Wang Xifeng Speaks Plainly to Quell Jealousy; Lin Daiyu Uses Witty Words to Tease a Lisping Voice

Now Baoyu was telling Daiyu the story of the "rat spirit" in her room when Baochai happened to arrive, and she teased Baoyu about forgetting the "green wax" allusion at the Lantern Festival. The three of them were joking and laughing together. Baoyu had originally been afraid that Daiyu might sleep too much after her meal—which could cause indigestion or keep her awake at night—both bad for her health. Fortunately, Baochai's arrival kept them talking, so Daiyu stopped feeling sleepy, and Baoyu was relieved. Suddenly a commotion broke out in Baoyu's room. They all listened, and Daiyu laughed first, "That's your nanny and Xiren arguing. Xiren is usually fine—if your nanny really scolds her, she must be getting senile."

Baoyu hurried to go over, but Baochai stopped him, "Don't quarrel with your nanny—she's old and confused; you should give way to her." Baoyu said, "I understand." He went in and found Nanny Li standing with her cane, cursing Xiren: "Ungrateful little slut! I raised you up, and now when I come, you lie there grandly on the kang and don't even acknowledge me. You only know how to play the fox and fool Baoyu, making him listen to you and ignore me. You're just a cheap maid bought for a few taels of silver, putting on airs in this room—how dare you! If I have my way, I'll have you married off to some servant, and see if you still try to bewitch Baoyu!" At first Xiren thought Nanny Li was angry because she was lying down, so she tried to explain that she was ill, had been sweating, and had her head covered, so she hadn't seen her. But when she kept hearing "bewitch Baoyu," "play the fox," and "married off," she felt both humiliated and wronged, and couldn't help crying.

Though Baoyu heard all this, he couldn't say much, but he tried to defend Xiren, saying she was ill and taking medicine, adding, "If you don't believe me, ask the other maids." Nanny Li grew even angrier. "You only protect those vixens—you don't recognize me anymore. Who should I ask? Everyone sides with you, everyone's been won over by Xiren! I know all about it. I'll go to the Dowager and your mother and tell them. I nursed you from babyhood, and now that you don't need my milk anymore, you cast me aside and let these maids bully me." She started crying too. By then Daiyu, Baochai, and the others had come over to mediate: "Nanny, please be a little more tolerant." Seeing them, Nanny Li poured out her grievances, rambling on about the tea incident, Xixue's dismissal, and yesterday's milk-curd.

Just then Xifeng, who had been settling gambling accounts upstairs, heard the ruckus and knew Nanny Li was having one of her old fits—and since she had lost money that day, she was taking it out on Baoyu's people. She hurried over, took Nanny Li's arm, and said with a smile, "Dear Nanny, don't be angry. It's the New Year, and the Dowager has been happy all day. You're an elder—you should be the one telling others not to shout—surely you know better than to make a scene here and upset the Dowager? Just tell me who's been bad and I'll deal with them. I've got hot pheasant stew at home—come and have a drink with me." She pulled her along, calling, "Feng'er, take Nanny Li's cane and handkerchief." Nanny Li was practically carried along, still grumbling, "I don't care if I lose my old life—I'll make a scene today and shame them all, better than being bullied by that slut!" Baochai and Daiyu, watching from behind, clapped and laughed, "What a whirlwind—swept the old woman away!" Baoyu nodded and sighed, "I don't know what grudge this is—she always picks on the weak. I wonder which girl offended her yesterday, and she's taking it out on Xiren." Before he finished, Qingwen laughed from the side, "Who's crazy enough to offend her? And if someone did, they should take the consequences, not drag others into it!" Xiren, still crying, pulled Baoyu aside, "Because of me you've offended one old nanny, and now you're offending others for me. Isn't that enough? Why drag in more people?" Seeing her so ill and upset, Baoyu forced himself to be patient and comforted her, urging her to lie down and sweat it out. He stayed by her, watching her burn with fever, and told her just to rest and not to mind trivial things. Xiren smiled bitterly, "If I got angry over every little thing, I couldn't stand a moment in this room. But if this keeps on day after day, what are we to do? I often tell you not to offend people for our sake—you only do it for a moment, but they remember, and when the chance comes, they'll say unpleasant things. What's the point?" She couldn't help crying, but fearing to upset Baoyu, she held back.

