Chapter 9: A Gift of Clothes and Silver — A Virtuous Mother Shows Mercy to the Poor; Hanging by a Silk Sash — A Good Woman Departs This World

When Lady Zheng heard the name "Zongkong," her brows drew together and her eyes went wide. "What is that wretch up to now!" Qifu said, "The taro on our Yellow Clay Ridge — Zongkong, with several dozen men, has dug it all up and carried it off." Mistress Ling heard this and could only shake her head in anger, unable to speak a word. Qifu continued, "I tried to go forward and stop them, and for my trouble they punched and kicked me — I am still aching now!" Tianlai sighed and said, "Let them have it — there is nothing more to say." Qifu replied, "But today is only the sixth day of the eighth month — the Mid-Autumn Festival is only a few days away, and we will need them." (It is Cantonese custom at the Mid-Autumn Festival to cook taro as an offering in addition to the usual mooncakes. Why this is the custom among country folk, I do not know.) Tianlai replied, "We will simply buy what we need this year. For our own household, how much taro can we really use?" Qifu could only withdraw, still muttering under his breath, "And they didn't even dig properly — they've ruined the whole Yellow Clay Ridge, turned it inside out." Tianlai pretended not to hear, and continued eating. But Lady Zheng had set down her chopsticks. With her right hand holding her chopsticks and her left holding her rice bowl, she sat there blankly staring at Mistress Ling, not saying a word. After a moment she set the chopsticks down and said, "Mistress, your nephew is far too easy-going! How can he just say 'let them have it'? If they are always allowed to get away with this, they will only grow bolder. Well — where did that come from? With all this going on, how am I supposed to eat a peaceful meal here!" Tianlai replied, "What is Auntie saying? Though they are kinsmen of the same stock, the good people are good people — there is no need to carry any grievance." Dinner finished and the talking done, Lady Zheng said again to Mistress Ling, "Mistress, I have been thinking — most of the Ling family sons and nephews are violent and fierce. With Yi Xing here, going out every day, I am afraid he will be corrupted by their example. I am a woman — I cannot follow him at all times. I would like him to move away from here, but there is nowhere to go. I thought to ask my nephew Tianlai if he could help find him some kind of rough labor in the provincial capital, so that he can go and do that. Being poor either way, the wages need not be considered — the important thing is to get him away from the indigo vat so the dye does not touch him..." Before Mistress Ling could reply, Tianlai immediately agreed: "Excellent! I leave for the provincial capital tomorrow — have Uncle come along with me. He can stay at the sugar house first, and the moment an opportunity arises I will recommend him for something." Lady Zheng thanked him warmly and prepared to take her leave. Mistress Ling, mindful of the couple's poverty, gave her two taels of silver and several pieces of old clothing. The daughters-in-law, understanding their mother-in-law's feelings, each added gifts of their own. The couple offered a thousand thanks and departed.

The following day, Yi Xing duly came and accompanied Tianlai to the provincial capital; before long, Tianlai found him a position. In time, when the Liang and Ling families were locked in a lawsuit over nine lives, and the great injustice was at last redressed, every one of the gang of ruffians met their reckoning — every one, without exception. Only Yi Xing had never been drawn into the ruffians' circle, not even by a thread. This was entirely owing to Lady Zheng's wisdom and virtue. But this is a matter for later — enough said for now.

Now, on the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, music and song filled every household, pipes and strings sounded throughout the village, and all was merry and full of life. This was the time when the Pacification of the Three Feudatories (San Fan) had been completed, and Guangdong, having passed through the devastation of war, was only just beginning to recover its vitality. People had come through the chaos of war and were once more seeing a time of peace. In Guangdong at this season, every house put up colored pennants on the rooftop — some bearing the Seven Stars, some the Flying Dragon — in five bright colors streaming in the wind. After nightfall, countless lanterns were hung up high, each vying to outshine the others in beauty and ingenuity; the scene was brilliant and splendid.

