Shi Taijun breaks the outdated old set and Wang Xifeng plays with colorful clothes

Now Jia Zhen and Jia Lian had secretly got ready large hampers of coins. When they heard Lady Jia say, "Reward them!" they hurriedly ordered the pages to scatter the money. The whole stage rang with the sound of coins, and Lady Jia was delighted.

The two men rose to their feet, and the pages hastily thrust a new silver wine-warmer into Jia Lian's hand. He and Jia Zhen strode quickly inside. Jia Zhen went first to Aunt Li's table, bowed, and took up her cup; turning, he waited while Jia Lian filled it. Then he went to Aunt Xue's table and filled her cup as well. The two ladies rose at once and said with a smile, "Please be seated, gentlemen. There's no need for such ceremony." Thereupon everyone at the table rose and stood respectfully to one side—everyone, that is, except Lady Xing and Lady Wang. Jia Zhen and Jia Lian came before Lady Jia's couch. Because the couch was low, they knelt on bended knee. Jia Zhen held the cup in front, and Jia Lian held the wine-warmer behind. Though only the two of them offered the wine, Jia Huan and the other brothers had also formed up in order and filed in after them. When they saw the two men kneel, they all knelt in a row. Baoyu quickly knelt too. Xiangyun nudged him and whispered with a smile, "What are you kneeling for now? If you're going to do that, you might as well go pour a round of wine yourself." Baoyu whispered back with a smile, "I'll pour in a little while." He waited until the two men had finished pouring and risen, then got up himself. They poured for Lady Xing and Lady Wang as well. Jia Zhen said with a smile, "What about our younger sisters?" Lady Jia and the others all said, "You may go. They can be spared." Only then did Jia Zhen and the others withdraw.

It was not yet the second watch. The play being performed was eight scenes from The Eight Righteous Men, including "Viewing the Lanterns." Just as the entertainment was at its height, Baoyu slipped away from his seat to go outside. Lady Jia called after him, "Where are you going? The firecrackers are fierce out there—mind a piece of burning paper doesn't fall from the sky and singe you." Baoyu replied, "I'm not going far. I'll be back in a moment." Lady Jia ordered the maids to keep a close watch on him. So Baoyu went out with only Sheyue, Qiuwen, and a few young maids in attendance. Lady Jia remarked, "Why isn't Xiren here? She's getting above herself these days, sending only little girls out." Lady Wang rose hurriedly and replied with a smile, "Her mother passed away the day before yesterday. She's in mourning and it isn't convenient for her to come to the front." Lady Jia nodded and then said with a smile, "In service to a master, one can't afford to talk about mourning. If she were still serving me, would she not be here now? It's because we've been too lenient—as long as there's someone to do the work, we don't look into these things—and so it's become the rule." Xifeng hurried over and said with a smile, "Even if she weren't in mourning tonight, someone would still have to watch over the garden. Lamps, candles, fireworks—those are the real dangers. With a play going on here, who in the garden wouldn't slip over to watch? She's careful. She can keep an eye on things everywhere. And when this breaks up and Baoyu goes back to bed, everything will be ready. If she came here, everyone else would be careless, and when they got back, the bedding would be cold, the tea and water not ready—nothing would be convenient. So I told her not to come, just to watch the rooms. When the party breaks up, everything will be ready, we won't have to worry here, and she can fulfill her mourning rites. Isn't that beneficial in three ways? If you want her, I'll call her." Lady Jia was pleased and said, "You're quite right. You've thought it through better than I did. Don't call her. But when did her mother die? How is it I didn't know?" Xifeng said with a smile, "Xiren came to report it to you herself the day before yesterday. How could you have forgotten?" Lady Jia thought for a moment and said with a smile, "Now I remember. My memory is really quite ordinary." Everyone said with a smile, "How could you be expected to remember such things?" Lady Jia sighed and said, "I think of how she served me faithfully since she was small, then served Yun'er for a time, and finally was given to that little monster Baoyu—she's had her hands full these years. She's not like our house-born slaves who've received great favors from us. When her mother died, I thought of giving her a few taels of silver for the funeral, but I forgot." Xifeng said, "The other day Lady Wang gave her forty taels. That's sufficient." Lady Jia nodded and said, "That will do. It happens that Yuanyang's mother died recently too. I think her parents are in the south, and I didn't send her home to visit or observe mourning. Now let the two of them keep each other company." She ordered a maid to take some fruit, dishes, and cakes to the two of them. Hupo said with a smile, "You needn't wait—she went long ago." So everyone drank and watched the play.

