| Chinese Text Project |
《陳敬濟感舊祭金蓮 龐大姐埋屍托張勝 - Chen Jingji Recalls the Past and Honors Jinlian Pang Dajie Buries a Corpse and Entrusts Zhang Sheng》 | English translation: AI and Chinese Text Project users [?] | Library Resources |
| 1 | 陳敬濟感... : | 詩曰： |
| The poem says: | ||
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夢中雖暫見，及覺始知非。輾轉不成寐，徒倚獨披衣。 凄凄曉風急，腌腌月光微。空床常達旦，所思終不歸。 | ||
| Though briefly seen in a dream, one only realizes it is not real upon waking. Rolling over and over without being able to sleep, I stand alone, pulling on my robe. The morning wind is bleak and brisk; the moonlight is dim and faint. I lie on my empty bed until dawn, but those I think of never return. | ||
| 2 | 陳敬濟感... : | 話說武鬆殺了婦人、王婆，劫去財物，逃上梁山去了，不題。且說王潮兒街上叫了保甲來，見武鬆家前後門都不開，又王婆家被劫去財物，房中衣服丟的橫三豎四，就知是武鬆殺人劫財而去。未免打開前後門，見血瀝瀝兩個死屍倒在地下，婦人心肝五臟用刀插在後樓房檐下。迎兒倒扣在房中。問其故，只是哭泣。次日早衙，呈報到本縣，殺人凶刃都拿放在面前。本縣新任知縣也姓李，雙名昌期，乃河北真定府棗強縣人氏。聽見殺人公事，即委差當該吏典，拘集兩鄰保甲，並兩家苦主王潮、迎兒。眼同當街，如法檢驗。生前委被武鬆因忿帶酒，殺潘氏、王婆二命，疊成文案，就委地方保甲瘞埋看守。掛出榜文，四廂差人跟尋，訪拿正犯武鬆，有人首告者，官給賞銀五十兩。 |
| It is said that Wu Song killed the woman and Wang Po, robbed their belongings, and fled to Liangshan. No more will be mentioned of this. Meanwhile, Wang Chao called the neighborhood guards to come to the street. Seeing that neither the front nor back doors of Wu Song's house were open, and knowing that Wang Po's home had been robbed, with clothes scattered in all directions inside the room, he immediately realized that Wu Song had killed people and stolen property before fleeing. They could not help but open the front and back doors. They saw two corpses covered in blood lying on the ground, and the woman's liver and internal organs had been stabbed out with a knife and placed under the eaves of the upper floor. Ying Er was found upside down inside the house. When asked about what had happened, she could only weep. The next morning at the early court session, the report was submitted to the county magistrate, and the murder weapon was placed before him. The newly appointed county magistrate also bore the surname Li, with the given name Changqi; he was a native of Zaoqiang Xian, Zhen Ding Fu in Hebei. Upon hearing of the murder case, he immediately ordered the relevant clerks and officials to summon both neighbors and neighborhood guards, as well as the victims' families—Wang Chao and Ying Er. They conducted an on-site examination in public according to established procedures. It was confirmed that before death, Wu Song, out of anger and under the influence of alcohol, had killed Pan Shi and Wang Po. The case records were compiled accordingly, and local neighborhood guards were entrusted with burying and guarding the bodies. A public notice was posted, and officials were dispatched to all quarters to search for the main criminal Wu Song. Anyone who reported his whereabouts would be rewarded with fifty taels of silver by the government. | ||
| 3 | 陳敬濟感... : | 守備府中張勝、李安打著一百兩銀子到王婆家，看見王婆、婦人俱已被武鬆殺死，縣中差人檢屍，捉拿兇犯。二人回報到府中。春梅聽見婦人死了，整哭了兩三日，茶飯都不吃。慌了守備，使人門前叫調百戲的貨郎兒進去，耍與他觀看，只是不喜歡。日逐使張勝、李安打聽，拿住武鬆正犯，告報府中知道，不在話下。 |
| Zhang Sheng and Li An from the Garrison Commandery brought one hundred taels of silver to Wang Po's house. They saw that both Wang Po and the woman had already been killed by Wu Song, and officials from the county were examining the bodies and capturing the murderer. The two men returned to report this at the commandery headquarters. Chunmei, upon hearing that the woman had died, cried for two or three days straight and refused to eat either tea or food. The garrison commander was greatly alarmed, so he sent someone to the front gate to call in a street performer with various entertainments to go inside and perform for her. But she still showed no interest or pleasure. Day by day, Zhang Sheng and Li An were sent to investigate, in order to capture the main criminal Wu Song and report back to the commandery. This will not be detailed further. | ||
| 4 | 陳敬濟感... : | 按下一頭。且表陳敬濟前往東京取銀子，一心要贖金蓮，成其夫婦。不想走到半路，撞見家人陳定從東京來，告說家爺病重之事：「奶奶使我來請大叔往家去，囑托後事。」這敬濟一聞其言，兩程做一程，路上趲行。有日到東京他姑夫張世廉家。張世廉已死，止有姑娘見在。他父親陳洪已是沒了三日，滿家帶孝。敬濟參見他父親靈座。與他母親張氏並姑娘磕頭。張氏見他成人，母子哭做一處，通同商議：「如今一則以喜，一則以憂。」敬濟便道：「如何是喜，如何是憂？」張氏道：「喜者，如今朝廷冊立東宮，郊天大赦；憂則不想你爹爹病死在這裡，你姑夫又沒了，姑娘守寡，這裡住著不是常法，如今只得和你打發你爹爹靈柩回去，葬埋鄉井，也是好處。」敬濟聽了，心內暗道：「這一回發送，裝載靈柩家小粗重上車，少說也得許多日期耽閣，卻不誤了六姐？不如先誆了兩車細軟箱籠家去，待娶了六姐，再來搬取靈柩不遲。」一面對張氏說道：「如今隨路盜賊，十分難走。假如靈柩家小箱籠一同起身，未免起眼，倘遇小人怎了？寧可耽遲不耽錯。我先押兩車細軟箱籠家去，收拾房屋。母親隨後和陳定、家眷並父親靈柩，過年正月同起身回家，寄在城外寺院，然後做齋念經、築墳安葬，也是不遲。」張氏終是婦人家，不合一時聽信敬濟巧言，就先打點細軟箱籠，裝載兩大車，上插旗號，扮做香車。從臘月初一日東京起身，不上數日，到了山東清河縣家門首，對他母舅張團練說：「父親已死，母親押靈車，不久就到。我押了兩車行李，先來收拾打掃房屋。」他母舅聽說：「既然如此，我仍搬回家去便了。」一面就令家人搬家活，騰出房子來。敬濟見母舅搬去，滿心歡喜，說：「且得冤家離眼前，落得我娶六姐來家，自在受用。我父親已死，我娘又疼我。先休了那個淫婦，然後一紙狀子，把俺丈母告到官，追要我寄放東西，誰敢道個不字？又挾制俺家充軍人數不成！」正是： |
