My Re-write by Albert Chan

Introduction

My re-write fiction is based on the masterpiece of a great classical Chinese novel, A Dream of Red Mansions (Hung Lou Meng, also translated as The Dream of the Red Chamber). It was written in the mid-eighteenth century by authors Tsao Hsueh-Chin and Kao Ngo during the Ching Dynasty.

My re-write looks at mainly on the inequality of gender power and the unjust social treatments of women in olden days China. The main heroine, Tai-yu was arranged to be married to her distant cousin, Pao-yu in order to strengthen and increase the status of her family but she had no love for her fiancé whatsoever. However, Tai-yu obeyed and went through this arranged marriage because of pressures from both her parents and the society that girls or women must follow instructions without doubting or voicing their own opinions.

I've also "borrowed" a few lines from the 'Wide Sargasso Sea' novel because I thought it would add some spice & refresh our memories of it; have a read & find out which lines they are.






Tai-yu weeps over fallen blossom by the Tomb of Flowers



Tai-yu was only sixteen when her parents announced to her that she was to marry her distant cousin in the coming spring. Tai-yu was not capable to support herself from standing when she heard the announcement, her maid, Tzu-chuan who grew up with her had to hold her young mistress by the elbow from falling down to the floor.

“Father, I cannot marry Cousin Pao-yu; he does not love me and I certainly do not love him!” exclaimed Tai-yu.

“My child, my decision is made and there’s no point of arguing. And the announcement has also been approved by Granny Liu and preparation works have already begun.” Tai-yu’s father said.

“But you know too well what Cousin Pao-yu gets up to with all his unspeakable secrets.” Tai-yu protested.

“Stop this nonsense right at this instance, child! You do not speak of your future husband in such a disgraceful manner! He is going to be your husband no matter what and I presumed that you were raised properly to be a lady who will never doubt or question what her husband endeavours in. Or had you not been raised up in this family at all? Is this how you repay me by disgracing our family name?” her father was shaking with anger.

Tai-yu began to sob uncontrollably; it was with Tzu-chuan’s help that she could barely remained standing.

“Calm down my Husband and be quiet my child. Look how angry you’ve made your father.” Tai-yu’s mother said in a clam and gentle manner.

“Have I not taught you the appropriate way of being an educated and respectful lady when you were growing up, my child? We women are to be obedient and respect whatever decisions made for us either by our father or our husband and the most unforgivable mistake that a lady should always avoid is to doubt or protest against these decisions. Have you forgotten everything that I’ve taught you, my child?” Tai-yu’s mother continued.

“Moreover, your Cousin Pao-yu’s family has a lot of power and influence in the Royal Court, imagine the endless benefits and wealth our family could enjoy if you were married into such respectful family? And the careers of your father and your two young brothers will advance a thousand miles in the Royal Court in the future.” Tai-yu’s mother said.

“This is not the time and place to only think about your own happiness and love, my child. Your father and I are simply doing what’s best for you and is this how you repay your parents?” her mother questioned Tai-yu.

Tai-yu was an educated young lady, she was taught how to play the piano so she could entertain her future husband and his guests; she learned how to play chess so she could have games of chess with the man that she was arranged to marry to; Tai-yu was taught how to write poems so her future husband would not consider he had married an illiterate ordinary woman and she had also learned how to paint so her future husband could show off his wife’s talent in front of his guests; one thing that Tai-yu cannot understand is that for all she had prepared herself for being an acceptable and educated lady is to be married to a man that she does not love or worse she despises!

Tai-yu also knows too well that it would be to no advance in this argument with her parents, she could simply obey whatever decisions they have made for her and accept it as her fate of life.

“Please father, I beg of you forgiveness on your child of her ignorance and stupidity. I’ve shamed you, my beloved father and my beloved mother for my thoughtless utterances about Cousin Pao-yu and I beg of your forgiveness. As your humble child, I will marry Cousin Pao-yu in the coming spring for this is most desirable for my life and I truly thank you, my beloved parents for everything you know it’s best in my interest.” Tai-yu said calmly with tears still streaming down her chins.

“And now may I be excused and retrieve to my chamber, I bid you my beloved parents good evening and wish you good health and longevity.”

Once Tai-yu was back in her chamber alone with Tzu-chuan, her maid, she sat leaning against the bedpost weeping quietly.

Tzu-chuan knew her young mistress’ ways. She would often sit moodily frowning or sighing which would eventuate to long spells of weeping. At first, Tzu-chuan had tried to comfort her, but as time went by and she found this was her young mistress’ habit and she paid little attention. So tonight like any other night, Tzu-chuan withdrew to bed, leaving her young mistress, Tai-yu to brood by herself.

Tai-yu leaned against her bedpost, clasping her knees and her eyes were overflowing with tears. She stayed motionless as a statue for what seemed like eternity and it was almost dawn when she finally lied down on her bed and fell asleep.

The next day was the God of Flowers festival when women offer all kinds of gifts and a feast to the God of Flowers. Tai-yu, who had risen late after a sleepless night and was in fear of being laughed at for laziness so she had dressed hastily and went out to the courtyard. There she found Tzu-chuan tying colourful ribbons to all the trees and flower for the preparation of the feast for the God of Flowers festival.

