gentle reader , what , you may ask , be the origin of this book ?
though the answer to this question may at first seem to border on the absurd , reflection will show that there be a good deal more in it than meet the eye .
long ago , when the goddess nǚ-wa be repair the sky , she melt down a great quantity of rock and , on the incredible crag of the great fable mountain , mould the amalgam into thirty-six thousand , five hundred and one large building block , each measure seventy-two foot by a hundred and forty-four foot square .
she use thirty-six thousand five hundred of these block in the course of she building operation , leave a single odd block unused , which lay , all on its own , at the foot of greensickness peak in the aforementioned mountain .
now this block of stone , have undergo the melting and moulding of a goddess , possess magic power .
it could move about at will and could grow or shrink to any size it want .
observe that all the other block have be use for celestial repair and that it be the only one to have be reject as unworthy , it become fill with shame and resentment and pass its day in sorrow and lamentation .
one day , in the midst of its lamenting , it see a monk and a taoist approach from a great distance , each of they remarkable for certain eccentricity of manner and appearance .
when they arrive at the foot of greensickness peak , they sit down on the ground and begin to talk .
the monk , catch sight of a lustrous , translucent stone — it be in fact the reject building block which have now shrink itself to the size of a fan-pendant and look very attractive in its new shape — take it up on the palm of he hand and address it with a smile : ' ha , i see you have magical property !
but nothing to recommend you .
i shall have to cut a few word on you so that anyone see you will know at once that you be something special .
after that i shall take you to a certain brilliant successful poetical cultivate aristocratic elegant delectable luxurious opulent locality on a little trip . '
the stone be delighted .
' what word will you cut ?
where be this place you will take i to ?
i beg to be enlighten . '
' do not ask , ' reply the monk with a laugh .
' you will know soon enough when the time come . '
and with that he slip the stone into he sleeve and set off at a great pace with the taoist .
but where they both go to i have no idea .
countless aeon go by and a certain taoist call vanitas in quest of the secret of immortality chance to be pass below that same greensickness peak in the incredible crag of the great fable mountain when he catch sight of a large stone standing there , on which the character of a long inscription be clearly discernible .
vanitas read the inscription through from begin to end and learn that this be a once lifeless stone block which have be find unworthy to repair the sky , but which have magically transform its shape and be take down by the buddhist mahasattva impervioso and the taoist illuminate mysterioso into the world of mortal , where it have live out the life of a man before finally attain nirvana and return to the other shore .
the inscription name the country where it have be bear , and go into considerable detail about its domestic life , youthful amours , and even the verse , motto and riddle it have write .
all it lack be the authentication of a dynasty and date .
on the back of the stone be inscribe the follow quatrain :
found unfit to repair the azure sky long year a foolish mortal man be i.
my life in both world on this stone be writ : pray who will copy out and publish it ?
from he reading of the inscription vanitas realize that this be a stone of some consequence .
accordingly he address himself to it in the follow manner : ' brother stone , accord to what you yourself seem to imply in these verse , this story of yours contain matter of sufficient interest to merit publication and have be carve here with that end in view .
but as far as i can see ( a ) it have no discoverable dynastic period , and ( b ) it contain no example of moral grandeur among its character — no statesmanship , no social message of any kind .
all i can find in it , in fact , be a number of female , conspicuous , if at all , only for they passion or folly or for some trifling talent or insignificant virtue .
even if i be to copy all this out , i can not see that it would make a very remarkable book . '
' come , you reverence , ' say the stone ( for vanitas have be correct in assume that it could speak ) ' must you be so obtuse ?
all the romance ever write have a artificial period set — han or tang for the most part .
in refuse to make use of that stale old convention and tell my story of the stone exactly as it occur , it seem to i that , far from deprive it of anything , i have give it a freshness these other book do not have .
' you so-called " historical romance " , consist , as they do , of scandalous anecdote about statesman and emperor of bygone day and scabrous attack on the reputation of long-dead gentlewoman , contain more wickedness and immorality than i care to mention .
still worse be the " erotic novel " , by whose filthy obscenity we young folk be all too easily corrupt .
and the " boudoir romance " , those dreary stereotype with they volume after volume all pitch on the same note and they different character undistinguishable except by name ( all those ideally beautiful young lady and ideally eligible young bachelor ) — even they seem unable to avoid descend sooner or later into indecency .