| Putting this matter aside for now. Meanwhile, let us speak of Chen Jingji heading to Dongjing to retrieve silver, determined to redeem Jinlian and reunite the couple. Unluckily, on his way halfway, he met a family servant named Chen Ding coming from Dongjing, who informed him of the master's serious illness: "Madam sent me to invite Uncle to return home and entrust matters after her passing." At hearing these words, Jingji immediately combined the two journeys into one and hurried along the road. One day he arrived at his aunt's husband Zhang Shilian's home in Dongjing. Zhang Shilian had already died, and only his sister-in-law remained. His father Chen Hong had already passed away three days ago, and the entire household was in mourning. Jingji paid respects to his late father's spirit tablet. He also kowtowed before his mother Zhang Shi and aunt. Zhang Shi, seeing that he had grown into an adult, wept with her son in one place. They discussed together: "Now there is both joy and sorrow." lando Jingji asked, "What is the joy, and what is the sorrow?" Zhang Shi said, "The reason for joy is that the imperial court has now appointed a Crown Prince and issued a general amnesty on the occasion of the grand sacrifice to heaven; the sorrow is that I did not expect your father to die here, and your aunt's husband has also passed away. Your aunt is now a widow; it would be improper for her to stay here permanently. Therefore, we must send your father's coffin back home with us so he can be buried in his hometown—it will be the right thing to do." Jingji, upon hearing this, thought to himself: "This time we will have to send the coffin and all our belongings back home. Loading such heavy items onto carts will certainly take several days at least—won't this delay me from going after Liu Jie?" "It would be better to first send two carts with lighter, more valuable belongings home. After I have married Liu Jie, I can come back later for the coffin—it won't be too late." He then said to Zhang Shi: "Nowadays there are many bandits along the roads, and it is very dangerous to travel. If we send both the coffin and our household belongings at once, it will surely draw attention. What if we encounter troublemakers?" Better to delay than to make a mistake. I will first escort two carts of lighter, more valuable belongings and boxes home to prepare the house. Mother can follow later with Chen Ding, the family, and my father's coffin. We will all leave together in January next year to return home. The coffin can be temporarily placed at a temple outside the city. Then we can hold memorial services, build a tomb, and properly bury him—it won't be too late." Zhang Shi, being a woman, ultimately could not resist listening to Jingji's clever words and immediately began preparing the lighter valuables and boxes. She loaded them onto two large carts, which were adorned with banners and disguised as incense-carrying caravans. They departed from Dongjing on the first day of the tenth lunar month. Within a few days, they arrived at their family home in Qinghe Xian, Shandong, and informed his maternal uncle Zhang Tuanlian: "My father has already passed away; my mother is escorting the funeral cart and will arrive shortly." "I escorted two carts of luggage ahead to come first and tidy up the house." Hearing this, his maternal uncle said: "If that is the case, I will move back home as well." He immediately ordered his family to move their belongings out and vacate the house. Jingji, seeing his maternal uncle move out, was overjoyed and said: "Now that my enemy is gone from before my eyes, I can freely bring Liu Jie home to live in peace and comfort. My father has already died, and my mother dotes on me." I will first divorce that lewd woman, and then file a lawsuit to report my mother-in-law to the authorities, demanding back the things I left in her care—what person would dare say no?" Moreover, she won't be able to coerce our family into sending people off for military service!" Indeed: | ||
| 人便如此如此，天理不然不然。 | ||
| People may act in such a way, but Heaven's justice does not necessarily follow. | ||
| 5 | 陳敬濟感... : | 這敬濟就打了一百兩銀子在腰裡，另外又袖著十兩謝王婆，來到紫石街王婆門首。可霎作怪，只見門前街旁埋著兩個屍首，上面兩桿槍交叉挑著個燈籠，門前掛著一張手榜，上書：「本縣為人命事：兇犯武鬆，殺死潘氏、王婆二命，有人捕獲首告官司者，官給賞銀五十兩。」這敬濟仰頭看見，便立睜了。只見窩鋪中站出兩個人來，喝聲道：「甚麼人？看此榜文做甚？見今正身兇犯捉拿不著，你是何人？」大叉步便來捉獲。敬濟慌的奔走不迭，恰走到石橋下酒樓邊，只見一個人，頭戴萬字巾，身穿青衲襖，隨後趕到橋下，說道：「哥哥，你好大膽，平白在此看他怎的？」這敬濟扭回頭看時，卻是一個識熟朋友－－鐵指甲楊二郎。二人聲喏。楊二道：「哥哥一向不見，那裡去來？」敬濟便把東京父死往回之事，告說一遍：「恰纔這殺死婦人，是我丈人的小，潘氏。不知他被人殺了。適纔見了榜文，方知其故。」楊二郎告道：「他是小叔武鬆，充配在外，遇赦回還，不知因甚殺了婦人，連王婆子也不饒。他家還有個女孩兒，在我姑夫姚二郎家養活了三四年。昨日他叔叔殺了人，走的不知下落。我姑夫將此女縣中領出，嫁與人為妻小去了。見今這兩個屍首，日久只顧埋著，只是苦了地方保甲看守，更不知何年月日才拿住兇犯武鬆。」說畢，楊二郎招了敬濟，上酒樓飲酒：「與哥拂塵。」敬濟見婦人已死，心中痛苦不了，那裡吃得下酒。約莫飲勾三杯，就起身下樓，作別來家。 |
| Jingji then carried one hundred taels of silver in his waistband, and additionally had ten taels tucked into his sleeve to give as a gift to Wang Po. He arrived at the front door of Wang Po's house on Zishi Street. To his great surprise, he saw two corpses buried by the roadside in front of the gate. Above them were two crossed spears holding up a lantern, and outside the door hung a handwritten notice stating: "This county announces regarding a murder case: The criminal Wu Song has killed Pan Shi and Wang Po; anyone who captures or reports him to the authorities will be rewarded with fifty taels by the government." Jingji looked up, saw this scene, and stood there stunned. Just then, two people stepped out from the guardhouse and shouted: "Who are you?" "What business do you have reading this notice?" "The main criminal is still at large and has not been captured—what are you doing here, who are you?" They took a big step forward to seize him. Jingji was so frightened that he ran as fast as his legs could carry him. Just as he reached the side of a wine shop under a stone bridge, he saw a man wearing a Wanzi cap and an azure patchwork coat running up behind him to the foot of the bridge and saying, "Brother, you are really bold! Why were you