A Flower’s Shade (17 page)

Miss Yu turned her head and asked carelessly, "What's wrong with you?" Huaifu froze, almost dropping the opium pipe. He thrust out his right hand and tightly pressed down on his own lower body, his face suffused with shame. A wave of sudden pleasure accompanied by enormous happiness and dejection enveloped him entirely. Like lava from a volcano, his body was erupting. Miss Yu seemed to have noticed something—or perhaps not. She threw him a casual glance, and again closed her eyes.

After having held his breath for some time, Huaifu now finally exhaled. The water in the tub had already cooled, and Miss Yu rose, soaked to the bone, from the tub. Huaifu did not have the courage to face the idol of his heart frankly. Miss Yu's large and pert breasts seemed to him like two warm buns, drawing the eye from beneath her sodden clothing. Huaifu gave her a quick glance, bowed his head took the opium tray and fearfully slunk from the bathroom. At the door, he hears Miss Yu say:

"Huaifu, tonight, I'll go to your room."

Huaifu could never understand why it had been that night she had chosen to go to his room. In the numerous encounters which followed, it was always Miss Yu who absolutely took the initiative. When she felt like she needed Huaifu, she would appear unexpectedly in his room. She didn't disguise her needs at all, she observed no taboos, even on the days when her menstruation was not entirely done, she would appear on her own initiative to make love to Huaifu. Once the long rainy season began, Miss Yu's desire became incredibly robust. Huaifu discovered that she seemed to be insatiable. Everything began from that unforgettable night. For Huaifu that night became almost as important as the sacred first time.

That was the evening, following up from that first night, in which Miss Yu entered Huaifu's room for the first time. Huaifu, nervously awaiting her, lacked confidence and was filled with self-doubt. He could hardly believe that Miss Yu would come as she had said, since she didn't have to bear responsibility for anything she said. Time was moving incredibly slowly, and Miss Yu still had not come. More than once, Huaifu went to the door and looked with deep feeling at the lamp in Miss Yu's room. It was a night when the rainy season was about to begin, and the air had begun to grow heavy. Everything pointed to rain on the following day.

Just when Huaifu was feeling completely desperate, Miss Yu finally arrived. Full of excitement, she had a look around Huaifu's room. Seeing that her calligraphy was clipped up everywhere, she was satisfied with Huaifu's bitter love for her. Just as Xiaoyun's arrogance was a kind of stimulation for her, Huaifu's caution also made her excited and brave. She looked at the helpless Huaifu with condescension, then walked to the edge of his bed and undressed with abandon. One by one, she removed each item of clothing and threw it on the bed. Then she was standing nakedly there, silently letting Huaifu admire her.

T
he interminable rain season made it seem like a hole had been poked in the sky. It rained so much that it became impossible to go out. Without anything to do, stuck inside, Miss Yu occasionally thought of ways to make a little trouble. She had never been one to avoid trouble, and now that she had the say-so in the Estate, she felt that it would be more fun if she stirred something up. Besides immersing herself in the wildness of making love to Huaifu, she felt it would be better if she had something else to do.

With regards to Xiaoyun, she still had the desire to take revenge on him. Ever since the day of the Civilized play, when he had mocked her, she had thought on innumerable occasions of ways to take her revenge. There oughtn't to be anyone left on the state who could defy her will. What was the big deal about Xiaoyun? So he had studied for a couple of years, had seen a little bit of the world. He shouldn't think that he had become a big deal just because he was always wearing dark glasses. It seemed to Miss Yu that he should be made to feel the brunt of her power. She didn't want to bring him to his knees, but she did want to teach him a lesson.

The rain seemed like it might stop for a moment, but then it began again. It was a constant drizzle; then suddenly the sun came out. Miss Yu seemed to have prepared for this, and she walked idly down the corridor. This time, Huaifu did not follow her in his character of houseboy. She walked casually into Suqin's courtyard, and looked ostentatiously about.

The tedium of the rainy season was irritating. Xiaoyun was standing beneath the eaves, playing listlessly with a bird in a cage. Miss Xiaoyun walked up to him and looked at the birdcage provokingly. Xiaoyun had obviously felt her arrive, but was pretending not to have seen her, and was continuing to play with the birds in the cage. Naixiang was sitting motionlessly in his wheelchair, having been left at Suqin's door, looking at the courtyard with his rigid expression. Miss Yu turned her head and cast an indifferent glance at her brother. Just then, she saw Suqin appear behind her brother. Suqin squeezed past Naixiang, smiling and waving at Miss Yu, saying, "Why, sister! What's brought you here?"