Presently an old serving-woman brought the second brew of medicine. Baoyu, seeing that Xiren was just starting to sweat, wouldn't let her get up. He held the bowl to her lips and fed her, then told the maids to make up the kang. Xiren said, "Whether you eat or not, you should go and sit with the Dowager and the ladies for a while, and play with the girls, then come back. I'll just lie quietly." Baoyu agreed, removed her hairpins, saw her settled, and went to the Dowager's quarters. After eating with the Dowager, who was planning to play cards with some old nurses, Baoyu remembered Xiren and returned to his room. She was dozing off. It was still early for him to sleep. Qingwen, Qixian, Qiowen, and Bihun had all gone to join the fun, visiting Yuanyang and Amber, leaving only Sheyue sitting alone in the outer room under the lamp, playing dominoes. Baoyu smiled, "Why aren't you playing with them?" Sheyue said, "I have no money." Baoyu said, "There's plenty under the bed—isn't that enough for you to lose?" Sheyue said, "If everyone goes, who'll look after this room? And Xiren is sick. There are lamps above and fires below—the old nannies have worked all day and deserve a rest; the little maids have also served all day and should have some fun. So I let them all go and stay here to watch."

Baoyu heard this and thought, "Here's another Xiren." He laughed, "I'll sit here—you go and don't worry." Sheyue said, "Since you're here, there's even less need to go. We can just talk and amuse ourselves." Baoyu laughed, "What shall we do? It's dull. Oh, you said your head itched this morning—since we have nothing else to do, let me comb your hair." Sheyue agreed, brought the mirror and dressing-case, took off her ornaments, and let down her hair. Baoyu took a fine-toothed comb and began to dress it. After only a few strokes, Qingwen rushed in to get some money. Seeing them, she sneered, "Oh, haven't even drunk the nuptial cup yet, but already doing each other's hair!" Baoyu laughed, "Come here—I'll comb yours too." Qingwen said, "I haven't that luck." She took the money and swept out through the curtain.

Baoyu stood behind Sheyue, and the two looked at each other in the mirror. He laughed at her reflection, "She's the only one in the whole room who's always stirring up trouble." Sheyue quickly waved at him in the mirror, and he understood. Suddenly the curtain rustled and Qingwen ran back in, demanding, "Who's always stirring up trouble? Let's hear it." Sheyue laughed, "You go on about your business—don't come asking." Qingwen laughed, "You're protecting him again. I know all your sneaky tricks. I'll talk to you when I've won back my money." She went out. Baoyu finished combing Sheyue's hair and told her to help him to bed quietly, without disturbing Xiren. That night passed without incident.

The next morning, Xiren had sweated through the night and felt better; she only took some rice-gruel to recover. Baoyu, relieved, went to Aunt Xue's after breakfast. It was the first month, school was on holiday, and the girls were forbidden to do needlework—all were at leisure. Jia Huan also came over and found Baochai, Xiangling, and Ying'er playing a game of dice for stakes. He wanted to join. Baochai usually treated him the same as Baoyu and thought nothing of it. So she let him sit down with them. The stake was ten coppers a round. He won the first round and was very pleased, but then lost several in a row and grew impatient. In the current round, it was his turn to throw. If he threw a seven, he'd win; if a six, then Ying'er would throw a three and win. So he picked up the dice and threw them hard. One came up five; the other was spinning. Ying'er clapped and called for "one" (yao), while Jia Huan stared and shouted "six—seven—eight!" The die landed on one. Jia Huan, enraged, grabbed the dice, then took the money, claiming it was a six. Ying'er said, "It was clearly a one!" Seeing Jia Huan upset, Baochai scolded Ying'er, "You're getting too forward—would a young master cheat you? Put the money down!" Ying'er, hurt, dared not speak, but muttered, "A young master, cheating us out of a few coppers—not even respecting me. The other day when I played with Master Bao, he lost plenty and wasn't angry. The rest was grabbed by the little maids, and he just laughed and let it go." Baochai cut her off sharply. Jia Huan said, "How can I compare with Baoyu? You're all afraid of him and nice to him, while you bully me because I'm not born of the principal wife." He began to cry. Baochai tried to comfort him, "Dear brother, don't say that—people will laugh at you." She scolded Ying'er again.