That evening, Mistress Ling led her daughters-in-law, granddaughters-in-law, and granddaughter to admire the moon in the courtyard. Everyone vied to please her. A clear round moon was just rising; ten thousand lanterns lit up all at once, and the scene was heartwarming and serene. Suddenly Qifu announced that Miss Ling had arrived. The whole household was startled. Now, who was this Miss Ling? None other than Guixing's younger sister, Guixian. Liu Shi and the others had no choice but to go out to receive her. Guixian stepped into the inner courtyard, first offered her festival greetings to Mistress Ling, and then exchanged salutations with each person in turn before taking a seat. Mistress Ling said, "Since your brother started his quarrel with us, the two families have done nothing but fight, with no friendly contact for a long time — close relatives turned to bitter enemies. What wind has blown our good niece here tonight?" Guixian had not yet opened her mouth when she let out a long sigh, and tears trickled down her face. After a moment she said, "Aunt, it is hard to say where to begin. My father, though it was said his fortune came by a windfall, came by it honestly and naturally — it was nothing ill-gotten. But who could have foreseen that he would beget such a brother as mine. Watching his behavior these days, I am deeply worried that this will not end until the whole family is destroyed — and perhaps not even then!" Mistress Ling replied, "Niece, you are being too extreme. He has only been quarreling with our family — how could it come to what you describe?" Guixian replied, "Aunt does not know all of it. My sister-in-law and I watch his conduct every day and live in constant dread. At first, when they came here to harass the family — the empty coffin incident, the desecration of the grave, the painted white tiger — those were all Uncle Zongkong's ideas. Later I heard that the rear wall was torn down as well — that too was Uncle Zongkong's doing; my brother found out about it only afterward. At that point my sister-in-law and I repeatedly urged him to stop, and when he was in a calmer state of mind he would nod his head. But since the day he gathered those men and robbed cousin's silver, everything has been quite different. The day he came home with the stolen silver, I was watching from behind the screen. I saw him seated in the center, with Uncle Zongkong on his left and that wretched Juexing..." Mistress Ling asked, "Which Juexing?" Guixian replied, "It is our Qu family cousin, Aunt — how can you have forgotten?" Mistress Ling said, "Oh yes — that one! I was confused because you called him a wretch. Go on."

Guixian continued, "Those two flanked him on the left and right. The rest — over a dozen of them — were seated below, arranged like wings of a goose formation on both sides. He had only to say one word, and each man received ten taels of silver. Those dozen or more men stood up, formed a line before him, and bowed deeply to him together, even calling out in unison, 'Thank you, great sir!' And there he sat, perfectly still and composed. When they had all finished thanking him, he threw back his head in hearty laughter and stood up. Aunt — what do you make of that?" Mistress Ling replied, "Well, well! Putting on a play inside the house!" Guixian said, "Aunt — has that not become the manner of a mountain bandit? I could not understand how he had changed so completely. Later, I summoned Xilai and asked him in detail, and only then learned that it was that wretched Juexing who had brought him some book to read — called something like Water Margin (Shuihu Zhuan). My brother read it once through, and then the wretch came every day to discuss and analyze the characters in the book. He said things like: 'Song Jiang, the "Timely Rain," only because he was open-handed and righteous and gathered heroes from all under heaven, ended up sitting in the first seat of honor at Liangshan Marsh. The wealthy Yu Qilin, Lu Junyi, with his million in gold, was pushed down to second place. If he had seen the way of things earlier, wouldn't that first seat have been his? In the end it was they who made even the Emperor afraid, and an imperial edict was issued to invite them to surrender, one by one granted official posts — so if a man wants to become a great official, he must first make himself a rebel...' Aunt — does that make any sense at all? My brother heard all this and became like a madman. Before, he only kept company with a few poor clan brothers. Now there are many faces I have never seen — men with accents from other provinces — who are all brought into the house to be received. I came tonight also to pass on one urgent piece of information: just now he has again gathered a large number of men to enjoy the moon at home; two or three loads of taro have been cooked for them to eat. I again went behind the screen to watch. I saw two fierce-looking strangers among the group, and I heard him say to the assembly — when the new rice ripens, they are to go to your family's fields at North Sand and cut the grain by force. He said, 'Take it all and divide it equally among yourselves — I want not a single grain. And if there is trouble, Great Sir will take the responsibility!' For this reason I came especially to warn you, Aunt, so you can prepare and take precautions." Having said this, she rose to leave.