Miss Yu answered, "Me? I've come to see your darling brother."

Suqin continued to smile, a little ill at ease, and now the smile became quite forced, "What, has Xiaoyun offended you again? I can see that right away. Dear sister, Xiaoyun's character is a little odd, don't you mind him." Miss Yu said, smiling, "Sister, you've got it wrong, it was my fault, I handled it wrong, I'm the one who offended Xiaoyun." Xiaoyun pretended not to have heard her and played with the birds without any expression. Miss Yu looked at him, and said meaningfully, "Your brother's so wonderful, he's had a modern education, he knows a lot of fresh new things. How could he offend me, of course it was I who offended him."

Suqin had nothing to reply, she knew that her sister-in-law was spoiled, and didn't dare offend her. For this reason her smile became even more forced and she said, "Xiaoyun, I'm sure you've done something to make her unhappy." Xiaoyun turned his head affectedly and said, "I've done nothing to make anyone unhappy. My lady, have I done something to make you unhappy? No—you see—I told you I hadn't." His solemnity made Miss Yu laugh, and this time it was a real laugh. Sometimes it was rather fun to cross swords with Xiaoyun. In these annoying, boring days, it was a welcome distraction to have a little skirmish. Suqin's face expressed great doubts. She didn't know what had happened between them. Xiaoyun, pretended that nothing was happening, continued the pretense of playing with the bird. He bit his lip, barely discernible.

Unwilling to leave well enough alone, Miss Yu remarked casually, "Hey, what kind of bird have you got here?"

"All you need to know is that it's a bird, what do you care what kind it is? Besides, if you know the answer, then why tell you?—and if you don't know the answer, then telling you won't enlighten you!" Xiaoyun clearly knew that Miss Yu was up to no good, and answered her harshly.

"Xiaoyun!" Suqin prevented him from going on.

Miss Yu's face had gone beet-red, and she looked like she might explode at any moment. Xiaoyun walked off as though nothing at happened. In the very first round of the day, Xiaoyun seemed to have won just by opening his mouth. Miss Yu had been defeated without a fight, and was beaten into an unfavorable position. She walked up to the cage and smiled malevolently. Suddenly, she opened the little door of the cage, shook it mischievously, trying to make the bird fall out. The frightened bird flapped its wings in the cage, fluttering about in a panic, and finally fell out the cage door. It cheeped and flew up and away. Neither Xiaoyun nor Suqin had believed she would do such a thing, and stared at Miss Yu.

Miss Yu said seriously, "A nice little bird like that, why coop it up in a cage?" she casually gave the birdcage a push, and the empty cage swung in the air on its chain.

Xiaoyun's face was ashen. He looked coldly at Miss Yu and said nothing. Miss Yu knew she was looking at him, but she didn't care at all, not least because her purpose had been to provoke Xiaoyun. Suqin, startled, didn't know what to say and finally mumbled, "Might as well, that's fine, let it go, why should a man his age play with birds all day…"

Miss Yu said in leisurely fashion, deliberately not looking at Xiaoyun, "It really doesn't matter. Xiaoyun, if you mind, I'll have the servants get you another one, and give it back to you. Hey, do you mind?" Xiaoyun, angry to the last degree, said pugnaciously, "I don't mind, why should I mind?" Miss Yu saw that she had succeeded provoked him, and smiled at her feat. This is what she had been aiming for, she had wanted to hurt him, wanted to bring him to his wit's end. This was the strongest revenge against his arrogance. Who asked him to wear those pretentious dark glasses or answer her in that ambivalent way, as if everybody owed him something?

Xiaoyun's gaze was following the birdcage, which still swung in mid-air. He slowly turned his head and looked in vain for the vanished little bird. Miss Yu, adding insult into injury, remarked, "You don't mind, do you? You're all flustered!" Xiaoyun had nothing to say. His face was pale and greenish and he looked at Miss Yu with ferocious eyes, finally managing to say, "Don't you be too pleased with yourself, young lady!"

Miss Yu smiled innocently, quite satisfied with things. Why shouldn't she be pleased with herself, today was a day for unadulterated bliss.

