Leisurely Encounter Illustrations (Upper and Lower)

Author: Li Yu [Qing Dynasty]
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-10-01
Features: "Lakitu the Lake Master" Li Yu lived across the Ming and Qing dynasties, authored extensively, and was renowned, though his reputation was mixed at the time. His work of personal indulgence, On Delicate Pleasures, follows the nature of things, embodying his lifelong interests and literary refinement. Beyond the theater performances treasured by the world, everything from silk and bamboo music, dance, houses and gardens, furniture and antiques, to cooking and gardening—his leisurely pursuits—came to life under his pen, filled with delightful charm. Now reorganized from the Jiezi Garden edition, collated with the Bishi Tang edition, with new illustrations added, primarily featuring Ming and Qing works, and with annotations wherever possible, offering comprehensive commentary to recreate his extraordinary talent. Excerpt: The skin of a beautiful woman is varied in charm, but ultimately, it is color that matters. As the Book of Songs says, "White as the base, adorned with color." White refers to the color white. The essence of a woman lies in being white. Often, a woman's features like eyebrows, eyes, and teeth are depicted in paintings, yet her skin alone is flawed. Could the art of nature in creating humans differ from that of a dye master? Without the effort of bleaching, it adds the work of adornment? I say: Not so. White is difficult, but color is easy. Eyes speak of difficulty? This is because the life of all things depends on their roots. If the root is of one color, the branches and leaves will also be of that color. What is the root of a person? Essence and blood. Essence carries a white hue, while blood is red and purple. Those who are conceived from abundant paternal essence will surely be white at birth. When paternal essence and maternal blood merge, if the blood is abundant and the essence is scarce, the person will be born between black and white. If her blood is a pale red, forming a fetus, though between black and white at birth, if nurtured with fine food and secluded in elegant chambers, she may grow lighter, as her foundation has not been fully darkened. This applies to those who are not white in childhood but become so later. If her blood is deep purple, forming a fetus, her foundation is already set, leaving no room for bleaching. Even if she is dressed in crystal and mother-of-pearl and lives in jade halls and pearl pavilions, it will be impossible to lighten her deep color, but she can at least maintain it! If she does not change, she will not grow darker with age, which is already a blessing. This applies to those born into wealthy families but remain unchanging in color throughout their lives. Understanding this, one knows the method of selecting materials, like a dye master receiving garments. Some accept white garments for bleaching, which is easy; some accept slightly reluctant white garments, which is still possible; but if asked to strip deeply colored garments and bleach them white, even for a hundred times the price, they will refuse. Though human skill is clever, it cannot defy the work of nature, nor can it force what already exists to become non-existent. A woman's white or black is easy to judge, but those between black and white are harder. There are three methods: If her face is lighter than her body, it is easier to lighten; if her body is lighter than her face, it is harder. If her skin is black but delicate, it is easier to lighten; if it is black and coarse, it is harder. If her skin is black but wide, it is easier to lighten; if it is tight and firm, it is harder. If her face is lighter than her body, since the face is exposed while the body is clothed, the gradual whitening is difficult; the body, being clothed, is slightly lighter, and the transition from dark to light is clear, so if the face is also covered, the effect will be similar, making it easier to lighten. If her body is darker than her face, it is the opposite, making it harder to lighten. If her skin is fine and delicate, like silk or gauze, smooth and receptive to color, it is easy to lighten and easy to fade. A little wind or sun exposure will lighten dark hues and weaken deep colors. If her skin is coarse, like cloth or carpet, it is ten times harder to lighten than fine silk, and even harder to fade, a principle that applies to skin as well. Thus, delicate skin is easy to lighten, while coarse skin is hard. If her skin is black but wide, like unironed silk or shoes and boots that have not been shaped, their wrinkles make light hues seem dark and pale hues seem deep. Once ironed, the texture changes dramatically, no longer resembling the original color. The same applies to skin: if it is black but wide, like unironed silk or shoes and boots, it will lighten once its blood and flesh are fully developed, as it is now. Once fully developed, it will no longer suffer from being wide, so wide skin is easy to lighten, while tight and firm skin is hard. The secrets of judging skin are all here. So, are white, delicate, and wide skins sought after, while black, coarse, tight, and firm skins are discarded? I say: Not so. Misfortune often befalls beautiful faces, while good fortune favors plain ones. These are not mere coincidences but the materials for noble families and the qualities of noble wives.