Meanwhile Baoyu had gone all the way to the garden. When the old maids saw him returning to his rooms, they didn't follow but sat in the tea-room by the garden gate warming themselves, drinking and playing cards with the woman in charge of the tea. When Baoyu reached the courtyard, though the lamps were bright, there was no sound of voices. Sheyue said, "Surely they haven't all gone to bed? Let's go in quietly and give them a fright." So they tiptoed in and looked through the mirror-wall. They saw Xiren lying on the kang face to face with another person, and at the other end two or three old nurses dozing. Baoyu thought the two were asleep and was about to go in when he suddenly heard Yuanyang sigh and say, "You never know what will happen in this world. By rights, you're here all alone with your parents far away, always traveling east and west with no fixed abode—you'd think you'd never be able to see them off at the end. Yet it happened that your mother died here this year, and you were able to go and be with her at the end." Xiren said, "Exactly. I never thought I'd see my parents die. And Lady Wang gave me forty taels—that's enough to count as having raised me. I wouldn't dare ask for more." Baoyu heard this and turned quickly to whisper to Sheyue and the others, "I didn't know she was here too. If I go in, she'll get upset and leave. We'd better go back and let the two of them have a quiet talk. Xiren's been feeling low, and it's good she came." So they quietly withdrew.

Baoyu went behind the rockery and stood there lifting his clothes. Sheyue and Qiuwen turned their backs and said with a smile, "Squat down before you undo your clothes—mind the wind on your belly." The two little maids behind, realizing he needed to relieve himself, hurried ahead to the tea-room to prepare. Just as Baoyu turned back, two serving-women came toward him and asked who was there. Qiuwen said, "It's Baoyu. Don't shout and startle him." The women said hastily with a smile, "We didn't know. On a holiday like this, we've gone and made trouble. You girls must be tired after all these days." By then they had come closer. Sheyue and the others asked, "What's that you're carrying?" The women said, "It's what Lady Jia is sending to Miss Jin and Miss Hua." Qiuwen said with a smile, "The play outside is The Eight Righteous Men—it's not The Mixed Primeval Box. Where did 'Golden Flower Goddess' come from?" Baoyu said with a smile, "Open them and let me see." Qiuwen and Sheyue went up and uncovered the two boxes. The women quickly crouched down. Baoyu saw that both boxes contained the finest fruits and dishes from the banquet. He nodded, then strode off. Sheyue and Qiuwen hastily covered the boxes and followed. Baoyu said with a smile, "Those two women are quite amiable and know how to talk. They work hard every day, yet they say you've been working hard—not like those who brag about their own merits." Sheyue said, "The good ones are very good, and the rude ones are very rude." Baoyu said with a smile, "You're sensible people. Just make allowances for them—they're simple and to be pitied." As they talked, they reached the garden gate. Though the old maids were drinking and playing cards, they kept coming out to check, and when they saw Baoyu, they all followed. When they reached the back corridor of the flower hall, they saw the two little maids—one holding a small washbasin, one with a towel over her arm, and another holding a bottle of lotion—waiting there. Qiuwen reached into the basin to test it and said, "The older you get, the more careless you are. Where did you get this cold water?" The little maid said with a smile, "Miss, look at the weather. I was afraid the water would be cold, so I deliberately poured boiling water. And it's still cold?" Just then an old woman came by carrying a kettle of boiling water. The little maid said, "Good granny, come pour me some." The old woman said, "Little girl, this is for Lady Jia's tea. You'd better go draw some from farther off—it won't take you far." Qiuwen said, "Whoever you are, won't you give it? I'll take Lady Jia's teapot and pour it out to wash my hands if I have to." The old woman turned, saw it was Qiuwen, and hastily lifted the kettle to pour. Qiuwen said, "That's enough. At your age you should have more sense. Who doesn't know this is Lady Jia's water? Only someone who had no business asking would dare ask for it." The old woman said with a smile, "My eyes are failing me. I didn't recognize you, miss." Baoyu washed his hands, and the little maid poured some lotion into his palm from a small pot. Baoyu rubbed it in. Qiuwen and Sheyue also took advantage of the hot water to wash and apply lotion, then followed Baoyu inside.

