Hung Lou Meng, Book II - Or, the Dream of the Red Chamber, a Chinese Novel in Two Books
Cao, Xueqin, 1717?-1763
English
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Below is a summary of Hung Lou Meng, Book II - Or, the Dream of the Red Chamber, a Chinese Novel in Two Books
HUNG LOU MENG, BOOK II
OR, THE DREAM OF THE RED CHAMBER, A CHINESE NOVEL IN TWO BOOKS
BY
CAO XUEQIN
Translated by H. BENCRAFT JOLY
H.B.M. CONSULAR SERVICE, CHINA.
BOOK II
CHAPTER XXV.
By a demoniacal art, a junior uncle and an elder brother's wife
(Pao-yue and lady Feng) come across five devils.
The gem of Spiritual Perception meets, in a fit of torpor, the two
perfect men.
Hsiao Hung, the story continues, was much unsettled in her mind. Her
thoughts rolled on in one connected string. But suddenly she became
drowsy, and falling asleep, she encountered Chia Yuen, who tried to carry
out his intention to drag her near him. She twisted herself round, and
endeavoured to run away; but was tripped over by the doorstep. This gave
her such a start that she woke up. Then, at length, she realised that it
was only a dream. But so restlessly did she, in consequence of this
fright, keep on rolling and tossing that she could not close her eyes
during the whole night. As soon as the light of the next day dawned, she
got up. Several waiting-maids came at once to tell her to go and sweep
the floor of the rooms, and to bring water to wash the face with. Hsiao
Hung did not even wait to arrange her hair or perform her ablutions;
but, turning towards the looking-glass, she pinned her chevelure up
anyhow; and, rinsing her hands, and, tying a sash round her waist, she
repaired directly to sweep the apartments.
Who would have thought it, Pao-yue also had set his heart upon her the
moment he caught sight of her the previous day. Yet he feared, in the
first place, that if he mentioned her by name and called her over into
his service, Hsi Jen and the other girls might feel the pangs of
jealousy. He did not, either in the second place, have any idea what her
disposition was like. The consequence was that he felt downcast; so much
so, that when he got up at an early hour, he did not even comb his hair
or wash, but simply remained seated, and brooded in a state of
abstraction. After a while, he lowered the window. Through the gauze
frame, from which he could distinctly discern what was going on outside,
he espied several servant-girls, engaged in sweeping the court. All of
them were rouged and powdered; they had flowers inserted in their hair,
and were grandly got up. But the only one, of whom he failed to get a
glimpse, was the girl he had met the day before.
Pao-yue speedily walked out of the door with slipshod shoes. Under the
pretence of admiring the flowers, he glanced, now towards the east; now
towards the west. But upon raising his head, he descried, in the
southwest corner, some one or other leaning by the side of the railing
under the covered passage. A crab-apple tree, however, obstructed the
view and he could not see distinctly who it was, so advancing a step
further in, he stared with intent gaze. It was, in point of fact, the
waiting-maid of the day before, tarrying about plunged in a reverie. His
wish was to go forward and meet her, but he did not, on the other hand,
see how he could very well do so. Just as he was cogitating within
himself, he, of a sudden, perceived Pi Hen come and ask him to go and
wash his face. This reminder placed him under the necessity of betaking
himself into his room. But we will leave him there, without further
details, so as to return to Hsiao Hung.
She was communing with her own thoughts. But unawares perceiving Hsi Jen
wave her hand and call her by name, she had to walk up to her.
"Our watering-pot is spoilt," Hsi Jen smiled and said, "so go to Miss
Lin's over there and find one for us to use."
Hsiao Hung hastened on her way towards the Hsiao Hsiang Kuan.
When she got as far as the Ts'ui Yen bridge, she saw, on raising her
head and looking round, the mounds and lofty places entirely shut in by
screens, and she bethought herself that labourers were that day to plant
trees in that particular locality.
At a great distance off, a band of men were, in very deed, engaged in
digging up the soil, while Chia Yuen was seated on a boulder on the hill,
superintending the works. The time came for Hsiao Hung to pass by, but
she could not muster the courage to do so. Nevertheless she had no other
course than to quietly proceed to the Hsiao Hsiang Kuan. Then getting
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