical had Jia Zhen as chief; next those with the “cao” radical had Jia Rong as chief. Left and right in order of descent, men east, women west. They waited until Grandmother Jia took incense and bowed, then all knelt at once. The five-bay hall, three-bay side hall, inner and outer corridors, steps above and below, and the two courtyards were packed like brocade, without a gap. Not a crow or sparrow was heard; only the tinkling of gold bells and jade pendants swaying slightly, and the rustle of boots and shoes as they rose and knelt. When the ceremony ended, Jia Jing, Jia She, and the others hurried out and went to Rong Mansion to wait and bow to Grandmother Jia.

In You-shi’s main room, red rugs had already been spread over the floor. In the center stood a large gilt cloisonné brazier with elephant-nose tripod legs. On the main kang was new crimson felt, with a large red embroidered backrest and armrest of cloud-dragons holding longevity, covered with a black fox-fur wrap, and a large white fox-fur seat cushion. Grandmother Jia was invited to sit there. On both sides were fur rugs for two or three sisters-in-law of Grandmother Jia’s generation. On the small kang behind the screen at the side, fur rugs were spread for Lady Xing and the others. On the floor were twelve carved lacquer chairs facing each other on two sides, all with gray-squirrel chair covers and small cushions, and under each chair a large brass foot warmer, for Baoqin and the other sisters. You-shi personally offered tea to Grandmother Jia on a tray; Jia Rong’s wife offered tea to the old aunts; then You-shi offered tea to Lady Xing and the others, and Jia Rong’s wife offered tea to the sisters. Xifeng, Li Wan, and the others only stood in attendance. After tea, Lady Xing and the others rose first to attend Grandmother Jia. Grandmother Jia drank tea and chatted a few words with the old sisters-in-law, then called for the sedan. Xifeng hurried up to help her. You-shi smiled, “I have already prepared your supper, Old Ancestor. Every year you refuse to give us the face of eating supper here before going. Are we really not as good as Xifeng?” Xifeng, supporting Grandmother Jia, laughed, “Old Ancestor, let us hurry home and eat. Do not listen to her.” Grandmother Jia laughed, “You have the ancestors’ offerings here and are busy enough. How could I bear to make trouble? Besides, every year if I do not eat, you still send it over. Better send it over. What I cannot finish I will keep and eat tomorrow. Will I not eat more that way?” Everyone laughed. She also instructed her, “Assign reliable people to watch the incense and candles at night. This is not something to be careless about.” You-shi agreed. They went out to the warm chamber and got into the sedan. You-shi and the others withdrew behind the screen. The pages then led the bearers and brought the sedan out the main gate. You-shi also followed Lady Xing and the others to Rong Mansion.

When the sedan left the main gate, on this street the east side was lined with the ceremonial insignia, attendants, and musical instruments of Ningguo Duke; the west side was lined with those of Rongguo Duke. Passersby were cleared away and not allowed through. Presently they reached Rong Mansion. There too the main gate and main hall were opened all the way. This time she did not alight at the warm chamber; after passing the great hall, they turned west and alighted at the main hall on Grandmother Jia’s side. Everyone followed her into Grandmother Jia’s main room, which was also newly decorated with brocade covers and embroidered screens. In the brazier on the floor burned pine and cypress incense and lily grass. Grandmother Jia took her seat. An old matron reported, “The old ladies have come to pay their respects.” Grandmother Jia quickly rose to welcome them. Two or three old sisters-in-law had already entered. They took hands and laughed, offered seats back and forth. After tea, Grandmother Jia saw them only to the inner ceremonial gate and returned to her seat. Jia Jing, Jia She, and the others led the younger clansmen in. Grandmother Jia laughed, “You have had a hard year. Let us skip the ceremony.” As she spoke, the men came in one group and the women one group, and each group paid respects. Chairs were set on both sides, and then by seniority they sat and received respects. The men, women, pages, and maids of both mansions also paid respects according to rank. Then New Year’s lucky money, purses, and gold and silver ingots were distributed. The Union Feast was set out. Men sat east, women west. Tusu wine, Union soup, auspicious fruit, and ruyi cake were offered. Then Grandmother Jia rose and went into the inner room to change clothes, and everyone dispersed. That night incense and offerings were burned before the Buddhist shrines and the Kitchen God in every place. In Lady Wang’s main courtyard were set paper horses and incense offerings for Heaven and Earth. On the main gate of Grand View Garden hung bright horn lanterns, two rows of tall lanterns, and street lamps everywhere. High and low were dressed in brocade and flowers. All night the noise of voices, laughter, firecrackers, and fireworks continued without cease.