Baoyu asked for a pot of warm wine and began pouring for Aunt Li and Aunt Xue. The two ladies also urged him to sit. Lady Jia said, "He's young. Let him pour, and everyone must drain this cup." She drained her own. Lady Xing and Lady Wang also drained theirs and urged the two ladies to do the same. Aunt Xue and Aunt Li had no choice but to drain their cups. Lady Jia then ordered Baoyu, "Pour for all your sisters too. No random pouring—every one of them must drain her cup." Baoyu assented and poured in order. When he came to Daiyu, she refused to drink. She picked up her cup and held it to Baoyu's lips, and he drained it in one breath. Daiyu said with a smile, "Thank you." Baoyu poured her another cup. Xifeng said with a smile, "Baoyu, don't drink cold wine. Mind your hands shake, and tomorrow you won't be able to write or draw your bow." Baoyu said hastily, "I haven't drunk cold wine." Xifeng said with a smile, "I know you haven't. I'm just reminding you." After Baoyu had finished pouring for everyone inside—except Jia Rong's wife, whose cup was filled by the maids—he went out to the corridor and poured for Jia Zhen and the others. He sat awhile, then went back in and returned to his old seat.

After the soup was served, sweet dumplings were brought in. Lady Jia ordered the play to pause: "The poor children—let them have some hot soup and food before they sing again." She also ordered fruits and dumplings of all kinds to be given to them. After the play stopped, an old maid brought in two blind female storytellers who often performed at the household. Two stools were placed for them, and a lute and pipa were handed to them. Lady Jia asked Aunt Li and Aunt Xue what they would like to hear. Both said, "Anything at all." Lady Jia asked, "Have you learned any new stories lately?" The two storytellers replied, "There is a new one—a story from the late Tang and Five Dynasties." Lady Jia asked its name. The storyteller said, "It's called The Phoenix Seeks the Luan." Lady Jia said, "That's a fine title. I wonder what it's about. Tell us the gist first, and if it's good, we'll hear it." The storyteller said, "The story tells of a country gentleman of Jinling named Wang Zhong, who served as prime minister under two reigns. Now retired, he has only one son, named Wang Xifeng." Everyone laughed. Lady Jia said with a smile, "That's our Feng girl's name." A maid hurried over and nudged her: "That's the Second Mistress's name. Don't be careless." Lady Jia said with a smile, "Go on, go on." The storyteller stood up hastily and said with a smile, "We deserve death. We didn't know it was the mistress's name." Xifeng said with a smile, "What does it matter? Just tell it. There are plenty of people with the same name." The storyteller continued, "That year, the old master Wang sent the young gentleman to the capital for the examinations. One day he was caught in heavy rain and took shelter in a manor. It happened that this manor also belonged to a country gentleman surnamed Li, who was an old family friend of Wang. He kept the young man in his study. This Li had no son, only a daughter named Chuluan, who was accomplished in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting." Lady Jia said quickly, "No wonder it's called The Phoenix Seeks the Luan. I can guess—naturally this Wang Xifeng wants to marry Miss Chuluan." The storyteller said with a smile, "So you've heard this story before, Old Ancestress." Everyone said, "What hasn't Lady Jia heard? And even if she hadn't, she'd have guessed." Lady Jia said with a smile, "These stories are all of a piece. They're all about beauties and talented scholars—the most boring thing. They make the girls out to be so bad, and then call them beauties. They're not even plausible. They always begin with a family of scholars and officials—the father is either a minister or a prime minister—and the one daughter is treasured like pearls. She must be thoroughly versed in literature and etiquette, knowing everything—a peerless beauty. But the moment she lays eyes on a handsome man, whether relative or stranger, she starts thinking of marriage, forgetting her parents and all propriety. She's neither ghost nor thief. How is she a beauty? Even if she's full of learning, if she does such things, she can't be called a beauty. If a man full of learning turns thief, does the law say he's a talented scholar and exempt him from the charge of theft? So you see the writer contradicts himself. Moreover, if these are great families of officials and scholars, and the young ladies are taught propriety and reading, and even the ladies of the house are educated, then when the father retires and returns home, such a great household would have many people—nurses and maids to serve the young lady would be numerous. Why is it that in these stories, whenever such a thing happens, there's only the young lady and one maid? Think about it—what are all those other people doing? Isn't that a contradiction?" Everyone laughed and said, "Old Ancestress, you've exposed all the lies." Lady Jia said with a smile, "There's a reason. Some who write such books are envious of others' wealth and rank, or their own wishes have been thwarted, so they write these to slander others. Others have read such books until they're bewitched and fancy themselves a beauty, so they write to amuse themselves. What do they know of the ways of great scholarly families? Never mind those great families in their books—even in a middling household like ours, such things don't happen, let alone in great families. You can be sure it's all nonsense. That's why we never allow such stories to be told, and the maids don't understand such talk. These past few years I've grown old, and the girls live far away. When I'm bored, I sometimes have a few stories told, but as soon as they come, I stop." Aunt Li and Aunt Xue both said with a smile, "That's exactly the rule in great families. Even in our household, we don't let the children hear such vulgar talk."

