【Dream of Love and Lust】【29】

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Chapter Twenty-Nine: Breaking the Oath, Fenglin Remarries, Takes Away Money, and Cleverly Returns Home. It is said that Fenglin and Jia Ming were smoking and talking to each other in their room when they heard someone enter the main hall. Gao Ma asked the man his name and what business he had come with. The man said, “My surname is Ge, my name is Ge Ren, and I work at the Luxingyuan Inn on Gengzi Street. Yesterday, a gentleman named Lu came to our inn. He is from Shandong, and his father was a prime minister. He holds some official position, with a crystal-topped hat. He brought many servants and rented a courtyard in our inn. Today, he asked me to bring a capable gentleman over for a chat. I heard that your husband, Feng, is good at singing and playing instruments, so I came to invite him.” Gao Ma said, “My husband has a contract and doesn’t go out to perform. You can bring him elsewhere.” Ge Ren said, “I came here specifically. Please tell your husband whether he comes or not; I will wait for your reply.”
Gao Ma went into the room and told Fenglin what Ge Ren had said. Fenglin said, "I haven't been to that place since I moved here, and you shouldn't be telling me. I'm not going; you should tell him to leave." Just as Gao Ma was about to turn and leave the room, Jia Ming stopped her and said to Fenglin, "You're just sitting here idly anyway. Why not go over there and get a few taels of silver from this passerby? You could buy some potatoes to boil." Fenglin said, "It's not that I don't want to go, but if I go while you're here, there'll be no one to keep you company, so I told him I wouldn't go." Jia Ming said, "You don't need to give me this 'rice soup.' Gao Ma, go ask him how much silver he's offering for the pot." Gao Ma agreed. In the main room, she asked Ge Ren, "How much did that man surnamed Lu offer for the pot?" Ge Ren said, "I already told Master Lu it was five taels of silver. But my return gift can't be the usual; I have to take a big cut."
Gao Ma went back into the room and told him what Ge Ren had said. Fenglin was still hesitating. Jia Ming told Gao Ma, "Go out and tell that person who came to leave first, and say that the master will come back when
he's all ready." Gao Ma sent Ge Ren out of the room. Feng Lin, having had his fill of pleasure, washed and changed his clothes, and told Jia Ming not to go back, but to sit in the room and wait for him to return. Jia Ming agreed, and Feng Lin then got into the sedan chair, with Zhang Er carrying the pipa bag and a musician following, and went to the guest house at Luxing Garden.
Around midnight, Fenglin returned from his business, paid the sedan chair fare, and said to Jia Ming, "Master Lu's father was a prime minister, and he himself is a minor official. He has several concubines who raised several sons. His eldest son, also raised by a concubine, passed the imperial examinations and has already been appointed to the Hanlin Academy. After her son entered the academy, Master Lu, for some unknown reason, sent his mother away and gave her a maid. Now, Master Lu has come down from Beijing to visit his father's students and old friends in Qingjiang, Yangzhou, Suzhou, and Hangzhou to beg for money. He loves drinking but doesn't smoke opium. He talked with me for half a day, asked me to sing a set of grand songs and two short songs, and after drinking with him, he gave me five taels of silver and a small silver ingot." He then took it out and handed it to Jia Ming; the small silver ingot weighed about ten taels. Jia Ming said, "You still won't go? Now we can buy a bag of soil, that'll be enough, saves me so much trouble." Feng Lin said, "I'm saving it for making clothes, buying soil is a bargain for you." He then lay down to smoke. Feng Lin suddenly laughed, "I'll tell you another joke, he loves my small feet and wants me to go back to my old ways with him.
" Jia Ming said, "Okay." He thought it was just a joke and didn't take it seriously. The two smoked for a while, then got ready for bed.
The next day, Ge Ren came to play again. Feng Lin had Gao Ma give Ge Ren four hundred coins as a return gift. Ge Ren took the money and left. Feng Lin finished dressing up again, told Jia Ming to wait for him at home, and then left in his sedan chair. He didn't return until four in the morning, smoked again, and went to bed.
