The Dream of the Red Chamber

s from the town of Yang Chou - Leng Tzu

a flurry and forcing a smile, he asked them to explain (their errand); but all the

Chen at all: I had once a son-in-law whose surname was Chen, but he has left home, i

ia (true or false); but as he is your son-in-law, we'll take you at once

they went on their way back; while every one in the Feng family was s

eng Su returned home; and they, one and all, pr

have shifted his quarters over here, and hence it was that his messengers came to fetch him. I gave him a clear account of the various circumstances (of his misfortunes), and the Magistrate was for a time much distressed and expressed his regret. He then went on to make inquiries about my grand-daughter, and I explaine

) could not but feel very much affected by what she

ting of two packets of silver, and four pieces of brocaded silk, as a token of gratitude, and to Feng Su al

e Magistrate (by presenting the girl to him). He hastened to employ all his persuasive powers with his daughter

t containing one hundred ounces of gold; and sent numerous valuable presents to Mrs. Chen, enjoi

w years ago, had looked round at Yü-ts'un and who, by one simple, unpremeditated glance,

er living with Yü-ts'un barely a year, that in addition to this, after the lapse of another half year, Yü-ts'un's wife should have contracted a sudden ill

one single

alted plac

of graduate of the third rank, his name was put by selection on the list for provincial appointments. By this time, he had been raised to the rank of Magistrate in this district; but, in spite of the excellence and sufficiency of his accomplishments

had taken upon himself to introduce innovations in the rites and ceremonies, that overtly, while he endeavoured to enjoy the reputation of probity and uprightness, he, secretly, com

d. His Majesty lost no time in issuing commands, in reply to t

he prefecture in which he had held office. Yü-ts'un, though at heart intensely mortified and incensed, betrayed

ad been in office, his family and all his chattels to his original home; where, after having put everything in proper order,

ai's family name was Lin, his name Hai and his style Ju-hai. He had obtained the third place in the previous triennial examination, and had, by this time, already risen to the rank of Director of

en limited to three generations; but of late years, by an act of magnanimous favour and generous beneficence, extraordinary bounty had been superadded; and on the arrival of the succession to the father of Ju-hai, the right had been extended to another degre

of its members continued limited; and though there existed several households, they were all however to Ju-hai no cl

ear, in the third year of his age. Though he had several handmaids, he had not had the

palm of their hand. Seeing that she was endowed with natural gifts of intelligence and good looks, they also felt solicitous to bestow upon her a certain knowledge of books, with no other purpose than th

y his expenses, he was thinking of looking out for some house where he could find a resting place when he suddenly came across two friends acquainted with the new Sal

erself, there were only two waiting girls, who remained in attendance during the hours of study, so that Yü-ts

l (during her mother's sickness) was dutiful in her attendance, and prepared the medicines for her use. (And after her death,) she went into the deepest mo

leisure and had no duties to attend to. Whenever therefore the wind was genial an

ills and streaming pools, by luxuriant clumps of trees and thick groves of bamboos. Nestling in the dense foliage stood a temple. The doors and courts were in ruins. The walls, inner and outer, in disre

et to retract the hand,

on lies no path, when

spacious temple, located on hills of note, but never have I beheld an inscription referring to anything of the kind. The meaning contained in these words

ce. When Yü-ts'un perceived that he paid no notice, he went up to him and asked him one or two questions, but as the old pri

enhance the enjoyment of the rustic scenery. With easy stride, he accordingly walked up to the place. Scarcely had he passed the threshold of the public house, when he

! What a strange meetin

had, in past days, carried on business in a curio establishment in

highest opinion of Leng Tzu-hsing, as being a man of action and of great abilities, while this Leng Tzu-hsing, on the other hand, borr

ngly. "I wasn't in the least aware of your arrival. This unex

talk some matters over. He had the kindness to press me to stay with him for a couple of days longer, and as I after all have no urgent business to attend to, I am tarryin

ordered a fresh supply of wine and eatables; and as the two frien

ter the separation, and Yü-ts'un inquired, "

however: in the family of one of your worthy kinsmen, of the same name a

apital," rejoined Yü-ts'un with a s

the same surname do not belong to one

mily?" inqui

rs are in the Jung Kuo Mansion, does not after all reflect

Eastern Han dynasty occupied the Throne, the branches of our family have been numerous and flourishing; they are now to be found in every single province, and who could, with any accuracy, ascertain their whereabouts? As regards the

he present two mansions of Jung and Ning have both alike also suffer

Yü-ts'un suggested, "still maintain a very large retinue of

street, stood the Ning Kuo mansion; on the west the Jung Kuo mansion; and these two, adjoining each other as they do, cover in fact well-nigh half of the whole length of the street. Outside the front gate everything was, it is true, lonely and deserted; but at a glance into the interior over the enclosing wall, I perceived that the h

inmates has, day by day, been on the increase; their affairs have become daily more numerous; of masters and servants, high and low, who live in ease and respectability very many there are; but of those who exercise any forethought, or make any provision, there is not even one. In their daily wants, their extravagances, and their expenditure, they are also unable to adapt themselves to circumstances and practise economy; (so that thoug

any system of training and nurture which is not excellent? Concerning the other branches, I am not in a position to say anything; but restri