Xifeng came over to pour wine and said with a smile, "Enough, enough—the wine's cold. Old Ancestress, drink a sip to moisten your throat before you expose more lies. This one should be called 'Exposing the Lies.' It happened in this very dynasty, this very place, this very year, this very month, this very day, this very hour. Old Ancestress, one mouth can't tell two stories at once. The flower blooms in two branches—we'll leave aside for now whether it's true or false, and return to those watching the lanterns and the play. Old Ancestress, let these two relatives drink a cup and watch two more scenes, and then you can start exposing lies from yesterday morning." As she poured and spoke, before she finished, everyone was convulsed with laughter. The two storytellers also laughed and said, "What eloquence, Mistress! If you told stories, we'd have no livelihood left." Aunt Xue said with a smile, "Don't be so forward. There are outsiders present—this isn't like other times." Xifeng said with a smile, "The only outsider here is Lord Zhen. We've always addressed each other as brother and sister—we grew up playing together. These past years, since I married, I've observed so many rules. Even if we weren't childhood brother and sister, and were to go by seniority, in the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars there's 'Lao Laizi in motley clothes amusing his parents.' They can't come and 'play the motley' to make Old Ancestress laugh. I've finally managed to make Old Ancestress laugh and eat a little more, and everyone's happy. You should all thank me—how can you laugh at me instead?" Lady Jia said with a smile, "These past two days I haven't had a really good laugh. Thanks to her, I've laughed until my heart feels lighter. I'll have another cup." As she drank, she ordered Baoyu, "Pour your sister a cup too." Xifeng said with a smile, "No need for him to pour. I'll ask for Old Ancestress's longevity." She took Lady Jia's cup, drank the half-cup remaining, handed the cup to a maid, and had it replaced with a cup warmed in hot water. Then all the cups at the tables were removed, and new wine was poured into cups warmed in hot water. They all sat down again.

The storytellers said, "If Old Ancestress doesn't want to hear the story, perhaps we could play a tune." Lady Jia said, "You two play 'The General's Command' together." They tuned their instruments and began to play. Lady Jia asked, "What watch is it?" The old maids replied, "The third watch." Lady Jia said, "No wonder it's getting chilly." Maids had already brought extra clothes. Lady Wang rose and said with a smile, "Old Ancestress, why not move into the warm chamber onto the heated kang? These two relatives aren't outsiders. We'll keep you company." Lady Jia said with a smile, "If you put it that way, we might as well all move inside. Wouldn't that be warmer?" Lady Wang said, "I'm afraid there isn't room inside." Lady Jia said with a smile, "I have an idea. We don't need all these tables. Just push two or three together and everyone sit close—it'll be cozy and warm." Everyone said, "That will be fun." So they rose from the feast. Maids cleared the remnants, and three large tables were pushed together in a row inside. Fresh fruits and dishes were set out. Lady Jia said, "No ceremony now. Just do as I arrange." She seated Aunt Xue and Aunt Li facing south, and herself facing west. She had Baochai, Daiyu, and Xiangyun sit close on either side of her, and said to Baoyu, "You sit next to your mother." So Baoyu sat between Lady Xing and Lady Wang. Baochai and the other sisters sat on the west side, and in order below them came Lou Shi with Jia Jun, You Shi and Li Wan with Jia Lan, and at the lower end Jia Rong's wife. Lady Jia said, "Zhen, take your brothers and go. I'm going to bed."