The two lay in bed, and Fenglin said to Jia Ming, "This Master Lu will definitely want me to go with him, no matter how much money he asks for, he'll be willing to pay it. That's why I came home to discuss this with you, whether you can go or not?" Jia Ming pondered for a long time after hearing this and said, "If I said I would stop you from going, you don't have many guests in Yangzhou now, I'm just running errands here. In terms of age, I'm more than ten years older than you. I have a wife and children at home, and I can't ask you to become a respectable woman with me. I'm not a rich man, I just keep a respectable appearance. If I keep you here now, you'll prosper in the future, that's fine, but if you ruin it, you'll complain and say that I had such a good opportunity back then, but it was Jia who blocked it." "Going there will only bring me suffering today. If I were to suggest you go with him, firstly, he's from Shandong and holds an official position in the capital. Life there in the north is far inferior to what we have in the south. You've lived in Xiba, Qingjiang, so you probably know what it's like. Besides, you smoke, but he doesn't. He's just indulging in a moment of pleasure; if you go back, he might not allow you to smoke. Furthermore, you told me yesterday that he even gave his biological mother, who raised his son and became a Hanlin scholar, a fine garment; that shows his character. I appreciate your kindness in discussing this matter with me, but I can't make a decision. You'll have to consider it yourself. If you're still undecided, you can go to that temple, burn incense, draw a fortune stick, and ask the Bodhisattva for advice." Fenglin listened without saying a word and slept soundly through the night.
The next morning, Jia Ming had just left when Fenglin asked Zhang Er to call her husband, Lan Er, home. Feng Lin said to Lan Er and his mother-in-law, Dai Shi, "Now there's someone asking me to leave the profession with him. You two should consider how much silver you'd need to pay to let me go." Lan Er discussed it with his mother and asked for four hundred thousand coins. Feng Lin said, "I've been coming to your house since I was seven. In these past ten years, I don't know how much silver I've collected for your family. Now that I've said it all, I'll have this person give you three hundred thousand coins. With that money, you can buy two more people to eat." Lan Er shook his head, saying it was too little. He said, "It's too little." Feng Lin said, "Don't be confused. I'm not far from thirty, and I'm often ill. How many more years do I have left to eat? With three hundred thousand coins, plus the things I'll leave behind after I'm gone, and some clothes I still have, it's worth two hundred thousand coins. Isn't that enough for you? If you insist on not eating, I won't force you. From today onwards, I won't let this Jia fellow into the house, and I won't receive any other guests or eat at your expense. I'd rather close the door and beg for food from you. You two can calculate it; that's a good deal." Hearing this, Lan Er knew that Feng Lin was reluctant to leave. After discussing it with his mother, Dai Shi, he finally agreed. Fenglin then summoned Zhang Er to bring his elder sister, Lin Da Liang, and said to her, "I am now going to the capital to leave my family and become a respectable woman. Since we are sisters, I will give you forty thousand coins as a keepsake." Lin Da Liang, though reluctant to part with her sister, was even more eager to receive the forty thousand coins from Fenglin. Fenglin then said to his elder brother, He Changshan, "If you escort me to the capital, I will find you a good match so you can return." He Changshan was delighted to hear of this and readily agreed. Fenglin explained everything to everyone. After lunch, having enjoyed their time, they called for a sedan chair to go to the Lu Xing Yuan guesthouse to discuss their plans with the Lu family.
That evening, they waited for Jia Ming to arrive. After dinner, they lit the opium lamps and enjoyed their time together.
Feng Lin said, "I told you about that last night. I've already made an agreement with this man surnamed Lu today. We'll get it done tomorrow, and we'll set off on the fourth day of the sixth month. I'm sorry to trouble you, but tomorrow I'll take the silver to the money exchange to get the correct amount so I can give it to my husband and sister.