looking at this for no reason?" Jingji turned his head around and saw that the man was a familiar friend—Tie Zhi Jia Yang Er Lang. The two men greeted each other with bows. Yang Er said, "Brother, I haven't seen you for a while—where have you been?" Jingji then recounted the entire story of his father's death in Dongjing and returning home: "The woman who was just killed here is my mother-in-law, Pan Shi." I didn't know she had been killed by someone. "I just saw the notice and only then learned what happened." Yang Er Lang explained, "He is Wu Song, the younger cousin, who was exiled and has now returned after being pardoned. It seems he killed his wife for some reason, and even spared not Wang Po." There was also a girl in their family; she has been raised at my aunt's husband Yao Er Lang's home for three or four years. Yesterday, his uncle killed someone and ran away—nobody knows where he is now. My aunt's husband took the girl out from the county and married her off to someone else as a concubine. These two corpses have been buried for a long time, and the local neighborhood guards are only left to watch over them in hardship. No one knows when exactly they will capture the criminal Wu Song." After finishing his words, Yang Er Lang invited Jingji to go up to the wine shop for a drink: "Let me treat you and clear your mind." Jingji, seeing that his mother-in-law had died, was overwhelmed with grief and could not bring himself to drink. After drinking about three cups, he stood up from the wine shop, left, and returned home. | ||
| 6 | 陳敬濟感... : | 到晚夕，買了一陌錢紙，在紫石街離王婆門首遠遠的石橋邊，叫著婦人：「潘六姐，我小兄弟陳敬濟，今日替你燒陌錢紙。皆因我來遲了一步，誤了你性命。你活時為人，死後為神，早佑佑捉獲住仇人武鬆，替你報仇雪恨。我在法場上看著剮他，方趁我平生之志。」說畢哭泣，燒化了錢紙。敬濟回家，閉了門戶。走歸房中，恰纔睡著，似睡不睡，夢見金蓮身穿素服，一身帶血，向敬濟哭道：「我的哥哥，我死的好苦也！實指望與你相處在一處，不期等你不來，被武鬆那廝害了性命。如今陰司不收，我白日游遊蕩盪，夜歸各處尋討漿水，適間蒙你送了一陌錢紙與我。但只是仇人未獲，我的屍首埋在當街，你可念舊日之情，買具棺材盛了葬埋，免得日久暴露。」敬濟哭道：「我的姐姐，我可知要葬埋你。但恐我丈母那無仁義的淫婦知道。他只恁賴我，倒趁了他機會。姐姐，你須往守備府中，對春梅說知，教他葬埋你身屍便了。」婦人道：「剛纔奴到守備府中，又被那門神戶尉攔擋不放，奴須慢慢再哀告他則個。」敬濟哭著，還要拉著他說話，被他身上一陣血腥氣，撇氣掙脫，卻是南柯一夢。枕上聽那更鼓時，正打三更三點，說道：「怪哉！我剛纔分明夢見六姐向我訴告衷腸，教我葬埋之意，又不知甚年何日拿著武鬆，是好傷感人也！」正是： |
| That evening, he bought a bundle of paper money and went to the distant stone bridge on Zishi Street, far from Wang Po's gate. Standing there, he called out to his sister-in-law: "Pan Liu Jie, your younger brother Chen Jingji is here today to burn this bundle of paper money for you. It was all because I arrived a step too late and cost you your life. While alive, you were a human being; now that you are dead, may you become a deity. I hope you will soon help capture your enemy Wu Song and take revenge for you." Only when I see him beheaded at the execution ground can I fulfill my lifelong wish." After saying this, he wept and burned the paper money. Jingji returned home and locked the doors. He went back to his room and had just fallen asleep, half-awake yet half-asleep, when he dreamed of Jinlian dressed in mourning clothes, bloodied all over her body. She wept toward Jingji and said: "My dear brother, I died such a painful death!" I truly hoped to live with you together. But since you did not come in time, I was killed by Wu Song." Now the Underworld will not accept me, and I wander about in daylight. At night, I go around searching for water to drink. Just now, you kindly sent a bundle of paper money to me. But since my enemy has not yet been captured, and my corpse is buried in the middle of the street, you must remember our old feelings. Please buy a coffin for me, place my body inside, and bury it properly so that I will not remain exposed over time." Jingji wept and said: "My dear sister, of course I know I must bury you. But I fear that my mother-in-law—the unrighteous lewd woman—will find out." She has always taken advantage of me, and this would only give her another opportunity. "Sister, you must go to the garrison commandery and tell Chunmei about this, so that she can bury your body." The woman said, "Just now when I went to the garrison commandery, I was stopped and not allowed in by the gatekeeper. I must go back again and plead with him." Jingji wept, wanting to hold her and speak with her further, but a sudden stench of blood from her body made him gasp and pull away. It was all just a dream—a fleeting illusion. As he lay on his pillow, listening to the drum marking the hours of the night, it was just striking three o'clock in the early morning. He said, "Strange!" "I clearly dreamed just now that Liu Jie came to me and poured out her heart, asking me to bury her. I don't know when exactly Wu Song will be captured—it is truly heartbreaking!" Indeed: | ||
| 夢中無限傷心事，獨坐空房哭到明。 | ||
| In dreams, infinite sorrows arise; alone in an empty room, I weep until dawn. | ||
| 7 | 陳敬濟感... : | 按下一頭。卻表縣中訪拿武鬆，約兩個月有餘，捕獲不著，已知逃遁梁山為盜。地方保甲鄰佑呈報到官，所有兩個屍首，相應責令家屬領埋。王婆屍首，便有他兒子王潮領的埋葬。止有婦人身屍，無人來領。卻說府中春梅，兩三日一遍，使張勝、李安來縣中打聽。回去只說兇犯還未拿住，屍首照舊埋瘞，地方看守，無人敢動。直挨過年，正月初旬時節，忽一日晚間，春梅作一夢。恍恍惚惚，夢見金蓮雲髻蓬鬆，渾身是血，叫道：「龐大姐，我的好姐姐，奴死的好苦也！所有奴的屍首，在街暴露日久，風吹雨灑，雞犬作踐，無人領埋。奴舉眼無親，你若念舊日母子之情，買具棺木，把奴埋在一個去處，奴在陰司口眼皆閉。」說畢大哭不止。春梅扯住他，還要再問他別的話，被他掙開，撇手驚覺，卻是南柯一夢。從睡夢中直哭醒來，心內猶疑不定。 |