hat Mr. Chen naturally devotes no time to his studies, but being bent upon nought else but incessant high pleasure, he has subversed the order of things in the Ning Kuo mansion, and yet no one can summon the courage to come and hold him in check. But I'll now tell you about the Jung mansion for your edification. The strange occurrence, to which I alluded just now, came about in this manner. After the demise of the Jung duke, the eldest son, Chia Tai-shan, inherited the rank. He took to himself as wife, the daughter of Marquis Shih, a noble family of Chin Ling, by whom he had two sons; the elder being Chia She, the younger Chia Cheng. This Tai Shan is now dead long ago; but his wife is still alive, and the elder son, Chia She, succeeded to the degree. He is a man of amiable and genial disposition, but he likewise gives no thought to the direction of any domestic concern. The second son Chia Cheng displayed, from his early childhood, a great liking for books, and grew up to be correct and upright in character. His grandfather doated upon him, and would have had him start in life through the arena of public examinations, but, when least expected, Tai-shan, being on the point of death, bequeathed a petition, which was laid before the

h a smile; "but I presume the coming exp

pins, with which he began to play. Mr. Cheng experienced at once displeasure, as he maintained that this youth would, by and bye, grow up into a sybarite, devoted to wine and women, and for this reason it is, that he soon began to feel not much attachment for him. But his grandmother is the one who, in spite of everything, prizes him like the breath of her own life. The very mention of what happened is even strange! He is now grown up to be seven or eight years old, and, although exceptionally wilful, in

The fact is that even the old Hanlin scholar Mr. Cheng was erroneously looked upon as a loose rake and dissolute debauchee! But unless a person, through much study of books and knowledge of letters, so increases

o life, the world is in danger. Yao, Shun, Yü, Ch'eng T'ang, Wen Wang, Wu Wang, Chou Kung, Chao Kung, Confucius, Mencius, T'ung Hu, Han Hsin, Chou Tzu, Ch'eng Tzu, Chu Tzu and Chang Tzu were ordained to see light in an auspicious era. Whereas Ch'i Yu, Kung Kung, Chieh Wang, Chou Wang, Shih Huang, Wang Mang, Tsao Ts'ao, Wen Wen, An Hu-shan, Ch'in Kuei and others were one and all destined to come into the world during a calamitous age. Those endowed with extreme benevolence set the world in order; those possessed of extreme maliciousness turn the world into disorder. Purity, intelligence, spirituality and subtlety constitute the vital spirit of right which pervades heaven and earth, and the persons gifted with benevolence

hat they may at length exhaust themselves. Hence it is that these spirits have also forcibly to diffuse themselves into the human race to find an outlet, so that they may then completely disperse, with the result that men and women are suddenly imbued with these spirits and spring into existence. At best, (these human beings) cannot be generated into philanthropists or perfect men; at worst, they cannot also embody extreme perversity or extreme wickedness. Yet placed among one million beings, the spirit of intelligence, refinement, perception and subtlety will be above these one million beings; while, on the other hand, the perverse, depraved and inhuman embodiment will likewise be below the million of men. Born in a noble and wealthy family, these men will be a salacious, lustful lot; born of literary, virtuous or poor parentage, they will turn out retired scholars or men of mark; though they

-hsing, "success makes (a man) a

myself came across two extraordinary youths. This is why, when a short while back you alluded to this Pao-yü, I at once conjectured, with a good deal of certainty, that he must be a human being of the same stamp. There's

tion of the Chia family. These two families were on terms of great intimacy, a

that they are more valuable and precious than the auspicious animal, the felicitous bird, rare flowers and uncommon plants. 'You may not' (he was wont to say), 'on any account heedlessly utter them, you set of foul mouths and filthy tongues! these two words are of the utmost import! Whenever you have occasion to allude to them, you must, before you can do so with impunity, take pure water and scented tea and rinse your mouths. In the event of any slip of the tongue, I shall at once have your teeth extracted, and your eyes gouged out.' His obstinacy and waywardness are, in every respect, out of the common. After he was allowed to leave school, and to return home, he became, at the sight of the young ladies, so tractable, gentle, sharp, and polite, transformed, in fact, like one of them. And though, for this reason, his father has punished him on more than one occasion, by giving him a sound thrashing, such as brought him to the verge of death, he cannot however chang

th the result that I resigned my post and took my leave. A youth, with a disposition such as his, cannot assuredly either perpetuate intact the estate of his father and grandfather, or follow t

s been selected as a governess in the palace. The second is the daughter of Mr. She's handmaid, and is called Ying Ch'un; the third is T'an Ch'un, the child of Mr. Cheng's handmaid; while the fourth is the uterine sister of Mr. Chen of the Ning Mansi

been selected from the list of male names, and are unlike all those out-of-the-way names, such as Spring Blossom, Scented Gem, and

ed. The names of the senior generation are, in like manner, adopted from those of their brothers; and there is at present an instance in support of this. The wife of your present worthy master, Mr. Lin, is the uterine sister

y two. Often have I speculated in my mind (as to the cause), but the remarks I've heard you mention, convince me, without doubt, that it is no other reason (than that of reverence to her mother's name). Strange enough, this pupil of mine is unique in her speech and deportment, and in no way like any ordinary young lady. But consid

gest, and she too is gone! Of the sisters of the senior generation not one even survives!

with a piece of jade in his mouth, and that he has besides a tender-aged grandson left by his

of Mr. Cheng's wife, a Miss Wang, and has now been married for the last two years. This Mr. Lien has lately obtained by purchase the rank of sub-prefect. He too takes little pleasure in books, but as far as worldly affairs go, he is so versatile and glib of tongue, that he has recently taken up his quarters with his uncle Mr. Cheng, to whom he gives a helping hand in the management of domestic matters. Who would have thought i

al persons about whom you and I have just been talking are, we may presume, human beings, who, one and all, have been generat

e been doing nothing but settling other people's accounts; co

ts'un explained, "I've had mor

ned complacently, "is quite the thing to help us swallow our wine; s

upon looked ou

, the gates will be closing; let us leisurely enter the city, and as we

nd paid their wine bill, and were just going, when they un

ts'un; I've now come, with the express

the speaker. But reader, if you wish to learn who the man