I wouldn't entrust this to anyone else, but you and I have been lovers, so you can't refuse." Although Jia Ming agreed verbally, his heart felt as if it had been swallowed by ice. He thought, "I never imagined such a heartless person could be so cruel! When we first met, he wore brass earrings, and I helped him so much. Later, when there were bans on opium and prostitution, he had nowhere to live, and he complained to me about his troubles. I helped him find a house and buy things; I made sure his household was perfectly secure. Now he's a well-off family, with no worries about food or clothing. Why didn't he say he'd leave this life behind? It's just that I can't come up with the money for the whole sum to give to his husband..." "Husband, take him back. He blamed me the other day for kicking him out. Now this Lu fellow, whom I only met once, is already greedy for his money and has forgotten all the vows and oaths we made together over the past two or three years, how deeply in love we were, how inseparable we were. Now he's going to leave the pleasure world with him! I never imagined that the six seven-character quatrains I sent him yesterday contained the line, 'If true love is deep and true, we'll meet again in the next life as a pair of mandarin ducks,' but who knew these words would become a poetic prophecy! Now I understand, perhaps those in the pleasure world, no matter how sweet the words, are always fake. If I were to comment on this now, outsiders would surely say that I'm resentful and bitter because I spent money on him and now he's leaving the pleasure world." With a hardened heart, I thought, "Fine, fine, I should have paid back what I owed him. If it weren't for this Lu fellow coming here, how could we have separated for now? I suppose our past karmic ties are cleared, let him go."
A night passed.
The next day, a servant surnamed Lu delivered silver to Fenglin's house. Fenglin received it and took it into her room before the servant left. Fenglin said to her husband, Lan Er, "Go and call a fortune teller to come home and write down the price of the paper. I will give you the silver in cash." Lan Er agreed and went. Fenglin handed the silver to Jia Ming and whispered a few words in his ear. Jia Ming nodded, took the silver to a money shop, and had the clerk divide it into two amounts: one for 300,000 coins and the other forty,000 coins. He took it home, placed it on the table, and gave the remaining silver to Fenglin to keep.
Lan Er found a fortune teller in the neighborhood, invited him home, and, with pen and inkstone, wrote down the price of the paper and read it to Fenglin. Fenglin asked her husband, Lan Er, to write the characters. Lan Er picked up the pen, looked at Fenglin, and burst into tears. Fenglin pretended not to see. Lan Er hardened his heart, made the sign of the cross, made his handprint and footprints, and then wept loudly.
Dai, along with her eldest son Lan Da, Feng Lin's elder brother He Changshanzi, and elder sister He, each wrote their own inscriptions. Feng Lin then handed the paper-selling business over to the Lu family member. Lan Er and Lin's mother each pocketed the money.
Jia Ming, seeing that Feng Lin had succeeded, thought to himself, "Since he's so heartless, what am I so reluctant to let go of? I might as well harden my heart and let him go." He bought a table of food at a tavern and took it to Feng Lin's house, where he hosted a farewell dinner for Feng Lin that evening. Although the two of them were drinking together that day, it was quite different from usual. Jia Ming was sullen, while Feng Lin was beaming with joy. After several rounds of drinks, Jia Ming said to Feng Lin, "Enough, we've been lovers for years. Now that you're leaving, you'll enjoy wealth and honor, but we'll likely never meet again in this life. I'd like to ask you to sing a little song; would you do me the honor?" Feng Lin, upon hearing this, called for Gao Ma to bring her the pipa and then asked her to take out a pair of unworn white crepe shoes with embroidered blue lace from her foot basket, placing them before Jia Ming. Feng Lin played the pipa, and with a flourish of her voice, sang a "Leaving the Capital Tune," the lyrics of which were: "These crepe shoes, three inches long, I've never worn them, but I gave them to my beloved. I gave them to my beloved, keeping them as a memento. I had no choice but to harden my heart and remarry. If you remember me, just look at the flowers on these shoes. To meet again, only in a dream at midnight. If we can't be reunited in this life, then perhaps in the next."
