San Yan Er Pai

Author: Feng Menglong (Ming) / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-07-01
Features: On the first day of the month, Wang Xi went out and bumped into a wealthy merchant from Shangshan in his county, named Wu Daling. The Daling had a million in assets and was a man of great charm. Since he was usually generous to idle men and knew Wang Xi, he asked, "Have you heard of any good entertainment lately?" Wang Xi replied, "May I inform you, sir, that my cousin's wife has recently become widowed and is extremely charming, yet she has no husband yet. This is a piece of merchandise for your shop, but the price is quite high." Daling said, "Would you let me have a look?" Wang Xi said, "It's a bit difficult, but since she's from a good family, she's shy. Let me go home first and talk to her in the hall. Then you can walk in and take a proper look." Daling understood. Wang Xi went back first and saw Di Zhu sitting in her room, staring blankly. Wang Xi said, "Madam, why sit in the room all alone? Why not come to the hall?" The old woman, Wang Po, who had been listening from behind, also came out and said, "Exactly. Madam, come sit outside." Di Zhu agreed and went outside. Wang Xi closed the door behind him, and Di Zhu sat down. She said, "Auntie, it's better for me to go home." The old woman said, "Madam, don’t be in a hurry. We just want to cherish your talent and avoid making you suffer, so we’re advising you. Be patient, and I’m sure you’ll find a good match." Just as they were talking, a man burst in. You ask how he was dressed? He wore a bamboo slip hat with one side in front and one side behind, and had a pair of honey-colored gold pendants sewn on the sides. He wore a fine-collared, large-sleeved blue woolen Taoist robe and low-heeled, shallow-faced red silk monk shoes. If he hadn’t passed by the wall where Song Yu stood, he must have come in a carriage with Pan An. He walked straight into the hall and said, "Is Wang Xi home?" Di Zhu was startled and quickly got up, but they exchanged glances. She rushed to the door but found it locked by Wang Xi. There was nowhere to hide. The old woman laughed and said, "That’s Wu Daling. You should have called out first!" She said to Di Zhu, "He’s an old customer of ours, so don’t worry." Then she said to Daling, "May I introduce you to this lady?" Daling bowed deeply, and Di Zhu had to return the gesture. She stole a glance and saw a handsome and charming young man. Her heart was already set on him. Daling looked her over and noticed she wasn’t wearing any makeup, her hair was styled simply and elegantly, giving off an air of refinement that was completely different from the coquettish women of the brothels. He was an experienced man who knew the value of things and couldn’t help but be taken with her. He blushed on one side and said, "Madam, please sit." Di Zhu, being from a good family, felt shy and only asked the old woman, "Let’s go inside." The old woman said, "What’s the rush?" She followed Di Zhu inside and came out to Daling, asking, "Did the master find her to his liking?" Daling said, "Auntie, you’ve been so kind. I won’t forget it." The old woman said, "The master has plenty of silver. Just give us some, and you can take her home." Daling said, "She’s not from a brothel, so why so much?" The old woman said, "Not much. You’ve seen how beautiful she is. If you take her as a wife, can’t you afford a thousand?" Daling said, "If it’s a thousand, that’s fine. But my wife is very strict and likes to mistreat people. I’m not afraid of her, but I’m afraid of making things difficult for this young lady. It might not be convenient to take her home." The old woman said, "That’s no problem. We can rent another house for her to live in separately. That way, you can visit her whenever you like. I heard that the Jiang family has a flower garden that’s empty. I’ll ask about it for you. How about that?" Daling said, "That’s good, but living separately means needing servants and maids, and starting a new household. That’s small compared to the trouble it will cause at home. If they keep chasing us to live together, that will be unbearable." The old woman said, "I have another idea. Once the master gives the betrothal gift and takes her, you can marry here. We’ll provide her with a few taels of money each month to live on, and I’ll take care of her and keep her company. The master can just say you’re out on business and visit her often to keep things secret. What’s wrong with that?" Daling laughed and said, "That’s brilliant. That’s brilliant." They agreed on an eight-hundred-tael betrothal gift, and the clothes and jewelry were prepared and sent, naturally totaling a thousand. They also agreed to pay ten taels of silver each month for her living expenses and rent. Daling agreed, and hurried to get the silver. P16-17