| Putting this aside for now. Meanwhile, the county authorities had been searching for Wu Song for more than two months without success. They eventually learned that he had fled to Liangshan and become a bandit. The local neighborhood guards and neighbors reported this to the authorities, who then ordered that the two corpses be claimed and buried by their respective families. Wang Po's corpse was taken and buried by her son Wang Chao. Only the woman's body remained unclaimed, with no one coming to take it. Meanwhile, in the garrison commandery, Chunmei sent Zhang Sheng and Li An to the county every two or three days to inquire. They returned each time with the same report: the criminal had still not been captured, and the corpses remained buried as before. The local guards continued to watch over them, and no one dared to disturb them. They waited until the New Year passed, and during the first ten days of the first lunar month, one evening, Chunmei had a dream. In a daze, she dreamed of Jinlian with her hair disheveled and blood all over her body, calling out: "Sister Pang, my dear elder sister, I died such a bitter death!" "My corpse has been left exposed in the street for too long, battered by wind and rain, trampled on by chickens and dogs, with no one to claim or bury me." "I have no relatives left in this world. If you still cherish the old mother-son bond, please buy a coffin and bury me somewhere. Then I can rest in peace in the netherworld with my eyes and mouth closed." After saying this, she wept uncontrollably. Chunmei tried to hold her and asked for more, but Jinlian broke free. Just as she turned away, Chunmei woke up in alarm—it had all been a dream from the southern mulberry tree. She cried herself awake from her sleep, still uncertain and troubled in her heart. | ||
| 8 | 陳敬濟感... : | 次日叫進張勝、李安分付：「你二人去縣中打聽，那埋的婦人、婆子屍首還有也沒有。」張勝、李安應諾去了。不多時，來回報：「正犯凶身已自逃走脫了。所有殺死身屍，地方看守，日久不便，相應責令各人家屬領埋。那婆子屍首，他兒子招領的去了。那婦人無人來領，還埋在街心。」春梅道：「既然如此，我這樁事兒，累你二人替我幹得來，我還重賞你。」二人跪下道：「小夫人說那裡話，若肯在老爺前抬舉小人一二，便消受不了。雖赴湯跳水，敢說不去？」春梅走到房中，拿出十兩銀子，兩匹大布，委付二人道：「這死的婦人，是我一個嫡親姐姐，嫁在西門慶家，今日出來，被人殺死。你二人休教你老爺知道，拿這銀子替我買一具棺材，把他裝殮了，抬出城外，擇方便地方埋葬停當，我還重賞你。」二人道「這個不打緊，小人就去。」李安說：「只怕縣中不教你我領屍怎了？須拿老爺個貼兒，下與縣官才好。」張勝道：「只說小夫人是他妹子，嫁在府中，那縣官不敢不依，何消貼子。」於是領了銀子，來到班房內。張勝便向李安說：「想必這死的婦人，與小夫人曾在西門慶家做一處，相結的好，今日方這等為他費心。想著死了時，整哭了三四日，不吃飯，直教老爺門前叫了調百戲貨郎兒，調與他觀看，還不喜歡。今日他無親人領去，小夫人豈肯不葬埋他？咱每若替他幹得此事停當，早晚他在老爺跟前，只方便你我，就是一點福星。見今老爺百依百隨，聽他說話，正經大奶奶、二奶奶且打靠後。」說畢，二人拿銀子到縣前遞了領狀，就說他妹子在老爺府中，來領屍首。使了六兩銀子，合了一具棺材，把婦人屍首掘出，把心肝填在肚內，用線縫上，用布裝殮停當，裝入材內。張勝說：「就埋在老爺香火院永福寺里罷，那裡有空閑地。」就叫了兩名伴當，抬到永福寺，對長老說：「這是宅內小夫人的姐姐，要一塊地兒葬埋。」長老不敢怠慢，就在寺後揀一塊空心白楊樹下那裡葬埋。已畢，走來宅內回春梅話，說：「除買棺材裝殮，還剩四兩銀子。」交割明白。春梅分付：「多有起動，你二人將這四兩銀子，拿二兩與長老道堅，教他早晚替他念些經懺，超度他升天。」又拿出一大壇酒，一腿豬肉，一腿羊肉：「這二兩銀子，你每人將一兩家中盤纏。」二人跪下，那裡敢接？只說：「小夫人若肯在老爺面前抬舉小人，消受不了。這些小勞，豈敢接受銀兩。」春梅道：「我賞你，不收，我就惱了。」二人只得磕頭領了出來。兩個班房吃酒，甚是稱念小夫人好處。次日，張勝送銀子與長老念經，春梅又與五錢銀子買紙，與金蓮燒，俱不在話下。 |
| The next day, she summoned Zhang Sheng and Li An and gave them instructions: "You two go to the county again and inquire whether those corpses of the woman and the old woman are still there." Zhang Sheng and Li An nodded in agreement and left. After a short while, they returned to report: "The main criminal has already escaped." All the corpses of those who were killed are being guarded by local authorities, but after so much time it has become inconvenient. The authorities have accordingly ordered each family to claim and bury their own dead. The old woman's corpse was claimed by her son. As for the woman, no one has come to claim her body; it is still buried in the middle of the street." Chunmei said, "If that is so, I will have you two do this for me. I shall reward you handsomely." The two men knelt down and said, "Madam, how could you say such a thing? If only the master would show us a little favor, we would be more than satisfied." "Even if it means plunging into boiling water or leaping off a cliff, how could we possibly refuse?" Chunmei went into the room, took out ten taels of silver and two bolts of coarse cloth, and entrusted them to the two men, saying: "This dead woman is my full-blooded elder sister. She was married to Ximen Qing's family. Today she came out and was killed by someone." "You two must not let your master know. Take this silver and buy a coffin for me, place her body inside, carry it out of the city, choose a convenient location to bury her properly, and I will reward you handsomely." łoż The two men said, "That's no problem. We'll go right away." Li An said, "We are afraid that the county authorities won't allow us to claim the corpse. What then?" "We must obtain a permit from your master and present it to the county official before we can proceed." Zhang Sheng said, "Just say that Madam is her younger sister and was married into the garrison commandery. The county official will not dare to refuse; there's no need for a permit." With that, they took the silver and went to the jail. Zhang Sheng then said to Li An, "I suppose this dead woman must have been close friends with Madam when they were both in Ximen Qing's household. That is why she now goes through so much trouble for her." When she died, Madam cried for three or four days straight and refused to eat. They had to call street performers and acrobats in front of the master's gate just to cheer her up, but it still didn't make her happy. Now that she has no relatives to claim her body, how could Madam possibly not bury her?" "If we manage to handle this matter properly for her, in the future when she is near the master, she will certainly favor and help us. That would be a stroke of good fortune." Now that the master follows her every