" the trouble with this last kind of romance be that it only get write in the first place because the author require a framework in which to show off he love-poem .
he go about construct this framework quite mechanically , begin with the name of he pair of young lover and invariably add a third character , a servant or the like , to make mischief between they , like the chou in a comedy .
' what make these romance even more detestable be the stilted , bombastic language — inanity dress in pompous rhetoric , remote alike from nature and common sense and teem with the grossest absurdity .
' surely my " number of female " , whom i spend half a lifetime study with my own eye and ear , be preferable to this kind of stuff ?
i do not claim that they be better people than the one who appear in book write before my time ; i be only say that the contemplation of they action and motive may prove a more effective antidote to boredom and melancholy .
and even the inelegant verse with which my story be interlard could serve to entertain and amuse on those convivial occasion when rhyme and riddle be in demand .
' all that my story narrate , the meeting and parting , the joy and sorrow , the up and downs of fortune , be record exactly as they happen .
i have not dare to add the tiniest bit of touching-up , for fear of lose the true picture .
' my only wish be that man in the world below may sometimes pick up this tale when they be recover from sleep or drunkenness , or when they wish to escape from business worry or a fit of the dump , and in do so find not only mental refreshment but even perhaps , if they will heed its lesson and abandon they vain and frivolous pursuit , some small arrest in the deterioration of they vital force .
what do you reverence say to that ? '
for a long time vanitas stand lose in thought , ponder this speech .
he then subject the story of the stone to a careful second reading .
he could see that its main theme be love ; that it consist quite simply of a true record of real event ; and that it be entirely free from any tendency to deprave and corrupt .
he therefore copy it all out from begin to end and take it back with he to look for a publisher .
as a consequence of all this , vanitas , start off in the void ( which be truth ) come to the contemplation of form ( which be illusion ) ; and from form engender passion ; and by communicate passion , enter again into form ; and from form awake to the void ( which be truth ) .
he therefore change he name from vanitas to brother amor , or the passionate monk , ( because he have approach truth by way of passion ) , and change the title of the book from the story of the s tone to the tale of brother amor .
old kong mei-xi from the homeland of confucius call the book a mirror for the romantic .
wu yu-feng call it a dream of golden day .
cao xueqin in he nostalgia studio work on it for ten year , in the course of which he rewrite it no less than five time , divide it into chapter , compose chapter heading , rename it the twelve beauty of jinling , and add a introductory quatrain .
red inkstone restore the original title when he recopy the book and add he second set of annotation to it .
this , then , be a true account of how the story of the stone come to be write .
pages full of idle word pen with hot and bitter tear :
all man call the author fool ; none he secret message hear .
the origin of the story of the stone have now be make clear .
the same can not , however , be say of the character and event which it record .
gentle reader , have patience !
this be how the inscription begin :
long , long ago the world be tilted downward towards the south-east ; and in that lower-lying south-easterly part of the earth there be a city call soochow ; and in soochow the district around the chang-men gate be reckon one of the two or three wealthiest and most fashionable quarter in the world of man .
outside the chang-men gate be a wide thorough-fare call worldly way ; and somewhere off worldly way be a area call carnal lane .
there be a old temple in the carnal lane area which , because of the way it be bottle up inside a narrow cul-de-sac , be refer to locally as bottle-gourd temple .
next door to bottle-gourd temple live a gentleman of private means call zhen shi-yin and he wife feng-shus , a kind , good woman with a profound sense of decency and decorum .
the household be not a particularly wealthy one , but they be nevertheless look up to by all and sundry as the lead family in the neighbourhood .
zhen shi-yin himself be by nature a quiet and totality unambitious person .
he devote he time to he garden and to the pleasure of wine and poetry .
except for a single flaw , he existence could , indeed , have be describe as a idyllic one .
the flaw be that , although already past fifty , he have no son , only a little girl , just two year old , whose name be ying-lian .
once , during the tedium of a burning summer 's day , shi-yin be sit idly in he study .
the book have slip from he nerveless grasp and he head have nod down onto the desk in a doze .
while in this drowsy state he seem to drift off to some place he could not identify , where he become aware of a monk and a taoist walk along and talk as they go .