The next day at the fifth watch, Grandmother Jia and the others again dressed in full court attire according to rank and set out the full ceremonial insignia to enter the palace and offer congratulations, also wishing Yuanchun long life. After the banquet, they returned and sacrificed to the ancestors in Ning Mansion, then came back and received respects. Then they changed clothes and rested. She would not receive any relatives or friends who came to offer New Year greetings, only talked with Aunt Xue and Aunt Li for convenience, or played go and cards with Baoyu, Baoqin, Baochai, Daiyu, and the other sisters. Lady Wang and Xifeng were busy every day inviting people to New Year wine. In the halls and courtyards there were theatricals and wine, and relatives and friends came in an endless stream. They were busy for seven or eight days before it ended. Soon the Lantern Festival was near, and both Ning and Rong mansions hung lanterns and colored decorations. On the eleventh, Jia She invited Grandmother Jia and the others; the next day Jia Zhen invited them. Grandmother Jia went to both and stayed half a day casually. Lady Wang and Xifeng were invited out for New Year wine day after day; too many to record.

On the evening of the fifteenth, Grandmother Jia had several tables of wine set in the Great Flower Hall, engaged a small opera troupe, hung all kinds of fine lanterns, and led the sons, nephews, grandsons, and daughters-in-law of both Rong and Ning mansions in a family banquet. Jia Jing did not drink wine and was not invited. After the ancestral sacrifices on the seventeenth, he would leave the city to cultivate himself. During these days at home he stayed in a quiet room in silence, hearing and seeing nothing. No more of this. Jia She accepted a little of Grandmother Jia’s bounty and then took his leave. Grandmother Jia knew it was awkward for him to stay, so she let him go. Jia She went home to enjoy lanterns and drink with his retainers; naturally there was music and song, and brocade everywhere. His pleasures were different from those here.

Here in Grandmother Jia’s Flower Hall there were about ten tables. Beside each table was a small stand with incense burner, vase, and incense set, burning imperial-bestowed lily palace incense. There were also small potted landscapes eight inches long, four or five inches wide, and two or three inches high, covered with green moss and fresh flowers. There were small foreign-lacquer tea trays with old kiln teacups and ten-pattern small tea pots, brewing the finest tea. All were carved red sandalwood openwork, inlaid with red gauze embroidered flowers and grass-script poetry, called yingluo. The woman who embroidered these yingluo was a Suzhou woman named Hui Niang. She came from a scholarly official family and was skilled in painting and calligraphy. She only embroidered one or two pieces occasionally for amusement, not for sale. The flowers on these screens imitated the broken-branch flowers of famous Tang, Song, Yuan, and Ming painters, so their composition and coloring were elegant, not like vulgar bright artisan work. Beside each branch were old lines by ancients on that flower, or poems, ci, songs, and fu, embroidered in black velvet in grass script. The hooks, turns, light and heavy strokes, and breaks were no different from brush grass script, not like the stiff, hateful characters of commercial embroidery. She did not rely on this skill for profit, so although the world knew of it, few possessed it. Many wealthy official families did not have a piece. People called it “Hui embroidery.” Some profit-seekers recently imitated her stitches to fool people and make money. But Hui Niang died young, at eighteen, and now no more pieces can be had. Those who owned even one or two treasured them and did not use them. Some Hanlin literary fanatics, deeply regretting the excellence of “Hui embroidery,” said the word “embroidery” could not do justice to its wonder. For such brushwork, the word “embroidery” seemed an insult. So they discussed it and dropped “embroidery,” replacing it with “pattern.” Thus it is now called “Hui pattern.” If one has a genuine “Hui pattern,” its value is limitless. The Jia mansion in its glory had only two or three pieces. Last year two were presented to the throne, and now only this set of yingluo remained, sixteen panels in all. Grandmother Jia treasured it like a jewel and did not put it among the ordinary displays for guests, but kept it on her own side to enjoy when she was happy and gave a banquet. There were also old kiln vases of various colors decorated with fresh flowers and grasses such as “Three Friends of Winter” and “Jade Hall Wealth and Honor.”

