Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 363 A Chance Encounter with Zhuangzi's Dream at Midnight

The atmosphere inside Rongqing Hall was joyful. Everyone offered their congratulations through the screen, and the second sister, Yingchun, blushed as if a red cloth had been draped over her face. Unable to bear the teasing from Xiaoxichun, she let out a soft moan and fled to her bedroom.

On the other hand, Jia Lian was initially surprised but then delighted. Chen Siyuan was his stepmother's nephew, a distant relative in his mind, so although he had been polite before, he was not close to him. Now, hearing that Chen Siyuan had proposed to marry his second sister Yingchun and had received the consent of Jia She and Madam Xing, Jia Lian congratulated him and couldn't help but feel closer to him.

They drank and toasted each other for a while, and Chen Siyuan drank half a pot of wine before he stopped.

After a long while, the birthday banquet ended. Jia She pulled Chen Siyuan aside and led him away. Chen Siyuan, understanding the implied meaning, slurred and assured him, "Uncle, don't worry, I'll complete the prescription tomorrow, and you can verify it. Also, I'll find a suitable matchmaker to come and propose marriage in a few days."

Jia She was overjoyed and stroked his beard, laughing, "I trust Yuan-ge'er to handle things, but since the marriage is now officially arranged, isn't it a bit too formal for Yuan-ge'er to still call him 'uncle'?"

Chen Siyuan was taken aback, and quickly cupped his hands and said, "Father-in-law, please don't be offended. I didn't react for a moment."

"Haha, very good, very good, then I'll be waiting for you in my study tomorrow!"

While Madam Xing remained in the room talking with Yingchun, Jia She immediately flicked his sleeves, laughing heartily as he left.

Jia Lian caught up from behind and advised, "Shuliang should not seek an ordinary matchmaker. It would be best to find a noblewoman to propose marriage, so that you can save face."

Ordinary poor families would naturally have matchmakers from the marketplace come to their door to propose marriage. But the Rongguo Mansion was a high-ranking and wealthy family, and ordinary matchmakers couldn't even dream of getting a visit. They would have to seek out a noblewoman from a family with imperial titles to come to their door.

Chen Siyuan had a plan in mind, and immediately smiled and said, "Don't worry, Second Brother, I know what I'm doing."

Jia Lian laughed and said, "Brother Yuan is always very capable. I've been too talkative. Come on, Brother Yuan, you've had a few too many drinks. It's not good if you catch a chill."

Hongyu and Wu'er followed behind, and took the lantern from the head maid Amber. The two of them lit the lanterns in front, and looked at each other as they walked, both of them very happy.

The young lady had her own thoughts, and so did the maid. Before the New Year, because of the master's commotion, the old lady said she wanted to send Yuanyang to Daiyu's side in the future, firstly to prevent Daiyu from suffering any losses, and secondly to give Yuanyang a future.

Daiyu's room already had Zijuan and Xueyan, and now with the addition of Yuanyang, it was no longer a good place. But now, her master wants to marry the second daughter, Yingchun—this is truly a wonderful thing!

Everyone in the household knows that the second young lady is the most gentle and mild-mannered. She is polite and indulgent towards the maids and servants, and it is rare to see her get angry or upset with anyone.

Moreover, the two head maids by the Second Miss's side, Siqi is a 10-foot-tall beauty and Xiuju is also quite ordinary in appearance. If they could get into the Second Miss's room, wouldn't that be a bright future?

Even Hongyu and Wu'er think this way, let alone Siqi and Xiuju who are still guarding the side hall?
The women inside kept talking to Yingchun, while the maids outside teased the two of them incessantly.

Siqi had long since given herself to Chen Siyuan, and now, thanks to the unexpected turn of events, she was naturally arrogant and haughty. Although Xiuju had known about this matter for a long time, she only felt reassured after it was finally settled. Thinking of Master Yuan's handsome and clear appearance, Xiuju couldn't help but smile.