' where do you intend to take that thing you be carry ? ' the taoist be ask .
' do not you worry about he ! ' reply the monk with a laugh .
' there be a batch of lovesick soul await incarnation in the world below whose fate be due to be decide this very day .
i intend to take advantage of this opportunity to slip we little friend in amongst they and let he have a taste of human life along with the rest . '
' well , well , so another lot of these amorous wretch be about to enter the vale of tear , ' say the taoist .
' how do all this begin ?
and where be the soul to be reborn ? '
' you will laugh when i tell you , ' say the monk .
' when this stone be leave unused by the goddess , he find himself at a loose end and take to wander about all over the place for want of better to do , until one day he wanderings take he to the place where the fairy disenchantment life .
' now disenchantment could tell that there be something unusual about this stone , so she keep he there in she sunset glow palace and give he the honorary title of divine luminescent stone-in-waiting in the court of sunset glow .
' but most of he time he spend west of sunset glow explore the bank of the magic river .
there , by the rock of rebirth , he find the beautiful crimson pearl flower , for which he conceive such a fancy that he take to water she every day with sweet dew , thereby confer on she the gift of life .
' crimson pearl 's substance be compose of the purest cosmic essence , so she be already half-divine ; and now , thanks to the vitalize effect of the sweet dew , she be able to shed she vegetable shape and assume the form of a girl .
' this fairy girl wander about outside the realm of separation , eat the secret passion fruit when she be hungry and drinking from the pool of sadness when she be thirsty .
the consciousness that she owe the stone something for he kindness in water she begin to prey on she mind and end by become a obsession .
' " i have no sweet dew here that i can repay he with , " she would say to herself .
" the only way in which i could perhaps repay he would be with the tear shed during the whole of a mortal lifetime if he and i be ever to be reborn as human in the world below . "
' because of this strange affair , disenchantment have get together a group of amorous young soul , of which crimson pearl be one , and intend to send they down into the world to take part in the great illusion of human life .
and as today happen to be the day on which this stone be fate to go into the world too , i be take he with i to disenchantment 's tribunal for the purpose of get he register and send down to earth with the rest of these romantic creature . '
' how very amusing ! ' say the taoist .
' i have certainly never hear of a debt of tear before .
why should not the two of we take advantage of this opportunity to go down into the world ourselves and save a few soul ?
it would be a work of merit . '
' that be exactly what i be think , ' say the monk .
' come with i to disenchantment 's palace to get this absurd creature clear .
then , when this last batch of romantic idiot go down , you and i can go down with they .
at present about half have already be bear .
they await this last batch to make up the number . '
' very good , i will go with you then , ' say the taoist .
shi-yin hear all this conversation quite clearly , and curiosity impel he to go forward and greet the two reverend gentleman .
they return he greet and ask he what he want .
' it be not often that one have the opportunity of listen to a discussion of the operation of karma such as the one i have just be privileged to overhear , ' say shi-yin .
' unfortunately i be a man of very limited understanding and have not be able to derive the full benefit from you conversation .
if you would have the very great kindness to enlighten my benighted understanding with a somewhat fuller account of what you be discuss , i can promise you the most devout attention .
i feel sure that you teaching would have a salutary effect on i and — who know — might save i from the pain of hell . '
the reverend gentleman laugh .
' these be heavenly mystery and may not be divulge .
but if you wish to escape from the fiery pit , you have only to remember we when the time come , and all will be well . '
shi-yin see that it would be useless to press they .
' heavenly mystery must not , of course , be reveal .
but might one perhaps inquire what the " absurd creature " be that you be talk about ?
be it possible that i might be allow to see it ? '
' oh , as for that , ' say the monk : ' i think it be on the card for you to have a look at he , ' and he take the object from he sleeve and hand it to shi-yin .
shi-yin take the object from he and see that it be a clear , beautiful jade on one side of which be carve the word ' magic jade ' .
there be several column of smaller character on the back , which shi-yin be just go to examine more closely when the monk , with a cry of ' here we be , at the frontier of illusion ' , snatch the stone from he and disappear , with the taoist , through a big stone archway above which the land of illusion be write in large character .