word, listens to what she says, even the main and second mistresses are pushed aside." After saying this, the two men took the silver to the front of the county office and submitted a claim form, stating that her younger sister was in the master's household and had come to collect the corpse. They spent six taels of silver, bought a coffin, dug up the woman's corpse, placed her liver and heart back into her abdomen, sewed it shut with thread, wrapped her properly in cloth, and placed her body inside the coffin. Zhang Sheng said: "Let's just bury her in the Master's temple, Yongfu Temple. There is plenty of empty land there." They then called two attendants to carry the coffin to Yongfu Temple and told the abbot: "This is Madam's elder sister from the household. We need a plot of land for her burial." The abbot did not dare to be slow, and selected an empty spot under a white poplar tree at the back of the temple for her burial. After finishing, they returned to the mansion and reported to Chunmei: "Besides buying the coffin for burial, there was still four taels of silver left." They handed it over clearly. Chunmei instructed, "You two have gone to so much trouble. Take two of these four taels and give them to Abbot Dao Jian. Ask him to recite some scriptures and perform repentance services for her from time to time, to help her ascend to heaven." She also took out a large jar of wine, one leg of pork, and one leg of mutton. "As for the remaining two taels of silver," she said, "you each take one tael to use at home." The two men knelt down in awe—how could they dare accept it? They only said, "If Madam would be kind enough to recommend us to the master, we would already feel more than satisfied." "These small tasks are not worthy of receiving silver." Chunmei said, "I am rewarding you. If you don't accept it, I shall be angry." The two men had no choice but to bow their heads and accept the gifts before leaving. The two jail attendants drank wine together, greatly praising Madam's kindness. The next day, Zhang Sheng delivered the silver to the abbot for him to recite prayers. Chunmei also gave another five qian of silver to buy paper for Jinlian's memorial burning; these details need not be elaborated further. | ||
| 9 | 陳敬濟感... : | 卻說陳定從東京載靈柩家眷到清河縣城外，把靈柩寄在永福寺，等念經發送，歸葬墳內。敬濟在家聽見母親張氏家小車輛到了，父親靈柩寄停在城外永福寺，收卸行李已畢，與張氏磕了頭。張氏怪他：「就不去接我一接。」敬濟只說：「心中不好，家裡無人看守。」張氏便問：「你舅舅怎的不見？」敬濟道：「他見母親到，連忙搬回家去了。」張氏道：「且教你舅舅住著，慌搬去怎的？」一面他母舅張團練來看姐姐。姊妹抱頭而哭，置酒敘說，不必細說。 |
| Meanwhile, Chen Ding arrived at the outskirts of Qinghe Xian with his family and the coffin from Dongjing. He placed the coffin in Yongfu Temple for temporary storage while waiting for prayers to be recited before sending her spirit off and returning her body to be buried in their ancestral graveyard. Jing Ji, at home, heard that his mother Zhang Shi's family and their carriages had arrived. He learned that his father's coffin was temporarily stored in Yongfu Temple outside the city. After unloading all the luggage, he kowtowed to Zhang Shi as a sign of respect. Zhang Shi scolded him: "You didn't even come out to greet me." Jing Ji merely replied, "I was feeling unwell and had no one at home to look after things." Zhang Shi then asked, "Where is your uncle? I don't see him." Jing Ji said, "He saw Mother arrive and hurried home to move his things back there." Zhang Shi said, "Let your uncle stay for now. Why did he rush to move away?" Meanwhile, his maternal uncle Zhang Tuanlian came to visit his sister. The sisters embraced and wept, then sat down with wine to catch up; the details need not be elaborated here. | ||
| 10 | 陳敬濟感... : | 次日，張氏早使敬濟拿五兩銀子、幾陌金銀錢紙，往門外與長老，替他父親念經。正騎頭口街上走，忽撞遇他兩個朋友陸大郎、楊大郎，下頭口聲喏。二人問道：「哥哥那裡去？」敬濟悉言：「先父靈柩寄在門外寺里，明日二十日是終七，家母使我送銀子與長老，做齋念經。」二人道：「兄弟不知老伯靈柩到了，有失弔問。」因問：「幾時發引安葬？」敬濟道：「也只在一二日之間，念經畢，入墳安葬。」說罷，二人舉手作別。這敬濟又叫住，因問楊大郎：「縣前我丈人的小，那潘氏屍首怎不見？被甚人領的去了？」楊大郎便道：「半月前，地方因捉不著武鬆，稟了本縣相公，令各家領去葬埋。王婆是他兒子領去。這婦人屍首，丟了三四日，被守備府中買了一口棺材，差人抬出城外永福寺去葬了。」敬濟聽了，就知是春梅在府中收葬了他屍首。因問二郎：「城外有幾個永福寺？」二郎道：「南門外只有一個永福寺，是周秀老爺香火院，那裡有幾個永福寺來？」敬濟聽了，暗喜：「就是這個永福寺，也是緣法湊巧，喜得六姐亦葬在此處。」一面作別二人，打頭口出城，徑到永福寺中。見了長老，且不說念經之事，就先問長老道堅：「此處有守備府中新近葬的一個婦人，在那裡？」長老道：「就在寺後白楊樹下。說是宅內小夫人的姐姐。」這陳敬濟且不參見他父親靈柩，先拿錢祭物，至於金蓮墳上，與他祭了，燒化錢紙，哭道：「我的六姐，你兄弟陳敬濟來與你燒一陌紙錢，你好處安身，苦處用錢。」祭畢，然後才到方丈內他父親靈柩跟前燒紙祭祀。遞與長老經錢，教他二十日請八眾禪僧，念斷七經。長老接了經襯，備辦齋供。敬濟到家，回了張氏話。二十日都去寺中拈香，擇吉發引，把父親靈柩歸到祖塋。安葬已畢，來家母子過日不題。 |
| The next day, early in the morning, Zhang Shi sent Jing Ji to take five taels of silver and several bundles of paper money to the temple gate for the abbot, so that he could recite prayers for her late husband. As Jing Ji was riding along the street, he suddenly ran into his two friends Lu Dalang and Yang Dalang. They dismounted from their animals to greet him respectfully. The two men asked, "Brother, where are you going?" Jing Ji explained in detail: "My late father's coffin is temporarily stored at the temple outside the gate. Tomorrow, the twentieth day, marks the seventh and final mourning period. My mother sent me to give silver to the abbot so that he can hold a vegetarian meal and recite prayers." The two men said, "Brother, we didn't know your late uncle's coffin had arrived; we failed to offer our condolences in time." They then asked: "When will the funeral procession and burial take place?" Jing Ji replied, "It should be within one or two days. After the prayers are completed, we will bury him