【Dream of Love and Lust】【02】【Author: Anonymous】

page views:1 Publication date:2023-03-24

In the second chapter, Yuan Youying meets his old friend Wu Gengyu at the teahouse. The story goes that in Jiangdu County, Yangzhou Prefecture, Jiangnan, there lived a man named Yuan You, courtesy name Youying. His grandfather, Yuan Zhang, was a student of the prefectural school. His father, Yuan Shou, passed the imperial military examination. Yuan You was spoiled from a young age and did not study properly. He was also physically weak and unable to practice martial arts. His grandfather,
through a special donation, secured him a ninth-rank official position. He married a woman surnamed Du, but they had no children. Yuan You was cunning and shrewish, indulging in prostitution and wandering the streets. Relying on his grandfather and father's power, he habitually engaged in arson, always charging 90% plus 20% interest, or 80% plus 10% interest. He also associated with a gang of scoundrels, engaging in gambling, prostitution, extortion, and all sorts of evil deeds.
When he was in his twenties, the provincial governor ordered Jiangdu County to arrest and imprison him. His grandfather and father used countless connections and spent a great deal of money, but Yuan You was only lightly stripped of his ninth-rank official position and sentenced to penal servitude, exiled to Changshu County, Suzhou Prefecture. After serving his three-year sentence, Yuan You
returned home . His grandfather (Yuan Zhang) had already passed away. Yuan You paid respects to his parents and met with his wife, Lady Du, thanking her for her years of hard work serving his parents-in-law. Lady Du returned the greeting, and they recounted their separation, their emotions a mixture of sorrow and joy. A feast was held at home, and the family was reunited.
A few days later, Yuan You and Lady Du discussed selling their belongings for some money and resumed their arson loan scheme. The interest earned was enough to live on. Yuan You was a habitual wanderer, and he continued to socialize, associating with people of similar backgrounds. His friends were mostly arsonists and womanizers.
One afternoon, he was at the Fanglai Teahouse in the training ground with Jia Ming, a clerk from the Salt Transport Office, and Wu Zhen, a customs officer. Their conversation revolved around the brothels and pleasure quarters. One said that a certain gentleman in that teahouse was of good character; another said that a certain gentleman in that teahouse was good at socializing; yet another said that a certain gentleman sang opera well, sang folk songs well, sang Xipi and Erhuang songs well, sang opera well, drank well, had a good stage presence, played martial arts well, and made a good bed.
The three were talking animatedly when a young man of about twenty years old entered the teahouse. He had a fair, round face, delicate eyebrows, and bright eyes. A long braid, about two ounces long and dark, stretched down his back. He wore a large, dark blue woolen cap with gold trim, adorned with a kingfisher feather and gold peony flower, inlaid with a large ruby, tied with a large red thread, and a large red silk tassel extending from the back of the cap. He wore a light blue poppy-patterned crepe coat, over which was a dark blue woolen jacket with a white brocade lining and gold laurel-buttoned buttons. A jadeite dragon ring hung from the button, encasing a five-piece gold toothpick with a gold ring and gold cord. Pine-green lace trim peeked out from under the slit of his robe, and a belt with lotus-root, gold, and white lotus-patterned ribbons hung from it. He wore okra-colored crepe trousers lined with jade-colored Western-style silk. Pale blue Hangzhou silk stockings with double dragons embracing pillars were also worn. On his feet were a pair of sky-blue satin shoes with white feathers and twenty-eight layers of felt soles, in the modern style. On his left thumb was a jadeite ring with a red gold handle, and on his fourth finger was a red gold barrel-shaped ring. On the back of his two lotus-root gold interdigital fingers were round gold bracelets weighing approximately four ounces. In his right hand, he held a genuine ebony fan with thirty-two ribs, two sides sprinkled with gold, made by Zhang Ziyuan of Hangzhou. A handsome young servant followed behind him.
The young man entered the teahouse and, upon entering, suddenly saw Yuan You. He quickly went up to him, bowed, and said with a grin, "Brother Youying, it's been a long time! It's a pleasure
to meet you today." Yuan You recognized him immediately; it was Lu Shu, a man he had befriended in Changshu when he was being questioned about his crimes. This man was not yet twenty years old. His father worked as a jailer in Changshu County. Because of his intelligence, competence, and shrewdness, he was favored by officials and had connections both inside and outside the court, thus his family was quite wealthy. Lu Shu had no sisters and was an only child. His father doted on him, letting him roam freely all day. He had met Yuan You in a brothel in Changshu and they became sworn brothers, spending every day together as if they were siblings. Later, when Yuan You was released after serving his sentence, Lu Shu prepared a farewell feast, provided him with travel expenses, food, and tea, and personally escorted him to the boat, bidding him a reluctant farewell with tears in his eyes.