After seeing someone off, Amber came to the side hall to receive instructions. Peeking through the glass window, she could vaguely see figures moving behind the screen, and hurriedly ordered, "Quiet down, the madam and the young ladies are coming out."

Sure enough, a moment later, Baochai, Xiangyun, Baoqin, Tanchun, Xichun, Xing Xiuyan and others filed out, chatting and laughing.

The side hall was full of maids, who came forward one by one to tie cloaks and put on Guanyin hoods for their young ladies, and carried lanterns to lead the way, which goes without saying.

After the group of girls had gone far away, the second young lady Yingchun and Daiyu still did not come out.

The maids in the side hall were quite surprised, but Amber smiled and said, "The marriage is now official, so the old lady will definitely give some instructions. Just wait, the second young lady will come out in a little while."

As for why Miss Lin also stayed, it was because the two of them would marry the same person in the future, and the old lady had her own explanation to Daiyu.

After a while, Daiyu came out first, leading Zijuan and Xueyan away; after about half a cup of tea's time, the second young lady Yingchun came out shyly.

The head maids, including Amber, gathered around to offer their congratulations. The second young lady became even more embarrassed, but she could no longer suppress her smile and hurriedly instructed Siqi to present the reward.

Siqi was already overjoyed, and in her excitement, she casually scattered more than ten taels of silver, which prompted seven or eight maids to offer their congratulations.

Xiuju carried a lantern and led Yingchun toward Zhuijin Tower. Once inside the Grand View Garden, Siqi smiled and said, "Congratulations, Miss, on achieving your wish."

Yingchun breathed a long sigh of relief and said, "Nothing is certain until the marriage certificate is signed, and neither of you should make a fuss about it."

Siqi didn't take it seriously and said, "Master Yuan has always been a man of his mind. Now that he has proposed marriage, how could there be any changes?"

Xiuju turned around and said with a smile, "Just now, when Amber went to see him off, she heard from Master Yuan and Second Master Lian that they would be looking for a wife from an official family to act as matchmaker in a few days."

Yingchun was cautious by nature. Although she was certain there would be no further changes, she dared not be careless. She immediately said, "Even if it's settled, the wedding might not take place until next year or the year after. After that, we'll just live as we always have." She paused, then seemed to want to say something more but stopped herself.

Siqi immediately understood and said, "Miss, should we inform everyone that we should take extra care of the young master?"

Xiuju laughed and said, "Master Yuan is a man of impeccable character, and Wu'er is currently in Master Yuan's room. Even if we don't need to greet her, would Sister Liu mistreat her?"

Yingchun smiled and said, "There's no need to make a special announcement. I'm sure the old women in the storeroom will know what to do."

As they spoke, they rounded the verdant peaks and were about to reach the Qin Fang Pavilion when they suddenly heard hurried footsteps behind them. The three of them stopped and turned around, only to see Aunt Zhao running towards them with her hair disheveled and her eyes brimming with tears.

Yingchun was slightly surprised, then recalled that Zhao Guoji, Aunt Zhao's brother, seemed to be unwell today, and Tanchun had even gone to check on him in the afternoon. Given Aunt Zhao's current state, could it be that Zhao Guoji is truly in bad shape?
Yingchun then asked, "What's wrong with Aunt Zhao?"

Aunt Zhao had no past grudges with Yingchun, and now that she was Yingchun's housekeeper, Aunt Zhao felt as if she had found her pillar of support when she saw Yingchun. She stepped forward, grabbed Yingchun's arm, and cried, "Second daughter... my brother is gone, the ceremonial gate is locked, I can't get out... please, let me go and take a look!"

Yingchun thought to herself, "Just as I thought," and her face showed a hint of urgency. She instructed, "Xiuju, take the token to the ceremonial gate and tell them that I said to prepare a carriage to send Aunt Zhao out of the mansion." She paused, then thought for a moment and added, "I'm afraid the maids around Aunt Zhao are not very capable. Go to the east wing and invite Qin Xian's wife to come and take care of her."