The two upper tables were for Aunt Li and Aunt Xue. Grandmother Jia set on the east side a short couch with openwork dragon screen and low legs, with backrest, armrest, and fur rug complete. On one end of the couch was a very light foreign-lacquer gilt-painted small table with tea pot, tea bowls, rinsing cup, foreign towel, and a spectacle case. Grandmother Jia reclined on the couch, laughed and talked with everyone, now and then took her spectacles and looked at the stage, and said to Aunt Xue and Aunt Li, “Forgive me, I am old and my bones ache. Let me be rude and recline while keeping you company.” She told Hupo to sit on the couch and massage her legs with a beauty’s fist. Below the couch no table was set, only a high stand with yingluo, vase, incense burner, and such. Apart from that was a small exquisite high table with wine cup, spoon, and chopsticks. Her own place was set beside the couch, and Baoqin, Xiangyun, Daiyu, and Baoyu were told to sit there. Each dish or fruit that came was first offered to Grandmother Jia. If she liked it, it was kept on the small table for her to taste, then still removed and placed on the table of the four, so that the four were considered seated with Grandmother Jia. Below were Lady Xing and Lady Wang, then You-shi, Li Wan, Xifeng, and Jia Rong’s wife. On the west side were Baochai, Li Wen, Li Qi, Xiuyan, Yingchun, and the other sisters. On the great beams on both sides hung glass hibiscus lanterns with colored tassels in clusters of three and five. Before each table stood a lacquered pole with a drooping lotus leaf, on which candle sockets held colored candles. The lotus leaves were enameled and could be turned on a pivot. Now all the leaves were turned outward to direct the lantern light outward, making the stage clearer. The window lattices and doors had all been removed, and all kinds of palace lanterns with colored tassels hung everywhere. Inside and outside the corridors and the covered walkways on both sides were hung lanterns of horn, glass, gauze, and glass thread, embroidered, painted, piled, carved, silk, or paper. The tables on the corridor were for Jia Zhen, Jia Lian, Jia Huan, Jia Cong, Jia Rong, Jia Qin, Jia Yun, Jia Ling, Jia Chang, and the others.

Grandmother Jia had also sent people to invite the men and women of the clan, but some were old and disliked excitement, some had no one at home and could not conveniently come, some were ill and could not come though they wished to, some were envious of wealth or ashamed of poverty and did not come, some even hated or feared Xifeng’s character and stayed away in a fit of pique, some were shy and awkward, unused to seeing people, and did not dare come. So although the clan was many, of the women only Jia Jun’s mother, Mrs. Lou, came with Jia Jun. Of the men, only Jia Qin, Jia Yun, Jia Chang, and Jia Ling, who were currently working under Xifeng, came. Although not all were present, for a small family banquet it counted as lively. Then Lin Zhixiao’s wife brought six servant women carrying three kang tables. Each was covered with a red felt, and on the felt were newly minted copper coins of equal size, strung with bright red colored cord, two women carrying each table. Three tables in all. Lin Zhixiao’s wife directed that two be placed below the tables of Aunt Xue and Aunt Li, and one be sent below Grandmother Jia’s couch. Grandmother Jia said, “Put it on the floor.” These women all knew the rules. They set down the tables, opened all the coins, drew out the colored cords, and piled them loose on the tables. Just as the scene “The Meeting in the Tower” from The West Tower was ending, Yu Shuye had left in a huff, and Wen Bao made a comic joke: “You left in a huff. It happens to be the fifteenth of the first month, and the Old Ancestor of Rongguo Mansion is holding a family banquet. I will ride this horse and hurry in to beg some fruit to eat.” This made Grandmother Jia and the others laugh. Aunt Xue and the others said, “What a little imp! Poor thing.” Xifeng said, “This child is only nine.” Grandmother Jia laughed, “It is remarkable how cleverly he said it.” She said one word: “Reward.” Three servant women had already prepared baskets. Hearing “Reward,” they went up and each scooped a basketful from the loose coins on the tables, came out, and said to the stage, “The Old Ancestor, the Aunt, and the Aunt-in-law reward Wen Bao to buy fruit!” They scattered the coins onto the stage, and with a clatter the whole stage rang with money. Jia Zhen and Jia Lian had already ordered pages to carry in large baskets of coins and had secretly prepared them there. Hearing Grandmother Jia’s reward, if you want to know what happened next, listen to the next chapter.