in the family graveyard." After saying this, they raised their hands in farewell and parted ways. Jing Ji then called them back and asked Yang Dalang, "At the front of the county seat, my father-in-law's house—where is Pan Shi's corpse? I don't see it." Who claimed her body?" Yang Dalang replied, "Half a month ago, since the authorities could not capture Wu Song, they reported to the county magistrate and ordered each family to take their own dead for burial." Wang Po's body was taken by her son. As for this woman's corpse, it was left unclaimed for three or four days. It was eventually bought a coffin by the garrison commandery and sent out of the city to Yongfu Temple for burial." After hearing this, Jing Ji realized that Chunmei had arranged for her body to be collected and buried from within the garrison commandery. He then asked the two men: "How many Yongfu Temples are there outside the city?" The two men replied, "There is only one Yongfu Temple outside the southern gate. It belongs to Zhou Xiu's patronage as a temple for incense offerings. How could there be several Yongfu Temples?" After hearing this, Jing Ji secretly rejoiced: "That is exactly the Yongfu Temple—what a fortunate coincidence! It turns out that my sixth sister was also buried there." With this thought in mind, he bid farewell to the two men and rode his horse out of the city directly to Yongfu Temple. After meeting the abbot, he did not immediately mention the prayers. Instead, he first asked Abbot Dao Jian: "Abbot, is there a woman recently buried here by the garrison commandery? Where exactly was she placed?" The abbot replied, "She's right under the white poplar tree at the rear of the temple." They said she was Madam's elder sister from within the household." Ting Jingji did not first visit his father's coffin but instead took money and offerings to Jinlian's grave. He paid respects there, burned paper money, and wept: "My sixth sister, your younger brother Chen Jingji has come to burn a bundle of paper money for you. May you find peace in the afterlife and have enough wealth to ease any suffering." After completing the memorial rites, he then went to his father's coffin at the abbot's quarters and burned paper offerings in tribute. He gave money for the scriptures to the abbot, instructing him to invite eight Zen monks on the twentieth day to recite the final seven-day memorial sutras. The abbot accepted the offering for the scripture service and prepared vegetarian meals and offerings accordingly. Jing Ji returned home and reported to Zhang Shi. On the twentieth day, they all went to the temple to burn incense, selected a favorable date for the funeral procession, and returned his father's coffin to their ancestral graveyard. After the burial was completed, mother and son returned home and lived out their days without further mention. | ||
| 11 | 陳敬濟感... : | 卻表吳月娘，一日二月初旬，天氣融和，孟玉樓、孫雪娥、西門大姐、小玉，出來大門首站立，觀看來往車馬，人煙熱鬧。忽見一簇男女，跟著個和尚，生的十分胖大，頭頂三尊銅佛，身上構著數枝燈樹，杏黃袈裟風兜袖，赤腳行來泥沒踝。當時古人有幾句，贊的這行腳僧好處： |
| Meanwhile, Wu Yue 娘, on one day in the first ten days of February, when the weather was mild and pleasant, stood with Meng Yulou, Sun Xue'e, Ximen Dajie, and Xiaoyu at the front gate. They watched the passing carriages and horses, observing the bustling crowd and lively street life. Suddenly, they saw a group of men and women following a monk. The monk was very fat, with three copper Buddhas on his head. Several lantern trees were attached to his body; he wore an apricot-yellow robe that fluttered in the wind, and walked barefoot through the mud up to his ankles. At that time, there were a few lines of ancient poetry praising this wandering monk: | ||
| 打坐參禪，講經說法。鋪眉苦眼，習成佛祖家風；賴教求食，立起法門規矩。白日里賣杖搖鈴，黑夜間舞槍弄棒。有時門首磕光頭，餓了街前打響嘴。空色色空，誰見眾生離下土？去來來去，何曾接引到西方。 | ||
| He meditated in stillness and discussed the Dharma. With a gentle expression and earnest eyes, he had cultivated the style of the Buddha's teachings; He relied on alms for food and upheld the discipline of the Buddhist order. By day, he sold canes and rang bells; by night, he danced with spears and sticks. Sometimes, he would knock his head at the door to beg for alms, or make loud noises in front of the street when hungry. Emptiness and form are both empty; who sees sentient beings leave this world? Coming and going, going and coming—when has anyone ever been led to the West? | ||
| 12 | 陳敬濟感... : | 那和尚見月娘眾婦人在門首，便向前道了個問訊，說道：「在家老菩薩施主，既生在深宅大院，都是龍華一會上人。貧僧是五台山下來的，結化善緣，蓋造十王功德，三寶佛殿。仰賴十方施主菩薩，廣種福田，舍資才共成勝事，種來生功果。貧僧只是挑腳漢。」月娘聽了他這般言語，便喚小玉往房中以一頂僧帽，一雙僧鞋，一弔銅錢，一鬥白米。原來月娘平昔好齋僧佈施，常時發心做下僧帽、僧鞋，預備來施。這小玉取出來，月娘分付：「你叫那師父近前來，佈施與他。」這小玉故做嬌態，高聲叫道：「那變驢的和尚，過不過來！俺奶奶佈施與你這許多東西，還不磕頭哩。」月娘便罵道：「怪墮業的小臭肉兒，一個僧家，是佛家弟子，你有要沒緊，恁謗他怎的？不當家化化的，你這小淫婦兒，到明日不知墮多少罪業！」小玉笑道：「奶奶，這賊和尚，我叫他，他怎的把一雙賊眼，眼上眼下打量我？」那和尚雙手接了鞋帽錢來，打問訊說道：「多謝施主老菩薩佈施。」小玉道：「這禿廝好無禮。這些人站著，只打兩個問訊兒，就不與我打一個兒？」月娘道：「小肉兒，還恁說白道黑道。他一個佛家之子，你也消受不的他這個問訊。」小玉道：「奶奶，他是佛爺兒子，誰是佛爺女兒？」月娘道：「相這比丘尼姑僧，是佛的女兒。」小玉道：「譬若說，相薛姑子、王姑子、大師父，都是佛爺女兒，誰是佛爺女婿？」月娘忍不住笑，罵道：「這賊小淫婦兒，也學的油嘴滑舌，見見就說下道兒去了。」小玉道：「奶奶只罵我，本等這禿和尚賊眉豎眼的只看我。」孟玉樓道：「他看你，想必認得你，要度脫你去。」小玉道：「他若度我，我就去。」說著，眾婦女笑了一回。月娘喝道：「你這小淫婦兒，專一毀僧謗佛。」那和尚得了佈施，頂著三尊佛揚長而去了。小玉道：「奶奶還嗔我罵他，你看這賊禿，臨去還看了我一眼才去了。」有詩單道月娘修善施僧好處： |