He turned to Siqi and instructed her, "Bring me twenty taels of silver first, as a funeral gift from me."

Aunt Zhao was a maid who climbed into Jia Zheng's bedchamber. Although she was favored by Jia Zheng in previous years and received some money and valuables, she turned around and gave them all to Granny Ma, leaving her with no savings. Zhao Guoji was just Jia Huan's servant, earning only one tael of silver a month. His wife was still working in the laundry room and had to raise children, so I'm afraid the family had no savings.

Even a humble family wouldn't need to keep the body in state for too long. They'd probably have to buy a coffin as soon as it was light. But for Tan Chun's sake, sending the funeral rites first is a token of their goodwill.

Aunt Zhao, who had been completely disoriented, felt a surge of comfort upon hearing Yingchun's instructions. Tears welled up in her eyes again as she said gratefully, "Thank you so much, Second Miss." She paused, then added, "There's something else I need you to tell Tan'er..."

Before she could finish speaking, Yingchun frowned and said, "Auntie, what you're saying is inappropriate! Third Sister has been staying in Madam's room since early on. Even if we consider blood ties, she should go to pay respects during the day. How can she go out at night? What will outsiders think if word gets out?"

Aunt Zhao was taken aback, then said awkwardly, "I was wrong. I... I'll be leaving now."

After Aunt Zhao finished speaking, Xiao Jixiang followed with a lantern. The two then parted ways with Yingchun and went ahead with Xiuju. After meeting up with Qin Xian's wife, they took a carriage to Zhao Guoji's house to look for him.

Yingchun and Siqi were returning when they passed by Qiushuangzhai. Yingchun knocked on the door and entered.

Since returning from Rongqing Hall, Tan Chun had been preoccupied with her thoughts, and was currently staring blankly at the bonsai. It wasn't until Shi Shu came to inform her that she snapped out of her reverie and rose to greet her. The two sisters entered and sat down, and Ying Chun recounted what had just happened, causing Tan Chun to pause in surprise again. Having grown up in Lady Wang's quarters, she wasn't particularly close to Zhao Guoji, so it would be a lie to say she was feeling sad; at this moment, she was simply reflecting on the impermanence of life.

I went to check on him in the afternoon. Zhao Guoji's face was ashen, and he looked like he was about to die. When Aunt Zhao pressed him for the reason, it turned out that after finishing his shift, Zhao Guoji had drunk a pot of wine at a roadside inn and got into an argument with two rascals on his way home.

Unexpectedly, the two men went for the kill, breaking Zhao Guoji's spine with a single blow. Even with the old ginseng keeping him alive, the imperial physicians in the mansion were helpless.

This person could hold on for a few more days, but who knew that he wouldn't make it through the night.

Some things shouldn't be thought about too much. After careful consideration, Tan Chun felt that something was quite strange about it.

Ruffians and scoundrels are certainly hateful, but there's no reason to take someone's life over a mere disagreement!
Seeing that Tan Chun was frowning and lost in thought, Ying Chun assumed that she was saddened, so she said, "Your aunt originally wanted to ask you to come along, but I felt it was inappropriate and declined. If Third Sister wants to go and see her, I will send someone to prepare a carriage and horses tomorrow during the day, and it will not be too late for Third Sister to go."

Tan Chun shook her head when she came to her senses. She opened her mouth as if to tell Ying Chun what she was thinking, but then she thought that her second sister's background was even more pitiful than her own. Now that she had finally found a good marriage, why should she involve her?

So she grabbed Yingchun's hand and forced a smile, saying, "It's just a reflection on the impermanence of life. I'll listen to my second sister and go take another look tomorrow."

It was getting late, and Yingchun, unaware of Tanchun's thoughts, spoke with her briefly before taking her leave.

