A Favor For Jia Rong
Today we’ll see how Jia Rong interacts with Wang Xifeng, who he calls his “aunt.” The family relationship is actually a little more complex than that. However, this story shows clearly just how powerful Wang Xifeng really is. More on that tomorrow.
My Translation
Jia Rong paid his respects. “My father sent me to ask a favor of you, aunt,” he began. “We’d like to borrow the glass couch screen you received from our aunt the other day, since we’ve got an important guest coming tomorrow. We’ll just display it briefly and will give it back right away.”
“You’re too late,” replied Wang Xifeng. “I gave it to somebody else yesterday.”
Jia Rong grinned when he heard this. He immediately went down on one knee against the edge of the couch. “If you don’t lend it to me, aunt,” he pleaded, “my father will say I’m useless at delivering the message, and will surely beat me. Please, kind aunt, take pity on me!”
“What nonsense!” exclaimed Xifeng with a laugh. “You make it sound like everything the Wang family has is priceless! Your house is filled with fine treasures, and yet the moment you see something of mine you simply must have it!”
“I only beg for your indulgence, dear aunt!” replied Jia Rong with a grin.
“If you so much as scratch it, it’s your skin!” replied Xifeng. And, accordingly, she ordered Ping’er to get the key to the upstairs door and sent for some servants to have it carried over.
“I’ll personally oversee bringing it over,” said Jia Rong eagerly, his face lighting up with a beaming smile. “I won’t let them handle it carelessly.” And, with that, he rose and hurried out.
Just then, Wang Xifeng suddenly thought of something. “Rong, come back!” she called toward the window.
A few voices outside repeated the command: “Master Rong, please return.”
Jia Rong hurried back with the beaming smile still on his face. He gazed at Wang Xifeng, awaiting her instructions.
But Xifeng simply went on slowly sipping her tea. She seemed lost in thought for a while, and then she suddenly flushed crimson and laughed. “Never mind,” she told him. “You may go for now. Come back after dinner. There are people here now, and, besides, I’m feeling a little tired.”
“Yes,” replied Jia Rong, his lips pressing together slightly in a smile. And he slowly left.
Translation Critique
Hawkes
Hawkes has Jia Rong “salute his aunt Manchu fashion.” This refers to 請了安, or to pay one’s respects. This would have been a half kneel with the right knee if Jia Rong were actually treating Wang Xifeng as his superior in that way. There is some textual evidence to suggest this, though the truth is that 請安 means both “to pay respect to someone senior” and to formally salute someone senior with the half kneel.
Yang
While the translation by the Yangs is fine, this scene seems a bit hurried in their version. It’s kind of an odd scene, but it’s important when it comes to establishing Wang Xifeng’s character.
Chinese Text
那賈蓉請了安，笑回道：「我父親打發來求嬸子。上回老舅太太給嬸子的那架玻璃炕屏，明兒請個要緊的客，略擺一擺就送來。」鳳姐道：「你來遲了。昨兒已經給了人了。」賈蓉聽說，便笑嘻嘻的在炕沿上下個半跪，這鳳姐忽然想起一件事來，便向窗外叫：「蓉兒，回來。」外面幾個人接聲說：「請蓉大爺回來呢。」賈蓉忙回來，滿臉笑容的瞅著鳳姐，聽何指示。那鳳姐只管慢慢吃茶，出了半日神，忽然把臉一紅，笑道：「罷了，你先去罷。晚飯後，你來再說罷。這會子有人，我也沒精神了。」賈蓉答應個「是」，抿著嘴兒一笑，方慢慢退去道：「嬸子要不借，我父親又說我不會說話了，又要挨一頓好打。好嬸子，只當可憐我罷！」鳳姐笑道：「也沒見我們王家的東西都是好的？你們那裡放著那些好東西，只別看見我的東西才罷，一見了就想拿了去。」賈蓉笑道：「只求嬸孃開恩罷！」鳳姐道：「碰壞一點兒，你可仔細你的皮！」因命平兒拿了樓門上鑰匙，叫幾個妥當人來抬去。賈蓉喜的眉開眼笑，忙說：「我親自帶人拿去，別叫他們亂碰。」說著，便起身出去了。
這鳳姐忽然想起一件事來，便向窗外叫：「蓉兒，回來。」外面幾個人接聲說：「請蓉大爺回來呢。」賈蓉忙回來，滿臉笑容的瞅著鳳姐，聽何指示。那鳳姐只管慢慢吃茶，出了半日神，忽然把臉一紅，笑道：「罷了，你先去罷。晚飯後，你來再說罷。這會子有人，我也沒精神了。」賈蓉答應個「是」，抿著嘴兒一笑，方慢慢退去。
Translation Notes
嬸子 (aunt) here is technically not the correct term. Actually, Jia Rong’s father is named Jia Zhen, and his grandfather is Jia Jing. Wang Xifeng is married to Jia Lian, whose father is Jia She, and whose grandfather is Jia Daishan. In other words, the relationship between the two is implied to be close because of the proximity of the house and the Jia family politics – but it’s actually not a close blood relationship. You have to go back 4 generations to the time when Duke Ningguo and Duke Rongguo were brothers.
玻璃炕屏 is a fancy decorated glass screen that would have been placed in front of a kang.
你可仔細你的皮 literally means “you should be careful with your skin.” Wang Xifeng is threatening to physically harm Jia Rong if anything happens to the glass kang screen.
眉開眼笑 means to look cheerful