Chapter Four: The Squire Passes On — Grief and Fury Descend Upon Jin Lang

Now, while Squire Niu and his wife were still speaking together, the elder son arrived and approached his father's bedside. Seeing his stepmother in tears, he surmised that she must be troubled by thoughts of the days to come, yet he asked her nothing. Lady Li, for her part, dried her eyes the moment she saw Jin Cheng enter and said not a word. Squire Niu, seeing his son Jin Cheng standing at the bedside, bade him take a seat nearby, then said in a low voice: "My son, now that you have come, do you know how your father's illness stands?" Jin Cheng replied: "Your son came expressly to inquire after you. These past several days I have been occupied with collecting rents from the farmlands — the tenants have fallen into arrears and I have had the servants press them for payment. Today, returning from outside, I heard that Father's condition had worsened, so I came to see you at once. Shall we send again for a physician, or make some other arrangement? I await your instruction, Father."

Squire Niu heard his son's words, which seemed reasonable enough, yet a pang of sorrow came over him. Tears fell upon his pillow as he said in a grieved voice: "Your father's illness has entered the very marrow; there is no remedy left. Should I die, my son must guard the family estate with diligence and frugality. Do not think that, your father being gone and no one to restrain you, you may live in wanton ease. Know that even after my death, you must conduct yourself as though I still lived. Your younger brother is alive, your stepmother still dwells in this hall — you must treat them well. Your wife is by nature headstrong and foolish; deal with her patiently, and do not quarrel with her at every turn. In my day, I never wronged any of you. Were it not for me, would you not already be the talk and laughingstock of others?" At this, his breath gave out, and he could do no more than sigh faintly.

Jin Cheng, hearing his father's words of instruction, was moved to the heart and came to his senses. Tears streamed down his face as he said in comfort: "Father's illness has already run too deep for any remedy; it is the natural failing of age and the waning of the blood. Should Father depart this world, I will devote myself wholeheartedly to honoring my stepmother and cherishing my young brother. Please do not keep this upon your mind — set your heart at ease."

Even as they spoke, Squire Niu's color changed. Phlegm rose and blocked his chest. In an instant his breath ceased and he was gone — his eyes closed, his limbs grew still. He left behind his beloved wife and child, abandoned his vast fortune, and set forth upon the Yellow Springs below, where all worldly things come to naught. No matter how bitterly his wife and son wept, he did not turn back to look. Alas! A man may live a hundred years — thirty-six thousand days at most — and when his time comes, all must scatter like birds in flight. The love he bore his favored concubines and dear children vanishes utterly. How bleak, how sorrowful it is.

As it is written:

A faithful widow tends her grief alone — she cannot escape the ache of longing.

An orphaned boy survives in peril — he fears the scheming of a wicked sister-in-law.

Kinsmen cannot tend to every need; the family estate will not long remain whole.

Things having come to this pass, there is no remedy — these words are all the more harrowing to speak.

Squire Niu was dead, and there is no more to say of that. Lady Li, the elder son, and his wife all wept bitterly. Lady Li's grief was the deepest of all. Little Jin Lang, still too young to understand the ways of the world, could not yet grasp the full weight of his father's death. Jin Cheng, to his credit, was moved by filial duty and attended to the purchase of the burial garments and coffin, arranging everything with thoroughness. He notified relatives and friends, chose an auspicious day for the funeral rites, and held the mourning ceremony in proper order — with monks and Taoist priests conducting the liturgies. After many days of busy preparation, the burial procession set out and the squire was interred in the hills outside the town.

From that day forward, Jin Cheng took over his father's affairs and controlled the household finances. Mistress Ma became ever more imperious, refusing to be governed by her stepmother-in-law. After her husband's death, Lady Li was consumed by grief; her health declined steadily, and she grew pale and thin. She persevered in her mourning for more than a year before she fell ill with a deep affliction of the heart, took to her bed, and could rise no more. Though she loved her son tenderly and longed for her husband deeply, sickness came and would not leave. Jin Cheng, not forgetting his father's dying words, did his duty and called physicians and provided medicines. But fate could not be altered, and there was no saving her; she too breathed her last and departed from the world. As it is written:

Husband and wife journey together to the Yellow Springs below;

The scheming of brother's wife against little brother now comes to light.

When Jin Cheng saw that his stepmother had died, he at once arranged the coffin and the funeral rites, spending yet more silver, and had her buried beside his father in the same hillside tomb, completing in death what had been shared in life. Jin Cheng was struck all the more by the sadness of his family's circumstance. Yet he pitied his little brother, who was only seven years old that year, now bereft of both parents, and he cherished Jin Lang dearly. The household affairs, however, rested entirely in the hands of Mistress Ma, who employed nine farmhands to till the fields. She would beat Jin Lang on the slightest pretext, and though Jin Lang, young as he was at seven, already had some grasp of human feeling, he dared not tell his elder brother. Jin Cheng often went to town on business or out to collect rents and remained unaware of his wife's mistreatment of Jin Lang.