Jia Zhen assented and came in with the others. Lady Jia said, "Go quickly! No need to come in. We've just sat down and you're all getting up again. Go rest. Tomorrow is a big day." Jia Zhen assented and said with a smile, "Leave Rong'er to pour wine." Lady Jia said with a smile, "I forgot him." Jia Zhen said "Yes," turned, and led Jia Lian and the others out. The two were delighted. They sent Jia Cong and Jia Huang home and invited Jia Lian to go seek pleasure. We need not dwell on this.

Lady Jia said with a smile, "I was just thinking—with all these people enjoying themselves, there isn't a single complete couple. I forgot Rong'er. Now it's complete. Rong'er, sit with your wife. That makes a reunion." A maid came to announce the play. Lady Jia said with a smile, "We women are just getting into our talk, and now there's more noise. Besides, the children are up late in the cold. Let them rest. Call our own girls and have them sing a few songs on the stage for us." The maid assented and went out. She sent someone to the Grand View Garden to summon them and someone to the second gate to summon the pages. The pages hurried to the theater and brought out all the adults, leaving only the children.

Soon the singing master from Pear Fragrance Court brought Wenguan and twelve others out through the side door of the covered corridor. Old maids carried several soft bundles—there was no time to bring the full trunks, so they had packed costumes for the three or five scenes Lady Jia liked best. The old maids brought Wenguan and the others in to pay their respects. They stood respectfully with hands at their sides. Lady Jia said with a smile, "It's the first month. Your master doesn't even let you out to stroll. What will you sing? Those eight scenes from The Eight Righteous Men just now gave me a headache. Let's have something quiet. Look—Aunt Xue and Aunt Li are from families with their own troupes. They've heard plenty of good opera. These girls have seen more good opera than our own girls. Now this little troupe is from a famous family of performers. Though they're children, they're better than the big troupes. We mustn't let ourselves be criticized. We'll have to do something new. Have Fangguan sing 'Seeking the Dream,' with only the violin and flute—no pipes or flutes." Wenguan said with a smile, "That's right. Our singing can't compare with what the ladies and young ladies have heard. But you can hear our enunciation and our voices." Lady Jia said with a smile, "That's exactly it." Aunt Li and Aunt Xue said delightedly, "What a clever child! She's joining Old Ancestress in teasing us." Lady Jia said with a smile, "Ours is just a casual amusement. We don't perform for money, so it's not quite in fashion." She continued, "Have Kuiguan sing 'Hui Ming Sends the Letter,' and no makeup. Just these two will give them something new. If you skimp on effort, I won't have it." Wenguan and the others went out and prepared to perform. First came "Seeking the Dream," then "Sends the Letter." Everyone was silent. Aunt Xue said with a smile, "She's really remarkable. I've seen hundreds of troupes, but never one using only flute and violin." Lady Jia said, "There are some. Just now in 'The Western Chamber—Clear River on a Spring Day,' there's often a young scholar playing the flute. But full-scale pieces like this are rare. It depends on whether the host is particular. What's so extraordinary?" She pointed to Xiangyun and said, "When I was her age, her grandfather had a small troupe, and there happened to be a qin player among them. Pieces like 'Listening to the Qin' from The Western Chamber, 'The Qin Teases' from The Jade Hairpin, and 'Eighteen Beats of the Barbarian Reed Pipe' from The Continued Pipa—they became real. How does that compare?" Everyone said, "That's even more rare." Lady Jia ordered a maid to tell Wenguan and the others to play "Full Moon of Lanterns." The maid went off to do so.