a couplet in smaller character be inscribe vertically on either side of the arch :
truth become fiction when the fiction 's true ; real become not-teal where the unreal 's real .
shi-yin be on the point of follow they through the archway when suddenly a great clap of thunder seem to shake the earth to its very foundation , make he cry out in alarm .
and there he be sit in he study , the contents of he dream already half forget , with the sun still blaze on the ever-rustling plantain outside , and the wet-nurse at the door with he little daughter ying-lian in she arm .
she delicate little pink-and-white face seem dearer to he than ever at that moment , and he stretch out he arm to take she and hug she to he .
after play with she for a while at he desk , he carry she out to the front of the house to watch the bustle in the street .
he be about to go in again when he see a monk and a taoist approach , the monk scabby-headed and barefoot , the taoist tousle-haired and limp .
they be behave like madman , shout with laughter and gesticulate wildly as they walk along .
when this strange pair reach shi-yin 's door and see he stand there hold ying-lian , the monk burst into loud sob .
' patron , ' he say , address shi-yin , ' what be you do , hold in you arm that ill-fated creature who be destine to involve both she parent in she own misfortune ? '
shi-yin realize that he be listen to the word of a madman and take no notice .
but the monk persist : ' give she to i !
give she to i ! '
shi-yin be begin to lose patience and clasp he little girl tightly to he , turn on he heel and be about to re-enter the house when the monk point he finger at he , roar with laughter , and then proceed to intone the follow verse :
' fond man , you pampered child to cherish so — that caltrop-glass which shine on melting snow !
beware the high feast of the fifteenth day , when all in smoke and fire shall pass away ! '
shi-yin hear all this quite plainly and be a little worried by it .
he be think or ask the monk what lay behind these puzzling word when he hear the taoist say , ' we do not need to stay tether .
why do not we part company here and each go about he own business ?
three kalpa from now i shall wait far you on bei-mang hill .
have join force again there , we can go together to the land of illusion to sign off . '
' excellent ! ' say the other .
and the two if they go off and soon be both lose to sight .
' there must have be something behind all this , ' think shi-yin to himself . ' i really ought to have ask he what he mean , but now it be too late . '
he be still stand outside he door brood when jia yu-cun , the poor student who lodge at the bottle-gourd temple next door , come up to he .
yu-cun be a native of hu-zhou and come from a family of scholar and bureaucrat which have , however , fall on bad time when yu-cun be bear .
the family fortune on both he father 's and mother 's side have all be spend , and the member of the family have themselves gradually die off until only yu-cun be leave there be no prospects for he in he home town , so he have set off for the capital , in search of fame and fortune .
unfortunately he have get no further than soochow when he fund run out , and he have now be live there in poverty for a year , lodging in this temple and keep himself alive by work as a copyist .
for this reason shi-yin see a great deal of he company .
as soon as he catch sight of shi-yin , yu-cun clasp he hand in greet and smile ingratiatingly .
' i could see you stand there gaze , sir .
have anything be happen in the street ? '
' no , no , ' say shi-yin .
' it just happen that my little girl be cry , so i bring she out here to amuse she .
you come be most opportune , dear boy .
i be begin to feel most dreadfully bored .
will not you come into my little den , and we can help each other to while away this tedious hot day ? '
so say , he call for a servant to take the child indoors , while he himself take yu-cun by the hand and lead he into he study , where he boy serve they both with tea .
but they have not exchange half-a-dozen word before one of the servant rush in to say that ' mr yan have come to pay a call . '
shi-yin hurriedly rise up and excuse himself : ' i seem to have bring you here under false pretence .
i do hope you will forgive i .
if you do not mind sit on you own here for a moment , i shall be with you directly . '
yu-cun rise to he foot too .