Just then Baoyu arrived and, seeing the scene, asked what was wrong. Jia Huan dared not speak. Baochai knew the family rule that younger brothers feared older ones, but she also knew Baoyu didn't want anyone to fear him. He thought: "Brothers all have parents to discipline them—why should I interfere and create distance? Besides, I'm of the principal wife and he's of a concubine—people already gossip; I don't need to add to it." He also had a peculiar notion: from childhood, raised among girls—sisters, cousins, and relatives like Shi Xiangyun, Lin Daiyu, Xue Baochai—he believed that Heaven's finest essences were bestowed on women, while men were but dregs and sediment. Thus he regarded all males as muddy creatures, barely worth notice. Only because Confucius, the greatest sage, had taught respect for fathers and elder brothers did he follow that rule. Between brothers, he simply went through the motions; he never thought of himself as a model for younger ones. So Jia Huan and others didn't fear him—only the Dowager made them give him some deference.

Now Baochai, fearing Baoyu might scold Jia Huan and make things awkward, tried to cover for him. Baoyu said, "Why are you crying in the New Year? If you don't like it here, go somewhere else. You study every day, but you've grown foolish. If this thing isn't good, there's always another—drop this one and take that. Will crying over this make it better? You came for fun—if you can't have fun, go find it elsewhere. Crying isn't fun. You're just making yourself miserable—better go quickly." Jia Huan had to leave.

When he returned, his mother, Concubine Zhao, asked, "Where did you get trampled on this time?" He didn't answer at first, but when pressed, he said, "I was playing with Cousin Baochai, and Ying'er cheated me and took my money, then Baoyu drove me away." Concubine Zhao spat, "Who told you to climb up to such high places? Shameless, low creature! Why couldn't you play somewhere else? Why go there to be humiliated?"

Just then Xifeng happened to pass by the window and heard everything. She called through the window, "What's all this in the New Year? Brother Huan is just a child—if he's done wrong, you should teach him, not talk such nonsense! No matter what he does, his parents and the master will handle it. Why do you have to spit and scold? He's a young master—if he's bad, there are people to correct him—what's it to you? Brother Huan, come out and play with me." Jia Huan, more afraid of Xifeng than of Lady Wang, came out meekly. Concubine Zhao dared not make a sound. Xifeng said to Jia Huan, "You have no spirit! I've told you before—eat, drink, play, laugh, and play with whichever sister, brother, or cousin you like. If you don't listen to me, but let these people teach you crooked ways—playing the fox and acting high and mighty—you lose your dignity and go downhill, then blame others for being partial. How much did you lose?" Jia Huan muttered, "A hundred or two hundred coppers." Xifeng said, "And you call yourself a young master—making a fuss over a couple of hundred coppers!" She called to Feng'er, "Take a string of cash and send him to play with the girls in the back." Then to Jia Huan: "If I see you acting so low and sly again, I'll beat you first and send word to the school to have your skin peeled off! For your lack of self-respect, your brother Baoyu is so angry he's itching to give you a kick—if I didn't stop him, he'd have kicked your guts out. Now go!" Jia Huan meekly followed Feng'er, took the money, and went to play with Yingchun and the others.