Lu Shu, now married to a scholar's daughter, is unattractive and they don't get along well, often sleeping in separate rooms. Therefore, after more than two years, she hasn't conceived. Lu Shu's father has an older sister married in Yangzhou. Because Lu Shu spends his days indulging in pleasure and desperately wants a grandson, his father gave him five hundred taels of silver to buy a concubine in Yangzhou, along with several dozen taels for travel expenses, instructing him to go to Yangzhou to stay with his aunt and ask his uncle to handle the matter. Having heard that Yangzhou is a prosperous place, Lu Shu secretly took
about a thousand taels of his mother's savings and three or four hundred silver dollars into his luggage, arriving in Yangzhou yesterday. His uncle lives in the Nanhexia area inside the customs gate, managing the accounts for a salt merchant.
Lu Shu met his aunt and uncle and stayed overnight in their study.
This afternoon, having nothing to do, I took my servant Xiao Xizi to the drill ground to play. We watched several magic shows, foreign paintings, and Western-style performances, listened to a segment of Huai opera, and heard some men dressed as women singing a few short songs in a coquettish manner. Now, feeling thirsty and hungry, I entered the Fanglai Teahouse and unexpectedly met Yuan You. I bowed and said, "Brother, it's been a long time! A long time!
" Yuan You, seeing it was Lu Shu, quickly returned the greeting, saying, "It's a pleasure to meet you, my worthy brother!" He invited him to sit at a table. Xiao Xizi greeted Yuan You, who then invited them and their servant to sit at the same table for tea. Lu Shu, Jia Ming, and Wu Zhen introduced themselves. Yuan You asked Lu Shu, "Are your parents well at home? I am deeply grateful for your kindness during my stay. May I ask what brings you to my humble abode?" Lu Shu replied, "My parents are doing well under your care. I apologize for any inconvenience you caused me while I was away. I have been thinking of you every day since you returned home. I came to Yangzhou to visit my aunt on my father's orders. I only arrived yesterday and have not yet had the chance to pay my respects to your parents and to inquire about the well-being of my brother and sister-in-law. I am so sorry!" Yuan You said, "You are too kind."
They then reminisced about their separation. Yuan You then asked, "What is your esteemed uncle's name, residence, and occupation? I will pay my respects there tomorrow morning." Lu Shu replied, "My relative's surname is Xiong, given name Dajing. He works in the Salt Administration and resides in Nanhexia. I will arrive at your residence tomorrow morning; I would not dare to make an undue visit."
Just then, a young man, about twenty years old, entered the teahouse. He had a fair complexion, wore a lotus-colored flat-topped cap with a double-tiered hibiscus flower adorned with a gold-plated jade ornament and inlaid with a large ruby. The cap was tied with a large red thread, and a large red fringe, about two feet long, trailed behind his head. He wore a light blue crepe robe, over which was a military-style jacket with a large gold floral crepe exterior, a jade-colored brocade lining, and gold laurel-buttoned buttons. On the buttons were jade dragon and tiger rings, and he wore a gold-linked three-piece gold tooth-picking cane. He wore pine-green crepe trousers with a large red silk lining. On his feet were fashionable black satin shoes. He carried a large square fan with genuine Xiangfei bamboo ribs, a white alum-coated surface, and calligraphy and paintings by famous figures. Swaying slightly, he entered the teahouse with his servant. The waiters hurriedly greeted him, "Young Master has arrived!" The young man didn't respond, continuing until he was inside.
Seeing the young man enter, Yuan You stood up and said to him, "Brother Qingyuan, please sit." The young man, seeing Yuan You, smiled warmly and bowed, saying, "Brother Youying, please." After some polite exchanges, they sat down at a table. The young man asked everyone's names, and Yuan You pointed to Jia and Wu, saying, "This gentleman's surname is Jia, given name Ming, courtesy name Xinpan. This gentleman's surname is Wu, given name Zhen, courtesy name Yingshi; both are from this area." He then pointed to Lu Shu, saying, "This brother's surname is Lu, given name Shu, courtesy name Wenhua. You are from Changshu County. You just arrived in Yangzhou yesterday. We made a pact in Changshu." The crowd then asked the young man's name, and Yuan You answered on his behalf, "This gentleman's surname is Wei, given name Bi, courtesy name Qingyuan. He loves making friends. Your father is currently a candidate for official in Lianghuai, and his residence is in Caomi Lane." After everyone had introduced themselves, they were chatting when some small business owners, carrying baskets or trays, came to Wei Bi's table, grabbed some melon seeds and candied fruit, placed them on the table, called out "Young Master," and without mentioning the price, went to sell them to other tea tables. Wei Bi then distributed the melon seeds and other items to everyone.
Then there were some people collecting gamblers' baskets, filled with colorful porcelain, foreign-style crepes, paper money pouches, purses, fan cases, dominoes, chess sets, erotic items, cigarette cases, and other items. They stood beside Wei Bi, coaxing him into gambling. Wei Bi picked out four colorful porcelain teacups with figures from the basket, agreeing on a price of 380 cash per coin. The gambler took a small high stool from the storage compartment, sat down, swept the dust off the ground with a small broom, then took out six coins from the hole in the coin holder, scattered them on the ground, arranged them into three characters, and handed them to Wei Bi. He then held Wei Bi's wrist with his right hand. Several other gamblers standing nearby gestured towards the person gambling with Wei Bi, saying, "Call out!"
