One who excels in flattery
Drowned in tears and sorrow, allowing him to wilt in despair?
Her writing is smooth and beautiful. She carefully folded the letter, put it in the envelope, and gave it to A Thai to deliver to Shi Men. The next day, Kim Lian sat waiting for a reply to her letter all day. But there was no news at all, as if she had thrown a stone into a bottomless ocean. On the evening of Shi Men's birthday, Kim Lian impatiently sent Bu Ying to invite Wang's widow. After the old lady came, Kim Lian served food and drink, then presented her a hair ornament made of silver and gold, which she took from her own hair and handed it to Granny Wang. She knew very well that this old lady could not be expected to help without a reward.
"Auntie Wang, please help me and bring Shi Men Kongcu here," Kim Lian pleaded.
"I think he won't be able to come today because he must be partying at his own home with his family. But I will go there early tomorrow morning." After eating to her fill and her face turning red from drinking a lot of liquor, the old lady went home, and Kim Lian couldn't sleep that night. She tossed and turned on her soft bed, amidst pillows and blankets embroidered with a pair of ducks in love.
She lay restless, full of longing. Romantic love always brings opposites. It brings satisfaction but also disappointment, pleasure and hardship, happiness and sorrow, love and hate. When it brings satisfaction, there is nothing in this world that surpasses its pleasure and delight, on the other hand, if it brings disappointment, the world and life seem like the apocalypse! If it brings joy, it makes people sing, creating the most beautiful songs, but if it brings sorrow, many have committed suicide due to love failure! Kim Lian felt very miserable. She sighed heavily dozens or hundreds of times, lamented, and wiped her moist eyes.
Her hair was a mess, her clothes were worn out, her eyes were dull, her face was wilted and a soft moan escaped from her chest through her throat like a whimper. The next day, when she woke up from her sleep, which was not at all restful, the first thing Kim Lian did was send Bu Ying out to investigate whether Granny Wang really went to fulfill her promise to visit Shi Men's house. And Bu Ying came back with the relieving information that the old woman indeed left her house early in the morning. Wang's widow indeed went to visit Shi Men's house. When she saw a Shi Men employee named Hok, she quickly approached him and asked if his master was at home. "Ah, you should have come earlier, Auntie Wang," Hok told her. He was at home yesterday, and many guests came to celebrate his birthday. Last night he went with his friends for a stroll and hasn't returned. He must be at a vacation house, if Auntie Wang wants to meet him, she should look for him herself." Auntie Wang immediately went towards the complex of vacation houses, not far from the fort. Indeed, she saw Shi Men riding a horse, followed by several male servants. His face showed exhaustion from too much partying and drinking the night before, his eyes still red.
"Hayaaa, good Kongcu, you shouldn't drink too much liquor, it's not good for Kongcu's health!" Granny Wang shouted while stopping Shi Men's horse.
"Ah, it's you, Auntie Wang," Shi Men said, grinning.
"Because Kim Lian must have sent you out looking for me, right? Ha-ha-ha." As she whispered, Auntie Wang mentioned how Kim Lian missed him to death.
"Alright, I know. A Thai already told me. I know she's mad at me, and I intentionally made her die of longing so that her attitude will be more affectionate, ha-ha... Now I will visit her." While chatting, Shi Men and Granny Wang continued their journey to Purple Stone Street. When they were close to their destination, Granny Wang went ahead of Shi Men and hurried into Kim Lian's house.
"Congratulations, congratulations, Miss Kim Lian and you should thank me. Not even an hour has passed and I managed to bring him to you" Kim Lian was so surprised and happy and her heart was pounding when she saw Shi Men enter her house, still half-drunk, and fanning his fan quickly.
"What an extraordinary honor!" Kim Lian greeted him grumpily.
"I thought you had completely forgotten about your poor servant, Kongcu, because I haven't seen your shadow for so long. But of course, if you're attached to a new wife like a pair of chopsticks, there's no time left for your poor servant?"
"Ahh... I hope you didn't listen to the gossip of the unemployed."
"A new wife? Huh..! I had to make a lot of preparations for my daughter's wedding, that's why I haven't been able to come for so long."
"Don't think I'm stupid and can be lied to." Kim Lian said, furrowing her small, long, and curved black eyebrows.
"Swear that Kongcu is truly faithful to me and has not fallen in love with a new wife"
"I swear, and if I lie, let me be afflicted with sores as big as plates, be stricken with jaundice for five years, and let my hips be bitten by bedbugs as big as hats!" "Hmmm, you charmer and liar. Where is the brooch that I gave you?" Kim Lian asked, seeing no brooch decoration that Shi Men usually wore after it was given to him by her.
"Ah, recently I lost that brooch. When I was drunk and fell from my horse. My hat rolled into the mud, my braid came loose, and surely the brooch was thrown and lost." Kim Lian twitched her fingers in front of his face,
"You can't fool even a small child with that excuse" At this point, Granny Wang quickly stepped in to mediate.
"Miss, that's enough of that. Can't you see how Kongcu Shi Men is suffering and looks unwell? You should comfort him, not scold him." Shi Men took a deep breath.
"Do you also want to pressure me, sweet Kim Lian?" Bu Ying appeared carrying bowls of tea. At Kim Lian's command, the girl paid her respects to Shi Men and Granny Wang felt that it was time for her to withdraw. Before leaving, she still exclaimed.
"Shouldn't feelings of longing be satisfied with mutual greetings and bickering?" Bu Ying set the table and Kim Lian then took out the birthday gifts she had prepared for her lover and placed the gifts on the table in front of Shi Men. A pair of black silk sandals, a pair of fragrant pouches to be worn with a belt, a pair of knee protectors made of red silk with pine, bamboo, and acanthus leaves, three cold protection medicines for winter, a green inner wear made of extremely soft silk, a belt, a hairpin with a flower carved ornament. Seeing these gifts, Shi Men was deeply moved. He embraced his lover and presented her a long and passionate kiss. For a day and a night, Shi Men stayed at Kim Lian's house and the two of them freely poured out all their longing and partied in their lust.
Happiness and sadness are two inseparable twin siblings. If we are happy in the morning, do not be surprised if we meet with difficulties in the evening. The next morning, early before the two lovebirds awoke from sleep, a horse rider stopped in front of the late Bu Toa's house. It turned out to be a messenger from Commander Bu Siong. Apparently, Bu Siong had completed his task, delivering valuable items as bribery from the District Head to the Palace Commander named Cu. After delivering the valuable donation, Bu Siong returned home with an acceptance letter, and a reply from the palace official. Summer had passed and autumn was approaching when he made his journey back to the city of Ceng-Ho-Sian.
Glossary
- Kongcu: An honorific in Chinese culture meaning "young master".
- Shi Men: A character's name in the story.
- Kim Lian: The main female character's name in this chapter.
- Bu Ying: Another character in the story, possibly a servant.
- Nenek Wang: Wang's widow, an old lady in the story.
- Ceng-Ho-Sian: A city in the story.
- A Thai: A character's name in the story.
- Bu Siong: A character's name in the story.
- Bu Toa: A character's name in the story.
- Cu: A character's name in the story.