' please do not distress yourself on my account , sir .
i be a regular visitor here and can easily wait a bit . '
but by the time he have finish say this , shi-yin be already out of the study and on he way to the guest-room .
leave to himself , yu-cun be flick through some of shi-yin 's book of poetry in order to pass the time , when he hear a woman 's cough outside the window .
immediately he jump up and peer out to see who it be .
the cough appear to have come from a maid who be pick flower in the garden .
she be a unusually good-looking girl with a rather refine face : not a great beauty , by any means , but with something striking about she .
yu-cun gaze at she spellbound .
have now finish pick she flower , this anonymous member of the zhen household be about to go in again when , on some sudden impulse , she raise she head and catch sight of a man standing in the window .
he hat be fray and he clothing threadbare ; yet , though obviously poor , he have a fine , manly physique and handsome , well-proportioned feature .
the maid hasten to remove herself from this male presence ; but as she go she think to herself ,
' what a fine-looking man !
but so shabby !
the family have not get any friend or relation as poor as that .
it must be that jia yu-cun the master be always on about .
no wonder he say that he will not stay poor long .
i remember hear he say that he be often want to help he but have not yet find a opportunity . '
and think these thought she could not forbear to turn back for another peep or two .
yu-cun see she turn back and , at once assume that she have take a fancy to he , be beside himself with delight .
what a perceptive young woman she must be , he think , to have see the genius underneath the rag !
a real friend in trouble !
after a while the boy come in again and yu-cun elicit from he that the visitor in the front room be now stay to dinner .
it be obviously out of the question to wait much longer , so he slip down the passage-way at the side of the house and let himself out by the back gate .
nor do shi-yin invite he round again when , have at last see off he visitor , he learn that yu-cun have already leave .
but then the mid autumn festival arrive and , after the family conviviality be over , shi-yin have a little dinner for two lay out in he study and go in person to invite yu-cun , walk to he temple lodgings in the moonlight .
ever since the day the zhens ' maid have , by look back twice over she shoulder , convinced he that she be a friend , yu-cun have have the girl very much on he mind , and now that it be festival time , the full moon of mid autumn lend a inspiration to he romantic impulse which finally result in the follow octet :
' ere on ambition 's path my foot be set , sorrow come often this poor heart to fret .
yet , as my brow contract with new care , be there not one who , parting , turn to stare ?
dare i , that grasp at window in the wind , hope , underneath the moon , a friend to find ?
bright orb , if with my plight you sympathize , shine first upon the chamber where she lie . '
have deliver himself of this masterpiece , yu-cun 's thought begin to run on he unrealized ambition and , after much head-scratching and many heavenward glance accompany by heavy sigh , he produce the follow couplet , recite it in a loud , ring voice which catch the ear of shi-yin , who chance at that moment to be arrive :
' the jewel in the casket bide till one shall come to buy .
the jade pin in the drawer hide , wait its time to fly . '
shi-yin smile .
' you be a man of no mean ambition , yu-cun . '
' oh no ! ' yu-cun smile back deprecatingly .
' you be too flattering .
i be merely recite at random from the line of some old poet .
but what bring you here , sir ? '
' tonight be mid autumn night , ' say shi-yin .
' people call it the festival of reunion .
it occur to i that you might be feel rather lonely here in you monkery , so i have arrange for the two of we to take a little wine together in my study .
i hope you will not refuse to join i . '
yu-cun make no polite pretence of decline .
' you kindness be more than i deserve , ' he say .
' i accept gratefully . '
and he accompany shi-yin back to the study next door .
soon they have finish they tea .
wine and various choice dish be bring in and place on the table , already lay out with cup , plate , and so forth , and the two man take they place and begin to drink .
at first they be rather slow and ceremonious ; but gradually , as the conversation grow more animated , they potation too become more reckless and uninhibited .
the sound of music and singing which could now be hear from every house in the neighbourhood and the full moon which shine with cold brilliance overhead seem to increase they elation , so that the cup be empty almost as soon as they touch they lip , and yu-cun , who be already a sheet or so in the wind , be seize with a irrepressible excitement to which he presently give expression in the form of a quatrain , ostensibly on the subject of the moon , but really about the ambition he have hitherto be at some pain to conceal :
' in thrice five night she perfect o be make , whose cold light bathe each marble balustrade .
as she bright wheel start on its starry way , on earth ten thousand head look up and gaze . '
' bravo ! ' say shi-yin loudly .