Meanwhile Jia Rong and his wife poured a round of wine. Xifeng, seeing Lady Jia was very happy, said with a smile, "While the storytellers are here, why not have them beat the drum and pass the plum blossom? We'll play 'Spring Joy on the Eyebrows.'" Lady Jia said with a smile, "That's a good game—just right for the occasion." She ordered a black-lacquered drum with copper tacks and floral patterns to be brought for the storytellers to beat, and a red plum branch for the table. Lady Jia said with a smile, "Whoever has the drum stop on them must drink a cup and say something." Xifeng said with a smile, "I say, who has everything like Old Ancestress? For those of us who don't, wouldn't it be dull? I say let's have something for both refined and common tastes. Whoever loses tells a joke." Everyone knew she was good at telling jokes and had endless fresh and amusing tales. Not only the guests but even the servants, old and young, were delighted. The little maids hurried out to find their sisters and tell them: "Come quick, the Second Mistress is telling jokes!" The maids crowded the room. The play ended and the music stopped. Lady Jia ordered soup, cakes, fruits, and dishes to be given to Wenguan and the others, then ordered the drum to sound. The storytellers were used to it—sometimes slow, sometimes fast, like dripping water from a clepsydra, like beans popping, like startled horses galloping, like lightning flashing and darkening. When the drum was slow, the plum passed slowly; when fast, fast. It happened to stop in Lady Jia's hands. Everyone laughed. Jia Rong came up to pour a cup. Everyone said with a smile, "Naturally Old Ancestress is the first to be favored. We'll rely on her for some joy." Lady Jia said with a smile, "The wine is fine, but a joke is hard to tell." Everyone said, "Old Ancestress's are even better and more numerous than Xifeng's. Give us one and we'll laugh." Lady Jia said with a smile, "I've nothing new or funny. I'll have to be thick-skinned and tell one." So she said: "A family had ten sons who married ten wives. Only the tenth wife was clever, witty, and sharp-tongued. The parents-in-law doted on her and said the other nine were unfilial. The nine wives were aggrieved and said, 'We nine are filial in our hearts, but we're not as clever-tongued as that little hussy. So our parents-in-law only praise her. To whom can we complain?' The eldest wife had an idea and said, 'Tomorrow let's go to the Temple of the King of Hell, burn incense, and ask him why, when we were born, he gave that little hussy a clever tongue and made us all stupid.' Everyone liked the idea. The next day they went to the temple, burned incense, and all nine fell asleep under the offering table. Their souls waited for the King of Hell, but he didn't come. As they were getting anxious, they saw Sun Wukong riding his cloud. He saw the nine souls and was about to strike them with his golden cudgel. They knelt and begged. He asked why, and they told him. Sun Wukong stamped his foot, sighed, and said, 'You're lucky you met me. Even if the King of Hell came, he wouldn't know.' The nine begged, 'Great Sage, have mercy on us.' Sun Wukong said with a smile, 'That's easy. When you ten wives were born, I happened to be at the King of Hell's place. I urinated on the ground, and your little sister-in-law ate it. If you want to be clever and sharp-tongued, there's plenty of urine—I'll urinate again and you can eat it.'" When she finished, everyone laughed. Xifeng said with a smile, "Good. Fortunately we're all dull and slow. Otherwise we'd have eaten monkey urine too." You Shi and Lou Shi laughed and said to Li Wan, "Who here has eaten monkey urine? Don't pretend you haven't." Aunt Xue said with a smile, "A joke doesn't matter whether it's good or bad—if it fits the occasion, it makes people laugh." Then the drum sounded again. The little maids, wanting to hear Xifeng's joke, secretly told the storytellers to cough as a signal. After two rounds, the drum stopped on Xifeng. The little maids coughed deliberately, and the storytellers stopped. Everyone laughed and said, "Now we've caught her. Drink up and tell a good one. Don't make us laugh till our guts ache." Xifeng thought for a moment and said with a smile, "A family was celebrating the fifteenth of the first month. The whole household was feasting and enjoying the lanterns—a real bustle. Great-grandmother-in-law, grandmother-in-law, mother-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandson's wives, great-grandson's wives, own grandsons, nephew grandsons, great-grandsons, great-great-grandsons, all sorts of grandsons, granddaughters, external granddaughters, cousins' granddaughters, aunts' granddaughters... oh my, what a crowd!" Everyone laughed as she spoke and said, "Listen to her chatter. Who knows who she's making fun of now." You Shi said with a smile, "If you start on me, I'll tear your mouth." Xifeng rose, clapped her hands, and said with a smile, "I'm trying to tell a story and you're all interrupting. I won't tell it." Lady Jia said with a smile, "Tell it, tell it. What happened next?" Xifeng thought and said with a smile, "Then they all sat around a room and after a night of drinking, they dispersed." Everyone saw she had spoken so seriously and had nothing more to say. They stared blankly, waiting for more, feeling it was cold and pointless. Xiangyun looked at her for a long time. Xifeng said with a smile, "Let me tell another about the fifteenth. Some people carried a firecracker as big as a house outside the city to set it off. Tens of thousands followed to watch. One impatient man couldn't wait, so he secretly lit it with a stick of incense. With a 'pfft,' everyone laughed and dispersed. The men carrying the firecracker complained that the seller hadn't tied it tightly—it fell apart before it could be set off." Xiangyun said, "Didn't he hear the sound?" Xifeng said, "He was deaf." Everyone thought, then burst out laughing. They remembered the earlier unfinished one and asked, "What about the first one? You should finish it." Xifeng slapped the table and said, "How tiresome! The next day was the sixteenth. The year was over, the festival was over. I was busy watching people pack up—I don't know what happened after." Everyone laughed. Xifeng said with a smile, "It's already the fourth watch. I say Old Ancestress is tired. We should 'scatter like a deaf man's firecracker.'" You Shi and the others covered their mouths with handkerchiefs, laughing uncontrollably, pointing at her and saying, "This creature is really too impudent." Lady Jia said with a smile, "This Feng girl is getting more and more impudent." She ordered, "Since she mentions firecrackers, let's set off fireworks to sober up."