After Fenglin finished singing, she handed the shoe to Jia Ming, saying, "Keep this as a memento." Jia Ming took it and said to Fenglin, "Play 'Auspicious Grass' for me.
" Fenglin agreed and began to play the pipa. Jia Ming then sang: "
My beloved is gone, I cannot keep her; the more I think of her, the more I feel I have wronged her. I once vowed to spend my life together, never to part. But who knew you would take your pipa and walk another path? I wasted my efforts, like trying to draw water with a bamboo basket, all for love, only to be misled by love itself! For love itself, only to be misled by love itself!"
After the song, Fenglin handed the pipa to Gao Ma, poured a large cup of wine, and offered it to Jia Ming, saying, "Since I met you, I have received your guidance and nurturing, which I cherish deeply. How could I bear to part with you? I am going on this journey now to borrow money from the Lu family to sever ties with the Lan family. I will return to Yangzhou in a year at most, or half a year at least, and we will meet again."
Jia Ming took the large cup and drank it down in one gulp. He then poured another large cup of wine and handed it to Fenglin, saying, "I hope you will grow old together and not worry about me. Please forgive any shortcomings of the past few years. Take care on your journey. However, I am very worried about one thing. You will cross the Yellow River tomorrow and start your journey. You will have to drive at four o'clock every morning. You haven't had enough of your smoking habit yet. What should I do?" Upon hearing this, Fenglin shed a few tears, drank the wine, and then the banquet ended. A night passed.
The next day, Fenglin took out some silver and asked Jia Ming to buy some odds and ends for him. He also bought a bag of soil, boiled it to make incense, and prepared to take it with him on his journey. Jia Ming, still deeply in love, bought a string of 108 incense beads from the Zhen Dai Chunlin Incense Shop and gave it to Fenglin.
Fenglin took it, took a piece of white jade from his belt, and gave it to Jia Ming to keep as a memento. On the evening of the third day of the sixth month, Jia Ming and Fenglin slept together in the same bed in Fenglin's room, smoking incense all night. Jia Ming sighed deeply, while Fenglin remained silent.
At dawn on the fourth day, a member of the Lu family arrived in a sedan chair. Fenglin quickly dressed and changed into new clothes, then said to Madam Dai, "Madam, I'm leaving." At this time, her husband, elder brother, elder sister, Lanxian, and Jia Ming were all in the room. Fenglin didn't even glance at the others, only said these five words to Madam Dai, and then strode out of the room.
When Lady Dai, Aunt Lin, and Lanxian saw Fenglin walk out, they all burst into tears. Jia Ming spat at Lady Dai and Aunt Lin, saying, "He's not crying, why are you crying? Just assume he died suddenly." Fenglin hadn't gone far when he pretended not to hear them, and went out the gate with his elder brother, He Changsan, and got into his sedan chair. After Fenglin left, Jia Ming, filled with resentment, left Fenglin's house and returned to his own home.
Meanwhile, Wei Bi, having heard that Fenglin had reformed and become a respectable man, went to Qiang Da's house and told Qiaoyun what he had heard. Qiaoyun, upon hearing this, exclaimed, "Ah, that's not how Sister Feng is! What bad thing has Master Jia ever done for her? When she first arrived in Yangzhou, in such dire straits, if it weren't for Master Jia's support, who knows what would have become of her family. Even now, they're doing alright, with enough to eat and wear, just getting by. Who knew she would be so heartless, forgetting all past kindness, abandoning Master Jia, and going off to live a life of celibacy? If I were as hospitable as her, finding me a place to live, providing for my needs, and all these good things, I'd gladly let anyone shower me with gold!" "I can't go with him either. Oh well, I've already let Master Jia down. I'm afraid Master Jia will be very upset these next few days after Sister Feng leaves."
Wei Bi said, "That's what I was thinking too. Tomorrow I'll ask Brother Yuan to invite Master over for a feast to cheer him up."