“Good morning Miss Tai-yu, you should stay in bed for a little longer since you didn’t sleep much last night.”

“I must go and pay my respect to the God of Flowers, I’m already late.” Tai-yu said to Tzu-chuan. “Come help me gather some food and flower petals.”

Tai-yu and Tzu-chuan made their way over a small hill, across a stream and through an orchard towards the mound where Tai-yu had buried the peach-blossom last year. As soon as the two girls reached the flower’s grave, Tai-yu began her weeping once again. Tzu-chuan could only stand and watch while her young mistress mourning and weeping in a heart-wrenching fashion.

As we saw what had happened last evening when Tai-yu was acquainted with the announcement that she was arranged to marry her Cousin Pao-yu and as today happened to be the occasion for feasting the God of Flowers, Tai-yu could not help weeping over her constrained resentment merged with her grief over her own fate and composed a heartbreaking poem:

“Men laugh to my face in burying fallen flowers,
But who will bury me when I lie dead?...
The day that spring takes wing and beauty fades
Who will care for the fallen blossom or dead maid?”

Although Tzu-chuan was accustomed to her young mistress’ way of endless weeping and grieving, at this point she flung herself wretchedly down on the ground, scattering her load of flowers. She was heartbroken to think about her young mistress’ ill-fated future when next spring comes.

“Miss Tai-yu, Tzu-chuan will always be right by your side to tender and love you. Please do not worry yourself sick; Master Pao-yu might not be as bad as people said he would be. Please Miss Tai-yu I beg of you to cease this pointless torture on yourself…Please I beg of you…” Tzu-chuan could not compose herself any longer and join her young mistress in her weeping.


Pao-yu has his first taste of Love (Lust)

Pao-yu has reached Madame Ko-ching’s room, he was met at the threshold by a subtle perfume that misted over his eyes and melted his bones.

“How good it smells here!” he cried.



Entering, he saw on the wall a picture of a lady sleeping under the blossom of an apple tree in spring. On the dressing table was a mirror and in the gold tray by it, was the burning incense where the subtle perfume was coming from. The delicate string of smoke from the burning incense was shaped like a tiny dancing fairy in mid-air.

“It’s nice in here,” exclaimed Pao-yu repeatedly in his delight.

“This room of mine is probably fit for a god,” rejoined Madame Ko-ching with a smile.

With her own hands she spread a finely woven bedspread on the bed and arranged the silk pillows then she made Pao-yu lie down and he fell asleep as soon as he closed his eyes and dreamed that Madame Ko-ching was before him. Absent-mindedly he followed her along some crimson railing beautifully decorated with delicate carvings and gold paint. Then up some white marble steps among green trees and clear streams to a place where no man had ever set foot on.

In his dream, Pao-yu thought happily to himself, “This is a pleasant spot. If only I could spend my whole life here, I would give up my home where my parents and teachers keep pestering me everyday.”

Out of nowhere, Pao-yu heard someone singing a song on the other side of the hill. And he realized that the voice was a girl’s and before the song had ended he saw the singer come round the hill and approach him. Pao-yu could instantly tell that with her graceful pace, she was truly no mortal being. Overjoyed by the splendour of this fairy, Pao-yu made a fool of himself to hastily greet her with a bow.

“Sister Fairy,” he begged with a smile, “do tell me where you are from and where you are going. I have lost my way. May I beg you to be my guide?”

“I am the Goddess of Disenchantment and I preside over romance, the grief of women and the passion of men in the mortal world.” she answered with a smile. “My mansion is not far from here. I can offer you a cup of fairy tea plucked by my own hands and may be a pitcher of fine wine that I brewed myself. And I can also sing you my new fairy song called ‘A Dream of Red Mansions.’ Won’t you come with me?”

Pao-yu followed the Goddess to a stone archway and beyond this archway was a palace gateway with the inscription in large characters: Sea of Grief and Heaven of Love. He followed the Goddess through the second gate past two matching halls on both sides.

“Why don’t you come with me to enjoy the amazing sights over here?” the Goddess said to Pao-yu.

He followed her past embroidered curtains, painted pillars and carved beams. Pao-yu failed to find words to describe all the magnificent rooms where floors were paved with gold; windows were as bright and clean as snow and all the luscious looking fairy flowers and herbs.

As Pao-yu was feasting his eyes on these marvelous sights, the Goddess of Disenchantment called with a joyful laugh:

“Come out quickly and welcome our honoured guest.”

Several fairies came out at once from nowhere, all wearing beautiful gowns with swaying lotus sleeves and feathery skirts. They asked the Goddess when they spotted Pao-yu:

“So this is your guest! Why should we hurry out to welcome him? Why bring this earthy creature here to pollute our palace?”

Pao-yu was ashamed of such comment and wished he could slip away, but the Goddess of Disenchantment took his hand and said:

“You don’t understand, I was on my return after paying a visit to my sister, the Pearl of the South Sea when I encountered this handsome young gentleman who was lost in the Magic Mountain and so I decided to bring him here so he can have a rest before finding his way home. Won’t you have mercy in your hearts to welcome him here?” she explained to the fairies.