Jia Rong, hearing this, hurried out with the pages to set up screens in the courtyard and prepare the fireworks. These fireworks were tribute items from various places. Though not large, they were extremely intricate, with all sorts of scenes and various firecrackers. Daiyu was delicate and couldn't stand the noise of firecrackers, so Lady Jia held her in her arms. Aunt Xue held Xiangyun. Xiangyun said with a smile, "I'm not afraid." Baochai and the others said with a smile, "She loves setting off big firecrackers herself. Why would she be afraid?" Lady Wang took Baoyu in her arms. Xifeng said with a smile, "No one loves us." You Shi said with a smile, "I'm here. I'll hold you. Don't be ashamed—you're such a child, acting spoiled. When you hear firecrackers, you're like a bee that's eaten honey. Now you're frisky again." Xifeng said with a smile, "When it's over, let's set them off in the garden. I can set them off better than the pages." As they spoke, fireworks were set off outside one after another, along with many small firecrackers like "Full Sky of Stars," "Nine Dragons Enter the Clouds," "One Sound Thunder," and "Flying Ten Rings." After that, the little actors performed a "Lotus Fall" song, and coins were scattered on the stage for the children to scramble for. When soup was served again, Lady Jia said, "The night is long. I feel a little hungry." Xifeng said quickly, "There's duck meat porridge prepared." Lady Jia said, "I'll have something light." Xifeng said quickly, "There's also rice porridge with dates, prepared for the ladies who eat vegetarian." Lady Jia said with a smile, "Either greasy or sweet." Xifeng said quickly, "There's also almond tea, but I'm afraid it's sweet too." Lady Jia said, "That will do." She ordered the remnants removed and various delicate dishes set out outside. Everyone ate casually, rinsed their mouths with tea, and then dispersed.

Early on the seventeenth, they went to the Ning mansion to pay respects, oversaw the closing of the ancestral hall and the storing of the ancestors' images, and then returned. That day Aunt Xue's family invited them to a New Year's feast. The eighteenth was the Lai family's, the nineteenth the Ning mansion's Lai Sheng's, the twentieth Lin Zhixiao's, the twenty-first Shan Daliang's, the twenty-second Wu Xindeng's. Lady Jia attended some and not others. Some she enjoyed so much she stayed until everyone dispersed; others she left after half a day. Whenever relatives invited her or she was asked to feasts, Lady Jia generally declined for fear of restraint. Lady Xing, Lady Wang, and Xifeng handled these matters. Even Baoyu only went to Wang Ziteng's house and declined the rest, saying Lady Jia kept him for company. So it was mainly the household servants who invited her, and where Lady Jia could be at ease, she was happy to go and stroll.