Qiao Yun said, "You've come at the right time. I have something to discuss with you." Wei Bi said, "What is it? Please tell me." Qiao Yun said, "I remember when Sister Gui, Sister Shuang, Sister Feng, and I were here, we were like sisters, it was so lively. Unexpectedly, Sister Gui..." Because of the trouble Mr. Wu got into, and his own debts, he was forced to go home.
Sister Shuang followed Mr. Yuan and settled down, finding solace for life. Sister Feng went to the capital again today. I'm left alone, long entrenched in the world of courtesans; it seems this isn't a long-term solution. Fortunately, my father came to collect his quarterly wages the other day, and I asked him to spare my life. He initially refused, and after arguing with him for several days, we've reached an agreement. He'll give me two hundred silver dollars, write me a receipt, and I can do as I please. Although I've accumulated some savings over the years, I don't have this... "I'd like to discuss this with you. If you can give me a hundred silver dollars, and you can take me back to your mansion, I'm willing to be a maidservant to serve the young mistress. If you can't take me back to your mansion, you can find me a room or two outside, however you like. Fortunately, I've quit smoking most of it now, and only a few puffs are left. A few dozen dollars a day is enough to keep me going. If you can take me out of this hellhole, may you raise a big-headed, big-faced young master who will pass the imperial examinations three times in a row." Wei Bi found his words both pitiful and reasonable, and since he only wanted a hundred silver dollars, he readily agreed. After dinner, they stayed overnight. Qiaoyun whispered many sweet words and gave him many instructions by his side.
The next morning, Wei Bi got up, ate some stewed lotus seeds, went back to the mansion to get a hundred silver dollars, and gave them to Qiaoyun to keep. Qiaoyun said, "There's one more thing I need to tell you."
Wei Bi asked, "What is it?" Qiaoyun said, "When I spoke to my father, I said it was a foreign currency I borrowed from someone, and I didn't mention you. If he knows you helped me with the foreign currency, he'll suspect you want me to become a good man. You're a young master in the salt administration, and he doesn't know how much silver you've spent. He wants to keep it as a bargaining chip, and two hundred dollars won't be enough to sway him. Don't come here for the next two days. You decide for yourself whether to take me back to the mansion or find another place to live. Let me help my father get things done and send him back. Come on the third day so I can go with you. This is a secret between you and me; don't mention it to outsiders.
If word gets out, Qiangda and the others will make trouble for you over the wedding ceremony and other things. You shouldn't waste money." Wei Bi was even more delighted upon hearing this, nodded in agreement, and took his leave of Qiaoyun.
Little did he know that after Wei Bi left, Qiaoyun settled accounts with Qiangda, clarifying all the small debts owed to others. He packed his belongings and the things in his room, rolled up his money, and went back to Yancheng with his father overnight by hiring a boat.
These past two days, Wei Bi had been busy finding a house, arranging all the necessary furniture and supplies, and hiring a maid to serve Qiaoyun. On the third day, he excitedly arrived at Qiang Da's house, where his third son invited him to sit in Qiaoyun's room. Upon entering, Wei Bi noticed the calligraphy and paintings, and that the bedding had been changed. The maid followed him in, offering tea and water pipes, while several courtesans accompanied him. The third son said, "Master Wei, your esteemed friend has returned to Yancheng with his father. I've acted as a matchmaker for your master; I wonder which gentleman will be fortunate enough to curry favor with him." Wei Bi was quite surprised and disappointed. He didn't want to tell others, fearing ridicule. Although several gentlemen were with him, Wei Bi had no heart for conversation. He forced himself to sit for a while, then stood up and said, "I'll come again another day." Leaving Qiang Da's house, he went to Jia Ming's house, found Jia Ming, and arranged to meet him at the Fanglai Tea House near the drill ground to discuss their matters. As the saying goes: Don't talk about your sorrows with another sorrowful person, for talking about sorrows only makes them worse.
We wonder what these two were talking about; let's find out in the next chapter.

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【Dream of Love and Lust】【29】

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