She returned directly to Zhuijin Tower, where the maids and servants who remained inside all came forward with smiles to congratulate her. Siqi was even happier than Yingchun. Without Yingchun's permission, she scattered another basket of copper coins, causing the maids and servants to pick up the money all over the ground.

Siqi's repeated overstepping of boundaries reminded Yingchun of Chen Siyuan's words, and while she was tempted, she secretly rejected the idea. No matter how bad Siqi was, she would always step in to protect Yingchun if she got into trouble. Besides, Yingchun had been disliked before, and if it weren't for Siqi's constant fuss, Yingchun's allowance would probably have been completely embezzled by those cunning servants long ago.

The second young lady was one to remember kindness, so she naturally wouldn't betray those who had helped her. She thought to herself that she should find an opportunity later to give Siqi a good talking-to, lest Siqi become too arrogant.

Back in the room, Xiuju also returned. She fetched water and helped Yingchun wash up. The three of them chatted for a while, and then Yingchun lay down on the bed and began to ponder.

The perfect marriage I've been longing for... I've finally got it. Now I can finally live a comfortable and happy life, right?
With this first step of establishing the engagement, she would need to maintain frequent contact with her brother Yuan to deepen their friendship. She knew she couldn't compare to Baochai or Daiyu in looks, so she needed to find someone with similar qualities to ensure her brother Yuan would keep her in his heart.

Yingchun was sure she would toss and turn and have trouble sleeping tonight, but after a while, perhaps because she had drunk too much wine last night, she drifted off to sleep.

After an unknown amount of time, Yingchun suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. When she opened her eyes, she saw Madam Wang across from her with a sorrowful face. She sighed and comforted her, "You've already met such an ignorant person, what can you do? Your uncle once advised the master against this marriage. But the master insisted on his own wishes and it didn't work out in the end. My child! This is your fate."

Yingchun was bewildered and wanted to ask why, but she couldn't open her mouth no matter how hard she tried. When she finally did, she said something else entirely: "I don't believe my life is so miserable! I lost my mother when I was little, but luckily I came to live with my aunt and had a few years of peaceful life. And now this is how it ends!"

Lady Wang offered a few more words of comfort, and Tan Chun and Xi Chun beside her also wiped away tears, while Daiyu's eyes were red from crying.

Yingchun felt utterly dejected. When Madam Wang asked where she wanted to stay, she insisted on returning to Zhuijin Tower, where she had previously resided. Madam Wang sighed deeply and then sent people to tidy up Zhuijin Tower.

Just moments ago they were at Zhuijin Tower, but now, returning, she felt as if she were revisiting an old haunt. The second young lady felt as if her heart was torn in two: one half bewildered and unable to understand why, the other half filled with resentment and despair.

Even more surprisingly, it was only when Xiuju led an unfamiliar maid to serve her that the second young lady realized she had actually gotten married.

Yingchun was astonished, thinking to herself that she had just formally married Chen Siyuan, so how could she have ended up getting married in her dream? Could it be like Zhuangzi dreaming of being a butterfly?

Yingchun was usually very disciplined and cautious, never daring to make a single mistake. Now that she knew she was in a dream, she smiled knowingly and thought to herself, "Since I'm here, I might as well make the best of it and see what kind of bizarre dream this is."

After a three-day stay in the garden, the time for parting finally arrived. Early that morning, Yingchun headed towards the east courtyard. Madam Xing seemed to have returned to how she had been a few years ago, showing no concern for Yingchun whatsoever. She only exchanged a few pleasantries and, upon hearing that Yingchun was not doing well, frowned and said, "Now that you're married, what else can you do?"

As she said this, Madam Xing's face showed a hint of sarcasm.

Yingchun thought to herself, "That's right. Madam Xing herself is not doing well. Even if we share some sympathy, what can a second wife do?"
Wang Shanbao's family came to urge Yingchun to set off, saying that the Sun family's carriage had arrived.

