The-Golden-Cangue(Translated-by---Eileen-Chang)

TheGoldenCangueTranslatedbyEileenChangShanghaithirtyyearsagoonamoonlitnight...maybewedidnotgettoseethemoonofthirtyyearsago.Toyoungpeoplethemoonofthirtyyearsagoshouldbeareddish-yellowwetstainthesizeofacoppercoin,likeateardroponletterpaperbyTo-yünHsüan'wornandblurred.Inoldpeople'smemorythemoonofthirtyyearsagowasgay,larger,rounder,andwhiterthanthemoonnow.Butlookedbackonafterthirtyyearsonaroughroad,thebestofmoonsisapttobetingedwithsadness.ThemoonlightreachedthesideofFeng-hsiaopillow.Shewasaslavegirlbroughtbythebride,thenewThirdMistressoftheChiangs.Sheopenedhereyestotakealookandsawherownblue-whitehandonthehalf-wornblanketfacedwithquiltedKoreansilk.Isitmoonlight?shesaidtoherself.Shesleptonapalletonthefloorunderthewindow.Thelastcoupleofyearshadbeenbusywiththechangingofdynasties.TheChiangscomingtoShanghaiasrefugeesdidnothaveroom,sotheservants'quarterswerecriss-crossedwithpeoplesleeping.Feng-hsiaoseemedtoheararustlebehindthebigbedandguessedthatsomebodyhadgotuptousethechamberpot.Sheturnedoverand,justasshethought,theclothcurtainwasthrustasideandablackshadowemerged,shufflinginslipperstroddendownintheback.ItwasprobablyLittleShuang,thepersonalmaidofSecondMistress,andsoshecalledoutsoftly,LittleSisterShuang.LittleShuangcame,smiling,andgaveakicktothepallet.Iwokeyou.Sheputbothhandsunderheroldlinedjacketofdarkvioletsilk,wornoverbrightoil-greentrousers.Feng-hsiaoputoutahandtofeelthetrouserlegandsaid,smiling:Colorfulclothesarenotwornsomuchnow.Withthepeopledownriver,'thefashionsareallfornocolor.LittleShuangsaid,smiling,Youdon'tknow,inthishousewecan'tkeepupwithotherpeople.OurOldMistressisstrict,eventheyoungmistressescan'thavetheirownway,nottosayusslavegirls.Wewearwhat'sgivendressedlikepeasants.ShesquatteddowntositonthepalletandpickedupalittlejacketatFeng-hsiao'sfeet.Wasthisnewlymadeforyourlady'swedding?Feng-hsiaoshookherhead.Ofmywardrobefortheseason,onlythefewpiecesonviewarenew.Therestisjustmadeupofdiscards.Thisweddinghappenedtorunintotherevolution,reallyhardonyourlady.Feng-hsiaosighed.Don'tgointothatnow.Intimeslikethis,oneshouldeconomize,buttherewasstillalimit!Thatweddingreallylackedstyle.Thatoneofoursdidn'tsayanything,buthowcouldshenotbeangry?Ishouldn'twonderThirdMistressisstillunhappyaboutit.Onyoursidethetrousseauwas1passable,theweddingpreparationswemadewerereallytoodismal.EventhatyearwetookourSecondMistressitwasbetterthanthis.Feng-hsiaowastakenaback.How?YourSecondMistress...LittleShuangtookoffhershoesandsteppedbarefootacrossFeng-hsiaotothewindow.Getupandlookatthemoon,shesaid.Feng-hsiaoscrambledquicklytoherfeet.Iwasgoingtoaskallalong,yourSecondMistress...LittleShuangbentdowntopickupthelittlejacketandputitoverhershoulders.Becarefulyoudon'tcatchcold.Feng-hsiaosaid,smiling,asshebuttoneditup,No,you'vegottotellme.Myfault,Ishouldn'thaveletitout,LittleShuangsaid,smiling.Wearelikesistersnow.Whytreatmelikeanoutsider?IfItellyou,don'tyoutellyourladythough.OurSecondMistress'sfamilyownsasesameoilshop.Oh!Feng-hsiaowassurprised.'Asesameoilshop!Howonearthcouldtheystoopsolow!NowyourEldestMistressisfromatitledfamily;ourscan'tcomparewithEldestMistress,butshealsocamefromarespectablefamily.Ofcoursetherewasareason.You'veseenourSecondMaster,he'scrippled.Whatmandarinfamilywouldgivehimadaughterforwife?OldMistressdidn'tknowwhattodo,Firstwasgoingtogethimaconcubine,andthematchmakerfoundthisoneoftheTs'aofamily,calledCh'i-ch'iao,becauseshewasbornintheseventhmonth.Oh,aconcubine,saidFeng-hsiao.Wastobeaconcubine.ThenOldMistressthought,sinceSecondMasterwasnotgoingtotakeawife,itwouldn'tdoeitherforthesecondbranchtobewithoutitspropermistress.JustaswelltohaveherforawifesoshewouldfaithfullylookafterSecondMaster.Feng-hsiaoleanedherhandsonthewindowsill,musing.Nowonder.AlthoughI'mnewhere,I'veguessedsomeofittoo.Dragonsbreeddragons,phoenixesbreedphoenixes—asthesayinggoes.Youhaven'theardherconversation!Eveninfrontoftheunmarriedyoungladiesshesaysanythingshelikes.Luckythatinourhousenotawordgoesoutfrominside,norcomesinfromoutside,sotheyoungladiesdon'tunderstandathing.Eventhentheygetsoembarrassedtheydon'tknowwheretohide.Feng-hsiaotittered.Really?Wherecouldshehavepickedupthisvulgarlanguage?Evenusslavegirls-LittleShuangsaid,holdingherownelbows,Why,shewasthebigattractionatthesesameoilshop,standingatthecounter,anddealingwithallkindsofcustomers.Whathavewegotto2comparewithher?Didyoucomewitbherwheushewasmarried?LittleShuangsneered.Howcouldsheaffordme!IusedtowaitonOldMistress,butSecondMastertookmedicinealldayandhadtobehelpedaroundalltherime,andsiucetheywereshortofhands,Iwassentoverthere.Why,areyoucold?Fenghsiaoshookherhead..Lookatyou,thewayyoupulledinyourneck,socuddlesome!ShehadhardlyfinishedspeakingwhenFeng-hsiaosneezed.RightawayLittleShuanggaveherapush.Gotobed,gotobed.WarmyourselfFeng-hsiaokneltdowntotakeherjacketoffIt'snotwinter,youdon'tcatchcoldjustlikethat.Thewindowmaybeclosedbutthewindsqueaksinthrough.thecrevices.Theybothlaydown.Feng-hsiaoaskedinawhisper,Beenmarriedforfour,fiveyearsnow?Who?Whoelse?Oh,she.That'sright,it'sbeenfiveyears.Hadchildrentoo,andgavepeoplenothingtotalkab