The man nodded in agreement. Wei Bi laid out six coins on his fingers and dropped them on the ground. The bettors counted the coins, carefully examined the numbers, picked them up, and handed them back to Wei Bi, who then dropped them again. He dropped five coins in total, only winning two, meaning he lost three. Wei Bi said, "I'm not dropping anymore." The man, without asking for any money, stood up, grabbed a small stool, and, carrying his betting basket, went with the bettors. Yuan You had the waiter buy some scallion pancakes, chicken buns, and other snacks, which they all ate. In the afternoon, they chatted idly. Being young and playful, they found themselves increasingly compatible and became quite friendly.
Suddenly, a man drinking tea at the next table walked over to Yuan You's table, sat down next to him, and without greeting the others, said, "Do you know of two pieces of news?" Yuan You replied, "No." The man said, "Across the river from the customs house, at the Hongqing Garden, there's a branch employee named Ai Lin, a man from Yancheng, who has been working for a tailor for over a year. The tailor's wife is jealous and often quarrels with him. Last night, Ai Lin locked himself in his room to sleep and somehow managed to get some raw opium and ingest it. This morning, the tailor got up in his wife's room and found Ai Lin's door closed. He called out to him but received no response." Suspicious, he opened the door and saw that Ailin was already dead on the bed. The tailor, seeing this, quickly prepared a coffin and shroud for Ailin's burial. The coffin was then sent to Yancheng. He wondered who Ailin's family was, if they had anything to say, and what their fate was. There was also something else: a new book-tying clerk named Xiuhong had recently joined the book-tying business on Gengzi Street. Also from Yancheng, she was only sixteen years old, with no scars or pockmarks, and bound feet less than four inches long. She was paid twenty thousand coins a season for a bundle. However, the price had just been settled... [Xiuhong lived upstairs, and unexpectedly, the night before, she secretly opened the window...] How did she climb onto the rooftops? She climbed over rooftops, reaching a house in Liancheng Lane, before jumping down. The family was startled, suspecting a thief. They lit a lantern and saw it was a woman, greatly surprised. When asked what happened, Xiuhong said that the family of the prostitute had forced her into prostitution, beating and scolding her day and night, so she fled in the dark. The family, whose head was a clerk in some government office and had a scholar in the family, handed Xiuhong over to the local constable to have the matter investigated. However, Xiuhong's father took the money and did not return to his home in Yancheng. The next morning, he went to the prostitute's house demanding her return, causing chaos and destruction. Later… Lai Baochitang's director knew that taking Xiuhong to Lizhentang to choose a husband was a pretext to send her father to the authorities, accusing him of selling his daughter into prostitution. That's why he fled in terror. His father, who used to be a falconer, had now lost both his daughter and his money. Zhui Zi was fortunate to have a good relationship with a clerk, who intervened and pleaded with the family in Liancheng Lane to avoid prosecution. They also spent a considerable amount of money on the local bailiffs and wardens, including the previous bribes. Zhui Zi's family calculated the expenses and almost ended up in legal trouble. In your opinion, are these two things strange or not? Would you consider them newsworthy?" Everyone listened with surprise and curiosity.
After speaking, the man returned to his original table to drink tea.
Lu Shu then asked, "Who is this?" Yuan You replied, "His name is Wu Gengyu. He's a martial arts student who frequents the Guiwo Hall, known for his shady dealings, kicking and shoving, and making money out of thin air.
Although we know him, we only nod when we meet; we're never close to him.
I don't know why he suddenly appeared at our table today and said these absurd things to us. Isn't it funny?" Jia Ming said, "It's better to keep your distance from this kind of person. Just pretend you didn't hear what he said." The group chatted idly for a while longer, until the sun gradually set. Yuan You invited Lu Shu to dinner, but Lu Shu said, "I didn't leave a message today, and I'm afraid my aunt is worried.
I'll come to pay my respects to her tomorrow morning, and then I'll be sure to avoid troubling you." Seeing Lu Shu's insistence, Yuan You said, "I originally intended to visit your relative's home tomorrow morning, but since you've invited me to your humble abode, I'll be waiting for you. I hope you'll grace me with your presence for lunch tomorrow." Jia Ming, Wu Zhen, and Wei Bi all agreed, "We'll definitely come to join you tomorrow."
Lu Shu bid farewell to everyone and left with Xiao Xizi. Yuan You instructed the waiter to write the accounts. The waiter and the water pipe seller all agreed. Yuan You, along with everyone and their servants, left the teahouse, and then instructed Jia Ming and the other two, "I hope you'll grace us with your presence tomorrow. I'll be waiting for you at my home; I won't need to ask you to accept my invitation." The three readily agreed and went their separate ways home. What happens next? Let's find out in the next chapter.

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【Dream of Love and Lust】【02】【Author: Anonymous】

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