Two maidens served the two of them food and drink. After they were satiated and sufficiently warmed by the liquor, they held hands and went towards a bed, and the two maidens left the room, politely closing the door from outside. The two people, intoxicated by lust, had no idea that Ciu Hwa was a mischievous seventeen-year-old girl. She made a hole in the paper window with her hairpin and peeped into the room with a pounding heart. With her body trembling, the girl watched everything that happened in the room, even though she only saw their shadows behind the closed mosquito net, lit by the candlelight on the table. She could then hear their conversation, which was carried out in sweet whispers.
“How old are you now?”
"Twenty-three. And how old is your first wife?" "Twenty-six." "Three years older than me, then. I would be delighted to visit her and gift her a few beautiful items. However, she might not want to get acquainted with me."
"Don't be afraid, she has a gentle and kind personality."
"What if she finds out about our relationship? How will she react?"
"Ah, all my wives are in huts quite far from the garden wall, they won't see anything. Only my fifth wife lives in the garden hut near this garden wall. However, she won't interfere in my affairs."
"How old is your fifth wife?" "The same as my first wife."
"If your fifth wife does not consider me too low, I would like to befriend her. Tomorrow morning I will visit her and your first wife, bringing two pairs of sandals that I made myself." Madam Hua then handed her gold hairpins to Shi Men.
"But don't let my husband see them." They swam in that insatiable sea of love until morning and when the rooster crowed for the first time, Shi Men went home the same way he came. He had made an agreement with Madam Hua about their future meetings, by hanging cloth over the wall that indicated that her husband was not at home and Shi Men could come in his place. After jumping over the wall with the help of a ladder and bench, Shi Men entered Kim Lian's hut, who was still in bed. Seeing her husband's early morning visit, she asked.
"Where have you been all night?"
"I went to Aunt Wu's pleasure house with Brother Hua, I just fulfilled his request to accompany him." Kim Lian believed him even though there was a slight doubt in her heart. A few days later, in the afternoon, when Kim Lian and Yu Lok were sewing in the garden, they saw a piece of cloth hanging from behind the wall! That afternoon the weather was quite hot so the two young women were sewing outside the hut and by chance, they saw the secret sign on the wall. Yu Lok was surprised and Kim Lian saw someone's face peeking over the wall and then disappearing again. She touched her maid.
"Sam-Ci (third sister)," she said softly. "Isn't the garden behind the wall owned by our neighbour Hua? And the face of the person peeking just now was clearly that of Granny Bi. Is she just curious about our flower garden?"
Because she was already suspicious, that night Kim Lian secretly observed Shi Men's movements. Shi Men only visited her for a short while that night, even refusing when offered food and drink. Therefore, when Shi Men left her hut that night, Kim Lian followed him from a distance. Then she saw how Shi Men used a bench and ladder to jump over the garden wall. Kim Lian returned to her hut, and for a long time she paced back and forth in her room in deep thought and could not sleep all night. When early the next morning Shi Men entered her hut and sat on the bed, Kim Lian pulled his ear.
"Hmm, faithless and roving-eyed husband. Just admit where you went last night? No need to deny it. I already know all your games. Yesterday afternoon, while I was sewing outside with Yu Lok, I saw the secret signal which they gave you. Now, you've been fooling around with the lady next door, haven't you? Tell me how many times you've fooled around with her? If you admit honestly, I will stay quiet. But if not, I will make a fuss until everyone knows and young master Hua will hear about it too!" This time Shi Men was powerless and realised that he had been caught red-handed. The only way out was to embrace his fifth wife and persuade her.
"My darling, I beg you, don't make a fuss. I will confess everything to you!" And he even added, "Also, she will soon come to visit you and the first wife and will give you a pair of sandals that she made herself. She wants to be good friends with you."
"Huh, who needs that? She is pretending to be nice just so I let her borrow my husband. Come on, tell me, how many times have you fooled around with her?" Shi Men laughed.
"Aih, my sweet darling, don't torture me with your questions like a judge. Tomorrow she will come to pay her respects to you and to Goat Toanio, and for now, she sends this very beautiful gift to you." Shi Men opened his hat and took out two very beautiful hairpins. Made of gold, with beautiful carvings and precious stones depicting a blue turtle, a symbol of long life. In the past, the high Thaikam, the lady's husband's uncle, wore this hairpin in the palace.
"So, sweetie, aren't you happy with this gift?" asked Shi Men. Kim Lian was very happy because indeed it was a very beautiful and rare item.
"Okay, I won't make a fuss. On the contrary, I will help you for the smooth running of your relationship. What do you think?"
"Aih, you truly are my sweet wife!" Shi Men kissed her with immense joy. "Listen, the woman next door doesn't love me for some calculation, but she really fell in love with me since our first meeting. And for you, tomorrow I will buy a new dress that is very beautiful."
"Hmm, who can trust your boneless tongue? You better promise me three things as my shut-up gift."
"I will promise anything you want."
"Well, first of all, you have to stay away from the pleasure houses. Secondly, you have to fulfil all my requests. Thirdly, every time you visit Madam Hua, you have to tell me everything and not keep anything secret. Will you promise? "I promise, with pleasure." From that moment on, every time after visiting Madam Hua, the next day Shi Men would tell everything to Kim Lian. Not just what he ate and drank at that house, but he also talked about the beauty of Madam Hua's body, how soft, delicate and warm her skin was, and how great her passion was.
He told Kim Lian about everything that happened in detail, answering whatever Kim Lian asked. Often Shi Men brought beautiful and rare items from the neighbour. One morning, he came home carrying a very beautiful painted cloth. Painted by a famous palace painter and that item was once brought by the old Hua Thaikam, from the palace harem. The painting depicted twenty-four erotic scenes, but it was painted so beautifully as if it were alive. Kim Lian looked at the pictures with a red face and just looking at the picture was enough to arouse her. She then rolled up the picture, gave it to Cun Bwe to keep, as if the picture was hers.
"I have to return it in two days," said Shi Men. "I only borrowed the picture to show you."
"I won't give it back," said Kim Lian, "I want to look at it every day." Several times Shi Men asked for it, but bravely Kim Lian defended.
"Okay, you look at the picture as much as you want. That woman has many more beautiful things, and sometime I will show you too."
"Well, in that case, I'll borrow it for a few days before returning it," said Kim Lian with joy and satisfaction, and then they, as usual, drowned in the hot intimacy of lust. The secret relationship between Shi Men and Madam Hua was used by Kim Lian as best she could to control Shi Men. And apparently, Shi Men was now truly submissive to his fifth wife. Whatever Kim Lian wanted, he complied with, even he seemed to love Kim Lian more and more. This woman was indeed very clever. She allowed her husband to fool around with other women, to gain greater influence and love. She gave up something to gain something else more beneficial. That afternoon Shi Men came to visit Goat Toanio with a very tense face.
Glossary
- Sam-Ci: Third sister, term of respect and intimacy between women.
- Thaikam: A high-ranking official or nobleman in historical context.
- Goat Toanio: A respectful term for the wife of a high-ranking official.
- Brother Hua: A respectful term for a man, usually a friend or close acquaintance.
- Madam Hua: Respectful term for a married woman, generally of higher social status.
- Granny Bi: Elderly woman, possibly a servant or relative.