| When the monk saw Lady Yue 娘 and the other women at the gate, he bowed respectfully and said, "Revered lay Buddhist patrons, since you were born into such a grand mansion, you are all people of the Longhua Assembly. I am a poor monk who has come down from Wutai Mountain, gathering virtuous connections and building the Ten Kings Merit Hall and the Three Treasures Buddha Hall. I rely on the generous support of Bodhisattvas from all directions, cultivating fields of merit and offering resources to jointly accomplish this great cause, planting seeds for meritorious results in future lives. "I am merely a humble porter monk," said the monk. After hearing these words, Lady Yue 娘 called Xiaoyu and sent her to the room for a monk's hat, a pair of monk's shoes, a string of copper coins, and one bushel of white rice. It turned out that Lady Yue 娘 had always been fond of feeding monks and making offerings, often preparing monk's hats and shoes in advance for such occasions. Xiaoyu took them out, and Lady Yue 娘 instructed, "You call that master over here and give him the offering." Xiaoyu deliberately acted coyly and called out in a loud voice, "You donkey-changer monk, come over or not!" "My grandmother is giving you all these things; won't you even kneel and bow?" Lady Yue 娘 scolded, "You wretched little brat, a monk is a disciple of the Buddha. What need do you have to insult him like this?" "You little harlot, who doesn't know how to behave properly—tomorrow you won't even know how many sins and karmic misfortunes you will fall into!" Xiaoyu laughed and said, "Grandmother, this thief of a monk—when I called him over, he looked at me with his pair of thieving eyes, glancing up and down!" The monk took the shoes, hat, and money with both hands, bowed respectfully, and said, "Thank you very much, revered lay Bodhisattva patron for your generous offering." Xiaoyu said, "This bald rascal is so impolite. With all these people standing there, he only bowed twice and didn't even give me a proper bow?" Lady Yue 娘 said, "You little brat, don't you dare talk nonsense. He is a son of the Buddha's family; even I can't bear to receive such a bow from him, let alone you." Xiaoyu replied, "Grandmother, he is the Buddha's son—then who am I, the Buddha's daughter?" Lady Yue 娘 said, "Those nuns and female monks are the Buddha's daughters." Xiaoyu asked, "Then for example, Auntie Xue, Auntie Wang, and the elder monk—since they are all daughters of the Buddha, who is the Buddha's son-in-law?" Lady Yue 娘 couldn't help but laugh and scolded, "You little harlot with a slippery tongue—just one look at you and you start talking nonsense." Xiaoyu said, "Grandmother only scolds me, but it's that bald monk with his sly eyes who keeps looking at me." Meng Yulou said, "If he looks at you, it must be because he recognizes you and wants to save you from worldly life." Xiaoyu replied, "If he tries to take me away, I'll go with him." As she said this, the women all laughed for a while. Lady Yue 娘 shouted, "You little harlot are always defaming monks and insulting the Buddha." After receiving the offering, the monk, with the three Buddhas on his head, strode away proudly. Xiaoyu said, "Grandmother is still angry at me for scolding him; look at that thief monk—he even gave me one last glance before leaving." There is a poem specially praising Lady Yue 娘's virtue in making offerings to monks: | ||
| 守寡看經歲月深，私邪空色久違心。奴身好似天邊月，不許浮雲半點侵。 | ||
| Years of widowhood and studying the scriptures, Long have I kept my heart free from worldly desires. My body is like the moon in the sky, Not allowing even a trace of drifting clouds to touch it. | ||
| 13 | 陳敬濟感... : | 月娘眾人正在門首說話，忽見薛嫂兒提著花箱兒，從街上過來。見月娘眾人道了萬福。月娘問：「你往那裡去來？怎的影跡兒也不來我這裡走走？」薛嫂兒道：「不知我終日窮忙的是些甚麼。這兩日，大街上掌刑張二老爹家，與他兒子和北邊徐公公家做親，娶了他侄女兒，也是我和文嫂兒說的親事。昨日三朝，擺大酒席，忙的連守備府里咱家小大姐那裡叫我，也沒去，不知怎麼惱我哩。」月娘問道：「你如今往那裡去？」薛嫂道：「我有樁事，敬來和你老人家說來。」月娘道：「你有話進來說。」一面讓薛嫂兒到後邊上房裡坐下，吃了茶。薛嫂道：「你老人家還不知道，你陳親家從去年在東京得病沒了，親家母叫了姐夫去，搬取老小靈柩。從正月來家，已是念經發送，墳上安葬畢。我聽說你老人家這邊知道，怎不去燒張紙兒，探望探望。」月娘道：「你不來說，俺怎得曉的，又無人打聽。倒只知道潘家的吃他小叔兒殺了，和王婆子都埋在一處，卻不知如今怎樣了。」薛嫂兒道：「自古生有地兒死有處。五娘他老人家，不因那些事出去了，卻不好來。平日不守本分，乾出醜事來，出去了，若在咱家裡，他小叔兒怎得殺了他？還是冤有頭，債有主。倒還虧了咱家小大姐春梅，越不過娘兒們情場，差人買了口棺材，領了他屍首，葬埋了。不然只顧暴露著，又拿不著小叔子，誰去管他？」孫雪娥在旁說：「春梅在守備府中多少時兒，就這等大了？手裡拿出銀子，替他買棺材埋葬，那守備也不嗔，當他甚麼人？」薛嫂道：「耶嚛，你還不知，守備好不喜他，每日只在他房裡歇臥，說一句依十句，一娶了他，見他生的好模樣兒，乖覺伶俐，就與他西廂房三間房住，撥了個使女伏侍他。老爺一連在他房裡歇了三夜，替他裁四季衣服，上頭。三日吃酒，賞了我一兩銀子，一匹段子。他大奶奶五十歲，雙目不明，吃長齋，不管事。東廂孫二娘生了小姐，雖故當家，撾著個孩子。如今大小庫房鑰匙，倒都是他拿著，守備好不聽他說話哩。且說銀子，手裡拿不出來？」幾句說的月娘、雪娥都不言語。坐了一回，薛嫂起身。月娘分付：「你明日來，我這裡備一張祭桌，一匹尺頭，一分冥紙，你來送大姐與他公公燒紙去。」薛嫂兒道：「你老人家不去？」月娘道：「你只說我心中不好，改日望親家去罷。」那薛嫂約定：「你教大姐收拾下等著我。飯罷時候我來。」月娘道：「你如今到那裡去？守備府中不去也罷。」薛嫂道：「不去，就惹他怪死了。他使小伴當叫了我好幾遍了。」月娘道：「他叫你做甚麼？」薛嫂道：「奶奶，你不知。他如今有了四五個月身孕了，老爺好不喜歡，叫了我去，已定賞我。」提著花箱，作辭去了。雪娥便說：「老淫婦說的沒個行款也！他賣與守備多少時，就有了半肚孩子，那守備身邊少說也有幾房頭，莫就興起他來，這等大道？」月娘道：「他還有正景大奶奶，房裡還有一個生小姐的娘子兒哩。」雪娥道：「可又來！到底還是媒人嘴，一尺水十丈波的。」不因今日雪娥說話，正是：從天降下鉤和線，就地引來是非來。有詩為證： |