' i have always insist that you be a young fellow who would go up in the world , and now , in these verse you have just recite , i see a augury of you ascent .
in no time at all we shall see you up among the cloud !
this call for a drink ! '
and , say this , he pour yu-cun a large cup of wine .
yu-cun drain the cup , then , surprisingly , sigh : ' do not imagine the drink be make i boastful , but i really do believe that if it be just a question of have the sort of qualification now in demand , i should stand as good a chance as any of get myself on to the list of candidate .
the trouble be that i simply have no means of lay my hand on the money that would be need for lodgings and travel expense .
the journey to the capital be a long one , and the sort of money i can earn from my copying be not enough — '
' why ever do not you say this before ? ' say shi-yin interrupt he .
' i have long want to do something about this , but on all the occasion i have meet you previously , the conversation have never get round to this subject , and i have not like to broach it for fear of offend you .
well , now we know where we be .
i be not a very clever man , but at least i know the right thing to do when i see it .
luckily , the next triennial be only a few month ahead .
you must go to the capital without delay .
a spring examination triumph will make you feel that all you study have be worth while .
i shall take care of all you expense .
it be the least return i can make for you friendship . '
and there and then he instruct he boy to go with all speed and make up a parcel of fifty tale of the best refine silver and two suit of winter clothes .
' the almanac give the nineteenth as a good day for travel , ' he go on , address yu-cun again .
' you can set about hire a boat for the journey straight away .
how delightful it will be to meet again next winter when you have distinguish yourself by soar to the top over all the other candidate ! '
yu-cun accept the silver and the clothes with only the most perfunctory word of thanks and without , apparently , give they a further moment 's thought , for he continue to drink and laugh and talk as if nothing have happen .
it be well after midnight before they break up .
after see yu-cun off , shi-yin go to bed and sleep without a break until the sun be high in the sky next morning .
when he awake , he mind be still run on the conversation of the previous night .
he think he would write a couple of introductory letter for yu-cun to take with he to the capital , and arrange for he to call on the family of a official he be acquaint with who might be able to put he up ; but when he send a servant to invite he over , the servant bring back word from the temple as follow :
' the monk say that mr jia set out for the capital at five o'clock this morning , sir .
he say he leave a message to pass on to you .
he say to tell you , " a scholar should not concern himself with almanac , but should act as the situation demand , " and he say there be not time to say good-bye . '
so shi-yin be oblige to let the matter drop .
it be a true say that ' time in idleness be quickly spend ' .
in no time at all it be fifteenth night , and shi-yin send little ying-lian out , in the charge of one of the servant call calamity , to see the mummer and the coloured lantern .
it be near midnight when calamity , feel a urgent need to relieve he bladder , put ying-lian down on someone 's doorstep while he go about he business , only to find , on he return , that the child be nowhere to be see .
frantically he search for she throughout the rest of the night ; but when day dawn and he have still not find she , he take to he heel , not daring to face he master and mistress , and make off for another part of the country .
shi-yin and he wife know that something must be wrong when they little girl fail to return home all night .
then a search be make ; but all those send out be oblige in the end to report that no trace of she could be find .
the shock of so sudden a loss to a middle-aged couple who have only ever have the one daughter can be imagine .
in tear every day and most of the night , they almost lose the will to go on living , and after about a month like this first shi-yin and then he wife fall ill , so that doctor and diviner be in daily attendance on they .
then , on the fifteenth of the third month , while fry cake for a offering , the monk of bottle-gourd temple carelessly allow the oil to catch alight , which set fire to the paper window .
and , since the house in this area all have wooden wall and bamboo fence — though also , doubtless , because they be doom to destruction anyway-the fire leap from house to house until the whole street be blaze away like a regular fiery mountain ; and though the fireman come to put it out , by the time they arrive the fire be well under way and long past control , and roar away all night long until it have burn itself out , render heaven know how many family homeless in the process .
poor zhens !
though they and they handful of domestic escape unhurt , they house , which be only next door to the temple , be soon reduce to a heap of rubble , while shi-yin stand by helpless , groan and stamp in despair .
after some discussion with he wife , shi-yin decide that they should move to they farm in the country ; but a series of crop failure due to flooding and drought have lead to widespread brigandage in those part , and government troops be out everywhere hunting down the mutinous peasant and make arrest .
in such condition it be impossible to settle on the farm , so shi-yin sell the land and , take only two of the maid with they , go with he wife to seek refuge with he father-in-law , feng su .
