Explore Chapter 85 of 'The Story of the Golden Powder Family' with the original Chinese text, English translation, detailed Chinese vocabulary explanations, and audio of the Chinese original. Listen and improve your reading skills.
After the upheaval in his family, Jin Yanxi moved out of Jin Mansion and rented a house elsewhere. With little to do each day, he often went to the theater for diversion, and thus made the acquaintance of several actors. Though he had fallen on hard times, these actors saw that he was still a scion of a noble family and treated him with respect. Yanxi was happy to associate with them, finding solace in their company to ease his melancholy.
One day, Yanxi went backstage at the theater to see Li Chunlai, who played young male roles. Li Chunlai had just removed his makeup and, upon seeing Yanxi, quickly offered him a seat and poured tea. Yanxi said, "Chunlai, your performance today was splendid. Those Xipi lines were truly pearls of wisdom." Li Chunlai laughed, "You flatter me, Seventh Master. Can my humble skills really please your ears?" After chatting and laughing for a while, Yanxi invited Li Chunlai to a nearby tavern for a drink.
At the tavern, they ordered a few side dishes and a pot of wine. Li Chunlai said, "Seventh Master, you seem to be in straitened circumstances lately. Why go to such expense?" Yanxi sighed, "Chunlai, to be honest, I'm living off my dwindling resources. But in friendship, what matters is mutual understanding. Why fuss over a little money?" Hearing this, Li Chunlai nodded inwardly, thinking, "This Jin Seventh Master is quite straightforward, unlike the typical profligate son."
As they were drinking, Liu Baoshan suddenly walked in. Liu Baoshan was an old friend of Yanxi's. Upon seeing Yanxi, he approached and said, "Old Seventh, I've been looking all over for you here." Yanxi quickly offered him a seat and asked, "Brother Baoshan, what brings you here?" Liu Baoshan said, "I heard you've been spending time with these actors lately. I was worried you might get taken advantage of, so I came to find you." Yanxi laughed, "Brother Baoshan, you worry too much. Chunlai is my good friend, not a bad person." Seeing this, Liu Baoshan said no more, and the three drank together.
Meanwhile, after separating from Yanxi, Leng Qingqiu lived with her child in Falling Flowers Lane. The monthly allowance from Jin Family was meager, and Leng Qingqiu was not skilled at managing household affairs, often finding expenses exceeding income. One day, the rice jar was empty, and the oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar were all used up. Leng Qingqiu had no choice but to take her last few pieces of jewelry to the pawnshop.
The pawnshop clerk, recognizing her as the young mistress of Jin Family, did not dare to slight her and offered a fair price. Leng Qingqiu exchanged the money for rice and vegetables, then hurried home. On the way, she met her neighbor, Madam Fang, a connoisseur. Seeing Leng Qingqiu carrying a bag of rice and dressed plainly, Madam Fang smiled and said, "Young Mistress Jin, buying rice yourself? Why not have the servants do it?" Leng Qingqiu blushed, lowered her head, and said, "We have few hands at home. It's good to do things oneself." Madam Fang curled her lip with a half-smile and walked away.
Returning home, Leng Qingqiu recalled Madam Fang's expression and felt a pang of sorrow. She was originally a young lady from a scholarly family. After marrying into Jin Family, she had enjoyed a period of glory. But now, fretting over firewood and rice, she had become a laughingstock. She couldn't help but shed tears. Seeing her mother cry, the child also wailed loudly. Leng Qingqiu quickly picked up the child and soothed, "Don't cry, baby. Mama is here."
At this time, Yanxi was drinking and chatting with Li Chunlai and Liu Baoshan, unaware of Leng Qingqiu's hardships. Liu Baoshan said, "Old Seventh, it's no good going on like this. You should find a proper job." Yanxi shook his head, "What can I do? I can't carry loads on my shoulders or lift with my hands. I'll just muddle through day by day." Li Chunlai said, "Seventh Master, don't lose heart. With your talents, it shouldn't be hard to find a position." Yanxi only smiled bitterly.
As dusk fell, Yanxi returned to his lodgings in a drunken stupor. Recalling the events of the day and thinking of Leng Qingqiu and her child, his heart was troubled. He lay down and fell asleep. In his dreams, he vaguely saw the opulent scenes of yesteryear, but upon waking, he found the walls bare and desolate, with only the moonlight filtering through the window, cold and lonely.