| While Lady Yue 娘 and her companions were still talking at the gate, they suddenly saw Xue Gaoer carrying a flower basket coming down the street. She greeted Lady Yue 娘 and the others with a respectful bow. Lady Yue 娘 asked, "Where have you been going?" "Why haven't you come to visit me even once?" Xue Gaoer replied, "I don't know what it is that keeps me so busy all day long. These past few days, the old man Zhang Er in charge of justice on the main street is marrying his son to a niece from the northern Xu Gong family. It was I and Aunt Wen who arranged this marriage." "Yesterday was the third day of celebration, and there was a grand banquet. I was so busy that even when my cousin from the Shoubei Fu summoned me, I couldn't go—don't know how she must be angry with me." Lady Yue 娘 asked, "Where are you going now?" Xue Gaoer said, "I have a matter I respectfully came to tell you about, old lady." Lady Yue 娘 said, "If you have something to say, come in and speak." While saying this, she led Xue Gaoer into the main room at the back of the house, had her sit down, and served her tea. Xue Gaoer said, "You old lady probably don't know yet. Your relative-in-law Chen passed away last year from an illness in Dongjing. His mother-in-law has called your brother-in-law to go and bring back the family members and his coffin." He returned home in the first lunar month, when the funeral rites had already been completed with chanting, and he was laid to rest in his grave. I heard you old lady might know about this, so why didn't you go and burn some paper offerings to visit him?" Lady Yue 娘 said, "If you hadn't told me, how would I have known? No one else was around to inquire. We only heard that the man from the Pan family had been killed by his younger brother-in-law, and was buried together with Aunt Wang. We didn't know what happened to him now." Xue Gaoer said: "Since ancient times, where one is born determines where one will die. "Old Lady Wu has already left because of those incidents and can't come back." She didn't abide by her proper role in daily life and did something disgraceful, so she had to leave. If she were still at our home, how could her younger brother-in-law have killed her?" It's all about karmic debts and retribution—every wrong has its cause, every debt has its owner. It was actually fortunate for our cousin Chunmei from the Shoubei household. Despite not being able to escape the emotional entanglements of women, she sent someone to buy a coffin and retrieve his body, then buried him properly. Otherwise, if no one had taken care of it, with the younger brother-in-law being untraceable and the body left to rot in the open, who would have bothered to look after him?" Sun Xue'e said from the side: "Chunmei has been in the Shoubei Fu for so long—how did she grow up to be like this?" She even took out silver from her own hands to buy a coffin for him and bury him. The Shoubei didn't get angry—what kind of person did he think she was?" Xue Gaoer said: "Heavens, you still don't know—how much the Shoubei likes her! Every day he just stays in her room. If she says one thing, he follows it ten times over. After marrying her, seeing how beautiful and charming she was, he gave her three rooms in the western wing to live in and assigned a servant girl to attend to her." The master stayed in her room for three consecutive nights, even making four-season clothes for her and personally dressing her. On the third day of the wedding banquet, he gave me one tael of silver and a bolt of brocade as a reward. His first wife is fifty years old, with poor eyesight, keeps a lifelong vegetarian diet, and doesn't manage any affairs. The second wife in the east wing, Sun Erniang, gave birth to a daughter; although she is supposed to manage household affairs, she's just a child. Now all the keys to the large and small storerooms are in her hands; the Shoubei listens to everything she says. And when it comes to silver, can he not take out money from his own hands?" A few sentences said left Lady Yue 娘 and Xue'e speechless. After sitting for a while, Xue Gaoer got up. Lady Yue 娘 instructed, "Come back tomorrow. I will prepare an altar for offerings, a bolt of fabric, and some paper money. You come to deliver them so that my daughter-in-law can burn them at her father-in-law's grave." Xue Gaoer asked, "Will you not go yourself?" Lady Yue 娘 said, "Just say I'm feeling unwell today. I'll visit my relative-in-law another day." Xue Gaoer made an agreement: "You tell your daughter-in-law to get everything ready and wait for me. I'll come after the meal." Lady Yue 娘 asked, "Where are you going now?" "I might as well not go to the Shoubei Fu." Xue Gaoer said: "If you don't go, he'll be furious with me. His attendants have already called for me several times." Lady Yue 娘 asked, "What did he call you for?" Xue Gaoer said: "Grandmother, you don't know. He is now about four or five months pregnant; the master is very happy and has called me in to give me a reward." With her flower basket in hand, she took her leave and left. Xue'e then said, "That old harlot is talking nonsense!" How long has she been with the Shoubei before getting pregnant? There must be at least several concubines around him—how could he suddenly favor her so much?" Lady Yue 娘 said, "He still has the first wife, Lady Da, and another woman in his room who gave birth to a daughter." Xue'e said, "Oh come now! It's always the matchmaker's tongue that stirs up ten feet of waves from just one foot of water." Had it not been for Xue'e's words today, the saying would still hold true: "From heaven descends a hook and thread; from the earth arise disputes and strife." There is a poem to confirm this: | ||
| 曾記當年侍主旁，誰知今日變風光。世間萬事皆前定，莫笑浮生空自忙。 | ||
| I still remember serving by my master's side in the past, Who could have known that today things would change so drastically. All worldly matters are predestined; Do not laugh at life's fleeting toil and busyness in vain. |
URN: ctp:jinpingmei/ch88