Xiaoyun's eyes fell upon Naixiang, sitting at the door. He stared at him fixedly, and couldn't help but shudder. Naixiang's eyes were looking at him without expression, still with that rigidity, that ridiculous look, and behind that stiff and ridiculous look, something seemed to be hidden. Xiaoyun seemed to have received some inspiration, he impulsively rushed up behind Naixiang, pushed the wheelchair in front, and pushed it all the way to the middle of the courtyard. Miss Yu was forced to scramble out of the way. Suddenly, Xiaoyun turned the chair around to face Miss Yu, nearly causing Naixiang to fall out of the chair. Furiously, he said, "Don't you think, young lady, that you're just like a bird too, a bird in its birdcage, a bird that should always be set free, into the world, to enjoy your freedom? But take a good look, Miss Yu. In years gone by, your brother was quite the impressive man, but now?"

Miss Yu was stunned.

Xiaoyun continued, "Take a good look, what's he like now?"

Suqin shouted fearfully, "Xiaoyun, don't talk nonsense!"

Xiaoyun ignored Suqin's warning, and said venomously, "I'm not talking nonsense, why should I talk nonsense. But I fear I may have to remind Miss Yu that it doesn't suit people to be too pleased with themselves, too boastful. Who can tell what a might become of a person afterwards?"

Miss Yu was entirely flabbergasted by Xiaoyun's ominous talk. She looked at her brother's rigid, ridiculous face, and was thrown into the wildest confusion. It was clear that Xiaoyun's rage was a little abnormal, and Miss Yu discovered that her superior position was slowly dwindling under his aggression. She couldn't believe that such words had passed Xiaoyun's lips. Xiaoyun said, almost cursing her, "Have a good look, Miss Yu! This is how you Zhens end up!"

Miss Yu could feel her heart thumping. Even though she had set his beloved bird free, even though he had once been deeply traumatized, none of it justified the things he was saying. He might be a little arrogant, even a little eccentric, but to throw a curse on her in this way, this venom—it really flabbergasted her. Xiaoyun did not regret his words, and looked at Miss Yu through his dark glasses. Their darkness concealed his inscrutable expression, and no one could have told what he was really thinking.

A
ludicrous atmosphere of celebration reigned on the Estate. All type and manners of young men had been brought there by their fathers or elders to sue for marriage. Ever since Old Master Zhen died, the matter of Miss Yu's marriage had been the principal topic of conversation at every table in the small town. After all, the entire Zhen property was in Miss Yu's hands. Many people coveted the Zhen property, but having heard all kinds of legends surrounding Miss Zhen's excessive behavior, no sooner had the temptation occurred to them than they sounded a hasty retreat. Miss Yu's strange spinster's temperament had made the rounds of the small town. Although everyone was under the impression that Miss Yu was eager to be wed, the suitors were not as eager as people had imagined.

The Zhen clansmen were obliged to inquire into Miss Yu's marriage plans. Time and again, Zhushan Uncle had travelled from Yaoshan to the Estate, taking the matter on personally, and sending matchmakers about everywhere. What honeyed words will a matchmaker balk at? Finally, the number of willing suitors increased. Because in the end it would depend on Miss Yu, and so all of the men who came courting had to be presented to her. It seemed she wanted deliberately to take revenge for the cold shoulder she had been given, and so she had all the meetings with suitors fixed on the same day. For that reason, on that day the Zhen Estate was like a holiday, and all of the suitors were under great pressure. So this was the maiden in the boudoir waiting for a suitor—she was like a rare commodity. If one didn't pay attention, someone else would snap her up.

The meetings were to be held in the Great Hall. One could call the way it was to be done half-new and half-old, or neither new nor old. Nevertheless, Miss Yu was not to be present at first. In order to add solemnity to the occasion, Seventh Grandfather was again invited. Before the courting officially began, everyone collected in the Great Hall and went through some formalities and then conversed. It was agreed that all the suitors would circle through the courtyard so that Miss Yu, concealed in the Mystery Chambers, could have a good look at them. If she liked the look of someone, she could make a sign, and that file could proceed. The conversation was nearing its end, when the Zhushan Uncle insisted that Seventh Grandfather, who had been insistently silent so far, say a few words. Seventh Grandfather said, "The young lady's marriage has always been regarded as an important matter within the clan, and discussed as such. In principle, this oughtn't to be a matter for me to worry about, and my views have not changed. It's improper for the young lady's marital arrangements to be dragged on for so long."