Yingchun was extremely reluctant to part with him and cried and begged to see the master, but the master closed the door and refused to see her. No matter how much Yingchun kowtowed in the courtyard, until her forehead bled, he still wouldn't see her.

Madam Xing sighed and went to the side courtyard. When she returned, she simply shook her head indifferently. With a wave of her hand, she gave an order, and servants helped Yingchun out of the black-lacquered gate.

Once inside the carriage, Yingchun sobbed softly, while Xiuju and another maid beside her also wiped away tears.

The carriage traveled through the bustling city, stopping and starting along the way. After an unknown amount of time, it arrived at a two-courtyard house.

A fierce-looking old woman lifted the curtain, glanced at her, and sneered, "Madam, you'd better go and confess your sins quickly. You've been gone for three days, and the master is already furious!"

Yingchun, trembling with fear, dared not cry any longer. She hastily wiped away her tears and followed the two maids down from the carriage. She walked silently into the inner courtyard, and as soon as she rounded the screen, a glass bottle came flying at her with a whooshing sound.

Yingchun instinctively closed her eyes and dodged, but the vase grazed her earlobe and smashed against the wall with a loud crack, shattering into pieces.

Immediately, a burly, boorish man strode over, whip in hand, and pointed at Yingchun's nose, cursing, "You slut! Are you planning to stay at your parents' house and not come back? Where's that five thousand taels of silver I made you ask for!"

Yingchun hurriedly knelt down and begged for mercy: "Master, I have stayed for three days and begged several times, but Father will not see me. Please allow me a few more days, and another day... another day I will definitely go and beg Father."

A kick to the chest sent Yingchun sprawling, followed by a brutal lash of the whip. Yingchun screamed and rolled on the ground. Xiuju, too frightened to move, rushed over to protect Yingchun after a moment. But after only two lashes, she was lifted up by the man surnamed Sun and slammed against the wall repeatedly. In an instant, Xiuju was bleeding from her head and unconscious.

Having vented his anger, the man surnamed Sun turned around, grabbed the teapot, and gulped down a large amount of tea. Then he strode forward, squatted down, and pinched Yingchun's chin, saying, "Don't pretend to be my wife! Your father paid me five thousand taels of silver to sell you to me. How about I give you a beating and send you to sleep in the servants' quarters?"

"Back when your grandfather was alive, he coveted our wealth and status, rushing to associate with us. Logically speaking, your father and I are of the same generation, but now he's trying to overshadow me, being a generation younger. This marriage shouldn't have happened in the first place; it makes it seem like we're just after someone important."

He tossed Yingchun aside, then stood up and glanced around before beckoning to the unfamiliar maid. The maid stepped forward tremblingly, and with a flick of his wrist, the black mole on her face vanished.

The man surnamed Sun laughed and said, "Well, Granny Qian said you deliberately made yourself look ugly, but I didn't quite believe it. Turns out you were just fooling me!"

He immediately reached out and tore at the maid's clothes, then hoisted her up and, leering, headed towards the bed inside.

Yingchun's vision gradually blurred, and she was suddenly awakened by a start. When she opened her eyes, she saw that the lamps in the room were already lit, and Siqi and Xiuju were looking at her with concern.

Siqi asked, "Is the young lady possessed by a nightmare?"

Yingchun broke out in a cold sweat, nodded, sat up, took the warm tea handed to her by Xiuju, and sipped half a cup before feeling a little calmer.

Xiuju then smiled and said, "Miss must be having a nightmare. Perhaps you are experiencing joy and anxiety, which is why you had a nightmare. Don't be afraid, Miss. Dreams are often the opposite of reality."

Siqi nodded in agreement, then asked with a strange expression, "But why did you just say that Sun Shaozu deserved to die a horrible death?"

"Did I yell?" Yingchun looked surprised. Recalling the appearance of the man surnamed Sun in her dream, her face turned pale... Was that really a nightmare?

(End of this chapter)