Mistress Ling said, "Why not stay a while longer and join us in admiring the moon?" Guixian replied, "I slipped away without telling anyone — no one at home knows except my sister-in-law, and I must go back quickly." She stood up and then said to Mistress Ling, "Aunt, there is one thing I must ask of you."

Mistress Ling asked what it was. Guixian replied, "If in the future my brother truly brings some great calamity upon himself, I ask you, Aunt, for the sake of my late father's memory, to look out for him even a little." Mistress Ling sighed and said, "If he would only stop destroying us, that would be more than enough — how could I possibly look out for him?" Guixian replied, "Consider those words unsaid, Aunt — just keep them in your heart. Perhaps someday they may be needed, one never knows. Tonight when I go back, I intend to remonstrate with him once more with all my heart. If he listens, well and good. If he does not listen, I have no desire to use these eyes to watch him any longer. After this parting, I may not be able to see you again, Aunt. Please, in all things, think of my father's sake." As she spoke she began to weep, and she bowed low before Mistress Ling. Mistress Ling hastily held her up and said, "Good child! There is no need for this! And no need to grieve! You and your sister-in-law, counsel him well together — there is nothing that cannot be turned around by patient persuasion!" Guixian, with tears in her eyes, said her farewells and departed.

After seeing Guixian off, Mistress Ling and the others sighed together for a long while. The next day, Mistress Ling invited Hanzhao to come over and told him about Guixing's plan to forcibly cut the grain at North Sand, asking him to go and warn the tenant farmers to be on their guard. Hanzhao replied, "If he is coming to cut the grain by force, he will certainly bring weapons — these tenant farmers could not hold out against him. The only thing to do is report the matter to the Headquarters of the Thousand-Commander and ask him to send some soldiers to keep order. There will be no avoiding a small fee for this." Mistress Ling replied, "That would be best — I ask Uncle to make the trip." Hanzhao went to the Thousand-Commander's yamen and reported that "a plot of land situated at North Sand had been overheard to be the target of forced harvest, and could the commander please dispatch a few soldiers to maintain order" — but he dared not name Ling Guixing specifically. The Thousand-Commander laughed and replied, "The army serves to protect the people — not to stand guard over private farm land. I have a great many places under my jurisdiction. If every family's fields had to be guarded, my few soldiers would not go around! This much I can do: if someone truly does come to cut the grain by force, come at once and report it, and I will bring soldiers to arrest the offenders." Hanzhao had nothing to say to this; he thanked him and withdrew. He went back and reported to Mistress Ling. Everyone was helpless and at a loss — and even the idea of warning the tenant farmers to be on guard was forgotten. We set that aside for the moment.

Now, after parting from Mistress Ling, Guixian came home and told Lady He everything in detail. Just then Guixing staggered in, thoroughly drunk. Guixian felt it inconvenient to stay further and withdrew to her room. Early the next morning, while Guixing had not yet gone out, Guixian and Lady He came together and remonstrated with him in every way they could devise. At first Guixing listened without speaking; then he began slowly to talk back and make excuses. Finally, in the midst of Guixian's words, she happened to say "that wretched Juexing." Guixing leapt up in fury: "Outrageous! Outrageous! Now you are calling your own cousin uncle a wretch! All decency and order is gone! And you are trying to advise me!" He turned without a word and walked straight out — back to his gang of ruffians to carouse as before. That evening, with the moonlight fine, he sat drinking with the ruffians again. Juexing had by now decreed that from this point on, all were to address Guixing as "Great Sir" — except for Zongkong, who could call him as he pleased.

Guixing replied, "The others are welcome to, but Cousin Uncle, you are an elder of the family by marriage — I cannot accept such a title from you. Please still call me 'Worthy Nephew' as before." And so the assembly went on calling "Great Sir this, Great Sir that," and Guixing was beside himself with delight. At the height of his pleasure, cries for help suddenly came from the back of the house, one after another. Everyone was horrified; Guixing dashed inside.

What had happened? Read on to the next chapter.