Time flew like an arrow, day followed day, and another new year passed. Jin Lang was now eight years old. One day in the third month, when peach blossoms glowed red and willows shimmered green, Jin Lang went alone to the back garden to fly a kite. The sky was clear and bright, butterflies danced among the flowers, and children everywhere were at play. Jin Lang amused himself in the back garden, and before long the kite climbed high into the air, leaving only a thin string in his hand. The wind that day grew stronger and stronger, and the kite soared and pulled. Jin Lang tugged at the string but could not keep his footing; the wind caught him and dragged him along. Near the peach trees there was a fish pond, stocked with goldfish, its water no more than a foot deep. Suddenly the wind hauled Jin Lang to the edge of the pond, and with a splash he tumbled in. The kite string slipped from his hand and the kite flew off into the sky. Jin Lang had fallen in, and though his clothes were soaked through, the water was too shallow to be a danger to his life — though he swallowed a good mouthful of it. He clambered back out, gripping the stone railing to steady himself, and slowly made his way up.

Though he had not drowned, there was not a dry thread on him. He had no choice but to stand before the peony steps, facing the sun, hoping to dry off in the warmth. Yet to return home meant facing his sister-in-law's blows, and thinking of this, tears welled in his eyes. He raised his face to the sky and let out a long, aggrieved sigh.

Strange to say, at that very moment the Gold Star of Venus was passing overhead on a cloud, on his way to consult the Lord of the Northern Dipper on a matter of some importance. As he passed over this spot, he noticed a column of grievous energy rising into the heavens. He halted his cloud and looked down, and there he recognized the Twelfth Golden Lad, suffering in his earthly trials. Compassion stirred in his heart. He counted on his fingers — five more years of hardship remained before the boy could ascend once more to the heavenly court. He thought: "I cannot intervene at this moment; I must first report to the Jade Emperor and seek guidance." With that, he mounted his cloud and flew on.

While Jin Lang stood there weeping, a household servant came looking for him from behind. The servant approached and, seeing that the boy's clothes were drenched, asked what had happened. Jin Lang explained the whole affair from beginning to end, and the servant, now understanding, could only offer a few words of comfort. He said: "Should the mistress ask, this old servant will speak on your behalf. Midday meal is ready, and when no one saw you at the table the mistress sent me to find you. Come with me now." With that, Jin Lang hung his head and followed the old servant to the hall.

As they neared the entrance, Mistress Ma was already seated at the table, drinking alone. Jin Cheng was not at home. The moment Mistress Ma saw Jin Lang appear — and saw that his clothes were soaking wet — fury rose in her heart, and what had been a spark became a blaze. She shouted: "You little beast! You have no sense of when to eat and no care for your clothes. I sent the old servant to call you for the midday meal, and where do you go? Off to the Crystal Palace beneath the waters? At your age, acting like this — if you grow up to be any kind of person, you'll be turning the Heavenly Court upside down! Today's midday meal is forfeit — you're not to eat. After I have finished, I will deal with you properly." And with that, she continued eating.

When she had finished, she rolled up her sleeves, strode forward, and seized Jin Lang by the collar. She stripped off every stitch of his clothing, upper and lower garments alike. The old servant, knowing that trouble was at hand and feeling pity for the boy who had been beaten so many times before, rushed forward to hold Mistress Ma back. But Mistress Ma, beside herself with rage, glared fiercely, her cruel features hardening as she snarled: "Old servant! If I beat him to death, I'll answer for it myself — it has nothing to do with you!" The other servants and maids, knowing how violent Mistress Ma could be, dared not restrain her and stepped aside. Mistress Ma stripped Jin Lang completely bare, not leaving him a shred of clothing, then took up a three-strand cane and beat him from head to toe without mercy. The skin broke and the flesh split; blood flowed, and the white skin turned purple. There was not an unmarked patch on his whole body. Jin Lang could only cry out in agony and beg his sister-in-law to show some mercy. Mistress Ma paid no heed. Then Jin Lang managed to grab the cane and pleaded: "I beg you, sister-in-law, please calm your anger! My body is already covered in blood. Treat me as your own son — or if not that, then look upon the face of my father and mother and spare me this once!" Mistress Ma barked: "You little beast! How dare you argue back with your slippery tongue? I won't stop until I've beaten you half to death today!" She snatched back the cane and raised it again to strike.

In the midst of all this commotion, while Jin Lang's cries rang out, a rescuing star appeared at the door — and all the servants cried out in joy. Who was this visitor? Turn to the next chapter to find out.