The Goddess of Disenchantment led Pao-yu to the guest’s seat and young maids served tea with such a pure scent, exquisite flavour and refreshing quality. Other young maids brought in tables and chairs and set out wine and refreshments.

“This wine is made from the stamens of ten thousand flowers and fermented with phoenix milk,” the Goddess told Pao-yu. “We call it the Ten Thousand Beauties in One Cup.”

As Pao-yu sipped the wine, the other fairies stepped forward to ask what they should perform for their guest.



“Our new fairy song called ‘A Dream of Red Mansions,” ordered the Goddess of Disenchantment.

After the first couple of songs, Pao-yu explained that he was drunk and would like to sleep off the effects of the wine.

The Goddess of Disenchantment ordered the feast to be cleared away and escorted Pao-yu into a scented chamber where he saw a charming girl standing gracefully by the side of the bed. The Goddess noticed Pao-yu’s puzzled expression on his face and said:

“You and I we both know that you are the most lustful man ever to have lived in your mortal world.”

“You must be mistaken, Goddess,” protested the now frightened Pao-yu. “I’m still young and hardly know what that word means.”

“Don’t worry, I bought you here to entertain you with divine wine and fairy tea and now I am going to match you with my younger sister Ko-ching and you must consummate your union tonight.”

The Goddess of Disenchantment enlightened Pao-yu with the secrets of sex. Then, she pushed him forward towards her sister, closed the door and left. Pao-yu was in such rapture that he performed all the secrets which the Goddess had told him.

The next day when Pao-yu woke up from his vivid dream, he found himself still lying on Madame Ko-ching’s bed. As he reached out to fasten his trousers, he touched his thigh and found it cold and sticky.

Madame Ko-ching entered the chamber with a tray in her hands carrying a pot of tea and a couple of jade teacups.

“Good morning, young master. Was it not enough with what you had performed on me last night that you had to dream such filthy dreams to dirty yourself like that?” Madame Ko-ching said teasingly.

Blushing bright red, Pao-yu sheepishly begged: “Don’t tell anyone, please, Madame Ko-ching. I’ll buy you all the jewellery you desire in this word.”

“Young master, you can be certain this little incident will never leave my chamber. And what will you do with me when you are to marry your future wife in spring? Will you forget about me?” Madame Ko-ching began a pretentious sob.

“Why on earth would you speak of such nonsense? That Cousin Tai-yu of mine is just another vase in my mansions among many others. I do not have any passion or lust towards her unlike the passion and lust that I feel for you. And who is she to tell me whom I can or cannot be associated with? I am her master and the one thing that she could do is to obey my orders!”

“My young master, there’s no need to loose your precious energy on petty matters like that. Let me light the incense again and we can have some tea and accomplish whatever unfinished business that we ought to finish.”

“Madame Ko-ching, you know all the tricks to give pleasure to my heart. How could I ever repay you?”

“My young master, just close your eyes and inhale the scented smoke from the burning incense and enjoy yourself. This will be the best way that you could repay me.” Madame Ko-ching said.

“What better birthday present can a seventeen-year-old man have in his life than having to meet you, Madame Ko-ching?” Pao-yu asked.

Madame Ko-ching whispered in Pao-yu’s ear:

“If I could die. Now, when I am happy. Would you do that? You wouldn’t have to kill me. Say die and I will die. You don’t believe me? Then try, say die and watch me die.”

“Die then! Die!” Pao-yu shouted.

On that second day of Pao-yu’s seventeenth birthday, a year before he was to be married to his Cousin Tai-yu, both he and Madame Ko-ching died and resurrected many times on end. And this illicit liaison between Pao-yu and Madame Ko-ching was no secret to every living soul in every corner on the Hundred Flowers Lane where all the best and most high class and exclusive gentlemen clubs were. Words were not to be restricted among corners of this lustful lane; they were spreading like wild fire at a pace like lightning.



Granny Liu made a huge effort to compose herself from exploding the anger inside her when the piece of news about her most valued grandson, Pao-yu’s outrageous acquaintance with the number one Madame on Hundred Flowers Lane, Madame Ko-ching.

“This is nonsense! Untruthful rumours! My precious grandson, Pao-yu would never do such a shameful and filthy act. How dare those people fabricate such terrible piece of lie against my Pao-yu!”

But deep underneath Granny Liu’s Buddha like face, she was well aware of the ultimate truth. She thought to herself that the one and only way to extinguish this engulfing wild fire about her grandson, Pao-yu was to bring the wedding date forward to the end of the winter.

“Announce my order to the public that the wedding ceremony of my precious grandson, Pao-yu is to be held on the fifteenth day of the last month this winter. Miss Tai-yu, the reputable lady, from the Lin’s family is the official fiancé of my grandson and she is to be married into our highly respected family as my grand-daughter-in-law.” Granny Liu gave her order with much authority to her servants.

“One more thing, not a single word of such rumours is to be heard or whispered within this mansion or fatal consequences are to be faced for any offenders!”