Now Baoyu was joking with Baochai when word came, "Miss Shi is here." Baoyu rose to leave at once. Baochai laughed, "Wait, let's go together." They went to the Dowager's quarters, where Shi Xiangyun was laughing and chattering. She greeted them. Lin Daiyu was there and asked Baoyu, "Where were you?" Baoyu said, "At Cousin Baochai's." Daiyu sneered, "I thought so—no wonder you were held up, or you'd have flown here." Baoyu laughed, "Am I only allowed to play with you and cheer you up? I just happened to go there once, and you say such things." Daiyu said, "How tiresome! Whether you go or not is nothing to me—I never asked you to cheer me up. You may ignore me from now on!" With that she went back to her room in a huff.

Baoyu followed her and asked, "Why are you angry again? Even if I said something wrong, you could have stayed and joked with the others, not come here to brood." Daiyu said, "What business is it of yours?" Baoyu laughed, "I wouldn't dare to mind you—I just can't bear to see you ruining your health." Daiyu said, "If I ruin my health and die, what's it to you?" Baoyu said, "Why talk of death in the New Year?" Daiyu said, "I will talk of death! I'll die right now! You're afraid of death—you live to a hundred, how about that?" Baoyu laughed, "If we keep on like this, why should I fear death? Better to be dead and done with." Daiyu said, "Exactly—if we go on like this, it's better to die." Baoyu said, "I said I'd be better dead—don't twist my words." Just then Baochai came and said, "Cousin Shi is waiting for you," and pushed Baoyu to go. Daiyu grew even more upset and wept by the window.

Within the time it takes to drink two cups of tea, Baoyu returned. Seeing her sobbing, he knew it was hard to soothe her, but he tried every gentle word he could. Before he could speak, Daiyu said, "Why are you back? Now there's someone to play with you—better at reading, writing, poetry, and joking than I am, and she even drags you away when you're angry. Let me live or die as I please!" Baoyu whispered, "You're so clever—don't you know that 'near kin are not estranged, and elders take precedence'? I may be foolish, but I understand that. First, we are cousins through our mothers' sisters—Cousin Baochai is only a cousin through our mothers' sisters' husbands—so she's more distant. Second, you came first—we've grown up together, eating from the same table and sleeping in the same bed. She came later—how could I neglect you for her?" Daiyu spat, "I didn't ask you to neglect her—what kind of person would that make me? It's my heart I'm thinking of." Baoyu said, "And I think of my heart. Do you know only your own heart, and not mine?" Daiyu hung her head in silence for a long time, then said, "You always complain that others blame you, but you don't know how you torment people. Take today's weather—it's clearly so cold, yet you took off your green fur cloak." Baoyu laughed, "I was wearing it, but when you got angry, I got flustered and took it off." Daiyu sighed, "If you catch cold, you'll be whining for food again."

Just then Xiangyun came over, laughing, "Second Brother, Sister Lin—you're together all the time. I finally come, and you don't even pay me any mind." Daiyu laughed, "The lisping one loves to talk—you can't even say 'Second Brother,' it's always 'Dear Brother.' When we play dice, you'll be shouting 'one, dear, three, four, five' again." Baoyu laughed, "If you keep imitating her, you'll lisp too." Xiangyun said, "She never lets anyone off—always picking on others. If you think you're better than everyone, you shouldn't tease each person you meet. Just name someone—if you dare to find fault with her, I'll admit you're better." Daiyu asked who. Xiangyun said, "If you dare find fault with Cousin Baochai, I'll say you're good. I can't match her—how can she be inferior to you?" Daiyu sneered, "Oh, it's her—how would I dare find fault with her?" Baoyu tried to change the subject. Xiangyun laughed, "I'll never be your match in this life. I only pray that you'll marry a lisping husband, so you can hear 'dear' and 'deah' all day long—Buddha be praised, I'd love to see that!" Everyone laughed, and Xiangyun ran off. To know what follows, read the next chapter.