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Authors: Pauline A. Chen
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Xifeng’s shoulder. “Tell Granny what’s wrong. Snowgoose, can’t you see how upset Mrs. Lian is? Get her some tea. Now tell me what’s the matter.”
“Lian is tired of me. He wants to get some new girl to replace me.” She puts her hands over her face. “Granny, you don’t know how hard I try to serve him and please him. Everything I do is to make him happy …”
Peering through her fingers, Xifeng sees that Granny Jia’s expressionis shrewd rather than sympathetic. She tries a different tack. “It isn’t that I think he should never marry again. It’s just—why does it have to be so soon? We’ve only been married a few years.”
“It has to be so soon because you haven’t given him an heir yet.” Lady Jia’s voice is as dry as the rustling of autumn leaves. “I’m surprised someone as intelligent as you isn’t being more reasonable. You can’t expect to be the only wife in a family like this. If you wanted to be the only wife, you should have married into a lesser family.”
“ You were the only wife.”
“I bore my husband three children, including two sons,” Lady Jia says, even more dryly. “I am only speaking for your own good. You don’t want people saying you’re a jealous shrew, do you?”
“They say that anyway.”
“All the more reason not to give them grounds to say anything more. I’ve wanted to talk to you about this for some time. Why don’t I send for Lian, so we can settle the matter?”
“But he doesn’t know that I’ve come to you—” Xifeng says, beginning to feel that the situation is slipping out of her control.
Ignoring her, Lady Jia sends Snowgoose to find Lian. “Come on, help me out to the front room.”
Xifeng has no choice but to support Granny off the kang . When they get to the front room, Xifeng sees that there are four maids sweeping and dusting. She understands. Granny knows that if they discuss the matter in front of servants, Xifeng will not object, for fear of losing face.
When Lian arrives, Lady Jia begins, “Xifeng tells me you have finally decided to get a concubine. It’s about time.”
An expression of triumph crosses Lian’s face as he realizes that Granny is on his side. “Yes, it’s our wish to give you another heir soon.”
Aware of the maids listening avidly, Xifeng forces herself to smile and nod.
“How much do you think it will cost?” Granny asks.
“That’s the only problem,” Xifeng says quickly, grasping the faint chance of escape. “It should cost at least two or three hundred taels . I’m afraid we don’t have that kind of cash just now. Maybe we’d better put it off for a few months.”
“I’ll pay for it myself,” Lady Jia says. “Snowgoose, go get three hundred taels from my room.” Xifeng knows that Granny’s room is filled with money and treasures that she has squirreled away over the years, hidden in all the wardrobes and trunks that line the walls. Snowgoose is indispensable because only she remembers where everything is.
“Just a minute,” Lian says. He looks so sheepish and ill at ease that Xifeng wonders what more he can possibly want.
“Yes?” Granny says.
“Actually,” he stammers. “I have someone in mind.”
“Who is it?”
Lian looks at the floor. “I want Ping’er.”
Xifeng is dumbstruck. She feels sick, remembering how she had caught them flirting two weeks ago.
Granny, after the first moment of surprise, seems pleased. “That’s a wonderful idea! Ping’er is such a lovely girl. I’ve always said it was a pity she was born a maid.” She laughs. “And there’s no danger of her not getting along with Xifeng!”
A wave of sourness washes over her. It has something of the heat of jealousy, yet is not jealousy—at least if it is, she is not sure whom she is jealous of. She doesn’t know which she resents more, sharing Lian with Ping’er, or sharing Ping’er with Lian. Can’t Granny see that letting Lian have Ping’er is to rob her of her peace? Ping’er
“Lian is tired of me. He wants to get some new girl to replace me.” She puts her hands over her face. “Granny, you don’t know how hard I try to serve him and please him. Everything I do is to make him happy …”
Peering through her fingers, Xifeng sees that Granny Jia’s expressionis shrewd rather than sympathetic. She tries a different tack. “It isn’t that I think he should never marry again. It’s just—why does it have to be so soon? We’ve only been married a few years.”
“It has to be so soon because you haven’t given him an heir yet.” Lady Jia’s voice is as dry as the rustling of autumn leaves. “I’m surprised someone as intelligent as you isn’t being more reasonable. You can’t expect to be the only wife in a family like this. If you wanted to be the only wife, you should have married into a lesser family.”
“ You were the only wife.”
“I bore my husband three children, including two sons,” Lady Jia says, even more dryly. “I am only speaking for your own good. You don’t want people saying you’re a jealous shrew, do you?”
“They say that anyway.”
“All the more reason not to give them grounds to say anything more. I’ve wanted to talk to you about this for some time. Why don’t I send for Lian, so we can settle the matter?”
“But he doesn’t know that I’ve come to you—” Xifeng says, beginning to feel that the situation is slipping out of her control.
Ignoring her, Lady Jia sends Snowgoose to find Lian. “Come on, help me out to the front room.”
Xifeng has no choice but to support Granny off the kang . When they get to the front room, Xifeng sees that there are four maids sweeping and dusting. She understands. Granny knows that if they discuss the matter in front of servants, Xifeng will not object, for fear of losing face.
When Lian arrives, Lady Jia begins, “Xifeng tells me you have finally decided to get a concubine. It’s about time.”
An expression of triumph crosses Lian’s face as he realizes that Granny is on his side. “Yes, it’s our wish to give you another heir soon.”
Aware of the maids listening avidly, Xifeng forces herself to smile and nod.
“How much do you think it will cost?” Granny asks.
“That’s the only problem,” Xifeng says quickly, grasping the faint chance of escape. “It should cost at least two or three hundred taels . I’m afraid we don’t have that kind of cash just now. Maybe we’d better put it off for a few months.”
“I’ll pay for it myself,” Lady Jia says. “Snowgoose, go get three hundred taels from my room.” Xifeng knows that Granny’s room is filled with money and treasures that she has squirreled away over the years, hidden in all the wardrobes and trunks that line the walls. Snowgoose is indispensable because only she remembers where everything is.
“Just a minute,” Lian says. He looks so sheepish and ill at ease that Xifeng wonders what more he can possibly want.
“Yes?” Granny says.
“Actually,” he stammers. “I have someone in mind.”
“Who is it?”
Lian looks at the floor. “I want Ping’er.”
Xifeng is dumbstruck. She feels sick, remembering how she had caught them flirting two weeks ago.
Granny, after the first moment of surprise, seems pleased. “That’s a wonderful idea! Ping’er is such a lovely girl. I’ve always said it was a pity she was born a maid.” She laughs. “And there’s no danger of her not getting along with Xifeng!”
A wave of sourness washes over her. It has something of the heat of jealousy, yet is not jealousy—at least if it is, she is not sure whom she is jealous of. She doesn’t know which she resents more, sharing Lian with Ping’er, or sharing Ping’er with Lian. Can’t Granny see that letting Lian have Ping’er is to rob her of her peace? Ping’er
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